Phew

Corresponding to my goal to read more non-fiction books, I have kickstarted the new semester with Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers: The Story of Success and Robert Levine's The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold. Truth to be told, I am very much relieved when I am writing this post. It is simply because I have finally finished reading these two books after one and a half month of carrying them around (not really, but I usually tried to read them when I was waiting for bus, lectures to start or before I slept.

I initially thought of reading The Tipping Point instead of Outliers but I couldn't find it on the bookshelves (probably getting misplaced). What a disappointment. Anyway, Outliers was brilliant. It presents to u that, despite the popular belief, successful people don't get to where they are just because they are hardworking, ambitious and passionate. The question we should be asking by now is "why do some people succeed far more than others?". Hence, the book argues, it takes more than personal merit to be Bill Gates or a star athlete or to be lifted onto the top rung or to be extremely good at Mathematics. And the book looks into it by dividing into two parts - opportunity and legacy followed with examples and statistics which the society itself tends to overlook.

I have always believed that environment plays an important role to shape a person, be it his personality or future. But I have never done more research or reading on it before. So this book is really an eye-opener and the chapters which I enjoyed the most - The Trouble with Geniuses, Part 1 & 2 where the comparison between Chris Langan and Robert Oppenheimer - two very brilliant young students, each of whom ran into a problem that imperiled his college career but they ended up having distinctly different lives is being highlighted. Then I realize, I won't be extraordinary successful. I didn't even receive much of the middle-class parenting style "concerted cultivation" (heavily involved in their children's free time, shuttling them from one activity to the next etc).

" It's an attempt to actively "foster and assess a child's talents, opinions and skills." Poor parents tend to follow, by contrast, a strategy of "accomplishment of natural growth." They see as their responsibility to care for their children but to let them grow and develop on their own. Lareau stresses that one style isn't morally better than the other. The poorer children were, to her mind, often better behaved, less whiny, more creative in making use of their own time, and had a well-developed sense of independence. But in practical terms, concerted cultivation has enormous advantages. "

Having said that, I was thankful that my mom did a good job at encouraging me to read and write since I was only 6 years old. She would make me a scrapbook with all the articles or essays she had cut down and collected from the newspapers and as I grew older, she ordered books and magazines for me (it was a luxury since it was quite a huge expense 15 years ago). Although she didn't sign me up for piano lessons etc, she is the reason why I love books so much. :)

(I might or might not write on Robert Levine's The Power of Persuasion: How We're Bought and Sold)

Catching Fire (Suzanne Collins)

Catching Fire is the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It continues the story of Katniss Everdeen after she wins in the arena as the sequel to the The Hunger Games. I actually managed to finish reading it before the new semester started.

After being crowned the victors of the 74th Hunger Game, Katniss and Peter move in their new houses in Victor's Village. Life goes on but things are never the same for Katniss, Peeta and Gale. Peeta learns bitterly that the affection Katniss displays in the arena is just a show she puts up to survive and win the game while Gale is distancing himself from Katniss. Then there is Victor Tour which causes major anxiety for Katniss before she finds out that she, her family and her loved ones are in big trouble. She is being threatened by President Snow from Capitol for outsmarting Hunger Games and undermining his control when she challenges to change the rule of the game to keep her and Peeta alive (instead of either one of them). It is seen as a form of rebellion and most importantly it incites rebellions in other districts which Katniss finds out later. Hence, a special edition of Quarter Quell which is held on every twenty-fifth anniversary is dictated to reap from the existing pool of victors, which brings Katniss and Peeta, along with the past victors of the game back into the arena. This is served as a reminder that even the strongest (the past victors) among the rebels (people from the districts) cannot overcome the power of the Capitol.

That is the first half of the story. The love-triangle is seriously putting me off, but the huge difference is that I no longer see it merely a story about game like the first book. I mean the theme is still survival, but what strikes me even more is government control which reminds me of the uprisings happen in Eypgt, Libya, Yemen and their other Middle-Eastern counterparts. People who are oppressed for generations see no hope, change and a better future. They are desperate and desperate people will rebel, take to the streets to protest etc once it has reached the tipping point because there isn't much for them to lose anyway. And I guess the most important message that is sent out - never underestimate the power of people.

"Before I go down to face this new life, though, I take some time making myself acknowledge what it will mean. Less than a day ago, I was prepared to head into the wilderness with my loved ones in midwinter, with the very real possibility of the Capitol pursuing us. A precarious venture at best. But now I am committing to something even more risky. Fighting the Capitol assures their swift retaliation. I must accept that at any moment I can be arrested. There will be a knock on the door, like the one last night, a band of Peacekeepers to haul me away. There might be torture. Mutilation. A bullet through my skull in the town square, if I'm fortunate enough to go that quickly. The Capitol has no end of creative ways to kill people. I imagine these things and I'm terrified, but let's face it: They've been lurking in the back of my brain, anyway. I've been a tribute in the Games. Been threatened by the president. Taken a lash across my face. I'm already a target.

Now comes the harder part. I have to face the fact that my family and friends might share this fate. Prim. I need only to think of Prim and all my resolve disintegrates. It's my job to protect her. I pull the blanket up over my head, and my breathing is so rapid I use up all the oxygen and begin to choke for air. I can't let the Capitol hurt Prim.

And then it hits me. They already have. They have killed her father in those wretched mines. They have sat by as she almost starved to death. They have chosen her as a tribute, then made her watch her sister fight to the death in the Games. She has been hurt far worse than I had at the age of twelve. And even that pales in comparison with Rue's life."

Moving to the second half of the story. It is about the game - Quarter Quell such as strategies on tributes Katniss and Peeta should team up with as ally because they are no longer competing with trembling children. Instead, they will be facing competitors who have known each other for years. Katniss and Peeta are actually at a distinct disadvantage as they are the youngest and the most recent winners. And this is the part of the story which I was most fascinated about - Peeta and Katniss learning how their mentor, Haymitch won the last Quarter Quell; Katniss making a pact with the tributes she least expected herself to; the clock theory where each hour begins a new hour, a new Gamemaker weapon and ends with the previous, i.e. blood rain, poisonous fog, monkeys' attack, jabberjay etc. In fact, it took me only a few hours to finish reading the second half as contrast to days spent just to push myself to keep reading the first half of the story. And the story ends with Katniss being saved after the force field is blown and she is later disclosed that District 13 does exist; the wires and force field that Beetee working on are among the weapons to break the remaining players out of the arena with the coorperation with the undercover team; Katniss and Peeta are meant to be a piece in the game, to be used with consent and knowledge etc. Lastly, Katniss also discovers that Peeta is captured by the Capitol, District 12 is gone but luckily her sister and mother are saved.

“We had to save you because you're the mockingjay, Katniss,” says Plutarch. “While you live, the revolution lives.”

The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the mockingjay.

The one that survived despite the Capitol's plans. The symbol of the rebellion.

I think I will still proceed with the third book of the trilogy - Mockingjay after this even though online reviews say it is the weakest of all.

After Dark (Haruki Murakami)

"Time moves in its own special way in the middle of the night."

What do u do after dark, when the night falls and u know dawn will not be there for hours?

I used to be nocturnal. I enjoyed the quietness, especially at the deeper stage of night when more and more people went to bed and I was still awake. In fact, in my second year of study, I kept the habit of sleeping around 7pm so that I could wake up at 12am to concentrate on whatever tasks I was doing - be it reading or finishing up assignments. When the night was nearly over, I would either grab a quick nap or jog to recharge myself before I started to attend classes with a cup of coffee. All these changed when I got myself a roommate who slept at 10pm.

"The giant digital screens fastened to the sides of buildings fall silent as midnight approaches, but loudspeakers on storefronts keep pumping out exaggerated hip-hop bass lines. A large game centre crammed with young people; wild electronic sounds; a group of college students spilling out from a bar; teenage girls with brilliant bleached hair, healthy legs thrusting out from microminiskirts; dark-suited men racing across diagonal crossings for the last trains to the suburbs. Even at this hour, the karaoke club pitchmen keep shouting for customers. A flashy black station wagon drifts down the street as if taking stock of the district through its blacktinted windows. The car looks like a deep-sea creature with specialised skin and organs. Two young policemen patrol the street with tense expressions, but no one seems to notice them. The district plays by its own rules at a time like this. The season is late autumn. No wind is blowing, but the air carries a chill. The date is just about to change."

Most Asian cities are vibrant and bustling by day and night. The night marks another new beginning, hardly the end of a day. And Murakami has just painted a picture of what it is like as midnight approaches in Tokyo, Japan.

I had meant to read After Dark for quite some time. I was curious with the kind of stories Murakami could weave around with night (and loneliness) as the theme. However, when I finally finished it, I was left puzzled. I must admit, I couldn't seem to find the true meanings of the stories as they were vague and bizarre (especially the part where Eri Asai was imprisoned in the TV set). How does one relate to another is another thing I couldn't comprehend. For example, Shirakawa, other than being the guy who beat up the Chinese prostitute.. the kind of involvement he has with Eri Asai is never clearly conveyed. Maybe the message is there, I just failed to grasp it.

While reading After Dark, I actually listed down every piece of song Murakami mentioned in the book then played them to get a feel of the atmosphere Murakami was trying to create. And one of them is "I can't go for that" by Hall & Oates. Overall, I like Sputnik Sweetheart and Kafka on The Shore better. Having said that, I still like After Dark quite a lot. I love the characters, particularly Mari Asai who is probably representing many young people these day who are aloof, cynical and indulgent in their own way. I know I am one of them. I also like the way he writes - it is always hard to predict how the story will progress (although it remains another question whether u can truly fathom it or not).

My Recent Langkawi + Penang Trip

You would probably go "wtf, this is a book blog, not a travel blog." Lol.

Anyway, just thought that I would post up some pictures captured along the trip while I work on my latest post on Haruki Murakami's After Dark ;)

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

I knew nothing about the story or whatsoever so I had zero expectation when I read it. And it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Two tributes (one girl, one guy) are forced to be provided from twelve respective districts to participate in a yearly game named the Hunger Games. The twenty-four tributes will then be imprisoned in a vast outdoor arena where the game will be televised and they must fight among themselves. The last one standing will be the winner. Sounds very much like the US reality show - Survivor, right? But the most significant difference - the losers will be dead instead of returning home to family. And the Hunger Games is served to remind those districts of the Capitol's zero tolerance toward any uprisings - how totally they are at their mercy and how little chance they will stand of surviving another rebellion, should there be any. And the story is told by 16 years old Katniss Everdeen, from District Twelve who has volunteered to replace her 12 years old sister for the deadly game.

Okay, what's so fascinating about it? It's about survival - how to be the sole survivor when there are 23 other tributes who will be going after u. And u have to overcome the crazy weather or whatever challenges the Gamemakers have created to keep the game entertaining to woo the audiences. Hence it's entertaining to learn about the distinctive skills those tributes posses to either attack or defend. For example, Peete disguises himself as to be invisible under layer of mud and plant, thanks to his cake decorating skills. Strategies are also employed. For example, to weaken the Careers, Katsis has allied with Rue to blow out their supplies of food. Meanwhile, the Careers who are well-trained, physically capable to involve in brutal killings will work in group at the initial stage to take down weaker opponents who are all on their own. Since I enjoy schadenfreunde, I also love reading the different ways the tributes are killed after they are being outsmarted (food poisoning/ tracker jacker stings etc). Lol.

The bow! Somewhere in my befuddled mind one thought connects to another and I’m on my feet, teetering through the trees back to Glimmer. The bow. The arrows. I must get them. I haven’t heard the cannons fire yet, so perhaps Glimmer is in some sort of coma, her heart still struggling against the wasp venom. But once it stops and the cannon signals her death, a hovercraft will move in and retrieve her body, taking the only bow and sheath of arrows I’ve seen out of the Games for good.

And I refuse to let them slip through my fingers again! I reach Glimmer just as the cannon fires. The tracker jackers have vanished. This girl, so breathtakingly beautiful in her golden dress the night of the interviews, is unrecognizable. Her features eradicated, her limbs three times their normal size. The stinger lumps have begun to explode, spewing putrid green liquid around her. I have to break several of what used to be her fingers with a stone to free the bow. The sheath of arrows is pinned under her back. I try to roll over her body by pulling on one arm, but the flesh disintegrates in my hands and I fall back on the ground.

However, there is one thing I don't appreciate, that is the romance between Peeta and Katsis, who are schemed to be portrayed as the crossed-star lovers from District Twelve to deceive the audiences, and later the Gamemakers and Capitol rulers. And the romance between them later becomes the key to their survival in the arena. But the thing is both the characters shine in their very own way, so when the romance element is thrown into, it just takes out their respective awesomeness and makes them such a cliche. Peete is blindly in love with Katsis that everything he does seems to protect or keep her alive. While Katsis, although she is not smitten, she is confused with her feelings. In short, the lovey-dovey craps just bore me out. Bring on more strategies or manipulation or killings please! Lol.

Having said that, I will read the second book of the trilogy - Catching Fire after this. I will also look forward to its upcoming film.

For the coming one year..

I am not going to start with how much the local libraries suck with their pathetically inadequate book collections which they never seemed to update since ages ago. Instead, I am going to talk about one which never fails to surprise me, which is my uni library.

For the past three years in university, I had spent majority of my campus life in the library. And I foresee myself spending more time there in my coming final year. However, I must admit I was there mostly for the free internet access and cool air-conditioning (to avoid the killer heat) other than the fact that it does provide the kind of superb environment that enables me to concentrate on doing my works.

Regarding the books, I was initially there for reference books related to my field of study. Then I started to explore more and discover that there was a section for fictions. And I was even more amazed that they have some really good collections such as Kafka on The Shore, To Kill a Mockingbird, Never Let Me Go, The Virgin Suicides, Memoirs of a Geisha etc (but mostly are Asian Literature which I wasn't all that keen). One day, I even found an erotic short stories which I of course wouldn't miss haha! Without limiting myself, I moved on to other sections like economics, religion, science etc and I was pleasantly surprised with what I had stumbled across.

For the coming one year (August '11-August '12), I am aiming to read more non-fictions instead. With that, I am targeting to at least read a minimum of non-fictions on biography/ psychology/ philosophy/ politics/ business/ culture while at the same time, I hope I will still be reading fictions. I try not to be ambitious or unrealistic because it will be my final year and I am positive I will be very much occupied with my final year project + lectures + assignments + exams + goofing around with friends before we go separate way + job hunting.

Lets see how it goes then. :)

The Reader (Bernhard Schlink)

I took up German language class last semester and I am planning to proceed to next level XD What others might not know - my dream is not to speak German fluently (impossible unless I live in that country and interact with the natives) but to be able to read books written in German!

Back to the book, it is divided into 3 parts

- Part One tells the story of how 15 years old Michael Berg met with 36 years old Hanna Schmitz, a streetcar conductor whom he was seduced and had developed a secret affair with. They followed a routine of Michael reading aloud to Hanna, showering, making love and then lying together. The relationship ended abruptly when Hanna walked out on Michael’s life one day.

- Part Two tells the story of Michael and Hanna’s unexpected encounter in the courtroom a few years later when Michael had become a law student whereby Hanna was one of the defendants for a series of trials dealing with the camp guards and enforcers who committed their crimes in the Nazi Past. When the verdict was handed down, Hanna was sentence to life. Michael finally learnt about Hanna’s secret - she was illiterate, she couldn’t read and write.

- Part Three tells the story of Michael’s adult life - he failed marriage and his research job in legal history. Then he started to send off tapes which had recorded the reading he did to Hanna. Hanna had learnt to write and read because of it. The exchanging of tapes (and later notes from Hanna) went on for years. And Michael’s first visit to Hanna’s prison happened one week before Hanna was released (after making an appeal for clemency). Nevertheless, the story ended with Hanna committing suicide and Michael carrying out her instructions.

Contrast to my usual habit, I actually watched the movie before reading the book. And I was happy that neither of them has let me down. The movie was superb (I had nothing to complain) and the book I don't mind to pick it up to read again and again. It is really thought-provoking and terrifying given the description of thousands of innocent women who were burned alive in fire or died in march under the harsh weather condition and inadequate clothings when the genocide took place. It makes me thankful to live in the safe and sheltered world I am living now.

One of the many things which prompts me thinking:

- If someone is racing intentionally towards his own destruction and you can save him-do you go ahead and save him? Should we set other people's views of what is good for them above their own ideas of what is good for themselves?

This was raised when Michael was in a dilemma whether to go to the judge and tell him that Hanna was illiterate to serve justice so that Hanna would be punished less severely. But he also wondered should he act on behalf of her while this possibly could not be what she was fighting for.

"Yes, that was what she had been fighting for, but she was not willing to earn victory at the price of exposure as an illiterate. Nor would she want me to barter her self-image for a few years in prison. She could have made that kind of trade herself, and did not, which meant she didn’t want it. Her sense of self was worth more than the years in prison to her.

But was it really worth all that? What did she gain from this false self-image which ensnared her and crippled her and paralyzed her? With the energy she put into maintaining the lie, she could have learned to read and write long ago."

Moving on to the characters. I had so much sympathy for the adolescent Michael who was suffering for being in love with a woman who not only did not reciprocate his feelings but also manipulated him emotionally. And when she left him unannouncedly, he was tortured with not only physical desire but the feeling of guilt which led him to blame himself for driving her away thus believe Hanna’s punishment of leaving was well-deserved.

"But its results had meaning. I had not only lost this fight. I had caved in after a short struggle when she threatened to send me away and withhold herself. In the weeks that followed I didn’t fight at all. If she threatened, I instantly and unconditionally surrendered. I took all the blame. I admitted mistakes I hadn’t made, intentions I’d never had. Whenever she turned cold and hard, I begged her to be good to me again, to forgive me and love me. Sometimes I had the feeling that she hurt herself when she turned cold and rigid. As if what she was yearning for was the warmth of my apologies, protestations, and entreaties. Sometimes I thought she just bullied me. But either way, I had no choice."

Moving on to Part Two, I started to see Hanna more than an emotionally detached woman who “exploited” Michael. True that she was guilty with the crimes she committed but not as guilty as it seemed, neither was she the main protagonist the way others made her out to be. She was confused and helpless. Her incapacity to familiarize herself with the indictment and the manuscript and also probably of her consequent lack of any sense of strategy or tactics all happened because of her illiteracy.

"And no, at the trial Hanna did not weigh exposure as an illiterate against exposure as a criminal. She did not calculate and she did not maneuver. She accepted that she would be called to account, and simply did not wish to endure further exposure. She was not pursuing her own interests, but fighting for her own truth, her own justice. Because she always had to dissimulate somewhat, and could never be completely candid, it was a pitiful truth and a pitiful justice, but it was hers, and the struggle for it was her struggle.

She must have been completely exhausted. Her struggle was not limited to the trial. She was struggling, as she always had struggled, not to show what she could do but to hide what she couldn’t do. A life made up of advances that were actually frantic retreats and victories that were concealed defeats."

Everything was so sad. It broke my heart reading that Michael was on the verge of crying while finding out more and more truths after Hanna’s death. But I could totally understand why he didn’t write to Hanna or visit her in prison until one week before she was about to get out.

"Precisely because she was both close and removed in such an easy way, I didn’t want to visit her. I had the feeling she could only be what she was to me at an actual distance. I was afraid that the small, light, safe world of notes and cassettes was too artificial and too vulnerable to withstand actual closeness. How could we meet face to face without everything that had happened between us coming to the surface?"

Man, this book is officially my favourite! Go read it if u haven't.

Note to self: Read more on The Holocaust.

A Walk to Remember (Nicholas Sparks)

I think it was about 6-7 years ago when I first read this book. I picked it up from the school's library bookshelves and finished reading it within a few days time. It was quite an accomplishment back then as I had only started reading English books for not too long. I also remember claiming to have fallen in love with it. And soon, I watched the movie which was made based on it (but I thought it wasn't as nice as the book itself).

But if u ask me - what's so nice about this book? Truth to be told, I wouldn't have been able to answer u. And I can't recall if I have read any other novels by Nicholas Sparks. I think I DID, but I have no memory of the storyline, characters or whatsoever etc That says something, right? (Don't tell me that I am getting older!) Hence, that explains my intention to reread this book to find out what was so special about it and why I loved it so much back then.

Then I spent longer time than I probably did in the past to finish reading this book. And I think I understand why I loved it so much back then. U see.. 6-7 years ago I was still in my teens and I happened to be quite a sucker for sappy romance books. That alone could be the primary reason. Now u might want to ask me - do u enjoy it for the second time? The answer nahhh, is not so much.

I do love the setting though. Beaufort, North Caroline in the 50s.

It was the kind of place where the humidity rose so high in the summer that walking out to get the mail made a person feel as if he needed a shower, and kids walked around barefoot from April through October beneath oak trees draped in Spanish moss. People waved from their cars whenever they saw someone on the street whether they knew him or not, and the air smelled of pine, salt, and sea, a scent unique to the Carolinas.

And I find myself relate more to Landon carter instead of the selfless and religious girl, Jamie Sullivan. Truth to be told, if only I knew one of the main themes is Christian faith, I would have thought twice before reading it. Nevertheless, there are still some scenes of the story I found myself laugh, i.e Landon's dilemma to ask Jamie to the dance.

It was then that I realized something terrible, something absolutely frightening. Carey Dennison, I suddenly realized, was probably doing the exact same thing I was doing right now. He was probably looking through the yearbook, too! He was weird, but he wasn't the kind of guy who liked cleaning up puke, either, and if you'd seen his mother, you'd know that his choice was even worse than mine. What if he asked Jamie first? Jamie wouldn't say no to him, and realistically she was the only option he had. No one besides her would be caught dead with him. Jamie helped everyone-she was one of those equal opportunity saints. She'd probably listen to Carey's squeaky voice, see the goodness radiating from his heart, and accept right off the bat.

Overall, it could make a simple, good (and hopefully not too unmemorable) read but if u are looking for something more unpredictable, then u might be disappointed.

Perfect Chemistry (Simone Elkeles)

When I was around 13, I had started reading teen romance books in Mandarin (the language I am the most comfortable with) until the age of 18. And this book reminded me exactly of those romance books I had read in the past which made it dull, plot and character-wise. Nevertheless, giving up on this book reflects my increasingly low tolerance towards everything in life at the moment. That's it - life is too short to be wasted on books (or movies or anything else) u don't deem worthwhile.

To me, Perfect Chemistry is kinda like a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. Two persons who are seemingly living an opposite life in terms of everything (with the exception of their academic excellent) have strongly attracted to each other physically and fallen in love later on despite being advised by friends and fully aware that it is forbidden because duh they come from a different world. Brittany is white and rich (although she herself isn't as perfect as the image she is trying to portray due to family issues) while Alex is a Mexican gang member who might not even finish school. But since they are assigned to be each other's Chemistry partner, they are forced to work with each other despite the prejudices and blah they soon are drawn closer and develop mutual understanding after learning more about one another - their problems and that they are actually similar in so many ways. Could it be anymore cliche?

I also wanna whack whoever that says "Look, the characters are real blablabla".. Don't we have enough of this crap in television shows or movies already? Cheerleader dating the quarterback of the football team who can't resist the charm of the bad guy who is rumored to do drug and all the illegal stuff outside school. What makes the story lamer is the bet Alex makes with his friends or cousins to get into her pants before the school ends; if he loses, it is going to cost him his motorcycle. Urgh. Even though I didn't finish the book, I can predict the rest of the story.

Anyway, I admit with the characters having great chemistry as portrayed in the book. For your information, the part I looked the most forward to is them having intense make out session or some sizzling hot sex. In fact, I actually skimmed the book for scenes like that hahaha But I guess I am just sick of books with seemingly perfect characters like Brittany. Although I don't mind to have a male character as sexy as Alex in the book (to make up for the lack of lustworthy males in real life), I guess I do have a preference for the characters to be real at this point of life. And by real, I mean ones that can actually resemble someone we know in life in one way or another or typical us who are carrying out our normal life (and not involving in knife fights etc). But then, other readers who don't share the same view as I do might find it boring. So I guess, young adult romance isn't my thing afterall and I am gladly to move on to other gernes.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower ( Stephen Chbosky)

"It is a story narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally. The story explores topics such as introversion, teenage sexuality, homosexuality, abuse, and the awkward times of adolescence. The book also touches strongly on drug use and Charlie's experiences with this. " (From Wikipedia)

It does sound like something I normally dig. Afterall what "Charlie" is put through, those happy and sad moments, is something I believe every teenager or young adult has been through (or is still going through); something that we should be familiar with in one way or another; something that we can relate ourselves to.

Surely when "Charlie" touches on the tragedies that happen in his life - the suicide of his friend, his sister's teenage pregnancy, domestic violence etc, it touched my heart. However, to my surprise, I was actually bored that I decided to stop half way through instead of finishing it. I found the way the story is narrated monotonous that I simply couldn't be bothered to pick up the pace to find out more. And I want to read no more tragedies.

Sputnik Sweetheart (Haruki Murakami)

I was actually in a rush to finish the story (and review) before I started my industrial training.

This is not the first Haruki Murakami’s novel I have read. In the past, I have read Kafka on the Shore and I loved it very much. After that, I tried The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, which unfortunately I had to quit half way through due to the hectic semester but I intend to pick it up soon to reread.

I must admit, I have high expectations toward Haruki Murakami’s works after reading Kafka on the Shore. Perhaps that explains why I felt the disappointment, more and more especially toward the end of the story. To simply put, the story didn’t live up to my expectations. At one point, I was like “Yeah, this is it. This is exactly what I am looking for.” But at the end, I was let down. It is like one of those moments when you are teased and pained in pleasure yet the fun is denied when you are close to the point of orgasm. The feelings of emptiness lingered long after I closed my laptop.

What’s so fascinating about reading Haruki Murakami’s? The stories always bring me to somewhere unknown and unexpected. And whatever that is happening to the characters is beyond my imagination. In Kafka on the Shore, humans can communicate with cats and fishes (or was it something else) rain from the sky. Meanwhile in Sputnik Sweetheart, we are told the story of Miu’s hair turning all white after being abandoned on the Ferris wheel at the amusement park. All these never ceased to amaze me, thus provided me the much needed escape from reality.

Back to Sputnik Sweetheart, the theme revolves around sex, love and loneliness. I would say it is beautifully written - the unrequited love the narrator K has for Sumire, Sumire’s first love to Miu, a woman 17 years older than her and the oppressed love affair between K and his girlfriend, the mother of one of his students. The climax of the story is when Sumire goes missing during her trip to Greece with Miu. Whatever happened to her is never found out (and thus remained a mystery to the readers). While K and Miu carry on with their respective normal lives but part of them is dying with the gone of Sumire. I can't really pinpoint what but I expect more than that for the storyline laaaa. Also, one of the things I failed to fathom - what does the shoplifting incident have to do with anything? Perhaps it does signal an end to be put on K and his girlfriend’s secret love affair. But why is it necessary to K? Or maybe I should have taken my time to read it.

"Why do people have to be this lonely? What’s the point of it all? Millions of people in this world, all of them yearning, looking to others to satisfy them, yet isolating themselves. Why? Was the Earth put here just to nourish human loneliness?"

Escape Routes for Beginners (Kira Cochrane)

Despite the negative reviews u can find online, I think this book is brilliant. The main reason is perhaps because of the well-developed characters. And their self-destructive nature which makes it such a darkly comic read.

Maria Caesar came to America with her father to search for prosperity and opportunities. But the reality hit them hard despite the hard work and efforts to assimilate their new culture. To escape the daily cruelties they were facing and the path set up for a Mexican woman, Maria was fascinated with trip to Hollywood and the picture palaces. At the age of fifteen, she was lured to brothel because of the glamour and yearning to the screen.

Clara Jones who was determined to leave the Mexican part of herself - the part that was poor and hurt and vilified behind completely and enter a white-bred world. At one point, she did indeed escape it by marrying to Larry Jones, the malleable son of the rich from Beverly Hills. Her scheme to approach Larry, get him impregnate her then marry her happened as planned out. But years of efforts were wasted as Larry Jones was caught having sex with a convict in the prison he worked at. He had let her down completely and jeopardized their position on Las Focas, the island where they stayed. The hardest for Clara Jones was that the status and respectability she had been trying to claw out would be toiled away for good.

Then there’s Rita Mae, the daughter of Clara Jones who was thirteen whom dreamed to escape to Mainland with her Granmaria and pursue an acting career in Hollywood. She thought she could leave the island with the newfound freedom after the death of both her parents. But what she didn’t know - Maria Caesar who had been ill was finally submitted to some mental institutions because of nervous breakdown. She was left all alone.

Okay, so basically that was what happened to the three dysfunctional generations of women. Each of them suffered a tragic fate. Maria Caesar went crazy in her young age and with the help of her Aunt Consuela, she had raised Clara Jones. Clara Jones, on the other hands, became overbearing and the marriage between her and Larry had never been based on anything but manipulation. She committed suicide in the end for not being to handle the truth and perhaps to escape the consequences. Whereby, Rita Mae was sexually assaulted when she was little. One day, when finally she regained the lost memory, she sadly realized that her parents had not done anything about it. No one had been punished. Her father whom had been fond of her couldn’t even protect her which led her not to help Larry out. This caused him to be shot dead in an attempt attempting to flee the island with his criminal lover.

I honestly don’t know which character I should feel the most sympathetic towards. They equally deserved it, including Larry and Johnny, Rita Mae’s admirer. And I honestly can’t make up my mind as to which character I love the most as they are all equally flawed and sick. The storyline is great, twists after twists and everything was well-described. For example, Clara had decided to trade her daughter’s well-being with the hope to continue her underlying affair with James Wright, whose son had raped Rita Mae. Larry, upon discovering the affair of them after his wife’s death had blackmailed James Wright so that he could get away with his crime even though that meant sacrificing and using her daughter. Everyone was so selfish that it was painfully enjoyable to read it.

Back to the reality, I do know of a very closed friend who comes off so much like Clara Jones. But I think it’s very hypocritical of me to condemn her or anything because it would be like pot calling kettle black because like her, we both believe in certain values just that I have yet and I don’t think I will ever go as far as her.

Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro)

I knew the library CAIS have it on the shelves, but I never really bothered to check it out until I read about the film Never Let Me Go (starring Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield) based on the novel of the same name in one of the TIME issues. Then I did some Googling before I borrowed it. So yeah, I already knew about the twist before reading it.

I first started reading it right after my finals. But I only finished reading the story shortly before I went to Royals, which was about 1 week before the Christmas. I suppose I could have taken longer period of time to finish it but seeing that I was left with nothing much to do at home by that time, I could have finished it way earlier either. Like I said, I knew about the twist beforehand, hence I wasn't left that puzzled about many things (that went explained or unexplained) in the book.

The story started off with Tommy getting bullied by other students because of some silly harmless joke he pulled during the art class, and also because of his poor reputation for "creativity". There was once Kathy tried to be friendly to him and that was how their friendship was established. Later, Tommoy got into a relationship with Kathy's buddy, Ruth.

Growing up in Hailsham hadn't been easy. There were so many unwritten rules the students imposed on themselves. There were topics they avoided because bringing up would make their guardians awkward whenever they came near this territory. Kathy, Ruth, Tommy and other students at Hailsham had been constantly reminded of how special or important they were, that they must always keep themselves well and healthy. They were different from their guardians, and also from the normal people outside. Nevertheless, they didn't really know what that meant until they were older.

Mind u, even though these kids were "different" and they were isolated from the outside world, they were nonetheless like u and I when there were cliques, dramas occurring in daily life and they were curious about sex when they had entered the teenage years. But none of them would live the way they planned, either being the film stars or working in supermarkets. And this is because "Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do. You're brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them have been decided." Yeah, the twist is they were cloned for organ donating purpose.

After they moved and lived at the Cottages, one day Kathy decided to leave to start her training to become a carer after something happened between her, Tommy and Ruth. Of course, the three of them met again and spent some time together many years later before Tommy and Ruth had had their last donation and died. Also, Tommy and Kathy at last did go to see one of their guardians, Miss Emily and Madame. A lot of mysteries which puzzled them in those early days were answered. Like why Madame turning up several times each year to select their best work etc.

It is not like I didn't enjoy this book. I did. But I started to skim through it upon entering those chapters where the characters met each other many years later. It seemed like I lost my interest or maybe all I needed was more time. And last but not least, although Ruth was the bad guy in the story, I couldn't help but like her. Yes, she was indeed manipulative and selfish.. but I believe under most circumstances, that's how it should be, especially when u are on your own.

P/S: Looking forward to get a soft copy of the film itself!!! Wanna watch Keira Knightley.

(Once again, think it's a bit too long. Also, I seriously need to work on my writing. And it obviously took me ages to finish a review too :S )

A Painted House (John Grisham)

I have tried reading several John Grisham's books before, but I always ended up quitting half way through. So this is the first ever John Grisham's book that I have finished reading. And it is also the last book I read in 2010.

As contrast to his usual work, A Painted House is nothing about law or courtroom dramas or criminal justice. In fact, it is about the Chandler family who lived in rural Arkansas. The story is told through the eyes of Luke Chandler, a seven year-old boy.

The story started off with Luke and his grandfather, to whom he referred to as Pappy looking to hire hill people to work in their cotton field. With the cotton waiting to be picked, they were desperate for help in the fields. They eventually got the Spruill family and ten Mexicans who would be living with them until the harvest was over.

I must admit, I really enjoyed reading this book, mainly because it portrays the thoughts of a seven year-old on what was happening around him, some of his fears and dreams as well. Luke dreamed of a life away from the fields and a baseball career. He wondered why anyone would want to be a farmer as they barely made money with the debts and all. Like everyone else, Luke had to pick cotton before sunrise till evening not because he wanted to but he was forced to, although he was getting paid for his hard work and the money was needed to purchase the Cardinal jacket he dreamed of. While working through the stalks of cotton, he had to worry about the snakes which he feared so much of.

Upon the arrival of the migrant workers, dramas and secrets started to come into play. Luke getting picked on by Hank. Luke developing a crush on Tally. Luke discovering the romance between Tally and Cowboy. Luke seeing the fight between Hank and the Sisco brothers where he had no choice but to become the witness when Jerry Sisco was dead. Luke sneaking out with Tally to watch Libby Latcher in labor, later only to discover that his uncle, Ricky who was fighting in the Korean War was believed to have impregnated that girl. Luke getting beaten up by the Latcher brothers. Luke once again witnessing the death of another man - Hank who was murdered by Cowboy. Luke subsequently getting threatened by Cowboy to kill his mother if he didn't keep the secret. And many more.

Most of the time, Luke was struggled emotionally, whether to tell the adults the secrets he knew or suffer alone. When he was interrogated about the death of Jerry Sisco by Chief Stick, he was in dilemma whether to tell the truth or lie. Since the Chandler family was dependent on migrant workers on field hands, Luke was very much aware that they couldn't afford to lose them. Therefore he always weighed the situation before he did something. After all, being left short-handed also meant Luke had to pick more cottons, something a seven year-old was dread of. With no siblings to talk and play with (although it is later revealed that his mother was pregnant), Luke was desperately hoping for the return of his uncle. As a seven year-old, he could never understand why the adults had to always keep him away from any controversy. Also, he was confused with religion, especially with the worship and all the preaching Brother Akers gave. He thought it was ridiculous that his grandmother had invented the sin of taking food from the less fortunate when he was found of taking the Mexicans' tortilla. " As Baptists, we were never short on sins to haunt us."

With the men worrying and fretting about the weather and cotton prices, another character that I liked a lot is Luke's mother. Being born as a city girl, she was determined to flee the farm life, have a house in a town/ city with indoor plumbing. She also made sure that she brainwashed Luke into not staying on the farm. She got her dream when heavy downpours started to hit Black Oak and the Chandler's fields were flooded. The Spruills left after their daughter, Tally was running off with a Mexican, Cowboy. The Mexicans were dismissed to other farms where they were still needed. Because of the bad weather and the crop failure, Luke and his parents had to move North to find job to help erasing the debts. Before their departure, Luke with the help of the Mexicans had finished painting their house. The work was initially started by Trot after Luke was made fun of by Hank for living in an unpainted house on rented land. Despite feeling sad about the departure and leaving behind his grandparents living with the Latchers knowing that they would never return, Luke was looking forward to his new life - attend better school, go to new church, make new friends etc

(Damn, think it's a bit too long :S)