An Excerpt of Life

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My Reading List

I just received my book ordered from the BookDepository.com last Thursday - Addicted to Unhappiness by Martha and William Pieper. Actually I was supposed to receive it by the end of February. But I think the book got lost somewhere along the airmail so I emailed the helpdesk of BookDepository and they offered me two options - either to send a replacement to me or I can have my refund. I asked them to send a replacement, so there it was, wrapped in good condition. And I got a really good deal. Because the same book costs about RM70 in Kinokuniya and they still want to charge me RM8 for postage. In BookDepository they don't charge postage fees and the book itself only costs about 14 USD (equivalent to RM50++). Good deal, right?

Anyway, now that I got the book, I realized I have like so many to-read-books in my list

First there is The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. I bought this book from Kinokuniya like, two years ago. I only read halfway though. It's not that the book is boring, no in fact it's totally interesting and intriguing. It just didn't come to me at the right time. Although I can't recall much of the story, I'm sure it will be a pleasant read if I had continued.

Then there is 鬼吹灯 (Ghost Blow Light) by 天下霸唱 (Tian Xia Ba Chang) introduced by Mr. Chin. It was written by an Internet writer and now it has got so famous that it was published into hard copy books (in four thick volumes) sold in bookshops and I heard there's a online game made based on the novel. The first two volumes were really good. It was scary, adventurous, funny, and most importantly, weird. I can only tell you about the first two volumes because I only managed to read until there. And again, it's not that the book is boring, not at all. It just didn't come to me at the right time.

Both of the above-mentioned books had been sitting on the top bunk of my bed (I sleep on the lower bunk of the double-decked bed) for God-knows-how-long. Then along came Lao Ann, who half-forcefully lend me The Five Love Languages (爱的五种语言) by Gary Chapman. It's a Chinese version, hence the translation. He said that every couple should read it, and he asked me to force Mr. Chin to read it too. I'm not very into self-help books so I laid it on top of The White Tiger.

A few weeks ago, I got hold of Lonely Planet travel books as to prepare my journey to Hangzhou, Shanghai, Tongli, and possibly Suzhou or Nanjing (it hasn't been planned in detail). I'll be going at the end of October as I've got cheap air tickets from AirAsia! Yes! RM420 nett two way! And I'll be able to go to World Expo 2010 (if we manage to get the tickets)! Yeay! Ok where was I? Right, the Lonely Planet travel books, burden-fully added to my reading list.

Around the same time my birthday was approaching. So naturally I demanded presents from my friends. And Audrey, she sent me an email attaching my birthday present from her. It was two ebooks - The Pilgrimage and Veronika Decides To Die by Paulo Coelho. Fortunately I had already read the latter a few years back. So she has only added one to the list. Though few days after that she sent another four - The Devil And Miss Prym, The Valkyries, The Manual Of The Warrior Of Light and The Witch Of Portobello, all by Paulo Coelho. I shall be thankful these won't be lying on the top bunk of my bed, but in my Yahoo inbox.

And around the same time I received Addicted to Unhappiness. And it just made me realize how long my reading list is, and made me feel that it's about time that I shorten it. Which is why I've been away from my blog for so long. Yes, I've been reading. ;)