Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book

Argh!! Reading journals sure is tiresome and make my eyes spinning. The due date is just around the corner I couldn't finish this assignment yet. My head throbbing, my butt becomes numb. With half-open eyes I don't think that I can proceed, so here I am for awhile. Haha! To make thing worse, I couldn't find my POPULAR bookstore membership card! Dammit! Where is it? that tiny lil card! This's why I hate small, small things. They can easily get lost. Argghhh!!! No...CJ, you've to be cool, don't loose your composure. Yeah, sure. But, thanks to that "lost card", I find this book, Tada!!!!! Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do-It-Yourself Book

I own this book for almost a year already but I haven't touch it since. Poor book. But today I open the books and it makes me smile. The illustrations are quite funny and there are comics in this book that make me laugh out aloud!! Haha!! This book is by Jeff Kinney and basically it is an illustrative novel with some funny cartoons. But, most of the pages are blank. Wonder why? This is because, it is a Do-It-Yourself Book!! In this book the author just give us the rough ideas about what we have to do. But, the real author of the book will be us. We can make our own Wimpy Kid stories, design our dream house, state rules for our family, completing the comics and what will we do if we have a time machine? and loads more!! there are also pages for us to write a list of the BIGGEST mistakes we've made so far and also pages for our predictions of what will happen to us in the FUTURE!! Interesting isn't it? Yeah! It's SUPER COOL!!! So, technically you can do whatever you want with it! Haha! But guys.....bare in mind, stating your "feelings" is a no-no in this book because one thing's for sure, this is not a diary. Hah!

Message: Make sure you put this book someplace safe after you finish it. When you are rich an famous, this thing is going to be worth of fortune.

Books in Diary of a Wimpy Kid series are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and the next one will come out this year 2010!! My heart aching to get these books but my wallet is empty.. pathetic isn't it? Haha!! Never mind, i'll get 'em for sure one day. Yeah! That's a promise of a lifetime! Ciao.....

for more info visit wimpykid.com

1st On My Wishlist

"A weekly meme? What the hack is that?" That was my first impression when I stumbled upon this term, Weekly Meme. But, now I'm participating in one of the Weekly Meme, On My Wish-list hosted by Book Chick City. basically, this is about what book that I would love to have rite? So, if by participating this kind of weekly meme, I can share with all of you what book that I wish, why not? Here i am!!! Hopefully you can make make my wish comes true and buy me the books that i want! Haha!! *lol..lol..lol..* Though this post is supposed to be published every wednesday, and today is Thursday already...I just don't care after all. And who cares? *grin*. So.... here they are!!!

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.: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger :.

I've read her first novel, The Time Traveler's Wife. It is really fascinating, fantastic, and horribly incredible! So, this second novel from the author is not something that i'll miss. Her Fearful Symmetry is a a ghost story set in and around the Highgate Cemetery in London. I don't want to say too much here. You can easily google or yahoo or everything about this book. Or you can easily browse to Audrey Niffenegger's official website here.

.: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini :.

Reading his first novel, The Kite Runner, really make me to want more from this author. So, wishing for his second is what I'm doing. A Thousand Splendid Suns, is a story setting in Afghanistan from the last 30 years. The events during the Soviet invasions and the ruling of Taliban. Story about how to survive, raise family and find happiness in the middle of the rough war. For more, visit Khaled Hossaini's official website here.

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For the time being, I just wishing for 'em. When I went to the bookstore last time, they are not 

available. Never mind! maybe not now and not tomorrow..but i'll surely have 'em someday! Haha! Anybody want to give 'em to me as presents? haha!! Yeah...I wish too much, don't I? Ciao..

Ghosh and Edwards

Hey guys! Check 'em out what I got from the library shelf this time. The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh and The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I hope that, after two thriller books that I borrow last time, these will calm me a little bit. Family relationship, nature, humanity and a bit of history. I think, this week might be a good week for these kind of books.

The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

Who's Amitav Ghosh ?: He was born in Culcutta in 1956. He studied at The Doon School, St. Stephens College, delhi University, Oxford University, and the faculty of Arts at the University of Alexadria (Wow...he sure loves study, isn't he?). Began his first job at Indian express newspaper in New Delhi, Ghosh was then earned his doctorate at Oxford before he wrote his first novel, The Circle of Reason in 1986.

The Hungry Tide:

(from the book cover) Between the sea and the plains of Bengal lies an immense archipelago of islands. Here, for hundreds of years, only the truly dispossessed braved man-eating tigers and crocodiles that rule there, to eke out a precarious existence from the mud.

The settlers of the Sundarbans believe that anyone without a pure heart who ventures into the watery labyrinth will never return. it is the arrival of Piya Roy, of Indian parentage but stubbornly American, and Kanai Dutt, a sophisticated delhi businessman, that disturbs the delicate balance of settlement life. from this moment, the tide begins to turn.

Praise for this book:

"An intricate book, tinged with a melancholic and fragile beauty....it is a sense of place that dominates this novel - and what an extraordinary place it is." - Economist

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The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Who's Kim Edwards ?: She grew up in Skaneateles, New York. She graduated from Colgate University and the University of Iowa, where she received an MFA in Fiction and an MA in Linguistics. After completing her graduate work, she went with her Husband to Asia, where they spent the next 5 years teaching, first on the rural east coast of Malaysia, then in a small city an hour south of Tokyo and finally in Phnom penh, Cambodia. The Memory Keeper's Daughter , was selected for Barnes and Noble Discovery Award and won the Kentucky Literary Award for fiction in 2005.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter:

(from the cover) This stunning novel begins on a winter night in 1964, when a blizzard forces Dr. David Henry to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy, but the doctor immediately recognizes that his daughter has Down Syndrome.

For motives he tells himself are good, he makes a split-second decision that will haunt all their lives forever. He asks his nurse, Caroline. to take the baby away to an institution. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child as her own. Compulsively readable and deeply moving, The Memory Keeper's Daughter is a brilliantly crafted story parallel lives, familial secrets and the redemptive power of love.

Praise for this book:

"In the Memory Keeper's Daughter, Kim Edwards has created a tale of regret and redemption.. of characters haunted by their past. crafted with language so lovely you have to re-read the passages just to be captivated all over again....simply a beautiful book" - Jodi Picoult

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OK guys! those are all for now...Have a nice day, and share with me your story and books. Until next time, Ciao....

The Client

Howdy guys!! Me, just finished reading The Client by John Grisham. This book is utterly fabulous and cunningly crafted! The story began when Mark and his lil brother Ricky witnessed a mob lawyer, Romey put the barrel into his mouth and shot himself to dead! Woa!! I thought to myself that that was the most Horrible thing to be seen by 11 year-old Mark and 8 year-old Ricky, But even worse was the story told to Mark by Romey. The secret that ruined his life, as well as his brother's , Ricky and his mom's , Dianne. the whereabouts of the most-sought-after dead body of a Senator.

Mark got stuck between the legal system gone mad and the mob killer, the mafia, who won't stop at any course to keep his mouth shut. Little boy was very scare to tell everything to the FBI who are willing to do anything to make him speak and he couldn't stop thinking that a word from him may cost his life. then, he accidently found Reggie, a lawyer, which was then became his only ally, a friend that would help him out of this chaos. Reggie is a taught woman and she'll do anything to protect Mark from both the corrupted legal system and the mob killer.

Mr. Grisham had created a very brilliant and brave Mark Sway, and despite his age, he's quite a remarkable kid with lots of knowledge about cops, lawyers, criminal justice system and mafias. Thanks to all the movies that he watched. He's also good in telling lies but the FBI are not a bunch of fools don't they? The way Mark is thinking in this story is quite remarkable and sometimes i thought that all of thing that he goes through are too much for 11 year-old kid. Yet, Mr Grisham, make this character very taught, smart, brave and remarkable. I congrate Mr. Grisham for this refreshingly different hero.

Reggie Love, make the story even more exciting. She's a very smart and tough lawyer in defending her client, Mark and at the same time acts as counselor, a friend, and a mother to mark. She's willing to do anything for her sweet little client. One of the most interesting part in this book is when Mark and Reggie want to confirm the whereabout of the body of the Senator, this 52 year-old lady have to crawl in the bush and get caught between the cops, and the thugs. This really is a breath taking situation and the way Mr. Grisham brilliantly writes it make my heart beats go faster and faster with every turn of the pages! Haha!

This book really helps me for my latest ASSIGNMENT!! on criminology, in which wether the testimony given by children eyewitness is acceptable or not. So, guys! I surely have to get back into my business, and for those who haven't read The Client yet..I highly recommended this book to you. I wonder which Mr. Grisham's book I'll read next. The Firm might be a good choice. Waddya think? Ciao..

1st To Die!!

I'm very satisfied reading this book as my first thriller book, and choosing Patterson's is not a mistake at all! I love 1st to Die from the very beginning until the end! This time I'll just skip all the details bout this book but what I wanna share with you here, today is what I love bout this awesome book!

Lindsay Boxer, the main character in this story! Love this tough gal very much. As the only homicide inspector in San Francisco, she tries her hardest to solve the cases of murder of newlywed couples and at the same time fights for her own life from Negli's, a disease that decrease the production of RBC by bone marrow. Then, she founds Cindy, a daring reporter, Claire, a pathologist and Jill an attorney. And together, these brave women have a Women's Murder Club secretly. Most of the story is told from Lindsay perspective and the thrill continues until the very last page of this book.

Mr. Patterson create the murderer very brilliantly. Phillip Campbell, a very twisted murderer which only kills the newlyweds and disappears without any trace. But, he intentionally leaves some evident at the scene to play game. He loves to play games very much. At first, I thought that this Phillip Campbell is Chris, Lindsay partner which is then fall in love with her. But...haha! my detective intuition went wrong. The real killer is so brilliant! He goes into jail at first but released when Lindsay doubt that the real killer is still out there, the wife. Chris and the wife are dead at the end. The real killer tries to kill Lindsay but has been shot by her.

5 stars for this book. This is the First book from the Women's Murder Club Series by Patterson. I'm looking for the next book, 2nd Chance. What will Lindsay encounter next? haha! ciao...

Thriller Time!!

Hey guys!! Library time again! This time I chose two thriller books. One is James Patterson's 1st to Die and another one is The Client by John Grisham. I hope that I'll enjoy reading these books. Different from last time, I choose these two books not because their covers (I still can't stop myself from loving the Tony Parsons' covers) but, it's 100% because of the story itself. Furthermore, this semester I'm studying the Criminology subject and I hope that, more or less, I can learn something from 'em. Here are brief reviews of both the books, and I'll post my own once I've finish reading 'em! When? Owh....Don't ask me that question guys. (coz I'm not sure myself)..Haha!

1st to Die by James Patterson


As the only woman homicide inspector in San Francisco, Lindsay Boxer has to be tough. But nothing has prepared her for the honeymoon murders.

A brutal maniac begins a killing spree - slaughtering newlywed couples - and Lindsay takes on the case. She is sickened by the deaths, but her determination to bring the murderer to justice is threatened by a personal tragedy. So, she turns to Claire, a coroner, Cindy, a journalist, and Jill, an attorney, for help with both crises: and the Women's Murder Club is born.


The Client by John Grisham

In a weedy lot on the outskirts of Memphis, two boys watch a shiny Lincoln pull up the curb... Eleven year old Mark Sway and his younger brother were sharing a forbidden cigarette when a chance encounter with a suicidal lawyer left Mark knowing a bloody and explosive secret: the whereabouts of the most sought-after dead body in America. Now Mark is caught between the legal system gone mad and a mob killer desperate to cover up his crime. And his only ally is a woman named Reggie Love, who has been a lawyer for all of four years.

Prosecutors are willing to break all the rules to make Mark talk. The mob will stop at nothing to keep him quite. And Reggie will do anything to protect her client - even take a last desperate gamble that could win Mark his freedom....or cost them both their lives.


That's it!! Enjoy reading these books, of course I am. And post the reviews here, next time I will (speaking like Master Yoda...haha!!). OK, guys! I stop here. Ciao...

Man and Boy

Hey everyone! It took me so long to update this blog. Haha! Loads of thing to handle, but never mind. I'm here now! Between your pop and your mom, which one is closer to you? which one do you prefer to share all your dirty little secretes with? your mom? your dad? Haha.....just answer it silently OK. This book by Tony Parson is a story about the relationship between the father and son and I really love this book and the story told! Some part it makes me wanna cry but I didn't. And most of the times it just makes me laugh! Haha...what a beautiful story it is.

Man and Boy, is a story about Harry Silver. Harry, approaching his 30, has it all. A beautiful wife, Gina, a young and beautiful child Patrick and a good work in the media. But, approaching the big 30 figures make he feel likes he's bringing extra luggage. No more fun, but all responsibilities. Until one night, he's having one night stand with Soubhan, his colleague and throw everything he own. Harry thinks that he can get away with that, but he's dead wrong. Gina finds out about that and make a strict decision. She can't forgive this stupid man! She feels like cheated and of course she is. Gina leaves harry and bring along little Pat with her to her father's. Harry's alone right now. Yes, he's alone.

Then,the story continues with Gina going to Japan to claim her ambition that she gave up long ago because of Harry. Leaving her beloved Patrick behind, Gina comes into an agreement that Harry will look after little Pat, the things that she thinks that she's done alone before. One after another, harry is then lost his job whilst he's struggling to take care of Pat by his own. But this is the turning point of his life. The new episode I would say. Most of the time this unemployed Harry spends the time with his son, and they become very close to each other. He try to be a best parent to his son. With the full support from both his parents, Harry is standing up on his feet again. Life becomes much better for him. Get to know his son better, re-unite with his parents and getting a new job. But not until Gina comes back and wants to bring Pat with her. Harry can't accept it. He loves Pat so much. He wants to fight for custody but he stop. He realize that " to love someone is to be able to let him go". He knows, Pat is happier with Gina.

My opinion: I think the story is just an average. Nicely written but a bit predictable and sometimes the story become flat at some parts. I wonder why. This is not an awesome book and it's not a bad book either. It's just good because the story is easy and too straightforward. It's supposed to be about the relationship between Harry and Pat but Mr. Parsons more focus about other plot such as the relationship between Harry and his old man and Harry with his new girlfriend Cyd. But to tell you the truth I love the cover more than I love the story. Haha!! That's all guys..Ciao...

New Year Challenge!!

Howdy guys! It's new year! How's your first day of 2010? You are doing great?! I bet you are.. Unfortunately for me, I'm not feeling well for the past few days (coughing). But, I'm much better today and here I am!! Updating my blog. Well....well...to begin the new year, I guess I should start it with the challenge! I went through several challenges hosting by the fellow book blogger and I find out that this one is really suit a beginner like me. I read about this challenge on Darlyn and Books and hosted by The Royal Reviews, Wish I Read That Challenge 2010 is the challenge that I signed in! Wohoo....

There're four levels in this challenges and I'm not hesitate to participate the Level 4 which is Obsessed Level, meaning that I wish I'd read 20 books through 2010. Yeah! Is that impossible for me?! No it's not!! Since this challenge begins from the 1st of January and will be ended at the end of the year and any books in any category is count, it's totally possible for me. Haha... I've good spirit in it!! I'm not gonna list the books yet, but once I read I'll list 'em. (grinning).

1. One for My Baby by Tony Parsons 

2. 1st to Die by James Patterson

3. The Client by John Grisham

4. A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

5. A Place Called Here by Cecelia Ahern

6. Fever by Christine Feehan

7. The Magicians by Lev Grossmen

8. Sepulchre by Kate mosse

9. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

10.The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards 
11. Suzanne's Diary fir Nicholas by James Patterson

12. A Dark Dividing by Sarah Rayne

13. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling

14 .Inkheart by Cornelia Funk

15. Who Moved My Cheese? by Dr. Spencer Johnson

16. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

17. Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

18. Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray

19. He's Just Not That Into You by Greg Brehrendt & Liz Turcillo

20. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

OK. That's that. Now as a new year start I would to write the review about a local motivational book that, written by an infamous Malaysian motivators and writers Dato Dr. Mohd Fadzillah Kamsah and his young colleague Ahmad Fadzli Yusof. The books is "Kuasa Hijrah Kuasa Untuk Berubah (The Power to Change)". This book is in my possession for almost two years already and got abandoned by me for a period of time. Haha! But now I start reading it again since I left it unfinished last time. Poor book.. (sigh).

This totally-in-Malay-language book, discussing about how you can change yourself in five steps.

1. Analyze and look into yourself.
2. Build up courage and making decisions.
3. State your goals!!
4. Formulate your strategies to achieve the goals.
5. Do everything above with full commitment and consistency.

All these steps are elaborated very nicely using simple words and so very interesting examples, tips and several tasks that you have to do. There are also stories about the people who have achieved their goals and success in their lives. There are also short stories and the values lie within each of every story told. Thus, you'll find out that this book is not a typical , boring motivational book but it's like reading a story book. A story of successful people and how and what can you do to make you life better! So, this book is worth reading after all..yeah!

Here's a testy:

"This book is very practical. It explains the important strategies on how to improve yourself and it's awesome! Congratulations Dr. Mohd Fadzilah Kamsah and Mr. Fadzli". -Tuan Haji Syed Moheeb Syed Kamarulzaman, the CEO of Takaful Ikhlas Sdn. Bhd.

OK, guys! That's all for today have a nice weekend and Happy New Year!! Ciao...