Books Love Me!

BTT: Only Five Books!

2012-02-09T21:34:00.001+08:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

If you had to pick only 5 books to read ever again, what would they be and why?

My answer:

It's kind of hard to choose only five but here we go:

1. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

This book is downright endearing and funny. Even though the last time I read this book was years ago, I still remember how I used to chuckle at the main character, Christopher's thoughts and conversations with other people.

2. Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

I read this book twice and oh no, I can't believe I haven't watched the movie yet! It is because of this book that I name Marchetta as one of my favourite authors. The only other book I've read by her is Jellicoe Road but that one is brilliant as well! In Looking for Alibrandi, I like the story, its flow and of course, the characters and what brings them together.

3. The True Story of Lilli Stubeck by James Aldridge

I remember liking this book because of how studious Lilli Stubeck was when she was under the care of an older, more cultured lady. Somehow, it was like a motivation for me to study harder and to read more books!

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

This was among the first few classics that I've read and so far, I've liked only this! I keep watching the movie version too, the one starring Anna Paquin. Why I like this story? Hmm, probably because of the relationship between Mr Rochester and Jane, though I think Mr Rochester is way too old for her.

5. The Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling (Yeah, I know it's already more than five, but any of the Harry Potter books will do)

Should I explain this?? Haha! I like the books because of the characters especially Ron and Hermione! :)

What books would you read again?

Day 5 - A book that makes me happy

2012-02-08T14:34:00.000+08:00

This is the fifth post of the 30-Day Book Meme.

Day 5 - A book that makes you happy

Oh dear, what does this question mean? How do I choose which book makes me happy when reading it? What kind of happy? Could it be happy with a funny, humorous book or happy with a book that ends on a happy note or something else? Ok, I should just probably pick one! And I admit that I'm going through my Goodreads page now to choose my answer.

*one minute later*

So I've scrolled through my pitiful selection of books on Goodreads and have come to a handful of optional answers. I want to choose Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern but the happy feeling I get from reading this book just isn't that of a strong kind of happy.

Therefore, I'm going to choose the Calvin and Hobbes comic book as my answer. Calvin is an endearing little character with all his funny antics and thought-provoking musings. His imaginary friend and stuffed toy, Hobbes, is just as memorable.

Combine the two with the other characters such as Calvin's parents, teacher, girl-frenemy (Susie Derkins - one of my favourite characters!), the baby-sitter, the bully and other characters that appear occasionally.

I've been reading the Calvin and Hobbes comic books ever since I was nine (??) or 10 years old. I don't read much of them now but would try to re-read them during my free time.

How about you? What are/were your favourite comic books? What book(s) makes you happy?

Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens!

2012-02-07T03:07:00.000+08:00

Today is Charles Dickens' 200th birthday. I only knew about it when I opened the Google homepage today and was smitten by the graphic design of the Google logo. I really like it!

I clicked on the logo and out came the search results which included lots of articles and blog posts on the writer whose full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens. He was born on Feb 7, 1812 and died at the age of 58 on June 9, 1870.

You can also watch a video of his life (it's more like a cute summary of his life) in the YouTube video below. I discovered the video via My English Scrapbook.

So now I'll compile books, movies, blogs, etc, that are related to Dickens.

Books:

Well, I'm sure you are familiar with his works such as Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Nicholas Nickleby, Bleak House and The Old Curiosity Shop.

Wow. And I've just discovered several graphic novels of Dickens' novels. Here is an example:
A Christmas Carol: The Graphic Novel adapted by Sean Michael Wilson

Movies:

Great Expectations (1946 film)

I watched this film on Nov 28 last year during the European Union Film Festival 2011 at Gurney Plaza in Penang, Malaysia. It starred John Mills and Jean Simmons. It was a rather old movie, in black and white, and I was not really familiar with the cast.

But I found myself engrossed in the movie and I liked Simmons who played young Estella. The young Pip did really well too. The movie was sort of humorous at certain parts though I thought that the ending rather abrupt. All that aside, I think the movie stayed close to the book. But I've only ever read the abridged version! (I know, I know. I have to read the entire novel one day.)

If you want to watch other movie versions of the Great Expectations novel, check out:
1. Great Expectations (1974 film) starring Michael York
2. Great Expectations (1998 film) starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow

For movies based on his other novel, Oliver Twist:
Oliver! (1968 film) starring Mark Lester and Ron Moody

and A Tale of Two Cities:
A Tale of Two Cities (1980 film) starring Chris Sarandon

Blogs:

I came across Reading Charles Dickens where the blow owner, Edward, is currently on a mission of sorts to read all the published works of Dickens or any publications about him, throughout year 2012.

Like what he wrote on his About page - 'For the next 365 days, I will eat, work, sleep and dream Charles Dickens.'

Reading Challenge:

I was wondering if there was a 2012 reading challenge with Charles Dickens as the theme when I found that Newly Impassioned Soul is hosting such a challenge. I think I'm going to sign up for it!

How about you?

Other fun stuff (on Etsy):

1. Charles Dickens necklace
2. Vintage English Charles Dickens style tin (pic left)
3. Charles Dickens Butterfly Antique Bronze Necklace
4. Oliver Twist Book Purse Handbag and Kindle E-reader cover
5. Great Expectations mini Moleskine journal

Don't you just love Etsy for all the random but really cool stuff that are sold there?? :)

Anyway, this is the end of this post dedicated solely to the very famous English author, Charles Dickens and his works of literature, also movie adaptations, which are still being read and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide.

I hope you enjoyed reading it!

The Forgotten Bookmarks blog

2012-02-04T23:31:00.000+08:00

Do you buy used books from the secondhand bookstore? Ever found any interesting scribbles in the books? You'd be lucky to find any!

I came across this really interesting blog a couple of weeks ago. It is called Forgotten Bookmarks with postings by Michael Popek, 'a used and rare bookseller who buys books from people every day'. Now don't you envy his job???

So every time he finds something in a used book, such as a bookmark, note, letter, recipe written on a scrap of paper, a hate letter, photograph, receipt, shopping list or other random stuff, he will just post it up on his blog.

I think I could start doing that too if I ever come across something like that worth sharing.

There's even a published book on the bookmarks he had found! It's aptly titled 'Forgotten Bookmarks'.

About the book:

It's happened to all of us: we're reading a book, something interrupts us, and we grab the closest thing at hand to mark our spot. It could be a train ticket, a letter, an advertisement, a photograph, or a four-leaf clover. Eventually the book finds its way into the world-a library, a flea market, other people's bookshelves, or to a used bookstore. But what becomes of those forgotten bookmarks? What stories could they tell?

By day, Michael Popek works in his family's used bookstore. By night, he's the voyeuristic force behind www.forgottenbookmarks.com, where he shares the weird objects he has found among the stacks at his store.

Forgotten Bookmarks is a scrapbook of Popek's most interesting finds. Sure, there are actual bookmarks, but there are also pictures and ticket stubs, old recipes and notes, valentines, unsent letters, four-leaf clovers, and various sordid, heartbreaking, and bizarre keepsakes. Together this collection of lost treasures offers a glimpse into other readers' lives that they never intended for us to see.

As I was going through the older posts in his blog, Popek had posted on Jan 17 about how some $10,000 worth of books were lost in a pipe burst incident. What a huge amount. Go on and visit his blog to read about it.

New look on the blog!

2012-02-02T19:07:00.000+08:00

I guess you might have noticed by now that my blog is sporting a new look. After almost six years of blogging and many changes to the blog's template (some rather unfortunate ones, some really nice ones) I have finally decided to get a professional blog designer to give my blog a refreshing makeover.

You know, nice templates are not easy to find!

What you see now on the blog is all thanks to the amazing Sheila of Blog Designs by Sheila. I contacted her on Jan 16 to request for a custom blog design, she replied and then, before I knew it, the blog designing process started! She was so efficient, patient and always asked me how I wanted my blog to look like. I also appreciated whatever feedback she gave me. I was really excited at that time and really could not wait for the final result!

If you were to ask me, what do I like best about my blog, it would be very difficult for me to just point at one thing and say that it is my favourite. For instance, in the header, I love the image of the girl (!!!), the stacks of books and the cute, little hearts.

I also ♥ the social buttons, the colour combinations, the blog post divider, the blockquotes, the fonts and the blog button.

As for the flowery background, I wasn't sure whether to go ahead with it. But after some thought and discussion with a few others including my mom and a friend, I decided to keep the background. It looks so cheery! That's how I want my blog to make me feel, to also make me be in the mood to blog about one of my favourite topics more often - books.

So now, it's a new year and thus a new look for Books Love Me! I am excited in looking forward to what the future holds for me and for this blog. :)

But wait, here's a quick run through of most of the previous blog templates! (Sigh...I wish I had kept screenshots of EVERY blog template I ever used here.) But anyway, enjoy!

I had even designed the blog header (above) by myself in 2010!

and now...it looks like this! (see below)

Reading Challenges for 2012

2012-01-31T23:24:00.002+08:00

Before January comes to an end, I'm signing up for three reading challenges this year. Here they are:

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!

The level I'm going for: 11 - 20: A Friendly Hug

The Eclectic Reader 2012 Challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

The aim of this challenge is to push the reader a little outside their comfort zone by reading up to 12 books during the year from 12 different genres.

Genres:
1. Literary Fiction
2. Crime/Mystery Fiction
3. Romantic Fiction
4. Historical Fiction
5. Young Adult
6. Fantasy
7. Science Fiction
8. Non Fiction
9. Horror
10. Thriller /Suspense
11. Classic
12. Your favourite genre

What's in a Name challenge

Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

Between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2012, read one book in each of the following categories:
1. A book with a topographical feature (land formation) in the title: eg: Black Hills, Purgatory Ridge, Emily of Deep Valley
2. A book with something you'd see in the sky in the title: eg: Moon Called, Seeing Stars, Cloud Atlas
3. A book with a creepy crawly in the title: eg: Little Bee, Spider Bones, The Witches of Worm
4. A book with a type of house in the title: eg: The Glass Castle, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, Ape House
5. A book with something you'd carry in your pocket, purse, or backpack in the title: eg: Sarah's Key, The Scarlet Letter, Devlin Diary
6. A book with a something you'd find on a calendar in the title: eg: Day of the Jackal, Elegy for April, Freaky Friday, Year of Magical Thinking

2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

Jan 1, 2012 – Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2012 than you did in 2011.

The level I'm going for: I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

Charles Dickens Reading Challenge 2012

Jan 01, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012

About the challenge:

To read books by Charles Dickens throughout the year. I aim to read at least three of his books.

Friday Finds - Moments (Jan 27, 2012)

2012-01-27T23:37:00.006+08:00

Friday Finds is hosted by Should Be Reading

What great books did you hear about or discover this past week?

I was at work when I noticed that my colleague owned a copy of the Paulo Coelho Moments 2012 Day Planner. I've never seen it before but seems that it was sold at the Borders bookstore.

What a pretty, eye-catching cover! I definitely would not mind looking at it every day. It looks like it has some Indian elements of decoration as well as an other-worldly feel to it.

Book description from Amazon:

Journey through the year with a selection of quotes from Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho has inspired millions with bestselling classics like The Alchemist and The Pilgrimage. Now, with this 2012 daily planner, the same wisdom that draws readers to his books can serve as a source of daily inspiration year round. Begin each day with an inspiring quote from some of Coelho’s most celebrated works as you plan your daily tasks, travels, and personal journeys.

Featuring:
• Vibrant color ilustrations by Colombian artist Catalina Estrada
• Weekly format with plenty of writing space
• Lightweight, easy to carry size (5-3/16 x 8)
• Yearly planner to help keep important dates at a glance

Would you like to get a copy of it? The year's still early. It's still January! :)

BTT: Writing Or Riveting? (Jan 26, 2012)

2012-01-26T23:30:00.000+08:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday question:

What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story?
(Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…)

My answer:

Hmm, tricky question. I do enjoy reading good writing and also a good story at the same time. I guess when reading a good story, one might tend to forget about the writing altogether. However, if the writing is really bad, the story would be spoilt for the reader. So, for me, good writing is important. :)

Teaser Tuesdays (Jan 17, 2012)

2012-01-17T12:26:00.000+08:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Current read: Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Page 95

I'm already making good progress with this party - in fact, I'm quite proud of myself, bearing in mind I'm not a professional party planner or anything. I've bought a special notebook, which I've disguised by writing High-heeled boots - possible options on the front.

Merry Christmas 2011!

2011-12-24T19:26:00.000+08:00

Hi everybody! Here's wishing you guys a Merry Christmas! :) I know I've not updated this blog for several months now. I hope to try writing more here, and reading books too of course, soon.

Happy Holidays!

Day 4 - 30-Day Book Meme

2011-09-12T13:16:00.000+08:00

This is the fourth post for the 30-Day Book Meme.

Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series

In Day 3's post, I picked the Harry Potter books as my favourite series. So I'll now pick Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as my favourite book of my favourite series.

Why this book? I guess it's because of the affectionate bond and relationship between Harry and his godfather, Sirius. In the beginning, Harry thought Sirius murdered his parents but realised after that that his allegations were wrong. It turned out that Sirius was Harry's godfather, making him the only other friendly 'relative' that Harry ever had. I guess that's about it about why I liked the book. I haven't read it in years so I can't elaborate more on it. :/

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Previous questions and answers:

Day 01 - The best book you read last year
Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favourite series

Book Review: The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

2011-09-12T12:59:00.001+08:00

I finished reading The Cardturner by Louis Sachar last week. I enjoyed reading it although the story revolves around the card of bridge, a game that I'm not familiar with at all! Even so, I give the book four out of five stars! :) Read my full review here on my book review blog.

Now reading: The Cardturner

2011-09-05T23:12:00.000+08:00

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading is hosted by Book Journey.

Now reading: The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Last read book: Beauty and the Beast by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont

What I plan to read next: I have no idea! Any recommendations?

My trip to Logos Hope - floating book fair!

2011-08-28T21:42:00.000+08:00

This afternoon, my mom and I made our way to go onboard the ship, Logos Hope, 'venue' to the world's largest floating book fair.

It's the second time that I visited a floating book fair. The last time was around 10 years ago when the Doulos ship (with books for sale!) came to Penang, Malaysia. I'm not sure what happened to Doulos but its sister ship, Logos Hope, is here in Penang right now.

It arrived at Swettenham Pier at Weld Quay on August 19 but opened its doors to the public on Aug 25.

According to news reports, there are over 5,000 book titles for sale on the ship, with prices ranging from RM8 to RM16 for paperbacks.

Sure, there might be lots of books because I wished there had been more space to move around on the ship!

Before going up the ship, we already had to queue up in a long line to register our names and Identity Card number. It is a Sunday today but I certainly did not expect a crowd to throng the fair. Well, it's not everyday that anyone can go onboard a ship at only RM1 for an adult and free for kids below age 12. Of course, shutterbugs took the opportunity to snap pictures away.

Once up the ship, I knew it was going to be hard to be able to check out every book displayed there. So I just inched and wormed my way around to check out the various titles.

There weren't that many fiction titles. Most of them I haven't heard of. But there were shelves dedicated only for Narnia books and those by Enid Blyton. There were Christian fiction and thrillers by David Baldacci.

Other general titles were also available such as cooking, gardening, health, family, spiritual, devotion, etc. Lots of books for kids too.

I finally bought The Book of Lies by Brad Meltzer. It's a mystery/thriller sort of book about the murder weapon which Cain used to kill Abel and somehow Superman is also involved in it.

So I paid the cashier and walked my way out while following the journey of The Prodigal Son. It was a series of cartoon pictures of a young man who squandered all the money his father gave him.

Anyway, we could not leave the ship immediately as it was raining cats and dogs. We decided to stop by the International Cafe and ordered a pie, cake and drinks. And yes, it was crowded there too.

I think it'd be better to visit the ship on weekdays when it wouldn't be so packed.

Details to remember!
Logos Hope @ Swettenham Pier, Weld Quay, Penang
Open to the public until Sept 25
Time: 10am - 10pm (Tue - Sat) and 1pm - 10pm (Sun). Closed on Mondays.

Good news! Logos Hope will also make its way to other states in Malaysia:

Port Klang (Sept 29 - Oct 23)
Kuching (Oct 28 - Nov 14)
Kota Kinabalu (Nov 18 - Dec 4)

Enjoy your trip there!

Day 3 – 30-Day Book Meme

2011-08-23T22:44:00.000+08:00

This is the third post for the 30-Day Book Meme.

Day 03 – Your favourite series

I've read quite a number of books that are part of a series but only managed to complete very few of them! But I'll proudly say that I finished the Harry Potter series (seven books), The Chronicles of Narnia (seven books), Gemma Doyle trilogy (A Great and Terrible Beauty) and ... omg, that's it. Guess I need to finish up other series so I can add more to the list!

Anyway, I'll say that the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling are my favourite series books. The first time I read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was when I was 12 years old, I think. It spurred me to want to read the books that follow. The books are funny, clever and addictive. I do feel like part of Harry's world when I'm reading the books. I remember that when Book 5 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix came out, I spent a couple of weeks ignoring my Maths homework only to read the darn book. :)

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Previous questions and answers:

Day 01 - The best book you read last year
Day 02 - A book that you've read more than 3 times

Booking Through Thursday: Fluff

2011-08-18T22:44:00.000+08:00

Here is this week's question from Booking Through Thursday:

You’ve just had a long, hard, exhausting day, and all you want to do is curl up with something light, fun, easy, fluffy, distracting, and entertaining.

What book do you pick up?

My answer:

Easy! I'd pick up any of the books by Sophie Kinsella. I used to dismiss her Shopaholic books as I wasn't really into chick lit back then. But now, I'm all for discovering any great books in this genre, especially those that are similar to Kinsella's books that can make me chuckle.

So far, I've only read all the Shopaholic books except the the last one, Mini Shopaholic. I also enjoyed Twenties Girl and The Undomestic Goddess.

What I would like to read next from Kinsella are:

Can You Keep A Secret?
Remember Me?

as well as the books that she wrote as Madeleine Wickham!

I would like to delve into other chick lit books too. If you know of an author that I might enjoy reading, do let me know!

Day 2: 30-Day Book Meme

2011-08-15T19:39:00.002+08:00

This is my second post for the 30-Day Book Meme which I'm currently doing.

Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
(Read my review)

It was hard to pick just one book but anyways, I picked this one because I know that I definitely read it more than three times. I read it for the first time when I was in primary school, maybe I was around 9 or 10 years old. The book was enjoyable as there were cute illustrations in it. I like the ones with Charlie's grandparents!

The sequel is Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator but I prefer Chocolate Factory.

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Previous question and answer:
Day 01 - The best book you read last year

In My Mailbox (Aug 14, 2011)

2011-08-14T22:57:00.001+08:00

I've got a good stack of new books so I'm participating in In My Mailbox hosted by The Story Siren.

I went on a book shopping spree recently as I've been given book vouchers from kind-hearted souls. :) Here's what I bought and received from a giveaway (the books are in no particular order):

1. Speeches That Changed the World by Emma Beare
2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
3. Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers
4. Paper Towns by John Green
5. Looking for Alaska by John Green
6. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
7. The Cardturner by Louis Sachar
8. Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet
9. A Brief History of the Future by Stephen Clarke
10. The Help by Katheryn Stockett
11. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad
12. The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas
13. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

I also bought Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella on my own.

A few days ago, I received two ARCs which I won at Lori's blog, Pure Imagination! Thanks, Lori!

1. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
2. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

Whew! It's gonna take me awhile to finish all these books.

Book Review: Beauty and the Beast

2011-08-13T12:50:00.003+08:00

Do read this version of Beauty and the Beast that was written and translated into English way back in the 18th century. Be warned, there are no enchanted teapots or saucers or candlesticks in this story. Just Beauty, her father who is a merchant, Beauty's three brothers and two sisters and not forgetting the Beast. The book has around 20++ pages but I read the story on my Kindle. :) You can get the Kindle version for free from Amazon.

Check out my review on my book review blog!

ETA: I just watched the Disney cartoon. Really, really adore the library! Haha!

30-Day Book Meme

2011-08-05T21:05:00.000+08:00

I have decided to participate in the 30-Day Book Meme. Its origins are unknown. I got to know about this meme when I stumbled upon Chimneys and Magic who is also doing the meme right now. It's for 30 days but I won't be posting every day to answer all the 30 questions in the meme though I'll try to be as regular as possible! :)

Day 01 - The best book you read last year

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (my review)

Some say that the main character, Holden Caulfield, is spoilt and repetitive, which is what he's like in the book. But it's just all the 'phoni-ness' of it that intrigued me and made me think that yes, that's how the world is right now.

This novel somehow left a huge impact on me after I finished the last page and I couldn't stop thinking about the story for days after.

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Day 02 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
Day 03 – Your favourite series
Day 04 – Favourite book of your favourite series
Day 05 – A book that makes you happy
Day 06 – A book that makes you sad
Day 07 – Most underrated book
Day 08 – Most overrated book
Day 09 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving
Day 10 – Favourite classic book
Day 11 – A book you hated
Day 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Day 13 – Your favourite writer
Day 14 – Favourite book of your favorite writer
Day 15 – Favourite male character
Day 16 – Favourite female character
Day 17 – Favourite quote(s) from your favourite book(s)
Day 18 – A book that disappointed you
Day 19 – Favourite book turned into a movie
Day 20 – Favourite romance book
Day 21 – Favourite book from your childhood
Day 22 – Favourite book you own
Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Day 28 – Favourite title(s)
Day 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Day 30 – Your favourite book of all time

I was excited to read these books

2011-08-04T23:55:00.003+08:00

This week's question from Booking Through Thursday:

What’s the last book you were really EXCITED to read?
And, were you excited about it in advance? Or did the excitement bloom while you were reading it?
Are there any books you’re excited about right NOW?

My answer:

I get excited to want to read different books from time to time. For example, I was really looking forward to reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl and The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I've yet to get a copy of The Graveyard Book though and I have Beautiful Creatures but I have yet to read it.

Yup, I had been excited about them in advance. BC because of its beautiful cover and Graveyard because of rave reviews by bloggers.

Right now, I can't wait to read Lost Voices by Sarah Porter because it's a mermaid story. :) I've also just bought Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. It's the last book in the Shopaholic series and I can't wait to read it.

The book in which love is a disease

2011-08-03T02:19:00.000+08:00

I finished reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver two nights ago. I wished it was a stand-alone book but no, there will be two more books after it - Pandemonium and Requiem. The premise is good, what with love being identified as a disease. I couldn't wait to get started when I read the synopsis.

The book could have been better though. :/ Click here to check out my review.

Friday Finds (July 8, 2011)

2011-07-08T21:58:00.000+08:00

Friday Finds hosted by Should Be Reading

Did you come across any good books this week? Here's what I found:

1. The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad2. The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman3. Life: An Exploded Diagram by Mal Peet4. The Writing Circle by Corinne Demas
Let me know what new books you just got to know about.

How many books did you buy this month?

2011-06-30T12:40:00.001+08:00

Pic taken from here

It's already the end of June, 2011. I asked this question before back in 2008 so I thought I'd ask it again. :) Sadly, I didn't buy any new books this month but I have downloaded some cool e-books such as Miss Timmins' School for Girls, The Maid from Houghton, Spellbound and Never Eighteen and more from Netgalley. I love Netgalley! That will be a separate post.

So, how many books have you bought this month? :)

Winners! (Updated June 15)

2011-06-13T22:48:00.002+08:00

Here's the moment you've been waiting for: the announcement of winners of two of my recent book giveaways!

Okay, for the Eric Van Lustbader books giveaway:

Mollie Westcamp won a copy of First Daughter

and

Jeannette Famoso won a copy of Blood Trust.

For the book giveaway for Everlasting by Alyson Noel, the winner is:

Beverly @ The Wormhole

ETA: For my contest on the book Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier, the winner is:

Anita Yancey

Tara from Zeitghost Media will have the books mailed out to all of you. Thank you everyone for entering the contests and congratulations to the winners.

[If you have not entered yet, do join my latest book giveaway for the chance to win a copy of Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier. This contest is open to residents of the US and Canada and it ends tomorrow, June 14, 2011. Hurry and good luck! - This giveaway is now closed. Thank you.]