Goodreads Malaysia discussion
Arkib (50 Buku Setahun 2011)
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Kataklicik's 50 for 2011
5. The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory.About Mary, Queen of Scots, masa her exile in England. Tends to be repetitive tapi details about day-to-day goings-ons memang bagus.
6. Jeremy: The Tale of the Honest Bunny by Jan Karon, illustrations by Teri Weidner
One of two 'bunnyrabbit' books I had put aside to read, because of the fast approaching Year of the Rabbit. This one, kiddy book, but written by an author I like.
7. Watership Down by Richard AdamsThe other bunnyrabbit book, read in conjunction with CNY.
GAAAAARRRRHHHHH apasal reviews kata bagusbagusbagus? Took me over a fortnite to finish it! GARRRRHHHH!
message 5:
by
Khairul Hezry, I hate people but not you. You, I like.
(last edited Feb 08, 2011 08:13PM)
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The other bunnyrabbit book, read in conjunction with CNY.
GAAAAARRRRHHHHH apasal reviews kata bagusbagusbagus? Took me over a fortnite to finis..."
Yup, me too. Picked it up just because most of the reviews said it was THE BEST THING EVAR! Review yg tak puji pun tak le kutuk, cuma kata "It was Okay". Kalau itu review yg paling teruk, mesti best buku ni kan?
WRONG! I gave up halfway, when they reached the new warren and met all those big bunnies. Maybe you have to be a bunny lover or something to appreciate this book.
The next time I'm having a book giveaway, this will be one of them.
Heheh, actually bought this book in 2005 (okay okay I have a zillion unread books, tell me something I DON'T know) tapi malasnya nak baca sebab it was about rabbits... Now that I've read it, I'm wondering what's the fuss all about..?
Mod
You all ni, memang spoiler betul la! I pun ada buku ni juga tapi belum baca lagi. Buku ni memang sesuai untuk pencinta arnab macam saya je.
Kataklicik wrote: "Now that I've read it, I'm wondering what's the fuss all about..? "
Janganlah cakap macam tu, kecik hati ;-(
**sobbing**
Bunnybaby weiii, toksah lah kecik hati - baca dulu then tell us whether Watership Down is all it's made out to be :) lain orang lain padang :)
Kataklicik wrote: "Bunnybaby weiii, toksah lah kecik hati - baca dulu then tell us whether Watership Down is all it's made out to be :) lain orang lain padang :)"agree, agree
Mod
Watership Down tu kalau di kalangan bunny lovers, memang amat digemari. Novel ini dah diadaptasi ke animasi juga, tapi animasi 2D je.
Mod
Watership Down tu kalau di kalangan bunny lovers, memang amat digemari."
I don't know....it features rabbits, yes, but the story which sounds interesting was surprisingly boring. I'm not sure if even bunny lovers can get past that.
The only novel featuring animals that I like so far is Animal Farm.
Bunnybaby, apparently the animated film (circa the 70s) was good, tapi BUKAN untuk bebudak. So if nak tengok dgn anak-anak, lupa kan saja....Khairul, I HAVE NOT READ ANIMAL FARM!!! **digging a hole nak nyorok**
8. Ya-Yas in Bloom by Rebecca WellsFollowing Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, this book tells of the how-when-what of the Ya-yas. Loved it because it underlines what I've always believed - that you need not be blood-related to be sisters. Others may not love it because the story's kinda syrupy.
9. The Great Escape by Paul Brickhill
KhairulH, I KNOW you've got this book. Go dig it out of your unread pile. It is REALLY good. The movie was good (oh, the countless times I've seen it!), but the book is BETTER.
Mod
Nope, no Steve McQueen on a motorbike, in fact, the names are mostly (if not all) different than the true characters in the book. You may get a little wary of the zillion and one names mentioned in the story, but persevere :)Steve McQueen sure looked yummy though :D even when he got tangled up in barbed wire at the end heheh
10. An Absolute Scandal by Penny VincenziI've never heard of Penny Vincenzi, and only picked this book up because the publishers had adorned the front cover with a white ribbon (printed la, not real ribbon) saying "treat yourself to a Vincenzi". That, plus the blurb by the Daily Mail (or it could be the Daily Telegraph, I'm so malas to check) that says, "Addictive". Oooh, that one sure got me :)
Because if not for those two, I'd have given this one a miss. It's freaking 881 pages okay? Chick lit some more. Soiii la, sure die one, boring maaa! Yes, I occasionally read chick lit, but too much of it usually leads to an inevitable ek-eleh feeling, you know?
Tapi this one, is surprisingly good! Despite being sooooooooo tebal. Thing that bothered me is that it had some loose ends that need tidying up. Otherwise, good read. Now, someone PLEASE tell me why I've never heard of Penny Vincenzi? When apparently she's so popular in the UK? 13 books and counting? Heh.
Mod
11. Kalimantaan by C.S. GodshalkThis book is REALLY good, TAPI it needs finesse-ing. Really. You need to get over the horribly confusing and disorienting 40-50 initial pages before you get to the good stuff (which literally then captures you and sweeps you away). Then you need to get over the myriad of Malay / Iban words that are NOT included in the glossary at the end of the book (you really DO need to understand these words to fully appreciate the nuances, and yes, I say this because I AM Malay). And lastly, you need to get over the many references of 'he' and 'she' which is confusing because there are a zillion and one characters and you're not sure to which character the author's referring to, which then leads to a whole lotta re-reading of paragraphs!)
Masalah terbesar bagi saya - kenapa la penulis ni beriya-iya dream up a fictional Gideon Barr when she could have written an epic novelisation of the Rajah Brooke himself?
Kataklicik wrote: "11. Kalimantaan by C.S. Godshalk "I saw this book once in the UM library. I try to cross-read because it seems interesting. After a few pages, a few flip, I conclude that I was wrong. It is not that interesting...
However, after reading your comment I know what is the problem. The problem is it is hard to understand. Hard for me.. haha
Baca, Fariza, baca! It's really good!
Yeah.. Kena selongkar balik library UM.. Masalahnya sudah tidak bergelar mahasiswa dan tak boleh pinjam.. Sekarang dalam usaha meminjam kad dari junior..
12. Legally Blonde by Amanda BrownBetcha didn't know there's a book, 'kan? Movie was hilarious, but the book will only work on those who can identify with law school. Gelak golek-golek.
13. The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follett."Eh, what you reading?"
"A story about building cathedrals."
**silence**blinkblinkblink**
"But IT IS AMAZING! Really!!"
BRILLIANT. Go read it. Really.
Kataklicik wrote: "13. The Pillars Of The Earth by Ken Follet."Eh, what you reading?"
"A story about building cathedrals."
**silence**blinkblinkblink**
"But IT IS AMAZING! Really!!"
BRILLIAN..."
Hey I heard the book's awesome...how would you rate it on a scale of 1-10?
On a scale of 1 - 10? 13 and a half.
:D
Mod
Kataklicik wrote: "On a scale of 1 - 10? 13 and a half.
:D"
Wah, seriously? I have the book but I keep putting it off. Sebab tebal sangat, susah nak angkut merata.
The library got it!Someone is borrowing it at the moment and has renewed the book but never mind. My current reading pile is already as high as Fuji-san so I won't bother signing out the book for now. But it is good to know it is there.
Muahahaha jgn terpedaya, duduk rumah ni tak semestinya ada time to read, Bunnybaby! This book took me a fortnight to finish, walaupun it was so engrossing. Kalau buku yang eccchhhh tu, toksah tanya la. Kengkadang baik ngelamun dalam kereta dengar radio whilst waiting for the kids... :)
14. World Without End by Ken FollettSequel to book no 13 (The Pillars Of The Earth). If I thought the first one was notoriously tebal, this one is longer. By about 200 pages.
I mean, when most of the antagonists have been killed off by page 900, what was Follett thinking when there was still almost another 120 pages to go? Garrhhh. Really. Still, it was a good read: however, maybe because this one also follows the same formula of the first book, it's a little predictable.
Still, good book!
15. Fat Boy Swim by Catherine Forde16. The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot by Jeffrey Archer + Prof Francis J Moloney
17. Lord Jim by Joseph ConradAs with book no. 11 (Kalimantaan), I picked this one up in conjunction with the Sarawak elections. BIG mistake. Took me over a fortnight to finish, despite being such a slim volume. Boring GILA. At various points it had the potential to make it into my *gasp!* books-I-gave-up-on pile. (Except I didn't have such a pile. But I was close to building one, with this book as its foundation. Echhh)
This was my second Joseph Conrad. I don't think there'll be any others to follow.
18. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
Read in retaliation to book 17. Hardyharhar.
19. Burning The Map by Laura CaldwellStarted well, but grew persistently ecchhh.
(Lost my bookmark while at it. It had a couple of gambolling cherubs. So if you see it anywhere in the vicinity of Pantai Hospital Ayer Keroh, drop me a line. I rarely buy my bookmarks for this simple reason - they get lost so easily. But will I ever learn? Seems not. I've switched to a tag that came with my son's jeans. Sigh)
20. Pelangi Pagi by Khadijah Hashim(Takdak dalam Goodreads database. Will add manually later lah)
I've forgotten how well Khadijah Hashim writes. This story, tak lah earth shattering etc etc, tapi very languid, very easy read.
Kataklicik wrote: "20. Pelangi Pagi by Khadijah Hashim(Takdak dalam Goodreads database. Will add manually later lah)
I've forgotten how well Khadijah Hashim writes. This story, tak lah earth shattering etc etc, ta..."
Saya pun suka baca karya Khadijah Hashim. Bahasa dia menyenangkan.
21. Sebongkah Batu Di Kuala Berang by Faisal TehraniI had great hopes for this one. But words fail me. This is a Faisal Tehrani offering? Almost impossible to comprehend.
Dry. Reads like an academic paper. Plot was nil. I can almost see the Tehraniyuns glaring at me with daggers in their eyes. So sue me.
Mod
However, I can still enjoy some fragments of it (and hence the 4 stars).
22. A Doctor in the House: The Memoirs of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad by Tun Mahathir MohamadOh ye gawds, took me 3 weeks to finish this tome of a book!
But - it was worth the read. Written in his trademark simple manner, this book is perhaps a little peek into the workings of Tun M's mind. Would love for the book to be more expansive (and if he would be more elaborate as regards the twists in his life!), but at a little over 800 pages, it sure is long enough.
I have always been in awe, sir; and I still am.
23. Merpati Putih Terbang Lagi by Khadijah Hashim(Again, takdak dalam database. Will add later)
I LOVE KHADIJAH HASHIM! This one, pasal wakil rakyat yang tak buat kerja, orang kampung yang terbiar, merdeka yang tak terisi. NOT a love story :)
24. Laskar Cinta by Isma Ae MohamadIsma, gua tabik aaa cerita very the interesting one. Gaya penulisan very staccato, ala James Patterson 'gitu. But hok ending tergantung tu apa ceritanya..? Geramnya! Isma nak buat sequel ke? Trilogi? Siri? Aiseh!!
25. Waiting by Ha JinWhat is it about books that win awards aaa? Why do I feel unfulfilled when I read them? Is it me? Is it the book? Is it the jury yang too cerdikpandai for their own good? What? What?
26. Paths of Glory by Jeffrey ArcherLord Archer can do no wrong. :) Loved this.
27. Native Speaker by Chang-Rae Lee
Another award winning book (the Hemingway Foundation / PEN Award) that didn't go down well with me. This story is grim. Grim grim grim. And it requires too much thinking on the reader's part.
(Was not exactly the right kind of read to bring along on a holiday!!)
I sometimes had the feeling that those books won the awards because no one could comprehend what the writers were actually talking about. You get what I mean? It gives some sense of grandeur, books that many people praise but hardly anyone read.
Mod
28. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie MeyerRead this only if you've read the full Twilight saga. Purists would love this offering, those with brickbats would say, "was this really necessary?"
It's a novella, people! A short story! Enough with the negativity!
29. The Throne of Fire (Kane Chronicles #2) by Rick Riordan I absolutely hate having to wait for the next instalment in a series. Like this one, it took some time before I actually got into the swing of things, sebab I'd forgotten most of the who why what established in the first book! (which is a mistake I won't make with the Heroes of Olympus series - dah habis publish semuanya baru go out buy the darned series heh)
30. Summers of the Sisterhood: The Second Summer (Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants #2) by Ann Brashares31. Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood(Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants #3) by Ann Brashares
32. Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood(Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants #4) by Ann Brashares
To be honest, I thought the series should have stopped at book 3. I thought the ending then was good. But on reading this 4th instalment, I came to realise that I didn't want the book to end! How corny is that? (And, ackkkk there's a 5th book? I'm divided on this heheh)
By the time this 4th book comes around, you realise that the Septembers have done a whole lot of growing up since the 1st The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Inasmuch as I've enjoyed the journey, I worry about how my 14 yo daughter will perceive this growing up bit, especially since this 4th instalment is full of feelings for boyfriends etc. Or maybe that's just me being the over-protective mum.
33. How to Train Your Dragon (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #1) by Cressida Cowell34. How to Be a Pirate (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #2) by Cressida Cowell
35. How to Speak Dragonese (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #3) by Cressida Cowell
36. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #4) by Cressida Cowell
37. How to Twist a Dragon's Tale (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #5) by Cressida Cowell
38. A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #6) by Cressida Cowell
39. How To Ride A Dragon's Storm (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #7) by Cressida Cowell
40. How to Break a Dragon's Heart (Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III #8) by Cressida Cowell
These books are HILARIOUS! And such FUN! ;p
Son no. 4 has never been much of a reader, but was recommended this series by the guy at Bookalicious (Summit USJ). Memula tu skeptical (there's a movie out, sama nama as the first book) so bought him the first one dulu (the boy's not a reader, takut he lose interest). But he finished it pronto, and asked for the rest. He finished the whole series in a fortnight!
So that got me curious lah, and yes, really, the plot has it's twists and turns (cliffhangers also) the writing is witty (oh sooooo hilarious, memang gelak golek-golek) and the illustrations give the whole thing an added dimension.
LOVE these books! Walaupun dah nak masuk the 9th instalment (usually series get stale after awhile, but this one really is going strong still) am on the lookout for the next book :D
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