14. The Time Traveler's Wife

I really enjoyed this book! For some reason it took me a very long time to finish, perhaps because I was reading it only when I was on the bus/subway--all the more to savour it then! It was such a beautiful story with such an intruiging and interesting plotline. The characters were charming, loveable and heart-wrenching at times. I definitely shed quite a few tears from the sheer beauty, elegance and heart of this book. It's an incredible love story with a twist. Highly, highly recommended.

The movie is coming out in December with Rachel McAdams and I can't wait!

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Books I'm reading:
1. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
10. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
11. Hey Nostradamus! (Douglas Coupland)
12. Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella)
13. The Journal of Mortifying Moments (Robyn Harding)
14. The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)

13. The Journal of Mortifying Moments

Absolutely hilarious! It was a lot of fun to read "The Journal of Mortifying Moments" by Robyn Harding. We all have our really embarrassing moments and I'm sure I could write a whole novel about mine! This novel also had an interesting storyline and you just couldn't help but identify with the main character of Kerry, lost and a little pathetic but insightful and loyal to her friends. To sound cliché, I think there's a little "Kerry" in all of us.

(oh, barf)

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Books I'm reading:
1. The Time Traveler's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
10. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
11. Hey Nostradamus! (Douglas Coupland)
12. Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella)
13. The Journal of Mortifying Moments (Robyn Harding)

12. Remember Me?

I am getting back into the groove of things! I wasn't really able to read during the month of March due to the production I was a part of, but now that the school year is coming to an end, I'll have all the time in the world to indulge in books, books and more books! I am SO excited!!

I finished "Remember Me?" by Sophie Kinsella (one of my favourite authors--Shopoholic series) in two days! It's a pretty thick book but like all Kinsella books, I couldn't put it down! It was so good!! If you like a really entertaining, funny and witty chick flick, I highly recommend this one.

I am definitely not going to reach my 100 book goal this year, but that's okay. I just want to read as many books as possible! Especially during the summer!

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Books I'm reading:
1. The Journal of Mortifying Moments (Robyn Harding)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
10. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
11. Hey Nostradamus! (Douglas Coupland)
12. Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella)

11. Hey Nostradamus!

I'm not usually a fan of multiple stories in one book, but this was an exception. The book is divided into four parts, each story feeding off the previous story in a chain reacting fashion. The stories are vivid and haunting but engaging and thought-provoking all the same. The author manages to capture the raw emotion of each character as they come face-to-face with their reality, while bringing issues of religion and faith to the surface.

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Books I'm reading:
1. Remember Me? (Sophie Kinsella)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
10. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
11. Hey Nostradamus! (Douglas Coupland)

10. Eleanor Rigby

Who is Liz Dunn? Pathetic, lonely, pitiful, depressed and miserable. Heart-wrenching, beautiful, witty and a mother. This was my first taste of a Douglas Coupland novel and he has completely and utterly captured my heart. I absolutely enjoyed this book and his honest style of writing. His characters were so real and insightful, especially Liz and Jeremy, and the interactions between the characters were especially enjoyable to read. The plot was interesting and engaging, laced with so much humour and honesty.

The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?

---

Books I'm reading:
1. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)
2. Hey Nostradamus! (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
10. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)

9. Something Blue

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Books I'm reading:
1. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
9. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)

8. Something Borrowed

I just finished reading "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin, the first in the series. I'm not going to bother writing a review but I did want to put up a quote that I found profound and inspiring:

Warning: Possible spoilers

"How much I have changed. I was a parent-pleaser, a dutiful friend. I made safe, careful choices and hoped that things would fall into place for me. Then I fell in love with Dex and still viewed it as something happening to me. I hoped that he would make things right, or that fate would intervene. But I have learned that you make your own happiness, that part of going for what you want means losing something else. And when the stakes are high, the losses can be that much greater."

And to add to that: But the gains can be that much more worth it.

---

Books I'm reading:
1. Something Blue (Emily Giffin)
2. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
3. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
8. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)

February (7 down, ?? to go)

Me thinks I'm going to have to revise my goal for the year. 100 books is unpossible (tm Ralph Wiggum)! Not to mention the ever-increasing mountain of course work I have to complete over the next two weeks. Eek!

I am currently attempting to read 3 books. haha. No. I think I've given up on Microserfs but as I've mentioned before--I don't not finish books! I started reading Eleanor Rigby but a friend recommended Something Borrowed, says it rivals the Shopoholic series, and I've never been one to turn down some ol' good chick lit! :)

Reading Week starts on Monday. Wohoo! How awesome. A whole week devoted to reading, albeit, course readings. Nevertheless, wonderful, glorious books!!

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Books I'm reading:
1. Something Borrowed (Emily Giffin)
2. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
3. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)

7. Eclipse

I finally finished the Twilight series!!

And it was every bit as amazing, incredible, exhilarating, exciting, terrifying, suspenseful, heart-wrenching, romantic, satisfying and satiating as expected and ever imagined!

<3 Team Edward!

---

Books I'm reading:
1. Eleanor Rigby (Douglas Coupland)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
7. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)

6. New Moon

I just finished the second book in the series. I have to admit, "New Moon" wasn't as good as the first one. In fact, I was a tad disappointed in the direction and focus that this one took. But I suppose it was necessary for the plot development and setup for future installments.

Funny thing happened yesterday, that I thought I should mention for the sake of remembering. I was on the bus coming home from school at night, standing and reading (not an easy feat). A guy sitting, looked up to see the spine of the book and suddenly exclaimed, "That's a really good book". I was taken aback and I think I stared at him stupidly for half a second with that "you talkin' to me?" expression. Then we got into a conversation about the books and how good the first one was and how disappointing (slightly) the second one was, and he said the third one was definitely the best. Then we talked about the movie coming out and how wrong the casting for the main character was, etc... Then he told me what he was currently reading, but I can't for the life of me remember. He did mention it was going to be a movie. Sigh--books being turned into movies, that's a whole other rant! Then he had to get off.

I love talking about books with people! I love being able to express my thoughts and hear other people's opinions while reveling in our shared passion. That's why I've always wanted to join a book club--too bad I don't have the time. Someday.

And yes, he was cute. ;)

Okay, I'm going to go read the third one!! I can't wait!!

---

Books I'm reading:
1. Eclipse (Stephenie Meyer)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
6. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)

5. Twilight

I completely devoured this book today. I could not put it down and read the whole thing in one sitting!

"Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer, the first book in the series, was such an incredible, thrilling and delicious book. I am absolutely ravenous for the second and third book in the series! The story was so amazingly engaging, suspenseful and exciting! The characters were so real yet, not--but loveable and endearing, all the same. Who wouldn't want to be dazzled by Edward and his warm, topaz-coloured eyes.

The writing was simple yet complicated and full of smooth fluidity and vivid detail. I'm too excited to read the second and third installment tomorrow to write a proper review! It was just too amazing!

I'm thirsty for more!

---

Books I'm reading:
1. New Moon (Stephenie Meyer)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
5. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)

4. Looking For Alaska

I just finished reading John Green's "Looking For Alaska". It's a fairly short read--only took about a day. I'm still trying to absorb the book and reflect upon the ending. It was such a beautifully written coming-of-age story about friendship, love and loyalty, and the reality of experiencing suffering, loss and grief. It was humorous, exciting, heart-wrenching, suspenseful, and written with such depth and intelligence.

The characters were extremely well-developed. Each one had their own complicated story and endearing personality. It was easy to become emotionally connected to the lives of the characters and so invested in their adventures and quests. There were also some profound thoughts on suffering, existence and life (or the after life). I highly recommend this book to anybody looking for a short yet fulfilling book, with great lessons and a lot of laughs.

This weekend, I will attempt to finish the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer!

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Books I'm reading:
1. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)
4. Looking For Alaska (John Green)

3. On Beauty

I've finally finished reading "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith!

The last week was such a whirlwind of overwhelming coursework and readings so I was only able to read on the bus/subway to and from school/work--literally page by page. I read a good chunk of the book while I was waiting in the emergency room last week (3+ hrs. -- I'm okay) and finally finished the book yesterday when I got home from school early.

"On Beauty" by Zadie Smith was a beautiful book with strong political and racial messages. It was about two feuding families in academia whose lives continued to intertwine in surprising and unexpected, yet expected, ways.

I have to admit, that it was not the greatest book I've ever read, but nevertheless, enjoyable. I was a little disappointed at the lack of plot development, or at least the directions the supposed plots took. I thought there was a lot of potential for more depth and development for several storylines that ended up going nowhere. The ending was very disappointing and produced a "that's it?" reaction from me. I was left deeply unsatisfied (with the ending) and longing for answers.

The characters were strong yet complex. And the relationships so obviously damaged beyond repair. The only relationship that I found comfort and hope in, was that of Kiki Belsey and Carlene Kipps. Everything else was such a tangle of deceit, betrayal and hurt.

The writing however, was beautiful and full of depth. The way the author used words to describe the character's thoughts and emotions was absolutely incredible. Smith knows how to convey real and raw emotions with such style and eloquence. The author also provided very interesting insight into issues of art, race, politics, infidelity and beauty, while revealing some important human truths.

Overall, "On Beauty" was a good book, but not great. There were some moments that were illuminating and memorable and others that were far-fetched, confusing and disappointing. Recommended if you're looking for a well-written, interesting and insightful read.

---

Books I'm reading:
1. Looking For Alaska (John Green)
2. Microserfs (Douglas Coupland)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
3. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)

2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards is one of the best books I have ever read! And I've read a lot of books!! I will provide a review tomorrow, but my heart is just aching now because it's finished!

From the beginning to the very end, "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards, was a plot-filled, suspenseful, sorrowful, exciting and memorable book. There were so many little twists and surprises and the plot kept getting deeper and deeper as more secrets were revealed.

The characters were so well-developed, it was hard not to care about them even when their actions went against your own morals and beliefs. As a worker of children with special needs (autism), it was hard to identify with or support the actions of Dr. Henry, but somehow, I was able to put my emotions aside and understand the fateful decision that he made. That could probably be attributed to the Psychology major student in me, as we are taught to find the root of the problem instead of isolating the situation and jumping to conclusions without examining every aspect.

That is probably why I could really appreciate the ripple effect that Dr. Henry's actions created and all the consequences and repercussions that followed. It was interesting yet utterly devastating to witness everything gradually unfolding. It was like watching a trainwreck in slow motion, to borrow a cliché. The ending was a little unsatisfying but I suppose that's what a good book does--leaves you wanting more while leaving a lasting impression.

"The Memory Keeper's Daughter" was definitely one of those books you just can't put down until you're finished. Highly recommended. Absolutely heart-wrenching, poignant and beautiful.

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Books I'm reading:
1. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)
2. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)

"On Beauty" is on hold.

Again.

I was browsing in the bookstore and I just HAD to buy "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" by Kim Edwards. The back of the book was so intriguing and it was on sale. Bonus, wohoo! I started reading it and I could not put it down! This is definitely going to be book number 2. "On Beauty" will be book 3, I promise!

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Books I'm reading:
1. The Memory Keeper's Daughter (Kim Edwards)
2. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)

1. An Abundance of Katherines

First book of 2008

I started reading "On Beauty" by Zadie Smith, but didn't get too far. I got too excited when I finally obtained a copy of John Green's "An Abundance of Katherines" (not an easy find in the bookstores around here). I abandoned Smith and immediately dove into Green's book.

I just finished it and my mind is swirling with so many thoughts and emotions! This is possibly one of my favourite feelings in the world--a mixture of satisfaction, pleasure, joy, sadness--just a wave of overwhelming emotions felt after reading a good book. Harry Potter--need I say more?

"An Abundance of Katherines" was an incredible book! I absolutely abhor all-things-mathematics but I actually found that aspect of the book particularly interesting and significant. That's not to say that I actually understood any of it. (I did attempt to read the appendix and was immediately lost and found myself back in 11th grade math, struggling to decipher the foreign equations in my textbook). The writing is absolutely brilliant! The plot was engaging and the character development was very strong. It was exhausting yet endlessly fascinating experiencing the inner-workings of Colin's brain. And it was pleasantly surprising as the different layers of Lindsey were revealed. Hassan's humour and optimism were also appreciated and added honest depth to the story.

It was refreshing to have both a male protagonist and a female protagonist, and to witness the growing relationship between the two, as their worlds collided. I also particularly enjoyed observing the dynamics of Colin and Hassan's friendship, through even the bumpiest roads (pun intended). It was a great lesson in honesty, loyalty and companionship.

Overall, "An Abundance of Katherines" was a beautifully-written, well thought-out, intellectually-stimulating and endearing book, with lessons of (simple) beauty, compassion, happiness and uncomplicated love¹.

The author's light-hearted and oftentimes, humourous footnotes also added a very nice personal touch.²

Highly recommended if you're looking for an intelligent, exciting and adventurous young adult novel.

¹ small, seemingly insignificant moments that capture all the mattering in the world: inviting someone to share your "secret place", not-so-private habits, telling stories that are more than just stories, ...
² like this.

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Books I'm reading:
1. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)

Books I've read:
1. An Abundance of Katherines (John Green)

1. On Beauty by Zadie Smith

This shall be my first book of 2008.

I borrowed it from a friend in the summer (sorry, Dan!), got halfway through and never finished it once classes started in September. I never not finish books! I'm going to start from the beginning again since I forgot what happened anyway.

I'll provide a short review once I'm done. =)

Books I'm reading:
1. On Beauty (Zadie Smith)

Books I've read:

2008 Book Challenge

I am embarking on a reading challenge for 2008.

Basically, the challenge is to read as many books as possible in a year. I've decided to do this because I realized just how much TV I've been watching lately and how little I read. I used to be such a book worm but ever since I started University, my book counts have become lower and lower and lower. Sigh.

I actually started this challenge in the summer when I had so much time to read--I even bought/borrowed a few books to start with but that didn't end up so... err, yeah.

I'm setting my goal at 100 books (at least 150 pages) in hopes of exceeding that. The goal is a little lower than my ideal, but I like taking time to read, absorb, reflect, etc... on books I've read. Also, some books are more dense than others.

If you have any book suggestions, please leave a comment.

Thanks!! :)

More books, less TV!!
More books, less TV!!
More books, less TV!!

Reading Nerdfighters FTW!!

Other 2008 challenges:
1. Learn to play the guitar (this has been my goal every year for the past bazillion years) and play one of Hank's songs (Accio Deathly Hallows)
2. Knit a Harry Potter scarf (the original one: maroon, gold, maroon, gold)
3. Learn how to do more artsy things
4. Seek out opportunities to speak more French (be fluent!!)
5. Intentionally schedule "me" time and be less stressed (this book challenge may be the solution "two birds, one stone")

Title of blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_beimGUYvGU
Nerdfighteria: http://brotherhood2.com/mypants