(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Legoland, Malaysia #2
Melody
Related Post:

1) Land of Adventure - Dino Island (A 'boat ride' to the peak and prepare to get wet down the slide).

2) Alas, due to some technical problems it broke down when it was my turn to ride! (My husband, my eldest daughter as well as my younger sister-in-law and her husband were fortunate as they rode before me. I didn't join them in the first place as my youngest daughter didn't meet the height limit.) As a compensation, the staff gave us an express ticket so we were allowed to take other rides without queueing! Yeah!  

3) & 4) Imagine how many Lego bricks are used to build these!

5) Lego Kingdoms - Entrance to The Dragon ride.

6) Next to The Dragon ride is an eating place called "Knight's Feast" where they serve food such as burgers, hot dogs, ice cream, waffles, etc. 

7) Whoosh! The Dragon ride. It was great fun, but I find the overall ride was too short (perhaps the speed made it appeared short? And, the queue was super long but I was glad I got the express ticket). 









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The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino
Melody
ISBN-13: 978-1847673015
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd 
Publication Date: January 2013
Format: Trade paperback, 320 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Translated by: Rebecca Copeland


I first came across Natsuo Kirino's novel when I read her most famous crime fiction, Out. It was a very intense read and I was not surprised at all that it received the Grand Prix for Crime Fiction, Japan's top mystery award and was a finalist (in translation) for the 2004 Edgar Award. Her other novels, Grotesque and Real World were published subsequently and they received good reviews too, though Out is still considered her best work due to the thrilling and disturbing plot. It is no doubt a masterpiece in many readers' opinions. 

The Goddess Chronicle, her latest release, however is unlike her previous works. Based on the Japanese myth of Izanami and Izanagi, this tale is about the relations between gods and men, men and women, yin and yang as well as life and death. It is a story between two sisters who live on a small, remote island called Umihebi - the island of sea snakes as the seas surrounding the island were abundant with them. On their island, It is believed that they still ruled by the ancient gods and there are traditions and the people have to adhere to the strict customs which has passed on to them from generations to generations.The women would collect sea snakes, tend the mountain goats, collect shellfish or seaweed from the shores,but the most important task they do is to pray. They pray for the safe return of their men fishing on the high seas and most importantly, they pray for the prosperity of the island. There would be a great miko, the high priestess known as the Oracle, is responsible for all the prayer rites. 

Two sisters, Kamikuu and Namima, were born from a prestigious family where their grandmother, Mikura-sama is the Oracle. The younger sister, Namima is very close with her sister although they are so different in their looks and personality. Kamikuu is the sturdy girl and the cleverest child on the island and she is a beauty too, while Namima is happy enough to live in her sister's shadow. However, on Kamikuu's sixth birthday, she is sent to train with their grandmother to become the next Oracle and this forces them apart. Namima is also requested not to see Kamikuu as she is proclaimed as the impure one. It is a tradition that there is always a yin and yang in the family so if the elder sister is yin, then the other will be yang. Yin represents light and yang is the darkness so it is no wonder that Namima would receive different treatment from the islanders. Not only that, she is also to serve the goddess of darkness. 

Shocked by this discovery and the traditions that had laid so long ago, Namima decides to change her destiny and there begins her adventure in The Goddess Chronicle. Her journey is a rough one, but it allows her to experience the real meaning of love and kinship, as well as the dark side of bitterness and revenge. And most importantly, the difference between gods and men and how it is like to be a human being. Part fictional and part mythology, The Goddess Chronicle explores the humanity and the emotions of all beings.

I have to say I had a wonderful experience reading this novel because not only Natsuo Kirino has once again captured my attention through her great writing skill and her most unforgettable plot, but what most made this book such a satisfying read is the thought-provoking message behind the story. I couldn't put my feelings into words; this is one novel that you need to read it to experience it. 
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2013 Reading Challenges Which I'm Participating
Melody
Another new year has arrived and that means participating in new reading challenges. Like last year, I'm going to commit myself to three reading challenges; and the genres I chose will remain the same (Romance, Young Adult and Mystery/Crime) since I tend to read them the most.

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013
Romance Reading Challenge is hosted by Naida of the Bookworm (click here for more details). Participants are requested to read at least five novels and since I have no idea what books to read for the upcoming months I will keep the list open. 
January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

Mystery/Crime Reading Challenge is hosted by Amy of The Crafty Book Nerd (click here for more details). 

January 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013

The Young Adult Reading Challenge is hosted by Amy of The Overstuffed Bookshelf (click here for more details).

 I'll be participating in the Mini YA Reading Challenge, which is to read 12 Young Adult novels. 
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(Not So) Wordless Wednesday - Legoland, Malaysia #1
Melody
It has been a long while since I have done a 'Wordless Wednesday' post here. During the last weekend in December, we went to Legoland in Malaysia. The location was not far away from Singapore checkpoint and the overall journey only takes about an hour to reach (if there is no jam at the checkpoint, that is). Anyway, here are some pictures we took. As for the weather, it was fine during the day but it got rainy towards the evening. 

1) Entrance to Legoland
2) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (There is an attraction called 'Miniland' where they used Lego bricks to build the capitals/states of some countries.) 
3) Singapore Flyer and the cityscapes 
4) Taj Mahal, India
5) Beijing's Forbidden City, China

There are also a few more that features most Asian countries which I did not post here but I have to say they are equally amazing.  







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Books Read in 2013
Melody
Here is a list of books I read in 2013. They are sorted in alphabetical order by the authors' last name.

A
Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth

H
Poppet by Mo Hayder
Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino

K
The Goddess Chronicle by Natsuo Kirino

M
The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon

N
The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura
The Bat by Jo Nesbo

S
那年夏天，19岁的肖像 - 岛田庄司 (That Summer, the Nineteen-year-old Portrait by Shimada Soji)
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

Z
The Never List by Koethi Zan
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Cold Light by Jenn Ashworth
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780062076038
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: October 2012
Format: Trade paperback, 343 pgs
Source: Publisher


Twenty-something Laura has lived with a secret for the past ten years. This secret has been living in her memory and it strikes her the most when the council decided to build a summerhouse in memorial of Chloe's death but most of all, a monument to a young love gone wrong and a publicity for the City's urban renewal programme after all these years; after they have found a body and Laura knew who that person was. 

The story then proceeds to unfold the mystery as Laura narrates her life and her friendship with Emma and Chloe when they were fourteen year old. Laura, at that age, was a self-conscious girl and she didn't have many friends either. It was Chloe who became friends with her when she was transferred from another school. Laura wasn't sure if the other friends were scared or intimidated by Chloe, but either way Laura was glad to have found a friend in her. Chloe, unlike Laura, was bold and sassy. She knew what she wants and she knew ways of getting them. Emma, on the other hand, was a little like Laura but she knew the right things to say or do under circumstances. Laura was more like a goody-goody among the three. 

Their friendship took on a turn after Chloe knew an older man and began spending more time with him. Emma and Laura knew it is illegal if Carl would do anything to Chloe, but despite of this none of them ever mentioned the relationship between Chloe and Carl to anyone. It was at that time that Chloe chose to be closer with Emma; sharing things from accessories to secrets and Laura couldn't help but feeling jealous of Emma. She was a bit angry with Chloe too, but she wouldn't want to admit it, thinking that Chloe would come out of it in no time and they would be good friends again. 

However, things got worse after a chance meeting with a Down's Syndrome man called Wilson. It appeared that he had gone missing and Chloe, Carl and Laura were the last person to see him before his disappearance. Laura insisted that they should report it to the police, but Chloe and Carl rebuked that they didn't make Wilson wander into the woods so they should stay out of it. As Laura wondered about Wilson, the media connected Wilson's disappearance as the answer to the identity of a sex offender as it appeared that there was no repeating crimes after his disappearance. 

Filled with teen-aged angst and intensity, Cold Light is a book that makes you think of how one's secret could ruin a person's reputation or even, his or her live. As much as I think the story is interesting, I have to admit that the plot tends to drag as I felt three-quarter of the book was focused on the angst and jealousy of the three girls. In addition, Chloe isn't a likeable character and I didn't know what to feel towards Laura. There are times I felt like shaking her up and ask her to move on, even if it is your good friend who doesn't want to be friends with you anymore. But of course, sometimes things are beyond our control and often, we want to remind ourselves to be optimistic, no matter how bad the circumstances can be. So what's my verdict after reading Cold Light? I just felt hollow. Period. 
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A Glance of the Reading Challenges I Participated in 2012
Melody
So I have been slacking in my reading in 2012, and needless to say the number of books I read for a few reading challenges is deemed to be pathetic. However, that does not mean I will give up on reading challenges for I think they are great fun and they allow me to discover more books and fellow new bookbloggers as well. 

Here are just a few reading challenges I participated and books read for each challenge:

 Merely Mystery Reading Challenge






Romance Reading Challenge












As for which reading challenges I am going to participate this year, I have yet to go through the list but I will keep it to a minimal. 

What about you? Which reading challenges are you participating this year? 
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Books Read in 2012
Melody
Here is a list of books I read in 2012. They are sorted in alphabetical order by the authors' last name.

B
Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

C
Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

F
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Broken Harbour by Tana French
The White Pearl by Kate Furnivall

G
With My Body by Nikki Gemmell

H

M
A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
Asylum by Patrick McGrath

O
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

P
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

R
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
Sleepwalker by Karen Robards

W
Overseas by Beatriz Williams
The Golden Hour by Margaret Wurtele

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Best Reads of 2012
Melody
Happy New Year! So it is the beginning of a new year and I hope everyone had a wonderful holidays! 

Last year was considerably a good year for me but not so good in the reading department. Looking at my list I only read nineteen books last year. That's a great difference as compared to my reading habits as in the past few years, in which I read about two books in a week. Nevertheless, my habit of listing down my top reads for the year never change and here it is:

 Best Crime Fiction:

 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Broken Harbour by Tana French









Best Literature: 

 Asylum by Patrick McGrath











Best YA:

 Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins










Best Romance:

 A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean













As of this year, I hope I will be able to read more books and that my favourite authors would release their new titles more quickly (e.g. Mo Hayder, Tana French, Anne Stuart... just to name a few) and last but not least, to discover more wonderful books and new authors as well. 

So, what are your top reads for last year? 
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Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780062070142
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: October 2012
Format: Paperback, 288 pgs
Source: Publisher


Calling out all book lovers (occasional readers and non-readers apply as well)! Have you ever came across a literary guide which not only offer you some insight of the wonder and beauty of reading but also an account of the peculiar world of book culture and how we speak condescendingly about the most revered authors and their literary works even if we haven't read them! 

Author Lauren Leto started off this guide on her introduction to books when she was a child and how she was initially overwhelmed by the words and sentences in books to becoming a well-read reader as she is today. In this guide, she shares with us her opinions and observations of the book culture and some of the titles she read in both snarky and sometimes condescending voice. Either way, she has got me hooked to this guide as she covered some topics such as:

1) The Bookshelf of the Vanities
2) That Certain Bookstore Smell (From Self: Oh yes!)
3) Ten Rules for Bookstore Hookups 
4) Rules for Public Reading and Rules of Book Club
5) Petition to Change the Term from "Bookworm" to "Bookcat" (I like this one!)
6) Fan Letters (Don't we all have the desire to write to our favourite authors at some stage?)
7) How to Write Like Any Author (Names like Stieg Larsson, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Miller,  Cormac McCarthy... just to name a few)
8) What Your Child Will Grow Up to Be if You Read Them... (like The Giving Tree, Green Eggs and Ham, The Velveteen Rabbit, Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Wind in the Willows, etc)
9) Stereotyping People by Favourite Author
10) Strategies to Avoid Discussing the Major Plot Points of Any Novel
11) A Gift Guide by a Bad Gift-Giver
12) How to Succeed in Classifying Fiction Without Really Trying

Though written in a fun and humorous way, Lauren Leto has a deep admiration for every one of the authors whose work she discussed in this guide and she stated that "there is nothing more beautiful than a well-written book, and there is nothing more admirable than the attempt to create something beautiful", which I agree.  

Here are some of my favourite quotes in this guide (pg 267 - 9) which I think will strike a chord for bibliophiles and the like: 

- Reading is a solitary activity. You can be surrounded by a thousand people, but processing the written words in your brain is something only you are going through. ... A good novel presents you with an engaging world that is a reality only for you. 

- A story is unbiased with respect to the reader. It presupposes nothing about the audience. Books don't require that you read them in a certain place, at a certain time, or with certain equipment. Just eyes. Literature connects by transporting people to the same consciousness; a stranger who's read the same book you've read, whose eyes passed over the same words, may be a part of a completely different environment, and even time, but for a while, at least, they shared a world with you. A community is built out of that isolated experience; an author has the power to build worlds and to populate them not only with characters but also with their readers. 

- Good books command study, presenting you with the puzzle of how and why their plot is laid the way it is  laid - without examination the meaning is lost.

- The greatest argument for the oneness of humanity is the recognition that we are all emotional beings, subject to the fantasies of a story. We talk about this event we went through alone because it connects us together. You're nevermore human than when you realize a sentence has the power to push and pull the emotions of millions. 

To end it all, I enjoyed reading Judging a Book by Its Lover as it has inspired me to read some of the titles which I wanted to read but haven't (e.g. Crime and Punishment, The Catcher in the Rye, etc) but most of all, this guide made me smile as I agree with some of the stuff Lauren Leto mentioned and not to mention it also made me laugh over some of her remarks. Humour, anecdotal, reference... this guide has it all and I think this book would make a great gift to anyone who enjoys reading. 
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Movie: High Tension
Melody
Let me start off by saying that I have simply no idea what this film is all about. All I see is a tough looking, alpha female holding a barbwire stick and looking mean enough to hack anyone who's crossed her path. I watched this film through an app on my iPhone and the blurb simply stated that this is a French film about two young women whose intention is to visit a countryside for vacation but an unexpected visitor has ruined their wonderful vacation. Sounds thrilling to me, I had initially thought, but once I was into the film there was no turning back for me, no matter how horrific and/or bloody it seems. 

The film begins with a scene of a woman in a hospital gown; her back is filled with stitches and she is whispering to herself. She has vague memories of a woman running from something (or someone) in a forest and her stomach is wounded. 

Back to a new scene, we see two happy young women in a car heading to somewhere else. Their names are Marie and Alex, and their destination is to Alex's parents' house at a countryside. They have decided to stay there for their college break and a quiet countryside sounds appealing; plus it is Alex's family. 

That night, before Marie settles into bed, she thought she hears something in the house. The film moves on to show Alex's father answering to a doorbell and someone bulky wearing a cap slashed at his face. Filled with blood and in pain, Alex's father crawls back into the house but is stopped by the killer when he presses Alex's father's head between two rails of the staircase and then shoves the bookcase towards him. Needless to say, Alex's father is gone with his head decapitated. At this point, I knew where this film is going and that it would be filled with more gore and violence but yet I couldn't stop myself from watching it. I wanted to find out what happened to the family and whether or not if Marie and/or Alex would be hurt or worse, killed by this sadistic killer. 

True enough, there was more gore and violence as Alex's mother is the next victim as her throat was brutally slashed. Seeing both Alex's parents dead, Marie goes off to find Alex but she is too late - for Alex is chained  in her bedroom but she promises her that she would call for help. Unfortunately, the line was cut and Alex's younger brother is the next to go, as the killer shot him after he realized he has gone into the cornfield. 

Feeling satisfied that he didn't find anyone except Alex in the house, the killer proceeds to haul her into his old van and make his escape but Marie manages to creep into the van before he drove off. They travelled down a deserted road and just when Marie thought they would be dead, the killer stops at a gas station and Marie decides that this would be the best time to call for help and stop the killer, but she is dead wrong. 

Filled with intensity as the title of this film suggest, this story is about a sadistic psychopath who would not stop at anything just to get his 'prize'. Aside from the gore and violence (be warned - there are lots of them), I felt that this is a classic slasher movie and that it has delved into the character as well as the complexities of the killer. Sometimes, what you see is not what you expect and High Tension had stumped me in many ways, not only the gore, violence, the ending but also the psychology as well. Though this is an old film (released in 2003, AKA Switchblade Romance), this is one of those films that would stay in your mind for a long while; which I find is a good thing to me for I don't have the intention to watch it, again. It was too horrific to me.
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Sleepwalker by Karen Robards
Melody
ISBN-13:  9781439183731
Publisher:  Pocket Books
Publication Date: July 2012
Format: Paperback, 483 pgs
Source: Personal Library



Oil and water. Fire and water. Those are the stuff that don't mix; and the same goes to cops and robbers. 

Micayla "Mick" Lange is a cop in Karen Robards' Sleepwalker. When a family friend, "Uncle" Nicco Marino hires her to house-sit his house while they spend their week in Palm Beach for the New Year, Mick agrees since she has broken up with her boyfriend after finding him cheating on her. Her elder sister, Jenny, has her own family and she doesn't want to impose on them. She isn't in good terms with her father and her mother was murdered when she was a girl. Till present, the death of her mother shook her and she hopes to catch the murderer one day. 

Unlike Mick, Jason Davis steals things for a living. On New Year's Eve, he decided that he would break into a gangster's house. He has planned for this robbery and knew that the house would be deserted with New Year just around the corner, but he never expects that he would run into a sexy young woman, let alone a police officer. 

Mick is equally shocked to find a robber in the house, but what most shocking is finding incriminating photos in "Uncle" Nicco's safe that indicate he might be connected with the murder of the city councilman. Unfortunately, their presence in Nicco's office was captured by a security camera and Mick knew she has no choice but to "escape" with Jason, for she doesn't want to take any chances when her life is at stake and who knows what "Uncle" Nicco may do to them once he finds out what they have seen. On the other hand, Mick doesn't like the thought of "helping" Jason to escape, especially he has a bag full of Nicco's money and her cop instincts keep nudging her. 

As Mick and Jason race for their lives across Michigan wilderness on speedboat and snow-mobile, Mick begins to see a new light in Jason the more they spend their time together but would they be able to escape from the pursue of Nicco's men? What's more, being a law enforcer Mick has to turn Jason in if they managed to escape from Nicco and his men. Torn between her profession and love, what is Mick to do?

I have to confess I love reading stories when the protagonist is caught in a dilemma/situation and I want to see where the author is taking them. In a plot like Sleepwalker, one would think it is impossible (and unthinkable) to have a cop and a thief to fall in love with each other but Karen Robards did a great job in creating the two characterisations and allowed me to believe in the relationship they have come to develop during the run. 

Also, I find the plot intriguing but I have to admit that the beginning of the story is a tad slow and then it speeds up towards the end, which I didn't find it very convincing for some scenes. All in all, I enjoyed reading Sleepwalker and it made me feel good to read Karen Robard's book again as I haven't read her books for a while. I really liked her older titles such as Forbidden Love, Dark Torment, To Love a Man, just to name a few. 
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Movie: The Descent
Melody
Hello, my dear friends and readers! It seems like a long time since I have updated this blog! Well, I just want to tell you all that I am still up and running... around the house, that is. I may have quitted my job, but who says being a full-time housewife is easy either? Not me. Apart from all the household chores and stuff, I also "play" tutor to my eldest daughter, who is in Primary Two this year and for goodness sake, I couldn't imagine how stressful it could be as compared to my good, old primary school days! I really pity all the schoolchildren these days; they don't seem to have a childhood anymore. Anyway, I am sure you do not want to hear about my rambling, so let's move on to my thoughts on The Descent, a film which I watched lately. 
The Descent is a British horror film released in 2005. The story opens with three women whitewater rafting in Scotland. After the adventure and on their way back, Sarah and her husband, together with their daughter met in an horrific accident and while Sarah survives, her husband and daughter are killed on the spot, unfortunately. 

A year later, Sarah is reunited with her five good friends at a cabin in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina in USA. They decided to go caving and as the group move into the cave, Juno, one of the women admitted that she has led them into an unknown cave system instead of a explored cave system they planned for, after a passage collapses behind them and leaving them stuck. Now that they couldn't turn back, they have no choice but to move on, hoping that they would find another way out. 

As they move on, another woman, Holly falls down a hole and breaks her leg. While the rest helps with Holly's leg, Sarah wanders about and see someone, or rather something drinking at a pool. Whatever it is then scampers off into the darkness after hearing Sarah's gasp; and when Sarah told the group what she thought she has seen, they all dismissed her comment as an imagination. After all, they thought she has not walked out of her woe all this time. 


At this point, it is not surprising to know that something creepy is (are) lurking down there and they are just waiting for the chance to pounce on them. Holly is the first victim to be taken by these pale humanoid creatures, and despite they are as blind as a bat, they could leap and run very quickly by their sharp hearing senses. The group all run in different directions after chaos broke, and during a scene Juno accidentally stabs Beth through the neck with her pickaxe, thinking she is one of the creatures. Before Beth drops to the ground, she grabs Juno's pendant and the latter runs away in shock, not checking to see if Beth is still alive or not. 

Juno then found another two friends after rescuing them from the creature, and told them that she may have found a way out but first she will have to find Sarah. The two women reluctantly agree to the search. On the other end, Sarah finds the injured Beth and from Juno's pendant, she then realises that Juno had had an affair with her husband. Beth, at this point, begs Sarah to euthanise her, and Sarah sadly complies. 

Juno's group encounter more of the creatures, and in no time they killed the other two women, leaving Juno alone. The climax begins when Juno and Sarah finally find each other during their run and without a doubt, Sarah will have to confront Juno about her leaving Beth and then of course, her affair with her husband. Added to the intensity would be of course the creatures which by then have found their way towards them. Who will survive? Or will they all be perished together in the cave? 

I always have a thing for adventures movies so to have it in horror style is a bonus for me since I quite like watching horrors too. I find the plot OK, and if you are hoping for gore this film has it as there are full of it. This film is not for the squeamish, and of course definitely not for children! 

I also watched The Descent Part 2 and it was a total disappointment to me so I don't think I would want to write my thoughts on that. For starters, the plot isn't that intriguing and what most stumped me is the ending, which I find ridiculous and what, hilarious? 

So what horror movies have you been watching and most looking forward to (I'm thinking Paranormal Activity 4!)?
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Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780307588364
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 2012
Format: Hardcover, 432 pgs
Source: Personal Library



The first time I read Gillian Flynn's first release, Sharp Objects, I knew I have found a new favourite author as I find her writing simply mesmerizing and   her plot totally blown me away. So it was no surprise I bought her next release, Dark Places, when it released in October 2010 but I put this book aside as I tried to catch up with some of my TBR books as well as a few other books which were raved by my blogging buddies. Dark Places remains in my TBR pile until Gilian Flynn's next book, Gone Girl was released three months ago and I decided to read Gone Girl first after reading so many starred reviews on it. 

And it is no surprise why this book has received such tremendous great reviews as I find the premise to be so clever and well crafted! One plus one equals to two but this logic doesn't always seems to be the case in Gone Girl. An overview of this story is about the disappearance of a wife on her fifth wedding anniversary but what made this story such an unputdownable read is the characterisations and how these two narrators draw you in from their perspectives and you just don't know who and what to believe. 

At its core, this is a psychological thriller that seems bizarre but strangely I find it to be believable and yes, scary in a sense that it makes you think about humanity and what someone would do under certain circumstances. I wish I could elaborate more but this is a book that should be relished without any prior knowledge of its plot; it is best that you don't read the blurb printed on the flap of the book jacket either. Excellent prose, great suspense and even greater psychological insight, this is one of the very best thrillers I read thus far and I hope Gillian Flynn will have a new release out soon. Meanwhile, I have Dark Places to be devoured during the waiting. 
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BBAW: Highlights of BBAW
Melody

Today's Topic: Share a highlight of this year’s BBAW. Whether it’s a blog you discovered or a book you’re going to read or a way you felt refreshed, this is the day to celebrate the week!
Today is the fifth day and the last day of Book Blogger Appreciation Week (BBAW). Time always seems to fly by quickly when you are having the best of your time and I can say that is how I felt for all the BBAWs I participated since the first event in 2008. 

As like the past four years, it is the opportunity of getting to know more book bloggers and the interview swap that are the highlights to me for every BBAW. The interview swap has definitely allowed me to get to know the other book blogger in depth and this year's interview swap has helped me to befriend Carina of Reading Through Life.

And of course, I also want to thank my blogging buddies and new-to-me book bloggers for visiting and commenting on my blog. Reading all your comments is the next best thing beside blogging and to me, that is the best encouragement!

Last but not least, I want to thank Amy and her team for their time and efforts in putting this event together and I look forward to next year's BBAW again. 
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BBAW: Pimp That Book
Melody


Today's Topic: One of the best parts about book blogging is the exposure to books and authors you might never have heard of before. Pimp the book you think needs more recognition on this day. Get creative! Maybe share snippets from other bloggers who have reviewed it or make some fun art to get your message across.

I am sure many of you must have heard of Louisa May Alcott. After all, she was the author of the well-known and beloved novel of Little Women; a story whereby it is loosely based on the author's childhood experiences with her three sisters. 

As much as I want to pimp about this book for today's topic, however I want to mention about her other title instead and that is A Long Fatal Love Chase, which Louisa wrote under a pen name as A. M. Barnard during the mid 1860s. 

Based on the information I found on Wikipedia, I understand that Louisa had in fact wrote A Long Fatal Love Chase (ALFLC) two years before the publication of Little Women. And the manuscript for ALFLC remained unpublished until 1995! 

I don't think I'd have heard of this book if I didn't come across a review I read in 2010, and I was very glad I read it as I have a thing for Gothic romance and best of all, this book is full of intensity which I believe will appeal to thrillers fans too.  

(My review on ALFLC can be found here.) 
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BBAW: What Does Book Blogging Mean to You?
Melody


Today's topic: What does book blogging mean to you?

When I first started my book blog in 2006, my main purpose is purely to keep a record on the books I read and how I felt after reading them. It is sort of a personal journal, the only thing is I am doing it online and anyone can read it. But as time goes by, I realised that book blogging means so much more than just sharing my thoughts with others on the books I read. It is also about spreading books love and sharing with other readers on the great books I have discovered; and if the books I read aren't that great, I also share with them what didn't work for me and why and leave it to their judgement to read it or not. 

There are so many varieties of books out there and I can't possibly read every one of them. I need recommendations; I need opinions from other readers and this is where book blogs comes in. But that is not all, I also get to become friends with other book bloggers over the time and I think that is the best part of book blogging. Frankly speaking, most of my friends have no interest in reading and I think book blogging has allowed me to know more book lovers around the world. 

So, book blogging certainly means a lot to me; and I have to say reading is no longer a solitary experience for me as book blogging is a great outlet for me to connect with other readers. 
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BBAW Interview Swap: Carina of Reading Through Life
Melody

Today's topic is one of the most popular events of every BBAW - Interview Swap. This year, I was paired with Carina of Reading Through Life and below is her answers to my questions: 



1) I understand that you are a Canadian teacher teaching in Abu Dhabi, could you please share with us what inspired you to teach there? And, what are the challenges do you face while teaching in Abu Dhabi? 


It's kind of a long story, actually! I've always wanted to teach overseas (and specifically ESL), but was trying to get myself established in my home school district first. I had been moving to different schools over the first few years back in Toronto, because there aren't really many permanent jobs to be had in my subject area; and last year, it became obvious that there won't be a place for me anywhere for a while still. That coincided with my partner having moved to Dubai a few months before in order to take a job, and it just seemed like the time had come for me to go for the overseas experience that I'd wanted for so long. The public school system in Abu Dhabi is currently undergoing a radical educational reform and was hiring English teachers, so it all just fell into place.

As for challenges ... well, largely the challenges are due to the low English ability of the girls I teach, and the nature of the reform itself. I teach in high school, and while some of the reform (ie the assessments) have been rolled out to them, other vital parts of the reform (ie the focus on biliteracy and simply the time to have learned the English necessary to succeed on the assessments they're expected to do) has not. Add to that the fact that - at least at my school - we have rather large classes where the abilities are completely mixed, and it can sometimes be quite challenging. But it's a great experience as well, and I wouldn't take it back for anything.

2) How do you find the time to read and write despite the tight schedule of being a teacher? What are your hobbies aside from reading and writing? 


To be honest, I don't always manage to balance my schedule very well. I was doing okay mostly until I moved to the UAE, and then my time spent reading - and blogging - took a huge hit. I'm starting to re-find that balance now, though ... basically I just try to spend any free evening time I have reading instead of watching too much television or doing other things. The blogging is still lacking a bit behind, but I'm really hoping to re-engage and find more time now that I'm settled in more in the UAE and don't have to worry so much about all the new things going on around me. Aside from reading and writing - I like to travel, and cook, and my partner and I like to geocache and explore new places. 

3) You mentioned on your blog that your reading tastes range from the mile to the extremely eclectic. What kind of books would you classify as 'eclectic'? 


I'm not sure how accurate that might be at this point, as I seem to have fallen into a kind of a pattern with my reading that didn't exist to the same extent when I started blogging (and back when I wrote that section of the blog). I tend normally to read a lot of memoirs, YA, non-fiction about Islam and other topics. I also read a little bit here and there about other topics and in other genres, though, like about running, food ethics, ADHD and depression, abuse, eating disorders, education, politics, sexuality ... it can sometimes get a bit all over the place, hence the "eclectic". But that seems to be hit and miss these days - I sometimes feel like I'm losing a bit of my reading eccentricity and falling into neat little categories more often than not.

4) What is your favourite genre? Why?


I adore reading narrative non-fiction and memoirs of people who aren't necessarily famous. I think it's that these books teach me more about the world and expand my horizons a bit more than they might be normally. It's also a bit more clear-cut going into the book whether I'm going to like it or not; if I find the topic of a non-fiction book or a memoir interesting, I'm more willing to put up with mediocre writing than I might be when reading a novel. Other than that, I'm not really sure why I like non-fiction so much. I just seem to keep gravitating towards it, even when I'm actively trying not to! 

5) Which title(s) is the best you have read this year and tell us more about that book. 


That's tough! I seem to have re-found my groove, as I've read lots of great books this year. A few that stand out are Stiff, American Gods, Snakewoman of Little Egypt (which I'm reviewing today!), and The Night Circus (which I'll be reviewing later this month).

Stiff is a non-fiction popular science book by Mary Roach, and it's basically a look into what happens to our bodies after we die, how we use (and have previously used) corpses in all kinds of medical research and other uses, and generally how scientists work with cadavers. I fell in love with her writing in this book, as it's a nice balance of "science for everyday people" (but not too dumbed-down) and wry humour. I've since gone on to read one of her other books - Bonk, to be reviewed later this month - about the science of sex, and it's also great.

American Gods is somehow the first Neil Gaiman book that I've read, and it made me extremely sad that I'd waited this long to do so. It's basically about what happens when the "old gods" of the world (like those of ancient Egypt, and also including things like leprechauns) brought over to America face off with the "new gods" of media, the internet, and so on ... all superimposed on the background of a good old road trip. It's seriously fantastic, and nothing I say here can do it justice.

Snakewoman of Little Egypt by Robert Hellenga is about, among other things, what happens when the main character tries to start her life fresh after her release from prison, where she had been incarcerated for shooting her husband (a preacher and community leader in a snakehandling church) after he forced her to put her arm into a box of rattlesnakes. And yes, that's the simplest way I can explain the premise of the book. And it's brilliant, particularly in audiobook format.

The Night Circus ... I'll leave you to find out about that one for yourself. Trying to figure out what's going on is half the fun.

6) Finally, would you read a book which has received lots of hype, despite the bad writing? To you, which is more important: the writing or the plot? (Though it's ideal to have the best of both worlds, what would you choose if you are given only an option to choose?) 


That's a rather timely question, given that I just read the Fifty Shades trilogy a couple of weeks ago, and will be reviewing the books in a few weeks. I generally don't like reading books that have tons of hype, particularly if they hype comes along with lots of lots of criticism of the writing. For example, I held off for quite a while from reading the Twilight series as well. In the end, I decided to read it just so that I could legitimately critique it when the subject comes up, which is pretty much the reason that I read Meyer as well. Though, to be fair, it was more important for me to read the Twilight books since so many of my students were talking about them, and it wasn't fair for me to argue with them about the themes or content when I hadn't actually picked them up and read them myself ... something that I definitely won't be doing in a teacher/librarian role with the James books. In the end, I'm almost always just as unimpressed with these hyped-up books as I expect to be, particularly if they're known for having bad writing.

Having said that, what is usually most important for me in a book is the plot rather than the writing. Not that I want the writing to suck, or that I will tolerate it much if it does ... but I find that good writing with a crappy story is harder to get through, for me, than a good story with mediocre writing. I managed to get through a few thousand pages of both Twilight and Fifty Shades, for example, even though the writing in both is decidedly not good. (I'm not saying the plot is inspired, either, but it's at least compelling enough to allow me to finish reading.) I can't say that I'd have gotten through that many pages of a book with lovely writing but no plot.

Thank you, Carina, for being my interview swap partner this year and I enjoyed reading your answers! I'm glad to know you through this interview swap and I look forward to reading more of your posts! 
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