2015 1st Quarter Recap in Books

Final year final semester is always known for its hectic and stress. But I entered preparing for the worst with an armload of books as a shield. People are always surprised whenever they find me reading a book in the cafe or lounging around with a book in hand. They always ask me how do I find the time to read? It's simple really. 

"When you don't spend your time going out much, you have a LOT of free time"

LOL

Anyway, I've read some good books for this quarter year. Books will forever be my solace and place of hiding when reality gets a bit too much for me. The only way I've survived final year so far is through reading. Albeit, I have less time to read, but it is one of my de-stress routine before going to bed. 

Here are the books I've read so far in the last 3 months. I'll be reviewing some of my favourites, so if the book is in the picture but not reviewed...you know what it means. 

The Girl You Left Behind - I can honestly say Jojo Moyes is my go-to women fiction author. This book, like most of her other books had me hooked till the end. Moyes has a beautiful way of weaving history and the present that made readers time travel. And I swear that's the best kind of books. To show you how great I found this book, I finished this while I was SITTING FOR FINALS.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend - Matthew Green (Dicks) did such an amazing job in portraying difficult lives of autistic kids. And I loved how it was narrated from Max's imaginary friend, Budo. I've always enjoyed any kind of memoirs/novels surrounding autism. Similar books you might enjoy: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time & Reason I Jump.

Happiness of Pursuit - Now here's a book you might need if you're stuck in a dead-end job and want the courage to get out. I find this difficult to relate as the author was aiming for middle aged lads stuck in work offices. But I did gain great insight into how to create quests and customize them to my liking.

The Night Circus - THIS BOOK IS SO AMAZING. The perfect mix of magic and reality, which I love, that got me all wrapped up in the story and wishing I could visit a Victorian Circus this instant!

The Marriage Plot - Despite me giving this book only 3.5 stars on Goodreads, I actually enjoyed the literature point of view of Eugenides. His writings are very heart felt and I'm very looking forward to reading The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex, which are so much better I heard. The Marriage Plot will have you nodding along and recounting your previous (or for me, ongoing) college experiences during that ambiguous moment in your life.

Yes Please - Amy Poehler is King. She is the epitome of the career woman I want to be. Funny, dramatic, ambivalent, sweet, a great mother to her kids, compassionate and driven. This is the perfect book to motivate yourself in loving what you do, and not giving a rat's ass of what people are saying about you.

Another month left before I can read anytime I want and not have my projects get in the way :D

So what books have you enjoyed so far?

Malaysian Readers in a Pinhole

You know the first thing how someone would describe me? A reader.

And I'm proud of that. Not many Malaysians read consistently enough for them to be labelled as one. I once heard that the average Malaysian read 2 books as of 2005, and in 2014 the stats increased to 14 books. Here's the thing: 85% of Malaysians do read and our nation does have high literacy rates. Yet, did you know only 3% of that 85% read books? While the rest actually reads magazines, comics or newspapers. Albeit a reading material is still reading material, but I feel sad that books or novels don't get the attention they deserve.

There are many reasons why kids don't read books:

• Parent's influence
• Reading material
• The Reading-is-for-Scoring-Exams perception
• Expensive books (in which I once wrote tips on how to buy cheaper books here)
• Social media distraction

I'm always an advocate for youth reading, and when I started my Instagram-based book account (@BookLoves_) initially it wasn't for that purpose hahaha. I just wanted a medium to practise my photography skills and be a place where I can do book reviews or showcase some pretty book-related items. I was tired of having to answer my friends' "What books do you recommend?" questions individually, and wanted a collective medium to do just that. Some people have gave feedback saying they really enjoyed my reviews and it made them want to read it/ I didn't expect my account to have an impact on anyone to pick up a book. But I do hope my posts make you guys WANT to read and feel the exhilaration every time I finish a book. 

I read mostly because of the 'feels'. Each book makes you feel different things: remorse, disappointed, exuberant, smart well-informed, etc. So I hope you read because you feel about books the way I do, along with some of your own reasons :) 

As a way to interact with my friends and colleagues, I asked on FB what book(s) people have as their favourites. I've always loved it when people tell me about books they've read because they this gleam in their eyes that usually appears in readers with a favourite book. 

I was very excited when people started sharing their favourite books! Plus I got to know more about books I haven't heard of too. Surprisingly I've read some of these books too. Read anything familiar? 

`

Around 22 people responded. We're not a big bunch. But from Instagram I do know of thousands of readers who are actively reading. If I can increase that number even by one, I think I've done my part in encouraging reading. 

Even if we comprise less than the 3% of Malaysian readers who read books, I'm glad I know many friends who are avid readers such as I. It's hard to continue the habit and I hope you never lose that momentum to pick up  a book and read. 

And here's a video about book lovers that we probably can relate to :D 

So, what's YOUR favourite books? 

Love for Books!

Hey guys! It's been weeks since I've updated anything here. Work has been hectic but not quite like pre-Ramadhan work. It's the holy month again and despite some setbacks which I prefer not to talk about because it's quite depressing (Gaza & #MH17), I am learning a lot during this month. There have been many times I was being tested of my patience and ability to stay calm in annoying situations. I think it's a good month to improve yourself without being influenced to do anything sinful. 

Other than that, I don't think I've done a book-themed post in a long time!

 I have been pretty active on my book instagram (@BookLoves_ lately.

I'm really attached to this project. I get to post book reviews, recommendations and cool book art projects they randomly do on Instagram. And let me just say, there are so many nice booklovers online, I find it pretty cool engaging with them!  :D 

Books read for this month. Highly recommended by me, I enjoyed them so much. 

The new book by Rainbow Rowell, Landline, is a good one I must say. It's a big shift for Rowell from Young Adult to Adult Fiction. Her writing can be improved but Landline is still great a read. 

May We Be Forgiven by A. M. Homes is a dark family-themed novel which surprisingly I enjoyed very much. It was so sarcastic and witty after the depressed first part of the book.

One Day (David Nicholls) was a bit slow but the ending was worth it, I think. It was sad and I love the One-Day date annually concept. Was a very unique story-telling concept.

After Ever After (John Sonnenblick) was kind of a like a mini version of TFIOS for kids. It's a great and sad read which was also light and incredibly easy to read. 

Other than that, I must say baking honey-covered cornflakes is a great weekend activity, besides reading of course :D

I hope they turn out alright!

Before I end this post, here's a photo of (most) of the books I've read in 2014. It's a great thing to reflect on books you've ventured in, and what possible future reads are available next.

Have a great Sunday!

MPH BOOKERVILLE Experience

So I've been looking forward to this book fair for the past couple of weeks. MPH rarely holds book fairs, and it claimed millions of books with irresistible discounts up to 50-90% off. 

Which booklover wouldn't go nuts over it?

So I went with mom and bro to Putrajaya Internation Convention Centre,

First time using Waze to get there.

When we arrived, I was so excited! Books EVERYWHERE! A booklover's dream place to be, I must say. I started rummaging through the endless bookshelves of books looking for the rare yet cheap find.

Excuse the horrible quality of photos, my iPhone wasn't cooperating well in the large crowds. 

Endless shelves of books! 

The sea of people who swarmed PICC was shocking, but I think Big Bad Wolf had bigger crowds (not that I've ever been to one)

However, exciting as it was to see so many books in one place, I was very Disappointed in the prices. MPH boasts about books as low as RM5, but most of them were only 15-20% off! Books ranging from RM5-RM25 were very limited and so few. And books with 45% off only consisted of children books and cookbooks.

SIGH.

But after lots of digging and surveying the racks multiple times, I am quite pleased with my finds. Only costed me around RM150 for the 5 books. 

Stationaries were an adorable addition to my collection hehe

Glad I did find some good finds and using mom's CIMB card we got additional 5% and rebate RM5 voucher for each RM50 spent. At least that was worth it ;)

Hope you enjoyed your weekend! 

I'm off to finish off my impossibly high stack of books now.

The Beauty of Misfits

Oh WOW it's February already....

Clocked in 8 days at Shell so far and things are starting to get hectic. I am currently learning how to talk more at the office considering how talkative everyone is. It doesn't help I've always been a quiet little girl (little introvert that I am), and shy of people I am not yet close to. But they're nice people and I really want to feel at home there, so I better start making notes on how to be more interactive!

It helps to observe how extroverts carry themselves, and in a way try to copy their actions hehe...

On another note, I finished this book by Malcolm Gladwell today. 

I don't think I can summarize all of the contents but what I did get from this book is that, things are never what we perceive them to be. There will always be things that we think are best for us, or will give the best opportunity for us. But sometimes, we fail to realize the compatibility of the opportunity with our own capability in experiencing it.

Also, we fail to realize that there will always be a limitation to our needs and even in the power we think we possess. 

It also explains that how being a misfit and socially awkward can be an advantage to a person in succeeding in life. So, being a misfit or even an underdog sometimes does work out in our favor. 

Being a Muslim, I can relate some of the chapters in this book to Islam quite easily. To put it simply, when we have faith in Allah, we know that everything happens with a hikmah, and that every trial and test will only make us stronger. 

Another interesting point that caught my attention is that Gladwell mentions the difference between a 'near miss' & a 'remote miss'. A near miss is when something devastating happens and leaves us in ruins, while a remote miss allows us to experience a devastation, but the psychological effects leaves us for the better & stronger. Also, remote misses are what makes us believe in invulnerability and in the belief that we withstand something for a higher purpose. 

 Some of my favourite chapters in the book:

Where he explains how people with dyslexia succeed better than non-dyslexics.

And how not conforming to social expectations is a blessing...

It's interesting, really. You should check it out should you have the time ;) 

Btw, if you're interested in the books I read or want me to review anything head on over to my goodreads

Books I've read in January 2014, I'm on a 40-books mission!

Let's hope for a read-productive month for February! 

Have a great weekend :)

Why I Love Books.

I like to read. Just as much as the next person does. But there's a deeper reason as to why I read so frequently as I do now.

It makes up for the lack of social interaction in my life. So I retreat to the solitary confinements of books. And it's a happy place I must say.

It ain't all that bad. I have a new-books fetish. And the fact that my parents don't mind spending money on books, kind of helped me read more. I try to read all kinds of books. But I love fiction, it's useful after a day of engineering-related work. I love autobiographies, because knowing what one person has been through makes you more compassionate and less judgmental. 

So here's to books that save me. Away from the awkward unnecessary conversations with strangers or distant family relatives that don't really know me. Away from insecure, extroverted situations in which I could never stand for too long.

It's Never Too Late to Wish a Happy New Year

Yes, I know I'm 17 days late. But I'd still like to wish all of you a Happy New Year for 2014. I apologize for the hiatus (my last post was in early December, for God's sake). But you can imagine the chaos I was battling in sitting for my finals, which ended exactly a week ago. And the day I returned home was the day my Shell Trainee Supervisor, called me up to report duty on the following Monday on 13th January 2014.

So the word hectic, doesn't even begin to describe the situation I felt I was in. 

2013 has been a wonderful year for me. 

It was the year I went to Japan with the Global Enrichment Programme team set up by my university

It was the year I was in Engineering Team Project and was shortlisted for the Science, Engineering and Design Exhibition and were one of the 9 teams to have received a Silver Medal for our project: Hybrid Bicycle.

And I traveled to New Zealand. It was literally the most beautiful place I've ever been.

Stayed for 8 months with the craziest, most beautiful housemates, LOL. 

Had a pretty cool leaving-for-internship batch dinner with the May '10 batchmates

2013 was the most inspiring year cause I turned 21 and realized I had so  many more wonderful opportunities ahead of me...

 It was the year I was accepted as an 8-month QHSSE trainee for Shell Refinery Company, PD.

 And my most enjoyable project so far, an Instagram account @booklovesbySL which features personal book reviews, quotes and book-inspired decoration for all booklovers :D

I hope 2014 is as amazing as 2013 was. With more challenges and the strength to persevere anything that comes my way :) 

May yours be full of happiness and memories as well!

Love For Books

Pretty much captures my love for books. You can't see the titles but they are all published journals, coincidentally in the Chemical Engineering Department. I read all kinds of books, as much as I can.

It's been a hectic month since I started this sem. I've been busy with internship applications and catching up on all of my subjects. It's pretty interesting, I'm psyched about internship. Finally getting to work in the industry.

I hope everything goes smoothly. 

Hope you're having a less chaotic time than me :) 

Finding A Permanent Hand-Hold

Have you ever wondered, why sometimes people just makes you so upset? When they don't meet your expectations. Or when they fail you when you need them the most?

I have had countless of experiences like this. And in retrospect, it wasn't their fault. It was mine. But the fault never lied in my personality or the inability to mix around with people. It lied in the fact that I didn't put Allah in my heart. I allowed His creations instead to take place in my heart and let, sometimes even force, my soul to depend on them. And this is entirely wrong.

I'm currently reading this book and on the final section. 

Reclaim Your Heart by Yasmin Mogahed

And the book is as good, if not better, as they reviewed. Yasmin Mogahed is an incredible motivational speaker regarding Islam. And she mentions throughout the book to always put Allah in our hearts instead of something lesser. I have yet to fully grasp this in my daily life.

Last night, I got upset over something I shouldn't. I expect too much from the people around me and I let them control my emotions, when I should have known the source of any happiness is a strong relationship with God.

As Yasmin Mogahed puts it so beautifully:

We experience this emotional roller coaster because we can never find stability and lasting peace until our attachment and dependency is on what is stable and lasting. How can we hope to find constancy if what we hold on to is inconstant and perishing? 

As the Quran states:

".....whoever rejects evil and believes in God hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things" - Quran {2:256}

I need this hand-hold. I need to always believe that everything happens for a reason, and that how people treat me is merely a test to bring me closer to Allah.

Of course, some days I fail at this. Some days I feel like I'm never getting anywhere. I see everyone around me making progress, or being happy and I wonder "When will that be me?" But as it has been explained in the book, everyone has ups and downs, lows and highs in their deen. And we must never allow Shaytan to trap us when we're in either of this states.

When you're high in deen, Shaytan makes you arrogant of your good deeds, and make you believe that you no longer need to do any more because Jannah has been promised for you. When the opposite happens, Shaytan makes you believe that you're not good enough for Jannah and will forever be condemned to Hell. He discourages you from getting closer to Allah and makes you even more depressed.

Now that I know of this 'tricks' I realise that no matter what state of deen I am, I shouldn't stop getting closer to my Creator, nor should I stop seeking His Mercy. 

And I still am working on this whenever I get upset with how people treat me. 

Looking back, with a sound and peaceful mind unlike last night's, I know that no one intentionally hurts you. No one that I know whom I consider a friend, wants to hurt me. So why should I assume that everyone's out to get me? 

I know now that everything is what it seems, only based on how we perceive it. 

As narrated by Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad SAW once said:

"Those who show no mercy to others will have no mercy shown to them by Allah"

 And to end this post, I'd like to share with you what Yasmin mentions in her book that hit me hard. It hit me right in the chest and put me in my place: a humble servant of Allah, nothing more.

The ability to readily forgive should be driven by an awareness of our own flaws and mistakes towards others. But most of all, our humility should be driven by the fact that we wrong Allah every single day of our lives, when we sin. Who are we compared to Allah? And yet, Allah, Master of the universe, forgives by day and by night. Who are we to withhold forgiveness? If we hope to be forgiven by Allah, how can we not forgive others?

Good Reads: Leaning In to a Brighter Future for Women

My latest read was the amazing book by Sheryl Sandberg, LEAN IN. 

Read about the full synopsis here.

A bit on the synopsis: 

Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential. Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked on Fortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.

So basically this is a book that highlights why there are few women in the leadership posts of companies or careers, and how every woman and man can help to over come this matter. 

Watch her amazing TEDTalkDirector here: 

What drew me to this book was of personal reasons. I'll be entering my third year of engineering studies in a few short weeks and soon I'll be doing my internship, graduating and zooming off into a career I hope to love and that will benefit me in the long term. But I don't want to be just a chemical engineer who lowers her head, works hard and doesn't get the appreciation because she's too afraid of climbing the leadership ladder. I want to reach the highest potential that I can. It was my uncle's advice and I hold it dear within me to this day. 

So how can I reach the top when it has been proven difficult by society who are gender-biased and believe that men should control everything? Even in Malaysia there aren't many women holding leadership roles. There are few, but we could use more. Because as Sandberg states, when more women are in power, we can create an equal dynamic in the workforce, gain respect for ALL women, and be credited for our abilities and potential instead of our gender and face. 

I'd say the way she wrote her book was really awe inspiring and made me realise that women (and men) are doing so many things wrong to avoid becoming leaders! There are 11 chapters in the book and I won't bore you with all the details, my explanation here shall do no justice to this amazing book. 

But I do wish to highlight some points that I have taken note of from the book and from the video:

1. When promoting a staff to a higher position, did you know that men are promoted based on potential while women are promoted based on past achievements? If we want equal rights and justice, both men and women should be considered based on past achievements and potential to bring the company to a success.

2. It takes women longer to jump at an opportunity to lead projects or accept a leadership role because they tend to judge themselves to hard. It is called the imposter-syndrome where one believes that one is not good enough for the job, even though past achievements has sufficed for the job. Men are less to judge themselves and always take the opportunity for leadership, and women should too.

3. "If you want to change things, you can't please everyone. When you please everyone, you're not making progress" - Mark Zuckerberg, Creator of Facebook.

4. Did you know that men apply for jobs if they think they fit the criteria 60%? Women only apply for the job when they're certain they fit the criteria 100%. This is why we should be more confident in ourselves and not be afraid to apply for that job even if we think we're not ready yet.

5. There was a study done in Harvard where the sociologists handed out papers for the students to read. Half of them received a story of Howard's success in life, the other half of a girl named Heidi. Now, Howard and Heidi are the SAME person only with different names. But results have shown that the students took a more liking to Howard instead of Heidi. This is why women find it difficult to succeed in their careers and still be liked. Society's perception is that the guy is always the likable one, and if a girl becomes a leader it defers from the usual stay-at-home mom we usually see, which results in more people disliking Heidi. Shocking isn't it?

6. Women tend to quit the work force wayyyy before they start having children with reasons they want to start planning for a family. By the time their child is grown up and they want to resume their work, they have lost precious years and find themselves even stuck financially at the same pay roll years before. Sandberg's advice is plan when the time comes, but never quit because career and family life can go together if your partner is willing to help you out with the house work and child rearing responsibilities. An understanding and supportive husband will allow you to lean in towards your job without the stresses of maintaining a household.

And those are just the small things I learned from the book. I hope it sparked an interest in you towards this book. I highly recommend this book for all aspiring girls who have dreams and ambitions to make it to the top and make a positive impact in this world with the power that we have. 

Happy reading :) 

Tips in Buying Cheap Books in Tax-Driven Malaysia

A few weeks ago, MPH Click (a local bookstore in Malaysia) posted this at their Facebook page:

And if you read the comments on the right side, many people are saying that books nowadays are getting more expensive what with the taxes of importing international books. 

Of course, in Malaysia everything imported is immensely expensive. If a book in London on average costs around 10 Pounds and in the USA costs around 15$, then in Malaysia no doubt it will reach around RM30-RM50. Which not many people can afford. Hence, the result of many complaints. You can't blame the bookstores, because book taxes are really high now compared to 10 years ago. And if you think MPH is expensive, you haven't seen some of the prices at Kinokuniya yet (and still their business is going strong because of their diverse selection of books!)

I know I am truly blessed with supportive parents (an my extended family on my dad's side) who has always encouraged my reading habits ever since I was a toddler. I know of friends whose parents don't even consider buying books for their children because of the price. So that's why kids opt for comic books or local reads cause it's much cheaper. 

But when you think about it, reading itself is a great investment to your future, it improves your vocabulary, use of language, knowledge and helps you be more confident because of all of these. 

So, in my post today I'd like to write about how to buy international books at cheap prices.

There are a lot of ways really:

1. KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR DISCOUNTS/BOOK SALES.

- They're EVERYWHERE. I know MPH and Popular has tons of discounts every month at their physical stores for different kind of books. I always buy books on discount unless it's a book that I MUST read NOW (which happens more than you think). These 2 bookstores give reasonable discounts, from 10%-25%, on some really popular and great titles. So you save a lot when you accumulate books. They even do school holiday promotions so it's a good way to encourage your children to pick up the habit at home when they're free and have nothing else to do all day except watch bad TV. 

And if that's not enough Big Bad Wolf Book sale makes an appearance once in a while this year to sell very very cheap books (like discounted-95% cheap). Though they sell old outdated books, it's worth it if you just want to find cheap reads and don't care about the latest published books :D 

I personally prefer MPH (even if they have less discounts compared to Popular) because their books are more up to date than Popular. Not sure about Borders, but I know Kinokuniya has some discounts at times but too bad it's so far away in KLCC :(

2. MAKE USE OF YOUR BB1M VOUCHERS (for college students)

- Seriously RM250 to buy any books/magazine/comics (meh) that you want?? Who wouldn't want that? And if you're still complaining that books are expensive, you're just being whiny. 

3. PURCHASE BOOKS ONLINE

- Some bookstores (eg: MPH, Kinokuniya. Popular and Borders have long disconnected their online website) have online offers that aren't available in physical stores. And if your total purchase exceeds a certain amount (RM50 for MPH, RM300 for Kinokuniya), you can get your books shipped to your house for free! Otherwise just add RM6/7 :) So save money and time now that everything is literally a click away. Aside from famous local bookstores, you can also purchase very cheap books from discounted online bookstores such as Bookalicious and DeBook Room. They're local Malaysian online book providers which sells cheap books, and you only add RM7+ for the postage! 

- You can also buy books from international shipping companies like eBay, Amazon.com, and even Book Depository , but the downside of it is that you have to pay for the international shipping fee which can be a bit expensive (though Book Depository offers free international shipping) and it takes weeks for your books to arrive. 

4. FIND ALTERNATIVE PUBLISHERS FOR A BOOK

- Not many people know this, but one of my tricks to finding cheap books is finding a cheaper publisher. Though this rarely happens, it does happen at times. Especially for classics books. One of the affordable and cheap publishers is Penguin. Their classics are usually below RM15 and their young adult fiction are usually RM30 and below. Compared to other known publishers this is considered cheap since some books can range RM40-RM60 for other publishers. I've experienced this for all of my classic books and a few John Green books :) 

5. TAX REFUND 

- This is probably one of the best things of buying books in Malaysia, you can claim your tax relief from you books and they will deduct RM1000 from your annual tax income! You can definitely redeem back the expensive book tax that you were complaining about, who doesn't want to save RM1000? :) 

I hope these tips help you and encourage more youngsters are more interested to read. Statistics have shown the average number of books Malaysians read in a year is only 10-12 books. That's not much honestly. If we want a more improved and knowledgeable nation, we have to pick up a book/newspaper or read more of internet articles/journals. Forget those gossip columns or artist magazines, it's time we read something that feeds our mind with valuable knowledge.

Don't make  money the issue when it comes to reading, there are always the pdf-versions of books and local libraries (though they tend to be far and not very updated, but still worth a try) and infinite sources of reading on the internet. 

It's whether you want to pursue the knowledge or not :)

Happy reading and have a good weekend! 

Good Reads: Where'd You Go Bernadette?

Edit: I finished this book last night and it was splendid! :) 

Current Read. And already I've fallen in love with this book!

Read the synopsis here

Poor Bernadette, she's so caught up in her chaotic catastrophe she's gone bonkers! And with her bitchy neighbors talking about her behind her back doesn't make things better either.

Though I haven't gotten to the part where she's yet to disappear, but it's hilarious and sarcastic all the way! 

It gets a recommendation from me anytime ;) 

Now off to finish this book...See ya. 

Good Reads: 19 Katherines and 1 Dumpee

Read the synopsis here

My Review:

Just. Plain. AWESOME!

I loved this book, and after reading all of John Green's books except for will grayson will grayson, i gotta say this and The Fault in Our Stars are definitely my favourites! I'm a nerd (that's an understatement, really) like Colin too though far from a child prodigy, but i do love reading and i found his character totally relatable. Few friends and always trying to make sense of the world. Trying to matter. 

Maybe I'm annoying just like him but i definitely don't have such a good friend like Hassan who i love cause we're of the same religion! Though he's not a full practising Muslim but I am hehe...

It's a good read, one u'll enjoy. I actually had fun understanding all the graphs n formulas cause i am studying engineering in college and i just get numbers. And for once, I'm grateful I worked my ass off in ODE and Calculus to understand the equations in this book easily :D

The People You Meet is Just as Important as the Books You Read

5 years ago I was 16. I was in Form 4, and didn't have a clue what went on in the outside world. I was content in my own world, filled with studies and friends I only saw during school time. Back home I would spend the day with my family and cats.

Now, I'd say I've met a lot of people who taught me a lot about life. People who took advantage of me, used me for their own gain, gossiped about me behind my back and taught me that I couldn't trust anyone. But I've also met kind and caring people who made me believe that each one of us has at least that small streak of kindness embed deep within us. Even if it takes time and kindness in return for it to surface.

I can count on 1 hand the number of people I trust. And I'm grateful because having more than 1 hand of people to trust just means you don't really know who to trust. It just means you have lots of friends. That's all. And you can't be too careful when that happens.

The books I read now have much evolved from the books I once read during secondary school. I like that about myself. My books have matured alongside me for the past 5 years. As I grow up and grow old, so will my books. They gave me wisdom when nobody else wanted to. They accompanied me whenever I felt I needed company.

And I know they'll still be with me 5 years from now...

"A book lover never goes to bed alone"

Good Reads: Of First Love and a Dead Dog

I've had the pleasure of reading these 2 books for the past week and I must say they are equally amazing in that unique ways of theirs.

Eleanor and Park is a love story. And it's just that, a love story at its best. My best friend recommended this book and I'm the one who ended up finishing this book instead of her hehe. Anyway, it's a story of 2 high school star-crossed sweethearts. Eleanor is quirky yet mysterious, while Park is the typical Asian dude who happens to be really cute and cool. Both share their love of comic books and music. But Eleanor comes from a difficult family and that in return jeopardises their relationship. I especially loved this book because it's been so long since I read a good and genuine love story. And it reminded me of the beauty of love and relationship when we're always so busy with work and everything....

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time touched my heart because it was written in the perspective of an autistic boy who wants to be like Sherlock Holmes and solve the mystery of who killed his neighbour's poodle, Wellington. Contrary to a crime novel, it's more of a memoir into the strange and untold life of autism and what parents usually have to face with a child with this syndrome. I've always been fascinated by autism, I've read books about them and I always think it's particularly interesting when you're in that state where only logic and patterns bring meaning into your life. Autistic children are usually intelligent and brilliant in maths. They're not dumb, they're just anti-social, but that doesn't mean they're introverts as well. It's because they choose to be by themselves and immerse in a world of details and logical thinking, something we normal people don't usually do.

So go have a read at these two books, if you're like me...you're in for a good read :) 

Learn to Read, Kid but Don't Fall in Love

I have officially found my favourite author/blogger of all time: RAINBOW ROWELL. 

Words cannot describe how amazing of a writer (and reader) she is. Go to her blog and indulge yourself in her witty and quirky posts as she takes you on a journey into the never-straightforward world of books 

One of my favorite posts from her, Learn to Read Kid, but Don't Fall in Love, is about how reading affects your child's life. Yes your child will learn to read and write and comprehend things that will be useful in the future, get a job, impress your neighbors and friends, like how I explained in my previous post. 

But what nobody has ever told you, even I have just realized this today, is how reading can disrupt your child's social life. And yet nobody tells you to stop reading. 

And that's the ironic thing, reading has been so widespread as a good thing, that nothing bad could actually come out of it! But every book lover knows that when you love reading too much (I'm guilty as charged), you have a problem. Yes, it will be constantly on your mind, the book you're currently reading. And for me, I'll get frustrated as when can I complete this book and move on to the next book? How long will it take to finish reading all the books in the world?

It's enough to make a girl go mad.

But, granted all the social time and major health problems endured while reading, we still read. 

Voluntarily. Willingly. Expectingly. Because we don't want to do anything else.

"But it also untethers you from the real world. People who fall in love with books never really stop falling." 

- Rainbow Rowell

Currently reading her new book: Eleanor & Park. Amazingly awesome by far ;)

New Page: Books of 2013

Dear Booklovers,

I hope one day we can meet up and compare notes of our favourite books in a cute little cafe by the road and people-watch in our free time. 

Sincerely yours,
Me.

Thus, is the dream I hold on to until I meet other fellow book lovers  Most people won't get it. Why get so obsessed with books? Well, I can easily ask: "Why are you so obsessed with comics or DoTA or movies?" It's just the way life is. Each of us has a calling, and mine is to indulge myself in as many books as I can before I die.

Simple.

John Green summed it up pretty good.

That is how I got the name "The Romantic Escape" anyway. From a book I was reading. Could have been The Great Gatsby who was a huge romantic in getting his former girlfriend back, or it could have been another book. But reading is just that. A romantic escapism for me into a place where the characters are as eccentric as they'll ever be, or realistic than the people I've known all my life. Reading takes you into unexpected places, places you've never been to before. And reading sure as hell made me more aware current social issues, of war and of how we see life. I like keeping a record of what I've read. Which is why I created this page on the top of my blog. It's called my "Books of 2013" tab. Books I've read and want to share with the rest of the world. :) 

Oh and you can find me on Goodreads too! 

Happy reading :D