The Birds & The Bees

A week has passed & Alhamdulillah, Yasmin & Wardah are coping very well fasting. Not really a surprise as this year is not their first experience. Balqis has not yet tried. She did join us for sahur though, twice. Well... that's a good start for a 4 years old, right? ;-)

I've been quite occupied this week & it will get busier next week with school recommences. As some are aware, I have a little business selling cookies in Ramadhan. Only two types & the simplest to make - Choc Chips & Butter Cornflakes. I have finally gotten hold of a few packages of fine sugar yesterday. Now that all the ingredients bought, I may start with cornflakes anytime now but choc chips, I've started once Ramadhan started.

Back to the title... I wanted to share with you about a book I bought 2 months back. This book was introduced to me by a friend. She has a teenage son & the book helps to assist both mother & son to teach & learn about developments in anatomy, changes in feelings & from there his mom can go further discussing the birds & the bees.

I 'm sure most parents out there find it difficult to be open about it. Not that I am bragging but I did not encounter any problem when I had the discussion with Yasmin. Perhaps it was an easy task when it involved a mom & her daughter. Yasmin's mature mind helped a lot too. She took it as another piece of knowledge & there was not even once she went "urgh.." or smiling of embarrassment.

This is the book. Since it is edited & published in the US, there are a few things which we as parents need to play our part. Towards the final chapter of the book it touches on safe sex. Definitely not our culture & especially to my religion. Still we need to take that piece of information in a positive way but with guidance. I'm pretty sure you understand what I meant.

There are a few pictures attached but not to worry they are all drawn. No photography which I'm sure might be misled ;-) Here are some excerpts of the contents.

I am a member of the Popular Bookstore. No... not me. Yasmin actually. I used her name during registration & was granted a student card which allows the holder to enjoy the benefits offered. Membership fees? Half price cheaper for students ;-) I don't really agree to points accumulation offered by the other bookstore. I don't want points which I can redeem but prefer a discounted price anytime I purchase a book or even stationery.

This book is usually a hot cake. It might not be at the shelf. In fact, I didn't get the book straight away. It was out of stock. Made a booking with no payment needed & a week after, I received a phone call to collect my book. Simple.

I was browsing the net yesterday for a book on smocking (Yes, this is my latest craze!). Fell for a book which definitely suits me as a beginner. Tried my luck to call the bookstore & I managed a booking via a phone call. How convenient... It saves not only time but also the cash. How many times have you spent on something else when the exact thing you plan to buy was not available? Plenty of times... I'm sure :-) I was in the same boat.

Now, here is a glimpse of my venture in smocking. Don't let the dress deceive you...

My smocking needs a lot of brushing up so hurry book...! (will update on the end product of the dress ;-D)

Confessions of a Shopaholic - the movie

Remember how I love Sophie Kinsella books? I even declared myself as a Kinsellaholic once. Obviously I have read all her books... well, almost. Her Shopaholic series from book 1 to book 5 are incredibly magnificent. Not to all I know. I do hear remarks of how absurd they think the character Becky Bloomwood is. But really she is the beauty of that series. However, I have to pass on Kinsella's other books. Less entertaining to me... Now come to think of it, I am not exactly a Kinsellaholic but more to a Beckyholic!! :-D

The movie I had long been waiting for is now showing. Not other than the Confessions of a Shopaholic. I watched this somewhere last week but didn't have the chance to blog about it. Guess who was my date? At first I planned to catch the movie with some of my girlfriends but someone volunteered to take me. Yes, it was HB. Thanks B! ;-)

Frankly... Frankly? I didn't really like the movie. The storyline is somehow different than the book. But again, I didn't read the Confessions of a Shopaholic. I read A Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic. Still, aren't both the same book with identical storyline but different titles & publishers?

Anyhow Isla Fisher who played Becky Bloomwood in the movie was brilliant. She I think was the saviour of this movie from becoming a real drag. I even caught HB laughing which I tell you is very rare.

I strongly believe that the movie should stick close to the original book. The plot is 100% in the US whereas the original should be in England. As HB put it, I should watch the movie first than only read the book. If that is so, having watched this not-up-to-the-expectation movie, I rather choose a better book to read. Won't you?

My two pennies worth. What say you?

Here is the movie trailer.

I am a Kinsellaholic!

In my previous post I shared my involvement in the reading business had come up to a new fresh beginning. Well, not only that reading is listed in my daily routine, I have also a new category in my addiction database. I am crazy over Sophie Kinsella's novels.

Seriously, her writing is spontaneous. Not complicated, easily read & most importantly no repetitive flashbacks. (That's one point why I cannot appreciate Sepi. Perhaps that's the beauty of creativeness? Don't count on me when it comes to arts though. Still, kudos to VI, NA & AS). OK, back to Kinsella. As a mom of 4, my hands are full. I need a book that can cheer me up & put a smile on my face. Nothing associated with tragedy or catastrophe. I am avoiding books which have the possibility to make me relate tragic storyline to the girls. That is definitely not for me. I do not want to stress myself with whatsoever nonsense happening out there.

Kinsella's work suits me perfectly. I have to thank Shera for highlighting Kinsella in one of her posts. When it comes to novels I need to trust the author first then only his/her writing. Once I have fallen for one, I make quite an effort to read all.

In this case, I have completed Kinsella's Shopaholic Series & now beginning to read "The Undomestic Goddess" (even the title is catchy ;-D). Chic Lit is so for me. I bought the whole series of 5 & Yasmin is itching to read too. Been asking for my permission. When I answered no, she asked for the exact age she could start reading. Frankly, the storyline is decent with message yes, but maybe too much cursing using the 4-letter-word. I told her that if she started reading my books at such young age, she would run out of interesting books when she reached my age. That somehow convinced her & she is back reading Enid Blyton's & Linda Chapman's.

I mentioned of owning 5 Shopaholic books but the truth is I have 6. It is so funny for a novel to have 2 different titles. Different covers, I heard but titles? One title for the UK edition & another for the US. So "Confessions of a Shopaholic" & " The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic" are really the same book also, "Shopaholic Takes Manhattan" & "Shopaholic Abroad" are again the same. Annnnnnd... I own both STM & SA.

Do I blame the girls for this? Whenever we are at a bookstore, they confidently head straight to the children's shelves. As I wrote earlier, once I love an author I don't mind reading any of her work. So, I came across SA. Grabbed it (without reading the synopsis) & little did I know it was the same STM book which was
on my bed. Grrrr...

Anyhow, if you are looking for a novel to read, give Shopaholic Series a try. You will love Becky! She did not only make me smile but laughed my heart out. Whenever HB & I are reading next to each other, I think we make a beautiful picture. Him with Grisham, his frown prominent. Me with Kinsella, my dimple conspicuous.

Happy Reading & watch out for the movie!

Reading - The Journey

Listen up! I am here proud to announce that I have pick up READING again....! Yes. After like soooo looooong , I finally won the battle against whatsoever lame & unintelligent excuses I came up with for giving up the hobby I used to love so greatly.

My journey of the reading kingdom took me way back when I was 8. (lost to Yasmin, hers started at 7). Then I was a member of a library which was abolished to make way for IJN-Institut Jantung Negara. The books of my choice were books with colourful pictures & should not exceed 20pgs. Obviously, I could have finished reading those thin books within 10 minutes... but it was so cool checking out books with your own name written on that small piece of paper at the back page ;-)

At the age of 10 or probably less, I started to appreciate Enid Blyton's short stories. "Anytime Tales", "Bedtime Tales" & Amelia Jane series. Hooked with EB, I continued with Famous 5, Malory Towers & St.Clare's series (no Yasmin, I didn't read Secret 7 then). At 12, I felt that reading EB was rather uncool. I changed to "Nancy Drew Files". A year after, introduced myself to "Sweet Dreams", "Sweet Valley High", "Sweet Valley Twins" & fell in love with those. Other books untouched. I remember my brother whom I hired as my walking library. He was then in VI, wld pass Central Market daily to take the mini bus home. There was this bookstore inside CM, selling pretty cheap books. In fact we could rent out books. If I found any interesting book, I would look for the oldest of its batch. The older the book, the cheaper the rent. Sometimes, I managed to get 50sen for the rental but the condition of the book was very sad. But who cared, as long as readable...

After SRP, I was into Danielle Steel's & then Sidney Sheldon's (or was is Sheldon's first...). Steel never failed to make me cry. That was how engrossed I could be with the protagonist & even with the plot.

At 16, I came across a novel left by my aunt in her room. I sneaked reading the book & fell in love totally with the story. It was my first Jude Deveraux novel - "Highland Velvet". But by this time I had to restrain myself from reading too many novels. Had to put my studies first - SPM.

This was the Highland Velvet that made me so curious to read. Hahaha...!

This is the copy that I bought for myself somewhere last year. Hoping that the cover is not that inviting... ;-)

After SPM, I went back to reading business. Then, was head over hills with Jude Deveraux's & Judith McNaught's. Was really really crazy over their novels! What more... I was in a relationship... & love was in the air! Hahaha!

In college, I ventured other authors'. LaVyrle Spencer for instance and Jackie Collins too. Still cannot runaway from the same genre. Well... love was still in the air! I am definitely a fan of Spencer. Then still made my regular visits to the same bookstore at CM. I think, I have covered all Spencer's books that the store had for rental.


Familiar with Mills & Boon or perhaps, MB? I skipped this era. Tried reading it once... OK, the truth! I found loads of MBs in my aunt's room. I chose one MB & somehow was attracted to the cover of Highland Velvet. Whoaa... MB was very dull! Of course, what was MB in comparison to the genius touch of Deveraux ;-)

I do read biography/autobiography books too. The books will I never touch are thriller & horror. OK... am the coward type. I do sometimes get eerie watching CSI! Go ahead & laugh... I doubt , Harry Porter is a good read for me!


I married early (well...). After having Yasmin, my reading materials were more to books about parenting & babies. My magazine changed too from Cleo (I own the 1st Malaysia issue!) to Mother & Baby. I tried reading books but felt guilty. I was not the type of reader who is discipline with time. There was once I didn't sleep all night just for the sake of finishing a novel which I had read before! Imagine that! So, once becoming a mom I tried my best not to get involved with novels. Now, I opt for Women's Weekly. Malaysian issue of course... cheaper ;-)

Once, Yasmin refused to read a Famous 5 book which was given to her by my friend. She did not like the title, sounded scary - Five Go To Mystery Moor. In order to convince her, I read the first few pages of the book & ended up reading it till the end!

Along the way, I have influenced one person. Not Yasmin. That's inheritance... hehehe. It's HB. He failed to understand the luxury of reading. However, a couple of years back, he joined the boat voluntarily. He's more into Grisham's & Archer's which are not really my cup of tea.

Now, my target is Wardah. She is very much like her father. Not into books but like father, like daughter... easily influenced. I will slowly include reading as one of her hobbies. Time will tell but so far she is making quite a good progress. Will keep you updated ;-)

As for now, I am a Kinsellaholic... hehehe. Thanks to Shera. Will blog about this another time ;-)