724#Love Note ~ Spring Cleaning My Room

Bila dah kerja ni nak betul-betul fokus kemas bilik pun susah. Asalkan kemas aje cukup tapi dah lama Hana betul-betul nak bersihkan bilik. Sebab Hana cuti hari Jumaat aje jadi memang kena buat hari ni juga. So today before I went to the toilet untuk bersihkan diri sebelum solat Subuh, awal awal lagi Hana ambil satu kerusi kat ruang tamu. Maklumlah saya ni budak tak cukup tinggi, memang kena ada kerusi kalau nak capai apa apa benda kat atas tu. After Subuh Hana terus mulakan operasi.

I took down all the books on my wall shelf because I wanted to dust off the shelf, including my other book shelves on the floor. Nak susun balik buku-buku tu juga. Sebelum lap mana mana yang perlu dilap, Hana ambil semua perhiasan atas rak-rak buku dan letak atas katil. Terkejut abah bila mari jenguk hahaha ingatkan anak dia ni nak memberontak apa bilik macam tongkang pecah masa tu.

Ada lagi yang bersepah atas katil :p

I started with dusting off the wall shelf, bagi habuk habuk turun bawah dulu. Lepas tu lap pula dua rak kat bawah. Barulah boleh susun balik semua buku tu. Siap aje dengan book shelves, Hana kemaskan dua wall shelf kat atas katil dan dekat cermin juga. Lepas tu tanggalkan kipas meja. My room doesn't have a ceiling fan, memang macam tu since duduk rumah ni 14 years ago. Sebab duduk asrama je, so I didn't even think to install a ceiling fan. Tapi memang nak kena pasang dah sebab dah habis belajar kan. Bila sempat bolehlah cari tukang. Abah pun sibuk aje sekarang ni. Tunggu cuti sekolah kot.

Adalah beza sikit daripada sebelum ni

I think I have more space for new books ;)

 Baru aje lekat guna salotape. Abah tak tengok lagi so telinga selamat daripada bebelan (for now)

Did I tell you I've started loving skincare routine?

Macam para aje tempat Hana letak skincare products ni. Abah beli satu set wall shelves yang lain lain panjangnya. Yang paling pendek abah lekat kat bawah cermin. Kat bilik Hana tak ada pun meja solek. Jimatlah juga space guna wall shelf ni.

A cute cup to place my lip balms, lipstick and roll on perfumes

Simpan cotton pad dalam bekas cantik ni ;)

Asalnya nak beli kotak comel from Mr. DIY but I think I'd just settle with this

Ada certain books yang ada hidden dust, rasa tak smooth aje cover buku tu jadi Hana guna Garnier Micellar Water nak remove the dust. Memang menjadi hahaha so now micellar water has extra benefits for me.

Till then.

Wassalam.

723#Love Note ~ Bertemu Penulis Noor Suraya

Minggu yang agak sibuk. Sibuk dengan kerja dan menulis. Hana tengah tulis cerita baru harap-harap dapat siapkan dalam masa yang terdekat. Dah lama tak tulis cerita penuh macam novel. Biasanya tulis kisah pendek aje. Bertemakan thriller, sains dan cinta. Tak sabar rasanya nak share kat Wattpad. Alhamdulillah sehari boleh siapkan satu bab even sibuk dengan kerja. Sekarang dah masuk Bab 6. Doakan Hana ya :)

Pagi Jumaat tadi, Hana ajak abah ke Pesta Buku Pantai Timur & Karnival Jualan 2017 kat Balai Islam Lundang, Kota Bharu. Dah lama tak ke sini. Last time zaman sekolah dulu. Biasanya pesta buku kat Kelantan akan diadakan di Balai Islam Lundang atau Dewan Jubli Perak.

Tak terfikir pun nak ke pesta buku ini. Tapi sebab nampak Kak Su post kat Facebook katanya beliau akan ada di sana, Hana terus ajak abah. Penulis bernama Noor Suraya atau lebih mesra dengan panggilan Kak Su ini adalah antara penulis kegemaran Hana. Kisah-kisahnya dekat dengan masyarakat. Bahasanya juga puitis tapi bukannya yang macam jiwang melampau tu. Selalu ada pantun dan kata-kata yang menarik dan boleh jadi inspirasi dan motivasi dalam buku-buku Kak Su.

Bila bertemu empat mata dengan Kak Su, rasa seperti bertemu empunya suara bila baca buku-buku beliau. Setiap buku yang Hana baca ada gaya suaranya dalam fikiran tapi kalau baca buku Kak Su, kebanyakan naratif dan perbualan watak Hana bayangkan dengan suara yang lembut, kena dengan penulisan Kak Su :)

With Kak Su and Kak Yah :)

I haven't read all of her books yet. Rasanya pertama kali baca kisah pendek dalam Gurindam Jiwa atau Pelangi. Lepas tu baca novel Jaja & Din pula. Terpaut hati dengan penulisan Kak Su. Hana ada Gadisku, Wan Adnin dengan Kekasih Waktu aje. Yang lain tu baca buku kawan. I bought Pelangi, lepas tu minta sign Kak Su juga ;)

I was giddy with excitement actually despite the calmed face :p

Kak Yah (Mariah Mustapha) ada sekali. Selalu juga Hana komen kat status mereka. Kedua-duanya baik dan ramah. Tak sangka dapat juga jumpa Kak Su dan Kak Yah hehe padahal ofis Jemari Seni kat Kajang aje, dekat dengan tempat Hana study dulu. Memang selalu lalu tapi tak sempat singgah pun. Tak sangka mereka ingat juga Hana walaupun tak adalah kerap sangat komen kat status mereka, bila sempat aje :)

I only bought Pelangi and One Minute to Midnight. Dah baca Pelangi tapi sebab pinjam kawan, kena beli juga sebab Hana suka ketiga-tiga kisah dalam Pelangi. One Minute to Midnight pula memang dah ada dalam wishlist. Kak Su beri buku nota Dewi lepas sign buku-buku Hana. Lepas bergambar tu Kak Su beri satu lagi pada Neesa. Memang Neesa buat lukis-lukis lah hehe.

Kekasih Waktu membawa Hana ke Kashmir yang indah. Daripada penulisan Kak Su, Hana rasa macam memang betul-betul ada di sana. Teringin nak ke Kashmir, kalau tengok kat Google atau filem memang cantik sangat tempatnya! Kisah ini sedih, tak sangka endingnya macam tu. Tapi banyak pengajaran dalam Kekasih Waktu. Bertemakan kasih sayang dan kekeluargaan.

Selain Kak Su, penulis Hlovate dan Syud juga penulis kegemaran Hana. Rindukan karya Hlovate yang baru. Buku terbaru Syud pula Hana tak baca lagi. Tadi nampak kat bahagian buku-buku Jemari Seni, tapi bajet tak cukup sebab beli buku Neesa yang banyak. Takpelah, lain kali boleh beli lagi.

Gadisku, Wan Adnin adalah sebuah naskah yang agak nipis. Kisah ini berlatarkan negeri jelapang padi, Kedah. Ada review di SINI. Geram betul dengan Tok Bonda yang berkeras nak jodohkan Adnin dengan lelaki berdarah biru sedangkan semua insan sama sahaja di sisi Dia. Alhamdulillah. Pengakhiran yang tidak mengecewakan. Banyak pengajarannya dalam buku ini.

Banyak juga buku-buku yang Neesa pilih. Buku-buku latihan Tahun 3, novel pendek Ana Muslim dan komik Shootz! Komik Ana Muslim tu percuma dapat kat kaunter bayaran.

Happy sangat dapat jumpa Kak Su dan Kak Yah tadi. Insya-Allah kalau ada jodoh kita akan bertemu lagi :)

Till then.

Wassalam.

716#Love Note ~ [Book Review] Anna and the The Swallow Man

I took almost two months without reading any books because I wanted to catch up on some Korean dramas, movies and new anime. Anna and the Swallow Man is my first book in September 2017 and I enjoyed it so much. I bought this book during my trip to Kuala Lumpur early August. It costed me RM10 since I bought it from SunMag at eCurve. SunMag is one of my favourite used bookstores.

Anna and the Swallow Man tells the story of a 7 year old girl during the beginning of World War II. It's been ages since my last read which centered around any war. Unlike The Storyteller which centers around World War II and The Girl You Left Behind which focuses on World War I, Anna and the Swallow Man didn't depress me with the war context. 

Title: Anna and the Swallow Man
Writer: Gavriel Savit
Published by: Bodley Head
Pages: 240

Anna and the Swallow Man is a stunning, literary, and wholly original debut novel that tells a new WW2 story. Kraków, 1939, is no place to grow up. There are a million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. And Anna Lania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father and suddenly, she’s alone. Then she meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall. And like Anna's missing father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous . . . 

This story starts when Anna Lania being left by his father to one of his friends. Anna's father is a professor and speaks several languages effortlessly, which Anna learns too. Little does Anna know that her father has been escorted to a concentration camp which involves a group of academicians. Professor Lania leaves Anna to Herr Doktor Fuschmann, a German man who owns a pharmacy in their city. The pharmacist refuses to bring Anna to his home and ushers her out when she comes again after spending a night without her father. I believe his new behaviour is due to some German soldiers in the city. Even though Anna's origin isn't being told specifically, I believe she is a Jew. Being around even a Jew would lead to a disaster during the time.

 Anna meets a thin man outside of Herr Doktor Puschmann's pharmacy. She is enticed by the strange vibe emitting from the thin man. When the thin man speaks Bird and a swallow flies down from the sky and the thin man shows Anna the swallow to reduce her sadness, Anna knows she would follow wherever the man would go. The thin man speaks many languages like his father, and he even speaks Bird. 

So, their journey begins.

Anna's childlike innocence isn't being robbed away during the midst of the war. The Swallow Man (he doesn't tell Anna his real name with reasons a name would make him to be found) protects Anna with his own methods. The Swallow Man is an interesting character. He knows how to answers Anna's questions with great analogies and tells her what he would deem important. The Swallow Man seems like he knows all the secrets of the universes. His identity remains a mystery even though there's a bit of revelation at the end of the book. I won't spoil the details here.

“I know it's not good for a girl to be without a father these days. But is it any better for a father to be without a daughter?”

“A river goes wherever the riverbank does. It never had to ask which way, but only flows along. Yes?”

This book is so poetic. I think it has the least dialogues among all the books I've read but the narration is simple due to Anna's childlike mind.

The ending leaves me hanging. If it is possible, I want the author to write the sequel and from's The Swallow Man's point of view. I really hope to know what happens next to Anna, the Swallow Man and their new journeys. However, I believe to stay alive during a war is not an easy task. They are alive yet the journey is still continued to a new future, a future we wouldn't know.

“Men who try to understand the world without the help of children are like men who try to bake bread without the help of yeast.”

“The practice of lying is concerned with attempting to overlay a thin paper substitute atop the world that exists in order that it seems to suit your purposes. But the Swallow Man didn't need the world to suit him. He could make himself suit whatever world it pleased him to agree existed.”

So, my rate is...

Till then.

Wassalam.    

712#Love Note ~ Would You Rather Book Tag

I read Would You Rather Book Tag on Kak Sha's blog. Macam tertarik pula nak buat book tag ni, boleh buat new post for my blog. Kalau ada sesiapa yang teringin nak buat, buat aje. It's free to anyone so I guess I want to leave it without tagging it to anyone. So here it goes ;)

My precious. Abah ordered this custom made book shelf before I finished my study to accommodate all the books I've bought during my 4 years in Kajang. Since my room is quite small, having a wall shelf is a bliss. Thank you abah :)

1. Read only trilogies or standalone?

I'd prefer standalone actually. But I read trilogies too hahaha it's hard to decide. Kalau boleh trilogi aje sebab kalau dah lebih 4 buku in a series, I won't read it unless the books are separated from the main plot. Contohnya, ACOTAR trilogy. There's gonna be a new book (actually, more books) but it won't center on the original plot and would focus on supporting characters in the previous books. Jadi, buku tu tak adalah panjang berjela. 

2. Read only female or male authors?

Both. I don't mind as long as the books are good.

3. Shop at Barnes & Nobles or Amazon?

Maybe I'll try Amazon but Barnes & Nobles is a heaven! I watched a video about B&N and it looked so tempting.

As for now, I'd shop from Bookalicious or find preloved books from Carousell or Instagram. Sometimes I'd buy new books from Popular too. 

4. All books become movies or TV shows?

Movies. Because I can't stand TV shows with many seasons. But please stay true to the books. The movie adaptation could be made into four or five parts, I don't mind. 

5. Read 5 pages per day or 5 books per week?

Read 5 pages per day. I don't enjoy speed reading. But usually, I'd finish a chapter of two within a day, or more if the chapters are short.

6. Be a professional reviewer or author?

Author. I love writing since I was a child.

7. Only read your top 20 favourite books over and over again or always read new ones that you haven't read before?

Both. I have my fair share of favourite books which I'd indulge whenever I'm in a book slump. Usually, The Girl Who Chased the Moon is my number one book.

8. Be a librarian or a book seller?

Book seller. Who knows if I could make a bookstore cum bakery?

9. Only read your favourite genre or every genre except your favourite?

I enjoy anything but I'd avoid horror and LGBT books if possible. But I could tolerate minor references of them.

10. Only read physical or e-books?

So far, I only read physical. Reading e-books is convenient but my eyes won't agree with me. And I'm the type to arrange and see my books on the shelves. So, e-books isn't really an option unless I'm so desperate to read the book but I can't get the physical one.

Done! I enjoy every questions. Ada sesiapa nak buat soalan book tag yang lain? I'd love to answer it ;)

Till then.

Wassalam.

709#Love Note ~ [Review Buku] Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell

Kali ni Hana nak share satu kisah cinta yang epik. Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell bukan sekadar berlatarkan masa sekarang, tapi ada kisah tersimpan yang terjadi pada tahun 1911. Kisah yang membawa kepada pertemuan Laura dengan Dean untuk membongkar kisah moyang mereka.

Naskah terbitan Prolog Media ini tidak bertemakan urban fantasy seperti Nadi dan Mesej. This is just a love story. Apa yang lain dan menariknya terletak pada naskah milik Laura Isabell menceritakan kisah cintanya dengan Megat Alam dan pencarian jalan hidup tanpa berkiblatkan manusia dan harta. 

Tajuk: Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell
Penulis: Anna Lee
Terbitan: Prolog Media
Muka surat: 292

Cinta itu anugerah. Sudah tertulis sebelum roh ditiup bahawa dia akan menjadi milik kita.

1911

Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell telah menimbulkan tanda tanya kepada pewarisnya. Catatan kisah cinta yang menyentuh hati itu telah membuatkan setiap pewarisnya berkelana ingin mencari kesudahan kisah tersebut.

2008

Dean, waris terakhir yang diwasiatkan memikul amanah itu. Namun, amanah yang dipikul datang bersama sebuah tanggungjawab yang berat.

Laura Isabell. Sepasang nama yang sering membuatkan diri si gadis Melayu jati itu disalah faham. Namun dia tidak menyangka, ada rahsia yang tersimpan berabad lamanya di sebalik nama itu.

Mampukah Dean melaksanakan amanahnya? Dan apakah rahsia di sebalik nama Laura Isabell?

Segalanya bakal terungkai di dalam Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell... cinta yang merentasi batas waktu.

Laura Isabell yang tinggal pada tahun 2008 bertemu dengan Dean di Heathrow Aiport sebelum kembali ke Malaysia. Tanpa disangka mereka bertemu lagi di bumi Melaka. Dean dalam pencariannya mencari waris yang memegang amanah terakhir Laura Isabell. Membaca catatan wanita yang hidup pada awal tahun 1900 itu, Dean mengembara untuk menyelamatkan hidupnya. Ada perkara penting yang boleh dia lakukan dengan warisan itu.

Tetapi, di mana Megat Alam? Jika sudah meninggal, di manakah kuburnya?

In my opinion, Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell is a good story. Pada bahagian yang menceritakan kisah Laura Isabell dan Megat Alam pada tahun 1911, ianya diceritakan dengan baik. Latar masyarakat pada tahun itu dan penerimaan mereka terhadap orang asing.

Hana rasa kagum dan respect pada Megat Alam. I could vividly imagine how Megat Alam learned to navigate Captain William's ship, his passion to be on the sea and see the world. Walaupun Megat Alam mencintai wanita berlainan bangsa dan agama, his unfaltering faith to his religion and God weren't deemed as obstacles. Dia mengajar Laura Isabell tentang agama dan jalan hidupnya.

Kisah pasal karamnya kapal Titanic juga ada di dalam kisah ini. Jelas penulis banyak melakukan kajian sebelum menulis kisah hebat ini.

But, this book isn't Anna Lee's best work. I would opt for Mesej more. Malah Aku, Dia & Pinky Promise lebih hebat daripada buku ini. But I'm still satisfied with Naskah Terakhir Laura Isabell.

So, my rate is...

Till then.

Wassalam.

706#Love Note ~ [Review Buku] Mesej

Mesej bukanlah buku pertama Anna Lee yang Hana baca. I read her Aku, Dia & Pinky Promise as a start tapi tak sempat tulis review lagi. Dari awal baca Aku, Dia & Pinky Promise lagi I was hooked right from the start. Anna Lee is one of the author known for her good writing, brilliant plot twists and ideas that are not cliche. Jadi kepada sesiapa yang belum pernah baca buku beliau, Hana menyeru anda semua untuk memulakannya hahaha sorry ayat skema sikit.

So, I want to review this book yang buat Hana tak duduk diam habiskan buku tebal ni. Let's get started. 

Tajuk: Mesej
Penulis: Anna Lee
Penerbit: Prolog Media
Muka surat: 536

Hidup Aria huru-hara apabila rumah yang disewanya berhantu. Tetapi, benarkah rumah itu berhantu? Pertemuan Aria dan Jason sangat pelik. Tak tercapai dek akal manusia normal. Namun pertemuan itu telah membawa keduanya menjelajah dunia cinta yang luar biasa. Ada rahsia di sebalik MESEJ untuk anda bongkar. Berani?

Aria gadis urban kota metropolitan Kuala Lumpur yang terpaksa tinggalkan kondominium berlatarkan menara KLCC untuk berpindah ke sebuah apartment baharu. Itu pun sebab kawan-kawan serumah pakat pindah ke rumah lain. From the start, dia dah fikir dia dikacau hantu. Hantu Perancis pula tu! And then she meets Jason, well, not technically, dan mereka mula berkawan baik. Lepas tu muncul pula bos garang bernama Nik.

So, betul ke rumah tu berhantu? And siapa Jason dan Nik?

Mesej bertemakan time travel. Aria di Kuala Lumpur boleh berkenalan dengan Jason yang tinggal di Paris. Masa mereka turut berbeza. So macam mana boleh jadi? What's the connecting portal between them? And who is Nik?

Banyak perkara yang tak dijangka-jangka berlaku dalam Mesej. Bila Hana fikir mungkin macam ni apa yang jadi nanti, rupa-rupanya cik penulis pusing ke arah lain. Banyak plot twists yang langsung tak membosankan. Makin teruja nak baca adalah. Walaupun Mesej ni tebal, percayalah susah anda anda semua nak letak buku ni dan mulakan kerja lain.

What Jason has been going through made me feel sad. Tapi Dia tak akan uji kita tanpa kemampuannya. Jason's turning point is there tapi susahnya hati mahu beristiqamah dan fikir positif bila perkara yang tak dijangka berlaku.

Mesej is so far the best book from Anna Lee. Anna Lee dah keluarkan buku baharu berjudul Jika Aku. Itu kisah pasal mind reader pula. Buku tu masih selamat kat rak, entahlah bila sempat nak mula baca. Kalau korang minat The Lake House lakonan Keanu Reeves dan Sandra Bullock tu, silalah baca buku ni. Jangan risau, ini bukan karya ciplak. Both The Lake House and Mesej are different in terms of plots, cuma tema time travel aje sama. 

Jika anda berani, Mesej adalah untuk anda.

So, my rate is...    

Till then.

Wassalam.

703#Love Note ~ [Review Buku] Nadi

Dah lama tak review buku kat blog ni. Biasanya tulis review kat akaun Goodreads. Cepat dan mudah. But I want my blog to have book reviews too so hari ni nak share satu buku best daripada Prolog Media. I've read most of Prolog books tapi nak mula review buku ini dahulu ;)

Buku-buku terbitan Prolog Media memang best. Kalau nak cari yang rare, boleh cuba buku-buku mereka. Setakat ni Hana berpuas hati dengan yang Hana dah baca.

Tajuk: Nadi
Penulis: Pasha
Terbitan: Prolog Media
Muka surat: 288

Sinopsis:
~JIKA HARUS MEMILIH~
“Apa yang akan kau buat jika suatu hari ketika kau sedar dari tidur, segala yang normal selama ini bertukar menjadi sesuatu yang... luar biasa?”
Rutin hidup Jasmin tak ada bezanya dengan majoriti warga Kuala Lumpur yang lain. Bangun pagi-pergi kerja-balik kerja dan perkara yang sama diulang selagi Tuhan izinkan dia bernyawa. Namun, tanpa disangka perkenalan dia dengan seseorang telah mengubah rutinnya 180 darjah! Hidup yang selama ini biasa-biasa, tiba-tiba jadi luar biasa dan Jasmin suka!
Namun keseronokan itu tanpa sedar membawa dia ke dalam sebuah konflik yang melibatkan hidup dan matinya satu nyawa. Dan untuk kekal hidup, Jasmin harus memilih...
Nyawa dia... atau lelaki yang disayanginya!

To be honest, Nadi adalah naskah yang ringan tetapi ada kelainan sendiri. Jasmin adalah seorang gadis yang bisu tetapi kekurangan diri tak menjadi penghalang dia untuk hidup dengan gembira. Adam pula seorang lelaki yang kasar pada luarannya tetapi baik hati. Both of them are involved in an incident dan koma. Tapi, sebaik sahaja sedar they realise that they are not where they thought they would be. Kenapa tiba-tiba KL yang sibuk hanya nampak beberapa orang sahaja? Ke mana orang lain pergi? Ada alien datang tiba-tiba ke?

It took me almost 10 hours to finish it. Perjalanan cerita smooth aje. Tak lambat sangat atau cepat sangat. Setiap tanda tanya dijawab dengan baik. Penulis pandai susun jalan cerita and I was not bored at all while reading Nadi.

Isu buku ni lebih menjurus kepada peluang kedua. Second chance in living and you either making it useful or not. And then weaknesses. It taught me that weaknesses can be used as our strength instead of letting them drag us down.

Good job Pasha. Menanti buku yang seterusnya. So my rate is...

Till then.

Wassalam.

685#Love Note ~ 25 Things That Make Me Happy

Thank you Kim Chaa dan Budak Vanilla sebab tag Hana untuk game ni :) Sekarang baru menyempat nak buat. Seronok juga baca apa yang korang tulis tu hehe :)

Rules

• Create a new post and insert the theme picture above.
• List 25 things that make you happy most of the time, it could be in any language.
• Mention the blog(s) that have tagged you.
• Tag another five bloggers and make sure they know about this!
• You might share your favourite quotes of the weeks if you want it :)

Bolehlah kita mula sekarang :p Seronok juga dapat main game macam ni. Kalau rajin bacalah ya haha.

• My family
• My friends yang satu kepala suka buat drama tapi tak susahkan orang
• Jamer's presence in my life even sekejap :')
• Kacau adik bongsu
• My precious collection of books!
• Bila ada duit lebih untuk beli buku baru :p
• Duit banyak dalam bank account even tak selalu hahaha
• Dapat hadiah tak kira masa :p
• Ada geng nak borak pasal buku kegemaran
• Kelas tak ada waktu pagi boleh sambung tidur
• Balik rumah setiap kali cuti
• Jalan jalan cari makan 
• Tengok binatang atau apa apa benda yang comel 
• Tengok video kucing yang comel geramnya nak cubit pipi tu!
• Baca online manga
• Tengok anime
• Fangirling tengok drama Korea/Jepun lagi lagi dengan kawan kawan
• Dapat makanan free orang belanja :p
• Dark chocolate and cakes!
• Freshly cut apple dan jambu sedapnya!
• Internet yang laju!
• Bau roti dan pastri from a bakery
• Chatime!
• Daydreaming~
• Bila pergi kelas tak payah gosok tudung dan baju

Actually Hana tak tahu nak tag siapa. Sesiapa yang teringin nak buat tu buat ajelah ya :) Lepas tu bolehlah share ramai ramai :)

Till then.

Wassalam.

643#Love Note ~ Page 1 of 366

 
Selamat tahun baru! :)
Ada sesiapa tanam azam khas untuk tahun 2016 tak? As for me, I'd love to have better year than before for me and my family. Dan moga Allah mudahkan tahun FYP ni juga. Insya-Allah. Strive for the best!
I don't have any particular goal. Cuma harap dapat habiskan semua buku yang belum dibaca lagi. For Goodreads 2016 Challenge, I would go less. Maybe 20 books? Takut tak menyempat nak baca buku bila dah mula dengan FYP ni (T_T) Sebenarnya masih tak percaya I would be a FYP student padahal macam rasa baru aje masuk MESTECH ni.

Hasil buruan di BBW @MIECC yang lepas. I was happy sebab banyak sangat buku yang best even though my budget was so limited

Tahun ni memang target nak pergi BBW @MIECC tu dua kali. Alhamdulillah tercapai haha. I went the morning of the opening on Dec 4th and some days later at night. Thanks to my friend who accompanied me there. You're the best!

I bought some titles that I've been eyeing so far. Tapi memang rasa nak menjerit aje masuk MIECC punya dewan tu, serius banyak sangat buku yang best! Tahun ni banyak new titles kalau nak banding dengan tahun-tahun lepas. Nampaknya untuk BBW tahun 2016 ni memang kena awal-awal lagi buat tabung khas untuk BBW ;)

My Year 2015 in Books ;)

So last year I managed to achieve my goal of 30 books despite being a busy year. Tapi rasanya memang tak akan set lebih daripada 30 buku sebab tak mahu semata-mata kejar nak habiskan book challenge ni, the quality of reading would be less. Tak apa, number of books you have read doesn't determine your knowledge. It's the way you savour and use the knowledge.
May Allah ease our coming days.
Till then. Wassalam.

note: I have three more papers left. Biostatistics, Urinalysis and Healthcare Management. Doakan :)

638#Love Note ~ [Book Review] Another Way to Fall

 

Dah tiga minggu menghilang. Syok sangat dapat cuti sem sampai lupa terus kat blog :p

Alhamdulillah. Berjaya juga masuk Sem 4 dengan jayanya.

Hana update ni pun sebab nak review buku yang Hana baca lepas habis final exam hari tu. Rasanya blog ni dah boleh jadi blog untuk review buku kot. Kalau tak, tak tahulah nak kongsi apa sangat kat blog ni. Nak delete, cam sayanglah pulak. Dah wujud hampir lima tahun dah.

Kali ni Hana nak review buku RM8 beli kat Big Bad Wolf akhir tahun lepas. Dah lama usha buku ni kat DeBook Room sebab kat situ RM20 je, adalah beza RM15 camtu kalau beli kat main bookstore. Tapi alang alang BBW jual RM8 aje, baik beli kat situ. Kan?

Berjimat cermat orang kata.

Rating: 4.5/5

What would you do if you could write the story of your life?

After battling a brain tumour twenty-nine year old Emma thinks she is in the clear, but her world comes crashing down around her when she is told her fight was in vain, and there is nothing more the doctors can do.

Realising that she won’t now have time to achieve the things she dreamed of, Emma decides to write her perfect life in a story. She imagines all the things she would have done, the places she would have seen, the husband she would have shared her life with and the family they would have raised. And, mysteriously, as she writes her story, she starts to notice that some of her dreams seem to be coming true.

Now with a real love in her life, and her fading hope burning brighter, reality and fiction start to become blurred. As she writes their life-long love story Emma dares to believe that anything is possible, but can she really change her fate?

Baca buku ni buat Hana teringat kat Me Before You. A tear-jerking story yet uplifting. 

I adore Emma. Walaupun dia tahu kanser otak dia dah tak boleh diselamatkan, dia cuba untuk create her own happy endings even pada mulanya, Emma tak boleh nak terima. Masa depannya cerah sebelum dia disahkan menghidap kanser beberapa tahun dulu. Punya kerjaya yang dianggap hebat untuk gadis muda sepertinya. Tapi kanser penyebab dia terpaksa lupakan impian dia selama ini.

Emma cuba untuk tulis kisahnya, daripada perspektif yang berbeza. Bagaimana kalau dia bebas daripada kanser? Bagaimana kalau dia berjaya dapatkan kembali kerjaya dia? Bagaimana kalau dia jatuh cinta, berkahwin dan ada anak? Bagaimana kalau dia dapat hidup bahagia hingga akhir hayat dengan suaminya?

Itulah apa yang Emma ciptakan untuk dirinya sendiri.

Ibu Emma dan adik Emma sangat supportive walaupun kadang-kadang rasa macam menyampah dengan ibu Emma. Pushover walaupun Emma dah letih dengan segala macam rawatan. But I could relate to her. Yalah, ibu mana tak sayang anak. Tentu selagi boleh, nak usahakan yang terbaik untuk si anak.

Ayah Emma? I hate him for being a father. Walaupun dah tahu anak sulungnya sakit kanser, tak pernah datang melawat. Cuma hantar kad ucapan semoga cepat sembuh aje. Terus menghilang daripada hidup Emma. But good for him, akhirnya sedar dan berubah. Cuba untuk jadi bapa yang sentiasa ada dalam hidup anak-anaknya, Emma's half-siblings.

A good read. Will make you wonder about your life.

Till then.

Wassalam.

631#Ai no Kotoba ~ iM4U + Red Readerhood @BigBadWolf2014

Ini cerita lama. Cerita 13 Disember yang lepas.
iM4U ada anjurkan sesi volunteer kat Big Bad Wolf 2014. Jadi volunteer angkat barang, tolong customer dan macam macam lagilah. Ada dua pilihan tarikh dan dua sesi untuk setiap pilihan tarikh tu. Tarikh 6 - 7 Disember pukul 10 am - 3 pm atau 3 pm - 8 pm (lupa masa untuk sesi petang sebenarnya) dan tarikh 13 - 14 Disember dengan sesi pagi atau sesi petang.
Hana pilih sesi pagi untuk 13 - 14 Disember tu. Asalnya nak pergi dengan kawan kawan lain, tapi sebab ada yang kena tukar plan, mereka tukar tarikh 6 - 7 Disember, Hana stick ngan tarikh 13 - 14 Disember tu. Alang alang dah sorang camni, ajaklah kawan Hana si Dyana untuk join jugak. Dyana pun kaki buku juga. Kitorang selalu tukar tukar buku ;)
Pagi 13 Disember tu, Hana dan Dyana dapat bahagian kat Red Readerhood Section. Section ni untuk charity. Orang beli buku, the brand new ones, then buku tu masuk dalam kotak untuk didermakan ke orphanages/primary schools. Harga buku serendah RM2, semuanya buku-buku baharu.
Kerja kitorang tak berat pun kat situ. Berdiri kat kaunter buku dan setiap kali ada orang lalu lalang, kita cakap 'Books for Charity!' macam pekerja kat Sushi King sebut 'Irashaimase!' untuk sambut pelanggan tu. 

Yakini merah jambu. Free T-shirt for volunteers.
Memang pengalaman yang cukup berharga. Masa tu lah kita sedar yang sesetengah orang kita ni macam mana. Ada yang lalu buat donno aje, ada yang singgah sambil tengok buku untuk dipilih, ada yang bertanya pasal section tu.
Hana dan Dyana join volunteers lain makan tengah hari and lepas tu terus pergi solat Zohor. Surau kat MIECC tu kecik ya ampun! Kalah surau kat Times Square. Patut diberi ruang yang besar lagi. Dahlah kiblat tu menghadap pintu nak masuk surau tu :( susah orang nak masuk atau keluar dari situ.
Lepas solat Zohor kitorang sambung balik kat Red Readerhood Section tu. Habis aje masa, terus Hana dan Dyana masuk dalam dewan tu sebab nak cari buku. Takde makna Hana nak bawak luggage cam tahun lepas. Fulusnya takde (T_T). Mampu beli 4 buah buku aje, satu buku lagi untuk budak kecik Neesa tu. Mana taknya, awal awal lagi Hana beli tiga buah buku dengan DeBook Room.
Tapi alhamdulillah sebab dapat juga buku yang Hana cari ;) Amelia Grey's Fireside Dreams dan Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop yang dah selamat dikhatam, Another Way to Fall dan sequel for If I Stay, Where She Went. If I Stay Hana beli dengan DeBook Room, yang movie-tie in cover. Beli Where She Went kat BBW sebab nak jimat. RM8 satu!
Awal tahun depan kena asing awal awal duit untuk BBW, buat satu tabung tampal siap siap BBW 2015 Fund. Even apa yang jadi pun jangan sentuh :p ha ha. Betul sangatlah tu.
Till then. Wassalam.

630#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] Vivien's Heavenly Ice Cream Shop

A second read from Abby Clements! A delicious-looking book actually. Dalam buku ni asyik ais krim aje. Macam macam perisa pulak tu.

Rating: 4/5

When Imogen and Anna unexpectedly inherit their grandmother Vivien's ice cream parlour, it turns both their lives upside down. The Brighton shop is a seafront institution, but though it's big on retro charm it's critically low on customers. If the sisters don't turn things around quickly, their grandmother's legacy will disappear forever.

With summer fast approaching, Imogen and Anna devise a plan. Rather than sell up, they will train up, and make the parlour the newest destination on the South Coast foodie map.

While Imogen watches the shop and conjures new marketing ideas, her sister flies to Italy to attend a gourmet ice cream-making course. But can their best-laid plans survive their warring family, tempestuous love lives - and the great British Weather? One thing is for certain - this summer will be like no other . . .

I prefer Amelia Grey's Fireside Dreams lagi daripada buku ni. Mungkin patut ada lebih banyak development for the characters, I mean.

The story is okay as it is. How they manage to open the shop, Anna flies to Italy for ice-cream making course. Tapi rasa macam ada kurang something. Macam bila ada masalah yang timbul, cepat dan senang aje sesuatu solusi tu muncul dan tup! Masalah dah selesai.

I love how things going for Anna and Matteo - both of them are foodie! And for Imogen and Finn. They need more sparks - Anna and Matteo - masa diorang kat Italy. Ceritakan banyak sikit macam mana si Matteo tu boleh terjatuh cinta pada Anna.

That's it. Cerita dah okey tapi macam kurang perasa. 

Maybe the writer needs some vanilla and salted caramel ice cream? To sweeten the story, and of course for the salty breeze at the seafront ;)

Till then.

Wassalam. 

629#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] Amelia Grey's Fireside Dreams

I'm updating this the seconds I've finished this book!
Dahhh lama cari buku ni. Thank you Captain Wolf for keeping this book safe for me ;) Alhamdulillah jumpa kat BBW tahun ni. Agak meroyan bila nampak buku ni ada dalam website BBW. Apa lagi, grab terus!
Jatuh cinta dengan cover buku ni since I saw it months ago on a website. And the story! About a cottage! My fave!
I love to own myself an English cottage. It's such a bliss.

Rating: 5/5

Amelia has a dream: toasting chestnuts by the fire with her husband Jack in their own cosy cottage. Their real life is another world - a cramped one-bedroom flat in Hackney. But when life takes a surprising turn, removal vans are soon heading to the Kent countryside.

They soon realise the cottage makeover is a far bigger project than they'd anticipated. On top of that, there's Amelia's newly loved-up mum and her tearaway half-sister, Mirabel, to contend with - pushing Amelia and Jack's marriage to breaking point.

Amelia begins to strip back the wallpaper and fittings in the cottage and discovers the story of the cottage's previous owner - and a hidden secret. As Amelia's ideas about love and family change, will her fireside dream finally come true?

Actually sinopsis buku ni agak misleading. Ingatkan ibu Amelia dan Mirabel tu macam jahat nak hancurkan rumah tangga dia dan Jack, rupanya tak. Ibu Amelia is a good mom and Mirabel is a free-spirited girl.

I love the idea of cottage makeover. I've read about department store makeover, wedding shoes store opening, a little bakery at a beach, and a traditional sweet shop. This is my first time reading a story about a cottage makeover - and the very first time reading Abby Clements' book.

I love this book. Bahasa yang mudah untuk difahami, boleh bayangkan bagaimana susah payah si Amelia nak jadikan cottage yang dah lama tu jadi seperti cottage idaman dia. And the garden, I could picture one in my head. A garden with a stream.

And I love Jack, Amelia's husband ;) such a good and kind-at-heart one walaupun sejak pindah ke cottage baru tu rumah tangga mereka ada krisis. I salute him for trying to keep things straight, tak tergesa-gesa buat keputusan yang boleh menambahkan lagi krisis mereka.

Till then.

Wassalam.

621#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] Fangirl

Buku yang dibeli thanks to BB1M ;)

Buku tulisan Rainbow Rowell yang kedua Hana baca selepas Eleanor & Park. I do love Eleanor & Park till now. A great story from Rowell ;) So it's a must lah untuk dapatkan Fangirl, kan?

Rating : 4.5/5

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...

But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words... And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Kalaulah kisah Eleanor & Park berlaku pada zaman high school, Fangirl ni pula masa college year. 

Cath adik kembar kepada Wren. Mereka berdua tinggal dengan ayah mereka sahaja selepas ditinggalkan ibu mereka. Cath is not a sociable person, unlike Wren.

During her first year, Cath mula sedar yang dia tak akan selama-lamanya boleh hidup dengan Wren. In slow pace, Cath cuba adapt diri dia dengan persekitaran. Dia get-to-know her roommate and her roommate's friend merangkap ex-boyfriend. Tapi Cath tak lupa her passion to Simon Snow.

Siapa Simon Snow?

Rainbow Rowell ada keluarkan buku baharu, Landline. Sesiapa yang berminat bolehlah dapatkannya. Selain tu ada Eleanor & Park Special UK Edition keluar. Sayangnya Hana dah ada copy yang biasa (T__T) Padahal harga sama aje.

Till then.

Wassalam.

619#Ai no Kotoba ~ [Book Review] The Ice Cream Girls

Buku tulisan Dorothy Koomson yang pertama Hana baca. The Ice Cream Girls.

 

Rating : 4/5

As teenagers Poppy Carlisle and Serena Gorringe were the only witnesses to a tragic event. Amid heated public debate, the two seemingly glamorous teens were dubbed ‘The Ice Cream Girls’ by the press and were dealt with by the courts.

Years later, having led very different lives, Poppy is keen to set the record straight about what really happened, while married mother-of-two Serena wants no one in her present to find out about her past. But some secrets will not stay buried – and if theirs is revealed, everything will become a living hell all over again.

The Ice Cream Girls is actually a story about abusive relationships. 

  

Ini kali kedua Hana baca pasal abusive relationship. The first one is Me & You by Claudia Carroll. Tapi ter-review buku ni dulu. Tak kisah ya? :p Hehe.

Just a short review sebab masa Aidilfitri lepas Hana baca buku ni. Ingat ingat lupa :p

After almost 20 years, Serena dan Poppy bertemu kembali. Mereka hidup dalam suasana yang cukup berbeza selepas peristiwa yang membuatkan mereka famous sebagai The Ice Cream Girls. 

Bagi Hana, kisah ni lebih kepada bravery, forgetting, forgiving and accepting. Walaupun dah hampir 20 tahun berlalu, apa yang terjadi masih hidup dan menghantui Serena dan Poppy. Mereka berdua kena belajar menerima apa yang dah berlaku dan berani berhadapan dengan masa depan mereka.

A good story from Dorothy Komsoon. I really love it :)

Till then.

Wassalam.