Saturday, July 21, 2007

Reads

-Looks like I may actually end up reading Harry Potter what with this intense hype building all around. I used to follow the series quite religiously until the 3rd book (is that Order of the Phoenix?) but my interest sort of fizzled out when I realized that Rowling was actually borrowing so much from other writers. But I am one of those sad consumers who gets easily swayed by marketing glitz and may just fall for this one as well. It's kinda nice to be part of the madness in a way.


- If you really, really want to read just one book this year, my recommendation is something from last year's Booker Prize. I finally finished The Inheritance of Loss. I can only use superlatives to describe how well Kiran Desai writes. The whole book is poetry in motion, a luminous exploration of displacement and identity. Her ultimate strength is in the language- it has an uncomparable cadence and beauty which took my breath away.

-Summer reading is currently work related so I won't bore you with that though I am quite tempted to pick up Alistair Campbell's Diaries. I've been following the dramatization on TV and am enjoying all the high drama behind the Blair years. Campbell's role was something like Director of Communications at No.10 and he was spin doctor extraordinaire. Which made him one of the most unpopular persons in the country at that time. Or was it Cherie Blair?

5 comments:

gravtkills said...

i havent read any of the potter books...should i?

Anonymous said...

hi there...just found ure blog by accident.... cool blog. keep writing.

come over n check out Shaky Fish too k.. leave a comment..or ure words of wisdom... haha

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

hi jane,

i dunno what to say about the deathly hallows.
very rowling. the twists, the turns.
well... happy reading.

Jane Sunshine said...

gravt: I dunno. If you have the time to spare...still, there are SEVEN of them now.

d'fish: I don't know if there is wisdom in any of the words but will surely drop by.

Ena: So, you've read it!!! Did you have to wait at a snaking queue to get it?

NURAINA A SAMAD said...

hi Jane,

i have no excuses to offer you, Jane. so many things to do, so many people to fight ...hahahaa... (you betcha, right here in our beloved Malaysia..)

it's so crazy.. for some really inane reason only known to MPH and Times, these two book stores refused to sell Harry Potter ONLy because places like Tesco and other hypermarts were selling them at a lower price.
SO imagine the crazy queue.
BUT Borders decided to open their doors at 6.30am that morning. Smart move.
I was ready to queue....but (THERE IS A GOD!!!)...hey hey hey....i didn't have to. An angel came in the form of my good friend's daughter who called me at 6.45am (I was already up, getting ready for my morning hill-climb -- I was going to queue for Harry later) and so sweetly asked : ":Aunty Ena, I am going to get Harry P, would you like me to get one for you as well.. how many do you want?". Hello hello hello...what a lovely girl!
SO, no need-lah to tell you the rest of the story, huh..

So, did I have to wait at the snaking queue?.....

Take care, Jane... how's the eating getting along