BOOKRAMBLES

The Help

2011-06-23T01:52:00.000-07:00

By Kathryn Stockett

In case you didn't noticed, this blog has been DEAD for half a year now. More than half a year, in fact. Unless I update it with chapters of my pathology or anatomy textbooks T___T anyway summer break is a good time to catch up with reading! I must have bought this book ages ago and totally forgot about it. anyway.

The "help" in this title refers to African-american maids working for white people in the 1960s. Where they cannot dine with the whites, cannot go to the same school as the whites, cannot work in places where whites work. The story tells mainly about 3 women, two of them maids and one a white, who want to prove a point to the world, that black and white is just a colour and doesn't make any difference to how one should be treated.

Aibileen is a maid who has taken care of seventeen children throughout her career, and she has always had a good record with her manners and attitude. She recalls how she got fired from her first job:

I come home that morning, after I been fired, and stood outside my house with my new work shoes on. The shoes my mama paid a month's worth a light bill for. I guess that's when I understood what shame was and the colour of it too. Shame ain't black, like dirt, like I always thought it was. Shame be the colour of the new white uniform your mother ironed all night to pay for, white without a smudge or a speck a work-dirt on it.

I think it's scary to think that the colour of shame is the colour of innocence. She was being accused of stealing silverware from the house and thus fired. How can you be ashamed of something you didn't even do? That is the fate that most maids face when they have ignorant and proud white bosses.

The second lady is also a maid, Minny, who can barely keep her mouth shut and even though she's a great cook, she often finds herself jobless once she says something that angers the boss.

Skeeter Phelan, however, is a college graduate who aspires to be a writer. She goes for bridge with her fellow ladies but finds them annoying when they mistreat their maids. She wants to make it big, to New York City, but fails to find material interesting enough to catch the attention of the editor, until she submits her proposal to write about black maids working for the whites.

The editor initially scoffs at the idea, wondering how are the maids going to open up to a white and tell her how it feels like working for Skeeter's friends and such. But with a turn of events, the maids felt that their stories needed to be heard, and they knew the price that they were going to pay.

It's a sad story about how differences set people apart, and when the majority of the population finds nothing wrong with that, people who opposes it are persecuted. I guess the hardest thing they are fighting here is mentality. But this is seriously a good read!! The characters are well developed, with characters so easy to hate and to love.

LOVE THIS BOOK!!! <3

I'd personally give 4.9/5.0

Waiter Rant

2010-12-27T02:37:00.000-08:00

by Steve Dublanica

Bought this book at 68 HKD at a secondhand bookstore in SoHo and this book took me 3 months to finish! Don't get me wrong though cause it's quite an engaging book written pretty much in blog style and there's not really a plot to follow. Basically a day-to-day account of the author as a waiter, the conflicts and satisfaction he gets from the job.

It provides infinite insight to the job; as said by the author, there are 3 types of waiters: people trying to become something else, people whose lives are falling apart and people stuck somewhere in the middle. Which sounds true to some extent; he mentions that some waiters are self professed writers although they spent the rest of their lives looking for book deals, waiters who after work, go and get themselves wasted every night and come back to work smelling of booze the next morning, and people like him.

He used to study at a Catholic seminary and later dropped out after figuring out it wasn't what he would like for the rest of his life, and then he began waiting tables. And then he started a blog, while keeping his identity anonymous, blogged about his experiences with customers--from the nasty and cheapskate ones to the heavy tippers. He also offers tips on the proper way to treat a waiter, how to tip properly, how to make reservations etc and all are presented in a lighthearted way.

Very worth the read! Esp during stressful exam periods; reminds you that there is still a world out there not related to aminoglycosides, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, mycobacterium tuberculosis....

Rating: 4.8/5.0

Oh ya! Check out his blog here.

The Boy who Harnessed the Wind

2010-06-07T02:18:00.000-07:00

Image by KizzieFK via Flickr

By William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealy

I've finally picked up AND finished reading a book after a 4 month hiatus! o.O

Normally I don't do non-fiction but after a short pep talk from my aunt "you're grown up already, you should be reading more stories of how famous people became famous" so here's my 1st successful attempt at it (I bought a biography on Hitler but the facts sort of made my head go dizzy)

Synopsis:
A true story of a Malawian, William Kamkwamba fulfilling his dreams of building a windmill aka "electric wind", and changing the ways of his society for the better.

William, as like any other Malawian, comes from a family that relies on farming for a living. In an event of a drought or the government misuses people's money (As he says, "Our president is a funny person."), they are plagued with starvation, some even resorting to selling off children while unscrupulous merchants sell grain mixed with sawdust.

Despite not being able to further his secondary education (due to poverty, of course), he has resolved not to be a farmer for the rest of his life. He did not want his fate to rest on the weather alone. Having a keen eye for machinery and an insatiable curiosity, he spends his free time visiting the school library and reading books like Explaining Physics. His command of English was not well at that time, so he depended mainly on graphs and figures to understand how things worked. With years of effort and an undying passion to improve his family's lifestyle, he managed to build a windmill, simply out of scrap metal and discarded pieces of junk!

Being free of impressive vocabulary and flowery figures of speech, the stark truth of the poverty and trials in Malawi is enough to invoke wonder, curiosity and, most of the time, fear.

Afterthought:
Thumbs up to this inspiring true story! Really made me feel that I should try and make a difference in the world =)

Personal rating: 4.9/5.0

Crikey.

2010-04-15T19:24:00.000-07:00

This blog is soooo dead! So sorry for my reading hiatus; it's really been a long time since I finished reading a book. Will work harder! haa hope to come up with more updates soon :)

Inkheart

2010-02-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

Cover of Inkheart

By Cornelia Funke

Well honestly my brother bought this book for me around 2 or 3 years ago but I procrastinated and finally took 2 months to finish it (gasp!)

Synopsis:
Mo (short for Mortimer), is a "book doctor"--someone who mends broken book spines, torn pages etc. However, he has a special gift, unknown even to his own daughter--he can bring fictitious characters & objects in a book to life just by reading it out loud! It is fascinating though risky business, and on one occasion, while reading out loud a book entitled "Inkheart", his wife, Teresa was stuck in the book while the characters (both the sinisters and good ones) escaped into the real world. Thus the adventure begins!

Afterthought:
Besides the engaging plot, there's no magic to the words. Definitely not in my list of favourite books. (Though it was made into a movie!)

Personal Rating: 2.0/5.0

The Lovely Bones

2010-02-16T01:45:00.000-08:00

Image by mush2274 via Flickr

By Alice Sebold

I made a grave grave mistake by watching the movie (directed by Peter Jackson) before reading the book! But don't get me wrong, Saoirse Ronan is a SUPERB actress. Just hoping that she's still not in her prime YET. (eg look at Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen now. Not a good thing to mature too quickly; fame is quick to come & go)

I digress, but anyway here's the synopsis:
Susie Salmon (as the author said, like the fish) is a 14-year old, wildlife photographer aspirant. Just another girl with daydreams, and also a crush on Ray Singh, an Indian with a British accent (sexy!). Life seems to get better as her crush notices her as well and even slips in a love note into her Biology textbook.

But her seemingly harmless neighbour turns out to be a serial paedophile and Susie is brutally raped and murdered. She ends up in the InBetween, where she constantly gazes out from her gazebo to those still on Earth, watching and listening. The killer, George Harvey, was clever in covering his tracks and Susie, now dead, could not convey the truth to her family and friends.. or could she?

Afterthought:
It deals with the sudden and tragic loss of a loved one's life. How her family broke down after the news, and how the bits and pieces were slowly picked up and wounds gradually healed.

Compelling read! Note to self: NEVER watch the movie first. MAJOR MAJOR spoiler o.O

Personal Rating: 4.8/5.0

The Hobbit

2009-12-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

By J.R.R. Tolkien

Finally finished a classic! Been having this book for mayb 4/5 years (it was a box set together with the LOTR trilogy) Honestly I'm not a big fan of JRR Tolkien 'cause his style of writing is just too cryptic for me, seriously. But this book was a surprisingly easy and fast read! (though I procrastinated. A Lot.)

Synopsis:
Bilbo Baggins (Frodo's uncle) and a group of dwarves, together with Gandalf went on a hunt for a ginormous amount of gold and treasure amassed by a dragon, Smaug. Bilbo was reluctant to leave the comforts of his hobbit hole initially but eventually he turned out to be the one with the quickest wit in dire situations!

Afterthought:
A great adventure book! And one must definitely admire Tolkien for his detail in creating a whole new world (eg Elvish language and writings) for all his books... Crafty with unexpected plot twists at places!

Personal Rating: 4.6/5.0

P/s since I'll be going away from tomorrow till end of the year, this will officially be the last book I'll read this year! (Total count: 16) Last year I read 14 books so there's a slight improvement, though far from my target of 25!

A Gracious Plenty

2009-11-17T05:38:00.000-08:00

By Sheri Reynolds

One of the books that I picked up at the Times Warehouse Sale at Centro Klang a few months back... It was in the 3 for RM 10 pile; that's like cheaper than a bowl of Pan Mee!

Synopsis:
Finch Nobles has been an outcast all her life. With her face scarred by a kitchen accident when she was just four, she was shunned by the local community and seeks solace in taking care for the dead instead.

Yup, she's the cemetery caretaker, a job passed down by her late parents. What's unique is that she can actually communicate with the dead! She listens to their stories and how some of them were deeply misunderstood when they were still alive.

Afterthought:
A classic example of why we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Albeit its unimpressive cover, it was definitely a fairly good read, with a diversified, quirky cast of characters to love or hate--William the cross-dresser, Lucy the pageant queen-turned-rebel, Reba the hypocritical Christian and Leonard, the "I'm-doing-this-just-to-please-dad" policeman.

Personal rating: 4.5/5.0

The Alchemist

2009-11-15T00:59:00.000-08:00

Image by chad_d_stud via Flickr

By Paulo Coelho

I actually finished 80% of it as a library book and the last 20% in a bookstore. Honestly I wasn't entirely impressed with the execution & style of writing (yes I found it juvenile like some sort of children's book) because it was just way too simple!

But after reading through some reviews on Amazon.com, I figured I'm not mature enough to grasp its very essence.

Synopsis:
A boy, Santiago travels to find hidden treasures in the Egyptian pyramids that he had dreamt of. Literally he heads off to fulfill his "dreams". On the way he meets a myriad of people, each helping him understand his destiny in subtle ways.

Here's a review from Amazon.com which I found really helpful:

When I thought about reviewing this book, I had many things to say...but after reading some of the other reviews which pick apart and criticize it, I can see the meaning of the book even more clearly.
The writing is simple and clear- not juvenile. It's entertaining and brings a message which does not need to be complicated, except for those who are not ready to see the truth. They are the ones who like their truth heavily veiled and masked, as their self-gratification is in the pursuit. The reality is, the only place you need to look for the truth is in yourself. There is no search required- just your own personal journey.
Life does not need to be complicated, and the folks who have made negative comments about those who enjoy this book have obviously missed the point of it entirely- and they bring to mind the phrase "Casting Pearls before Swine."
You are not going to get anything valuable from this book unless you are READY for the spiritual knowledge which it contains. And that is one of the main points of the book anyway.
Personally, I received deep spiritual messages and peace from reading The Alchemist- and I have been on my own spiritual path for over two decades. This book presents information that only those who have actually paid attention to their journey would understand and appreciate.
If you read it and don't like it, I suggest you forget about it for at least 5 years and pick it up again. You might be surprised.
Update, 10/2003:Oh. My. Gosh. I can't believe how many people just "don't get" this book!!! Look: the point is not about anyone's "Personal Legend"!!!
THE POINT, is that what you search for is usually RIGHT THERE all along, and that the journey you take to find it is about learning lessons and growing as a person. Get it yet? LIFE IS IN THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION!!
Santiago set off to find his "pot of gold," and after a long journey during which he grew mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, he finally discovers the location of the treasure. He follows the directions and find it RIGHT WHERE HE STARTED!
GET IT?!!!
You have what you need inside of you all of the time. You don't need to search outside yourself- you need to look within. THAT is the point.
Sheesh.

So try reading it! Maybe you'll see it in a different light :)

Personal rating: 4.0/5.0

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

2009-09-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

Cover of The Five People You Meet in Heaven

By Mitch Albom

Another book that I borrowed from college library. It's a pretty short novel (only 196 pages!) so I finished it in 2 or 3 sittings... A heartwarming tale of the purpose of life, not evangelical or religious in any sense ^^

Synopsis:
Eddie has spent his entire life working in an amusement park, Ruby Pier, after his father's death. Also known as "Eddie Maintenance", his job is to make sure all the rides function properly. One fateful day, one of the rides go awry, and Eddie plunges to his death as he tried to save a passenger's life.

Eddie reaches heaven. He meets 5 different people that have affected his life, one way or another. These people are to explain Eddie's purpose of life on earth. Aptly said in a passage in the book,

"all lives intersect. Death doesn't just take someone, it misses someone else, and in the small distance between being taken and being missed, lives are changed."

Afterthought:
A story of a man's life, begun in joy and ended in loneliness and regret. A soul seeking journey that everyone will eventually embark on, for as each story is different, the need for inner peace is universal.

Awesome book!

Personal Rating: 4.8/5.0

Read more reviews here.

Lord of the Flies

2009-08-23T01:13:00.000-07:00

By William Golding

Image via Wikipedia

This is actually one of sis's old, brown and crumbly book but I decided that it was far more interesting than my Chemistry A2 book (the things we do in times of desperation!)

The story:
A group of boys are trapped on an island after a plane crash. With no adults around, the revel in their freedom, go on hunts, (try to) act like grown ups (eg hold meetings, segregate tasks etc) but eventually things go out of hand. The story gets frighteningly gruesome at the end!

Afterthought:
What will we truly become, without a system of rules, and without civility binding us together? What will happen when animal instincts set in? The novel attempts to answer these questions by portraying events on the island in a realistic way.

Though I found the book pretty classic literature-ish and hard to understand at parts, it's still pretty engaging and I finished it in 3 or 4 days!

Personal Rating: 4.6/5.0

Notes on a Scandal

2009-08-22T05:42:00.000-07:00

Cover of Notes on a Scandal

By Zoe Heller

Bought it at a whopping 50% off at Times Bookstore warehouse sale @ Centro Klang.. finished it over a course of 3 weeks (don't get me wrong! it's a good book, just that there were lots of distractions)

Synopsis:
Sheba Hart, a pottery teacher at middle school (eg lower secondary) was found to be having an affair with one of her students, Connolly (who is like, 15). The entire event is narrated in full account (plus some personal anecdotes) by one of Sheba's close friend and colleague, Barbara.

The interesting part in the novel is definitely Barbara's point of view in the affair. She describes every event in an extremely forthright manner, and her characters are also really believable.

Afterthought:
Though the plot of the story is incredibly scandalous and unthinkable, Barbara helps us to rationalise the whole situation, to understand that sometimes we are capable of doing insane things without good reason.

This issue (teacher having affair with a fellow student) does occur (though not in Malaysia-so far) so it's a wake up call to how easily we point an accusing finger to the elder one in the relationship.

Should I read it?
The author does infuses the narrator with a streamful of sarcastic yet witty remarks! Enjoyable read! It's like the dark version of Gossip Girl ^^

I'd give it a 4.7/5.0

p.s. just realized it was made into a movie in 2006! Check out trailer here:

A Thousand Splendid Suns

2009-07-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

By Khaled Hosseini

Cover of A Thousand Splendid Suns

Borrowed this book from my college library. This book has been the cause behind my negligence in studies for the week! Utterly engaging, especially the 2nd half of the book...

Synopsis:

Mariam is the illegitimate child of a rich cinema owner, Jalil (who already has 3 wives and 10 kids!) She lives with her mother, Nana, at the outskirts of a village, away from the prejudiced eyes of the people. Seeking for some sort of repentance, Jalil visits them weekly, much to the delight of Mariam. But Nana could never forgive Jalil. Nana as told to Mariam:

Like a compass needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a woman. Always. You remember that, Mariam.

By a twist of fate, Mariam's quaint life, secluded from the rest of the world, was disturbed and at the age of 15, she was wedded off to Rasheed, a shoe shop owner in the city. Her carefree life takes a dramatic turn. It is only sixteen years later when a teenager, Laila emerges in her life, that she finds true meaning of love.

Afterthought:
Truly heart-wrenching! I cried twice T.T A terrible, stark naked revelation of Afghan women beneath the burqa, the endless silent suffering that women with nasty husbands have to endure.

The novel also portrays 30 turbulent years of Afghanistan life. Bombs dropped upon them like rain, due to power struggles, revolts, even intervention from the US government after 9/11 attack.

Should I read it?
Extremely well written! Liked it as much as the Kite Runner ^^

I would give it a: 4.9/5.0

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

2009-07-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Cover via Amazon

By Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

What a light hearted read! An optimistic book with extremely witty lines :)

The story:
It is the year 1947, when Europe is recovering from World War II. Juliet, a writer from London, receives a letter from a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (origins of the lengthy & quirky name mentioned in the book). As more letters are exchanged and Juliet gets more acquainted with the society's members and the island of Guernsey through their eyes, she decides to pay her newfound friends a visit.

She plans to interview them and use their experiences as material for her next book. As she settles down in Guernsey, she slowly falls for the charm and simplistic beauty of the place and its people...

Afterthought:
The entire novel is written in the form of letters, but surprisingly I wasn't bored out AT ALL! The letters are always written with sheer delight and enthusiasm, you can't help but feel that you're the one receiving the letter.

It also shows another side of the impact of WWII, and the importance of perspective in the face of a predicament.

Should I read it?
Extremely readable! In fact I finished it in less than a week! (which is a groundbreaking feat, for me). Oh ya it's a great book for long journeys, I finished most parts of it on the train ^^

I'd give it a: 4.7/5.0

Read more reviews here.

You might also like: My Family and Other Animals

Image via Wikipedia

The Kite Runner

2009-07-02T03:28:00.000-07:00

Cover of The Kite Runner

By Khaled Hosseini

Price Unknown (bought by mom from US)

One of the most touching book of all times! Couldn't hold back my tears at the end; the emotions of the characters are depicted in such a raw & honest way that you can't help feeling the same for them :)

The Story:
Amir and Hassan have been friends since childhood; they are practically inseparable, but the fact that Hassan is Amir's servant's son deprives him of the respect that every human deserves. Finally when a time of hardship came, Amir & Hassan are thrown in a difficult situation, where Amir makes a choice that changes their lives forever.

Afterthought:
Read it read it read it! This book brings topics like love, honesty, guilt & redemption to the readers. It was damn touching! My favourite quote was "For you, a thousand times over."

I'd give it a: 4.9/5.0

If you liked this book, try: Memoirs of a Geisha

Image via Wikipedia

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

2009-07-01T01:33:00.000-07:00

By Haruki Murakami (translated from Japanese by Jay Rubin)

RM 32.90 @ Popular Bookstore (bought as a limited edition set together with Alice in Wonderland)

I've always lacked the courage to pick up this 600+ page book (it's almost as thick as your usual Harry Potter!) and after a 2 year long procrastination, decided to finish reading it, once and for all.

But instead of ploughing through the thick tome, it turned out to be quite a page turner. Reason? its tale, or rather, a web of intertwined tales, are logically inexplicable. Bizarre. Out of this world. Basically insane things that people do to stay sane.

Image by Père Ubu via Flickr

Synopsis:
Toru Okada has just quit his job in a law firm and spends the day completing household chores, while his wife, Kumiko works at a publishing company. They have a cat named after Toru's bro-in-law, Noburu Wataya.

Seems like a quaint, happy family, ain't it?

After some queer happenings, like the disappearance of their household cat, and some explicit phonecall from a woman to Okada, events start to take a dramatic turn. Subtle rifts start to take shape between Kumiko & Okada, more characters and their stories are drawn into a series of events, distant yet undoubtedly connected to one another; but each told with its own charm and allure.

Afterthought:
This novel has such philosophical depth that sometimes I can't help wondering if I truly understand everything I see, or if life is simply half-dream, half-reality.

Should I read it?
YESYESYES! Truly mesmerising and thought provoking. Definitely worth every single page of it :)

I'd give it a: 4.7/5.0

Read more here and here.

If you liked this book, you might also like: Sophie's World

Image via Wikipedia

My Family and Other Animals

2008-07-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

By Gerald Durrell

RM 29.95 @ Popular Bookstore

Brief Overview: Gerald and his family move from England to the island of Corfu, Greece, and the story evolves around, obviously, his family members and the animals that he finds on the island (by the way, he is a HUGE animal lover!) The flowers, trees and animals are described not only with plenty of detail but also you can feel that he really loves nature… I mean he can just spend the whole day just looking at tortoises! It’s just a pity that most of the plant and animals species aren’t inhabitants of the Malaysian tropical rainforest, which pretty much holds back your imagination by a notch… (Unless you look it up on the Net or something!)

What I like about the book: It’s really very funny, and I mean the laugh out loud kind of funny… Durrell really knows how to play with words, and just imagining the crazy antics of his family and the animals will really make you wonder—how different are we from animals? (Note the book title) I was reading this at the hairdressers’ and I reckon the customer next in line thought I was going cuckoo with me practically guffawing almost every 2 minutes!

Who should read the book: Not recommended for those who like fast-paced, mind-boggling and mystery-solving plots… This book has no actual “storyline” and it’s more like a “diary” in which Durrell indulges his thoughts and daily encounters. This book really is a combination of literature, documentary (you’ll know why you need to put a scorpion into a tin full of oil!) and adventure… It is definitely a breath of fresh air from all those page-turning thrillers that exudes more style than substance.

Read other reviews here & here.