Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.

Here's what I received:

1) The Beach Trees by Karen White (from the publisher)

2) Silence (Hush, Hush Saga #3) by Becca Fitzpatrick (bought from The Book Depository)

What books came into your house last week?

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Movie: Re-cycle (鬼域)
Melody
Directed by: The Pang Brothers
Starring: Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Siu-Ming Lau, Rain Li
Release: July 2006



As mentioned in my previous post, I had the intention of doing a mini-reviews post on In Time and Re-cycle but in the end I had written more than I had expected for In Time so I figured I may as well do an individual post for each film.

Re-cycle was released in 2006 and though it had intrigued me at that time, I didn't get to watch it in the cinema. And then the time just rolled and I had forgotten about this movie until last weekend, my husband asked if I am keen to watch this on screen so of course I said yes.

Author Ding Yan attains her fame through her debut romance novel and during a press conference one day, she stated that she would like to try her hands on writing a paranormal and she had even thought of the title. Her statement has intrigued the press as well as her readers and they believe that she would once again take the literary world by storm through her writing skills.

However, Ding Yan (played by Angelica Lee) faces difficulties when writing the story initially. To complicate matters, her ex-lover wants them to be together again and this further adds stress to her already chaotic mind. She tried several attempts in writing the story but most of the drafts ended up in the bin.

Then she began to sense something is not right at home; first she would see shadows late at night and thereafter, she would find strands of long hairs in the bathroom but the most terrifying experience is finding strange things began to happen as what she has written in her deleted drafts.

One night while taking the elevator, she encountered a mysterious old woman and a little girl. One thing leads to another and the next thing she knows, she finds herself in another dimension where the wasted lands are and the supernatural beings that roam there. While finding her way out of the ghoulish land, she finds her young daughter whom she had aborted eight years ago and through her assistance, she needs to find her way back to earth or risk stranded there forever.

While I think the premise is nothing new, what really made this movie stands out is the atmospheric setting and the stunning visual effects of the other dimensions (see below).




Personally, I feel many of the horror movies out there focus too much on the shocking effect (which I think is natural) and neglect to portray more of the messages (or morals) which may be hidden behind those effects. Re-cycle may seem to be a tad weak on the plot but the good thing is it gives the viewers something to ponder on the abortion and the environmental issues (hence the title?).

And finally, the ending may perplex some viewers but I have to say I quite liked the twist and that it stretch the imagination.
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Wordless Wednesday (Minnehaha Falls #1)
Melody
Minnehaha Falls is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota.



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Movie: In Time
Melody
Directed by: Andrew Niccol
Starring: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Vincent Kartheiser
Release: October 2011



I watched In Time with my husband last week as part of his birthday celebration. Truth be told, In Time was our last minute decision as the time slots for other movies were either not right to our schedule or they were shown later in the evening. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining movie although I have to say the storyline seemed to be a little far-fetched to my liking.

It is Year 2161. Genetic alteration has allowed humans to stop aging at 25 years and in order to avoid the issue of over-populations, the state of currency is being replaced by a system they called 'living time'. Each individual has a running time line which is 'etched' onto their arms and in order to pay for their necessities as well as for survival, they have to earn more time through labour and/or other means (i.e. stealing time from others). The people are divided by social classes and the poor will live in the ghettos of Dayton while the rich will live in the luxurious New Greenwich.

28-year-old Will Salas (played by Justin Timberlake) lives with his 50-year-old mother in the ghettos. One day, he witnessed a gang fight in a bar which involved a mobster boss and a man named Henry Hamilton who has a hundred years on his clock. Will helps Henry in the escape and needless to say, he became the target of the gang too.

Henry later transfers all his remaining time line to Will before committing suicide. Unfortunately, Henry's suicide alerted the resident police force who called themselves the Timekeepers. And this begins a race between the Timekeepers and Will as the latter makes his way to New Greenwich, where he encounters a beautiful 27-year-old Sylvia Weis (played by Amanda Seyfried). Sylvia is the daughter to time-loaning businessman and she is attracted by the enigmatic Will after he has beaten her father at a poker game.

In order to crash the time line system and to bring a balance between the rich and the poor, Will and Sylvia began to rob the time banks and other time loaning branches so they can distribute the time capsules to the poor while they are being hunted by the Timekeepers.

Although my feelings toward the storyline is lukewarm (I just couldn't picture a human's life being calculated and controlled by the time line), however I have to say this movie featuring the dystopian future is refreshing and thought-provoking at times (i.e. a reminder that time is precious and to make full good use of it, etc). Personally, I think the chemistry between Justin and Amanda was great, and although I am not a huge fan of Justin, I have to say he had grabbed my attention through his performance (he must be physically fit for this role as he always seemed to be on the run in this movie most of the times) and not to mention his cool, chiselled looks (I have to check out his previous movie, The Social Network that talk about the founding of Facebook and the resulting lawsuits).

On the other end, as much as I was taken in by Amanda's portrayal of a spoiled rich girl, truth be told I just had this mixed feelings about her robbing her father's bank though I know her and Will's intentions were good (I suppose I shouldn't connect her robbing as being unfilial towards her father and instead think of the deeds she has done as a whole).

I may not give this movie a 5-star rating, but it interested me enough that I wouldn't mind watching it again on video the next time around.

(Note: Initially I had wanted to do a mini reivews of two movies I watched lately - this together with a chinese horror, Re-cycle but it turned out that I'd written long enough for In Time to be considered as a mini review. Thus my review on Re-cycle will have to wait for another day. What movies did you watch lately?)
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Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository:

1) 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Can't wait to dive into this! I know it'll take me a long while to finish reading it since it's a chunkster!)

2) Bunheads by Sophie Flack

What books came into your house last week?

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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Teaser Tuesdays
Melody

Teaser Tuesdays

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 watched his face, set into an oddly attractive scowl, his eyes as dark as ever. They flickered to mine for just a moment, and in that moment, they were silver.


(Pg 35, Blood on the Moon by Jennifer Knight)

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《在晴朗的日子分手》- 陈德贤 (Breaking Up on a Sunny Day by Chan Takyin)
Melody
ISBN-13: 9789881753267
Publisher: 天苑文化
Published: 2008
Format: Paperback, 228pp
Source: Author



《在晴朗的日子分手》除了讲述男女之间的爱情故事以外，其实它也包含了亲情，以及一个关于气味和味道的故事。

女主角蓝莉喜欢穿Lolita style的服饰；为了喜爱的服饰她在一家化妆品牌柜台当推销员。除了推销产品，她的梦想就是到英国念化妆课程。自小她就恋上了一种气味； 这个气味使她联想到父亲的气味。虽然她不知道她的亲生父亲是谁，但是她在母亲接客的大多数男人中都嗅到了这个气味，所以就认定了它就是父亲的味道。

另一位女主角尤儿则喜欢吃蛋糕和甜点。除了爱吃，她更喜欢做甜点。自小因一场无情的车祸而丧失了母亲；她最难忘的事情便是当天和母亲到一家酒店品尝一块蛋糕。对她来说，那是件最幸福不过的事。从此她就一直在寻找记忆中那幸福的味道。

男主角林正 (注: 因为是繁体版，读者不知怎么拼男主角的名字。既然他的名字有个‘正’字在下，所以就干脆叫他‘林正’了。) 的职业是名小提琴和钢琴教师。为了这份工作，他不惜劳累奔波到学生们的住家教课。他在一次偶然中遇见了蓝莉，而蓝莉因他的气味而恋上了他。两人就这样顺其自然地走在一起。

尤儿为了自力更生而搬离住家出来租房子。可以说是种缘分吧，尤儿看了蓝莉的租赁广告后就这样地搬进了蓝莉家，成了她的室友。两人的感情本来融洽，但慢慢地她们的感情因林正而起了变化。爱情可以令热恋中的情侣快乐，但它其实也可以带给一对恋人痛苦，例如说对爱情的不安和缺乏信任。而蓝莉就是这个例子。但一个人很爱一个人时，自然而然地他/她很在乎对方，有时候甚至超乎了极限。要取得平衡，谈何容易。

林正本来对尤儿没什么特别的感觉，但他发现和尤儿在一起的时候那种感觉很自在，没有一点儿的压迫感。而且，尤儿对以后的事不抱太多的假想，一切凭感觉和自己快乐而去做每件事。但这并不意味着她对林正的感觉是草率的。她其实也对这份感情付出过的。

三人的感情纠纷，就围绕在寻找气味和味道之间。爱情是什么？幸福又是什么？我想，我在读完这本书后已大概有了答案。与其说是答案，不如说我对爱情和幸福有了更深一层的了解；原来这两者并不是我们想象中的那么复杂和难以追寻。

It has been a while since I read a Chinese novel, thus when the author contacted me and asked if I wanted to do a review for her two books, I said yes and on top of that, I was intrigued by the blurbs.

Though Breaking Up on a Sunny Day is a romance, there is also a theme between a mother and daughter relationship, and a story about scent and taste (read further and you’ll know why).

Lan Li has a passion for Lolita fashion. In fact, she loves them so much so that she joined a cosmetics brand which has the same style for their uniforms. Aside from this passion, her dream is to visit England and to pursue studies on makeup and cosmetics there. Since she was a child, she had a liking for one particular scent; this scent reminds her of her father though she has no idea who her father is. Many men who came to look for her mother shared this same scent and thereafter she would link this scent to her father as it always make her think about him.

You Er, on the other hand, has a passion for cakes and desserts. Not only she has a passion for those, but she loves making cakes and desserts too. One of her most unforgettable moments from childhood is having tea at a hotel with her mother and they were both sharing a pot of tea and a slice of cake. Unfortunately, her mother died in an automobile accident right after they left the hotel. Her mother’s death shattered her and through memories she vows to find that happiness she had had with her mother.

Lin Zheng, the hero in this story, is a teacher who teaches violin and piano. He would travel around Hong Kong to conduct lessons at his students’ home and though the job is hectic at times, he is quite satisfied and happy with his life. He and Lan Li met each other during a chance encounter and it is through him that Lan Li has found the scent that she has been looking for all this while (Lin Zheng would help out at his father’s barber’s shop at times). Needless to say, they fell in love shortly after.

You Er moved out from her father’s house to find freedom and independence. Through an advertisement, she rented a room from Lan Li and they became good friends. However, their relationship changed after You Er met Lin Zheng .

You Er didn’t mean to fall in love with Lin Zheng initially, and likewise Lin Zheng has no special feelings towards You Er, but after the time they have been together as friends their relationship started to blossom. Although Lin Zheng loves Lan Li, he finds he is more at ease with You Er as compared to the woman whom he thinks he is in love with.

Breaking Up on a Sunny Day tells a bittersweet love story between three people and lead readers to wonder about the complexity (and simplicity?) of love. Through the thoughts and behaviours of these three characters, this story highlighted the feelings and the dilemmas many couples face when they are in a relationship, e.g. if you love a person, how do you ensure that the love and attention you are giving to the other party is just right and not overwhelming? Is it even possible to create a balance and find the happiness that you want? Perhaps. But I have to say I have a better understanding of love and happiness after reading this book, and I think maybe those two aren’t as complicated and hard to achieve as we have thought.
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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
Minneapolis, Minnesota



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Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository:

1) Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2) Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 2 by Stephenie Meyer, Young Kim (Artist)

What books came into your house last week?

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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnesota




Related post
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Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780451233288
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: July 2011
Format: Paperback, 400pp
Source: Publisher



Set in North Carolina during the 1800s, Shadow of a Quarter Moon tells the story of Jacy Lane, a young woman living in a plantation and how her life changed after her father's death and discovering that she is actually the offspring of a dalliance between her father and a slave.

Added to the complexity is her engagement to Garrison Yob, a middle-aged man who is known to be ruthless and a chauvinist, and most of all finding out that her biological mother and brother are still working in their plantation.

As much as she is shocked and couldn't accept the revelation that she is the daughter of a slave, she gradually accepts her fate and seek to know more about her biological mother and brother. With the assistance of Rafe, a horse trainer whom she is attracted to, they plan to flee from the plantation and to find a life of their own.

Filled with rich Southern atmosphere and an emotional-driven plot to boot, author Eileen Clymer Schwab weaves a story of a spirited young woman finding her identity and all the challenges she has to face for freedom and all.

What I liked about this story is it somewhat has a 'coming-of-age' edge to it as we see Jacy's transformation from a rich white girl to a matured young lady who would travel to all lengths for the sake of love and freedom. The characterisations of Jacy's biological mother and half-brother, Jerlinda and Axel, as well as Rafe made this story more interesting to read through their insights along with their actions.

Another thing is, Shadow of a Quarter Moon not only touches on relationship between mother and daughter but also on the hardships of the slaves faced during the 1800s. After reading the author's notes and the readers guide, I learnt that the author had also researched for the history of the Underground Railroad in North Carolina as well as the Great Dismal, in which they are being mentioned during Jacy's treacherous journey as she seek for freedom.

A story of courage and history, Shadow of a Quarter Moon will inspire readers through Jacy's treacherous journey and also as a remembrance of the past as the time goes by.
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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Minnesota


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Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository:

1) Love, Come to Me by Lisa Kleypas

2) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

What books came into your house last week?

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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
Minneapolis



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Movie: My Kingdom (大武生)
Melody
I watched this movie three weeks ago and to tell you frankly, I couldn't decide if I would want to write a post on it. After all it starred two of my favourite idols and I don't want to make it seem like a fan post. However, I didn't want to let this movie go unnoticed considering it has a good plot involving the Peking opera so here you go.

The story opens with a group of men, women and children being sent to behead under the order from the merciless Prince Regent of the Qing Dynasty set during the 19th century.

A five-year-old boy named Er Kui and his family are a few of the unfortunate victims and before the execution started, he began to sing a song before doom befalls his family and his beautiful voice startled Master Yu Shengying and his seven-year-old pupil, Guan Yilong, who are bystanders watching the commotion.

Yilong asked his Master if he is able to rescue the poor boy from his gallows, and Master Yu did save the boy in the end. Master Yu is a "Wu Sheng", which means a warrior and it is a highly and well-admired status in the world of Peking opera and for this, he earned a golden plaque which is the most sought-after prize.

However, arch-rival Master Yue demands a duel and Master Yu is forced to retire from the opera after the lost of the duel. He places his hope on Yilong and Er Kui and trains them to be "Wu Sheng". Fast forward, the two boys have now grown into fine young men and they had mastered the arts Master Yu taught them. They left for Shanghai to avenge for their master, and they did so on stage since Master Yue's troupe had a public performance. Master Yue chose to die than facing the humiliation but his dreadful action has spurred on another revenge cycle; this time around through his beloved pupil, Xi Mulan.

With the colourful setting of Peking opera mix with martial arts, My Kingdom tells the tale of two sworn brothers's journey as "Wu Sheng" and how their life ruin under the hands of love, revenge and deceit. In my humble opinion, what makes this movie stands out is aside from the cast, it gives the audience a better understanding of Peking opera and a glimpse of the performers' life on stage as well as backstage. What we see on stage may be short, but it takes all the years and hard work of the performers' for perfecting those movements we get to enjoy as an audience.

Mulan and the rest of the troupe have no choice but to let Yilong and Er Kui take the lead of their troupe; after all Yilong has now caught the public attention with his excellent performance and it is no doubt he is now the new "Wu Sheng". Er Kui didn't mind being the sidekick, after all he has more important thing in mind, such as to kill all the sons of the Prince Regent to avenge for his family.

While some may think the premise is cliché, I have to say it is the rich history and the choreography that is the highlight of this movie. I also watched with marvel at the colourful of the costumes and how Peking opera has brought to life under the directions of Director Gao XiaoSong and Action Director Sammo Hung (I understand that this movie took 4 years of making). Wu Chun (Guan Yilong) and Han Geng (Er Kui) may be the leading actors here, but I also have to give credit to Lu Chen, Taiwanese renowned magician (who makes a debut in this movie) for playing his role well as a corrupt cop.

All in all, I enjoyed this movie immensely and I'm not saying that just because my idols starred in it. Needless to say, I look forward to getting the DVD once it is released.
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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
The Basilica of Saint Mary
Minneapolis, Minnesota


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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Melody
ISBN-13: 9781406311525
Publisher: Walker & Company
Published: May 2011
Format: Hardcover, 214pp
Source: Personal Library



I picked up Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls for Carl's R.I.P. VI Reading Challenge, thinking that the title and its cover are appropriate of the challenge's theme; and while they seemed to fit the theme, let me tell you that the story was mind-blowing and a tear-jerker as well.

Connor O'Malley, a thirteen-year-old boy, has always been the target of bullies in school. Back at home, things aren't as easy as he has to deal with the harsh fact that his mother has cancer but the worst of all is the recurring nightmare which has been tormenting him almost every night.

One night, he awoke hearing someone calling out his name and it turns out to be a human-like yew tree who walks and talks. This yew tree has been growing at the back of his house but Connor didn't take notice of it until now. The monster told him that he is ancient and has walked about the earth for some time. He also told Connor that he has three tales to share but he would want Connor to tell him the fourth tale after he has finished and that he wants the truth from his story.

At a glance, A Monster Calls may seem like an ordinary horror story but don't let that mislead you or stop you from reading it as I felt there is nothing horrible or scary about this story but more of an emotional journey of a boy who overcomes his guilt and loneliness, and learning about letting go.


When I first started this book, I was intrigued by the tone and Patrick Ness' amazing storytelling skill. However, the more I flipped through those pages that feeling of waiting for the story to unfold has slowly turned to a heartbreaking feeling for it reminds me the time when my mother was diagnosed with cancer and how we have to learn to cope and to accept the sad truth (she passed away in 2006).

That said, this story isn't about depression and feeling sorry for Connor. On the contrary, it is a spirit lifting story that is bound to make you think hard about life and all. What I liked about this story is it isn't told in a preaching tone and that there are also some great illustrations done by Jim Kay and they absolutely add life to this emotional-filled story.

I have a lot more good things to say about this book but as they always say, it is always best to experience that wonderful reading journey yourself so what can I say. . . Go read this book, now!

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Teaser Tuesdays
Melody

Teaser Tuesdays

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!


Rafe and I had grown from children who played together without noticing our differences into a teenage boy and girl who were no longer allowed to associate as friends. A social chasm had opened between us and we fell naturally into our proper roles.


(Pg 38-9, Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab)

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Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Amused by Books.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository:

1) Headhunters by Jo Nesbo

What books came into your house last week?

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