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Moving Domains
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...
Live blogging from macau
Hiya! How's everyone doing? I just wanna say hi and test out blogging via my
mobile device :) I'm currently enjoying my travel- I just came from Macau and today I'm heading for hong kong Disneyland. Awesome stuff.
Now I'm thinking about blogging everything I've done whilst in this trip to help others too :)
Haven't been reading much lately but maybe when I get back home ;) tah!
mobile device :) I'm currently enjoying my travel- I just came from Macau and today I'm heading for hong kong Disneyland. Awesome stuff.
Now I'm thinking about blogging everything I've done whilst in this trip to help others too :)
Haven't been reading much lately but maybe when I get back home ;) tah!
Tag :
travel,
Guest Post: Barbara DeShong, author of Too Rich & Too Thin
Hiya All!
I'd like to welcome Barbara DeShong and thank her for writing the guest post below =)
Feel free to leave comments or ask questions after the post!
How Far Is Your Body from Perfect?
And Why You Don’t Need to Know
Barbara DeShong
Mysteryshrink.com
I'd like to welcome Barbara DeShong and thank her for writing the guest post below =)
Feel free to leave comments or ask questions after the post!
How Far Is Your Body from Perfect?
And Why You Don’t Need to Know
Mysteryshrink.com
The Story Behind the Story: TOO RICH and TOO THIN, Not an Autobiography.
On a Saturday afternoon when I was fourteen, my older sister invited me along on a guest pass to the fancy spa where she was a member. The idea appealed to me as a kid who spent fifteen to twenty hours a week riding horses, but had no experience with the more glamorous side of exercise. I donned my shorts and T-Shirt, excited and ready for my introduction to the world of women’s fitness.
On arrival, my sister greeted her spiffy pony-tailed trainer and I tagged along, spasmodically trying out a variety of machines that looked suspiciously like some I’d seen pictured as favorites of bitter European queens during the Dark Ages. But, I was having a good time, all and all. With my outdoor schedule, I wasn’t likely going to end up a regular at the spa, but I was enjoying the heck out of my guest pass.
At least I was having fun until a spandexed trainer roaming the spa with a clipboard spotted me floundering naïvely amongst the equipment and offered me a free body appraisal. Free being in my price range, I jumped on the opportunity to add value to my guest pass. The pretty lady led me into an office and whipped out a tape measure. As a fourteen year old with the above mentioned lack of spa sophistication, I sat, stood, turned, held out my arms, and offered up my sunburned neck. She was at least twenty-five and had instruments. Thus, I obeyed. Also, remember, at fourteen free was still a big draw.
Then the woman took the page off her clipboard and made entries into a calculator on her desk. After a few minutes of electronic humming, she swiveled her chair to match up her knees to mine. She knitted her forehead with great importance and proceeded to inform me that: my upper arms were 1.4 inches too big, my forearms and wrists were slightly out-of-sync, but perhaps, acceptable given my overly large hands. My waist-to-hip ratio was off by 2.4 inches, my neck was .4 inches under-sized which could be my age, and my ribcage was too large for my breast size. I lost conscious attention before she got to my thigh and lower leg deformities.
Amazingly, after informing me of the specifics of what was wrong with my body, with an absolute straight face the woman looked me straight in the eyes and asked if I would like a copy of the information. A free copy. I declined. Talk about some information a fourteen-year- old doesn’t need. Something no woman needs.
We have mirrors. We have clothes that fit and those that don’t. I couldn’t possibly think why any woman could possibly benefit from to the decimal records on how her body differs from the “ideal.”
When I chose the cover and the title for the humorous mystery, TOO RICH and TOO THIN, Not an Autobiography, I reflected on my teenage spa experience. The women who come into my psychology office, like the one who peers at me out of my mirror, tend to see a face and body worse than the reality. The cover for the book shows a regular-sized, normally saggy, middle-aged woman with un-fussed-over hairdo painting a self-portrait using a mirror. On her easel she has painted a slender woman with great hair. Studies show that people who over-estimate their physical and social desirability have more fun in life. Knowing those studies, I’ve often thought, “What if, as a psychologist, I could help people see themselves as better-looking than they are?
To approach the body image issue a bit differently through fiction, one of the lead characters is so obsessed with the way she sees herself that she has her bedroom walled in distortion mirrors reflecting a younger and slimmer woman.
Behind the mystery in TOO RICH and TOO THIN, Not an Autobiography is the story of women’s struggle with self image in an image conscious world.
Barbara DeShong is an award-winning speaker, practicing psychologist, and the author of “Too Rich and Too Thin: Not an Autobiography,” a humorous mystery novel. For more information, please visit www.mysteryshrink.com or www.toorichandtoothin.com
Tag :
author guest post,
Review: The Greatest Salesman in the World
One workday, a colleague of mine had this on her table, I immediately borrowed it after she had tried [but failed] in finishing the book.
It tells the story of how to be the greatest salesman in the world, following the principles that are outlined from 10 scrolls, passed down from one person to the next. These scrolls would teach the readers on how to become the greatest salesman in the world.
Thoughts: When you initially buy this book, you wouldn't get a synopsis at the back. And yes, you may initially be startled at how thin and small this book is! But it's full of inspirational tales that reminded me of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist - although, I know that Og Mandino wrote his books first.
There are some scenes that reminded me of the Bible stories, while there are multiple quotable quotes within the book. I wrote them all down in my notebook so I'll have something to look back on when I return the book to my colleague. Did this book inspire me? Definitely. This book came at a right time when I was not in the mood to read any book, no matter how good it is. I've just lost the knack for reading right now, especially when my trip abroad is looming closer and closer. *yipee*
I also found out that the quotable quote "Live each day with love in your heart" was from this book! I've been reading that line for so many times now, but never knew where it came from!
Quick read? Yes. But you have the option to read the book and/or the principles again and again if you feel like it, and you believe with what the author was conveying.
Unfortunately, I can't really delve much on any other details now, or else my review would have spoilers. So on to the summary!
Published: 1968 [that long ago, seriously?]
Publisher: Bantam Dell
Available from: everywhere!
Read it if: You need some inspiration
Book was acquired from: - actually, borrowed from my colleague
The post above is included in Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesdays
Tag :
2010 books,
review,
Review: The Elf of Luxembourg
Thoughts: Who would have ever thought to put elves and vampires in a novel? It's just brilliant! Usually it's just wolves vs vamps, but hey, this novel provides a breath of fresh air in what has become a stagnant paranormal cliche.
I also love the fact that the author has decided to set his tale in a real city, and provides information on the places to see, and where to eat! It honestly makes me want to go to Luxembourg, like, right now.
The presentation of the story is brilliant too. I love the author's writing technique. Every chapter is a breath of fresh air -- even if you're traveling from one story to the next, and you're presented with a specific scenario, you never get lost as you are reading the tale. It's easy to follow, plus the German and French phrases are also a plus. I learned a lot reading this book! Both geographically and language-wise, of course.
What I am not too happy about is the cover -- for a great tale, it needs a more striking cover, nothing like the one that is available right now. please change the cover to something else, something more eye-catching!
Published: 2010
Publisher: Tom Weston Media
Available from: Amazon
Read it if: You want a mix of vamps with elves with a touch of historical fiction set in a gorgeous European city.
Book was acquired from: the author - thanks.
The post above is included in Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesdays
Tag :
2010 books,
review,
TV Time: Gossip Girl S2 Finale & Flash Forward Reviews
So tv time with Ruby revolves around this telly series for the moment plus a glimpse of Gossip Girl. Please bear with me as I include both a summary of the episode and what I thought about it. If you haven't seen this episode yet and don't like spoilers then please be wary of the below! Though I don't any of you haven't seen what I've seen already. There's much more telly addicts out there than myself.
Gossip Girl Season 2 Finale.
Those of you who are updated with telly series must think that I am a loser! Lol. Yes, I've only just finished the second season, and yes, I am aware that the third season has finished a month ago. But who could ever find the time to watch all they want and do so much more? Well, I actually watched the finale through my iPod -- i try to squeeze in a bit of entertainment time whenever possible!
In this episode, Blair said I love you to Chuck again, which was not reciprocated again. Serena is waging a war on Gossip Girl, only to find that she was in vain and Gossip Girl dished out all the secrets of the posse. Blair also chooses the next queen of Constance -- Jenny! Hmm.. not surprising. Rufus proposes to Lily, and well, the gang are all preparing to go to college although Vanessa & Nate plan to go on a backpacking tour before the semester starts.
What I loved about this ep was how the gang all banded together. They're still strong, I only hope that they remain as strong as this for season 3 but whatevs. I'll get to watch what happens to them sooner or later when I've got the extra time to spare. What I loved? Well, the Chuck and Blair moments of course! And Blair's headbands. They are to die for! =P
And so I got a copy of Flash Forward from my old boss after asking him if it was any good. I saw previews of this in the Fox Channel when I still had it and it got me hooked. Too bad it got cancelled though :( It stars the dude from Shakespeare in Love and the other dude from Harold & Kumar.
Flash Forward - Pilot.
The start of this very addictive series. In this episode, at exactly 11AM, October 2009, everyone blacked out for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and nearly everyone had a vision of what they were going to be doing 6 months from the date, on April 29th, 2010, 10pm EST. Now, knowing the future could be very, very scary. For me, I honestly don't know if i'd appreciate knowing my future or not, especially if the future is a bad one. Anyway, like everything else that we have in the present, the flash forwards that the people got were interconnected. As the FBI is starting to investigate what could have caused the phenomenon, they noticed something different -- during the time that everyone was supposedly blacked out, one person was awake! Creepy stuff! Is that person a mutant, an alien, or one who knows it all?
Absolutely brilliant Pilot. Sci-Fi at its best yet believable enough for you to think of the chances of that thing happening!!
Flash Forward - Episode 2.
And so, while I wait for my file transfer to be completed, I decided to go on through to the next installment in the series!
In this ep, most of the people are trying to cope with what they know from the future and Steve from Coupling is here! *squee*
Note: For those of you who haven't watched the telly show Coupling, DO! It's like, the British equivalent of Friends... with a mix of Sex & The City of sorts that was aired back in the early 2000s [or late 90s? i'm not sure!] Anyway, some of the people in the ep dealt with the future as a positive or a negative thing, which is realistic. But.... 30 minutes on to this ep and it gets kinda boring.... Mark [the main FBI character] is chasing after the clues he has that led to his flash forward. Oooh! Now things are picking up -- quote of the ep: "he who forsees calamity suffers them twice over" Okay - just finished the ep and it feels like I'm watching Lost season 1 all over again. So many questions that need answers! Gah!
Flash Forward - Episode 3.
A lead comes up from an ex-Nazi german which tries to explain why the Flash Forward was 137 seconds long [exactly 2 minutes 17 seconds]. The German asks for a get out of jail free card in return. Meanwhile, people have begun living for what would happen in the future, not what could happen in the future. huh. Anyhow, another mystery! The flash forward in the past already - in 1991, somewhere in Africa. Another great mystery was there was a boy who was awake when everyone was passed out! Hmm........
Gossip Girl Season 2 Finale.
Those of you who are updated with telly series must think that I am a loser! Lol. Yes, I've only just finished the second season, and yes, I am aware that the third season has finished a month ago. But who could ever find the time to watch all they want and do so much more? Well, I actually watched the finale through my iPod -- i try to squeeze in a bit of entertainment time whenever possible!
In this episode, Blair said I love you to Chuck again, which was not reciprocated again. Serena is waging a war on Gossip Girl, only to find that she was in vain and Gossip Girl dished out all the secrets of the posse. Blair also chooses the next queen of Constance -- Jenny! Hmm.. not surprising. Rufus proposes to Lily, and well, the gang are all preparing to go to college although Vanessa & Nate plan to go on a backpacking tour before the semester starts.
What I loved about this ep was how the gang all banded together. They're still strong, I only hope that they remain as strong as this for season 3 but whatevs. I'll get to watch what happens to them sooner or later when I've got the extra time to spare. What I loved? Well, the Chuck and Blair moments of course! And Blair's headbands. They are to die for! =P
And so I got a copy of Flash Forward from my old boss after asking him if it was any good. I saw previews of this in the Fox Channel when I still had it and it got me hooked. Too bad it got cancelled though :( It stars the dude from Shakespeare in Love and the other dude from Harold & Kumar.
Flash Forward - Pilot.
The start of this very addictive series. In this episode, at exactly 11AM, October 2009, everyone blacked out for exactly 2 minutes and 17 seconds, and nearly everyone had a vision of what they were going to be doing 6 months from the date, on April 29th, 2010, 10pm EST. Now, knowing the future could be very, very scary. For me, I honestly don't know if i'd appreciate knowing my future or not, especially if the future is a bad one. Anyway, like everything else that we have in the present, the flash forwards that the people got were interconnected. As the FBI is starting to investigate what could have caused the phenomenon, they noticed something different -- during the time that everyone was supposedly blacked out, one person was awake! Creepy stuff! Is that person a mutant, an alien, or one who knows it all?
Absolutely brilliant Pilot. Sci-Fi at its best yet believable enough for you to think of the chances of that thing happening!!
Flash Forward - Episode 2.
And so, while I wait for my file transfer to be completed, I decided to go on through to the next installment in the series!
In this ep, most of the people are trying to cope with what they know from the future and Steve from Coupling is here! *squee*
Note: For those of you who haven't watched the telly show Coupling, DO! It's like, the British equivalent of Friends... with a mix of Sex & The City of sorts that was aired back in the early 2000s [or late 90s? i'm not sure!] Anyway, some of the people in the ep dealt with the future as a positive or a negative thing, which is realistic. But.... 30 minutes on to this ep and it gets kinda boring.... Mark [the main FBI character] is chasing after the clues he has that led to his flash forward. Oooh! Now things are picking up -- quote of the ep: "he who forsees calamity suffers them twice over" Okay - just finished the ep and it feels like I'm watching Lost season 1 all over again. So many questions that need answers! Gah!
Flash Forward - Episode 3.
A lead comes up from an ex-Nazi german which tries to explain why the Flash Forward was 137 seconds long [exactly 2 minutes 17 seconds]. The German asks for a get out of jail free card in return. Meanwhile, people have begun living for what would happen in the future, not what could happen in the future. huh. Anyhow, another mystery! The flash forward in the past already - in 1991, somewhere in Africa. Another great mystery was there was a boy who was awake when everyone was passed out! Hmm........
Travel: Macau and HK 2010 Itinerary
Posting here because my friends want to know where I'm going =) And to serve as a guide to other people who may be reading my blog who wants to go to HK and Macau =)
The below is just a plan - please post comments if you wish to correct or suggest something to the below =)
July 8
Arrive Macau 930pm via CebuPac
Ride bus or Taxi to Metropole Hotel.
Freshen up for around 5mins
Between 1015-1030 pm - walk to Wynn Hotel from Metropole
Watch Fountain Show & Tree of prosperity
camwhore in casinos around the area at night [wynn and grand lisboa, other casinos, maybe]
Estimated expenses - 15/MOP or HKD [bus from airport to ferry station; bus from ferry station to bus stop near hotel -- will research more on this]
OR cab -- between 80-100 MOP/HKD
July 9
around 6am - wake up!
between 7-730am - leave hotel. Either 1) eat bfast at hotel [baon of food] or buy [not recommended since tipid mode]
bus from hotel to: [3.20 MOP]
A-Ma Temple [opens at 7am] then barra fortress/hill
macau maritime museum
bus to historical area of macau [st pauls ruins, etc, bus 8 - 3.20 MOP]
explore historical area **consult MAP!**
lunch
explore some more =)
Guia Hill too? if so, another bus [3.20 MOP]
early evening/late afternoon
bus to macau tower [3.20 mop]
entrance to macau tower [100MOP] - includes skywalk and observation decks
bus from macau tower to fisherman's village
dinner at fisherman's village
at around 8pm - bus from fisherman's village to nam van lake [watch fountain show]
evening - camwhore around st paul's/senado square at night!
july 10
after eating baon of bfast or eat out -
bus from hotel to coloane [5 MOP]
explore coloane
coloane village
hac sa park/beach [optional]
a ma statue
seac pai van park
lunch at lord stow's macao
after lunch: bus to taipa [4.20 MOP]
taipa village, houses, hills, etc
bus to ferry terminal then ride free ferry to venetian or bus directly to venetian [if bus to venetian will do research]
optional: watch 5pm show of cirque du soleil [188 MOP]
explore venetian and watch shows
city of dreams [watch the dragon show]
explore venetian/other hotels/casinos in the area until evening
july 11
- check out metropole and leave items with concierge for pickup
- buy stuff to bring home, last minute sightseeing at macau
- guia fortress/grand prix museum/wine museum
- lunch somewhere
- ride 1pm ferry to HK [154 HKD]
- arrive in HK around 2pm
- checkin hotel at around 230pm
- around 3/330pm - leave hotel for TST by walking [20mins walk from hotel - cheapskate mode: ON] or ride MTR from Jordan to TST station - 3.6 HKD
- ride Star Ferry from TST to HK Island - idk how much
Stuff to do in HK Island:
Wan Chai - golden bauhinia square
HK Zoo & Botanical gardens [i wanna go here puhlease? :D]
Malls in HK Island
OR
just hang around TST in the museums [except for the science one please!]
- 630pm - head to waterfront to watch Symphony of Lights [for Jego]
then malls again cos its sale. =)
MUSTS:
H&M
Muji
Mango
Uniqlo
Cotton On
July 12
Bfast at Hotel
HK Disneyland from 10am-8pm!!! [350 HKD entrance] - avail of meal voucher too.
Temple Street Night Market/Mong Kok in the evening to buy something to bring home
Sleep
July 13.
Early check out at hotel
Leave stuff with front desk
Repulse Bay & Stanley Market
Leave for HK Airport by around 430pm
Arrive HK Airport at around 530pm for 730pm flight back to MNL
930pm - arrive in MNL
--
The below is just a plan - please post comments if you wish to correct or suggest something to the below =)
July 8
Arrive Macau 930pm via CebuPac
Ride bus or Taxi to Metropole Hotel.
Freshen up for around 5mins
Between 1015-1030 pm - walk to Wynn Hotel from Metropole
Watch Fountain Show & Tree of prosperity
camwhore in casinos around the area at night [wynn and grand lisboa, other casinos, maybe]
Estimated expenses - 15/MOP or HKD [bus from airport to ferry station; bus from ferry station to bus stop near hotel -- will research more on this]
OR cab -- between 80-100 MOP/HKD
July 9
around 6am - wake up!
between 7-730am - leave hotel. Either 1) eat bfast at hotel [baon of food] or buy [not recommended since tipid mode]
bus from hotel to: [3.20 MOP]
A-Ma Temple [opens at 7am] then barra fortress/hill
macau maritime museum
bus to historical area of macau [st pauls ruins, etc, bus 8 - 3.20 MOP]
explore historical area **consult MAP!**
lunch
explore some more =)
Guia Hill too? if so, another bus [3.20 MOP]
early evening/late afternoon
bus to macau tower [3.20 mop]
entrance to macau tower [100MOP] - includes skywalk and observation decks
bus from macau tower to fisherman's village
dinner at fisherman's village
at around 8pm - bus from fisherman's village to nam van lake [watch fountain show]
evening - camwhore around st paul's/senado square at night!
july 10
after eating baon of bfast or eat out -
bus from hotel to coloane [5 MOP]
explore coloane
coloane village
hac sa park/beach [optional]
a ma statue
seac pai van park
lunch at lord stow's macao
after lunch: bus to taipa [4.20 MOP]
taipa village, houses, hills, etc
bus to ferry terminal then ride free ferry to venetian or bus directly to venetian [if bus to venetian will do research]
optional: watch 5pm show of cirque du soleil [188 MOP]
explore venetian and watch shows
city of dreams [watch the dragon show]
explore venetian/other hotels/casinos in the area until evening
july 11
- check out metropole and leave items with concierge for pickup
- buy stuff to bring home, last minute sightseeing at macau
- guia fortress/grand prix museum/wine museum
- lunch somewhere
- ride 1pm ferry to HK [154 HKD]
- arrive in HK around 2pm
- checkin hotel at around 230pm
- around 3/330pm - leave hotel for TST by walking [20mins walk from hotel - cheapskate mode: ON] or ride MTR from Jordan to TST station - 3.6 HKD
- ride Star Ferry from TST to HK Island - idk how much
Stuff to do in HK Island:
Wan Chai - golden bauhinia square
HK Zoo & Botanical gardens [i wanna go here puhlease? :D]
Malls in HK Island
OR
just hang around TST in the museums [except for the science one please!]
- 630pm - head to waterfront to watch Symphony of Lights [for Jego]
then malls again cos its sale. =)
MUSTS:
H&M
Muji
Mango
Uniqlo
Cotton On
July 12
Bfast at Hotel
HK Disneyland from 10am-8pm!!! [350 HKD entrance] - avail of meal voucher too.
Temple Street Night Market/Mong Kok in the evening to buy something to bring home
Sleep
July 13.
Early check out at hotel
Leave stuff with front desk
Repulse Bay & Stanley Market
Leave for HK Airport by around 430pm
Arrive HK Airport at around 530pm for 730pm flight back to MNL
930pm - arrive in MNL
--
Travel: Ruby's June 2010 Piso Fare Experience
Everyone in the Philippines knows about the Piso or Zero Fare Promo of Cebu Pacific.
It is a much awaited sale because the prices are really, really cheap!
So, when they posted that they will have a sale today, I was happy. It was to Domestic destinations only within the PH but nevertheless, a sale is a sale, and traveling is traveling. I can't resist missing out on new destinations!
I had a chat with my mum the night before the sale June 10th, and she said she was game for it!
And since I was too sleepy and can't wait until 12mn, I decided to wait until today to try my luck and book a ticket for myself and for my mum.
Lo and behold, I was one of the few lucky ones to nab a seat to Davao for travel on January 2011.
Thank you CebuPac for giving us a chance to see the world for a fraction of what it would normally cost.
It is a much awaited sale because the prices are really, really cheap!
So, when they posted that they will have a sale today, I was happy. It was to Domestic destinations only within the PH but nevertheless, a sale is a sale, and traveling is traveling. I can't resist missing out on new destinations!
I had a chat with my mum the night before the sale June 10th, and she said she was game for it!
And since I was too sleepy and can't wait until 12mn, I decided to wait until today to try my luck and book a ticket for myself and for my mum.
Lo and behold, I was one of the few lucky ones to nab a seat to Davao for travel on January 2011.
Only problem? I wasn't able to book for my mum! When I tried to book again, it was all sold out!
And so I'd wait for another domestic sale to book a seat for my mum. This is my second time in Davao, and my mum's first so I'd act as her tour guide. Woot Woot.
I can't wait for an international piso fare! I have a list of places I want to go to, with priorities and possible travel dates! I was also lucky enough to nab a piso fare for Macau this July. I booked it last October 2009, just in case you want to know, for a roundtrip total of P933. Whee! On to new adventures ahead!
Review: The Girl Made of Cool
Warning: the post below may contain spoilers so I suggest you do not proceed if you don't like spoilers. Frankly it's really hard to write an overview with this book. *sigh* And let's just say the review below would not entirely be positive.
The second story, "Hell has blue skies" revolves around a guy in an office, who falls in love with a girl from the office. He also deals with office politics.
The last story, "The Lovely lady in the Love Museum" is a story of an anthropologist trying to save the museum he loves by tricking some rich dude [who seems to me is modelled after Donald Trump] and well, he falls in love in the end.
Thoughts: I didn't like the book. Seriously. The book has no real plot. When I was reading the blurb, sure, it had promise. I thought it was a love story intended to make me smile and happy. You know, like a chick lit story. But it was not to my expectations. I was severely disappointed.
The novel is full of redundancies. Like, I do not need to read the word "one-up" four times in a sentence. It gets annoying. I am not that stupid to get what you're trying to say, you know? And well, some of the scenarios are out of this world, unbelievable to an extent. I can't expect the lowest ranking member in an office to suddenly have a meeting with the CEO of the company. The CEO would not waste his/her time on us minions. The love story factor I was so expecting was almost non-existent [except maybe for the Girl Made of Cool], and the love story did not provide that tingling feeling I normally get whenever I read or watch something sooo cute and sweet, it brings me to my knees. And well, get jealous because someone special never does that for me. Oh well.
Moving on to the good points. The presentation of the story is different. It is presented in a play [well, The Girl Made of Cool is], which is something new and refreshing. The novel is also portrayed in the point of view of the guy - and there's not much novels that are written and presented from a guy's point of view, I'll give him that. Would I see this story in broadway or in a movie? Maybe. Maybe not. Would I watch the movie or play if given a chance? Definitely not.
Moving on to the cover. As my boss at work would say when she saw it: "What is that thing you're reading? A textbook?" After I replied that it was a novel, she exclaimed: "That's a novel? The cover is horrible." And I would have to agree that the cover is indeed horrible. If I did not know this book and was just browsing through Amazon or a local bookstore, I definitely won't pick this up. Yes, yes, "Don't judge a book by its cover" but one of the factors why publishers spend all the time and money designing covers is to entice readers in. Some books I bought because the covers are awesome.
So, moving on to the wrap-up/summary:
Published: 2009
Publisher: StoryFocus
Available from: Amazon. Not sure if the local bookstores have this.
Read it if: I wouldn't really recommend reading this, but to each their own!
Book was acquired from: the author
fickle fan/overall rating:
Tag :
2010 books,
review,
Review: The Hunger Games
First off, I do apologise for not blogging and taking an unannounced hiatus. I had two events [non book blog related, mostly concerts] that I had to attend to - write blogs and upload photos, and a bit of sorting out some videos but I'm back to blogging about books now.
So, what happened when I was away? Well, I finally got to write my review on "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins.
The first book in the Hunger Games trilogy, the story revolves around Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year old girl who lives in Seam, the poorest region of District 12. In their world, North America has been destroyed, and the only liveable part called Panem, divided into 12 districts, each with their own trades/specializations, and being controlled, albeit unjustly by the Capitol. As a pasttime, and to remind people not to uprise against the Capitol, the Hunger Games are a yearly televised event wherein one boy and one girl from every district, between 12-18 years old are chosen, placed in an arena, and are asked to fight for the death until one winner would emerge. When Katniss' sister, Prim was chosen, Katniss volunteers in Prim's place, and along with the boy tribute from District 12, Peeta, fight for their life in the arena, and eventually, other complications arise.. will they make it out alive?
Absolutely amazing book. It's one of those books that I can't stop reading. The dynamic between Peeta and Katniss are soooo unbelievable, I can't stop imagining Peeta in real life. *sigh* Oh, young love. The way Suzanne Collins created her characters were so believable, they were so alive! The world she had presented in the Hunger Games seems so unreal yet real at the same time. Unreal because of course we don't know a country that forces their people to tune in to the telly to watch the tributes of the districts kill each other. That's absolutely horrible, and real because we all know that there are some people who are fighting for their rights against being opressed. The book truly is a page-turner. Just when you think one event is going to happen, the story completely takes a 360 degree turn and leave you hanging. As I finished the first book, I find myself looking for the second book, "Catching Fire" and trying to find out what will happen next.
The book does address a lot of real concerns that may be boggling society now: has reality tv gone too far? How far will we go for love? Do we just keep silent when we are being oppressed? Being a young adult book, I wouldn't expect these subjects to be tackled in, but it was presented in such a manner that makes the killings and the story lighter than what I expected and imagined. I totally feel for the characters and the situations that they are in, Suzanne Collins really is a wonderful storyteller. Definitely worth the time in reading this book, definitely worth thinking over the subjects that were being presented, and definitely, definitely worth getting a copy.
I can't wait for the movie! I hope that the screenwriters won't butcher the movie though! But given that Suzanne Collins is writing the screenplay I guess it's safe to say that it might not move too far from the book. I just hope that RPatz and Kristen Stewart NOT be cast as Peeta Mellark and Katniss Everdeen. Puhlease.
Published: 2008
Publisher: Scholastic
Available from: everywhere!
Read it if: You have to read it! Everyone should read this!
Book was acquired from: Peter [KyusiReader] --> Thank you so so so much for introducing this book to me! Thanks also to Blooey!
fickle fan/overall rating:
The above post is featured in Cym Lowell's Book Review Wednesdays.
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,