Mike Stilkey Exhibit

        While we were at Times Square, Causeway Bay, Hongkong, we were lucky enough to chance upon Mike Stilkey's Full of Smiles and Soft Attentions Art Exhibit.  Mike Stilkey is a talented artist from Los Angeles, USA,  who  uses a variety of mediums to paint on hardbound book covers.

 

 

          So, if one day, you decide that you have no other use for your hardbound books, do as Mike Stilkey does and paint on them!

Hongkong Bookstores

          Aside from spending time with my family, I have two more things that I love most to do: reading books and traveling.  So, on trips abroad, a trip to the bookstore is a must!

          After viewing the beauty of the city from atop the Peak, find your way to Dymocks Bookstore inside the Peak Galleria.  Though their selections are not as extensive as other bookstores, the store is still inviting enough for a bookworm like me.

                                                              (yup, that's me, hehe!)

           

          Bookbuddy in Causeway Bay is a real treat.  This bookstore is especially targeted for kids and young adults.  Though the bookstore is small, parents will enjoy browsing through its shelves for recommended books for their tiny loved ones.   I would love to bring my son L here when he's bigger.

                                                        Page One Bookstore, Harbour City

          No doubt, the best bookstore in Hongkong is Page One.  They have an extensive collection of books from all genres, in English titles.  This has caught me by surprise because most of the natives we have encountered are not English speakers.  Anyway, Page One is huge!  They carry most of the books I have browsed on Amazon.  I was lucky enough to explore the branches in Harbour City (Tsim Sha Tsui), Times Square (Causeway Bay) and Festival Walk (Kowloon Tong).  

          Sadly, I was not able to buy any book for myself because I was on a budget, but I was able to get these two wonderful books for my baby L (Little Seal and Noodle Loves To Cuddle). 

DK Eyewitness Travel Top Ten Hongkong

          I have been to Hongkong lots of times before and I have always depended on my parents and our tour guide to dictate which places we should go to.  Now that I am a parent myself, I wanted to be sure that my family will be able to maximize our 5 day trip.  So I decided to plan our itinerary and designated myself as our tour guide.   

          DK's Eyewitness Travel Top Ten Hongkong was my perfect partner. The best thing about it is that it's small enough to fit in your bag.  It comes with a pocket map and subway route (although not entirely comprehensive) so you can get lost exploring and just find your way back.   

         It's not one of those bulky and boring travel guides you won't bother reading from end to end.  I am proud to say that I read through the whole book because the topics were in short capsules and information was very concise. 

 

          Aside from showing you Hongkong in a nutshell, it also offers traveler tips as well as restaurant and shopping recommendations.  Because of this book, I realized that there is more to Hongkong than just Nathan Road, Disneyland and Harbour City.   Five days is really not enough to explore this glorious place. 

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

          Two years ago, I was so excited to have my copy of Mockingjay, the third installment in the Hunger Games Trilogy.  I liked it so much I didn't mind buying the hardcover instead of waiting for the paperback, which is what I usually do.

             Catching Fire ended with a surprise; there is a District 13!  During the Quarter Quell, Katniss and the others were rescued by rebels from District 13.  It turns out that there had been a lot of underground plotting geared toward overthrowing the Capitol.   Even though she hates the Capitol, Katniss  dislikes  being  a pawn in the revolution.  With most districts in revolt, there is chaos and death everywhere.  Will the rebels succeed in overthrowing the Capitol?  Find out what will happen in Panem when you pick up Mockingjay.

                                                        photo from barnes and noble.com

          Mockingjay is not as exciting as the first two books.  Although there are a lot of action sequences, I could not seem to picture the scenes in my head.   What  I  loved about this book is getting to know the characters Finnick and Johanna, both victors at past Hunger Games and now members of the revolution.
However, just like the previous two books, Mockingjay also has its fair share of dying characters.  Even then, I felt no need to bring out the tissue.
         There is still the excitement of finding out who Katniss will end up with.   Peeta has been kidnapped and tortured by the Capitol while Gale has joined the rebel forces.  Will Katniss be with Peeta or  Gale?  I'm happy that the boy I was rooting for ended up with her.


Rating: 4 stars!

marvel's civil war

  

           When my son M was little, he loved being read to every night before sleeping.   I hoped that by reading to him, I would also be able to cultivate in him the love for reading.  He grew up reading about Clifford and Little Critter's adventures.  Eventually, he began to choose books on his own:  Geronimo Stilton, Pokemon and most recently, the Wimpy Kid series.  Despite having an avid reader for a mom, somehow,  books seemed to  have lost the battle to the Ipod, PSP, Playstation and the Internet.

            In an effort to get him to start reading again, I decided to introduce him to graphic fiction, a fancy word for the comic.  I brought out my most favorite and treasured Marvel Comic Collection featuring the Civil War  arc.

         The Civil War series began in New Avengers Illuminati where Iron Man, Dr. Strange,  Prince Namor, Black Bolt, Professor X and Mr. Fantastic secretly met to work out how they can collectively deal with forces that could effect Earth's destruction.  In this comic, Iron Man shows his comrades a draft for the Superhuman Registration Act, a bill that requires all costumed heroes and other people with paranormal abilities to register their identities and work for the government.

         There are those who join Iron Man in thinking that it is time heroes became legit and work for the government so that they could be accountable to the people for their actions.  This also means registering their real identities to the government.  There are those who join Captain America in believing that the Superhuman Registration Act curtails the freedom that the superheroes fight for.  Releasing the heroes' secret identities to the government could mean danger for their families.  When the Act is passed, all heroes who don't support it are branded fugitives.    It's superhero vs. superhero.  Which side are you on?

In Frontline # 1- 11, readers are given a glimpse of what's happening behind the scenes through the eyes of reporters Sally Floyd and Ben Urich.  

          Also included in the Civil War series is the New Avengers set  #21 - 25, featuring the points of view of Lucas Cage, Spider-woman, etc. on the crisis.  This set is quite lackluster, so unlike the first 20 issues of this well written comic line.

       

          Among the super heroes, Spider-Man is one who has most to lose.  For years, Peter Parker  has kept his real identity secret to protect his family from villains like Dr. Octopus, the Lizard, and many more.    Events in this set are a precursor to a major upheaval in Peter's life. (Amazing Spider-man # 532 - 538).

The Civil War series also came with various one shots to complement the story.

          I hate to be a spoiler but the war ends with the death of one of my most favorite heroes, Captain America.   What would Captain America's death mean for the rest of the Marvel world?

             Fallen Son: The Death of a Dream is a  5 comic set that depicts the points of view of Wolverine, The Avengers, Spider-man, and Iron Man in the wake of Captain America's death.   In Fallen Son: Captain America, a surprise character returns unexpectedly.

           Here are some of the beautiful art rendered in this comic arc:

    
           M did pick up the series, reading avidly in the beginning.  But he eventually lost interest.   Getting him to read again is a challenge I shall continue to face.