Current reading list

This is what I am currently reading....

Can you believe I actually read something like this? =)
Yeah, I do....

Sex and The City by Candace Bushnell

Synopsis
In this chronicle of the mating habits of New York's cultural elite, Bushnell infiltrates celebrity affairs, sex clubs, and posh suburbs to introduce us to "bicycle boys," "modelizers," and "toxic bachelors" - powerful and successful men who bed single and married women as if it were a contest. Often funny and occasionally bleak, this is an inside account of the quintessential '90s romance and the never-ending search for the perfect marriage partner in high society.

What is it all about
It is about journalists entailing the sex and love lives of the city folks; mainly in New York and Manhattan and the focus is mostly on those 30-year olds who were single and in multiple relationships in their main mission to search for The One; whom they would settle for marriage and happy-ever-after.

I love this book for the different insights in the relationships of the rich and famous; and the distinction in the perspectives from both men and women about sex and relationships.

I would have preferred if there were more stories; or perhaps a sequel! =)

If I were the author, I would include more stories from the other side of those ‘conquests’; namely the models and actresses or young men whom the rich 30-40 year olds target upon.

My Conclusion/Verdict
Not too bad if you are into the movie/drama of the same title; I usually like to read the book first and I think I liked how the stories are compiled into short files with different insights from the person and the journalist herself.

This is a 7 out of 10

Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Synopsis
After a string of disastrous dates, Emily Albright decides she's had it with modern-day love and would much rather curl up with Pride and Prejudice and spend her time with Mr. Darcy, the dashing, honorable, and passionate hero of Jane Austen's classic. So when her best friend suggests a wild week of margaritas and men in Mexico with the girls, Emily abruptly flees to England on a guided tour of Jane Austen country instead. Far from inspiring romance, the company aboard the bus consists of a gaggle of little old ladies and one single man, Spike Hargreaves, a foul-tempered journalist writing an article on why the fictional Mr. Darcy has earned the title of Man Most Women Would Love to Date.

The last thing Emily expects to find on her excursion is a broodingly handsome man striding across a field, his damp shirt clinging to his chest. But that's exactly what happens when she comes face-to-face with none other than Mr. Darcy himself. Suddenly, every woman's fantasy becomes one woman's reality. . .

What is it all about
Another light-hearted story about a girl in search for a perfect love story; and was trying to fend off the friendly offers from her best friend cum bookstore colleague who was truly concerned about her. In a bid to get away from the invitation to go for a wild vacation with her friend in Mexico, she signed up for a literature tour in a haste to visit her favorite author; Jane Austen’s home in a tour in the England countryside.
She found herself in the company of a bunch of senior folks; mostly women who were fans and secretly dream of the charming and much-loved character of Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s book and she started wondering whether she made the right decision to ditch her young peers for a tour full of older people.
There was only another young person her age (or at least younger than the rest) but he made quite an impression and the duo got off on the wrong foot from the beginning.
Just when Emily was beginning to lose hope and enthusiasm in the tour, she found herself bumping into who else, but the legendary Mr Darcy himself. Thrilled and realizing that she was seeing him for real, she started hanging out with him secretly and it was like living a fantasy in the reality. Only thing is, she started to see more of Mr Darcy than just what appears in the book and also understands about love and hatred in life. This trip definitely turned out to be more educational and inspiring than what she had signed up for.

I love this book for the funny moments and enjoyable literary tour of Jane Austen (she’s also one of my favorite authors!). The part where Mr Darcy just appeared during the tour was truly enchanting and unforgettable and it was really hard to realize that you have come face-to-face with the fictional character himself. I think the author really made that part really good where Emily slowly realized that this Mr Darcy was for real. Also, I really loved the main protagonist; Emily Albright, who sounded a little like me in real life (I mean not that I had trouble with dates or social life, etc) where she really loved books! I laughed at the part where she started packing her books and trying to stuff her books into her bag and only left the clothes last. I remembered I used to do that when I was a kid; and Dad would always have to make me leave at least half of my books behind. That was such a great kick to my own memories =)

I would have preferred if nothing was changed from the book; I think I liked it the way it was and the flow was just right for the story.

If I were the author, I would change nothing, as mentioned, I liked everything in the book already =)

My Conclusion/Verdict
Great read; and inspiring, and it is true that what you see or believed in may not be necessarily as good as you get it. An inspiring read to teach us to cherish what we have and not fantasize about things we cannot have.

I give it a 8 out of 10

Who’s That Girl by Alexandra Potter

Synopsis

If only you knew then what you know now...

Imagine if you could go back ten years and meet your younger self -- would you recognise her?
And what advice would you give?

Wear sunscreen!

Back away from those PVC trousers?

DON'T give that idiot your phone number?

Lemon juice won't bleach your hair -- it just attracts wasps...

He's the one - don't let him go!

For Charlotte Merryweather, there's no need to imagine. She's about to find out for real. With surprising consequences... Alexandra Potter's deliciously funny and enchanting romantic comedy looks at life, love and what might happen if you could turn back time.
What is it all about?
The synopsis seems to have spelt it all out; and that was all in a nutshell to this book as we follow the bone-tickling antics of our protagonist as she meets her younger 20-year old self; an incident she initially thought was an object of her hallucination/stress or a result of a possible brain tumor.
When she realized that she was given a second chance to meet her younger self (who doesn’t seem to recognize her older self) for real, she tried to hand out advices to the younger one and found herself dealing with dilemmas and issues of her own at her age and realized that everything in the past moulded her into someone she is at the moment.

My Opinion
This book got me by the interesting and catchy prelude written at the back of the book and I knew I just had to get my hands on it and read it.

I love this book for the quirky and witty lines running through the mouths of the characters; mainly of the main protagonist; Charlotte Merryweather who was just a living example of a woman in the 21st century with a great sense of humor. I loved the wonderful and the wicked sense of humor in all her thoughts and words.
I think I found it ticklish to the bone and I remembered laughing so hard that it hurts when I was reading this on my bed and I just could not stop laughing. I don’t think it helped for my insomnia and God forbid that my housemate thought that I was out of my mind. Truly, those lines were just so entertaining that you no longer need the tv series or tv to impress you =)

I would have preferred if there were more scenes of the 20-year old Charlotte Merryweather and her antics; with the current 32-year old intercepting into her life without much avail.

If I were the author, I would just insert more parts about Charlotte Merryweather’s 20-year old self and the funny mistakes that could make the 32-year old gag and try to change.

My Conclusion/Verdict:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and this book made me start on a mission to track every single book by the same author and she has officially became my favorite author as well!

I give this book a 8 out of 10! =)
(Officially a book which has landed on my ‘Favorite books’ shelf)