Vulnerable Thoughts, Vulnerable Words, Vulnerable Reality

Snobs by Julian Fellowes

2012-02-08T21:51:00.001+08:00

Amazon.com 4 out of 5 stars

Wodehouse gets a modern twist in this brilliantly acerbic tale of snobbery and marital tomfoolery in 1990s London. Our nameless protagonist, a jovial, perceptive sort of 30-something fellow hanging affably about the fringes of society, introduces his middle-class but sleek and beautiful friend Edith Lavery to the earnest but dull Lord Charles Broughton. Much to the dismay of "civilized" society, Charles falls in love and proposes to the social-climbing but largely indifferent Edith. Even after she is married, Edith is snubbed and humiliated at every turn (in the slyest, politest possible way, of course), until she moves out in a huff with her married lover, Simon Russell, an actor/ego-on-legs who is eating up the publicity that comes with being seen with a countess and eager for this entrée into society (he doesn't realize Edith has been cast into the societal dung heap). To Edith's consternation, the glittering world of theater turns out to be just as small-minded and dull as that of society, with the added disadvantage of it not involving much money. Gossipy and dishy, this debut by the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Gosford Park is a merciless and hilarious sendup of snobbery and social jealousy, revealing the pettiness and self-absorption of both the envious and the envied.
- From Publishers Weekly Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Why I Chose This Book

Downton Abbey and my unwavering awe towards Julian Fellowes' wit and intelligence.

There are two covers in this introduction post because I happened to purchase the second one, an omnibus that comprises of two novels. I know it's cheating but since my vow was to read 30 books and since the omnibus is made up of two separate books, I'm going to consider this as one and Past Imperfect as another.

My Week With Marilyn by Colin Clark: A Review

2012-02-08T21:29:00.002+08:00

Essentially, the book is actually made up of two books with the first part titled The Prince, The Showgirl and Me and the second part as My Week With Marilyn.

I found the first book interesting and rather arresting in the details provided by Colin Clark. It must be remembered that he is someone whose parents are close to Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier (whose love story, I believe, is a whole new book altogether) and is thus surrounded by a lot of privileges that unknown beginners are rarely provided with.

Also, personally, I love Vivien Leigh so maybe my review is rather biased in that sense as well.

But it was interesting to see the going-ons of the cinema world back in the 1950s as well as the problems that arose from Marilyn's legendary problematic behaviour. Arthur Miller was featured a lot in Colin Clark's recollection and was painted the portrait of a rather arrogant and harsh man. Perhaps that was exactly who he was, but we'll never know. Marilyn's characterisation echoes that of a girl who cam from such an unstructured childhood that her adult life is spent grasping for control from father figures who are probably more inclined to squeeze every dollar out of her rather than genuinely care for her.

As much as the diary was enjoyable, I was rather put off by the second book. It did provide us a glimpse of a week that Colin Clark supposedly spent getting to know Marilyn Monroe on an intimate level (not THAT intimate) but I guess the narration in the book made me feel like I was reading a fan fic rather than an actual retelling? I guess what annoyed me was the fact that dialogues, that were paragraphs long, were used and there is no way a person could remember that much conversation to safely quote it.

But in all, it was an enjoyable read and one that allowed you to swim in a world filled with Old Hollywood glamour and charm.

SAG Awards: The Chris Lowell Is Awesome Awards

2012-01-31T00:11:00.003+08:00

My Week With Marilyn by Colin Clark

2012-01-29T16:46:00.000+08:00

My Week With Marilyn

by Colin Clark

Amazon: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Forty years ago, Colin Clark, the son of art historian Kenneth Clark, accepted a job as a "gofer" on the set of Laurence Olivier's film The Prince and the Showgirl, which was to star Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. By day, Clark satisfied the every whim of director Olivier and other crew members; by night, he chronicled the day's events in his diary, compiling a vivid and witty introduction to the craft and business of filmmaking. Now he is publishing the diary virtually intact. It's a wickedly entertaining little book, a delicious backstage comedy of the clash of two worlds, as well as a candid time capsule of a heedless young Englishman's sexual progress, circa 1956. At center stage are the classically trained Olivier, leading a crew of expert British film professionals, and a sad and volatile Monroe, surrounded by manipulative and sycophantic hangers-on. Clark's thumbnail judgments of the principals are shrewd, sometimes harsh; playwright Arthur Miller, who married the actress just before the film began production, comes across as particularly unpleasant. Full of the sort of stories and observations film insiders tell only each other (Monroe upon Clark's first scrutiny: "She looked absolutely frightful.... Nasty complexion, a lot of facial hair, shapeless figure and, when the glasses came off, a very vague look in her eye"), this diary is a breezy, gossipy, often hilarious read. - Publishers Weekly

Why Did I Choose This Book

Old Hollywood has always held a lot of fascination for me. Perhaps it started with Gone With The Wind and the act of connecting one actor or actress with another intensified that interest, or perhaps it's the constant flow of musical adaptations that Old Hollywood used to produce that were constantly shown on television when I was a child. Whatever it is, Marilyn Monroe has always been somewhat an idol to me. There is the glamorous side to her, sure, and that side is what most people will cite when asked about what they know about her. The hair, the vital stats, the voice and the wiggle. But what happened to her before she became famous, or the marriages that she had throughout her life before and after she became famous, or even the family background (or lack thereof) that she had usually go unnoticed to the public. When I was a child, that was what I understood about her too. Men liked her, and women generally didn't. But when I finally took the time to read about her, watched her movies (Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend will always be an all-time favourite of mine) and just tried to understand who she was, I began to like her. And I've always believed that behind that exterior, there lived a sad girl, one who was trying to capture a happy childhood that she never did get to experience.

And when I heard that Michelle Williams was going to star in the adaptation of this book, it provided another opportunity for me to read more on her. Perhaps it'll provide a deeper interpretation of who Miss Monroe is and if there will be glimpses of Miss Norma Jean.

And with that, I leave you with one of my favourite performances from her from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

IT'S VERONICA MARS, STOSH PIZNARSKI AND MERCER THE RAPIST!

2012-01-29T11:25:00.000+08:00

@IMKristennBell Hey VMars fans...guess who's hangin? #also,whoplaysthemostconvincingrapist? @ryandevlin

@RyanDevlin VMars fans, Spoiler Alert: We both raped her. @IMKristenBell

@RyanDevlin And yes...we both got stabbed with a unicorn.

Chris, we have MISSED your face on our tv screens. Or laptop screens. We have MISSED YOU.

The world needs more Chris Lowell.
The world needs more Chris Lowell and Kristen Bell hanging out.

Like this.

The Search by Nora Roberts: A Review

2012-01-26T19:32:00.000+08:00

The book had so much potential at the beginning (you know what that means when a person uses 'potential'). Initially, I was thrown off with the intense amount of detail that Nora provided for the readers on the methods of training your dog. What began to look like an actual How To Train Your Dog guidebook, eventually it could be seen that it was Nora's way of using it as metaphors in the later part of the book.

What also threw me off as the fact that the lead protagonist, Fiona, shares the same nickname as me so that was rather awkward.

But the mystery that surrounds the murderer, and the murderer's proxy, did manage to paint this world where she really has no where to run to and that at any moment, the murderer will get to her. But that, I think, was the flaw. Because how do you go from that height of anticipation? You either kill Fiona off but since this IS a Nora Roberts book, obviously Fiona will live to marry Simon. And she does. And because of that, the exodus felt rather rushed and...unrealistic.

I wasn't really truly disappointed with the book. It had its good moments. But at most parts, I was rather annoyed at how the descent to capturing the murderer felt like a cop out to finish up the story.

Also, that wine cabinet thing. Really?

We Were Off To See The Wizard! - Wicked at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

2012-01-24T19:24:00.001+08:00

What started out as a plan that had a 50 / 50 chance of actually happening, on the 22nd of January, Farah, Yana, Siti and I finally set foot at Marina Bay Sands for Wicked. It was the Australian production but that definitely did not give allowances to the quality of the performance.

It was magical. Literally and figuratively speaking. Initially, we had no idea where our seats were but upon entering, we discovered that our seats were roughly 5-6 rows from the stage, which meant that we would be able to see facial expressions, costumes and sets in all their glory! And everything was so beautifully detailed. The curtains was made of a screen that had the map of Oz but once the musical started, the curtain would raise and it feels as though you've just entered this magical world with monkeys, people, and Glinda flying down in a metal bubble.

The cast was spectacular (of course they were!) and it wasn't hard to realize that Galinda/Glinda's role had Kristin Chenoweth in it. So much of it IS Kristin and a lot of Elphaba was Idina. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the costumes, though, especially the ones worn by the ensamble. Wicked made Lady Gaga Fashion before Lady Gaga happened, just sayin'.

I love how wrapped up you'll get while watching the musical and of course, Defying Gravity and For Good was so beautiful to watch. I especially love the part where Elphaba flies at the end of Defying Gravity and the play with the lights made it look like there were prisms shining down from her. So beautiful!

It was just..magical. Simply magical. And thanks to Farah and Yana's love for the musical way before Glee, mind you!, I've been changed for good. /lame

I JUST HAVE A LOT OF EMOTIONS OK?!

2012-01-20T13:20:00.000+08:00

1) When I woke up this morning, there was a dark cloud that fell above our heads. A few tweets said that MegaUpload was no longer available.

All those files. Gone. GONE.

We no longer have MegaUpload. And we're not sure if it's because of SOPA or not but if it is...

2) WE'RE WATCHING WICKED ON SUNDAY! OMG YAY!!

3) Shit Downtonians Say. For real, at 1:37? That's pretty much my face whenever Edith would do something stupid. Because seriously, EDITH.

4) Also, if I have any Chinese readers, GONG XI FA CAI XING NIAN KUAI LE!

Ramin and Sierra Need To Live in Asia

2012-01-18T18:37:00.000+08:00

Right as I'm blogging this, Ramin and Sierra are in Japan to promote the 25th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera DVD.

And they're leaving for us fans this slew of adorable tweets.

My fangirl heart? It is crying tears of happiness.

ETA: And here are a couple of caps that I took from the livestream that they did a few hours ago.

Love Letters of Great Men by Ursula Doyle

2012-01-02T22:27:00.000+08:00

Amazon.com: 4 out of 5 stars Remember the wonderfully romantic book of love letters that Carrie reads aloud to Big in the recent blockbuster film, Sex and the City? Fans raced to buy copies of their own, only to find out that the beautiful book didn't actually exist. However, since all of the letters referenced in the film did exist, we decided to publish this gorgeous keepsake ourselves.
Love Letters of Great Men follows hot on the heels of the film and collects together some of history's most romantic letters from the private papers of Beethoven, Mark Twain, Mozart, and Lord Byron. For some of these great men, love is "a delicious poison" (William Congreve); for others, "a nice soft wife on a sofa with good fire, & books & music" (Charles Darwin). Love can scorch like the heat of the sun (Henry VIII), or penetrate the depths of one's heart like a cooling rain (Flaubert). Every shade of love is here, from the exquisite eloquence of Oscar Wilde and the simple devotion of Robert Browning, to the wonderfully modern misery of the Roman Pliny the Younger, losing himself in work to forget how much he misses his beloved wife, Calpurnia.

Taken together, these letters show that perhaps men haven't changed all that much over the last 2,000 years--passion, jealousy, hope and longing still rule their hearts and minds. In an age of e-mail and texted "i luv u"s, this timeless and unique collection reminds us that nothing can compare to the simple joy of sitting down to read a letter from the one you love.

Why Did I Choose This Book?

Ok let's get this out of the way.

1) I didn't know the book was based on Sex in the City because

2) I didn't watch Sex in the City but

3) I did find the book at Kinokuniya in Singapore and

4) It's been on my list of books to acquire for over a year or so

5) And I found it at a book fair late last year thus I immediately bought it because

6) I'm a huge romantic

GPOY

The Search by Nora Roberts

2012-01-02T22:18:00.002+08:00

Amazon.com: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

The serviceable latest from Roberts centers on Fiona Bristow, a professional canine search-and-rescue trainer, who moved to Orcas Island in Puget Sound eight years earlier, just after barely escaping from a serial killer. The story opens with Simon Doyle, an artisan cabinetmaker who arrives on the island with a puppy in tow. It's the puppy that brings Fiona and Simon together, and the romance gets off to a rocky start; he's grumpy and plainspoken; she doesn't scare easily. Then a serial killer begins operating within striking distance, and all Fiona's hard-won peace and equanimity begins to wobble: the man who almost killed her is in prison, but he's got a disciple on the outside. The serial killer plot is very familiar and without much to distinguish it, but the romance is finely done, with Roberts's trademark banter lighting up the page. Fiona and Simon are the main attraction, but the setting and the supporting characters—with paws and without—provide a vivid backdrop. - Publishers Weekly

Why I Chose This Book
It's been a while since I last read a Nora Roberts novel. Her latest foray into the whole wedding-planning-sisters thing wasn't my cup of tea. However, I was at the bookstore, trying to find a book to buy when I stumbled upon this one. It was thick...and usually Nora's thick books are pretty awesome (The Villa). And it was between this and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies so...you know, Queen Nora always wins with me.
So yeah. I cheated because I started reading the book last year but I'm nowhere near the end yet so we'll see whether she's back.

Books of 2012: Here We Go Again

2012-01-02T22:12:00.001+08:00

Because I was rather fond of my Books of 2011 project, I've decided to continue with a Books of 2012 project. I guess my target is to beat my 2011 number, which was 16 books. Quite honestly, I'm rather embarrassed of that number so...we'll try to hit 20, shall we?

UGH. There used to be a time where hitting 40 was no problem :(

Also, if you're interested, you guys can add me at Good Reads! I'm Zafirah Ab Rahim there :)

So yeah. Here goes!

Downton Abbey Christmas Special aka ARGH FINALLY YOU TWO.

2011-12-27T16:57:00.000+08:00

It was a 1 hour 32 min worth of angsty angsty angsty angst. Until the last 5 minutes where everything was just joy joy joy JOY.

All the wait, the exhausting flailing of emotions and the need to just smack the both of them on the head, FINALLY it happened. But before we get on to that (with visuals!) I need to say that Mrs Patmore deserves a gold star for her trolling ouija board ways. That woman should NEVER be messed with when you just won't listen to what she tells you to do.

And Thomas and Isis and Fenton 2.0. That was hilarious. Not only was Thomas vulnerable but it made for comic relief because seriously, a man running around for the dog like that? I know Isis should have a role but I didn't know that Julian Fellowes will actually troll in that manner.

Anna and Bates left me weeping everytime they came on screen so let's not get into that.

Mary and Matthew. Mary and Matthew.

This was pretty much when you knew that something was hopefully going to happen. The way she looks at him when he's not looking tells us that
a) MICHELLE DOCKERY FOR ALL THE AWARDS
b) Damn Dan Stevens has a nice side profile
c) AHHH! MARY AND MATTHEW <333333

And then it was bla bla bla Matthew interrupts Mary and Richard fighting bla bla bla Matthew wants to see Mary bla bla Matthew interrupts Richard fighting again bla bla bla MATTHEW PUNCHES RICHARD bla bla ugly vase that Maggie Smith hated bla bla bla St Lavinia's grave and Mrs Crawley telling Matthew he's an idiot since two old ladies need to tell him that Mary still loves him (no she didn't but she did say something to that nature) bla bla DANCE YOU TWO, DANCE. Then...

The LOOK he gives her. I want to eventually be on the receiving end of that look. *Weeps* And he starts being all school boy "Must you go?? Why can't you stayyyyyy?" on her which then reminds you of how eerily this is beginning to sound like the last scene in the last episode of season 1 where you were more upset about them breaking up than you were about the war.

And then Matthew said "Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you," and Mary's all "But you must do the whole shebang because I've only been waiting for this for like 8 years and I don't care if I'm freezing to death in this dress, YOU MUST KNEEL DOWN AND DO THIS PERFECTLY SO THE FANS WILL CRY AND FLAIL."

And he did.

*cue Firah*

And then OBVIOUSLY she said yes

And I was pretty much like this

But it was awesome and it was exhausting because I mean that was 8 years worth of angst there but in the end YAYY!!! So now, we wait. Because we know that Julian Fellowes will find a way to frack things up for these two in September. Until then, we shall live in this beautiful Mary and Matthew bubble we have created.

Happy Holidays Everyone and Happy 2012

2011-12-26T20:35:00.003+08:00

It's the annual Things I'm Thankful For List for 2011 and although I do have a very long list, here are some of the things that have made the most impact in my life this year.

- Conferences and IIUM -
It was a spur of the moment decision and I guess a part of me just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it and I did. I managed to present a paper at one of the conferences organized by my alma mater and it was an amazing experience. I came into it without anyone, and without any reservations or hesitance. A lot of fear though, for I was afraid that I would fail epicly despite it being my third time presenting at a conference. But thankfully, with a full room and a session that was extended longer than it was supposed to, I guess I did quite well. And as much as I may, at times, resent certain things about the academic profession, that moment was definitely not one of them.

- My New Job -
Nothing much to say except I quit my job and I took on a new one. And despite the problems that I am still facing, I'm happy. I know that in my profession, I've been able to accomplish so much compared to my peers and I am very very blessed to be able to do it with the people who were in my team. Without them, I'd be the most complacent lecturer ever.

- My Friends -
I realize that friends come and go, and I realize that people change. One thing I'm thankful for every year are friends who have always been there for me no matter the circumstances. I'm thankful that I have friends who are willing to drop things in their busy schedule to hear me out or to help me out. I'm thankful that my friends are always there no matter what. And I'm glad that we always make an effort to spend some time together to strengthen that friendship. (And I'm glad that I was FINALLY able to spend a weekend together with two special friends last weekend. We've been through so much and it was...perfect to have three days together) And I'm thankful for Farah for being the Shawn to my Gus. *FIST BUMP*

- My Nephew -
I love that boy so very very much.

- My Books of 2011 List -
That list single-handedly saved this blog. And I'm glad I decided to do the list because I don't think I'd be able to actively read again if I didn't. Although I do wish to receive comments from strangers, from the post views that I've been getting, I'm glad that there are people out there who are at least reading this blog. So thank you :)

- Downton Abbey -
You guys, I love Downton Abbey. I love Dan Stevens. I love Michelle Dockery. No show has resulted in me waking up at 4am every Monday morning just to watch the bloody show live from the UK. And no show has made me follow RPG Twitter accounts JUST to fill up the gaps in between episodes. JULIAN FELLOWES, WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?! (I will blog more about the Downton Christmas Special in a post after this)

- Life -
I'm thankful for life. I am always thankful for life. And I am thankful that I have been given the strength to stop tolerating people's crap. And I'm thankful for travelling. I know I don't travel to exotic places but honestly, I don't really care mostly because I'm more concerned about the people I'm with. No sense in travelling when you're not happy.

- Beats -
Yeah. Um, I'm thankful for my headphones. Because I love them.

So that's my 2011 post. I don't really make resolutions simply because it's always the same every year:

1) Be happier than the year before
2) Don't take shit from people who are not worth your time
3) Try to complain less
4) Handle pain and anger with humor
5) Have some class
6) Drink lots of water every day

So I hope you guys had a good 2011 and a great 2012!

Love,

Firah

RAMIN KARIMLOO I LAV YOUUUUU

2011-12-21T20:12:00.000+08:00

Remember when I flipped out because Dan Stevens replied to me on Twitter? It was really to this tweet:

Generic, I know but my life is boring so things like these, responses like these from my favourite celebrities get me excited, OK?

So today, I decided to tweet Ramin Karimloo just for fun. Since he was tweeting about having problems, ah, tweeting, I just assumed that he wouldn't see my tweet.

THEN THIS HAPPENED.

The end.

ETA: I had to blank out my Twitter ID because it's my public account. If you know it, ok cool. If you don't then... yeah.

The Point of No Return Is On Loop In My Head

2011-12-17T23:49:00.001+08:00

This, ladies and gentleman, is Mr Ramin Karimloo: The voice that's been looping in my head for the whole week.

Yeah, I know. I didn't know that The Phantom was so hot underneath that mask either.

And the last part of the song? CHILLS. Personally, I was always Team Raoul. Sure he was vanilla and a little bit of a mama's boy but I just...liked him. We can blame it on the part where he goes, "Anywhere you go, let me go too..". But after watching Love Never Dies, I was Team Erik all the way. It may have something to do with the fact that Ramin was the Phantom. I mean, LOOK AT HIM. And LISTEN TO THAT VOICE.

Sierra's not too shabby either. I LOVE HER.

I first knew about Sierra when she was cast as Ariel in the Broadway production for The Little Mermaid. I was able to catch the bootleg for the musical and she was simply divine. She was so much like Ariel that Jodi Benson would be proud. And when I found out that she was Christine, it just blew my mind.

Now, The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall.

It was magical. And I may have played it for the 3rd time today. Maybe it's because I'm biased and I'll pretty much lap up anything and everything to do with POTO but something about the production made it simply magical. Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo took on Christine and The Phantom and I must say, apart from having Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford reprise the roles that they originated, I don't think two other people could have done a better job.

Sierra and Ramin have not only played their respective roles in productions prior to this 25th anniversary celebration, but they also originated the roles for Christine and The Phantom in Love Never Dies, the tragical sequel to Phantom of the Opera. I say tragical because it really is not as bad as people say it is but somehow, the musical received so much negative press that it ended before it truly managed to lift off. I managed to watch the bootleg for Love Never Dies on YouTube before the channel was taken down due to copyright reasons and I must say, I LOVED IT.

The music was so beau-freaking-tiful that it may just bring tears to your eyes. And to have these two, who already have history together in Love Never Dies, to come back to play the younger version of their characters, it was truly spectacular.

I love that the camera was allowed to zoom in on their facial expressions. We are able to see angles that would have otherwise be considered unknown when you sit in the audience. And there were times when you could hear Sierra and Ramin's voices be slightly not pitch-perfect. I feel that that adds more to the rawness of the performance and adds more to the emotions.

And the ending, where Andrew Lloyd Webber came out. And Michael Crawford came out. AND SARAH BRIGHTMAN CAME OUT. AND SANG.

GAH.

*starts to flail*

It was just magical. And I just love this musical so MUCH. SO MUCH.

And yeah. The DVD and album will be out in March and Amazon is torturing me with the discounted pre-sale booking but I SHALL RESIST. *Resolute face*

Also, I don't really know how to end this, so I'm just going to give you a video of Sierra and Ramin being all adorable.

P.S. I'm looking for the bootleg for LND again. I stupidly deleted it after I ripped it off YouTube because I thought there'd be a better version but sadly there hasn't been one. Anyone who can help me with this, I'll pay you if it means I can get the full version :(

To Hold Me and To Hide Me

2011-12-16T16:48:00.002+08:00

I'm still coming down from the ultimate high that is the release of the 25th Anniversary of Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall so forgive me while I post this picture of the original Phantom and Christine as well as (methinks) is the best Phantom and Christine of this decade.

Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford with Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo.

My heart, it has so many feelings right now. I've been playing the OBCR for Phantom of the Opera and Love Never Dies to help subside this wave but that may have been the worst decision :/

Let us take a moment to revisit that one time where I went to watch POTO live.

One Day by David Nicholls: A Review

2011-12-12T23:06:00.002+08:00

It's rare - it happens but it's rare - for you to read a book that makes you whimper as you cry. But this was one of those books. And I'm so glad that Farah was kind of my "OK GIRL, YOU NEED TO READ IT!" signal to proceed in reading the book.

I have to be honest, I was rather sceptical initially mostly because when you break it down to the core, it's really a romance novel. And based on previous experiences, some romance readers, ah, tend to go a wee bit overboard with their reactions towards the books they read. And even when I started reading it, I felt that it had the potential of going badly or becoming pretty epic. Double point-of-view romances aren't really my thing mostly because writers tend to go overboard with the whole 'Prince Charming but she won't know it till Chapter 3' formula (yes, that was a Beauty and the Beast reference) which will usually be accompanied with cheesy dialogue about how the characters are not able to live without each other because they are each other's souls, life, blood and what's in me is in you bla bla bla.

This wasn't the case, thankfully. Firstly, it took them close to 20 bloody years to finally discover their feelings. Secondly, I love how their friendship presided the relationship because really, at the end of the day, if you can't be best friends with the one you love, what's the point? The parts that gripped me the most was how Emma and Dex complimented each other. They were so different when apart but when together, so similar. And that made for a beautiful story. I won't spoil the ending but let's just say that...

7.50pm: This was me after I finished reading One Day.

And because Anne Hathaway's movies are rather difficult to pass up on, I decided to just go on and watch the movie after reading the book. Anne was rather lovely, although I know there was a lot of criticism about her. Sturgess was ADORABLE. And you just wanted to hug him and...he reminded me of Dan Stevens.

And....

10.30pm: This was me after I finished watching One Day

Michelle Pfeiffer Is Flawless

2011-12-08T17:18:00.001+08:00

I think I was about 8 or 9 when I first saw Married to the Mob with my late mom. That movie sparked one of my many childhood OTPs. Mike and Angela. And it pretty much sparked my whole girl crush on Michelle Pfeiffer.

And there was The Fabulous Baker Boys where it left me wondering how it felt like to have the attention of 2 men at the same time.

I obtained the original VCD for Up Close and Personal. Y'all know I mean serious biznis if I buy the original stuff.

And then there was:

I am Catwoman. Hear me roar.

Selina Kyle: A kiss under the mistletoe. You know, mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.
Bruce Wayne: But a kiss can be even deadlier... if you mean it.

There's just something about her. I just love her.

And I am kind of loving this friendship that she's struck with Zac Efron. He's positively gushing about her in this video.

And here, he's just besotted with her whenever she talks.

Her poise, elegance and charm. Everthing about her.

And people need to check Frankie and Johnnie out because that movie is SO. GOOD.

2011-12-07T16:28:00.001+08:00

“She hated that she was still so desperate for a glimpse of him, but it had been this way for years.”
― Julia Quinn, The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever

to

“I thought of all the others who had tried to tie her to the ground and failed. So I resisted showing her the songs and poems I had written, knowing that too much truth can ruin a thing. And if that meant she wasn't entirely mine, what of it? I would be the one she could always return to without fear of recrimination or question. So I did not try to win her and contented myself with playing a beautiful game. But there was always a part of me that hoped for more, and so there was a part of me that was always a fool.” ― Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man's Fear

to

"“We're cool," I say calmly, although I feel something else. I feel... sad. Like I've lost something I never quite had.” ― Christine Seifert, The Predicteds

It's like I've known you all my life but I don't know you at all.

Loss

2011-12-06T08:47:00.001+08:00

"“Loss,” he tells me, “is a theme that I think a lot about, and it’s something in my work that I dwell on. I think when you experience any kind of loss, especially the kind I did, you have questions about survival: Why do some people thrive in situations that others can’t tolerate? Would I be able to survive and get on in the world on my own?”" - Anderson Cooper

Carrie Underwood: Amazing Person

2011-11-30T20:24:00.001+08:00

I just love her. I LOVE HER. And I know there's been so many comments about her but no one can deny that voice and that talent.

And personally, I'm so so thankful that I liked her from that first minute she appeared with that pink shirt and that Martina McBride song. Literally, from that minute.

One Day by David Nicholls

2011-11-28T21:48:00.001+08:00

One Day by David Nicholls

The Hollywood-ready latest from Nicholls (The Understudy ) makes a brief pit stop in book form before its inevitable film adaptation. (It's already in development.) The episodic story takes place during a single day each year for two decades in the lives of Dex and Em. Dexter, the louche public school boy, and Emma, the brainy Yorkshire lass, meet the day they graduate from university in 1988 and run circles around one another for the next 20 years. Dex becomes a TV presenter whose life of sex, booze, and drugs spins out of control, while Em dully slogs her way through awful jobs before becoming the author of young adult books. They each take other lovers and spouses, but they cannot really live without each other. Nicholls is a glib, clever writer, and while the formulaic feel and maudlin ending aren't ideal for a book, they'll play in the multiplex. - Publisher's Weekly

Why I Chose This Book

Again, a purely superficial reason behind this choice. And by superficial, what I mean is Anne Hathaway is in the movie and because I'm a fan of her acting, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to read a David Nicholls book before watching the movie. I did watch Starter For 10 (starring the oh-so-amazing James McAvoy, the other half of the awesome pairing that is Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy) and that movie was rather entertaining. Thus, I was hoping that this will be a Chuck Palahniuk situation.

Last week, Nora Roberts was interviewed by The Guardian in this interesting and inspiring feature and there was a reference to One Day as well as the struggles that female romance authors have had to push through as opposed to male romance authors. And hence, my decision to finally attempt One Day was solidified.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett: A Review

2011-11-27T17:13:00.002+08:00

This book is beautiful. It's painful and it's sad. And it's beautiful.

There's not much that I can say that hasn't been said about the book. It allows you to stare discrimination in the eye and it makes you wonder if you have been guilty of discrimination as well. The book goes back and forth between Minny, Abileen and Skeeter's point of view and the flow of the chapters were so fluid that when one point of view ended, you couldn't wait to plow through the next just so that you'll know what will happen to that character.

Then again, the act of plowing through doesn't carry that much negative connotation since you'll end up truly caring for all the characters in the book itself. You can't help but to narrate the book in Southern accent (or as Southern as you can be) and you'll feel for every emotion that they feel.

And how can you not fall for Mae Mobley? That little girl, despite her supporting role, will break your heart.

The book ends in a way whereby you do not need to be patronised by being told by the author about what will happen to the characters. Instead, how you want them to turn out depends fully on how you see the world. It's a book that makes you think and a book that makes you reflect.

It's a book that makes you realize that the more you think of yourself as a 'better' person, the uglier you really are inside.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2011-11-27T17:06:00.003+08:00

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Amazon.com: 4 1/2 stars out of 5

What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing “about what disturbs you.”

The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies—and mistrusts—enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. -Publisher's Weekly

Why Did I Choose This Book?

I'll be honest. I only knew of the book after I found out that Chris Lowell will be starring in the film. And being a typical bookworm, I knew that I had to read the book first before watching the movie just because that's the right thing to do. So, as much as I love you Chris, the book comes first.

Then, I found out that the book is considered the opposite of Gone With The Wind. It's pretty much a Mami: The Untold Story. I bet Miss Scarlett will have a fit and lost fiddle-dee-dee if she knew the things that Mami would say about her in a book. Then again, the one reading will not be Miss Scarlett but rather Mr Butler.

I digress.

Despite the superficial reason of reading it for your favourite actor's sake, I'm always a sucker for family-based stories and The Help was one that would definitely touch on it.