What is your team?

As you know, recently - there are many books that are being filmed. Named it, everything is come with movie. I guess it is one of the way, they want to increase the sales and publicity of the books. Jack kerouac, JK Rowling and Mitch Albom, you named it and their books have been filmed and receive good feedback from the sales and publicity itself. Just my question is, which team you are?

1) Book Before Movie
So, do you prefer to read the book first before the movie? Sometimes, when you read the book first, you are allowed yourself to imagine things that happened in the book in your own book. You don't have to rely on the film itself but you can choose what kind of imagination that you want. You can choose who is the actor, actress or any setting and everything up to you, what your brain decide.

2) Movie Before Book
So, you preferred movie first then book? Sometimes, people prefer to watch the movie first because it will take only about an hour and half or more, just to make sure the story line is not suck. Because you will save your hour by watching the movie first, check if it is worth to read the book yet or not. But, sometimes - you know the movie is totally different with what they write in the book.

3) Book only
This one is depend to your taste, even after you read the book and you feel like you wanted to watch the movie and see how they narrated it. It is good or bad, everything is depend to the producer on how they produced it. But, for me - if there is a book that is really good enough, sometimes I am trying not to watch the movie if it is released because I don't want them to destroy whatever perception I have after read the book because they turned out to be suck, as always.

4) Movie only
This one, you don't want to spend time or have not enough time to read books and decided to just watch the movie to spare you some time from reading it which will consumed hours.

how much do you spent for books?

Today, I was wondering - How much normally people spent for books? For a year. For me, I have spent about RM750++ last year (2015). What a big figure. I did kept all the receipts that I have spent for books. I just want to check how much I have spent for a year and it is an addiction. I don't know what I kept on spending my money on books even I still have many books that I don't finished yet. Yet, there were carnival and usually, when they have this kind of events - the price is super duper cheap. For example, last month - I went to Putrajaya International Book fair and I spent about RM99 for eight books and save about Rm100 with the discounted books. It was almost 50% off for all books and they even have 70% off discounts. It is so hard for me to resist this temptation and I spent about two hours looking for books. Then, of course there is one book fair that I am waiting for - Big Bad Wolf and usually it will be held at the end of they year and I always spent RM200-300 and got 25 books or more. So, how much do you spent for books for a year?

Good Books..

What make a good books? Great cover? Synopsis? Movie adaption? Interesting characters?

This is according to my opinion and every one is entitled to their own opinion because this is subjective and might be different for everyone.

The first one is for me is the anticipation. Is there any book that make you anticipate on what happen next? That one book that keep you on reading non stop until you finish the book? Or even make you sit still for the whole days and finished it in one sitting? That one is amazing book because it is very hard for me to finish the whole book in just one sitting. This is because of the distractions, for example like social media such as facebook, twotter and instagram.

Then, a great story line obviously. The story itself should be good enough, not that one with the ridiculous story line until people can't imagine what has happened. The story line must be slow enough for the readers to follow and gasp the story but not slow enough or the readers will become so bored and throw the book and start a new reading. But not very fast or people will not be able to follow the story and skip the book and start a new one.

Plus, a great character with interesting personality also will attracted me the most. Most of the book will have few character that will be the main focus and it is good, it can help us the reader to grasp the characters' personality and playing along. But, I have read few books that the writers seem to used many character in his or her books. Although it is not a major one, but a lot characters can caused confusion to the readers.

So, that is just my few opinions. This weekend, I plan to list all books I have with me at the moment.

100 books by 2016 (list) up to March 2016

So, basically I have read exactly 33 books by March 2016. I guess I can do better than this but if I maintained this, I can finish 100 books by the end of 2016. Just 67 books to go =)

JANUARI 2016 (9 books)
1. Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck by Hamka**
2. The Night Rainbow by Claire King
3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
4. 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window by Jonas Jonasson
5. Ajaib by Syafiq Izat
6. Merantau Ke Deli by Hamka
7. The Death Cure (The Maze Runner trilogy) by James Dashner
8. Kumpulan Cerpen : Kopi by Fixi
9. Harry Potter and Half-Blood-Prince by J.K. Rowling

FEBRUARI 2016 (12 books)
10. Lelaki Sesuatu Itu / Cikgu Asyraf by Shaz Johar / Dayang Noor
11. Voice in My Head - A Mind Reader by Lilian Chan
12. Mereka by Ariff Adly
13. The Other Side of Coin - Aiman Azlan & Ameen Misran**
14. Looking for Alaska - John Green
15. Paranoia - Hani Suraya
16. Kampung - Irvan Affan**
17. Winterwood - Patrick McCabe
18. Nota - Shaz Johar
19. Babies in Waiting - Rosie Flore**
20. Aksara - Syafiq Aizat
21. Anne Frank : The Diary of a Young Girl - Anne Frank**

MARCH 2016 (12 books)
22. Dosa - Nuril Basri
23. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
24. Mental - Shaz Johar
25. Ten Things I've Learnt about Love - Sarah Butler
26. Love in Penang - FIXI
27. The Gift of Maybe - Allison Carmen
28. Santet - Saat Omar
29. The Paper Boy - Pete Dexter
30. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho**
31. Kasarnova - Izwan Hafifi**
32. Diary of A Wimpy Kid (Rodrick Rules) - Jeff Kinney
33. Diana Story of a Prince - Tim Clayton & Phil Craig**

** Recommended book monthly

The Royal Wedding Pt.3

This is the last part. We were shocked with the saddening news of accident that involved Princess Diana in 31st August 1997. She was a international star, was known for her royalty and kindness to the people. She was involved in accident which involved her boyfriend and the driver as well. Both of her boyfriend and the driver dead right after the accident but somehow, Princess Diana was sent to the nearby hospital but unfortunately, she has not made it. Such a loss to the world. Millions of people were watching her funeral and it was one of the most watch live show in the world. The funeral which done with the grace and beautifully, people come from every place in the world and there are carpet of roses were given by her fans. The only thing people wondered, was she happy? She did not even achieved her dream, to live a normal life with family - sometimes, the simplest dream is the wisest and people did not ask much for it.

Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge

Many of us who are not very familiar with Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls series. I was 13 or 14 years old if I am not mistaken when I have watched this series for the very first time. I don't know if I have mention this in my previous post, just the main reason why I feel like to write and share about is the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. She was one of the person that influenced me that reading can be informative yet fun to do. All of seven seasons of Gilmore Girls, there are total 339 books that was referenced in the series and obviously Rory has very good taste in books. Hence, I want to challenge myself to read all these 339 books but with no interval times because I think it is impossible for me if I want to finish all these in one or two years. Because only just this year, I have made a new year resolution which is to read 100 books by the end of year 2016 and as for today 4th April 2016, I have read exactly 33 books and the current book that I read right now is Diana : Story of a Princess by Tim Clayton and Phil Craig hence explained my obsession and my entries about the royal wedding. Back to the Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge, out of 339 books that were referenced in the series, I only have read 11 books only and I have a long long long way to go but it is still never too late for me. I will try my best to traced all the books and have finished read it. What have I done with my life and I feel that I am so behind with my reading. Shame on me. If you want to see the list of the books that were referenced in the series, just click here http://www.buzzfeed.com/krystieyandoli/all-339-books-referenced-in-gilmore-girls#.guaR8llBlA and there you go, the magic will happen and trust me, it is not a propaganda but it is a real magic.

The Royal Wedding pt.2

The Queen of Heart or Princess Diana, she was known for her heart to the public on how she was really concerned with the people around her. It was not an acting at all but she was honest and drew an attraction mostly to the children. There was once time when AIDS is not a very well known disease since it was new to them. They don't know about the protocol or how to handle with the case. They even wondered whether they had to wear gloves or not or any kind of protection but Princess Diana is such a different. She was famous with her kindness and friendly gestures, whomever she met during her charity visit, it is not just a formal visit. It was quite different with the Princess Diana. She touched people, listened to them and have talked with them. Not just a regular one discussion but it was Princess Diana who shown her concern and have chit-chat with the strangers. Although it was their first time met, Princess Diana never let people felt awkward but rather, felt acceptable for his concern and kindness.

With the trouble marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles, she was in the quest looking for her true love. The man that willing to spent his entire life with her, the man who willing to spent the normal life and live at the countryside. It was very hard for her to established all of these, all of her wants. How you are going to act when you are an international star? Everywhere you went, people is taking for your picture. People were asking and waving at you. How hard it was for Diana to kept on smile like nothing is ever happened, like she wanted to forgot everything but at the same time, she had this responsibility, to serve her people - who looks at her more than a princess, but also a role model. How hard it was for her?