A to Z Reading Challenge (2)

Currently Listening To: Adele - I Found A Boy

(UPDATED)

Saw this in another blog:

A to Z Reading Challenge

How does this reading challenge work? Choose the option that works best for you...

Authors -- Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.
Titles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books.
Authors & Titles -- Commit to reading 52 books

Challenge Accepted!

A: Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud - Perfect, I just finished reading that a few days ago. (Completed Oct-15)
B:
C: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games trilogy) by Suzanne Collins (Completed Mar-20-12)
D: Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones (Completed Jan-30-12)
E: The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan (Completed May-17-12)
F:
G: Golem's Eye (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud (Completed Dec-17)
H: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Completed Mar-19-12)
I:
J:
K:
L:
M: Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy) by Suzanne Collins (Completed Apr-2-12)
N:
O:
P: Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud
Q:
R:
S:
T: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (Completed Dec-7)
U:
V: Virgin Earth by Phillipa Gregory
W: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin (Completed Feb-23-12)
X:
Y:
Z:

A to Z Reading Challenge

Currently Listening To: F.T. Island - Hello Hello

Saw this in another blog:

A to Z Reading Challenge

How does this reading challenge work? Choose the option that works best for you...

Authors -- Read alphabetically by author. Commit to 26 books.
Titles -- Read alphabetically by title. Commit to 26 books.
Authors & Titles -- Commit to reading 52 books

Challenge Accepted!

A: Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud - Perfect, I just finished reading that a few days ago. (Completed Oct-15)
B:
C: Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien (edited by Christopher Tolkien)
D: Drowned Ammet by Diana Wynne Jones (Completed Jan-30-12)
E:
F:
G: Golem's Eye (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud (Completed Dec-17)
H: The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw
I:
J:
K:
L:
M: Moonshine by Christina Jones (Completed Dec-24)
N:
O:
P: Ptolemy's Gate (Bartimaeus trilogy) by Jonathan Stroud
Q:
R:
S:
T: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (Completed Dec-7)
U:
V: Virgin Earth by Phillipa Gregory
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

R.I.P. Diana Wynne Jones

Currently Listening To: Keane - A Bad Dream

The saddest thing happened today. Diana Wynne Jones passed away after battling lung cancer for the past two years. I can't even begin to describe my feelings right now...she has been my favourite author ever since I discovered her about ten years ago. I had always wished that'd she'd trend on Twitter one day but...not for this.

There is not a single book of hers that I do not love. I swear to you that woman was just magic. Heads and shoulders above every other author I've read so far and believe me, I've read a lot. She opened up a whole new world for me, a world of pure magic and fantasy, a world I wished I lived in instead of this miserable place we call home.

I was looking forward to her new book too and now...I'm just really sad =(
As a tribute to Diana, by hook or by crook I will complete my collection of her books, including A Sudden Wild Magic although I don't know where I'll find that. I
will also be re-reading all her books this week.

Sigh I've been looking all over Penang for Aunt Maria and The Ogre Downstairs but I can't seem to find them anymore so if anyone sees any of those books around please let me know! (Even tried hunting at the Popular Warehouse sale at Midlands Park yesterday but no luck...)

List of DWJ books I still don't have (Just to remind myself what else is left)

• The Ogre Downstairs
  
• Aunt Maria
  
• The Dalemark Quartet Vol. 1 (Cart and Cwidder & Drowned Ammet)
  
• The Game
  
• A Sudden, Wild Magic

Rest in peace Diana, you are dearly missed by all your family, friends and fans. There is no one else like you, and there will never be another author like you.

http://brynnemckay.com/2011/03/26/diana-wynne-jones/
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/03/26/diana-wynne-jones/
http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2011/03/being-alive.html
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2011/03/remembering-diana-wynne-jones
http://robinmckinleysblog.com/2011/03/26/diana-wynne-jones/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/mar/27/diana-wynne-jones-obituary
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2011/mar/29/diana-wynne-jones-chrestomanci
http://rockinlibrarian.livejournal.com/216212.html
http://teabagcentral.blogspot.com/2011/03/exciting-and-exacting-wisdom-in-tribute.html
http://bookaunt.blogspot.com/2011/03/loss-of-diana-wynne-jones.html
http://bellaonbooks.wordpress.com/2011/03/28/diana-wynne-jones/
http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Letter-Blocks-The-BN-Parents-and/Diana-Wynne-Jones-1934-2011/ba-p/924028?cm_mmc=Twitter-_-BNBookClubs-_-letter_blocks-_-diana_wynne_jones_RIP
http://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/2011/03/in-memoriam-diana-wynne-jones.html
http://jennydavidson.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-am-mournful.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/8421501/Diana-Wynne-Jones-More-charm-and-wit-than-Harry-Potter.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/8414691/Diana-Wynne-Jones-a-wizard-writer-whose-young-life-was-far-from-magical.html

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Currently Listening To: Brooke Waggoner - Go Easy Little Doves

I finally bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo bookset/The Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson for RM59.90 at Popular! They were having some special offer for the New Year celebrations and it was open to everyone and not just the members. The other bookstores are either selling them individually for about RM35.90 per book, or the bookset for RM79.90, so I'd say I got a pretty good deal.

I was interested in the trilogy because the American version of the movie will be out in December, and the books are like, quite famous?

So far I'm about halfway through the first book. Don't know what to make of it yet, the story is interesting but um, I don't think it's written very well. I mean, there are pages and pages of useless information and pointless descriptions of totally random stuff. It reads more like a report of the book, rather than the actual novel.

I know it's originally in Swedish and I'm actually reading someone else's translation of the book but still, the information is the same right? Note to self: don't ever write like that. It drags everything down.

Despite that, I'm still progressing fast, thanks to the intriguing plot and the interesting characters. Can't really tell what the story's about though. Based on the description on the back cover of the second book, it looks like the story's about human trafficking? I guess I'll find out soon.

Still on my favourite topic (books books books!), I'm totally loving this blog right now:
jennysbooks.wordpress.com

The blogger's a huge Diana Wynne Jones fan, and she even hosted a DWJ event on her blog a few months back! Her first ever author's week event in fact, to encourage other DWJ fans to review her books and to spread the DWJ love. It's so rare to find DWJ fans, so I'm like in DWJ heaven right now. I even learnt new things from the blog - for example, I can't believe that I actually missed out one of her books, A Sudden, Wild Magic. Never knew it existed until I came across it in that blog.

Anyway it's getting late, and I should totally get started on watching the 13th episode of Glee Season 2 =P (and it's 1.40am!)

P.S: OMG I'm almost done with Persona 3! I guess I better finish off the final bosses of P3 AND P4 before classes start.

BSC (Remember what it stands for?)

Currently Listening To: Glee Cast - Valerie

Does anyone remember the Baby Sitters Club books?
I recently found a blog revisiting (and ridiculing) the books, and now I'm inspired to reread them!
So I rummaged around my boxes of books, and discovered that I only have 4 volumes of BSC left.
Only four!
How many did I have in the first place?
I think I gave the rest to Becky. Or perhaps my mum donated them to some organisation or something...
If I remember correctly, I only had like maybe 10 volumes? Borrowed most of it from Trix, she had like a ton of them. (I wonder if she still has them now...?)

Even though I was a bigger fan of the BSC, I seem to have more Sweet Valley books - maybe about 25 volumes? Or probably more.
So far I've only re-read Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall.
13 years later...I have no idea why I was so obsessed with the books.
I mean, the idea of a baby sitters club is not exactly...cool, so why were addicted to them when we were younger? Probably because it described the lives of American teenagers...

Anyway, I remember liking the characters for silly reasons.
I wasn't a fan of the Kristy-narrated books but I had liked Kristy because her middle name's Amanda.
My favourites were Stacey and Claudia though, Stacey because she's blonde and Claudia for being Asian lol.
Thinking back, I guess I was being kinda shallow? Like I said, silly reasons for liking the characters =P
Seriously, if there is anyone out there still reading my blog, lend me your BSC books if you still have them!

Also, I found blogs for the Sweet Valley books, and the Goosebumps and Fear Street series by R.L. Stine (I'm done with the Goose\bumps one actually), so I guess I'll be spending the next few weeks reading them all XD

And maybe it'll give me something to blog about.

Here are the links to the blogs, if anyone is interested (or too bored):

BSC
BSC 2
Goosebumps
Fear Street
Random YA books
Random 2
Sweet Valley

P.S: Somebody help my obsession with Top Chef! I'm addicted.

What I've Been Up To Lately

Currently Listening To: Adam Lambert - Strut

I've been listening to relatively unknown bands and singers lately.

Local Natives








Fleet Foxes





A.A. Bondy





Our very own Yuna.



Do support her by buying her new album, Decorate when it's available.

Lissie's amazing cover of Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness.



~*~

I just bought the soft cover of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol last week, finished reading it within 2 days. Can't say I'm impressed with the book, cos honestly it's extremely disappointing and rather boring. Compared to his other books, The Lost Symbol reads like it's his first ever serious work or something. The problem is...it's not his first book. Nor is he an amateur writer. Heck, he has sold millions of books by now so he should be a lot better than the crap in The Lost Symbol. Terribly disappointing.

Bought Audrey Niffeneger's Her Fearful Symmetry as well. She's the author of The Time Traveller's Wife, which I've never read before, even though it's an international bestseller, with a movie and all. Just bought the book cos there's 20% off if I were to buy two books instead of one.

And they've just reprinted Agatha Christie's books! There's a 3 for the price of 2 offer in MPH on all her books, so I'm really tempted to buy. I don't know if I should though, I mean, I just bought those two other books last week and also new bags and shoes and clothes so...gah. Spending way too much money lately.

6

Currently Listening To:Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling

Oh my g--!
It's week six already.
That's like...halfway through the semester.
I really hate it when time flies.
It just leaves you feeling...displeased and discouraged.
Well it makes me feel displeased and discouraged anyway.

I finally found the softcover version of The Last Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko in Borders!



I've been waiting for that book for...almost a year already. Unbelievable. Feels like I've just read The Night Watch yesterday.

I have other books in mind too...waiting for my MPH voucher so I can get the softcover version of Inkdeath. Saw this book called Ink Exchange. Looks interesting but it's a series...again.

(Ok this is gonna sound crazy but I intend to do this...stock check on the books I own, and see how much I've spent on them. Thanks Becky for this wonderful idea @_@)

What else?
Handed in three assignments today.
Yep, three in one day. Lovely.
One more due next week.

I guess there's nothing else...

Oh yeah one more thing...

CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S SEPTEMBER ALREADY!

Also, I've finished downloading the first season of The Tudors.
Will watch it during my next main break I suppose.

Book-Aholic

Music: Yui - Summer Song

Within two weeks, I bought...



Bahahahaha.

Five books in (less than actually) two weeks!

Well I only bought Gossip Girls because of the 3 for 2 thingy. Needed The Twilight Watch to complete my collection.

(Why am I such a sucker for trilogies???)

Bwahahahahahahahahaha!!

Edit:
Anyway, I just watched the 2nd episode of TOTA. So far so mediocre lol.
The only thing interesting for now is the interaction between Luke, Tear and Mieu.
And....ANISE IS ANNOYING! And what's with the freaking spoilers? Jade used Indignation waaaaay too soon >.< That is his ultimate attack and all, and he uses it in the first battle? Wrong move, Sunrise. Wrong move.

Will finally watch Gundam 00 tomorrow. Tieria Erde, hereeeeee I come!