Movie Review : The Mistress of Spices

Language : English
Runtime : 91 mins
Genre : Drama
Outline:
Tilo runs a spice store and has a magical gift. She gives her customers spices to help them get what they want from life. In order for the magic to work, she must never leave the store, never touch another human and only love the spices. But when a handsome American enters the store, Tilo's own desires are stirred for the first time. As she begins to defy the rules, the magic starts to misbehave and Tilo must decide. Will she choose the forbidden love of an American or devotion to her spices and her desires?
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Plot:
Tilo, has a gift. She has the ability to see a person's past and future. Words of her special powers flows and she soon became a very high profile person in her village when she was a very young girl. She started receiving many devotees and bad people wanted to kidnap her to give them riches. One day, when words came there is a group of bandits coming to capture her, Tilo's parents were killed for protecting her. Tilo was being thrown into the sea and she was being rescued by a group of young girls her age at an island.

There was a wise old lady staying on the island with the group of girls whom they address as "First Mother". First Mother teaches survival skills to these girls - Spices. However, there are 3 rules they have to observe. They must fufil the desires of others never themselves, they must never touch another human's flesh and they must never leave the spices. When they have pass their tests the girls were set free to the lands they want to go to fulfil their duties as spice mistreses.

Tilo went to San Francisco where she opened her own spice stores serving not only people of her tradition but also people who believe in her. Tilo has the ability to communicate with the spices to tell her what all these people need. One day, she was very attracted to an American named Doug and her desires seeps in and she was being distracted. Her power to communicate was not working and it has caused some grief to the people who has faith in her.

First Mother came to her. Told her she has broken too many rules and that she has to go back to her world and never to leave the spices. Tilo made a vow to the spices to let her just have 1 wish. To fulfil her desire of spending time with Doug and then she will devote her life to the spices. After spending time with Doug and fulfilling her desire, she came back to her spice shop, set her shop and her body on fire to prove her sincerity and her devotion.

An earthquake occurred and she did not burn. Doug came to her rescue and she was being saved. She asked Doug to restore her spice shop for she is wanting to fulfil her duty. She lived happily with Doug and her spices then.

A rather interesting fairy tale to share on a person's belief leading to staunch faith in things that she is able to focus and meditate on spices so much that she has the ability to feel and connect in aid of people. A very good tale on faith.

Rating : 7 out of 10

Movie Review : Failure To Launch

Year : 2006
Genre : Romance Comedy
Language : English

Outline:
A thirtysomething man who still lives with his parents falls in love with the woman of his dreams and begins to suspect she has been hired by his parents as a way to get him out of the house.

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Being a fervent supporter of romance comedy, naturally this will not escape my eyes. In fact, if you would do to google the reviews of this movie, it does not get pass the notch of a "C" grade movie. However, in my eyes there is never a bad or a good movie. Clearly based on perception. In this movie, we do learn a few things here and there about life as a general rule. No lies, no deception to people for it will get back to us.

Paula (Sarah Jessica Parker) has a rather unusual career. Her job is to get sons to shift out of their parents' house with a given deadline. However, till she met Tripp (Matthew McConaughey) when things starts to turn around.

Tripp's parents engaged Paula to rid their son off their house. Tripp is clearly very financial sufficient as a shipping agent however he just enjoys the comfort of his parents around mothering and fathering him. Whenever he wants to break off with his girlfriends, he would bring his dates home to break off with them for in the Western culture it is highly abnormal for adults especially working adults to still be staying with their parents and leeching off them which is a clear sign to women the man is a mummy's boy and not capable of commitment.

Paula eventually fell in love with Tripp. One unlucky day, while she was seeing a client in a cafe, she accidentally met a friend of Tripp's and the truth was finally revealed to Tripp on her intention to get him to move out from his parents' house but she has never been serious with him.

Conclusion:
As such we could see honesty at every level in relationships be it wil your love ones or family is therefore so important for it may backfire on us when we least expects it.

Movie Review : Il Mare (Korean)

Year : 2000
Genre : Drama
Language : Korean

Seong-hyun, an aspiring architect, moves into a beach-house designed by his estranged father, which he names Il Mare ("the sea" in Italian). One day he receives a letter from Eun-joo, a voice actress, addressed to the person who will move into "Il Mare" after her. Since he is the first and only person to live in the house, Seong-hyun takes it for a joke or a wrong delivery. However, as they keep corresponding with one another, they realize that Eun-joo is actually living in late 1999, two years into Seong-hyun's future. Initially bewildered and amused by the situation, they are gradually attracted to one another, and start thinking about meeting "in real time." However, they are about to discover a lot of things can happen to one's life in two years.
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A very moving movie. Hollywood made a movie this year based on this Korean number named "The Lakehouse" starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. I give this movie a 7 out of 10.
Seong-hyun had a very intimate relationship with Eun-joo via letters delivered through the mailbox in front of the house by the sea. They share their inner most thoughts and they began to know each other in a very intimate ways in terms of emotions. Eun-joo revealed about the breakup she had with her ex boyfriend and Seong-hyun revealed about the death of his father and the relationship he had with his father with Eun-joo.

Day by day their relationship grew as they get to know each other in their own special ways; through letters just like penpals and they became each other's secret affairs for nobody would understand and actually believe their relationship with 2 year's distance. One day, to save Eun-joo for being hurt by her ex-boyfriend, Seong-hyun decided to go and meet her at the cafe where she is having her last date with her ex-boyfriend; to breakup with her. Out of distraction, he was killed by a car instantly while his eyes was searching for her to warn her not to be hurt by her ex boyfriend.

Living in the future, Eun-joo, knew that he would be killed dashed immediately to the mailbox and wrote a letter in tears to ask him to wait for her and not to go look for her so that he will not die. Eventually, he did listen to her words and the lovers finally got together.

Movie Review : Samsara (Tibetan)

Movie : Samsara
Genre : Drama
Year :2001
Language : Tibetan
Duration : 135 Minutes
Starring : Shawn Ku, Christy Chung, Neelessha Bavora, Sherab Sangey, Jamayang Jinpa, Kelsang Tashi

From the back of the movie:
What is more important: satisfying one thousand desires or conquering just one?

A spiritual love story set in the majestic of Ladakh, in the Himalayas, Samsara is a quest, one man’s struggle to find spiritual enlightenment. Samsara is the world; both inside the monastery and outside it. It is a story of a lama, Tashi, who leaves the monastery to become a farmer, to live a worldly life and his wife, Pema, who possesses the qualities of a sage, while living in the world.

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The abbot and his disciples brought along a small little lama with them to fetch Tashi who went into a 3 years retreat. When he was back, he was being given recognition for the completion of his effort.

One night, while Tashi was asleep, his room-mate, a fellow lama heard sounds from his bed and went to check on him. He found Tashi having wet dreams. Thought came to his mind as he thought of Tashi just coming out of his retreat. Has he already given up his craving for lust?

Soon enough, Tasi was being invited to attend a harvest party in the village. While staying over the night at one of the villager’s hut, Tashi saw Pema and his sexual lust was being aroused. In the middle of the night, Pemma came to his room and gave comfort to him. However, the thought cling on and Tashi soon found himself constantly thinking of her. One day, he decided to disrobe to pursue this lust of his. He took on a job in Pema’s household as a worker in the fields, married Pema and started a lovely family.

A son was born and it brought constant happiness into Tashi’s life. Thoughts of lust surface one day when Pema was out and went to the city to do trading. Tashi had an affair with one of their workers, a young Indian casual worker. Pema learnt about this but forgave Tashi. Tashi thought it over and decided to leave Pema and his son and put on his robe to be a monk again. Pemma followed him but Tashi was hesitant. At last, he asked for Pema to take him back but Pema is not willing for he has not learnt about his eliminating his desires or understood it and she was sure it will resurface again.

This is a wonderful story for us to recap on our precepts and cravings. Is it really important to really understand our cravings and slowly eliminating them?

The Banquet Chinese movie

The Banquet



Ok, this movie is about zhang ziyi and the crown prince. The king was killed by his brother. He took over the crown and the empress (zhang ziyi). And the crown prince was sad that his dad took away his beloved. His uncle sent men to kill him. Then he was warned in advance but hide from the troops. The crown prince men was killed almost all of them. They were all singing and practising the song. The swordplay was fine, alot of hatred between zhang and the crown prince bride-to-be. The prince went back to the kindom and the uncle keep trying means to kill him..until three of them died...the empress also died...but it doesnt show who killed her..hmm another show with a mysterious ending.

Korean Movie: Shark's bait.

Upcoming movie: Shark's bait

I think this movie is worth to watch. It is similar to nemo. About a fish who lost his parents when a big trawler comes along and get his parents...and he is off on a journey to find his parents..with the help of his aunt. The pinkish fish is his gf.

http://www.hancinema.net/korean_movie_Shark_Bait.php

Korean Movie: Daisy

This is a story about a female painter the one who starred in My sassy girl and Windstruck and the love between her, an killer and a cop. The killer sent her daisies every day. Daisies mean 'hidden love' but he drops the daisies everytime by calling flowers! and he just left, leaving the painter curious who he might be. The cop came along and he brought daisies after he know the female painter for quite a while. She thought the cop was the guy and fell for him. The funny thing is the killer make a bridge for her because she always drop into the river when crossing the log. She put a painting in appreciative of the bridge and the killer took it away. During a shootout, the gal lost her voice when a stray bullet hit her throat. The cop was also injured and was off duty for quite a while. The police was investigating the matter and the cop's friend suggested they 'hired' the killer and the cop suggested he will want to be the target because he felt responsible for getting the gal he liked hurt. The cop wore bullet proof vest on the day of the bait. The killer meet him and they drove away much to the disapproval of the cop's friend. They went talking about the gal. The killer and cop know each others' identity. Then when the cop went out of the car. He was shot on the head and dies instantly. The painter got wind of the cop's death and cry terribly at the exhibition. The cop's friend vows to find the killer. Then they set a trap for him but the painter arrive at the scene to save the cop's friend. He give up killing the cop's friend as a result. There was a shootout ...and the female painter dies on the spot. Then the killer went to the killer organisation for revenge.....

It is a sad love story. The music throughout the movie tend to emphasize the movie in a different setting. It has a different theme compared to windstruck and my sassy gal. The song at the end was pretty nice...Here are some of the lyrics:


The love I've been dreaming of is all so close to me.
But all I can do is just watching you without words
in this city of strangers
I lived day by day painting love.
Waiting and hoping that you 'll be there
with the scent of daisies
It is too late but now
I finally recognise you.
But maybe we are not meant to be.

Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris

Check out this new book soon!

An Extract of this book:-

If there's one thing i've learned in the past fifteen years, it's this; that murder is really no big deal. It's just a boundary, meaningless and arbitrary as all others - a line drawn in the dirt. Like the giant NO TRESPASSERS sign on the drive to St Oswald's, straddling the air like a sentinel. I was nine years old at the time of our first encounter, and it loomed over me then with the growling menace of a school bully.

NO TRESPASSERS
NO UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY BEYOND THIS POINT BY ORDER.

Another child might have been daunted by the command. But in my case curiosity overrode the instinct. By whose order? Why this point and not another? And most importantly, what would happen if I crossed that line?

Of course I already knew the school was out of bounds. By then I'd been living in its shadow for six months, and already that tenet stood tall among the commandments of my young life, as laid down by John Snyde. Don't be a sissy. Look after your own. Work hard, play hard. A little drink never did anyone any harm. And, most importantly: Stay clear of St Oswald's, occasionally punctuated by a Stay bloody clear if you know what's good for you, or a warning punch to the upper arm. The punches were supposed to be friendly, I knew. All the same, they hurt. Parenting was not one of John Snyde's special skills.

Nevertheless, for the first few months I obeyed without question. Dad was so proud of his new job as Porter; such a fine old school, such a great reputation, and we were going to live in the Old Gatehouse, where generations of Porters before us had lived. There would be tea on the lawn on summer evenings, and it would be the beginning of something wonderful. Perhaps, when she saw how well we were doing now, Mum might even come home.

But weeks passed and none of that happened. The Gatehouse was a Grade 2 listed building, with tiny, latticed windows that let in hardly any light. There was a perpetual smell of damp, and we weren't allowed a satellite dish because it would have lowered the tone. Most of the furniture belonged to St Oswald's - heavy oak chairs and dusty dressers - and next to them our own things - salvaged from the old council flat on Abbey Road - looked cheap and out of place. My dad's time was entirely taken up with his new job and I quickly learned to be self-reliant - to make any demand, such as regular meals or clean sheets, qualified as being a sissy - not to trouble my father at weekends, and always to lock my bedroom door on Saturday nights.

Mum never wrote; any mention of her also counted as being a sissy, and after a while I started to forget what she had looked like. My dad had a bottle of her perfume hidden under his mattress, though, and when he was out on his rounds, or down the Engineers' with his mates, I would sometimes sneak into his bedroom and spray a little of that perfume - it was called Cinnabar - on to my pillow and maybe pretend that Mum was watching TV in the next room, or that she'd just popped into the kitchen to get me a cup of milk and that she'd be back to read me a story. A bit stupid, really: she'd never done those things when she was home. Anyway, after a bit, Dad must have thrown the bottle away, because one day it was gone, and I couldn't even remember how she'd smelled any more.

Christmas approached, bringing bad weather and even more work for the Porter to deal with, so we never did get to have tea on the lawn. On the other hand, I was happy enough. A solitary child even then; awkward in company; invisible at school. During the first term I kept to myself; stayed out of the house; played in the snowy woods behind St Oswald's and explored every inch of the school's perimeter - making sure never to cross the forbidden line.

I discovered that most of St Oswald's was screened from public view; the main building by a long avenue of linden trees - now bare - which bordered the drive, and the land surrounded on all sides by walls and hedges. But through the gates I could see those lawns - mowed to banded perfection by my father - the cricket grounds with their neat hedges; the chapel with its weathervane and its inscriptions in Latin. Beyond that lay a world as strange and remote in my eyes as Narnia or Oz; a world to which I could never belong.

My own school was called Abbey Road Juniors; a squat little building on the council estate, with a bumpy playground built on a slant and two entrance gates with BOYS and GIRLS written above them in sooty stone. I'd never liked it; but even so I dreaded my arrival at Sunnybank Park, the sprawling comprehensive which I was destined by postcode to attend.

Since my first day at Abbey Road I'd watched the Sunnybankers - cheap green sweatshirts with the school logo on the breast, nylon rucksacks, fag-ends, hairspray - with growing dismay. They would hate me, I knew it. They would take one look at me and they would hate me. I sensed it immediately. I was skinny; undersized; a natural hander-in of homework. Sunnybank Park would swallow me whole.

I pestered my father. 'Why? Why the Park? Why there?'

'Don't be a sissy. There's nothing wrong with the Park, kid. It's just a school. They're all the bloody same.'

Well, that was a lie. Even I knew that. It made me curious; it made me resentful. And now, as spring began to quicken over the bare land and white buds burst from the blackthorn hedges, I looked once more at that NO TRESPASSERS sign, painstakingly lettered in my father's hand, and asked myself: Whose ORDER? Why this point and not another? And, with an increasing sense of urgency and impatience: What would happen if I crossed that line?

By Transworld

Twenty Times A Lady by Karyn Bosnak

Everyone has a number… but what’s a girl to do when her number’s up? I’m Delilah Darling,. Just an average girl – or so I’d thought…. Everyone lies about the number of partners they’ve had. I’ll admit, I’m just as guilty as the next person: Every boyfriend thinks my number is about four (yes - including themselves) My gynaecologist thinks it’s closer to seven (all done with protection, of course) My mum – though I prefer not to talk about sex with her – thinks it’s somewhere around two Even my best friend thinks I’ve slept with fewer men than I have, because no-one – repeat no-one – tells their best friend everything… But I was getting a little self-conscious about my number, so I decided that twenty would be the limit. No more. Not ever.

When Delilah awakens after a drunken night out, she realizes to her horror that in sleeping with her revolting boss, she has hit her self-imposed limit. She was supposed to be saving number twenty for the man she was going to marry – the One! So Delilah reasons that just maybe one of her former lovers was the love of her life… only she didn’t know it at the time. She attempts to track them all down.From those who have since come out as gay or ended up in prison, from twin brothers to a professional chef, from a stint in rehab to the confession box, Delilah comes to realize that sometimes you can’t put a number on love…

By Transworld

"Opening the Door of Your Heart" by Ajahn Brahm

The much talked about Buddhist book of the season!

A delightful book full of tales of hope, love, forgiveness, freedom from fear, and overcoming pain which cleverly relates the timeless wisdom of the Buddha's teachings and the true path to happiness. In nearly 30 years as a Buddhist monk, born in the West but trained in the Thai forest tradition, Ajahn Brahm has gathered many poignant, funny and profound stories. In this collection of teaching stories are many true-to-life tales, which are used to launch a deeper exposition of mindfulness, wisdom, love and compassion.
Ajahn Brahm also relates wise teachings from his renowned and saint-like teacher, Ajahn Chah. His younger years in the Thai forest provided fertile ground for humour when , for instance, he had to eat boiled frog on rice for his only meal of the day. The stories that emerge are thoughtful, funny and enlightening. Told with wit and wisdom, these tales reveal the qualities of devotion, humility and diligence. They also expose moments of insight, wisdom and compassion in the lives of ordinary people.

Book on sale via SweetJunkies for Bookcrossing members @ only S$25.00. Kinokuniya selling at S$34.95. Chinese version also at S$25.00.

Email to : marketing@sweetjunkies.com for immediate placement of orders.

Book Review : True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole

The 3rd book from the diary series of Adrian Mole.

From the back of the book:
Monday June 13th 1988
I had a good proper look at myself in the mirror tonight. I've always wanted to look clever, but at the age of twenty years and three months I have to admit that I look like a person who has never even heard of Jung or Updike.

Adrian Mole has grown up. At least that's what it says on his passport. But living at home, clinging to his threadbare cuddly rabbit 'Pinky', working as a paper pusher for the DoE and pining for the love of his life, Pandora, has proved to him that adulthood isn't quite what he hoped it would be. Still, intellectual poets can't always have things their own way...
Included here are two other less well-known diarists: Sue Townsend and Margaret Hilda Roberts, a rather ambitious grocer's daughter from Grantham.

Yes, still a funny read. However, I got bored when it reaches the centre of the book.

I will give a rating of 5 out of 10 I supposed.

By Prologue

10 Spring Cleaning and Organizing Tips

Along with Spring comes thoughts of crisp, fresh air, newly
budding flowers, singing birds and a sense of renewal.
Getting organized and doing a bit of spring cleaning, helps
to bring that wonderful fresh feeling into your home and
office.

Here are 10 tips to help you start the season off right.

1. Assign yourself a different task for each day. Make
yourself a schedule that is comprised of one hour and one
task each day. Your schedule may look something like this:

Monday: Decluttering
Tuesday: Dusting
Wednesday: Vacuuming
Thursday: Scrubbing
Friday: Organizing and Rearranging
Saturday: Laundering
Sunday: Decorating

Then, spend one hour each day doing your assigned task for
each room throughout your house. You'll be amazed at the
difference you can make in your home by following this
simple system.

2. Use the proper tools. When cleaning and organizing, it's
important to use tools that help you get the job done as
quickly as possible.

For instance, there are now dusting cloths that allow you to
dust quickly and easily, without any additional sprays. Just
dust and be done with it.

Rubber gloves will help you deep clean, without drying out
your hands, exposing them to harsh chemicals, or burning
them in hot water.

Racks can hold mops, brooms and other cleaning supplies in
one organized place, rather then storing them loose and
having them constantly tip over.

An apron with lots of pockets, can help you transport
cleaning products from room to room easily, so you don't
have to keep running back and forth to get what you need.

3. Be ruthless when it comes to decluttering. If you don't
love it, and/or you don't use it, it's clutter. It's the
perfect time to embrace the Feng Shui art of uncluttered
living. Feng Shui teaches that if energy can easily flow
through a room, your life will be more harmonious and
happy--and clutter is an obstacle to reaching this relaxed
and calm state.

Make it a quest of yours to be ruthless when it comes to
your decluttering efforts. You'll have less to dust, less
clutter to look it, an easier time finding the things you do
use and less stress in your life.

4. Donate or sell the things you don't use. If you have
items that you don't use, but are in good condition, they
are prime candidates to sell or donate. Gather all of these
items together in boxes or plastic bags.

Then, decide whether you would prefer to donate them or sell
them.

If you choose to donate, consider giving them to SweetJunkies.com,
SweetJunkies will even pick up your
donations for you.

If you choose to sell, you might set a date for a sale with SweetJunkies.
Or, take some photos of these items with your digital
camera, and put them up for sale at SweetJunkies.com sales'
site.

5. Make your spring cleaning and organizing fun. Don't think
of it as a chore. Instead, think of it as a 'feel good'
exercise--one that will really help you to feel good about
yourself and your clean and organized environment.

Play some lively, fun, upbeat music. Dance your way through
your home or office with your dust rag or vacuum.

Set timers and play 'beat the clock.' Give yourself time
limits for completing small tasks, and try to complete those
tasks before the timer goes off.

Ask a friend to help, or do a swap. You clean her living
room if she'll clean your kitchen.

P.S. End the clutter once and for all and simplify your
life.

6. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV while you're
cleaning and organizing, and let your answering machine
field your calls.

If a friend stops by while you're working, simply tell
him/her that you've scheduled this time for spring cleaning.
He or she is free to stay, as long as you could continue
working. Perhaps, you might even get some help. If not, tell
your friend you'll stop by his or her house later on when
you're done.

If you have kids, give them their own jobs to do, or at
minimum, be sure they're occupied with something else.

The quickest and best jobs are accomplished when there are
no distractions.

7. Make yourself a checklist. Make a checklist of all
springtime jobs that you only do once or twice a year.

Perhaps you might bring your large comforters to the
laundromat, bring your drapes and winter coats to the dry
cleaners.

If all of these odd jobs are on a list, you won't forget to
do them. Then, try to do at least one or two of these odd
jobs per week, throughout spring.

8. Don't forget about the insides. It's important to clean
and organize things that are in sight all of the time. But,
it's also important to remember those items that are out of
sight.

Springtime is a great season to organize your closets, cabinets,
drawers, bins, boxes, pantry and other inside storage areas.

Give yourself that spring feeling, both inside and out!

9. Enjoy the weather while you're working. Do some outside
organizing and yard work, so you can be accomplishing
something, but also enjoying the nice weather at the same
time.

10. Open your windows. There's nothing like taking in a
breath of fresh air. As you're cleaning, open the windows.
You'll be removing musty odors, protecting yourself
from inhaling harsh fumes from cleaning products and the
fresh air will keep you going.

While you're at it, let the sun shine in. Open curtains and
drapes to give yourself plenty of light for an energy
boost!!!!

A Few Good Book Habits

Caring for books always reminds me of dogs. Loving dogs is never enough; you'll defeat the purpose of that cozy new bed if it's placed somewhere damp or drafty. Books also need more than love. How you take care of them -- what you collect or sell and how you display your collection -- says as much about your passion for books as the books themselves. Whether you're a longtime collector or a neophyte, you need a few good habits, neither time-consuming nor costly, to protect and preserve your bound best friends.

Dust it Off
A routine dusting is so obvious a need that it's commonly overlooked. A soft, lint-free cloth is your first choice. An old sock, worn like a hand puppet, easily removes loose dirt from book edges. Try untreated electrostatic dustcloths, too. The Artgum Eraser, Absorene Dirt Eraser, Document Cleaning Pad, and Clean Cover Gel are among the basic cleaning classics -- inexpensive, easy to use, and handy for other household and bookshop tasks.

Cover it Up
Clear plastic dust jacket covers guard against fingerprints, tears, and general wear. Brodart's wide selection of covers includes "lo-luster" finishes that mask minor imperfections and are perfect for the style and design of older volumes.

Be Sun-Safe
Know your environment. If your home or workplace suffers from damp, insects, mold or mildew, remember that these are prime enemies of books. Sunlight, too, is a great bleeder of book beauty. If you go nowhere without sunscreen, provide book equivalents: shades or curtains that limit ultraviolet rays and clear covers (think of them as sunglasses for books) for decorated spines or colorful dust jackets that are prone to fading.

Books attractively arranged add to the charm of your surroundings, and often constitute a major statement in home or office decor. But they need more than sturdy, level shelving to remain attractive. Book protection can be part of your overall decorative scheme. Is a striking display of books in your den struck daily by several hours of direct sunlight? Ultraviolet rays can cause irreversible damage. So try an afghan color-coordinated with your upholstery or a length of fabric that matches your curtains draped over shelves when they're exposed to too much natural light. Do it with panache, make it a conversation piece, and you've raised the banner of book protection.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings
The home environment poses additional potential hazards. By all means relax with a book in front of the fireplace. But remember the pernicious effects of smoke and soot, and that books absorb and are harmed by both. The danger of fire can be mitigated by never shelving books near a fireplace or stove. When you cook, or just order in and reheat, airflow patterns can carry smells from the kitchen. But those wonderful aromas grow stale when they migrate to books, and the greasy film some recipes produce also settles on books (another reason for plastic dust jacket covers, which are so easily cleaned).

Extracted from : AbeBooks by Margot Rosenberg

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We aim to provide the most interesting information on the latest book trends, news and updates on authors and publishers.

Being pioneer members of BookCrossing Singapore, we will also post news and announcements of relevance to the BookCrossing movement in Singapore.

We hope you stay here is an enjoyable one!

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SweetJunkies.com is the brainchild of Deidre's entrepreneurial spirit and great passion for books. She is joined by Alva Chew, who is always keen to do something cool and out of the ordinary.

First Post!

Hello booklovers!

While we wait for the completion of our official SweetJunkies.com website, this is where we will post latest SJ news and things that we think may be of interest to anyone out there.