Andai itu Takdirnya Siti Rosmizah

Awal pembacaan, benciku pada lelaki bodoh bangang berlagak macam Syed Zairil....akhir buku, respect habis dengan Siti Rosmizah sebab dapat buat cerita yang simpe tanpa terbelit-belit, boleh buat saya benci meroyan kasihan benci balik dan suka sangat dengan watak lelaki dalam cerita ini.

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Buku ketiga kubaca karya Siti Rosmizah dalam masa 3 bulan. Andai itu takdirnya. Sewaktu mula membaca, saya tiada expectation yang tinggi, buku pertama Siti Rosmizah yang saya telah baca iaitu 7hari mencintaiku rasa saya dah terbaek. Selepas tu Lafazkan kalimah cinta, buku yang ramai kata merupakan karya SR yang paling best, tapi bagi saya, tak boleh lawan dengan emosi ribut taufan bila baca 7 hari mencintaiku.

Rupa-rupanya sangkaan saya meleset. Andai itu takedih dirnya rupanya menyengat emosi. Hati kering saya yang tak berapa nak sedih baca Lafazkan kalimah cintamu, tak dapat rupanya menahan sayu hiba bila menyelami perasaan Aleya sebagai isteri yang telah didera oleh Syed Zairil. Menyumpah seranah perangai biadab dan binatang Syed Zairil, rasa macam nak cekik dia sampai KO. Sangat suka watak Leya, simple tak banyak cerita, tak suka kecoh, simpan perasaan dan sedia berkorban demi orang lain, dibuang dari hidup ibu dan ayah yang menganggap dia telah memalukan mereka.

Pecah juga lelehan empangan air mata bila baca episod Zril yang benar-benar telah menyesali perbuatan kejamnya terhadap Leya dan redha untuk melepaskan ikatan perkahwinan mereka jika itulah yang dapat mendatangkan kebahagiaan untuk Leya. Pasrah beliau dengan takdir Allah.

Siti Rosmizah kekal dengan teras karyanya, kasih sayang berlandaskan perasaan yang extreme, sedih sangat gembira sangat, pasrah sangat, redha sangat,...best sangat. Syukur ditemukan dengan minat membaca semula dan nukilan Siti Rosmizah berjaya membuah-lebatkan panjat syukur kepada Allah swt atas segala yang telah didatangkan dalam hidup saya. Semuanya berkait dan tiada apa yang berlaku tanpa sebab. Cuma kita sebagai manusia yang berakal harus tabah, sabar, luruskan niat kuruskan buruk sangka...cuba & terus cuba gapai rahmat Allah, usahakan hidup dan mati dalam iman.

I love you stupid Melur Jelita

Semoga Allah swt sentiasa hadirkan dalam diri kita perasaan berdosa dan sentiasa ingin baiki diri InsyaAllah. Ok...5 bintang untuk I Love You Stupid & Melur Jelita.

Alhamdulillah....lepas hampir seminggu, selesai satu lagi karya novelis tempatan yang awesome. Buku pertama MJ yang saya baca. Memang terkesan. Paling tebal seumur hidup saya, 1389 mukasurat, namun langsung tidak menyesal. Sejak beberapa mukasurat awal berkenalan dengan Iris & the divas, saya sudah pasakkan niat untuk habiskan, saya perlu tahu kesudahannya. Tak sangka antara awal cerita sehingga ke happy ending, ... memang best baca buku ni!

Sebenarnya saya kurang berkenan dengan watak Inspektor Ebrahim, mungkin sebab saya tak berapa minat polis trafik, paling dominan dalam pemikiran saya ialah polis trafik lebih suka memilih jalan mudah menahan kereta atau motor di laluan kecemasan sedangkan lori pasir lori tanah berselirat atas city road waktu peak-hours, bas express yang laju menggila memotong kiri kanan di highway, tak dihiraukan. Jadi saya amat senang hati apabila tiba-tiba Inspektor Ebrahim hilang selepas Iris graduate. Nama Ebrahim tu pun bunyi macam Bangla, tak kira betapa macho beliau digambarkan, langsung tak berkenan :-)   Apabila sampai ke cerita Iris di Cambodia, saya dah jadi kemaruk nak baca dan terus baca....amat banyak yang menarik, perkongsian mengenai fakta yang pertama kali saya tahu, diselitkan juga perkembangan politik semasa Malaysia (ada satu yang paling saya suka dan masih ingat mukasuratnya 1008).

Kisah Iris yang naughty-perasan-seksi-dan-cantik-but-she-can-feel-that-way-because-she's-a-beauty.... tahap extreme, kisah duka dan penderitaan anak kecil dan keluarga daif Melayu Campa, kisah kasih seorang ibu dan adik, kisah Ahmad 5 tahun anak syurga, kematiannya menyedihkan, pilu dan sebak saya membaca, hampir sama semasa saya baca mengenai kisah dan kematian sikecil Buntat dalam cerita 7Hari MencintaiKu....terlalu banyak kalau nak sebut. Yang pasti, saya amat "respect" kebolehan Melur Jelita yang begitu tetap tangan dan otaknya menganyam cerita seorang yang bernama Iris, Firman, Aidan dengan perwatakan yang konsisten, walaupun ada deruan angin kencang naik turun, dibingitkan dengan lawan mulut Iris dan Firman, kemudian ditenangkan dengan perkongsian nurani, jiwa dua insan yang memang "made for each other", deruan kasih sayang yang terbit hasil pengalaman tinggal, makan, minum, mandi bersama dengan mereka yang miskin tapi kaya adab dan iman, setenang aliran sungai Mekong yang macam teh tarik tapi boleh jerneh bila diletak tawas, selepas itu diombakkan lagi .....superb excellent.

Elemen suspense dalam buku ni pun boleh tahan, saya pun macam Firman, tak boleh agak dengan tepat apa sebenarnya yang disembunyikan oleh Iris. Agakan kami salah...

Sebaik saja selesai ke mukasurat terakhir, saya tersentak lagi apabila membaca Citra Penulis "Penulis Melur Jelita merupakan lulusan Usuluddin di Universiti Malaya pada tahun 1992. Beliau merupakan bekas pensyarah, kaunselor, warden dan penasihat badan pelajar Islam dan badan disiplin serta tatatertib.." Woow...not bad ehh

Sang Pemimpi oleh Andrea Hirata

Beberapa naskah buku ini ada dalam simpanan saya sejak beberapa tahun yang lepas. Suatu malam, ada pembeli, jadi saya cuma tinggal satu naskah. Cuba cari di book store supplier saya yang biasa, o-oh, semua out of stock. Justeru, saya ambil keputusan membaca buku ini. Nanti kalau ada lagi yang nak membeli, saya akan jual pada harga preloved. Keesokannya, memang benar ada lagi yang nak beli. Oh-Gosh, terpaksalah saya habiskan dalam masa tak sampai 2 hari. Sememangnya amat-amat bertepatan beribu-ribu rating dan review untuk Sang Pemimpi termasuk di Goodreads. Buku ini terbaek!

Kisah diceritakan melalui kaca mata Ikal si penulis, orang Melayu Pulau Belitong. Hidupnya sejak kecil sehingga selepas Sekolah Menangah Atas dicabar liku-liku yang menyedihkan namun dengan adanya Arai si pemimpi dan kawan karibnya yang gila kuda si Jimbron, semuanya berjaya dilalui malah diwarnai pula dengan pelbagai bentuk adventure yang menggelikan hati.

Baca 2 mukasurat, kemudian 20 kemudian 100, terasa seperti saya juga ada dikalangan watak-watak dalam kisah Ikal, Arai dan Jimbron. Pendapat saya, memang buku ini amat sesuai dibaca oleh semua golongan terutama remaja yang sedang tercari-cari makna kehidupan atau yang mudah putus asa bila dilanda kesusahan hidup. APa yang diharungi Ikal, Arai dan kawan-kawanya seharusnya menyedarkan kita bahawa hidup ini terlalu berharga, terlalu indah, dan kita sebenarnya telah dikurnai terlalu banyak rahmat justeru layari kehidupan dengan semangat bersemarak terus menerus. Dan, apabila sampai masa kita sememangnya perlu tunduk sedih atau pejam mata tanda marah, lalui saja saat-saat itu...tapi jangan lama, selepas tempoh masa yang sesuai, bangun semula, azamkan untuk mencapai juga impian yang mesti dipasak kuat dalam diri.

“Kita tak kan pernah mendahului nasib!” teriak Arai.

 Saya paling suka quote ini

Lelaki pendiam sesungguhnya memiliki rasa kasih sayang yang jauh berlebihan berbanding lelaki yang berlagak disiplin dan merepek sahaja mulutnya. - Mozek 8: 75

7 hari mencintaiku Siti Rosmizah

Inilah novel Siti Rosmizah pertama saya baca. Tak sangka sangat, habis dalam dua hari. Hands down, it's the best novel I've ever read. Gaya penulisan bersahaja, bahasa simple, langsung tak meleret, tak ada bungax2 yang tak perlu, saya betulx2 smitten sampai terlalu sukar nak berhenti baca. Cerita berkisar kehidupan yang pasti bukan luar biasa namun dinukilkan dengan begitu ......entah, saya memang betulx2 tak tahu nak explain. Just that this is definitely worth my time walau dah dua malam tidur pukul 2pagi. Excellent. Simply brilliant. I am now officially a fan of this superb novelist‪#‎sitirosmizah‬

@kedaibukusaduri 

Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin

Hello,

I've finished reading Golden Boy by Abigail Tarttelin on 17th January 2016.

This I think is one of those books you feel is a waste of time to read because you don't agree with the author's notions or you don't believe in them but you still just have got to finish it because...yes, it's interesting and you don;t find reading it a waste of time in the end In my case, I bought this book out of curiosity for the topic, one born without a specific gender. Didn't think it was possible. I somehow understand now that it is purely scientific and yes, there seems to be an emotional element to it too. What led me to end up picking up the book was my 17 year old daughter who went "oohhh ahhh OMG" while reading it during her term break last month. When asked for her opinion of the book, she said that it's a more of a reference material or something closer to a text book than a novel. I agree with her. Good read and I'm glad I finished it not feeling sad or disappointed whatsoever.

The book is in excellent condition and now available for sale as a pre-loved book at RM12.00. Message us to purchase.

Fragile Things by Gaiman, Neil

 

Ouuchhh, I would not rate this book 5/5 definitely, even if I truly madly really love the last story in that book "The Monarch of the Glen - An American Gods Novella". I also came to really like the characters in the Sun Bird. This is the first I've read of Gaiman and I skipped the introduction as I would do all books I read. Honestly, loud in my head before the last story but after all the other stories in this book == lewd language, soft porn, cursing, oddness. In fact half way in the book, I curse myself for buying the book. What the bloody hell????? Still, the curious me chose not to give it up. This man and his works have been rated highly. There has to be a not so lewd explanation.

Now that I've completed it, and went back to read the introduction, there was a funny force asking me to read the first story again. Very odd, I like it. Simple and not so simple logic with a hint of absurdity, this English man is not a normal man.

My friend who recommended this book is right, this is a book of peculiar stories written by a man of extra special talents and to me don't seem to give a hoot about what imps like me think of his writings. So I'll stop .... :-)

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Want to read this enchanting book ? Can buy it from me at pre-loved price....PM me here 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

This is definitely a brilliant piece of work. Prior to reading, I knew nothing of what it's about. As always, when I decide to read a book, I'll go straight into it. Usually would look for reviews or google search only once I'm done reading. From a brief internet search right after finishing the book, I am surprised to find out that Harper Lee is a woman and To Kill a Mockingbird is partly an autobiographical. It's embarrassing and I totally have too much to learn. The story is written from the perspective of a little girl of nine and I should have guessed that at least most of it is based on lives actually lived. I have always been attracted to read stories written from the era of early 1990s and this one is not a let down. It's no wonder that when the novel was published in 1960, it became hugely successful right to winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature.

From the moment I read the dedication page, "For Mr Lee and Alice, In consideration of Love & Affection. Lawyers, I suppose, were children once: Charles Lamb", I was already hooked. I have always thought about becoming a lawyer if there is such thing as a second chance in life. One very lawyer-y wisdom shared by Scout Finch (Jean Louise) which I like very much is this, something she had on her mind during the court hearing of Tom Robinson ..."Never, never, never on cross examination ask a witness a question you don't already know the answer to, was a tenet I absorbed with my baby food. Do it, and you'll often get an answer you don't want, an answer that might wreck your case".

Another of my favourite is the definition of 'democracy' given by Scout in answer to her teacher, "Equal rights for all, special privileges for none".

Most of the narration is based on the experience of three children, so innocent and full of non-hypocrite thoughts and actions. However, the main or one of the most important events in the story in my opinion is the trial of Tom Robinson, a colored man accused of raping a white girl. Though the trial was narrated within just one or two chapters, I think it is the heart of this novel. I truly hoped for the jury to pass the not guilty verdict but nope, it's probably too far fetched, during that year of 1935 it is at least. And then there is Boo Radley, a gentle but seemingly tormented man who "...stayed shut up in the house all this time... because he wants to stay inside" (Jem).

There are so many great statements especially made by Scout, Atticus and her brother Jem all over the story.

There was also short exchange of conversation between Scout and her teacher and later between she and her father and further later between she and Jem of her confusion about why is it okay for folks to hate Hitler ...."how can you hate Hitler so bad an' then turn around and be ugly about folks right at home...". She didn't get satisfactory answers and Jem has furiously ordered her to stop that train of thoughts....I would love to know the answers too.

Excellent novel this is. You've got to read it.

The Iron Facade by Catherine Cookson

Oh Gosh...I so love this tiny novel in an old copy which fits so nicely in my handbag. Book condition is 6/10. The novel is now available for sale at RM5.  PM me at Kedai Buku Saduri FB page if you would like to be the next owner. If you like what I write here about this wonderfully written romantic, I'm quite sure that you'll enjoy it immensely, just like I did.

  

It's been so long since I last read a sweet love novel ; what more one written by someone born more than 70 years before me. Indeed, I've always been a fan of peoples in the early 1990s. I imagine that time as a  wonderful time, so much love, vast lands free of concrete, fresh air everywhere, thinking minds yet the least conflicts. The reality is probably 98% less than how I fancy it, then again, I don't care. It's the way I wish it to be at least.

Cookson wrote the iron facade so simply yet with much complication. The main character Prudence Dudley is a woman of beauty, brains and a successful career as a novelist. She survived unhappy childhood with plenty of complicated, probably conflicting feelings for her parents who have been unfaithful to each other. Her marriage to Ian, a man she thought will bring her happiness and her sad life sunshine, failed too, just like the marriage of her parents.

In the company of her always protective Aunt Maggie, she flees to a rented cottage in the far off Lake District where she met David McVeigh. He happens to be the owner of the soothing albeit old cottage at the  Lowtherbeck estate that Pru and Aunt Maggie rent for 3 months. So much drama took place in the few months of their stay in the estate. Most of the novel narrates all the intricacies and tension endured of the many interesting characters; Roy Mc Veigh (later discovered that he and Davie doesn't share the same father and mother, Jannie, a girl who suffers retarded growth following a boat accident which has taken the lives of two people everyone thought were her parents, Flora Cleverly, the housekeeper who is actually Roy's mother and Fannie's grandmother. I love how their stories intertwined and conflicted.

What I love best is how the love scene of Pru and Davie is only described and dramatized in the last two pages in the novel. Their love is so devoid of any kind of carnal desires and physical attraction, Instead, their embrace is fueled by emotional bond so vivid and beyond blissful. I love it so much.

Kasih Seharum Manisah

Kasih Seharum Manisah (KSM)

Ini adalah novel cinta tarbiyah kedua saya baca dalam bulan ini. Yang pertama Kuseru Namamu Kekasih (KNK). Asas cerita tidak banyak berbeza membuat saya tertanya, adakah kedua cerita ini berkait? Rasa macam nak buat carian Google tapi setakat ini belum dapat cari masa untuk itu. Mungkin lain kali. Kedua-dua novel ini mengenengahkan mahasiswa mahasiswi yang sedang belajar di luar negara sebagai watak utama. Cerita juga diselang-selikan dengan senario di luar negara dan di Malaysia. Rayyan dan rakan-rakannya dalam KNK di Sydney dan Manisah dalam KSM serta saudara kembar, kekasih yang didambakan dan rakan-rakannya di Glasgow.

Apabila saya mengambil keputusan membaca KSM, langsung saya tidak menjangkakan jalan cerita yang begitu sama. Selepas beberapa mukasurat membaca saya fikir saya sudah boleh mengagak apa kesudahan cerita KSM, saya silap. Penyudahan cerita agak diluar jangkaan saya. Kredit untuk A. Razak Adam yang agak berjaya mengalun watak-watak serta jalan cerita yang agak berbelit "in an interesting way".

Berbanding Rayyan dalam KNK, Manisah lebih "real" wataknya. Seorang remaja yang mempunyai naluri wanita, mempunyai gerak hati yang akhirnya menerangkan mengapa dia bersikap dingin atau tidak terdorong untuk membalas cinta Kelvin walaupun setelah mereka lama menjalin hubungan cinta sehingga bertunang. Beliau juga ada rasa cemburu, pandai pula mencari jalan untuk merebut hati lelaki yang dicintainya iaitu Soefjan.

Oh ya, menyebut nama Soefjan, beliau yang dimulakan dengan "Kepada Manisah Kekasih Allah...." juga membuat saya lebih kuat dengan berprasangka yang KSM dan KNK ditulis dengan tinta yang sama. Mungkin juga hanya kebetulan.

Apapun, nukilan A. Razak Adam bagi saya pada mulanya agak hambar.....KNK lebih menarik. Saya juga agak geram dengan sikap tidak adil Manisah terhadap Kelvin sebelum mengetahui yang mereka sebenarnya adik-beradik. Kedua-dua novel ini memasukkan cerita rakan-rakan watak utama yang tertarik dengan cara dan pegangan orang Islam dan kemudian memeluk Islam. KSM melihat Soefjan menikahi rakan sekuliah gadis Inggeris lebih kepada memenuhi hasratnya berjuang dan berkorban ke jalan yang diredhai Allah. Rayyan dalam KNK juga, walaupun tidak dinyatakan secara jelas, akhirnya akan bersama dengan Mark, rakyat Australia yang juga telah terbuka hati untuk memeluk Islam.

Buku ini juga saya tidak menyesal baca. Agak banyak kesilapan dan kekeliruan yang saya jumpa ketika membaca buku ini, contohnya pada awalnya rakan sekolah Manisah bernama Parameswari tetapi kemudian menjadi Maheswari. Tetapi agaknya itu kesilapan kecil dan biasa saja. Harap buku ketiga nanti janganlah punyai jalan cerita yang terlalu sama. Rating saya untuk Kasih Seharum Manisah 4/5.

Kuseru Namamu Kekasih novel best tulisan Maya Iris

Kalau tak silap saya,....dan saya rasa saya tak silap, inilah novel dalam Bahasa Melayu pertama saya habis baca hanya sebab saya nak baca. Kalau dulu masa zaman belajar saya mungkin dimestikan baca novel atau buku dalam bahasa Melayu tapi itu tak sama dengan yang ini. Kali ini saya entah kenapa rasa terpanggil untuk baca; pertama sebab Kedai Buku saduri memang ada jual buku ini.  Kedua, ramai pelanggan kami beritahu buku tulisan Maya Iris memang best.

Masa saya baru baca dua mukasurat, anak dara sulung cakap "Mama, what are you reading?" Bila saya menjuih tunjuk cover buku, dia kata "Really?". Memang dia tu kekadang banyak cekaddak....mungkin ikut perangai Mamanya (masa muda dulu, sekarang dah berumur tak macam tu lagi kot hehe).

Okay, apa pendapat saya mengenai cerita yang dinukilkan oleh penulis amat berbakat dan amat popular Maya Iris dan diterbitkan pada tahun 2008 ini? Yang pasti, saya langsung tak menyesal baca. Memang puas hati. In fact, entah macam mana saya dapat habiskan hanya dalam tempoh beberapa hari.

Saya suka watak-watak utama Rayyan, Hanisa, Zaim dan kemudian Mark. Saya amat suka cara Maya Iris menganyam cerita berselang selit dengan terjemahan ayat A-Quran atau Hadis. Rentak cerita juga "just nice"; tidak terlalu slow dan tidak juga begitu laju. Ramai yang pernah review cerita ni menyatakan ia lebih kepada cerita ugamma dan bukan sangat cerita cinta. Saya setuju bahagian kedua tapi mengenai bab ia lebih kepada buku agama saya kurang setuju. Saya berpendapat ia cerita cinta yang diindahkan lagi, dipadatkan dengan pengajaran dan makna yang dalam.

Ada juga beberapa keadaan dimana saya rasa agak bosan dengan watak Rayyan yang "macam bagus:, terutama bila dia banyak cekkadak dengan Zaim dan banyak bunyi juga dengan Hanisa. Namun perasaan itu hanya sekelumit terdetik saja. Secara keseluruhan saya fikir Maya Iris berjaya meninggikan mmartabat watak Rayyan ke tempat yang dihasratkan. Watak paling saya minat ialah....Osman haha. Dia paling fun. Saya juga suka Hanisa dan Zaim. Memang amat sepadan mereka berdua.

Masa awal sehingga pertengahan buku, saya agak dan semacam berharap bahawa "kekasih" yang dimaksudkan untuk Rayyan ialah Saifullah; kawan sekolah yang telah membuli Rayyan semasa dia dalam darjah tiga; Saifullah yang memberitahu cikgu bahawa dia sanggup bayar duit tabungnya RM30 sebagai ganti rugi kerana mencederakan Rayyan; dan Saifullah yang telah ke Universiti Madinah mengikuti kursus Usuluddin.

Cerita Margaret yang sempat bercerita dengan Rayyan mengenai kekasih yang amat dirinduinya Gary dan memeluk agama Islam sejurus sebelum meninggal memang menarik dan menyayat hati. Selepas dari itu saya dah boleh agak bahawa Mark juga akan memeluk Islam sedangkan sebelumnya ada disebut bahawa dia bercadang (dalam hati) untuk membawa Manisa menganut Kristian.

Kesimpulannya, selepas baca buku ini, saya berniat nak baca lagi buku-buku Maya Iris yang ada dalam simpanan saya atau buku-buku lain yang berlandaskan tarbiyah + cinta yang mungkin akan dijual di Kedai Buku Saduri sebagai buku pre-loved.

Rating saya untuk Kuseru Namamu Kekasih? 4/5

11/22/63

11/22/63 by Stephen King.

I bought this book a year ago. Meant to resell it as the thickness scares me a bit. Never tthought I would be able to read the book, leave alone finish it. Started reading two days ago though. I thought, I haven't been reading anything on the physical book for quite some time. How about making it worth the effort with something such as Stephen King's master pieces.  So I started reading and don't seem to be able to stop. By today I've done with the first 220 pages from the 848. Last night, it was 2am, my eyes were so heavy I really had to put down the book but nope, I just continued right until I finish the 2nd part.
I feel that it's important to write after few chapters, otherwise, by the time I finish the book, and yes, I definitely will finish the book, I may not remember the good stuff.

Before I started reading, I did not bother to read the introduction on the back page. Several pages inside, gosh, it was really good. Don't remember what was my last Stephen King's read. I do remember though having to memorize several pages of "It" and dramatically retell the story as part of my matriculations program. Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) program it was, more than 22 years ago.

This particular book by Stephen King is really gripping. Yes, right from the start. Jake Epping the main character sounds like just a simple ordinary man in the beginning. What he was meant to do,  and how he got into the whole rabbit hole action is so exciting. I still don't understand how Al got his lung cancer overnight though. He was supposed to catch the cancer while he was in the 1950s and carried it with him in 2011? But as Jake had said, he was absolutely fine just the day before. Then again, that is very minor compared to the story of Jake in his first two adventures in 1958. I'll just go and go now.
........................ till the next review..............

I'm at page 309 when I write this, and I'm still totaly engulfed by this narrator. He even refer to us readers as "you....in case you are reading,...." and "if you will ever read this...". I thought this is totally awesome. Only one so accomplished such as Stephen King can do this and make us readers feel good instead of being mocked.

The story picked up even to a higher gear so fast from Part 3; that is after Al died and Jake went back to Derry down the rabbit hole to prevent the killings of Mrs Dunning and the Dunning 3 children by Frank Dunning. This amendment of the past was done with much less drama compared to Jake's first attempt of saving the Dunning family. He just waited for the man at the grave yard when he knew Dunning would be visiting his dead Mom and Dad, and shot him twice (if I'm not mistaken he shot him twice). Well, that detail doesn't matter much I guess as Jake the main character feel that his taking Frank Dunning's life so swiftly is justified. I must say I'm not very hapy with how that was done. Jake should have at least found out the reason for Dunning who's supposed to be a ruthless killer when he's under the influence of alcohol, to obediently still visit his parents' grave yards. Why? Maybe the "window of uncertainty" which Al talked about would result in Jake finding out that Dunning is not as guilty as he is deemed to be. One more thing I'd like to state, I don't remember whether Al died or committed suicide. I somehow missed that part. I guess it will not matter much which one happened.

Jake also managed to stop Carolyn Poulin from being shot and her spine wounded by Andy Cullum. This he did also quite too easily I think....by engaging Cullum into training or learning session of cribbage. Gosh I've never come accross this word and have no idea at all what it is until a quick google search revealed that it's a card game played with wooden board and "colored pegs". I never heard of this game. It's to me something like snake and ladder with  the game piece token as the pegs, and instead of using cards to determine moves, the snake and ladders's players roll the dice. I hope this would make you understand the game of cribbage if you like me have never heard of that game.

Okay, I'll continue reading shortly. The last few pages have gotten me for some reason reading each word, and I so enjoy doing this. The words seem to let out sweet music as I read them. I think Mr King has consciously and brilliantly wrote pages 300 onwards so poetically.

........till the next pit stop........
I had to stop and write this out. Excellent note. "...stupidity is one of two things we see most clearly in retrospect.  The other is missed chances". (Chapter 12, page 311).
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Chapter 12 onwards till now have been very emotion ladden in my opinion, with love at first sight, deaths, theaters, school kids's affection towards good teachers, deaths, break ups and alone-again moments. I still don't get who Sadie is,...Was she someone Jake knew in the preprevious time travel or in the to-go time?

Fast forward I have finally finished reading. Took me a good one month though, pathetic. So how do I find this book? One, I think the ending is an anti climax. For a fiction, I don't understand why Mr King chose to not have a 'kaboommm' ending. Something very extreme which would do justice to the highly thrilling dramas. Jake in the end submitting to his conscience,  not wanting to pursue with his plans to go back through the rabbit hole and let everything start over so that he can save Sadie, is so boring. I was hoping that he would go back and find ways to save Al from his untimely death so that Al can be the one instead to go back in time and save Kennedy, that would be interesting.

The last few hundred pages were quite too melodramatic for me, more suited for a love novel and this is not supposed to be a love novel. Too much is given to illustrate Jake's relationship with Sadie and his association with matters related to Sadie. I really could have assessed this wrongly, it's just the way I remember it.

I also wished so much for Jake somehow to go back in time and change the way he dealt with Frank Dunning. That scene on the grave yard and the fact that Jake didn't think important enough to rectify must have started my slight dislike against Jake.

Looks like Jake is the romantic who prefers to believe that women and children need to be saved against all crimes at all cost. That's fair from a hero from the 60 and 70's era I guess. Still, Î decided to read this book expecting a long winded, crooked, mind boggling, twisted thriller, not a love tale.