The Winners of the Reader's Digest Giveaway!

Hi fellow bookworms! Here's the raffle video I did for the Reader’s Digest Oct 2011 Cracked Me Up! (Plus a Giveaway!).  Congratulations to Tony, Crystal, Tessa and Marites. And thanks to all who joined. Til my next bookworm giveaway!

Reader's Digest Oct 2011 Cracked Me Up! (Plus a Giveaway!)

 *This was originally published at bookworm.i.ph

My Reader's Digest for October 2011 is here!!!

I wasn't feeling all too well today. I was groggy and I feel like my heart is going to give up soon. I blame it on staying awake for long periods at time and forgetting to sleep. So I I had to forego that Tapella dinner and just let Peter go to that wonderful food tasting event in Greenbelt 5. Anyway, when I woke up early this evening, I was greeted, not just by my husband who came home bringing food from Tapella, but I also got my Reader's Digest October 2011 Edition in the mail.

Something Borrowed is the first book of Emily Giffin I've ever read. And because I loved it so much, I ended up eventually buying all of her books!

Read more:

SOMETHING BORROWED BY EMILY GIFFIN

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

  

I love Sophie Kinsella. Hence, the moment I found out about her newest creation, I headed to the bookstore and bought it. That was ages ago. I am sad to say that I only got to finish reading it a few days ago and that I didn't like this book that much. True, it's still about Becky Bloomwood and her unending battle with her shopaholic disease, but then that's it. I thought that this time around, it would be more about her little 2 year old daughter, Minnie. Maybe I expected wrong. But what can I say, I really thought there would be less Becky and more Minnie.

One Fifth Avenue by Candace Bushnell

Candace Bushnell's One Fifth Avenue is such a fun and witty read! It's the last thing I look forward to reading before I go to bed and my evening rituals have been great since. As soon as 3am would hit the clock, I couldn't wait to get out of my office so I can prepare for bed and read the next adventures of the powerful women of One Fifth Avenue.

On this book, Bushnell tells the intertwining story of five New York women who live in the chicest  New York apartment -- One Fifth. I haven't been in this glorious city but Candace Bushnell, just like with her Sexy and the City novels, has brought me there. I felt like I was one of the girls, or at least wishing I was living that kind of posh, exciting and sophisticated life as well.

Among all the five characters (Mindy Gooch, Enid Merle, Lola Fabrikant, Annnaliss Rice, and Louise Houghton), Annalisa was my favorite. She embodied the kind of class, character, simplicity and wealth that I would like to deserve someday. Yeah, that's my wishful thinking!

Reading about the intricate and interesting stories of these women, with their respective men seemingly starring in their lives but in the end, posed to be mere backdrops in these women's colorful lives, it made me think of my own... Nah, I love my husband too much to be like those women! Haha! It's just interesting though how they got to have it all, without having it all!

Anyway, if you're looking for some summer fun chick lit, One Fifth it is. Kudos to Candace Bushnell for coming up with another bestseller! It would be awesome to see this turned into a film. What do you think? ^_^                   

Thor, Avengers, Archie Marries Graphic Novels

Ever since I watched Thor last weekend, twice --- one in  3D and one on regular cinema, I've really been gaga about him. Perhaps it's because Chris  Hemsworth was really perfect for the role, with his God-like,  uber gorgeous body and those blue eyes to die for. Natalie Portman was an awesome Jane foster too! I didn't at all see her Black Swan character in there (unlike Jennifer Aniston for instance who pretty much acts like Rachel Green of Friends in almost every role she portrays). Even Kat Dennings was awesome. A few hours before I watched Thor in 3D, I watched Charlie Bartlett at home where  Kat Dennings also starred and it's amazing how she transformed into this cute political science sidekick of Jane Foster in the movie as opposed to usually being slutty or flirty in some movies she starred in. 

Paul Chadwick's Concrete: Depths

This interesting graphic novel is one of those books given to me and my hubby as a gift from Gabriel Chee Kee, my cousin-in-law, who's a member of the famous Filipino band, Parokya ni Edgar. Everyone knows that Gab is such a geek when it comes to comic books so I was really surprised when he gave us three books from his collection, one of which is this classic and little-seen stories from the legendary CONCRETE series.  This is Book 1: Depths

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

I started reading this when I went on vacation with my husband last November. I wasn't expecting much coz I've been disappointed before with some of Lauren Weisberger's literary works. Surprisingly, reading the first few pages of  Last Night at Chateau Marmont brought back the same level of fun as the time I read The Devil Wears Prada. So I figured, there could be hope with this new book. So I kept reading. Before I knew it, I was so engrossed with the plot that I even imagined myself as Brooke (the lead character whose name is the same as my alter ego's name... yup, my bestfriend calls me Brooke) --- the lucky groupie-who-became-the-wife-of-a-real-rockstar. I laughed, I cried, I sympathized and went crazy as the story progressed. In short, I loved the book!

When success hits you, it hits really hard.

You Can Draw by Sheila Coulson

I've been an avid customer of Reader's Digest this year. Whenever they'd send me a new catalogue of books I can choose from, I make sure that I browse it to see if anything would interest me. If before I bought books about classic stories, nature, culture and various human civilizations, my last purchase was a practical book on HOW TO DRAW. 

Being a person of many talents (yes, I used to be semi-talented when it comes to drawing and painting when I was around  9-12 years old that my school would send me to drawing competitions), I take pride in being able to learn on my own. Because I no longer have the time to go to a real school for things that I want to learn, I just try to make the most of my situation and buy books that will teach me how to do things instead.

New Graphic Novels - Batman, Superman and Justice Society of America

My husband and I added three more graphic novels to our little collection of DC and Marvel comics at home. I still have yet to read them but my husband, being a geek and all,  has finished reading each one on the day we bought them. Woah!

Every now and then, when I have some time to kill and I need a break from the other books I usually read, I'd pick up one of Peter's graphic novels and just browse at the illustrations. The only ones I've blogged about here were KINGDOM COME and BATMAN YEAR ONE. I hope to go back to the other DC and Marvel graphic novels I've read before so I can write a post about them here.

Well, for now, here are the new ones we have and hopefully I get to read them soon. Do share if you've already read them. How were they? 

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

If there is one book in the Harry Potter series that I would read over and over, it would be this 7th amazing J.K. Rowling masterpiece --- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now I know why all those years of following the young wizard's adventures, I've always had this inkling of love toward Snape... I always had a hunch of what would become  of Hermione and Ron... and why I couldn't believe Dumbledore to be dead. 

The Harry Potter series has just been an amazing, extraordinary, magical ride of unthought of witchcraft and wizardry and ending it with the Deathly Hallows has just been the most perfect way to culminate the ultimate magical tale of this generation.

Happiness in Hard Times

HAPPINESS in HARD TIMES is my 5th Andrew Matthews book. Since my college days, I have been collecting his work:  BEING HAPPY, FOLLOW YOUR HEART, MAKING FRIENDS, HAPPINESS NOW and then this. Andrew Matthews is one of those self-help gurus that I've always depended on especially when my life gets a bit harder to handle. How many times did I think about ending my life when I was still very young? Thanks to Andrew Matthews, I was able to overcome every big and small hurdle that came my way and came out a happier, better and more blessed me. I'd also like to think that his first book, Being Happy, also saved my brother from committing suicide. Yeah... we were a bunch of suicidal maniacs then.^_^

Happiness in Hard Times resonates very well with a lot of people today, especially since many have been and are still continuously beng affected by the worldwide recession that has beset the global market for a few years now. I, for one, did have a couple of lean months when I thought that things won't be back to where it should be. Even before I got a hold of his new book, I've already been practicing the principles I've learned from his books before, and now that I have a copy of this, the stories (not just by Andrew Matthews but by many of his readers and fans as well) are ever more so inspiring me to live a better and happier life no matter how hard life can get sometimes. 

Brida by Paolo Coelho

I started reading this 312-page paperback last July... 2009! I know I am a slow reader, but more so if the story is really not that interesting. I bought Brida because one - it's a Paolo Coelho book and I have loved many of his novels for years; and two - because it's a book about being a witch and I've always wanted to be one as evidenced by my love for the Wiccan ways which I share on my Wiccan Blog. Unfortunately, for me, the pace of the story in the beginning was really not that fantastic and I got bored to tears. It's only during my morning rituals (after I do my daily tarot reading, meditation and spell) that I try to read a few more pages just so I can finish this blasted book. It was only when I was reaching the last few chapters that the story became more exciting to the point that it was giving me goosebumps and hair tingles. This meant that finally, I was one with the book and it was as if I was Brida finally consummating my journey into  my real self, that of becoming a witch.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont, Dead and Loving It, One Fifth Avenue

I'm almost halfway through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now and like I always say, I still got tons of books lined up on my bookshelf, waiting to be read. But because National Bookstore is on sale until the end of the month, I couldn't help but purchase a couple more books. Three to be exact. It would have been more had I memorized all the Mary Janice Davidson vampire books I already have. I didn't want to make a double purchase so I bought the one which I was sure I still don't have --- Dead and Loving It.

 

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Finally, I am done reading The Carrie Diaries. Finally, I was able to meet Carrie  Bradshaw before Sex and the City. For a suburban kid who has lived a normal life, with all the intricacies and delinquencies of teendom, Carrie has indeed come a long, long way. But in spite of having a family with its own delinquencies (whose family doesn't have one anyway?) and being put down several times for following her passion in writing, and going through all those broken friendships and tainted love, Carrie has remained witty, funny, forgiving and generous, pretty much the same Carrie Bradshaw we've known in the hit HBO series and movies Sex and the City 1 & 2.  Candace Bushnell has portrayed young Carrie very well and brought her readers to the inner motivations and aspirations that made Carrie unique out of all the spectacular book characters out there.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Eat Pray Love, and Archie Comics

This blog is becoming a photo blog of my recent book buys. LOL! I'm not even done yet with Carrie Diaries but I really do hope to read all my new books before this year ends. It's one of those things I promised myself on my Wanderlust Blog even if I can't count the number of unread books I have anymore. I am staying positive!  How I wish I can just bum for a month, stay at a beach and read books all day. What a wonderful wishful thinking. I can dream, can't I?

The Carrie Diaries and The Last Song

When I went shopping for additional craft and beading supplies yesterday, I couldn't help buying these two books written by two of my favorites authors -- Candace Bushnell for The Carrie Diaries and Nicholas Sparks for The Last Song. I honestly don't know when I'll be able to read them because as you can see from my reading list on my side bar, I still have tons of books to finish first.

The Chronicles of Narnia OT is Out - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

OMG! OMG! OMG!

I am such a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia that I actually bought the whole set of books! But I've only read the following:

Book 1: The Magician’s Nephew, Book 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Book 3: The Horse & His Boy .

I should really continue reading again because what going to be shown this Christmas is Book 5: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

 

Check out the trailer here:

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

  

It took a while for me to start reading The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I dunno if it was because I was busy, or if the prologue was just a bit boring to read that I never get past it for some time. When I finally did, that's when things started kicking in for me and I was finally captivated by the story.

I think the boredom I felt at the start of the novel was because I was quite confused with the prologue. It happened at present which was 11 years after the main plot of the story. Travis is in his 40's, to visit Gabby at her place of work, while tentatively carrying flowers, which was 3 months after their big fight and the last time they slept in one bed. It made me feel like some sort of an impending doom is in the air and I felt uneasy, sad,devastated, teary-eyed,and just crushed. 

Amazing Tales From Times Gone By

It's been a while since I posted something here. With the many books I got, plus the work load I've been having, it's no wonder that I sometimes have to beg the universe for some time off just so I can update my blogs. Just ask my personal project blog. It knows everything. Teehee.