2017 Reading Roundup

I'm cutting it very close, but here's my roundup for this year! This year as more eventful than most and reading really became my escape. I only did one challenge, because I didn't want to put pressure on my reading time, and I think that was the right decision.

SEA Reading Challenge Update

Anyway, last year I decided that I wanted to read more stories set in SEA, written by SEAsian writers. It turned out to be way harder than I thought, because the NLB doesn’t have much of an e-selection and I was in Japan for most of the year.

Books that I read for the SEA Reading Challenge (All links lead to the review)

1. The Gift of Rain (Malaysia)
2. Illustrado (Philippines)
3. Last Night I Dreamed of Peace (Vietnam)
4. The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic (Philippines)
5. Land of the Meat Munchers (Singapore)
6. The Kite of Stars (Philippines)

So by my own standards, I’m an ‘exchange student’.

Half the books are from Philippines. I’m not sure why, but maybe their literary history is longer? When I search for books from the other SEA countries, I mostly find non-fiction, mostly written by someone not from that country. If it’s fiction by someone from that country, a lot of it is about leaving the country and settling in the states, which is not what I’m looking for.

Or maybe it’s just the kind of books NLB has.

I also realised that I’m not very interested in literary fiction. Literary fiction does have its merits, but I want to see fun stories. Why must ‘writing about SEA’ = ‘writing serious’? Why can’t we write genre and just have them in SEA like it’s normal? (Okay, maybe this is because I’m not a literary fiction person in general)

On the bright side, I have seen more mysteries coming up. They just aren’t really in ebook format.

My favourite books from this year

In a stunning reversal from last year, only 2 of the 6 favourite books for this year are non-fiction. I’m not sure if it’s because I read so much awesome non-fiction last year that it’s hard for this year's books to compare, or if it’s because I’ve been more conscious of great fiction. Probably a bit of both.

And now, my top 6 books of the year:

1. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

By now, I trust that you have caught on to the fact that I LOVE FAIRY TALES. And The Bear and the Nightingale is one of the best fairytale inspired story that I’ve ever read, which is why it’s one of my favourites for the year.

The Bear and the Nightingale is inspired by Russian fairytales. Vasya, the protagonist, has received an enchantment passed down from her mother and grandmother, allowing her to see and talk to the magical creatures around her.

However, her idyllic world is shattered when her father remarried, bringing her stern stepmother into their lives. Where Vasya sees magic, her stepmother sees demons.

What I love about this book (apart from the fairy tale references) is the world building and the nuanced characterisations. So basically the whole thing.

The second book, The Girl in the Tower, is already out (review to come) and it’s awesome so go read that too!

2. Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Uprooted is a bit hard to explain, but there’s Agnieszka, a witch whose magic is differen from the norm, a dragon who’s a wizard and not evil, Kasia, the best friend and a sentient forest. It also manages to fit a trilogy’s worth of content in one book without feeling rushed.

Like The Bear and the Nightingale, this book has a definite “fairytale” feel and I really enjoyed it.

3. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

Right now, we are all aware that radium is life-threateningly dangerous. But way back in the days of WWI, radium was thought to be healthy and scores of girls were hired to paint the dials with radium. However, when they started to sicken (and die), the companies that hired them denied that it was due to radium and did their best not to pay them compensation.

The Radium Girls is the story of the girls who worked with radium. Their work saved the lives of soldiers, but in return all they got were damaged bodies. This story is important and the book does an amazing job of showing us both the big picture and the individual girls affected.

Definitely a must-read.

4. The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquin

I read this for the SEA Reading Challenge this year and it was amazing! Totally worth the challenge.

The Woman with Two Navels and Tales is the Tropical Gothic is a collection of short stories. The language is amazingly beautiful and even if I don’t get the stories, they make me feel. The stories contain the heat of the place, the dense humidity, the chaos of life and is both universal and specific.

Truly amazing.

5. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I was introduced to this book when a friend sent me the third book in the series and I decided that I had to read the first book first.

The Shadow of the Wind is a coming of age + mystery about books (like how awesome is that?) The story starts when Daniel (the protagonist) is brought to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books and allowed to take one book back. The book that calls to him is The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax.

As Daniel grows up, he finds out that someone has been buying and burning copies of Carax’s novels. As he slowly makes friends and enemies, he does his best to find out who Julian Carax is and why someone is targeting his books.

Not only is this wonderful story about books, it manages to balance the mystery and Daniel’s coming of age story perfectly.

Totally a book for bookworms.

6. Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry

Some books are hard to read but they’re necessary. Ghosts of the Tsunami is about the aftermath relating Okawa Elementary School, where a series of tragic misdecisions led to the deaths of 74 out of 78 students and 10 out of 11 teachers.

When you face a tragedy this big, you’ll want answers. But answers weren’t forthcoming, and the parents ended up taking things into their own hands.

By focusing on the emotions and reactions of the survivor parents, the book touches on issues of grief, survivor’s guilt, the feeling of loss, how they started rebuilding, and how the community reacted.

This is one of the most powerful books that I’ve read this year.

2018 Reading Plans

I don’t really have a number goal (I normally just set it to 100 so I can get the Goodreads counter), but I’m hoping that working in Singapore doesn't affect my book reading habit. There are quite a few series that I intend on continuing, like Bryant and May, the Shardlake mysteries, the sequel to Three Dark Crowns, etc so I hope they get read in 2018. Plus the backlist from authors like Cyril Hare to explore.

And of course, I have my perpetual growing TBR list to conquer as well.

What I would like to do more of is the SEA Reading Challenge. I definitely want to see if I can read more than 6 books in 2018 because it’s kind of sad that I don’t know much about the writers and stories around me. Hopefully being in Singapore will help.

I guess these are my plans. I really don’t think I can put too much on (so no other challenges) because reading is my way of relaxing and too many reading challenges/goals just make it stressful. I’ve got enough stress as it is.

SEA Reading Challenge + 2016 Roundup!

So I've been thinking about the kind of reading challenge that I want to do in 2017. I looked at a few, but couldn't decide on one. Then I realised... there's something that I want to do. I want to read more books from South East Asian (SEA) authors. This year, I managed to read a few Chinese and Japanese authors and I'm glad I did, but I would really like to read more from SEA. Not just stories set in SEA, but stories by people from SEA.

Which is why I decided to create my own challenge, the SEA Reading Challenge. 

If you didn't know, SEA is an area that consists of:
- Vietnam
- Laos
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Myanmar
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Brunei
- Singapore
- East Timor

The challenge: To read books from SEA authors, not just books set in South East Asia. The purpose for this is because I want to read what the authors of these countries have to say, rather than read how other people see these countries. Books can be fiction or non-fiction

And I have no idea if anyone else apart from me will be doing this, but I set up levels because I have no idea how many books that I can find and read. The levels go like this:

- Domestic: 1-2 books
- Weekend Traveller: 3-4 books
- Exchange Student: 5-6 books
- Scholar: 7-8 Books
- ASEAN: 9 or more books

If you have recommendations or would like to join, please comment below!

2016 Reading Challenge Update

Non-fiction Reading Challenge 2016

Hosted by the Introverted Reader, I aimed for the master level and suceeded! To be honest, I lost track after a while, but I read at least 31 books. Here's a partial list:

Targeted and Trolled by Rosayln Warren
Of Sugar and Snow by Jeri Quinzo
The Zero Marginal Cost Society by Jeremy Rifkin
Lawyer Games by Dep Kirkland
Monsters by David Gilmore
The Shift by Lynda Gratton
The Science of Monsters by Matt Kaplan
How to be a Brit by George Mikes
The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter
An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabinga
Elegant Entrepreneur by Danielle Tate 
The Peter Principle by Laurence J. Peter 
Fizz: How Soda Shook Up the World by Tristan Donovan
Candyfreak by Steve Almond
Tea: The Drink that Changed the World by Laura C. Martin
The Honest Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely
Ctrl+Z by Meg Leta Jones
The Filter Bubble by Eli Pariser
The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kiernan
Blur by Bill Kovach
Women Talk More Than Men by Abby Kaplan
Sushi & Beyond by Michael Booth
The Road to Character by David Brooks
The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale
Natural Curiosity by Lisa Carne
Give and Take by Adam Grant
Forgiving my Daughter's Killer by Kate Grosmaire 
The Tank Man's Son by Mark Bouman
Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman
Linked by Albert Lazlo Babarasi

Once Upon a Time X

Another impulse challenge, I'm really glad that I managed to do this. All in all, I finished three quests: Quest the First, Quest the Second, and Quest on Screen

The Complete Alice in Wonderland by C.S. Lewis, adapted by Leah Moore, John Reppion, Erica Awano (Fairytale)
Memories of Ash by Instisar Khanani (Fantasy)
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (Mythology)
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (Fairytale)
Sabriel by Garth Nix (Fantasy)
The Folklore of Discworld (Folklore)

Best Books of 2016

There are only 7 books on the list this year, and out of the seven, only 2 are fiction! I think it's because I like most stories, but for it to become a 'top' book, it has to really, really stand out. By comparison, it's easier for nonfiction to stand out because it's their content that matters most.

In no particular order, we have:

The Shift by Lynda Gratton

A friend recommended this to me, and now I'll recommend it to all of you. It's on the future of work and all the predictions are based on macro-trends happening now. Of course, things change (2016 has been a huge year of change), but quite a lot of the changes she mentioned are permanent, at least in my opinion.

And while I disagree with a few things, I really like that this book is very global in outlook, and that it uses case studies to illustrate her points. It makes it a lot easier to understand what the author wants to say.

This was one of my top books because of how thought provoking it was, and because it's something that will concern all of us.

Full review

An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina

I think quite a few people would have seen the film Hotel Rwanda, or have heard of the Rwandan genocide. At least, I learnt about it and watched the movie during secondary school.

Even if you have, and even if you haven't, you should read this autobiography. Paul Rusesabagina is an extraordinary man who put his life at risk to save 1268 Tutsi and moderate Hutus. And the even more amazing thing is that he thinks that this is the normal thing to do.

Mr. Rusesabagina has come under some criticism, and he admits that he had to be friendly to some evil people at times in order to call in favours, but I think that he has done great work.

His story is powerful and inspiring, and we should all learn from his example.

Full Review

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

This is one of the two fiction novels on the list and looking back, I want to read it again!

It's the biography of a very talented author named Miss Vida Winters (I want her talent) as she tells it to the protagonist. The story is told piece by piece, and in extremely beautiful language.

It does seem to inspire either great love or loathing, so while I recommend it, I understand that it's a risky recommendation.

Full Review

The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

Loved loved loved this book because how often do you see Chinese-inspired steampunk? (Although it feels a lot more like Epic Fantasy to me) If you're familiar with Chinese history, then a lot of things will resonate with you. I mean, quite a lot resonated with me and I only know the basics.

I also managed to read the sequel, The Wall of Storms this year and while I found that captivating as well, it totally broke my heart and I'm not sure if I can continue the series.

But yeah, read The Grace of Kings. Totally worth it.

Full Review

The Road to Character by David Brooks

How do people live full, contented lives?

While people in the past didn't live perfect lives, it's possible to look at some notable figures and learn from them. So through 8 biographies of people like Augustine, Frances Perkins, Philip Randolph and many more, David Brooks considers the elements that make up a contented life and how we can balance two contradicting aspects of our personalities.

Full Review

Peak by Anders Ericsson

From the guy that brought us the 10,000 hour rule comes Peak: Secrets from the new science of expertise.

Anders Ericsson explains what is purposeful practice is and how that can make us 'experts'. It's useful if there's a particular skill that you want to become good at.

I borrowed this from the library but I totally intend to buy my own copy some day.

Full Review

Grit by Angela Duckworth

I think this should be read with Peak. It's basically on grit - what it is, why it's important and how you can cultivate it.

While the focus is very narrow, I think it's worth reading because this is something that we will use (or not use) in almost everything we do. And if we intend to stick with something, then it makes sense to learn as much as possible so that you can follow through.

Full Review

Dayre Book Recommendations

Merry Christmas in advance!! I don't intend to blog over the Christmas to New Year season (except for a round up post), but that's mostly because I really need to finish my graduation thesis during the winter break.

Anyway, I've been using a blogging/social media site called Dayre. It's smartphone based, and you basically update your day in 500 character posts. Everything posted within one day gets collected into one long post. I use it mostly to blog about my daily life, but I do ocassionally talk about books and got to know a few other bookworms! A few days ago, I asked them for book recommendations, and I figured that since it's the season of giving, I should share them here too!

Dayre uses usernames, which I wrote as @username. And after each recommendation, I wrote my thoughts (basically whatever is after the colon is by me, just so I don't cause more confusion).

From @samanthatya

- Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender: Available from NLB so I have this bookmarked! The blurb indicates it's about the secrets of an asylum (ok the title indicates this too)

- The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison (hopefully I have the right book): Haven't found this yet, but it looks so fascinating! About girls who have been kidnapped and tattooed to be 'butterflies' by a madman.

Samantha wrote a post on why she loves reading and gave some awesome recommendations! It's focused on fairytale retellings (especially the darker ones), so you should click on the link if you're interested.

From @enigg

- The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien: I have this on my bookshelf! But I think it's best appreciated if you've already read LOTR, because it's basically the myths of the world

- Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (also recommended by @crystalhzf ): I've read the first book, and while I quite liked it, it reminded me of an extremely violent Taiwanese drama (think 'Ai'). Perhaps I'll read the second book sometime.

From @happygo_lucky

- Chicken Soup for the Soul: I loved this series when I was younger too! It's so heartwarming and an easy read.

- The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton: Funnily enough, I think I've actually read the first chapter, and then for some reason stopped. I wonder why, since I rarely give up so early.

From @kyaro

- Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof: the blurb shows that this is about women's rights, and it has a lot of good reviews too! Will have to check this out.

- As a Man Thinketh by James Allen: This sounds like a self-help on how your mind affects your actions. Hope I didn't misread the blurb :p

From @sarahfied

- Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews: she's currently reading this one, and I think I read it a long time ago, but I can't remember if I liked it or not. And since it was before I started blogging about books (I think? Definitely before I started Goodreads), I have no review to reference.

From @puffyjoy

- The Black Isle by Sandi Tan: A friend's review says this is an alternate imagining of Singapore, which is definitely intriguing. Gotta look for this next time I want to read some local fiction (though another review says China but I suppose if you're not familiar with Singapore...)

From @vanduhlism

- Divided Minds by Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn S. Spiro: This is on schizophrenia, which is something that I know next to nothing about. Another non-fiction book for the TBR list (I feel like I might go on a non-fiction binge soon, but so many fiction books to read too!!)

From @mulanthesecond

Historical fiction recommendations:

- Books by Anchee Min, especially Empress Orchid: I have the book, but I can't recall if I read it or not :p Guess I'll have to reread to find out.

- Books by Yip Mingmei: I took a quick look at Goodreads and Secret of a Thousand Beauties caught my eye. It looks to be about Ghost Brides, which should be interesting.

- Books by Lisa See: I have Shanghai Girls on my TBR but I haven't gotten round to reading it. I really should!

Political Science Recommendations:

- From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp

- Democracy Kills by Humphrey Hawksley

Both books sound interesting but Democracy Kills especially so! Sounds thought provoking.

About North Korea:

- The Invitation-Only Zone by Robert S. Boynton: this is on the North Korean abduction project. I haven't read anything about this so it sounds fascinating!

From @panthera

Most of the books are animal-related nonfiction! I haven't read any of them, and they look pretty interesting so I'll have to check them out sooner or later. They were written in a post hashtagged #Claudiareads, and I don't have the link at hand, which means I can't link it now ><

- The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony

- Part of the Pride by Kevin Richardson

- American Zoo by David Grazian

- The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

- In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall (yeah, that Jane Goodall!)

- Jame Herriot's trilogy: All Creatures Great and Small and the rest (I saw these in the MG library and always thought about reading them but never really picked them up)

- The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell

From @alwaysmore

- A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara: Sounds like a very powerful character driven novel about 4 classmates. And coincidentally, I heard good things about it today, so I hope to get to read it in the future.

Every time I start to think that I read a lot, something comes along to remind me that there are tons of books that I haven't read yet. All I know that is in 2017, I'll have lots of books to look out for!

Books I have Forgotten (Help!)

Today, I thought I'd talk about books that I have forgotten. As embarassing as it is, there are books that I've read but then forgot the title. Some (like The Race for the Lost Keystone), I've managed to rediscover, but these few are gone for good. So I figured that I might as well commit what I remember of them to this blog, and see if I can find them again (or if anyone can recognise them).

1. The one that ends with an irish name

I remember reading this in my school's Primary school library (though I might have graduated by then), so this is probably a middle grade book. I don't remember much, but I think a girl had to move and/or she had a new sister (maybe stepsister?) on the way. The front and middle are all blurry. I do remember, at the end, she was invited to help name the baby, and Aislinn was one of them, which is why I think the book might have been set in Ireland.

2. The one about the teacher

I actually may have found this book, but I haven't been able to read it yet, so I can't confirm if it's the one I'm thinking of. Basically, I remember a teacher coming to a cold place to teach, and there was something about fish. I keep thinking "North Pole", but one day, I decided to try something else (like Alaska) and fount "The Year of Miss Agnes". From the blurb, it seems like the correct one, but I really don't know. I'm definitely going to borrow it and read it to check though.

Oh, and the reason why the book made an impression on me was because I borrowed it and read it on a holiday.

3. The one about the Butterfly Boy

Ok, this one... I remember that it was next to The Year of Miss Agnes or whatever the teacher book was. So author name should start with the same letter.

What I remember about the book: girl has to do science project with strange boy. Strange boy sleeps in a cocoon-like bed, drinks something like nectar. The boy may or may not have wings. I remember their project was on butterflies and he gained confidence in the end? Or maybe he did have wings and he showed it off as they did their presentation on butterflies because someone ruined the original presentation?

4. The one inspired by Edgar Allen Poe

This should be easiest one, BUT IT DOES NOT SEEM TO EXIST.

I read it when I was in Cambodia in Sec 2. It was from the library and pretty old (I sort of remember yellowed pages), so it's definitely fairly old. For the record, Sec 2 was about 8 years ago.

What I remember: boy goes to some creepy house, Poe stories are clues, and in the end, someone was bricked behind a wall a la The Cask of Amontillado.

I have searched for stories based on The Cask of Amontillado, but I can't seem to find it.

Has anyone heard of any of these books? I really would love to read them again.

Reading Throwback: Enid Blyton

So recently, I was thinking about the books I read as a kid, and Enid Blyton was one of the first few that popped to mind. So I started listing the books that I loved (more than the others) and...

it turned out to be a long, long list. So if you're an Enid Blyton fan, take a trip down memory lane with me!

Tales of Long Ago is actually a collection of Greek Myths! So yeah, I have Enid Blyton to thank for introducing me to the greek myths. There's the story of Pandora's box, Echo and Narcissus, Midas, Cupid and Psyche, etc.

I spent a lot of time reading and re-reading this book, getting to know the myths!

Tales of Brave Adventure is about Robin Hood and King Arthur!! How Robin Hood and the Merry Men came to be, the enchanted sword, the adventures of Balin, etc. I remember that the death of Robin Hood and the passing of King Arthur always made me sad.

Wow, haven't thought of these books in a long time! I only remembered them today, when I was trying to recall what Enid Blyton books I've read.

And now you know - she's also the one who introduced these myths and legends to me.

I think a lot of people will remember/love The Naughtiest Girl series!

By the way, most of the covers here are the same as the ones on the books I own. I don't quite like the newest ones because they look so cartoonish, when the books are anything but. I think the older covers are better.

Digression aside, I used to wish I could go to Whyteleafe! I mean, I wanted to go to ALL her school, but quite possible Whyteleafe the most, because the students govern themselves! So cool, right?

And I just realised that I don't know the piano piece that Elizabeth liked! (I'm looking at the Enid Blyton society page, cause they have the covers I want). Anyone have any idea what it is?

Oh, and Enid Blyton only wrote the first three books, which I loved. I think I read the later books by the other author, but they absolutely didn't leave an impression in my mind AT ALL.

Enid Blyton originals are the best, I think.

The Secret Series!

The first book, The Secret Island introduced me to Jack, Peggy, Mike and Nora, and make me want to live on an island! Of course in real life, I'd probably die because I need proper toilets (Japanese toilets, preferably), but whenever I reread the book, I want to stay on the island with them!

The second book introduced Prince Paul of Baronia, who is in the rest of the books too.

I know I've read (and own) the first four books, but as for the fifth and last book, The Secret of Moon Castle, I cannot remember if I read it!! Parts of it sound super familiar, but parts don't. And I don't recognise a single cover either >< I have to go home and check, and reread this series too!

I think the Famous Five series is Enid Blyton's most famous series. I saw this cover (Ok, this style of cover) all the time when I was younger.

I think everyone has their own favourite character, but mine was probably George. Second was Anne hahahaha.

Oddly enough, I don't have a favourite book in the series. Actually, I probably prefer The Secret Series, but the Famous Five is also fun, and there are a lot of books.

More to read = good, in my opinion

Oh, there's one book that I remember more clearly than the others - Five on Finniston Farm. But this is probably because I found a super old copy of the book at the MG carnival rather than anything special about the story. I do really like stories set on farms though.

And I remember watching a film (not in English, I think?) adaption of the Famous Five a few years back. But when I went to Google, I found a TV series and even a cartoon so... Can't remember what I watched!

Of course, I can't forget about the Faraway Tree!

Basically, I used to spend my holidays in Malaysia, so I have a lot of books there. Among them would be this Faraway Tree collection, and I'd bring thing huge hardback up to my room and put it near my bed, so that once I woke up, I could read without having to leave the bed. Those were the good old days of sleeping until 12! Now I feel guilty is I sleep until 10.

I guess one big appeal of The Faraway Tree (apart from the slide down - no wonder I was so excited at the Changi slide!) was that these kids could travel to all sorts of exciting lands without having to leave home! Best of both worlds, for sure!

Plus, the worlds were those that, as a kid, I always wanted to go to! Land of Goodies, for one!

And the other books I used to read a lot would be the Wishing Chair collection! Considering where I put the books, it's a wonder that none of them fell on my head!

The wishing chair is another way to travel - actually, I want the chair now, so I can go home, visit friends in London, Australia, Edinburgh, etc.

I sort of remember there being a wishing-chair/faraway tree crossover story, but I can't remember the particulars! More reasons to go home and do an Enid Blyton readathon!

This book is another favourite of mine! Although I have so many favourites the word is starting to lose its meaning.

Anyway, the Family at Red Roofs is like what the title says. At first, they seem to be a super happy family, but then tragedy strikes, and they're in danger of losing their house.

I guess the reason why I love this book is that though the characters (especially the two oldest children), seem too good to be true sometimes, they all make sacrifices. Real sacrifices that involve them giving up things that they love. Which I guess is why they don't count as Mary Sue/Gary Stu-type characters to me.

And I guess one of the good things about Enid Blyton is that her characters are very proactive and practical. They don't wait to be rescued, they do things to help. Sometimes they make the wrong decisions, but they're kids, so it's expected. Their heart is always in the right place.

I guess it's a good thing they were role models for me.

And this is the reason why I wanted to live on a farm. I mean, Enid Blyton managed to make farm work, which I'm guessing is back-breaking and smelly, sound attractive.

Definitely a genius, if you ask me.

And here's another animal book from here:

The Children at Green Meadows is about an animal loving family at the edge of financial ruin. But despite their financial constraints, the kids find a way to take in animals in need from the people who just moved into the "no animals" housing estate.

And this is the book that made me want to live in a houseboat! The first book in this series is The Caravan family, which I remember reading, but I own a copy of The Saucy-Jane family, so obviously I know this better.

It's basically about a family taking a holiday. Nothing much happens, except for the fact that every time I read this, I want to live on a houseboat! Too bad my parents will probably get seasick.

And I think I shall stop here. There are still a lot of books I haven't talked about, like Mallory Towers and St. Clare's, or Mr. Pink-Whistle or the Three Golliwogs, but if I keep going on, I'll never stop, so here's an arbitrarily drawn line.

I have so many books I want to re-read now! How about you? Did you read Enid Blyton when you were growing up? If you did, what was your favourite book?

My Favourite Books of 2015/Reading Challenge

My Favourite Books of 2015

Since it's New Years Eve, I thought it would be fun to see which books made the deepest impression on me this year. Basically, I went to look through my tags. I like most books I read, but very few make me stick the 'life-impacting' tag on them. This year, only four books made the cut. The title will link to my review of the book.

1. Face to Face with Jesus by Samaa Habib

This first book, I actually read at the end of 2014, but review went up on Jan 5, 2015 so 😁

Anyway, you want to see courage in action? This lady and her family have more courage than entire countries. It takes a lot to risk death just to believe in Christ. Puts my little complaints into perspective and makes me see how trivial they are.

When I say this book is powerful, I really mean it.

2. Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely

This book is basically behavioural economics, but it's super interesting and easy to understand.

I love the examples in this book, and to see economics being relevant is a 👍🏼👍🏼 for me.

One teacher recommended I read Predictably Irrational ➡️ Fooled by Randomness ➡️ The Black Swan in that order. I've only got The Black Swan to go, and the copy is already in my hands.

3. The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany

From what I've heard, this book is a huge influence on the Fantasy genre, and after reading it, I can see why. The language is beautiful. Simple beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Chesterton, but for fiction.

I could quote the whole book, but I randomly pulled up one and it is still so beautiful:

And little he knew of the things that ink may do, how it can mark a dead man's thought for the wonder of later years, and tell of happening that are gone clean away, and be a voice for us out of the dark of time, and save many a fragile thing from the pounding of heavy ages; or carry to us, over the rolling centuries, even a song from lips long dead on forgotten hills.

I want to be able to write as lyrically as this one day.

If the book has a flaw, it's that it's too dream-like, and the characters never feel real. But what a beautiful dream this book is.

I should go look for his other books.

4. The King in the Window by Adam Gopnik

I actually read this once in MG, but the book stayed with me for so long that I hunted down the title, found out it was out-of-print, and bought a second hand copy from Amazon.

This is a story about how an ordinary boy, living in a strange land, can do extraordinary things with the help of his friends. He might even become the King of the Window.

This post was taken from my Dayre

2016 Reading Challenge

I hadn't thought of reading challenges for next year at all, but yesterday, I saw the non-fiction reading challenge by The Introverted Reading and was like "that is definitely my challenge for the year". 

I've decided, I want to sign up for the Master Level, which is to read 16-20 non-fiction books in 2016. If anyone has any recommendations, let me know!!

And oddly enough, I have nothing else to say. I'm just really looking forward to the challenge :D I was also looking at the translated books challenge, but I want to read more books in Japanese, not just translated, so I guess I'll pass.

See everyone next year! 

Writing Magic and Writer to Writer by Gail Carson Levine

I haven't really reviewed Gail Carson Levine's books on this blog (definitely a mistake), but I remember a period of time, long long ago when I was still in Primary School, where I was binge reading her books. So while at the library with my little brother, I saw her two writing books, unsuccessfully tried to get my brother interested in it, and then borrowed it anyway.

Writing Magic may be a thin little book, but I wish someone gave me this when I was younger. It covers the basics of writing, from characters to plot ideas to getting through writers block. The chapters are short and digestible, and there are plenty of exercises for one to do. In fact, every chapter ends with the words "save what you wrote", because, as she explains it, as you grow and learn, your writing will change, and saving your writing is the same as building a time machine. When you look back at what you wrote, you'll see yourself as you were in the past.

The only chapter I disagreed with was the one on publishing. Gail Carson Levine basically warns people off putting their work on the Internet if they want to sell it, but well, lately the news has been talking about writers being picked up from Wattpad, and Fanfiction sites, so I don't think it holds true now. But this isn't a publishing book, so it's pretty easy to ignore that one chapter.

The sequel/companion to Writing Magic is Writer to Writer, which is really the "best of" from Gail Carson Levine's blog. Oh, except the section on writing poetry, which is new. I haven't read her blog, so I found the book interesting, and an expansion on what she was saying in Writing Magic. There are many examples and the story prompts were interesting. If you're a long time reader of her blog though, and don't really have an interest in poetry, you may not need to get this book.

Oh, and I'm not very good at poetry (I like Robert Frost, and Wilfred Owen and Shel Silverstein, but that's about it), so I can't judge the poetry chapters for usefulness. I enjoyed reading them, but the odds of me writing poetry isn't happening in the foreseeable future, ceteris paribus.

If I had to pick between the two books, I would probably go for Writer to Writer. It's much more comprehensive, and the same basic subjects are covered in the two books. Except perhaps writer's block, which isn't explicitly mentioned in Writer to Writer. But, she does have a chapter called "drops of blood", which is around the same thing, in my opinion.

These books will probably inspire young writers, and not-so-young writers as well. I really enjoyed reading it, and I could totally see myself doing a few prompts if I owned a copy and didn't just borrowed it.

The Libertus Series by Rosemary Rowe

A long time ago, at a friend's house, I read a murder mystery set in Ancient Rome. I'm not too sure what it was, but I remember enjoying it, and I remember something about blood letting and a bowl of blood. It took me a long time, and I'm still not too sure, but I'm pretty sure that the Libertus series is what I'm looking for. So when I managed to go to the Central Library (the only place with the books), I borrowed about three of them at one go and devoured them.

So for the next few weeks, I'll be trying to catch up on the series, and will be reviewing them every alternate day or two.

There are 13 books in total. Screenshot from Goodreads. 

I'm going to break with tradition and review A Pattern of Blood, the second book in the series, before The Germanicus Mosaic, the true start. Why? Because A Pattern of Blood contains a bowl of blood, and is most similar to the book I remember reading. So I'll start with that, then go on to review the books in chronological order.

But, what I've noticed so far:

The mysteries are largely unrelated to each other. The same few characters appear, but other than that, it seems like you can read them out of order. The only connecting thread is that Libertus is searching for his lost wife. That's the only thing that will not make sense if you read the books outside of chronological order.

Alright, I think all introductions are done. So, enjoy the week of Libertus Mystery reviews~

The Dark Is Rising Sequence by Susan Cooper

When I was still in MG (which is about four years ago), I remember reading one of the Dark is Rising book, only that I forgot the title. So when Christal/okaasan (it's a long story involving my phone) offered to lend me the book (I saw it at her place), I eagerly took the chance.

And the series is fantastic! I really do love English fantasy. I'll be reviewing all five books at a go, so while I'll try to avoid the spoilers, well, I'm only human.

So let's start with the first book Over Sea, Under Stone. I'm very sure this wasn't the book I read. For one thing, I don't remember Simon, Jane and Barney. I didn't like them much either. I think it was because they were too ordinary, which meant the plot seemed to be a series of coincidences. Plus, Simon was quite annoying. Barney and Jane weren't too bad, but my favourite character here was Merriman.

The second book was The Dark Is Rising. This is possibly the book I read, because Will was really familiar, but I don't think so. Will is really my favourite character in the series though. He's still a kid, but since he's an Old One, he's got the right to say deep deep things. It fits in with the whole fantasy idea, which is needed because this is set in modern England.

And of course, Will and Jane, Simon and Barney meet in the third book, Greenwitch. And the three siblings just annoyed me. They were too self-important, which made them condescending towards Will. I understand they feel special and all, but you really should be nice to others no matter what. But of course, everything is resolved in the end, although the three still know very little (but they know Will is part of the Light). Apart from Will and Merriman, Jane is the next most likable character.

The fourth books has Will again! I really thing this is the one that I read. In The Grey King, Will meets a mysterious boy (ok, his past and nature is mysterious, the boy himself is normal) called Bran while he's sent to Wales to recover. I love the use of the Welsh words, even though I couldn't understand it or pronounce it. It's probably the strongest book of the series, and I can see why it won the Newberry Medal.

In the finale, Silver on the Tree, Will, Bran and the three siblings are brought together in Wales. Simon managed to sound like an ignorant but proud child the first time he meets Will in the book. But there's a rather clear division, that Will and Bran have a role to play (and they know their role) while the three must flounder around without knowing much. I really don't see their role, except they make up the numbers. But it's great to see the friendship between Will and Bran in The Grey King develop further. To me, the book ended at The Challenge (over Bran), because I couldn't understand what happened after that.

If you love fantasy, you have to pick up this book. It's published quite some time ago (about 50 years ago), but it's far superior to many books I've read.

More books for review!

Yesterday, I got more books from Zondervan that I'm really excited to share with you. It's my 3rd time receiving physical books, but the excitement never wanes(:

*Pssst: please excuse the lousy photos. I was way too excited to take good photos.

This is the biggest package I've gotten so far <3

The reason for all this books is that I (sadly) haven't read the Dragons of Starlight series by Bryan Davis before, so Charleen very kindly sent me the whole series.

The Dragons of Starlight Series consists of four books: Starlighter, Warrior, Diviner and Liberator:

Sorry bout the camera strap. I was too excited and didn't notice.

As you can see, there was a slight mistake and I got two copies of Starlighter and Diviner, but not Warrior. They're sending over a copy of Warrior so I can do a full review, but more importantly (for you guys anyway), I've been given permission to host a giveaway for the extra copies of
Starlighter (Book 1) and Diviner (Book 3)! I'm still working out the details, so feel free to tweet/comment with suggestions.

Another really awesome looking book I got is Aldo's Fantastical Movie Palace by Jonathan Friesen:

I'm really interested in the magical movie theatre premise. I can't wait to read it.

Here's the book trailer:



Well, I know what books that I'm going to bring with me to Hokkaido (I have a 16 hour train ride, a plane ride, and a lot of train time ^^)

Poirot - The Perfect Murders by Agatha Christie

A few days ago, I shared a teaser from this book. Well, I had some free time (and this book is addictive), so I've finished it earlier than planned. If you haven't heard of this book, it's simply an omnibus of the four most (supposedly) difficult cases ever encountered by Hercule Poirot.

The first book was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. It was also, for some reason, the story I took the longest to finish. But to be fair, it's also the longest story. The story is quite "Miss Marple" in setting, a small town (lots of gossip) and murder.

I was very amused to see that they played Mah-Jong, although I cannot recognise the words that they spoke at all.

But with regards to plot... well, the book is rather winding at time. And -spoiler alert- I thought that the plot was very unfair to the reader due to the choice of the narrator. There is maybe one hint (told to us at the end), but the reader doesn't have any chance of figuring out the murderer at all.

The second book was Murder on the Orient Express. I really enjoyed reading this one. The clues, taken individually are so puzzling, but as a coherent whole, it makes a lot of sense. And this book invoked some 'deeper thinking' as it considers the idea of justice. What is justice? Is it the Law? Or something entirely different?

And, I thought the character of M. Bouc was very endearing. I don't think we're given enough of the other characters, so in this book, it is the character of Poirot and M. Bouc that stands out. Even though the doctor accompanies them throughout the story, I found myself forgetting his presence quite frequently.

Murder in the Mews is the third and shortest book of the four; I finished it in one go. But even though it's short, the twists and turns of the story is ingenious. But also because it's short, the characterisation is woefully lacking, unless you count on learning more about characters you already know.

Finally, Hercule Poirot's Christmas. This book, and Murder on the Orient Express, tie for the favourite novel of this omnibus. There is a diverse cast of characters and the book is sufficiently long for the reader to get to know all of them. In fact, I liked all the characters except George and his wife Magdalene. Those two were irritating >.<

I can actually visualise this story as a movie/episode in a series. In fact, I think a show might be better, because of certain visual details that could be included (this is only if the casting is done right though! Or if this was animated, then we won't have to worry about casting choice).

I highly recommend this omnibus. In fact, if you're moving and have to limit the number of books you bring along, buy this book. It counts as one book (physically) but has the content of four. ^^

John Holt

Apparently, he also started a magazine
popular amoung the unschooling set - Growing
Withought Schooling. It's referenced
many times in his books.

Over the past few weeks, I've been reading John Holt's books in between others. It's actually kind of strange because this is a topic that I don't need to know about and his stand is one I actually disagree with.

You see, it all started when I borred some G. A. Henty books from my aunt. They were printed by a homeschooling family (they espouse a particular method), so being bored, I went online and researched a bit about it. Before I knew it, I was reading about it's complete opposite: unschooling. And the founder of unschooling would be John Holt. So, in order of published dates, here are the books that I actually read:

How Children Fail
How Children Learn
Escape From Childhood
Instead of Education
Teach Your Own
Learning All The Time

Interestingly enough, when I trace the way his mind thinks, I can actually see his thoughts become more and more radical. The first two books: How Children Fail and How Children Learn seemed like sensible books to me. He used a lot of examples (especially in How Children Fail) that convinced me he knew what he was talking about. Still, I wondered if what he described was an uniquely American problem. I didn't recall having similar problems with math, but then again, I was taught to use an abacus when young (it's a very useful and fun skill to have).

I consider Escape From Childhood the most 'radical' book of the lot, mostly because it deals with children's rights instead of focusing on education. To me, that's his biggest mistake. He is, first and foremost, a teacher, which is why I respect his opinions on teaching. But for this book, I simply wasn't convinced. And why should I be? What I remember of my childhood isn't like what he describes.

The last three books deal with education and the necessity of schools (he argues otherwise). I'm not sure how the first book (which dealt with how children failed to learn math) led to the notion of unschooling. Frankly speaking, even though there were times that I didn't like school, I'm still glad that I went. If I went entirely by my own interests, I wouldn't have learnt anything. In fact, I may never have graduate from Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl (but to be fair, Roald Dahl's pretty dark, although it may take a while to realise that). School was a place that exposed me to subjects that I didn't think I'd like, but either did or appreciated knowing.

Maybe it's all in the teachers. Up till now, most of my teachers were overwhelmingly supportive. And for the scarce few that weren't good (in my opinion anyway), I was fortunate to actually like the subject, and so find teachers that could teach (my school was fine with students looking for other teachers after classes). As for the subjects that I'm not good at and have little interest, most teachers managed to spark an interest and give me the needed understanding so that when it comes up in relation to another subject, I can understand what it means.

All in all, school has been a positive experience for me. I guess that's why in the end, the whole unschooling movement and the writings of John Holt have left me unconvinced.

My Short Trip to Malaysia

The reason why I haven't posted since Saturday is that I've been at my Malaysia home since Sunday and I only got back last night. Despite the lack of Internet there (and now, I don't have my laptop for a week), it was an extremely productive trip in terms of reading. I finished 5 books!

Two of those books are G. A. Henty books. G. A. Henty wrote a lot of books (99 in total). And, my aunt has all of them. So I borrowed two - When London Burned and The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt. Both stories follow blond haired blue eyed boys (in The Cat of Bubastes, the protagonist is a Rebu prince who was made a slave), who are typically brave, moral, humble and all other good qualities.

In terms of plot, the stories follow the boys life more than they do any plot. This is why in When London Burned, the fire was at the end of the book, and even then, only an incident in Cyril (the protagonist's) very eventful life thus far. This is also why the cat in The Cat of Bubastes is killed near the half-way mark rather than the beginning of the story.

But what you should do is enjoy the details in each book. As far as I know, each book is meant to be historically accurate. which is why for some homeschooling programmes (like the Robinson curriculum), it's used as part of unit studies. Plus, the books really are enjoyable to read, although it might take some time getting used to the pace of the book.

The best part of this is that the books are now in public domain, so you can get an ebook for free from Project Gutenberg or ManyBooks (I like ManyBooks cause the covers are nicer, but that's all). I'm going to set myself the personal challenge of reading all 99 books(: oh, and without a time limit.

I also read Lee Kuan Yew's latest book: Hard Truths to Keep Singapore going. I admire Mr Lee for what he has done for Singapore (this does not mean I agree with everything he does), and it was interesting reading about his thoughts on various subjects. If he speaks as how the book reports, I can see why he's a very persuasive leader. And it's really cool that he doesn't take bullshit from anyone else, and by extension, that he speaks his mind (astonishingly frankly for the age of political correctness we live in). I disagree with his stance on intelligence and homosexuality and a few others, but it's still, there's much to admire in him.

For some reason, I read another 'old' book: The Lais of Marie De France. At first, I didn't think I would find it, but yay! It was on Project Guternberg! The book is basically a collection of medieval love stories. Although it's explain in the preface why all of them feature adultery in a positive light, I don't understand how they can see the Church condoning this. There is a very clear stance in the Bible, which makes me think that the characters in the book were only nominal Christians.

Finally, I re-read one of the books I have there: Different Dragons by Jean Little. It's a very simple story, for kids younger than me, but I still love it. The book spans 2 days and in those two days, Ben (the protagonist) grows. He doesn't go on any heart-stopping adventures, he just makes friends with a dog (he hated doges previously) and gets trapped in an attic for about 2 hours. It may sound boring, and I don't know why, but I really enjoy reading it. I suppose it's the way it's told, letting you sympathize with Ben and cheering him on to make friends with the dog. Or maybe it's because I like animals but never had a pet (fish don't count, and mine committed suicide after a day...)

And that, in a very long post, is what I read in Malaysia.

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville

One of the most well-read people I know introduced me to this book. GIDEON, YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT ITS AWESOMENSS :D

Un Lun Dun, which if you haven't realised, is a play on the world UnLondon. And yes, UnLondon sounds like a wonderful place. The major thing about UnLondon is how it affects London, which is seen through language, e.g. undernet -> internet. And binjas, which I really want.

Basically, the story is a "save-the-world quest" kind. The closest comparison I can think of is Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe. And the similarities don't just lie in the length of the novels. In terms of the alternate world thing, the easiest way I can describe it is to ask you to read The King in the Window by Adam Gopnik. And yet, despite the many comparisons I can make regarding the book, it's also (paradoxically) very original at the same time. Please don't ask me to explain that paradox, it kind of transcends words.

Another thing that the book has are illustrations. I think Roald Dahl has proven that illustrations can really enhance the whole reading experience and yes, Un Lun Dun was like that. And yes, I'm harping on and on about binjas, but that was my favourite illustration. Well, I would have like one of Hemi (the half-ghost boy) too, but ...

If you're worried about the length of this book (it looks really thick), well, I would say I was too, but I was mainly excited. And the chapters are actually quite short so you can easily read it a chapter at a time and pause without brain overload.

Um.... I don't know what else to say. This is an awesome book, and I really recommend that everyone read it. It's one of those books that I'd give me siblings to read without fearing they'd get bored too much. And I'm definitely getting my hands on a copy of my own.

Jane Austen January!

The Literary Shack has created a Jane Austen January Blogfest. Well, I currently have a lot of books to read, so instead of re-reading Austen and properly participating, I'll just be doing one post on Jane Austen, or to be very specific, the Jane Austen Spin-offs/Sequels.

Now, Jane Austen is one of my favourite authoresses, especially for her wit and humour (I'm sorry Mr Mark Twain, but YOU are the one that bore me). One of my favourite books are Pride and Prejudice, which has numerous sequels, and a very interesting retelling - Pride and Prejudice And Zombies, with its sequel Dreadfully Ever After.

Despite being almost heresy to some Jane Austen purists (One of my friend's mom was visibly disturbed), I think that Pride and Pejudice And Zombies is a really interesting book. In the first book, the writing blends well together, and the additions of Zombies hasn't dulled the wit in the story. One of my favourite quotations comes from the Mr Collins Proposal (by Mr Bennet):

"I will not have my best warrior resigned to the sercie of a man who is fatter than Buddha and duller than the edge of a learning sword."

The sequel: Dreadfully Ever After, is equally entertaining, although I think the style of writing has somewhat deviated from Austen's original style. But what I enjoyed the most is the characterisation of Kitty (and of course, Mary). She has been said in the ending of Pride and Prejudice to be less silly without the influence of Lydia, and this is wonderfully continued in the sequel, especially when she starts to deals with her feelings. Of course, having substantial parts of the narrative in her point of view helps a lot.

Another interesting Northanger Abbey and Angels and Dragons. At first, I was a little unsure about the level of sacarsm in the text, especially the footnotes, which is why I went back and re-read the original. Now, I'm convinced that most of the text is keeping in tone, as long as you avoid the footnotes. Somehow, I feel patronised whenever I read the footnotes, which is why in the end, I ignored them (It's a shame really, because after I was introduced to Terry Pratchet, I love reading footnotes).

My Jane Austen Summer: A Season in Mansfield Park on the other hand, was not as good as I expected. I'll probably be keeping the book but only because I bought it on a trip to the US and I have memories linked to it. This book has the least to do with Jane Austen, instead descending (for too much of the time) into a pity party for the protagonist, Lily. Plus, the mention of, how to put this delicately, looser morals (she slept with the guy. Who had a girlfriend) makes this hero fairly unlike Austen's hero. I found very little, if any resemblence to Mansfield Park, or even Austen in general, except for the fact that the whole story took place at a Jane Austen re-enactment.

The last Jane Austen book that I have is not fiction, in fact, it's Jane Austen for Dummies. Now, I normally avoid the Dummies series like the plague, but this one is actually really really good. What I like is it's comprehensiveness, especially with regards to the culture and social mores of that time. It also has information on Jane Austen's background, the books (even the books she read) and so one. I suppose for the extremely dedicated, this is nothing, but if you're just starting the Jane Austen fever, then this is an excellent introduction to the world around her, and I think it really enhances the reading experience if you know about the time period in which she wrote. Plus, if you subscribe to literary theories like New Historicism, cultural studies or really any literary theory that tries to look at the text in a specific way (such as by gender studies), this book is a really useful introduction. Although I'm not sure how impressive it'll look if your bibliography cites the Dummies book.

NB: Due to the many books, I decided to start bolding the titles to make it easier.

Footnote one: What does NB mean anyway? And why am I using it if I don't know (you'd think I have enough sense not to use it in case of misuse)?

Reading in Hong Kong

If anyone has read my previous post, then yes, I did buy more books in Hong Kong. And read a decent number in that time, considering the fact that I did spend most of my time doing vacation-related activities (in my family, reading books does not count as a vacation-related activity). And to make things easier (for me to write and you to read), I'm limiting myself to actualy books I read, not ebooks.

Before I even got on the plane, my family had a one or two hours to kill at the airport (midnight flight you see). So basically, my 'reading count' was at 2 even before I set off. Has anyone heard of the Arcane Society? Well, you should. Aunty Florence introduced me/lent me two books set in that society: The Perfect Poison (Book 6) and Burning Lamp (an Arcane society novel and also, rather confusingly, Book 2 in the Dreamlight Triology), both by Amanda Quick.

The Arcane Society deals with psychical gifts. Something like the gift of Hunting/Strategy/Blending into Shadows, etc. I don't fully understand what it's about, but I take it that they're talking about 'powers' of a form, and I just don't bother pretending it's real. It's a good narrative vehical, and makes for an interesting alternate reality, but still, definitely can't happen.

That being said, both books seem to revolve around romance. While I tend not to like 'adult' romances, since I have no interest in reading about two people and uh, how physical they can get, I managed to stomach the minute amount of scenes. Admitedly, the romance thing is integrated nicely into the plot, and I managed to skip the worst. Basically, this is a caution not to let little kiddies read this book, unless you feel they're ready. But really, there are worse books (in terms of this sort of content).

Plot-wise, the books are fantastic. The Perfect Poison deals with poisonous plants, and Lucinda, the protagonist is wonderfully crafted. In fact, I liked this book better because there there was more plot, Burning Lamp seeming to consist more of action scenes. And like the Discworld novels (yes, it's coming up), the way the novels interact is really enjoyable. Oh, and Burning Lamp is more psyschical, which may be why I don't like it as much. 

Skipping over the first few days, which is mostly yam cha (basically, dim sum) and some insane amounts of shopping (my feet died). And oh yeah, Hong Kong Disneyland (I need to brush up on my photography skills). To those considering going there, don't expect much thrill rides, but there is a really adorable ride: The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, that takes you through a book. Amazingly, both my sisters considered buying books, and one of them, Eugenia, actually followed up on it. I think my influence is growing ^^

I only start to properly read when we stay at my grandmother's place. She lives in the countryside (yes, Hong Kong does have a countryside), in a village, so I managed to walk to the nearby farm and such. There, I read The Diary of Amos Lee: I'm Twelve I'm Tough, I Tweet (Eugenia's purchase) and The Apprentice Smurf comics (Eusebius's purchase).

The Diary of Amos Lee: I'm Twelve I'm Tough, I Tweet by Adeline Foo is a made-in-Singapore product, and if you ask my, way better than the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. While unrealistic (I don't think it represents the Singapore Student well, although I could be just an anomaly), it's quite fun and Amos Lee reminds me of Paddy Clarke (good with words). In this installment, Amos juggles his new magazine 'Poop Fiction' while trying to run for his school's Tween Idol contest, dealing with bullies in the process. Reading such books, I think that Singapore is starting to produce better quality books (sorry Catherine Lim, I don't like your books much).

The Smurf Apprentice is a comic my brother saw and fell in love with. Being a smurf comic, I don't need to say much, but that if you are hesitating: IT'S IN COLOUR!

On one of the last days (second last day), we went to an outlet mall. In a typical manner, the only things I bought was from the bookstore (yes, and Outlet Bookstore!). I managed to buy my sister's Birthday Present: The Sister's Book (Which I can't read until after her birthday), and a photography guide specifically for my camera (I really need the help).

Lastly (I hear sights of relief), as per the newly minted tradition that started when I went to US, I bought a Terry Pratchet book at Hong Kong International Airport's Page One bookshop. And one other book called The Practical Napper.

The Practical Napper has no coherent content, but is a fun book of quotes/facts/tips about napping. Needless to say, I laughed out loud when reading this. My favourite quote? "Nap Long and Prosper". After this, I should go take a nap (well, I would if taking naps was a habit).

Making Money by Terry Pratchet is a Moist von Lipwig novel. He has apparently starred in Going Postal (sadly, I haven't read it yet), but here, he is tasked (ok, coerced) into taking over the Royal Mint. What happens is a humourous saga that pokes fun at how banks are run. The plot is good, with an unexpected twist and blah blah blah the usual praise for Pratchet.

What I really wanted to see though, was more footnotes (that's why I can't really read his books in ebook format). The footnotes are what makes the Discworld novels not only more comphrehensible (it is a world, like yet unlike ours after all), but also more humourous. Sadly, this book had very few footnotes. If there was an ode to footnotes, I would paste it here, but fortunately for you, I don't know any.

The only other (hey, assonance!) comment I have is how for some reason, I don't really like Adora Belle Dearheart. This is beyond strange since I have loved/liked every other character so far, and as far as I can objectively see, she is a well-written and likeable character. I guess there's no accounting for human tastes, although I did like her much more by the end of the novel.