Taken from goodreads.com:

Raped then murdered in Japanese-occupied Hong Kong, 1942, Lin Shui’s ‘Hungry Ghost’ clings tenaciously to life. Holing up in a hospital morgue, destined to become a school, just in time she finds a host off whom to feed. It is 12-year-old Alice Safford, the deeply-troubled daughter of a leading figure in government. The parasitic ghost follows her to her home on the Peak.

There, the lethal mix of the two, embroiled in the family’s web of dark secrets and desperate lies, unleashes chaos. All this unfolds against a background of colonial unrest, riots, extremes of weather and the countdown to the return of Hong Kong to China. As successive tragedies engulf Alice, her ghostly entourage swells alarmingly. She flees to England, then France, in a bid to escape the past, only to find her portable ‘Hungry Ghosts’ have accompanied her. It seems the peace she longs for is to prove far more elusive than she could ever have imagined.

First of all, I bought this book because of the title and secondly because it was shortlisted for the 2010 Commonwealth Writers’ First Novel Prize (South Asia and Europe). But personally I didn’t really enjoy reading it because it’s so depressing.

But I did manage to finish the book. Give it a try, maybe you’ll have a different opinion that mine..heh!

I know this is considered an outdated movie since it came out in the US cinema in November 2010. But you have to watch it because it’s good.

Here is the storyline taken from imdb.com:

Lara Brennan is arrested for murdering her boss with whom she had an argument. It seems she was seen leaving the scene of the crime and her fingerprints were on the murder weapon. Her husband, John would spend the next few years trying to get her released, but there’s no evidence that negates the evidence against her. And when the strain of being separated from her family, especially her son, gets to her, John decides to break her out. So he does a lot of research to find a way.

After watching the movie like 3 times, I suddenly realized that Russel Crowe always plays the intense man role who suffered a loss. He hardly smile in this movie but it’s expected when your wife is in jail for a crime she didn’t commit..heh!

Give it a try if you haven’t watch this movie and tell me whether you like it

Taken from goodreads.com:

Historical expertise marries page-turning fiction in Alison Weir’s enthralling debut novel, breathing new life into one of the most significant and tumultuous periods of the English monarchy. It is the story of Lady Jane Grey– “the Nine Days’ Queen” – a fifteen-year-old girl who unwittingly finds herself at the center of the religious and civil unrest that nearly toppled the fabled House of Tudor during the sixteenth century.

The child of a scheming father and a ruthless mother, for whom she is merely a pawn in a dynastic game with the highest stakes, Jane Grey was born during the harrowingly turbulent period between Anne Boleyn’s beheading and the demise of Jane’s infamous great-uncle, King Henry VIII. With the premature passing of Jane’s adolescent cousin, and Henry’s successor, King Edward VI, comes a struggle for supremacy fueled by political machinations and lethal religious fervor.

Unabashedly honest and exceptionally intelligent, Jane possesses a sound strength of character beyond her years that equips her to weather the vicious storm. And though she has no ambitions to rule, preferring to immerse herself in books and religious studies, she is forced to accept the crown, and by so doing sets off a firestorm of intrigue, betrayal, and tragedy.

Alison Weir uses her unmatched skills as a historian to enliven the many dynamic characters of this majestic drama. Along with Lady Jane Grey, Weir vividly renders her devious parents; her much-loved nanny; the benevolent Queen Katherine Parr; Jane’s ambitious cousins; the Catholic “Bloody” Mary, who will stop at nothing to seize the throne; and the protestant and future queen Elizabeth.

Readers venture inside royal drawing rooms and bedchambers to witness the power-grabbing that swirls around Lady Jane Grey from the day of her birth to her unbearably poignant death. Innocent Traitor paints a complete and compelling portrait of this captivating young woman, a faithful servant of God whose short reign and brief life would make her a legend.
=====================================

I never thought I could love such historical fiction like this. Yes, I’ve watched the movie – The Other Boleyn Girl but I’ve never tried to read the original novel. Now that I have read Alison Weir novel, I can’t wait to read The Lady Elizabeth. Give it a try..who knows you might love history even more!

Jim, Michelle, Stifler, and their friends reunite in East Great Falls, Michigan for their high school reunion.

A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.

Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon.

The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.

Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.

Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

**Watched the first one – Clash of The Titans. Hope to watch this one too soon. Coming to theaters on 30 March 2012

I chose to read it because it says time travel. Inside of the book are two Silhouette romance series novels originally published in 1989 and 1999, Time Was and Times Change.

The first part is about Caleb Hornblower. He is a pilot from 23rd century who got lost and landed in the Oregon mountain area. There he met Liberty Stone.

The second story is about his brother Jacob who comes back to 21st century to take Caleb back where he belongs. However he met Liberty’s sister, Sunbeam Stone and everything changes.

It is a fun reading, not really a great literature.

For those who want to watch Spiderman, here is another new movie coming out in July 3rd, 2012.

Spiderman 4 is the fourth Columbia Pictures film based on the Marvel Comics character Spiderman and the first film in a rebooted Spiderman film franchise. Originally, Spiderman 4 was planned for release in 2011; however, in 2010 the film was cancelled due to Sam Raimi’s withdrawal from the project, as he felt he could not meet the planned release date without sacrificing artistic integrity.

Sony announced that the franchise will in turn be rebooted with new director Marc Webb and a new cast that includes Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors. The reboot’s intention is to have Peter Parker back to developing his abilities in high school.

I happened to watch this movie the other night. I always like to watch historical movie especially dated back in Tudors and Elizabethan time.

Here is the synopsis:

A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare’s plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.

My friend mentioned about watching this in cinema last week so I thought I should check out the trailer. I have watched the first 3 movies so perhaps I could give this one a chance one of these days.

Here is the storyline:

When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind.

Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter (Emma Stone) is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer, but turns her friends’ lives – and a Mississippi town – upside down when she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families.

Aibileen (Viola Davis), Skeeter’s best friend’s housekeeper, is the first to open up – to the dismay of her friends in the tight-knit black community. Despite Skeeter’s life-long friendships hanging in the balance, she and Aibileen continue their collaboration and soon more women come forward to tell their stories – and as it turns out, they have a lot to say.

Along the way, unlikely friendships are forged and a new sisterhood emerges, but not before everyone in town has a thing or two to say themselves when they become unwittingly – and unwillingly – caught up in the changing times.

**Nominated for Oscar 2011 best pictures.

After watching the movie, I decided to head to the nearest book store and buy a copy of the book by Kathryn Stockett. I like the movie and would love to check out more details in the book as written by the author.

Here is the book description taken from amazon.com:

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step.

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women—mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends—view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.

War Horse is a 2011 war drama film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is based on both War Horse, a children’s novel set before and during World War I, by British author Michael Morpurgo, first published in the United Kingdom in 1982, and the 2007 stage adaptation of the same name.

Set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War, War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him.

When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all those he meets – British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter-before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.

The First World War is experienced through the journey of this horse -an odyssey of joy and sorrow, passionate friendship and high adventure.

The last book in the Twilight saga has been made into 2-part movies. The first part is when Edward and Bella finally get married and go on honeymoon. However their newly married life has turned into disaster as Bella got pregnant and the baby is killing her from inside out.

As if that’s the only problem, they have a bigger threat as The Quileute’s Wolf Pack close in on the expecting family believing that the unborn child poses a threat to the people of Forks.

But don’t worry, it’s a happy ending.

I have finished reading the last book in the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. I don’t know what makes me decide to jump into the bandwagon of this Twihard..damn!! I’ve heard of the books many, many years ago but was never bothered to buy one, after all who would want to read story about a vampire first love with a human girl and a werewolf as the third person.

Oh, now I remember it must be the remaindered book sale a few months ago where they sell Twilight, New Moon and Breaking Dawn at such lower price that I thought why not give it a try..and then after reading a few chapters I was hooked..huhu!

I have watched the first and second movie but honestly they didn’t motivate me to read the books. If you are a reader, then you might consider reading them to understand what all these hype of worldwide Twilight phenomenon. Trust me the books are much better for you to understand each character (Bella, Edward, Jacob etc). You get more satisfaction and feel when you read each of the books rather than spending those 2 hours on each movie. Since the books are initially meant for young adult, it is not hard to digest each word, it’s not like reading English literature or classic.

It took me a few days to finish reading 754 pages of Breaking Dawn. Give it a try, and tell me if it converts you to be one of the Twihard..haha!

I finally get to watch the movie last night. Life is the most spectacular show on earth…that’s the tagline and I agree with that.

The movie is based on a historical novel by Sara Gruen of the same title.

Taken from rottentomatoes:

Based on the acclaimed bestseller, Water for Elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Veterinary school student Jacob meets and falls in love with Marlena, a star performer in a circus of a bygone era. They discover beauty amidst the world of the Big Top, and come together through their compassion for a special elephant. Against all odds – including the wrath of Marlena’s charismatic but dangerous husband, August – Jacob and Marlena find lifelong love.

If you are wondering if Robert Pattinson can really act (apart from being the vampire in Twilight saga) you should check out this movie.

Low monthly cost and no hidden fee.

Well, that’s  What Rob has to say about the Net 10 Unlimited mobile services. You can also check out what other Real NET10 customer has to say about their chosen mobile plan and the quality of the service.

If you are in the USA and would like to save on your mobile phone bills, consider various Net10 plans.

If you talk and text a lot, especially if you are running a home based business like me, then you should consider their unlimited plan for $50 per month. Oh, there will be no contracts, no surprise bills and no credit checks.

You will get to choose phone from trusted phone makers such as LG, Kyocera, Motorola, Samsung, and Nokia.

But if you hardly make calls, you can opt for their Easy Minutes Plus plan that starts at $15.00 for 200 minutes.

Or you can choose a Pay-As-You-Go Plan in which your minutes will simply roll over as long as you keep your service active.

What I like best is that since you are not bound by any contract you can easily choose whichever option is suitable for you that month. They also have Long Distance Service and International Neighbor program so that you can keep in touch with friends, family or business contacts in over 75 countries.

Check out this video on What Rob has to say about Net10 mobile plans and how it could help save your monthly expenses especially in the current economy.

It’s been a while since I have time to actually enjoy a good movie. My friends have been mentioning about this movie Dear John. I know it is based on novel by Nicholas Sparks by the same title.

Somehow I managed to watch it last week, although not from the beginning. Oh, the ending in the movie is not the same as in the novel, mind you since as most of Sparks’ books, the ending is always sad..sorry for the spoiler!

Oh, here is the synopsis of the movie taken from imdb.com:

Special Forces Army Sergeant John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is home on a two-week leave from Germany. He meets Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) after he dives into the ocean to retrieve Savannah’s purse that had fallen off the pier. John is smitten by Savannah and falls in love at first sight.

Savannah is a college student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is on spring break and is helping build a house for Habitat for Humanity. John joins in with Savannah to help build the house. Along the way a budding romance occurs, and Savannah falls deeply in love with John.

As she is about to go back to college, she promises to write John overseas during the next 12-months until he returns to her after completing his enlistment. Their love is put to the test when John reenlists after the 9/11 attack.

BTW, for those who love Amanda Seyfried and Channing Tatum, they are such a great pair in the movie

After researching around on trade show exhibits (although the local fair won’t be as big as trade show), I have came out with some basic list of items that need to be prepared if I were to participate in such fair.

First I have to make sure that my allocated table is properly decorated. Wouldn’t it be nice if I have some kind of table covers with logo and name of my craft business brand. In a way it will catch the eye of passerby to stop at my booth and check out my craft items.

And then if I have extra budget, I should get a table top display. Usually the layout of tables and booth at a craft fair will be crowded. You have to have an extra edge to attract the attention of people who come to such fair to be interested to check your booth.

Lastly since I will be sitting at the booth for most of the time, it will be wiser for me to have a stool or chair that is comfortable to sit on. Directors chairs which are sturdy and could be printed with my craft business logo will be a good investment.

So what do you think? How soon should I get ready to participate in the coming craft fair..haha!