NBS Haul: Exploring Different Genres and Author Writing Styles

I went on a business trip last month and was really pushing to drop by any National Bookstore (NBS) branch to check out. As you can see, I have an assortment of paperback copies from my last NBS visit. I only got to visit an NBS branch on the very last day of my trip and found another NBS branch at NAIA Terminal III (which only got to affirm the theory that the Kobo is tempting me).

So, after a busy month, I dearly hope that I could go back to writing more about books, reviews and just blogging more basically. More about my haul, there’s a mixture of authors and genre in there, I confess that I just pulled them off the shelves due to lack of “quality time” with the book store and more books. 

Salmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday- I’ve seen only a scene from the movie on HBO, and this copy has a movie tie-in cover, and how I wish I got the copy that has the original artwork like the one below. I’m not that fond of buying copies with movie tie-in covers. I haven’t started reading it yet, and have no idea what the style is. It’s still sealed as of this post, but if you want me to write a review about it you can let me know. 

150 Style Essentials For Every Girl by Tricia Gosingtian- Tricia G shows any girl how to style the most basic and available pieces out there, complete with sections on accessories, makeup and blogging tips, making this a good primer for anyone thinking of starting with fashion. If you’re someone who is looking into acquiring the essentials for your wardrobe, this is a welcome companion for mixing up style for both fashion and beauty.

The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Anne Rice writing as A.N. Roquelaure- I’ve been wanting to read about this for a long time now. I have to say, Anne Rice deviates from her vampire writing style over here, but this is just too delicious (in an erotica way), very different from the other soft-paranormal erotica that I have encountered from Laura Esquivel. Oh and this is only the first part of a trilogy so I have to think really hard if I want to continue reading onto the second and third parts.

That’s about it for the book haul, thank goodness for business trips and NBS so I can look at my wallet empty of cash and wait for the next chance to get lost in book stores again. If you want me to review (or giveaway) any of these, drop me a hint? 

Raisie Speaks- The Beginning + Blogversary Giveaway

Two years ago, I started a blog purely to record all the books I have read, the authors I have been pining after, and the books I had on my wishlist-because I was crazy like that. I didn't expect to complete my wishlist, which explains why until now it's nowhere near halfway complete because the wishlist seems to be longer compared to my actual acquisitions, plus the fact that like any other working person, I am on a budget.

So you get the tone of this blog in the beginning, at least. That it was meant for books and literature.

Then somewhere along the way, it evolved into a beauty blog. Barely just dipping into the world of makeup and not knowing the first thing about the differences with contouring and just concealing, here I am sharing my adventures on skin care and beauty (again) on a budget.

And from books, the tag also extended to beauty.

The ride on a whole was a mixture of ups and downs. What could a small town blogger come up with? How on earth would it be interesting? Was my life and blog worth sharing? In those two years, I learned that there were some things worth sharing and some things worth keeping private, and was kind of careful in balancing the two. I have met fellow bloggers, got to know them a bit and most importantly, got to know who my readers were. I was reaching out and being influential to a group of  readers who were interested in what I had to say.

Sometimes, I didn't have the time. There was a time that I posted only a single entry for a month! But the thing bout blogging is, I can always come back. It's tough especially if author of said blog has a day job that can be downright challenging which also entails writing on a completely different topography- but here I am still writing my heart out, waiting, waiting, waiting for what-I don't even have the answer. But as long as Raisie Speaks is still alive and online, I would be forever grateful to those who read it and interact with me.

This one's for you.

There are two prizes! Which one is yours?

Prize A

Top From Adah Belle

Lace Shorts 

Creativity Notebook + Pen From Heart Artistic Dreams

Bobbie Wondernails Polish

Peace Bracelet

Blue Drop Bracelet

Nautical Necklace in Gold

Prize B

Pocket Notebook in Mint

Hair Accessories in Browns

Hair Pins in Black

San San Nail Polish in Raspberry Peach

Caronia Nail Polish in Eternity Frosted

Plum Leatherette Chain Bracelet

Allue Milk Bath Soap Plus Yogurt

San San CYO Eyeshadow in Blackground, Charcoal Brown and White Frost

This is going to be super-duper easy. All you have to do is input the correct details into the Giveaway Tools app.

Entry-Form

Currently Reading: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

 I didn't leave home for the past five days. Most of my kababayans know why. However, I feel like I just need to do something normal for a while just to distract myself. If I am going to keep mindful of the negativity going on in my city, Nothing is going to happen to me.

Another thing, I would like to inform my frequent visitors that I will be preparing something for you in the form of a giveaway. It's something really special so you can stay alert for it here.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

"A masterwork of twentieth-century literature"

"The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literature future"

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house?  The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.

The classic dystopian novel of a post-literature future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization's enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.

Bradbury's powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.-Good Reads

Literary Awards

Hugo Awards for Best Novel (1954)

Prometheus Hall of Fame Awardn (1984)

National Book Award for Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters (2000)

 The interior defense dines under the sabotage.

Raisie Speaks: 5 Tips to Scoring Affordable Reads And Saving Money Along The Way

You work hard for your money. Can you recall how many hours you put your effort into just to get the latest payslip? So even if you love books, you can still save money with these tips and still be a happy bibliophile who knows how to have good old fashioned entertainment at home or in any quiet corner-reading.

To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee
The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
The Book Depository

1 Buy Used Books or Swap!

Brand new books cost anywhere from Php 300-500 for Paperback and Php 400-800 for Hardbound copies, and you can always hear me complaining about new releases and their respective prices. If you could control yourself and look around your home for other books you have not read, you can wait for a month after and check out eBay or some friends who have finished reading the title you have been pining after and offer to buy the book for a lesser cost. Some bazaars will have secondhand books on sale that are also in great condition so you should set aside a budget for the next one in town. 

Swapping is also a good choice, all you have to do is ask a friend whom you know has the genre that you like or a specific title or author that you have not read yet, then you can arrange for a swap to take place without having to worry about your monthly budget for books. 

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

2 Borrow From A Friend Or The Library

All it takes is a phone call, text, Facebook message, Tweet or even your library card and a list of titles you have not read. Take the first step and you can have a couple of new books that you can start reading. Hey, if you "borrowed" that from ADZU library, return it at the end of the semester! Other students would want to read it too, okay?

The Darwin Myth by Dr Benjamin Wiker
God's Gold by Sean Kingsley

3 Invest In An Ebook Reader

Most e-book readers these days range anywhere from Php 6,000 -12,000. Even if it is tight for you right now, you can save a chunk of your bonus and stow away a little every month until you have saved enough. This way, you can easily download e-books and save them in your reader's storage. Most of the time, e-books are free. Be sure to select one that won't strain your eyes. 

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

 4 Collect Only Authors That You Really Like

What's the use of having a huge collection of books and only read and just appreciate a few authors? You just might as well be throwing away your money. Yes, you can't avoid those times when you bought a book and thought that the author was promising only to realize that the writing style was childish and the story plot was off-but you can resell it, and learn to look keep away from that book altogether. Keeping only authors that you really like showcases your true bookworm's preferences and the collection can be called truly yours. No matter what genre it is, it's your time and money spent, isn't it?

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

5 Or Join A Giveaway

It still saves you money, doesn't it? Alright, no more questions asked . Head on here. 

How about you? How do you save money while looking for books? Is there anything that you do uniquely? Let me know in the comments below!

Confessions of a Bibliophile: The Dirty Lil Secret Is Out!

Yeah from what you see here, I am letting you in on a little secret....

Yeah, reading The Great Gatsby and still have To Kill A Mockingbird on queue. 

I do read in the toilet! 

Ok, the truth is- this is my entry for a photo contest from a few months before to Book Depository's theme: Places Where You Read. So what would lead me to post a wacky photo of myself online? A whole library of Lord of The Rings nonetheless...

Alright, so if you are a bibliophile, you could more or less do crazy things for books.

How about you?What are the things you are willing to do for books? Let's have a fun discussion below! 

Inspiration: Bookshelves

As much as I want to have a whole cottage to fill with books, the most that I could come close to is making use of the space in our second floor. Mommy promised that I could have half of the space upstairs, (I have been squatting downstairs) for many months now while the flooring is being put in place.

And she specified that I should be looking for bedroom designs already. But admittedly, there are so many attic libraries that serve as inspiration. So I am dumping them all here.

A library in my favourite colour, what's not to love?

How about a low bed in the middle? The shelves add to the privacy

This is a good idea, I can replace the couch with a low bed

The shelf reveals a secret room

Open space is good for reading

This idea saves space! The lighting is efficient...

This is for tall ceilings, and this library is in a town in Ireland

But this is my personal favourite so far. Maybe I should go for this instead... 

Christmas Library Wishlist

Warning: The List Might Get Longer

I'm on a pledge to not touch my savings until December, but here I am, temptation still surrounds me, so it is just right that it could remain in the wishlist, until some generous individuals could find it in their hearts to bring this wishlist to reality. In the meantime, I will stop blabbering.

Time for show and tell...

Wintertown by Stephen Emond

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Vintage Veronica by Erica Perl

The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago

The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

The Lord of The Rings by Reuben Ruel Tolkien

More or less this wishlist will cost around Php 2,500 give or take. 

I am on a savings pledge, and I am restraining myself. It takes a lot of self control. A lot. Of self control. 

In the meantime, I have good luck bookmarks from Taiwan given by Tita Bing from her trip a couple of weeks ago. It's supposed to help my brother study. But he left them lying around and let me "inherit" them. 

I think I am meant to stick to bookmarks this year. 

Organizing the Other Book Shelf

As you can see from the photos, I am running out of shelf space. I sorted them all out according to book spine colour. Blues together, with the greens and whites, and the blacks.

I did some tidying and catching up with some projects. 

Based on these photos, I think I should save up for a better camera? 

There are so many things I want to save up for. But I am keeping track of my savings pledge. 

Sunday and books. I am glad to have finally made use of that huge dining table and made it into my work space. 

Now back to work.

Book Review: Pleng's Song by Patrick Maher

Patrick Maher shows how life is for a girl who attends a private school and well-sheltered life, everything is provided. If her laptop chord is burned, she calls her father and asks for a replacement. She does her writing homework and goes about her life as expected of a school girl.

But there is more to what meets the eye. Pleng’s thoughts reveal that she yearns for attention from her parents: her father is always out on business and her mother is alive at night and asleep by day. She has issues with authority in school, and has shameless tendencies when it comes to her approach towards her teachers. Her character description must sound like that of an insecure, troubled child, but she is unaware of her gifts and talents.

Maher is an incredible writer and this shows in Pleng’s voice and written works.

Characterization

Patrick Maher takes the perspective very well, and this is reflected in Pleng’s characterization.

Pleng takes everything personally. Based on her observations, her writing teacher’s statements, Mr. James is always against her. It feels like her mother’s drinking problems is caused by her. Her actions then are a result of a girl with attitude problems. For a smart girl, she believes in horoscopes and treats money so lightly because it is not what she worked hard for to earn.

There are two sides to Pleng, the scared child, who tries to be a grownup and the spoiled brat who causes trouble just to seek attention. Her thoughts and words are excellently translated and described in the book.

 But the monotony of her life is about to change when she identifies the real problems in her life, runs away from home, and figures out how to survive them all.

It is said that water cleanses and purifies, but does flood water work the same way?

Highlights of the book

Her thoughts and feelings are revealed in her outputs most of the time and her imagination is given more depth in the way she wishes her life were like. Some underlying themes in the book touch on family relationships, school environment and the way we treat people around us, as well as envy.

There are events that have a supernatural treatment. The chronology and facts are well-supported, as the events unfold one by one. This is a modern folklore.

Pleng’s song is a book fit for people of all ages. It teaches that determination and common sense can help survive life’s challenges, and that repentance does come at the end. 

Recommended to read? 

Yes

Packages- Raisie Is More Excited To Receive Books in the Mail

Having a good Friday? 

I was rushing to get in to work this morning and did already half of what I'm supposed to do when I saw the packages which were sitting on my chair (I didn't even get to sit in front of my computer because I went straight to the bank downstairs first for a couple of transactions) when I saw that my books and the phone I won from Boy Kuripot's blog arrived. You can read the announcement here. 

The phone was sent to me straight from DTC inside a durable plastic container. 

Tadah! And that's the basic bar type phone which comes with a music player, camera, and video player. Not bad. I was thinking of giving it to my dad for a replacement phone but he said the font size was too small for him. I might keep it for a while until I figure out what to do with it. Upcoming review maybe? 

Another good news, my books from Book Depository arrived. Here they are:

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Upon checkout Book Depository gave me a fair warning that arrival will take 7-10 days to the Philippines, but it was just me being impatient. Fair enough, these arrived on July 12 in the Phil according to the stamp by the Post Office. 

I've been waiting for these books like I was obsessed. In fact, I was even more excited to receive them compared to anything else that's addressed to me. Sigh. Symptoms of crazy book collector? 

Classic books for my library. 

This is just an update, I'm supposed to do a review on authentic Japanese skin care products from Wawaza today and a surprise for you all but I realized that the links are in my other drive. (Hay I'm so bright... Grrr...)

I have my books for this weekend and will be cooking for my brother. We decided to have a delayed birthday get together because he was busy with classes on weekdays. And Papa had to leave for an emergency meeting out of town but will be back on Sunday yet. 

What will you be doing this weekend? Share your plans! =D 

Polka + Charm + Books to Read This Weekend

There are times when I feel a little kikay and want to dress up a little. But there are times when I feel so lazy that I just want to jump into shorts and a comfy old shirt and stay in bed and ignore all my responsibilities. So, yesterday was one of those kikay days.

I'm just sharing an outfit post because I am absolutely in love with my top and charm necklace. It's just one of those rare moments when someone actually took a photo of what I'm wearing. Hahaha. Talk about lucky. Lol.

John Lennon at the back, yup that's him! 

Polka Floral Top from Paris Dreams

Levi's Faded Jeans

Summer Cardigan thrifted

Cutey Bracelet

Cosy Red Slippers

Writer's Charm Necklace from Beaded Jewelry

Showing off my Writer's Charm Necklace from Beaded Jewelry

I won't be anywhere without my glasses. And what to do with them? Rejoice because I found some treasures in someone else's bookshelf! Hahaha. 

I never get tired of acquiring new books! I'm waiting for my new ones to arrive.

This came in a box with some other children's books. 

Could it be? Yes it is! 

J handed this to me. First page and I couldn't stop. Just because it's old does not mean it's ugly. 

It's not my copy but I'm glad to have started reading. I should be reading this while on holiday so no one will be interrupting me. 

I'm a few pages away from finishing this one. It's the first time I read a Jerry Spinelli book and I must say, it's really colorful and an urban legend on its own. Upcoming book review maybe?

Have a great weekend everyone! 

Unread Titles and When Can I Get the Luxury Time to Read Them All

I’ve been thinking of retiring next year…

                So I can finish all the books that are sitting on my shelf just waiting to be read.

I’ve been collecting and reserving and buying books and even signed up for the Good Reads Reading Challenge this year (challenge: to read 10 books in 2012) as seen on my sidebar and my current count is only 5 as of June 2012. That’s nothing compared to my friends in Good Reads who can actually finish tons of books in a month. There goes my reading challenge then.

Ursula Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness continues to be my constant companion in the bag... 

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

Here are the books I’m still to-read and are just sitting on my shelf. Some of them are presents from friends and family.

The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco

Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama

The Spirit Cabinet by Paul Quarrington

Four Past Midnight by Stephen King

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Bourne Legacy by Eric Van Lustbader

              

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

As if that list is not enough, I‘ve been eyeing the following titles too

The Gospel of Judas by Simon Mawer       

  Procession of the Dead by Darren Shan 

Oh well, if I have more alone time... And more budget to buy books... =D