gdp's Comments

The Reading Monk : How To Kill, by Kris Hollington

Mon, 5 Oct 2009 03:48:05 +0000

Hi Josette!

The book didn't have photos in it. I did consider putting them up though but when you recall the images of JFK's head blown open or Sharon Tate's blood scrawled all over the wall by the Manson Family, you start to think maybe not such a good idea. Other than that, the book's quite good and engaging. Definitely a page turner.

And thank you. Thank you for the award. It's a nice form of encourage to write more. Thanks again, very kind of you to mention me on your site.

The Reading Monk

The Reading Monk : The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 03:57:03 +0000

Hey Josie. This is a book that I strongly strongly recommend you read. Your life would definitely be enriched by it.

The Reading Monk : 16 August 2009

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 04:17:52 +0000

Hi Jo Always good to hear from you. The sale was right on target and I'm planning new theme sales for the coming months. Much encouraged by last month's results. I still have a pile of new books to read so I'm trying to read and finish them as fast as I can. I just thought if I'm in "Non-Fiction" mode, then I might as well remain in that frame of mind, so to speak, and keep the ball rolling.

The Reading Monk : The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:07:09 +0000

Dear Berenice,

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Sometimes I feel like I am reading and talking to myself inside a cave. So it's nice to hear from visitors what they think once in a while.

I've discussed Murakami's works with a few friends and they all seem to agree the earlier works were better. Though always surreal, the later works seem to meander aimlessly more than necessary. It's one thing to be surreal. Quite another (as in the case of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle) where the reader feels like he's hallucinating!

Come back and visit when you're free.

The Reading Monk : The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:20:52 +0000

I need to start writing something. (Easier said than done)

The Reading Monk : The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, by Haruki Murakami

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:41:35 +0000

Jo - if I can get a few more of you to talk like that to me on a regular basis, I might just be able to fool myself into self-publishing my own writings. If I can get a couple of hundred of you, then I'd be erecting a Shrine to myself ;) Ha ha. But thanks for the compliments. Is Slumdog Millionaire the book just as good as the movie? Personally, I thought there were a lot of loose ends in the movie, and some parts that were just not real. How did these slumdogs end up speaking such good English or general knowledge? And oh, the part where the little kid was tricked into singing before being blinded... that part stayed with me for weeks. It made me think about the stories I heard about syndicates going around kidnapping children to amputate or blind them so they could be turned into dependent beggars in Thailand.

The Reading Monk : New Books Added

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:03:05 +0000

Hey,Yes - I forgot to add those two Murakami books. Will do so later. I'm still working on (well, not really - slacking) the book review for Chronicle. It's so uninspiring that I just don't know what to write.Yes - that's my picture. Shocking?Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis
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The Reading Monk : Remembering Enid

Sat, 6 Jun 2009 03:30:23 +0000

Hey Josie It's quite a revelation isn't it? It's like finding out Superman's the man behind all the crime. You know ... something like that. Shattering. Deep within me, the 10 year old is demanding an apology from Ms Blyton.

The Reading Monk : The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Mon, 18 May 2009 14:42:09 +0000

That's funny. You ... Can't read because of stress. Cute. Cheer up. You'll get through this week. I bet you're looking forward to next week. Just reading and blogging - pure bliss!Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis
From: IntenseDebate Notifications

The Reading Monk : The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:49:10 +0000

Hey Jovenus,I've been with a few appeal cases these few weeks and have felt guilty reading books other than my law books.So it took me a while, yes, with The Time Traveler's Wife. There were also times when I deliberately slowed down so I didn't finish it too quickly. It's like going out on a romantic dinner and dreading the end of the wonderful evening, so you find places to go to just to extend time with your lover. Weird analogy but you know what I mean.I'm now almost halfway through Haruki Murakami's The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. Another surreal work which I see is also on your list. Why don't you jump to that book instead? I'd like to know what you think of it.Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis
From: IntenseDebate Notifications

The Reading Monk : The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Tue, 12 May 2009 07:25:04 +0000

Hmm. I plan to read A Thousand Splendid Suns soon. Will need to purchase it first though. Sent via BlackBerry from Maxis
From: IntenseDebate Notifications

The Reading Monk : The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Tue, 12 May 2009 07:02:35 +0000

Ha ha. I watched about 15 mins of it last night but stopped it. The sight of Hassan's cherubic face.. I dont think I can stomach the ending.

The Reading Monk : The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini

Thu, 7 May 2009 03:39:05 +0000

Hey KittyCat

I haven't watched the movie yet though I have the DVD. Been thinking about watching it but am reluctant to 'alter' the images I already have in my mind about the Kite Runner and its characters.
I'm glad you like the review. I would love to hear what you have to say about the book after you finish reading it.

The Reading Monk : The Others

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 15:23:50 +0000

Hey Josie I tried asking but there are no stories of any deaths in these houses. Also, I doubt there was any fighting near the bunkers. Some things are best left unknown, I guess.

The Reading Monk : 18/4/2009: Scary stuff?

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:35:13 +0000

Sometimes I can wake up in the middle of the night, feel thirsty and roll out of bed. I go out of the bedroom, switch on the lights and go down the stairs to the kitchen. I think about the silence, about going to the office in a few hours' time, what I'm going to wear to work, what to drink once I get to the kitchen and ... the woman in the kitchen in The Sixth Sense. And I think to myself, " !@#$ the drink. I'm not thirsty anymore", do a quick U-turn and run back to the bedroom. Goddamn thoughts about scenes from that bloody movie keep popping into my head unannounced and at the worst possible times. It's more than 10 years now since I last watched The Sixth Sense but there is not one night that I do not think about a scene from it. I swear this is some form of psychological trauma. Goddamn you M. Night Shyamalan. What about "The Others"? Have you seen it?

The Reading Monk : The Others

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:23:09 +0000

You just learn to live with it, that's all. Thank God I haven't seen anything too distressing or dramatic like in The Sixth Sense. I think I would go mad or suicidal if it was that extreme. More often than not, it is through mental perception (and not sight) that I feel the presence of these entities. If I allow them and attempt to connect and find out who or what they are, I get strong vibes in return. I can sense whether it is a man, woman or child; and what they are feeling - sad, angry, lost. Reading Mary Ann Winkowski's "When Ghosts Speak" (previously reviewed here) comforted me and gave me a better understanding of what these beings are. It's such a magical world we live in, isn't it, Jovenus? With all the scientific and technological advances we've achieved, we think we know so much. But here's one mystery that has remained unsolved for as long as time can remember. I suppose when we die, that's the first question that gets answered for us.

The Reading Monk : 18/4/2009: Scary stuff?

Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:28:51 +0000

Sixth Sense easily ranks as the scariest movie I've ever seen. Yes, in the late 1990s, I went with my cousin and then girlfriend to watch it in the cinema. Didn't expect it to be so scary and ended up watching most of the movie with my fingers plugged into my ears (tip for watching horror movies since it's always the soundtrack that creates the suspense). Scariest scene was the one where Haley was in the bathroom and the black figure walked past behind him; the thermometer reading going down and then the woman in the kitchen... and the one with him hiding in the tent and the sick girl opening it. Till this day in the year 2009, I am still terrified of that movie and of the fear it evokes in me. I have not watched it a second time since! Funny you should also mention this movie. It's a pity M. Night Shyamalan never repeated his success after this movie.

The Reading Monk : 18/4/2009: Scary stuff?

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 13:55:10 +0000

We share many things in common - including The Sixth Sense. Amazing.

The Reading Monk : What I Think About When I Think About Running

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:05:52 +0000

Nah, I'm going to continue focusing on En Vogue.

The Reading Monk : What I Think About When I Think About Running

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 07:41:26 +0000

You mean the floral cover takes you to another realm? Gee, that's pretty intense. Imagine what the music would do to you.