50 Book Challenge - (My Side of the Story)

So okay, I've accepted this challenge from Jcel which will have to do with reading 50 books in 1 year. To tell you the truth, I love to read. No kidding... I really do. But it's quite hard finding the right book that would actually keep me awake. I've read most of the book by Sophie Kinsella, she's an amazing author full of wits and mind blowing punch lines. I used to love R.L Stine books, when I was in High School I'd read one book to another and would not put it down until I finished it. I'm also fond of Sidney Sheldon and I've actually just finished reading one of his books.

I've accepted this challenge because I want to prove to Jcel that I do read ... but unfortunately, I just realized that I've just finished 2 books in 1 month and she has finished 5 books already. 5 freaking Books! heller! So fine, I don't read as much as she does. Dang it! I am so going to lose this challenge!

I actually have this folder in my computer where I have filled it with all the books that I've read ... well ....half way through.... but when I clicked on it, I find that I have more "almost finished reading" titles (some of them were way back 2008) than the ones I've actually finished reading. Yikes! 

But I won't lose hope... I still have 11 months to go and I know I can do this! :) Maybe I should just start with Chicken Soup for the Soul. (lol) 

Books I've read so far: 

1) If Tomorrow Never Comes - by Sidney Sheldon

2) I've Got Your Number - by Sophie Kinsella 

Books I have yet to finish:

1) The Iron King - by JULIE KAGAWA

2) The-Gatecrasher - by Madeleine Wickham (Sophie Kinsella)

3) The Pregnancy Test - by Erin_McCarthy

4) Something Blue - by Emily Giffin 

5) Chicken Soup for Christian Family

I know I know.... I'm a slow reader: D lol But Hey... the game is not over yet!

More updates on my book reading ... soon.

Ciao,

Bex

Challenge Accepted!!!

So Bex and I decided to take part in the 50 books challenge. The aim to finish reading 50 books (duh!) in a span of 12 months. Our timeline is February 2012-2013. Bex did not want to include January because she hasn't read any books then and thought it was unfair of me to include my list so as a compromise (mine) we agreed on starting this February. Based on my calculation we need to read at least 5 books a month for the grand total of 50 and so far I think I'm doing pretty well. Anyways here is my record of February reads. 


Month 1: 
1. Seriously I'm kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
2. If tomorrow I come by Sidney Sheldon
3. The Perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4. Have a little faith by Mitch Albom
5. I've got your number by Sophie Kinsella


My 'currently reading' lists are: 

• The Girl who played with Fire by Steig Larsson
• A Place called Here by Cecelia Ahern (Just finishing this book is already a challenge. I don't why but I just couldn't get pass a few pages of this book without falling asleep. So wish me luck!)

Let us know if any of you want to do the challenge as well it's be fun to have more contenders. 


Happy Reading!!! 


Ciao, 
jCel♥

There once a boy who wrote a poem...

Currently reading this book, I know what you think, it’s a book for teenagers and it is! But nonetheless I enjoy reading it and there’s this one poem in the book which really gripped me. It struck a cord in my heart, which doesn’t happen a lot so I thought I’d share it with you.

once on a yellow piece of paper with green

lines he wrote a poem and he called it "chops" because that

was the name of his dog and that's what it was all about and his

teacher gave him an a and a gold star and his mother hung it on

the kitchen door and read it to his aunts

            that was the year father tracy took all the kids to the zoo and he

let them sing on the bus and his little sister was born with tiny

toenails and no hair and his mother and father kissed a lot and the

girl around the corner sent him a valentine signed with a row of x's

and he had to ask his father what the x's meant and his father

always tucked him in bed at night and was always there to do it

once on a piece of white paper with blue

            lines he wrote a poem and he called it "autumn" because that

was the name of the season and that's what it was all about and his

teacher gave him an a and asked him to write more clearly and his

mother never hung it on the kitchen door because of its new paint

and the kids told him that father tracy smoked cigars and left butts

on the pews and sometimes they would burn holes that was the

year his sister got glasses with thick lenses and black frames and

the girl around the corner laughed when he asked her to go see

santa claus and the kids told him why his mother and father kissed

a lot and his father never tucked him in bed at night and his father

got mad when he cried for him to do it

            once on a paper torn from his notebook he wrote a poem and he

called it "innocence: a question" because that was the question

about his girl and that's what it was all about and his professor

gave him an a and a strange steady look and his mother never

hung it on the kitchen door because he never showed her that was

the year that father tracy died and he forgot how the end of the

apostle's creed went and he caught his sister making out on the

            back porch and his mother and father never kissed or even talked

and the girl around the corner wore too much makeup that made

him cough when he kissed her but he kissed her anyway because

that was the thing to do and at three a.m. he tucked himself into

bed his father snoring soundly that's why on the back of a brown

paper bag he tried another poem and he called it "absolutely

nothing" because that's what it was really all about and he gave

himself an a and a slash on each damned wrist and he hung it on

the bathroom door because this time he didn't think he could reach

the kitchen. 

I could re-read this a number of times and it will still break my heart. :(

jCel

Book It! - Comedic Showdown

I’ve just finished reading Ellen DeGeneres’ latest book called ‘Seriously… I’m Kidding!’ Now I love Ellen. She is uber hilarious in her daytime show therefore I had high hopes for her book but sadly I have to say it was a (BIG!) disappointment. I mean there were parts where I was LOL-ling but it wasn't long when I start to drift off. I wasn’t captivated by the book and I feel like I had to point this out, the book doesn’t have any direction! It’s like really really ADHD person talking, maybe she is?! She goes from this topic to the next and most of the time they either don’t make sense or you don’t find it funny. You know the saying “It’s the journey that matters most not the destination” yeah well the journey of this book was long and dreading while the destination is a big relief that I can finally close this book and never open it again. Sorry Ellen, I still love you but not your book. I suppose if you want to try this I would suggest you to get the audiobook instead, it probably will be more bearable.

Another humor book I read, I think back in December 2011, is Chelsea Handler’s “My horizontal life” I know the title might be a little out there but this is her autobiography. If you don’t know who Chelsea Handler is, she is also a stand-up comedian with her own show “Chelsea Lately” She is extremely funny in her shows and surprisingly in her book as well. I enjoyed reading her book. She makes no apologies in saying what’s on her mind even if it might offend people and most of the time her comments are hilarious. Unlike Ellen’s book this one does have a direction obviously because it is her autobiography but I have to say it was a fun ride reading this book. I would suggest this over Ellen’s book.

Now I understand that their humors are different. Chelsea is very sarcastic and borderline offensive whilst Ellen’s humor is more, low-key and wholesome but nonetheless I enjoy both their humor and rated their books with an open mind. So I truly meant it when I say I didn’t like Ellen’s book!

Anyways, that’s all for the two books.

See you in my next update!

Ciao,

jCel♥

Kaarawan ng Puso 2012

And so it is Valentines Day today! Happy Happy to everyone! :)

In order to make this day cheesier than it already is I will share you an accumulated Hardcore Cheesy quotes which I think will be helpful for everyone, whether you are in a committed relationship, single, looking around, flinging, whatever your relationship status is these quotes/lines will help you. But in order for this to be resourceful you must know how... TO READ TAGALOG if not then I suggest you can leave this page (thanks) but if you know do read tagalog then brace yourself.

[Caution]

Please do not eat or drink while reading. Vomitting is expected after reading this so please prepare a plastic bag.

If you like to take the risk then... proceed.

• Hindi ka naman Kastila… hindi ka Amerikano… hindi ka rin Hapon… Ang alam ko lang… ikaw ang sumakop sa puso ko!

• May free time ka ba? Samahan mo naman ako sa psychiatrist. Magdala daw kasi ako ng kinababaliwan ko.

• Maging cactus ka man, handa akong masaktan... mayakap ka lang.

• SiNGLE KA, SINGLE AKO. Masyado ng marami ang single sa mundo.. Gusto mo bawasan nating dalawa?

• Ikaw b ang kadiliman? Wala na kasi kong makitang iba kapag andyan ka.

• Wag mo kong itulak! Kasi bka hilahin kita...at mahulog tayo sa isa't isa!

• Sana ulan ka nalang at lupa ako,kahit sa ayaw at gusto mo,sa akin ang bagsak mo

• Girl: Saan tayo mag date sa valentines? Boy: Sa sementeryo! Girl: Bakit dun?

Boy: Para mapatunayan kong patay n patay ako sayo!

• IniiSMALL ka ba nila? 'Wag kang mag-alala kasi iniiBIG naman kita.

• Bastos ka ah!!! Basta-basta kna lng pumapasok sa isipan ko"

If you would like to donate more feel free. Enjoy your cheese day.. I mean Vday!

Love,

jCel♥

Tip: Rosie Romantic

Hey hey pretty ladies, Vday is just a sleep away. I bet all of you are already preparing your dates outfits and makeup look. Remember girls he loves you just the way you are so please don't go overboard and looking completely different tomorrow. Didn't we all learn from Princess Kate, who did her own makeup on her wedding day because she wants Prince William to recognize her. That is by far the best look to go for on your date tomorrow. But if you still want to put in a little more effort looking all blushy but still very natural here's a very quick and simple tutorial to take inspiration from. 


Enjoy your date tomorrow! 

Mixxed

Trick: Oh fudge, a smudge!

Let’s face it, one way or the other we’ve all experienced mascara smudge either while applying mascara or after. Unless you don’t mind rocking the panda eyes here’s a little trick where you don’t have to remove all your makeup except for the smudge. 

I present to you my secret weapon… drum rolls… Q-tip/Cotton buds, however you want to call it. This baby works wonders. When you accidently smudge your mascara whilst applying I know your initial reaction is to remove as soon as possible but DON’T. The trick is to let it dry because it will be easier to remove. Once it’s dried up, dip your Q-tip in makeup remover or lotion,then just dab it on the smudge and it will come right off. Easy breezy!

Mixxed

Happy FAITHday. :)

I had a truly profound journey on my way to work this week as I’ve been reading “Have a little faith by Mitch Albom”. I was so immerse with this book that I almost wished my travel to work is more than 30mins! But all good comes to those who wait.

In this day and age it is so easy for us to get in the hype and drown ourselves in our sorrows thus condoning the bigger picture that is to Have a little faith. It’s really inspiring to read someone whose faith has never falter in all that he’s been through. Anyway, since I don’t really do in-depth reviews here are some of the quotes I have made mental notes on.

“Faith is about doing. You are how you act, not just how you believe.” 

“The secret to happiness...be satisfied and be grateful.” 

“So, have we solved the secret of happiness? 

"I believe so," he said 

Are you going to tell me? 

"Yes.Ready?" 

Ready. 

"Be satisfied." 

That's it? 

"Be greatful." 

That's it? 

"For what you have. For the love you receive. And for what God has given you." 

That's it? 

He looked me in the eye. Then he sighed deeply. 

"That's it.” 

“To these people, unhappiness was a condition, an intolerable state of affairs. If pills could help, pills were taken. But pills were not going to change the fundamental problem in the construction. Wanting what you can’t have. Looking for self-worth in the mirror. Layering work on top of work and still wondering why you weren’t satisfied - before working some more.” 

“Having more does not keep you from wanting more. And if you always want more - to be richer, more beautiful, more well known - you are missing the bigger picture, and I can tell you from experience, happiness will never come” 

“I think people expect too much from marriage today,' he said. They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or movies. But that is not the human experience. 

. . . twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful. The trick is when things aren't so great, you don't junk the whole thing. It's okay to have an argument. It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little. It's part of being close to someone. 

But the joy you get from that same closeness--when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other--that . . . is a blessing. People forget that.” 

“After the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea, the Egyptians chased after them and were drowned. God's angels wanted to celebrate the enemy's demise. 

God saw this and grew angry. He said, in essence, 'Stop celebrating. For they are my children, too.” (Quoting from the Bible)

“Look, if you say that science will eventually prove there is no God, on that I must differ. No matter how small they take it back, to a tadpole, to an atom, there is always something they can’t explain, something that created it all at the end of the search. And no matter how far they try to go the other way – to extend life, play around with the genes, clone this, clone that, live to one hundred and fifty – at some point, life is over. And then what happens? When the life comes to an end?” “When you come to the end, that’s where God begins.” 

But so many people wage wars in God’s name.

“Mitch,” the Reb said, “God does not want such killing to go on.”

Then why hasn’t it stopped?

He lifted his eyebrows.

“Because man does.”

“Personally, I always wondered about authors and celebrities who loudly declared there was no God. It was usually when they were healthy and popular and being listened to by crowds. What happens, I wondered, in the quiet moments before death? By then, they have lost the stage, the world has moved on. If suddenly, in their last gasping moments, through fear, a vision, a late enlightenment, they change their minds about God, who would know?” 

"It is far more comforting to think God listened and said no, than to think that nobody’s out there" (A favorite line of mine)

I simply love this book and I encourage everyone to read it.


Other books of Mitch Albom: 

• Tuesdays with Morrie
• The Five People You Meet in Heaven
• For One More Day
• Have a Little Faith

*Sidenote: I've also changed my Book Slut monthly posts to Book It!, it's more decent to say the least. 

Loves,

jCel♥