Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

it was a slow start for me. honestly, i wouldn’t want to be caught dead reading it. but once i get into the ‘groove’, it was a fast page turner. and it was a good light reading for entertainment. it has some form of suspense, a love story, a family ordeal and mostly funny.

i couldn’t quite believe there are actually such crazy rich asians in singapore, however, the story are believable maybe because of the places, road names and food mention are familiar and close to home, you could picture them exactly how it is. there are even places that peaked my interest to look it up just to see if the place really do exist, like tyersall park and pulau samsara.

i enjoyed the conversations between the characters, the gossips, the rich description of luxurious haute couture and jewelries, yachts and hotels. you begin to love the main characters, the couple Nick and Rachel and start rooting for their relationship to survive the family hurdles they face. i like it too that most of the main characters ‘receive’ enough room to grow and develop, such that you could see the situations from their perspectives, so it was not a rushed ‘need’ to touch and go on the characters. and just as i thought i am done with the climax and thought the story is ending within the next few pages, i still had two-3 chapters to go. and i am so glad that readers could get some ‘answers’ towards the end. i really appreciated this kind of stories who dont leave us hanging or having to derive our own ending.

i am looking forward to read the next two books.

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L’Art de la Simplicite (the English Edition): How to Live More with Less by Dominique Loreau
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It felt like a nerverending session of advises. although i do appreciate some of them. mostly on how to live simply with less materials and quality over quantity, which i agree. we can really live simply with the tips she provided. give my own personal strive to live simply some mental projection practice, that it is possible to be happy within simple means.

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there are words to live by. which i hope i can put in here some other times. i didnt know why i purchased this book in the first place. like why this title and author instead of marie kondo (for one, i thought marie kondo is overrated and too mainstream already, here is one author i have never heard of).

i thought it was going to be a drag reading this if it’s all about keeping and living within simple means. it did feel like that, as i mentioned, a neverending session of advises. but it doesnt just talks about throwing stuffs, organizing your closet and zen living.

it did mention about respecting your physical, mental and spiritual needs and i appreciated that. about allowing your self to take a break and have the willpower to listen to what you need and take charge of ourselves. we all need time to be alone, in contemplation and centre ourselves back. i like she uses visualizing a lot.

here’s an exercise i dont mind trying.

visualise where and how you will be….how you’ll live the rest of your life…what would you like people to remember about you.

i like the idea of having rituals, like morning rituals or evening rituals. and for me, i never thought about it this way, but i have been having morning rituals of Subuh, Ma’thurat, Qur’an reading. and i think it has helped in my wellbeing.

overvall not a book i will re-read many times but it is a good manual to just look back at times when you just need a little bit of inspiration to go through this life.

How to Be Everything: A Guide for Those Who (Still) Don’t Know What They Want to Be When They Grow Up by Emilie Wapnick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

my doubts, uncertainties and questions answered in this book.
possibly one of among the many books i read that will change my life. i’m glad i picked this book.
thank you Emilie Wapnick.

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