Nothing like a cup of bitter, hot Chinese black tea on a chilly fall day.

I think I’m the only one who LOVES the rain.

Nothing more precious to me than my books.

Thigh highs, booties, work boots… I love boots of all kind.

Books. I go through phases where I’m reading every second I’m free and I’m going through one of those now. Last Sunday was spent at Chapters on Robson after a good hearty brunch… and Boyfriend asleep on the giant beanie chair beside me (and snoring loudly… in the store).

I highly recommend this trilogy:

Waterbottle. I’d die if I didn’t have water with me anywhere I go. It has turned into an annoying obsession and not to mention I have to go pee every half-an-hour.

Boots. Four words: FALL IS BOOT SEASON!! Well actually, boot season is every season… even summer.

Poutine. I love poutine so much that Boyfriend and his friends spent 2 hours making this giant pan of poutine for me on my birthday. I almost licked the pan afterwards… until some drunk guy rubbed his nasty hands all over the pan looking for more poutine that I just ate. But yes, another sick but delicious obsession. BEST BIRTHDAY EVER.

I had no plans to shop because I tried coming up with a list but couldn’t think of anything to buy this time. Little did I know….

I bought two little blue dresses for one of my best friend’s bridal shower and I ended up wearing this one (on the left). I love the color and the silhouette!

I never go to the states without buying books! They are cheaper over there and have way better deals than Canada. This is probably the least books I’ve brought though because someone was rushing me and threatening to burn my books. :@

I finished The Prodigal Mage in Karen Miller’s Fisherman’s Children series, the night before and HAD to pick up The Reluctant Mage after reading the preview. We were rushing to get back to Vancouver since we didn’t want to wait at the border so the only bookstore along the way was a Barnes and Nobles in Seattle (…when I could’ve gotten it tax-free in Portland, humph). I’m just a little annoyed because I have paperback editions of all of Karen Miller’s books and now suddenly I have a giant hardcover. Don’t you just hate that? But there was no way I was going to wait until next July for the paperback which I’mgoing to get anyway, just so my bookshelf looks pretty. :blush:

Got this lovely jacket for $200 (marked down from $500). It’s PURPLE, it’s Soia & Kyo and it’s leather. What more can you ask for? (picture credit to owner whose linked)

It was love at first sight when I laid my eyes on these babies. I picked them up at Nordstrom Rack for $125. LOVE LOVE LOVE!! I can’t decide if these boots or the leather jacket was my favorite buy of the trip.

Bath & Body works have the best hand sanitizers! I got these (and the lip balms/glosses) for my girlfriends as favors for the bridal shower.

This bag was my biggest regret! I contemplated for a long time and decided not to get it but I couldn’t stop thinking about it when we left the store. I went back to like 4 different Nordstrom Racks and none of them had it except the one in downtown Portland which I didn’t have time to go back to. Now, I still can’t stop thinking of the bag.

Unrelated, but this is my favorite picture from the trip. The boys playing with the newest and cutest member of the family.

I also bought a lot of comfy sweaters, tank tops, jackets, hair products (like tons of Sally’s mini hair clips because they are simply the best) and capes. Can’t wait for this freezing weather to set upon us so I can start wearing capes again!

(Sorry for the horrible quality of the pictures; they were all taken with my Blackberry).

• People who think only certain books are worth reading.
• People who’ll never miss an opportunity to bash popular/commercial fiction while boasting of his/her taste in the literary elite.
• People who read to impress.

No one cares if you’re reading Austen or Faulkner or Milton. It doesn’t matter what you’re reading as long as you’re reading. Tastes in books are totally subjective like your tastes in art and food so you can’t expect everyone to love books you love. How boring would the world be if everyone liked the same thing?

Books are also no longer being read as much as they were before but authors like J.K. Rowling and Stephenie Meyers are getting people who never picked up a book out of pure enjoyment in their life to start reading. Although they may never join the “literary elite,” that’s a huge achievement! Reading promotes better spelling, increased vocabulary but also provides an escape from stress in our lives so it doesn’t matter if you’re reading to stimulate your mind or reading for entertainment.

The only problem I have is when people bash a genre/book they’ve never actually read (or claimed they only watched the movie). How can you base your thoughts on a book because of hype or someone else’s feedback? I actually read Twilight so I have a right to say I don’t like it and I have my reasons. I’ve read tons of romance and chick-lit and I generally can’t stand them because they make me want to pull my hair out but a lot of other genres I read are intertwined with those so I can’t escape it and happily accept it.

OH wait, I have one more: CLOSET-READERS! Are you that insecure that you actually care about what other people think about the books you’re reading?

People need to be more open-minded when it comes to books. There are good books in every single genre… maybe your problem is that you’ve only picked the crappy ones.

Are you a literary snob?

What author do you own the most books by?
I’m not sure because I try to own all the books written by authors I like but the winner is between Terry Brooks, Stephen King or Dean Koontz. Can’t count because some of the books are in the back of my shelf and it’s too hard to dig them out.

What book do you own the most copies of?
It’s not actually a novel but I do own 3 copies of a wedding coffee-table book that I ordered by accident. Don’t ask.

What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Everyone knows I’m madly in love with Legolas from Lord of the Rings— only the Orlando Bloom version of him in the movies with the long and luscious white hair that I wished I had. Orlando is only good as an elf though. I don’t like him nor his characters in the rest of his movies.

What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding children’s picture books)?
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China— I discovered this book on my English reading list in high school and have read it so many times I can’t even keep count. I love historic books especially on Chinese history and the Cultural Revolution.

What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
I don’t remember a favorite book but I had MANY favorite series and Fear Street, The Babysitter’s Club and The Saddle Club topped the list. I wished R.L. Stine would write an adult version of Fear Street… I was obsessed with them.

What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?
Twilight. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it was so over-hyped (and if the characters weren’t so annoying).

What is the best book you’ve read in the last year?
This is soo hard but I’ll have to say The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett). I think this is one of those books that people thought was way over-hyped because it was in Oprah’s book club but I LOVED it. It reminded me of a Korean drama because the good guys would win, then the bad guys and then it would happen over and over again— lots and lots of drama and suspense which is totally my thing. It was 1000 pages long but Follett’s writing style is very simple which made it to be a quick read. It may not be the best book to you, but the epic-ness of it is just the thing for me.

If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be?
Children of the Dust (Louise Lawrence).

What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
The Godspeaker Trilogy (Karen Miller): Empress,The Riven Kingdom and Hammer of God.

Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
Omigosh I’ve had so many! The cutest one involved Merry and Pippin (hobbits from The Lord of the Rings). I actually wrote it down the morning after:

We were in a club and someone’s shoes broke (?!) so we were standing around deciding what to do. Then these two little guys jump out and was like “we’ll save you!” Then we were like, “Hey you’re Merry and Pippin from Lord of the Rings!!. And they replied, “oh we are!” Then I looked to the left and on the wall were all these pictures and documents on them saying they use to be conjoined twins.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I don’t have a preference because books are books but I like to pick up multiple editions of my favorite books. I prefer reading softcover but hardcovers look great on my bookshelf.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
If I can wait and I know what books I want, I’ll go to a bookstore any chance I get. If not, I order online (which is a lot more dangerous because I tend to mass-order).

Bookmark or dog-ear?
I’ll kill you if you dog-ear any of my books.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
I don’t alphabetize but I group my books by author …until I lost control of my shelf.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
Who in the world would throw away their books?! Crazy assholes. I always keep my books.

Short story or novel?
I don’t read short stories because I like super long novels. I don’t want my stories to end!

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Depends what I’m in the mood for. I’m not a total book snob so I’ll read anything… but dark and stormy night sounds more intense.

Buy or borrow?
Buy. It makes me sad when I don’t own a book I’m reading.

New or used?
I like new books but I’ll buy used books too… I love being in a used bookstore.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
All! I browse Amazon and Good Reads, read reviews and ask around for recommendations (the best books are usually recommendations). I also love picking up random books because you’ll never know what you’ll find.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
I read a lot so a mixture of both is good. Tidy endings can get boring so you need some cliffhangers once in a while.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
ALL DAY READING! I carry a book with me everywhere “just-in-case.” Sometimes when I do forget to bring a book with me, I always end up wishing I had one because I ended up in a boring situation.

Stand-alone or series?
I read both but I love trilogies, series and long epic tales. They do get tiring but I never want them to end especially if they are full of action and intriguing characters.

Favorite series?
The Lord of the Rings,The Lives of the Mayfair Witches (The Witching Hour, Lasher,Taltos) and Terry Brook’s Shannara series.

Favorite children’s book?
The Secret Garden and The Last Unicorn.

Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
Trapdoor to Heaven. Found it in a used bookstore for 50 cents. Have you heard of it?

What are you reading right now?
Have a lot of books on hold and none I’m currently reading but I just finished Namah’s Kiss
yesterday. Loved it so much so my next goal is to buy and read all of Jacqueline Carey’s books especially Kushiel’s Legacy. Soo excited!

What are you reading next?
Not sure yet but I might finish The Fionavar Tapestry.

What is your favorite novel of all time— your desert island book?
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (first book in The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy).

Favorite poem?
How Do I Love Thee? (Elizabeth Barrett Browning)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Favorite work of nonfiction?
I love biographies… my favorite is this one on Madame Chiang Kai-shek.

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
Winter of Fire. This was my first official “favorite book.”

Favorite writers?
J.R.R. Tolkien and Philippa Gregory.

Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Stephenie Meyers… only because some dared to compare her to J.K. Rowling. I did enjoy The Host though because of the aliens.

Do you ever smell books?
Who doesn’t smell books? Wait, does that make me retarded if I do?

Have you already thought about writing a book?
I’ve written two books. About the Backstreet Boys. In elementary school. All my friends did too for a class assignment and Howie was murdered in all of them. Hyukhyukhyuk.

What do you think about books in several volumes?
My favorite.

Do you like to re-read?
I love re-reading books. Fantasy, mystery and action books books are hard to re-read but everything else is good.

Favorite book to re-read?
Definitely The Witching Hour— I can’t get enough of the Mayfairs’ scandalous history. Harry Potter is also a good series to re-read because no matter how good it was, I ALWAYS forget what happens in the last couple books which is a good thing though because then I have an excuse to read it again …and again and again.

What about meeting or not with the authors of the books you’ve liked?
The closest I’ve ever been to a famous person was Anne Rice and it wasn’t even in person. I think I died 5 times the day she commented on my blog.

Do you like to talk about the books you read?
YES … to a lot of people’s dismay. Not too many people understand my love for books.

Something you read, hard to confess?
I don’t think I’m reading anything now that I’m embarrassed about but if I was still reading chick lit now like I did years ago then it would go here. Chick lit would be alright if only the characters in ALL of them weren’t so fucking annoying.

Best places to read?
On my bed with pillows propped up and a giant cup of my favorite super bitter Chinese tea…. and some cookies. Eating and reading at the same time is extremely satisfying and not to mention, two of my favorite activities.

The ideal book would be…
My ideal book would be a continuation of The Lord of the Rings. I want to know where everyone ended up in detail (and in another EPIC tale), not just in an appendix.

What’s the first book you just fell in love with ?
I always thought it was His Dark Materials trilogy but now that I think of it, I think it was Winter of Fire. It was on my classroom shelf in elementary and I was always tempted to steal it, but being the goody two-shoes chicken-shit that I was, I never did.

Looking at this cover brings back so many memories. Can't wait to force these books down my kids' throats in the future.

I frequented the library many times during my childhood because my mom loves to read. I remember the first time I went to the adult section at the library in Regina, I thought it was SO big and it even had an escalator! I had the sudden urge to run down the escalator going up just for fun and I felt so foolish afterwards that I never went back to the adult section again, thinking that the they would judge me. Good thing though because we moved.

But anyway, the kids section was where it was at!!

• The Boxcar Children – I have to give credit to Gertrude Chandler Warner for getting me into reading. My sister and I discovered these books at the library when we went to the kids’ “chapter books” section for the first time (!!!) when we were 6/7 and we use to grab as many as we can off the shelves to bring home. The piles were like taller than us! I use think that living the life of Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny, being orphans and solving mysteries was THE shit. Sigh.
• Young Cam Jansen – Cam use to be my idol because I thought having a camera-like memory was so awesome. Funny thing is that I remember loving these books but I don’t remember any of them at all along with Sideways Stories From Wayside School and that one about the figure skaters.
• The Saddle Club – I’ve always loved horses growing up so naturally, I read The Saddle Club. I got turned off after watching the TV show though because none of the characters were how I imagined them to look like. Does that make me sound shallow?
• Baby-Sitters Club – I remember being 8 and couldn’t wait to turn 13 because the girls in the BSC were. When I did turn 13, I realized it wasn’t that great AND I had to take the bus everywhere because my parents wouldn’t drive me around anymore. Public transportation sucks ass and being 13 is so overrated.

What were your favorite childhood series?

Fun and light read: one of my favorite post-apocalyptic books, The Gypsy Morph by Terry Brooks.

Can you imagine if all schools and libraries replaced their books with a digital archive (a “book-free library“)? What if a visit to a bookstore meant standing in front of a computer, browsing through titles and downloading them into your Kindle? What if bookstores won’t even exist anymore because all you’d have to do is download an e-book from your computer?

I don’t think books will ever disappear from the world but doesn’t the thought of it make you sad?

In Terry Brooks’ The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara trilogy, [Spoiler Alert!] they are searching for a relic of the old world (Shannara is magic-filled, fantasy world that was created after the our current earth and it’s people died from an apocalyptic event), only to find out that this relic is a huge compound full of discs filled with past human history and scientific discoveries BUT they can’t access it because they don’t understand nor have the technology to read the “discs.” What an oversight from a world that was so far in terms of technological advances, huh? [/Spoiler] Now imagine if all of our information were stored digitally… what happens when technology ceases to work? Everything would be lost.

You can increase information-sharing and save tons of space and money by going digital but the experience of reading a book just wouldn’t be same and would completely loose it’s essence. The touch of a book, the smell of the pages and even the occasional smudge of ink is all part of the experience. Walking in a bookstore, being surrounded by books and spending hours browsing the shelves is fun and therapeutic but where’s the fun in standing in front of a computer or reading The Pillars of the Earth from a tiny screen? Not being able to have the book in your hands makes it so boring and artificial.

Real book-lovers like myself will never go digital because there is nothing like the touch of an actual book or seeing those spines lined up beautifully on your bookshelves.

Well unless they are 948430lbs textbooks… then I’ll reconsider.

I can’t believe I waited so long to start reading this book! It’s been screaming at me from the shelves at the bookstore for years but I was always hesitant to buy it because I was never interested in Medieval England (no thanks to Social Studies class in high school). That’s another reminder for me to KEEP AN OPEN-MIND AT ALL TIMES. I almost missed something this great.

A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

I think I read this entire book in one sitting, much to Boyfriend’s dismay. It reminded me of a Korean drama… you just can’t get away from it without feeling horribly deprived. Some may say this book is overrated and full of flaws but I loved it. The Pillars of the Earth revolves around the building of a great cathedral and presents a combination of feelings; it was complex, heart-wrenching, sad, intense, happy and overwhelming all in one and full of characters you just fall in love with. It totally transports you back into history. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

On the Beach
Author: Nevil Shute
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic

Can you imagine knowing that your inevitable death is literally creeping it’s way to your doorstep? Can you imagine knowing that you are going to be one of the very last survivors of human civilization? Can you imagine trying to carry out your daily lives as if everything is normal until the very end?

They are the last generation, the innocent victims of an accidental war, living out their last days, making do with what they have, hoping for a miracle. As the deadly rain moves ever closer, the world as we know it winds toward an inevitable end…

This book is a quick and simple read but it will shock you, sadden you and change your perspective on humanity.

Madame Chiang Kai-shek: China’s Eternal First Lady
Author: Laura Tyson Li
Genre: Biography

I love reading stories of women with power (fiction and non-fictional)… from queens who ruled their own country, wives of powerful men to the extraordinary working class women who made a mark in history and paved the way for others, for centuries to come.

“The Dragon Lady” and her two sisters were raised in one of China’s most powerful families and became three of the of the most significant and influential political figures of the early 20th century. Her oldest sister, Soong Ai-ling, “the one who loved money” married the richest man and finance minister of China. Her second sister, Soong Ching-ling: “the one who loved China” was married to Sun Yat-sen, the “Father of Modern China.” And herself, Mayling Soong: “the one who loved power” married the Nationalist leader Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek and became his adviser, interpreter, and propagandist. Each played a role in alternating the course of Chinese history.

An international crusader who continued speaking out against Communism well into her nineties, Mayling sparred with Churchill and Roosevelt and impressed Westerners and Chinese alike with her acumen, charm, and glamour.

Imagine a family background like that. How can you NOT be intrigued? This is Mayling’s story.

The Blessing Stone
Author: Barbara Wood
Genre: Historical Fiction

The Blessing Stone is one of those books that leaves you in awe. I found this book in a used bookstore five years ago and have read it about 6 times since. Barbara Wood paints an amazing story of a blue meteorite that fell on earth 3 millions years ago to illustrate the history of the civilizations that came in contact with the stone—from the first homo sapiens that walked this earth to the modern-day 20th century. It begins when a girl stumbles upon it on the African plains 100,000 years ago and thus the legend of the stone begins as it goes to ancient Israel, to Imperial Rome, to medieval England, to the colonial Caribbean and finally the American West. This is an enticing and warm story of human spirit and survival.

Wizard’s First Rule
Author: Terry Goodkind
Genre: Fantasy

This is the first book in The Sword of Truth series; the epic tale of a woodsman named Richard Cypher who finds out who he really is and the destiny he must fulfill to save the world from evil with the help of a beautiful but mysterious woman who appears in his life out of nowhere.

I started reading these books a couple years ago, the same time I started watching 24, and if you watched 24, you’ll know how intense the show is but this book is 200x more intense than the show!! I actually whipped out these books to read instead of watching 24 with Boyfriend because it was that good. The writing style is a little repetitive and annoying (be warned!) but there is basically non-stop action in the book so it’s impossible to put down. You just HAVE to know what happens next. I finished all 11 of the books in about 2.5 months (somebody tell me to get a life). Recommended if you like being in suspense but not recommended if you are super anal about writing styles (I’m not a good writer myself so I can put up with somewhat bad writing as long as it’s not Twilight-related).

If you guys come to Vancouver, you have to go to Phnom Penh which serves authentic Cambodian and Vietnamese food because they have the BEST chicken wings (you have no idea how many people I got hooked onto them), butter beef (kind of like beef carpaccio) and Bo Luc Lac (filet beef on rice) EVER. It’s one of my favorite Asian restaurants in Vancouver!

Some people complain that the place is a little overpriced but for me; when it comes to food, you can’t put a price on it!!

Chicken wings and Butter Beef (pictures credited to original owners).

OMG Boyfriend actually got me books (for someone who never reads)!! I'm currently reading Hammer of God... been waiting to read that book forever!

Check out: Amazon books.

Got my nails did at TJ Nails... totally inspired by {link:http://missxxmai.blogspot.com}Miss Mai{/link}! Excuse my retarded fingers... Boyfriend asked me why they weren't straight.

Mochi hiding in my closet. ♥ She loves my jeans as much as I do!

King Crab! Yum!

My Greek Taverna in Coquitlam has the best calamari!

Goodbye stupid QX4!! Boyfriend traded this car in so *T can buy his FX35 and I'm sooo glad he finally got rid of it! It was so useful for trips but a total gas guzzler and he rarely drove it anyway.

He's only 5 and every time we take J* to the movies, he always falls asleep but he didn't when we went to watch The Pink Panther 2. So we got him a cake to celebrate and him and his sister sang the 'Celebrate good times, come on' song with a little booty-shaking. It's a heart because we told him to choose the smallest one since there weren't too many people eating it.

Got my lolita hat from {link:http://batyoureyelashes.blogspot.com/}Miss Tia{/link}. ♥

Finally got my Strap Perfect from {link:http://stephanie-nguyen.blogspot.com/}Steph{/link}... love these!

I just had to post this picture of Boyfriend getting tea-bagged by his dodgeball team (The Tea-Baggers).

• When I discover a new author I love, I attempt to read every book they’ve written.
• I buy all the books I want to read. Money ain’t a thing when it comes to books!! I can spend hundreds of dollars on books and not feel guilty at all whereas if I buy a $7 drugstore lipgloss, I’d drown in my own guilt. Library books makes me feel icky and for some reason, the pages feel gritty and dirty under my fingers— it may have came from all the boogers I found in library books when I was younger. Also, because the last time I checked out library books, I racked up $50 in overdue fines when I forgot to return them (not to mention, I didn’t even read any of them but ended up buying them off Amazon).
• I’m not a picky reader and I’m not too critical when it comes to books either, which is weird because I usually criticize everything. I usually like most books I read even if the writing wasn’t the best, as long as the plot kept me entertained.
• I read for entertainment. I prefer books with [lots of] action and something that will keep me sitting at the edge of my seat. I also like historical-fiction and biographies because I love history. I’m not really into slower books and romances, and I think chick-lit is the most annoying genre ever, but I can’t hate it because at least people are reading something, right? I’d still read genres I don’t like if they are there, and there’s nothing else to read though.
• My favorite place to read is on my bed with two pillows propped up with a cup of tea. I sound like an old woman.
• I read really fast! It still scares my boyfriend (he’s just jealous).
• I try to remember to bring a book with me everywhere I go and if someone (a.k.a. Boyfriend’s friends) disses reading, I’ll whip out my book and start reading right there… much to Boyfriend’s dismay.
• I have to admit, I judge people who say they hate reading. I also look down on people (specifically girls) who boasts that books are a waste of time and only reads magazines. I don’t care if you actually do, but announcing that to the world makes you sound like a complete dumbass. You can say I’m somewhat of a reading-snob but I have no shame in that.
• I don’t do e-books. I’m love my book collection (although it’s nowhere near as big as I wish it would be).

What kind of reader are YOU?

If you ever need to buy me a gift, don’t get me clothes or make up… buy me books (or a gift certificate to Amazon.ca or Chapters)!

Jump to: The Definition of Narcissism Pt. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I was going through a post-apocalyptic phase and right when I discovered this book, I rushed to find it online and have read it 4 times ever since. It’s a really quick read but it’s shocking, powerful and depressing— it will totally blow you away. It’s a beautifully written tale of three generations of a family after a global nuclear war. This is one of those books that you read and can never forget. Recommended if you like science-fiction and end-of-the-world scenarios.

Empress (Godspeaker Trilogy)
Author: Karen Miller
Genre: Fantasy

[From a review I wrote about in a previous entry] Empress is about an unwanted, feral slave named Hekat who was destined to become the greatest empress of Mijak in a world ruled by religion. You sympathize with the her in the beginning because of who she is and where she’s from but as the story progresses, you realize Hekat is bit crazy (somewhat of a sociopath) and incapable of feeling love or sympathy— only hatred and fear so you find yourself disliking her more and more because of what she’s becoming. I find this interesting because she is suppose to be the protagonist and the protagonist is always perceived as the “good guy” (although I know not all protagonists are suppose to be likable). But anyhow, it compliments well with Hekat’s independence, desire to rise to the top and her extremely determined and ambitious personality… she is after all, “precious and beautiful, she is god-touched.”

Chasing Daylight
Author: Gene O’Kelly
Genre: Memoir

As CEO at accounting giant KPMG, Eugene O’Kelly was so immersed in his job that over the course of a decade, he managed to have lunch with his wife on weekdays just twice. His travel schedule was set 18 months out. Once, he was so obsessed with impressing a potential client that he tracked down the man’s travel schedule, booked the seat next to him on a flight, schmoozed the guy all the way to Australia, landed the account, and flew immediately back to Manhattan. His Type-A ways vanished when, at age 53, a top neurosurgeon in New York told him he had late- stage brain cancer. “His eyes told me I would die soon. It was late spring. I had seen my last autumn in New York.”

That was enough to capture me to read the book. It’s inspiring, touching and pretty much made me bawl my eyes out.

The Other Boleyn Girl
Author: Philippa Gregory
Genre: Historical-Fiction

This is historical fiction at it’s best since Philippa Gregory is THE queen of historical fiction. I caught The Other Boleyn Girl on PPV one day and instantly became obsessed with the story, the Tudors and just [European] royalty in general so I went out and bought the book and was even more impressed. Again, if you loved the movie, READ THE BOOK!!

Mao’s Last Dancer
Author: Li Cunxin
Genre: Memoir

In a setting similar to Wild Swans that I recommended in a previous entry, Mao’s Last Dancer is an auto-biography written by Li Cuxin about his journey from a boy living in extreme poverty and laboring in the fields of China’s countryside to his career as a world-famous professional ballet dancer. When Madame Mao’s Dance Academy arrived at his school looking for students for ballet, he was chosen and admitted to the academy; this book documents his intense struggle to the top where he eventually graduated and was chosen to go to America where he danced in the Houston Ballet for sixteen years.

I know I said that I couldn’t wait to get home but I wish I was still in Cali; it was so hectic at times but fun. When we crossed the Canadian border, it started snowing like mad and I was so depressed because my feet got all wet in the snow carrying my 50lbs suitcase and 20lbs carry-on (I stuffed all my jeans in it) into the house. Hopefully we get to go again sometime this spring or summer!!

• The weather in L.A. was pretty good but it rained on Christmas day when we went to Disneyland! It poured when we got there but that’s about it; the rest of the day was dry… but kinda miserable because my socks were wet and Disneyland was sold out of socks (and umbrellas). Nevertheless it was worth it and our plastic sheets kept us dry… this is when you totally have to sacrifice fashion.

  

• I almost lost my camera at Disneyland!!!! It flew out of my pocket on Splash Mountain but luckily when I went back, they found it in the car and just took it to lost and found. Then I almost left my bag on the Indiana Jones ride with all our passports in it… we could’ve been stuck in Cali if L didn’t get it for me. Oh noez!
• L and I tricked Boyfriend to go on a ride at Universal Studios… and he never goes on rides!
• Finally ate at Tony Romas (we always wanted to try it but always put it off). It was alright, nothing great.
• The 8 hour drive from Cabazon to Sacramento wasn’t bad at all with red bulls, coffee and random Q&A with the boyfriend (he drove the entire way but I just stayed up with him). I found out his favorite flower is the sunflower… like WTH, how boring is that?! I’m sorry Boyfriend, but your girlfriend is a designer so you gotta come up with something more unique than that.
• NEVER leave your GPS at home. We had to follow these people when driving through San Jose and San Francisco because we forgot to bring it and didn’t know where we were going… ALL DAY.
• There’s were 40+ people staying in the house we stayed in Sacramento so the first night we all slept in the living room and I dreamt of this huge cargo ship with it’s horn blasting every couple seconds and I was so annoyed that I was about to bitchslap something in my dream. I woke up and it turned out to be someone snoring hella loud!! I seriously couldn’t stop laughing about it in the morning but that night, I barely got any sleep. Luckily the rest of the nights, I scored my own bed.
• Watching a Vietnamese wedding is a unique experience… now I gotta watch a Chinese wedding because I haven’t been to one since I was 6 and I don’t remember anything.

  

• Never drink an entire bottle of Grey Goose on vacation or else the next day would be a total waste since you’ll be stuck hung-over in bed all day.
• Being hung-over and squished in the back of a tiny Honda Civic with 4 people is the worse feeling in the world… especially when you’re in Sacramento and everything is so far apart.
• …there are a lot of ants in Cali.
• I ate more fast food in the 10 days we were there than I usually do in an entire year. It’s a grossly satisfying feeling.
• CARNE ASADA FRIES AND IN N OUT BURGERS ARE THE SHIT!! I tried both for the first time and YUM. What are Carne Asada fries my fellow non-Californians? They are fries layered with meat, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and hot sauce = FKING HEAVEN!!
• I actually finished the two books I brought on the trip so I went out to buy Eragon and Eldest. IT’S SO GOOD. Damn, now I gotta wait for book three to come out in paper back.
• I started saying “hella” too in the past year and I realized that I picked it up when we went to Cali last year. It’s so true how they say you start picking up the “Cali accent” after being here for a long time.
• Americans don’t say eh … they say huh. “You want some carne asada fries huh?” That’s a little weird for me, I think I’ll stick with the Canadian way.
• Somebody asked us if we celebrate the same New Year. Now THAT was hilarious!
• When the clock hit 12, we were still on the I5 going home but we got to see 4 different sets of fireworks from the freeway (don’t ask why we were flying back on that day… it’s a long story). The last 10 days in Cali was totally worth the countdown to 2009 in the car so I’d do it again anytime!

I am in love with Cali but I seriously need to get over my non-existent level of patience before ever considering moving down there. Before, I never wanted to move to L.A. because I thought it was always hot/warm there and I wouldn’t be able to wear my winter stuff but it’s actually kind of chilly especially at night. Also, the houses in Sacramento are so big, new, cheap and some are in cute little communities surrounding a man-made lake. I wouldn’t mind living there either.

Reasons why I shouldn’t move to Cali:

• I absolutely cannot stand the traffic. We got stuck on the freeway for three hours before we were smart enough to find an alternate route with our GPS because we thought it would end soon… but it was STILL crawling along when we were driving back to L.A. four hours later. It’s sad because nothing happened — no accidents or anything… there were just too many damn cars!! Our highways in Canada have like 2-3 lanes and we NEVER get traffic like that. LOL. That was 3 hours of wasted shopping time by the way. The second time we went to Cabazon to shop, we went on like 6 different freeways via GPS to escape the traffic but the detour only added 10 minutes to our total trip time so it was all good.
• Sacramento is plagued with four-way stops. I got soooo annoyed driving through all of them and we were on a big street too. That so doesn’t make sense!! Like P said, “no cop, no stop.”
• Everything is soo far away from each other —well in the Sacramento area at least.

SHOPPING. I actually didn’t buy much because I spent most of my cash on jeans. I was pretty depressed though when I found out I forgot to buy the Kassandra Varnish Fumes Blue (the purple version of the pair with the green R’s) because we went to there twice and I thought I bought it the first time but I didn’t! I was mainly looking for TRs but I didn’t find many styles that I actually liked so I only bought a pair of skinnies to go along with my boots. I don’t feel guilty about this splurge at all because I haven’t bought any new pairs of jeans since August… now all I gotta do is order more crystals so I can start customizing them. I also bought a Bare Escentuals starter kit in Medium; I love my Lumiere mineral foundation but I lost my last jar and my Clinique foundation is too light for my skin tone so I decided to hop on the bandwagon to see what this huge fuss was all about. I also stocked up on UDPP, bought a new Dior pressed powder and puppy pee pads for Mochi like I always do every time we go to the states. Other purchases included a lot of tops, leggings, accessories from Bebe, F21 and Wet Seal (we didn’t have time to go into many stores since we were stuck in traffic every time we tried to go shopping and line ups were insanely long), random make up from Sephora, books, Aldo flats and black Jessica Simpson pumps from Nordstrom… and a LOT of food and Starbucks.

My favorite were L‘s HELLO KITTY RAIN BOOTS because they’re freaking adorable! I’m SO jealous and would’ve totally purchased a pair if I was still in school or taking public transit to work but since I drive and park underground, I’m rarely outside so I would have no reason to wear them. Hey at least I saved myself $80.

Oh, how can I forget the fashion faux-pas that I purposely committed?! I WORE JEANS TO THE WEDDING! Well not to the formal Vietnamese ceremony but only to the reception. T wore her new Rocks so I was like WTF, no fair I want to wear mine too, so I pulled off the tags, threw them on last minute and tucked them into my boots; I didn’t really feel guilty because it was the reception and everyone was going to be drunk anyway. I bought a dress that I didn’t even wear because I never found shoes for them and I realized how short and slutty it was. If it was a friend’s wedding, I’d totally wear it (just because we all swing that way) but not to one where Boyfriend’s parents are present. I still wore all black to the morning ceremony… but I didn’t care because I just wanted my red hair to stand out. But anyway, not to say I’m proud of my fashion faux-pas but honestly I wouldn’t care what anyone wears to my reception as long as it’s not WHITE, too bummed out and as long as they don’t upstage me (or go home biatch).

Boyfriend and I were like the rebels because I wore jeans and he refused to wear a suit jacket and even left his tie in the car for the reception.

P.S. Thanks ladies for the lovely Christmas cards.

Quote of the trip:
“What the hell is beer pong? Do you hit the ball with a beer bottle or something?”
- by the same drunk dude who thought “ixi” was a word in a game of Scrabble last year.

Ending this entry with a Mochi pic of the day… because I missed her terribly.

Also sorry for not responding to Christmas/New Years text messages while I was away… I was too cheap to text you guys back but MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! I had good intentions.

The Lord of the Rings trilogy
1. Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. Return of the King
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Genre: Epic-Fantasy

These are classics and they are always the first books I recommend when someone asks for good books to read because they are my favorite. If you love fantasy and haven’t read Tolkien, WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN? If you’re not into fantasy, then start now! Also, if you like hot elves played by Orlando Bloom, then read the book for more of Legolas’ sexy travels (you just gotta picture him in your head). Oh, I can’t forget The Hobbit if you want a lighter read by Tolkien.

The Lives of the Mayfair Witches trilogy
1. The Witching Hour
2. Lasher
3. Taltos
Author: Anne Rice
Genre: Horror

Or are these my favorite books? This and LOTR are both so different from each other and each have their own charm that I can’t decide between the two!! It starts out a little too slow but it’s worth the read. What I loved about The Witching Hour is how far back Anne Rice goes with the Mayfair family history and how she really seduces the reader into the story with a very rich and intense history and amazing attention for detail. Her descriptions creates extremely vivid imagery in your head, some of it so powerful that it’s almost as if the story was real and you could see/feel/hear/taste/smell everything that is going on. I think this book took me longer to read than most because I made sure I read each and every word… sometimes even twice because I was so into it (and I’ve reread the book 4 times since). Lasher and Taltos wasn’t as strong as the first book, but once you start, you gotta finish the journey.

I was reading some of the reviews and was surprised when some people didn’t like the long Mayfair family history. That was the part I loved the most… in fact, if that was what the entire book was about, I would’ve loved it even more.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Author: Jung Chang
Genre: Memoir

“The story of three generations in twentieth-century China, it is an engrossing record of Mao’s impact on China, an unusual window on the female experience in the modern world, and an inspiring tale of courage and love.” I first read this when I was 16 and have read it 3 times ever since. The book is very intense and most of all, it’s real. Recommended if you love history.

Black Order
Author: James Rollins
Genre: Action

I actually have to reread this book because I read all of James Rollin’s books in a short period of time so they are all sort of mashed into my memory. His books are very Dan Brown-ish but better (only because everyone knows who Dan Brown is) and is filled with non-stop action, following the characters through roadblocks, destruction and mysteries that needs to be solved to save the world; it will leave you breathless.

Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette
Author: Sena Jeter Naslund
Genre: Historical-Fiction

If you’re a history-freak like I am and am obsessed with beautiful 18th-century France, you’ll love this book. This historical fiction follows the life of the young Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France to her infamous journey to the guillotine in rich detail. If you watched the movie, then read the book because as we all know, movie adaptations are never as good as books.

Let me know what you think of them!

1. I can’t stand the feeling of wet hair on the back of my neck and back. If my hair is wet, it’ll be up in a towel until I blow-dry it. The good thing about this is that it adds volume to your roots with no products!
2. I’m addicted to Mallvibes because it’s the best forum in the world with the best (and friendliest) members and a fun atmosphere. Plus that’s where I find all my shopping deals. This is probably the ONLY forum that I’ve ever been active in (I’m usually a lurker).

   

3. Everytime I walk into Chapters, I HAVE to purchase a book (or ten). Yesterday I absentmindedly went into Chapters and Boyfriend was like, “why the hell are we here?” and I really had no idea… it was just pure instinct to go in when one is near.
4. I never wear runners unless I’m going to the gym or have to walk A LOT. They make me feel so grubby! I giggle when I think back in highschool when everyone wore white runners with jeans (and then they would turn blue).
5. My “secret” dream is to be a hair stylist and own a salon (while doing a little bit of freelancing for web/print on the side) which I will definitely pursue but not now because I want to continue to concentrate on designing for a couple more years.
6. I prefer solitude. I’m quiet (unless I’m around people I know well and/or when I’m a drunken mess), I’m an introvert, I like being alone and doing things alone (eg. shopping— I absolutely CANNOT stand shopping with other people). Boyfriend is the only exception. Plus I get annoyed at people who are “too social” because they seem so needy and needy people are annoying. I’m such a hater.
7. I’m not a girly-girl as much as a lot of other girls I know. I don’t always wear make up. I don’t like doing the hugging and kissing on the cheek thing everytime I see someone. I don’t squeal. I don’t like dancing/grinding with other girls at clubs like everyone else seems to do (I’m sorry but that just seems kinda slutty and a bad cry for attention from horn dogs if you do it all the time); I prefer to dance alone— away from eveyone else; preferably in front of a fan.
8. I’m probably the most unatheletic person you can meet. Boyfriend plays on a dodgeball team with his friends and a bunch of their girlfriends and they asked why I don’t play and he said, “she doesn’t play sports… she’ll probably be afraid of the ball.” LMAO. I laughed so hard when I heard that (and just for the record, I’m not afraid of balls— I’m just lazy).
9. My room walls are dark purple. I wanted black but my parents would’ve been super pissed off. I wanted red but I’m already a pretty angry person and the red walls would probably put me on a rampage. Just don’t ever paint my walls pink and I won’t kill you.

   

10. I don’t bother with people who annoy me or is just plain weird as hell and makes me feel uncomfortable (what’s the point?). But otherwise, I think I’m a super nice person now (more than I was before) and although I may seem bitchy and annoyed at times, I’m willing to go out of my way for my good friends especially when they’re in need.

This weekend I…

• Took the kids to EA’s Halloween party (for kids) at Stanley Park. I was thinking it was going to be lame (shh I’m just kidding) but t’was fun, the kids had a blast, the magician even made me laugh and the snacks were yummy… plus the best cupcakes in the world were present. *slurp
• Sat outside in the freezing cold with the niece and nephew to watch Boyfriend’s soccer game. Well the longest I concentrated on the game was about 20 seconds so I don’t know if you consider that “watching.” We went to the playground instead.
• Bummed around Boyfriend’s house and finished The Sword of Shannara trilogy (hrm, I need to get a life). It was very reminiscent of Lord of the Rings but I give it a 10/10: LOVED IT!! Niece: Guess what Auntie Katy, my book has 84 pages and I’m on chapter 2! How many pages does yours have? Me: 1200…
• The good thing was that Boyfriend willingly slaved away and cooked for me all weekend while I stayed in and enjoyed my book. I lover him. HEHEHE.
• Ordered some books online because you can’t go wrong with $2 books at Chapters! I hate it when I don’t have time to read, but I love it because I do (at the moment).

Hmmm… this is my kinda weekend.

*Figuring out what Boyfriend can be this Halloween…

Nephew: I know Chu-Loa, you can be a booger and then I can pick you out!”

*Later on after we told him he was funny so he tried another one but failed…

Nephew: You can be my butt and I can poop you out!
Boyfriend: How can you poop me out?

*After someone suggested he should be the Burger King king or a chicken or a tree…

Niece: Chu-Loa… if you’re a tree, dogs will pee on you…

*Out of nowhere…

Niece: Chu-Loa… boo!
Boyfriend: What?
Niece: *gets mad* You’re suppose to be scared!!!!
Boyfriend: Oh. Ahhhhhhhhh!

It’s so cute because they say it so matter-of-factly. Hehehe.

Anyway, Crystal suggested I do a post on bags since I’ve never written a post about them… but then I’m not a huge bag-person (yet) *gasp* so there wouldn’t be much to write about; maybe in a couple gazillion years when I can justify spending $1000+ on a purse. But here goes: I don’t care much for brands as long as it looks good but my bags have to be huge since I carry around a shizzload of stuff with me and usually has to fit a very thick and heavy book because of my geeky nature (which Boyfriend doesn’t seem to like much because I don’t listen to his babbling when I’m reading). When I DO get a new bag I usually end up carrying it around for like 2 months before switching because I’m too lazy to move my stuff. I don’t like Juicy Couture bags because the designs, colors and the fabric are too teenybopper-ish for my taste. I don’t like LV monogram bags because I prefer [their] leather bags that DON’T have their logo plastered all over although I’m guilty because I have Coach purses with their logo all over it, BUT all those purses were gifts; I wouldn’t waste my hard-earned dollaz on them myself although if you’d like to buy one for me, I’ll still use it… ahaha. So here’s my little post excerpt on bags, Crystal. :blush:

• 95% of the population looks like shit in skinny jeans.
• Ed Hardy (and all those “Gangster” brands) are UGLY.
• I guess I’m too old for Disney (am I really?) but I see it on a lot at Boyfriend’s house since there are usually so many kids there all the time… dundundun …Miley Cyrus is a horrible singer and actress (although I still have to give her props for her success and her millions of dollars).
• Twilight by Stephenie Meyers kind of really sucked.
• Clothes from Hollister, A&F and AE are ugly.
• LV monogram bags are ugly.
• Juicy Couture bags are freaking hideous.
• I can’t stand Stephen Harper (and him popping out of a Juicy Couture bag… that’s even worse!).
• I don’t understand why people take a billion pictures of only themselves and post it on communities like Facebook. They all look the same!! Zzzz.
• Chuck Bass (from Gossip Girls) is soooooo hot!! *shh don’t tell Boyfriend. Ed Westwick is even hotter with his British accent though.
• Blake Lively is a bad actress.
• Lauren Conrad is sooooooooooo boring.
• I’m all for plastic surgery. People should get to make their own choices.
• People over 20 shouldn’t wear anything with a TNA logo visible.
• I LOVE Girlicious no matter how trashy they are.
• I can’t stand most of Rihanna’s songs.
• Most chicklit is horrible. So are straight-on romance novels because they are too slow and boring for my taste… and the main character is almost always annoying. Zzzzz.
• I love old rock (and pop) music. One of my favorite songs is All For One by Rod Stewart, Sting and Bryan Adams and Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins. I only write this because I can’t think of anyone of my friends who listens to them.
• I’m pro-choice. Politics and religion (and other nosey people) shouldn’t meddle with a woman’s freewill and what they choose to do with their lives.
• I’m against organized religion.
• Durian is delicious!! Especially durian milkshakes (and Chuck Bass on a durian). Yummy.
• Not exactly an unpopular opinion but people shouldn’t take things too seriously— life is too short!

What are YOUR unpopular opinions?

The Favored Childby Philippa Gregory

Sensual, gripping, sometimes mystical, The Favored Child sweeps the reader irresistibly into the eighteenth century, a revolutionary period in English history. This rich and dramatic novel continues the saga of the Lacey family started in Philippa Gregory’s bestselling and enduringly popular Wideacre.

I’m not even going to give a formal review for this book because it doesn’t deserve it. The good things about the book was the writing style which was amazing, the plot and the historical references which were fascinating, but the breaking point for me: the protagonist/narrator in the book was A WEAKASS BITCH who let people push her around AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE ANNOYING THAN A WEAKASS BITCH (and I can’t stand weakass bitches). It started out really good but it just got more unbearable as I turned each page; there was a couple points in the book where I stopped reading and just skimmed the pages. It’s like, dude I don’t care if you’re freaking lonely… you brought this onto yourself!! Seriously, does it take you like 200 pages to realize that you’re an idiot?! Idiot.

BUT SERIOUSLY … this IS a very good book despite that ONE point I mentioned above just because I have super low tolerance for that stuff (especially when it happens in real life!!). I said it sucked, but I still recommend it if you read Wideacre.

I gave the book 3/10. It was so painful to read— I don’t know why I keep on putting myself through this. As sad as it may sound, I’m going to buy the last book in the trilogy, Meridon, because I HAVE to finish it. Grr (at myself). I hope the protagonist is more like Beatrice Lacey and not like weakass Julia Lacey!

Check out the conclusion to this trilogy: Meridon.

Wideacre
by Philippa Gregory

Beatrice Lacey, as strong-minded as she is beautiful, refuses to conform to the social customs of her time. Destined to lose her family name and beloved Wideacre estate once she is wed, Beatrice will uses any means necessary to protect her ancestral heritage. “She is a Lacey of Wideacre,” her father warns,”and whatever she does, however she behaves, will always be fitting.” Yet even as Beatrice’s scheming seems about to yield her dream, she is haunted by the one person who knows the extent of her plans…and her capacity for evil.

Incest (and a LOT of it). Love. Rape. Betrayal. Murder. Deception. Fraud. Greed.

Two words I have to describe this Wideacre: WOW and OVERWHELMING. The wow isn’t really a good “wow” either and the book was way over the top— so much that I actually had to stop reading it for a while because I couldn’t take much too much of the it at a time, nevertheless, I was too intrigued to not finish it and at the end I had to admit, it was a beautifully written tragedy although disgustingly descriptive with themes that may be uncomfortable for most.

I’ve never hated a protagonist as much as I hated Beatrice Lacey but I found myself routing for her while getting irritated at the righteous characters who were always trying to set her right. Maybe that’s why this book creeped me out so much— because I sided with someone so dark and evil like Beatrice.

I’m a huge fan of Philippa Gregory, but there was way too much incest in this book for my taste. If you can somehow force yourself to put that all aside like I did, you’ll find a book that captures very well the essence of the era, successfully engages the reader with the characters and makes them feel every emotion the characters are going through, whether good or bad. It’s dark, overwhelming but a very intense and fascinating read.

I highly recommended it to: a) lovers of historical fiction, b) if you’re looking for an intense novel to engage yourself into c) you choose none of the above but you just love trashy, scandalous novels.

I give Wideacre a 6.5/10. It makes me feel dirty to even admit I liked this book (despite all the ickyness)! Hah. I even picked up book 2 of the trilogy today: The Favored Child.

Ordered new books today:

• The Riven Kingdom by Karen Miller
• The Queen’s Fool by Philippa Gregory
• Wideacre by Philippa Gregory

I wasn’t planning on buying any books for a while but I’ve been dying to read The Riven Kingdom which is the second book in the Godspeaker trilogy. I got the other two so I could get free shipping since I was too lazy to actually go to Chapters to get them (and also an excuse to get more).

The first book, The Empress is about an unwanted, feral slave named Hekat who was destined to become the greatest empress of Mijak in a world ruled by religion. You sympathize with the her in the beginning because of who she is and where she’s from but as the story progresses, you realize Hekat is bit crazy (somewhat of a sociopath) and incapable of feeling love or sympathy— only hatred and fear so you find yourself disliking her more and more because of what she’s becoming. I find this interesting because she is suppose to be the protagonist and the protagonist is always perceived as the “good guy” (although I know not all protagonists are suppose to be likable). But anyhow, it compliments well with Hekat’s independence, desire to rise to the top and her extremely determined and ambitious personality… she is after all, “precious and beautiful, she is god-touched.”

I love epic fantasies and this was one of those books that I couldn’t put down because it captivated me from beginning to end— and it was different. It’s definitely NOT for the weak of heart because it’s dark, bloody, violent, graphic and gets worse as the novel progresses. The style of writing is a bit repetitive and could get annoying but despite that I absolutely loved this book.

Click here to read an excerpt from The Empress.

• Craved like crazy for a Monty Mushroom Burger from White Spot (best burger ever). So crazy that I couldn’t concentrate on anything else— unfortunately I never got it because Boyfriend hates eating at White Spot. P.S. The image was stolen from hoyummy.com.
• Was about to see a movie after dinner but forgot to buy movie tickets at work (why pay $12 and we can get it for $6?) so we went home to start another Korean drama instead.
• Went for dim sum with the family and boyfriend (haven’t done that in sooo long). Totally not satisfying because my black bean chicken feet never came— never going to a dim sum place where they push carts around again. Boo. P.S. The image was stolen from savagexi.com.
• Bummed around Boyfriend’s house like the good old days (a.k.a. last month).
• Tried Jackfruit for the first time in my life because they brought home this huge one from Vietnam. It tasted like shit and made the house smell like alcohol. Um.
• Got so stressed out while looking for a gift for a 2-year-old. Him: “Why are you so hot and stressed out? I’m not.” Me: “Because you’re not thinking hard enough!!!” And he really wasn’t— he was just kicking a soccer ball around Toys R’ Us.
• Went to his niece’s birthday party and almost fell into a swarm of kids scrambling to pick up candy from the broken pinata.
• Wore new eyelashes that were less than $2CDN for 10 pairs (from Vietnam)— they were soo much better than my $5 (per pair) Ardell lashes. This is why I always stock up when I know people going overseas. My sister brought back 2 boxes for me in 2006 and I’ve only used half of one box.
• Got lots of good deals including a $30 Tweezerman tweezer for only $17.50!
• Spent $30 on cereal and granola bars.
• Fell asleep at 10pm on Sunday night— can you believe it? I haven’t slept before 2am for almost a year! But then it was a shitty sleep and ended up waking up at 6:30 this morning, contemplated whether to go to gym or not, lied there and fell asleep again until it was time for work. I hate sleeping early.

• A little disappointed; book didn’t live up to it’s hype.
• Storyline was predictable and a little high-schoolish.
• Didn’t like writing style.
• Maybe there was too much romance involved (which I’m not a big fan of).. I skimmed through most of the parts Bella and Edward were confessing their love to each other. I’m sorry… but zZzz. :*(
• Bella is fucking annoying.
• Reasons I might buy the rest of the books: I want to see how the characters develop and I love anything vampire-related.
• Recommended for those looking for an easy read and for who likes romance novels.
• Overall: it was OKAY because it DID get me intrigued. It’s a quick and easy read and I want to know what happens next!
• 6/10

I blame the hype, because if there wasn’t so much of it, I think I might’ve enjoyed this book a LOT more and wouldn’t of had criticized it as much.

But if you want better vampire novels, I recommend Anne Rice.

Question:
For those of you who have read both Twilight and The Host, did you enjoy both of them? Did you enjoy one but not like the other?

Maybe I need another Anne Rice kick in the behind to try get me all excited again.

But I realized that life has to go on and I had to eventually go back to my usual mindless babbling. So here I am.

Anyway, I bring unto you…. NYX! I haven’t purchased any NYX products ever since I switched over to MAC but I couldn’t resist this little haul since everything was on sale anyway. I know their eye shadows are great, their pigments are awesome, but tomorrow I will test out face products for the first time. As for lipsticks, all I hear are raves about them but my experience with NYX lipsticks was the lack of staying power although it HAS been a while so they’ve probably gotten better. I bought 4 shades but it turns out that I don’t really like most of them so I guess I’m just going to give them away or something. :snooty:

See.. even Mochi loves it so much that she’s trying to eat my pigments.