Book Gobbler

The state of this blog

2005-04-20T10:36:00.000+08:00

Well, it has been forever since the last post, has it?

The thing is, I'm not sure if I want to maintain this blog anymore. The main reason is because I don't have the time anymore. I do the work of three people at my job, and at the same time, I maintain four blogs. You heard me, four blogs. Excluding this, which means I have five blogs altogether.

I have thought of shifting Book Gobbler to my main site, which has its own fancy domain and everything, but that could 'blow my cover'. ;) You see, on my other blogs, I don't reveal who I am. But it's so much more convenient if I have everything under one roof ...

So, I'm not sure if I'm going to post here much anymore. Let's see how things go. I may create a subdomain after all, and think, well, to heck with everything - let people know who I am.

Let's just see. :)

The Music I luv

2005-03-23T18:57:00.000+08:00

1. What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
Er ... so sad, but I can count only five mp3 files. I don't download music much. :P

2. The CD you last bought?
Like Daphne, I haven't bought one in suuuuuuch a long time. But does cassettes count? I bought Gwen Stefani's Love, Angel, Music, Baby. She rocks.

3. What was the last song you listened to before reading this message?
Oh-oh, it was on my Internet radio, some obscure rap artiste - I didn't see who it was.

4. Write down five songs that you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.
* Andrea Bocelli's Someone Like You and Time to Say Goodbye. These two songs make me melt into a puddle of goo. I swear, if someone sings like that to me, I'll marry him on the spot (or at least, jump into bed with him).

For a rocking time, I love Gwen Stefani's What You Waiting For because she just oozes attitude.
Sarah Maclachlan's When She Loved Me always makes me sniff. Also, I can relate personally to what the little doll was singing about. Waaah ...

Nirvana's Smells like Teen Spirit. Man, they were the group that got me into Alternative music - all that angst, anger and rebelliousness in that song. It was me (at least 5 years ago, in college :).

5. Who are you going to pass this stick to (3 persons) and why?
Er, first of all, I'd need to know who reads this obscure little blog! :D The first three persons who leave a comment here ...

Grumpy me

2005-03-23T17:48:00.000+08:00

I had to do some business at MPSJ today. I walked five minutes to the entrance under the fiery sun because I had to park my car far, far away and take a roundabout way to the door because they were doing some construction works. (Rant: There's this nice gate at the front of MPSJ that will lead us to the doorstep of the main entrance but it's always locked. Whylah?? Is the gate for decoration purposes only?)

And when I got there, what did clerk tell me (granted she was very nice while doing so)? I didn't bring the right form.

Right, so I spent another five minutes trying to get back to my car, muttering all the way.

Then, when I got back, I discovered that my dog's urinary problem - ala blood in the urine - is back with a vengeance, so my worry went up a few notches. My dog can sneeze and it'll send me into a frenzy.

Called the vet, and he said to collect the medicine. What did you know that USJ decided to live up to its nickname (Ultra Super Jam) by throwing up a big huge jam. Why? Because workers decided that it'll be just fine and dandy to close two lanes from the main road along SS19 for some construction work.

Then, couldn't find a darn parking spot at the vet. Had to double park. On the way out, some taikoh with a bad sense of depth and space kissed the front of my car with his bumper. The damage would've been worse if I had not smacked the hood of his car three times. Didn't even say sorry. Ceh.

Because of all this, was not that early for work. So, grumpy me walked into work today. Hmph.

Sepet wins Top Prize! Yay!

2005-03-21T21:02:00.000+08:00

I'm really glad that director Yasmin got the nod when her movie Sepet won the Grand Jury Prize at the 27th Creteil International Women Directors Festival.

When I heard that this was the same director who was responsible for the fuzzy-wuzzy, muhibah, and oh-so-good to watch Petronas festive greetings ads, I was pretty sure it'll be good because it would be the most Malaysian movie ever.

For one, although Spinning Gasing, another local movie, was laudable because it dared to broach "touchy" topics, I felt it was weird that everyone spoke English.

Here, according to reviews, characters speak Malay, Chinese, English (I think). Just like how Malaysia is, a rojak* of languages and cultures.

I've got to admit that I'm a bad girl, I've not watched Sepet. I truly want to - anyone want to go with me - once I make the time that is! Hopefully this Friday, when I'm off, I'd make the trip.

Popular warehouse sale

2005-03-12T17:41:00.000+08:00

Venue: Summit shopping centre, USJ, Subang Jaya, Selangor
Date: From today until March 20
Time: Starts at 10am
Discounts: until 70%, 90% for Popular members

I have to say that I practiced great restraint! I still spent RM200 over thanks to the huge and s0-heavy-that-it'll-cave-someone's-head-in National Geographic coffee book (~RM49) and House Beautiful's Decorating ideas for small spaces (~RM79). Bought three decorating mags for RM5 each (yes, I love interior decorating) and a couple of paperbacks.

The Big deals: Some paperbacks are being sold for RM10! Some starting at RM5, particularly Angel (the television show) and Buffy novels. And the books being sold at RM10 are not those crappy books you never want to read but books by popular authors ... Vince Flynn's Seperation of Power, David Baldacci (spelling wrong, pretty sure) etc.

Fantasy books: This is purely for eyeris. Yes, there are some scattered here and there. I bought one for RM10. They're selling some of Terry Brook's books for RM10 as well. The selection isn't as fantastic as the Time's warehouse sale, but it's close to good.

Non-fiction: So many it boggles the mind. Good selection, but prices not so good ...

What's not so good: The queues are damn long and damn slooow. I would say, avoid the Sunday crowd! But you might miss some good books, I guess. I don't know, but this seems to be the case for Popular sales ... they only have three counters open ...

Big news

2005-03-04T21:27:00.000+08:00

So, I got this news right, and I can't tell anyone. Not anyone that don't know what I'm talking about. I mean, that'll be like stupid right?

So here I am steaming about the Big News with no one to talk to. Drat.

Knowing your classics

2005-01-26T19:53:00.000+08:00

Daphne caught me mixing up my Russian authors today. Yes, I confess, I can't tell between Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekov! Not that I claim to have read any of them. "Russian authors" is a category I keep telling myself I'll get to but never do. Instead I'm always stuck at Austen and am determined, somehow, to stay there.

Oh, yes, moi was very embarassed despite knowing that I mix my authors and books on a regular basis. ;) In real life, this little handicap translates into not remembering people's names - gosh, at the most inconvenient times.

But the very big truth is that I don't know my classics very well since I only deign to read them only once, and usually finish reading them with great relief.

I think the only classic fiction I've truly enjoyed was George Eliot's Middlemarch (which took me half a year to finish! But I think is the best way to savour her book) and Jane Austen's Emma. I read Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park, but I honestly forgot 90% of it except for some vague rememberances of it being this or that. Oh yes, I loved F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Lovely, tragic story.

I love short story writer Katherine Mansfield, and attempted at short story writing for a while until I realise that it's quite difficult to make a point in a few words. But if you asked me to give an example of some of her stories, I'd probably lamely say, "You know, the one where they discuss something over tea in the Garden" (It's called The Garden Party, by the way) or "The one where this housekeeper found a coin in this gentleman's place" (oh, this I still can't remember).

I think the other book I want to finish reading badly is Les Misereables by Victor Hugo. I have no idea, actually, whether I reached the ending! (Because, yes, again, I've forgotten about 90% of what I read.) Hey, wait! I remember reading this particular segment where the hero - which, I of course can't remember the name - rescued his adopted daughter's boyfriend because he was part of the rebellion. Ok, so I did read that far. ;) Hee.

Should I remedy the situation, I wonder? Hmm ... well, maybe after reading Su Tong's My Life as Emperor. (Translation: Maybe never!)

Okaylah, as a challenge to enrichen myself, I'd attempt (close eyes and pick a random name) ... uhm ... oh hell, I'll read Crime and Punishment. Written by Fyodor Dostoevsky. See? I can get it right.

No, I didn't google it up!

Review: The Aviator

2005-01-26T15:53:00.000+08:00

I wrote a short review about the biopic a week (or two) ago.

Is it worthy of an Oscar?
Not that my opinion is going to matter, but yes and no. The competition for "Best picture" this year is stiff as usual, but if I had my way I want Hotel Rwanda to win. It has a stronger message, a worthy message, and boy was the acting top notch.

Your favourite scenes?
When Howard Hughes shot that airplane battle scene for Hell's Angels. Awesome.

Is it worth my hard-earned RM9?
You do get value for money - it is three freaking hours long.

Does that mean its too long?
Sometimes, especially after drinking too much Coke.

Is DiCaprio hot?
Whatever rocks your boat, baby.

Sin City rocks!

2005-01-01T13:58:00.000+08:00

This is for you fanboys out there ...

Now, this looks like a movie that respects the material. I have not read Sin City, but a check at the Sin City section at IMDB reveals that:

After a poor Hollywood experience in the early-'90s, Frank Miller refused to relinquish the movie rights to any of his comic works, "Sin City" in particular. Robert Rodriguez, a longtime fan of the comic, filmed his own "audition" for the director's spot in secret. The footage, shot in early 2004, featured Josh Hartnett and Marley Shelton acting out the "Sin City" short-story "The Customer is Always Right". He presented the finished footage to Miller with the proclamation: "If you like this, this will be the opening to the movie. If not, you'll have your own short film to show your friends." Miller approved of the footage and the film was underway. Rodriguez also screened the footage for each of the actors he wanted to cast in the film - all of whom are reported to have been instantly amazed.

There's more news there as well.

Have a look at the trailer. It's super cool as well. I'm probably going to convert it to VCD so that I can watch it in all its glory on TV. You can tell I have too much time on my hands.

Everyone looks as if they belong there. Benicio del Toro looks cool as well as Bruce Willis. I wonder who Hartnett and Wood is playing.

A fan did complain that Jessica Alba was miscast as Nancy. Why? Apparently because she won't take her top off. Now, I know you fan boys are dissapointed, but hey, I will testify from what I saw on the trailer that she gyrates, slithers and wriggles very well.

Keanu as Constantine? Who were they kidding?

2005-01-01T13:37:00.000+08:00

Neo, part deux.

While at Kinokuniya recently, I decided to browse through Constantine graphic novels to get a feeling who this Constantine person is.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was kinda cool. I didn't think Keanu Reeves could act to save his life, but I didn't know anything about Constantine then. So, hey, I thought - he was good as The One, so this may be no different.

After reading some of the books (cough) by browsing through them at Kino, I echo Constantine fan sentiments: WTF? Keanu as Constantine?!

First, Constantine is English.
b) he cusses like there's no tomorrow
c) he oozes attitude
d) blonde

Keanu isn't a good Constantine fit because:
a) he looks like a yuppie fresh out of a Starbucks refill
b) he's not blonde.
c) attitude? My pooch has more attitude.

Some people say it's just not fair to evaluate the movie before it's even released, but if you can't even get simple basics right like the fact that his secret name is Ged, not Sparrowhawk, you git (sorry, wrong movie adaptation) then this movie has no reason for existing.

Who would've made a good Constantine:
a) Ralph Fiennes
b) Paul Bettany
c) Not Brad Pitt. Okay, maybe Brad could do. As long as he can pull off a convincing accent.

Book Gobbler and Movie Gobbler

2005-01-01T13:30:00.000+08:00

I've decided that since I gobble both in equal quantities (who am I kidding, I think I gobble way too much TV and movies) I'd from now on blog about it here as well.

So, does that mean a name change? Hmm? Book/Movie Gobbler? Or maybe just keep it as it is with a little disclaimer at the bottom? ;)

What to read?

2004-12-21T15:27:00.000+08:00

I have nothing to read. Now, if you saw my library, you'd probably give me a hard rap on my head. Let me rephrase that. I have far too many books to read. I can't decide what to read! Argh!

I need something to capture my imagination again. Something fantastic and fun ... right now I've run out of ideas what to read.

As I stand, blur, at my library scanning for books to read I came upon a few possible choices:

1. Queen's Gambit by Deborah Chester
2. The Nanny Diaries
3. Number 10 by Sue Townsend
4. Star Trek Voyager: Spirit Walk (pt 1)

(Scatches head.) I don't feel particularly inspired by this list. hmm.

Review: Return of the King extended edition

2004-12-20T22:52:00.000+08:00

Faramir giving his future wife an adoring look. Yeah, you got that right. It's me he's looking at.

So, I'll spit it out - I'm dissapointed. Now, before eyeris gets a heart attack, let me explain myself.

I shouldn't have read the book before seeing the movie. Then the dissapointment wouldn't have been so acute. It doesn't help that my favourite chapter in Return of the King is The House of Healing and The Pyre of Denethor. Pete Jackson mangled that pretty good.

In the extended edition, The Houses of Healing is a blink-and-you-will-miss-it sequence. Instead of Aragorn healing Faramir, Eowyn to prove to the Gondorians that he is indeed the King returned, we get a "set up" for Faramir and Eowyn to exchange cow eyes at each other. (grumble)

Hey, I love Faramir and Eowyn being together and all that. Faramir is one of my fav characters. However, in the movie, Eowyn seemed so ... frivolous to have gotten over Aragorn so fast. And I agree with eyeris when he said that the Extended Edition made Aragon more ... wussy.

The Houses of Healing, if it had been done right, would've lent additional strength to Aragorn. Same with the ghosties at the Dimolt (sp?). What I don't get is why must Pete extend the battle scenes even more? Honestly, one could scrape a few minutes from those scenes to do justice to the Houses of Healing or other crucial scenes.

Also, now I get why Daphne is so irritated with movie-Gimli. In the EE, he seems even more like a clown. Yeesh.

I didn't get to see Faramir and Eowyn wed! (bawl) The scene was shot, y'see.

Also, as I was watching the documentaries in the EE, apparently they also shot scenes about the fate of the rest of the team. There's a scene of Gimli looking at jewels and one of a very delicious-looking Legolas (with longer, more pristine hair if it's possible) walking in what could only be the forests of Ithilien. After the War, he helped rebuild Ithilien with Faramir.

Ah, what could be! Pete, if only you could've just scraped 5 minutes of extended battle to allow us to see these scenes. But boys will be boys ...

PS: I will never ever read a book before the movie again. I mean, look what happened to Legend of Earthsea!

Legend of Earthsea ... baaaad.

2004-12-20T22:46:00.000+08:00

Well, oy. So I managed to see the SciFi miniseries through (cough) unofficial means. Let's just say that the first ten minutes of the show I'm already saying: "Man. This sucks."

The acting is so bad you can't believe, the script stinks and I didn't even wait long enough to watch the other sections. I know my friend Chris would go ballistic with the mangling of one of her favourite books.

Just hop over to IMDB comments for Legend and you'll see rows upon rows of incensed reviewers complaining how baaad this show is.

Ursula is not pleased

2004-12-16T13:50:00.000+08:00

The Sci Fi channel just screened the miniseries Legend of Earthsea (on Dec 13 & 14, I believe), based on Ursula K. LeGuin's book and the news has not been pleasant. First, at One Ring, a commentary on the series had this paragraph:

But now the finished film has screened, and I've been getting emails from people whose opinions I respect saying things like 'I watched it and I was sick to my stomach after seven minutes.' I can't stand by and let it look as though TORN will recommend and promote any rubbish just because it's a well-known fantasy series.

Ouch! However, the sternest rebuke came from LeGuin herself, who was more than a little annoyed when the director of the flick claimed that he was true to the book and that he knew what Ursula's vision of the whole Earthsea universe was. LeGuin wrote a "reply" here.

Daphne and her husband, who have both read the Earthsea series (yes, you can guess I have not read it) said that the one thing they're annoyed with is that the cast was mostly white. As LeGuin says:

Most of the characters in my fantasy and far-future sf books are not white. They're mixed, they're rainbow ... This color scheme was conscious and deliberate from the start. I didn't see why everybody in sf had to be a honky named Bob or Joe or Bill. I didn't see why everybody in heroic fantasy had to be white (and all the leading women had "violet eyes"). I didn't even believe it ... Ged with a white face is a lie, a betrayal -- a betrayal of the book, and of the potential reader. A brown face might hurt sales in the short run, but my books are long-distance runners, and for the long haul, only the truth will serve.

Ah. The race issue.

I believe that many non-readers will still dig the Earthsea miniseries because of the fallout from Lord of the Rings. People are still hungry for fantasy after all. The powers that be chose to cash in on the craze, purity to the book be damned.

Tom Hanks will be The Da Vinci Code's hero

2004-12-02T13:08:00.000+08:00

He's a good actor and all, but does anyone out there echo my sentiments that Tom Hanks doesn't feel like a Robert Langdon (spelling? Too lazy to check)? I don't know. I've always thought Robert would be ... cuter. More like Indiana Jones or something. And here's from someone who has not read the book.

Why have I not read the book? Well, I'm a person that avoids a book if it's hyped up! Maybe it's the snob in me who wants to say, in a plummy Brit accent: "No, I shan't read the book."

Truth is, I just haven't gotten around to doing it. I tend to be slow when it comes to book trends. I tend to read the "kewl" books months after the publicity has died down. Always waiting for a discount or a second hand book to come out.

If I'm to start on Dan Brown's books, I most probably would not start with Da Vinci but with Angels & Demons. I kinda like the title.

The trouble with our libraries

2004-11-29T20:45:00.000+08:00

Interesting article in The Star's Kuala Lumpur Metro today. Reading at book stores the rage now (strangely, the online metro said "book sores") basically says that Malaysians prefer to read at book stores than libraries.

Honestly, this is old news for me. I used to spend every Sunday curled up in the MPH Reader's Lounge reading a book. I try to ignore the snoring dude that always seems to be there whenever I'm there, and read a book on interior decorating or the latest bestseller. The ambience in MPH's Subang Jaya store is the best - way better than the one in Mid Valley where there is barely a place to seat, but I digress.

The state of Malaysian libraries - at least the ones in Klang Valley - is pitiful. Why do people not go to the libraries? Here are the reasons:

It's inconviniently situated - the National Library for one, is located on the busy and difficult-to-access Jln Tun Razak.
The books there are old, old, old. Bestsellers, new books etc are just plain hard to find. I didn't even realise that libraries buy best selling books (until I read book blogs from overseas). I used to think libraries just buy books that you don't see in bookstores!
Dress codes. No wearing singlets, slippers, short sleeves, short skirts in a library. Didn't know libraries became the moral centres of the universe suddenly.
There are just too few of them!

Malaysians don't read much. I think below 10% of us read regularly. The first reason is probably the most obvious one: books are damn expensive-lah! Sometimes, if I go beserk, I could spend 1/4 of my pay on buying books! Honestly, if they want a reading nation, they'd have to give libraries a budget for books, and not shelve the expenses for buying books under 'misc'!

Our only saving grace is from Pay Less Books (a place for 2nd hand books) or rent-a-book stores.

I'll be in dreamland if libraries:

Are found within the residential area instead of out there in the city somewhere. The more accessible, the more readers you'll get! Walking to the library! What a dream!
Have new, current, best-sellers on their shelves so that I can save my money.
Don't have all the nice books under reference section.
Don't have those silly dress code rules anymore.

I live in Subang Jaya, and I think it's just absolutely appalling that we don't have a library. (We do have a Multimedia library, but I don't like reading books on computer screens!) If only the powers that be would spend $ on a well-stocked library instead of building useless gardens with giant bird sculptures.

The best-est library I've ever been to was the library in Johor Baru. That was like, more than 10 years ago (oh no, I really feel my age suddenly). They had Asterix & Obelix comics, for goodness sakes! I used to count the days where I'll get to visit the super-secret adults' section. Too bad we moved to KL - where libraries are so few and far in between - before I could.

Any bigwigs listening to this rant? If so, please do something about our libraries!

Bad bosses make good stories

2004-11-24T19:40:00.000+08:00

Am currently reading Toby Young's How to Loose Friends & Alienante People and have decided to put aside Marion Zimmer Bradley's stories about Darkover for the tale of the fall of a great man (in his head, that is).

In essence, How to Lose Friends is a long, well-written gossip rag about the glitzy going-ons behind Vanity Fair, a particular magazine I'm rather fond of. And we all love gossip - especially one that mentions a certain well-known draconian Vogue editor.

I'm talking about Anna Wintour, in case you're not in the know. Some of us in the journalistic world take perverse pleasure at novelists ribbing editors, especially those with a reputation like Wintour's.

Wintour is one difficult lady, according to Young and to popular legend. It is suspected that the author of The Devil Wears Prada based her portrayal of her novel's cruel boss on Wintour - she was once one of her assistants.

Indeed, after reading Young and Lauren Weisberger's account, I find some similiarities. But I can't remember them off-hand now to list them for you right now. But I can tell you what makes Wintour so "ballsy" to say the least.

According to Young, Wintour lives like a Queen (she is paid a cool US1mil a year) and uses the company's petty cash account like her own Swiss bank account, she doesn't ever ride in the elevator with anyone (except maybe the Queen of England or anyone worth sucking up to, I suppose), gets annoyed if anyone talks to her without her permission, yada yada yada.

She makes one of my old bosses - the one I worked with once upon a time in an ad agency not so far away - look like my fairy godmother.

But hey, maybe Wintour will one day rise up and write a tell-all biography on how wrong Young and Wesberger is. (Shrug)

For now, we common folks without Prada to wear can enjoy the gossip.

PS: Another book on bosses behaving badly worth checking out could be The Nanny Diaries. It's currently sitting in my library, unread. But after Young's deconstruction of the politics in Vanity Fair, I'd possibly be more hungry for Bad Boss Lit - so it's probably next on my To-Read list. Also, Sydney Morning Herald has a piece on Bad Boss Litt. Is it the Next Big Genre? Chick Lit, after all, is so yesterday.

Getting lost in the library

2004-11-21T20:50:00.000+08:00

Was back at the apartment yesterday and decided to pick a book from my library to read. My little library is a wonder. It's filled to the brim with books - nearly 1,000 of them, and 60% of them I've not read!

Unfortunately, I couldn't decide what book to read. Almost all the books there are worth reading and I want to read it all at once! In the end, I picked How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young and a Star Trek Voyager novel.

I've been reading too many non-fiction books these days (too many of them on politics!). I need to return to the land of imagination once more. So I am reading Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Fall of Neskaya right now. The book has not set my imagination on fire yet.

There a sense of sadness when I drove away from the apartment, knowing that I left behind all those lovely books alone well I concentrate on just for a few. But I'll be back later ...

We're quickly running out of shelves for the library. I kid you not, my sister and I have added perhaps 200 over books to the collection just this year. I'm starting to wonder that perhaps I should utilise the space above my toilet for book shelves.

Su Tong's allure

2004-11-17T18:30:00.000+08:00

Some people consider Su Tong China's best writer in the 21st (and 20th) century, and they're right. Well, I consider him that.

I got to know about Su Tong after watching the immortal Zhang Yimou movie Raise the Red Lantern. Then I found his book, Rice, and was enthralled. In the book, you get to see the disintegration of a family. I seem to remember with great clarity that one of the characters is really disturbing. She has a feline quality to her character, and an undercurrent of vengeance in her spirit, expertly masked by her drowsy mannerisms.

Su Tong, in my opinion, just captures the spirit of the Chinese excellently. The tragedy, the sadness inherent in our millenia-history, the blight of our flawed human nature ... he makes it all so beautiful and poetic for some reason.

But he isn't what I call an easy author to read because sadness just permeates every page of his books ... and I'm the sort that likes to be happy when I read! Hah.

The most gorgeous thing about my work, and my sister's, is that we both get free books. Can you imagine what amazing luck it was that my sister brought home Su Tong's latest translated novel, My Life as Emperor, home? Now, if only I could set aside some time to read it (I still have a few "assigned" novels to read and review).

Meanwhile, if you want to try reading Su Tong, do start out with the novella Raise the Red Lantern. It's one of his finest.

Review: A Cold Heart by Jonathan Kellerman

2004-11-12T15:49:00.000+08:00

Whoowee! Like, how long since I graced this blog already? Never mind, don't answer that.

Since reading Michael Connelly, I've been delving more and more into mysteries. Discovered a new author called Jonathan Kellerman while going through the books cabinet at the office and decided to have a go. Honestly, he isn't as good as Connelly. However, he is sure prodigious! He must've written a bazzilion mystery books, most of them featuring the psychologist/nosy detective Alex Delaware.

A Cold Heart is my first Kellerman read. Here's my review: Careers cut short

Where art thou?

2004-10-18T09:46:00.000+08:00

The problem with having a lot of books is that sometimes I can't find them! Just a while back, I was hunting high and low for a particular book I suddenly had the intense desire to read. I couldn't find it even after numerous searches as was about to buy another copy when I saw it tucked in one dark corner of the library.

I have only about 1,000 books. Okay, it may seem a lot to some, but to those with libraries, this seem like a mini library. My library probably wouldn't expand beyond 1,300 because I usually try to keep it 'under control' by selling some of my books away. Usually what I call 'bad buys'. Books that I wouldn't even think of reading again.

Anyway, the book that I've lost this time is Dave Barry's latest book which I can't remember the name. Wonderful. I'm due to review it and I can't find it! Argh.

Well, probably just have to take apart my library to find it somehow.

Another solution is that perhaps I should try a systematic arragement of my books next time and to create a 'borrower's record'. I lend my books out often, but typically, can't remember what I lent or to whom!

Wonderful librarian, aren't I?

(Which makes it doubly ironic since I was really one in school.)

Anne Rice strikes back at nasty reviewers

2004-10-15T18:10:00.000+08:00

As a book reviewer, I try to remember that behind the book I'm reviewing is a person who has poured heart and soul (well, most of the time) into the writing of the novel. So you can say I'm nice most of the time in my reviews.

Now, Anne Rice's latest book Blood Canticle has drawn sharp reviews, to put it mildly, from some of the readers at Amazon.com. Some, supposedly, who were avid fans of hers. In a surprising turn of events, Rice struck back, posting a reply to all the nasty comments on Amazon.com:

Now, if it doesn't appeal to you, fine. You don't enjoy it? Read somebody else. But your stupid arrogant assumptions about me and what I am doing are slander. And you have used this site as if it were a public urinal to publish falsehood and lies. I'll never challenge your democratic freedom to do so, and yes, I'm answering you, but for what it's worth, be assured of the utter contempt I feel for you, especially those of you who post anonymously (and perhaps repeatedly?) and how glad I am that this book is the last one in a series that has invited your hateful and ugly responses.

Together now: Ouch.

To tell you the truth, Rice's later novels have not matched the standard she has set with The Vampire Lestat. Vittoro the Vampire was my last Rice book. It wasn't terribly bad but I felt as if I was reading a Young Adult version of Rice's vampire series, devoid of the complex relationships that entraced me earlier. After a while, they even got repetitive. I was supposed to read Blackwood Farm but it was so bad - it appeared to be the stream of consciousness ramblings of a vampire, and I've had enough of Virginia Woolf since college - that I had to return it, saying: "Uh-uh. If I review this, I'll trash this so bad it'll set sales plunging."

Another reason why I returned it was because I didn't want to end up having to read it all!

So, should Rice have dropped that comment like she did? Well, I can understand why she could be peeved. Criticise the book but not the person, says I. But dropping a comment like that does paint an image of 'bad loser' all over her. Several blogs commented on what she did: Cynical-C Blog and Weirdwriter

Read the nice long list of reviews at Amazon.com.

The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin

2004-08-20T21:49:00.000+08:00

So, Steve Martin is an author too, but is he any good? The Pleasure of my Company is his second fiction, the first being Shopgirl - which I have not read.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from reading this book. I'm generally a person who likes some pleasure from my reading experience, or rather, for something interesting to happen in the story or to the character. (Which is why I tend to gravitate towards fantasy, with it's high-falutin' plots and extraordinary events and characters.) Although interesting things do happen to Daniel Pecan Cambridge (the main character) it isn't something I'd call very exciting.

My review, which appeared in today's The Star (especially if you want to read the last line!).

When you're out of money, read fanfiction

2004-08-19T10:21:00.000+08:00

Well, that's not necessarily true, of course. I read fanfiction even if I have money to buy more books! It's free, it's there, and it's utterly fun. Fanfiction.net is a great place to start your fanfic hunt, though there are some sites out there, run by adoring fans, that can be leagues better in story selection.

If you're a wee bit clueless what fanfiction is, it is fiction based on the characters of a television (usually) show. However, fans have written fanfiction based on certain books as well, such as The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and even comics like X-Men.

Wanna see Aragorn ditch Arwen and hook up with Eowyn instead? Never fear! It's merely a fanfiction away!

I discovered fanfiction through my sister, who was reading Sailor Moon fanfiction. I thought the whole exercise was incredibly weird at first, but nevertheless curiosity won out and I tried my hand at reading Star Trek fanfiction, and I got hopelessly hooked from that day onwards.

The one fascinating thing about fanfiction, and the whole addictivness of it all, is that you see your favourite TV/Book characters placed in situations you would never see on television.

Like seeing Chakotay and Capt Janeway having a wild, romantic night out in the holodeck. Or Gil Grissom (of CSI) doing the liplock with Sara Sidle.

I'm not much into the whole romance thing, but am more interested in the action/adventure aspect of fanfic.

But finding good fanfiction can be a painful endevour at times. Since most fanfics are written by fans, not all of them are great writers. Some fanfics are downright painful to read. Characters are out of character, and although I'm very forgiving of spelling and grammatical errors (since I'm no Grammar Queen myself), these errors do get tiresome after a while.

I notice that certain shows attract better writers and stories for some reason. Shows like X-Files, Stargate: SG-1 and Star Trek have a wealth of good stories. Don't be surprised to find novel-length stories. But for some shows, especially those with a big teen audience like Buffy, Angel, Smallville and The O.C., finding good fanfiction can be an incredibly frustrating endevour. Maybe it is for me since it's always about who is with who, who is in love with who, and who wants to sleep with who.

Yes, there's a whole debate on whether fanfic is legal or not. However, fans are not stopping anytime soon, worshipping their favourite characters on stories they've created, placing them in weird, weird, weird situations.

And when I mean weird, it's usually in the pairing department. Fanfic writers love to pair up their favourite characters. Sometimes it something all of us want. Sometimes it's something few of us ever want (Boromir + Faramir [Lord of the Rings] love relationship anyone? Incest is not taboo in the fanfic world). Fanfic writers can sometimes speak in code, and for the first-timer, they'd probably get confused by the various terminology used. Such as:

slash: male and male relationships

UST: Unresolved Sexual Tension. Used a lot in the X-files universe!

Hurt/comfort: Where a character gets hurt, and another comforts the poor fella

Smarm: Imagine tough-looking guys talking about their feelings and dreams around a campfire and you'll get the idea.

sibcest: Let's not even go there.

fluff: A story of little substance, but read/written merely for the heck of it.

Smut: I don't think this needs translation

Pairings are indicated by "/". For example, if you have written a story where Scully and Mulder are lovers, you indicate: S/M.

Fans have even invented cute little names to indicate their favourite pairings. In the smallville universe, the Clark and Lana Lang pairing is "Clana". Hehe.

Well, since I've joined a gym, and my expenses will inevitably go up, one of the first things I'd have to cut from my spending bill is books. So ... looks like it's a raid at the fanfiction archives for me from now on!

Ralph Fiennes is Lord Voldemort

2004-08-06T17:55:00.000+08:00

And I say, good choice! Fiennes is a fine actor (pun intended) and I loved his turn as the serial killer in Red Dragon. Or maybe I'm just partial to red heads.

Anyway, my judgement on how fine (again! Ha!) a fit he is for the role probably doesn't really mean anything since I've not read the book. :P So Potter readers, what do you think?

According to BBC's Fiennes named as Potter villain, filming has already begun for the fourth movie, Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, but Fiennes have not shot any of his scenes yet.

Brendan Gleeson, who will appear in M. Night Shyamalan's The Village will play the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher Mad-Eye Moody.

Miranda Richardson is Rita Skeeter.

The movie will be in theatres in 2005.

Well, since The Lord of the Rings no longer has any installments (though one does hope for The Hobbit), this is something to look forward to.

Holiday reading

2004-08-05T20:39:00.000+08:00

Reading the Guardian article If the book fits got me thinking on how I almost never pick the right book to bring on vacations. If you're a bookaholic, you're then familliar with the angst of having to pick one book out of a thousand to read while you're sipping that magarita under an umbrella in a beach.

Ah, if only we're given the choice to bring our entire libraries!

I most often than naught bring three books with me because I just can't choose. The worst book I've ever brought on vacation with me was a an Angel tie-in book. Uninteresting would be a kind word. Insipid was more like it.

On a trip to Morrib, I brought The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole which got me so hooked that I forgot that I was supposed to be playing sandcastles on the beach rather than reading in my room.

If I have a long travel by plane ahead of me, I almost never pick the right books because I often pick books where you've got to concentrate on the plot details - which would be interesting to me if I didn't have to battle air-sickness and while being frightened witless by nasty turbulence. I brought a book on Post-modernism (wuh? Huh? Sociology. Yeah, I sometimes read books like that - am I just professor-ish, or what? :) and then for the 'lighter side of things', a Terry Brooks book: Jarka Ruus. I found it difficult to appreciate the peril the characters were in when I am trying my desperate best to retain my breakfast in my stomach.

Magazines are the best bet for me during long air flights. And I spent a hefty $ on the return trip from New York on my favourite but pricy mags like Film and Empire.

I loved reading the short, punchy and often funny movie an
d DVD reviews. The wealth of cute actors between covers didn't hurt one iota, of course.

Am planning to go on a nice, beach-like holiday in Lumut soon with my pal Chris from Ipoh. What book shall I bring then? Maybe not books on sociology.

I think I'll bring comics. What can be lighter than comics, eh? Or perhaps the book I've been meaning to read by Bill Bryson, my numero uno favourite travel writer: A short history of nearly everything.

It's about science.

Hmm, maybe not such a good idea.

Kinokuniya's offer

2004-08-04T16:02:00.000+08:00

Kinokuniya is giving away one RM10 voucher for every RM50 spent on a single receipt throughout the month of August. Each week this month will see a special promotion for certain subjects/categories:

Aug 1-7: History

Aug 8-14: Social Sciences

Aug 15-21 : Music

Aug 22-28: Literature

What, no graphic novels or science fiction books? ;)

The vouchers are valid till Aug 31 and are to be used for books from the respective sections for their respective weeks.

If I'm not mistaken, you can qualify for the vouchers only if you spend $ on the category of the week. I'm not sure about that, so head to Kino to find out for sure.

Darn, if only they had discounts for graphic novels.

Oh, wait, NO BUYING BOOKS this month. Right. Gotcha.

Brad Pitt is Mr Darcy????!

2004-08-01T16:36:00.000+08:00

I nearly fell off the stairs when my sister told me that Brad Pitt was going to play Mr Darcy in an upcoming production of Pride and Prejudice.

"Brad Pitt as Mr Darcy? Brad Pitt is Mr Darcy?!" And I made an idiot of myself by flapping my arms in an indignant manner.

"What? What's wrong with Brad Pittlah?" my sister asked.

"He can't carry it off! Mr Darcy is aloof, aristocratic, lordly!"

"Pitt handsome what!"

"It's not about looks lah!" I stamped my feet. And continued to foam at the mouth explaining why Pitt, despite having met him in real life and knowing he is indeed a slab of grade-A American beef, can never be Darcy.

Anyway, somehow the thought of the bronzed blonde Adonis as the aloof, gentlemanly Mr Darcy was a great affront to me. And I think I'm not the only one to think so - many Austen-ites have a specific idea how Mr Darcy should look or behave (the closer they are to Colin Firth the better ;) ). Pitt just rubs us, or at least me, the wrong way.

Thank goodness then - thaaaank goodness - when I found out that no, Pitt is not going to be Darcy, someone called Matthew Macfadyen will be. According to BBC.com in Spy drama star is 'new Mr Darcy', he stars in a british spy drama called Spooks.

Kiera Knightly will play Elizabeth Bennett. I think she can pull it off, but we'll just wait and see, honestly. Why do they always use the current hot, young thing for prominent roles? Oh yeah, to lure the crowds in. Duh.

All I can say about the adaptation (seventh, I think) is that more Austen is never bad.

Unless they cast Brad Pitt as Mr Darcy and have rock-themed soundtrack.

Earthsea coming to TV

2004-07-29T17:17:00.000+08:00

This is probably old, old news, but Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series is being made into a mini series.

I have not read the books (bows head in shame), but I've heard many good things about it. Basically, the story is the staple of many fantasy stories: boy discovers he has powerful magic. Boy unleashes bad thing in world. Tries to rescue world.

The said boy is Ged, who is going to be played by Shawn Ashmore (pic). Fans of Smallville may be happy to discover that Kristin Kreuk is playing Tenar, a priestess. Isabella Rossellini is Thar and Danny Glover is Ogion. You can read from these lines that I have no idea who they are.

Thanks to the Lord of the Rings, fantasy is gaining popularity in cinemas and tv screens. Once the abode of cheesiness, fantasy has gained respectability since The Lord of the Rings won Oscar for Best Picture this year. Hopefully we won't get a spew of cheap knockoffs but well-done productions.

Meanwhile, why not visit Sci Fi channel's official site for Earthsea?

PS: With the cool things the Sci Fi channel has - what with the new revamped Battlestar Galactica series, Stargate: Atlantis and now Earthsea, you would think someone down here would have an idea to bring it down to Malaysia. Apparently they've even made a Farscape movie. Anyone? Dying sci-fi/fantasy fans here!

Spider-Man 2: The novelisation of the movie

2004-07-19T17:56:00.000+08:00

Wow, have I been away or what? A flu, lots of overdue book reviews and my other blogs conspired to keep me away.

Seen Spider-Man 2 yet? The movie is great - lots of action, lots of angsty emotional moments. So getting the novelisation was my way of reliving the movie in my head. Unfortunately the book wasn't what I expected it to be.

Read my review of the book by Peter David.

Can't stop reading ...

2004-06-29T14:25:00.000+08:00

Michael from Eyeris may have started a trend of sorts! I'm picking up the post started by Michael and continued by Grace Shu: Where/when do I read?

Yes, us voracious readers just find time to read a few words here and there. On average, I read about 4 to 5 books a month. Unfortunately, I buy twice (or more) the amount of books I read!

In bed as I'm about to nod off
I absolutely cannot sleep if I don't read first. It's a rite I've begun goodness knows since when and it's a rite I cannot seem to break. Even when I'm bone-dead tired, I will still grab a book to read for a few minutes before nodding off.

At traffic lights when the lights are red
Definitely not when it's green. ;P As Michael says, kids (and adults) don't try this. I rely on the car behind me to honk me into awareness when the light turns green. I have not cultivated the necessary skills to read while in a jam like Michael though. ;)

While at a long line at the supermarket
Sunday/Saturday grocery rush is never a drag when you have a book in your bag while waiting for that lady in front of you with a few hundred items in her cart to finish paying.

While in up-market coffee shops like Starbucks or Coffee Bean
Curled up in an oh-so-soft sofa with a good book is a thrill. Unfortunately, by the time I'm done sipping that iced blended chocolate (I can't take coffee) I'll be so cold I find it hard to concentrate! ;)

In the public jacuzzi at my apartment
Hmmmm. The epitome of loveliness. With the water bubbling around me, I would indulge in a mystery or two. Of course, the book getting splotches of water here and there is a casualty of sorts.

In other places where it's too delicate to discuss about it further
In the loo lor ...

My not-so-detailed list

2004-06-26T20:40:00.000+08:00

Because my books are in the apartment, and I'm in my parents' house. :) So this list was dredged up from my not-so reliable memory.Meaning, some of the titles may not be 100% accurate.

Here are the beauties I bought:

1. Oriental mythology
2. Titans and Olympians
3. Introduction to the Romans
4. The Outremer saga, Books 1 to 4
5. The Otherland series by Tad Williams, Books 1 to 4
6. Number Ten by Sue Townsend
7. How to lose friends and alienate people by Toby Young
8. The Guardian Cycle by Julia Gray - Books 1, 3 to 5. Darn, where are you, No.2?
9. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingslover
10. The Ghost sitter by Peni R. Griffin
11. Wheel of Time's Book 2 and 7 by Robert Jordan (only because my dog peed on the first copies I bought)
12. Boy by Roald Dahl
13. Going Solo by Roald Dahl

Another book sale: Popular 3-day Crazy Deal

2004-06-25T17:23:00.000+08:00

As if my wallet is not suffering enough; Popular Bookstore has to sic a book sale on me. The Book Review Blog alerted me about the sale.

Venue: Amcorp Mall at the concourse area, Petaling Jaya, Persiaran Barat
How long? From today until this Sunday (June 27th).
Deals? Apparently "rebates up to 70%" as reported by the blog.

Will hop by today, hopefully, to have a peak. I'm don't think my wallet will thank me for this, but "book sale" is often a siren call for me.

PS: Revisited the Times warehouse sale again. Dented my wallet by another RM200, which brings total damage to RM313. Wish I could say this is the end. Will be revisiting on July 2. Help! I'm a slave to books ...

Also, will be putting up the semi-complete list of books I bought at the sale tomorrow.

Dazed at the Times warehouse sale

2004-06-24T23:30:00.000+08:00

One word. Fantastic!

I didn't want to go, honestly. I have no $. Yes, I have a credit card, but this lady is really seriously in debt. But when Daphne (who also reported about it) told me how good it was I just had to go. I'd never forgive myself if I missed out good deals. Michael, a Star journalist who also keeps a blog was ga-ga over it too.

It took some time for my colleagues and I to find out where exactly it was (2nd floor of the Fedex building) but we were there. My goodness. Can I say stacks upon stacks of books? They are laid out in tables all over the area. And it's a huge area.

What kind of books? Everything under the sun. Picture books, bestsellers, obscure books, rare books, non-fiction books ... many for the ridiculous (in a good way) price of RM10. I bought The Poisonwood Bible, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Saga of the Renunciates for RM10 each. They are, except for Saga which is a tad tattered, in pristine condition.

There are books below RM6, and they're not books to scoff at, that's for sure. The ultimate steal has to be The Giant Book of Celtic Myths and Legends for 50sen. Yes, you read it right: 50sen.

Then there's Roald Dahl's Boy and Going Solo for RM6.

Current bestsellers are selling around RM24 upwards. There are, by the way, stacks of Lord of the Rings books but I did not spy any Harry Potter volumes. If you're big into The DaVinci Code, it's there.

There are other things as well - original VCDs and stationery.

What's my damage? RM113. Surprising, especially since I bought so many books.

I give this warehouse book sale a solid A+.

Salam Pax: The Baghdad Blogger by Salam Pax

2004-06-23T10:24:00.000+08:00

It's interesting to see that bloggers are now getting published. I followed Salam Pax's blog during the US-Iraq war, and was as concerned as many when he stopped blogging when the US forces attacked.

Salam Pax does not blog as much as he used to, something I find a little sad. Perhaps it's because of the pressure that came with his "unveiling" - when people found out his identity. Well, if you're still interested, you can check out his blog.

Meanwhile, you can read my review, No holds barred blog account.

Times Book Sale

2004-06-23T10:19:00.000+08:00

Look! A book sale! Times will be giving book lovers a treat this week. If you're hungry for bargains, this could be the place.

Dates
24th June (for those with Times Privilege Card and UOB Credit Card. Preview)
25th June - 4th July 2004 (those not fortunate enough to have said cards)

Place to go to:
4, Jalan 13/4, 46200, Petaling Jaya (Fedex office)

What time?
10am - 7pm

Times Privilege Card membership will be available at RM20 on 24th June 2004

Thanks to Daphne for the hat tip.

I'm probably going to the sale on iun July. Poor me does not have any money to speak of. Waiting for pay day.

Bookaholic

2004-06-23T10:08:00.000+08:00

I'm perhaps, one of the few Malaysians whose parents would beg once in a while to "stop buying books."

If there's one weakness I have, especially when it concerns my wallet, is my inability to turn away from a good book. Bookstores like Kinokuniya and Pay Less are "traps" for me. I so often find good deals ande rare books that I often leave the stores a few hundred ringgit poorer.

Take my visit to Pay Less last Sunday, for example. I found Bad Love by Jonathan Kellerman, a new mystery writer I'm checking out. The book was being sold at RM7.90, the price of a meal at shops around my office.

At Kinokuniya, it is the graphic novels section that do me in. A fan of X-men, Spider-Man and others, being surrounded by so many glossy trade paperbacks could drive me mad.

This month was quite a record. I believe I bought about 20 books. I will probably read them all in two years' time. Sometimes, I shamelessly just buy a book to keep it. Naughty girl.

I buy so many books that I don't know where half of them has gone. Yup, dad was the keeper of my books, faithfully squeezing the volumes in the limited space available at our Subang home. I, with the spotty memory and all, helpfully squirelled some as well. Unfortunately, I don't know where they are!

Worse, sometimes I lend books out and never get them back. And I don't realise this until years has passed. I lent Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs to a friend - oh, two years ago. Unfortunately, said friend and I have a falling out, so getting the book is going to be quite difficult. Lent another friend my favourite historical romance trilogy. It's been two months and I'm starting to sweat.

Well, I better have a system to keep track of my books or else precious volumes are going to go poof!

The Face by Dean Koontz

2004-06-18T11:46:00.001+08:00

Dean Koontz's books are a guilty pleasure. Most of the time they're really cheesy, but they're so darn enjoyable. Maybe because the stories are often outlandish and weird.

I was introduced to Dean Koontz by Alex and his wife Susan, the owners of Reader's Corner at Subang Parade (it's a rent-a-book store). I started with Strangers, one of his better books, and proceeded to devour almost every Koontz book imaginable. But somewhere along the line, Koontz's work started getting bland and predictable and I stopped reading.

I only started reading him again with False Memory, a so-so book which at least managed to hook me in till the end. The latest is The Face.

Here's my review, which appeared in The Star today.

Look what I've got!

2004-06-17T11:35:00.001+08:00

Bought these two beauties at Popular Bookstore at Summit, USJ Subang Jaya (Selangor). They're only below RM20 each; fully illustrated, and with nice-looking fonts too! (Weird, I know. But fonts have to look a certain way for me - not too big, hopefully serif fonts - for me to enjoy reading them.)

I've always loved myths and legends. I devoured books on Greek, Roman, Chinese legends and other mythologies when I was a kid. When I used to visit the National library at Jalan Tun Razak back in my college days, the dusty volumes there were my constant companions.

Left: The books are beautifully illustrated.

I hardly own any of these books, however, because most of the books are usually amazingly expensive (especially the illustrated ones!) or incredibly boring. Meaning, they're written from the perspective of an antropologist or historian, or has fonts so small you have to squint to look at them.

I've always preferred legends to be told like a good yarn and I got that in this book.

Quite a steal, buying these books at RM19.90. Popular bookstore has the most amazing deals sometimes. I have no idea how they get their books so cheap, but sometimes they sell great books at great prizes (I sound like such an ad). Just a while back I bought a few hardcover fantasy books for RM16.90 and these are not old, old, old titles but current ones that other bookstores are selling for at least RM39.

Anyway, I'm not sure all Popular bookstores have this, but if you're near one you could drop by and grab it. The last time I was at Summit (Monday this week) there were only 2 copies of each book left, so hurry, hurry!

Now, excuse me while I go enjoy my books. :)

The black and white illustrations are beautiful too. What a find this book is!

My favourite Star Trek novels

2004-06-16T19:41:00.000+08:00

Listing my favourite ST novels turned out to be a more difficult enterprise than I anticipated. Not only do I not remember many of the titles, I also don't have that many favourites to list! But here are the books in no particular order:

Star Trek Voyager
Mosaic by Jeri Taylor
Pathways by Jeri Taylor
Marooned by Christie Golden

Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Fallen Heroes by Dafydd ab Hugh (IMHO, one of the very best ST books ever)
Section 31: Abyss by Jeffrey Lang, David Weddle
Warchild by Esther Friesner

Star Trek Deep Space Nine
Q-In-Law by Peter David
I, Q by Peter David

Star Trek novels

2004-06-08T12:55:00.000+08:00

TV Tie-ins (books based on television shows). Love 'em. Hate 'em. Actually, most of the time I dislike them. Yet, you just can't stay away - especially when your favourite television series is on a hiatus and you can't wait for more stories.

Of all TV tie-ins out there, the Star Trek novels are near-legendary. Not only has the television series spawned the spin offs Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Enterprise, the enterprise (no pun intended) has spawned hundreds and hundreds of books as well.

[For the uninitiated, Star Trek is the tale of explorers who have gone where no man has gone before. You know, humans travel in a space ship for this organisation called the Federation and meet aliens with funny foreheads/skin. Gotta apologise - non Trek followers could be a tad lost in this review.]

I started reading Star Trek novels way back in my teens, and my first Star Trek novel was bought by my dad who knew I had a taste for sci-fi. It was a good one, though I have forgotten the title. Essentially, it was Kirk is in peril, Spock is in peril - and a bit of murder on the side.

That book was the best Star Trek novel I've read, and I hate to say this - but its descendents have been inferior in quality: flimsier in plot and detail, sometimes characters are out of character and worse - the authors mess up their back history! The publishers also have a tendency to split what should've been one book into two (or more) so that we hapless, addicted Trekker fans would spend more $.

Homecoming and The Farther Shore is a great example. The books continues the story of USS Voyager after after they returned to the Alpha Quadrant from the Delta Quadrant (or rather, what happened after the series ended after seven seasons). I was surprised at how hard it was to finish the book, which surprised me since Christie Golden is one of the better Star Trek Voyager writers. I just did not have any interest at all in the fates of the crew. I think it was the use of the Borg plot device (TM) yet again. We've seen how humans beat the poor ol' Borg on the show a gazzilion times - must we see it in print?

Enterprise, the newest spin off, does not fare too well in the books department. The little I've read of Daedalus did not entice me. The only hope I have is that it'll improve with age. Also, dividing the flimsy book (depth-wise) into two smacks of exploitation and does not help me fall in love with it at all. Hmph.

Only Star Trek: Deep Space Nine books seem to have quality these days. I personally thought the "relaunch" of the novels, which continues the tale after Star Trek Deep Space Nine ended its run, was fantastic. It started out very strongly with the usual politicking we're fammiliar with in the series, and fammiliar faces like Ro Laren from TNG are introduced. It's rich in intrigue and the characters develop - what more can you ask for?

My favourite ST:DS9 book is Section 31:Abyss - strong on character development and advancement, it's one of the better Star Trek books out there.

And oh yes, how can I not mention books based on Star Trek: The Next Generation? Well, most of the time it was great, and definitely they had great sparks, like the utterly hilarious Q-in Law. Well, at least that was true nearly ten years ago! I've not been reading TNG for a long time, and so do not know how it fares now in the quality department.

Still, despite my current displeasure with the exploitative methods of the publishers and the generally poor writing in these books, I still return to them for some Trek fix. We Trekkers are a sad lot sometimes.

Next post: My favourite Star Trek novels.

Ruse: Enter the Detective

2004-06-01T12:46:00.000+08:00

Lovely art, not-so-wonderful story, but still ...

Visiting Kinokuniya at KLCC (in Kuala Lumpur) will always almost just do me in - in the wallet department, that is. My biggest weakness is the graphic novels section. I'm a sucker for pretty pictures, so nice picture + great story = irresistable.

One of my better buys was Ruse: Enter the Detective. I was mainly attracted to the art, which depicted the Victorian era perfectly. Of course, the dishy detective Simon Archad helped seal the purchase!

Simon is a super detective who is able to solve almost any case. He's suave, handsome, cultured and as cold as an iceberg. He exists in a Victorian era where gargoyles exist and druidism is an official religion. Unbeknowest to Simon, his prim and proper assistant Emma Bishop is a priestess who can freeze time - among other things.

A mysterious woman - Miranda Cross - appears, and intrigues Archad. She also disturbs Emma because she has mysterious powers too!

The story is very predictable, but the hinge that keeps us going is that we want to know more about Emma ... unfortunately, we don't really get more than - her eyes glow, a disembodied voice speaks to her and she can freeze time.

Besides the intriguing Victorian-esque art, what keeps the story going is this Scully-Mulder-like 'tension' going between Simon and Emma. Will they, or will they not?

(Most definitely not. Yet. The writers would want to milk the tension for what it is worth.)

If you love gorgeous art, an okay storyline and a nice looking hero, Ruse is a good bet.

My essential reads

2004-05-30T18:47:00.000+08:00

Daphne from The Places You Will Go put up my '30 essential reads' at her place. Go check it out!

Unfortunately, that's just the list I could think off my head then. There are probably a lot of honourable books excluded from that list.

Good reads at ridiculously low prices

2004-05-30T00:25:00.000+08:00

At Carrefour, Subang Jaya(in Selangor, Malaysia). And I don't mean throwaway copies that nobody would ever read but good, meaty stuff.

Because my poor wallet doth protest too much, I could not buy all the Shakespearean plays I wanted. These penguin Shakespearean books cost RM30 or so (went to MPH before I walked to Carrefour) but for some strange, cosmically weird reason, Carrefour was selling it at RM9.95. (Actually I know the real reason -- overstocked books, over-orders etc. But never mind.)

I bought Julius Caesar (my favourite Shakespearean play. The Merchant of Venice is second), and two other Shakespearean plays I've not read: Pericles and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Another good, meaty book I bought was Katherine Mansfield's Bliss and other stories -- she's my all-time favourite short story writer.

Also in my shopping cart was Tolstoy's How Much Land Does a Man Need? and other stories.

Back in my classic literature phase -- oh, some seven years ago -- I devoured short stories; Katherine Mansfield, Tolstoy, Chekov, Alice Walker, Rudyard Kipling and George Orwell ... perhaps it's time to revisit these classics and rediscover them once more.

Thank goodness for Carrefour! I hope to raid the bin sometime again this month and complete my Shakespeare collection; however I doubt that will really happen. I'll either give in to my monthly DVD fix or buy more fluffy books that my brain just wants right now (you know, like Gossip Girl or Smallville tv tie-ins). Not to mention that I owe the bank sooooo much of money!

Kids' stuff

2004-05-27T21:12:00.000+08:00

I visited MPH Midvalley in Kuala Lumpur with some friends, and eventually our conversation turned to children's books.

I remember, as a child, that the library was the world's most fabulous place. We kids would beg our dad to visit the Johor Baru library as often as we can, and Saturdays are a special time for my sister and I.

The selection at the children's section was interesting to say the least. For some strange reason, it didn't have the usual 'children's stuff' like Enid Blyton, Hardy Boys or Nancy Drews. Or perhaps I gravitated instead towards the books like biographies of famous people (written for children of course) and Shakespeare in comics form.

I loved those comics. By the time I was 12, I've read almost all of Shakespeare's plays. I believe they were the one that helped me appreciate Shakespeare when I sat for my Literature unit during my A Levels. (See, there's a place for comics in a child's reading list!)

The other books I read when I was a child was Asterix & Obelix. They were so hilarious, that till this day my sister and I still thumb through our worn-out copies.

When we shifted to Kuala Lumpur when I was 13, we never again did find a good library like the one in JB. I mean, how cool is a library that has Asterix & Obelix and Shakespeare in comic form? We were spoiled!

The only substitute was my school library, where I finally discovered Enid Blyton, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!

Now that I'm all grown up, I don't understand the allure of reading children's books anymore. Perhaps it is because I like more detail in my fiction. Or perhaps, because I never did get to read a children's book through a child's eye, I don't understand its magical allure.

Still, when I saw the selection of children's books in MPH yesterday, I was awed. My hands were itching to buy some! (It was the covers, you see. I'm always a sucker for colourful covers.) And surely, thousands of adult readers of children's books saw something in them.

Anyway, perhaps Daphne could recommend me a small list of children's books to start off with?

How about you? Do you have a few recommendations? :)

Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly

2004-05-27T17:29:00.000+08:00

Henry Price, recently divorced, moves into his new apartment. Then he gets strange messages on his answering machine left for someone named Lilly. He begins searching for the whereabouts of this Lilly and discovers that she is an 'escort' and that she has run into some serious trouble.

My review ...

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

2004-05-27T17:02:00.000+08:00

I have to admit -- the first time I picked up The Lord of the Rings, I was far from impressed. It was this old-looking book that had a musty smell and I was not particularly happy with the faded cover (I can hear Daphne screaming already). Yes, when it comes to selecting books, I'm a very, er, 'judge by the book cover' kind of person.

The second time I picked it was to try understand what in the world others see in it. Reading it was tough going to say the least, but I found myself entranced by Tolkien's world.

My review ...

Reading nooks

2004-05-23T23:55:00.000+08:00

AFTER: I bought a RM49 chest from IKEA, placed a few cushions on top and wala! A reading nook.

A comfy place to read your books ... that's always a dream of mine. This little reading nook is not complete yet. There's still a picture of Legolas to hang above the chest, a few more cushions to add and a standing lamp to add.

What's your idea of the perfect reading nook? :)

The books in my library

2004-05-23T23:53:00.000+08:00

AFTER: Yes, I'm a big LOTR fan.

My reading selection can be defined as "light on the brain". There's some manga (my sister's), Spider-man, X-men comics (mine), romance, sci-fi and fantasy (which makes a big number of the books), general fiction (Nick Hornby being one my favourites), crime (mostly Michael Connelly) and Christian spirituality, which makes up one shelf. I have 'more serious' stuff too, but that's hard to define; there are books on journalism and writing, which I keep in my study (not pictured here), books on politics, interior decorating and travel. Oh, and there's a section where I shelve books on dogs and cats! Namely those by James Herriott.

Very difficult to pin down my favourite books. I read almost everything (though shie from romance. They're too funny).

The library gets a facelift

2004-05-23T23:51:00.000+08:00

BEFORE: My library, not the neatest place in the universe.

Daphne at The Places You Will Go inspired me to get on with decorating my library. It's a small, little place where my sister and I give our books a home. After a trip to IKEA where I bought extra shelves and a chest, and some nails - I gave the place some colour.

Unfortunately, my skills with the hammer was sub-par at best and my wall now has a few holes! Luckily the Underworld poster covered it up.

An introduction

2004-05-23T01:10:00.000+08:00

I love books. I look writing book reviews. So, I thought having a blog is a natural extension of sorts to this.

In this blog, I will be putting up my book reviews, which appear on The Star and some who do not.

I will also discuss other things pertaining to books, whatever it may be.