Hooked On Bookz

Once again, thanks to Pansing, I got a copy of Jake Adelstein's Tokyo Vice . It was an eye-opening read for me. If you're interested in knowing about the organized crime that are going on in Tokyo, you must go grab a copy. I'm honoured too, to be given the opportunity to 'interview' the author himself, via email. The interview briefly touches on his personal life, his persistence in seeking for justice and the lessons learnt from his experience. Q: Just out of curiosity, who drew your Twitter portrait? A: That was done by Mari Kurisato. She did several and I’m very happy with them all. This is my favorite. Q: How much time do you spend writing everyday? A: I spend about three to four hours writing every day. Sometimes more. I spend two hours a day reading about organized crime (yakuza) history and news and staying on top of current events in Japan. Q: What do you do when you’re free? A: I’m a workaholic so I don’t really have many hobbies. I take Aikido and would l...

I really think this is suuuper cool! Saw this on the internet. Check this out: World Book Night represents the most ambitious and far-reaching celebration of adult books and reading ever attempted in the UK and Ireland. On Saturday, 5 March 2011, two days after World Book Day, with the full support of the Publishers Association, the Booksellers Association, the Independent Publishers Guild, the Reading Agency with libraries, World Book Day, the BBC and RTE, one million books will be given away by an army of passionate readers to members of the public across the UK and Ireland. The book give-away will comprise 40,000 copies of each of the 25 carefully selected titles, to be given away by 20,000 ‘givers’, who will each distribute 48 copies of their chosen title to whomever they choose on World Book Night. The remaining books will be distributed by World Book Night itself in places that might otherwise be difficult to reach, such as prisons and hospitals. Read more here . Want to be part ...

Title/Author: It's a Book/Lane Smith Publisher: Roaring Brook Press No. of pages : 26 ISBN 13: 978-1-59643-606-0 In a nutshell With digital revolution carrying us forward, will our future generation recognise a book? In It's a Book , the jackass is a 'tech-freak' fella who couldn't recognise a book, and gets all curious when seeing the monkey holding one. He asks things like 'Can it text? Blog? Scroll? Wi-Fi? Tweet?' and annoyed the hell outta the monkey who he keeps telling the jackass 'It's a book' again and again. What I liked Two words. Sweet. Delightful. Arghhh...I must add another one. Funny! Another one. Wonderrrrful! In only 26 pages, it captured my heart. Loved the monkey and the jackass and oooh the little mouse! :D I not only loved the very, simple, straight-forward, funny story, but also the beautiful illustrations. It says so much, so simply! I loved how the little changes in the monkey's facial expression made so much differe...

Title/Author: Tokyo Vice/Jake Adelstein Publisher: Pantheon Books No. of pages : 328 ISBN 13: 978-0-307-37879-8 In a nutshell (Edited from the book flap) At nineteen, Jake Adelstein started his life as a journalist at the prestigious Yomiuri Shinbun. For 12 years of 48-hour workweeks, he ventures deep into the Yakuza underworld where murder, corruption and human trafficking are as common as ramen noodles and sake. In Tokyo Vice , Adelstein tells his riveting journey that brought him from getting into a martial-arts battle with a senior editor to meeting face-to-face with Japan's most feared yakuza boss. What I liked Tokyo Vice is a very informative, engaging and enlightening read. It is definitely an eye opener for me. If I had read this before I go to Tokyo, I'd have viewed Roponggi differently. Using his sense of humour and thoroughness Adelstein gives a detailed tour of the Japanese underworld, and introduces the ins and outs of the Yakuza's organised crimes. At times...