Book Review

There are so many new and cool and frustrating and introspective things I could write about on my blog. I should probably write every day while I'm here at least. However instead of writing about all those things today, I want to write about the fact that since I've been here I've read four books... which is sort of like saying I found my own personal heaven :) The only problem is I finished a book last night and I'm wary to buy another one. At this rate trying to bring home my new library will cost more then buying a real library when I get home. I'll use my whole years salary on shipping! so the dilemma is... join the library here for fifty bucks? and then not take the books with (when i put it that way it sounds like the most economical option. I spend 15-22$ SGD every time I buy a book) or keep buying books and periodically ship them home or buy a Kindle and read things electronically. Erm.

Here are the books I've read since I've been in Singapore:

"Beat The Reaper" Josh Bazell
"New Moon" Stephanie Meyer
"Eclipse" Stephanie Meyer
"Lipstick Jungle" Candace Bushnell (the author of Sex in The City Fame)

I know what you're thinking... you're thinking "really? the Twilight Series of Junior highschool fame?" And I will give you this as explanation... I read "Twilight" and "New Moon" and half of "Eclipse" over a year ago mostly because Melanie had told me about Twilight and how much she liked it. I ate up that first book like the junior highschool kids it was geared towards. There's something beautiful in that feeling of true love, the kind not of aching happiness where everything seems perfect but in the fact that you believe in the existence of a love that is true, everlasting and indelible. where happiness may come and go but togetherness lasts forever. But I ended up growing weary of Bella and her endless back and forth between Jacob and Edward, so I stopped reading them and joined the mass of people rolling their eyes at the series. In hindsight I think my frustration actually came from understanding and resonating with the feelings and dilemmas of a fictional teenage girl.

Upon my arrival here in Singapore I was inundated with adults proclaiming their love for said series. I live in Toa Payo with three couples from LA. Jason and Madai; Chelsea and Seth and Erin and Del. All the girls were either reading or rereading the series so they could go see New Moon in the theater together and as we spent hours where they discussed the idiosyncrasies of each character I agreed to reread and finish the series. And I have read everything but the last book and we all went to see New Moon together (I had finished it by that time). and I have to say, while I let everyone here think I'm reading it to buy myself some girlfriends, I actually enjoy it. a lot.

I loved "Beat The Reaper"! For something totally different it's about a mobster turned ER Doctor in the witness protection program and someone from that past life is in the hospital and recognizes him and then while that unfolds you also read about how he came to be a mobster and then how he became a doctor. It's graphic and gory at parts and written by a total "dude" and I loved it. I even cried at parts. I totally recommend it but it's not for the weak stomach. I had to skip a few paragraphs.. I don't do well with gore... even literary gore apparently.

and lastly, "Lipstick Jungle" also a good read. Especially if you're a career woman who sometimes feels overworked, unloved, or a little too unconventional. I really enjoyed it. But I will say this, I expected to. I am unashamed of the fact that I loved the Sex in the City Series through and through and really connected with it. Some think that makes me a skanky superficial bitch. I've heard people say that the women on that show are so shallow and tawdry. My sister said something to that effect. But I think each character was complete with their ups and downs, their struggles with finding and defining love, relationships and how their family lives affected them. I found it to be very dynamic and deep and REAL. but perhaps that's because I've been living in LA, living a fast past, career driven, premarital sex life. And for those same reasons I think I really liked "Lipstick Jungle". That and the fact that all the successfull, ambitious, confused, sexy, smart women are all over 35 makes me feel like I"m not too old to be where I'm at in life :)


Update, I bought a library card today since I'm burning through about 1.5 books a week. I checked out "The Opposite of Love" by Julie Buxbaum (and then I proceeded to read 1/4 of it on the elliptical, even at a 10 on the incline!). and two other books. Plus I"m borrowing the last Twilight Book from Madai. I do love being able to read so much. I don't always have this opportunity so I'm eating it up right now. Plus reading on the MRT is perfect!

More later....