Books read: week 10

I have a habit of re-reading books, especially those I love (like this one and the second one in this list) that it slowed down the number of books that I devour.

 

1. Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke

 

 

Hero: 3/5 stars

Heroine: 2/5 stars

Storyline: 4/5 stars

Pacing: 3/5 stars

Fun Factor: 2/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 1/5 stars

 

I heard good stuff about Ms Guhrke and she was recced to me by a friend on Goodreads. I really want to like her books, I do. After all, I need new authors to follow to feed my insatiable reading habit. Alas, though the premise was interesting, the follow through was disappointing. The hero was okay to me, but when the heroine suddenly devolved into this fishwife after being no more exciting than a doormat, the book just lost its lustre for me. The bits that pulled the heroine's bacon out of the fire was a bit too pat for my taste, but in the absence of other readables (and the fact that I forked out money to rent it), I consumed it till the end.

 

2. Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

 

 

Hero: 3/5 stars

Heroine: 3/5 stars

Storyline: 3/5 stars

Pacing: 3/5 stars

Fun Factor: 3/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 1/5 stars

Again, another recced author. Premise was all right, lousy follow through and the development of characters and plots were meh. Pity since she is quite prolific.

 

*sigh*

 

3. Set the Dark on Fire by Jill Sorenson

 

 

 

Hero: 5/5 stars

Heroine: 5/5 stars

Storyline: 4/5 stars

Pacing: 4/5 stars

Fun Factor: 5/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 3/5 stars

 

This book was a pleasant surprise. I picked it up because I had a few more bucks of rental money, but it was a nicely constructed book with interesting characters and great plot development. I adore how "real" the characters were, flawed and yet still striving to do the right thing. 

 

It was a little disconcerting in places because of the shifting POVs, but once you kept track of the major players, it was a breeze. The character interactions were fluid and realistic, the imagery crisp and descriptive that you feel the head of the dry lands of south east California.

 

I will look for her other works next time. 

4. Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

 

 

Hero: 5/5 stars

Heroine: 5/5 stars

Storyline: 5/5 stars

Pacing: 4/5 stars

Fun Factor: 5/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 4/5 stars

 

Eloisa James is one of the rare authors whose work I did not enjoy in the beginning, but then grew to love. I came across something she wrote way back in the late 90s but somehow it just didn't appeal to me. But now, I devour anything new that she produces.

This book is a reinterpretation of the classic Cinderella tale, except that this time around, the heroine doesn't wait around waiting to be rescued. Oh, and the prince wasn't really that charming.

Great banter, great characters, great plotting.

I hope that the butler gets his own story too.

 

5. Blood Royal by Jonathan Green

 

 

Hero: 3/5 stars

Storyline: 4/5 stars

Pacing: 4/5 stars

Fun Factor: 3/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 1/5 stars

 

Sherlock Holmes meet Phileas Fogg with mutant insect people and Victoriana. This is a fun and adventurous read, reminiscent of the style made popular by Jules Verne and Arthur Conan Doyle. Very deux-ex-machina and the dialogue is a little clunky at times, but over all a nice way to spend your reading hours.

 

6. Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

 

Protagonists: 5/5 stars

Storyline: 4/5 stars

Pacing: 5/5 stars

Fun Factor: 4/5 stars

Repeat Reading Factor: 3/5 stars

 

This is book 1 of the Kane chronicles, a new series by young adult author, Rick Riordan. I started reading him courtesy of my friend Iztoy who lent me the first three of the Percy Jackson series. It was about how Carter and Sadie Kane worked to save their father (and incidentally, the world) by stopping the god Set from unleashing the forces of chaos. Based on Egyptian mythology, the vivid characterisation and storyline really captures you from page one.

 

Now, to find book number two ... 

 

Midweek sh*ts & giggles - misanthrope edition

Fang-less

Cute & unsparkly, but delightful nonetheless.

TGIF

In anticipation for the weekend, some laughs would be nice, no?

(Under cut for massive NSFW pictures)

Midweek sh*ts & giggles

Put on your earphones/speaker and enjoy.

Maths rule!

Okay, I flunked maths. A lot. But there is no denying that the universal language is really numbers and mathematics. If you go to the Andromeda, only earthlings speak English/Arabic/Malay/Mandarin/whatever. But all over the universe, 1 + 1 + 1 will always equal 3. When it comes to numbers and equations, there is no need for a translator, the meaning doesn't change across linguistic acrobatics.

The wave equation explains why some sounds are pleasing to our ears and why some just makes us grit our teeth (nails down the chalk board, anyone?). It is also modified in studying earthquakes to let us understand the phenomenon and predict little stuff like tsunamis.

Maxwell's equations are the base of our communication technology: from the old telegraph to our mobile phones. Schrodinger's cat may or may not be in the box (or both dead AND alive), but his equation translates quantum mechanics into things like your DVD player and smart phones. As for Fourier transform, suffice to say that you can thank him for removing unwanted noise from your recording and the manipulations to make your digital photographs prettier.

Equations make the world go round.

Vive le numbers!

*All stolen from newscientist.com.

Err ...

I ... have no words. Really.

Have a good weekend, y'all.

Under cut for moar WTF-ness.

No literary tripe, please

Girls who are boys

This movie is unlikely to make it to our shores. Watch it and you'll see why.



I went to an all-girls school from Year One to middle secondary. Tomboys are not uncommon; many show this tendency right from Standard One. These are usually the scruffy girls with really short hair who takes the boy's roles in drama enthusiastically and are commonly athletic. Some become that way because their family encourage it; these girls are like substitute sons. Many are like so because something deep inside them say that they are not girls.

Bear in mind that I am not discussing athletic girls who like being rough and tumble and yet enjoy feminine pursuits as well. Those are tomboy-ish, but they are not true tomboys. I climbed trees and picked fights, but I have never had any desire of wanting to be a boy or feeling wrong in my own body. I've dreamt that I was a man (and boy was it fun being that physically strong and able) but that's not the same thing.

Unlike in an all-boys school where effeminate boys get bullied and are made miserable, tomboys in an all-girls school are often looked upon positively*. The teachers may rebuke them and ask them to be more lady-like (or something like that) but in general, the other students do not seem to mind their behaviour. The tomboys could be depended upon to do stuff that require strength and often take it upon themselves to do dangerous chores like putting up buntings in high places. You usually would want a tomboy in your sports team because they are more likely to help you win.

You may hear some people say that tomboys will outgrow their behaviour. Some do. Many don't. Some go the penultimate way and modify their bodies to appear masculine. Breast binding is not unusual; many chose weight training to increase muscle mass and widen their shoulders. Out of school, they dress like men and some of them carry it off so well you wouldn't believe that they are female. Most of the tomboys are sexually attracted to girls; they often date really feminine girls whom they court ardently.

Valentine's Day in my school was a perfect way to rake in the moola what with the song dedications, chocolates, candies and flowers that you could order/buy and send to the girl of your dreams. Some of the popular girls would go home with their arms laden with flowers and schoolbag bulging with assorted dedicated goodies. Do bear in mind, however, that in an all-girls school, sometimes the one doing the courting is not the tomboy; but the feminine counterpart. One of the most popular tomboys in my school was a prefect who often walked home on Valentine's with quite a haul. Also, girls have no problem expressing platonic admiration with gifts like candies and flowers, hence the majority of the gifts given are among "pet sisters".

The last time I went to Penang, I was quite surprised at the large number of tomboys who are openly walking about with their girlfriends, being affectionate and all. In fact, I think there are more of them there than there are in Kuala Lumpur.

Last week at a meeting I met a couple of transwomen (transgender man to woman) representing a civil society. They spoke of the difficulties for transgenders to get a job and many became sex workers because no one wants to employ them. From what I observe, tomboys (or transmen) have it easier because most that I've seen appear to hold decent jobs and can support themselves, but I have not seen any who are in upper management.

I think it's more than about time that we stop discriminating people based on their gender and sexuality. Nobody wants to be out of step with what is "normal" in something so basic about their self identity. Nobody asked to be challenged with attraction to their own sex, nor does anyone want to feel wrong in their God-given body. Please stop blaming the victim and try to accept them as they are. If you can't make their lives better, don't make it worse.

We are all God's creation who strive to do our best in this life that He has given us. He gave us different challenges, to prove our steadfastness and strength. How can we trivialise the trials of others? If you have not walked in their shoes, denigrate not their path and choices. Do we know if we are worthy? Are we aware of how well (or not) we dealt with our own trials? Only God has the right to judge each and every one of us.

Judge not, lest ye be judged.

*All above are from my personal observation only; I did not conduct a scientific study on the phenomenon.

Be careful what you ask your Dad ...

... he might just tell you.



And your life will never be the same again. MWAHAHAHAHAH!