Saying Goodbye

Now I'm All Messed Up // Tegan and Sara

Now I'm all messed up
Sick inside wondering who
Whose life you're making worthwhile

But not any more! Moving on is a great feeling and while I do still want to be friends (why not? that's something I've never understood), I've come to realise there are some things you just can't force.

Speaking of that, time will heal wounds and make them better. So don't worry, you might not be ok now, but one day you'll look back - stronger, wiser - and know you're a survivor.

Let go, move on, cut free of the ropes that are binding you back... no one has any right to make you feel bad about yourself :)

Rinse, Dry, Repeat

Spring cleaning day!

At least once a week, mostly on a Saturday or Sunday, you'll see this strange sight laid out on my study table.

I switched from Ronasutra's Mineral Foundation to Make Up Forever's Pro Finish Multi-Use Powder Foundation about a month or so ago (it's awesome, in case you're wondering!). But I hate the idea of double-dipping as I've got hyper-sensitive, blemish-prone skin and I'm worried about contamination.

To get around that problem, I use a clean sponge every time to pat on my foundation. There isn't enough time to clean my sponges daily in the morning, so I stack them aside and wash them all at once over the weekend. And there you have it, my lazy busy career woman's solution ;)

My sponges are from Guardian (RM24.90 for 20) and they're rather well made - dense, firm and able to last at least 3 washes before becoming too rough and grimey. Plus, they're sold in a resealable zip-lock bag so you won't have to worry about dust getting in!

Super detergents

I've been using Daiso's trusty sponge & puff detergent (RM5, very purse-friendly) on and off for a few years now. It gets the job done and I love squeezing out all the grime that has accumulated and watching the brackish water, which takes on the colour of teh tarik, swirl down the sink. I'm weird, I know, but it's strangely satisfying and I recommend doing it! :P

For brushes, my favourites are either a very mild shampoo or e.l.f.'s Studio Brush Shampoo (US$3). It's colourless, odourless and comes in a chic, slightly masculine clear black bottle. It isn't easily available in Malaysia though, so your best bet is to wait for an e.l.f. spree on lowyat.net. I bought mine sometime back from StrawberryGirL.

Otherwise, just use baby shampoo, it's generally as good and more affordable than high-end brush shampoos :)

Guess Who's Back?

bigbadwolfbooks.com

It's dear Wolfie, ashore after a perilous journey across the Read Sea in hot pursuit of the villainous B.A.D. (Book Acquisition Department), who made off with all the books set aside for this year's sale *gasp*.

But fret not - his ships have returned victorious, reclaiming no less than 3 million books for your reading pleasure. Hoorah! Full speed ahead for the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale 2013!

Should you rather shop than sleep (me too!), no problem, drop by Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre any time - 11pm, 3am, 7am, it's your call - between 6th to 15th December for a serious dose of retail therapy, as the sale goes on for 230 hours without pause!

Phew, it's exhausting but so fun just thinking about it. Talk about making it almost impossible to find an excuse for not visiting. Don't forget your recyclable/luggage/trolley bags as you'll need them to keep your books safe and hands free to pick out more steals.

Take a day off from work if you have to and go during off-peak hours (11am-5pm on weekdays; 2am-6am any day) for maximum shopping comfort. Digging up hidden gems are a lot easier when you don't have to jostle against sharp elbows for standing space ;)

If you've scored preview passes, check your inbox as emails have been delivered with instructions on how to collect those precious passes. These "golden tickets" -  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory FTW - grant bearers access to the sale one day before it opens to the public, and they're highly coveted!

I'll be keeping an eye out for Haruki Murakami's works (sold out really fast like musang king durian ice cream last year), YA gems (Jellicoe Road's my best find to date), pop up books, and The No.1 Lady's Detective Agency series.

See you there? What titles/authors do you hope to find at BBW 2013?

NARS!

NARS is finally here in Malaysia woohoo! I'm a bit worried for my bank account, to be honest :P

"Find your own way, have an open spirit and believe in your own beauty." - Francois Nars 

The maestro himself, Francois Nars

I look like a raccoon when I line my eyes like that :P

I've yet to pop by Pavilion to check out the store but word is it's a little small and product prices aren't displayed at all (nope not on counters, displays or the retail units, nadah), so you'll have to ask retail associates for exact figures.

If you're shy like me and prefer flipping price tags over as discreetly as possible, or have an image to maintain as the kind of person for whom price is no concern (whyy??), you're in luck! :D

Nicole of Nicole's Mirror has compiled a price list here. Girl's a lifesaver! Prices are pretty reasonable given NARS' positioning as a high-end brand. Affordability, however, is subjective.

Personally I do consider RM90 quite steep for a lipstick, but I'll be KIV-ing it, along with the Radiant Creamy Concealer. 

That said, the Guy Bourdin 'Fashion. Glam' holiday collection's so pretty - vintage pin-up looks ohemgee - that it's really testing my resolve not to splurge!

What about you? Are you jumping onto the NARS bandwagon and which products do you have your sights on? :)

Bonjour!

Still can't believe I'm going to Paris next year, ahhhhh!! Someone please pinch me! *ouch*, not so hard :P

Oui, I'll only have slightly over a day at the city of lights, but it's exciting nonetheless to finally visit a place I've dreamt so much about growing up. Not to mention I'm more of a Francophile now thanks to Anna and the French Kiss.

There's so much I want to do there but so little time. Let's see, if I could I'd...
- Visit the Louvre
- Gawk at the Monets at Orangerie Museum and Musée d'Orsay
- Sip on Angelina's divine hot choc elixir
- Taste Pierre Hermé's omg-best-thing-ever macarons
- Find out what's all the fuss over Christine Ferber's jams (Monsieur Pitt's a famous fan)
- Watch an old movie in one of the Left Bank's many cinemas
- Picnic at the Tuileries Garden
- Soak in the literature at Shakespeare and Company
- Show some leg at the Moulin Rogue *wink wink* hehehe

I've sort of sorted Shakespeare and Company, My brilliant plan: When the tour bus stops at Notre Dame, I'll dash across the road to the store, mingle a little, pick a book to bring home and have it marked with the store's eponymous stamp :D

{Toshio Kishiyama}

Books, glorious books. I hope heaven is as well stocked :P

{slowtalk.com}

Stamped on every book bought from the store.

Anything else you'd recommend doing in Paris? :)

See You Tonight

Two summer holidays spent working at a quaint little boutique owned by a young, bubbly proprietor fond of country music has given me an appreciation for banjos and smexy Southern drawls

Just draw out the vowels in "ya'll" in a deep baritone and I go weak at the knees. That's all it takes, really. Easy peasy... but only if you can talk like a cowboy and charm the legs off a filly.

Scotty sounds like he could and heck, I'd gladly listen to his voice all night long. So how could anyone resist his plea of "girl I gotta see you tonight", I don't know. Especially when he sings, "I would drive a million miles just to see that little smile in real life."

*Swoon*

See You Tonight ;)

Official vid isn't out yet but from the teaser it looks a bit like a rehash of I Love You This Big

Late Night Stimulation

Just before drifting off to sleep last night, a renegade fragment of my mind decided it wasn't ready for slumber (wish it had asked my opinion first) and started wandering off on a textual analysis of On The Jellicoe Road.

I love the book, I really do, and the brief literary rumination was enlightening. After last night's sudden burst of insight, I'm all the more incredibly amazed and impressed with just how brilliantly Melina Marchetta has taken two seemingly unrelated narratives, carefully shredded them to pieces and proceeded to join them back into a fragmented whole -- like you would a jigsaw puzzle. Who knew it'd be possible to love a raggedy bunch of fictional characters more than you thought you ever could?

Honestly though, mentally pouring over a book's literary devices in the dead of the night when you're trying to shrug consciousness off your tail, is a few marbles short of cuckoo if you ask me.

[Image courtesy of papaija2008/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net]

Impressionist

I could spend hours pondering a Monet, just thinking up stories to go with the dreamy watercolour scene.

Yeah, I know, sometimes I fear for my own sanity too ;)

In my defence:

Poppy Field in Argenteuil

The Garden Gate at Vetheuil

The Iris Garden at Giverny

Springtime

Clifftop Walk at Pourville

The Sea and the Alps

Everything's Going To Be OK

Carried Away // Passion Pit

Cover Lust

For Darkness Shows The Stars // Diana Peterfreund

Not something I would read (teenage sci-fi/dystopian fantasies aren't really my cup of tea), but ohemgee if that isn't a pretty cover. 

I loved the idea of galactic travel and the infiniteness of space as a child, and my bedroom wall used to have glow in the dark planets held down with blue tack.

This one reminds me a little of Across the Universe.

Weekend Playlist

One Grain of Sand // Ron Pope Ron Pope's so underrated despite being such a gifted singer and songwriter.  Lego House // Ed Sheeran
I Need Your Love // Calvin Harris ft. Ellie Goulding

Gratitude

Thank You for a continuous spate of small blessings and miracles. It's hard to deny angels exist when metaphorical bullets whiz by with barely a centimetre to spare, whether by fluke or design.

I'm a little afraid to pinch myself, just in case I do wake up and find it was all pretend.

Love Somebody // Maroon 5

Cruise (Remix) // Florida Georgia Line ft. Nelly

Healing

The weather recently has been unbearably hot and fiery, but this being Malaysia - the dry spell's occasionally broken by a crazy downpour at the most inopportune times.

There's a traditional Chinese believe that rain on a hot day is a sure-fire way to fall sick, and I've fallen casualty to it.

Nursing a cold during one of the busiest periods at work is no fun.

Words don't flow as smoothly, I'm sensitive and cranky, my judgement's impaired, and the usual gung-ho attitude I have to assignments - near back-to-back loans, interviews, events, photo shoots and all - has taken a beating.

Truth be told I'm exhausted and starved of inspiration.

So as usual when I desperately need my own version of chicken soup for the soul (blatant motivational and self-help mumbo jumbo irritate the hell out of me), I've turned to Owl City for healing.

Super Honeymoon // Owl City

West Coast Friendship // Owl City
Works all the time; don't know what I would do without.

OC's almost my religion.

Musings

Melina Marchetta's Jellicoe Road has been my bible of late, as Jonah Griggs reminds me very much of a certain someone I know.

In a way, you could say I've been drawing comfort and strength from how familiar Jellicoe Road has become over repeated readings.

Almost like the close friend you no longer keep secrets from - except I can't really confide to mine because I've just come to truly appreciate the brevity of "it's complicated".

I'm both terrified and happy. Anxious - when am I ever not besieged by some form of anxiety anyway? - yet content.

It's a strange but euphoric medley of emotions, which I'll be cradling close to me for as long as I can.

Please don't wake me up just yet if I'm dreaming.

Diane Young

Diane Young // Vampire Weekend
Don't you think Diane Young channels Peggy Sue? The vibe's definitely a lot more contemporary but stylistically, (I'm convinced) Vampire Weekend borrowed a page from Buddy Holly.

Which is rather ironic as Diane Young's a very clever camouflage for 'dying young'. Mmhmm.

Or is it all merely in my head?

Peggy Sue//Buddy Holly

Vices & Virtues

Sometimes when the going gets tough and it feels as though life passed me the shorter straw, my mantra's: "good things come to those who wait."

It's true. Just that waiting sucks too.

But patience, my young padawan. Patience... Alas, a virtue I don't always have.

I know, however, that I'll never need designer togs and totes to feel happy. Now, you wouldn't hear me complaining if they were to fall into my lap under legit circumstances, but honestly I don't think I could justify spending (very) good money on unnecessary luxuries.

Being practical is a virtue I have too much of.

Except when it comes to salon maintenance of my hair.

Catch-22

I have this tendency of setting the bar very high for myself. The problem with being so single-minded and goal-driven is the very real danger of developing tunnel vision, the symptoms of which I'm now wiser at recognizing as a warning bell of worst to come should they be allowed to fester.

Sometimes I find myself so terrified at falling short of expectations, real or perceived, that I freeze up and allow myself to be consumed by the black tendrils of doubt. There are times too when I mercilessly dawdle on past episodes and pick on my naivete and lack of finesse till I'm black and blue within.

Someone once said to me, "You're quick to make excuses for others and overlook their shortcomings, but you're so hard on yourself." Maybe. I stopped blogging for a bit and quietly removed all links leading here from Facebook and Twitter one evening after re-reading my previous posts.

To say I was appalled at some of the typos and grammatical errors I had made would be an understatement. What's more, I felt many of my posts had no real value to anyone else but me, as a chronicle of my (oft painfully awkward) journey growing up.

Writing isn't just my passion and therapy - it's my bread and butter. Editorial work for a magazine, which pays my bills and keeps me from being a starving wordsmith, feels very much like a dream job at the moment. So perhaps you're able to imagine my terror at someone googling my name, finding this blog, and using it to judge my skill as a writer.

I love the joy in stringing words together and making sense of them as a whole, but I do have to work hard at it. I'm doing it professionally 5 days a week for most of the day, that when I get home and blog I just want to express a certain thought or feeling without overthinking it. I do very little self-editing here and most of what I choose to publish is done at the spur of the moment. My inner critic squirmed nevertheless and I promptly pulled the plug.

But I miss blogging on the fly and sharing random bits and bobs I come across on my exploratory tracks through the net. We'll see how this goes.

Weekend Playlist

Don't Kick The Chair // Dia Frampton Everything's gonna get better :)
  Buddy Holly // Weezer Happy Days. Weezer. 'Nuff said.
Top Girl // G.NA Perfect for getting in the mood... to dance, haha.
Closer // Tegan and Sara Another reason to love NYLON. Discovered them from within those glossy pages.

Girl Saves Boy

Book blurb here: http://www.stephbowe.com/p/girl-saves-boy.html

Steph Bowe's earned a solid place in my list of authors whose works I'll pick up in a heart beat, no questions asked. Girl Saves Boy is that good, and perhaps even more. I wish I'd written it in my teens (Steph was 16 when the book was published), but I would have certainly lacked the skill and maturity to produce something of this calibre.

Often, after reading a brilliantly constructed, incredibly breathtaking passage, I'd pause in wonder - not just at Steph's age, but for the fact that many older authors I've read aren't half as elegant. And Steph hits the nail on the head too with many of her observations on society, living, and life at large. Her's is the sort of talent many authors twice her age would kill to have.

I could even overlook the insta-love bits, which to me seemed a lot less contrived upon taking into consideration Sacha and Jewel's devastating circumstances. When two people who have been through so many personal tragedies meet at the hands of fate, you don't really have to scrutinize too hard or question too much the whys and hows; they just become. In a way that somehow, strangely, feels right.

 For a meatier (and more coherent) review, Shirley Marr has written a fantastic one here, which pretty much echoes what I think of the book anyway.

Alive

My latest obsession ♥

If I weren't as dorky and practical, I think I would be a pink-tressed punk rocking out to Green Day and Blink 182 in stompy combat boots.
...Instead of doing that in my preppy clothes, y'know :P

The Chase

"You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers...

As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

I sure hope you're right, Steve. Zeus knows I'm taking my time looking for the right one.

First Impression: Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel

Nature Republic Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel 
[RM32.90, 300ml; Nature Republic]

So here's the story: My friend has been telling me for ages about this marvellous multipurpose moisturiser she uses that has helped tremendously with her acne woes.

I'm extremely sceptical about trying out new skincare products, thanks to my hypersensitive skin that doesn't take well to many commercial chemicals and essences.

On my recent trip to Jakarta however, I met up with her and she promptly noticed how irritated my skin looked. I occasionally experience breakouts that get out of hand, and the signs of these battles take time to heal. Plus, the short plane ride from Kuala Lumpur had taken its toll.

Her skin, on the other hand, had a luminous glow and you could hardly make out any major blemishes - this despite not having a single drop of makeup on.

At that point, I was 50% sold. Never underestimate how powerful word-of-mouth marketing can be. :P

This was taken about 4 hours or so upon getting off the plane on a very early flight. I've got a touch of concealer on.

The product she recommended is from a Korean brand, Nature Republic, and it's their best-selling Soothing & Moisture Aloe Vera 92% Soothing Gel. Nature Republic's Malaysian website and retail stores stock it.

The tub is rather huge.

If only this was aloe vera jelly... I'll eat it all.

It does have a clean, strong fragrance to it (which got me worried), but it aced the patch test I did on the back of my palm. The gel texture's really cool and non-greasy too - bonus points for that!

Giving this a whirl over the next few days to see if it helps combat dryness, irritation and blemishes.

Apparently you could also use it as a face and lip mask, shaving gel (for the dudes), on your hair and nails, and to repair sun damage.

Isla Dear

Isla on Goodreads

My must-read book of the year finally has a cover! :D

I'm a little bumped it's not going to match the other books I have in the series, but I won't feel too much like an overgrown teen reading this in public - it looks so sophisticated for YA. And I'm not getting any younger.

Not that I'll be carrying it around much since I'm getting it in hardcover.

I'm sure when I'm old and grey and very wrinkled, I'll cringe at knowing I used to adore books with titles like Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and Isla and the Happily Ever After.

Even this last one has got me going, "Really now... Happily ever after?" In any other book by (almost) any other writer, I'll be rolling my eyes in horror and running for the hills.

But I can't wait to read Isla's story! Gonna go preorder my copy on Book Depository.

I've never been able to find these books in local shops, yet. :(

Bits And Bobs

What I blog about when I'm not actually blogging.

Them Otters!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/4chan/176890359032890

Awww :)

Wanderfuss

I love travelling: Seeing new places, soaking in foreign culture, chowing on different flavours, and getting exotic stuff to bring home.

It's the packing I hate... And I loathe unpacking even more.

Still, can't wait to say 'hi' to Jakarta again this weekend!

That Time Of The Year

So let's just get this out of the way: I'm not big on V-day. In fact, I'm probably the Ebenezer Scrooge of Valentine's.

But this year... I'm trying something different, something that I'll be doing in my room alone. Teehee! Betcha thinking that sounds so naughty, right?

Not really.

I'm going on a date with Perry Como - on Youtube.

Hoorah for the Internet!

Dear Anna

I'm changing my name to Anna.

So call me Anna?

Moon River

"What qualities do you want in a guy?"

I never quite know how to answer that question. Heck, I can't even imagine what my so-called Prince Charming would look or be like.

I just know I probably wouldn't want him to be Prince Charming. Those guys have all got royal egos.

Yeah, I'm romantic that way.Lol.

... But it's definitely a plus if he wants to be my huckleberry friend :)

You & I

You and I//Ingrid Michaelson

Let's get rich

And give everybody nice sweaters

And teach them how to dance.

So sweet I wanna melt. ♥

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book//Neil Gaiman

Rating: 3/5

I truly want to love a Neil Gaiman story; to feel for it as deeply as I know his fans do. I've heard it's a life-changing experience, but it's one that has eluded me thus far.

So to be absolutely frank, I still don't get the hype surrounding a Gaiman book. I've read about 2 or 3 I think, including one which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, who does happen to be one of my favourite authors.

They weren't bad, but I didn't exactly connect very well with them either. Perhaps I've just got very little patience for certain kinds of descriptive prose - I can't get past page 1 of a Robert Jordan book without wanting to hurl myself off a cliff.

The story at the core of The Graveyard Book is certainly original and fascinating; in Gaiman's masterful hands, the graveyard turns into a homely and perfectly cosy place to grow up in. That's no mean feat.

My grouse, as I mentioned, is with the prose which I felt to be ploddingly slow at times. And I remember having the same problem with Anansi Boys too. But Gaiman is a good author, I tell myself, a wordsmith; he strings words together so beautifully. That's something I've got to admit.

Oh Gaiman. I've come to a conclusion that maybe, like the infamous saying, it's not you but me.

'12 Honour Roll

2012's honour roll is a little late this time round but hey, better late than never right? Right.

Note that selections were not necessarily released/published/burped out in 2012; they're just what I consider my best discoveries of the year, or the ones which I really connected with.

Moving on... *drum roll*

Song of the year: Ready To Go//Panic! At The Disco

I've fallen head over heels with P!ATD's 2011 album, Vices & Virtues. It's got this dramatic yet spirited appeal which reeled me in hook, line and sinker - catchy beats, smart lyrics, a little touch of eccentricity... they're all present by the bucket loads.

Movie of the year: Skyfall

Sorry Pi. Nothing I saw in 2012 was as spectacular, visceral, moving, well-written and oh what the heck - almost everything about the movie was great.

Needlessly staggering body counts usually turn me off, but that and the gripping suspense (swear there were a few scenes I was hiding behind my palms) weren't enough to distract me from the bigger picture. And what a resplendent picture it was - in a gritty, hard-hitting sort of way. There's also the fabtastic opening sequence which has got to be one of bestest in Bond land. Ever.

Book of the year: (It's a tie >.< )

The Evolution of Mara Dyer//Michelle Hodkin

Anna Dressed In Blood//Kendare Blake

Marni Bates' Awkward and Melina Marchetta's Saving Francesca (I gave this 5-stars on Goodreads, so you know it's super awesome!) are noteworthy mentions. I passed those over for these two as I felt these fared better over the test of time and memory.

Anna and Mara's stories still live on vividly in my mind, and Anna's in particular was a heart-wrenching gust of fresh air. I guess when push comes to shove, I make the best emotional connections with contemporary YAs, but the ones that capture my imagination the most are still fantasies/horrors/dystopians/thrillers... those with a little more bite to them.

Book cover of the year: A Million Suns//Beth Revis

Purdy awesome cover. What can I say, I've got a thing for galactic motifs. Find out what I thought of the book here.

Fear

Zeus knows how many times this has gotten me out a tight spot.

So tempted to say 'amen', lol :P

Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear

Dune//Frank Herbert

(http://imgur.com/MhWh9?tags)

Nostalgic Keys

There is, in all honesty, only a handful of songs that inspire me to linger at a corner of the upstairs sitting room where my neglected piano resides.

Piano lessons were one of those things that were fashionable (and perhaps some would say appropriate) for a shy, rather lonely girl with a mind that's constantly wandering. Stubbornness, a sentimental streak and dogged refusal to throw in the towel saw me through a decade of tear-fraught lessons with 5 hard-fought grades to show for it.

Needless to say I'm not a good pianist. I don't have the patience and concentration to keep working on melodies without words, and I've never really found appreciation for classical music - definitely not a desirable recipe of traits for someone training as a classical musician.

Sometimes though, nostalgia and a really inspirational assembly of notes make me wish I tried harder at mastering the ol' black-and-white keys.


A Drop In The Ocean//Ron Pope

  River Flows In You//Yiruma
Yiruma's my absolute favourite instrumental maestro. I'm so tempted to string together words and be the lyricist to his compositions; they're always just so exquisitely beautiful and hauntingly elegant. The keys to my soul.

Bookgasm

Ahh, the sigh of a dwindling bank balance. My poison? Not shoes, random beautifying contraptions or a pricey new chunk of technology.

(I can't add clothes to the list as technically, I did lay down a small investment in the wardrobe department :P )

It's books, baby! I'm very broke but oh gosh... I've scored amazing finds from Big Bad Wolf (BBW) Books last month. Check out their FB page here!

Held at Mines Convention Centre from 7-23 December, the mom and I managed to squeeze in 3 visits - over three weekends - which we felt was worth the 35-40 min drive each way. New books kept being added to the pool and we snagged titles which weren't available on our previous visit(s).

Here's my stash. (click on photos to enlarge)

Round 1, 9th December:

Terry Pratchett - Eric

Paul Torday - Salmon Fishing In The Yemen 

Jostein Gaarder - The Christmas Mystery

Anthology - Midsummer Nights

Richard Mason - The World Of Suzie Wong (remember the show? :P )

Keigo Higashino - The Devotion Of Suspect X

Alexander McCall Smith - The Full Cupboard Of Life

Alexander McCall Smith - The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive

Carlos Ruiz Zafon - The Prince Of Mist

Melina Marchetta - Finnikin Of The Rock

Anne Rice - The Queen Of The Damned

Anthony Horowitz - The House Of Silk

Jeffrey Archer - Paths Of Glory

Round 2, 15th December:

Ian Fleming - Octopussy And The Living Daylights

Charlotte Ward - It's Not Me, It's You

Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book

Ruta Sepetys - Between Shades of Gray (not 50 shades of gray :P)

Susan Cooper - The Dark Is Rising

Yasutaka Tsutsui - The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

John Green - Paper Towns

Round 2, 23rd December:

Madeleine L'Engle - An Acceptable Time

Rebecca Skloot - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Madeleine L'Engle - A Wrinkle In Time

Ian Fleming - From Russia With Love

Yasutaka Tsutsui - Salmonella Men On Planet Porno

Banana Yoshimoto - The Lake

Susan Cooper - The Dark Is Rising:The Complete Sequence

So happy to have picked up Banana Yoshimoto's The Lake! I was seriously contemplating ordering it from Book Depository, where it's retailing for a grand total of $15.15 (US dollars; I got mine for RM8). Yay! :D

Oh, and you're not seeing double - that's two copies of The Dark Is Rising. Long story short, I can't find my  old copy of the book, so I got it during Round 2. During Round 3, I found all 5 books in the series squeezed into one very bulky tome, so I got that too. 1. I love the series to bits, and 2. I've misplaced most of my individual copies. :(

I'm sure they'll turn up over time, but both these books cost RM15 in total, which is a lot less than what I bought most of my other copies for, save The Dark Is Rising and The Grey King, which I got ages ago from a used book store. You really never know what treasures you'll dig up when hunting for a good bargain.

That, to me, is a true bookgasm!