The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 19 Aug 2011 02:15 AM PDT Here's a chance to gain some good karma while having fun yourself. WE don't often get the chance to do good for others while we're doing ourselves some good, too. But Popular Bookstore's BookFest@Malaysia has been offering bookworms the chance to do just that for the last two years by raising funds for charity during the annual event. This year's fest, which runs from Aug 27 to Sept 4 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, will launch the One Care, One Hope charity campaign. Among the campaign's beneficiaries are the Hope Education Foundation and Yayasan Sin Che's Qing Ping Le Old Folks Home. The Hope Education Foundation is involved with helping the ones at the other end of the age scale: children. The organisation, also known as "Little Yellow Flower", was established in 2006 by four celebrity "Hope Ambassadors": Malaysian actor Lee Sinje and Hong Kong actors Gigi Leung, Valen Hsu and Charlie Young. The four women wanted to do something for children, as they strongly believe that, along with providing love and support, children should have the opportunity to discover and nurture their natural talents. With a proper education, kids can learn to use their life skills in building the best possible future for themselves. And so the Hope Education Foundation was born (hope-ef.org/eng). While the foundation began in Hong Kong, it spread its wings to Malaysia with the "Ice-Cream 4U" charity concert in Kuala Lumpur in 2009 that was a joint effort with Malaysian artistes. The four talented women also turned their hands to writing and produced a series of bilingual (English and Mandarin) picture books about Little Yellow Flower. Through her, they aim to encourage children to see the positive side of life. Lee will be at the BookFest at 4pm on Aug 27 (at the main stage, Hall 1) to share her book, The Rosy Bag of Little Yellow Flower, with fans and sign autographs. Proceeds from the sale of the book will support the One Care, One Hope campaign. Also making an eagerly-awaited appearance at the event is renowned Taiwanese writer/illustrator Jimmy Liao; he'll be appearing at 7pm on Aug 31 at the main stage in Hall 1 to share his books and sign autographs. His beautifully illustrated books have been named Taiwan's best children's books as well as the most influential titles by the country's major newspapers and they have been translated into several languages. He has created a design for a tote bag, the "Joyful Dove" (left), and, as with Lee's book, part proceeds from the sale of these lovely bags – as well as the BookFest@Malaysia tote bag– will support the One Care, One Hope campaign. Go on, mark the dates in your calendar – it's a great chance to feed your inner bookworm as well as heart by doing some good in the world! Star Publications (M) Bhd is the BookFest@Malaysia 2011 media partner. – Malini Dias > BookFest@Malaysia 2011 will be held from Aug 27 to Sept 4 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 10am-10pm daily. Admission to the event is with purchase of the BookFest catalogue (which comes with an extra edition for the Lifestyle Pavilion this year) for RM2.50 per entry or RM10 for multiple entries over the nine days. They are available at all Popular and Harris bookstore outlets now or at the BookFest entrance. Entrance is free for students 18 years old and below and for senior citizens aged 60 and above. For more information, visit bookfestmalaysia.com. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Posted: 19 Aug 2011 02:07 AM PDT To paraphrase the author's moving words, 'This love, it is a thing worth perusing with all your heart.' Fuel THE title seemed simple, mundane, boring even: just Fuel. But when I started reading author Jeremy Chin's debut novel one cold Saturday evening, I only stopped at 3am, and then only because I had urgent matters to attend to later that morning for which I had to be alert. Needless to say, I got back as soon as possible to devour the remaining pages, as I wanted to know what happened to the protagonist Timothy Malcolm Smith. And as I turned the last page, I was left with a maelstrom of emotions within me. The story revolves around Timothy (aka Timmy), who has long had the dream of running the New York marathon and winning it in his first attempt. The mechanics and science of marathon running that was intertwined with the plot is ample evidence that Chin researched his book well. Scattered thought the book are interesting nuggets on words we may not be familiar with. Among them are ankhura, which means "East meets West" in Sanskrit, and yichalal, which means "nothing is impossible" in Amharic. Without giving away much more of the plot lest I be accused of spoiling your reading experience, suffice it to say that Timmy finds a new dream in his life and then finds himself torn, as chasing his long-held dream may mean letting go of his new dream. I don't normally read with pen in hand, especially fiction. But within half an hour of beginning this book, I had to start over again as I was moved to underline passages of simply beautiful writing. What caught my attention from the start is how Chin is able to put into words how most of us feel when we're in love but are unable to elucidate on that love. The book struck a chord with me as the pages flew by. A thought occurred to me as I was halfway through the book: what I was holding was more than just a book to the author – it was a labour of love. It is a window into his heart. I feel it is impossible to write such words if you don't truly mean them. And to top it all, I felt my eyes become moist as I journeyed with Timmy towards the end of his chase. The book continues to resonate in my consciousness despite it being almost a month since I finished it. And I keep a copy of it in my bag just because, at times, reading some of the passages I had highlighted reminds me of how our dreams can make this temporary and fragile life of ours worth living. More importantly, the book reminds me that every moment, each day and every person in our lives is a gift. And when we choose to embrace such gifts, our lives can become perfect. I was so moved that I found the author online and e-mailed him. Allow me to share parts of Chin's response: "I think I cried on more than 50 occasions while writing this book, quite often in public places, at the cafés I used to sit in to write. I too had once lost someone very dear to me, and it was from that experience that this line in Fuel was born: 'I would not trade this pain. Not trade it for a second of the time I got to spend with her.' "These memories ... precious little gems they are. And they are the greatest proof that there is no force greater than that which exists between two people who are in love. This thing, it is a thing worth pursuing with all your heart." Tell me, how could you not be tempted in the slightest to read this book after all that? If you need further convincing, you can find a few chapters of the book at Chin's website, justjezza.com. And if you are finally convinced to read it, you can find the book on sale at most major bookstores. Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| Flashes of brilliance from the comics scene Posted: 19 Aug 2011 02:02 AM PDT Flashpoint #1-4 of 5 (DC/US$3.99) Resistance is futile! In less than a month, the DC Universe will be rebooted with 52 new titles flooding the shelves. While I have kept my excitement in check (by thinking of the hole in my wallet!), my fingers are also crossed that this whole restructuring exercise will not be an excuse to cater to the new "box-office generation" recruits. Let's hope the stories will not be diluted and that the rich history of the characters retained. After the pre-and-post Crisis (On Infinite Earths) events, I have witnessed three Justice League revamps and the Flash-mantle being passed about like a game of musical chairs. While the ride was fun and memorable, these absorbing storylines were also done with respect for history and continuity. I hope that next month's revamps carry the same sort of effect. As we brace ourselves (and credit cards), the first wave has already taken place in the guise of Flashpoint, DC's remodelling of the Flash Universe or to be precise Barry Allen's life. For most of us, Wally West is the Flash, at least for the last 25 years. Getting ourselves acquainted with another person in that scarlet jumpsuit would certainly take some getting used to as evident by Bart Allen's quick demise (Flash (vol.3) #12). Theoretically, Barry being the original Silver Age Flash should have no problems reclaiming the Flash mantle, but the truth is that Wally has "accelerated" the character beyond the Speed Force. Yes, Barry needs to speed up his learning curve. Since his reinstatement (in Flash Rebirth), Barry's been picking up the pieces of his "old life" – same old job but surrounded by new colleagues. Unlike the Wally-days where the Flash's adventures were fully occupied – be it by rogues, Linda or the JLA – I feel that the last year of the Barry-Flash adventures have been rather two-dimensional. Despite Geoff Johns' presence, Barry has not regained the stature associated with the character. Here's where I feel that Flashpoint's motive is to rebuild Barry's heroism in the eyes of a whole new generation. Premised on an alternate timeline caused by the Reverse Flash, Flashpoint is Barry's biggest nightmare. Trapped in a world where he is powerless and Iris is not his wife, Barry's only consolation is that his mum is alive and "spared" by the Reverse Flash. However, the Cyborg is this timeline's top cop, Citizen (not Captain) Cold becomes Central City's role model, the Justice League does not exist, the Atlanteans and Amazons invade Europe, and Thomas Wayne becomes the Batman! Obviously such major changes do not escape the attention of the others (besides Barry), with Bart and Booster Gold aware of the Reverse Flash's actions. Frustration is the key emotion plaguing the plot as Barry faces an uphill task in undoing the Reverse Flash's acts as well as garnering support. Time for the usual "rise from the ashes" trick to come into play – as evident by Barry's persistence in regaining his powers. Barry gains Thomas' trust and assistance by convincing him that in the "real" world, Bruce is alive and is Batman. Together, they re-enact a similar experimental setting that granted Barry his powers. The first attempt left Barry almost charred. Eventually lightning does strike twice ... and with the desired results. Regaining his powers is only the beginning as Barry now has to complete a host of challenges (unite the different heroic factions, save Superman, stop the Atlanteans and Amazons) en route to the inevitable showdown with the Reverse Flash! For added suspense, the clock is ticking fast as the Reverse Flash's changes become permanently entrenched in this new timeline. Any Flash-Reverse Flash saga is a major attraction and the Elseworld-inspired setting here further fuels their yin yang status. However, having followed all of Geoff's Flash runs, I find this plot identical to his debut Lightning In A Bottle (Flash (vol.2) #164) story – which had Wally trapped in a reality where the Flash was persona non grata. A case of reusing the same winning formula? Also I would have preferred Ethan Van Sciver's art work but Andy Kubert's pencils certainly proved me wrong. He perfectly portrays the dark and futuristic feel expected of this plot. Additionally, Kubert's remodelling of Barry's scarlet costume and Thomas' Batman duds look so good that I ordered the action figures. With one issue to go before the reboot, things are in motion for a big bang! The Punisher #1 (Marvel/US$3.99) Not all Punisher revamps are the same, as evident by this "thinking man" incarnation of Frank Castle. Unlike the past two MAX versions, Greg Rucka adopts a sinister approach towards redefining Castle. The premise is on a wedding gatecrashing theme involving some Marines. You can expect the Punisher to avenge the deceased ... the only difference here is that Rucka injects shades of Se7en and his Gotham Central stint to make this a memorable debut. Art-wise, Marco Checchetto is definitely a name to watch out for as he delivers an outstanding Castle. The Infinite #1 (Image/US$3.99) For me, Liefeld's name will forever be etched in comic's Hall of Fame for co-creating Cable and Deadpool. And after The Infinite, my perception remains unchanged. Despite having a strong writer in Robert Kirkman, the artwork here is shoddy and I doubt this project would elevate Liefeld back to his New Mutants/X-Force glory days. The plot revolves around a portable time machine. A Cable-esque character named Bowen goes back in time to recruit himself (!) for a battle against an evil dictator. Along the lines of John Connor Vs The Emperor, this has to be one of those KIV scripts that Kirkman has been experimenting with ... during his Walking Dead off days. Comic shop newsTHE Singapore Toys, Games & Comics Convention 2011, the biggest comic book event in this part of the world, is back. For two days – Aug 20-21 – you can meet mainstream and Asian talents such as Harvey Tolibao (Silver Surfer) and Carlo Pagulayan (Planet Hulk) at Suntec Singapore, the sprawling self-contained, totally integrated events infrastructure venue. Aspiring artists can also present their portfolios to Marvel's international talent scout C.B. Cebulski. For more information, visit www.singaporetgcc.com. > Comics courtesy of Earth 638, No.31J-2, Kelana Mall, Jalan SS 6/12, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Hotline: 03-7804 8380. E-mail: earth638@yahoo.com. 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