Sunday, December 25, 2011

Sugar Daddy - Lisa Kleypas

Sugar Daddy (Travises, #1)



Look, let me get a couple of things straight: 
a) I have been lead to read books by GR ratings which I have not liked at all. 
b) The impression I had of Texas is not very flattering. I considered it to be a dry and dusty place containing ladies competing with big hair dos, drawling accents and men with stetsons 
c) Just the name of the book put me off 

BUT: 

a) Honestly speaking, this book reads more like a young adult for 90% of the time which is OK by me cuz I love the different perspective 
b) The story almost seems like an outsider's view. Lib doesn't seem like a native the way she describes things and that really struck a chord with me. I'm not a native also so it's almost like one tourist giving pointers to others so you connect more with the info 
c) The pace was so swift that I didn't feel that things were either too boring or moving too fast 
d) You honestly feel like whatever happened, happened for a reason 
e) So many valuable lessons learnt about various issues 
f) I have now come to value the Texan culture much better


5 stars

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Pagan Encounter - A commentary by Barney Stinson via EeeJay

Pagan Encounter

(Rating 3.75) A commentary by Barney Stinson via EeeJay 

description 
-A hot girl: Score! 


- Hitting on an engaged woman? You’re a brave soldier, my friend, in the pursuit of bliss on a quest of ‘I SCORED THAT CHICK!’ 



-And you hit that? I gotta know how you did it. No, I’m serious, tell how me how you did it… 



-did you use the classic line ‘You icy bitch!’? (I think it’s a versatile line, which can provide cover for when it doesn’t work and there’s a dog nearby) 



-Or ‘You’re my property?’ (always reminded me of Penthouse apartments for some reason which is interesting cuz the view ‘up top’ is always a sight for the sore eyes. ‘Up-Top-Five!’) 



-Or ‘If you even think about hitting me I’ll dock you one, real bad’. Yeah, that’s always been my favorite. It tells the chick that her man is powerful enough to protect her… from herself



-Dude, you totally need a slap-commissioner. Some one who shall remain unbiased and uphold the rules of slap-fest. I would have recommended Lily but currently she's supervising Marshall and I. How about Phil? 



-What do mean you just ‘made love to her’? Oh you mean you just ‘kissed’ her? That’s it and you scored? What sort of gullible fool is she and where can I find more like her? 



-Bro!!! I salute you for retreat in the face of danger, you backed off whilst ‘making love’. Haha! Oh, you mean you really were making love this time round and backed off? Well the award for the most gullible fool now goes toyou



Your chick on the Hot/Crazy scale: 



She is slim and shiny: HOT 



She captures a bro and gets engaged: CRAZY (not-so-crazy for her) 



She lets you make love (can’t get round this…hahahaha!): HOT 



She knows who’s the boss: HOT 



She captures another bro: CRAZY 



As much I respect you for your achievements, I have to say you have failed all of bro-therhood: You got married. And hence forth you shall be remembered for your elevator tactics and your knowledge of faulty electronics. Rest in Peace. Or marriage, whatever, same difference. 


Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Sidewalk Canvas: Chalk Pavement Art at Your Feet - Julie Kirk-Purcell

Excerpt:

In cities and towns throughout the world you may see an area of sidewalk decorated with chalk or pastels. This art form originated in Italy during the 16th century, with vagabond artists who painted religious pictures directly on the paved public squares, using chalk and charcoal. Thanks to the International Street Painting Festival in Grazie di Curtatone in Northern Italy, the art form has been revitalized, and festivals such as Absolut Chalk in Pasadena and the Italian Street Painting Festival in San Rafael, CA, attract up to 600 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors annually. Part folk art, part performance art, this fascinating genre, where chalk is substituted for paint and asphalt or concrete for canvas, is growing in popularity in the virtual world too, with online blogs and video streams celebrating the art.

Packed with vibrant examples from the author and other leading international street painters, Sidewalk Canvas includes magical 3-D illusions, original amusing twists on the old masters and works by artists famous in other media. In addition to a gallery of the best street painting from around the world, there are insights into how it is executed, where to find it, and how to create your own work. As well as appealing to practicing artists, art educators and the hundreds of thousands attending festivals worldwide, the book will also interest those commercial organizations seeking to commission street paintings for promotional purposes.

Review

I first came across a chalk canvas when I was roaming the streets of Torino, Italy. It was absolutely fascinating and so to read a book like this from an insider's perspective is amazing!


As much as I'd love to say I paid attention to the methods and techniques, I have to admit that the art pieces themselves (preserved forever through photographs because they are...well...biodegradable (in a way)) captivated my attention and never let go. It was like me being in mum's closet and playing with the makeup, trying on different things and working out the combinations. Yes, for something that's this temporary, it sure leaves a huge impact on the viewer.



Recommended read for people who love art and/or those who get a kick out of seeing new things from old materials!


Friday, December 9, 2011

Wonder by R. J. Palacio


Wonder


Excerpt:
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. 

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? 

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.





Review:
What can I say? Where do I begin? How do I express what reading this book made me feel? It's not a book, it's a journey. It's a tragedy and a comedy and true and false at the same time. I feel privileged to have been allowed to read this (typos and all). And Auggie's right, I don't want to imagine him. I don't want to avert my eyes from his face. I don't want to hurt his feelings and feel like I behaved like all the other people did. But you know that it would happen if you saw him. That's the strength of this book. It makes you realize how superficial we truly are even when we profess not to be. It makes you empathize with the characters. It makes you live them. And it's not a comfortable feeling. 


Recommended for everyone. I just had one minor issue and that was the last award should have gone to Jack (or Summer), who had the guts to get the ball rolling.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

I'll Be Dead by the Time You Read This: The Existential Life of Animals - Romeo Alaeff




An unusual (and uncomplicated) book. Takes about 10 mins to flip through but leaves an impact that makes you wonder about it days later. The thing I kept thinking was: we project our problems to be way bigger than they are but then again, only the one who faces these issues can understand how complex they seem at the time. A good book for the eternal worrier. The only thing that could have been better was to have some of the animals' thought processes better matched.