16 The Endgame is REAL ~ Meet & Greet : James Frey

It all started with a regular visit to Popular Bookstore to get the Endgame book. While browsing the magazines corner, I noticed a huge banner promoting a 'Meet and Greet' with American writer, James Frey.

"Heyyyyy ... that's a coincidence! " I thought to myself. I snapped a photo of the details.

Five days later, I was back at the store, waiting excitedly.

Who is James Frey exactly? Well, I can't tell you that of course but I do know that besides Endgame: The Calling, he was also one of the authors for I Am Number Four, a book which has already been made into a movie. Have you watched it? I did, and enjoyed the fight scene between Number Six and the Mogadorians very much.

Anyway, back to the story. It was a relaxing session. James sat down and chatted with us for awhile. He shared how the book Endgame came about and also some amazing bits about the world and aliens.

James Frey in Kuala Lumpur

In between, there was a quiz to win Endgame merchandise. Some lucky people walked away with tees. After that, we got our books autographed. This is me.

James signing Sharon's Endgame book!

Nice, right?

Tadaaa...so cool!

I could not miss a photo opportunity!

Sharon meets James Frey

Endgame is basically a science fiction story where 12 chosen young people from different communities are taken away to fight for their survival, and the fate of the human race, in an endgame designed by Aliens. Hunger Games much? Not really!

There is a twist to this book which makes it unique. It was written with a real adventure slipped in. Yup, in its pages, is a mystery to solve. Think intricate puzzles and codes. Anyone who figures it out will win a prize of US$500,000 in gold!

The concept was inspired by Masquerade, a 1979 book which was written to include clues to the location of real hidden treasure.

More about Endgame, the game, here: www.endgamegold.com

But if you're not into that, you can just read the book for its amazing story.

Book and tee, Endgame: The Calling

14 Popular's All RM5 Book Fiesta

Books at RM5? It's a recipe for getting carried away! I have never not been tempted by anything good that's sold at bargain price, and this has made me adept at sniffing out best buys. I am, however, nowhere near amazing at it though - not like those guys in Extreme Couponing, a TV show that had me in awe.

Anyway, I spent my Sunday morning at Viva Home Shopping Centre. They say the early bird catches the worm and this is exactly how I would describe my experience. I was there before the shutters opened. I grabbed what I wanted in under an hour and marched to the payment counter, free from queue and crowd ;)

Popular's All RM5 Fiesta

The selection for home and cookery books was not as extensive as I had hoped. I guess it's more of a sale to clear old stock. But who's complaining? Not me, for sure. What a great move to make way for new titles to fill the store ... and it's always good that books be made affordable to all.

Popular's All RM5 Fiesta

My Stash

Half of these will be placed under my Christmas tree. Some will be sent to the office. I didn't buy much for myself after all...or did I? Not telling! (Lets be cryptic about this because I'm feeling slightly embarrassed about my lack of self control.)

At Home Admiring My Books

The RM5 Fiesta ends on 30th Nov. There's still time to check it out. ;)

8 The Internet Bookworm

Have you ever wondered if anyone reads your blog for real? I don't mean just popping in for a comment. I almost always do. Maybe it's because I have time on my hands. Maybe I'm an internet bookworm. Who knows.

I used to read into the wee hours of the morning. There was this unexplainable need to finish the book against good judgement. Perhaps the bags under my eyes are not tied to my genes after all. It could be a result of countless late nights dedicated by a drive to know 'what happened next' in the story.

As I grew older, my interest dimmed. I was tired from work, gym and I got caught up with being a zesty 20-something. This is good tired. I come home, zonk out and wake up with thoughts of taking over the world. I had the gojira roar.   

The internet wave hit soon after. The job? Less inspiring. I became bad tired. Lethargic. It was time to buy a house and a car. Reports and numbers were my new social life. I still read. Insurance manuals, staff memos, employment act, if that's what you call reading. Spirited life slipped away. Domino mundaneness followed... 

Fast forward today, I read blogs and news portals. It started out as a way to simply pass time but now, it's how I keep myself updated with what's going on in the world. Even books are going digital. I felt guilty about it for awhile. I asked myself if I was killing book authors out there. Will future likes of Stephen King and Jane Austen be no more? Our music collection began on a vinyl record. Now, it's on youtube, free. Aaah..I dwell on this too much!   

I love blog reading. You get to engage the author. That makes it really interesting. I feel a connection. I even read an entire fantasy series on a blog the other day. The only thing 'not fun' about blog reading is that you never know when the next story is going to be posted. I'm going to 'haha' this with a finger pointing back at me. Silly.

Sometimes, I find gems of advice, like these:

Let me be the first to say that my mom told me that if you don't have something good to say, just don't say it ~ Abbe Odenwalder (This IS How I Cook)

My dad always says, "People who don't save, live hand to mouth." ~ Izdiher

Sometimes, you need a break from your family, and travelling alone can give you time to relax and sort things out ~ Shirley Tay (Luxury Haven)

In one's journey in life, it is important to experience all sorts of things; be it sweet (and lovely), unpleasant (sour), sad (bitter) and spicy (excitement). ~ Trishie (Under Lock And Key)

But who needs those branded bags anyway. Who to judge your value based on the items you carrying or putting around your body? ~ Rose (Rose' World)

These words are born out of real experiences. The internet is a wealth of real life stories, of which many will never be printed into books.

No longer am I limited to knowledge passed down by what my ancestors have experienced either. I may have learned the basics of cooking from mom, but I learned tricks and techniques from the internet. I have quite a collection of printed recipe books. I sheepishly admit that this is most likely a burgeoning hobby like stamp collecting.

So, am I becoming an internet bookworm? I guess. My pet peeve about it - I can pick up a book and read it for two hours straight without disturbance. Try doing that on a pc without someone saying, "Get off the computer already!". Oh, the unfairness. Crossing my arms and pursing my lips on this one.

I end this post with a small quote...which I may or may not elaborate on later. Now I'm just being cheeky.