1) Japanese Literature Read-along, hosted by Tanabata. The first book is I Am Cat by Natsume Soseki, which I’ve been meaning to read for the longest time. So this is a great push for me!

Schedule: Volume 1 – Nov 15, Volume 2 – Dec 15, Volume 3 – Jan 15

2) Japanese Literature Book Group (bi-monthly), also hosted by Tanabata. It starts with Old Capital by Yasunari Kawabata, but since I read Snow Country by Kawabata earlier this year and didn’t love it, I decided to pass. The second book is The Professor and the Housekeeper by Yoko Ogawa though and it’s one I’ve been wanting to read and the discussion is not due until next year, so I’m in!

Schedule: 25 Jan 2010

3) Dewey’s 24 hour read-a-thon is coming again! The read-a-thon always starts near midnight for me so I usually sleep for the first several hours and still wake up for the last hours — more quiet hours because everybody else at the other part of the world starts sleeping. Since I’m such a slow reader, the most number of book that I finished during a read-a-thon was one (while others just churn out books after books like book reading factory. Seriously!). Well, not this time! I went to library yesterday and got a few children books. So that’s my secret weapon.

Schedule: 24 October 2009

4) Wilkie Collins tour hosted by The Classics Circuit (that’s Rebecca and friends). The concept of the Classics Circuit is something similar with book tour, except that its purpose is to promote dead authors instead of newly published books. I just acquired The Woman in White last week (before I knew Wilkie Collins would be the first author tour) so it’s perfect timing!

Schedule: ~ 2 Nov – 4 Dec 2009

5) Dracula read-along, hosted by Fizzy Thoughts. Okay I admit it, I love the banner above so much I just need to join! Plus, Dracula is one that I NEED to read.

Schedule: October 2009

After I signed up for the last two, I went to flip through the two books and immediately sank into panic mode. WHAT WAS I THINKING? The first and the last time I read something from 1800s was Wuthering Heights and it was NOT a quick read (enjoyed it though). There is just NO WAY I could finish one in October, let alone TWO! Was thinking to just back out from both and pretend it never happened.

But then I re-checked the schedule of Wilkie Collins tour and it’s actually in November, not October. So if I get a day in early December… I may just be able to make it. *cross fingers*

One event that I wish I could’ve joined is New Zealand Challenge as October is New Zealand book month. WHY October? Of all months, all reading things must pick October for the party. I’ve never read anything by a Kiwi before and that’s a shame because we’re neighbours. Well, if I were to join the challenge, I would’ve picked Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones. Just saying.

Another event that I may be joining is Hello Japan!, hosted by Tanabata (who else?). Hello Japan! is a monthly mini-challenge about anything Japan. October task is to read or watch something spooky, scary, and Japanese, of course. I just read Strangers by Taichi Yamada, but finished it about a day before the even started, so it probably doesn’t count.. Or I can gush over Battle Royale and Death Note as they’re the most awesomest things ever created by the Japanese.

I’m kinda exhausted just by listing all these events going on in blogosphere. Must breath.

Let me close this post by pointing you to these two lovely bloggers who have passed me the Let’s Be Friends award:

Suko from Suko’s Notebook and Gnoe from Graasland

Thank you ladies! I hope you know how much I appreciate you coming here as my bloggy friends. <3

Are you joining any of the events above?

RIP Short Story Sundays

(hosted by Carl)

I thought I’d mention a couple of stories that I read this week that coincides with RIP spirit. I’ve just finished Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote and one of the short story that comes with the book is House of Flowers, which I thought had a bit odd balance of 3/4 love story and 1/4 creepy story. Apparently it’s made into musical in 1954!

On Friday, I finished the Tiffany’s book on the way to work and I didn’t have anything to read on the way back (which is a big deal, because the commute normally takes about 1 hour one way!) I was in panic mode for a bit before getting the idea to print out several pages of A Christmas Carol by Dickens at the office. Then I realized that I could actually read it on my iPhone too (I have several free books there for emergency).

By the by, has anyone tried to read books on their iPhone? The screen size is not bad I guess and you can adjust the font size and color, but I still prefer paper compared to screen, even though it’s an extra thing I have to carry in my bag.

Review Thing

My review of Purple Hibiscus is printed on goodreading magazine August 2009 edition!

Made me happy :)

Appreciation Thing

Mark David @ absorbed in words has graciously passed me the Zombie Chicken award. You should visit his wonderful blog too! Thank you Mark!

“The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken– excellence, grace, and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens just to be able to read their inspiring words. As a recipient of this world-renowned award, you now have the task of passing it on to at least 5 other worthy bloggers. Do not risk the wrath of the zombie chickens by choosing unwisely or not choosing at all.”

Risking the wrath of the zombie chickens, I may choose to pass it on later, since looks like a lot of people have already got it!

Has it been a good week for you? Hope it has! And happy Sunday!

If you have dropped by here this week, you’d know that I went to Sydney Writers’ Festival last weekend (and missed last Sunday Salon too!). I wrote a (not-so) quick summary of my time in three parts. So if you haven’t, check them out! They came with pictures :)
Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3

I also found heaps of books to be added into my mental TBR list. I just thought of another book to add to that list. David Ebershoff attended the Festival too (though I knew it too late to add him to my schedule) and I got interested in his first book, The Danish Girl, about the first person to undergo sex reassignment surgery. His latest book, The 19th Wife was widely reviewed on book blogs, but somehow I’m just not that interested. Perhaps because I’ve read Escape by Carolyn Jessop which tells the true account of FLDS and polygamy. So going to fiction after reading a non-fiction on the same issue just doesn’t cut it for me.

This week I’m still going along with three books: Burnt Shadows, Purple Hibiscus, and Disgrace (not counting graphic novels since they’re so quick to read I don’t have a chance to get stuck). I don’t know what’s wrong with me, but I’m just going very slow right now. Crawling. I don’t think it’s the books. I think it’s me. Anyhoo, I’m hoping for a better week next week.

There’s an award that I haven’t acknowledged. It’s Lovely Award from my loyal visitor Suko :). Thank you Suko! *hug* You have such a lovely blog too <3

How was your week? Hope everybody had a good one!

It’s been a pretty slow week for me. I’m just somehow not in the best mood to read or to blog. *sigh*

I’m currently reading Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie. I find the beginning pretty slow going. Also, I’m awfully aware that Shamsie is a Pakistani and she chose to write about a Japanese girl when she’s never been to Japan, and this fact somehow bothers me a bit. I know a lot of people write about places that they’ve never been to, like the famous Herge (of Tintin), but only now I am wondering how much of knowing this fact would distract me from fully enjoying the book. I’m probably just a bit defensive because I read a lot of books by Japanese authors, and a tiny voice at the back of my mind questions why I want to read a book about Japanese or Japan by an author who’s never set foot on the land, if I could read works by people who are more connected, by origin or birth.

How about you? Do you mind to read a book with setting or protagonist that are of a different country with the origin of the author? I don’t mind it if the author has spent a considerable amount of time living there, but what if she/he hasn’t even been in that country and has no connection whatsoever in the family tree? Would you question how much the author actually knows about the place and the culture? Does it bother you at all that he/she writes about something completely foreign to him/her?

I didn’t know it could bother me until now, though I’m still not sure to what extend. I’m definitely continuing to read and see what I’d feel about it at the end.

On another note, I received a couple of awards from these lovely people below.

Jess from find the time to read has given me the Let’s Be Friends award. Aaw thank you for the attention. That’s sweet ;)

Cheryl from The Unadorned Book Review has passed me the Proximidade Award. “This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement!” Mmm.. aggrandizement.. now where did I hear that before? :)

Thanks you two! <3

I watched 2 foreign movies this week. I won two tickets for Summer Hours at Dendy Cinema just next to Sydney Opera House, a French movie about heritage and loss of it. To be honest, I found it boring, though I didn’t yawn as much as I probably would have normally. It’s probably the language was such a barrier that I didn’t feel connected to the characters and the topic was pretty lame in this recession time. Two brothers and a sister was left with a big mansion, valuable, paintings and furnitures, of a deceased well known painter who inherited his wealth to the sibling’s mother (who then died too). The oldest brother would like to keep things intact, mostly for sentimental reasons, while his younger siblings don’t feel the same because of their different circumstances. The younger brother has been living in China and will continue to, possibly for more years, and the younger sister is looking to get married and move to USA. So both of them prefer to sell everything. The big brother has no choice but to do what the majority wants to. There’s not much drama or humour. It’s a very quiet movie that is probably for people who ever feel the loss of their heritage.

Second is Laputa: Castle in the Sky by Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki. I couldn’t remember for the life of me whether I’d watched it or not, but experienced a series of dejavu along the entire movie. Oh well, I’m writing it down now, so that won’t happen again! The movie opens with an attack scene of a bunch of pirates to a flying plane. A girl tries to run away and she drops to the earth. Magically her necklace glows and she floats nicely to arms of a young boy, Pazu. Later on they find out that both the pirates and another group of people on the plane want to capture the girl, who of course will be the key to find Laputa, the Castle in the Sky. The movie is cute and comical. I think the audience would definitely fall in love with the adorable bunch of sky pirates, who consist of a big bust grandma who the other pirates call Mama. The only thing that I feel lacking is the depth of history of the Laputa. I feel like it’s something that can be developed a lot further and deeper. They also spend very little time at the castle itself, spending most of the time running away and hiding (which serves a lot of the comical moments).

Both will go to my list of foreign movies watched for the OT Film Mini-Challenge.

Following the read-a-thon last week, I have to mention that I found out I won a mini-challenge after my round-up post! That’s Book to TV cross-over mini challenge by Kathrin. So I won a book. Yay! That’s 2 read-a-thon in a row that I won a mini-challenge!

I also got another book from debnance at readerbuzz for joining her Bookcrossing mini-challenge. I picked Mr. Fooster Traveling on a Whim: A Visual Novel by Tom Corwin, because it sounds like a quirky fun little book.

More! Somehow I received a series of awards in the past week. Aaww how sweet! (Prepare for a lot of aaww moments) So I’m gonna list them here to acknowledge the people who have been nice to me :)

Suko from Suko’s Notebook passed me this award ages ago, for “being honest and speak their minds in a thoughtful manner“. Suko has been a loyal visitor and commenter of my blog. She was there when I hadn’t got involved much in book community and nobody commented except her ;). Aaww… much love for Suko <3

I got this Lovely Blog Award from Kathrin from Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic and Callista from SMS Book Reviews. It’s given for newly discovered blog. Thanks you two, it’s nice to discover your blogs too!

I received Premio Dardos Award from Mark from absorbed in words. “This award acknowledges the values that every blogger shows in his or her effort to transmit cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values every day.” From his blog it seems that Mark likes Murakami too, so that’s probably why he passed me this award :P

Let’s Be Friends from Teddyree from The Eclectic Reader. “Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement.”

I’m not sure if I’m not interested in self-aggrandizement, but I do want to make friends. Aawww.

I find it too hard to pass along these awards and select only a few bloggers, so I’m not passing the torch. Boohoo. I hope it’s okay. Thank you all, I really appreciate the gesture :D

1. First awards were presented in 1979
2. It celebrates their 30th anniversary this year
3. In 1979, NSW became the first state in Australia to present Premier’s Literary Awards
4. The awards celebrate achievements by Australian writers

Admittedly, I’ve never heard of this award before until I’m back in NSW. I’ve also never heard of the books shortlisted apart from Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan, whose 2 books I just borrowed from library 2 days ago. (I think I first knew about Shaun Tan from a fellow blogger, but I can’t remember who. Do you know who you are? Please shout or raise your hand! :)

Anyway, I’ll list a couple of the shortlists here. You could check out the NSW PLA website yourself for more.

Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000)

The Spare Room by Helen Garner
The Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
Disquiet by Julia Leigh
The Good Parents by Joan London
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
Breath by Tim Winton

Go here to see the covers.

Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature ($30,000)

The Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky & Tohby Riddle (illus)
How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett & Ann James (illus)
Perry Angel’s Suitcase by Glenda Millard & Stephen Michael King (illus)
Nobody Owns the Moon by Tohby Riddle
Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Have any of you read one of these books? Or read the book by one of these authors? Please let me know! I’d love to hear if there’s any recommendation.

Go here to see past PLA winners from year 1979 to 2008. (Again, admittedly I’m mostly unfamiliar with the names of books and authors. Sure I know Peter Carey, but I’ve never picked up his work before.)

This event coincides with Sydney Writers’ Festival which is happening on May 18 to 24, 2009 (Winners will be presented on the 18th). Anyone’s going? Any of my reader is from Australia at all? LOL. I’m currently browsing the site to see if there’s any that I’m interested in.

On another note, I’ve been hearing about Kazuo Ishiguro’s new upcoming novel: Nocturnes for a few times now. I hope it’s gonna be good. Ishiguro will have one event at the festival, but I think it’s just via video link (video conference talk?). That’s lame. I want to see the real man!