Do Something Good Today

While browsing through Maw Books Blog's latest posts, I came across her post on the Book Wish Foundation. Click on the link to find out more about their mission to provide reading relief for people in crisis. Check out their About Us page too.

They also have this Holiday Campaign: Donate $1 Per Book You Received. If you want, you can donate $1 for every book that you received as presents for Christmas or for any other celebration this year. To read more about it, go here. You can choose one of the four options given on how you prefer your donation to be put to use.

By donating, you are doing your part in providing reading materials for the Darfur refugees in Chad. Think about it. Someone was nice enough to give you a book as a present. Now it's your turn to give something to those who really need it. What goes around comes around.

I've already donated. I hope they get to read lots of wonderful books!

New Year and New Year Resolutions

Two more days till the New Year. What are you going to do about it? Have you made a new set of New Year Resolutions? How have you spent this year? The year 2008 isn't over yet so you still have a little time left to try to do what you resolved to do at the beginning of this year. Better late than never.

I don't actually write out my New Year resolutions. In fact, I don't always have them listed out. I just keep making resolutions throughout the year but most of the time, my resolutions are made before a new school term begins. They are always the same, study more, study harder, spend less time wasting time, spend less money, save more money, don't procrastinate (number one resolution every time!), and so on.

What kind of resolutions do you usually make and when do you make them? Do you stick with them? Sticking to your resolutions is probably the most important thing. Yeah, you go through all the trouble writing them out in some fancy piece of paper and sticking it onto the refrigerator or your bathroom door or wherever convenient but how's the progress?

I say that I want to read more books but the number of books read is just the same as the previous year. :D I say I don't want to procrastinate but this habit is still going strong in me. So, do you find it hard keeping up to your resolutions?

There's this website where they listed out the Top Ten New Year Resolutions people make every year. Here they are:

1. Enjoy life. (No worries)


2. Reach office on time.


3. Spend time with family and friends.


4. Go for trips and outings.


5. Keep house clean.


6. Quit drinking and smoking


7. Say "No" to junk food.


8. Buy and read books.


9. Work out and exercise.


10. Write a diary.

Those are pretty common resolutions. My favourite one is No. 8 although No. 1 doesn't sound too bad. However, it's not easy trying to do No. 1. If I were to really enjoy life, I wouldn't care less about No. 7 and will eat whatever I wanted. Of course, one should know that junk food isn't kind to the face and body. :/ So, less junk food no matter what!

Nevertheless, good luck with your New Year resolutions and sticking to them! Sit back, relax and wait for the new year and if possible, the new you, to come.

Winner!

Hey there!

I know I'm supposed to announce the winner of my book giveaway right after Dec 23 but I'm sorry as I was kind of busy. It's alright, I'm just going to announce it right now. :)

And the winner is......................

Mussita

I'd also like to thank all those who participated in this giveaway. Thank you, thank you very much!

Learning Spanish Again!

Yes, I'm continuing my Spanish classes again! I took Level One two semesters ago. Now I'm doing Level Two and I've already forgotten half of what I learnt. So yesterday, I tried to cram in as much Spanish as possible so that I can be partially ready for this morning's class. I have the same teacher as last time and I wouldn't want to make her irritated with me for being slow.

Luckily today's class was more uplifting and cheery. At least the teacher spoke some English! In the first class on Monday, she spoke completely in Spanish and I think most of us were quite bewildered and looked at her blankly. There are only five students. I thought it'd be quite dull but I'm glad it was anything but that today. Even though I couldn't answer all the teacher's questions, I had fun.

Now, I just need to do more revision so I'll be better prepared for next week's class.

Have A Merry Christmas!

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my readers and friends a Very Merry Christmas!




I found this cute, sparkly graphic from the Internet. Wondercliparts.com. You can see many of these graphics on Friendster and Myspace!

Well, hope you have a good Christmas this year. :)

Book Giveaway #4

***STICKY POST*** Scroll down for latest posts!

This time I'm going to give away Gwen Freeman's Crazy Fool Kills Five! It's an ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) and has only been read once by me. You can read my review of it too.



The rules are the same as my previous ones. To enter, just do any or all of the following:

1. Simply leave a comment and your e-mail add saying you want to participate - 1 entry
   
   
2. Blog about this giveaway in your blog and tell me about it - 2 entries
   
   
3. Adding me to your blogroll or if I'm already in your blogroll - 5 entries

Again, this giveaway is open to everyone in the world with a valid mailing address. Contest ends on 23 December, 2008. Keep your fingers crossed! :)

Books Read in 2008

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
2. Maggie Again by John D. Husband
3. The BFG by Roald Dahl
4. 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom
5. Sticky Fingers by Niki Burnham
6. Astro Socks by Leigh M. Le Creux
7. The Secret Scroll by Ronald Cutler
8. Down to a Sunless Sea by Mathias Freese
9. An Amazing Story by Carlo Gabbi
10. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
11. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
12. P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
13. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
14. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul
15. Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
16. Crazy Fool Kills Five by Gwen Freeman
17. The Poem I Turn To edited by Jason Shinder
18. Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer
19. 1984 by George Orwell
20. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
21. The Rat-A-Tat Mystery by Enid Blyton
22. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
23. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
24. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
25. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
26. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner
27. Mo' Dirty: Still Stuntin' by Darrell King
28. Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern
29. Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
30. The Famous Five: Five on a Treasure Island by Enid Blyton
31. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
32. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty

I'm still reading The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. I think I might only get to finish it next year what with classes starting and also the Christmas season!

What Have You Done?

I saw this meme at Life and Times of a "New" New Yorker and felt like doing it. There are 100 things in the list and you've to bold the ones you've done.

1. Started my own blog

2. Slept under the stars (What if I could see the stars from my bedroom? Can that be counted?)

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than I can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland/world

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis (I held a dying bird though. :( No, I didn't kill it. It got hit by a ceiling fan in my school hall. I picked it up to put it somewhere else so that the other students wouldn't accidentally step on it. Poor thing.)

10. Sung a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched lightning at sea

14. Taught myself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown my own vegetables (How about bean sprouts for science projects?)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train (When I was a kid travelling to KL.)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitchhiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught myself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had my portrait painted (during a camp. We had to draw each other's portraits. My portrait was drawn horribly by some silly boy.)

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp

67. Bounced a check

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had my picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous

92. Joined a book club

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Rode an elephant

BTT: Treat and Generosity

Wow, two Booking Through Thursday questions! Goody.

Treat

What is the best book you ever bought for yourself?

Hmm, tough one. I'm not really sure but for now, I think it'd be The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray.

And, why? What made it the best? What made it so special?

It's a beautiful hardback copy which I only bought for USD18 from Better World Books. It's the most expensive book I've ever bought. The pages are smooth and it's a really thick book. 75 chapters altogether!

I'm going to savour each page. It's the last book in the Gemma Doyle trilogy. :(

Generosity

Do you give books as gifts?

Yes.

To everyone? Or only to select people?
To everyone. Everyone as in my nieces and nephew.

How do you feel about receiving books as gifts?
Perfect if they're books that I'll like. My sister once gave me Diary of a Girl in Changi probably because of the girl wearing glasses on the cover. It was terribly boring. :p

Check Out My Authors Page!

I've created an Authors A - Z page in my book review blog. That's where I list out the authors I've read in alphabetical order. I got the idea from Nymeth's and Maw Books Blog.

If readers want to find my review of books by a particular author, they can check out the Author A - Z page to see if I've read anything by the author yet. But there are only around 58 authors listed there! So not a really extensive list. It'll get longer as the days go by though. :)

Well, not much going on right now. I'm just starting The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. I bought the book from Better World Books for only USD18. Quite a good price. Shipping was also only USD2.97 for international orders! Now it's already USD3.97... :(

Sigh, school starts next Monday, 3 days before Christmas!

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

There's a book giveaway over at Em's Bookshelf. Hurry! Leave a comment on her blog post before December 19, 2008 to enter.

I Won A Cecelia Ahern Book!

Wow, I'm speechless! I checked my e-mail just now and I couldn't believe my eyes! It started with this:

Dear Winners

Congratulations! You have been selected as the winners for this contest published in The Star, Star Two section on 5 Dec 2008.

Your prize, a copy of Cecelia Ahern's latest book, The Gift will be mailed to the mailing address provided by you in the contest form.

We had to write a slogan about why we love reading Cecelia Ahern's books. I think this is the first time I've won something from writing a slogan. To tell you the truth, my slogan-writing sucks. So this win was like once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing.

Oooh, I can't wait for the book to arrive. An early Christmas present for me! :D

*** *** ***

You might also like to read this article on how to end the year! I might sit down and do suggestion No. 1.

ABC List of Books

KittyCat from Right Reads tagged me for this last month.

What are your favourite books? Can you create an ABC list of them? Here’s mine:

A - Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
B - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Black Maria by Diana Wynne Jones
C - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
D - Does My Head Look Big In This? by Randa Abdel-Fatah
E - Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
F - Firestarter by Stephen King
G - A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
H - The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
I -
J - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
K -
L - Looking For Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta
M - The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty
N -
O -
P - PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
Q -
R - Rebel Angels by Libba Bray, Roots by Alex Haley
S - The Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella
T - The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
U - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
V -
W - Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern
X -
Y -
Z -

This would be my list for the time being. As I read more books and if I happen to get fond of them, I'll just add them in the list above.

If you want to do it, go ahead and let me know! I'd like to see your list too. :)

Downfall

I saw this over at Trisha's blog and wanted to do it too! I did another one just like this some time ago and found it oh-so-fun. The answers were hilarious too!

• Put your iTunes/Other music device on shuffle.
  
• For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
  
• YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
  
• Tag friends who might enjoy doing this.

1. IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY? Hand In My Pocket
   
2. WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY? Wait A Minute
   
3. WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL? Taking Chances
   
4. HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY? Dream Catch Me
   
5. WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE? Glamorous
   
6. WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO? Don't Cha
   
7. WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU? Runaway
   
8. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS? Dance Inside
   
9. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN? Ashes and Wine
   
10. WHAT IS 2+2? Take A Bow
    
11. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND? Be Mine (???)
    
12. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE? Best I Ever Had (???) :p
    
13. WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU? Single
    
14. WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING? Far Away
    
15. WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL? Obsession (No Es Amor) Hmm, sounds cool.
    
16. WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST? Maria
    
17. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET? Potential Break-Up Song
    
18. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS? I Ain't Missing You (Oh no!)
    
19. WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN? Say
    
20. HOW WILL YOU DIE? Brave
    
21. DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU? All You Wanted
    
22. IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE? Bounce
    
23. WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW? Torn
    
24. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR DAY? Put Your Records On
    
25. HOW’S YOUR LOVE LIFE? Who Knew
    
26. IF YOUR LIFE WAS A TV SHOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED? She's So High
    
27. WHAT’S YOUR PARTY SONG? Everything
    
28. WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR A LIVING? Over You
    
29. WHAT WAS THE WEATHER LIKE TODAY? If Everyone Cared
    
30. WHAT WAS/WILL GRADUATION (BE) LIKE FOR YOU? Complicated
    
31. WHAT WERE YOUR DREAMS LIKE LAST NIGHT? Ever The Same
    
32. WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS? Downfall

Wow, that took almost two hours. You know, to listen the songs one by one. :)

Anyway, I'd like to tag the following people:

1) Edmund
2) Faisal
3) Drey
4) Jard The Great
5) YOU!

What I Read Last Month

Only three books because I had exams until November 19. Here they are:

• Mo' Dirty: Still Stuntin' by Darrell King
  
• Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern
  
• Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
  

I'm now reading Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer! In the middle of Chapter 5 right now. :)

The Twilight Movie

I watched Twilight today! I couldn't wait actually. I almost resorted to buying a fake DVD just to watch it but luckily there were none! A few days ago, I even tried downloading the movie from Limewire. I downloaded it twice but couldn't watch on any of my movie players! Definitely frustrating. So today, armed with my student card, I went to watch it for only RM6 or around USD1.65. Very affordable. I didn't even buy popcorn as the movie was almost starting.

The movie was quite okay. I read the book last year but I think it stayed pretty close to the book. And like I mentioned in my previous post, they had a good-looking cast. Duh, they were already good-looking in the book! Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan looked and sounded smarter than the Bella from the book. I also thought Bella from the movie kind of unfriendly and unsmiling.

Robert Pattinson (Cedric in Harry Potter) was okay as Edward. Yeah, he did look good and mysterious, like what he's supposed to be. And he looked nothing like the movie poster above! What's with the poster???

They also casted the role of Alice well. I liked Ashley Greene as Alice. She looked likeable. Carlisle was so white and yellow at the same time. Well, he looked like that to me. Jacob's hair was sooooo long. I didn't realize he had long hair in the book. Did he?

Besides that, they played great music. I enjoyed them! Look out for the part where Bella first watches the Cullens enter the cafeteria. I liked that part.

Overall, great movie. I wonder if they'll make a New Moon movie. If yes, wow, then it's gonna be another long wait. I might enjoy the movie better than the book, which was unfortunately quite dull.

ETA: I've just read that the baseball scene from the movie is famous! Yeah, it helped me understand how they actually played because I did not fully get it from the book.

Wow, Pattinson actually played the piano in the movie! He's a 'really talented musician' as quoted from WikiAnswers.

My Handmade Christmas Card

Instead of popping a movie into the DVD player, I sat down and made this:


Front of card


When you open it


Back of card


Cool, huh? I spent over an hour cutting and pasting and putting the card together. Man, the yellow does seem a bit too striking but I only have red and yellow construction paper at home. I cut out the pictures of the Christmas tree, the reindeer, and the words from Guardian and Toys R Us advertisement booklets.

I think I'll make some more cards. But first I need to get more construction papers of different colours!

Recycle Your Used Envelopes

Lately I've been buying a lot of stuff through the Internet and I've obviously been receiving a lot of parcels. It's so fun to receive a parcel or a thick envelope in the mail! But that's beside the point. What I'm talking about now is envelopes. Yeah, you heard me right. What do you do with your old envelopes? Do you toss them into the trash? Or do you recycle them? What do you do with them?

Through Book Mooch, I get books from people from other countries like USA and England. What's interesting is that they sent the books in used envelopes, which means they sort of recycled them! Fascinating, isn't it? That can save us money and also save the environment. So, if possible, try and reuse your envelopes and Jiffy bags. Just stick some paper over the old addresses and also use cellophane tape to tape wherever necessary.

If you are unsure on how you can reuse your old envelopes, any kind of envelopes, try searching on Google by typing "how to reuse envelopes?" or "how to recycle envelopes?". You'll find lots of websites providing step by step intructions and tips on how you can use your old envelopes again. There are also steps showing you how to make your own envelope using old, unwanted pieces of paper like junk mail and old calendars. Perhaps when you're bored and there are lots of useless papers lying around the house, you might as well embark on this DIY project!

For Malaysians, you can start your recycling by visiting this site.

Being Thankful

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

Today is Thanksgiving here in the U.S.

Now, you may have noticed that the global economy isn’t exactly doing well. There’s war. Starvation. All sorts of bad, scary things going on.

So–just for today–how about sharing 7 things that you’re thankful for?

This can be about books, sure–authors you appreciate, books you love, an ode to your public library–but also, how about other things, too? Because in times like these, with bills piling up and disaster seemingly lurking around every corner, it’s more important than ever to stop and take stock of the things we’re grateful for. Family. Friends. Good health (I hope). Coffee and tea. Turkey. Sunshine. Wagging tails. Curling up with a good book.

So, how about it? Spread a little positive thinking and tell the world what there is to be thankful for.

My answer:

I'm sure that there are more than seven things to be thankful for but I'll list down what comes to mind.

I'm thankful that:

1) I have all my five senses, I can touch, taste, see, hear, smell, talk, write, walk, run, smile, laugh. Okay, so it's more than five senses but I'm grateful for them. I'm thankful for being what and who I am.

2) I have a family and also friends around me.

3) I have a home, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, food on the table, good books to read, some money to spend.

4) I have an interest in many things so that I'll be kept busy and hopefully be able to do something to give something good back to the world.

5) I live in a country where there's no war and no poverty.

6) I have the chance to go to university and learn new things to make me a better-informed person.

7) I am free to do almost anything I want.

8) I live in a beautiful world with rain and sun. The rain to make plants grow, to cool the temperature and to wash the car. The sun to dry the clothes.

9) For anything else that I can't think of but I know I'm thankful for them, whatever they are!

Last but not least, Happy Thanksgiving to the wonderful people celebrating it!!!

Reading Marathon

Now that my holidays have just begun, it's time for me to read as much as I can! And I mean reading story books, not school books! :D

A few hours ago, I finished Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern. Click on the title to read my review.

It's a pretty good book with a different way of telling the story. Ahern used e-mails, letters, instant messages and other ways to tell the story of Alex and Rosie. Yep, fate just can't stop meddling with these two poor souls. They had to go through so much before finally getting together. And only when they're 50 years old!

All the same, I learnt two new facts:

1) Cecelia Ahern's dad was the Prime Minister of Ireland.
2) Cecelia Ahern's sister is married to Nicky Byrne, a member of Westlife.

Incredibly interesting!

I was searching on Google Blog Search for other reviews of Where Rainbows End but couldn't find complete reviews. Apparently a lot of teenagers and young adults have read and loved this book! Well, it is a love story after all. Even my mom read it halfway and she rarely reads fiction nowadays.

Anyway, most of the reviews I found were sweet and short ones. So if you're read and reviewed this book, do leave the links in the comments box. I'd like to link to other reviews.

So, what to read next? I have to start reading those review books that were sent to me since months ago. Perhaps I'll get started on Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer. Oh dear, another Georgette Heyer book... Frankly, I'm not looking forward to it but I need to review it! Hopefully it'll be better than Friday's Child.

The Typealyzer Test

I saw the Typealyzer Test at Drey's blog and decided to try it out for my own blog! This is the result:

ISTP - The Mechanics

The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of responding to challenges that arise spontaneously. They generally prefer to think things out for themselves and often avoid inter-personal conflicts.

The Mechanics enjoy working together with other independent and highly skilled people and often like seek fun and action both in their work and personal life. They enjoy adventure and risk such as in driving race cars or working as policemen and firefighters.

Analysis
This show what parts of the brain that were dominant during writing.

What I'm Reading Now?

Yesterday I finished reading a book, which was sent to me by Tracee Gleichner from Pump Up Your Book Promotion. The title of the book was Mo' Dirty: Still Stuntin' by Darrell King. Click on the title to read my review of it.

It's the first of its kind that I've read. It's categorized under the Urban Fiction genre. I visited Wikipedia last night and found out that books in the Urban Fiction genre are mostly full of street or gangsta language, like what you hear in rap songs!

I'm not sure if I like it because it's hard to read and decipher what the characters are trying to say. It's full of bad words you wouldn't want your child to be reading. I'm also guessing that feminists might be against such books which also make women seem like mere objects. The guys also seem to be only interested in money, obtaining the best drugs, and deciding on which girl to sleep with each night.

But then, it's been an interesting read. I'm always open to different kinds of books. Each book is a unique reading experience and I'd like to try them all if I have the time.

Nevertheless, last night I started reading 'Where Rainbows End' (or Love, Rosie or Rosie Dunne in the US) by Cecelia Ahern. Ahern is certainly a talented writer as she can certainly write good stories that can make the reader keep going. I was so engrossed in the book until 2.30 a.m., well past my bedtime. In fact, I was still fully awake at that time and would love to continue reading but I'd better sleep as I've to wake up early this morning.

This is what the book's about (taken from MPH Online):

"Since childhood, Rosie and Alex have stuck by each other through thick and thin. But they're suddenly separated when Alex and his family move from Dublin to America. Rosie is lost withoout him. Then, just as she is about to join Alex in Boston, she gets life-changing news - that will keep her at home in Ireland."

The Winner Is....

Today is the 19th of November, 2008 and it's also the last day of my exams. Yay!!! *laughs heartily non-stop*

Anyway, it's also time for me to announce the winner of my latest book giveaway: An Amazing Story by Carlo Gabbi. Congratulations to:

Faisal Admar

I've sent you an e-mail so do check your inbox or junk mail.

I also conducted an online interview with Mr. Gabbi last June. You can read it here!

Thanks to everyone else who entered too. It has been fun holding this book giveaway. I might hold another one in the near future, probably some time in December. So do check back from time to time! :D

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!

Where To Buy More Used Books & Other Stuff?

I'm now an avid fan of two online websites where people sell off their stuff at cheap prices. They are Low Yat Forum and Mudah. Lelong ain't that bad either but I prefer Low Yat the most.

I've spent my money on second-hand books, DVDs, and clothes from this Low Yat forum. It really is like a market place where all kinds of stuff are sold. People sell books, clothes (old and new), make-up, furniture, electronic stuff, animals (pets), computer stuff, mobile phones, cookies, cakes, movies, music, concert tickets, the list goes on and on. Some people even sell Paypal funds. Very happening huh?

If you want to sell off your old stuff and you find eBay too tiresome, why not try Low Yat, Mudah or Lelong? Try to be honest in your dealings so you won't get negative remarks from the other members. Cheating never does anyone any good.

A piece of advice: Don't spend too much time at the forum or you'll be addicted to it! It really is "insanely addictive", which is Low Yat's tagline. Take care not to spend too much. A lot of things seem cheap there and you may feel like you gotta have them all. Do bear in mind that you need to be frugal at times too.

I Love Buying Books

I'm in the mood to answer a Booking Through Thursday question now even though it's Saturday! Yikes! But I have a perfectly good excuse...I had to study for my exam which was yesterday. Now I have only two more papers to go! Yay!!!

Anyway, this week's questions:

I’ve asked, in the past, about whether you more often buy your books, or get them from libraries. What I want to know today, is, WHY BUY?

I buy books so that I can own them? And if I buy, then I get to keep it for as long as I want. There's also no pressure to read them in a hurry. I can take my own sweet time reading it without worrying about library deadlines or renewals.

Besides that, I don't borrow much from the library because I don't often visit the library! Surprising, huh, seeing that I enjoy reading so much? Until now, I think there are two reasonable libraries near to where I live. One would be my uni's library and another one is a cosy little library. But I still prefer visiting bookstores. I just love new books!

Even if you are a die-hard fan of the public library system, I’m betting you have at least ONE permanent resident of your bookshelves in your house. I’m betting that no real book-lover can go through life without owning at least one book. So … why that one? What made you buy the books that you actually own, even though your usual preference is to borrow and return them?

Like what I mentioned above, I love new books. I rarely borrow nor lend them.

If you usually buy your books, tell me why. Why buy instead of borrow? Why shell out your hard-earned dollars for something you could get for free?

See above answer!

On The Hunt For Enid Blyton Books

My latest obsessive hobby is finding and buying as many Enid Blyton books as possible. I have quite a sad collection of her books before this actually and I call myself an Enid Blyton fan! Well then, I'm on my way to getting more of her books to add to my collection.

I've not read all of her books yet. The ones that I've read were the Barney mysteries, The Twins at St. Clare's, Malory Towers, The Five Find-Outers and Dog, Adventures of the Wishing Chair books, Naughtiest Girl books and those books about pixies, elves, fairies, toys coming to life, etc. Right now I'm trying to find all the 15 books in the Five Find-Outers series. So far, I already have 12 of them...still looking for three more! That's where Book Mooch comes in! :D

Famous Five? Secret Seven? I think I've read only one or two from Famous Five and I've read none from Secret Seven! My sister didn't introduce them to me when I was younger. I guess she didn't read them too. :D Anyway, I'll also try to find all the books in both series.

As I was searching the Internet, I came across a website which sells Enid Blyton vintage Famous Five books for up to £320.00!!! That's like MYR1790! The complete Famous Five series in hardback. They are the early edition books. Wow. RM1790? Hmm, now that I think of it, it's not impossible. But am I willing to spend that much on only 21 books?






Just look at them. Are you drooling already?

This is even worse. £640.00 for one copy of The Island of Adventure! That's RM3581!!! It is rare and out of print.

Down With ISA?

I was on my way to the ID show a few weeks ago and came across this little campaign near Prangin Mall. Stopped by for a while and snapped some pics. Check out the black guy crouching over a plate of rice!

From afar, I thought it was a real guy who's doing some kind of stunt but realized that it's not a real human because he's been in that position for quite a long time already.




The huge banner that was displayed


(left)The grammatical error which I hope they changed after I told them about it!
(right)Photocopy of 1987 Star newspaper.



The names of 66 people who are still being detained under the ISA





A lady giving a speech. I didn't listen.

Unrelated photo!


QEII restaurant? Near the ferry terminal place.

Cycling Memories

I don’t do much cycling now because I don’t own a bicycle. My old bicycle was sold off when we moved house. Therefore, no bicycles for me to cycle. =(

Last time, I would cycle around the neighbourhood with my friends and discover new housing areas or areas that I’ve not been to before. It was quite an exciting time. I certainly won’t forget the evenings when I’d wake up from my afternoon nap and hop on my old-fashioned Raleigh bicycle and cycle for hours with my friends from school.

Once, a friend and I cycled past a teacher’s house without stopping by to say hi to her. We were actually afraid of her as she was one of the fiercest people/teachers we ever knew. Unfortunately she spotted us. My friend was aware that the teacher had seen us and yelled at me telling me that the teacher saw us. Her yells made me even more panicked and I cycled off faster! That was an unforgettable moment for our teacher too who related that incident to other students at school. How embarrassing! My classmates teased us after that.

Ah, it sure is fun to ride a bicycle. If only there were better roads and less speeding cars, then I’d dare to ride on a bicycle around here. Or I'd probably need a specialized bicycle.

Book Giveaway #3 - An Amazing Story by Carlo Gabbi

Hello there, it's been a little quiet here lately but at least I'm doing some reading now. I'm currently enjoying I, Coriander by Sally Gardner. I think I can finish it tomorrow so do look out for my review of it soon! :)

Anyway....................I'm going to hold my 3rd book giveaway! This time, I'm going to give one lucky reader a copy of An Amazing Story by Carlo Gabbi. Click on the title to read my review of the book. Mr. Carlo has kindly sent me a copy to review and now I'm going to pass the book to someone else.

To enter this giveaway and how you can get extra entries, see below:

1. Simply leave a comment and your e-mail add saying you want to participate - 1 entry
   
2. Blog about this giveaway in your blog and tell me about it - 2 entries
   
3. Adding me to your blogroll - 5 entries

Pretty easy, right? What's more, it's open to anyone on this planet, provided that you have a valid mailing address so this book can reach you later. :)

Contest ends on 19 November, 2008. Good luck!

Things People Sell Online

In order to earn some extra pocket money, people would try absolutely anything including delving themselves in selling stuff online. Recently I’ve been slightly obsessed with visiting online stores and forums where people sell off all sorts of things even second-hand clothes! And people actually buy them! That’s even more surprising.

The other kinds of stuff that people sell are like used books, CDs, DVDs, jewellery, mobile phones, laptops, radios, cars, and many more things. It’s quite fun to browse through their items for sale and also observing what sells the most. Although some people sell off their used clothing at cheap prices, I’m still kind of wary about buying them.

Some people also take advantage of their own creativity and make things to sell like handmade bookmarks, greeting cards, cakes, and jewellery such as earrings and necklaces.

I Won The Graveyard Book!

Actually, I forgot that I entered this book giveaway held at The Novel World. But when I checked through my feeds and visited Nari's blog, there it was. My name and blog name stated boldly on the page. I'm so happy to win The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman! Another book to add to my stack.

By the way, I had better go through all the books that I and my sister own before setting out to buy anymore books. Sometimes I forget what I or my sister already had that I will buy the same book by mistake. This is why I've started haunting Library Thing again! :D

Went To Watch Id Today

This should be the second theatrical play that I've watched in all my life. Id. You can find out more about it from their blog. There are only six actors in the play. It lasted for less than two hours but boy, was it entertaining! I was totally immersed in the play the whole time it lasted. It was also held at The Actors Studio at Greenhall, Penang.

The actors are really talented. They were flawless, extremely expressive, had clear pronunciation of words, energetic, full of chemistry with one another, and the list just goes on. It was worth my RM15.00 (student price)! I want to watch more plays after this!

I noticed that the audience was quite small. I think there were around 20++ people there. But they had shows at other times too. Perhaps the crowd's less on a Sunday afternoon.

Here's a description of what the play's about!

­­'­Id' tells a very simple story on the basis of a very ‘complex’ theory.

It is simply a tale of human behaviour and how one’s desires are coupled with one’s sense of moral judgment, which finally leads to an individual’s decision.

The play is a potpourri of sociological studies summarised and portrayed through the lives of six people who encounter the values of friendship, family, social choice, religion, etc.

Perhaps understanding Freud isn’t as difficult as it has always seemed.

The story of the play had something to do with Sigmund Freud's theories.

They even had bits of Mean Girls and White Chicks in it. For example, when the girls were talking with each other. They talked like how the girls in White Chicks did. Also, they used 'Oh my God!' a lot of times. Too many times actually till it got irritating.

The ending was a little bit confusing too. Why was the 'Angel of Death' wearing a white bathrobe? I thought the girl character had ended up in a hotel room with some strange guy or something. Didn't realize that she's Death itself! Maybe that's another character she plays.

But overall, it was a great show. Wonderful exposure for me since I'm planning to minor in Drama and Theatre. I love stories. I love movies. And now, I love theatre!

How's Your Online Shopping Experience?

There was a feature article last week in one of the daily newspapers on online stores that sell clothes, accessories, shoes, and other stuff that can be sold online! Well, I didn’t realize that there were so many local online stores selling ladies’ clothes. I was, like, where did they all spring out from? How come I have never came across them in my long days of spending online?

Have you purchased clothes or shoes or bags from online stores before? So far, I have only bought books and DVDs, never clothes. My sister once remarked that maybe the clothes might have been worn before or they could be some dead person’s clothes! Yeah, she’s pretty skeptical about most things. =D

What I’m worried about is the size of clothing and shoes. What if they don’t fit me and what if I can’t return them? I noticed on some online store blogs that items sold are not refundable and exchangeable, whatever that means. It’ll be kind of risky, won’t it? But some stuff I saw in these online stores look darn good. They are even hinting at me to buy them! It’s just too bad actually since I’m kind of broke right now.

Why Am I In University?

I only began asking this question at the beginning of this semester! I should have thought of it way back before entering university. But better to have thought of it now than when it’s much too late.

Do other students ponder over this question? Do they know why they go to university? Are they like me who just went to uni because it was the next step in completing our education? Will education be ever complete? I thought we learn throughout our lives because we always learn something new each day.

This morning during a tutorial, my lecturer reminded us why we are in university. We were asked to define some communications concepts which we answered pathetically but still understandable. She said that we needed to learn to express our ideas in words in order for other people to understand us clearly. It’ll also be useful when answering exam questions if we knew how to form our ideas properly.

Anyway, she said that we come to university to learn how to think. I don’t know how she got to that part but that’s what she said. That comment of hers got me thinking all about it all over again.

So that brings us back to the first question, which is why am I or why are we in university? I’ve just searched via Google and found some insightful articles on why students are in university in the first place even if they don't know it themselves.

I realized a few things earlier. One of them was learning in university is completely different from learning in school. Yeah, the hours spent in classes were less but scattered throughout the day. Still, it is less if compared to normal school hours. That gives us the chance to pursue our other interests so we join societies, clubs, etc.

Spending less time in class should give us more time to study, right? Well, that isn’t the case since students take advantage of their extra free time doing other things unrelated to school work. We students should be using the free time to read our required readings or get started on assignments. Sadly, we like to procrastinate!

Besides that, we are in university to form ideas and ask questions, aren’t we? It’s usually known as the time when shy students learn to speak up in class and during discussions. However, in class, it’s normally quiet when the lecturer asks for questions. Why is that so? Nowadays, lecturers expect this to happen because it’s been happening for quite a while now where students don’t like to ask questions anymore. I’m not sure about ten years ago but this is true for now.

During tutorials, the students and the tutor or lecturer are supposed to be discussing, aren’t they? That’s what I’ve been told but tutorials are becoming like lectures where the tutor/lecturer still talk the most. Sometimes, only a few brave souls will ask something or just give their opinion on an issue. As usual, students will be holding a pen and some paper on the table. It's the copying notes syndrome again.

I’m also amazed at some people in university. When I ask them a simple question, they give me answers which are not related to my question. This shows that they haven’t understood my question in the first place! They also plagiarize in assignments and presentations. They don’t put forth any ideas or opinions of their own. But I’m amazed that they can still do fairly well in exams.

Questions, questions, and more questions. It’s all a mystery to me. But at least I have an inkling of why I’m in university and what I should do to survive there. I think.

This has been a messy post, I know but I just had to get this out. And for those planning to enter university or are already in university, you’ve gotta read this!

Tomes On My Shelf

It's Booking Through Thursday on a Wednesday! I thought I'd gotten my days mixed up but nope, it's true. BTT on a Wednesday and frankly, who cares??? Anyway, the question for the week is:

What tomes are waiting patiently on your shelves?

1. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
2. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
3. The Fellowship of the Ring by JRR Tolkien
4. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
5. Queen Camilla by Sue Townsend

Tomes, tomes, tomes. Oh dear, if only I had more than 24 hours in a day! Since I'm a slow reader, it'll usually take me a few days to finish a normal paperback book. Imagine if I had to read thicker books! I don't have the time now to read for pleasure so my story books will have to wait. My exams are looming round the coner, therefore it's common sense that I hit the right books! :D

Happy BTT everybody!

Booking Through Thursday: Another Book Meme

This week's BTT has got to be one of the easiest! Just answer some simple questions about.....yeah, books again! Isn't that fun???

What was the last book you bought?

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. I bought it from Acmamall and it only arrived yesterday. I'm at Chapter Two now.

Name a book you have read MORE than once.

The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge.

Has a book ever fundamentally changed the way you see life? If yes, what was it?

I think so....every book is different. But some books have left me thinking quite a lot, like 1984 by George Orwell.

How do you choose a book? eg. by cover design and summary, recommendations or reviews

It's not very hard for me to choose a book. But I usually go more for the story. I love a good story. So I'll say that I'll read what the book's about and if I want to know more about the book, I'll just buy it.

Do you prefer Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Fiction!

What’s more important in a novel - beautiful writing or a gripping plot?

Gripping plot. Who cares about the writing if there's no good story to get lost into?

Most loved/memorable character (character/book)

Christopher from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.

Which book or books can be found on your nightstand at the moment?

I don't have a nightstand but I do have a 'TBR pile'. Eclipse, Where Rainbows End, Tweak, The Devil Wears Prada, A Countess Below Stairs, Queen Camilla, A Northern Light and lots more!

What was the last book you’ve read, and when was it?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling. Exactly one week ago.

Have you ever given up on a book half way in?

Yes. Diary of a Girl in Changi. It was terribly boring.

Friday Finds (Oct 10, 2008)

This was what I bought in August but only received it yesterday! I'm at Chapter Two right now. Hope to finish it tonight though. Also, this book is in the list of banned books! Have you read it before? If yes, please leave the links to your review and I'll add them when I've reviewed it later. Thanks!

Teen Read Week 2008

Since Teen Read Week is next week and this is the first time I've heard about it, I might just as well write something about it. I'm not a teen anymore, just got out of it, but nevertheless, I still enjoy reading teen and young adult books. Well, I am a young adult anyway, so it's right that I should be reading YA books. But then, YA books are being read by everyone now of all ages. It definitely appeals to a lot of people.

So how are you going to celebrate Teen Read Week? This year's TRW will be from Oct 12, 2008 until Oct 18, 2008. How did you celebrate it last year?

I won't be celebrating but I hope to read a book or two. No more assignments to do but I still have one presentation to prepare for. Hopefully, I can read something this weekend!

Anyway, you can vote for your favourite teen books for 2008 Teens' Top Ten next week. Readers from the ages 12 till 18 are eligible to vote over here.

26 books are being nominated and here they are:

1. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
   
2. Betrayed by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
   
3. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
   
4. Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance & Colin Polhemus, illus
   
5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
   
6. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
   
7. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
   
8. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks
   
9. Genesis Alpha by Rune Michaels
   
10. Glass by Ellen Hopkins
    
11. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
    
12. Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale by Holly Black
    
13. Jango by William Nicholson
    
14. Jinx by Meg Cabot
    
15. The Luxe by Anna Godberson
    
16. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
    
17. Penelope by Marilyn Kaye
    
18. Saving Zoe by Alison Noel
    
19. Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George
    
20. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
    
21. Tamar by Mal Peet
    
22. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson
    
23. Unwind by Neal Shusterman
    
24. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
    
25. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
    
26. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
    

Sadly, I've only read one book from the list above, which is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have Eclipse and The Sweet Far Thing in my TBR stack though. I also have the movie version of Penelope but I haven't watched it yet. I didn't know that there was a book version of it! Which ones have you already read?

Curious to know about 2007 Teens' Top Ten? I was curious too and found the list! Here it is:

1. New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
   
2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
   
3. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
   
4. Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever by James Patterson
   
5. Firegirl by Tony Abbott
   
6. All Hallows Eve (13 Stories)by Vivian Vande Velde
   
7. Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
   
8. River Secrets by Shannon Hale
   
9. Bad Kitty by Michele Jaffe
   
10. Road of the Dead by Kevin Brooks
    

For years before 2007, just head on over to the ALA site and check them out.

St Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam

I was just fiddling with Google Maps, figuring out how to get to nearby places, and I decided to check out a few places, BM for example.



St Anne's Church, Bukit Mertajam


Do you see the brown cross? That's St Anne's Church! Hah, all the years I've been going for mass there and I've never realized that it's a solid, brown cross if seen from above. That's one of my most interesting discoveries ever.

My father used to wake me up at 7 a.m. sharp every Sunday morning and I'd always grunt in response. If I wasn't up five or ten minutes later, he'd come back and call my name again. "J..., wake up. It's already 7.05/7.10." Then, he'd wait to make sure that I woke up. Grunting in response wasn't acceptable anymore. I had to really wake up, brush my teeth, etc.

He'd always leave home at 7.30 a.m. sharp and the rest of the family would have to rush to get ready by that time. At 7.25 am, he'd be sitting in the hall, wearing his shoes and then waiting patiently for the rest of us late worms.

I don't know why he liked to leave at half past 7 since mass only starts at 8 am. And it's only a 5-minute drive to church! We were always one of the earliest there each Sunday morning. He'd also sit at his favourite seat at one of the church pews facing the priest and the altar.

Anyway, I don't attend St Anne's Church anymore as we've already moved. My father doesn't wake me up at 7 am sharp on Sunday mornings anymore. Why? I guess he felt that I should be old enough to know what time I should wake up. And he's probably busy having a fun time up above while watching over my family and the church where we used to attend.

eBay Account Suspended Again

I’m being suspended from eBay. Again.

Last night I received very good news from them. My account had been reinstated! My eBay account was unfortunately suspended in November last year, if I’m not mistaken. Since then, I couldn’t buy or sell anything on eBay! And I had so much fun shopping there too. =(

In order to reinstate your eBay account, you’d need to send eBay a copy of your driver’s license, a completed Request for Reinstatement form and one of the following:

• Copy of a recent credit card statement
  
• Copy of recent bank statement
  
• Copy of recent utility bill

So about two weeks ago, I sent them a copy of my driver’s license, the completed form and a copy of a recent utility bill. After reviewing my documents, they decided to reinstate my account.

It is advised that you do not open up a new eBay account after one has been suspended. It’s obvious, isn’t it? eBay is not that dumb, you know. They’ll somehow connect the new account with the suspended one and when they put two and two together, you’re doomed. You could be put on their blacklist, too.

Oh dear, I hope I won’t be blacklisted for getting suspended a second time. I thought I’d change my e-mail address since the one I’m using for my eBay keeps getting spam but then thought better of it. Instead, I listed out two items for sale and this morning, I logged into my e-mail to find that I’ve been suspended.

Next, I did a search on Google on second time eBay suspensions. I found a blog which said that an account can be suspended again if it uses the same e-mail address, home address, IP address, Paypal account and so on. Guess I should have changed the e-mail address after all.

But I was being careful! I didn’t want to change anything in case they got suspicious of my eBay activities. Not that there’s anything to be suspicious about! I just want to have a blast of a time there!

Time To Think About Earth's Temperature

Did you know that the temperature on Earth and the concentration of carbon dioxide will increase drastically in the next 50 years? It’s all due to global warming and our irresponsible actions. Even now the temperature’s so darn high, so just imagine when it goes even higher later.

During an English lesson, my teacher showed us a video on global warming. Some guy was presenting a speech about the temperature and level of carbon dioxide on Earth. That was an interesting video and I’m glad she showed it to us. At least the 20-something students in my class have an inkling of what’s really happening to our climate now.

So what can we do to really save the Earth? Lots of campaigns have been run, protests have been held, and education provided in schools but it all doesn’t seem to be enough. I guess we have to start with ourselves first right? We have to change our attitude towards the environment and not turn a blind eye to the situation.

What we can do is to use less air-conditioners, less polystyrene, less fossil fuel burning, etc. I’ll write more on how to save the Earth later.

Help save the Earth! Think of your children. Do you want them to live in an over-polluted world in the future? No, I don’t think so.

What If You Had To Hand In Your Term Paper Tomorrow?

...and it's not even done yet??? What do you do? Panic? Go into hibernation and pray that your research paper will write it by itself? Unless you have magic powers and a wand to swish and flick to create a term paper, you still need to write it out yourself. If you don't, then what excuse will you give to your lecturer?

And no, it's not good to copy and paste information that you find on the Internet. That's called plagiarism and as university students, that is one thing you would need to avoid!

Anyway, yesterday, I searched the Internet for tips on writing a last-minute term paper or research paper and got a bunch of useful links. Let me list them out now.

• How to Write a Great Term Paper in One Evening
  
• HOW TO WRITE A PAPER AT THE LAST MINUTE
  
• Last Minute Paper
  
• The Last Minute: How to Write Good Essays When Time is Short?
  
• Last-Minute Term Paper Advice
  
• How to Write a College Paper at the Last Minute
  
• How to Write a Last-Minute Paper
  How to Write a Last Minute Essay
  
• How to Write Your Essay Under Pressure
  
• Survive: Writing A Last Minute Paper
  

Yay! This morning, I felt so happy because I finished my Apocalypse Now assignment, had it printed and handed in. So now I have only one other assignment left, which is a Theories and Communication Research paper. I only need to hand that paper in after the Hari Raya Puasa holidays. But still, it's better if I get started on it now. Been procrastinating a lot lately and believe me, it's not good.

The links above should only be used when in dire need. Like I said, it's better to get started on your research paper way earlier before the deadline.

But if you need some tips on how to write a great research paper, check out How To Write A Great Term Paper. Actually there are tons of such websites handing out tips on writing papers and you can just search for them via Google or Yahoo. You can also find books on writing term papers right in your library.

You've got to be responsible and also learn to study the smart way. Don't put off your term papers till the last minute. Yeah yeah, that's what I'm telling you...but do I practise what I preach? That's a tough one to answer! :D However, learn to utilize your library and learn how to search for things on the Internet. Don't say 'I don't know'. There's nothing more irritating than somebody saying 'I don't know' when asked to do something simple!

Good luck writing your papers!

Giveaways Again

I visited a book blog which is new to me today, which is Traci's Book Bag and guess what....she's holding a book giveaway! But her way of giving a book is different.

If you want extra entries, you need to guess the titles of the snippets of book covers shown in this post. Try your luck and submit your comments and answers before September 20, 2008.

Edited to add:
Another book giveaway over at On My Bookshelf. I'm going to try my luck to win Sundays At Tiffany's by James Patterson. Contest ends on 21 September, 2008.

This Blog - Suitable For All

I couldn't resist doing this test about how my blog's rated.

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Site

Whereas for my other blog with all my book reviews, Books Love Me - Reviews, this is how it's being rated!



Not suitable??? It's ridiculous. Just because there are words like 'dead' and 'hurt' shouldn't really qualify it as PG-rated. Maybe it's too morbid for younger readers.

So how does your blog rate? :)

My Bindy Book Is Here

Remember when I won a Borders gift card from The Kool-Aid Mom? And that I couldn't use it in Malaysia so she'd send me any book I want instead? Well, I chose The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie by Jaclyn Moriarty and the book arrived in my mailbox yesterday!

What a lovely surprise to come upon me just before leaving for class. I have this habit of checking the mailbox every time before leaving home and if there's something for me, I'm just delighted. It's utter bliss to receive books in the mail. :D





However, I have to refrain from blogging for a week, at least, because I have to complete an assignment which is due next Friday. Yikes!!! I need to write a minimum of 8 pages on the movie Apocalypse Now. Have you watched it before? What do you think of it? I thought it was quite a confusing and gory movie, with disgusting severed heads in it.

Alright, wish me luck! Ta-ta!

Give These Animals A Home

10 minutes ago, I found out about a blog called Adopt A Rescued Animal Today. It's about animals like dogs and cats who are looking for nice owners and homes. These animals were rescued.

If you're looking for pets, look no further. Visit that site today! Do give these poor animals a chance. You can help spread the word by blogging about the blog and linking back to it. Do it for them, the animals. I hope they find themselves in nice and loving homes with responsible owners.

The FrontPage Show

I just finished watching the first episode of Frontpage on NTV7 and it's not a bad show. It's pretty good actually. It had me hooked right from the minute it started at 9.45pm. So for those who missed it tonight, you can catch it next Sunday and every Sunday after that at 9.45pm on NTV7.

This show had been publicized a lot lately especially in The Star. I think it's also the first English series/drama about the journalism world in Malaysia particularly.

I also noticed that there were very few journalists in the office. Or maybe I was wrong. I'm not sure. Next week I'll watch again and count the number of journalists! The name of their newspaper is called 'The Voice', by the way.

The actors were laudable especially Tony Eusoff's. He's Jack Lee in the show and is supposedly the best reporter around. Jehan Miskin is Dylan and his lines are witty ones. Bernie Chan is the boss and there's a love triangle happening between the three of them.

Overall, like I said just now, it's not a bad show. Malaysian dramas are definitely getting better!

Friday Finds (05 Sept 2008)

Friday Finds






Have you read these books before? If yes, what do you think of them? I'd sure like to read them one fine day when I have more money in my pocket!

Peer (Reading) Pressure

Booking Through Thursday


Question: I was looking through books yesterday at the shops and saw all the Twilight books, which I know basically nothing about. What I do know is that I’m beginning to feel like I’m the *only* person who knows nothing about them.

Despite being almost broke and trying to save money, I almost bought the expensive book (Australian book prices are often completely nutty) just because I felt the need to be ‘up’ on what everyone else was reading.

Have you ever felt pressured to read something because ‘everyone else’ was reading it? Have you ever given in and read the book(s) in question or do you resist? If you are a reviewer, etc, do you feel it’s your duty to keep up on current trends?

My Answer:

Very good question. I don't think I give in to peer pressure when it comes to books. If the book looks and sounds good, then I'll definitely look forward to reading it. As for popular books like Twilight and Harry Potter, I've read them before the hype got really intense. But I liked Twilight and not New Moon. I haven't read Eclipse and Breaking Dawn yet. So, I'm not pressured to read them the same time as everyone else!

However, as a reviewer, you can keep up with the trends if you want to but I don't think it's that important. Maybe if you're a professional reviewer and you review books for a living, then I guess it's important to review the latest books so people will come by your site and check out your reviews.

Reading books is supposed to be fun! Nobody should feel pressured to read books that they don't want to.

Do Your Part For Darfur

Natasha over at Maw Books Blog is trying to create awareness about the war in Darfur, Sudan. I have heard of the war a few times before but I'm ashamed to say that I've not bothered to read more about it. Anyway, Natasha will donate a certain amount of money when you do your part to make her campaign a success. You can donate too if you want to!

You can put up the button above in your blog and link back to Natasha's blog for the whole month of September in order to spread word about this campaign.

For more information on Reading & Blogging for Darfur, please visit her blog.



Come on, wait no more! Do something good today! You can help make a difference for the people who are suffering in Darfur.

Happy Merdeka!!!

Well, it is Malaysia's 51st Independence Day today or also known as Merdeka Day. What are your plans for this lovely Sunday? It's a holiday tomorrow too! Yahoo!

I don't think I'll be going out...not sure if there'll be traffic jam or not but still I don't want to go out and join the mad crowd of honking cars. I have to finish reading Understanding Journalism by Lynette Sheridan Burns as soon as possible. I'll need to review that book and hand in my review paper this Friday!!!

So, I'm wishing all Malaysians a Happy Merdeka Day again! :D

What Have You Eaten?

I got this meme from Trisha's. This should be an interesting one since I love to eat! But when I glance through the list, there are so many kinds of food that I've never heard of before. Well, here we go:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment at Very Good Taste linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare (was this what Mr. Bean ate at the restaurant on his birthday?)



5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari (Squid)
12. Pho (is it something like beef noodle soup?)
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi (potato and kunyit or turmeric!)
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (apple wine?)
19. Steamed pork buns (char siew pau!)



20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans (I eat rice everyday and I've eaten them with baked beans too. Is it counted? :D)
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat (mutton curry!)
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk (I once used a shampoo containing goat's milk!)
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal (I like McD's but I don't think I've eated the Big Mac before. It's always the chicken burger, filet-o-fish or quarter pounder)
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores (Yummy! Haven't tried before! Make your own with this recipe.)



62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yam
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers (what kind?)
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake