I think Perfect Chemistry is one of the best YA romance I read this year, besides Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols that is. But then again, these books are not all about romance but also about the difficulties and some issues teenagers faced today.

Told in alternating narratives - Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes, Perfect Chemistry tells a story of the differences between our two protagonists and how they overcome their difficulties and find love in the end.

When Brittany and Alex first met, they were assigned as lab partners in their Chemistry class. Brittany is beautiful and popular in school, while Alex is viewed as an outcast since he is known to be a gang member of the Latino Blood. It is obvious that they do not belong in each other's world, but their Chemistry teacher refused to budge on Brittany's request to change partners so they are stuck with each other.

Truth be told, Brittany and Alex aren't like what others think they are. Brittany might give people the impression she is living a happy and perfect life, but actually no one knew she is unhappy with her parents and that she loves her sister dearly despite she has severe cerebral palsy and she is always taking some time to keep her company and so forth. Alex, on the other hand, is not as bad as what he has portrayed to the outside world. Deep in his heart, he wishes to go to college and lead a decent life. The reason he is a Latino Blood member is to keep his family safe and that it would exempt his two younger brothers from joining the gang.

The story took a turn when Brittany and Alex start to look at each other differently the more they know each other as the days went by, but that was before Alex took a bet with his friends that he could have Brittany in a matter of time. Meanwhile, Brittany has fell in love with Alex and decided to ditch her glitzy life and be with him, after all she knew she isn't perfect, and her relationship with her boyfriend has began to fall apart. Alex has wanted to leave the gang all the while, but something kept him from doing so and this is where the intensity and the complexity of the plot set in as readers read about the struggle between Brittany and Alex, and the consequences thereafter.

What can I say? I enjoyed this book immensely! What I loved about this story is it shows two people of different status and race falling in love, and most of all they are not afraid to make changes and be real not only to others but to themselves as well. I liked the alternating narrative as it allows the readers to view from their standpoint; I also liked the way they used two types of fonts at the opening of each chapter as a representation of them. Because this story covers issues like drugs, sex and some gang activities, it is not recommended for younger readers.

Finally, I was thrilled that I managed to borrow Rules of Attraction (which I'm currently reading) that features Alex's younger brother, Carlos. Like Alex, he is another interesting character and I cannot wait to see what is in store for him.

(Click here for other bookbloggers' reviews.)

As we arrived a little early, we managed to capture a shot of Po from Kung Fu Panda and Woody Woodpecker before the opening hour (Unfortunately, we didn't have a chance to take a picture with them once the staff opened the gates to let us in, but we did take a picture with Frankenstein. Well, he wasn't as scary as what we have imagined him to be, or perhaps he didn't want to frighten our 6-year-old daughter, hehe).

Below picture featured the main attraction of the theme park called "Battlestar Galactica" (a dueling roller coaster), located in Sci-Fi City (there are various names for different themes but I will come to those later).

Sci-Fi City

Since we couldn't take the above ride, we hopped on to Accelerator whereby the ride was very similiar to those spinning cups and saucers ride. We decided one ride was enough as our daughter wasn't keen for a second round (in which she claimed the ride made her a little giddy.)

Follow up next was Revenge of the Mummy at Ancient Egypt. Below picture featured the main entrance for the high speed roller coaster ride. Because our daughter didn't meet the height requirement, my husband and I took turn to take the ride and I have to confess I was intimidated by the speed initially but once I was at it, the experience was totally amazing! Besides the thrill of riding in darkness, what added to the intensity and excitement was the images of robotic mummies and their sound effects which might send goosebumps to the weak-hearted ones. (My husband went for a second ride for this one, which I admit it was fun but ...)

For those who would prefer a family-oriented ride than a high speed ride, I would suggest Treasure Hunters where the guests could take a slow ride on a vintage desert jeep as it take them to abandoned Egyptian excavation site (we didn't take a picture of this, all thanks to the Mummy ride as we were still recovering from the excitement, ha.)

An overview of Battlestar Galactica and Ancient Egypt

The weather was exceptionally hot that day so it was a perfect setting for the characters from Madagascar as they danced to the music and mingle with the audience. There's also a carousel (King Julien’s Beach Party-Go-Round) but our daughter wasn't interested in it, thus we didn't stop by and play. It was unfortunate that Madagascar: A Crate Adventure wasn't completed but I understood from the official website that there would be state-of-the-art animated figures, digital projection, and slow-action effects etc so I might consider visiting again once all the rides are ready. (*waving at Jennifer T.* Maybe during your next visit here!)

Madagascar: A Crate Adventure

Well, I have a few more things to share, but I think I will leave that for another post.

Sri Mariamman Temple is one of the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, and is located in the downtown Chinatown district. I didn't take much photos inside the temple, but I was in awe of the architecture!

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

And Alex, a boy who cared about me last night more than my own boyfriend did, acted as my hero and is urging me to be real. Do I even know how to be real?

(Pg 132, Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles)

"Half World is a haunting combination of a coming-of-age novel and a spiritual quest, a mad funhouse of horrors and a tale of redemption and love. Wonderfully odd, and quite unforgettable." — Neil Gaiman

With an eye-catching cover, an intriguing title and not to mention a blurb from Neil Gaiman, how could I possibly ignore this book? It even piqued my husband's curiosity, which I took it as a good sign because he rarely took notice of what I'm reading (well, he's not a reader like the way we all are).

To begin with, Half World introduced the readers to the three worlds of Flesh, Spirit and the Half World whereby it allow living beings to undergo a specific cycle before they could go on to the next one (think of karma and incarnation). Through the prologue, readers get a glimpse of the division of the three realms and how it would affect our heroine, Melanie Tamaki, as her parents were involved and got sucked into a horrible pact a long time ago with a grotesque character who called himself Mr. Glueskin; one who behaved as if he was the ruler of Half World.

Though Melanie lives with her mother, she knew nothing about her father since young as her mother never shared bits of his life with her. Because her mother is weak, she stay bedridden most of the times and thus they lead their lives in poverty. And Melanie isn't too happy in school because she always got bullied. Her only refuge is at the elderly Mrs. Wei's house as she is the only person she could turn to whenever she is in need of advice or assistance.

The night when Melanie received a strange phone call from Mr. Glueskin, she knew she has to save her mother even if it means putting her life at risk. With the help of Mrs. Wei, Melanie began her quest after learning something about the prophecy and a jade rat pendant was given to her for safety.

I will not disclose too much of Melanie's quest and the world of Half World, but let's just say it is both a mysterious and a bizarre world filled with all kinds of grotesque characters. Melanie has to be alert and very careful with her disguise, because any wrong move would send her to Mr. Glueskin's way. In the midst of saving her mother, she also realise that the three realms need to regain their ongoing cycles and she has to do something to restore their worlds together again.

What can I say? I was totally sucked into this fantasy world Hiromi Goto had created, yet I was terrified of Half World because it is both a mysterious and a frightening world. Aside from those grotesque creatures, it is a world bereft of colour. Everything about Half World is gray and gloomy. The characterisations are great too, especially Mr. Glueskin.

And oh, I so loved Jillian Tamaki's illustrations (she's also the illustrator for Skim)! Not only they are beautiful but they also helped me to be able to visualise Hiromi Goto's characters and her world building so much better. I wish this story could be made into an animation because I know I would want to watch it.

(Leave me a comment if you have reviewed this book so that I can add yours onto this post.)

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

1) Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles (I've Perfect Chemistry by the same author in my pile so needless to say I was thrilled to find her latest release.)

Well, if you are a follower of this blog, you might remember that I ever mentioned about a Taiwanese drama serial (Autumn's Concerto) which got me hooked a while back. I also mentioned before that I would try not to write a post on it as I know very well that it would be nothing but a gushing post; however I could not stop babbling about the show to Julia (one of my best blogger friends whom I knew for years) until she must have got tired of my ramblings and decided to watch it. (Julia, I had so much fun discussing some of those scenes with you!)

So after watching this drama, we came up with the idea of putting this review in a Q&A format and I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as we had fun doing them!

{Please be warned that they might contain some spoilers!}

Questions from Julia:

1) The show seems to have shown us many different kind of violence issue against women that are still happening today, e.g. abuse, harassment, stalker, hitting etc. What are your thoughts in how the show portrays the issues and did you find it realistic? Why or why not?
It always saddens me to read about violence happening not only to women but to all beings as well. In the show, I really felt sorry for Mu Cheng (the heroine) because she had endured many hardships since the death of her father. Besides the loss of her family (her mother ran off because she couldn't deal with all the pressure), she also has to endure the sexual harassment by her ‘stepmother’'s lover. Though he failed to abuse her in any other ways, the harrassment alone was enough to leave an emotional scar in her. I think the harrassment scenes in the show to be realistic as that continues to be an issue in today's society.

2) Being a single parent is no easy task. In the show, the heroine had raised her son for 6 years with some assistance from her friends. Life is tough and yet she managed to take care of her own son, bring food to the table and find home in a village. The mother strength comes from their own children. What do you think of the heroine’s role and the way she handle this kind of life?
I think Mu Cheng was amazing! She has sacrificed so much for her loved ones (first by leaving her lover but I will come to that later), yet she'd never grumble or complain to anyone about her condition. She has deep appreciation for everyone who gives her a helping hand whenever she is in need, and for this reason she always stay humble and grateful.

Secondary characters definitely play an important role in any shows. Come to think of it, don't you think it'd be boring and meaningless if the show focus nothing but the lead characters? Without the villians, how would the heroes shine? (Yes, there are villians in this show too.)

Questions from Melody:

1) What are your views of the hero and the hero from the beginning? Do you think there is indeed chemistry between them despite the difference of their personality and their status?
First, I’d say never judge a person by his looks. That’s how I’d describe Guang Xi because initially he didn’t leave a good impression on me. His insensitive and arrogant attitude totally put me off, but as the show progress, I found out that what made him rebellious was the fact that he had an unhappy childhood; he also blamed his mother for his parents’ separation which in fact, it was all due to his misunderstandings.

As for Mu Cheng, she gave me the impression of being weak due to her physique (and she cried a lot in the show) but in fact, I think she was way much stronger (in terms of her positive outlook on life) as compared to many characters in the show. Guang Xi was attracted to her because of her optimism, and I think it reminds him of what he should be grateful for in his life.

I absolutely think there is great chemistry between them (and personally I think they’d make a great couple in real life as well!) because I could just feel their attraction sizzle on screen. They had really done a great performance in portraying a pair of star-crossed lovers.

2) What makes you think the hero changed his opinions on the heroine thereafter?
I mentioned before that Guang Xi was attracted by Mu Cheng’s optimism, and her attitude towards the bet further made him think differently of her. I suppose he sees a little of himself in her, as both felt that life should've treated them better.

3) After the hero knew about his brain tumor, he refused to seek further medical assistance from his mother's friend, somewhat knowing he would feel obligated and be pressured to enter a relationship with his daughter. At this stage, do you think he is doing the right thing by saying no to the help he might get?
I have to admit that scene had almost moved me to tears. I think he must have struggled with the decision earlier but in the end, he had chosen not to proceed with the surgery because he loved Mu Cheng too much. He’d rather died than feeling obligated to marry another woman he doesn’t love. On the other end, Mu Cheng definitely wanted Guang Xi to go for the surgery because she’d rather have him healthy and alive than anything. Both of them have different opinions but the bottom line is, they just wanted the best for the other party.

4) So finally the heroine has somehow convinced him into getting medical assistance, but as a way of telling a white lie. If you were the hero, would you blame her for deceiving you in the first place?
Well, that’s a tough question (even I have to say so myself, haha). Yes, if I were the hero I’d feel somewhat cheated in the first place, but after considering her option and the struggle she’s gone through, I think I will have to forgive her.

5) The heroine has chosen not to rekindle her relationship with the hero after the success of his surgery, partly given the fact that he couldn't remember her after the surgery. Do you think it's fair to their young son since he has the right to know who his father is?
Based on the young son’s perspective, he definitely has the right to know who his father is, but then again I understand Mu Cheng’s decision for choosing not to disclose this information to him because she felt it wouldn’t do them any good since she thought Guang Xi has no memory of them and that he’s going to get married to another woman anyway.

6) Is it true that if you love a person, then you should let him/her go under certain circumstances?
That’s a tough decision, and not to mention a heartbreaking one. Honestly speaking, I’m not sure if I could do that but I guess it has to depend on how serious the circumstances are. If taken the same scenario as this show, I think I would probably do what Mu Cheng has done – by leaving her loved one so that he will have a chance of living.

~*~*~*~*~*

Now go visit Julia's blog for her answers.

ISBN-13: 9781848775879
Publisher: Templar Publishing
Published: May 2010
Source: Personal Library



I have heard a lot of great things about Shaun Tan's work, but just haven't got around to reading them yet. It was only last week when I was browsing at a bookstore that I stumbled upon this little gem. Without saying, I grabbed a copy off the shelves and I'm happy to say I have now owned one Shaun Tan book (and of course am looking forward for more to come).

Eric is a cute little story about a family hosting a foreign exchange student by the name of - yes, Eric. (Below illustration is how he looked like. Oh don't you find him adorable?)

With black and white illustrations, they capture the essence of Eric's personality and his 'cultures' during his stay with the family. Always curious and keen to learn, Eric slowly adapts to the environment around him.

What I loved most about this book is besides the wonderful illustrations, Shaun Tan has creatively weaved a story based on our everyday lives, through the eyes of little Eric. It also tells a story about the family accepting Eric despite their differences. Eric's stay with the family might seem short, but his experience has allowed me to look at things from a different angle. As for the ending, it brought a smile to my face and touched my heart. How I wish this story would be a little longer!

I feel so loved because I received not one but two awards this week! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

1. I love green tea (genmai tea too). I can have three teabags per day!
2. My best dish used to be prawns fried with oyster sauce, but since I've became a vegetarian, my best dishes now are soba and yasai tempura (because they are so easy to prepare, haha).
3. I bought many Sweet Dreams books through eBay last year (young adult romances printed during the 80s) because I just felt nostalgic for those good old days I read them.
4. I know many of my friends have celebrities as their idols. As for me, it's Lu "Louis" Chen.
5. The farthest country I've been is New Zealand; that's where I went for my honeymoon.
6. I'd love to be a librarian, but that's only my wishful thinking!
7. I love tulips!

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

"I will hold him ransom. I give you fourteen years of maternal bliss and life to enjoy your love whelp in the Realm of Flesh. But when I tell you to return, you will bring the child back with you for a lovely family reunion. If you do not return, I will flay your lover every day and force him to eat his skin, for all eternity." He stretched his neck down, down, to press his tacky nose against the woman's horrified face. "Do you agree?"

(Pg 7, Half World by Hiromi Goto)

Darlyn of Darlyn & Books awarded me a You've Made A Difference Award and I cannot thank her enough!

Quoted from Darlyn's post: "This award is given to followers who have been with you since the beginning of your blog, who have continually stuck with you, and who are still there."

The rules of this award:
1) Link to the blogger you received this award from
2) And then pass this award onto ten other followers or bloggers that have been with you since the beginning.

I want to pass this award to ALL my readers for reading my blog (because you all inspire me to write better), and especially to the following friends who have been there for me since the beginning of my blog (in no particular order):

~ Julia @ Julia's Books Corner
~ Alice @ Hello, My Name Is Alice
~ Wendy @ Musings of a Bookish Kitty
~ Nymeth @ Things Mean A Lot
~ Iliana @ Bookgirl's Nightstand
~ Naida @ The Bookworm

Thank you! You all rock!

What books do you have next to your bed right now? How about other places in the house? What are you reading?

I don't keep books next to my bed. In fact, I have a small table in our living room where I kept all my current reads, including magazines. As for the rest of my TBR pile, they are kept in our study room and store room.

Though my choice of books are always on-the-spur-of-a-moment thing, however I do have a few books in mind for my next reading; two of which are review copies, a few YA novels and a Japanese fiction titled Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse, translated by John Bester. I'm currently reading Hate List by Jennifer Brown, which is both a powerful and a riveting read. My review will be up next week.

So what are you reading? And what's on your reading list next?

I have to confess that the main reason I picked up this book was due to my addiction to a drama serial I watched lately, in which it featured a charismatic lawyer who had lost his memory due to a brain surgery and how fate has brought him and his ex-girlfriend back together again. Though this book has nothing to do with that show, the hero in this book was a lawyer too and on top of that, I have read a few rave reviews of it which are enough to pique my curiosity.

Anyway, Practice Makes Perfect was a fun and entertaining read. Packed with witty dialogues and with a theme surrounding the battle between the sexes, this story is about two talented and ambitious lawyers who managed to find love in each other despite their differences and through some ordeals they encountered.

What I enjoyed about reading this book is the clash between the protagonists; Payton Kendall is a feminist at heart while J.D. Jameson is a cocky hero who thinks he has it all. It is no wonder that they could not see eye to eye with each other; and the most interesting part is where they are to compete with each other for the role of partner at the firm but what they did not realise is that despite all the competitions their feelings for each other have already taken shape right from the beginning they have set eyes on each other. Though I liked the idea that they are more or less attracted towards each other earlier (never mind if there is any misunderstanding issue or whatsoever), I have to say it might make the story more intense and interesting if they are portrayed as a pair of bitter rivals and nothing more as I would like to know how they would resolve their differences and all.

My views aside, I have to admit I had great admiration in Payton because of the way she handles things well in a calm and professional manner, and not because of her role as a lawyer but more of how she could manage to turn things around during an awkward situation (readers who have read this book about the court scene would be able to get what I meant). As for J.D. Jameson, the feminist in me cheered when I learnt that he did show remorse after all the things he had done to Payton earlier, and vice versa. All in all, I enjoyed reading this book. It made me laugh and think that opposite attraction does work. After all, there are no rules when it comes to the laws of attraction, and I couldn't agree more with that.

Other reviews:
Angieville
Babbling About Books, and More
Books Lists Life
Dear Author
The Raving Readers
(Let me know if I missed yours.)

• Grab your current read.
  
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

Ben paused to look at each of them. "We've decided to name only one litigation partner this year. Only one of you will make it."

It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers get to share the books that came into their house last week.

Here's what I received last week, which I bought from The Book Depository:

1) Seize the Fire by Laura Kinsale

2) Extreme Danger by Shannon McKenna

What books came into your house last week?

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I know I did mention before that I haven't visited a library for a long time, due to the fact that I'm such a slow reader and that I'd rather read books at my own pace (and not to mention I've a huge TBR pile waiting to be read), but last Friday while I was waiting for my husband to arrive so we could have our dinner before we went for grocery shopping at a neighbourhood mall, I spotted a public library situated next to the foodcourt so as a way to pass the time and also out of curiosity, I stepped into the library not expecting to borrow any books until my attention fell upon this book:

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Suddenly, I lost all my self-control when it comes to saying no to library books and I knew I just have to read this! So there you have it, my very first Library Loot post! So does that mean that I would be borrowing more books in the near future? Frankly speaking, I have no idea and with this little experience I have learned to say, "Never say never".

Below are just a few exhibits shown in the museum. We did not take many pictures due to the lightings. And most of the pictures we took are too dark anyway.

I can't remember what artefact this is. It might be a religious artefact but I am not sure.

A Dragon Robe worn by the Chinese Emperor

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

In the top right margin of the right-hand page was handwriting, the black of the ink now a bruised shade of purple.

The broad, thick strokes of the letters were undoubtedly made by a male and as she brought the book closer to read it better in the dim light, she found herself blushing at the intimacy of his words.

(Pg 32, On Folly Beach by Karen White)