Time to bid Adieu

It sure feels like a lifetime since I first discovered the world of blogs and then embarked on having my own blog! It was the rage then to have a blog, and it felt cool to have your own domain name too. Soc-med wasn't as advance as now and blogging seemed to be the right avenue to let out our rage and thoughts then. 

However, as the digital world slowly evolved, the blogging desire tapered down especially when soc-med took the world by storm! With soc-med, it is so easy to upload and post something. So easy that I prefer to post via Instagram as opposed to blogging! Hence, this has triggered a lot of conflicting thoughts if I should continue with my blog. 

It has been a good 16 years since I have started blogging on March 12, 2009!!! It has slowly come to my attention that writing a blog is not my preferred avenue now. As such, I have decided to stop blogging indefinitely. If you are interested to follow my journey beyond this blog, you can find me at:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sholeesphere/

Thank you for reading my blog :-)

[MPOV] When Witches Can't Cast

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 4.36/5
Published: April 9, 2025
Author: Matilda Lockwood
Genre: Historical romance

Dedham Vale, England, 1758

Drowned if she is, damned if she isn’t—Gatty Carter can’t escape the curse of being called a witch.

Marked by suspicion and chased by fear, Gatty’s life shatters after a cruel prank nearly ends it. Desperate for safety, she flees the only home she’s ever known.

But escape offers no sanctuary. Arrested for vagrancy in a strange town, Gatty soon finds herself at the mercy of a mysterious family with dark secrets of their own. They claim to run a home for wayward women, but in reality, they seek out survivors of witchcraft accusations, hoping to unlock powers none of the women possess.

Among this unlikely coven, led by an overimaginative matriarch, Gatty discovers a bond she never expected. But as she grows close to these women, and even closer to a handsome librarian—her deception becomes harder to keep. Now, she must embrace the very role she’s always feared—or risk losing the only family she’s ever known.

For readers who believe the real magic is women who refuse to be silenced.

I have read the author's previous novels and, surprise, surprise, I actually like this best! When Witches can't Cast is about Gatty, who was condemned as a witch and sentenced to death by the villagers. She managed to escape and survived the ordeal, running to other villages to hide. Discovered by Lydia, she was brought to a home for women like her predicament. Slowly and surely, she has blossomed into a leader, a healer and finding true love amidst it all.

It was an engaging read with many trials and turbulence thrown in Gatty's way. I liked how she survived each of it and grown stronger. The teamwork and friendships shared with the other women in the house were truly inspiring.

Overall, it is a 4/5 read for me. Nicely plotted with slow, blossoming romance, though I did wish it to be faster at times LOL! Thanks to LibraryThings and the author for this copy in return for my honest review!

[MPOV] Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

My rating: 3/5

Goodreads rating: 4.13/5
Published: July 5, 2022
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary romance

In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

This book somehow reminds me of the movie, Ready Player One, based on the novel of the same name by Ernest Cline. I have not read that book, but I've enjoyed the movie very much. I could easily imagine the characters in this book whilst reading with actors from Ready Player One, LOL! I know some were Asian, but it's ok for me that they looked Caucasian. 

I do find that I get lost and flipped through it whenever there are jargons of techs and video games in it. I know that's the gist of the story but it's just me not able to grasp it. Also, the story does go back and forth so I had to reread to realize it's a throwback at times. The only gripe I didn't like was the touch of politics and world issues which were added nonchalantly in the games. Other than that, it truly was a nicely written story about 2 best friends from young to eternity, living through their imperfect lives trying to support each other whilst loving them silently. I get that it's totally relatable and something that most of us would treasure especially solid friendship in a chaotic world we are living in right now. I did anticipate it would somehow end as such though I was hoping for a better one LOL! Overall, it was an enjoyable read amidst the video games blitz.

Thanks to Revitalize Books for lending me this copy in return for my honest review. 

[MPOV] The Beasts Beneath the Winds

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 4.43/5

Publish: October 21, 2025

Editor: Hanna Alkaf

Genre: Asian folklore, mythology, anthology, short stories, young adult

A sweeping and magical story collection showcasing the mythical creatures of Southeast Asia, including work by two-time Newbery medalist Erin Entrada Kelly and National Book Award finalist Shing Yin Khor

A turtle the size of an island. A cricket that can possess you if swallowed. A giant who turns enemies to stone. The legends of Southeast Asia—or “the lands below the winds,” as explorers used to call it—are populated with a whole menagerie of colorful beasts that inspire awe and fear in equal measure. Yet, passed on as they are through story and song, so many of these stories remain rooted in some long-forgotten past and bound by the borders of the region, creatures of myth and memory and nothing more. Until now.

Welcome to The Beasts Beneath the Winds, a collection of Southeast Asia’s most elusive cryptids by a team of bestselling and award-winning authors. Within these gorgeously illustrated pages, readers will find the stories of seventeen regular kids who encounter these mythical creatures in the here and now, and—fortunately or unfortunately—live to tell the tale

There are a total of 17 short stories in this anthology. It is quite interesting with the many different cultures and believes captured in one book. I am so amazed by it all!

1. American Cousin by Erin Entrada Kelly
2. The Mystery of the Meowing Makcik by Nadia Mikail
3. The Girl in the Graveyard by Brandon Hoang
4. The Egg by Mandy Moe Pwint Tu
5. Fish out of Water by Moniza Hossain
6. Forest Keeper by V.T. Bidania
7. Oliver Santos and the Best Birthday Yet by Mae Respicio
8. The Curse of Sang Kelembai by Hanna Alkaf
9. Dance of the Unicorns by Van Hoang
10. Rich and Strange by Greg van Eekhout
11. Kusu Island by June CL Tan
12. The Mawas in the Airport by Shing Yin Khor
13. Melati and the Eternal Battle by Jesse Q. Sutanto
14. Naga Fireballs by Veeda Bybee
15. Ellie Takes Flight by Emma Goddard
16. Dara, Danny, and the Thai Giants by Dow Phumiruk
17. Lexie Libot Gets Lost in a Wedding by Gail D. Villanueva

I was mesmerized... entranced by the many magical creatures spotlighted in this anthology. TBH, I was today years old when I learnt of so many folklores, definitely an eye-opening read and kept me going. As it's all short stories, it was an easy read to finish.

I do not have any particular favourites as each story has its own flair and carry its own tale. Most of the authors are unknown to me. I do find some of the writings and plots were not as polished. Since it is short, it was bearable and easy to finish reading it. Offhand, I would say Kusu Island, The Egg and Oliver Santos and the Best Birthday Yet were memorable to me.

Overall, if you are looking for some easy read with mythical elements, please give this book a try. I am glad to be given the chance to read and review this e-ARC, all thanks to the author and editor, Hanna Alkaf.

Here's the link for more details:

the beasts beneath the winds – HANNA ALKAF

[MPOV] Treasures of Castle Rowley: A Rowley Family Romance Novel

My rating: 4/5

Goodreads rating: 4.2/5
Published: October 31, 2024
Author: Matilda Lockwood
Genre: Historical romance, Adventure

Bound by duty, yet drawn by desire—will Cecelia follow her family to a new world or forge her own path with a daring artist?

In the shadowed halls of Castle Rowley, maid and expectant mother Cecelia faces a future she never asked to cross the Atlantic with her family for a new beginning in America, far from their troubled past at the castle. But her encounter with Kunal, a passionate woodcarver from the East India Company, ignites a different fire within her. He sees her—truly sees her—and inspires her to pursue her hidden talent for drawing.

As their secret romance blooms, Cecelia is caught in a tumult of heart and duty. With her departure looming, she must embrace the safety of the path laid out for her, or risk everything for the life and love she dreams of?

Treasures of Castle Rowley is a tale of love’s power to defy expectations and the bravery required to follow one’s heart.

Treasures of Castle Rowley is a continuation from the first book, Secrets of Castle Rowley which featured Annabel. Treasures, however, is about Cecelia who is a pregnant scullery maid with a keen eye for artistic endeavors. She's very talented in arts but could not venture much into it due to her condition and also her family's circumstances. One day, a chanced encounter with Kunal, a talented woodcarver, in the market changed her life forever.

Here is my take on the first book:

Sholee's Sphere: [MPOV] Secrets of Castle Rowley (Rowley Family #1)

"Every journey shapes us, even the most difficult ones," she said gently. ''What matters is how we carry it forward.''

The storyline may lean towards the norm, since such pregnancy would have been frown upon during those times, but it is common in the current world hence it is easier to relate to. I could imagine while reading it, as though I'm watching a Diva channel type of movie! The writing is fluid, and the pace is definitely better than the first with more adventurous plots. I have enjoyed the book from the start until when it reaches towards the end. I find the ending a little comedic, a little rush. I guess I would have preferred a little slow burn or a little dramatic LOL! With that said, I do enjoy this more than book 1 :-)

''Reading should bring joy, not frustration. If it doesn't, then it's simply the wrong book.''

In summary, even though the story started on the 'wrong footing', it has a 'happy ever after' ending after a tumultuous adventure! All's well that ends well! My heartfelt gratitude to the author for taking the trouble to post this book to me. She has even included many gifts that I will definitely treasure, especially these lovely bookmarks that she has handmade them herself!