Thursday 31 July 2008

reading.update

My Bump and Me: From Morning Sickness to Motherhood – An Honest Diary of My Pregnancy by Myleene Klass


Right. Before anyone gets any idea, I am not pregnant whatsoever. So don’t you dare start!

I actually read this book quite a few months back, and enjoyed reading it thoroughly, but it took me a while to decide whether or not to blog it.

Anyways, the only reason I picked up this book from the library (this is where I get my supply of books) was because Myleene Klass was on the cover and she wrote the book.

Myleene Klass, in both our (TOH and my) opinion, is hot. And I was curious of her experience. And my favourite reading genre is life experiences (biography, autobiography, etc).

Anywaaays, this book is written with a lot of down-to-earth-ness, none of those I’m-a-celebrity-I’m-writing-this-book-to-cash-in attitude. After all, it is Myleene’s pregnancy diary.

I suppose unless you are some kind of a snob making up stories as you go, you would write your diary as honest as it is. The book details Myleene’s experience and emotions being pregnant. It is very informative - diagrams, explanations, recommendations, and a man’s input as well, in the form of her partner.

Interesting accounts on what expectant mothers can do or go through. The diary is not a medical guide, as it is a diary, like duh.

Great read (and gift) for first time mothers and very addictive to read.


*****

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden


A good novel is something that you don’t want to put down, even when your eyes are heavy and you are waaaaaaay past your bed time.

Memoirs of a Geisha is one of those books. And reading this book back to back with My Bump and Me deprived me of sleep.

I enjoyed reading Memoirs. The first night, I read the first two chapters - 'Translator’s Note’ and ‘Chapter One’. After that I had a quick flipped before going to bed.

However, in the last chapter or ‘Acknowledgements’ it says that 'Although the character of Sayuri and her story are completely invented...', I was like, ‘wait a minute, what is this?’ made me even more curious of this book.

It has been very enjoyable reading Memoirs of a Geisha. I resisted watching the movie until I read the book.

I suppose unknown to many, a lot of people believe that Memoirs of a Geisha is a true memoir.

Actually, it is not. If you have a check on the cover of the book it says ‘fiction’.

Yes, there was the lawsuit, there was the book countering this novel. But why can't a book be a book or a story be a story? It is not the X-Files, where the 'Truth is Out There'.

And honestly, how many things out there are true anyways?!

Reading this book, made me realised how much effort and research Golden has put into writing this piece of work. Whether or not each of the details is true and authentic, Golden’s effort must be commendable.

After all, it is a fictitious piece anyways.


*****

Whatever Makes You Happy by William Sutcliffe


The catchphrase for the book: Three Men, Three Mothers... One Week.

Whatever Makes You Happy is a story of three mother’s love for their thirty something unattached sons. The ladies, three close friends, decide to launch a co-ordinated attack: they will arrive, without warning, and stay with their sons for one week; to find out more about their son’s lives.

Reading this book, I realised how much things a parent can do for their children, especially going out of their comfort zone and being confrontational, etc. Add on a recent conversation I had with GB, it is interesting to know what parent(s) will do for their children.

A lot of times we wonder why parents do what parents do.

A lot of times we never know why because they never tell us. Likewise, a lot of things we do that we never tell our parents or explain why.

A lot of times parents tell others but not their own children.

A lot of things we will never understand until we become a parent ourselves.

I suppose like anything, if we resist accepting and continue to fight without understanding, we will continue to be upset, disappointed and even be miserable. Often we want others to accept us for who we are but have we ever thought of, are we accepting others for who they are or even try to understand?

Whatever Makes You Happy is one of those easy to read novels. It is funny, had a good mix of characters and relationships, and interestingly written very well by a man.

1 comment:

Bubbles said...

Will check out "My bump and me". I'm not pregnant either but since I'm getting married soon and I'm not totally dismissing kids, I've been buying a lot of books about pregnancy. Need to be mentally and emotionally prepared for it. Don't think we'll ever be physically ready for the purple veins, swelling of breasts or the belly button sticking out. Urgh. But like all mothers say, don't think about it, just do it.