Hazel Ceej

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="144"] Bookshop Window (Photo credit: garryknight)[/caption] On the daydreams department : Inkwood Books, an "indie bookstore in a cozy old Hyde Park bungalow" is for sale. My dream is alive with more than just black and white as I buy the book bungalow in a page-turn. The rich becomes richer : had the U.S. State Department not withdrawn a $16.5 million contract to provide Kindle Touches for its overseas language education program, that would have been the case with Amazon . The reconsideration now gives all vendors opportunities to respond to the Department's requirements for mobile learning. Yay to sharing the pie. A positive state of bookstore affairs : Oblong Books & Music (New York) renovates. Here's wishing them traffic flow increase. Politics and Prose (Washington, D.C.) changes their store layout. A toast to events that draw larger audiences. Builders Booksource (California) re-sizes ...

[caption id="attachment_13522" align="alignleft" width="259"] Bookshelf Wallpaper by Young & Battaglia[/caption] When books die do they go to heaven? I like to think they do. Earlier I lamented the gradual departure of bookshops here and there. It is  bittersweet to succumb to book depression. Then something came up which made me think that in a traditional book lover's space this would be perfect - "a heavenly library." Or at least the look of it. Young & Battaglia is the creative genius behind this bookshelf wallpaper idea showcased by Design Year Book. "White books on white shelves." How peaceful is that! And to me it is quite a comfort to see reminders of traditional books like this if they have to be driven off our lives by e-readers. On a fashionista note, it looks like an intelligent sort of background for a photoshoot with a dark-clad reading model, does it not? Let's go to Budapest. Just a 5-second show that ma...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Amy asks: Name a book you love in a genre you normally don’t care for. What made you decide to read it? Did it make you want to try more in that genre? Harry Potter , and I ended up reading all seven books in the series. Broomsticks and cauldrons, wands and potions, what in the name of Merlin's beard are they?.... I recall my own snigger at these things; look up my book shelf where the books are lovingly piled, and think of telling the sister-in-law how she influenced me to read HP. Because I'm sure she has no idea what she's done. She was holding a wineglass in one hand and HP2 in the other over a meal during one family get-together. The cover I saw was of Harry dangling from the flying car above the Yorkshire Moors. I wouldn't have been curious if she was a ninth grader, but she's a medical doctor. Okay, she's a globe trotter too so maybe it was a book she did not finish from some trans-atlantic f...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen GigiAnn asks: Do you have a favorite season of the year that you read more? (Example: during snow storms, rainy weather, or sunny and warm weather) Lisa asks: Where is your favorite place to read? On the beach? Inside/outside? During rainy weather! I love the rain , especially when I'm indoors. I love curling up in bed with a fuzzy blanket, a cup of hot chocolate or tea on the side table, and read read read. While traveling on a coach from Windsor Castle back to London, it rained. Hard. The next minute everything was white. That was my first snow experience ever and I was thinking... this would be perfect if there was a charming book in my hands right now! The beach -- well, every time I'm on a beach I'm doing something else like catching up with family and friends so the bedroom with the rain pitter-pattering on the roof works very well for me. Thursday 13: Books (on my TBR pile) for the rainy days See if yo...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Lu asks Do you have any pet that has a name inspired by your readings? If not, what would you pick if you DID? Do any of your friends have book-based names for their pets? (Or their children?) Piano lessons were imposed on me when I was a little girl. My love for reading extended to the short background of the music or biography of the composer written on my music books. I think I enjoyed the reading part more than working on the keys. Fast forward to 2002 I bought a toy poodle and named him Mozart, that's him on the sidebar, after the composer. I use his photo as a bookmark. My mother's dog is named Shakespeare, after you-know-who. (sorry for the HP reference). A fairy tale - addict young niece named one of our cats Snow White, and the other George, after King George. Thursday Thirteen: Books the feature dogs 1. Odyssey by Homer features Argos 2. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov features Banga 3. D...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen abookandashortlatte1 asks If you had to choose to live within a novel, which would it be? Without much ado Harry Potter's Hogwarts ! What a place to explore! I'd like to transfigure arrogant Malfoy into a cross-eyed cockroach. *kidding* And when I feel like cutting Snape's class I'll hang out at Hagrid's hut . Then during summers head to The Burrow. As Ron Weasley says, "it's not much, but it's home." Thursday 13: My favorite places in Harry Potter 1. Hogwarts the moving staircases and all the magic learning! 2. The Burrow 'dilapidated and standing only by magic' ah!... wonderful 3. Hogsmeade Village appeals to the country girl in me 3. Madam Puddifoot's is where we will have high tea 4. Diagon Alley shop til I drop 5. Shell Cottage a newly-weds' home must be sweet and lovely 6. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes I want their anti-acne cream 7. Honeyduke's S...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Heidi asks: Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Perhaps a combination of both. I have been living alone since my big D in 2006 and I don't seem to mind; rarely wish for company. Seventy five percent of my king size bed is littered with books. I occupy the remaining 25% when I sleep. As for socializing I am happy meeting friends for lunch, dinner or high tea in or outside my nook. I love cozy cafes. Church, concerts, lectures, or family get-togethers  - I welcome them as revitalizing shot to my routine which is being alone.   Thursday 13: They are also in and out Breakfast this morning was spent watching CNN's Pierce Morgan talking with people about President Barack Obama's support for gay marriage. I wonder what would these writers have said if they were the ones interviewed. Source: Famous Gays and Lesbians in History 1. Sappho (600 B.C.) Greek poetess 2. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Briti...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Heidi asks: Do you have siblings? Do they like to read? As an only child I often wondered what it was like to have siblings who like to read. Would we have a contest on who could read how many books in a month? Share and discuss each other's reads while munching chocolate? There were cousins. But all one did was devour comics while another read the same author I read hundreds of full moons ago - Irving Wallace. Parents regulated my reading pile, and Wallace wasn't exactly on their list of approved material, so it was fun sharing the secret read with a cousin who did the same experiment. We were probably looking for supplemental info to our high school sex education. I'm a fan of my parents' literary gifts; didn't mind reading alone almost all the time. Thursday 13: Famous siblings - except perhaps the last pair, there's one common denominator among most of them: rivalry 1. Kate and Bianca in Taming ...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Charlie Quillen asks: Has a book ever inspired you to change anything in your life, fiction or non-fiction alike? Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad inspired me to change the way I look at money.  Kate White's Why Good Girls Don't Get Ahead but Gutsy Girls Do helped me change the way I evaluate myself.  The Da Vinci Code inspired me to change my attitude toward The Bible .  The entertainment of puzzles in Dan Brown's work and its references to concepts that ring a bell around times long ago when the Bible was spoon-fed to me, sparked a fancy to rediscover non-fiction mystery that the Bible has abundance of, as well as advice and knowledge that never gets old. Thursday 13: Inspiring changes. Which ones speak to you best? 1. Change brings opportunity. ~ Nido Qubein 2. Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, ...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Bookish Sarah asks: What are your literary “pet peeves”? Put too many swear words in a story and I lose interest. Too much cursing sounds like limited vocabulary, stunted creativity. The other one is something I have experienced for the first time - a novel with an unlikeable character . The Wise Woman is my first Philippa Gregory. If I wasn't fond of historical fiction (besides thinking that Gregory is brilliant at her genre) I wouldn't have minded not finishing the book. The heroine is so unlikeable almost every page developed in me a distaste of her that even her death in the conclusion didn't convince me it redeemed her. I want my reading experience (outside work) to be a pleasure; not characters that I don't enjoy.   Thursday 13: Unusual words that begin with letter N You may be familiar with or have encountered the following words already. If you do not know what they mean, I hope you have as much fun...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Are there any fictional characters whom you have emulated (or tried to)?             Who and why? Nowadays, none. But as a kid I was all over Nancy Drew from the first time I got my hands on Clue in the Crumbling Wall .  In many ways ridiculous, but I could relate. Her dad never seemed to be home - mine came home once a month. She was surrounded by people who instantly responded to her - my father's side of the family showered me with lots of attention. Possible attribution here is I'm an only child, kind of usually got what I wanted, things like those. Perhaps I unknowingly behaved like Nancy Drew at times as I always had fun imagining I was her in those adventures she did. What literary character do you feel is most like you personality-wise (explain)? Now this is interesting. I once took a Harry Potter personality test for fun and emerged as Mad Eye Moody whose profile goes like this: Noble yet ruthless. Brilli...

Certainly, there was some deep meaning in it, most worthy of interpretation, and which, as it were, streamed forth from the mystic symbol, subtly communicating itself to my sensibilities, but evading the analysis of my mind. --Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (1850) Put simply, kinesics refers to body position and motion including those of the face.   It is a form of nonverbal communication people use to establish relationships, and express personal identity and cultural values. Does Hitler's Nazi salute come to mind, for example? Right here in my part of the world kinesics are abundant in cultural communications. Thailand is a society where fewer words are spoken. The wai is used to convey many meanings.  In my early days in Bangkok I saw two cars sideswipe each other. When drivers came out of their vehicles to sort out the accident, the first thing I saw they did was not an exchange of words but a wai. The same kind of accident may warrant kinesics in other countries but...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Ever read a book you thought you could have written better yourself? I could hardly write my own prayer. If I do not like a book and have difficulty finishing it the book may not be for me. I would leave the writing or rewriting to someone whom the story belongs. With books at work (academic) - maybe edit, adjust examples, or illustrate a concept to fit needs of certain learners.  But then writing it better? I might as well write another book entirely.  Thursday 13: March Celebrations March 21st is full, isn't it? I didn't know most of these celebrations but I'm glad to find a couple relevant to me, like #4 and 8. Which ones interest you? 1. International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 2. National Common Courtesy Day 3. National Teenager Day 4. National Single Parents Day 5. World Down Syndrome Day 6. National Flower Day 7. Twitter Day 8. Children's Poetry Day 9. Hump Day 10. Memory...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Have you ever used a book to instruct someone of something or is there anyone for whom you would like to do that? (I don’t mean a text book for a class, but a work of fiction or non-fiction that would get a certain message across either through plot or character). What is the book and what do you wish to impart? Professionally, yes but not necessarily the book in its entirety. I used Don Quixote in an English camp for the Thai teaching staff of a business institute. A drill on the parts of speech served as instrument to carry bits of idealism and realism across.  Personally I use books to instruct a young nephew and niece about life in general. The books are gifts that they are to read if they want something more later. 'More' could mean an all-expenses paid trip to the mall in exchange for learning something from the books. Yes, I could be a doting, strict, crazy aunt. I gave Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl ...

In this post: Booking Through Thursday and Thursday Thirteen Have you ever fallen in love with a fictional character? Who and what about them did you love? Not really in love. Infatuated, more likely. A girl friend enticed me to read the Twilight Series .  She's a medical doctor in her mid 30s; I'm a freaking university instructor in my late 30s, and we giggle over 16-y.o. Jacob Black ?! We liked Edward Cullen too but he's too pale-skinned and can never beat Jake's six pack. Oh la-la! I mean it's awesome to just feel and not think sometimes. And there's Sirius Black of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban fame. Seriously I enjoyed fantasizing over him. Rich, handsome, arrogant, bully.  A lot like my real life ex-husband. No wonder a male friend calls me gaga at regular intervals. But I am completely at peace with the world and my neurotic self about all this . Thursday Thirteen: Love - Hate The wizarding world's characters that I love and hate in simu...

Have you ever written any fan-fiction? If yes, why and for which book(s)? If no, would you like to and for which books(s)? For that matter, do you ever READ fan-fiction?? No, I haven't and probably never will as I am no writer. But I'm not closing my doors either. Maybe when I'm old and sitting on a rickety rocking chair caressing a china cup of white tea, I will. Who knows... my muse just might poke me. I have Sarah Gray's Wuthering Bites , and Seth Grahame-Smith's Pride, Prejudice and Zombies on my bookshelf right now. I bought them and never read them. At least not yet. Maybe when I'm old and sitting on a .... Right after I finished writing my master's thesis, I devoured fan fiction for Harry Potter. There must have been too much remnant of scientific stuff in my life I felt so deprived of pop lit that much. Recently, I came across The Obituary of Charlotte Collins . It was an excellent travel back through time I almost forgot it was fiction. Just a sid...

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In Teasers: Should Be Reading My sin was winning. I have hidden myself in the old power, in the old skills, in woman's power. p. 101, "The Wise Woman" by Philippa Gregory • Grab your current read • Open to a random page • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! ( make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others! ) • Share the title & author , too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Top Ten: Books I Think Would Make Great Book Club Picks The Broke and the Bookish The book club in my town has international membership. I am curious how members (myself included) would discuss, think of, or react to: 1. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield 2. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon 3. The King's Speech by Mark Logue 4. The Vanishing ...

In this post: Booking Through & Third Sentence What’s more important: Good writing? Or a good story? (Of course, a book should have BOTH, but…) I buy my books. So before buying any I spend time reading blurbs and reviews as of course I want value for my money. One thing that gives me pleasure in books is reading them from start to finish because of both - good writing and good story. Then I am happy knowing I haven't wasted a cent. On the other hand, good writing for me is very instrumental in tolerating a not-so- good plot. I am willing to forget it is a dull story if the writing is really good it can carry me away. *More bookish reactions at Booking Through Thursday Book : Emma 3rd sentence : "Her mother had died too long ago for her to have more than an indistinct remembrance of her caresses, and her place had been supplied by an excellent governess, who had fallen little short of a mother in affection. " Thoughts : Stepmother scenario in my mind here. A child in ...

In this post: Teaser, Top Ten, Tune In Teasers: She had resolved that one and twenty should be the period.  With the fortitude of a devoted noviciate, she had resolved to complete the sacrifice, and retire from all the pleasures of life, of rational intercourse, equal society, peace and hope, to penance and mortification forever. p. 423, " Emma " by Jane Austen (Volume II, Collected Edition) A classic look at misconstrued romance. Foolish, arrogant, sensible, oblivious or endearing characters are excellently portrayed. If you've read this before, marvel anew at how people from way way back are actually alike ourselves nowadays in many ways.  If not, get ready to observe human behavior described with humor and skill that made Jane Austen a much-loved author with millions of fans. *Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading Top Ten: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read Perhaps easy accessibility was taken for granted. But there's no excuse for not ...

I saw this article the other day that asked, “Are you ashamed of skipping parts of books?” Which, naturally, made me want to ask all of YOU. Do you skip ahead in a book? Do you feel badly about it when you do? It depends; and about two percent of the time. You Don't Say! for example, by Barry Phelps, is about world notables and their misquotations listed alphabetically. In this case I wanted to know first what misquotations Margaret Thatcher or Napoleon Bonaparte made rather than reading accounts in order. Parts that are of least relevance or interest to me - I skip without questioning myself. Conrad Kottak's international edition of Anthropology: the exploration of human diversity once was my bible for a week. I was then preparing a PhD research proposal.  Dissect, synthesize, decide which ideas would be best for an argument on a deadline on top of other university job related readings - I was almost blue in the face as the reading turned mad. And I only needed to nail some ...