Hooked On Bookz

If you're looking for a good storyteller, who do you call? Roald Dahl. This guy is a genius! Never once have I not been entertained by his stories. This one in particular, is truly fascinating, as he talks about his life and how it has influenced his stories. Dahl's life at an English boarding school wasn't a bed of roses. Schoolmates were big bullies, the principal was repulsive (Mind you, he later became the Archbishop of Canterbury. Gasp!). He was abused by his seniors, caned by his seniors AND headmaster, and was ostracised. His mom wasn't aware of all that as his letters to home were monitored and changed. Once he had to fake his sickness, just to be home for a few days! He also recounts those great moments he spent with his mom and sisters, and oh the prank he played on the sister's boyfriend! Yes, Dahl is one cheeky boy. Not to mention his famous Mouse Plot of 1924! And I really wonder how he survived the 'surgery' that took place when he met with an

Burke Basile is pissed. Wayne Bardo, who's responsible for the death of his partner, Kevin Stuart, managed to get off the hook. Thanks to his flamboyant, infamous attorney, Pinkie Duvall, who helps killers evade persecution. Soon after the verdict, Basile and his wife split. Then, tired of the corruption at his work place, he quit the force. But, he's still determined to nail that crooked lawyer and end his drug dealings. He came up with a marvelous plan, i.e. kidnap his most treasured trophy - his wife, Remy Duvall. And so, begins the cop-and-thief chase. This is my first one of Brown's work. The book, though entertaining with its well developed plot, I find that it somehow still lacks in suspense. What kept me going was the characters, especially when 'Father Gregory' made his appearance. I'd recommend this as a light weekend read. 3 out of 5 stars.

that's my Christmas tree :) Put it up with my hubby hehe If you haven't put up a Christmas tree before, I think you should give it a try with your family. It'd kinda give you a nice, warm, fuzzy feeling :D Ok so anyways, I'm sure most of you are doing your Christmas shopping already. If you haven't and don't know what to buy for a bookaholic like me (heheh), check this out: www.simplediary.com Keel's Simple Diary. An assistant for life, a book for any occasion, for any person at any age. On every page, you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight. I am so itching to get one myself....gosh....JOE, IT'S YOUR FAULT! :P

The story, set in the 50's, is pretty straightforward. It's about a couple whose marriage is strained due to war. Husband tried to do his best at work, so wife felt deserted, yet had to maintain an unaffected, bold front. Although this book has received rave reviews, I didn't really enjoy it. There were hardly any interesting characters, except probably Clara who was suffering in silence. I did quite like Davis too, but he somehow disappeared towards the end of the story. Ok, I have not read 'The Outcast', so don't hate me if I tell you I did not like 'Small Wars'. I was dragging my eyes to read passage after passage of dry, boring, emotionless sentences. I just couldn't wait to finish it. *Yawwn* But if you've read and enjoyed it, pls feel free to share your opinion/review with me :)

Great speech don't you think? I like the part which went 'Love what you do, do what you love.' Hmm...This video somehow reminds me of Murakami's What I Talk About When I Talk About Running . Have yet to get my hands on that book...

I've mentioned before I don't fancy love stories because they're mostly so predictable,... Same goes for this one. Although I didn't thoroughly enjoy it, I didn't find it a bore either. This love story, set in the late 19th century, is one that is hardly believable, at least not to me. This is about a story of a hopeless romantic's unrequited love. The pace is slow, melancholy and at times, pretty draggy. But it manages to capture the essence of love very vividly through the characters' thoughts, emotions and actions. I mean, if to feel strongly for someone, irregardless of what she thinks (whom by the way, said "It is as if he were not a person, but only a shadow", rejected him and married a wealthy man instead) or does (like rejecting him when he came up to her after 3 years of being away from each other), for 51 years, 9 months and 4 days, is not love, then I don't know what is. He did though, try to forget Fermina Daza, by sleeping with 622

Thanks my dear friend, Rina Ali, for sharing with us her review on Pride & Prescience :) Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, the joyous newlyweds from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, have not even left for their honeymoon when they find themselves embroiled in a mystery involving one of their wedding guests. The lovely Caroline Bingley is engaged to marry a rich and charismatic American. Unfortunately this windswept courtship is marred by strange events – nocturnal wanderings, spooked horses, carriage accidents, and even an apparent suicide attempt. Soon the whole Bingley seems to be the target of a sinister plot, with only the Darcys recognizing the danger. Sinister forces are afoot, and the Darcys must get to the bottom of this mystery before the blushing bride descends into madness – or worse. In Pride and Prescience , the Darcys take center stage as the Regency era’s answer to The Thin Man’s Nick and Nora in search of the truth, universally acknowledged and otherwise. Review: She writes wel

What a privilege it was for me to be able to interview Andrew Matthews, the author of the well-known 'Happiness in a Nutshell', even though it's only via email. Special thanks to Odelia of Pansing for arranging this :) 1) Do you often get fans who say to you ‘Can you draw for me…’ at your autograph sessions? If yes, do you ever get tired of it? I love to draw at autograph sessions. When readers come to meet me in bookstores they usually expect that I will draw cartoons. For me, drawing cartoons at autograph sessions is a joy and I find it far more interesting than just sitting at a desk signing my name. 2) What’s the most difficult question you get asked about ‘happiness’? Sometimes people have just lost a loved one and they ask me, “how can I be happy I just lost my husband?” It is very tough when we lose someone we care about. Sometimes only time can heal. At the same time, life goes on. My new book Happiness in Hard Times includes stories of people who have bounced back

After queuing for 30 minutes to get in, I came out empty handed. The sales sucked lah...Not worth the time and wait. The previous one was better - more books, more variety, and more spacious. If you haven't been there, don't bother wasting your time if you've been to their previous one and the recent Pearson Warehouse Sales. My verdict for this sales? 1 out of 5. I was so disappointed with it, that my hubby decided to bring me to Kinokuniya instead to satisfy my insatiable hunger of seeing stacks of GOOD books. Go there only if you're thinking of getting a great variety of children's books and probably, magazines too. Their fiction selection was disappointing! Anyways, this time's categorising of books was better than the previous one's. If you hate queuing, go around 3-ish, but be prepared to find a fewer selection of books. If you go in the morning, be prepared to queue. Some however, loved it. They managed to get some really good reads, but I think they w

It's very unlikely that I'd pick this book up for a read, unless it comes highly recommended. Coincidentally, my boss' daughter told me that I should give Dessen a try. So I did. Someone Like You is about 2 very good friends, Scarlett and Halley, who are going through the rough stuff of teenage life. Scarlett found out she was pregnant after learning that her boyfriend was killed in an accident, while Halley was in the journey of discovering what's it like to be in love. Reading this story was quite a pleasure as it brought me back to my yesteryears. Those squabbles with my mom, emotional conflicts with boys, fear of not being accepted by my peers that felt so important then, seem so petty now that I have 'bigger' problems to solve. I guess that's how it is in life - we experience the ups and downs, make mistakes and learn from them, as they make us who we are today. Pick this book up if you want to walk down memory lane. It could also probably teach you a t

You would want to take your time reading this book. The narration is breathtakingly beautiful (his words are almost poetic!), you'd want to savour each and every page you read. The storyline is really simple. It's about a boy, Daniel, who discovered this book titled 'The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax' in the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles. Daniel was so intrigued by the story that he began on a journey of discovering who Julian Carax was. Little did he know that he wasn't the only one who's interested in Carax. Years go by and the mystery on Carax thickens...Daniel then hears a story about someone going from town to town seeking for Carax's books and burning them. There are many characters in this story which play a vital role. Normally, one would get lost in all the names and their various backgrounds. But Zafon is such a good storyteller that he lures you into his story right from the start. There a

Hello there booklovers The Big Bad Book Sale is back! Due to popular demand, this time the book sale will be twice as big as before, with over 200,000 books and magazines coming in for the Big Bad Book Sale. Best of all, the prices are 70% to 90% off the recommended retail prices for all books! So mark this in your diary: The Big Bad Book Sale Dae: 26 November – 2 December 2009 Venue: Level 3, Amcorp Mall (former cinema lot, opposite McDonald’s) Time: 10am to 9pm Get a free collectible bookmark with any purchase while stocks last! Limited to one bookmark per customer. Get ready to stock up your library as the Big Bad Wolf takes another big bite off the prices of books! Oooowwwwwoooooooo… Howling his regards, The Big Bad Wolf. http://www.bigbadwolfbooks.com

As promised, here's what the Pearson and Penguin warehouse sales looks like... And this is just the other half of it :P So imagine... You know what...I feel like going there again!!! :( Deeeeear....Let's go! hehe (Sorry if the pix are blur...taken from my hubby's Blackberry hehe :P)

I was looking forward to enjoying this book, but was greatly disappointed. It's not that I didn't enjoy Aw's great prose and use of language, I did. If not because of that, I wouldn't have survived 342 pages. What lacked in this novel, I find, was drama, suspense, thrill and the strength of the characters. Almost all of the characters were given equal attention, so much so that it was so hard for me to fall in love with even one of them. Hence, I couldn't feel their loss, loneliness, sadness (there was hardly any happiness or joy in this book :P) and fear, as compared to Tan Twan Eng's characters in The Gift of Rain. Tan was so good that you could love every of its character. There were some parts I could hear myself saying 'Tan, you better not kill this character...pleeease....' In Map of the Invisible World, I felt none. The story was hardly engaging, lack of drama and suspense. I'm so sorry Tash, but that's my truth. I mean, imagine lah, I did

Was there at the Penguin and Pearson Warehouse (Hereon, will be known as PPW) sales. I can tell you, IT's GOOD! (But I still think Big Bad Wolf's books are cheaper lah. You can't get RM8 books at PPW) Anyway, I personally think PPW has a better selection of books as compared to BBW, which was why,....I purchased more books at the Penguin and Pearson Warehouse sales haahhaha Will post up the pictures here soon....Was supposed to do it last night, but was too tired...and my mind's in a mess! Laterz.

2 to 11 October 2009 Pearson & Penguin Books Warehouse Sale!!!!! Brands Offered Pearson, Penguin, Ladybird, Longman, Peter Rabbit and more Time : 10am – 7pm Location Pearson Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Lot 2 Jalan 215, Off Jalan Templer, 46050 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Source: http://www.shoppingnsales.com/2009/09/18/2-11-october-2009-pearson-penguin-books-warehouse-sale/ Who's going?????

Found this on my friend's facebook wall...Cute haha http://www.abebooks.com/books/weird/index.shtml?cm_mmc=nl-_-nl-_-g00-weirdbX-_-link2 Titles include 'Is Your Dog Gay', 'Doga: Yoga for Dogs', and 'The Sex Life of the Foot and Shoe' haha

I LOVED IT! :) Finally...a good, satisfying read... A very straight-forward story, but great for those of you who love art and have heard of the name Salvador Dali. Think a weird, crazy clown who can paint. That's Dali. His artworks have been sold for millions (USD, mind you)! Now, the word 'his' here is vague, because according to this book, half of Dali's famous paintings, aren't even Dali's! Shocking? It seems that he had 3 other painters who painted on his behalf :) So if you had previously purchased a signed, dated, and numbered Dali piece,...and paid a hefty sum for it,...you may have been taken for a ride :P ladida This paragraph from the book jacket pretty much sums it all: Dali & I offers a behind-the-scenes view of the commerce and conspiracy that go hand in hand in the international art world, written by a man who has been to the top only to discover that it's not so different from the bottom... My verdict? A MUST READ!

Nice cover, not so nice story. Here's the synopsis: This story revolves around a sacred text written on a scroll of silk, that was torn in two, by an emperor. A Chinese student living in France attended a meeting where she was asked to translate a professor's plea for re-establishing the truth about the movie, 'The Last Emperor'. After the meeting, she followed the prof who told her about this mysterious scroll. This intrigued the translator, who was determined to find out more. She then fell in love with a greengrocer, who happened to be the son of the translator of the language used in the scroll. What I didn't like about the whole book is the way the story is brought forward. Too many narrators were in the picture. It got kinda annoying. And I got lost in all the inverted commas. Some are not even where it should be. Siggh...it's been awhile since I enjoyed a good book!

If you need a good laugh, Good Omens it is (or The Bartimaeus Trilogy heh). Here's a synopsis: It's about our world coming to an end. An Antichrist, came to earth in a disguise of a young boy, named Adam Young (Yes, Adam) and a hellhound, named 'Dog' was sent to help him (How it all started was hilarious! haha). The apocalypse prepared themselves for a final journey on earth, while the angel, Aziraphale, and the demon, Crowley, two earthbound supernatural beings, (who have been on earth for a long, long while, and don't wish to see it come to an end) witnessed the events unfold before them. Be prepared for the many footnotes (just like the ones in The Bartimaeus Trilogy, which to me, are funnier) in the book. Some of which, are quite unnecessary, really. Nevertheless, overall, it's quite an entertaining read, with hilarious conversations between Aziraphale and Crowley, two of my favourite characters.

In a nutshell, The Gathering is about a woman who's coming to grips with her past, catching up with her present and trying to move on after her brother's death. And I didn't enjoy it one bit. She rambled alot. Her story went back and forth so inconsistently and frequently that I got lost. Maybe I'm just not used to her writing style. To be honest, half the time, I couldn't pay attention to the story, coz half of me wanted to finish the story as soon as possible, while the other half wanted to understand it since it won the Man Booker Prize. Since the latter half failed, I decided to skim through the book instead :P

Been so tied up at work lately I can hardly read anything, which explains the hardly-updated-book-review section. If you've read any good books recently and would love to share it with me, please feel free to drop me a note at hookedonbookz@gmail.com :) It can be a sentence or two...no problemo. I'm trying to finish 'The Gathering' by Anne Enright at the moment. Anyone read this book before?

Yours truly ain't going...Saving the dough for something else heh :P

If only I could split myself into quarters....Sigh....To those of you bookaholics who have yet to plan your holidays...you might probably want to consider some of these options... If luck is on my side, I'd most probably be heading to Singapore...

I was in 1U on my birthday and I checked out bookcross :D It's a cosy, spacious area with comfortable sofas. Good reading place. Shelf's pretty empty and it definitely needs more recent books. Will probably donate some of my books. Let's just hope the books will be handled with care..

Furnished with cosy living room furniture with bookcase, lamps and sofas, BookCross@1U is designed as a convenient BookCrossing venue for booklovers whilst doubling as a special reading lounge for shoppers. 50 books are sponsored by MPH Bookstores every month and released at BookCross@1U. Regular book club meetings, author readings and BookCrossing sessions will also be organised at BookCross@1U by MPH. 10am – 10pm daily Ground Floor Highstreet (near Zara and Parkson) +603 7710 8118 1U – BookCross www.mphonline.com THANK YOU MPH!!! :)

An easy read that teaches you about love, life and appreciation. What I enjoyed reading most is Carlson's favourite poem by Norma Cornett Marek, Tomorrow Never Comes : The beginning is my favourite: "If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you fall asleep, I would tuck you in more tightly, and pray the Lord your soul to keep. If I knew it would be the last time that I'd see you walk out the door, I would give you a hug and kiss, and call you back for just one more. If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise, I would tape each word and action, and play them back throughout my days. If I knew it would be the last time, I would spare an extra minute or two, To stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming you know I do. So just in case tomorrow never comes, and today is all I get, I'd like to say how much I love you, and I hope we never will forget. Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike, And tod

The Dram Projects is making this appeal particularly to those who know how books and reading can make a difference. Let's pledge to give RM1 a day for the next 12 days. Accept this invitation or email dramprojects@gmail.com to register for this fundraising exercise, and tell your friends whose lives have been changed or touched by books to pledge their RM1-a-day too! Pledge Period: 22nd June to 3rd July 2009 Charity: Burmese refugee schools The money collected will be used to buy books for the Burmese refugee schools supported by Bless Community Services. The Dram Projects will publish your name and your pledge on Facebook, via email and on its website. If you want to donate (RM12) you can do so by sealing the money in an envelope. Or, you can write a cheque to: Dram Projects Sdn Bhd Or transfer the money to ... CIMB Bank Berhad Account number : 1209-0001698-057 Or you can post them to ... c/o Daphne Lee 146-0-1 Villa Flora Jalan Burhanuddin Helmi Taman Tun Dr Ismail 60000 Kuala Lu

A mom returns home from the gym, looks for her baby in the nursery and finds that the baby isn't hers. She goes berserk and starts to suspect that her baby has been swapped for another. Nobody believes her, not even her husband. They think she's just suffering from post-natal depression. It is one-against-the-world battle for her, until when a previous family murder case unravels that people around her begins to wonder what the truth is. 'Little Face' is certainly not her best. I personally preferred her 'Hurting Distance' which was thrilling, disturbing and full of unexpected twists and turns. Unlike this one, you could easily tell who the devil in disguise is and foresee the plot. The storytelling rhythm was draggy to a point of exasperating. Don't bother guessing the ending, because it's exactly what you'd expect. (Well, close enough for me :P) By the way, the ending is disappointing! My verdict? 2 out of 5 stars.

Just the other day, a close friend of mine poured out his worries to me. Much have happened at his work place lately, both good and bad, and he's overwhelmed by doubt and fear. Coincidentally, he asked me to recommend him some books to read. Prior to the conversation, I suggested the Bartimaeus trilogy (but, of course!). But after our little chat, I recommended him Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike . Here's why. When diagnosed with testicular cancer, the once confident, ruthless Armstrong, felt weak and lost, mentally and physically. But gradually, he picked himself up and decided to not give in without a fight. And it is this journey that we see how Lance turns fear into strength, uses it to fight his doubts, worry and disappointments with courage, perseverance, endurance and determination. And most importantly, to bring back once again, the belief in himself to be able to overcome a challenge. This part, best describes it: "I believed in belief, for its o

Met up with Tash Aw yesterday (Saturday) in MPH 1 Utama. Sad to say, the evening was kinda disappointing. We didn't have much time with him, and it felt like a rush, having to 'run through' my 'interview' with him. It was supposed to start at 7pm, but as usual, Malaysians, being very punctual, arrived only at about 7.30 or so. (Yours truly arrived at 7 sharp) By the time we were done with dinner, it was already 8.15pm. We were then ushered to a cosy area, where Tash sat right in the centre, and the rest of us sat around him. After the quick introduction, Tash spoke for awhile before proceeding to the autograph session. I bought his book while I was there, just to get his autograph and to have an opportunity to 'chat' with him. He was quite friendly, a little aloof at times, and looked pretty tired (he had been travelling for 4 weeks). Asked me a few basic questions, like if I'm an MRC member, what does MRC usually do during the book clubs and what kind o

Father and son on a boring journey of survival. Boring. Got nothing out of it. 3 days of wasted time. Too much repetition throughout. Couldn't feel the proximity of the father-son relationship. Conversations were boring too. Love the font type though. What put me off really, was the non existent quotation marks, the pages that went on and on without chapters (almost sounded like the story teller was rambling to himself and caught in his own world), and some weird combination of words (2 words made into 1). This is by far, the only book which I didn't enjoy reading. Sorry McCarthy. I just couldn't and didn't get it. My ratings? 1 out of 5 stars Image taken from: http://swingleydev.com/blog/wp-content/the_road_lg.jpg

this is uber cool! thx dear for sharing this :)

Two bookaholics recommended me this trilogy. Coincidentally, MPH was having a warehouse sales at the time of which I was on a hunt for it. As luck would have it, I found the trilogy at the warehouse sales, sold at RM25 each :) Thence, began my journey with Bartimaeus. Here's a peek into what this trilogy is all about: The story is told through Bartimaeus, Nathaniel and Kitty. It's set based on certain true events and people (like the American Revolution and William Gladstone), during a time when magicians governs Britain and the commoners (the non magicians) made up the rest of the society. The Amulet of Samarkand mainly revolves around the rise and fall of London, and the introduction of the main characters - Nathaniel (John Mandrake, his magician name) who has a strong desire to be a great magician who wanted to be part of the government body, Bartimaeus (the first djinni he summoned at the tender age of 12) and Kitty, a commoner who was a member of a group called The Resist

Yep Yep TASH AW WILL BE IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA! (nicked from thebookaholic.blogspot.com)

I'm about to complete the Bartimaeus Trilogy (which I'm enjoying thoroughly. I so so love Bartimaeus! haha). While I'm at it, I shall feed you with some entertaining videos ;) This is funny! hehe

Am off to Penang this week for a press conference... To those of you who dropped by, I'll leave you with Rob Paravanian's Pachelbel Rant! It's entertaining and funny hehe Till then, HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND!

Truth to be told. If it wasn't sold at RM8, I wouldn't have purchased it, 'coz it's only 166 pages and I ain't paying RM30 odd ringgit (the average cost of a book here in Malaysia) for a book that thin :P Here's the embarrassing part. This book is faaantastic. If I'd known, I wouldn't mind buying it at its original price (but the cheaper the better of coz :P). On Chesil Beach is mainly about love and loss. The story is set in 1962 and is about a newly married couple, Edward and Florence, who decided to tie the knot, because they were in love with each other and thought it was only right to do so. The problem was, they hardly knew or understood each other, hence they were unable to express themselves openly, about sex especially. See, Edward wanted sex, Florence clearly didn't. McEwan's ability to capture the characters' emotions and thoughts, was flawless. There were parts I cried, for I felt Florence's sadness and bitterness when she sup

If you weren't at the Big Bad Wolf Sales..., don't despair my dear friend...because, Crescent is here to save a bookaholic's day! Details as follow: But I'm skipping this. Enough of sales for me for now haha

EVERYONE must go to the Big Bad Wolf (BBW) Sales. Bookaholics especially, 'coz the Wolf's irresistible offer would make you oblivious to the damage he would do to your kids and your pockets. The best part is, the whole place is air conditioned, so you won't be sweltering :D A smart wolf huh ;) It was a jungle out there I tell you...Kids were running amok at the sight of books that were at rock bottom prices, parents not knowing where to start (fiction/non-fiction/children??) and husbands helping their wives with the boxes of books. I even overheard (unintentionally lah!) this lady telling her partner, "Ok, I'm gonna start here. You go over there. We'll meet at the exit." LOL! Anw, I bought 10 books for only RM77!! :D The picture attached was my purchase. Despite what had been said about "other" book sales that were very disappointing, I didn't regret going to the MPH Warehouse Sales held recently, because the books I bought there, weren't

GUYS AND GALS! This book sales YOU MUSN'T MISS! Who's in??? (Saw this in The Star Weekender!) Carly, thx for dropping me an email too! I'm getting so excited! A note from the founders: There’s a new player in the book industry and the name is Big Bad Wolf Books! Big Bad Wolf Books will bring you the latest in every genre in the book industry at the lowest prices possible. From 14 (Thu) to 18 (Mon) May 2009, Big Bad Wolf Books will be holding its inaugural book sale, The Big Bad Book Sale and it's gonna be something you don’t want to miss! All books will be between RM5 and RM20 only! Check out http://www.bigbadwolfbooks.com to see a selection of books available at The Big Bad Book Sale and their unbelievably low prices! Big Bad Wolf Books is brought to you by the people behind BookXcess as we truly believe in helping people read more for less. So come along to the sale and tell your friends about it too. We have set up a Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Ku

I judge a book not only by its cover but also by recommendations (from sources who know me well ;)) These are some of the books which came highly recommended by friends. 1) Totto Chan - Read and Loved It! 4/5 stars 2) Oscar and the Pink Lady - Read and Loved it! 3/5 stars 3) The Bartimaeus Trilogy - Reading (and loving it more each day) 4) The Art of Happiness - Read 2.5/5 stars (Probably coz it's non fiction :P) 5) Pride and Prejudice - Read and Enjoyed it Immensely! 3/5 stars 6) The Monk who Sold His Ferrari - Read 2.5/5 stars 7) My Sister's Keeper - Read and Loved the dramatic storyline 4/5 stars And recently, a friend of mine recommended these to me, all by Pearl S. Buck: 1) Pavilion of Women 2) The Time is Noon Anyone read them before? Shall look out for them soon! Thx Mah ;)

WHERE? Location (Tel 603 7958 1688)- Google Map Ground Floor Warehouse Bangunan TH MPH Warehouse NO 5 Jalan Bersatu 13/4 Petaling Jaya [Opposite Dataran Hamodal] The books weren't thaaaat cheap la...But at least they're cheaper than usual. Go check it out! ;) Was there, bought 8 books for RM129 (which included a pocket dictionary for only RM3! haha)

This, my dear friends, is a MUST READ for all! And the best part is....all it takes is probably 2-3 hours to finish this book! Isn't that grrreat? :) I owe this to Li Shian who found this book in BookXcess PJ and even gave me a copy of it! Thanks dear! This story is about Oscar, who's only 10 years old and about to die. He meets Granny Rose whom he loves talking to. He thinks Granny Rose is the only adult who understands him most. Oscar doesn't believe in God until one day when Granny Rose successfully convinced him to write letters to God and tell Him about his thoughts, worries and fears. What I liked most about this book is its honesty and witty charm. The ending is really touching and it shows how God works in mysterious ways. Don't get me wrong here. It's not a book about religion, but it's more about how we view life and death. "People are frightened of dying because they're afraid of the unknown. But that's just it, what's the unknown? I

This story is set in a time when money, society and status are more important that true love and happiness. The female protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, is a very opinionated young lady who loves her family dearly, especially her sister Jane. Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy and thinks of him as very impertinent and proud, but Mr. Darcy on the other hand, liked her intelligence and straightforwardness, and without him realising it, falls for her deeply. She despises Mr. Darcy so much that she can’t even stand the sight of him. But her feelings towards him change when she finds out the truth behind all the rumours that have been said about him. What I loved most about the story is its characters that are so flawed and real, its witty conversations, the relationship between Elizabeth and Jane, and the struggles of Elizabeth's thoughts and emotions upon discovering the real Mr. Darcy. Yes, the language is pretty “heavy” and it does require more concentration compared to other books, but it’s de

This video touches my heart every time I see it. Thanks Dad and Adryan for sharing this with me. To those who'd like to learn more about Nick, go to: http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org Dear God, I'm here to execute your plans for me. Just lead the way. And thank you for all your blessings!

Louis de Bernieres is well-known for his previous works like Birds with Wings and Captain Corelli's Mandolin. Unlike those two, his latest, A Partisan's Daughter, is somewhat different; it's simpler, shorter, and sublimely funny. But this story, like his previous ones, still grips your heart, and its words will still linger in your mind after putting it down. The theme of the story revolves around love, regret and seizing life's moments. This story is set in London, in the 1970's. It is about a man in his 40's named Chris, who's unhappily married to his wife whom he calls, a Great White Loaf. One night, as he was roaming in London, a scantily clad lady standing in the streets, catches his eyes. He asks her very subtly if she's a prostitute. This is totally something new to him as he is "not the sort of man who goes to prostitutes." When she finds out his intentions, she tells him she isn't a prostitute, but would appreciate it if he could

A typical rags to riches story. But don't get this the wrong way. This Pulitzer Prize Winner has a very compelling storyline that's a page turner, and unforgettable characters that are sympathetic, flawed and real. Buck also depicted the Chinese culture and how they lived during those days (around the 19th century) quite accurately. Reading it almost felt like I was watching a Chinese drama series shot during that era (late 19 century or so) when infanticide, foot-binding and concubinage were common practices. The Good Earth started with Wang Lung, a hard working farmer who married a slave called O-lan. She bore him 5 children, of which 3 are sons, 2 are daughters. Together, both of them pulled the family out of poverty and earned enough money to buy more lands. And soon, they became rich enough to buy over the House of Hwang, a family of wealthy landowners. Also, this novel explored the complexities of human emotions and behaviours in all its characters. For example, at the ti

My relationship with Books wasn't serious before...especially during my college and uni years. Our relationship used to be more of a on-and-off thing, 'cuz on one hand, I couldn't stand not being around Books, but on the other hand, I couldn't help flirting with Parties and Men. But now that I had enough of those two, and that age is catching up (:P), I decided to take my relationship with Books to a different level. I want us to be closer. I want us to spend as much time as we could together, without having to get rid of Work (and Hubby too of course haha). (Work helps me pay the bill and get to Books, Hubby gives 2-way-street love :P) So these days, I bring Books wherever I go - the restaurant, my travels, shopping centres, toilet (oops. eek? :P), office, car, etc . It wasn't easy at first, because I was afraid to be associated with the Geeks and Nerds. But the fear wore off when I got used to it. Slowly it became almost like a habit. Now, I don't feel complet

Sorry my dear readers, World Book Day's on the 23rd of April which is 2 wks later, not today haha Look how excited I can get when it comes to books! LOL!

My hubby shared this lovely video with me, and I'd like to share it with you too :) It's really meaningful and touching... I hope you guys liked it as much as I did :D

Hi Salihah, To your question, "Can i know what r da interesting things of Haruki Murakami n Roald Dahl dat make u like their books? bcoz it was my 1st time heard their names hehe who knows i can be their fan too =) tq" Answer: Haruki Murakami is because of his wild, beautiful imaginations....His stories are very surreal, almost hypnotic (to me at least! haha) and can transport out of this world. If you want to get a feel of his stories, try reading Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman :) Best to read his stories at night ;) Whereas for Roald Dahl , I like his dark humour. They'll make you smile (I enjoy his short stories) and the best part is...his endings are always with a twist! Give him a try ;) Best to read his short stories when you're bored watching the repetitive TV commercials haha Book image is taken from: http://www.boghallen.dk/Uploaded/9780099488668/blind-willow_20000_550.jpg

Li Shian, thank you so much for featuring my blog in your papers, Kosmo! My counter went up, up, up! haha How nice if the share market works the same way too hehe To those of you who'd like to read the story but didn't manage to get a copy of Kosmo!, here's the online version: http://www.kosmo.com.my/kosmo/content.asp?y=2009&dt=0408&pub=Kosmo&sec=Infiniti&pg=in_02.htm To my hubby and all my friends, you have been an inspiration to me, thank you so much! If not coz of you guys, my blog would be dead by now too haha Hey Kavita, I really hope you're reading this, coz you're a big part of my blog! If not coz of you, this idea wouldn't have occured to me! Btw, if you're wondering why I'm not updating my blog as regularly as before, it's coz just recently, I've been contracted to work part time, so my hands are kinda tied (to the steering wheel, that is. The traffic jam is killing me! By the time I get home, it's usually 8pm already