The Not Book Club: Books, Games and other Lifesavers

Skyrim: My Game of the Year 2011

2011-12-04T06:39:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting quite a while for Skyrim to arrive. I've travelled with my Dunmer through the plains and dungeons of Morrowind, fought the Oblivion in Cyrodiil and now my Dunmer has inflicted some serious Dragon damage!

Skyrim is the province in the north ruled by the nord. It is located in between Hammerfell, Cyrodiil and Morrowind. This is also the place where dragons were said to have lived, and will now relive again. You are a Dragonborn also known as Dovahkin, a person born with a dragon soul and a person who is able to use the dragon's language called Dragon Shouts. You are able to kill dragons and absorb their spirits, which can be used to learn more Dragon Shouts.

The World Eater or commonly called Alduin has returned to Skyrim and this malevolent dragon has to be killed. This is where you come in as the Dragonborn. The legends say that only the Dragonborn can kill Alduin. Alduin was once banished by an Elder Scroll and now you have to use such a scroll in order to gain knowledge of the past and how to kill Alduin,

In the end you are the Hero of Skyrim and all is well. You are then left with a number of side- and miniquests you could do. You could buy yourself a nice shack or become the archimage of the Academy of Winterhold (Mages). The world is open for your conquests and hopefully open to new expansion packs from Bethesda.

I thank the Bethesda Team a million times in my head every day for having created this epic game. The graphics are so real that they are even better than reality. You get absorbed into the game and forget that for once you actually have a life outside too. The combat modes are much better now than in the predecessor Oblivion. You can now combine attacks such as two spells or magic and melee etc. The third person view also improved and it doesn't seem like you don't have control over your character anymore.

The classes are still the same, but the levelling has changed. While you work on levelling skills in order to gain a level up, you can now distribute Talent Points in which you can choose a skill such as Destruction and level a certain Talent such as Fire Damage which will allow you a 30% higher damage rate or such. This makes levelling extra fun and the skills are shown in form or Zodiac Signs.

There are plenty more additions and improvements such as the alchemy lab and blacksmith equipment. You can now mine raw materials such as coal or mercury and smelt them into ebony or mercury bars and then again smith them into armor, weapons or jewelry. There is just so much time that you could spend in this game and you will never regret a second. Skyrim is my personal favorite of 2011. I don't even think it can top other games that are to come out except a new Elder Scrolls adventure.

As always, let the pictures talk. (Game is in German)

Alduin

Dragon Shout

Alduins defeat

Paarthurnax, brother of Alduin

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

2011-11-17T03:53:00.000-08:00

I am literally giving you everything Sarah has to offer at this moment when it comes to published books. (Soon I will be reviewing Peach Keeper too). The Sugar Queen has captured me from the very first moment I laid eyes on the words. I am and have always been a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen and each book has its own charm, its own world and its own independent story with the same charm. She has a talent of creating characters that are absolutely unique and lovable. The characters feel real and it feels like you would cross paths with them anytime or at least you hope to.

Sugar Queen tells the story of Josey Cirrini who is a rich but chubby woman. She lives with her widowed mother in Bald Slope, a winter wonderland that has been popularized by her late father Marco Cirrini. Josey takes care of her mother Margaret because she recently had a hip surgery, but the real reason why she clings on her is because she hopes that Margaret will someday forgive Josey for her moods and bouts cruelty as a kid. Josey also has a secret stash in her closet full of sweets thus explaining the title.

One day Della Lee Baker pops up in her closet and decides to stay with Josey for a while. Della keeps on asking for a special sandwhich found in a little bistro in the courthouse, so eventually Josey visits the shop and gets to know Chloe. Chloe has inherited the little food stand from her diseased grandparents and has run it ever since. She has special relationship with books and they follow her wherever she goes, whether she likes it or not. Chloe recently broke up with her boyfriend Jake, because he cheated on her. When they are together their passion can engulf an object in fire or their passion makes water boil.

Josey is also in love. She loves the mailman Adam who also seems to carry a secret around that she unearths. The fate of the three women are constantly connected throughout the story and in the end they, in fact, do live happily ever after. It's just not the happily ever after everyone thinks of.

Sugar Queen keept me up reading for about 6 - 8 hours. I loved every bit of it and hope that you will too.

Excerpt The Sugar Queen:

Jake approached Chloe's shop the next day, Monday, her first day back at work after the holiday. After not being able to reach her by phone, he'd stopped just short of going to the apartment to see her. She was buying a house. She was slowly, surely, moving away from him, and he didn't know how to stop her. It was just after lunch, a slow time for her, and she was sittig at one of the cafe tables reading a book title The Complete Homeowner's Guide. Her hair was braided into one long plait down her back. She always wore it like that when they would go skiin or hiking. And sometimes she would stand in front of the bathroom mirror and sigh in the mornings, lifting her arms to brait it because she couldn't do anything else with it. He remembered how her breasts moved under her shirt when she braided it, how he would come up behind her at the sink and kiss her neck, cupping her breasts. Once they'd even made love that way, her arms lifted and in her hair, his hands on her breasts, watching each other in the mirror. Chloe took a deep breath, like there was something in the air she had picked up on. She looked up and saw him walking toward her. She immediately stood and hurried around to the other side of the counter. He counted his blessings that she didn't hide in the storeroom this time. He stopped a few feet from the counter when he saw she was backing into a corner. "You don't have to stand back," She pointed to the coffeemaker. "The water."
That surprised him, that she would still have the ability to sense his feelings, and that his feelings still had the ability to cause a passionate physical response in her. "Still?" "It didn't stop the moment you said you cheated on me. This might be a little easier if it did."

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

2011-11-16T03:49:00.000-08:00

This is yet another enchanted novel by Sarah Addison Allen. I have enjoyed reading Garden Spells so much and I did enjoy this particular book even more. Every character had its quirks and secrets yet again and everything in that story seemed dipped in magic.

The story revolves around two women living in the town of Mullaby in North Carolina. Emily Benedict just moved into Mullaby hoping to uncover secrets her late mother seemingly had. She moves into her Grandfathers house who was litterally a giant at almost eight feet. Her room used to be that of her mother and the wallpapers change and adapt to the mood of the person within.

She soon meets Julia, who also just returned to Mullaby to restore her fathers grill. Her plan was to sell the grill because her father past away and take off to restart her life in the big city. She adds sweetness to the grill with her cakes and pastries. Julia hides yet another secret that she shares with her teenage love Sawyer.

Emily meets Win Coffey who is instantly attracted to her but who also hides another secret. Both Julia and Emily fall in love and discover themselves in the process. In the end, all is good where some secrets were grave mistakes that have been done in the past and other secrets are little magical traits shared by members of a family or a skill.

I really loved reading this book because it tickles my fantasy nerve and it still stays real. I can relate to the characters and the small town environment just made me feel like home. I am already looking forward to reading Peach Keeper.

Of course I didn't forget to include an excerpt for your guys:

The Girl Who Chased The Moon

'I've been thinking about you a lot this past week,' Emily said, and it came out a lot more moony than she intended. He lowered his gaze from the sky and met her eyes. His smile was mischievous. 'Oh?'
'Not like that,' she said, laughing. She stopped laughing when their seat swayed back and forth in the wind. She grabbed the safety bar in front of them. Of course he didn't seem afraid to be up this high. 'I just can't get my mind around something.'
'What is it?' 'You wouldn't happen to be a werewolf, would you?' 'Excuse me?' he said.
She slowly loosened her holds on the bar and sat back. 'There are only two reasons I can think of for why you don't come out at night: night blindness of werewolf.'
'And you decided to go with werewolf?'
'It was a toss-up.' Win didn't answer for a few moments. He finally said, 'It's tradition. It's gone on for centuries.'
'Why?'
'That's a good question. I guess because that's what traditions do.'

Oh YES! He is just SO NOT into You!

2011-10-23T05:50:00.000-07:00

Girls and boys, this is the book we have all been waiting for. The universal dating truth and the end to all the hopes, what if's and analyzing moments! "He's just not that into you" by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo.
Both Greg and Liz were also writers for Sex and the City and while discussing relationships and men (since the writers pool were mainly female) Greg and Liz came up with this book.

I have learned to love and treasure this book and so should every woman who knows she deserves a MAN. The book comes with an introduction about how this book works and why it was written. The body itself is written in a question and answer letter type. After a couple of questions both Liz and Greg comment the letters with their take on This is What it Should Look Like and This is What's Hard About This One. Lovely comments where you see the angle of the man in action or better said in no action and the point of us women and why we sometimes can't accept the ugly truth.

Greg and Liz discuss all the different kinds of excuses that you may encounter in a relationship or while dating, that should show you: GIRL! He is not even a little bit into you! Let me give you a quick list of chapters that you will encounter in this book: He's Just Not That Into You If He's Not Asking You Out, He's Just Not That Into You If He's Not Calling You, He's Just Not That Into You If He's Not Having Sex With You, He's Just Not That Into You If He's Not Dating You, He's Just Not That Into You If He's Married and the list goes on.

I love the little details and funny answers and after every chapter Greg and Liz have a little exercise for the reader which is called Our Super-Good Really Helpful Workbook. Lovely book with life changing insights. Girls he is just not that into you if he does nothing and there ain't any excuse that is going to make him like you. Don't waste your time on trash because Prince Charming could be the guy your missing out on while dating trash.

And as a little teaser I got some excerpts for you.

he's just not that into you if he's not calling you. Men know how to use the phone.

The "But He's Got a Lot on His Mind" Excuse

Dear Greg,

On New Year's Day, a guy I'd had a few dates with, who I was very excited about, was late for a date. I called him, and he, very apologetically, told me he had to go out of town to take care of his mother. He totally forgot to call me. I'm so confused. His mother is really sick, but it wasn't a desperate emergency; he just had to drive out to Connecticut. Greg, I really like this guy. Please say a sick mother is a good enough excuse to forgive him, and believe he still can be into me.
Bobbie.

Dear New Year,

Ah yes, here's a bad excuse in sick mother's clothing. Because still, no matter what, what he's telling you is, "You're not on my mind." Because if you were, he would have called you expressing great regret at not being able to spend the day with you. If he had the time to pack an travel, he had the time to call you, and he chose not to. (You call it "forget." I call it "chose not to.") When you like someone, they don't just slip your mind. Especially on New Year's Day. I know it may seem like he had a good excuse, but sadly, I think your New Year started off with a big glass of "He's just not that into you." Now nurse your hangover and find someone who won't forget to call you.

The big question here is, "Is it okay for a guy to forget to call me?" I'm saying to you, "No." Barring disaster - someone had to be rushed to the hospital, he was just fired from his job, someone keyed his Ferrari (kidding) - he should never forget to call you. If I like you, I don't forget you, ever. Don't you want the guy who'll forget about all the other things in his life before he forgets about you?

The Sims Medieval: Just a lousy Sim remake or a cool new adventure?

2011-10-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have been playing The Sims Medieval and I have to tell you that it's not what I expected it would be. It's more of a role-playing adventure game than a Simulation.

You are the Watcher, in other words God, and you are responsible for your kingdom. You start out the game by choosing a mission that you want to finish e.g. Leven all heroes to level 10 etc. You then get to choose your monarch. You can create him or her or you can choose a ready-made character.

There are 10 heroes in a kingdom namely; monarch, pateran priest, jacobean priest, sorcerer, spy, knight, healer, blacksmith, merchant and bard. You can do a quest with each hero and use the quest to level them up. Each hero has two traits that are usually good such as Good or Chivalrous and every hero has one bad trait which ranges from glutton to bloodthirsty.

The heroes act and react just like the Sims and you have the same interaction patterns with other characters, but each hero has different tasks and duties he or she can fulfill. Each task fulfilled gives your hero experience points with which they can level up. Each completed quest gives experience points but it also increases an aspect that your kingdom has. Each kingdom has 4 aspects; security, well-being, culture and knowledge.

Just like in The Sims, there is no goal and the game can be endless. There are however main missions and Watchers collections that you could complete. Enough of the talk, let the pictures speak!

Back to Back: Dragon Age II

2011-07-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

I already gave you a taste of the Dragon Age world in my last review and I also told you how much I love that game, well here is the deal: I love Dragon Age II much much more!!!!

Everybody has been saying that nothing has improved and all but that is official bullshit, because compared to the first installment, absolutely everything has improved. I have been playing both back to back or better yet side-by.side in order to see the real differences in graphic as well as game play. In both departments BioWare has made major improvements which you will see below in all the pictures.

The handling in the beginning is a little different but once you figured it out the fun starts. The fighting system is almost identical with the previous version and you can also decide on the tactics of your team. What is different are the classes and races etc. You do not get to choose what your race will be. You will always be a default human, male or female. Your name will always be Hawke. This time your character will get either a male or female voice, so your conversational options look differently this time. You can choose to develope different traits that you do not have to unlock first through certain quests.

Ability List for Mages

You can focus on a skill set or be a little bit of everything. You can also import the game data from Dragon Age Origins into the game and Dragon Age II will use the information to develop the story. This time you are a refuge who has its roots in a city named Kirkwall. Here you rise to fame and get to be the champion of Kirkwall after dealing with the Q'unari folk.

The essential storyline however is all about the war between templar and mages. Ultimately, you have to choose a side and depending on the side you choose, you have to fight against one or both of the leading citizen of Kirkwall, namelyKnight Commander Meredith or Circle or the Magi Head Orsino. Admittedly, the story itself doesn't include grand Archdemons or the darkspawn and that is probably one of the reasons why Dragon Age II went under in criticism. This storyline is more humane and takes a look at people and their decisions.

Day Map

Night Map

Another thing that might also be a bummer is the map. The whole game revolves solely around Kirkwall and its surrounding area of 4 or 5 maps. In Dragon Age Origins you had a whole freaking world to explore.....OK not a word but the are of Ferelden which included Orzamar (the dwarven underground city). Another thing that caught my attention where the type of maps that were in DA II. They constantly were repeated, meaning the same shape of map in a different place with the same decoration.

My Female Mage Hawke Character

Choosing a Companion for the Party

Conversational Options

Docks at Night

The Gallows

Q'unari Warrior

Knight Commander Meredith

Circle Headmaster Orsino

During the final Battle against Meredith

Possessed Meredith

Nevertheless, DA II is still lots of fun to play and all the bad points are being taken into consideration by the developers in order to create a better stronger and more beautiful Dragon Age 3.

Dragon Age Origins

2011-07-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

It's been about time I blog about this game. It has been one of my favorite games back in '10 and it took up majority of my free time back then. Dragon Age Origins was refered to me by a store clerk actually, saying that that was a pretty cool game and so I bought it. I usually never buy because someone tells me to, but this time I had my spending jeans on and I just thought what the hell, I got myself a brand new PC and Imma use it to the fullest.

Said, done! The first thing that impressed me was the opening screen with this damned dragon.... Awesome graphics and a roleplaying game...that was all I could think of in the beginning. The story line was good too. In the beginning you can choose from different races and classes like in every other roleplaying game, but every race and class gives you a different storyline and background story to begin on. Some are more extensive and some are less extensive.

The game is about the great attack of the darkspawn who threaten to destroy mankind, elfkin and dwarvenkind. The darkspawn are lead by a great dragon who is the Archdemon. Once he is killed, it is said that all darkspawn will die or dissappear. In the early days, a group of fighters called the Grey Warden fought successfully against the darkspawn and will so again with your help. Your character joins the Grey Wardens and becomes the hero of Ferelden.

Archdemon

You are the decision maker in the game and the whole world alters whenever you choose something. Obviously there are only limited choices and limited cut scenes so the choices are predictable. The only problem here is that you do not get to have your own voice, just like with neverwinter nights. The style of gameplay also reminds me of a better 3D version of Neverwinter Nights.

There were however plenty of differences like the ability to have different classes at once at a certain level.
You were able to collect all the different types of sub-classes and be a mixture out of all of them. Let me give you an example with Mages. You could be a Healer, a Bloodmage, a Warlock etc and the more quests you do, the more classes you can unlock for your character to develop on.

Another great thing about this game are the romances. You can choose to develop relationships with the members of your party, whether romantic or friendshippy relationships. You are even able to have several romances at one or even have a threesome. You get more and more cut-scenes with your lover asking you stuff and being all intimate.

Combat modes are similar to regular role playing games. You can control every characters' moves and also use action slots to decide how characters are supposed to behave in certain situations. There are hotkeys for every ability you have and from then on it's just cast and heal.

I also got myself the expansion Awakening, which is a side story about the Architect and the Mother of dark spawn. It was O-K, but I'd rather not have spent money for it.

Spawn Mother from Awakening

Great Architect from Awakening

Dragon Age Origins is one of the best roleplaying games out there only succeeded by its second installment Dragon Age 2.

Minecraft Madness

2011-07-20T16:32:00.000-07:00

As I was plotting to review all my grand roleplaying games, a thought just hit me. There are indeed gamers out there in this world who do not have sufficient ram, gigs, or graphic cards to play one of the high end games.....soooo I put this game first. MINECRAFT dadaddadaaammmmmm!!!...

Doesn't need a lot of requirements because the graphics are pixelized and all you need is an internet connection. This game can be played in single player or multiplayer mode. Multiplayer connects you online to a community of your choosing. The game basically is about MINING and CRAFTING, thus Minecraft. You mine resources such as stone, wood, sand, ore, gold etc. and craft it into items such as doors, boxes, swords, armor, food etc.

My domicile.

Minecraft has become such a hype around the world and people started crafting the most unbelievable things such as the Enterprise Starship or the Big Ben. Whatever comes to your mind, think of Minecraft as your canvass to create. There is however also PvP and there are mobs that appear when it is dark.

The game itself has day and night cycles, and different kinds of weather such as rain, lightning storms, snow and sunshine. You can explore the deepest pits of the Minecraft universe and stumble upon lava or you could travel to another dimension called Nether where you can fight interesting mobs and collect rare resources.

The singleplayer mode comes with a little achivement list that you can follow and the multiplayer mode just comes with everything the admins make up like actual monetary systems, cities, dungeons and so on.

The development of this game started in 2009 by Markus Persson and now the game is stilll actually in its beta mode. The only way to avail the game is by visiting the homepage and buying it and then getting the direct download. If you buy it while it is still in the beta version, you get it cheaper and you get to keep the final game too without having to pay again.

Nuff' said, let the pictures do the talking!

COW!

Multiplayer Mode

Multiplayer Universe

Crafting

Nether

Chopping Wood

Night time

Sega's Sonic on PC

2011-07-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

Gosh guys I was so psyched to hear that Sonic was finally available on PC in the Dreamcast Collection. The Dreamcast Collection features Crazy Taxi, Space Channel 5 Part 2, Adventures of Sonic and some fishing game I didn't give a shit about. First thing to try was Sonic of course because as you all know, I used to have a Dreamcast and it just drove me insane when it broke and I couldn't play my favorite games anymore ..... *sigh* Anyhow, as I was starting Sonic, I instantly recognized the set-up and realized that it was THE exact game I used to have on Dreamcast and love :-D so hooooray to that!

Sonic and Tails

Let me just tell you that I now know why Sonic was a game on the console. The keyboard is just crap for such a game reminding me once again how badly I need a gamepad. The keys are simple: direction keys are the arrows and the typical S button for action and everything else. The camera is what bothers me the most because you have to manually adjust it.

I also noticed that they have actually added a few levels and places you can go to, which is really cool AAAAAANDDD they kept the CHAO'S!!! FYI: Chaos are adorable little creatures in Sonics world that can be raised, fed and played. You can morph them with little animals that you gain during the action levels and you can feed them special food to make them stronger. You can also make them compete in races and breed them to get colorful new variations of Chaos. The whole Chao concept im sure, is just a strategy to attract girls to the game, but it sure is working.

The graphics are the same old Sega graphic and you actually have to adjust your resolution so that you will be able to play in full screen modus. Overal the game is a good reminder of where gaming came from and I love the simple game play and it is just an epic adventure that might not be continued on another platform in the future.

Future Game Releases

2011-07-03T02:17:00.000-07:00

There are a couple of new game releases that I am looking forward to this late 2011 and early 2012. I think in first place is Oblivion V: Skyrim! I have been waiting years for this game to be done, ever since I laid hands upon Morrowind and Oblivion. For those who don't know the Elder Scroll series; Elder Scrolls are THE most complex roleplaying adventure games I have ever played. There is nothing better out there in my ops and this is a MUST have.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is set to be released on November 11th 2011. It's the jinxed number that's supposed to bring them luck.

Another game or rather expansion set to be released in November is The Sims 3 Pets. I have been waiting for this expansion since The Sims 3 came out because I just love interacting with the pets. This time around, you will also be able to own horses.

The last new release I am looking forward to is Mass Effect 3. It is set to be released by christmas this 2011. It is the direct continuation in story of Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 2 ends with a cliffhanger wherein you just have to know how it continues. Mass Effect 3 is an adventure, roleplay shooter. It has mixed elements and it's all about space baby!

Early 2012 is going to be another release date for Prototype 2. I already presented you the 1st installment earlier in the blog and now I am looking forward to the new tricks that Alex will receive. I have also heard that you will either play the new adversary or him.... hmmmm let's just see and hope it's not going to be banned in my country again!

About Curious Incidents

2011-06-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

Back in college, my friend told me to read The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-Time and I never heeded her advice until 2011 came knocking. Back in Germany, a friend of mine told me that this book was just strange and scary and so I heard so many different opinions without even knowing WHAT the book is about. I decided to get myself a copy through Amazon (which by the way is like my favorite book shopping place on earth), and finally decide for myself.

I was off to a slow start because the book was a draggy read. Mark Haddon tells the story of a boy named Christopher Boone who has Asperberger's Syndrome. The fact that he has Asperger's is however never said. Christopher tells the story of a dog named Wellington who was killed during the night with a pitchfork. Wellington was the neighbors dog and Christopher was the first to find the dead dogmaking him the prime suspect. That is why he embarks on the adventure of finding the real killer.

The journey however leads him to see and uncover so much more. He discovers that his mother did not die but has left him and his dad for another man who happened to be the husband of the neighbor whose dog was killed....WHEW! So the neighbor started an affair with Chris' father and when she broke it off, his father killed the dog. This makes Christopher scared and he finds the letters of his mother that he never got because his dad hid them. He then travels to London and finds her all by himself.

Christopher's way of seing things is simple. He doesn't pick up on feelings or sarcasm or expressions. He understands just the words that are said to him and not the underlying implications or meanings. Having Asperger's he also doesn't like to be touched or have many people around him. He also makes his day dependent on whether he sees red cars or brown cars because he hates the color brown.

There are many interesting, insightful and peculiar things that Haddon did with his character and that allows us a genuine look into a person with such a syndrome. Even though the story was off to a slow start, it still captured me and kept me thinking what will be next. A different read, perhaps not even a light one, but definitely one to ponder upon.

Excerpt from "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," by Mark Haddon:

I decided that I was going to find out who killed Wellington even tough Father had told me to stay out of other people's business. This is because I do not always do what I am told. And this is because when people tell you what to do it is usually confusing and does not make sense. For example, people often say 'Be quiet,' but they don't tell you how long to be quiet for. Or you see a sign which says KEEP OFF THE GRASS but it should say KEEP OFF THE GRASS AROUND THIS SIGN or KEEP OFF ALL THE GRASS IN THIS PARK because there is lots of grass you are allowed to walk on.Also people break rules all the time. For example, Father often drives at over 30 mph in a 30 mph zone and sometimes he drives when he has been drinking and often doesn't wear his seatbelt when he is driving his van. And in the Bible it says Thou shalt bit kill but there were the Crusaders and two World Wars and the Gulf War and tehre were Christians killing people in all of them. Also I don't know what Father means when he says 'Stay out of other people's business' because I do lots of things with other people, at school and in the shop and on the bus, and his job is going into other people's houses and fixing their boilers and their heating. And all of these things are other people's business.

Elizabeth Gilbert and her Mega Bestselling Masterpiece Eat, Pray, Love

2011-06-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

You guys saw it coming, I have also jumped on the bandwagon that was so popular in '10 when that blasted movie came out. The difference is that a friend introduced me to the book back somewhat in '08 and I never have gotten around buying it until I got back from the Philippines. So I bought it and read it simultaniously when the movie came out of course not watching the movie before reading it.

What can I say; the book is just a big journey to your soul. It is simply great. It is heartbreaking, funny, and deeply moving. If you do not know the plot yet, here it is. Elizabeth decides to travel to three countries after her nasty divorce was dealt with. She wanted to travel to Italy, because she loved the language and loved the food. India was her next destination because she wanted to stay at an ashram that was led by her yogic teacher. And finally she wanted to go to Indonesia because she was supposed to help and learn from a local healer. She made a deal with her publisher to write about it and thus getting the cash advance to finance her year of travel.

She stayed in each country for 4 months and found something in every country. In Italy she found pleasure again through food. In India she found herself and god through prayers and in Indonesia she found her husband and thus completing the title of the book with love. The stories within the story were the most interesting and funny tidbits. Gilbert made me feel as if I was travelling with her and actually experiencing the culture myself. Eat Pray Love is a great read that I enjoyed.

Since I have decided to go back to my good 'ol review format I will once again and forever give you an excerpt from Eat Pray Love:

The following morning, I arrive right on time for the 4:00 am meditation session which always starts the day here. We are meant to sit for an hour in silence, but I log the minutes as if they are miles - sixty brutal miles that I have to endure. By mile/minute fourteen, my nerves have started to go, my knees are breaking down and I'm overcome with exasperation. Which is understandable, given that the conversations between me and my mind during meditation generally go somthing like this:

Me: OK, we're going to meditate now. Let's draw our attention to our breath and focus on the mantra. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Naamah Shiv-

Mind: I can help you out with this, you know!

Me: OK, good, because I need your help. Let's go. Om Namah Shivaya. Om Naamah Shiv-

Mind: I can help you think of nice meditative images. Like - hey, there's a good one. Imagine you are a temple. A temple on an island! And the island is in the ocean!

Me: Oh, that is a nice image.

Mind: Thanks. I thought of it myself.

Street Fighter 4

2011-06-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

There are just a few beat 'em ups out there for PC and one of them is Street Fighter IV. I used to love those games on consoles and I was a big fan of "Dead or Alive" but that was during my Dreamcast days.....Yeah where were we? Oh yeah, Street Fighter 4 impresses with a nice little intro movie full of artsy fartsy graphics which I liked by the way. The welcome screen is the good 'ol Street Fighter screen.

Intro Movie Captured

You can play different modes from Arcade Mode to Live Mode which connects you to the internet via Windows Live and allows you to play online. I chose to play Arcade mode to watch the little cutscenes and I loves the scenes because of their anime style and storyline. I played two characters namely Crimson Viper, an american agent, and the imfamous Chun-Li, the chinese cutsy girl. You see that I love playing girls and deep inside is a strong belief that girls will eventually be stronger and kick ass in fighting. You can access more characters once you finish the Arcade modes with each character.

Now about the game play: Let me tell you guys, freaking beat 'em ups on keyboard is a tough cookie. I constantly keyboard bash and I really don't want to have to. The moves are hard to fulfill when you can't even properly rotate the move directions like on a controller. The game play itself is super fun. Moves are varying and good and the graphics received some brush ups but stayed pretty much the same; in 2D with now a little hint of 3D.

Cutscene playing Crimson Viper

The Arcade challenges in particular were difficult as hell. I love fighting games and I am a crack at it, but this game on PC? No way hose did I ever win in normal mode. I had to play in "Easy as Pie" Mode in order to even get to Seth who is the boss. Seth just drove me nuts. Until now I haven't defeated that bastard and I think until I won't defeat him, you guys won't see any other games coming around in this blog -.- ......... Don't worry I can discipline myself into trying three times in a row per hour ;).

Street Fighter IV is definitely a must have for beat 'em up fans, but be sure to have a freakin controller by your side when playing.

Seth the Boss in Arcade Mode

Cutscene Chun-Li

Happy Fighting Guys!

Prototype

2011-06-21T12:04:00.000-07:00

Prototype is an action game that focuses on the main character Alex Mercer who wakes up to find himself changes. A concept we all know works well for movies and other games. Alex however is not a Mr. Goody Twoshoes but more like a swiss army knife that can do absolutely everything. He flies, he falls, he jumps and he kicks ass.

The storyline is kept simple: he wants to find out who changed him and seeks revenge while uncovering his past. Alex has become what people like to call shape shifter, which means he can shift into any person he wants to and he can also transform his arms into claws, blades or hammer fists. He can shield himself and has the ability to create a whip out of his hands. There are plenty more added bonuses to discover.

This is the Skill Upgrade Screen where you can buy your enhancements.

The game starts with a storyline and several missions which you can play through. Once you have finished the missions, you can basically go about and destroy everthing that's in your grasp. Similar to GTA-like games, the military starts noticing and you will have more and more enemies to bash.

Cutscene

The game itself is fun as hell if you enjoy bashing and violence. After all this game has been banned in several countries for being too gory and Germany being one of them. I love how the character goes about in the city and how you can freaking run on walls skywards, sideways or down. You also have a level-up like set up in this game where you have to buy your advancements such as your blades or hammer hands. After every mission you get the chance to upgrade.

Thie is the cloak skill where you can change the appearance of Alex.

Another nice feature is the mapping feature where you get to see the origin of every dead character, assuming Alex killed them, and you see who they are connected to in order to learn about Alex's past. To sum it up; the graphics are great, the gameplay is just sheer fun and the storyline is good but generic. If you want to find out why this game is banned, get it and you will find out. If you happen to live in one of those banned countries you may order through Amazon or through Ebay.

Alex attackung.

Alex' flying skill.

Growing Up with The Sims

2011-06-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

The Sims kept me glued to the PC screen for hours and still keeps a tight spell on me. Somewhere and sometime in the age of Windows 98, The Sims came out and was the first people simulation game in the market. It created a hype and thus plenty of Add-Ons and Will Wright was a genius for having created such game. I spent countless hours creating the perfect looks, the perfect house and try to improve the skills to get the perfect job. With all the later Add-Ons I just started investing more and more time into the game and into making my character the greatest possible.

The idea has not much changed when Sims 2 came out. There were just major upgrades such as the actual Sim who looked just so much more human and less stick figure. They added expressions, movements and changes while aging. You were able to select wishes for the sim and select their life time wish and make them happy. The continuity of aging was a lso a big concept in this game where you could actually age from baby to grown up and also get pregnant. Everything is just closer to real life. What would Sims 2 be without the expansions as well? Same concept, same expansion packs from Nightlife to University, everything was there again.

The Sims 3 added an universal interactive neighborhood where you don't need to wait for another place to load when you visit a community lot. You can even visit your neighbors and spy on them. The whole system changed where everything is now connected to the world as a whole. I love how you can also create personalities whether they be neurotic or flirty. Jobs have also changed because you are able to also do assignments outside the job and you can even decide whether you are working effectively or whether you want to have a chat with your collegues instead.

There are also different kinds of professions where you can work independently from home as an artist for example or you could choose to become a stylist where you actually choose different styles for different Sims. The Add-Ons have also changed drastically. You can now travel abroad and actually own a vacation home there and have missions. Sims 3 reminded me almost of an roleplay simulation because I felt like I am doing some level-up think with my character. Another expansion also enables you to be a celebrity and actually make a living out of it. Sims 3 has altered the Sims Universe and ultimately improved it. They however also make tons of money out of it since the new universe allows you to spend money online to buey different furniture and looks for your Sims.

The Sims Universe is definitely worth a dip no matter from which genre you come from. I grew up with it and still relish in the fond memories of it. Happy Siming!

Tribute to the Good Ol' Lara

2011-06-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

I was raised during the dawn of computer games and consoles. After I received my first game boy, my gamer future was set to be conquered. One of the biggst influences in my gaming life is Lara Croft. She shaped my childhood, accompanied me in my adolescence and still captures my interest as an adult. I was around 8 or 9 years old when Tomb Raider came out. It was an innovation and something different from the pixelized ego shooter Doom, that dominated the market during those times. And she was a WOMAN. Not just any woman also, but an elite bombshell. I loved her, I wanted to be like her and I played her if you know what I mean ;-).

When I was younger, the sudden attacks used to scare me shittless and it took me forever to continue playing, and to be perfectly honest it still does now at times, but exactly these moments are the ones I treasure. Oh and do I need to mention her outfits? I just played for the sheer curiousity on which outfit was next. I also loved the story line and the voice. Ok, nuf' said, let's get into gaming business.

I am particularly presenting the first 5 games, namely Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider II, Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation and Tomb Raider Chronicles. I particularly loved part II and Chronicles. In every game there was still the obligatory Croft Manor Tutorial which just was a delight in playing for me. You could test yourself, get to know your manor and most importantly bash the butler. I enjoyed all the hidden tidbits that were to be found in there. Up until Chronicles, the style of combat and the story were created in the same format.

I will in due time create a portrait of the latter games namely Angel of Darkness, Legends, Anniversary, Underworld and Guardian of Light. However there is indeed a 9th installment coming in Fall 2012. Until then let us pay homage to our favorite digital queen Lara.

Total Distortion

2011-06-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Let me take you back to the 90s where a lot of things seemed to be trendy. One of them was Windows 95. Oh, nostalgia...... One of my favorite games during the 90s was Total Distortion. This game was developed in 1995 and is basically an adventure in a different dimension where you, the music video producer, has to make and sell music videos to be able to get back to earth.

You start off with zilch money and work your way up to stardom. In the beginning you get to explore your space station which includes a workspace, a bedroom, a kitchen and an energy room where the exit is located at. In the workspace area you can communicate with the outside world, buy items, make videos and take a look at the radio fishtank. In your bedroom you may check out different books with different types of games in them, and you are able to go to sleep. Whenever you sleep, you will find yourself in a dream game which you have to win to get healthier and more refreshed.

The kitchen is one of the funniest rooms in the station. You can make different kinds of sandwiches and drinks that are going to be very important once you roam around the outside dimension. The energy room is only used to stock up energy sticks so that you will still have electricity within the tower.

In order to make good videos, you have to get raw material from the dimension itself. For this you need a camera and a guitar. The camera for the obvious and the guitar for the guitar heroes that will attack you throughout the dimension. Getting through the dimension is also tricky since there are plenty of riddles in order to get to a place. The video material is either gathered or pre-set. Music is also already included in the game as well as the effects, so all you have to do is cut them together.

The game is basically a click adventure, but very colorful and creative. The creativity is probably the most mind-boggling of all since it's so....well....weird. That is exactly why I loved to play the game. It is weird, yet challenging and most of all fun. If I was to rate this game it would get an A-, because the creativity makes the game different and fun to play, however the game time itself is a little short and thus the reduction.

Total Distortion is still available for download, but only as a torrent (which of course is illegal). I still happened to have a CD from back in the day, but that got lost somewhere in space too. If you still want to check that game out, try Amazon.

Happy Gaming Guys!

Katie MacAlister = Awesomely Crafted Stories

2011-06-13T03:28:00.000-07:00

I am finally writing about my all time favorite author Katie MacAlister. If you knew me, you would immediately say that her types of books just give me the best of all my favorite topics: fantasy, Vampires, Dragons, Love, Sex and the deep conversations somewhere in between. Oh, and did I mention to forget the HUNKS?!?! Yeah so pretty much my department ;)

The first book by Katie that I have ever read was "A Girl's Guide to Vampires." I remember this special day clearly when I was walking through the aisles of National Bookstore in Dumaguete City, Philippines (that was like, gosh, 4 or 5 years ago) and I saw this beautiful cover that just literally spoke to me "buy meeeeehhh" and I had to get it. Turned out that this book and all the other ones that followed, would pave my readership road to undying loyalty towards Katie. "A Girl's Guide to Vampires" held me from the very first word until the last symbol. Katie just has the ability to literally make you a book addict. I felt every second of my being, that I absolutely had to freaking continue the story until it's finished. I remember for this book particularly that I started it in the afternoon and read it throughout the night until I finished it. It was the FIRST book EVER I read in one sitting. Immediately I set off to buy the other books and thank goodness I found some other books by her. I gulped them down like they were food. Unfortunately, getting the other books was a little difficult because back in the Philippines it wasn't that easy to order online and I had to order her books from Amazon but they had to deliver it to Germany first and then it would be sent to the Philippines from a relative of mine. That was the trouble I went through to quench my thirst for her books.

The first books I read were the so-called Dark Ones Novels. Instead of calling the characters vampires, Katie invented the Moravians of which there are the ones who are made into being a vampire and the ones born. The ones without soul are the ones made called Dark Ones. They are stronger that normal humans, they do suck blood, but they can't fly and don't have all the mystical superhuman abilities like changing into bats. Every Dark One has a Beloved who is supposed to give them their soul back. Dark Ones only have one Beloved that exists for each and once the rituals are completed, they are bound for life. In the end, only the Beloved can feed the Dark One and if the Beloved dies, the Dark one will die too.

I loved Katie's approach to vampires from the very beginning and I think that her vampires are unique in abilities and story. What I also like about her books is that every book is an independent read itself, but all characters are somehow connected to each other and will eventually appear again as a guest in another book. Every book also has its love story and plenty of yummy flesh to ponder on which makes the reads even more exciting. MacAlister does not only write about vampires, but she also writes about dragons and contemporaries. I will present the dragon stories to you in an entirely different post however, so keep looking forward to that.
Katie made my life brighter and she strengthened my love for books as well. I cannot wait until I have another book in my hands that is labeled Katie MacAlister.....

New Addition: Games!!

2011-06-13T02:40:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I have decided to add yet another topic to my blog in order to stimulate your minds and hands at the same time. I decided to add Games to the blog. Since I am a really big computer nerd, I admittingly do play tons of computer games. I will surely, at some point or the other, talk about different types of games that actually happen in real life, but for now the focus is on computer games. I will be giving you guys reviews of games I had played over the decades I lived and played in and I am expecting some feedback too on your part ;)
If you want me to test a certain game that you are however unsure of, then please do email me. I hope this will tickle your gamer bone to the core :)

Happy Gaming!

Sincerely,

Me

The Book of Tomorrow

2011-05-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

Cecelia Ahern is known for her masterpiece PS. I Love You, which by the way I haven't read yet, and another great book I just couldn't stop reading is the Book of Tomorrow.

The Story is about a rich spoiled brat called Tamara Goodwin who, together with her mother, moves to the country side because her father had killed himself.
As they continue to stay with her uncle and aunt, things start to unravel and Tamara finds herself in the middle of this heavy weighing secret.

The aunt Rosaleen was a woman of peculiar nature. She was a firm believer of everything godly, she was prim and proper, she would take care of everyone and worst of all she would never give you freedom. Tamara feels herself trapped most of the time and Rosaleen would always pop uop in the most inconvenient circumstances. Her uncle Arthur however was the exact opposite. Instead of talking or voicing out his opinions, he would just snort instead.

The mother on the other hand would just sit inside her room and mourn quietly without talking to anyone in particular. One day Tamara meets Marcus who is driving around a library in a bus. She finds a particular book that she borrowed from him and soon she realized the book was a diary. A diary she wrote a day or two ahead. This was how she was able to either change the future or take it as it is.
Tamara also meets two other interesting characters that will aid her in her quest, Sister Ignatius and Weseley.

Now here are the main SPOILERS so if you are planning to read the book, read no further.

Tamara later finds out that Arthur and Rosaleen are not related to her in any way. In fact her mother was childhood friends with them. Arthur had a brother named Laurie who supposedly died in the fire of Kilsaeny Castle. Laurie however survived. Rosaleen had always been in love with Laurie, but Laurie was always more fond of Jennifer (Tamara's mother). Arthur however always liked Rosaleen. In the end, Rosaleen was so jealous she devised a devilish plan to get rid of Jennifer and take Laurie for herself which includes hiding him since his survival. In the end all is good and Tamara gets to know her real father; Laurie.

I particularly loved the story telling of the book as a whole. Tamara was so messed up and I enjoyed the internal conversations she had. I wanted to know the secret the family had so badly and it was indeed quite hard for me to figure things out until the very end. This book is really intelligently crafted and a perfect example of a cover that tempts me into buying.

The Value of Friendship

2011-05-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

I've never really known the real value of people until now. I have never felt like friendship was really that important because I had my dad, I had my boyfriend and that seemed to be just about enough. Whenever I was single I would be a loner, I would have just about enough friends to go out with occasionally.
Now I really can value a real friend because I have finally gotten to know genuine people that you or I in this case feel like sharing every waking moment with. It's indeed quite a new and recent feeling I have been having and many people already know this and life by this but I want to emphasize the importance of real genuine friends.

Knowing a true friend is the tough part. A friend has to have the ability to listen to you and stick to you through your bad times. It has to be the other way around too though; you should have to want to confide to that friend. You should feel comfortable in confiding and comfortable in being with the friend as well. You should be able to cry in front of them if things get tough and you should be able to know that they will definitely go out of their way for you if necessary. A friendship is a relationship too that both parts have to work on regularly.

A friend is one's best counsellor and advisor. A good friend is one's best companion and laugh-mate. A friend is one's best therapist and in the end, a friend can be one's lifesaver.

To my dear friends: I love you, I cherish you and I thank you for all the great moments spend and all the tears cried out. <3

Save Haven, the latest Nicholas Sparks

2011-05-16T13:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have presented another great read to you. And there it is.... baaaam baaaam baaam badadaaaaaam!!! Ok enough of that ;) Safe Haven has been accompanying me for a while now. I've started reading it a couple of weeks ago and something....or rather someone came in between my reading habits and today I have finally finished it.
It is a really light and easy read. The words flow effortlessly throughout the book and you get hooked pretty quickly.

The book is basically about Katie who moves into this little town called Southport to begin a new life. She is running from her husband that has been abusing her for years now. She meets Alex who is a local store owner, widow and father of two. They fall in love and she opens herself to him and yadayadayada... the usual schnuff. In the end her husband Kevin finds her and causes this huge scene best to be read. She shoots him and all is well.

This may sound a little boring to you eh? It would to me too by just reading what I have wrapped up. So here are the main reasons why I kept reading:

1. I love love stories. What's there to say?!
2. I liked the whole background story of Katie. This is one of the most in depth backgound info I ever got from Nicholas Sparks. It really goes down to the details on how she felt in an abusive relationship, why she didn't leave etc.
3. I liked how he portrayed the counterpart; her husband Kevin. How he kept relating to the bible to justify his actions. It was great to actually read the patterns that Kevin was displaying in his train of thought.

This Story did NOT move me or made me cry like the other ones. This book rather made me think. It made me think back on my actions, on my train of thought. You can read them up here: WHY I TOLERATED HIM if you'd like.

Enchanting Garden Spells

2011-02-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

I want to introduce you to this little fella. Guys meet one of my favorite reads Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen. As usual I bought this book because the cover intrigued me. I was wondering how the title would match with the cover. In the end I found out it didn't quite, but that's a entire different story now.

This book is about the women in the Waverly family who have been touched by magic for generations. Don't worry, it's not a Witches from Waverly Place Disney thing, rather it is a truly enchanting story that took me by surprise.

Claire lives in her family home and works as a cook/caterer. She uses magic herbs, flowers and spices which cause interesting reactions in people. She can calm them, she can excite them and so on. One day, her sister Sidney returns home with her daughter Bay. Sidnay has been running from her abusive husband and her talen is to give people the perfect hairdo. Her daughter Bay has the ability to know where things or people belong to. The family also has an aunt who gives gifts the recipients will need in the future.
Both of the sisters fall in love with two men in town. One of them is the newest addition in town and Claire's neighbor. The other one is Sidney's old friend. The story is carefully crafted around those two fresh relationships until the climax comes where the abusive jealous husband of Sidney arrives and tries to take Bay.
This is where the good ol' Apple Tree in the backyard comes in. This tree has the ability to show upon eating an apple either the happiest moment in the life to come or the worst. Guess what the apple showed the abusive husband.....

Sarah's writing style is romantic and unique. She creates this environment where even as reader you feel right at home and protected. She lets you envision the little town, the flowers, the people. You see everything clear in her books. You see the characters, the emotions and the actions. All this she shows subtly without even telling the way things are all the time but rather hinting them. Garden Spells is a sweet charming book that is really worth taking a look at.

The Zahir: A Beautiful Tale of Obsession, Happiness and Love

2011-02-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

It is now finally time that I put this novel on the spot. OMG! How long I have been waiting to share my personal experience with the book to the world. And there it is, the great moment :)

I bought this book back in 2008 when I was living in Dumaguete, Philippines. A friend referred this book to me and said it was great. Without even getting the gist of the book, I bought it. I am easily attracted to book covers and titles and have found the best books by just simply buying a book whose cover I liked. So there I was with the book and since I already read The Alchemist by Paulo and Veronica Decides to Die, it was time to read my third book written by Paulo Coelho.

The time during which I read the book was sort of a break-up make up time with my boyfriend back in '08. Needless to say he is my ex now. Anyways, I didn't expect anything from this book and gained so much out of it. The first few phrases were kinda boring to me, but I moved on because I knew that Paulo's books were alway a little slow in the beginning for me.

The story is about a husband whose wife's gone missing. He is an author and she is a war journalist. He didn't hear from her for months and started getting worried. He realized how lonely he was and how much he needed her to be happy. One day a mysterious fellow from the middle east came to see him and told him that he knew where his wife was, but that he (the lead character) wasn't ready yet to receive the information. So this quest of obsession began. His quest was to himself and to being happy by himself and to love himself. Once he had overcome himself, he received the info he needed to find his wife and still, he delayed the journey because he didn't think it was necessary to find her right at that moment. Then he embarges on the trip where he would trace her footsteps and get to know the people she met along her way. When he finally found her she embraced him and was pregnant by another men, which he accepted because he was free of his obsession and jealousy. In the end only happiness remained. Happy ending and end of story.

The whole journey of the man to himself sort of reflected what I was going through that time. I used to depend on other people so much to make me happy and never sought the happiness in myself. I was stuck in the typical urban legend that you are waiting for your fairy tale prince to come and MAKE you happy. Well no one made me happy in the end but me. Of course, like every other girl, I emerged with lakes of tears from this book and it somehow changed my life for the better. I understood myself so much better. I understood relationships so much better, and I understood my situation then so much better. Paulo Coelho has this way of touching your heart and more importantly your soul. I wish that I will be as wise and patient and of course happy as he is.

‎"No one should ever ask themselves that: why am I unhappy? The question carries within it the virus that will destroy everything. If we ask that question, it means we want to find out what makes us happy. If what makes us happy is different from what we have now, then we must either change once and for all or stay as we are, feeling even more unhappy."

Yours truly
CC

A Real Life Saver

2011-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

So remember when I posted that I am not solely going to concentrate on reviewing books anymore (although the next review is coming pretty soon ), and that I will also give you some livesavers. Some more livesaving and some more of the saver of the moment (whatever that moment might be).

This one is pretty recent and it's supposed to be a no brainer, but so many people around the world and around the clock ignore it. So here it goes:

If you are NOT feeling well, GO to the Doctor and DON'T procrastinate!!

Why this you may ask? The story behind the advice just happened to me recently. My boyfriend got sick on my birthday. This little "not feeling well" mood turned into high fever later that night. His fever lasted throughout the next day as well. He was shivering all the time and he complained of soreness all over. He couldn't swallow food and therefore couldn't eat. This went on for the whole weekend and if you thought it doesn't get worse it did. He woke me up in the middle of the night telling me he had to take a shower. A shower at 4 am? Riiiiiiiight, I thought. Then I touched him and he was drenched in sweat. This happened every night since. We went to the doctor on a Monday morning and the doctor couldn't diagnose whether it was a simple case of tonsilitis or if it was a monononucleosis. The latter was worse and would mean that he would stay sick for at least 2 weeks after that. In addition to that it meant that I was going to get sick too, since it is called the kissing disease and only contagious through exchange of saliva. I googled the symptoms and they were exactly the ones my boyfriend was exhibiting. Damn, I thought.
So two days and a lot of caretaking later, we went to the doctors again and she said it was getting better. Oh, right I forgot to tell you that it was just a tonsilitis after all. So the doctor made a comment that left us all thinking. She said that we came just at the right time. If the tonsilitis was left untreated it could've developed a bubble or so (I know it sounds funny :D). That bubble is lifethreatening. So there we were stunned which left me thinking and eventually led me to write this post.

So many people die of the simplest things all the time. Pneumonia, because it was carelessly left untreated. A stroke, because the person neglected to take Aspirin. Tonsilitis, because you didn't go to the doctor. Get my point? Do not neglect your health for a second.
For the ladies: put yourself first gals, do not take care of others if you should take care of yourself.
For the gentlemen: Do not act so tough and refuse a doc because you think it's gonna be okay, because the possibility that it will be is pretty slim.

So guys stay healthy and safe. And precious I'm so relieved and glad your better <3

other Lifesavers

2011-02-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

so.... it's been a hell of a trip from 2008 when I first started this Blog to the me in 2011. Wheeeew what's this?! Three years already. I've learned and read plenty within these years and now I am officially reviving my baby to share it with the world, You. I love books, but I also love giving good advices thus the change in Title. I will still regularly be updating you with must reads and must-leave-in-the-store books. I'll be mixing things up a little and I hope you will like the future posts.

Greetz CC

Bible to Men’s and Women’s Behavior

2008-03-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

Another book from the Pease laboratory is Why Men Don’t Have a Clue & Women Always Need More Shoes. This book was once again co-authored by Allan’s wife, Barbara Pease and gives us a deeper insight on the Male and Female clockworks. We get a deeper insight on why men are so physically attracted to women and how women are attracted to men. In this book, the point scoring system of females is also introduced. This system distributed points to each activity done by the partner but women score differently than men. This book is a absolute must have if you want a extended peek into the male and female functioning.

Excerpt from Why Men Don’t Have A Clue & Women Always Need More Shoes:
Why Do Men Avoid Commitment?
Commitment: verb, female: A desire to get married and raise a family: verb, male: not trying to chat up other women while out with one’s wife or girlfriend.

Veronika Decides to Die

2008-03-21T22:57:00.001-07:00

This book is one of my favorite Paul Coelho books. Veronika Decides to Die seems a very awkward title for a book, but in this case it just works out. The book tells the story of Veronika who is young, has everything in life, and decides to die because of the reason that everything in her life is the same every day. After she tried to kill herself with sleeping pills, she wakes up in a mental hospital called Villete. This was the last place she wanted to find herself, and as if it was not already bad enough having survived, she is being diagnosed with a weak heart due to the suicide attempt. She is only given a week at most to live. The story is wonderfully narrated and the surprise comes at last. His book is once again life affirming and brought even me to tears. I loved this book, and every girly girl should love this too, for we all have been, one way or the other, in situations like Veronika.

Excerpt from Veronika Decided to Die:

When they reached the ward, Eduard lay down on the bed. There were two other men waiting, with a strange machine and a bag containing strips of cloth. Eduard turned to Veronika and asked her to sit down on the bed. “In a few minutes the story will be all round Villete, and people will calm down again, because even the craziest of the insane feel fear. Only someone who has experienced this knows that it isn’t as terrible as it seems.”
The nurses listened to the conversation and didn’t believe a word of what the schizophrenic was saying. It must hurt terribly, but then, who knows what goes on inside the head of a lunatic? The only sensible thing the young man had said was about fear: The story would soon be all round Villete and calm would swiftly be restored.
“You lay down too soon,” said one of them.
Eduard got up again, and they spread a kind of rubber sheet beneath him.
“Now you can lie down.”
He obeyed. He was perfectly calm, as if everything that was happening was absolutely routine. The nurses tied some of the strips of cloth around Eduard’s body and placed a piece of rubber in his mouth.
“It’s so that he doesn’t accidentally bite his tongue,” said one of the men to Veronika, pleased to be able to give some technical information as well as a warning.

The Last Templar

2008-03-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury is another chase-to-the-trophy kind of story, very much in the style of Dan Brown. In this book though, the story revolves around and archeologist named Tess Chaykin and FBI agent Sean Reilly. After a museum in New York has been attacked by four horsemen dressed as knights templar, Sean and Tess are being called to solve the crime since they took an arcane medieval decoder. The case leads them to the mystery of the centuries; what was the secret of the templars, and who was the last one? Their journey leads them to several countries and in the end; they find the treasure and discover the love for each other. This book displays the stereotypical happy-ending with a twist that would devastate world history and world faith. Nevertheless Raymond managed to craft a well written story out of his idea.

Excerpt from The Last Templar:

Reilly did his best to avoid appearing conflicted. Much as he was enjoying sitting there with Tess. He couldn’t see the relevance of everything she’d just told him. A bunch of selfless knights grow into a medieval superpower only to get their wings clipped and disappear ignominiously into the annals of history. What did that have to do with a gang of armed robbers trashing a museum seven hundred years later?
‘You think the guys at the museum were wearing Templar outfits?’ he asked.
‘Yes. The Templars wore simple clothing, very different from the gaudy outfits other knights wore back then. Remember, they were religious monks, committed to poverty. The white robes symbolized the purity of life that was expected of them, and the red crossed, the color of blood, advertised their special relationship with the Church.’
‘Okay, but if you asked me to draw a knight, I’d probably come up with something that looks pretty close to that without consciously thinking about the Templars. It’s a pretty iconic look, isn’t it?’
Tess nodded. ‘Look, on its own, I agree, it’s not conclusive. But then there’s the encoder.’
‘This I the object the fourth horseman took. The one you were next to.’
Tess moved in a bit closer, seeming more driven now. ‘Yes. I looked it up. It’s far more advanced than anything that appeared for hundreds of years. I mean this thing is revolutionary. And the Templars were known to be masters of encryption. Codes were the backbone of their whole banking system. When the pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land deposited money with them, the receipts they were given were written in code, which could only be deciphered by Templars. That way, no one could forge a deposit note and cheat them. They were pioneers in this field and somehow, this encoder fits their sophisticated, secretive methods.’

Awesomely Wicked

2008-03-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

I know it is already a very popular musical, but the original book is quite different and many shades darker than the musical. Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is a story of the life of the future wicked witch of the west named Elphaba. Based on The Wizard of Oz by Frank Baum, Wicked tries to explain why Elphaba became so wicked and how everything was not as it seemed.
The writing style of Maguire seems often times confusing and I got lost in some descriptions, but he had a knack for making this wonderland of Oz a reality, with real people and real problems such as puberty, infidelity, love, and hate. It seemed as if we all are originated in this world. This book will clearly surprise you and confuse you at the same time, for most of the plot will be revealed in the end, so keep reading. I also loved the book design. It had the same cover as the musical and the pages were gilded in green.

Excerpt from Wicked:
She was hunched forward over a book, as usual, and her hair hung down like brackets on either side of her face. She looked to Galinda like one of those etchings-the natural history of books were full of them-of odd Winkie mountain women who hide their strangeness with a shawl over the head. Elphaba was munching on the pip of an apple, having eaten all the rest of it. “Well, you look cozy enough, Miss Elphaba,” said Galinda, challengingly. In three months it was her first social remark she had managed to make to her roomie.
“Looks are only looks,” said Elphaba, not looking up.
“Will it break your concentration if I sit in front of the fire?”
“You cast a shadow if you sit just there.”
“Oh, sorry,” said Galinda, and moved. “Mustn’t cast shadows, must we, when urgent words are waiting to be read?”

The Guide to The Core of Men and Women

2008-03-20T02:56:00.000-07:00

This bestseller is truly something every modern woman should have in her bookshelf. Why Men Don’t Listen & Women Can’t Read Maps has the explanations for all the problems that were are facing. And trust me; you truly need this book if you are constantly shaking your head whenever a member of the opposite sex shows up. This book was authored by spouses Allan and Barbara Pease. Allan has been previously known for his bestseller Body Language, and his wife Barbara authored a series of books as well. Everything that has been puzzling you about the opposite sex is revealed and explained in this book. Imagine you are having a guide though the male and female body and mind. After having read this book, you will be able to understand why men are the way they are and why women can’t stop talking. This book comes with hilarious insights and excellent examples. You can only start to love this book. I’d give it five out of five starts for I truly learned a great amount, while still being entertained.

Excerpt from Why Men Don’t Listen & Woman Can’t Read Maps
Why Men Can’t Lie to Women

Our Body Language research reveals that, in face-to-face communications, non-verbal signals account for 60-80% of the impact of the message, while vocal sounds make up 20-30%. The other 7-10% is words. A woman’s superior sensory equipment picks up and analyses this information and her brain’s ability to rapidly transfer between hemispheres makes her more proficient at integrating and deciphering verbal, visual and other signals.
This is why most men have difficulty lying to a woman face-to-face. But, as most women know, lying to a man face-to-face is comparatively easy, as he does not have the necessary sensitivity to spot incongruencies between her verbal and non-verbal signals. Most men, if they’re going to lie to a woman, would be far better off doing it over the phone, in a letter or with all the lights off, and a blanket over their heads.

The Queen of the Sensual

2008-03-18T01:33:00.000-07:00

Anne Rice has been the queen of vampires for me since I was a teenager. She succeeds in narrating sensual and erotic stories. Under her writing as A.N. Roquelaure she released three books, which I will be talking about now. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty, Beauty’s Punishment and Beauty’s Release are all books published under her erotica series. The three books are a series of the life of Sleeping Beauty. Yes the one in the supposed fairy tale. Yet here Beauty is not only kissed by a prince but also claimed while she was waking up from her deep slumber. She then was deported to the Prince’s palace where she was held as a slave, naked and without belongings she was to serve as pleasure slave. These slaves are whipped and loved, until Beauty is expelled to the Village for misbehaving. In Beauty’s Punishment Rice portrays Beauty in the Village where public whippings take place and where she has to work on all fourths like an animal. The Village was soon to be overrun by Arabic people who stole slaves from the village; unfortunately Beauty was one of them. In the last installment, Beauty finds herself in the Harem of the Sultan. She then finds the prince of her dreams and is released as a slave.
The three books all describe very graphically what is happening to the lead characters. Some things may seem very deviant for many readers, since Rice’s sexual imaginations seemed to have roamed very far in these books. The book also talks about love and domination over another.

Excerpt of Beauty’s Punishment

And now Beauty thought she heard the barest tinge of real trepidation in his voice, but his face was almost hard when she looked up at him, only the beautiful eyes softening it just a little. She could see the slightest golden stubble of beard on his chin, and she wanted to kiss it.
“Will you watch for me after we’re separated, try to find me, if only to say a few words to me?” Beauty said. “O, just to know you are there… but I don’t think I will be good. I don’t see why I should be good any longer. We’re bad slaves, Tristan. Why should we obey now?”
“What do you mean?” he asked. “You make me afraid for you.”
From far away, there came the faint roar of voices, the sound of a large crowd carrying sluggishly over the low hills, the dim vibration of a village fair, of hundreds talking, shouting, milling.
Beauty pressed close to Tristan’s chest. She felt a stab of excitement between her legs, her heart knocking.

The Ultimate Desperate Girls Guide

2008-03-17T21:04:00.000-07:00

He Just Thinks He’s Not That Into You, The Insanely Determined Girl’s Guide to Getting the Man She Wants is indeed an insanely long title for a book that has barely 150 pages. Anyways, the reason for introducing this book is not because it really works, but because with this book you can laugh at other women and yourself. And it was once again when the book cover caught my attention, not to mention that this book costs $10 (that’s P500). “Sniff Sniff”, but it was worth the laugh, at least. Well, let’s get started; the book which’s title is ridiculously long to name again was written by Danielle Whitman. It has adorable girly pictures in it and pages have different layouts with different fonts such as cursive. There are also little adornments on each page such as stars or hearts. It is overall a really cute book. The book, as the title already describes it, is about getting the man you want. The means which are described in this book are insane, intolerable and plain stupid, but at least this book gives hope to the desperate as to why he has not called yet. This book is hilarious if you see it as such and not as serious self-help literature.

Excerpts from He Just Thinks He’s Not That Into You
Reasons a Guy Doesn’t Call After You’ve Given him your Number:
© He lost it.
© His dog ate it.
© He washed his jeans with your number in the pocket and now it’s all smeared
© He’s scared because the chemistry between you was so intense.
© His phone is broken
© Your phone is broken
© He’s been injured in an accident.
© He’s been killed
© He’s just trying to figure out how to get out of another relationship so he can be with you.
© He’s incredibly busy at work and doesn’t want to call until he has the time to give you his full attention
© He was struck on the head and I wandering the streets with amnesia, only remembering your name and that he loves you.
Why Men Don’t Ask You Out:
10% Doesn’t want to ruin the friendship
8% Intimidated by how beautiful/wonderful you are
7% Doesn’t want to jeopardize work relationship
6% Intimidated by how smart you are
2% Concerned about your different socioeconomic backgrounds
67% Hurt by someone who looks exactly like you

Don’t Be a Negative Nelly
© “Please stop calling me” means “I want to see you in person.”
© “Leave me alone” means “I want you to be surprised when you see the gift I got you.”
© “I never want to see you again” means “until the ceremony, or it’s bad luck.”
© “I’m seeing someone” means “I’m seeing a therapist ‘cause I’m crazy in love with you”
© “Stop following me” means “I want you by my side!”
© “I’m calling the police” means “to arrest you for stealing my heart!”
© “I can’t breathe” means “You take my breath away.”
© “Stop telling everyone I’m your boyfriend” means “Start telling them I’m your husband!”

The Grand Master of Life

2008-03-17T20:33:00.000-07:00

Paulo Coelho has clearly a simplistic writing style yet his way of sucking a reader into the world of his characters. The Alchemist has made it into the international bestseller list and is hailed by many as a truly inspiring read. I say it somehow is, but it has a concept that we all know. The concept of following your so-called personal legend is the general theme of the book, which means that you should follow what you have dreamt of. The Alchemist revolves around the character of a Sheppard named Santiago. One day he goes to a gypsy fortune teller to have his dream of a treasure near the pyramids analyzed. She tells him to pursue his quest and suddenly the course of things start to unfold. He travels from Andalusia to Egypt and during this time becomes rich, a tribesman and falls in love. Nevertheless he followed his original purpose which was the treasure. The book tries to teach you to follow your heart and your dream, for each dream has big obstacles and distractions which you have to overcome. People often describe this book as life-changing, but the change only comes when you also pursue your dream. This book merely serves as inspiration, but a truly good one.

Excerpt from the Alchemist:
“You are wise, because you observe everything from a distance,” the boy said. “But you don’t know about love. If there hadn’t been a sixth day, man would not exist; copper would always be just copper, and lead just lead. It’s true that everything has its Personal Legend, but one day that Personal Legend will be realized. So each thing has to transform itself into something better, and to acquire a new Personal Legend, until, someday, the Soul of the World becomes one thing only.”
The sun thought about that, and decided to shine more brightly. The wind, which was enjoying the conversation, started to blow with greater force, so that the sun would not blind the boy.
“This is why alchemy exists,” the boy said. “So that everyone will search for his treasure, find it, and then want to be better than he was in his former life. Lead will play its role until the world has not further need for lead; and then lead will have to turn itself into gold.
“That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.”
“Well, why did you say that I don’t know about love?” the sun asked the boy.
“Because it’s not love to be static like the desert, nor is it love to roam the world like the wind. And it’s not love to see everything from a distance, like you do. Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World. When I first reached through to it, I thought the Soul of the World was perfect. But later, I could see that it was like other aspects of creation, and had its own passions and wars. It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse. And that’s where the power of love comes in. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are.”

Master of Mystery

2008-03-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Usually, Bestsellers have a reason why they are so popular. The so-called controversial novels of Dan Brown truly deserve their place in such a list of Bestsellers. Yes, they are over and over talked about, but still they should be worth mentioning especially in this list. From here on we can go either way; more into fiction or more into non-fiction. Anyways, this time I will present a synopsis of three novels of Dan Brown (although he only wrote four, but the first one was not my taste-too many numbers). These three are Deception Point, Angels and Demons, and The Da Vinci Code. Let’s start with the earlier book Angels and Demons. Angels and Demons was published in 2000 and tells the early stories of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, who is summoned to CERN in Switzerland to encrypt a symbol on a corpse’s chest. The story leads to a vendetta against the Catholic Church by an underground organization called the Illuminati. Langdon and scientist Vittoria Vetra both discover why and how the Pope was killed and who really is behind this evil plot to overthrow the Catholic Church.

Deception Point was Dan Brown’s third novel and was published in 2001. Intelligence analyst Rachel Sexton is being called to a NASA discovery on arctic ice in order to analyze and verify the finds to the public. But as she and a group of other researchers slowly discover that there is a major fraud going on, they are turning into targets of this deception and soon flee for their lives.

And of course, what would Dan Brown’s success be without his international hit The Da Vinci Code. Before you start thinking about the blasphemy and so on and so forth, let me remind you that the book is purely fiction. It is based on other books who claim to have discovered significant details about Jesus’ life. Nevertheless The Da Vinci Code remains the interesting and unique story that kept everybody buzzing.

Despite the attention-grabbing plots, the only thing that seems to annoy is the pace in which everything is going. I would like to see him write a novel where the characters are finally allowed to rest for a bit instead of being chased all over the story.

A truly Charmed Book

2008-03-17T05:27:00.000-07:00

From the bible of woman hood to another chick flick which serves as a truly inspirational read for modern women. This book is called “Charmed Thirds,” and is written by Megan McAfferty. This book comes in third place of its series, thus the name charmed thirds. The previous books were Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings.
The story revolves around the college life of Jessica Darling, who decides to study at Columbia University as a working student with no scholarship. As if student life was not enough already, her relationship with her boyfriend Marcus falls apart. Jessica struggles through college life, which seems like a stereotypical story, yet Megan McAfferty successfully imbibes her character with plenty of wit, cynicism and frankness. Jessica’s insights are so unique and irrational sometimes that we wonder how we can relate, but upon seeing the bigger picture, you will slowly realize that Jessica is a little character in all of us. This book is a must read, which tells a real story with real characters, love, and sometimes sex. I am already all excited about the next installment Fourth Comings.

Excerpts of Charmed Thirds:

Freshman Summer June 2003
The Twenty-Second
Oh thank God. Mr. Flutie got off the couch. And Marcus and I finally fucked. Would you prefer a prettier phrase, like made sweet love? Well, that’s not what we did. Marcus might argue that we’re in love, so we’re always making love – even when we’re just plain ol’-fashioned fucking. Yes, even with my limited experience, I know there’s a difference. And if you don’t know what it is, well, I feel sorry for you.

Graduation December 2005
The Twenty-Fifth
In my younger days, I would have begun this entry with a string of exclamation points. But I’m too old for that sort of thing now. Unfortunately, now that I’m stripped of this youthful shorthand, I’m finding it impossible to express what I’m feeling.
Oh, fuck it.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Queen-B of Books or The Modern Woman's Bible

2008-03-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

I stumble on this book by accident. Usually it's the book cover that first attracts me to books. Many of my books, even if some are still unread, have the most interesting covers. Well let's not get into that yet. So I have seen this book a several times and thought to myself that I should get it sometime, and sooner than I thought I grabbed the book and hoped that it would worth it.....Well let's just say I have discovered the How-To Bible of the Century. This book is truly an eyeopener and makes you want to go out to the next store and shop for improvement. The book "How to Walk in High Heels" by Camilla Morton is truly the Bible of the Modern Woman. It has everything a girly-girl could wish for; a guide on how to walk high heels of course, the bliss of the perfect shoe, how to apply make-up, how to be knowledgeable and even how to plant flowers and screw on a light bulb. This book is adorned with quotes and anecdotes of different celebrities and fashion designers. Camilla Morton succeeds to impress the readers with her knowledge and entertains the readers with her wit and charm. A truly amusing and educating read. A must have for all girly girls and women of all walks of life.

How to Walk in High Heels excerpt:

How to Unblock Drains

Unblocking drains is really yuk. This is definitely not for you, so get someone else to do this. Go out for the day and hope that the problem has been 'resolved' by the time you return.

How to blow your nose gracefully

Practically impossible. You can't.

So if you need to blow your nose, excuse yourself and leave the room. Always carry tissues with you to avoid the shame and discomfort of having to blow your nose on a bus ticket or having to ask someone for a tissue. Most unglamorous.

If you must put tissues up your sleeve, fold them; you don't want to ruin the line of the top.

If you have a streaming cold, it's very simple: don't go out. STAY IN.

Girly Girls

2008-03-15T03:44:00.000-07:00

The girly girl bookclub is a club where even girls who hate to read about complicated things will find books of that are interesting yet somehow remain very feminine and girly. Some books are stereotypical female literature and some others will just simply stun you without a complicated vocabulary. Then of course there are the "must reads" that every girl should read if they still want to be part of heated discussions about God and the World. The bookclubs focus ranges from fiction to poetry, to non-fiction and self-help books and those which contain a little bit of everything. Enjoy reading the summaries and comments and of course the book itself if you feel ispired enough to grab a copy.
TaTa