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Hello All, Just a quick note to say that I haven't been blogging here for a while because Peter and I decided to get our own doma...
Review: Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding
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Rosie Richardson was a typical girl working at a publicist for a book company. Until she found herself dating Oliver Marchant, a presenter for a popular tv show called Soft Focus. Soon, she found herself in the "inner circle" of celebrity - being invited to all sorts of parties, until she found out the truth in the personality of her boyfriend, Oliver. On one of her work assignments, she got sent to Africa to help the famine victims in Kefti. It changed her life forever, and once she and Oliver had broken up, she spent her time in Kefti as a relief worker. All was going well until a locust outbreak came, hundreds of thousands of refugees are expected to come, and with no supplies, Rosie decides to go back to London and enlist the help of her celebrity friends from the life she had left behind. Will she be able to do it?
Rosie Richardson was a typical girl working at a publicist for a book company. Until she found herself dating Oliver Marchant, a presenter for a popular tv show called Soft Focus. Soon, she found herself in the "inner circle" of celebrity - being invited to all sorts of parties, until she found out the truth in the personality of her boyfriend, Oliver. On one of her work assignments, she got sent to Africa to help the famine victims in Kefti. It changed her life forever, and once she and Oliver had broken up, she spent her time in Kefti as a relief worker. All was going well until a locust outbreak came, hundreds of thousands of refugees are expected to come, and with no supplies, Rosie decides to go back to London and enlist the help of her celebrity friends from the life she had left behind. Will she be able to do it? Thoughts:
Excellent book. This was Helen Fielding's debut novel, released long before we knew Bridget Jones. In this initial novel, the writing style is almost the same as Bridget: witty yet funny. However, the subject is a bit more deep and provides an insight on what was happening during the 1980s drought in Africa. It's chick list with a cause, as I say, and written in a way to engage the readers in to the realities of the drought without poring too many information in to bore or overwhelm the readers.
The main characters were well-defined, Oliver is wacky than what I'd ought to be [although I loved him at first], and well, Fielding did good with the descriptions of Africa too. However, what I don't like is the places in Africa that Fielding described - most of them are fictional, which makes it harder for me to understand and picture the places without Googling it. As most of you know, I love to google stuff whenever I read books, just to check up on the facts/information on a particular place or basically anything that peaked my interest. Anyway, back to the review. This book presents the irony of the haves and the have-nots, mostly the divide between the West and the East, that is also rampant today. The novel shows how people care about one another, given the various disasters that we are in, and the only way we could overcome it is by reaching out to the less-fortunate countries distraught and try to do something good.
The novel is also real in a sense that most people would forget the horrible things that they had experienced as they help out the less fortunate, and what matters most is that the general public have to be constantly aware of what's happening around the world, good or bad. That is, we should step outside our sheltered life and realize what is out there.
Published: 2002
Publisher: Penguin.
Available from: Amazon and your local booksellers. It is available at a bargain price in Amazon.
Read it if: You want a chick lit with a cause.
Book was acquired from: a local bookstore for $1.
fickle fan/overall rating:
The post above is included in Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesdays
Tag :
2010 books,
Guest Blog: Kelly Harmon on Writing for Today’s Reader
Hiya everyone and please welcome Kelly Harmon as a guest blogger today. I would personally like to congratulate her on the release of her book "Blood Soup"
Feel free to drop a comment or two to ask questions or just say hi :)
Without further ado, here's Kelly as she writes about Writing for Today's Reader
**********************************************************************
I’m a huge fan of Tolkien, loved reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books as a teen, but I’ve long maintained that Tolkien would fail to get published if he attempted to do so today. What appealed to readers a decade or more ago, doesn’t apply to today’s reader.
(We don’t hold on to old technology...so why should we continue to read antiquated styles?)
In my opinion, Tolkien wrote a plodding history filled with exposition. He failed to get to the action fast enough, and used way too many words (these statements, I’m certain, rub a few readers the wrong way...apologies!) But, here’s an example:
In The Hobbit, Tolkien describes Bilbo Baggins home:
“It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel; a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats–the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of a hill–and many little round doors opened out of it...”
This goes on for quite some length.
I don’t have the time anymore to sit through pages and pages of such description. Do you? If you’re like me, you’re racing to work, picking up the kids, taking them to soccer practice, flying off to your own meetings, etc. Life is fast-paced.
So...what could Tolkien have done to appeal to modern readers?
1) He could have stepped up the pace by cutting out long descriptions and given us (mostly) the key information. A paragraph or two, three at most, would have sufficed as an introduction to Baggins and his home, then Tolkien should have gotten on with the story.
Other things he could have done: used shorter sentences to make the work read faster. Broken large paragraphs into smaller ones to visually appeal to the eye and create a sense of motion; and tightened his prose into shorter scenes.
2) Tolkien could have started with action. People enjoy thrills and danger...why else are police shows so popular on TV? 24, Law & Order, and The First 48 have us on the edge of our seat. We also like our adrenaline rushes: bungee jumping, roller coasters and free-fall rides, etc.
Tolkien does offer lots of thrills and excitement...but twenty pages into The Hobbit and Bilbo is turning down Gandolf’s adventure. Turning him down! And we suffer through ten more pages of a dinner party at his home. It’s not until Chapter Two, nearly fifty pages in, that Bilbo actually gets moving on his quest.
Most readers today want to see the action in the first few pages, if not on page one. Action drops you right into the story.
3) Tolkien could have stepped up the emotion, made us care more about the characters by showing us–not telling us– how events affected them.
We love our reality TV...couples fighting, battling weight, vying for marriage, singing their hearts out. We can’t help but become emotionally attached as we watch others’ lives unfolding before us. And we find ourselves aligned for this couple, rooting for that singer, hoping that marriage doesn’t break up over a slice of pie as the shows unfold. We care.
I’m not saying we don’t care for Tolkien’s characters, we do; but I know for me, it’s a mild sort of caring. I need more in order to relate.
Hobbits love to take a bath: they sing many-versed songs about it. But I’d rather have seen Bilbo sinking into a hot tub of water and sighing blissfully over the joy of it than endure his ten-verse song written into the prose.
In the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo is awakened by Merry at 4 a.m., making a clattering noise in order to get his attention. That would tick me off. How about you? Yet Frodo gets up without complaint and starts moving. Tolkien could have done so much with this scene.
For me, an author succeeds at making me emotionally attached if I’m crying at the end of a romance, or dreading the final battle scene, or hurt (and angry!) that someone got killed off.
Today’s author should strive to hijack the reader’s emotions as he relates the story.
Postscript: Please don’t hate me for picking on Tolkien! He’s only one example. I could find examples in many author’s books, including some of my favorites and by several authors of classics (who wrote when time wasn’t so precious to us now).
BOOK BLURB:
A tale of murder, betrayal and comeuppance.
King Theodicar of Borgund needed an heir. When his wife, Queen Piacenza, became pregnant, he’d hoped for a boy. His wife, along with her nurse, Salvagia, knew it wouldn’t be so: with each cast of the runes, Salvagia’s trusted divination tools yielded the same message: “A girl child must rule or the kingdom will fall to ruin.” The women were convinced that the child would be a girl.
When the queen finally gives birth, the nurse and the king are equally surprised. The king is faced with a terrible choice, and his decision will determine the fate of his kingdom. Will he choose wisely, or will he doom Borgund to ruin?
Feel free to drop a comment or two to ask questions or just say hi :)
Without further ado, here's Kelly as she writes about Writing for Today's Reader
**********************************************************************
I’m a huge fan of Tolkien, loved reading The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings books as a teen, but I’ve long maintained that Tolkien would fail to get published if he attempted to do so today. What appealed to readers a decade or more ago, doesn’t apply to today’s reader.(We don’t hold on to old technology...so why should we continue to read antiquated styles?)
In my opinion, Tolkien wrote a plodding history filled with exposition. He failed to get to the action fast enough, and used way too many words (these statements, I’m certain, rub a few readers the wrong way...apologies!) But, here’s an example:
In The Hobbit, Tolkien describes Bilbo Baggins home:
“It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel; a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats–the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of a hill–and many little round doors opened out of it...”
This goes on for quite some length.
I don’t have the time anymore to sit through pages and pages of such description. Do you? If you’re like me, you’re racing to work, picking up the kids, taking them to soccer practice, flying off to your own meetings, etc. Life is fast-paced.
So...what could Tolkien have done to appeal to modern readers?
1) He could have stepped up the pace by cutting out long descriptions and given us (mostly) the key information. A paragraph or two, three at most, would have sufficed as an introduction to Baggins and his home, then Tolkien should have gotten on with the story.
Other things he could have done: used shorter sentences to make the work read faster. Broken large paragraphs into smaller ones to visually appeal to the eye and create a sense of motion; and tightened his prose into shorter scenes.
2) Tolkien could have started with action. People enjoy thrills and danger...why else are police shows so popular on TV? 24, Law & Order, and The First 48 have us on the edge of our seat. We also like our adrenaline rushes: bungee jumping, roller coasters and free-fall rides, etc.
Tolkien does offer lots of thrills and excitement...but twenty pages into The Hobbit and Bilbo is turning down Gandolf’s adventure. Turning him down! And we suffer through ten more pages of a dinner party at his home. It’s not until Chapter Two, nearly fifty pages in, that Bilbo actually gets moving on his quest.
Most readers today want to see the action in the first few pages, if not on page one. Action drops you right into the story.
3) Tolkien could have stepped up the emotion, made us care more about the characters by showing us–not telling us– how events affected them.
We love our reality TV...couples fighting, battling weight, vying for marriage, singing their hearts out. We can’t help but become emotionally attached as we watch others’ lives unfolding before us. And we find ourselves aligned for this couple, rooting for that singer, hoping that marriage doesn’t break up over a slice of pie as the shows unfold. We care.
I’m not saying we don’t care for Tolkien’s characters, we do; but I know for me, it’s a mild sort of caring. I need more in order to relate.
Hobbits love to take a bath: they sing many-versed songs about it. But I’d rather have seen Bilbo sinking into a hot tub of water and sighing blissfully over the joy of it than endure his ten-verse song written into the prose.
In the Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo is awakened by Merry at 4 a.m., making a clattering noise in order to get his attention. That would tick me off. How about you? Yet Frodo gets up without complaint and starts moving. Tolkien could have done so much with this scene.
For me, an author succeeds at making me emotionally attached if I’m crying at the end of a romance, or dreading the final battle scene, or hurt (and angry!) that someone got killed off.
Today’s author should strive to hijack the reader’s emotions as he relates the story.
Postscript: Please don’t hate me for picking on Tolkien! He’s only one example. I could find examples in many author’s books, including some of my favorites and by several authors of classics (who wrote when time wasn’t so precious to us now).
BOOK BLURB:
A tale of murder, betrayal and comeuppance.King Theodicar of Borgund needed an heir. When his wife, Queen Piacenza, became pregnant, he’d hoped for a boy. His wife, along with her nurse, Salvagia, knew it wouldn’t be so: with each cast of the runes, Salvagia’s trusted divination tools yielded the same message: “A girl child must rule or the kingdom will fall to ruin.” The women were convinced that the child would be a girl.
When the queen finally gives birth, the nurse and the king are equally surprised. The king is faced with a terrible choice, and his decision will determine the fate of his kingdom. Will he choose wisely, or will he doom Borgund to ruin?
Tag :
author guest post,
Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
However, odd things have been happening this year. The Deatheaters crashed the Quidditch World Cup, causing mayhem, a new teacher took over the Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson, Professor Moody and he seems more weird compared to the other teachers, and Harry was suddenly chosen as the fourth champion for the Triwizard Tournament. Apart from that, his scar is hurting like crazy and he's been having dreams that Lord Voldemort is back. Could Harry survive this year given all these challenges?
THOUGHTS:
Very good Harry Potter book! It provided a lot of character background about Voldemort, Harry and Dumbledore. I love the way JK Rowling wrote the challenges: they were so vivid, its like I was watching the scene unfold as I was reading the book. Very, very good indeed. The extra characters: Barty Crouch Sr and Jr, Bagman, Viktor Krum, Fleur dela Couer, Cedric Diggory, Rita Skeeter, Madame Maxine and Karkarov [sp?] definitely stirred things up in Hogwarts. It's also nice to know that there are other wizarding schools out there, although they were European schools. I wonder if there was an Australian/Asian/American/African contingent of wizarding schools? That would be awesome!
Anyway, I liked that the story involved a lot about the feelings of Harry, Hermione and Ron. They were teenagers in this, and they are just starting to experience love/like/crushes. The Ron/Hermione shippers would definitely love this book too.
So, what else do I like? By the way, apologies for any spoilers above or below. Its simply hard to type a review about Harry Potter without giving too much away =)
I love Pig, the owl, the merchandise at the Quidditch world cup -- makes me wish that the merchandise we get from various event in real life equal to the quality and the ingenuity of the ones available from the wizarding world. I also loved the other magical creatures -- the house elf, the Veela and the leprechauns and the goblins. teehee. Hmmm.. what else? Did I mention that Voldemort scared the hell out of me? He's creepy! And the latter part of the book is a bit dark, and is a good prequel to what's going to happen on book five.
Very, very, very good book. I'm now a Potter fan and well, every child and person should definitely read the Harry Potter books. You're missing out on a lot if you don't read them! Don't want to read? Well, the movies are equally nice too. The fourth movie was a good representation of the book but there are some details that would be left out, of course.
Published: 2001
Publisher: Scholastic/Bloomsbury
Available from: Amazon and your local booksellers
Read it if: You're a Potterhead. No, everyone should definitely read this book.
Book was acquired from: My friend Toni!
fickle fan/overall rating:
Tag :
2010 books,
review,
Blog Tour: Right Where I Need to Be by Wendi Zwaduk
So, welcome to another virtual book blog tour. This week, I am featuring Wendi Zwaduk, author of "Right Where I Need to Be." Comment on the post and one lucky commenter on all the sites that's featured in the tour may win an ebook from Wendi's catalogue.
I’ve had stories in my head for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid, we had a tiny little grove of lilac bushes next to our house. My overactive imagination and I would play with my Barbies in the shade of those trees. I had a fascination for replaying and retelling the General Hospital episode I’d seen that day, but I always added my own twists. However, when I grew up (or told the world I’d grown up), I put the stories away and tried to be someone responsible. Not to say that telling stories is irresponsible, but I tried to be a 9-5 worker bee and found it wasn’t for me.
Then life intervened and I had the itch to start writing down the stories in my head. Once started, I never looked back.
So what can I say? Is being a romance author all it’s cracked up to be? You know, I really don’t know. I mean, yes, there are those authors who write their first book and make a zillion dollars. Will that be me? I’d love for it to, but I realize there is a certain beauty in being practical.
Has writing a book changed my life? Nope. I still drive my great big truck to get my youngling from school, I still have oodles of laundry that needs doing, and I have animals that choose when and where they want to cooperate and if they want to leave me...er... um... presents. I should probably spend more time on the treadmill and less time daydreaming, but what’s the fun in that? My life isn’t glamorous, but I kind of like it that way. I love romance, but I’m not a girly-girl, so if I had to be glamorous, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.
But to ask if my stories parallel my life?
Yes and no.
Learning How to Bend is set in a little bitty town next to where I grew up. Crestline, Ohio is a real place one can go to visit. The Airlift Wing in Mansfield, Ohio really exists as well. I have a good friend who I used for a bit of inspiration for Seth, and yes, this friend of mine is in the Air Force. Between K and my hubby, I get all my plane and military information. The town Right Where I Need to Be is a conglomeration of a couple of towns I lived in while in college and right after. The library in the book is set up much like the library on my home town. One day I’d love to meet the inspiration for Logan, but I’d have to leave my little bitty town in Ohio to do that.
Otherwise, my life is boring compared to my books. Not that it’s a bad thing. If my life really paralleled my books, then I’d never have time to write them because I’d be, shall I say, busy. I’d love to write the next big novel, a la Charlaine Harris, Lori Foster, or even Lora Leigh. Will it happen? I don’t know. What I do know is whatever will happen is what’s meant to happen and I’m going to enjoy the ride.
So maybe the life of an author isn’t always thrilling, but it’s mine and I love it.
Sometimes the love of your life isn’t the one you expect, but he’s the one you need.
Cass Jenson needs an actor for her made for TV movie. The previous actor dropped out, leaving her stranded. Her savior shows up looking sinfully sexy and totally right for the part, but what part is she auditioning him for? Her movie or her bed?
Logan Malone needs an acting job and fast. With his string of broken hearts, his professional life lies in shambles. To resurrect his career, he must audition for a television role which could be the job of a lifetime. That is, if he can work with distraction and Cass is a major distraction with a heart of gold. Is their budding relationship enough to survive separation, lies, and a couple zany fans?
For more info on the book tour, please click HERE
Tag :
author guest post,
blog tour,
Personal Post
And so, last weekend was a bum day for me.
Instead of going out and enjoying, I spent the weekend at home, and in bed. Which I hate.
I was supposed to go to a book discussion of the Hunger Games last Saturday and watch a movie with a friend on Sunday, but turns when I woke up on Saturday morning with my head feeling heavy, I knew I was not feeling my usual self. Add the fact that the heat outside [ugh. Unbearable heat, if you ask me], was enough to make my head spin faster.
I tried to take a shower to ease some of the heat off, but no, it didn't help.
So I just continued to lie in bed, with my meds for company, and Goofy the dog ocassionally looking after me, drifting in and out of sleep.
Guess this is how stress gets to you, yeah?
And I realized.... I don't like my job anymore. I want to do something else.
Flicking on Discovery Travel & Living, I became so jealous at the travelers. That's what I want. I want to travel.
I wish July would come sooner so I could go back to HK and Macau and not think about work.
On another note: I am typing this in work, where yes, I came in. I still have a bad cold, but I have to make some moolah.
And all this, to pay for necessities, and what little I have to save up and to travel.
So, how was your weekend?
Instead of going out and enjoying, I spent the weekend at home, and in bed. Which I hate.
I was supposed to go to a book discussion of the Hunger Games last Saturday and watch a movie with a friend on Sunday, but turns when I woke up on Saturday morning with my head feeling heavy, I knew I was not feeling my usual self. Add the fact that the heat outside [ugh. Unbearable heat, if you ask me], was enough to make my head spin faster.
I tried to take a shower to ease some of the heat off, but no, it didn't help.
So I just continued to lie in bed, with my meds for company, and Goofy the dog ocassionally looking after me, drifting in and out of sleep.
Guess this is how stress gets to you, yeah?
And I realized.... I don't like my job anymore. I want to do something else.
Flicking on Discovery Travel & Living, I became so jealous at the travelers. That's what I want. I want to travel.
I wish July would come sooner so I could go back to HK and Macau and not think about work.
On another note: I am typing this in work, where yes, I came in. I still have a bad cold, but I have to make some moolah.
And all this, to pay for necessities, and what little I have to save up and to travel.
So, how was your weekend?
Blog Tour: Nebula's Music by Aubrie Dionne
Hiya everyone! It is my pleasure to host a blog tour for the first time. Wheeee! So below is an interview with Aubrie Dionne and I hope you guys support her by getting her book "Nebula's Music"!
ficklefan: Where did you get your inspiration for your book?
Aubrey Dionne: I love the genre of Space Opera. I’m a big fan of Star Wars, Star Trek, Pitch Black, Serenity, anything that has romance and action up in space! Nebula’s music is my first foray into that genre and boy did I have a great time writing it.
Nebula is inspired by the character Data from The Next Generation. I watched star Trek growing up at 7pm and 7:30pm every night for about seven years. Data's journey to become more human fascinated me. There was one scene where he plays the violin and I marveled at the fact that he can take up an instrument and play it perfectly in minutes compared to a human that has to spend a lifetime perfecting their skills. But did his music have emotion? Probably not.
Nebula is not entirely an andriod. She's made from a real human and experiences that woman's past memories. In a way, she's closer to being human than Data can ever be, but can she break some of the barriers that he never could? Can she experience fear, triumph, or fall in love? Would a human reciprocate that love?
Nebula is inspired by the character Data from The Next Generation. I watched star Trek growing up at 7pm and 7:30pm every night for about seven years. Data's journey to become more human fascinated me. There was one scene where he plays the violin and I marveled at the fact that he can take up an instrument and play it perfectly in minutes compared to a human that has to spend a lifetime perfecting their skills. But did his music have emotion? Probably not.
Nebula is not entirely an andriod. She's made from a real human and experiences that woman's past memories. In a way, she's closer to being human than Data can ever be, but can she break some of the barriers that he never could? Can she experience fear, triumph, or fall in love? Would a human reciprocate that love?
ficklefan: What book are you reading now, are you currently enjoying it?
Aubrey Dionne: I'm currently reading Shadowmarch by Tad Williams and I love it. It's epic fantasy on a grand scale. The books in my to be read pile are: The Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, and Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter.
ficklefan: Do you set a writing time wherein you have to achieve x number of words written?
Aubrey Dionne: I try to get one thousand words a day, five days a week. Some weeks are better than others, but that seems to work for me. I end up writing a short story every month and a new book every six months.
ficklefan: Who are the authors you admire, and why?
Aubrey Dionne: I admire the old classics: Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice), Lord Tennyson (The Lady of Shalott), and Charlotte Bronte (Jane Eyre). They set the stage for all of us!
ficklefan: After reading your book, would you have any suggestions on what to read next?
Aubrey Dionne: My next novel, Messenger in the Mist, comes out in July. It's about a messenger torn between two kingdoms, scheduled to deliver a letter that carries the assassination plans for the man she loves.ficklefan: Do you have any guilty pleasures that you wish to share?
Aubrey Dionne: Chocolate, watching Pirates of the Caribbean over and over again, checking my email all the time, and watching Ghost Hunters.
ficklefan: Aside from writing, what are the other things you'd want to do?
Aubrey Dionne: I play and teach flute for my other career and I love playing in orchestras and playing for weddings. I'd also like to travel to England , Australia , and Aruba !
ficklefan: Can you relate in some ways with your main character? If so, why?
Aubrey Dionne: Oh yes! Every character that I write has part of me in them. Nebula is only a few years old, so she's socially behind. I was the youngest in my grade and so I struggled with the same problems all the way through high school. I was the last one to drive, I was the last one to wear makeup, etc etc.
Thank you for the interview!
Aubrie
Thank you for the interview!
Aubrie
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Each note brings her one step closer to the truth.
When the cyborg Nebula plays the piano she experiences memories from a time before her creation. These memories—which involve a captive rebel fighter being held on their ship—bring with them complex human feelings and awaken a desire for her to discover her origins.
Radian is the long-lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his finance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy. Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian.
Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?
Each note brings her one step closer to the truth.
When the cyborg Nebula plays the piano she experiences memories from a time before her creation. These memories—which involve a captive rebel fighter being held on their ship—bring with them complex human feelings and awaken a desire for her to discover her origins.
Radian is the long-lost love of the woman from which Nebula was made. He’s vowed to avenge his finance’s death and rescue her sister from the Gryphonites, a fierce race out to enslave the galaxy. Nebula grapples with her identity and how much of who she is comes from someone else’s past. She is not the woman that died, yet she is undeniably drawn to Radian.
Together Nebula and Radian seek to rescue his fiancé’s sister and end the Gryphonites’ cruel reign. But can Radian learn to love again and can Nebula accept a past made from someone else’s memories?
Ilustrado Book Launch.
I find that there's not much book launches done here in Manila. I was absolutely stoked when I saw an ad from National Bookstore that Miguel Syjuco is launching his debut novel, "Ilustrado" on April 10th.
At first, I was a bit hesitant to go -- the heat is overbearing in MNL and well, that's the only thing that's stopping me. But then I realized: "How many book launches will I ever get to go this year?" And so I dragged myself from my comfortable bed and went to the event.
I was a bit early, I arrived around 1:15PM and it turns out that the press launch was at 1:00PM and the book signing was at 2:00. I was just in time! Yay! So, I listened to Miguel as he talked about his book to the media, how he had felt when he won the prestigious Man Asia Literary Prize and the Palanca Book Award, and where he got his inspiration from his books [ie he lifted some parts from his own favourite books]
This is the first time I attended [albeit accidentally] a press launch and I don't really know what to expect! I did manage to get some videos but please bear with me if I can't upload them now.
After the talk, there was a Q&A session and one of the cutest thing that happened was Miguel answering a difficult question his mum had asked him!
There was an autograph signing after the talk and I managed to get my book and a friend's book signed too. For those living in Manila, if you didn't get your book signed during the event, you can still avail of a 20% book discount to Ilustrado until April 30th if you buy the book from National Bookstore. Regular price is P385, sale price is now P308! That's quite a huge price difference, you can still use that extra money to buy sale books or commute! =)
Forgive the photos - i was seated way out back and I only brought my basic point & shoot camera with me to the launch.
I was a bit early, I arrived around 1:15PM and it turns out that the press launch was at 1:00PM and the book signing was at 2:00. I was just in time! Yay! So, I listened to Miguel as he talked about his book to the media, how he had felt when he won the prestigious Man Asia Literary Prize and the Palanca Book Award, and where he got his inspiration from his books [ie he lifted some parts from his own favourite books]
This is the first time I attended [albeit accidentally] a press launch and I don't really know what to expect! I did manage to get some videos but please bear with me if I can't upload them now.
After the talk, there was a Q&A session and one of the cutest thing that happened was Miguel answering a difficult question his mum had asked him!
There was an autograph signing after the talk and I managed to get my book and a friend's book signed too. For those living in Manila, if you didn't get your book signed during the event, you can still avail of a 20% book discount to Ilustrado until April 30th if you buy the book from National Bookstore. Regular price is P385, sale price is now P308! That's quite a huge price difference, you can still use that extra money to buy sale books or commute! =)
Forgive the photos - i was seated way out back and I only brought my basic point & shoot camera with me to the launch.
Tag :
2010 books,
book launch,
April 2010 Readathon Wrap-Up
Hiya Everyone!
Sorry wasn't able to update the blog yesterday during the readathon. Well, as I was typing yesterday's blog, my mum and I had a row and so I kept to myself most of the time in my room, trying to complete the 24 hours reading The Hunger Games. I had a headache from sleeping and trying to read too!
So, final stats:
- Read 65 pages of the Hunger Games
- Read 100+ pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
And that's about it. Kinda slow, huh?
There was a massive bookshelf organization project that I also did yesterday which took up most of my time, and I cheated. I watched some TV too. I can't help it! =)
How was your readathon, guys? Hope your readathon was much more productive than mine! Until the October run!
Sorry wasn't able to update the blog yesterday during the readathon. Well, as I was typing yesterday's blog, my mum and I had a row and so I kept to myself most of the time in my room, trying to complete the 24 hours reading The Hunger Games. I had a headache from sleeping and trying to read too!
So, final stats:
- Read 65 pages of the Hunger Games
- Read 100+ pages of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
And that's about it. Kinda slow, huh?
There was a massive bookshelf organization project that I also did yesterday which took up most of my time, and I cheated. I watched some TV too. I can't help it! =)
How was your readathon, guys? Hope your readathon was much more productive than mine! Until the October run!
Tag :
readathon,
April 2010 Readathon Day Two Updates
Good morning everyone! I was kicked out by hour 5 last night from my mom's room where I had no internet nor computer so I just stayed in my room, relaxed, and read the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was making some progress until I got sleepy.
The sandman eventually got me at 1:30AM my time [1:30PM EST] and I woke up at 9AM my time [9PM EST]. What a riot. I forgot to turn on my alarm clock for 6:30AM. Oh well.
Anyway, I finally found some internet time now, after eating breakfast and relaxing a bit by watching telly so off I go to do my updates and also join in the mini-challenges and cheerlead a bit. I'm also converting some shows into mp4 format to put into my iPod and uploading photos and videos from a book launch I went to yesterday. Multitasking much?
MINI-CHALLENGE from The Lost Entwife
This mini-challenge asks us if our favourite book has been made into a movie and if not, to cast an actor/actress for our favourite character. Easy?
For me, my favourite book before was Confessions of a Shopaholic. I was more than stoked when I found out they were going to make a movie out of it, and lo and behold! Hugh Dancy was cast as Luke Brandon.
As I was reading the book before, I kinda pictured Luke to be the quintessential gorgeous British dude. And thank goodness they had cast Hugh Dancy into the role. Who could've been more perfect? If not him, I would also settle for Henry Cavill [The Tudors. Yum Yum].
The sandman eventually got me at 1:30AM my time [1:30PM EST] and I woke up at 9AM my time [9PM EST]. What a riot. I forgot to turn on my alarm clock for 6:30AM. Oh well.
Anyway, I finally found some internet time now, after eating breakfast and relaxing a bit by watching telly so off I go to do my updates and also join in the mini-challenges and cheerlead a bit. I'm also converting some shows into mp4 format to put into my iPod and uploading photos and videos from a book launch I went to yesterday. Multitasking much?
MINI-CHALLENGE from The Lost Entwife
This mini-challenge asks us if our favourite book has been made into a movie and if not, to cast an actor/actress for our favourite character. Easy?
For me, my favourite book before was Confessions of a Shopaholic. I was more than stoked when I found out they were going to make a movie out of it, and lo and behold! Hugh Dancy was cast as Luke Brandon.
As I was reading the book before, I kinda pictured Luke to be the quintessential gorgeous British dude. And thank goodness they had cast Hugh Dancy into the role. Who could've been more perfect? If not him, I would also settle for Henry Cavill [The Tudors. Yum Yum].
Tag :
readathon,
April 2010 Readathon Hour 3 Mini Challenge
Whee! I love these mini-challenges and I do try to partake in each and every one of them whenever possible :)
So, here's another mini-challenge hosted by Till We Read Again for Hour Three.
Its nominating our favourites in the books we've read. Excellent, yes?
Favorite Female Character in a book: For now, its Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Favorite Male Character in a book: Luke Brandon from Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Favorite Side Kick in a book: Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series.
Favorite Couple in a Book: Rebecca Bloomwood and Luke Brandon from the Shopaholic Series [Sophie Kinsella]. I just love the both of them!
Favorite Book Series: Hmmmm...... Tough. For now, I'd have to say The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.
Favorite Author: For now, Dan Brown.
Favorite Book Cover: The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. I love the gown!
Favorite Book of 2009: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
So, here's another mini-challenge hosted by Till We Read Again for Hour Three.
Its nominating our favourites in the books we've read. Excellent, yes?
Favorite Female Character in a book: For now, its Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Favorite Male Character in a book: Luke Brandon from Confessions of a Shopaholic.
Favorite Side Kick in a book: Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series.
Favorite Couple in a Book: Rebecca Bloomwood and Luke Brandon from the Shopaholic Series [Sophie Kinsella]. I just love the both of them!
Favorite Book Series: Hmmmm...... Tough. For now, I'd have to say The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.
Favorite Author: For now, Dan Brown.
Favorite Book Cover: The Luxe by Anna Godbersen. I love the gown!
Favorite Book of 2009: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
Tag :
readathon,
April 2010 Readathon Hour Two Mini-Challenge
So I'm taking part in the Hour two mini-challenge hosted by Miss Remmers Review called the Kick Off of Champions.
The challenge asks the readers what have they surrounded themselves in this early hours of the readathon?
I don't want to type much detail on what I'm doing now so I'm going to let the pictures do all the talking whilst I do a bit of a short description on every photo. I'm running a bit behind and I can't believe Hour three is up!
So, first photo, this is my internet explorer screenshot. As you can see, I've got multitudes of windows up -- I'm cheering as well so some of the other windows in there are blogs of those that i'm cheering on. If you notice on the bottom there's a message "Low Disk Space". I don't normally go online much but when I do, I download some stuff online. This long amounts of online time means my hard drive is trying to cope up with all my downloads! 
Second photo -- these are the books that I'm currently reading. They're sprawled right on my mum's bed right now, but they'll be moving house to my room soon.
Right now I'm seated in front of the PC in my mum's room but pretty soon I'll be moving to my room where I'll be reading propped up in bed!
That's about it now :) Off to do some more reading and cheering and I'll be checking in the new mini-challenges for hour three now!
Tag :
readathon,
April 2010 Readathon Updates - Day One
Hello everyone, it's another 24-hour readathon. This is the second time I've joined such an event, given that I had so much fun the last time :)
I've signed up for both a cheerleader and a reader this time so thank goodness for audiobooks.
The below are my updates. I'll continue to edit this post as we go from hour to hour so I'll only have one permalink up. Having too many can be confusing.
Now, I've just gone from a recent book launch so that post will have to wait until I could get all my readathon updates done! So, on to the updates.
So, here's my list of books to read:
1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
2. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
3. The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox
HOUR ONE
Okay, I have a confession. I thought that the readathon was supposed to start at 9pm my time. But I forgot that DST is now finished so we're only 12 hours ahead instead of the usual 13. Anyway, I managed to get a bit of reading done, via an audiobook of course.
HOUR ONE MEME MINI CHALLENGE
- I am a hoarder
- I love to travel.
HOUR TWO
I've joined a few mini challenges now and I'm getting super stoked about them! I'm concentrating on Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire but I haven't kept track of the number of pages i've read! eeeep!
HOUR THREE
My mum is currently reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. I swear she now reads faster than I do. My gosh. I've joined yet another mini challenge. My back is now aching like crazy! Still reading Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire! I've cheered on a few participants from my assignment.
HOUR FOUR
Right. My mum has now gone off to bed so I'm gonna be kicked out a few minutes from now. I wouldn't be able to provide updates until the morning [our time] then. I'm gonna be reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as soon as my mp4 file conversion is done and I need to move back to my room. I'm gonna wish you all a good night a few minutes from now. :)
I've signed up for both a cheerleader and a reader this time so thank goodness for audiobooks.
The below are my updates. I'll continue to edit this post as we go from hour to hour so I'll only have one permalink up. Having too many can be confusing.
Now, I've just gone from a recent book launch so that post will have to wait until I could get all my readathon updates done! So, on to the updates.
So, here's my list of books to read:
1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
2. Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire - JK Rowling
3. The Girl Made of Cool - Alan Fox
HOUR ONE
Okay, I have a confession. I thought that the readathon was supposed to start at 9pm my time. But I forgot that DST is now finished so we're only 12 hours ahead instead of the usual 13. Anyway, I managed to get a bit of reading done, via an audiobook of course.
HOUR ONE MEME MINI CHALLENGE
- At the moment I am reading from my mum's bedroom where there's a good wifi signal. After 11pm our time [11AM EST], I'm gonna be kicked out and will read from my room.Where are you reading from today?
- I love boybands. Absolutely positively love boybands.3 facts about me …
- I am a hoarder
- I love to travel.
- I currently have three for now. Which I'm not sure if I would finish at least one of them.How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
- Nothing in particular, just trying to read as much as I can.Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, Any advice for people doing this for the first time?- Just enjoy and remember, the point of the readathon is to have fun, fun fun!
HOUR TWO
I've joined a few mini challenges now and I'm getting super stoked about them! I'm concentrating on Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire but I haven't kept track of the number of pages i've read! eeeep!
HOUR THREE
My mum is currently reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. I swear she now reads faster than I do. My gosh. I've joined yet another mini challenge. My back is now aching like crazy! Still reading Harry Potter & Goblet of Fire! I've cheered on a few participants from my assignment.
HOUR FOUR
Right. My mum has now gone off to bed so I'm gonna be kicked out a few minutes from now. I wouldn't be able to provide updates until the morning [our time] then. I'm gonna be reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as soon as my mp4 file conversion is done and I need to move back to my room. I'm gonna wish you all a good night a few minutes from now. :)