I've heard of this book, well the title at least, for quite a while now but never was interested enough to pick it up.
I dont know what made me pick it up at the library last week but i'm glad i did. it was a good read.
kinda expected it to be the usual ''in my days' type of chinese novel. which i am frankly very sick of. but it wasn't . it was interestingly abt a chinese prostitute in san francisco in the 1860s.
i'm terrible at writing book reviews. mostly cos it seems like work. u know what i mean?
i like to read, i really do and reading something and writing a review after that kinda puts me off the book.
so all i want to say about this book is that it was a good read. i liked it. there.
Sunday, October 26, 2003
Thursday, October 23, 2003
Libraries
I am a big fan of libraries - after all, where else can u read books for free?
And I do want to applaud the National Library Board for extending their reach. I mean, libraries in shopping malls? That's a brilliant idea!
However, I do have something to complain about.
Just how is it that the library will only stock certain books in certain libraries?
And in some cases, a library will only have one copy of a book?
I'm not talking of some obscure book here. Take for example Monica Ali's Brick Lane. It's been much hyped-up and was a nominee for the Man Booker Prize, one of the biggest book prizes in the world. And yet, there is only one book that resides in the Bukit Batok library (which happens to be the library I frequent the most)
I do recall searching for a book via the online catalogue and realising that I would have to go to either Sengkang, Geylang or some other similarly far library.
Heck I'd rather just buy the book!
Which actually leads me on to another thing: the Word Shop has disappeared from Marina Square!!!
No More Cheap Books!
Sigh, i fondly recall the day I purchased The Eyre Affair from them at less than ten dollars. So what if it was a little bent? At that price, who cares?
I enjoyed searching the shelves, finding a name I recognised. It's where I picked up books by Salman Rushdie, Kate Greenville and Alice Hoffman for that same low low price.
Now where do i get books at those prices?
And I do want to applaud the National Library Board for extending their reach. I mean, libraries in shopping malls? That's a brilliant idea!
However, I do have something to complain about.
Just how is it that the library will only stock certain books in certain libraries?
And in some cases, a library will only have one copy of a book?
I'm not talking of some obscure book here. Take for example Monica Ali's Brick Lane. It's been much hyped-up and was a nominee for the Man Booker Prize, one of the biggest book prizes in the world. And yet, there is only one book that resides in the Bukit Batok library (which happens to be the library I frequent the most)
I do recall searching for a book via the online catalogue and realising that I would have to go to either Sengkang, Geylang or some other similarly far library.
Heck I'd rather just buy the book!
Which actually leads me on to another thing: the Word Shop has disappeared from Marina Square!!!
No More Cheap Books!
Sigh, i fondly recall the day I purchased The Eyre Affair from them at less than ten dollars. So what if it was a little bent? At that price, who cares?
I enjoyed searching the shelves, finding a name I recognised. It's where I picked up books by Salman Rushdie, Kate Greenville and Alice Hoffman for that same low low price.
Now where do i get books at those prices?
Friday, October 17, 2003
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
if nobody speaks
of remarkable things
isn't that a gorgeous title? I think i'd heard of it somewher else before and it caught my eye at the library.
I'm just starting on it but I do like the way he opens the book. With sound. To further illustrate what i mean here's a sentence from the second paragraph of the book.
'The low soothing hum of air-conditioners, fanning out the heat and the smells of shops and cafes and offices across the city, winding up and winding down, long breaths layered upon each other, a lullaby hum for tired streets.'
He's quite poetic but loses me a little at times as he does write about a whole lot of things that are going on. I do like the bits where he's more of an observer looking down on the various goings-on in the street below and writing about them.
Then he switches to a first-person narrative and stupid me, thought it was a guy. Turns out to be a girl. Maybe i was just sleepy when i was reading that. (!)
isn't that a gorgeous title? I think i'd heard of it somewher else before and it caught my eye at the library.
I'm just starting on it but I do like the way he opens the book. With sound. To further illustrate what i mean here's a sentence from the second paragraph of the book.
'The low soothing hum of air-conditioners, fanning out the heat and the smells of shops and cafes and offices across the city, winding up and winding down, long breaths layered upon each other, a lullaby hum for tired streets.'
He's quite poetic but loses me a little at times as he does write about a whole lot of things that are going on. I do like the bits where he's more of an observer looking down on the various goings-on in the street below and writing about them.
Then he switches to a first-person narrative and stupid me, thought it was a guy. Turns out to be a girl. Maybe i was just sleepy when i was reading that. (!)
Saturday, October 04, 2003
bout time
I figured it's about time I posted something to this blog, this poor neglected blog.
So let me tell you what I've been reading. All about it.
In the morning I get up and read the newspapers -- the Straits Times (skimming thru really cos i already know what's in the papers the night before), Streats and Today. On Wednesdays I also do a quick flip of the computer times.
I have been trying to catch up with the Newsweek subscription. I've just started with this week's issue so not too bad. Should be able to get that through before the next one comes.
The one that's lagging behind is The Atlantic -- the new issue has been sitting on my footstool (ok, it's a box) for about a week and i still haven't finished the previous one!
Dont get me wrong, it's a great magazine. last month's copy had a great story on shipping. I know, shipping! It's not the most exciting thing in the world but it was well-written and personalised so it was a good read.
I also read: The New York Times online, The Guardian unlimited, the BBC news online at work. Those are the three I rely on most. Occasionally I will see what ChannelNewsAsia has on their website, to make sure we are as updated as they are!
So let me tell you what I've been reading. All about it.
In the morning I get up and read the newspapers -- the Straits Times (skimming thru really cos i already know what's in the papers the night before), Streats and Today. On Wednesdays I also do a quick flip of the computer times.
I have been trying to catch up with the Newsweek subscription. I've just started with this week's issue so not too bad. Should be able to get that through before the next one comes.
The one that's lagging behind is The Atlantic -- the new issue has been sitting on my footstool (ok, it's a box) for about a week and i still haven't finished the previous one!
Dont get me wrong, it's a great magazine. last month's copy had a great story on shipping. I know, shipping! It's not the most exciting thing in the world but it was well-written and personalised so it was a good read.
I also read: The New York Times online, The Guardian unlimited, the BBC news online at work. Those are the three I rely on most. Occasionally I will see what ChannelNewsAsia has on their website, to make sure we are as updated as they are!
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