Melody


Suggested by Marsha:

Buy a Friend a Book Week is October 1-7 (as well as the first weeks of January, April, and July). During this week, you’re encouraged to buy a friend a book for no good reason. Not for their birthday, not because it’s a holiday, not to cheer them up–just because it’s a book.

What book would you choose to give to a friend and why?

And, if you’re feeling generous enough–head on over to Amazon and actually send one on its way!

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I love this week's topic. Well, I can't possibly give a certain book to anyone because everyone have their own reading preferences. If I know that person well, I will give the book according to the genre he/she likes. And of course, another easiest way is getting a book voucher so they can buy whatever they prefer.

In honor of this meme and as well as Buy A Friend A Book Week, I will give out a few books to some lucky readers but since I'm currently at work, I'm not able to list out the titles as I need to check them at home. I will post the list next week (probably Monday), so stay tuned if you are interested in the draw!

Melody
Earlier on, I have signed up for this reading challenge but just haven't posted my list yet. Anyway, here is the list of books I will be reading for the challenge:
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Bride Island by Alexandra Enders
  • School's Out by Christophe Dufosse
  • Marley & Me by John Grogan
  • Yakuza Moon by Shoko Tendo
I'm looking forward to reading these books and reading other participants' reviews as well. Happy reading to all!
Melody
Hi everyone! I'm baacck!!!

The trip was wonderful. We enjoyed ourselves very much. We reached home around 8pm plus last evening. There was a slight delay with our flight, but it didn't cause much inconvenience to us at all. We expected some rain over in Taipei (I checked the forecast before the trip) but I was relieved that the weather has been fine (except drizzling in the evening during the first and second day of our trip) but other than that, the weather was bright and sunny! The people there are wonderful too, most of them are friendly and very helpful.

I wish I could post some pictures here, but we were so tired last evening and moreover, we have to unpack our luggage and so forth. (I don't even dare to think of the laundry, haha!)

Anyway, I'm back to work today. Have been missing everyone! I will share my trip and upload the photos probably next week! :D

(A postcard I bought in Taipei. Here is a night scene of Taipei 101 and landscape.)

Melody

Hi everyone!

Please note I won't be blogging from 23 - 27 September as we will be away for a vacation. We are going to Taipei, Taiwan! This is all so exciting, as we have never been there before. Can you believe that we haven't packed our luggage yet?! Hehe. However, I'm not sure if I'll bring along a book to read since it only takes about 4 hours to reach there. (Moreover, I'm not sure if I'm able to read with our young daughter travelling with us.)

I’ll miss reading blogs from all of my blogging friends, but rest assured that I'll definitely keep everyone informed about the trip once I'm back!

Meanwhile, read lots of books and have fun! :D
Melody

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art?
I love all kinds of art, seriously. Each has its own beauty and it's hard to pinpoint just one.

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it?

A few weeks ago. Our company's staff recreation committee had organized a dinner and dance last month and the Chairman of the committee decided to give every committee member a lunch treat after the event as a recognition of all our hard work. We had a sumptious lunch buffet under the company's expense. Hehe.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you?

Probably a 8, but it has to depend on the situation and how serious it is.

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails?

I usually check my emails in the office. I can't tell you the specific time I spend on responding to emails because I'll check them whenever I'm not that busy.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat?

We don't have a thermostat (By the way, we don't have four seasons here.) but we do have a air-conditioner. Usually we will set the temperature between 22C to 24C if it gets too hot.

Melody

The reverse of last week’s question:

Imagine that everything is going just swimmingly. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and all’s right with the world. You’re practically bouncing from health and have money in your pocket. The kids are playing and laughing, the puppy is chewing in the cutest possible manner on an officially-sanctioned chew toy, and in between moments of laughter for pure joy, you pick up a book to read . . .

What is it?

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Well, if I'm in a happy mood, I can absolutely read anything. I don't care if the story has a happy ending or a sad ending, but then again if has to depend a lot on my reading mood. But the variety of books to read is definitely much wider as compared to my down moments as I won't want to read a book with a sad ending.

Melody
Don't take this quiz too seriously, people. It isn't a test...but I have a fun time doing this! :) And no, I don't get annoyed when people make simple mistakes. I'm sure I make mistakes too. After all, we are human.

You Scored an A



You got 10/10 questions correct.

It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors.

If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs.

As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human.

And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes.





Melody
WoRds On WeDNesDAy

Word for 19 September: supine

Definition:
  • Lying on the back, or with the face upward.
  • Indolent; listless; inactive; mentally or morally lethargic.
Adverb: supinely
Noun: supineness
Melody

Week of Sept 16: Random Questions

1. what's your favorite color? Blue
2. how many languages do you speak? 3
3. who is your best friend? Jennifer T.
4. are you married? Yes
5. what's your favorite song? Too many to list
6. what is your greatest fear? Losing someone who is close to me
7. who is your hero? It has to be the hubs

till next time...

Melody

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?

Last month. My grandmother was admitted because her leg is swollen and apparently there is blood clot in her arteries. She's in pain, but the doctor cannot do a surgery on her because of her old age. She's 95.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?

6. I'm not that ambitious. I'm happy as long as I have a stable job and I enjoy what I'm doing.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)
Hamburger and nuts don't sag.

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?

It would be a bookclub since I love to read. I shall name it Book Haven.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?

We don't have any carpet at home. It's white tiles for our living room and brown parquet flooring for all the rooms.

Melody
What a beautiful couple! They looked so happy in these pictures. Don't you wish you are their owner?! :D






Labels: 8 comments | edit post
Melody
I have seen this meme circulating around the blogs. Sounds fun!

Go to the advanced book search on Amazon, type your first name into the Title field, and post the most interesting/amusing cover that shows up.

There are a various of audio CDs listed but this particular book sparks my interest!

Love Is in the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals (Love is in the Earth)
by Melody (Author), Julianne Guilbault (Illustrator)

A great reference book for crystal lovers.

Melody

Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.

What do you read?

(Any bets on how quickly somebody says the Bible or some other religious text? A good choice, to be sure, but to be honest, I was thinking more along the lines of fiction…. Unless I laid it on a little strong in the string of catastrophes? Maybe I should have just stuck to catching a cold on a rainy day….)

Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

Great topic this week! Let's see... I'll pick Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard. This is an inspirational book that will definitely set you thinking about life. I understand some readers might find inspirational books to be somewhat boring, but this is not so in this book. It is written in story form wrapped with a fantasy theme. What's more, the bookcover looks bright and cheerful, and not to mention it's an easy read (which is what I need under this circumstances!). This will be the book that I won't mind reading it all over again and again.

(You may wish to read my review here.)

Melody



ISBN: 0307387895
Pub. Date: March 2007
Format: Paperback, 304pp
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group


I looked forward to reading this book because there is so much hype about it. Well, if some movies can be described as an art, then I shall say the same for this novel. The Road is gripping, haunting and thought provoking. I'm not sure about the other readers, but the lack of punctuation drives me crazy (although I understand the author's aim to do so intentionally).

Here are the two examples I selected from some pages:

He said: If he is not the word of God God never spoke.

He was a long time going to sleep. After a while he turned and looked at the man. His face in the small light streaked with black from the rain like some old world thespian.
Can I ask you something? he said.
Yes. Of course.
Are we going to die?

But as I read further, I began to get used to the writing style and get into the story quickly.

The opening line is dark and grim. This is a tale about a father and son's journey to survival set in a post-apocalyptic America. Nothing appears to be living in the world for everything is covered with a grey cover of ash, although there are a few living species struggling for survival. Food is hard to come by, and they are forced to dig as much as they can find. Leftovers or even a dry and shriveled apple one would consider as garbage is something more than they can bargained for.

Throughout the story, I could feel the strong protectiveness and deep love he harboured for his son. The father trusts no one, for fear of cannibals who would take them down while the son has a compassionate heart, because there is a scene where he asked his father if he could allow another boy to go with them (and of course the father has to say no. They couldn't even help themselves so how could they even help another being).

I think the author has done a great job in describing the grave situations; and I have to admire the father and the son's determination throughout the journey because it is no easy task. Although I enjoyed the story, I felt there are some unanswered questions, such as: How did the world come to a state like this? What has caused it, and why? etc. Nevertheless, this story will stay in my mind for some time.

(Note: This book was the pick of the Oprah's BookClub and a Pulitzer Prize Winner.)

Other Bloggers' reviews:
My Own Little Reading Room
Tanabata
Things Mean A Lot

Melody
WorDs oN wEdnESdAy


Word for 12 September: mimetic

Definition:
  • Apt to imitate; given to mimicry; imitative.
  • Characterized by mimicry; -- applied to animals and plants; as, mimetic species; mimetic organisms.
Adverb: mimetically
Melody

Another new reading challenge, how exciting! Just when I thought I have participated enough of these challenges, this one comes along. And yeah, you guess it, I'm joining, despite that we don't have four seasons here. I just can't turn down a fun reading challenge.

Anyway, this will run from 23rd September through 21st December. Coincidentally, both dates are significant to me because...*drumroll please*...I will be visiting Taipei, Taiwan on the 23rd September and my birthday falls on the 21st December! In fact, I'm already counting down the days to my trip! I will be back on the 27th September so that means no blogging for me during this period. I will definitely miss everyone! But rest assured I will keep everyone updated about my trip. :-)

Gosh, I realize I have been off topic here, hehe. Anyway, please visit Katrina's blog for more details about the Fall Into Reading Challenge. What's more, there will be a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate to be awarded to one participant. Good luck, and happy reading!

Melody
I was tagged by Cmate for playing this.

Rules:

  1. Come up with 8 different points about his/her perfect partner
  2. Mention the gender of his or her partner
  3. Tag 8 other victims to join this game
  4. If you are tagged the 2nd time, there is NO need to do it again
  5. Lastly, have fun doing it!
I found my perfect lover in my husband. Although he isn't perfect, but I appreciate all the things he had done for me over the years, especially those days when my mother was seriously ill and he is always there, supporting me.

Anyway, here's a list of my perfect lover:

  1. He is confident, yet not arrogant at the same time. He is also not afraid to speak up his mind and expressing his thoughts/emotions.
  2. He is considerate, and has a caring and a generous heart. He is also a good listener.
  3. He will share my problems as if they are his own.
  4. He likes me for who I am, regardless if I look pretty or ugly. (Hey, we do have our bad hair days, don't we? Hehe.)
  5. He is sensitive to my feelings.
  6. He remembers the dates of our anniversaries, and makes an effort to celebrate them with me.
  7. Respect me even though we have different opinions.
  8. And last but not least, he is not a male chauvinist!

Unrelated topic:

I saw this music video May Day (courtesy of http://www.biku.com/) performed by S.H.E and am almost fallen in love with Ashin, the guy who acted in this MV. He is also a member of rock band Mayday. Anyway, this MV is so romantic that it makes me swoon.

(Picture courtesy of S.H.E Play Blog)

I don't wish to tag anyone. But if you feel like playing, consider yourself tagged and please leave me a comment so I can come visit. :-)

Melody



ISBN: 0451212800
Pub. Date: September 2004
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400pp
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)


The Resort is one creepy read, if you are into haunted houses that is. This horror story begins when the Thurman family checked into the exclusive resort - The Reata, which is located in the isolated Arizona desert; nonetheless this resort is often patronized by the rich. Lowell Thurman chosen this resort is because he wants to get away from meeting his old friends for an after school reunion. It appears most of his friends all hold a better career than him and he hates being compared with. Another thing is the resort offers discounted off-season rates in the summertime that they can't turn it down. So they booked a five-night stay at the resort, thinking they will have the perfect vacation in their life.

Their nightmares first begin when they found a strange intruder occupying one of their rooms. They managed to get their rooms changed, but then more strange things followed thereafter. Lowell's wife, Rachel thinks she sees an evil face in the clouds. Their three teenaged sons (Owen, Curtis and Ryan) think they see a dead body at the outdoor pool although they convinced themselves it is only the shadow that is playing tricks on their eyes. And Lowell feels a hand grabbing him when he is swimming at the indoor pool. But what most puzzling is the resort's activities coordinator 'coaxing' them into joining various sports games and he seems not to take no for an answer, claiming that it is a great way for their guests to break the ice and have some fun while getting to know one another.

When David (a boy whom the three sons befriended at the resort) told them he had caught his parents engaging in a bizarre game with some other guests (i.e. the wives being tied onto a post while their husbands hit them with a golf ball), they feel something isn't quite right. And this further adds in to their suspicions when they stumble upon an abandoned ruined resort not faraway later.

I could easily visualize this as a great horror movie material (however, I would rate this a 'PG' since there is a mild sexual element and a few gross scenes in the story). I cringe and find it a little disturbing when I read the parts whereby the guests engaged in sexual games as their minds are being taken over by the evil. Nevertheless, The Resort is highly entertaining and there are times I feel like I am taking a roller coaster ride.
Melody

Okay, so the other day, a friend was commenting on my monthly reading list and asked when I found the time to read. In the ensuing discussion, she described herself as a “goldilocks” when it comes to reading–-she needs to have everything juuuuuust right to be able to focus. This caught my attention because, first, I thought that was a charming way of describing the condition, but, two, while we’ve talked about our reading habits, this is an interesting wrinkle. I’d never really thought about it that way.

So, this is my question to you–are you a Goldilocks kind of reader?
Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so loud but not too loud, the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum?
Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as the book is open in front of your nose, you’re happy to read?


Don’t forget to leave a link to your actual response (so people don’t have to go searching for it) in the comments—or if you prefer, leave your answers in the comments themselves!

I don't think I'm a Goldilocks reader. I can read anywhere, as long as I'm not occupied with anything. However, I do mind a little if there is loud music at the background while I read, it takes away my concentration. And I do read while waiting for the kettle to boil, or when there's a commercial break on TV etc, even more so when I'm waiting at a queue, especially trips to the clinic (unless I'm too sick to read!) or banks (the worse queue amongst all!), and also if I'm waiting for a friend outside. In other words, I read whenever and/or wherever if I have the chance.

Melody


ISBN: 0156032627
Pub. Date: September 2007
Format: Paperback, 320pp
Publisher: Harvest Books


I have chosen this book as a kick off for the Unread Authors Challenge which is hosted by Pour of Tor of Sycorax Pine. (Can you tell I'm addicted to these reading challenges?! :P)

The reason I bought this book because the blurb intrigued me:

“Scott Weiss is a weathered P.I. based in San Francisco, an ex-cop with a basset hound's face, a romantic's soul and an empath's ability to read others. He's holded up in a hotel room, thinking of the girl he should have left alone and waiting for the Shadowman, the hitman he knows is stalking him.

Jim Bishop is a young, good-looking livewire with a taste for violence, drugs and loose women. Bishop is holed up too, three-days-drunk with the blonde who nearly killed him on his mind and the cops on his tail.

Bishop used to work for Weiss, until he screwed him over for stolen cash. Now he is Weiss's only hope...”

I didn't know this is part of a series (following Dynamite Road and Shotgun Alley, which features Scott Weiss as the head of San Francisco PI agency Weiss Investigations, and Jim Bishop who is formerly one of his operatives) , although this can be read alone in my opinion. Anyway, this third installment is packed with action and intrigue. I could only describe the story like a cat playing hide and seek with the mice, which is leading the cat to the cheese. My description might sound a little absurd, but this is the impression I get from the story.

I don't understand why Scott, the protagonist appears to be besotted with Julie Wyant, who is after all works as a prostitute and that he can be her father considering their age gap. Perhaps he is a little too sentimental, that's why I can understand why he thinks he should save her from the stalker who is known as John Foy aka The Shadowman. It seems like Foy is obsessed with her too, and that explains why he is following Scott closely so that he could lead him to Julie. Earlier on Julie has begged Scott not to trail after her, but of course Scott refused to listen.

And enters Jim who feels he owes Scott in a way and hoping to save him from the killer. Jim is a "troublemaker" himself, having been estranged from Scott and was charged with a link to murder thanks to his 'girlfriend', but this doesn't stop him from finding Scott and saving him from the Shadowman.

Added to the plot, there is also a first person POV featuring the anonymous narrator having an affair with Sissy, an older woman working in Scott's office. But he isn't in love with Sissy, instead he has his eyes on Emma McNair whom he has left behind and now, her father hires him to spy on her.

All these scenes add up to more confrontal situations which is the climax of the story. Although I still find Scott's 'obsession' a little ridiculous, overall this story is a great read.

(Edited: This review is also posted at the Unread Authors blog.)
Melody
woRDs oN WeDnEsdAy

Word for 5 September: cerebration

Definition: The act or product of thinking; the use of the power of reason; mental activity; thought.

Noun: cerebration

Adjective: cerebrational
Melody
I don't think I'm a bombshell, but I'm glad I got 'Liv Tyler' because I like her.


You Are Most Like Liv Tyler
“I don't want to spend so much time obsessing about myself.”

Melody
So I went on leave yesterday, thought I needed a little break from work and also take it as an opportunity to reward myself after all my hard work for the company's dinner and dance... (Blah, that's just a lame excuse, oh well...)

Anyway, the hubs and I went to watch Ratatouille. (I understood this was first released in end June in the States so I don't understand why it takes such a long time to be released over here, hmph!) I have been waiting for this like for ages ever since I read the children's book. If the book is good, then I think the movie is even better! We enjoyed the movie very much! I think the story is inspiring in a way, and I like Remy the Rat's 'never-give-up' attitude as his dream is to become a chef even though he is despised for being a rat, which is a big no-no in the food industry. I will definitely buy the DVD when it is released, and I'm sure my daughter will like it.

Now come to books... my so called shopping trip won't be complete without making a stopover at the bookstores, so it wasn't a surprise (to the hubs anyway) that I raided Kinokuniya and Borders and bought the following:

Hell On Heels
An anthology by Julie Kenner, Kathleen O'Reilly & Dee Davis

My Immortal by Erin McCarthy

Into The Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

I also stopped over at HMV for some music albums. I bought Danson Tang's Love Me album, as well as High School Musical Soundtrack (2-Disc Special Edition). I didn't catch the latter's movie until the TV station aired it some time ago, and I love their songs so I'm thinking I will add this onto my shelf as well.