Spook Country - William Gibson

Book Description
Tito is in his early twenties. Born in Cuba, he speaks fluent Russian, lives in one room in a NoLita warehouse, and does delicate jobs involving information transfer.

Hollis Henry is an investigative journalist, on assignment from a magazine called Node. Node doesn't exist yet, which is fine; she's used to that. But it seems to be actively blocking the kind of buzz that magazines normally cultivate before they start up. Really actively blocking it. It's odd, even a little scary, if Hollis lets herself think about it much. Which she doesn't; she can't afford to.

Milgrim is a junkie. A high-end junkie, hooked on prescription antianxiety drugs. Milgrim figures he wouldn't survive twenty-four hours if Brown, the mystery man who saved him from a misunderstanding with his dealer, ever stopped supplying those little bubble packs. What exactly Brown is up to Milgrim can't say, but it seems to be military in nature. At least, Milgrim's very nuanced Russian would seem to be a big part of it, as would breaking into locked rooms.

Bobby Chombo is a "producer," and an enigma. In his day job, Bobby is a troubleshooter for manufacturers of military navigation equipment. He refuses to sleep in the same place twice. He meets no one. Hollis Henry has been told to find him.

Pattern Recognition was a bestseller on every list of every major newspaper in the country, reaching #4 on the New York Times list. It was also a BookSense top ten pick, a WordStock bestseller, a best book of the year for Publishers Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday, and the Economist, and a Washington Post "rave."

Spook Country is the perfect follow-up to Pattern Recognition, which was called by The Washington Post (among many glowing reviews), "One of the first authentic and vital novels of the twenty-first century."

William Gibson's Neuromancer Audio Book Part 1
William Gibson's Neuromancer Audio Book Part 2

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Finally, the subscription form for the site newsletter is up and working on the right! I'm basically putting up a newsletter for book-lovers or anyone who is keen to keep in touch with book/ebook releases and don't mind getting some free ebooks from me (they're from my personal collection which I'll share with those on the newsletters). Plans are for this to be a weekly thing, unless nothing much is happening. Still, just for the Free ebooks alone, I think you'll enjoy it! Sign up now!

Does Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Live Up To The Hype?

With all the media circus and secrecy surrounding the development and eventual release of the last instalment in the series, this was a question on many people's lips. To a certain extent for me, the huge book (all 784 pages of it!) certainly pulls no punches.

***Spoiler alert***

From the beginning, as Voldemort grows in power and sends the world into darkness as a result of taking over the Ministry of Magic, there is widespread oppression of both Muggles and Mugbloods. Voldemort and his merry band, known as the Death Eaters, stop at nothing to destroy all non pure-blooded witch or wizard.

At the same time, Harry's friends conspire to save him from Privet Drive, which would no longer provide him a safe haven as the spell would dissipate on his 17th birthday. Throughout the book, the author, J.K. Rowling, has laid a cloak of impending doom and dread over the proceedings - in the process, you will see the deaths of quite a number of characters.

Harry, Hermione and Ron set out on a quest to locate the Horcruxes, after dropping out of Hogwarts. This journey is filled with the trials and tribulations which not only continue to build the characters, but also serve to make the readers love and adore them so much more. The adventure never fails to delight, in much part due to Rowling's uncanny ability for suspense-building and pacing.

Another facet of the Harry Potter series which have personally mesmerised me, is that while the bad characters are essentially bad, the good ones are never totally pure. Weaknesses abound in men, and the very human traits of cowardice and foolishness is also evident in the series. In this book, a book released by Rita Skeeter reveals the dirty secrets of a well-loved character.

Of course, the glorious moments of friendship and love, bravey and loyalty, abound as the book climaxes to an astounding, if not totally unexpected, ending. You can feel Rowlings love for her own characters, which brought a tear to my eyes with the tender and poignant close to an exhausting, but just as exhiliarating ride with Harry Potter over the 7 books and many years.

And what of The Deathly Hallows? The author somehow manages to slip it into the book very elegantly, despite it having caused minor confusion when the book title was first announced.

AdWords Miracle - Can It Change Your Life?

I bought this internet marketing eBook awhile back and honestly, it took me some time to devour and fully digest the huge amount of information about AdWords (this eBook has 111 pages divided over 36 sub-sections!).

Basically, the author Chris, has made a substantial part of his living through online affiliate marketing, and uses AdWords to drive a major chunk of his advertising campaigns (and we all know advertising and marketing is the way to getting those sales). What he has done with his eBook, AdWords Miracle (affiliate link), is to dissect the inner workings of AdWords and show the reader how simple it is to leverage on Google's advertising platform to boost one's own sales campaigns.

What was refreshing, in my opinion, was that the author does not claim to have secret weapons nor have hidden sales angles buried in the useful eBook. The methods presented are all very logical (and will have you go "Duh! Why didn't I think of that myself?" several times whilst reading it), and written in easy-to-understand and honest prose.

There're some other techniques detailed as well, such as the author's 'Skimming Method' and he stresses how important and relevant good keywords are, as well as proper campaign management for your AdWords ad groups, if you wish to reap benefits from his teachings.

Even for seasoned AdWords campaigners, there will be timely reminders on how split-testing your ads are essential in determining which ones provide greater CTR %, which in turn allows you to narrow down on which ads provide the best margins and efficiency.

I've begun to apply some of this to my own methods, and have seen some positive results, while not in the same league as the many Internet gurus, nor even the author. However, without a doubt, the knowledge found in this eBook, AdWords Miracle, possibly will make it well worth your time and investment.

Mabuhay! Savour the Delights of Filipino Cuisine!

If you've not had the fortune to delight your tastebuds with the many delicious dishes that the Philippines have to offer, this is your chance to try your hand at making some of them! The Filipino Cookbook (The Maya Kitchen) provides not one, not ten, not even thirty famous yet simple receipes, but 119 of them in a beautifully illustrated book.

If you're worried that this is another cookbook which provides nice pictures of the dishes but offers confusing instructions, fear not! The Filipino Cookbook features straight-forward but simple step-by-step instructions on how to prepare each dish. I'm pretty sure my beautiful Filipino girlfriend will love this, as she can not only dish up the many local delights (as she is working and living in a foreign country), it also allows me to experience and appreciate them. Honestly, my hungry tummy can't wait! :)

So, if you're yearning to sink your teeth into Filipino favourites like Crispy Pata, Sinigang, Kare-Kare, Pancit Malabon, and the place where you live does not have any, or even if it does, you simply want to prepare your own, grab a copy of this cookbook now!

Get your copy here!

Wanted - The Good Guys!

Wanted is a 6-issue comic book mini-series, written by Mark Millar. The storyline is slightly twisted as it features a world where, instead of the usual super-heroes protecting the weak, super villains have taken control of the planet instead, with several groups battling to establish unchallenged supremacy. Protagonist Wesley Gibson, growing up a nerdy, mama's boy with confidence issues, then finds out that his dead father was a leading villain - The Killer. He inherits his dad's 'powers' - super aim with any weapon. With this, he embarks on a new journey battling other villains who are looking to exterminate him.

In another wacky slight, the extinct Superheroes live only in memory as storybook heroes - just like your world and mine! :)

With an engaging storyline and strong pacing throughout, not to mention a totally unexpected plot, this is something that all avid readers should look out for. Why? I did not put it down till the last issue was done!

Uzumaki - Spiral Into Horror

This manga, created by acclaimed horror manga Japanese artist Junji Ito, is what inspired the cult Japanese horror flick of the same name - I remember reading it years back when I got my hands on it from a dingy old bookstore. It has since been released in English.

Uzumaki takes place in the sleepy coastal town of Kurozu-cho, where local Kirie Goshima has lived all her life. However, like all good horror plots, things soon begin to change, when normal citizens become obsessed with the ever-reducing shape of the spiral, and strange accidents begin to happen that have Kirie, and her sensitive boyfriend Shuichi puzzled and frightened. Now, with the spiral phenomenon spreading and the body count of townspeople rising, Kirie and Shuichi must fight its growing number of followers or die trying!

The film was whacky and abstract at times, but the manga had better development. Highly recommended.

Get Uzumaki Part 1 here.

Get Uzumaki Part 2 here.

Get Uzumaki Part 3 here.

After the Ninja, Control the Mind

In this eBook, Ashida Kim reveals the meditations, breathing exercises and kuji-kiri hand forms that enable readers to cultivate and direct the chi, as well as tune into the minds of others. Now you can unlock the ancient secrets of Ninja mind control and discover for yourself the fantastic powers of the legendary Ninja warriors. By combining simple methods of meditation with aggressive maneuvers, you can become the master of any situation!

Don't be a Turtle - Be a Ninja!

To be a Ninja one must be strong, one must know, one must dare and one must be silent. A Ninja is a Hunter, who learns the ways of his prey so he can strike quickly and efficiently. A Ninja is a Warrior, who has learned to accept responsibility for his actions. The Ninja is a Mystic who can “stop the world” and “see with the eyes of God.” The Ninja are cloaked in mystery but are legendary for their missions of espionage, sabotage, and assassination in feudal Japan, which earned them a reputation as “invisible agents, ghost-soldiers, shadow-warriors, occult guards, and astral spies” of the highest order. The Ninja knows that even men of great power cannot change the world. Power can be achieved through Force, but lasting results can only be had through Love. Therefore, he seeks instead to move in harmony with the flow of the Universe, becoming one with his surroundings, hiding in full view of the enemy, practicing Ninjitsu, the Art of Invisibility. Ashida Kim is such a Ninja. He can teach you the secrets of this ancient Art. One of your skill and ability need only follow this course of instruction to be certain of success.