Books I've Read ~ May 2015

End of May is nearing, and I shall write another book review~~

1. Shopaholic to The Stars - Sophie Kinsella

First of all, the first ever Shopaholic - Confession of a Shopaholic is one of my fave books, it's easy-reading, funny, witty and also full of heart. Becky Bloomwood - as addicted to shopping as she can be - is endearing, and I can say that I understand why she did what she did in the book. 

Then come the second book, third, fourth, fifth... I could still proclaim my love for Becky this far. 

And then sixth book came - Mini Shopaholic - and I almost couldn't finish it - it saddened me that once my beloved series has become a book that took a huge effort just to finish it. 

So when Shopaholic to The Stars came, I did not rush to get it from library. I took my sweet time until one day, I saw it when I was browsing through the book shelves and picked it up just for the sake of being a loyal follower of the series. 

I finished the book in few days, and after I finally closed the book, I have come to a conclusion that though this book is not as grating as the previous book, suffice to say that my dear Becky Bloomwood - I still love her - she is still the same selfish, self-centered, inconsiderate girl in the first book even though at this point of her life, she shouldn't be anymore! I loved her when she was a shopping addict with a lot of heart, now she is just being a bitch around people who love her - sure she feels guilty here and there, but she barely does anything about it. Sigh...

I know there will be 8th book and I know I will read it, but I wish that will be the last book of this series.

Please pretty please~~~

2. Remember Me - Mary Higgins Clark

I can't remember the last time I read a Mary Higgins Clark's novel, and I picked this up on a whim few weeks ago and it did not disappoint. 

I always love a good suspense and this book does it right. 

Along the time I was reading it, I came to care about the main character, Menley and her little family - caring about the main characters are the main draw of a book. 

Set in a small charming town Cape Cod, Adam and Menley Nichols, with their only few months old baby girl are spending their summer in a rustic and historical house. During their time there, there is a murder mystery and also Menley experiences strange things happening around the house which then make her question her own sanity. 

The book slowly reveals the true faces of residents in the small town, which make us keep guessing who is the real culprit. 

Mary Higgins Clark is really a queen of suspense and I really love the bits of history of sailors, houses - I have a hidden history buff side in me! 

3. The Shadow of Your Smile - Mary Higgins Clark

Another novel by Mary Higgins Clark - I just couldn't wait to get another one after finishing Remember Me - and it also did not disappoint. In this book, the main character is a modern and caring pediatrician who has magic touch when it comes to children. Her father was adopted and in the years before his death became very obsessed in finding his real parents. Little does she know how complicated her lineage is, and regardless her lack of enthusiasm in finding her real grandparents, she is dragged into a conspiracy filled with people with too much greed. 

I find that the main character did not do much compared to Menley in Remember Me, however still the story unfolds in a nice pace and I'm always happy when all questions are answered by the end of the book. 

4. Saving Grace - Jane Green

After 2 suspense novels, it was time for an easy reading, and I picked a Jane Green novel. 

I was a fan of Jane Green earlier books,like Jemima J, Babyville, etc. And from stories about single girls finding their ways in the world, Jane Green now tells story about families, women in late 30s or early 40s, but it seems her books are always a hit-or-miss. 

Saving Grace is a miss.....

This book tells a story about Grace (obviously) and her husband Ted, an almost has-been author with manic behaviors, how Grace is desperately looking for an assistant to 'handle' his husband's (as she is not able to do it gracefully), and when a plain-looking and eager-to-please woman came into their lives, she has no reason to say no to. Things are looking better at first, until it is not. Betrayals come into play. Lies, infidelity, self-doubt, everything you can find in soap opera is in this book. 

And I have to say I have very little sympathy to Grace. I feel that she has it coming. It may sound cruel, but I really have less or almost no patience for people who rely on others for approval or help, and Grace is one of them. 

PS: I love the cover though! 

Tulipmania at Garden By The Bay

I finally went to Tulipmania at Flower Dome in Garden By The Bay last Sunday, and boy, I'm glad I did!

The whole theme of the exhibition is Fairy Tales (or so I think), so in each plot, there is a fairy tale theme going on, from Little Red Riding Hood, until The Windmill. Although I'm not so fond of this idea of Fairy Tales, I can see why it is chosen.
My train of thoughts: tulips -> Netherlands -> Europe -> castles -> kings and queens -> prince and princess -> fairy tales!

Here is some photos I took during my visit to Tulipmania...

the 'gate' that welcomes us!

aren't their colors just amazingly vibrant?

not a tulip, but I just love the color

another shot of the 2nd photo flowers

love the colors!

interesting looking flowers, white and pinkish red work very well together

first time seeing this plant. pretty, isn't it?

I love this shot from above

gloomy colored tulips

creepy Little Red Riding Hood

Snow White's dwarves house

Snow White's dwarves house

Love how yellow and purple just complement each other!

Front: Ugly Duckling
Back: Hansel and Gretel house of sweets

Snow Queen

Learned (Did) Something New Today!

credit: http://www.bimoweb.com

Growing up in a middle class family in Indonesia, it is common to have a home assistant (or two), which means no worrying about house cleaning nor any house chores at all. Although I do thank my mom for giving me responsibilities in cleaning my own room (and I did not a good job honestly).

When I was living in Jakarta, I can't say things were much different either. I still had frequent visitors from home to help me with house chore-related stuff, and suffice to say, I was still a spoiled little girl.

After Jakarta, then there's Singapore...

In Singapore, ones must be able to do basic housework stuff in order to live comfortably. It is impossible (for me) to get myself a home assistant since it is expensive and there would not be much work for her other than dusting, sweeping and mopping the floor. So I do everything myself. I enjoy weekly house-chores, from dusting to laundry to bathroom cleaning. Although occasionally when I'm feeling terribly tired from work, I would wish I have someone to help me around the house.

Anyway, after living here in almost a decade, I would have thought I did every basic house stuff already. But I was wrong...
Few days ago, after more than 2 weeks of house renovation work, my owner provided us with house cleaning crew (which did more than average work, but definitely not worth $400 my owner paid them). But then one of the kitchen sinks started to make fuss again, a.k.a clogged.

We poured more than 1.5 bottle of Mr. Muscle, and it was still sadly clogged.

This morning I was almost at my wits ends when I remembered what my former flatmate did when our sink was clogged. Under the sink, there is an easily-removed pod-like thing where all the non-liquid or solid stuff coming from the drain will reside. So I decided I would do one more thing with plunger and if it still doesn't work, I'd take a look at that pod-like thingie, and I'm glad I did!

Inside that pod-like thingie, there were debris from the house renovation (including some nails and screws) which I am certain no amount of Mr. Muscle would be able to 'melt'!

Oh, I'm so happy that the kitchen sink is now in full-functional mode. No thanks to Mr. Muscle!

And I can proudly say: I learned/did something new today!

Books I've Read So Far ~ April 2015

For more than 3 decades of my life, I believe I've read hundreds of books which, sadly, I am not able to remember other than a little bit here and there.
So then I've come to a conclusion that I should try to keep track on books I've read along with what I think or feel about it.
Sounds like a good idea? Let's hope this resolution will last long...

On a side note, since the start of this year, I've been going to a library in my neighborhood more often than I did last year. so that I even bought a coupon set for hot beverages at the library cafe.
The reason is that so I would read actual books than e-books - why? because reading e-books from my beloved iPad especially before going to bed would make it more difficult for me to sleep afterwards, due to the blue light emitting from it, and I want to have nice good sleep everyday and wake up not feeling tired.

Anyway, let's go back to my book list - it comprises both e-books and actual books I've read since the beginning of this year (not in chronological order):

1. Hunger Games trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay) - Suzanne Collins

Amazon, Goodreads

After watching the first 2 movies, I was intrigued to know how close (or far) the movies are from the books, and after reading all of them, I have to admit that I'm satisfied with the movies. Even though there were scenes omitted or altered in the movies (compromises!), the movies did justice to the books (and the author, of course). And I also gotta say, I loved Katniss! She is flawed, and yet relate-able. She did not always do the right things, but whatever she did was in order to keep her loved ones safe.

2. Divergent trilogy (Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiance) - Veronica Roth

Amazon, Goodreads

I was tempted to read the book right after watching Divergent the movie. I think the movie was quite good and I have soft spot for Shailene Woodley after watching her in The Fault In Our Stars.
The first book was okay, I prefer the plot in the book over the movie, however I disliked Tris in the book. And after finishing the last 2 books, I concluded that Tris was just a selfish brat who thought she knew everything and that completely and foolishly in love with Four (I can't remember how many times she gushed over his handsomeness!). She thought that being a Divergent made her special to the extend that other factions somehow beneath her and everything she did was out of impulse to save herself or Four (selfish much?). For the record, Four was not sympathetic as well. And I've lost my interest to watch Insurgent the movie after finishing the books, although perhaps I would watch it some time in the future when my negative feelings for Tris (and Four) somehow diminishes.

3. Marcia Clark's Rachel Knight series: Guilt By Association, Guilt By Degrees, Killer Ambition and The Competition

Amazon, Goodreads

Coming from one of OJ Simpson's prosecutors, these books lived up to my expectation. Nicely written, with sometimes unexpected twists, putting Marcia Clark to my list of fave true crime authors (along with Michael Connelly and James Patterson). I totally loved Rachel's little 'clique' - Rachel, Bailey and Toni.

4. Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Amazon, Goodreads

Simply put, great movie, great book! (and great act from Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck!)
Each scene is tightly woven together, with many unexpected turns (which I totally welcome!). I couldn't put it down until the last page!

5. Unlucky 13 - James Patterson

Amazon, Goodreads

The friendship between the foursome Women's Murder Club has always been the main appeal of this series and it's still not disappointing. Although I would expect that the crime part be more thrilling in the next book.

Currently reading: Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn.

Amazon, Goodreads

Sweet Revenge

There's a husband who is known to have a bad temper and often lets it out on his wife.
And every time, the wife puts her calm face and stays silent as the husband takes his sweet time raising his voice around the house.

All the neighbors know about this situation, and their sympathy all goes to the wife.

One day, the neighbors mentions to the husband, how they are amazed on how patient his wife is.
They go on and on complimenting his wife and advise him to learn to control his temper.

The neighbors' speeches stuck in the husband's mind until he is home.
He tries hard to remember if his wife ever talks back at him, and he remembers none.

So when he reaches home, he comes to his wife and asks: "Dear, why do you never get angry when I have such bad temper and always let it out on you? How come you are very patient with me?"

The wife looks at him and says: "Dear, did you notice how your toothbrush tastes weird sometimes?"

The husband nods his head and doesn't understand what his toothbrush has anything to do with his question.

The wife smiles at him lovingly, then continues: "It's because every time you raises your voice at me, I use your toothbrush to clean the toilet."

A Morning Person... Not!

So I spent my year-end vacation in my dearest hometown, and I find myself successfully waking up all fresh and chirpie before 7 AM everyday. For a self-confessed non-morning person, I find that remarkable, really.

I would spend my morning drinking coffee with some morning snack, enjoying a nice chit chat with my mom, and then I continue with a yoga session or if I had some errands to run, then off to shower and get on with the day.

Then, being all hyped up and motivated after being a morning person for 2 weeks, I just thought, hmm, this shall continue when I'm back in Singapore... What a resolution, right?

But... the past 2 weeks I have been dragging myself out of bed at around 730AM on weekdays, and woke up even latter - around 9AM-ish - on weekends!

And to think that oh I opened my eyes and thought I woke myself pretty early, and when I looked at my clock, it was already 9-bloody-AM!

Sigh...

It's not good, is it?

This morning, while going through my Sunday morning pretty slowly, I looked at the window, and thought, hmm... it is past 10AM, why does it feel like it was only 9AM?

Out of curiosity I googled sunrise time in Singapore and my hometown, and voila! I got my answer...

How can I expect to be up and chirpie by 7AM in Singapore, when it would feel like it was barely 6AM in Indonesia? I guess my body refuses to wake up when the day is still dark... -_-'

Well, I guess, it would be very challenging for me to be a morning person in Singapore.
Should I take the challenge?

Sharing: 45 ways to avoid using the word 'very'

Few weeks ago, I've come across an interesting article that I would like to share here.

*note: there is a possibility that the article interests me more since I am a non-native English speaker though... 

You may find the original article here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1xuHX5

I shall paste the article here just in case the original article disappear...

45 ways to avoid using the word 'very'

Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be. ~Mark Twain

'Very' is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. ~Florence King

So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women - and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays. ~N.H. Kleinbaum