List of Interestingness: Volume I x 2

ART/PHOTOGRAPHY

List of Interestingness: Volume I x 1

ART/NAILS

A masterpiece of Alice in Wonderland themed nail art from @jnicicles on Instagram.

"Paris Burning"

Paris Burning

I write words to speak to you;

I know not how or who else

I can tell this to:

of the fragments that make you

and undo your vision, too.

The shrapnel in my eyes,

ears, nose and hands -

The order I was shot

I forget, and yet,

reflecting,

it blazes before me again.

I decode them here;

I deconstruct

into abstractions

to get to the heart.

Warm Bodies (Jonathan Levine) Film Review and Summary

I just caught Warm Bodies today and it was a pretty cool movie (pardon the bad pun, haha). I giggled at the many literary and cultural references and laughed at the self-reflexive, unabashed hilarity. Warm Bodies, based on a novel by Isaac Marion, manages to avoid the pitfalls of most parodies of both films and genres (yes, we know it's a parody of Twilight) and includes the most delightful literary references combined into a successful genre mash-up. It's the movie version of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, only set in the modern day and revolving around another literary couple... I shan't say more yet. I hadn't intended on catching it at first as it seemed quite banal. I was amused by the trailer though, and that's why I decided on Warm Bodies instead of The Croods, which I intend to watch too.

Anyway, on to the meat of the review and a very long summary.

"The Wanderer"

I love to write. I write when I'm happy, I write when I'm sad. I write whenever I have something to say, some feelings to express. I know I haven't been updating this space regarding my exchange and other reviews and such, but I'm having a tough week now, filled with work and some drama. Since I wrote this poem in a fit of catharsis, I'm going to post it here and let you have a glimpse into my writing. I have written many more poems but I have never published them here. Perhaps in time I will.

And now, for the poem.

The Wanderer

Now that I’m at Fancy’s door,

Myself, my oaths I did perjure

Now that I’m at Fancy’s hearth

I see that plaque of metal craft:

“All that glitters is not gold

Fare you well, your wish is cold”

Wish I had but wisdom more

To see the writing on the wall

As I lay, resigned to burn

There, inscribed upon my urn:

“All that is gold does not glitter

Not all those who wander are lost”

I rise, to find my ashes bitter

And to bear my golden cross

25.11.2012

Penguin Books Expo Sale 8-10 June 2012 Haul Post

Here's my haul from the Penguin Books Expo sale, which is held once every 3 years. I spent a total of S$ 41 for 4 books, which works out to S$10 per book! What a fantastic deal. I managed to buy books that I have been eyeing for a while, so it was a great field day for my literary side.

Presenting... The Solitary Book Club - You don't have to be a "Literature Geek" to read these books

What in tarnation is a Solitary Book Club?!

I'm sure you've heard of Book Clubs where people sit down and discuss the books they've read, like the famous Oprah's Book Club. Clubs are a social activity, so there's no way there could be a club of one, right? Well, I bet you've never heard of a Solitary Book Club where the only member goes on and on about the books she (yours truly) has read. Those are called reviews, right?

Wrong. I'm not just reviewing books that I'm currently reading/have recently read/are my perpetual favourites. The social aspect of my club lies in the way I'm opening up the (comments) floor to discussion from all my readers, whether you're avid literature geeks or sporadic book flippers. By doing this, I intend to transform your perception of books that people dismiss as "high-class literature" (as they say in our uniquely Singaporean brand of Singlish) into a worldview that embraces literature as an accessible way of learning about other cultures and worldviews. Literature is not just confined to books on the Times bestseller lists, and I take up the job of introducing you to books you may otherwise not have read. Some of these are on bestseller lists, some are relatively obscure, but I'm sure that after reading what I (and the commenters) have to say, you'll know whether they're worth the read or not.

A few ground rules. I welcome all comments except

1) Inflammatory comments that are personal insults

2) Comments that are not Spam, but are non-related to the book

3) Spam

I will not publish your comments if they are any of the above. Commenting on how you find the book is completely okay, even if it's just to say "I think this book sounds cool! I'll check it out." Comments that request for more information on the book or that attempt to clarify certain details of my review/the book are welcome. Just no flamers, no spammers and no trollers.

That said, welcome to my Solitary Book Club where I sit behind a screen of anonymity and share my latest and greatest reading exploits with all of you and provide recommendations for everyone. Don't be afraid of reading, don't be afraid of participating in this Book Club! Sitting behind a screen of anonymity has its benefits - there's a lower possibility of being embarrassed at a slip-up - but just a reminder to Keep It Nice, everyone.

Disclaimer: My Solitary Book Club posts are for people interested in literary fiction (e.g. by Jeffrey Eugenides, Haruki Murakami etc.), science fiction (I am a huge Ray Bradbury and Philip K. Dick fan), dystopian fiction (1984, Animal Farm, and the classics (blame the fact that I'm a literature major). Even if you're more used to reading chick lit and other genres of fiction, I suggest you read some of my reviews and give these genres a shot! You may be pleasantly surprised.

Stay tuned for my soon-to-be-published reading experience of the wonderfully quirky and fun... part science fiction, part dystopian fiction... Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde!

Front cover
Picture credits: Lightbox

Front and Back
Picture Credits: Lightbox

P.S. "But... what does Literature have to do with Beauty?" Oh it has everything to do with beauty, my friend. A well-crafted piece of prose or poetry is a work of art, and beauty is found in art, no? Plus I wanted to show the intellectual side of Cherchez Beauté. I am a literature major who has loved reading since I was little. I sing, I play the piano (well, if I may say so), I write poetry... My life is about so much more than nail polish and make up - why dumb down the content just to fit into certain typecasts? I want to be different, and here goes!