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Read read read!!

perks of being a wallflower

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The Perks of Being a WallflowerThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

picked up this book because of the media mentions of it as a movie. i guess i would probably enjoy watching the movie more than reading it. it was a bit of a drag for me to continue reading the book. maybe because in my mind i was trying to compare it with catcher in the rye. that classic still tops among my list.
the only part of the book which i enjoyed was highlighting the books the protagonist received or recommended by his teacher character. there are books i have read and there are titles which i am compelled to find out and read. i cant wait for that reading adventure. that i got to thank the perks of being a wallflower for its booklist.

most of the time, i want to feel him as a wallflower, as the anti protagonist, as the person in the back of the classroom, as the blacksheep but i couldnt because the character is so smart and i feel like he is more in the ‘in’ group than i expected.


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day 1 mencari diri

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I am on a 30 days of finding me.
30 hari mencari diri.

I have been thinking of having a book to accompany this rediscovering me phase…before i actually hit a milestone age, the big 3-0.

I have always had connections with a book, especially inspiring novels and stories. The book which i always picked up to bring myself back up has always been paulo coelho’s The Alchemist. A book recommended to me by a schoolmate in secondsry years and have been one of my favourite all this time. Its the one ‘storybook’ i bring along to university because i thought i will need it in times of need and it did help now and then in my pursuit for knowledge with all its difficulties.

That was a book i thought i would take this time around. But then, i realise, no. Why would i want to use a book written by, nonetheless a great author, a spiritual person, and although he believes in God, he not necessarily share my faith.

I had always believed in signs and how Allah will give me inspiration and guidance in times of need. Disclaimer, although i know i strayed from that guidance sometimes and do things on my limited capability. So it happened i borrowed a book from the library with the intention to create some posters and take some contents from this book. But never got to start doing it. The book lay on my desk since a few days ago.

I have edward de bono’s beautiful mind at hand and i strive to read that but who would have thought, Contemplations of a book accompanying me suddenly been decided this morning, when i saw the book on my desk.

doa ajaran ilahi is the book. I realise this could be the right starting point if i am holding this book now. I am in search of myself, why would i stray so far to read all other when this small book could teach me something. It is, quite simply, a book of prayers. And prayers are a tool of a muslim who is in need. I am in need now.

So show me please.

“Supplicate to your Lord humbly and softly, surely He does not like those who cross the limits.” Al-a’raf:55

alif the unseen

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Alif the UnseenAlif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finally completed the book! I liked the book when its telling about the djinns. But i got bored sometimes when they go all programming. I really wished there is more ‘fantasy’ than tech. Overall i do think it is brilliant to try and concile two extreme realities the unseen djinn and the unseen computer programming using the alf yeom as the link. I really wish there is more to the alf yeom and alf layl revealed along the way. I guess i was really expecting an aladdin kind of story mashed up with technology.
In any case, nice to have a mainstream muslim author in the scene. Keep writing More stories Willow!

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a mountain of crumbs

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A Mountain of Crumbs: A MemoirA Mountain of Crumbs: A Memoir by Elena Gorokhova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Russia has always been a mystery to me. And when i saw A Mountain of Crumbs, i did not hesitate to buy it. Loving it so far because it reminds me of how much i love Diary of Anne Frank when i was a teen. I like how it was written in innocence, staying as down to earth as a normal child can be. Currently i am reading on the protagonist in her young adulthood, working and studying. I like that it doesnt talk so much about the politics but a middle class family living their days, struggles of having daily stipend food, working hard to lead a decent life. And author shared significant memories from her life like the death of her father, becoming a guide, her sister’s play.
Overall enjoying the book.

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bookless reader

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I know. i love books, madly love books. There were times when i can just sit and read a book the whole day and had difficulties doing other things because i was just so engrossed in a story.

But the era is changing and i am catching up fast. I embraced the ebook reader. I still buy books. No way can i not read a book in its book form. But i also love the ebook for the simple reason of having a couple of ‘books’ in one cool device! I especially love it that classics are available free. And i must say i have downloaded almost all the classics from kobo, my choice of ebook-shop and reader.

Ebooks is also making it easier for my thirst for the fantasy genre. Because it was too many, its the one genre which i cant afford to buy. The library had been my sanctuary for them books. But as in the case of george r martin’s games of thrones, i purchased them online as ebook collection and i got them at a much cheaper price and i can bring all 4 books wherever i go! Hwahwahwa.
Still, only the favourites though. I will still make the library relevant by visiting them now and then for my fantasy fix.

Not forgetting those emagazines! I love them too haha! Especially reader’s digest! It gives a different experience of reading that mag with videos a click away and the animations they have! Very cool! Just this month’s, when u ‘open’the e-mag, you are greeted by this celebrity featured!

Nevertheless, as all booklovers all over the world, we still want to read books in its natural way. Its the joy of reading it, admiring the cover, flipping over the page to keep on reading, slipping a bookmark(in my case, colour coordinated) with a heavy heart because you do not want to stop. And more so, in these times when you are always connected and screen eyed, you just want to look away and go easy on the eyes with some nice book, with a nice hot drink, and just indulge in another life, another world, another story.

I really really hope the luxury of holding a book is not lost in time. And yes, my children will be book lovers too. Definitely.

the alchemist vs the aleph

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i had loved the alchemist. full stop. no doubt about it. it is the one fiction book which i read over and over.

i enjoyed the journey that the protagonist went through, truly enjoyed them. i loved the wisdom behind every trip he made. i loved the spiritual and mystic elements of it.it made me bring myself up again should i read it in times of difficulty.

and after so long not reading paulo’s books (after several other books i had read) came the aleph. i bought the book as soon as it came out in the bookstores. just the title itself is intriguing. so when i bought it, i thought the alchemist all over again?!

but somehow after reading the first two chapters, i was kind of disappointed with it. it was nothing like the alchemist.

it was about the author’s experience, a journey he took. i wanted to enjoy this trip he took but i just find it draggy and dry. i wanted to know who is the girl, his protagonist which is supposed to be connected to him in the past. but right until the end, i still dont know who the girl is, i mean not as much as i wanted apart from being a violinist virtuoso and the past being accused as a witch…i wanted to know more about this travelling in time aspect he mentioned many times in the book, but it just felt boring.  it wasnt exciting at all and the fact the the journey back in time was him being some sort of priest.  it’s just…urgh..

it was not a story i would have loved. i just read through it wanting to know what’s next but my thirst unsatisfied. all i remembered from the book was how dreary, tiring and uncomfortable the journey was for everyone. and i had to wait right till the end for what i think is the peak of the story. it took me very long for me to finish reading this book, a good pause of a few weeks after reading past the third chapter because i felt i wasnt ready for the aleph.

and the whole idea of this aleph. the book isnt about the aleph. he should give a different title for this book.

heck, i had even enjoyed the witch of portobello. even his experience in the zahir. i loved every page of the zahir!

maybe i should read the aleph again…next year and maybe i will understand better what it is all about. but for the first time ever, i am disappointed reading a paulo coelho book.

books actually

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i do not know how i developed this bad habit. this habit of buying books, made worst with the knowledge that i can order books online from amazon.com and Popular bookstore a stone’s throw away from home. and when the money runs dry from my book budget (yes, i have a budget i put away every month for books), the library will satisfy that thirst.

the problem is, i read a book halfway and then move on the next book, which i will be reading it a few pages and then take another book. it is starting to feel like some kind of disorder.

1. seri must stop buying books for the time being, which means no going in to bookstores and no surfing at amazon.com
2. seri needs to finish up reading all the books already available, and i tell you, there’s aLOT
3. seri needs to read smart and gain knowledge from the reading, take out those highlighters and page markers
4. seri needs to FIND TIME to read, no doing work during lunch time!!

although, after some heavy research reading in an attempt to come up with a proper lesson plan. i think i deserve to read something light, dont i?

reading The Time of My Life by Cecelia Ahern… very apt.

cut the tree

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now perhaps in seven habits we have what we know as sharpen the saw… simply said practice makes perfect. but all i’m thinking is to start sharpening the mind with these on the list:

childhood education
best teaching methods
religions
be up to date to news (i have taken for granted and not watch or read the news properly for the past year!)
sharpen my fiqh, read up my tauhid, and everything related to it
and yes, definitely read up those books unread as of yet!

and as have learnt, assert: I HAVE TIME

and yes i will start today.

work wise

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first it was living life. with the hopes it can bring a smile and some sort of motivation. yes it did bring a smile.

now it’s just…i’m NOT in a good mood, a huge headache residing….terribly a mess. i hated these peak seasons.

period.

let’s get these things done and over with. please. i’ve had it.

and i don’t enjoy gilbert’s as much as i thought i would.

and the talk i went to on friday was depressing. will relate on that later.