Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

He smiled, and she couldn't help it, she smiled back. She was pathetic. Even when she knew he was trying to trick her, she still liked him. She was like some brainless girl in a horror movie, the kind of girl you scream at from the sofa because she can't see that she should leave right now or she'll be turned into mince.

(Pg 164, You Against Me by Jenny Downham)

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This isn't the first time I broke the rules and share not two sentences but the whole paragraph from a book. Sometimes, two sentences are enough to capture a reader's attention but other times having read two sentences are just not enough. It isn't because they are not good, but on the contrary they are so good that you simply want to read the whole paragraph, the whole page, the whole chapter, the whole book. . . you get the idea. I think You Against Me is such a book; I just wish time could stop now so I can read to my heart's content without worrying about work or anything else. Yes I could only wish!

Fighthing Fate in 18th Century Scotland

Fate and inevitability play a large role in Diana Gabaldon's book Dragonfly in Amber.  The second in a series about Claire Randall Fraser, a mid-20th century woman transported back to 18th century Scotland, Dragonfly in Amber picks up the story of Claire and her Sottish husband Jamie.  Claire knows that Jamie and thousands of other Highland Scots are to be slaughtered in the Battle of Culloden, fought on behalf of Bonnie Prince Charlie in a failed attempt to restore the Stuarts to the throne of England and Scotland.  She and Jamie race to try and stop the coming war, first in Paris where Prince Charles is waiting to return to Scotland, and again in Edinburgh.  But nothing, not even the foreknowledge of what will happen, can turn the tide of history in the Scots' favor.

Like her first novel, Outlander, this book is rich in historical detail, and intricate in plot.  In a previous post, I complained of how long it took me to read it, because that level of detail requires the reader to really slow down and take it all in.  It is full of political machinations, betrayals, unkept promises, and the hubris of the nobility.  Add to the complex plot the many details about life in 18th century France and Scotland, and the descriptions of the medical care that Claire gives in her role as a healer, and you have a fully formed world that draws you in.  The romance between Claire and Jamie is besides the point to me, other than as a catalyst for some of Claire's decisions regarding staying in Scotland or trying to stop duels...Claire herself is the reason that I kept reading.  And I am so grateful to Ms. Gabaldon that she set this series in a time period I know very little about.  While I love my Tudor and Elizabethan period pieces, I am happy to have knowledge of another era of UK history.

Practicing What I Preach

Reading instruction has come a long way from the days of Dick and Jane.  Best practices say that when teaching students about reading you should teach them not just the skills needed to decode the words, or to have a basic understanding of a text.  Teachers of reading all over the country are teaching their students to be strategic readers.  We model meta-cognition (that is, thinking about what you are thinking), have students practice monitoring their comprehension, making connections, visualizing, questioning, and summarizing a text.  We teach the features and structures of non-fiction, and how they differ from fiction.  And we teach them that the purpose for reading determines how you should read something.  Some texts require a slower rate and more strategic reading, some texts can be read faster without losing meaning.

So why is it that I can't practice what I preach?  I am a pretty quick reader, as I'm sure many book bloggers are.  I can whip through most YA and easy adult reads in a single day, more literary or longer works take me a week, max.  But I am working on week number three of the book I am currently reading, and it is driving me crazy.  Not the book, mind-that I'm enjoying very much.  It's the amount of time it's taking me to read it.

The book is Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon.  In my defense it is over 700 pages long, with small font, so it's not as though it's an especially short book.  But the real issue is that whole purpose for reading thing I mentioned above.  Gabaldon's prose is dense with historical detail.  And it's interesting historical detail, about a time period I don't know much about.  Both of these facts mean that in order to fully comprehend the text, even as an adult, I need to SLOW DOWN.  Darn it!  How can I fly through this book and get to the next book if I have to SLOW DOWN?!

But what do I have against slowing down?  I mean, it's not like I get paid by the book for the books I read.  I have no deadlines for reading.  The books that are waiting in my to-be-read bookcases (yes, bookcases, don't judge) will still be there.  So where is this pressure coming from?

Here's what I've figured out-I have so much of my self-concept tied up in being a smart, fast reader, that slowing down feels like a character flaw.  Do I know that this is irrational?  Yes.  Do I know that I should savor the titles that make me slow down?  Yes.  Can I seem to make myself do that?  NO

I believe I have now identified what my New Year's Resolution should have been...

Books Acquisition

So I went book shopping yesterday and it was great to see the staff at the bookstore which I used to frequent before our office relocation. Knowing my reading taste of the books I read, one of them recommended You Against Me by Jenny Downham to me. At first glance, the title caught my attention but it was the one sentence at the back of the book that really piqued my curiosity: "You want this to be a love story?"

There is no elaboration of what this story is behind the back of the book so of course I have to find out more.

Synopsis (from B&N)

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge.
If your brother's accused of a terrible crime but says he didn't do it, you defend him.

When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her, his world begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the offense, her world begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

This is a brave and unflinching novel from the bestselling author of Before I Die. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all, it's a book about love.

What do you think? It sounds good, right? Since I couldn't wait, I decided to read this book right now instead of waiting and I hope it would be as good as what it stated from the synopsis.

Another book I bought is Delirium by Lauren Oliver and I don't think I would need to say more about this book since I have read so many rave reviews around the blogosphere. Because of your wonderful reviews, I have to pick this up even though I have yet to read her previous novel, Before I Fall, another book that has received lots of rave reviews. I don't think I need to post the synopsis since I am sure many of you would've know what this story is all about by now.

I also bought three Chinese manga in which I finished reading two of them yesterday in one sitting. One of them is a stand alone while the others are part of a series. I felt like cheating marking the two manga I read for my February read list as they are not novels but hey, they are books right?

Hope you have a great Friday and happy reading!

Spinning Tropics by Aska Mochizuki

ISBN-13: 9780307473691
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: December 2009
240 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Translated from the Japanese by: Wayne P. Lammers

Spinning Tropics was a random pick for the TBR Dare Challenge. I haven't been reading Japanese literature for a while and I figured this book would be a good choice considering it is a thin book and that it was the 2007 winner of the Knopf Kodansha Prize, plus the blurb behind said this is a lush and evocative story of an intoxicating love affair and this further heightens the eagerness to read it.

Hiromi Azuma is a 28-year-old female who decamped to Vietnam from Tokyo to work as a Japanese language teacher. She has problems with her mother and feels she is irresponsible and selfish who thinks of no one but herself. Living in a foreign country could be lonely and terrifying, but Hiro soon get used to the lifestyle and culture after knowing Yun who happens to be one of her students in class.

Falling in love with your own student is complicated, and it makes the issue more problematic if the party is of the same gender. Despite this, Hiro and Yun couldn't deny the attraction they have for each other and because of the circumstances, they will behave discreetly to the people around them. Still, Hiro has never felt so happy in her life. Yun makes her alive, and at one point she realises she wouldn't know what to do without Yun.

Their relationship goes on for a while until Konno, a Japanese businessman walks into Hiro's life. Her relationship with Yun began to falter, and jealousy sparks and insecurity arises between the two women.

At first glance, Spinning Tropics seems to me to be an intense story of a jealous woman who is fighting hard to win back her lover, though at some point it seems to be the case but the plot takes on a slower pace and Hiro's emotions are often portrayed throughout the story more than other things. Though I felt the pace is a bit slow, I have to give credit to the author for the detailed descriptions of the characters as well as a good look into the Vietnamese setting and its culture. I felt I was reading a travelogue at times through these descriptions and this made my reading experience all the more entertaining besides the intensity between the two characters. Just when I thought I knew what the outcome would be, the story took a turn and surprised me but I was disappointed to say the punch wasn't powerful enough to shake me to the core. On the contrary, I felt there was no answer to the ending and it left me a hollow feeling. That said, I was impressed with Aska Mochizuki's sharp and concise writing style and though this book may not make it on my best thriller read it definitely leaves a mark on my list through the literary sense.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday

My husband and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary last Sunday. This is an old picture taken two years ago since we went out for dinner instead of buying a cake as a celebration (the same as of last year).

Top Ten Tuesday: Lights, Camera, Action!

Welcome to Top Ten Tuesday!  The award for Best Tuesday Meme Host goes to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting this weekly event that allows me to make lists-I love lists!  In case you had not yet picked up on my very subtle movie references, this week's theme is best movie adaptations of books.

This may be the first week I can't come up with ten, because I generally prefer the book by a wide margin to the movie made from it.  Often when I watch a movie and love it, then find out it was based on a book, I avoid the book so as to not ruin the movie for myself.  I have no problem in the reverse-I know that the movie will never ruin the book!  But I will do my level best, and if I can't make it to ten, well, it was an honor just to be nominated...

1.  Chronicles of Narnia:  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe-If you are a frequent reader of this blog, you know that this is one of my very favorite books, and that I have many fond childhood memories or it.  So you'd think that I'd be destined to be disappointed in the movie version.   But the director of that movie and I must have an awful lot in common, or perhaps have a Narnia-related psychic link, because everything in the 2005 movie looked and felt exactly as I had imagined.  That has never happened to me before, and I suspect never will again, but it was magical.

2. The Prince of Tides:  I've loved all of Pat Conroy's books.  My favorite is probably Lords of Discipline, but I thought the movie version was only OK.  I liked novel The Prince of Tides OK, but thought the movie was amazing-really emotionally powerful and raw.  This is probably the first and only time I liked the movie better than the book.

3.  Shutter Island:  This Dennis Lehane book was just destined to make a really atmospheric, creepy movie.  Even having read the book first, I was still caught up in the drama of the madness of Shutter Island.  The cinematography on that movie is stunning, and really helps set the emotional tone.

4.  The Lord of the Rings Cycle:  I can't really choose just one of Peter Jackson's masterpieces to single out, since I think they were all amazing.  When I read Tolkien's work, I was so appreciative of his skillful style and huge imagination, but while I appreciated the story I did not get as emotionally engaged or invested as I did watching the movie version.  I think that Peter Jackson made Tolkien's work more accessible to people outside of literature or fantasy readers.

5.  Brokeback Mountain-I realize that this may not technically count, since it is actually a short story, but too bad-I'm having enough trouble thinking of really good movie adaptations as it is.  This is one of the few times that I saw the movie first and then read the original, but I was so moved by the story of Ennis and Jack that I wanted to revisit it in a way that allowed me to slow down and think about it.  The fact that this was also a groundbreaking moment in gay cinema didn't hurt.

6.  The Secret Life of Bees:  I think it would have been difficult not to make a pretty decent movie out of this book.  It is a pretty simple plot, and the theme is very accessible to most people.  Add Dakota Fanning and Queen Latifah and you've got a winner!

I have no doubt that after reading everyone else's posts on this topic I'm going to be writing a lot of comments like "Oh, I wish I'd thought of ___________________", but six is the best I can do this week.

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

Spinning Tropics is a story about a young Japanese woman, Hiro, who has decamped to Vietnam from Tokyo to work as a language teacher. She met beautiful Yun, a local young woman studying Japanese who wants to find a better life for herself as well as for her family. The blurb behind the book stated that "this is a lush and evocative story of an intoxicating love affair" and "a love triangle with very complicated, ultimately devastating, results". I can't wait to find out what happened.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

When I first arrived in Vietnam, I had expected the young women to be shy and wary of strangers, so Yun immediately stood out as someone special. Not ony does she love to talk, but she has a way with words that can charm anyone.

(Pg 9, Spinning Tropics by Aska Mochizuki)

3 Mini Movie Reviews

The Time Traveler's Wife
Starring: Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams
Rating: 3.5 stars

Based on Audrey Niffenegger's novel of the same name, The Time Traveler's Wife follows the love story of Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire. I have to admit my curiosity was piqued after reading so many rave reviews of it so I decided to buy and watch the DVD, despite that I have the book in my pile and I figured I couldn't wait to know what the story is all about.

Eric Bana plays the role of Henry DeTamble who has a genetic disorder in which this enables him to time travel randomly. He meets Clare (Rachel McAdams) and they begin a relationship. Actually, Clare had already met him when she was young and what makes this story touching and romantic is the connection they feel and have for each other throughout the years. Though they are once again reunited, Henry's condition has now became a strain for them now that they are a couple, and the idea of having a child further makes it difficult for them. Is their relationship deems as a doom right from the beginning?

Honestly speaking, though I was fascinated by the premise I am afraid to say I wasn't really wowed by this film. The characters and the cast performance are great, but there are times I was confused by some parts of the film and the flashbacks didn't make it any better although I understand they are crucial and they explain about Henry's past. I suppose I'd enjoyed this film more after reading the book so I might want to watch this again in the near future.

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Bride Wars

Starring: Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson
Rating: 3.75 stars


Emma Allen (Anne Hathaway) and Olivia 'Liv' Lerner (Kate Hudson) are best friends and they have dreams about their weddings ever since they were young. And after witnessing a couple's grand wedding at the Plaza Hotel, they had vowed to be married at the same location when they grown up.

When the two women finally got engaged, they went to consult New York's most famous wedding planner, Marion St. Claire (Candice Bergen) but due to a clerical error, their marriage date is unfortunately scheduled on the same day. Because this is an important day, neither of them wants to make a compromise and on the contrary, each try to outwit the other by using dirty tricks and sabotaging each other's plans. Does this mean their friendship will be over for good?

I always have a thing for romantic comedy and Anne Hathaway is another reason why I picked up Bride Wars. This film is highly entertaining from the beginning till the end; and though I felt some of their antics to be a little exaggerating I think there are some realistic truth in them when it comes to the friendship issue and/or how one wants to be better than the other under some circumstances. Brides-to-be may want to watch this film for some ideas on the wedding gowns and thanks to the special feature on the DVD, I get to know some history of well-known designer Vera Wang and why her wedding gowns is a dream and a must-have to every brides-to-be.

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No Strings Attached
Starring: Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher
Rating: 3.75 stars


No Strings Attached is another romantic comedy which I watched lately and enjoyed it. This film is rated M18 here due to the sexual issue and language as well as the portrayal of drug use.

Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) are friends for a while but they aren't close until they met each other again through a mutual friend. Emma works in a hospital while Adam works as an assistant in a show and his dream is to be a script writer one day. Their friendship might have stopped there if Adam didn't get drunk and text messaged Emma after he got upset with his father for having a relationship with his ex-girlfriend.

Emma decided they keep their relationship brief after that night, after all she doesn’t believe in love. She also set some ground rules to each other in order to prevent their relationship from getting serious. This goes on well in the beginning, but as the time passes Adam starts to develop feelings for Emma. Sensing Adam’s closeness, Emma decided to take a step back away from their relationship and so they went on separate ways. However, Emma isn’t happy after she has sealed off her relationship with Adam, and this makes her think carefully about their relationship.

No Strings Attached may seems clichéd at some point, but it makes you wonder if a man and a woman could maintain a platonic relationship. Another thing is, though casual sex may portrayed to be respectable in the film, I think the ending has changed that conception and show us what love is when Emma starts to realise that Adam is important to her and trying hard to win back his love.

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

ISBN-13: 9780425238714
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: February 2011
296 pgs
Source: Publicist

Bengali-American Jasmine Mistry isn't happy with her life. Having divorced her husband for infidelity, she has swore off love and marriage and devoted her attention into her work. When she received a letter from her beloved aunt asking her to look after her bookstore in Shelter Island, WA, she agrees. After all, she thinks it is temporary and it may serve as an escapism from her marriage woes.

When Jasmine arrives at her aunt's bookstore, she knew something is different about it. Apart that it is an old store and that it has a Victorian feel, there are spirits of the dead authors roaming about the store and Jasmine could feel them, as each trying to impart some of their wisdom to her. Through their 'voices', Jasmine is also able to read the minds of the customers and knows what they are looking for in books and has in fact, recommended a few books to them despite she hasn't been reading books for a while.

But that is not all, Jasmine also meets a handsome and enigmatic Dr. Connor Hunt who both intrigue and interest her at the same time. Through his spirited demeanour, Jasmine slowly began to walk out of her sadness and put the past behind her.

When I first read about Jasmine, to tell the truth her character doesn't sound appealing to me. She has this unhappiness and scornful vibes around her, in which I could understand given her situation but at times it took away some of my empathy towards her. That said, I had hoped that she could come around and that she could find happiness in the end.

Despite there is a paranormal element to the story, there is nothing horrific about it but is portrayed in a funny and spirited manner. Another thing which I enjoyed about this book is reading bits of Bengali culture when the author wrote about Jasmine's relationship with her family and relatives.

Haunting Jasmine is a fun, entertaining read and if you love reading books about books, the more you should pick up this book and read it!

Wordless Wednesday

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

I couldn't help but to cheat this week. I had to share the whole paragraph instead of the requested two sentences because it was just too good! I hope you are teased after reading this.

I get up, insomniac that I am, and peruse Auntie's shelves in her tiny living room. A draft whooshes in through an open window, ruffling the pages of a book perched on the sill. The House at Pooh Corner. Scrawled inside the front cover are the words in black ink,

Jasmine, don't be afraid to start again. . . . A. A. Milne

The handwriting leans backward, and a couple of small ink blotches mar the page. Auntie must have written this. A. A. Milne could not have penned the words. He died years ago and left only his books, his characters, his imagination.

(Pg 120, Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee)

I Should Not Have Been Fearful of Her Fearful Symettry

Her Fearful Symmetry is the second novel by author Audrey Niffenegger, author of the much admired The Time Traveler's Wife.  As someone who read and loved, loved, triple loved TTTW, I was a little nervous picking up Her Fearful Symmetry.  What if her second novel couldn't live up to the mind-bending, mind-blowing amazingness of the first?  Well, I should have had more faith in Ms. Niffenegger (sorry, Audrey-maybe we could meet at Uncle Julio's for margaritas and I can make it up to you!).  Her Fearful Symmetry, while a completely different sort of novel, is in fact pretty amazing itself.

Her Fearful Symmetry tells the story of two different sets of twins, and the people who love them.  The first set, Elspeth and Edie, have not seen or spoken to each other in nearly 20 years.  When Elspeth finds that she is dying of cancer, she leaves all of her possessions, including her flat in London, to Valentine and Julia, the twin daughters of her estranged sister.  The only condition is that they have to live in the flat for one year to inherit anything.  Little does Elspeth know when he makes that condition that she will be there with them.  After her death she finds herself an insubstantial ghost in her flat, unable to leave.  Valentine and Julia have their own issues.  Julia is fiercely insistent that the girls stay together always, even though Valentine feels smothered by her sister's constant presence and yearns to break free.  It is this desire that leads to a decision that changes everything, for everyone, living or dead.

It is fitting that a central feature of the novel is Highgate Cemetery in London, a rather famous Victorian era cemetery.  There is much about this novel that reminds me of Victorian-era stories.  Their fiction tended to be almost as cluttered as their mantelpieces and pianos.  Lots of characters, lots of plot lines, lots of intrigue.  The relationship between the twins borders on creepy, and you can feel Valentine's restlessness and claustrophobia quite clearly.  Her relationship with her dead aunt's lover is also a little creepy, though he is frankly the most likeable character in the book.  The big family secret that underlies a great deal of the book drives the story, making it a page turner.  When the big reveal finally comes, I thought I had it all figured out-and I was wrong.  I love that, when  a book can surprise me.  And then surprise me again with what happens in the aftermath of the truth.  Valentine's fate is the very definition of cruel irony.  All in all, this novel lives up to my very high expectations for Ms. Niffenegger's writing, if not being quite as engaging a story for me as her first, amazing novel. 

Mini Challenge: Japanese Cooking (Cold Inaniwa Udon)

I love Japanese food; and given that I’m a vegetarian, the choices can be so limited but that doesn’t mean all of them are off limits to me. Anyway, when Natalie of In Spring it is the Dawn came up with a fun mini challenge about Japanese cooking, I just couldn’t pass this up.

Here is one of my favourite dishes which I love to prepare whenever I’m in the mood for Japanese food. It may look and sound simple, but I love the taste and I don’t think I’d ever get tired of eating it, hehe.

Inaniwa Udon

I love udon! There are so many varieties of udon out there in the market, and it can be pretty confusing (at least to me) since there are types of udon for different cooking methods: dried cold udon, stir fried udon or udon with miso soup. Among these dishes, my favourite has to be cold Inaniwa udon. I will usually order this from a favourite Japanese restaurant located near to my office, but after the relocation I rarely go there anymore (due to the distance but I will visit for special occasions).

Anyway I learnt from Google that Inaniwa udon (稲庭うどん) is made in Akita Prefecture in Northern Japan and is considered as one of the highest quality udon made in the country. I couldn’t find any in the Japanese supermarkets that matched the one which I eat at the restaurant, but I do find one brand that match closely in terms of the udon texture. Another thing I liked is their udon are already sorted in 4 bunches so that means you that means you don’t have to estimate the proportion.

(Above pic shows my favourite noodle brand and konbu dashi)

Once you have decided on the quantity, cook them in boiling water for about 6 minutes (or until their texture have turned soft). Scoop them up and put them into cold ice water. Aside from making it a cold dish, this also helps for a smooth texture so they won’t stick together and thus, affect the taste. Scoop them onto a dish (you may wish to spread some shredded seaweeds on top and/or add in a few ice cubes) and served with a small bowl of cold konbu dashi (kelp stock). I don’t know about you, but it makes me drool whenever I think of this dish. I hope you will try it if you are interested!

Finally, thanks to Natalie for hosting this fun challenge!

Mailbox Monday & Happy Valentine's Day!

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Library of Clean Reads.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository last week:

1) Raziel by Kristina Douglas

2) Against the Fire by Kat Martin

(I haven't been reading romance for a while so I need to get to those soon!)

What books came into your house last week?

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And because today is February 14th, I'd like to wish ALL my friends a very "Happy Valentine's Day"!

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

ISBN-13: 9780738719269
Publisher: Flux
Published: May 2010
277 pgs
Source: Library




I don't think I have ever read a story that features a schizophrenic character. With so many rave reviews I read on A Blue So Dark over the blogosphere, I decided to add this book onto my to-read list and there you go.

Aura Ambrose thinks her life sucks. Her father left the family for another woman. Her mother, Grace, is a gifted artist and an art teacher but she is slowly losing her mind to schizophrenia. Due to her condition, there are times she couldn't differentiate between real life and imagination, and this reflected in her art. While Aura is trying hard to hold the family together, she has her own insecurities too, both in herself and her worries that one day she would be like her mother given the genes as well as her own gift in creativity. Because of these, she shun away from her interest as she thinks it would keep her sane. However, as Grace gets more out of control, Aura reaches a point where she began to feel suffocated by all the pressure.

Despite the subject, reading A Blue So Dark is like reading poetry as I find Holly Schindler's prose is simply beautiful and lyrical. She also captured Aura's emotions perfectly for I felt I could hear Aura's voice through her writing style, and I think this what makes the book stands out because of the believable, interesting characters. I wished I could describe my reading experience with A Blue So Dark as eloquently as Holly Schindler, but all I could think of are adjectives like 'powerful', 'compelling' and 'moving'.

This is a great debut by Holly Schindler about mother-daughter relationship and mental illness and I would definitely look forward to reading her books in the near future.


Holly Schindler's next release, Playing Hurt, will be out in March and I will be participating in her blog tour so look out for it!

Not So Wordless Wednesday (iPhone Edition)

So my next 'Not So Wordless Wednesday (iPhone Edition)' is supposed to be up on the first week of next month, but since some of my random pictures have a Chinese New Year theme to it (and I don't want to wait that long for the post), I decided to ditch that plan for the time being so here you go.

I'm always fascinated by those close-up shots so I tried experiencing it with this pineapple which I bought for the New Year.

I don't think I've ever tried Curry Flavoured chips so I bought this out of curiosity. I think curry lovers will comment that the flavour isn't spicy enough, but overall I think this suits everyone because of the mild curry flavour so for those who doesn't like spicy food would be able to appreciate this as well.

Bouquet of roses in our living room. I can't explain it, but I quite like this one.

Another attempt of a close-up shot.

My two-year-old girl playing with our iPod. She really knew how to click and drag those icons and yes, she too is addicted with Angry Birds (she doesn't really know how to play but she is fascinated by the colourful animations and those funny sound it makes).

Not sure what plant this is. Cactus? (doesn't look like it.) This was taken at my dad's place when I visited him over the CNY holidays.

This shot is taken from the corridor of my dad's house. See that dark clouds from the distance? I was glad it didn't rain that day!

Yes, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.Well I hope you enjoyed viewing these pictures! Until next month, and Happy Wednesday!

Top Ten Tuesday-Characters I'd Name My Children After

Thank you, lovely bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish, for hosting this weekly meme that allows me to indulge in my love of all things listy!

This week's prompt is a chance to give some character love.  When my daughter was born in 1994, my then husband and I had a deal.  If the baby was a girl, could name her, but if it was a boy, he could name him.  We each, however, reserved veto power over the other's choices.  And that is the reason my daughter Briana does not have a literary name-I was overruled on Elizabeth (Pride and Prejudice), Morgaine (Mists of Avalon) or Guinevere (also Mists-I was a bit obsessed at the time).  It's probably a good thing in the last two cases that I was vetoed, but I was only 24, so I plead youth.  Now, at the more "mature" age of 41, I've read a lot more, and have many more character to choose from!

1.  Claire-This comes from both The Time Traveler's Wife and Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series.  Both women are  loyal, strong, and loving, which I think are good qualities to hope for in a child.

2.  Henry-From the Time Traveler's Wife.  Again, smart, loving, loyal...and we'll just leave the ultimately doomed thing behind.

3.  Hermione-Ah, if only I lived in Britain or was British myself, I could get away with this one.  Hermione is definitely the best of all of the Harry Potter characters.  Ron is sweet and Harry is noble, but Hermione was the one who ensured that things got done so Harry would still be around to fight Voldemort.

4. Lisbeth-Ok, this is mostly because I thought the name was pretty long before I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  But let's face it, Lisbeth can kick some serious butt, which is not a bad trait to have, at least metaphorically speaking.

5.  Peter-The oldest brother of the Pevensie children from the Narnia series,  Peter was brave and steadfast, unlike Edmund, the moody younger brother.

6.  Lucy-Also from Narnia.  Small but mighty, Lucy was all heart and loyalty.  Susan may have been older, but I don't think she was wiser than little Lucy.

7.  Alex-The Alex Delaware novels was one of the first mystery/thriller series I read, and I have always loved Alex's intelligence and compassion.  Plus he was completely accepting of his gay friend and police officer Milo way back before most authors were comfortable having gay characters in their books.

8.  August-I loved August Boatwright's character from The Secret Life of Bees.  Comfort-everything about her brings comfort and strength.

9.  Sam-After Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings books.  Best.Friend.Ever.

10.  Stargirl-OK, I probably would never actually have the nerve to do such a thing, but the main character of Stargirl and Love, Stargirl is everything I want my daughter to be.  Loving, idealistic, quirky, and completely comfortable with herself.

Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card

What would you do to ensure the survival of the human race?  What would you sacrifice?  Your money?  Your freedom?  Your life?  Most of us probably would if we were up against it.  But what about the lives of our children?  What if the survival of the species meant giving up your children to violence, war, and possible death?

It is exactly this rather sticky ethical question that Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card, takes on.  Well, that and a few others, like the morality of xenocide and government manipulation.  That's a lot for what is essentially a young adult novel, but Card manages it by creating a version of Earth that is both alien and somehow familiar.

Ender's Game is the story of Ender Wiggins, a genius among geniuses.  Bred specifically for intelligence and cunning, Ender is the last, best hope for humanity in their war against the buggers, and alien race that attacked the Earth not once, but twice, in an attempt to colonize it.  Sounds like the basic plot of just about any  science fiction novel.  The twist?  Ender is only six years old.  He is taken from his family and sent to Battle School, where he learns to fight in mock battles with other cadets.  But the real plan for Ender involves him learning to be very good at the game that the military has devised to develop his skills as a strategist.  At the age of 10 he is sent to Command School, where he trains with the person who defeated the buggers during the last invasion.  As the games become more challenging and Ender begins to collapse under the weight of everyone's expectations, the military's manipulation of him leads to devastating consequences-for the fleet, for the buggers, and ultimately for Ender.

Card's writing in Ender's Game is almost clinical, but that just adds to the "otherness" feeling that you get from the characters.  Ender and his siblings-both of whom washed out of the Battle School program-are just as brilliant as he is.  Peter, his older brother, washed out for being a ruthless little sociopath whose tendency towards violence and power was not tempered by empathy.  Valentine, his sister, washed out for the opposite reason-too much empathy, not enough ruthlessness.  The military hopes it is Ender who will present the perfect blend of these two traits-calculating and violent enough to lead a war, but empathetic enough not to kill unnecessarily.  And while you feel sorry for Ender, he is certainly not perfect.  He is violent, and emotionally distant, and ruthless when provoked.  But how much can be blamed on a child, when from birth he was trained for war.  


Given the fact that there are children all over Africa and Asia being conscripted as soldiers and made to fight right now, the premise feels more possible than a science fiction novel often does.  Ender does his job, and he does it well-but there is a price.  I will admit to being surprised to find that the final "games" were real battles.  I guess since I knew there were sequels I assumed the war continued.  Despite being manipulated into xenocide, Ender feels crushing guilt.  While an argument can be made that it wasn't his "fault", it doesn't begin to assuage the remorse he feels for that and so many other things that were kept from him during his time at the school.  And after losing his family and never being allowed to have real friends, he loses his home.  Concerned that he will be used by the various governments to defeat the other governments, he is forbidden ever to return to Earth.  And so the rest of the world blithely goes on with their politics-and Ender pays the price.

Film: My Sister's Keeper

Based on Jodi Picoult's novel of the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a story about a young girl, Anna Fitzgerald (played by Abigail Breslin), who is conceived through in vitro fertilization as a means of saving her older sister's life.

Kate Fitzgerald (played by Sofia Vassilieva), suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia and the family was deeply devastated when they first learnt of the news. Kate's mom, Sara (played by Cameron Diaz) took the news badly but when she found out from the doctor that there might be hope for Kate after all (and that is to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization since siblings have a better genetic match), she decided to take the chance.

So Anna was born and her blood is used in treatments in order to help save Kate's life. However Kate's condition worsened as she grows older, and this time she needs one of Anna's kidneys as she goes into renal failure.

When Anna knew about this (she is a 13-year-old girl then), she decided to defy parents' wishes and proceeds to sue them for medical emancipation. She told them that she does not want to be Kate's donor and that she has the rights to her own body after all. Attorney Campbell Alexander (played by Alec Baldwin) took Anna's case and act as her guardian ad litem. There is a reason why Alexander decided to take up the case, but I am not going to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read the book or watched the film.

In between the film, there are flashbacks that shows the close relationship between Anna and Kate, how it affected the family after seeing Kate's relapse and how Kate meets and falls in love with Taylor Ambrose, who is also a cancer patient. While I find the film to be emotional intense overall, I have to admit the ending still surprised me despite I had read the book a few years ago. But what most took me by surprise is not how it ends though, but how the film differs from the book towards the ending. As much as I wanted to compare the two versions, again I wouldn't want to spoil it should anyone wants to read/watch it. Still, it puzzles me why the change of the ending and this led me into wondering what's the point of a film adaptation if there is a significant difference from the book. And, I felt it wouldn't make the ending any much better because the subject itself is so sad. That said, My Sister's Keeper is a moving and thought-provoking story that will certainly linger in my mind for a long while.

Note: If you haven't read or watch this, I'd suggest you to read the book first before watching the movie (don't this apply to all books in general?) as I felt the emotional impact is more powerful.

Happy Sunday!

Hi everyone! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Mine was great! We had a fun time going house visiting since it is Chinese New Year! Needless to say, I took several pictures both indoors and outdoors, ha. Above is a collage of the flowers arrangements (except the bottom right since that was taken at my in-laws' place) and our CNY goodies (e.g. egg rolls, pineapple tarts, cashew nuts, pistachio nuts etc) at home.

Well I'll be back to work tomorrow. Life is finally back to normal after the 2-days holidays (and not counting the weekend as well); how time flies, huh! I didn't do any reading or read all your posts on my Google Reader since I was too busy house visiting and/or watching TV, but I definitely look forward to reading all your posts once I'm back to the office tomorrow.

Literary Blog Hop-Wish You Were Here

It's that time again!  The Literary Blog Hop is a hop designed for book bloggers who read and review primarily literary fiction hosted by the lovely bloggers at The Blue Bookcase.
This week's prompt was a real challenge for me...

Robyn asks: What setting (time or place) from a book or story would you most like to visit? Eudora Welty said that, "Being shown how to locate, to place, any account is what does most toward making us believe it...," so in what location would you most like to hang out?

Ok, so this presents a couple of conundrums for me.  First of all, I've read A LOT of books in my time, as I'm sure most of you have as well.  I'm pretty sure that I've read a novel that takes place on just about every continent and in most climate regions of the world, making it hard to narrow down.  Really, I could pick just about anywhere and I could probably find a book I've read that takes place there.

Second, unlike some of you I do read some genre fiction, fantasy and science fiction specifically.  So, does my place have to be real?  I mean, would choosing Narnia be totally cheating because it doesn't really exist? (Because if I was going to choose a fictional place, it would definitely be Narnia.  Come on, talking animals?  Fugedaboudit!) 


Finally, there is the time factor.  I mean, sometimes a place would only be interesting if you were there for the historical events that surrounded it.  I mean, most Civil War battlefields are only flat spaces covered with grass now.  I could visit them, but what would I see?  


So, how to answer the question?  Funnily enough, the place I have chosen is from a fantasy novel that has a historical context, and there is some question of how much of that historical context was reality rather than fiction.  And that place is....drumroll...Cornwall in England.

Cornwall is the supposed site of King Arthur's reign, and there is a group in North Cornwall that believes they have identified Arthur's castle and Merlin's Cave near Tintagel.  This area is the setting for Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, which is my favorite re-telling of the Arthurian legend.  With it's strong feminist focus and themes of the Christianization of the old world and fate vs. free will, it made quite an impression on me as a high schooler.  I've read it several times since then, and every time I want to jump on a plane to England and visit all of the places mentioned.  Tintagel, the Tor, the rugged coast, the woods where the Horned God and the Goddess met and renewed the world...all magical.  The fact that I am a bit of an Anglophile doesn't hurt.  If I ever make it to England, Cornwall will be but one of many places I want to visit.  But there are actually tours designed to take you to the sacred sites of the ancient world in the UK, and as nerdy as I feel being excited about that, if I ever get over there I'm signin' up!

 

Tintagel Castle, possible site of Camelot

Glastonbury Tor, also prominent in the legend