Another Easy Way to Win Big Bad Wolf Books Sale Preview Passes

It's less than THREE (3) weeks to go to the biggest books sale, The BIG BAD WOLF BOOKS SALE!

Have you managed to secure Preview Passes to the sale yet? It's really worth it if you managed to get a pass.

They have organised many contests , giving out Preview Passes to those who won.

What I noticed is that many people had join the Quick Fire Quiz, Prizes for Prices and Super Sidekicks. To many come away disappointed coz of the time frame and he number of people trying to get a spot.

But there are two more contests that many out there had forgotten to join. Yup! It's "CONTEST – Citizen Superheroes".Very easy contest.

Here is the contest which I found in www.bigbadwolf.com and the rules from their website :

August 14, 2012

CONTEST – Citizen Superheroes

Everyone has a superhero inside. Show us your inner hero in costume, get friends to vote for you, and you could win a preview pass to the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale! The more people who enter, the more people who win!

Single Heroes – click here

Hero Teams – click here

1. This contest is open to all Malaysian citizens and residents.
2. There are two categories – individual and group.
3. Contestants must upload a picture of themselves in an original superhero costume.
4. Costumes should be U-rated.
5. Submission for the final round ends at 11.59 pm, Friday November 23.
6. Voting lasts until 11.59 pm, Friday November 30.
7. The most popular qualified citizen superheroes will win one preview pass (admits two) to the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. Please provide a valid email address for us to confirm your win.
8. Winning heroes/teams will be contacted by email. Please provide a valid address to claim your prize.
9. Winners of previous BBW 2012 contests or BBW 2011 Aftermath contests are not eligible for further prizes.
10. In the case of any dispute, the judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained.

So far I saw only 5 contestants in the Single Heroes Categories and NONE under the Hero Teams. Why not try your luck there? It's so easy to win. Just snap photos and get your friends and family to vote for you. There is still time.

DO IT NOW!!!

The Fabulous Courtesan by Jonathan Quayle

Summary

From the age of fourteen - when she was sold to a brothel - Miao Hsing (Mysterious Joy) studied the noble art of prostitution.

Her beauty, wit and erotic skills resulted in her becoming one of the most sought after courtesans of Central China.

Here is the story of Mysterious Joy, telling how she acquired the arts of love, the attitudes, the postures and the secret practices desired by the Taoist sages

My comments :

I found this book from Subang Jaya Books Exchange Programme. Such a lucky find as I love reading it very much.

The story is pretty similar to "Memoirs of A Geisha", except that Miao Hsing was sold due to poverty of her family after her village was nearly destroyed when the Japanese came.

Resigned to her fate, she was sold from a brothel to another till she met with some trouble where one benefactor rescued her.

As she have no other talents, she continued on doing what she is good at during all political climate. She was like a Chameleon.

I can say that it was really interesting "seeing" things from her point of view. I like the way the author wrote in the erotic scene without it being crude. They are more poetic and lyrical.

Overall, it had been an enjoyable read. Only sad thing about this book is that it's falling apart due to "old age". Too bad about that coz I don't think it's no longer in print. 

Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson

Summary:

Kendra Tamale returns from Australia to England with some heavy emotional burdens. A baggage that she carried with her after a crushing blow that she received in Australia.

Unknown to her, she is going to be dragged into bigger family conflict when she rented a room from Kyle who is a separated father of a set of  adorable twins. Although Kendra aimed to hold them all at arms lenght but the twins, Summer and Jaxon, managed to worm their way into her heart. They had "adopted" Kendra as their new mother.

Kendra was "surviving" from day to day but then she bumped into the man who shares her terrible secret. Would she be able to survive the confrontation or will her world come crashing down?

My comments:

I have at a whim bought three of Dorothy Koomson books from BookXcess. Of the three, I love this one best.

What I like the most about this book is none of the characters in the book is perfect. Each have their own weakness and burden that they tried to hide. The author managed to slowly reveal them.

In the beginning I thought Kendra was brave and strong from the way she confront Kyle about the kids and his actions but in truth, she was hiding something too.

As for Kyle, I thought he was a total loser but things are not what it seems to be.

Am giving this book four stars out of five as I felt the ending would have been more agreeable if it's not left open ended in some parts. But that, I guess this is what makes the book so perfect. The imperfection. Confusing. Well, a great weekend ahead to you out there!

Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme at USJ2

I bought a lot of books from various warehouse sale and bookstores. Of all the books that I bought there will sure be some which I feel does not suit me. But to dump them into recycle bin where they would be turn into pulp, makes my heartache. 

That was till a friend told me about Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme. It was quite some time ago. I went there first time and I like the concept very much. And since then I would try to go whenever I have the chance.

Here is the brief "synopsis" (LOL- are you laughing?) from their facebook

"The Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme is a community project by a group of residents from Subang Jaya & USJ for all book lovers and avid readers in our community.

How do you participate?

1) Bring a book to donate.

2) Choose a book to bring home.

You give, you take. Everyone reads!

We are doing this
1) to exchange and share books we have read and thus, getting to know the people living in our own community.
2) to promote the reading habit among Subang Jaya folk.

The book exchange is open to everybody, not just Subang Jaya residents. Please help us spread the word to your friends and family!"

 

Sounds pretty good right?

 

Two weeks ago I went there again. As I was leaving, someone dropped a whole load of treasure to the exchange.

I can't believe my eyes when I Pearl S Buck's book titled "Sons" was in the pile. Did you know that The Good Earth is actually a Trilogy? Yes? No? Well, "Sons" is book II of the trilogy. Now I just need to get A House Divided to complete my collection. Too bad the person only have The Good Earth and Sons.

Spotted also "Kinfolk", supposed to be one of her more modern book.

  

 Have glance through it. Should be good read for me.

 This is a treasure for me as it's not easy to get books like this any more. Are they even still in print?

 Aha...should be an interesting reads



 I have read his books when I was a teen and liked it very much.

Ahem...this book should be interesting and I don't think that it would be peppered with four letters words like modern novels nowadays.

Please don;t get me wrong. The books at Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme are not all "old" books like this. They have modern books like Jeffrey Deaver, Madeline Wickham, John Grisham, Jeffrey Archer and books from others authors too.

Do drop by SJBEP when you have the time but if you are staying too far away , why not try setting up similar book exchange programme at your community? It might be fun !

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest (Millennium #3) by Stieg Larsson

Summary from www.goodreads.com

In the concluding volume of Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition in a Swedish hospital, a bullet in her head.

But she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll stand trial for three murders. With the help of Mikael Blomkvist, she'll need to identify those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she'll seek revenge--against the man who tried to killer her and against the corrupt government institutions that nearly destroyed her life

My Comments :

This is the final book of the Trilogy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I have read that book and The Girl Would Played with Fire earlier on when a friend lend it to me.

Was waiting to get this final book at a low price but unfortunately the price was still quite high at this time. Hence I was more than delighted when I found this book at Subang Jaya Book Exchange Programme a month ago. A kind soul had donated more than 150 books for the programme and most of it were almost brand new.

I found that this final book was a it slow in the beginning as the author introducted many characters into the story. It was kinda hard to keep track of who is who and how each of them are related. But once I got through it, I started to enjoy the read pretty much

Although many characters were introduced and the many sub-plot, am glad to noted that the author controlled the flow story remarkably well.

Frankly, am a bit miffed that Mikael Blomkvist seems to get the girl every time. Am amazed that Erika’s husband doesn’t mind that she have a lover and even called him to tell him that she won’t be home as she would be spending the night with Blomkvist

I love the part about Erika and her time at SMP. It was gripping.

I must say that I enjoyed the trilogy very much and happy how well the author concluded the story in the end.

Am giving it 5 stars.

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Synopsis.

When he was young, Jacob, had been fascinated by the stories that his grandfather, Abe, told about his childhood in an orphanage. His grandfather showed him some pretty peculair photographs of the kids there and have great fear of something.

Jacob's dad attributed the fear to the horror that Abe gone throigh during the War.

Now Jacob is a rebellious 16 years old teen and he no longer believe the tales. However, one day he received a panic call from his grandfather which leads to him having to go exploring the island where his grandfather lived when he was a kid.

There he discovered the crumbling walls of the orphanage but as he explored the area, it become obvious that the inhabitants of the orphange might not have left. And there seems to be danger lurking around the corner. Is it from the inhabitants or from an unknown source, it was up to Jacob to puzzle it out.

My comments:

This certainly have been one good reads for me. According to the book it's fiction based on real photos and some of the photos can be quite eerie.

If you are wondering whether it's a horror, I would say not. It's more to "X-Men " type of books. Suspense.

The photos enhanced the enjoyment of the book.

I love the author's sense of humour.

One thing that puzzle me is that in one part, it was said that one of the occupants of the loop, Charlotte, had aged 35 years in two days after she venture out of the loop.

This puzzled me as am wondering how the story in book two going to go on ad from the ending of Book 1, the inhabitants of the Loop would seems certainly need to venture out of the loop in some sort of adventure.  Am looking forward to book 2 of the said to know the outcome of the story.

Overall, am rating it 4 stars out of 5..



Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis at www.goodreads.com

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plains--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost

My Comments:

Not only Book 2 left off with a cliffhanger ending. I was at lost too as my friend only have Book 1 and Book 2 of the trilogy.

No matter what, I HAD to know the ending. Hence, I took a gamble and googled. Found FREE e-book of the Mockingjay online. Usually I HATE reading e-books. It gives me headache but beggars can't be chooser, right.

I can say that the pace of this book was rather slow for me. Maybe too much time spend on writing about military stuffs and rules? It makes me feel as if the author not sure what else to write and how to close this book.

Adding so many new characters at this stages did not really makes the story seems to be more enjoyable

There are some pointless loss of lives in this but as everyone knows there are always lives loss in War . However, it still seems pretty pointless to me especially Katniss "mission" to kill President Snow.

The ending in my opinion does not really justified

Nevertheless am rating this book 3 stars as I still love it. I brings an ending to the story. The ending may not be to my liking but it's still an ending. At least, the author did not left me hanging and wondering the relationship between Peeta, Gale and Katniss