A small poem

A home is not
A building
Or a place
Nor is a home
A property or an address

Home is where your heart belongs
And where you always return
Home is where you always feel loved
Or so they say

And up until now
I know not
Whether it was more foolish
To make a home of four walls and a roof
Or two arms and a heartbeat.

BB1M Haul 2016

It's nearly halfway through the year, and it feels as though it's just been a blink of an eye. All of it.
This is also how I feel about me holding the BRIM vouchers. I quite literally spent my vouchers the very next day after getting a hold of them. Obviously, I am the epitome of self control (ha ha).

I made my way to Bookalicious, and found Leon behind the counter, who helped me pick out some books. By help, I mean making it precisely a billion times harder to make a choice, because all the books I wanted were there!

So anyway, without further ado, my BRIM book haul for 2k16!

The very first thing I did after getting the vouchers was texting the friendly indie bookshop owner and asking him if he still had the book set I'd wanted in stock since I'd last asked for them the previous month. When I came to, he'd told me it was the last one! What luck!

The said magical bookset is no other than The Puffin in Bloom, which is a beautiful set of classics I'd had my eyes on for a while! I've since picked up A Little Princess, and cannot wait to get into these. Could not be happier finally getting them!

I also bought the book I'd been anticipating since last year, when I read Winter! I read it the same day I bought it and I was thoroughly amazed and satisfied! I haven't been this obsessed with a book series since Harry Potter!

 

I also decided to invest in a non-fiction book, as per my promise to my father, who believes in living in the real world (unlike his daughter, who would've preferred having been born a wild she-wolf princess living in a space hovercraft somewhere). I chose this gem, because I thought I'd had enough psychology and self help books; and because let's face it, you can never go wrong with a nice spiritual book!

Taking these books home felt like adopting kittens - not that I'd know from personal experience (yet!) but, I would imagine bringing home furry little bundles of joy is similar to bringing beautifully binded worlds home. I've placed them in their new home, i.e., my bookshelf, and hope that it doesn't look too messy.

Welcome to the family, babies!

Reading Resolutions

Last year, in 2015 (wow, that felt odd to say), I read 155 books, of the 150 I set at the beginning of the year.

This year, I intend to keep the goal at 150, but I wouldn't be too crushed if I don't reach it. It's just something to keep in mind when I suffer from an awful bout of a reading slump.

Another challenge that would be fun to try is the one put up by Popsugar. I'd done the 2015 challenge, and it was thoroughly thrilling to see just how many books I'd read that I could tick off from the list!

I hadn't done too badly, scoring 45 of 50 (The books I haven't read being a banned book, a book I was supposed to read in school but didn't, a classic romance, a play, and a book that came out the year I was born). I do intend to up my game, though. Bring it on!

This year's challenge seems to be a lot more diverse, and even challenging, but I guess that's the idea. Wish me luck, and join in!

What was left of '15

After some reflection; an honest one, 2015 was not all that bad. In fact, some of the times might've been the best I've ever had.

For one, I've had the immense privelage of becoming friends with amazing people! Internship really changes you, I tell ya. 

I also met two bookish little things that broadened my knowledge and joy of bibliophilia! One of them, Raihan-san, introduced me to a group of cool cats, and from there, we were one big, diverse family, whom I've known for nearly a year! #mybbm

I also went on vacation again (as some of you MYBBMs went on a field trip), to a quaint hotel in Johor that doubled as a waterpark and beach resort. Since the slides were more for the wee ones, I busied myself by inconspicuously (or so I claim) picking flowers, taking polaroid shots, and collecting shells and acorns.

Clearly, I am the least nerdy person you know (not nearly true, I know, shhhh).

 Also, as for where I left off from the previous post, I did have fun meeting Lang Leav! It was such a humbling, terrific experience, getting to meet the sweet person from which such beautiful and striking words came.

My friend and I waited in line, and were the second group in line, so we got to meet her within the first few minutes (thankfully!). Don't ask us how early we had to stand there to be one of the first people in line. It was painfully awkward.

In any case, it was well worth it. Lang Leav took questions; which included where she got inspiration from, and which of her poems she herself loved most. Then, she read a few of her poems, as per request of the audience.

I did manage to take a polaroid with her, and also a quick picture from Siti's phone. Fortunately and unfortunately, it came out blurry. Also, Leav closed her eyes, which I find adds to her quirkiness somehow. I also got two signatures from her, which is, to me, almost as cool as having Robert Downey Junior's (I said almost).

The penultimate November day

Since tomorrow is the last day of November, I thought that it'd be a good time to compare my TBR list to what I actually read. This month, I decided to be considerably more loose, and only selected 3 books to read this month that were predetermined, while the rest could be selected and read on a whim.

Ha.

What I was supposed to read:

• Winter
• Half Wild
• City of Bones

What I actually read:

• The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Warm Bodies - Isaac Marion ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• #88 Love Life: 88 Thoughts On Love and Life - Diana Rikasari ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Modern Romance - Aziz Ansari ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• Finding Audrey - Sophie Kinsella (buddy read with Nars) ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
• The other books listed in preceding post

Basically, I read everything BUT what I was meant to. 

(Insert "Watch out, we got a badass here" ironically)

After this, I won't be sticking to any regimens or plans, because evidently, I suck at them in the long-run. 

*Miley Cyrus' Can't Be Tamed plays in the distance*

On a completely non-bookish note, I also loved November for being a month wherein I was movie-marathoning like a madwoman. Saturday Midnight Skype Movie rituals contributed to that, granted, but trips to the cinema also became a favourite pastime of mine this month (or ever since the end of my practical internship). My favourite was probably The Good Dinosaur!

On a completely bookish note, I treated myself to a delight, in light of author Lang Leav's tour to Malaysia. 

Hopefully, the month is going to end off spectacularly to welcome the last month of the year.

Hi November !

So it's getting to be almost two weeks of November already - wow, like, chill, do you need a speeding ticket, Earth? - and, all I have to say for myself is that I've finally finished my hardbound, and am as free as Dobby, basically.

In honour of that, I thought I would indulge in immersing myself with things I enjoy; i.e., TV show binging, movie marathoning, book read-alongs, room decorating, and painting whatever the heck that looks even remotely like a smooth surface.

I've also started writing for NaNoWriMo with a couple of buds, so that's something that I'm pretty stoked about as well!

I didn't have many books in my reading plan this month, so most of it is basically just picked on a whim. While I was on holiday, I picked up and finished Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Can You Keep a Secret? in the space of 4 days. Which is a new record for me, considering the fact that I am a sleep-loving sloth.

November favourites

On the whole, however, I think I read quite a few books I didn't quite like as much as I would've expected to.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Saenz:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist - Rachel Cohn & David Levithan:  ♥ ♥ 

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories - Edgar Allan Poe: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Animal Farm - George Orwell: ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Bossypants - Tina Fey:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories - Charlotte Perkins Gilman: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Tinder Box and Other Stories - Hans Chirstian Anderson: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I also read a number of picture books, because why the hell not?:

A Perfectly Messed Up Story - Patrick McDonell:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

There's a Wocket in My Pocket! - Dr Seuss:  ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Marvin K Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! - Dr Seuss:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Inside Out - Walt Disney Company:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Red: A Crayon's Story - Michael Hall: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

The Day the Crayons Came Home - Drew Daywalt:  ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

I was in the children's section in the amazing Kinokuniya store, as one often finds oneself when one is just a little melancholy (or is that just me?), and I found that though the books were targeted for a much younger audience, the heart and the humour of them can be appreciated by even the oldest people, if they were as brilliant as Dr Seuss.

What I've been up to while I listen to some interesting audiobooks (such as Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari, and The Wide Window by Lemony Snicket; both of which I have yet to finish!) is finally completing a double page of my colouring book. If you haven't heard of the new therapeutic adult colouring book craze, I don't know what to tell ya. It's completely relaxing.

Medium: water-soluble colour pencils, and watercolour paint

I'm currently juggling about 6 books as of now, and have put another 2 on hold. The reason why I can't read one book at a time like a complete sane person is, is because I have a super short attention span, and I am really eratic, and have specific moods. Like one moment I'll feel like reading an easy-going YA book, and the next, I'm craving a Stephen King book. You never know. I mean, I never know.

Hopefully, I'll be able to complete my 2015 Reading Challenge, which is to read 150 books this year. As of right now, I've read 137. 

Wish me luck!

October Shenanigans

So I'd say this month's quite a lucky month for me. I got a lot done, and had a lot of time to express creativity in outlets, as well as getting some gorgeous seaside vacation time in.

I squeezed in some major reading time, and I'm glad to have been able to stick to my reading plan. I even read some extra random ones, just because.

1. Very Good Lives - J K Rowling                                            ✯✯✯✯✯
2. Fantastic Mistakes / Make Good Art - Neil Gaiman                ✯✯✯✯
3. The Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan                                          ✯✯✯✯✯
4. A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J Maas                       ✯✯✯✯
5. Library of Souls - Ransom Riggs                                        ✯✯✯✯✯
6. A Little Something Different - Sandy Hall                            ✯✯✯✯
7. The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion                                    ✯✯✯✯✯
8. The Battle of The Labyrinth - Rick Riordan                           ✯✯✯✯✯
9. Royal Wedding - Meg Cabot                                              ✯✯✯✯✯
10. Who Could It Be At This Hour? - Lemony Snickett                 ✯✯✯
11. The Last Olympian - Rick Riordan                                       ✯✯✯✯✯
12. The Demigod Files - Rick Riordan                                         ✯✯✯✯✯

I only have a rough sketch of what the November reading plan is like, but I think I'm going to allow more liberality this time.