I am here, July

Newsweek, yeah, I picked it just because of Diana & Kate.  Coffee.  Another coffee.  Less sweeter than the first mug.  Aww..  This serious read is draining me.  3rd coffee.  Ooh, let see if I can win anything from Cleo.  Gonna stop flipping.  Those lipsticks are so yummy, do you think I need a new lipcolor?!  I do, I do!!!  4th coffee.  Really, stop flipping!  5th coffee.  Empress Orchid.  What!?  Smell the . . . what?!  Whoa!

Shorty:  "It's alright if you don't want to bring me outside today.  I just love chasing you & LouLou in the house as much as running in the garden.  But can we go outside tomorrow?  I want to see the boy at the house over that bridge."

LouLou: "I have nothing nice to say.  Except that I hate roaming outside when you were home late.  Ooh, why were you late last night?  Why can't you leave the door open so I can go in & out whenever I like?  Alright.  I need my "me time" now.  Ta."

Book Review: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

Price:
Bought at MPH at RM35.60.  Original price was RM37.50; but since the book was already sort of pre-loved (must be the bookworms who read it inside the store), I asked the salesperson if I can get a discount.  So I got a "5% budget corner" discount (that is what printed in the receipt).  Still pricey but I don't think I can get it from the uncle selling second hand books at the street anytime soon.

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Alright, I am way behind the others.  But I am glad that I bought this right before the Chinese New Year break.  I was inseparable with the book during the 4 days long weekend (I'm exaggerating!).

She wrote it into 3 separate big chapters with another small numbered chapters in each chapter:

• ITALY Or 'Say It Like You Eat It.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Pleasure
• INDIA Or 'Congratulations to Meet You.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Devotion
• INDONESIA Or 'Even in My Underpants I Feel Different.' Or Thirty-six Tales About the Pursuit of Balance

But I think I read it too greedily.  But if I don't finish it now I'll be busy with work next week!  I was reading quite fast in ITALY; perhaps because all the pasta and gelato and pizza made me hungry, thus, need to get away from the chapter fast!  Seriously, the way she narrating her experience made me very eager to see the next thing.

But INDIA was tad boring one for me.  Perhaps the spiritual thing is not my favorite topic.  Ashram.  Yogi.  Richard from Texas.  Scrubbing the floor.  The poet from New Zealand (I can't remember!)...  None tingling my book-hunger bud.

Finally, INDONESIA.  Where she trustingly help a Balinese woman with a huge sum of money!  A woman who can heal a banana.   LOL!!!  You have to read it if you want to know what is this 'special' banana!    And of course Ketut Liyer.  He is a funny man to me.  Of course, how can I not mention Felipe, the Brazillian guy?!

I haven't watch the movie yet, not even the trailer, nor do I have intention to watch it.  Because I am always a book person; whatever translated into a movie always disappointing me i.e. Memoir of a Geisha, Girl with a Pearl Earring, Da Vinci Code, Angel & Demon...  Ooh, I can't say about HP or Hobbits because I didn't read any of it (help!  what were the titles???  I sort of loss memory here.)  Yes!  Lord of the Ring!

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Side Dishes:

I stubbornly look for this original cover; not the other Julia Roberts cover!  As I mentioned above, the book was so loved by the previous readers that it wrinkled slightly, still, I took this one because it was the last one for that kind of cover.  Because I feel sure that I will read it again and again, I wrapped it nicely possible.  In fact, I have already put it into my working bag for tomorrow's reading.

I think I want to get 'Committed' soon!  The synopsis sounds delicious!

Checkout for her official website (I haven't go through it yet, shame!):

Elizabeth Gilbert - Eat, Pray, Love

Sunday, I like you!

One of my Sunday’s pleasures is rummaging the old books at the second-hand bookseller.  The first pick was Bound Feet & Western Dress by Natasha Pang-Mei Chan.  On the second visit, I bought Wild Swan (Jung Chang).

(I shall write reviews that are more detailed on the books when… when it is possible erm, when I want to!)

I love the atmosphere at the open-air street market.  The air.  The vibe.  The uncle who blares his amplifier – I have yet to check out his collection of piring hitam (LP).  The auntie who asked if I want to buy her flowers.  The shoppers haggling for a lower price.  The durian seller with his display of artsy durian-chopping skill.  I prefer to observe these while slowly making my way to the favorite bookstall.

Normally I don’t stay at the stall for too long, perhaps just a good 10, 20 minutes to pick a book before I head out to the wet market to get my breakfast and Sunday’s copy of papers.

Bound Feet & Western Dress is a little bit old by my standard.  The book was cockroach-infested; judging by the holes and the stains in some pages.  Nevertheless, I am always fascinated by the old Chinese bound-feet culture so I got it for one weekend reading bliss.

As for Wild Swan, I borrowed it from a library before.  However, I still want to read it for a second time (I read some books for a second, or third, or numerous times).  A valid reason to purchase it, eh?  This one is still in a good condition – not smelly, just a little dusty (I guess due to the storage), although the edge of the cover is torn.

Have you read any books recently?

Things I like: Books

Image taken from ffffound

Mommy & Papa are my earliest, positive influences to the reading habit.

I might not be an avid reader today if they'd never instill that habit into me.

Midday laziness

Went for chicken rise rise rice for lunch with the girls.  I cannot finish the rice (as usual); but even so I still feel like something or someone is pulling down my eyelids.  Too sleepy until I wrongly spelled rice (rise) twice!  I thought of going for coffee at the canteen but it's still to early for it and I'll be as sleepy as before regardless how many cups of kopi I drink.

Now I'm starting to plan for tonight...

• Shops for Najmi's wedding gift
• Text/call mommyeryna so that I can pass the stuff to her
• Dinner!!!  What's for tonight's dinner?
• Return books to library (I'll be looking for another Sophie Kinsella's titles...  I just finish "The Undomestic Goddess" and found it quite nice actually.)
• Buy meaty meals for the boys  ^_____^

Ouch!  Why time passes so slow when I want it to be fast!?  I'm dying for a coffee now...

Argh! A chic lit, nonetheless!

I cannot remember when was the last time I read a chic lit.  Maybe during my student days which is quite some time ago considering that I am now age more than a quarter of a century!  So when I saw Meg Cabot's The Guy Next Door on Mommy Eryna's desk last Friday, I borrowed it from her right away.  I finished it on the same night although I was initially planned to read it slowly on Saturday.  Greedy me!

The verdict:

I managed (no one forced me to read it so "managed" is not quite the word to describe my Friday's night bookorgasm) - found the word! - was so high that I bookorgasmly devoured its content in less than 3 hours!  What?!  3 hours is too long?!  Okie, okie.  I was distracted in between the reading because I go up and looked outside everytime Shorty was barking, or when LouLou meowed.

The actual verdict:

A nice book - just what I need for a light, relaxing night.  It is a page turner for sure, because whenever I stopped at a paragraph, I was so eager to know what will be the next thing.  But the story is getting more predictable towards the end...  Funny, bitchy, dark characters are all in it.  I guess I had too many Mills & Boons during my younger days to had guessed the ending.  Now, I am gearing up for another bookorgasm because I can't wait for Friday!