Saturday, February 26, 2011 Borders To Close? Posted by juphelia at 12:36

There is an article today about Borders, the giant bookstore chain, going bankrupt. I am not sure if they will pull out the store here, because if they do, it is a disaster indeed as I will no longer find any good books around anymore.

Borders is the first bookstore and cafe concept to open here, back in the mid-1990s. In those days, it was hard to find really good books around. Most of the time, I end up going to the library, or to local bookstores where there is not much variety, or else I will buy my books overseas from Harris when I went to Australia.

Then the Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya came. Even though it has a wide range of books, but most of the time, it is filled with, erh, Japanese books. So when Borders opened its doors, I started hanging out there all the time. The variety is humongous - from reference books to fiction to non-fiction to cookbooks. Many of my university textbooks were bought in Borders.

I remember those days when I was still a poor student, I would go to Borders, pick out a book I like, then hide in a corner and started reading. I never got caught because I always finished the book within a couple of hours, then returned it back to the shelf. The book looks as good as new because I always handle it with care. I absolutely hate anyone reading a book or flipping through the covers and returning it with the covers tattered and folded. The least one can do is to learn how to take care of a book properly!

Now with the internet age, I no longer step into Borders that often. I would always order online. I guess due to this, the bookstore itself is not making any profits because most people prefer to order books online now, or worse, download e-books or just read everything off the internet.

A few months back, I wrote a post on how electronic media can never be compared to print media. I still concur to this. No matter how much you read off smartphones, or the internet or iPads or Kindle, it is never the same having a physical book in your hands. Yes, I know electronic versions do not cost money, I know it is saving the trees, but there are other ways to save money and there are other ways to save the trees. Improving your knowledge and language is worth every penny.

It is just like downloading movies instead of going to the cinema. Or downloading songs instead of listening to a CD or iPod. Call me old-fashioned or out with the times, but I much prefer seeing the big screen in the movies as compared to the small screen on my computer or laptop. I much prefer listening to the CDs on my clock radio-CD player instead of downloading songs and listening off my computer or laptop. And if I go travelling, I can always burn all the songs from my CDs into my iPod Shuffle.

I really hope Borders will not pull its store from the local shore. There is only one Borders store here, and if that goes, it will be a disaster! No longer will I be able to relieve my younger days and enjoy hanging out there anymore!

Sunday, February 20, 2011 A Read-A-Thon Posted by juphelia at 12:34

All of a sudden, I am having a reading marathon. I used to have these "read-a-thons" back in my school days when there was nothing much to do, since my parents did not allow me to go out nor watch any television, so when I was bored, I started reading. And a good thing it is, because I always feel nowadays many people do not read enough.

In any case, in recent years, my reading has decreased drastically. One reason is work. You spend all hours working and really have no time to do anything else. Another reason is social life. When I start going out with friends, having fun, then later started being involved in religious work and then started dating, one really does not have that much time for one's own leisures anymore.

I used to average twenty-five books a month, then later on ten books a month, and now, it seems to be a good thing if I can even finish one book a month. That is how much I have deteriorated. So this year, I made a resolution to myself to go through at least two books a month, and slowly increase along the way.

For the past two weeks, I have finished three books. Not a bad feat! I started reading again on public transport, while I was on the bus or the train. I started reading when I was out with my boyfriend, when we were waiting for the bus or train or just waiting for the food to come. By doing this, I realise I can get through a book much quicker.

Now my love for reading has increased. I have always been passionate about books and the beauty of the words in a page, but I have never imagined ever giving it lesser priority than anything else in my life. I totally regret doing that, because reading is really a pleasure beyond any description.

I will never let my love of the books slide again! I plan to go through at least two books a month and more if possible!

Friday, January 28, 2011 How To Cultivate Readers? Posted by juphelia at 12:30

I always find it strange that many people I know do not read and have no inclination reading. Nowadays kids are brought up playing computer games instead of reading and playing actual outdoor games. And many of these kids come from families where the parents themselves speak relatively well and are educated, but for some reason do not encourage the children to read books.

And then these parents get tutors and teachers to teach the kids how to read. During my own days in the education industry, I have come across many instances where parents rely on teachers and tutors to ensure the kids do well, without the parents themselves chipping in. Teachers and tutors can only do so much, but the very people whom the kids take after and look up to are the parents. Hence the foremost educator of the children are actually their own parents.

Now in this day of outsourcing, many parents conveniently outsource their children's education and upbringing to external parties. But humans are not like a job or a machine. One can outsource a job, a machine, any other technological gadgets, but one simply cannot outsource education and upbringing of the children. Despite teachers, tutors, domestic helpers and whatnot, parents still play the most fundamental role in the cultivating of the children.

I know everyone is busy. Nowadays everyone work late. Many travel frequently for work. Everyone is struggling making ends meet. We do not even have time for ourselves, let alone for other people. I can understand a little. Which is why many prefer not to have children or have just one just so they do not get more emotionally taxed than usual.

But still, if a couple chooses to have children, then it is their responsibility to bring up the child, is it not? A parent's love is not just bringing in money and buying the best things for the child, it is also the time spent to cultivate, nurture, communicate and educate the child. What is the use of having a child only to neglect or place him in the care of someone else?

I cannot profess I am that well-brought up, but I believe my mum did a good enough job. Even though she still thinks she can control my life, but still, without her, I can never be who I am. She was the one who cultivated my love for reading, who tried to bring me up bilingually, who tried to inculcate the right values in me, who tried to bring me up as a good person.

And I think she has succeeded somewhat. I am not flawless, but at least I have no vices and I am pretty grounded in my values, because they have been inculcated since young. Even though I always wish she can be more open-minded and not the ultra conservative typical kind of Asian parent, still I think I am not a bad person per se.

Hence the parents play the most part. If they do not spend time with the kids, who can they blame if the kids grow up not being close to them? Similarly, if parents themselves do not read, how are they going to cultivate readers? I am lucky in the sense that both my parents love to read, so since young, I have been surrounded by books, but I know most of my friends do not read. As in do not read for leisure, they only read on how to make more money or how to make their investment grow instead of real fiction leisure reading, and the heavy literature I read.

And I feel sad for their own kids, because if both the parents do not read, they will not introduce books to the kids since young, and the kids grow up not knowing the joy of flipping page after page digesting a good book, and spend the time playing violent computer games, where they may grow up becoming mass murderers or shallow in their thinking.

Thus cultivating readers start from parents themselves, and have to start from young. Even if I cannot remember everything else my parents ever did for me, the only thing I can really remember is they cultivated my love for reading. I mean reading books and not reading from the internet or a computer screen. And that is something I intend to pass on, and hopefully my own future children will pass on too.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 Will Print Media Soon Be Extinct? Posted by juphelia at 12:26

Will print media soon be extinct? Nowadays with modern technology like the Internet, Amazon kindle, iPad, smartphones and other kinds of electronic media, do people still read books and magazines since now everything can be found online?

But I notice not many people read. I do not know about other countries but here, not many people I know actually read. Or rather read for leisure. Whatever reading they do will be for school or work, or else read on how to make money. Hence writers like Nicholas Sparks will never be able to survive here as there is no market for fiction books.

Because not many people read, when they have kids, they do not encourage their kids to read too. And when these kids have kids, they, too, do not read. And the generation goes on.

Which is sad, is it not? Are people getting so materialistic now that as long as it is not a money-making venture, no one bothers to improve their knowledge in other ways? Or else they say why bother buying books when everything can be read off the screen?

Hence the new generation will never be exposed to all the great books we have read, like Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl, two authors I have loved in my childhood days.

How can a screen be compared to the feeling of a book in your hands? How can a screen be as portable as a paperback while travelling?

How can anyone not be lost in the beauty of the language when a great writer publishes a page turner and one simply cannot put down the books?

Reading is one of the most pleasurable things in life. Somehow Dan Brown or John Grisham just seem different on the screen as compared to having the actual book in one's hands.

And that is what I will teach my future children as well - to actually read from a book, and not just from the smartphone or iPad or kindle or Internet. To me, nothing beats having a book in your hands and devouring page after page after page until the end.

Saturday, March 27, 2010 U.S.S.R. Posted by juphelia at 10:47

When I was in primary school, the education ministry launched the U.S.S.R. Programme for schools. What, you may ask, is the U.S.S.R. Programme? In those days we knew U.S.S.R. as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

So our education ministry, in a bid to improve our reading scores and encourage students to read and improve their English, incorporated the Uninterrupted Silent Sustained Reading into the curriculum, where students had to spend at least fifteen minutes of pre-assembly time reading a book, and one whole period during the teachers' contact time reading. In my school, those without a book would be warned. Three warnings would warrant a punishment. Hence U.S.S.R.

But judging from the number of people who actually read or are well-versed in books nowadays, somehow I feel this U.S.S.R. Programme is not that successful. I hardly meet people who read, at least not locals. The books in our libraries and bookshops are pretty run-of-the-mill and not that many variety. I guess that cannot be helped because the locals here are only interested in certain genres, hence I hardly ever find some books I really want.

On the other hand, at the eatery where my brother works, it happens to be where the Caucasians stay and visit frequently, so their mini library is filled with books written by Maxine Hong-Kingston, Somerset Maugham, Conn IgGulden to name a few - books which I hardly find in local libraries and bookstores! Imagine a small eatery with just a little shelf can contain much better books than a big bookstore!

Come to think of it, I hardly have time to do real U.S.S.R. ever since I finished school. And that was so long back. Think we should all incorporate U.S.S.R. into our lives so we can make it a point to set aside some time every day to do some real reading!

Monday, February 22, 2010 More Book Purchases Posted by juphelia at 10:45

People I have gone out with know never to let me enter a bookstore. Me in a bookstore is like a mouse in a cheese factory. Despite the number of books I have, I still manage to find more books which I want!

Last night we were supposed to watch the movie "Nine". Before the show started, we started browsing around the mall. Then I saw Harris and decided to go in. Before one knew it, I already picked out so many books I liked!

Thanks to my darling, I now have more books for my reading pleasure! Especially the treasures I found yesterday, which I have been looking high and low for!

See? The complete volume of Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking, as shown in the movie "Julie and Julia"

The almost entire Tudor series of Philippa Gregory, which includes
The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance,
The Queen's Fool, The Virgin's Lover and The Other Queen.

Now if only there is The Wise Woman, the collection will be complete!

Love Letters of Great Men and Women -

the one featured in Sex And The City

Actually, the one read by Carrie Bradshaw was just on "Love Letters Of Great Men", but this includes those by women too. I am always one for writing letters, I find writing letters so romantic and keeps the sparks alive in a relationship! Unfortunately, the few guys I have been with (except for one) find writing letters unnecessary and time-consuming! My current guy is also not a strong advocate in writing letters too! :-(

Looks like my resolve to reading more this year is going to come true!

Thursday, October 15, 2009 Secondhand Firsthand Bookstores Posted by juphelia at 09:04

Few weeks back, I was trying to get rid of some old books. Not really old, just second hand. My books are still in good condition, no matter how many years I have had them! So I called a few second hand book stores to ask if they would take my books.

Guess what? All said they do not accept second hand books! Now what is the purpose of a second hand book store if it does not take in second hand books? I was told their books are all new, and the reason it is called a second hand bookstore is because they rent the books, then the customers return the books and others rent them again. Or else the customers can have the option of buying the book at a lower price.

Hmmmm... is there no market for second hand books here? It is not like America or England, where second hand books can be sold to online retailers like Amazon. Even the local online bookstores do not take in second hand books! Is that why people here do not read and buy books per se, because they find no value in them and cannot be encashed?

Then it is a sad thing, is it not, if people count everything in dollars and cents. Reading should be an enjoyment, and not because of whether it can be encashed later. Having said that, I do feel the "second hand" bookstores are being a tad inflexible in not buying second hand books, even those in good condition.

Why is it they can buy new books and rent them out, yet they are not willing to buy second hand books and rent them out? Some of the books I have seen in those bookstores are in even worse condition than my old books! All come back dog eared and with some pages folded! I do not even treat my books this way!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 Hardcovers Or Paperbacks? Posted by juphelia at 10:10

090909. Coincidentally 10:10 too. Hmmmm.... Perhaps then another year or so later, it will be 101010 and 10:10. Another special moment. And then 111111 at 11:11, and 121212 at 12:12, and so on. These would be rather glorious moments. So far these "glorious" moments have been pretty "glorious" since 2007!

Anyway, I was taking stock of the books I have (what's new?) when I suddenly realise I have more paperbacks than hardcovers. Hardcovers mostly belong to my parents (specifically my dad) whereas mine are mostly paperbacks.

I never realise this, but I prefer paperbacks. When I was young, a book to me is just a book. I did not really ask the difference between a hardback and a paperback, as long as it is readable and enjoyable. But I must say I started with hardbacks, as during my childhood years, most books are hardbacks. I did not have any paperbacks until upper primary.

I first heard the term "pocket book" from one of my former maids. She loves reading, and always ask if she can borrow my "pocket books". I wonder why she called them "pocket books" then she explained because the books (paperbacks) are small enough to fit into one's pocket.

Lately, I stumbled upon Pocket Books, and realise it is actually a publisher of paperback novels, just like Mills and Boon (which has since been acquired by Harlequin Enterprises) is a publisher of paperback romance novels. Personally, believe it or not, I have never read any Mills and Boon books. When I started actively reading, they were no longer in vogue. Mine was the era of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl, Paula Danziger, Jeffrey Archer, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steel to name a few.

Pocket Books has since been acquired by Simon and Schuster, so the only paperbacks I have are from Penguin, Oxford World Classics, Bantam, Vintage and some other smaller publishers. The only hardcovers I have are my collection of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys published by Grosset & Dunlap.

Which got me thinking - do I prefer hardcovers or paperbacks? The reason why I buy mostly paperbacks is because they are cheap and handy. I can bring them anywhere and everywhere I feel like reading! Hardcovers, on the other hand, are more expensive and bulky and take up more space.

Which is why I prefer paperbacks, but hardcovers are the classic kind of books. Long ago before paperbacks and pocket books were published, hardcovers rule the day. Hardcovers of classic stories are now very collectible items, hence the price tag.

But to me, a book is a book. I read for fun, for pleasure, for passion. It does not matter to me what kind of book as long as the story is good. But for convenience and economical purposes, I much rather get paperbacks, simply because they are cheaper and easier to carry around!

Thursday, April 3, 2008 Book Sorting Posted by juphelia at 15:29

Finally, I have an idea how to sort out my books! Since I am going to re-read them again anyway, which is probably going to take me the next couple of years in light of the number I have and my kind of schedule lately, I have decided to read them according to category.

Which means I will start with classic English Literature to modern English Literature. That means, "Canterbury Tales", followed by "Utopia", then Shakespeare, "Paradise Lost", Jane Austen, "Frankenstein", "Jane Eyre", "Wuthering Heights", Charles Dickens, George Eliot, Oscar Wilde, D H Lawrence, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, James Joyce, George Orwell, Lewis Caroll, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Dan Brown, Nicholas Sparks.

Next, comes French Literature of Antoine de Saint-Exupery, Guy de Maupassant and Gustave Flaubert. Then Russian Literature of Fyodor Dostoyevsky ("Crime and Punishement", "Poor Folk", "The Idiot"), together with the works of Leo Tolstoy ("War and Peace"), as well as "Doctor Zhivago" and "Lara's Child".

Not to mention American authors like Margaret Mitchell ("Gone With The Wind") and the sequel "Scarlett", as well as F Scott Fitzgerald and the historian writer Margaret George. And also the Coloumbian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Plus the modern books like "The Kite Runner", "The Inheritance of Loss", "The Time Traveller's Wife".

After that Chinese Literature (in English of course). The four great novels - "Journey to the West", "A Dream of Red Mansions", "The Water Margin" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", followed by the "Selected Stories of Lu Hsun". Also books by Chinese writers like Amy Tan, Lisa See, Jung Chang, and our local writers like Catherine Lim. Finally, it will be Chinese books of Eileen Chang, Louis Cha and the Wisely series. Plus the various manga series which I have.

This is not even a comprehensive list! There are still lots more books which are standalone that I have not noted down. Looks like I am going to have a great time rediscovering the beauty of books for quite a while!

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 Stock Clearance Posted by juphelia at 14:28

One day I really must sit down and note down all the books I have, categorised by title, author, publisher, version and genre. Just when I thought I have managed to clear my stock, I discovered more books. The main bookshelf on the second floor hallway has two layers, so the books are stacked in two rows.

I just discovered that hidden behind the front row of my parents' books (Chinese classics and novels), there are books from at least forty years ago, when my parents were still young students. Apparently, my parents have been reading English books at a young age (and here I am, always thinking they prefer Chinese books!), and those were not abridged versions but the original versions!

So I found one of the earlier unabridged editions of "Poor Folk" by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (I have been looking for this book for ages but it seems to be out of stock!). It was a gift to my dad by one of his cousins (I think). I also found the original English translated version of "Selected Stories of Lu Hsun", one of pre-World War II China's literary masters.

I also found another "Great Expectations", "David Copperfield" and "War and Peace". And one of the older versions of "Anne Frank", published in 1952. Now, why could my parents not tell me they have all these books, then I would not have wasted my money buying them?

These are not all the books of course. What I mentioned were just books I found in half a shelf. There are lots more which I have yet to discover. Once I am done with my examinations, I really must spend one weekend taking stock of just how many books I have (or rather, how many books my parents and I have, which I would like to keep). I come from a well-literate family indeed!

Monday, March 31, 2008 Stock Taking Posted by juphelia at 10:27

It had been a fruitful weekend indeed. Besides rushing assignments, I bought a few more books (twenty more in fact), cleared my stock of books and met up with a very nice and interesting person. One can really learn so much once one widens one's horizons and meet up with different kinds of people, of all backgrounds, qualifications and walks of life.

I realise the reason why I have so many books is because I have a few versions and editions of the same book. To date, I have three editions of "Great Expectations", four editions of "Pride and Prejudice", two editions of "The Kite Runner", "The Inheritance of Loss", "Life of Pi" and "War and Peace", three editions of "The Little Prince" and "The Diary of Anne Frank", and of course, five editions of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare". Not to mention a few different editions of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass", "Complete Brothers' Grimm" and "Complete Hans Christian Anderson".

Many of my books have yellowed with age. Ever since I started buying and keeping books, I have never gotten rid of any, except those which my brothers used to tear when they were young, and for that I always cried whenever I see any of my books being torn apart. Books to me are a precious commodity, something which I can keep and last for life, and having different editions just make for a good collection.

But due to lack of space, at times one just have to be practical. So I did something which I have never done before - I gave away almost everything that have repeated titles. Thus, now I only have one "Pride and Prejudice", "Great Expectations", "The Kite Runner", "The Inheritance of Loss", "Life of Pi", "Alice in Wonderland" and "War and Peace".

As for the rest, I am never giving away any of the Shakespeare books, "The Little Prince" or folk tales, as the different editions have different illustrations. Some have the original coloured artwork which are just too precious to give away.

I initially thought of bringing them to sell at a second-hand bookstore, or donating them to an orphanage or children's home, until my maid requested if she could have them. She is going back home in May, and would like to bring the books back home as it has been hard for her family members to get hold of any decent storybook.

I am more than willing to oblige of course! She told me her family members and herself love reading and studying, but due to circumstances, they were not able to do more of those. No wonder she always helps herself to our books, and I always see her reading in her room after dinner or when she is on her break.

Yes, books are a rare priviledge in certain countries and places. Our local students really do not know how lucky they are that books and resources are so easily available everywhere here. Yet for some reason, they just hate reading and learning. We should take a leaf out of people from less priviledged places, in their thirst of reading and learning!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 I Need Another Book Shelf! Posted by juphelia at 10:25

I was doing a bit of stock taking at home, and I realise that I need another bookshelf! Yes, I have more books than clothes! I have enough books to set up a store. We have a big bookshelf along our second floor hallway, where my parents store all their books, with only a little corner for mine. So my books started spilling into the study, where my brothers store their books that spilled out from their room.

Now, my books have spilled out from the study to my room. My bookshelf is already full and my books are now everywhere, on my desk, floor, even stacked on top of my (unused) electone! Some have already spilled into the attic! Which is why I need another bookshelf, and a bigger one at that!

Come to think of it, among all my friends (excluding my second ex as he is another avid reader with a voracious appetite for books), my house is the only one that actually has a bookshelf in every room, and a big one in the hallway. That shows just how much my entire family likes to read.

And the bookshelves we have actually contain fiction and non-fiction books, as well as magazines, whereas for most of my friends, the only bookshelf they have is in their room, and even then, they got it because they need to store their school books. The rest of the bookshelf are used to store toys and other trinkets, instead of books. Which is why for those who have come to my place, they always get astounded by the number of books we have.

My mum has been nagging me to clean up or give away all my books. But I am not selling away any of them! My parents are always so bewildered why I buy books instead of borrowing from the library. I do go to the library to borrow, but if it is a book I really like, I will buy it after returning it.

The reason I buy books is because I can read and re-read it again and again, whenever my mood fancies. Books feed my mind, one is so much more enriched after reading a real touching story or a captivating book.

There are so many lessons one can derived from books, from language to grammar to vocabulary to poetry to history to philosophy to human nature to psychology to relationships to medicine to science and technology to law to astrology to religion to food to travel to music to dance.

In fact, everything that can be found in this universe can be learnt from books. Which is why I am so grateful my parents started me reading at a young age, as I think I will go around in life missing out on a lot if I do not read.

Now what I need to do is to list down all the books I have, and start re-reading them again. Sometimes one gets a different opinion when one reads a book again, at a different age and stage. Perhaps I may be able to understand the story better the next time round, perhaps I can grasp the message which I failed to grasp. And that is why my passion for reading will never fizzle!

Thursday, July 28, 2005 Why Read? Posted by juphelia at 17:19

Reading enriches the mind, which indirectly enriches the soul. It is a way of feeding knowledge into your brain. For someone who grew up with strict and conservative parents, there was literally nothing else to do besides reading. While my friends were having the time of their lives watching TV, going to the movies, listening to CDs and clubbing, I was stuck at home reading. The joy of reading comes with the soothing effect of the words and the flowy language. I love to be absorbed into the story world, where I would pretend to be one of the heroines or being rescued by my handsome knight. Perhaps this was where I got my dramatic flair and romantic notions.

Whatever I know now comes from books. Trust me - schools and teachers can only do so much to feed you knowledge. The rest depends on yourself. It is so interesting and useful to realise that historical events shape the world today, and our economy depends on the effects of natural disasters. In school, I spent such a long time finding the difference between Differentiation and Integration, or how to solve Trigonometry and Quadratic Equations, or how to balance Chemistry equations, or how sound waves can be travelled under the sea. Yet now, more than 10 years after my 'O' Levels, I have never utilised a single bit. Yet it is reading and writing that I have been utilising. Needless to say, my favourite subjects in school has always been Literature and History.

The decisions I made in life also stems from my love for the printed word. When I was accepted into law studies, I was so happy as I thought I could read throughout. However, that proved to be too much for me. It is one thing reading novels and magazines and newspapers, but it is another thing altogether reading 100-page law reports filled with nothing but the droning of the judges. When I gave up law, people scolded me for wasting the opportunity. But so what? There are so many more interesting things to do. So when I entered NIE, I took the subjects I have always loved - Music, English Literature and History. Even when I was a teacher, I encouraged my students to read, as cultivating their interests in reading will ultimately enable them to write good compositions and improve their language abilities.

It is an irony that I still ended up working in a law firm. But there was just so much a teacher could do. I have given the best years of my life to children, I feel it is time to start living my own life. Thus, I enrolled in another degree programme - BA (Hons) in English Language and Literature conducted by University of London through SIM. It is a dream come true for me - I get to learn about Humanities of Philosophy, History, etc, and I get to major in Classics, Shakespeare and Novels! It is pure reading for this course, but that is just what I love to do!

I would strongly encourage all of you out there to pick up a novel to read. You can be amazed at how interesting a book is if you only give it a chance. So did I make a convert out of you? Feel free to drop me a line!

Wednesday, July 27, 2005 Inauguration Posted by juphelia at 01:02

I just had a revelation while clearing my bookshelf trying to find "Sophie's World". I realised that I have six shelves of books on the main bookcase at the second floor hallway, another three shelves of books in the study room, and yet another two shelves of books on the study table in my room. And these are all storybooks (which includes novels, comics, and compilations), not academic textbooks.

Which got me suddenly reflecting that since I have such a vast collection ranging from Shakespeare to classics to contemporary to comics to horror to fantasy to romance to adventure to crime, why have I not posted a single book review? And since I notice that not many people I know actually read, why do I not take the initiative and introduce a book?

Since I am a bookworm, movie buff and music fan, this is the perfect time to introduce books, movies, musicals, operas and whatnots, anything to do with the arts and culture. Hence this space is for anything to do with things I read, things I have seen, things I have listened to, and things I have watched.

Please note that the opinions are strictly my own and any other similar reviews are just coincidental!