Last Friday, I had a shock when our washer decided to boycott us. As usual, I loaded my daughter's clothes into the washer but after ten or fifteen minutes later, I heard a loud sound coming from the kitchen. Initially I didn't let the noise bothers me too much because we are so used to its loud vibrating sound during the spinning cycle. Then after a while, I heard another sound coming from the kitchen again and this time it was getting louder. Feeling curious and puzzled, I walked into the kitchen and was shocked to find the washer had toppled over. I couldn't believe my eyes! Just when I thought things didn't get any more worse, the electricity power tripped due to the incident. I felt so hopeless, and didn't know what to do since my husband wasn't back from work yet. So I called his mobile, and asked him to come back as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait for me as he was on his way home. I began babbling non-stop to him about the situation once he was back. I must have sounded like a hysterical wife to you, but you couldn't blame me under that circumstances when I had no one to turn to and that it was getting dark with no electricity power. Anyway, my darling husband got the electricity part fixed, but as for the washer we have to call the service staff to have a look at it. Anyway, the reason behind this inconvenience? The suspension is old, and that the electricity tripped because of the wires when it toppled over. So the friendly and chatty service staff helped to have the wires changed and tested the washer before he left our house. It seems like we don't have to buy a new washer until it decides to boycott us permanently, haha.
Anyway, I am glad to have my washer back even though it is not near to perfect. I shudder whenever I thought of handwashing those piles of dirty clothes. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal to some people, but just imagine I have to do this after a long day of work and by the time I am done with the washing and drying of clothes, the time is getting late. And there I thought I need more time to play with my daughter, watch some TV and catch up on my reading.
Oh, mentioning of reading, here is a list of books I bought recently:
Well, nothing cheers me up more than the mentioning of books! I hope everyone has a great weekend, and happy reading!
- How did you come across your favorite author(s)? Recommended by a friend? Stumbled across at a bookstore? A book given to you as a gift?
- Was it love at first sight? Or did the love affair evolve over a long acquaintance?
I came across my favourite authors through several channels. Some of them I found on my own while stumbled across at the libraries or bookstores, while some of them are through friends' recommendations. I will then check their blurbs and if they interest me, I will read them. And then, there are some books which I am attracted to their covers and ended up liking the stories and the authors as well.
I started blogging two years ago, thinking it was fun to write my thoughts on the books I read and nothing more. Thereafter, I began to explore other booklovers' blogs and as time goes by, we became friends. Now I can say half of my reading depends a lot from their reviews and recommendations. It is through them that I explore more new authors and open to more genres.
A big thank you to my bookblogs friends for their reviews and friendship. :D Long live, bookblogs!
ISBN-13: 9780380789016
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: March 1999
400pp
I have only read two books by
Neil Gaiman so far (
Caroline and
The Wolves In The Wall), and although they are classified under Children/YA genre, still I enjoyed reading them a lot.
Neverwhere is actually my first attempt of his full length 'grown up' novel.
Richard Mayhew is a businessman living in London, and he has a fiancee named Jessica who demands a lot from him. Anyway, on his way to meet her superior for a meal, he sees a homeless and injured girl on the street. Although Jessica threatened him that she would call off their engagement if he had decided to help the girl, this doesn't stop Richard from doing so. Thus he brought her home and nursed her, although he doesn't understand why he would help her in the beginning.
The girl, whose name is Door, is actually fleeing from a pair of hired assassins whom had killed her family and that was when she stumbles upon "London Above" and meets Richard. Asides from the strange place she is from, she is also able to communicate with rats and pigeons. But it was until when Richard realizes people could no longer see or hear him, he has to join Door's quest to "London Below" to find out about her family's murder and prepare a battle to save this strange underworld from the others whose aim to destroy it.
Neil Gaiman once again has succeeded in weaving a great fantasy story filled with thrill and suspense. Through his great imaginative mind and skillful writing, he took his readers on a fantastic journey in Neverwhere. This is an extraordinary fantasy story in my opinion, and I am definitely looking forward to more of his books in the near future.
Other Bloggers' reviews:
I can't believe that the
BAFAB Week is almost over. But first, I would like to thank all readers for participating in this little contest of mine. It has been fun hosting this.
My darling daughter had a great time helping me to pick the winners. I wish I had taken a picture of her doing that. And here are the lucky winners:
- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
- Men of Courage by Lori Foster, Donna Kauffman & Jill Shalvis
Congratulations to my three lucky readers! Please email me your name and your snail mail address to: melreadingcorner AT gmail DOT com
* * * STICKY POST! Please scroll down for more new entries. * * *
Happy New Year to all readers! And because this is the first week of January, so that means Buy a Friend a Book Week (BAFAB) is here! What are the rules? I could hear you asking. It is pretty simple. Below is a list of books which I am going to give away to 3 lucky participants, and all you need to do is:
1. Leave a comment on this post and tell me which book(s) you want to win. You may enter your name for each book but you can only win one book (so that other participants will have a chance to win too);
2. Your name will be entered twice if you do a post about this giveaway, so please send me the link to your post.
Closing date is 8 January 2008 and the names will be drawn randomly by my three-year-old daughter. The winners will be announced on 9 January 2008.
Here is the list of books to be won:
The Road by Cormac McCarthy (
different cover from the link shown)
Thank you for participating, and good luck to all! :D
ISBN-13: 9780440236177
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Pub. Date: November 2002
416pp
I first read about the protagonist, DI Jack Caffery when I read
Birdman some time ago. The story left me a deep impression, because it was dark and so intense. I decided to look out for more of
Mo Hayder's books then, because I like her writing style and her stories are usually deep and complex, which make me ponder over the cases which has to be solved by DI Jack Caffery.
In The Treatment, DI Jack Caffery was called to solve the case where a nine-year-old Rory was found missing, and his parents Alek and Carmel Peach were found prisoners in their own home, suffered from beatings and in serious dehydration. When they found out Rory was dead after, this further reminded DI Jack Caffery of Ewan, his brother's disappearance some years ago which made him feeling angry and frustrated because it remained unsolved, although he thought his neighbour, Ivan Penderecki was the one who did it. Together with DCI Danniella Souness, they looked for clues but as they dug deeper into the case, things became more complicated. And to make things worse, it seemed that the killer has moved on to another family and everything seems to be happening all over again. But this time, DI Jack Caffery wasn't about to let the killer gets what wants, as he puts the forensic evidence together and tries to get into the killer's dark mind. But then again, time was running out fast and besides this, he also had to deal with his girlfriend, Rebecca who recovered from a brutal rape and it wasn't easy for any of them.
The Treatment is a dark and intense story, filled with suspense and at times, horror. Mo Hayder has succeeded in weaving an unforgettable crime thriller, and as I flipped through the pages I was very eager to find out about the real killer, which the author has kept it from her readers until nearing to the end of the book. Even after I had finished the story and closed the book with satisfactory that I have learnt the truth, I still have that 'wow' feeling. Not surprisingly, this is a keeper and will be shortlisted for my Book of the Year this year.
You Are Eggs
|
Traditional and totally grown up, you truly believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
You don't skimp on nutrition or quality. You're likely to take the time to make yourself a decent meal each morning.
You're a great cook, even if you aren't a showy one. You can make a feast out of simple ingredients.
The food you eat may be basic, but you prefer to think of it as classic. |
Oh yes, I totally agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. My daily breakfast consists of three pieces of bread (spread with peanut butter, jam or margarine depending on my moods) and a cup of green tea which I will have it at work, since I'm always early. However, during the weekends I will try something entirely different since I have more time to play around, so at times I will make a pot of sweet potato soup (cut into cubes and put to boil, adding some sugar after they are boiled), or sometimes I will have a bowl of cereals with fresh milk. And if I run out of the above items, I will just cook instant noodles, haha. However, I am not a good cook, even though I wish I am.
ISBN-13: 9780515143805
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), 336pp
Pub. Date: November 2007
Series:
Sign of Seven Series, Book 1
Caleb, Fox and Gage were only ten-year-old boys when they accidentally released an ancient evil at their Maryland town when they sneaked off home to celebrate their birthdays. The three of them not only were good buddies but they also borne on the same day and year. Because of their 'deeds', the town plunges into madness when unexplainable things would happen for a week every seven years.
Twenty-one years later, the three boys now fully grown hoped to find a way to stop the evil before the evil plays havoc to the town again, and as the years passed its power was getting stronger.
Enter heroine, Quinn Black who was a writer and she was eager to report this paranormal event for her next book. Sparks fly as they get to know each other more, and they were determined to 'solve' the mystery together with two other women, Layla and Cybil who believed everyone of them have some connections to this paranormal experience.
Blood Brothers is an entertaining read, and as I flipped through the pages I was keen to find out what would happen next. The plot is intriguing, and in usual Nora Roberts' style, she has once again created engaging and well-liked characters in this book. I also enjoy reading her witty dialogues. However, I thought the romance between Caleb and Quinn was a little rushed. This isn't a flaw in my opinion as I think Nora Roberts focused more on the paranormal element than the romance in this book. It is still considered a good read, although I'd love to read more of the romance development between Caleb and Quinn. I am looking forward to reading how the protagonists are going to defeat the evil in this trilogy.
As usual, it has been a great pleasure reading with
Julia and
Alice. I am sure we will be reading together again with Nora Roberts' next installments.
Other Blogger's reviews:
Last week we talked about the books you liked best from 2007. So this week, what with it being a new year, and all, we’re looking forward….
What new books are you looking forward to most in 2008? Something new being published this year? Something you got as a gift for the holidays? Anything in particular that you’re planning to read in 2008 that you’re looking forward to? A classic, or maybe a best-seller from 2007 that you’re waiting to appear in paperback?
I am really looking forward to this year's reading. I have had a great reading year last year, and participating in various reading challenges really help me in catching up with my TBR pile (but this doesn't really work as I will add onto the pile by buying more, hehe). I have several books that I'm most looking forward to this year, with Mo Hayder's Ritual being the top on my list. She writes great crime thrillers in my opinion, and some of her books are not for the faint-hearted as they could be dark and haunting. But that is one reason why I like her books so much because Mo Hayder really knows how to build up the suspense tension and that's why I find most of her books to be page-turner.
Aside from Ritual, I am also looking forward to Stephenie Meyer's The Host because I like her Twilight series so much. I have yet to read Eclipse (the 3rd book of the Twilight series) but I know I will get around to it sooner or later. Coming on next is Kelley Armstrong's No Humans Involved which will be released in the coming February in paperback. Her books are an auto-buy for me because I was hooked to her Women of the Otherworld Series. Then again, I am also looking forward to any new releases by Neil Gaiman, Anne Stuart, Matthew Reilly etc and any other books that manages to capture my attention. There are so many books out there waiting for my exploration, the only thing I need is more reading time!
Just when I told myself I have had signed up enough reading challenges for Year 2008, this reading challenge comes along and I have to participate in this because I love the button so much. On top of that, the following books have been sitting in my TBR pile for some time and I need an extra push so this challenge arrives perfectly on time.
For this reading challenge, I have chosen Option 5.
As quoted from the post of the host,
Kate's Book Blog: (Option 5: This is the custom option under the rubric of which you can tailor your reading list to best meet your personal reading aspirations. You might wish to craft a list that focuses on a particular place, or era, or genre. Or you might wish to include reading about short stories as well as of short stories, for example, such works as Frank O’Connor’s
The Lonely Voice: A Study of the Short Story. It’s entirely up to you.)
I chose the following for its paranormal/fantasy theme:
Week of Dec 30: Happy New Year!
This is the last post for 2007!
1. What is your New Year's resolution? I don't wish to set unrealistic goals, and am not sure if I'd stick to them anyway. Ha! So mine will be simple: Do whatever I am capable of doing, try my best in whatever things I do and be happy and stay healthy!
2. How do you celebrate New Year's Eve? Probably have a quiet & simple celebration at home with my husband and daughter.
Random word association New Year's style:
I say...you think...
1. champagne an occasional drink
2. kiss romantic
3. midnight sleeping
4. party fun
5. dress lovely
6. New York City glamour
7. confetti colourful
8. sparkly clean
9. resolutions New Year
10. beginnings new
Next, name your top 5 moments of 2007:
The first time to organize a Dinner & Dance for our company of 800 people at a 6-stars hotel;
Participating in NaNoWriMo and in completing the goal;
Winning the 'best opening lines' for my NaNoWriMo novel organized by the local Municipal Liaisons;
Participating in various reading challenges;
Reading more books and making more booklover friends online.
I can't believe that Year 2007 is almost over. Why is the time always passes so fast? And that it always manages to slip past you without you realizing it. I can say this year is a quiet year for me, which I think is a good thing. I have also read a lot, bought more books and has made more new friends this year. Yeah, this year is definitely a great reading year for me. So what about you? What/how do you feel about this year? Last but not least, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a ...
ISBN-13: 9780452288348
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA), 288pp
Pub. Date: June 2007
Polly Birdswell has a troubled past. But that is all over after she has pulled herself out from her alcoholic depression and then moved to coastal Maine, close to Bride Island to get on with her new life where she now calls home and which holds her childhood memories. Besides that, she is also keen to seek custody of her seven-year-old daughter, Monroe.
But she has some difficulties to overcome, as her stepfather wants to sell the island. She decides to claim it, and this is where she has to regain the trust of others and accept herself again.
Bride Island is a moving and a thought provoking read. Personally, I think it is quite an inspirational read, as the protagonist is determined to move on with her life and not only prove to others but herself that she is a changed person. Though fictional, the characters and the overall plot seems real to me. It was also through Alexandra Enders' writing that I read about the beauty of coastal Maine. She had described the setting nicely and it was as if I am travelling the place with the protagonist as well.
I am very glad to say this is my first year in participating in several reading challenges. It is a wonderful experience, to be able to read books with fellow participants and it is also through this channel that I have known and made a lot of booklover friends around the world. :-) It is indeed a pleasure to read their reviews, exchange comments and share the reading pleasure through recommendations and all. What could I ask for more?
Besides this, another reason I participate in these challenges is, I want to see how far I could read in a year. It is more like a personal challenge for myself. Although I am very happy to say I have read more books as compared to last year, still I regret to say I am not able to complete these challenges even though I have tried my best. Thus, I would not take on too many reading challenges in the following year, although the temptation is so great.
Fall Into Reading 2007 ChallengeI would like to thank Katrina of
Callapidder Days for hosting this challenge.
My list:
2nds Challenge
I would like to thank Joy of Thoughts of Joy for hosting this challenge.
My list:
Hidden Agendas by Lora Leigh (Completed)In Search of a Distance Voice by Taichi Yamada (Pending)The Secrets of a Fire King by Kim Edwards (Completed)
Reading the Author ChallengeI would like to thank Verbivore of
Incurable Logophilia for hosting this challenge.
My list:
Books by Erin McCarthy
- Smart Mouth (Pending)
- My Immortal (Pending)
- Mouth to Mouth (Pending)
I am ashamed to say I did not even read any of these books for this challenge! I remember when I first signed up for this challenge, I was so excited and had looked through my TBR pile for an author to read. I decided on Erin McCarthy because I enjoyed her debut novel Bad Boys Online so much. Regrettably, with several reading challenges going on and in addition with my change of reading mood, I have kept these books aside thinking I would pick them up once more when my reading mood changes again, but by the time I feel like reading them, the challenge is almost over! I admit this is my fault for not able to complete this challenge, but still that doesn't mean I will give up these books.
On a different topic, comes the first week of January will be the Buy a Friend a Book Week (BAFAB). I will be posting a list of books to be won during that period so do look out for it. :-)
It’s an old question, but a good one . . . What were your favorite books this year?
List as many as you like … fiction, non-fiction, mystery, romance, science-fiction, business, travel, cookbooks … whatever the category. But, really, we’re all dying to know. What books were the highlight of your reading year in 2007?
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!
This year is a great reading year for me with all the reading challenges, recommendations and all! I have several favourite books this year so I have shortlisted them for my Book of the Year (in fact have been dong this since 2005) which I have posted previously. (Please click here to read some of my favourites and which book that made it on the top of the list.) And based on this list, I can see there is an assortment of crime thrillers, romance suspense, fantasy and a few fictions. :-)
When I visited 3M's blog this morning for my daily read, I understand that she will be hosting a reading challenge called The Pub (2008) Challenge (Please click onto the links for more details.) Like her, I find most of my books read in 2007 don't published on the same year, and here is how 3M got her idea about this challenge. The objective is to read titles published in 2008.
And here are the rules:
Read a minimum of 8 books published in 2008. (Library books are acceptable!)
No children’s/YA titles allowed, since we’re at the ‘pub.’
At least 4 titles must be fiction.
Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
Titles may be changed at any time.
Although I haven't worked out the titles yet, but I will definitely sign up for this challenge. It sounds fun. I am really looking forward to another great reading year next year.
I just love this cake! Our daughter chose this when we flipped through a bakery catalogue last week, wondering what logcake to get when she stumbled upon this and made a decision for us. You see, she loves
strawberries so it wasn't a surprise to us why she had chosen this cake, LOL.
Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!! :-)
It has been a great reading year this year. One of the reasons being I participated in several reading challenges and they have allowed me to read more than I used to. Another good thing about this is, I have also try reading other books which were recommended by fellow booklover friends and this has really expand my reading preferences. Thank you so much, my dear friends! :-)
Finally, here is a list that shortlists on my
Book of the Year 2007:
1.
Talyn by Holly Lisle
2.
Pig Island by Mo Hayder
3.
Red Leaves by Thomas H. Cook
4.
Dangerous Games by Lora Leigh
5.
Flint's Code by Paul Eddy
6.
Officer Down by Theresa Schwegel
7.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
8.
Ice Blue by Anne Stuart
9.
Life's Golden Ticket by Brendon Burchard
10.
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
11.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
12.
Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
13.
Atonement by Ian McEwan
14.
Ice Storm by Anne Stuart
It is really a hard decision just choosing a title amongst all because I enjoyed reading all of them, and each book tells a great story. But then, my purpose of having this "award" would be pointless if I decided to present it to all the shortlisted titles. So after some thought and weighing about with the titles, I have finally chosen a book amongst all. And this goes to - {drumroll please} -
Talyn by
Holly Lisle! (Please click
here to read my review.)
I have to say I really, really enjoyed reading this fantasy book. It has all the elements of a great book: a good original plot, good characterization, action, adventure, thrill, and not to mention a good fantasy that sucks you in!
So there you have it, folks! I hope you will pick up this book if you have the chance, and that you will enjoy reading it as much as I did.
Merry Christmas to all!!! :D
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