The Alchemist's Secret by Scott Mariani

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the back of the book:

A former elite member of the SAs, Ben Hope is tortured by a tragedy from his past and now devotes his time to rescuing kidnapped children.



But when Ben is recruited to locate an ancient manuscript which could save the life of a dying child, he embarks on the deadliest quest of his life.



The document is alleged to contain the formula for the elixir of life, discovered by the brilliant alchemist Fulcanelli decades before. But it soon becomes apparent that others are hunting this most precious of treasures - for far more evil ends....



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I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Mariani. Okay, in places it's a little far fetched, but it's gripping from beginning to end and the characterisation is good.


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Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the back of the book:



Kidnappers storm an international gathering hosted by a poor Latin American country to promote foreign trade. Unfortunately their intended target, the President, has stayed home to watch his favourite Soap. The takeover settles into a siege, bringing together an unlikely assortment of hostages including a beautiful American opera diva, a Japanese CEO who is her biggest fan, and his unassuming translator, Gen. Two couples, complete opposites, fall in love, and a horrific imprisonment is transformed into unexpected heaven on earth.



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When I read the synopsis on the back of the book I didn't think it was really my kind of thing. But once I started to read, I was hooked. The writing is extraordinary, I'm not equipped with language (like the author!) to say why, but trust me, this is a beautifully written book. The relationships that develop between the hostages and the terrorists are the focus of the book, this is what keeps you gripped and hopeful that everything will end happily. Thank you so much Fredam for giving me the chance to read this powerful and emotionally charged book.








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The Six Sacred Stones by Mathew Reilly

The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the sequel to 'Seven Ancient Wonders'. I hadn't read the first book and found all the references to it slightly annoying.



This is book is trash, wonderful no-brain-needed trash. It's full of ancient places, myths and legends, even a completely made up cannabalistic tribe. It has exciting stunts, like jumping from one plane to another midflight, exciting but not possible, but who cares. It ends on a cliff hanger, guess I'll have to read the million other books in this genre while I wait for the next book.


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The Mozart Conspiracy by Scott Mariani

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
In between reading about Quantum Mechanics, I like to rest my brain on fun fodder like this. If it doesn't have a secret sect/brotherhood and other rip off Devinci Code plot lines, then I'm not interested lol.

To be fair to the author, the book was very gripping.


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What the Bleep Do We Know!?: Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality by William Arntz

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Like the film, you either love or hate pseudoscience (the mix of mysticism, philosophy, and quantum physics). Personally I can't get enough of it.


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