Review: 還好 陳珊妮的書

會買這本書當然是因為 Sandee。
喜歡 Sandee的歌，對她的人也很好奇所以從老遠把這本書給定回來了。
整本書都是一些 Sandee的一些想法，一些經歷過的事，讓她領悟的道理。

最有印象的就是那篇「還好」。
『但是這兩個字就好像蟑螂一樣　迅速在嘴邊繁殖起來』
我也是一個常用還好字眼的人。
通常是在不知道要怎樣回答的時候，選擇這樣的答案。
當有人問我「最近好嗎？」，
除了回答「還好」，也不知道要怎樣回答。
說自己很好嗎？也不一定。說自己不好？也不是。
所以就是還好．．．

當中，Sandee也說了大家越來越愛用模糊籠統的字眼來形容事物。
確實如此。我們常說，這首歌很８０年代，那到底８０年代的歌是怎樣的形容詞呢？
很搖滾？很滄桑？不知道，就是很８０年代．．．

還有一段Sandee提到了關於對她的批評。
有些因為自己曾經學過幾年的音樂就大法言論，可是自己卻從來都沒有發表過什麼作品。
有時真覺得這重人真討厭。自己就只有那一點三腳貓功夫，就用來斷定其他人。
并沒有真正的用心去聆聽這些歌曲。
如果不公平，那麼他們的批評就是無謂的．．．

Review: In Her Shoes

Finally finish reading this book... after the last book i went to read 《一公升的眼淚》but find the book a bit too draggy and started reading this "In Her Shoes"... but in between reading it, I went to read "Death Note" just so I will finish reading the manga before the movie starts screening... so took more then a month to finish reading it... :P

Personally I bought this book because I thought "In Her Shoes" will be nice, since it has been translated into a movie.. but like "Good In Bed" her stories are a bit draggy in the middle of the book... But compare to "Good In Bed" this is slightly better...

In the middle of the book, it also refer to characters in the "Good In Bed", sort of giving an ending to "Good In Bed" telling you whether did "C" got married to the doc... so quite lucky I bought the compilation version...

Story wise, "In Her Shoes" covers more on the relationship between family members and particularly between sisters... sisters are someone who you will always forgive and go all out to help no matter what because we are "sisters"... i'm happy that in the end Rose and Maggie did "make up" after what has happen....

I also like the part where Rose just drop her job as a lawyer and decide to do something really different (walk the dog) for a change to get away from all the unhappiness... that takes a lot of courage and not everyone can do the job... and more importantly is how we find happiness in the things we do... but happiness need courage... and I'm trying to find and master the courage... :P

Review: ５４度Ｆ藍色溫度的旅行

這本書是由短篇文字累計而成的．雖然很多文章都是關於愛，但是就如作者所說，這本書沒有特定的人物．可以是親人、愛人或朋友．

以下是書中我最喜歡的幾段．

缺氧
．．．
因為太害怕，終究變得無法前進或後退．
一直想給你最好的，卻忘了問你需要什麼？
．．．
多少時候我們常認為自己為了家人，朋友，愛人而犧牲很大．
覺得做的東西是為了他們．
可是有多少次我們真的有問過他們需要的是什麼．
只是一為的把自己想的東西強加在他們身上，
結果累了自己，而他人也未必真的有收穫．

在天空的夢
原來，長大要付出的代價，其實是「無法擁有夢想」．

不是說夢想消失了，而是再也無法懷抱著：
『有天會長出翅膀，在天空飛翔．』
這樣美好的願望了．

這樣單純的夢想，現在的我，無論如何是再也說不出口了．

多少都摻雜現實的願望，還算是夢想嗎？
．．．
長大了，夢想真的會變得比較實際．
應該為自己的成熟而高興，
還是為了不能夠再懷著純真的夢想而難過呢？

向前行
．．．
『與其擔心無法預測的事，還不如好好過現在！』
．．．
常常為了將來的，不知道會不會發生的事而擔心．
有時想想還真有些無聊．

傀儡
．．．
我要做的自己呢？
究竟是從何時開始的？
我竟連作夢的權利都放棄了．
．．．
曾經成為了朋友的傀儡．
會因為他們的不高興，他們的脾氣而傷心難過．
可是一科傷透了的心，原來可以讓自己做回自己．

Review: PS I Love You

Saw this book while doing book shopping with Ah Jo. Wanted to buy it and realise that actually Ah Jo wants to buy it too.. so in order to save $ and space, Ah Jo offers to buy and lend me the book.. *hee hee*

Anyway this book talks about how a woman (Holly) gets back to life after losing her husband to brain tumour. I remember one part of the book it talks about how Holly just feel so helpless and there was no one she can turn to because she doesn't want to get them worried that she actually call her husband number, and told her husband voice mail: "I need you..". Upon reading this, tears start streaming down my cheeks. I sort of feel how sad and desperate she was.

Another portion of the book that really strikes me is the part where her friends starts to get on with life (one got pregnant, the other is getting married) and that Holly starts to feel jealous that everyone life is moving on except for hers. And she is angry at her friend for getting over her husband death and moving on with life. Actually I sort of understand her kind of jealousness and fustration, however, sometimes I feel that most people in Holly situation just choose to not move on. They feel that being the "victim" of the whole incident, they have all the right to be depress and wanting everybody to sympathise with her, be sad with her but at the sametime doesn't want the rest to be so careful with their day-to-day conversation that they purposely avoid some topics. Its a contridicting feeling. And I kind of think that these people tend to over "victimise" themselves to seek attention. They should really just move on. Others can't be there all the time to look after you. Well, but I was never in such a situation (thank god) and hope I never will be in that kind of situation, so probably its easier sad then done.

As for the ending of the book, the author tried to work in a little twist, which I think she didn't do a good job... or probably the author is just trying to tell you that life is all that rosy or happens as you wish.... so didn't really like the ending.... compare it with "My Sister Keeper" ending, although both try to bring out something similar but I think Jodi Picoult did a much much better job... well maybe I'm just bias... :P

Reviews Reviews Reviews

Haven't update this blog for a long long time... busy is one thing... another thing is no internet at work place.. so got lesser time to do blogging... From the last time till now, I finish reading 3 books.. and is half way thru by 4th book.. hopefully i can keep up to my blogging in time to come...

The Tenth Circle

The latest book by my favourite author... I would still say "My Sister Keeper" is still the best, no doubt this book is still not too bad. This book is about a girl who accuse her ex-boyfriend of raping her.. so did he? And who knows this ex-boyfriend died shortly after. They say it was a suicide, but was it really? If it is not, then who is the murderer?

As usual for Picoult books, there is a little twist at the end. I didn't manage to guess the correct murderer this time.. i kept thinking it was someone else, but it turn out to be another person.

In this book, the protective father is a comic book artist. So together with the novel, there is actually some comic strips after each chapter... and of course these are not random comics, but related to the story itself. And at the end of the book, Picoult actually tells the reader that there is hidden alphabets in the comic and we can search them and form a quote which summarise what is the message she wants to bring across. Can't tell you the answer as it will becomse spoiler. Its up to you to find out after you read the book.

Actually read some good lines in the book, and stored the page number in my handphone so I can blog about it. But.. i just changed my fone because of my new work place, and is too lazy to plug out my sim card and put into my old fone to retrieve the information... maybe later when i'm in the mood and have the time i will blog about them...

KUSO 網路三國志

這本書是這次到台灣時看到然後買的．自己都很意外居然會去讀關於三國志的書．可能是因為在翻閱的時候看到一些還滿好笑的句子吧．加上這本書在打折所以就買了．

這本書是以現代的網路世界來改寫當初三國時代的一些東西．比如劉備三顧茅廬等．對於不曾看過原本三國志的我來說，可能會看不出一些滿搞笑的橋段，可是也同時讓我大概知道一些三國的人物和時間．所以也不完全是本垃圾書．我想每一本書都有可以學習到的東西吧．

Good in Bed

This book actually contain the 2 best sellers from Jennifer Weiner, I have only read the "Good In Bed", cos I need to read the other book i borrowed from Ah Jo. Crazy me with so many books to read still went to borrow from others.. hahaha... i'm just so greedy.

Anyway this book is about a plump reporter who broke up with her BF because she thinks that they are not compatable, but later on found out that actually she still love him rather deeply. And the worst is her BF actually wrote about loving a plump woman like her on a rather popular magazine. And to make matter worst she finds that her job as a journalist is not all that fulfilling. She hope one day someone will recognise her talent and use her script for a movie.

So the whole story is about her trying to struggle thru all this downside in her life and became a better person. To me I didn't really learn much from the book, as probably because I'm a very different person as compared to the female lead.. or maybe I haven't really see that much difficulties in life yet. So reading this book is just like a normal novel reading for me, not much to write about.

Updates

Haven't been updating my readings recently. Too busy at work.. too busy going overseas.. hahahaa... anyway completed 2 books during this period... "Name the animals" and "直到約定的那一天"

For name the animals is about how a girl cope with the lost of her brother, how she turn into a les and later on moving on with life. Seriously I can't remember much about the story... didn't really like the book that much except for the front part where her brother dies and how the author commented that the adults were too busy grieving that they didn't "notice" her... yah how sad for her.. but again adults are humun too...

This is a better book. Its from the same author as "Be With You", but I think this book is much better in written wise as compare to "Be With You". Don't know is it because the impression of "Be With You" on movies is too much for me, that I find the original novel disappointing.

However this book is rather good. I finish reading it in 1 week. Which I haven't been able to achieve for very long time. The only thing is that I find the ending not as good... Hmm... not that the ending is lousy but you sort of guess the ending quite early, there wasn't really a twist... otherwise the book is rather nice...

bought another 2 more of his books from taipei... and also another 5 books from other authors... gosh... the books i bought the last time I went taipei i haven't even finish... must speed up my reading process.. there is so much books i want to read but so little time to read them.... hope to clear my pile of books soon... and i need to get a bookshelves... my books and CDs are going homeless soon....

Review：一個人住第５年

看完這本書有一些時候了，可是一直找不到時間來寫．

比起上一本１５０ｃｍ這本書比較不能引起我的共明．可能因為我不是一個人住的關係吧，有些東西就沒法親身感受．也可能因為這個原因所以只覺得這本書還好巴了．並沒有什麼真正的學到什麼．

不過有一段讓我印象最深刻的應該是「不小心看了恐怖片的夜晚」．和作者一樣，有時看了恐怖片會胡思亂想．同樣會覺得如果在洗澡的時候，打開眼睛可能就會看到不想看到的東西．

Author: 高木直子
Date: 27 May- 3rd June 2006
Rating: 2 out of 5

Review: Shopaholic & Sister

In this book of shopaholic, Becky is back from her 10 months honeymoon, to find out that her husband Luke is back to his workaholic type and worst to find out her best friend has a new good friend. She felt left out but is too proud to admit. But soon she found out she actually have a half-blood sister, and she is convinced she will find her "friendship" back with her new sister. But of course things didn't went as she tot. And of course, she also created some crisis in the book and as usual it gets resolved in the end.

Well, actually I find this book quite enjoyable. Maybe because I have stopped reading the Shopaholic series for a while and now that I'm back reading, I'm enjoying it more.

What I find really intrigue me is about the part that she felt extremely upset when she realise her best friend has a new good friend. But in order to save face, she chose to say sarcastic words to hurt both herself and her best friend. Well, as an outsider, we may say that its so silly of her to do such a thing. But how many times do we ourselves, fall for such traps? Sometimes I wonder is pride really such an important thing? More important then friendship and kinship? I dunno, cos sometimes I also think that pride is too much a thing to swallow.

In the book, Becky sister, Jess, says that she has always been very lucky. Whenever she created trouble, there will be someone there to help her resolve problems. When she is young, her parents are there. Now she has got Luke. And says that she is a spoilt brat. Well, I must say I'm a spoilt brat too. From young till now, I haven't been through much hardship. Things has always been rather smooth and easy for me. When things really happen will I be able to face them in stride and resolve it? I'm not sure... I'm really not sure...

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Date: 15 - 27 May 2006
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Review：150cm Life

終於看了這本書．書是ＧＦ介紹的．雖然我比１５０公分要高一點，可是有些問題還是類似的．因為我們都是屬於矮小的人．

讓我印象深刻的是關於矮的人在穿著上的不方便．比如不能穿一整件的小洋裝．因為裙子會太長，腰身的部分也會變的很奇怪．長裙也是我們的禁忌．

我也很佩服她能將一些衣服和家具改裝，讓一些不適合自己的衣服能夠穿在身上．無奈，本人我的手工藝是差到離譜．

Author：高木直子
Start: 6 May 2006
End: 11 May 2006
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review：夢想起飛的季節

讀了那麼久，終於把這本書ｋ完了．用ｋ是因為這本書太難讀了，其實我也沒真正讀完．讀了差不多三分之四就放棄，跑去看結局．只慶幸沒有堅持讀下去，因為根本沒結局．

正本書就圍繞著女主角在國外讀書的過程．並沒有一個主要的主題或故事線，所以就沒有讓你想要繼續讀下去的衝動．一直到結局的部分也沒有什麼特別高潮的地方．整個故事就是很平的度過．

不過，這本書也出現了一些不錯的句子．這也是我支持到３分之４的原因．可惜故事發展的太蘭．

Author: 微酸美人　
Start: 6 Apr 2006
End: 30 Apr 2006

微酸美人：支持朋友

我並非其他人人生中的法官，
並不需要去拼湊事實的真相，
只要相信自己想相信的，
在保持原則之餘，
盡力支持自己的朋友就好了．

Src: 夢想起飛的季節
Pg: 194
==========================

有時真的不應該想太多．
我們不是什麼聖人，
沒有資格去批判別人的不是．
所以只要無傷大雅，
就支持朋友吧！

微酸美人：習性

有種感覺，雖然已經念到了研究所，有些習性卻不會有什麼改變．嘲笑別人，以惡作劇引起別人的注意、同這個人好，不同這個人好，簡直就像小學生一樣．只不過，人長大了，我們學會如何在表面上維持著一種假象的和諧而已．

Src：夢想起飛的季節 (Pg166)

================================================

我想小學生的口頭禪應該是＂i don't friend you already＂．
最起碼我那個年代的小孩經常那麼說．
我不曉得現在的孩子還會不會這樣講．

老實說，我一看到這段文字，我真的有種共明．
無奈的，到了我這個年紀，在我身邊還在上演著這樣的戲碼．
到我自己都受不了，覺得我又不是小學生，為何還要這麼幼稚．

或許小學生是比我門所謂大人更好．
起碼，他們會直接的表達他們的想法，
而不象大人，不知道在維護著什麼樣的表面和平．

話雖如此，但是身為大人，
如果不努力的維持這份「和諧」，也會遭人痛罵．
做小孩，比起大人，真的有太多好處了．

Review: Shopaholic ties the knot

Finish reading this book sometime back but din't have the time to blog about it. Generally I find this book more entertaining then the previous one (Shopaholic Abroad).

This time round the stories evolve around how she tries to manage her wedding, cos her MIL planned her dream wedding at Manhanttan with all the posh hotels and enchanted forest. But over the other side, her own mother has plan an English wedding for her at her own backyard.... Initially she wanted the wedding to be over at England but with all the posh things and enchanted forest, she was swayed to take on the wedding at Plaza (Manhanttan). And she does not have the courage to tell her parents that. So she let the problem sit.. until maybe it was too late to do anything about it... so u have to read on yourself to find out exactly how everything goes... did she just blow up her wedding???

Well one thing interesting I learn from the book is how their wedding totally differs from our Chinese culture... In our Chinese culture, its the guy family who will pay for the wedding expenses.. of course the lady family also need to give some rather expensive jewellery as their jia zhuang.... but over at England.. its the bride family who is suppose to organise the wedding and pay for all the expenses of the wedding... including the reception and all... treating it as a gift to their daughter....

another is about the gift list.... in our Chinese culture its always ang bao that was given during the wedding dinner.. but for the west its different... i know they use to give presents and you can actually list down what you want... but i din't expect it to be this way... what they do is they can actually register the items they want at the shop itself and inform their friends and relatives about the shop.. so the friends can then go to the shop... find their terminal, see the list of items which the couple wish to have and select the item and just pay for it.. that simple... and the shop will send the item to the couple... actually that is not such a bad idea... but still i think cash are better... hahahaa... cos you can use them to help pay off the wedding expenses... :P

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Start: 20 March 2006
End: 5 April 2006

瑪莎：我知道我想聽的是什麼就好了

我也許對這一切都想的太多了
感動都留給音樂吧
心機就交給別人
只要我知道我想聽的是什麼就好了

================================
形容的太好了．
有時候一些東西就不比想太多，
知道自己喜歡什麼，想要什麼就好了．
這樣日子似乎比較好過．

Review: Shopaholic Abroad (Spoiler)

Again, this is already my fourth Sophie Kinsella book... and read one after another... so i'm actually getting a bit sianz about it already. Not that her books are not good, but similar storyline, or books of about the same nature, will turn you off after reading a few of them in a short time frame.

Its only the part where Becky starts to fall that things start to get a bit more exciting and prompts me to continue reading. Otherwise most part of the book is like book 1 talking about how she accumulates her debt, etc. But I must say the ending of the book is really good. Quite a bit of surprise, in a sense that you know she definately will tide over the crisis especially when you have read so many Sophie's book. But just how she got over the crisis was a bit out of expectations. And the part where she gets back on the TV station is good too...

Clues are left along the way for you to pickup hints of the ending.... but still after the story starts to develop, I tend to forgot the hints and jump into the wrong conclusion. So when you read the actual ending you will realise that that is an ending you have thought before.

Nonetheless, quite an entertaining book and an inspirational for the ending...

Author: Sophie Kinsella
Start: 27 Feb 2006
End: 20 Mar 2006

Review : The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic

I seem to take ages to complete this book... not that its not nice but i'm so caught up with things to do that I din't really have time to read... Thanks to Ah Jo who bring me this book during my CP period for me to kill time... but in the end I was busy watching DCJ... but still the thoughtfullness is so nice... :)

This is already my 3rd Sophie Kinsella book... so i sort of know that the ending will be a good one.. hence less of a twist, but still i'm very much prompted to read on to find out how she manage to resolve the problem..

The book talks about Rebecca Bloomwood, who is a finacial journalist but at the sametime a shopaholic... who is long overdraft... near to the end it talks about how she tries to run away from her debts and later to realise that it doesn't resolve her problem... to escape from reality only defer the problem, it doesn't solve it... but lucky for her something good came along the way and she manage to get herself out of debt....

Hmmm... for this book i don't really identify myself that much with becky.. cos i'm not really a shopaholic... however i do agree that it feels just good to shop... but CURRENTLY, i'm not one who will shop over what i have earn... i always keep track of my expenditure just so I know i'm not over spending... i don't feel safe when my bank balance is super low and i'm in debt... i don't how pple can survive overdraft...

Heard from a friend last xmas that she has a friend who frequently shop for branded stuff... and signs them off with her CC... and when her CC bill came she just pay the minimal and let her bill roll... and when she gets her bonus she use it to buy more stuff rather than to payoff her debts... i just feel lucky that i'm not like that.. and i do not have friends who are like this...

Review：Firecracker

Saw this book at borders and was captured by the snopsis of the book... it talks about how a guy is able to se dead pple aka ghosts...

but overall din't really find the interesting.. as in the first few chapters the story already developed and the rest of the story is talking about how he gets on with life...

din't really like the way the story was wrote too.. not much climax and nothing really to prompt you to continue reading... overall quite disappointed with the book.

Author: Sean Stewart
Start: 18 Jan 2006
End: 27 Jan 2006

Review: 直到生命的電池耗盡

生命非常寶貴
就好比讓人們活下去的電池
電池有用到沒電的時候
生命也有用完的一天
電池可以馬上更換
生命卻沒辦法這麼簡單
那是經過好多年、好多年
花了好長的歲月，好不容易
上天賜給我們的
沒有生命，人就活不下去
生命是這麼不眠不休地在工作
但是
卻有人說：
「我不想活了」
便浪費了他們的生命
明明還有好多生命可以用的
看到這些人真令人難過
所以，我一定要努力活下去
直到生命宣布他累了的那一天為止

這首詩是一個患病的小妹妹寫的．而這本書也收錄了許多患病小朋友在生病時所寫下的一些作品和圖畫．從中可以看到他們的辛酸和積極面對人生的態度．他們有的已經康復出了院．有的相這首詩的作者（宮越由貴奈）已經與世長辭．

如果人生缺乏活下去的理由，或覺得自己為什麼這麼倒楣時，不妨看看這本書．你會發現自己其實拥有的很多．能活下去真的是一件好事．

Start: 4 Jan 2006
End: 17 Jan 2006

Review：Can you keep a secret?

This is my 2nd Sophie Kinesella book... I must say she is quite good. Okok I admit i'm a cinderalla person.. so i love this book... it talks about how Emma spill out her secrets to a stranger cos she tot she is going to die in an airplane crash.. but little did she find out that the stranger is no stranger... who he is? up to you to find out... as tat is part of wat prompts me to continue reading also...

generally wat the book is trying to talk about is to be true to oneself and to others... most of the time we tot we are being nice by telling a lie... maybe we do not like certain things given or done by a person. but we do not tell the person because we are afraid it would hurt their feelings.. so we tell a lie...

also some prefer to lie to their boyfriend / girlfriend... they do not like certain things or are not a certain type but they pretend to be so that they can be together with their partner... this is so tiring... i'm not a believer of lying to my boyfriend... at least not in the sense of pretending wat i'm not... i prefer them to see me as wat i am right from the start.. in this way i do not waste his time and neither am i wasting time...

as for lying to a friend or love ones so they do not get hurt I believe i do tat... but i'm not sure if i'm doing a right thing.. but its really hard to judge.. wat if we are truthful and it hurts them so much? yes after a while they will recover but who noes whether there will be a permanent scar? its too much a risk to take... so long as its not too much a lie.. i prefer to lie to them... i hope maybe one day i will find the courage to be truthful to everyone... my clients included.. hahaha...

By: Sophie Kinsella
Start: 29 Dec 2005
Finish: 4 Jan 2006

蔡康永：時間‧死亡

12月29日　　車上

親愛的寶寶：

印度的濕婆神，是他們的宇宙之神。

濕婆神踩在惡魔的身上跳舞，四條手臂擺出各種曼妙的舞姿，
控制著整個宇宙的節奏。
濕婆神一腳穩穩地踩踏惡魔的背，另一腳高高地舉在半空中。
據說，如果濕婆神把那只腳放下來，時間就會停止。

親愛的寶寶，時間停止應該是一件人類沒辦法想像的事啊。
時間停止，我們也就無從知道自己還在不在了。
也許連濕婆神都無從知道他自己還在不在了吧。

無從知道自己還在不在，那，不就等於死亡嗎？
可是寶寶，妙就妙在，很多人害怕死亡，但卻嚮往著時間可以靜止呢。

大概他們以為濕神婆最多只是把腳放下來歇一歇，總會再抬起來的，
那樣時間就又流動了，人就又活了，也就不那麼可怕了。

如果濕婆神真的累了呢？時間不就永遠靜止了嗎？那不就是死亡了嗎？

所以，死亡沒有那麼可怕啊，
只和我們的嚮往差別在她的腳會不會再抬起來吧。

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確實阿！有多少次我們希望時間能夠停留在那個美好的時刻．
可是時間停止了，我們也死了吧．
人就是貪心．希望一直不會死能夠享受美好的時光．