Since I've started my holidays, everyday I slowly waking up (waking up every morning without alarm is a bless), opening the curtains and inviting the sun in as it drenches the bedroom with its brilliance, going into the kitchen to prepare something nourishing for my breakfast and drinking my coffee while reading novel. That's a relaxing life ever. 

[Book Review] Fifty Shades Trilogy

Fifty Shades of Grey


When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too – but on his own terms. 

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family – Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by a need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires. 

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.


Fifty Shades Darker


Daunted by the singular sexual tastes and dark secrets of the beautiful, tormented young entrepreneur Christian Grey, Anastasia Steele has broken off their relationship to start a new career with a Seattle publishing house. But desire for Christian still dominates her every waking thought, and when he proposes a new arrangement, Ana cannot resist. They rekindle their searing sensual affair, and Ana learns more about the harrowing past of her damages, driven, and demanding Fifty Shades. While Christian wrestles with his inner demons, Ana must confront her anger and envy of the women who came before her and make the most important decision of her life. Erotic, sparkling and suspenseful, Fifty Shades Darker is the irresistibly addictive second part of the Fifty Shades trilogy. 


Fifty Shades Freed


When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed. 

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present. 

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past. 

Seductive, shocking, sad and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy. 

Warning, this is an adult book and is aimed at over 18’s. This review does contain adult material.

I guess that you've heard of this book that rocketed its way to the top of both US and UK fiction charts? Fifty Shades of Grey began as Twilight fan-fiction and had the title of the Master of the Universe. The author, EL James retitled it and changed the characters from Bella and Edward to Christian and Ana. There are no vampires in Fifty Shades of Grey but the idea of both the books is the same of falling for someone that you should stay away from and becoming completely consumed by them.

I first saw Fifty Shades of Grey was in Starbucks, where there was one guy reading it. After I read the bad reviews, good reviews and the comments about the horrible writing of the author, I finally got hold of a copy of this book. And continue with Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. But, try not to read the book in the presence of your parents or elderly, it leads to awkward moments when they ask what the book is about.

This book is PORN. I was like “Whoa! Whoa! Oh Wow!” The characters mostly put their lips in a hard line and murmur a lot. The two main characters, Christian and Ana fight, make out, have sex. Or have sex, fight, make out. Or make out, fight, have sex. But, surprisingly, there’s an actual story line.

I wasted two weeks reading this crap and yet to certain extent I couldn't put the books down. In my opinion, the sex scenes are probably the best part of the author’s writing, so well descriptive and well thought out. But, I ended up skipping through most of the scenes to simply finish because the scenes became too long and repetitive.

I think this trilogy deserves only 2/5 stars from me.

I couldn't stop laughing when I watched this video of Ellen Degeneres reading Fifty Shades of Grey.

Thought #1

There are times that I sit and just think of all the people who have wandered away from me. I remember that all of the people that I've wandered away from, and I wonder, will there ever be a time when they might reconnect? The answer may be yes, and may be no. There’s a quote saying that “People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime,” which resonates deeply with my life. People are constantly entering in and out of our lives; we have friends who remain in our lives and also strangers who just pass by our daily lives.

But, time has turned close friends into distant acquaintances. Our lives are in constant motion, we change every day. We tend to forget that the people who surround us also change each day. Some relationships may grow together, shift and bend in ways that make them fit comfortably, some relationships are more forgiving and hang on for the sake of the love that was once binding and now hangs around as a memory. Yet, some relationships disappear slowly and cease to exist abruptly.

“People come, people go – they’ll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favourite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.” 

I've finally learned that we have to let go of something and continue our journey. We can’t corral people into a pen and lock them away forever. Things won’t stay put and it seems obvious that relationships change, grow or dissipate. It isn't an easy thing to accept. It takes courage to stand up and realise that sometimes we need to move forward. We need different things from the world at different times in our lives. All of us are from all walks of life and are essentially just intertwined with each other, stuck together until another crack in the road sends us free falling into something or someone else.

Life is mysterious and relationships are just another addition to our journey, through the ups and downs, we must appreciate it, for it’s all a part of who we are today. No one goes through life experiencing perfect relationships, in fact, the only way to discover life’s treasures is to experience them. And I just want to say I'm glad to have met those who enter into my life and thank you for bringing colour to my life. :)

Yunnan Trip (Part Twelve)

17/08/2013 (Day Eight)

Today is our last day in Kunming/Yunnan. Decided to go to McDonalds for breakfast and spent our morning strolling around the flower and bird market which is located just beside our hotel.

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We headed to the airport after having our lunch to catch our flight back to KL at 5.00pm.

SEE YOU, YUNNAN!

[Book Review] Crazy Rich Asians

I suppose the title says it all, and the sparkly gold cover of the book. I had been hearing great things about some good storyline books from friends and this book was one of those books. At first, I thought that the book is a non-fiction book which tells about how rich the Asian people now, but I was wrong. The book is a fiction book instead, which tells about how crazy rich the 3 families in Singapore.

Summary from the publisher:

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.

When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn’t know is that Nick’s family home happens to look like a palace, that she’ll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia’s most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendour beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick’s formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should-and should-not-marry.

Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider’s look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

I love how the author introduces Singapore in the book and also the obsessions towards the food, especially the Hawker food which had me salivating all the through reading the book. The book is also full of the Malay slang, the Cantonese and Hokkien dialects that are sometimes funny. What I don’t like about the book is that the ending of the story. Many things were left unresolved. Perhaps there’s going to be a 2^nd volume, Crazier Rich Asians? I still highly recommend this book despite the fact about the loose ends in the ending.

Yunnan Trip (Part Eleven)

16/08/2013 (Day Seven)

We caught the night train from Lijiang to Kunming and reached Kunming early in the morning about 7am. Everyone was tired and slept through the whole journey. After we checked in to the hotel, we decided to take a stroll at the surroundings since our hotel is in the city.

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Kunming is called the City of Spring, perfect fine weather throughout the whole year without harsh winters and sweltering summers.

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We visited the home of the famous Chinese musician, Nie Er.

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Went to Cuihu for a walk after having our dinner. It was drizzling and it was cold at that time.

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