reading nook

Above was my latest purchase from Tong Hing Supermarket... Those who are book-craze, there's 50% sale going on ALL BOOKS at Tong Hing in KK (near HSBC)... I got these four books for half price.. Oklah, they're not in the current bestseller list... But I love my books despite how old they are! Also, the bottom one, the great american road trip, is a photobook of all places in the States... I'm thinking to start my own my Great Sabah Road Trip... because it's not the destination that count, it's the journey...

I want a reading nook! This one is perfeeeect!Variations of reading nook

But I love this the most!

books

Last friday, in the middle of work frenzy, I was glad to be out and went for some books therapy during loooong lunch break ;)

Decided to go to Times@Warisan Square to buy some new books. And lucky me, there was a section on three books for the price of two.... So, I grabbed two JodiPicoult books that I haven't got in my collection and the last lecture by Randy Pausch. I guess I can use a little inspiration and motivation right now...

As much as I'd like to think I'm quite professional at work, I guess I'm not. I think sometimes I can have that cold shoulder thing going on if certain things/people bug/irk me. Well, I guess that makes me one of those emotional girl at work. Hahahahha... Although, I must mention here, I never quite cry at work (except for one day, when I had a sudden outburst of tears mourning for my loss friend)... I hope I will never be that girl who yells hysterically. Hmmmm, I wonder if anybody would take me seriously if I do?

my cheese

I read fictions mostly, but in attempt to add a little variety to my readings, I do read some non-fictions sometimes. "Who moved my cheese" is in my books collection. It's a very simple book, can easily be finished in an hour. It's about 2 mice and 2 little people with their hunt for cheese in a maze. Cheese is a representation of money, material things, job or success in life.

The four of them had enjoyed the luxury of plenty of cheese at station C. The two little people, Hem and Haw had established daily routine and had enjoyed their cheese supplies without realizing that their cheese had depleted over time. The two mice, Sniff and Scurry however realized that their supplies have been decreasing, and they were mentally prepared to find new cheese.

One day, Hem and Haw went to get their cheese at "Station C", imagine their surprise when they'd seen no cheese at ALL. They were shocked, and angry about the whole situation and kept blaming how unfair the situation was. They both went home hungry, and hoped the situation would change the next day. The next morning, in hoping that the situation would change, Hem and Haw disappointed because still no cheese. Haw proposed they could start looking for new cheese, but Hem still feel victimized about the whole situation and did nothing.

Sniff and Scurry, instead of feeling victimized and over-analyzing the whole situation, went straight to find new supply of cheese. After looking and hunting in the maze, they had found more cheese at Cheese Station N. It was even more than the original Cheese Station C.

Feeling victimized, Hem and Haw still pondering about their cheeseless situation. They hadn't been around the maze for awhile now, they were scared of the unknown and clueless how to cope in the maze. But one day, Haw realized that their cheese-less situation won't change until he does something about it.

Haw started to question himself what would he do if he's not afraid? So he decided to look for new cheese without his friend Hem. In his journey to find new cheese, he started to write down on the walls for his friend Hem to see...

Change Happens

They Keep Moving The Cheese

Anticipate Change

Get Ready For The Cheese To Move

Monitor Change

Smell The Cheese Often So You Know When It Is Getting Old

Adapt To Change Quickly

The Quicker You Let Go Of Old Cheese, The Sooner You Can Enjoy New Cheese

Change

Move With The Cheese

Enjoy Change!

Savor The Adventure And Enjoy The Taste Of New Cheese!

Be Ready To Change Quickly And Enjoy It Again & Again

They Keep Moving The Cheese.

Haw found little cheese here and there, and found the excitement in the journey. But he was excited when he found cheese Station N which was filled with more delicious cheese than Station C. He also saw Scurry and Sniff who had been there for awhile enjoying their cheese.He realized if he'd never started looking, he wouldn't even have found this cheese station. He'd hoped his friend Hem will found his writing and found his way to cheese station N. This time around, Haw had become more alert of his cheese supplies and are ready to change...

But... what if you "thought" you want this particular cheese sooo much, then when you have found that cheese, you realize that you're not happy with that cheese after all? I guess start looking for another cheese type...

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I don't have to be worry about lonely nights and insomnia in the next few weeks... I've gotten myself a new fling or shall I say this could be a serious company. He be sure... is my bed-partner and I'll be fully engrossed into him until late nights. I'm sure he will make me cry and... at times make me smile by myself. At last.... for 10% off, I've got him!

Book: Gossip Girl #1 (Gossip Girl Series)

I'm so loving Gossip Girls, the fab coctail dresses that I wish I get to wear, and it's in New York City! And how about that eye candy Nate Archibald (Chance Crawford)??? Some of the scenes were shot in popular places in New York City such as in the first episode where S and B talked on the steps of the MET, and also the hustle of NYC streets (with the yellow taxis). I wish I can visit the city in the spring when the flowers are blooming, in the fall when the leaves turn brown and fall from the trees, and also in winter when the city is covered in white.

Anyway, I was going to write about gossip girls initially somehow it turns into travel review :) I've borrowed Gossip Girl book from the local library, just to see the difference from the tv show. Initially I wanted to write down the books vs show here, but I guess someone has already done it here.

Synopsis:
" Welcome to New York City's Upper East Side where my friends and I live, and go to school, and play, and sleep- sometimes with each other. We all live in huge apartments with our own bedrooms and bathrooms and phone lines. We're smart, we've inherited classic good looks, we have fantastic clothes, and we know how to party. . .

Introducing Gossip Girl, a wickedly funny and risquè novel about the provocative lives of New York City's most prestigious private school young adults. Gossip Girl herself is an anonymous narrator with the ultimate insider scoop on the inner-workings of this privileged society because she's one of them. Sharp wit, intriguing characters, and high stakes melodrama drive the action of this addictive novel that will make Gossip Girl the lit world's new "it" girl.

In Gossip Girl, when the beautiful Serena van der Woodsen returns to private school after mysteriously getting kicked out of boarding school, the whole school is talking. All Blair Waldorf knows is that there's no freaking way Serena's going to just waltz back in with her Jimmy Choo mules and Kate Spade bag and steal everyone's heart again. But Serena's got other things on her mind, like college pressure and living up to everyone else's extreme expectations. Plus there's that Ryan Phillippe-looking guy who stands across the street and stares at her all the time.

It's going to be a wild and wicked year, I can smell it.

Love,Gossip Girl "

Synopsis from Barnes&Noble

It's a light book, very suitable for a beach/vacation read. Plus, who doesn't love a bit of juicy gossips???

Book: Vanishing Acts

Quotes:

"It takes two people to make a lie work: the person who tells it, and the one who believes it."

"Sometimes, when you don't ask questions, it's not because you are afraid that someone will lie to your face. It's because you're afraid they'll tell you the truth."

Synopsis:

Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as she plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can’t recall. And when a policemen arrives to disclose a truth that will upend the world as she knows it, Delia must search through these memories – even when they have the potential to devastate her life, and the lives of those she loves most. Vanishing Acts is a book about the nature and power of memory; about what happens when the past we have been running from catches up to us… and what happens when the memory we thought had vanished returns as a threat.

synopsis & picture from http://www.jodipicoult.com/

Currently reading....

This is what I will be reading...

Reading: The Pact by Jodi Picoult. it made me think whether we really know the person closest to us or not.
On the radio: Big Girls Don't Cry. Except in the shower, before sleeping and in the washroom alone.

books to movies...

Upcoming movies (adaptation from books)


1. Nanny Diaries
It's a fun and light book to read. In the movie which will be released on Aug 24, Scarlett Johanson will be taking the Nan role.

2. Time Traveler's Wife
I haven't read this one, but people say it's a good book to read. Eric Bana will be the husband, Henry De Tamble who has a genetic disorder which makes him be able to travel through time (kinda like Hiro of Heroes), while Rachel McAdams (i love her!) will be the wife,Clare Abshire.

3. My sister's keeper
I LOVE, LOVE this book!!!! From PopSugar insanely addictive celebrity goss, it stated that Cameron will be taking the role of Sara Fitzgerald the mother of Anna, Kate and Jesse Fitzgerald.

4. The lovely bones by Alice Sebold

This movie is still in production. Stars including Rachel Weisz and Ryan Gosling(*gasp*) as the parents of Susie.

Stretch a dollar...

I'm itching to buy the bowling ball & shoes set (not that i'm a professional bowler)... I'm itching to buy that the OPI nail polish which i think very very nice color... I'm itching to get a room makeover (new paint, new sheets and new book rack)... Too bad, all of em need $$$, and $$$ don't fall from the sky. When I want something I always tell myself that I can only have them by sacrificing my other luxury items. For example, when I splurge on m.a.c foundations & concealers, other cosmetics such as blushers, lipstick etc can be bought from drugstore or body shop. You can't have 12 cosmetics coming out from cosmetic counters (unless if u're married to a billionaire) It's one of the tips I got from City Chic: An Urban Girl's Guide to Livin' Large on Less book, a birthday gift from Mel last year. The book has all sort of tips to live large with less money.
A description of the book from publishers Weekly:
"Bursting with random tidbits-e.g., bakeries often slash prices heavily right before closing; it's best to shampoo your hair every other day, not daily; blue is supposedly an appetite suppressant, thus not a great color to paint your kitchen-Willdorf's handbook for the chick-lit crowd actually contains lots of useful information. The glossy magazine vet (she's written for Glamour, Worth, Entertainment Weekly and Teen Vogue) provides a cheat sheet for 20-something women dealing with life on a budget in a big city...."
Some tips :-
- Make your own coffee instead of buying the Starbucks coffee
- Brown bag your lunch (or breakfast)
- Run outside instead of working out in the gym
- Go watch movies on Movie Day/Ladies day (RM5) instead of paying the full price (RM8/9)
- * This tips only for lady bowlers, play on ladies day where you only pay RM14.80 for 4 games instead of the normal price RM19.40 (weekdays)/RM21(weekend)
Got any tips to stretch a dollar?

BookList...

Since Lana had listed her preggie bibles... Here are some of my wishlist for coming summer read :D

I enjoyed his last book The Kite Runner. "A thousand splendid suns" covers three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban tyranny through the lives of two women. Kh@led Hosseini quoted it's about love, self-sacrifice and friendship. I think this will be a good read :)

I have read all the shopaholic series.. except for this one... I am waiting for the paperback version that hasn't come out yet. And I'm a cheapskate who is not willing to pay rm69.90 for a book ( especially when i can get it for rm35).

I loved half.com where you can get good books for usd1-2. I bought a lot of books from there and i found that most of the books are in good conditions. Some of them even looked brand new! Too bad.. malaysia doesnt have it...

I'm one of the people who like to finish a book in one or two sittings. Cozy couch, dim light, some candles, with slow music at the backgroud, smell of coffee... and a good book.. My definition of relaxation...

Here are some of my collections that is in my to-read-list...
1. harvesting the heart - jody picoult ( loved her "my sister's keeper" book)
2. the blind assasin - margaret atwood
3. everyone worth knowing - Lauren Weisberger (author of the devil wears prada)
4. secret life of bees - sue monk kidd
5. middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides

Thank God it's friday!!!

first book 2006

Finally after a month of trying to fit reading in my schedule, I finally finished my first book in 2006. It’s She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. It’s about a girl/woman named Dolares, a story from she’s 13 until 40. It’s about growth, how she screwed up, and found herself again. She was raped when she was 13 yrs old by her neighbor, was left by her father, her mom somehow becomes unwell (mentally-speaking), and her marriage was deteriorating. Out of all the troubles and hardship she went through, she was able to undone everything, and looked herself the way she should be looking (Of course this after years in Dr Shaw’s therapy, which is very unconvincing, I mean which therapist would want to swim with her patient(naked even!!)?). Ah, I want a happy ending, I want to meet a hunky painter and have my own happy ending.

What’s up with every tv shows having a voice over? I think this is all initiated by Sarah Jessica Parker. Ok.. here’s mine… Imagine me typing the computer and sipping coffee occasionally.

Everybody says that being an adult and going to work is fun. While it’s exciting to see the digits going up in your savings account, it’s definitely eating the inside of me every day.

OK. That’s just stupid. Hehhehe. But not all voiceover make sense pun. While I’m feeling drained by my work, that doesn’t take away my secret tv addiction. Fine, maybe it’s not a secret, everybody knows I’m a tv addict. Everyday, I checked www.spoilerfix.com to get my fix (just u know, to get ahead in the game), and later I will check tv.com to see if this week is the rerun or all-new-episode. While some people think it’s a waste of time investing time watching 2-dimensional people with cute hair and perfect make-up , I found it entertaining to get lost in the teenage world with bigger problems. America’s Next Top Model started their new season. I haven’t seen anybody I liked yet. But I’m so disliking Jade’s I’m –so-fabulous-and-the-undiscovered-supermodel-attitude. What’s up with that, and you’re not even that pretty.

I’m taking some time off next week. Only have to work Monday-Wednesday. I need to do some packing (travel-light), and I have yet finished unpacking my shipping-stuff (so not me, I know!!!).

Here’s an overdue picture of me during the company’s annual dinner.

Started re-reading da Vinci Code yesterday.

Two days ago, MOH started official order for all Renu solution to be taken off the shelf. Scary keratitis news.