Friday Finds, 30 Jan

Friday Finds is a weekly event hosted by Should Be Reading.

This week’s find:

Gatty’s Tale

I found a gem of a book at the teen section of the bookstore last week. Gatty's Tale is about a field girl called Gatty, a young heroine who lives in poverty and hardship. Set in the medieval world in the year 1203, the story follows through the travels and adventures of the young and feisty girl from Europe to Jerusalem. For more information on the author, who is also a prize winner for children’s books please visit Kevin Crossley-Holland’s website.

Birds without Wings

Birds without Wings is a novel by Louis de Bernieres about a tragic love story of a Christian girl and a Muslim boy. The book's underlying theme apparently revolves around religious intolerance and over-zealous nationalism and the war that ensues because of these factors. For reviews on the book, please visit Reviews of BooksLouis de Bernières.

Have a good weekend y’all, xox.

What's on Your Nightstand- January

What’s on Your Nightstand is a monthly event hosted by 5 Minutes for Books.
 

On my nightstand this month:

Rex by Cathleen Lewis

I received my first book to review from Thomas Nelson on the eve of my birthday, so I consider this a birthday gift. Thank you Thomas Nelson for the freebie! I intend to read this and write the review soon.

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

My Themed Reading Challenge starts in February *shiver* and as I've committed to reading four of Austen’s work this year, I’ll start with Northanger Abbey. By the way, I love the collection of Austen’s books from Headline Review, its got such a chick lit look to it don’t you think?

Weekly Geeks 2009-3

This week’s Weekly Geeks assignment is to choose two or more of the following questions:

1. How do you feel about classic literature? Are you intimidated by it? Love it? Not sure because you never actually tried it? Don’t get why anyone reads anything else? Which classics, if any, have you truly loved? Which would you recommend for someone who has very little experience reading older books? Go all out, sell us on it!
   
2. A challenge, should you choose to accept it: Read at least one chapter of a classic novel, preferably by an author you’re not familiar with. Did you know you can find lots of classics in the public domain on the web? Check out The Popular Classics Book Corner, for example. Write a mini review based on this chapter: what are your first impressions? Would you read further? (For a larger selection of authors, try The Complete Classic Literature Library.
3. Let’s say you’re vacationing with your dear cousin Myrtle, and she forgot to bring a book. The two of you venture into a hip independent bookstore around the corner, where she primly announces that she only reads classic literature. If you don’t find a book, you’ll never get any reading done! What contemporary book/s with classic appeal would you pull of the shelf for her?
4. As you explore the other Weekly Geeks post: Did any inspire you to want to read a book you’ve never read before- or reread one to give it another chance? Tell us all about it, including a link to the post or posts that sparked your interest. If you end up reading the book, be sure to include a link to your post about it in a future Weekly Geeks posts!

I’ve decided to do question 1 and 3:

Answer to question 1:

I’ve always had a fascination with classic literature but to be honest am very intimidated by them. I honestly can’t see myself reading a classic although I’ve bought many with the intention to read them. Recently I started reading the simpler classics just to get me ‘in the mood’ and prepare myself for the bigger classics such as works from Tolstoy for example. Anyway, people who dig classic literature and understand them are in my ‘wow’ list.

This year I’ve made a list of classics that I should read and they include The Count of Monte Cristo, The Great Gatsby and some of Jane Austen’s work. I haven’t read a lot of classic literature so obviously I won’t be able to provide a recommendation although I did read Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and the book blew my mind away. Definitely better than any movie version that I’ve seen.

Answer to question 3 (thought I’d have a little fun with my answers):

If Myrtle wasn’t my cousin and the fact that I love her to pieces, I’d have wrung her neck a long time ago. On the way to the airport we had to turn back to the house twice, first because she forgot her passport and the second time because she forgot her toothbrush! Anyway, while waiting for our flight she tells me she forgot her book as well and proceeds to yap non-stop throughout the journey, taking my time away from my latest Mills and Boons novel... sigh (I’m at the part where he looks longingly in her eyes and suddenly pulls her violently closer to him and... well I can’t read the rest cause Myrtle’s still yapping).

Thank God we found a bookstore almost immediately after we landed and I insisted that we check out the store to see if we can get a book or two for her to read so that I can continue reading in peace on this trip. This is when Myrtle confesses that she only reads classic lit. Really? I’ve known Myrtle almost all my life and often wondered if she could even read at all... (FYI, she is known as Myrtle the Turtle in the family for a reason you know).

Anyway, we scouted around and found a few books that had some classic feel to it like The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, The Road, The Book Thief and The Color Purple. Books which I had read and gave high recommendations to Myrtle on how this book made me cry and that book made me think, ooo and this book is the best... yada yada yada...

After all that trouble I thought you should know that Myrtle ended up with a Mills and Boons novel that she found in the romance section because according to her “you’ll never know if I’ll meet Mr. Right at the beach and when that happens I want to be in the ‘mood’ for romance”... yup that’s cousin Myrtle for you.

Unfortunately, we didn’t meet Mr. Right nor did we meet Mr. Wrong but we managed to enjoy our vacation tremendously; basking in the sun, both of us holding on to our respective Mills and Boons throughout our tanning session by the beach. Definitely a holiday to remember.

The Book Thief

They should have a warning for books that make you cry so that you have ample time to prepare box loads of tissues. This is an excellent book and I cried buckets.

In the first few chapters, the narrator explains that this is a ‘...story of one of those perpetual survivors-an expert at being left behind. It’s a small story really, about, amongst other things. A girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist- fighter, and quite a lot of thievery’.

‘The perpetual survivor’ is Liesel Meminger; the central character of the book, growing up in a time of great difficulty during World War II. The Book Thief is an extra-ordinary narrative from the Angel of Death about the life of Liesel, The Book Thief; her coming of age, her inner struggles, her loss and her survival.

The story begins with Liesel travelling to Molching at the age of nine, where Death meets her for the first time while taking the life of her younger brother. From here, we follow through her survival during difficult times through her love of books and the people surrounding her.

This book is full of memorable characters like Hans & Rosa Hubermann, Ilsa Hermann, Max Vandenburg and Rudy Steiner who shape and enhance Liesel’s life. Even Death’s character is memorable offering occasionally a hint of emotion or feeling. My favourite character is of course Hans Hubermann.

I highly recommend this book as it touches two very important and sensitive topic; prejudice and death. The setting of the story in World War II provides clear examples of the atrocities brought about by hate and misunderstanding.

Have you ever heard of the quote “finishing a good book is like leaving a good friend”? Well, that holds true for me with this book in particular. Definitely an excellent read. If you do decide to read the book, then remember: box loads of tissue people! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Power is the Great Motivator

Power is the Great Motivator provides an understanding of what motivates Managers and how it defines their success. The book features case studies and feedback on what they think makes a good manager.

The book states the following qualities among those that make a good manager:

• Helps subordinates feel strong and responsible
• Rewards and recognises good performance
• Ensures that things are organized so that subordinates know what they should be doing
• Foster a strong sense of team spirit

McClelland and Burnham also categorize managers into three separate categories the Affiliative Managers, Personal Power Managers and Institutional Managers. Each have their own strength and weaknesses but according to the authors the most effective manager is the Institutional Manager.

As explained in the book:

“Institutional Managers care more about using power for the benefit of the organization than for their own aggrandizement. As a result, they are the most successful of the three types at creating an effective work environment- one in which employees have a high morale and feel a strong sense of responsibility and organizational clarity. Two additional characteristics of institutional managers: they tend to have a more democratic leadership style, one that emphasizes coaching rather than commanding, and they possess greater emotional maturity than the other types”

Power is the Great Motivator provides great insights on what motivates us as managers. If you can define yourself as a manager in the categories provided, then you would be able to improve your managerial skills for the benefit of the organization and the subordinates that report to you.

For more information on the Harvard Business Review, please click here for my previous post.

Friday Finds, 23 Jan

Hmm... a bit late on my post for Friday Finds this week but you know what they say; Better Late than Never... Anyway, found three books this week that I’d like to share:

The Medici Curse

For more information on the book please click here. I found this book at the bookstore sometime back and the little that I read from the book sounds good. If you’ve read this before, do share your review link.

The Book with No Name

I thought the title of this book was interesting. But the more I researched on the book, the more mixed reviews I found. Some have mentioned that the book has similarities to the movie From Dust till Dawn... (I absolutely loved this movie by the way...)Anyway, for more information on the book, click here.

What Not to Say

I also found an interesting book from Mark Vernon titled What Not to Say. For further details on the book click here or you could visit Mark Vernon’s site.

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading.

Weekly Geeks 2009-02: What It Means To Be A Weekly Geek

This week’s Weekly Geeks asked:

For those who have been with the group, either from the start or joined within recent months, what does being a member mean to you? What do you enjoy about the group? What are some of the memorable Weekly Geeks that we could do again? What could be improved as we continue the legacy Dewey gave us?

For those just joining us, why did you sign up for Weekly Geeks? What would you like to see here?

This is my first ever post for Weekly Geeks, so the last question is more relevant to me. I’m a newbie in blogging. When I first started, one of the first posts that I stumbled upon was Dewey’s Weekly Geeks. Despite the fact that I did not get the opportunity to know Dewey personally, I feel that it is unfortunate Dewey left us too early in life. Her efforts in bringing the blogging community together are truly commendable.

For me, Weekly Geeks is a great platform that allows me to make new friends, exchange ideas and learn new things from people regardless of race, religion and background and that’s the main reason for my participation. Plus the fact that I love Mr Spock to pieces and never had an appropriate post to feature him in my blog until now of course, LOL.

I’m glad that Weekly Geeks is up and running again. Thanks for taking the effort to revive Weekly Geeks guys!

I Have Been Lazy, Hence I Make Excuses Meme

I found a meme from Beth Fish Reads blog called “I Have Been Lazy, Hence I Make Excuses” which I thought was appropriate for me at this particular time. This is where we list the excuses we give ourselves when we haven’t made the time to read. I didn’t manage to finish my last book and am delaying selecting my next book to read from my TBR pile, here’s my excuse:

1. I don't come back home from work till late at night, by the time I get back I'm just so tired that I’d rather just crash in bed than pick up a book to read.
2. Lazing on the living room sofa with a glazed zombified look and watching programs repeated for the millionth time on TV has more appeal to me.
3. My brain is not working this week and refuses to absorb any of the details I’m reading. I think it applied for time out this week, which unfortunately I’m not aware of.

If you’re giving yourself excuses on why you haven’t read this week, then tag you’re it!

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

This week has been a very taxing week for me. I’m not sure whether it’s the fact that I’m just too tired from work to concentrate or the fact that maybe the book just did not capture my interest but I just could not finish it at all. I read the words from the book but the meaning just flew past me. Anyway I decided to give the book up at The Mock Turtle’s Story chapter. I think I’m going through readers block... seriously...
 

Well sadly it’s my first unfinished book for the year. I’m not sure if I’ll pick up Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland again but from the little that I read and the little that I managed to absorb, I was very impressed with the quantity of imaginative characters and the many different situations that Alice seems to find herself in. I did however, liked the illustrations in the book.

I don’t think I deserve to write a review on the book since I didn’t finish it but I’d like to share an interesting website that I found dedicated to the book at Lenny’s Alice in Wonderland which has some great resources on the book. By the way, did you know that the book was once banned in China?

I also found another site with interactive games that is based on the book at Alice in Wonderland, An Interactive Adventure. If you fail to read a book, catch the movie or play the game...

Well, if you’ve read Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland and would like to share your review then please do send me your link.

Friday Finds, 16 Jan

I've been so busy the past week and haven't been able to participate in Friday Finds but here's my latest discovery for the week:

Self Help Stuff That Works by Adam Khan

I love self help books. Found this on Amazon.com some time ago and the reviews are positive. Can you believe they don’t sell this book in any of the bookstore in Malaysia? Buying this on Amazon would be way too expensive so I’ll have to wait and see if it will appear in any of the bookstores in the future. If you’d like to read a couple of chapters from the book, click here.

Edward Trencom’s Nose

What attracted me to this book was the title. I was curious about how a story can revolve around a person’s nose. It turns out the book is about a man’s ability to nose out good food. Not sure if I’ll read it though. Click here to check out the book review from Guardian UK.

Reading Like A Writer

This was recommended to me by a lady who sat next to me while I was doing my manicure/pedicure session (a rare occasion for me). I was reading a book while waiting for my nails to dry, she was interested in the book I was reading and we started talking. Turns out she’s an avid reader and we ended up talking about books for almost an hour. I’m no writer but I wouldn’t mind understanding the skills of reading like a writer. For more information on the book, click here to visit Harper Collin’s website.

Confessions of a Fallen Angel

There were two things from this book that caught my attention as I was heading out of the bookstore a couple of weeks ago. Number one was the book cover: I loved the design. The second was the opening line:

“Dying was the easy bit. It was during my life after death that things started to go wrong. A conspiracy of coincidences perhaps or else maybe some higher power was having a laugh at my expense. But when I returned from the other side I brought something fearful back with me.”

I didn’t buy the book immediately of course (purely because I was already heading OUT of the bookstore and had put my credit card to good use with an extensive amount of book purchases already), did some research and found a couple of positive reviews on the book, including one from Valentina’s Room which made me decide to buy it and read it a week after I saw it at the bookstore.

Confessions of a Fallen Angel is a debut novel by Ronan O’Brien who specialises in criminal law in Dublin (which probably helped in the development of a very violent character featured in the book called Norman who seems freakishly real). The book talks about the life of Charlie who, after a near death experience at the age of ten from a severe asthma attack, was able to foresee the deaths of the people closest to him. Charlie grows up with the guilt of not being able to save the lives of those he loves and the heartbreak and bereavement is truly moving (especially with Ashling’s death).

This book is very character driven and is narrated from Charlie’s point of view. It addresses death and the emotional complexities he faces after the passing of those he loves. There are times when I get really frustrated with Charlie’s self destructive behaviour but he was a really nice guy and I wanted to know what happened to him and that encouraged me to read the book till the end. The only REAL problem that I had with Charlie’s character was that he hated Little House on the Prairie... (Seriously, how can anyone hate that show, anyone who grew up in the 80’s would know that this show was THE best series, next to Dynasty of course!... and maybe V. Okay I’m digressing...)

Overall, Confessions of a Fallen Angel offers a light and easy writing style. What I like the most was the humour, Charlie can be pretty damn funny when he wanted to be but I thought that the self pity bit was too lengthy. Unlike other books that provide an ending with love conquering all fear and providing positive inspiration to move forward in life, this book had a very morose closing. Overall, Confessions of a Fallen Angel was an ok read but I was a bit disappointed with the lengthy description that felt like it went on forever.

What Kind of Reader Are You?

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Fad Reader
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Found this quiz at Beth Fish Reads blog.

Guess I’m not an obsessive compulsive reader after all! But this quiz turned out to be true for me. I do wish I had more time reading my growing collection of books that won’t even fit on my shelf anymore! Sometimes I wonder if I am more of a book collector than a reader.

Any hoots, if you decide to do this quiz do share with me what kind of reader you turn out to be. xox

An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever Given

Richard Carlson author of Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff died prematurely of a pulmonary embolism at the age of 45. An Hour to Live, An Hour to Love features a letter that Richard had written to his wife Kristine Carlson on their 18^th wedding anniversary.

In his letter to Kristine, he outlines what he feels is important to him in life. The points made by Richard Carlson is something that we all know is important but sometimes get too caught up with the unnecessary things to actually take time to do. I could relate to this book because I too share the same views.

This book is a quick read, outlining things that you may already know deep down but never take the time to appreciate. Read it if you can just as a reminder of things that we already know but often forget.

---------------

Here are some quotes from the book that I’d like to share my thoughts on:

• · “If I had an hour to live, I’ll tell you who I wouldn’t call. It wouldn’t be my stockbroker, my financial planner, my banker, or my CPA”

• · “Likewise, I wouldn’t be checking in at the office to see what last minute projects I might be able to check off my list!” 

My two cents worth: I don’t have a stock broker and like most of us, my financial planner would be the bank calling me reminding me that the cheque is a few days overdue. I do however have demanding clients. Don’t get me wrong, they are nice people to work with really but they get caught up with the pressures of deadlines and meeting targets that they often turn crazy, sometimes down-right nasty. Yet, these are the people that I work hard for until the wee hours of the morning, missing important family dinners or functions that really matter. If I left this world, I doubt they would mourn for me. Maybe they’d be shocked but would later ask the Management, ‘who would be taking over her role?’ That’s just the way it works. As I grow older I realize that family matters more and that should be the priority.

• · “I also wouldn’t be calling anyone who owned me any money, or anyone who had wronged me in any way during my lifetime”

• · “With the time I have left, I choose to allow my thoughts to rest in total peace, right here, right now in this precious moments”

 
My two cents worth: In life you often meet new people, some nice, some not. I used to get very upset and take things personally when an unfair comment or action is targeted at me. It sometimes kept me awake at night where I’ll question the situation or why so and so is doing this or that to me. I’ve realized now that I should let go of things and people that I can’t control. I made a conscious decision not to fret or lose sleep over such matters. At the end they do not matter, they will not be among those I would call before I go.

• · “The ‘rat race’ is an illusion, and so unnecessary.”

My two cents worth: “The ‘rat race’ is an illusion” is my favourite quote from this book because I can’t help getting caught up with the day to day deadlines that I often forget the more important things in life; to slow down, build relationships, doing things that I’d love to do.

• · “I would never put off so easily and so often, what I knew, deep down, I really wanted to do. God, if I had only known what a mistake that was.”

• · “I’d say things like, ‘This is a really busy time,’ as if, somehow, next month was magically going to be less demanding” 

My two cents worth: I’m guilty of this. Sometimes my mother would call while I’m in the office and I’d say I’m too busy to talk to her for even a minute or a good friend would call for a meet and I’d say no to a quick cup of coffee because I just have to finish up a proposal for a client (that eventually ends up in the bin anyway). I guess all we need is a couple of minutes to take time off for those who matter, because you'll never know when you'll be able to talk to them next.

So at the end of it all, the question still remains: “If you had an hour to live and could make just one phone call, who would it be to, what would you say... and why are you waiting?”

I’d call my mum who is my best friend, my fashion critic, my food critic, my physician, my consultant, my partner in crime, the best chef I’ve ever met, my confidante, basically my everything and would miss her terribly if I left this world. I know I don’t say it enough but I do love her dearly.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

I’ve been holding off reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle for the longest time. I think it was the size and the weight of the book that scared me. I also knew that it would be a heavy read and that I needed quality time to absorb the details, so I waited for the long holidays to convince myself to start reading the book.

The first debut novel from David Wroblewski garnered rave reviews from readers as well as from Oprah’s Book Club. With all books that receive such high praises, I am always doubtful and weary of the reviews which can sometimes be overrated.

The story revolves around Edgar Sawtelle who lives an idyllic life with his parents on their farm in Wisconsin, raising and training a fictional breed of dogs that are unique in every way. Edgar is born mute and uses sign language to communicate to his parents and the dogs.

With the unexpected return of Claude, Edgar’s uncle and the sudden death of his father, Edgar’s peaceful life is destroyed. With the loss of Edgar’s father, Claude assumes control of the farm and also the affection of Edgar’s mother, Trudy.

Certain that Claude is responsible for the death of his father, the grief stricken Edgar tries to prove Claude’s guilt but his plan unfortunately backfires. Edgar is force to run away into the wild with three other Sawtelle dogs; Essay, Tinder and Baboo, where he learns the value of the dogs as companions.

The story of Edgar Sawtelle is a book filled with great characters that you can’t help but really feel for them be it human or dog. Due to the depth provided on Edgar’s thought and emotion, you can’t help but feel his grief, loss and frustrations. Edgar became a character that I can’t help but love. Although there were short chapters on the dogs, there was also a clear understanding on Almondine’s feelings and fierce loyalty to Edgar.

It was mostly an interesting read but there were some parts of the book that provided way to much detail and took too long to end. However the storyline will pick up again with an introduction of a new character or an event that will keep your nose glued to the book which more that makes up for those unnecessary pages.

I wasn’t too wrapped up with the book especially when it went on too long on the details but when the story picked up again I just COULD NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN. I’m glad I didn’t give myself 1001 excuses not to read this book especially not letting the size and weight of the book get to me (although my handbag looked liked I was carrying a Christmas turkey in it when I brought the book around with me). Overall, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a good read and worth taking the time to absorb.

Friday Finds, 2 Jan 2009

I thought I’d be a bit more pro-active this year with my blogging efforts and have decided to join some of the blogging events going around in the blogosphere. I’ve decided to take part in Friday Finds which is hosted by Should be Reading. Good way to catalogue interesting books that I’ve found and may want to read in the future. I keep writing down interesting titles on pieces of paper and always end up losing them. So here’s my first Friday Finds for the year:

Books for the week:

Confessions of a Fallen Angel by Ronan O’Brien

For more details on the book, click here plus I also found a positive review on the book from Valentina’s Room.

You Suck by Christopher Moore

I found the title of this book interesting. Apparently it’s a funny read. For more information, you can check out Christopher Moore’s site. I also found a useful book review from The Plot Café on the book.

Yoga School Dropout by Lucy Edge

I thought this was an interesting book about an advertising executive (like me) who goes to India in search of spiritual tranquillity. Other similarities I may have to the character? I too am a yoga school dropout! Definitely reading this one this year… P.S I love the book design it’s so colourful and hippy like. Anyway, for more information visit Lucy Edge’s site.

P.S. If you have read and reviewed any of these books, please feel free to send me the link. I'd be more than happy to put it up for you. xox

Mamma Mia- Istana Budaya, 27 December 2008

“A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads. And a trip down the aisle you’ll never forget!”

It was truly a trip down the aisle I’ll never forget, dancing down the aisle of Istana Budaya that is! I held off watching Mamma Mia the movie because I wanted to see the musical first and I’m not sorry with my decision. I’ve heard the movie is great but singing to the tunes of Abba live at Istana Budaya was so much better.

Believe it or not we booked our tickets the first week they announced that the musical troupe were coming and even then we ended up with crappy seats. (P.S. They should have a law against tall people sitting in the front row! Throughout the three hour show I had to crane my neck whenever the person sitting in front of me moved, I think I came out from the theatre looking like a giraffe). The tickets were so hot it was apparently sold out within days.

I’ve always been an Abba fan. My mum is into Abba and she used to (and still does) sing along to all their tunes when it played on the radio while I was growing up. Plus, my girlfriends and I used to visit clubs that played retro music, so naturally it brought a lot of memories singing along to their songs. The only thing missing was the alcohol and me and my girlfriends standing on a chair pointing at each other when we sang along to Dancing Queen… (he he, yup those were the days…).

The storyline was simple and worked perfectly around the music. A friend who had seen the movie said that the storyline was better in the movie compared to the musical. I honestly wouldn’t know since I haven’t seen the movie yet. But I suppose that makes sense seeing that you could fit in a better flow of the storyline in the movie compared to a small theatre stage with a limit of three hours per show.

A musical for all ages, I believe Mamma Mia has successfully bridged the gap between the young and old. Attended by people from all walks of life from all generations; what made it fun was that everyone knew the tunes, sang and danced to the music. Definitely an experience to remember and I’m not sorry I spent almost RM300 on the tickets. It was WORTH IT! A feel good musical that can make even the saddest person come out of the theatre dancing and singing.

Here’s a preview of what the musical is like if you haven’t seen it yet. This was one of my favourite scenes when Donna and the Dynamos performed for Lisa’s hen night:

I actually bought the music CD after the performance and have been playing it in my car since the day I got it. My boyfriend says that if he hears it one more time, his ears will probably bleed out (ha ha nice try but I’m still going to listen to the CD hon!). I doubt I’ll ever tire from any of their songs, well not yet anyway… they’re just so easy to sing to.