[Top Ten Tuesday] Bookish Resolutions 2016.

[This post is done as part of the Top Ten Tuesday meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish]

Every year, I do up a personal list of resolutions and while I have never been able to fully adhere to the whole thing, these resolutions do help me set some targets to work towards. This year, I’ve decided to expand my 2016 personal resolutions to include a subsection purely for reading-related goals so it’s great that this is the first TTT topic (TTTT?) of the year.

Unlike some of my other resolutions, which can be rather nebulous despite my best efforts to make them as specific as possible, I think my bookish ones are going to be rather targeted and quantified.

[Bookish resolutions]

This year, I plan to:

1. Read 40 books: last year I announced that I would read 55 books, a prediction that fell totally flat when I had only achieved 27 by the end of 2015 thanks to life happening. This year, I’m going for something a bit more realistic given the many exciting changes I’ll be having in my personal life, but still a lofty enough number that I’ll have to push myself sometimes.

2. Blog here at least three times a month: running both a personal blog and this book one can be quite overwhelming at times (which…is not something you can see from the pitiful amount of posts on either) but this year I’ve set myself a comfortable target of two blog posts per week (or eight a month). At least three of those will/shall be for here.

3. Be more active in the book community: this is perhaps the vaguest of my resolutions here but it’s been something I really have been wanting to step up on. This could include taking part in more challenges, commenting more on others’ posts, or hopefully, having some collaborations.

4. Writing more: while this is only tangentially related to a blog on reading, I’ve been wanting more and more to stretch my writing muscle, something that has been sorely neglected for over a decade. I’m currently working on some Magic: the Gathering fanfiction and hope to resume my Pokemon fanfiction and perhaps even some original works.

[Book resolutions]

On top of that, I also have some resolutions targeting specific titles, including:

5. starting on The Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin: this is the current hip fantasy series and I always feel like such a fantasy fraud for not having actually given it a try. The first book is lying in my TBR pile so I aim to get around to it this year.

6. starting on The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon: I’ve heard so many great things about this series that I have to figure out what all the hooha is about.

7. finishing the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett: this year, I (and the rest of the comedy fantasy loving world) said goodbye to my favourite author of all time and it shames to say that, while I’ve devoured most of the entries in the Discworld series but have never touched this subseries. Since his last work was about Tiffany Aching, I think it’s apt that I visit this part of the (Disc)world to bid my final farewells.

8. finishing all of Tamora Pierce’s series: I’m quite liking what I’ve read so far and since her books are quite short and quick reads, I hope to blast through her collected works.

9. completing The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien: again, see what I said about George R. R. Martin, only even more epic and classic.

10. finding the Children of Amarid series by David B. Coe: this stands as one of my favourite series of all time and although I have the first book in the series, I don’t seem to be able to find the other two anywhere anymore. This year, I shall try harder.

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Dear reader, what are your bookish 2016 resolutions?

[Library Haul] Tamomadness.

In a concerted effort to start off 2016 on the right literary note (or, y’know, because I just happened to pass by a huge library), I borrowed a whopping six books on the last day of 2015 for the biggest library haul in quite a while.

[…] the Song of the Lioness quartet is the adventurous story of one girl’s journey to overcome the obstacles facing her, become a valiant knight, and save Tortall from conquest. Alanna douses her female identity to begin her training in Alanna: The First Adventure, and when she gains squire status in In the Hand of the Goddess, her growing abilities make her a few friends — and many enemies. Books 3 and 4 complete Alanna’s adventure and secure her legend, with the new knight errant taking on desert tribesmen in The Woman Who Rides like a Man and seeking out the powerful Dominion Jewel in Lioness Rampant.

–Goodreads

One of the last books I read last year was Tamora Pierce’s Wild Magic and, while it wasn’t perfect, I liked it enough to name it as one of my favourites for 2015. I read on Gillianberry’s Literary PSA, though, that this series wasn’t the best to start the whole saga with and therefore decided to delay looking for Wild Magic‘s sequel until I’ve finished the first quartet…

…which, lo and behold, I found at the library! All four books, all in pristine condition! I’m guessing January will be Tamora Pierce month for me.

Meet the Cooke family. Our narrator is Rosemary Cooke. As a child, she never stopped talking; as a young woman, she has wrapped herself in silence: the silence of intentional forgetting, of protective cover. Something happened, something so awful she has buried it in the recesses of her mind.

Now her adored older brother is a fugitive, wanted by the FBI for domestic terrorism. And her once lively mother is a shell of her former self, her clever and imperious father now a distant, brooding man.

And Fern, Rosemary’s beloved sister, her accomplice in all their childhood mischief? Fern’s is a fate the family, in all their innocence, could never have imagined.

–Goodreads 

This has been sitting on my TBR for the longest time, so long that I can’t even remember when or why I placed it there. Still, this is the first time I’ve seen it at a library (previous sightings were all at bookstores) and it was in mint condition so of course it had to go in the stack.

An untested young princess must claim her throne, learn to become a queen, and combat a malevolent sorceress in an epic battle between light and darkness in this spectacular debut—the first novel in a trilogy.

Young Kelsea Raleigh was raised in hiding after the death of her mother, Queen Elyssa, far from the intrigues of the royal Keep and in the care of two devoted servants who pledged their lives to protect her. Growing up in a cottage deep in the woods, Kelsea knows little of her kingdom’s haunted past . . . or that its fate will soon rest in her hands.

Long ago, Kelsea’s forefathers sailed away from a decaying world to establish a new land free of modern technology. Three hundred years later, this feudal society has divided into three fearful nations who pay duties to a fourth: the powerful Mortmesne, ruled by the cunning Red Queen. Now, on Kelsea’s nineteenth birthday, the tattered remnants of the Queen’s Guard—loyal soldiers who protect the throne—have appeared to escort the princess on a perilous journey to the capital to ascend to her rightful place as the new Queen of the Tearling.

Though born of royal blood and in possession of the Tear sapphire, a jewel of immense power and magic, Kelsea has never felt more uncertain of her ability to rule. But the shocking evil she discovers in the heart of her realm will precipitate an act of immense daring, throwing the entire kingdom into turmoil—and unleashing the Red Queen’s vengeance. A cabal of enemies with an array of deadly weapons, from crimson-caped assassins to the darkest blood magic, plots to destroy her. But Kelsea is growing in strength and stealth, her steely resolve earning her loyal allies, including the Queen’s Guard, led by the enigmatic Lazarus, and the intriguing outlaw known simply as “the Fetch.”

Kelsea’s quest to save her kingdom and meet her destiny has only just begun. Riddled with mysteries, betrayals, and treacherous battles, Kelsea’s journey is a trial by fire that will either forge a legend . . . or destroy her.

–Goodreads

That is perhaps the longest blurb I’ve ever seen on Goodreads.

Like We Are All… above this, I cannot remember why I placed this on my TBR, although I do know that it was a much more recent addition. Still, when I came across this at the library, I found the name familiar enough that I grabbed it before I realised that it was actually on the list. I guess some books are just meant to be.

This book will definitely be the last on this list to be read, though, since it’s the start of a new series and I’m not going to put off another sequel to finish other books (i.e. the above ones) first.

Happy new year!

  
If 2015 was great for you, I wish you an even more awesome 2016. If it wasn’t, I hope that circumstances allow you to step back, take a deep breath and reset for a better year ahead.

In any case, have a happy new year everyone! Here’re some fireworks that looks more like flowers.

Books Wrap-up 2015 a.k.a. Audiobooks saved my life.

This year, audiobooks saved my (book) life. Making up more than half the titles I’ve consumed these past months, the allure and convenience of on-the-go “reading” was too difficult to resist, especially when books feel like such heavy investments of time and mental energy that I usually end up devoting my sedentary breaks to calligraphy, games, shows/Youtube (and, ironically, Booktube), Pocket articles and other forms of less cerebrally-taxing general merriment.

Despite that, I still did not reach my target of 55 books this year, barely even scraping the halfway mark. This small number, of course, makes choosing the standouts this year a bit of a contradictory mess. On one hand, there aren’t that many choices to rack my brain on. On the other, that also means the quality pool is smaller, especially when my year has been dominated by middling autobiographies all quite similar to each other.

Still, there were a few outstanding titles and so, without further ado, here are The Great Gabsby’s Award Winners of 2015!

(…actually, I need to add in some further ado here just to clarify that these aren’t books that were necessarily released, just read by me, in 2015.)

Best book to listen to: The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

In a year where I spent more time listening to books than actually reading them, this one was by far the best aural experience. Like I mentioned in my review, the story itself is nothing particularly exciting but the voicework is nothing short of riveting.

Best Introduction to Irish Mythology 101 substitute: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

I was a mythology nut growing up but always stuck to more traditional, Greco-Roman fare so this made for an interesting premise based purely on its origins. I love this book’s blending of existing mythology and original elements and the result made for an exciting, if light-hearted, romp in the park. The voicework is pretty good here, too. I can’t wait to start on the next entry in the series.

Best introduction to simple-but-good fantasy: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

One of the last books I completed this year, this was a good simple read. It’s not particularly deep, the characters are all a bit too nice and perfect, and the deus ex machinating is a bit too much at times, but Pierce writes so elegantly (some might say…piercingly) that it doesn’t matter. The book will fly past sooner than you can figure out how to pronounce “Tamora”.

Best conclusion to a sci-fi series (that I’ve read): Strike by D. J. MacHale

I have to draw your attention to the little bracket in the award since, well, this is the only sci-fi series I’ve completed. Still, genre aside, I’d still push this title to anyone. MacHale’s Pendragon series was one of my childhood favourites and it’s a testament of how good he is that he can combine two genres I don’t normally go for and get me so excited for each sequel. This was a fitting and, well, explosive end to the series and I can only hope he churns out more like it.

Best middle child entry: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

Middle entries in trilogies usually aren’t that great, laden down with the task of having to progress the plot while still holding out on enough for the exciting finale. This one was fantastic, though. It had a self-contained story while still moving the trilogy’s one along at a brisk clip. The twist at the end wasn’t as good as his usual ones but it’s nonetheless a good enough read that I’m now hankering for the final entry.

Best This Is Not What I Expected?! surprise: One More Thing by B. J. Novak

The book that made me realise I really have to read book blurbs before starting on them, this title was interesting in that, in a year where I chowed down on mediocre author-narrated tomes (the two most disappointing ones being the sophomore efforts from Jenny Lawson and Mindy Kaling), this broke the mould by a) not being a memoir and b) being surprisingly well-written. I did not expect a collection of short fictional works and had spent the first few wondering why his life (as I had assumed this to be a memoir) was so dramatic. While I did read another “Heh?!”-inducing, celebrity-read book this year (Aziz Ansari’s Modern Romance), this one was the more interesting one.

Currently Reading: Stand Off by Andrew Winger.

It’s his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, he’s haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, as the rugby team’s stand-off and new captain. And somehow he’s stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altman—aka Ryan Dean’s girlfriend, for now, anyway.
Equally distressing, Ryan Dean’s doodles and drawings don’t offer the relief they used to. He’s convinced N.A.T.E. (the Next Accidental Terrible Experience) is lurking around every corner—and then he runs into Joey’s younger brother Nico, who makes Ryan Dean feel paranoid that he’s avoiding him. Will Ryan Dean ever regain his sanity?

From the author of the National Book Award–nominated 100 Sideways Miles, which Kirkus Reviews called “a wickedly witty and offbeat novel,” Stand-Off is filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and delivers the same spot-on teen voice and relatable narrative that legions of readers connected with in Winger.

–Goodreads

I quite liked Winger. Sure, it did feel like it was trying a bit too hard at times but it felt enough like Adrian Mole with some edge that it kept me riveted. Plus, that whopper of an ending did, predictable though it was, pack quite a bit of punch.

So, of course, when I saw this sequel at the library, in spanking new condition too, I immediately picked it up. So far, it’s been a breezy read, even if I’m already instantly annoyed with Ryan Dean and also cringing in anticipation of awkward episodes coming up.

Dear reader, have you read Winger or Stand Off? What did you think?

[Top Ten Tuesday] Books that I wouldn’t mind Santa leaving under my Christmas tree.

To be honest, I haven’t done a gift exchange in years, and haven’t gotten a book as a gift in even longer. As a working adult, I have my own (meager) disposable income that I can pour into books if I so wish, too.

Still, I’d never say no to more (hypothetical) books so here’re my top ten title that I wouldn’t mind seeing Santa leave under my Christmas tree this year, keeping in mind that these are physical books and therefore must be better than their e-book counterparts in some way.

Individual books

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone illustrated edition

One of the ways that physical books rule over e-books is when it comes to illustrated copies and I’ve heard so much about the fantastic artwork in this edition. If anything, it would make for a great coffee table mainstay. Plus, this is the only book in the series that I do not have in physical copy anymore because I lent mine, years ago, to a friend that I no longer keep in contact with.

2. Tabloid Tokyo 

The Land of the Rising Sun has always fascinated me, especially when it comes to the bawdry and extreme elements of their society. This little tome, by sheer dint of its graphical nature, needs to be gotten in physical copy and would, like the above, make for a great coffee table addition, even if it means I can’t actually have any actual coffee for lack of space.

3. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

Yes, I’ve already read this one (and listened to it). Still, I like to collect physical copies of my favourite titles, if just to force on lend to my friends, and this is by far the best book I’ve read in the last few years.

4. Outlander by Diana Galbandon

I’ve heard a fair bit about this series and have been wanting to give it a go. As a high fantasy tome, though, the plot will probably come with a confusing web of character with unpronounceable names and even less fathomable relationships with each other, locations that I will never be able to remember, and laundry lists of items that I will need to keep track of. For these, physical copies usually would be more useful since they would have glossaries and maps for quick reference.

5. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld  

I was only mildly enthused by the Uglies series (gripping as the concept sounded) but I quite liked the entries in the Leviathan series that I’ve read so Westerfeld’s still on my to-read list and this title tops it with an intriguing premise. When reading about stories within stories, of course, it would be more appropriate to read the physical versions, even if they are roughly the size and weight of a tombstone.

Series (box set?)

6. The Animorphs series

I might be a bit ambitious with my Santa-requesting for this but the books are relatively short and cheap so this shouldn’t be too much of a burden on jolly ol’ St Nick. Animorphs was by far my favourite series growing up and it would be awesome to be able to revisit the story. Plus, those covers are iconic.

7. The Blending series

As with some of the other entries above, the Blending series is one of those collections of books that I’ve repeatedly visited and would love to do so with actual physical copies, if only for keepsake.

8. The Lord of the Rings series

Yes, yes, I’ve never successfully completed this. Like with Outlander, this would be great in physical copy due to all the extra added goodies that will allow me to parse what is going on more coherently.

9. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series

By far the biggest item on this list (I don’t even know if any publisher has been insane enough to try to come out with a full box set of this) but no one can replace Pratchett’s genius blend of comedy and fantasy and if there is anything I must collect, it would be his works.

10. The Children of Amarid series 

This series has been the hardest to locate, out of print and stock even on the big online shops (and without any e version in sight). I remember loving this story (and being inspired by it for my own works) and would love to revisit it but I’ve only managed to get my hands on the first book and I’m not reading that if there isn’t any way that I can obtain the next two.

Dear reader, what are the ten titles you would like to see under your Christmas tree?

[Currently Reading] Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce.

Discover a land of enchantment, legend, and adventure in this first book of the Immortals series, featuring an updated cover for longtime fans and fresh converts alike, and including an all-new afterword from Tamora Pierce.

Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a special connection with animals, but only when she’s forced to leave home does she realize it’s more than a knack—it’s magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but she can also make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen’s Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student.

Under Numair’s guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she encounters other beings, too, who are not so gentle. These terrifying creatures, called Immortals, have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years—but now someone has broken the barrier. And it’s up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an Immortal attack.

–Goodreads

Tamora Pierce is one of those writers I’ve heard so much about and got recommended so many times that I’m quite surprised I’ve only gotten to her books now.

I’ve just started on this and am going through it slowly (thanks to me busy enjoying my holiday with other plans). So far, it’s been a pretty easy, smooth read and I’m quite excited to see where the story goes. I would assume it’s going somewhere awesome since it spawned a whole series but that assumption has let me down before.

Dear reader, have you read Tamora Pierce’s work before? How did you feel about it?

Paper haul galore!

[This post is done as part of GaBloWriMo, my own version of NaNoWriMo. Find out more here.]

Last Saturday, I embarked on a #solosaturdaystationerysearch, planning an entire route of shops (which were thankfully quite near each other) to visit, with an equally comprehensive shopping list.

It turned out pretty successful!

At the first (and arguably best) stop, Overjoyed, I got like 80% of my haul. Stacks of Rhodia paper for calligraphy (half of which was for a friend as a birthday gift), the Midori planner from two posts back, and two Zig Cocoiros to try on a friend’s recommendation.

I then stopped over at Straits Art and picked up the above nib holder, a much better upgrade from my previous one which didn’t feature the cork grip. I also picked up an identical holder and a pair of Nikko G nibs (apparently the best choice for beginners) for the afore-mentioned birthday girl.

Hopping by to Art Friend just opposite the road, I was quite disappointed because that was where I was hoping to fulfil the brush markers/pens part of my shopping list (having already completed the paper portion earlier at Overjoyed) but they didn’t have any of the brands I was looking for.

As an unplanned side trip (and because I was stuck at Bras Basah Complex due to the heavy rain), I visited the Popular flagship outlet and ended up with a whole bunch of other things on my list, including a stack of Kokuyo Campus papers (again apparently decent for calligraphy, not as great as but cheaper than Rhodia), fistfuls of Pilot G2 Ex for a friend crazed over that model and two books that were recommended reading for one of my modules.

Because I had already bought everything that I was supposed to have looked for at Kinokuniya (probably at lower prices than I would have there, too), I gave it a miss, going straight to Daiso at Ion Orchard and getting the above Sumi Ink.

I then ended the fruitful day on a non-stationery trip to Qisahn games nearby and grabbing two copies of the newly-released Yokai Watch for myself and another friend.

By the time I reached home, my hands were actually aching from lugging all that paper and my heart even more so from the painful expenditure. Still, who knew shopping for pens and papers could be so exciting!

[Top Ten Tuesday] Books to Movies.

[This post is done as part of GaBloWriMo, my own version of NaNoWriMo. Find out more here. It is also done as part of the Top Ten Tuesday meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.]

Generally, book-to-movie adaptations are just like movie-to-game ones – there will always be something to gripe about in the translation. Even generally-acclaimed ones like the Harry Potter series had some issues (I personally hated the choppy pacing of the Prisoner of Azkaban).

Still, it’s still awesome to see what you’ve read come to life, even if it doesn’t always follow what you have in your head. Because I cannot think of enough examples like to vary my range, I’ll be expanding this week’s TTT theme (“books to movie adaptations that I just cannot wait for) to include:

Actual upcoming movies that I cannot wait for:

  

1. Mockingjay Part 2 (Suzanne Collins): I assume this is on every single list out there, and for good reason. This is the climatic end to a series that has lent itself very well to cinematics and who doesn’t want to see JLaw and JHutch one last time in their Panemagnificence?
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (J. K. Rowling): It’s J. K. Rowling Newt Scamander. And Harry Potter. With beasts (fantastic ones, at that). ‘Nuff said.
3. Ready Player One (Ernest Cline): The real-life-gaming aspect of this book feels like it would translate awesomely to the big screen.

Actual movies that I need to watch:

1. The Book Thief (Markus Zusak): This was easily one of my favourite books of the last few years and, while I normally don’t go for war films, I would definitely pay for this one if they stick to the source material closely (and well).
2. The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien): Yes yes, I know. I’m the only person left in the world who hasn’t seen this. I couldn’t make it through the first 15 minutes of the first film (or the first half an hour of reading the book) but I’ll have to do this someday, if only to redeem some of my fantasy cred.

Books that need to be made into movies

    

1. Animorphs series (K. A. Applegate): While I think the complexity and epic scale of this series would actually be served better by a TV show (with an actual budget and credible production values…not the deplorable attempt made years ago), I would definitely settle for a movie series condensing the more key moments of the series. I don’t think this will come to pass, seeing as how its heyday was during a time when the internet was barely even a thing, but one can always hope.
2. Pendragon series (D. J. MacHale): A criminally underrated book series, Pendragon can definitely translate well to the large screen, with its fantastical worlds, diverse cast of characters and action-packed sequences.
3. Sylo series (D. J. MacHale): I’m not usually into sci-fi thrillers but this trilogy was engaging from start to end and it would be a pity if it isn’t made into a movie block because the books are written so cinematically.
4. Mistborn series (Brandon Sanderson): Brandon Sanderson’s offerings can fill up this entire list on their own (and almost did, but I only remembered them after I had generated most of this list until I decided not to be lazy) but this has to be one of his best. It fits cinema-goers’ interests too. Strong female lead? Check. Magic? Check. Strongly-built world and atmospheric excellence? Check. It’s a series of digesting metals for magic – what’s not to like?
5. Steelheart series (Brandon Sanderson): Superhero movies are saturating the market right now but who’s to say that Marvel and DC have to hog all the fun? Again, BSand has created a cast that seems made for film, with fast-paced action scenes, cool powers, and enough intrigue to easily last three big entries (with the requisite two-part finale too).

Dear reader, what book-to-film adaptations are you looking forward to?

Me-dori!

[This post is done as part of GaBloWriMo, my own version of NaNoWriMo. Find out more here.]

I’ve seen the Midori Traveler’s Notebook featured on so many Instagram posts and always thought it was a standard notebook that came as is (like Moleskine’s offerings) and so I got a shock when I saw it going for S$90 at Kinokuniya. That’s almost three times the price of a Moleskine (which is already plenty pricey)!

After some research though, I found out that the Midori is actually more like a stylish, hipster Filofax. The initial amount pays for the leather cover and a book or two. I can then customise it (and replace used books) by getting refills in the future. You can add several books at once and there are several types, so it really makes for a highly tailored product.

Since the refills are easier on the wallet (~S$4 for one), they make sense in the long run compared to buying notebooks that come as is.

And so, I got one! I got the 2016 Weekly + Memo version. The S$90 price tag at Kino is still frightening though, but thankfully I came across one almost S$20 cheaper at Overjoyed.

I’m actually planning to do an unboxingpacking video (in fact, I’ve already filmed it. It just needs editing. LOTS of editing) but here’s a brief overview of what’s inside. The pack I got came in a fancy pouch wrapped in a fancy envelop-ish box (very Muji), and inside were the leather case and the two (again very Muji) 2016 diaries, each for half the year.

The format I chose is actually similar to my 2015 Moleskine planner’s and seems to be the most common one online. It has a space for each date on one side (which I’m going to fill with appointments and deadlines) and a grid page on the other. I’ve seen some use it for journalling but I’ll keep mine for to-dos.

I also got an unpictured extra grid-paged notebook to add in. Alas, I didn’t get the Midori elastic straps and had to resort to using a rubber band instead. (For more of what I’m talking about, watch the coming video!)

The Midori ecosystem is really very smart and amazing. On top of several types of notebooks (diaries, blank, lined, grids etc.), they also have a whole slew of accessories ranging from clips to page pockets to stickers. Very good marketing strategy.

I’m quite excited about using this next year.

Dear reader, what do you use for your journalling/planning? What are you planning to use next year?