WWW Wednesdays - 21/7/2010

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the 3 questions...

* What are you currently reading?

 Happiness in Hard Times by Andrew Matthews

* What did you recently finish reading?

 Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl

* What do you think you’ll read next?

 Going Solo by Roald Dahl or Sleeping Arrangements by Madeleine Wickham

p/s: Getting tougher to read books and blog these days.....

Popular Book Fair

Start Date :
13th July 2010
End Date :
25tt August 2010
Start Time :
10:00am
End Time :
10:00pm
Where :
Concourse Area, Ikano Power Centre.
Mutiara Damansara, PJ.
Additional Note:
Good bargain. There are also Hot Items. ;) Special discounts for members. Enough cashiers for buyers. Nice songs being played all the time. =)
Pictures:

Book Blogger Hop : 16/7/2010 - 18/7/2010

Finally Friday! I've been waiting to hop!

Click here to find out more about Book Blogger Hop; created by Crazy For Books. Sign and start hopping! In brief, all you have to do is connect to another Book Blogger. This is simply an awesome idea to get to know other bookworms in the blogosphere!

Booking Through Thursday - 15/7/2010

Well, folks, I don’t know about where you are, but right here, it’s HOT.

So … when you think about “hot reading,” what does that make you think of? Beach reading? Steamy romances? Books that take place in hot climates? Or cold ones?

My answer:
To start with, it is not exactly hot here. It rains every evening. *If only I could be in bed with a book instead of in the office swivel chair.* Then again, there isn't any distinctive season where I am. ;)


Hot Reading. I have to say it gets me to steamy romance novels. The ones which could totally sweep me off my feet and sometimes out of the real world. =p Can't say that is all I think of. Other books which triggers anger and frustration is definitely a HOT one for me too. =p There you go, two sides of Hot-ness.

Roald Dahl Bookathon : George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

Title
George's Marvellous Medicine
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books
Rating
4/5

Many children love their grandmothers. Unfortunately, not all are blessed with a great loving grandmother. George happens to be one of the unlucky ones. His grandmother isn't very well in health. She is grumpy, bossy and everything but loving and kind. He often has to look after her and fetch her medicine when it is time for her to take it. Despite all that he has done to help her, she often criticize and bully him.

MPH Family Book Fair

Start Date :
13th July 2010
End Date :
1st August 2010
Start Time :
10:00am
End Time :
10:00pm
Where :
West End Concourse Area,
Subang Parade Shopping Complex,
Subang Jaya.
Additional Note:
Discounts up to 70%;

Member’s Choice : Discounts Up to 30% on Selected Books

WWW Wednesdays - 14/7/2010

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the 3 questions...

* What are you currently reading?

 Boy: Tales of Childhood  by Roald Dahl

* What did you recently finish reading?

Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison

* What do you think you’ll read next?

Mmmm....maybe Happiness in Hard Times by Andrew Matthews

Tuesday Teaser - 13/7/2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:  

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The teaser.

"When I recovered and went home, I was given this vast collection of my letters, all so neatly bound with green tape, more than six hundred of them altogether, dating from 1925 to 1945, each one in its original envelope with the old stamps still on them. I am awfully lucky to have something like this to refer to in my old age." -p82, Boy: Tales of Childhood by Roald Dahl-

Booking Through Thrusday - 8/7/2010

Do you have friends and family to share books with? Discuss them with? Does it matter to you?

My answer:
Fortunately, my beloved bestfriend loves chic-lit! =) In my family, no one loves what I love. I read what they read but they do not read what I read. My dad is into financial/business books and a little bit of self-help books. My mom is into cooking books. One of my brother has recently fell in love with Nicholas Spark's. So far, I only share that with him. The other brother is into short ghost stories. I can read but I'm quite done with it.

Guess I've got quite a fair number of people around me who reads. I can consider myself lucky. No one buys and reads constantly though! Honestly, I talk about the books that I have read more on the WWW rather than with the people around me. Maybe because I don't meet my bookworm friends as often. The book bloggers a.k.a. bookaholics online are GREAT!!!!

MPH Book Fair

To those who missed the book sales last month, here is your chance again!
MPH is organizing a book fair. Details are as following. ;)

Start Date :
7th July 2010
End Date :
18th July 2010
Start Time :
10:00am
End Time :
10:00pm
Where :
Concourse Area, Ground Floor,
Great Eastern Mall, KL. Malaysia.
Additional Note:
Up to 50% discount,
Non-members enjoy the above promotion with minimum purchase of RM20.

WWW Wednesdays - 7/7/2010

WWW Wednesday is hosted by Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the 3 questions...

* What are you currently reading?

 The Witches by Roald Dahl

* What did you recently finish reading?

Amarican Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

* What do you think you’ll read next?

Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison

The third question will always the toughest for me. I often find myself staring at my bookshelf thinking of what to indulge in next. Sooooooo not easy!

Tuesday Teaser - 6/7/2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:  

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The teaser.

"From then on, she became a tangible presence in my life. Whenever she entered the room I was aware of her, even if I wasn't looking directly at her." -p88, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang -

Lucky Monday - 5/7/2010

1st Book Giveaway participation in July. It is getting harder to keep on top of the giveaways! Yet to win anything...but I'm not gonna give up! *teeheehee*

Bumped into an awesome one today at Good Golly Miss Holly's. Opens internationally. Named The ALL IN Giveaway. Gosh! It is REALLY ALL IN! Contest ends 31st July 2010.
For more info, check it out at http://goodgollymisshollybooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/tgf.html

Books given away are :

1. The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
2. Broadway Lights by Jen Calonita
3. Salvaged by Stefne Miller (Signed)
4. Mistwood or Shadow Hills bookmarks
5. The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
6. The Julian Game by Adele Griffin (ARC)
7. Fame: Taylor Lautner by Kimberly Sherman
8. A Field Guide for Heartbreakers by Kristen Tracy
9. Vampire Island by Adele Griffin (Three-book series)
10. Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee (Signed ARC)
11. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (and Signed Bookmarks)
12. Change of Heart by Shari Maurer (and Signed Bookmarks)
13. Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook (Signed)
14. Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman
15. Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman
16. Reality Check by Jen Calonita (+ Signed Bookmarks and Postcards)

The bookaholic has arranged the title sorted by length. NEAT! =) My wish list from this giveaway? Those highlighted ones! Gosh! I almost hightlighted all. LOL!

Booking Through Thursday - 1/7/2010

Name a book or author that you truly wanted to love but left you disappointed. (And, of course, explain why.)


My answer:
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Believe it.
This book has been awarded best sellers in many countries but seriously, I don't get why. This book falls into my 1/5 rating. I have to say that the contents are repetitive and simply doesn't make sense to me. It mainly focuses on the power of attraction. How can we make our dreams come true by only believing it will come true? The author probably wants to promote positive thinking but sitting and dreaming our dreams will come true won't help to make it happen. 'Nuff said!

Then again, it probably isn't my cup of tea. :p

Tuesday Teaser - 29/6/2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:  

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The teaser.

"That's why they always put two blank pages at the back of the atlas. They're for new countries." -p178, The BFG by Roald Dahl-

Lucky Monday - 28/6/2010

Which contest will it be for my Lucky Monday this week? There are sooooo many out there. I have trouble picking! (How can anybody say no to free books anyway? =p)

After few hops on book blogs, I found The Bookshelf Sophiscate : 200 Followers Contest.
She has already reached 200 Followers but simply want to giveaway more books to fellow bookaholics around. Cool, huh? Contest is open internationally. Awesome!

Books she is giving away are:
1. Other by Karen Kincy
2. Forget You by Jennifer Echols
3. You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

For more details, click here. Contest ends 1st August 2010. Which one I'd love to have on my bookshelf? Gotta number 2 or 3!!!! =)
 
Link to my previous Lucky Monday post.

What is Chic-Lit?

Chic-Lit has always been my favourite since I tried Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret?. It is very light and enjoyable. Most of the time, this genre appeals to female but there is no doubt it could enjoyable but both genders. Ain't nothing wrong. Still books and different people enjoys different genres.

This year, I've expanded the genres I read to mainly self-help, psyhology and few others.

To those who would like more information about Chic-Lit, this link provides quite comprehensive definition for it; http://www.novelicious.com/what-is-chick-lit.html

Roald Dahl Bookathon : James and The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Title
James and The Giant Peach
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books
Rating
5/5

Forced to live with his wicked aunts, James Henry Trotter was made a slave. He had to work all day long and wasn't allowed to play with any other kids. One miraculous day, he bumped into a an old man who gave him some magic beans. Unfortunately he tripped and the beans fell onto the ground and went deep into the soil of the ground.

It all started when a peach grew gigantic. His aunts were very excited about it and money was also collected. Day by day, the peach grew bigger and heavier. So heavy that the tree can't hold it anymore. A little snap on the branch, the giant fruit was released from the tree. That marks the beginning of the adventures in the book.

AWARD : The Versatile Blogger (2)

Wheee! Thank you Gramma Ann for this award! Happy Sunday to all!

 

The rules are: (Adapted from CMash Loves To Read)
So I guess what I need to do now is share seven five things about myself and pass this on to 15 5 blogs I have recently discovered. Need to cut down to 5 as I've done 15 the last time I received this award. No worries. Will book blog hop morreeeee next weekend! (Can't do much this weekend as I'm working!"Thanks",Mr.Work!)

Anyway, here it goes.

5 Things About Myself

1. Loves book blog hopping apart from book shopping.
2. On the mission to read 100 books this year despite being tied up with work.
3. As long as I have a book with me, I know I have a company with me. ;)
4. Reading in bed/on a couch when it rains outside is the best feeling ever.
5. Despite wanting to expand the genres I read, I still love Chic-Lits very much; light, easy and fun.

5 other bloggers I'd like to share this award with.
1. The Bibliophile's Lounge
2. Ulat Buku in the City
3. The Sweet Bookshelf
4. So Many Books, So Little Time
5. Confessions of A Bookaholic

Pass it on bookworms! ;)

Book Blogger Hop : 25/6/2010 - 28/6/2010

Finally Friday! I've been waiting to hop!

If you are quite as new as I am, click here to find out more about Book Blogger Hop; created by Crazy For Books. Sign and start hopping! In brief, all you have to do is connect to another Book Blogger. This is simply an awesome idea to get to know other bookworms in the blogosphere!

Booking Through Thursday - 24/6/2010

"Do you read book reviews? Do you let them change your mind about reading/not reading a particular book?"

My answer:
Yes. Being a bookaholic, I am usually tempted to buy whatever looks like in the bookstore. To hold myself back, I normally jot down the title and its author.


When the book lingers in my mind, I will checkout its reviews; normally from more than 5 readers. If it is good, I'll give it a shot. Else, I'll drop it from me list. ;)

Roald Dahl Bookathon : The Twits by Roald Dahl

Title
The Twits
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books
Rating
3/5

If Esio Trot is sweet, The Twits is the opposite. I find it wicked and disgusting. (Yes, the characters are disgusting.) Mr. and Mrs. Twits can't stop playing mean tricks on each other. They will always play pranks on each other just to get even.

As intriguing as it sounds, this story is about 2 smelly people who get married and torture each other every single day. The same went on and on and on until one day, their pet monkey took turn to play pranks on them.

MPH Members' Sale

Pardon the picture quality. (I seriously need a better cam!) Couldn't find the advertisement elsewhere.
The following are the details.

Start Date : 1st July 2010
End Date : 4th July 2010

Info :
Members enjoy 20% discount on all books and 10% discount on stationary, CDs, cards and gifts.
Selected items at 30% and 50% discount.
Look out for the "Gotta Have It!" sticker to enjoy 30% and 50% discount. :)

URL :
http://www.mphonline.com/ / http://www.mphclick.com/

Roald Dahl Bookathon : Esio Trot by Roald Dahl

Title
Esio Trot
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books
Rating
5/5

Esio Trot. Who would have thought of such title. This books is simple and sweet.
Mr. Hoppy is in love with his neighbour Mrs Silver, who loves her tortoise very much.

Being a man, he would do anything to win Mrs Silver's heart. They both live in the same apartment.
He lives on top of her unit. Everyday he will find a reason to be at the balcony just to get the chance to talk to her. Since she is so eager to see her pet grows bigger, Mr. Hoppy came up with the idea just how it can "grow" bigger. After putting his creative mind at work, he gets what he wants.

An absolute good read for all ages. I first read this many years back and will always remember the title; Esio Trot. =)

Times Bookstore Sale

Stumbled upon this one when I was out shooping with one of my bestfriends.

Start Date : 4th June 2010
End Date : 30th June 2010
Where : Times Bookstore

Info is quite late but then again, better late than never right? ;) It is still June when weekend comes. =)

Teaser Tuesdays - 22/6/2010

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my first teaser. =)

"I screaming holding little Abdul, hospital bag with Pampers 'n his stuff, 'n a shopping bag from Woolworth's with my stuff in it. I don't even think, my feets just take me back to Harlem Hospital." - p74, Precious by Sapphire -

If you're seeing spelling and grammatical error, the book is written that way. It is from the point of view of an illiterate teenage girl.

Lucky Monday - 21/6/2010

Monday could be a little bit blue.
I'm now at home..which is supposed to be a good thing but it is not quite good when you're not feeling very well. How come I only get to stay at home when I'm sick? =(

Anyhow, let me boost up my week by entering a bookaway contest.
Books Love Me is giving away 2 books;

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and
2. The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason

For more details, click here.

Don't mind having both but I'd love to have the 2nd one so good luck to myself!

Named it Lucky Monday with a hope to put luck in Monday(and the rest of the working days) and the participation. =) From now on, I'll hunt for book giveaways on Monday. It will be an awesome way to start a week. Don't you think? ;)

How Lucky Monday works?
Easy-peaszy. I will look for book giveaways and take part in one every Monday. If time permits, no harm to take part in more! Better chances then. ;)

2010 Reading Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge

Stumbled upon this challenge while I was browsing through some other book blogs.
Decided to take up the challenge eventhough it is almost July. I've been reading so....let'z see how it goes!
Interested? Sign up at J-Kaye's. Let me know if you're already in and wants to be linked from my post. ;)

100 or more books read in 2010.

Revamped!

Feels good to have this space revamped!

One thing off my bucket list! *Phew!*

Last view before it was revamped.

Means quite a lot to me as I started of with it a lil over a year ago.

I've been trying to get some time to sit down and select a new template but failed. I've been browsing for the right template too but no luck. *Yeah, I can be very fussy. Won't settle for second best until the best is proven unreachable.* Anyhow, here it is. New look! 3 columns like how I've always wanted. Added more widgets and of coz links (refer to the left pane; Other Bookaholicz!)

Side note:

It feels like I just moved to a new house. The widgets are like furnitures and they are super duper awesome because they are FREE! Whhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! =)

AWARD : The Versatile Blogger

Firstly, let me thank Books Love Me for my blog's very first award. :) It is a pleasant surprise on a boring Tuesday. Thank you again.

The rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

7 Things About Myself
1. Have >50 books in the to-be-read pile but can't resist buying more. *sweat*
2. Love the smell of books and know that each book has different smell.
3. Apart from reading, I love singing just as much.
4. Music and books heal my soul. If I had alot of money, I won't only buy all the books in the world but I'll buy the best sound system and spend some money to pamper myself. ^___^
5. I have trouble reading history books. I love Anne Frank's diary but there are times I skipped reading few lines of war-story she updates in it.
6. I use almost anything(thin and flat) as my bookmark; clothes label,postcard, envelopes and etc.
7. Wished I had taken library management back in uni and wish to travel to all the countries where the marvellous bookstores/libraries are.

Roald Dahl Bookathon : The Magic Finger

Title

The Magic Finger

Author

Roald Dahl

Publisher

Puffin Books

Rating

4/5

The Greggs family is into hunting and they hunt ducks often. Their neighbour's girl is very unhappy about this. She tried to stop them as she is friends with Philip and William Gregg but they wouldn't listen. The anger in her grew until a point where she used her magic finger to turn the Greggs into ducks.

June 2010 Books Sale

Feels like ages since I last broadcasted any sales. The last book sale I went to was the one held in Bangsar Shopping Center last month. Not too bad at all. Anyhow, to those who can't get enough of books like I do, sales help!

Feel like munching on more books, maybe the following might help. ;) *Let me know if it is good and burnt a hole in your pocket.* List is sorted by end date; the one which lasts the longest is at the bottom.

Books from my childhood days

Saw this post on Books Love Me! and I simply know I have to have one on mine too! Thanks Josette for the wonderful post!

I started reading when I was four. Late? I don't know but I don't think so but some days I wonder if I would have read more if I started at 3.

Roald Dahl Bookathon : Fantastic Mr. Fox

Title
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Author
Roald Dahl
Publisher
Puffin Books
Rating
4/5

Mr. Fox triggered the anger of the 3 farmers; Boogis, Bunce and Beans when he stole their goods.
This put his entire family in danger. The farmers grew more and more furious each day wanting to catch him.
The farmers started guarding his hole. He could no longer go out and hunt for food. Apparently, the fox family is not the only family affected. Some of the other families affected are of the rabbits and moles. They were unhappy and obviously hungry.

Greedy Bookaholic on the loose AGAIN

Let me share you something about the hunger to read.
If you are feeling greedy when it comes to reading, you may starting reading all unlike other items in the world such as eating, buying clothes and et cetera. More often than not, when I finished reading a book, I will have trouble deciding which book to read next.

Having more than 40 new books to be read SERIOUSLY doesn't help. LOL!

The following is a sample of what happens when I get too greedy despite knowing I can barely read 5 chapter per week.(Thank you to Mr.Work).

Roald Dahl Complete Collection

Part of my wish list this year is to have the complete set of Roald Dahl's. I got lucky; Puffin Books came out with "Roald Dahl Complete Collection - 15 Books in a Box Set". Simply awesome and of course irrisistable. I've bought 2 books before this came out but anyhow, I bought it! Thanks to my friends who has sponsored a little; told 'em I'll take it as an early birthday present. ;) I got even luckier that when I stepped into Kinokuniya, only one set left. There must be a gazillion other people eyeing on it!

My Reading Habits!!!

Saw this me-me on The Undercover Book Lover (Not Really) and I simply know I’ve got to do have it too!

Do you snack while you read? If so, favourite reading snack:
NO! I love laying/sitting down in a comfortable position and enjoy reading the book. Only reading. Soft instrumental songs in the background is wonderful too. =)

What is your favourite drink while reading?
Rarely drink when I read but if I do, it has to be English Breakfast tea or hot chocolate. These 2 complement best when you have your nose stuck in a book!

Do you tend to mark your books as you read, or does the idea of writing in books horrify you?
I will NEVER write in my book (except for my name and the year I bought it).

How do you keep your place while reading a book? Bookmark? Dog-ears? Laying the book flat open?
No way I’m ever going to lay my book flat open!Esp faced down!!! *that’s so horrifying!* I use a bookmark or remember the page where I stopped. As for recipe books, I mark them with adhesive indexer.

Fiction, non-fiction, or both?
Both! 75% of fiction and 25% non-fiction. ;)

Are you a person who tends to read to the end of a chapter, or can you stop anywhere?
I can stop anywhere LOGICAL..say after a paragraph. Still prefer to stop at the end of a chapter.

Are you the type of person to throw a book across the room or on the floor if the author irritates you?
No way!!! I care for ALL my books to be throwing 'em anywhere at all! If I’m not happy about a book, I’ll just shut it and put it back on the shelf.

If you come across an unfamiliar word, do you stop and look it up right away?
Most of the time, I’ll just read the sentence and have a rough idea what the word means. If the word still hangs in my head, I’ll look it up when a dictionary is within my reach. I don’t really like my reading interrupted.

What are you currently reading?3 books;
Mathilda by Roald Dahl
The Rules of Life by Richard Templar
Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt

What is the last book you bought?
Smoothie Heaven by Wendy Sweetser

Happiness in Hard Times by Andrew Matthews

The Housekeeper + The Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Freakonomics by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt

Are you the type of person that reads one book at a time, or can you read more than one?Mmm..depends on my mood. As much as I would like to concentrate on one book, I’m always torn between many. Most of the time, I will end up with atleast 2 books. *can’t be helped*

Do you have a favourite time/place to read?
On my bed or at a corner of a comfy sofa!

Do you prefer series books or stand alones?
Standalones. If it is a great one like the Shopaholic series, why not? ;)

Is there a specific book or author you find yourself recommending over and over?
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. =) I don’t just recommend. I would even go to the extend of buying it as birthday presents!

How do you organize your books? (by genre, title, author's last name, etc.)
Sizes and types(hardcover/paperback). I have also tried arranging by colours and authors but sizes and types makes me feel more satisfied.

Would you like what others have answered? Click here!

S.O.S.!!! Help me pick! 12hours left!

Opinions needed.

Not experiencing bloggers' block but torn between 4books.

Conmpany trip starts tomorrow. I just finished a reading book and now need to decide which of these 4 would be a good pick for a 2days2nites stay...

Options are :

1. To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper Lee

2. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

3. Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught

4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Sophie Kinsella next book; Mini Shopaholic

Wake me up when September comes.
That is also when the new book by Sophie Kinsella will be out. *Soooo can't wait!*

According to MPHOnline, it will be out on the 2nd of September this year.

Though so, the book can be pre-ordered online namely on MPHOnline

The book cover has been revealed on the 19th of April at http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/news/2010/apr/mini-shopaholic-uk-jacket/
CHECK IT OUT! =)

Excerpt from the back book:
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze -- but it's trickier than she thought. Two year-old Minnie has created havoc everywhere from Harrods to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favorite word is "mine", and she already has a penchant for Balenciaga bags. Becky is at her wits' end. On top of this, she and Luke are still living with her mom and dad, there's a big financial crisis so everyone's having to cut back -- including all her personal shopping clients -- and her husband Luke is feeling low after the death of his beloved stepmother. To cheer him up, Becky decides to throw Luke a surprise birthday party -- on a budget -- and that's when things become really complicated. Becky tries to keep the arrangements secret and soon she's told so many fibs she can't keep track of them... Will Becky pull off the surprise? Will Minnie give everything away? And what will happen when Becky discovers Luke is keeping a big secret, too?

Catch her on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf4L2wA1VdE

p/s: Feels gewddd to finally get to update my blog and yeah..share the sweet news. Was tempted to order online...as in pre-order but maybe I should coz going to bookstore and pick my own copy is the greatest! ;)

Stationary For Books; Mark the pages!

Typically bookmarks help mark pages where you pause in your reading. What if it is not a reading book? What if you want to mark many pages? Bookmarks will be quite troublesome to use;
1. You will need many bookmarks
2. Many bookmarks between the pages will bloat the book and could also affect its spine.
3. Dog-ear the pages; I despise this! I don't even do it to a single page in any of my books or even mags. It will ruin the page and if you fold too many, one end of the book will look funny. Other than that, the fold can easily unfold and you could lose the page you marked.

If you are still wondering what kind of books I'm talking about, I'm referring to cook books and travel books. Well, there are many more but only these 2 comes to mind as of now.

Solutions to mark multiple pages and yet never lose it the next time you want to browse through the pages? You can jot down the page number on a piece of paper or on some empty space in the book. (Something which requires me to think a gazillion times as I don't really scribble anything in my books...I only write my name and the year I bought it.)

My solution? I use the adhesive coloured labels. ^__^I believe Post-it first came out with it. Costs about RM10 for a pack...which doesn't last me very long even when I've cut a piece into 2 or 3 to cater my needs. I browsed through the stationary section and found another brand and it is obviously chheeeppper; RM5.00. Cut into the right size of strip and has 5 diff colours in one pack. Each pad has 25 pieces. Therefore 25*5, I have 125 pieces. =)

The Last Chapter by Alicia Loh

Title
The Last Chapter
Author
Alicia Loh
Publisher
MPH Group Publishing Sdn Bhd
Price
RM15.00
Rating
3/5

Piper, 17 years old was thrown out of the house by her mother when she did not win the swimming championship for which she is expected to gain scholarship. She did not understand why her own mother would do such thing. She had nowhere to go. She had never knew of any other relations other than her mother. That night, she was only given a backpack. She had nowhere to go and headed to a river to seek calmness. That is where Jaeson turned up in the picture and gave her shelter.

She then discovered that this boy knows more about than herself. She about to unveil the mystery of her life when Jaeson bumped into an accident. Will she understand why her mother threw her out of her only home? Will she ever find out how and why he knows so much about her? Will she ever know who her father is?

p/s: I was initially frustrated that the book didn't have an ending. I really wondered why was it written that way. Then again, I'm the person who wants good endings to all the books I read. *Can't help it!* I did a little googling today and found Alicia's page and found that there is a sequel to this book. Phewww!!!

Reference : http://www.alicialoh.com/2010/01/announcement.html

Proceeds from the sale of this book will be channeled to Alicia's medical fund. :)

To visit her page, go to http://www.alicialoh.com

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Title
My Sister's Keeper
Author
Jodi Picoult
Publisher
Pocket Books
Price
RM35.90
Rating
4/5

Bittersweet chocolate. That is what this book tastes like. It is a story about how a younger sister is brought to the world for the sake fo saving her ill elder sister. I don't see that as a valid reason to conceive a child. How can you just decide to just have another baby for her organs? I wonder if it really happens in the real world we are living in.

Anyhow, Anna is expected to provide whatever her elder sister needs. Which means she has been hospitalized everytime her sister is because she needs to either provide blood and everything else her sister needs to stay alive. Her parents could opt for other options to get help for their eldest daughter but help could take a long time; too long to allow Kate to have another breath. There was only once they all shaved their heads just so that Kate won't feel alienated. I guess a mother would do anything for her daughter. Story begins when Anna sues her parents to object their request to donate an organ to Kate.

As much as I love the story, the ending is not to my liking. How can it not have a happy ending???Why can't they let the sisters be happy and live? Or why can't the ending be like how many of us predicted; Anna lives while Kate goes..? Maybe that is the beauty of the story. To have an ending we do not hope for.

On the other hand, this book has quite a spotlight that it was made into a movie starring Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin and Sofia Vassilieva. Yet to watch it. To those who have watched, feel free to fill in. :)

p/s: This is my first Jodi Picoult's. I have to admit that she has a talent to tell such a serious story in a very light way. The story is very sad and at times complicated but she has made it light enough for her audience to be with her throughout the entire story. May try her other books but I don't think I will read ALL her books because to me, it all seems similar; sickness, sacrifices, death, hardships, recovery and etc.

Long Cool Glass of Books

Thirst for books? Head to Kinokuniya@KLCC. :) Their Long Cool Glass of Books Promotion was on in December 2009. For every RM100 purchase, you will receive RM10 voucher.

I got one voucher for free! Thanks to my bro.Hihihi The voucher is valid from 4th January 2010 til 31st March 2010.

Yet to decide which book to buy must most probably will get another Roald Dahl's as that's my aim this year; to collect all Roald Dahl's!

*I know this may be abit late of an info but you can always drop by Kino as they always have 25-30% discount on their gem books; usually purchase-with-purchase. Still not too bad. I find it more valuable than those offered by Borders. Borders seem to have quite a standard 2 for 3 promo. Don't mind the recipe books but others, I'll pass.*

Cecelia Ahern's If You Could See Me Now offer @MPH

Dear Cecelia Ahern's fan.

IF you have yet to have your hands on Cecelia's If You Could See Me Now, you may love the promotion MPH has now. For every purchase(any title), you are entitled to get the exclusive cloth bag FREE! Would be great for shopping so that we can be kind to mother nature and yea...walk around with a pretty pink bag. ;) I've got a copy already so I guess I shouldn't buy it just for the sake of having that bag. Plus, I've bought more than 1 book this month...so gotta pass. :)

I first knew about the promotion when I dropped by MPH in One Utama but didn't take any pics because the security guard was just around the corner and the camera was right on top of my head. *won't take the risk eventhough I don't know if the cam can rotate or was even focusing on my spot* Today, I dropped by Mid Valley MPH and relied on my phone....not a very good quality pic but I got a shot. It is not that I'm stealing anything but anyhow....here's a peak at the poster.

Promotion valid from 1st January 2010 til 28th February 2010. Good new year gift for yourself or your girlfriend. ;) The current version of the paperback copy is thinner compared to the one published last year. I thought they cut down some paragraphs *silly me, I know* til I flipped through and saw the resized the font. :)

How I rank her books (yes.I've read ALL):

1. If You Could See Me Now
2. Thanks For The Memories
3. The Gift
4. The Book of Tomorrow
5. P.S. I Love You
6. Where Rainbows End
7. A Place Called Here

For more info on Cecelia Ahern's books, go to http://www.cecelia-ahern.com/books/

Love,
Ruz :)

January Books

I know I musn't spend too much this year especially on books coz I've got more than 50 unread books. Anyhow,I only bought 3 books this month! =)

I don't know how I got into buying recipe books but I can't resist the great simple delicious ones! Now I better clear up the magazines section on the shelves so that I can accommodate more recipe books. ^_^

Note to self:

Dig time to read and finish up more bookz!

Don't keep buying.Well can keep on buying but don't exceed RM1k ;)

Welcome, 2010!

Finally, I'm in the year I've been waiting for. =)
I believe there will be lots happening this year; be it career-wise or relationship-wise. *hihihi* I still do hope I can read a lot more books than 2009. Will see how work treats me this year.

I still see reading as the shortest escape from the hectic world I'm living in now. It would be great to be in a different place with a different setting once in awhile. However, due to lack of personal time and energy, I barely finish a book after May last year. *ouchhhh!!!*

Anyhow,this year started quite OK (books-wise).
1. Got Kinokuniya RM10 voucher from my bro.
2. Bought a Roald Dahl book. :)

I'm not going to drain anyone with new year's resolution like everyone else but this year, I'd love to collect ALL Roald Dahl's books! One book per month sounds good. :)
Still pretty hard to tell; books are forever irresistable!

A preview of what will rest on my bookshelves this year. ;) Roald Dahl is for ALL! *Else, you won't be watching Charlie and The Chocolate Factory =p *

Lastly, keep on reading you guys!!!! Hope I can update this heaven with posts atleast twice a month. :)

Dewey by Vicky Myron with Bret Witter

Title
Dewey

Author

Vicky Myron with Bret Witter

Publisher

Grand Central Publishing

Price

RM34.90

Rating

1/5

Dewey was a lost kitten found at the library drop box during winter. It was a miracle he survived the weather. A library staff found him almost frozen to death. His paws were frostbitten. He couldn't walk on his paws for a few weeks and because of that the library staff would carry him around in the library. They grew closer. They are about him. He became their responsibility.

A cat is a cat and cats are very curious. Dewey started growing fond of rubber bands. He would find them at the impossible corners and chew on them. The staff then took action to clear up the library and not have rubber bands laying around. Though he only stayed in the library, there was once the neighbourhood raised their concerns about having a cat in the library. Many said it is not healthy for their children. Actions were taken and Dewey remained as the resident of the
library. He cheered patrons with his charms and he particularly loves resting in everyone's laps.

The story is not 100% focusing on the cat but it envelops the town's history little by little. In between the pages and of course, in between Dewey. This is where I failed. The book should have been a fantastic book as it combines two of my favourites; cat and library(books). However, I'm not very keen on reading about history about some place I'm not interested in. The cat is cute. His behaviours are of course "catly";adorable.

It has been awhile since I last gave up on a book. Many would not agree that I tosssed it away but it is simply not my cup of tea. =p I hope this does not mislead anyone into not getting or reading this book. It surely is a great book. Else it wouldn't have the "#1 New York Times Bestseller" on its cover. Know what this shows? Everyone has their own preferences.

To those of you who have read this and would like to share, feel free to drop a comment. =) If anyone is interested to buy this, drop me a message. :)

p/s:This also does not mean that I do not like history. I love knowing it but reading it is a whole lot of different feeling. Anne Frank is fine. ;) This review was done on 24th August 2009...only got the chance to publish it today.*ouch!*