My Life According to Books I Read in 2014

Good morning everyone!

Okay, let see if I can post this up this morning. Jeez, you wouldn't believe the day I had yesterday. The weather this past week-end has been pretty bad. We got 15cm of snow (6 inches) on Saturday which in itself, was not too bad. However, it was followed by rain/freezing rain the whole freaking day yesterday! And to top it up, the temperature plunged back to -13C (8F) during the night. I haven't gone out yet, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be a huge ice rink... oh and there's the gusts of wind!Brrrr.  But the very worst yesterday was losing power due to the freezing rain. From 9.30am to 7pm. It was a bit reminiscent of the ice storm that we had in 1998 - not a good memory!! I've been off two weeks and had planned to spend my last day catching up on my blogging, cataloging and spreadsheets... Let say it just didn't happen. So happy I now have a smartphone with data plan! But it still cannot replace a computer with internet in certain aspects.

Anyway, once power finally came back, I had a bit of time to blog. Decided to complete the "My Life According to Books I Read in..." meme. I like this meme because it fits so well with all the yearly recaps and wrap-ups. Of course, when I was ready to post, well I lost the cable - i.e. internet, phone and tv cable. Didn't lose it long, but long enough that I cut my losses and just went to bed ^_^; But at last, here it is! :)


Describe yourself:
The Collector by Nora Roberts

How do you feel:
Chilled by Kendra Elliot

Describe where you currently live:
The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Your favorite form of transportation:
Fast Track by Julie Garwood

Your best friend is:
Wickedly Wonderful by Deborah Blake

You and your friends are:
Gifted by Kelley Armstrong

What's the weather like:
Tempest by Julie Cross

What is life to you:
Flirting with the Forbidden by Joss Wood

Favorite time of day:
Breakfast Served Anytime by Sarah Combs

Your fear:
Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett

What is the best advice you have to give:
Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

Thought for the day:
Whatever Life Throws at You by Julie Cross

How I would like to die:
Sun-Kissed by Laura Florand

My soul's present condition:
Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

My family is:
Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

***

My previous editions...

My Life According to Books I Read in 2011
My Life According to Books I Read in 2012
My Life According to Books I Read in 2013

My Life According to Books I Read in 2013

It's Friday, yay!! And today, I played hooky from work ^_^; While it's not as cold as what Ames has lived through the last couple of days, it's still plenty cold for me: -20⁰C (-4F) and -29⁰C (-20F) with windchill. Brrrr. So yes, if I have the option, I will stay home and warm :)

The past couple of years, I've enjoyed wrapping up the year with this meme. It's just a fun exercise of wittiness LOL. I can't remember who started it off, but among my blogger friends, Christine from The Happily Ever After... is the one who has been perpetuating it :) You can read her 2013 edition as well as all the details for the meme here :P

Ready for my answers? LOL.


Describe yourself:
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

How do you feel:
Brazen by Kelley Armstrong

Describe where you currently live:
Snow-Kissed by Laura Florand

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

Your favorite form of transportation:
Loki's Wolves by K.L. Armstrong

Your best friend is:
Revenge of the Girl with a Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg

You and your friends are:
Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

What's the weather like:
Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

What is life to you:
Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan

Favorite time of day:
Darkening Skies by Bronwyn Parry

Your fear:
Double Crossed by Ally Carter

What is the best advice you have to give:
Beware of the Boss by Leah Ashton

Thought for the day:
Can't Stop Believing by Jodi Thomas

How I would like to die:
Kiss of Venom by Jennifer Estep

My soul's present condition:
Wrecked by Shiloh Walker

My family is:
Always on my Mind by Jill Shalvis



My previous editions...

My Life According to Books I Read in 2011
My Life According to Books I Read in 2012

***

I hope you guys enjoyed the meme and hope to read your edition!!

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2012

So, I'm slowly getting back into a routine :) Yesterday was my first game of curling since Christmas. I was afraid to be a bit rusty, but it turned out good. I'm sparing tonight and playing again tomorrow night... which means that my blogging and my reading are taking a bit of a hit ^_^; However, there's the week-end. I'm really planning to sit down this week-end and make a plan for posts :) Luckily, work has been quiet this week, so that has given me the chance to catch up on blog-hopping. I've read all your posts and have tried to make the rounds for comments. Phew.

After reading everyone's "Best of 2012" and "2012 in numbers" posts, I have to say I'm itching a little bit to write mine... so perhaps that will be the plan this week-end. I also have to figure which books I'll review... I fell behind last year and so it means a lot of good books that I wanted to review, I haven't yet :(

However, in the meantime, I'm still taking it easy :) So I decided to participate to this meme, because it's just so much fun. I did it last year, you can check it out here. The meme is courtesy from Christine from The Happily Ever After... So here we go!


Describe yourself:
Fool for Love by Beth Ciotta

How do you feel:
I Want Candy by Susan Donovan

Describe where you currently live:
Haven by Kay Hooper

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
Island Heat by Sarah Mayberry

Your favorite form of transportation:
Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox

Your best friend is:
My One and Only by Kristan Higgins

You and your friends are:
Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber

What's the weather like:
Cold Days by Jim Butcher

What is life to you:
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Favorite time of day:
Starlight by Carrie Lofty

Your fear:
Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks

What is the best advice you have to give:
Playing to Win by Jaci Burton

Thought for the day:
Believe in Me by Laura Moore

How I would like to die:
The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand

My soul's present condition:
Riveted by Meljean Brook

***

What do you think of my answers? Once again, the easiest question was "What's the Weather like" LOL. And it is indeed cold today, brrr. Of course, not as cold as where Ames lives... The hardest questions were the mode of transportation and thought of the day. I'm just not deep enough to have thoughts everyday LOL.

My Life According to the Books I Read in 2011

LOL, instead of typing my Monthly Reads posts away, I've been procrastinating and decided to have a little bit of fun. For the past couple of years, Christine has posted this meme at the end of the year on her blog. I always have a lot of fun reading the answers and since I have a little bit of time on my hand... Why not? :)


Describe yourself:
Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

How do you feel:
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Describe where you currently live:
Perfect Harmony by Nora Roberts

If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas

Your favorite form of transportation:
Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Your best friend is:
A Rare Gift by Jaci Burton

You and your friends are:
A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber

What's the weather like:
Baby, It's Cold Outside by Addison Fox

What is life to you:
Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Favorite time of day:
Veil of Night by Linda Howard

Your fear:
Forgotten by Cat Patrick

What is the best advice you have to give:
Never Resist to Temptation by Miranda Neville

Thought for the day:
Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

How I would like to die:
Knock Me Off My Feet by Susan Donovan

My soul's present condition:
Blackout by Rob Thurman


What do you think of my answers? Initially, I thought the form of transportation was going to be the hardest ^_^; Turns out the two I got stuck on were Thought of the day and My soul's present condition...The easiest was the weather... LOL, I had a couple of option: Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen and Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep... but in the end, the answer I went with was the most accurate LOL. One title that I wanted to use was Flawless by Carrie Lofty, but it sounded a bit presumptuous LOL. I also tried not using the same author twice, but I couldn't resist LOL.

It was definitively lots of fun!! Nice way to start wrapping up the year :)

Wallpaper meme

Huh, it just down on me that last week, at the same time... I was on a train towards Kristie... Today? I'm stuck at work. Time really does fly!!! Unfortunately, it keeps flying in the wrong direction! ^_^;

Today is the TBR Day. Luckily, I have my book read at the beginning of the month, so all I have to do is write a review :) Only problem is I just have so many things to talk about!! and well, I'm trying to space it out, so I don't inundate everyone's Google Reader. So while I'm writing my review and mulling over what I want to say for tomorrow, enjoy an image of my wallpaper :)

Kristie has revived this old Wallpaper meme. I only have a desktop, so only one wallpaper... and nothing as hot as what Kristie has LOL :) By the way, I do not take responsibility for Kristie's laptop wallpaper. She said she wanted Nico Archambault (the winner of Canada's SYTYCD) as her wallpaper and while I was looking for something more sensible, she chose that pic :P

Anyway, my wallpaper is a from Eyeshield21 - a Japanese manga about American football which has just ended last week T_T While I would have preferred to have more characters from ES21 in the wallpaper, this one just grabbed me. It's sooo pretty - look at the colors! Ahhh, I so love manga wallpapers :D

Me and awards! :)

To start this post, a little confession from me...

I'm bad with awards and memes, to continue them and nominate/tag people ^_^; I drag my feet and eventually, forget them. Oh, I try, but sometimes... just not happening :( At the same time though, when I see a meme or an award around blogland, I get jealous when I don't get chosen - why them and not me? Or actually, more like, "Am I not their friend too?" Not my most endearing trait, I'm afraid :(

There's been some new awards being passed around in blogland recently... and surprise, surprise: I got not 1, not 2, but 3 awards last week! Wowzer!!! So I want to thank all the people who gave me an award and this time, you can be sure I'll pass it around!! :)


Little CJ blog award


“You have to award it to two people or I will make a voodoo doll of you and stick pins in it. Was that not clear? And if those two people do not award it to two other people, I will make voodoo dolls of them, and stick pins in them.”

Thanks the sky, Little CJ was tolerant of me and so far, I haven't felt any pains... yet. LOL, but I should hurry and pass it along, no?

Thanks to Lori and Renee for awarding me this award :) I would like to give it to

AMES and SENECA

Literary Blogger award


“The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize & inspire reading by going the extra mile. These amazing bloggers make reading fun & enhance the delight of reading!”

Diane from The Book Resort created this new & very charming award.

Here are the rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog/post.
2) Nominate up to 9 blogs.
3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog.
5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award.

Renee also give me this award (here). It was really nice of her :)

So here are my nominations...

Kristie
Li

Brie & Hilcia
Leslie
Jill
Holly & Casee & Rowena

One Lovely Blog Award

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you've newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.


This one, I got from Isabel and if I could, I would give it back to you... Not because I don't want it, but because I love your blog, Izzy!! Love hearing your stories :)

Here are the people I'm going to award this prize to :) Some are relatively new to me, others are my favorites :)

Cindy
Taja
Tracy
Rosie
Kris

Monroe - I would give you this award as well, but since you're the one who gave it to Izzy... Next time! :)

So there you go :) Now, I'm off leaving comments to everyone, LOL :)

PS - Less than a week before I get to Kristie's!! :)

My Christmas...

I'm finally starting to feel the Christmas buzz around me. I can't believe that the holidays season is around the corner. Here's my tally:

Christmas cards sent: 0
Christmas card present bought: 1 out of 5 ^_^;

Yeah... Pitiful, I know. Anyway, Isabel has tagged me... but she might be disappointed in the answers ^_^; In my defense, I'll say my family has never been big on Christmas... I think the only one that really get in the spirit is my sister and we exchange (kind of) gifts mainly for her. I think it would help if we have family around (like my uncle's family), but we don't. In a way, Christmas and New Year is just a period in the year where we have some time off. So we don't do much for Christmas... hence, my disappointing answers, LOL :)

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags?

I love wrapping gifts. It's the way to go. You can give gift bags for other occasions, but Christmas demands wrapping paper... and a lot!

2.Real tree or Artificial?

Real tree. Although it's a pain...

3.When do you put up the tree?

Well, we haven't put up one in a few years, ever since my grandparents were sick... but it used to be whenever the mood strikes, usually sometimes before Christmas LOL :)

4.When do you take the tree down?

Whenever we'd have enough and the town picks up the real Christmas tree.

5.Do you like eggnog?

Don't know, never had it... but my guess is, if there's alcohol, then no.

6.Favorite gift received as a child?

Hmmmm, I can't remember ^_^; I received a lot of clothing as a child so it was kind of meh...

7.Hardest person to buy for?

My mom... and dad... LOL :) What do you buy to people who have it all and don't seem to want anything?

8.Easiest person to buy for?

Sister, although she's picky and can never make up her mind as what she wants.

9. Do you have a nativity scene?

No.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards?

Mail, although I don't send out that many Christmas cards and most of the time, it won't make it in time ^_^;

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received?

Again, can't think of anything... and nothing would be the Jesus door stopper that Seneca received, LOL :)

12.Favorite Christmas Movie?

Not big on movies... can't think of any.

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas?

Week before Christmas.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?

Only food/chocolate that we'd receive from virtual strangers (my mom's acquaintance) and to virtual strangers. I've never recycled a present that was given to me personally.

15.Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?

Mint Candy Canes... if it's not mint, then seriously, it's rubbish.

16.Lights on the tree?

Yes, colored ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song?

None really... not big on music either, I guess.

18.Travel at Christmas or stay home?

Usually stay home.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?

Just Rudolph.

20.Angel on the tree top or a star?

Neither... although I would prefer a star though.

21.Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning?

At midnight if everyone's still awake. If not, morning.

22.Most annoying thing about this time of the year?

Shopping and not finding anything.

23.Favorite ornament theme or color?

I don't really care ^_^;

24.Favorite for Christmas dinner?

Nothing really. We don't make anything special, so... and the past few years, it's been me and my sis and we've been eating out if I remember correctly. Sad.

25.What do you want for Christmas?

I don't know. LOL, books I guess :P

Meme and blog award!!!

New tab up there with REVIEWS written on it :P As you can easily guess, that is my archive of reviews :P Just click on it and it'll bring you to some kind of index :) Hope it'll be of use ;P


All right, so I've been tagged for a few meme in the past weeks and I'm getting to them :)

The latest meme going around is the "grab your book" kind and I've been tagged by Ames :)

Here are the rules: Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 56. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next two to five sentences in your journal/blog along with these instructions. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the closest. Tag five other people to do the same.

It's funny, because I still haven't reached p. 56, but who cares?

She supposed she'd have to attend a hockey game soon, just to keep the relationship thing looking realistic. She'd been careful not to dress too provocatively, showing just enough to entice but not so much she'd be surrounded by drooling men who thought her body began below the neck. She was surprised to find herself battling a mild case of nerves.

So what do you think, sounds good or bad? I have to say, those sentences were long! LOL :) Care to guess what book it is?


I have another meme to work on... This time, I've actually enrolled myself in this one... Blame it on insanity of the moment. Of course, it didn't help that Kristie kindly gave me "W".... Ugh, W peeps! I'm thinking of looking for 5 different Williams... but yeah, I'm still looking... So Kristie, I'm still working on it and I'm not giving up... but W was evol!!


Finally, I've been gift with the I Love Your Blog award from two different persons this week-end, Wendy and Brie! Thanks a lot ladies!!!

The rules for this award are that you need to: 1) Add the logo of the award to your blog 2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you 3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs 4) Add links to those blogs on your blog 5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs!

It's unfortunate that I have to nominate 7 other blogs and cannot nominate Brie and Wendy again :( So here is my nominations:

Ames of Thrifty Reader
Rosie of Nobody Asked Me...
Jill of Romance Rookie
Kris of The Reading Spot
Chantal of Reading is Sexy
Isabel of All About Me
Cindy of Nocturnal Wonderings
Holly of What Were You Expecting
Li of Book Daze
Dev of Good Reads
Jennie of Jennie's B[ook]log
Kristie of Ramblings about Romance, etc.
Samantha of Book Minx

LOL, I just realized that it says at least 7 blogs :P

Book meme...

Wow, it's been a while since i've been tagged. Actually, can't remember when was the last... So here we go...

The Rules:

Grab the book nearest to you and open to page 123. Then post the 5th sentence.

Better to get this over, before another ridiculous notion could occur to him.

Lucky!! LOL, this was the last sentence of the page! A bit boring though... Can guess which book it comes from? Demon Angel by Meljean Brook :)

I'm tagging Isabel, Rosie and Ames. You're it!

Week-end and one word meme

Hmmmm, I didn't re-shelve my books this week-end. Instead, I laze around, slept and read. I wasn't feeling too well anyway... cramps on Saturday and lack of sleep on Sunday :( However, I'm determined that I will start today :P

I did read though. I read Shaken & Stirred and Sex, Straight Up. Both are Blaze HQN by Kathleen O'Reilley and they were recommended to me by Rosie. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy them as much as Rosie did. I liked the premises in both books, especially Shaken & Stirred... but not where the storyline went. As for Sex, Straight Up, it was actually good. However, I don't really know if it's the books or me... :(

I've been in a mood lately. Or perhaps, better saying, no mood. I don't feel like reading anything, although I've bought tons of books last week. I'm just feeling quite weird... and it's not just reading. Perhaps I'm feeling restless? I haven't been doing much lately and it's been bugging me. I went out with a friend on Friday evening... a little bit of shopping and eating. We've decided to join a gym, but we're trying to figure which one... The thing is trying to find a cheap one, but convenient for both of us, not easy.

I'm aslo pissed at another friend. See, I have this group of friends and we've been hanging out together for a couple of years now... almost 8 years. We've all met in school; however, now, we've all been doing our own things. Some of us are still in school, others are working. Long story short, we have friend no.1 that is now working in Seattle and she's coming back for the week-end and want to go out. She sent out an email... and after talking with a couple of ppl, I sent out an email setting the date, this Friday night. Then, I have friend no.2 who sends out an email and she wants to combine her b-day party with friend no.1 night-out. I really wouldn't mind combining the event, esp. since I was planning to celebrate a friend no.3 b-day at the same time... However, friend no.2 has invited other friends (that we, the group, do NOT know)... and that annoys me. Especially since friend no.1 invited some other acquaintances. Anyway, long story short, I'm not happy about the situation... and I've been unhappy with friend no.2 for quite a while now. So this does not help. Ugh.

Okay, enough ranting. To lighten the mood, I've been tagged by Zeek for the one word meme.

ONE Word Answers


You're feeling: hungry
To your left: empty lab bench
On your mind: food
Last meal included: rice
You sometimes find it hard to: be nice
The weather: sunny
Something you have a collection of: pencil boards
A smell that cheers you up: baking
A smell that can ruin your mood: mercapto-ethanol (chemical)
How long since you last shaved: never
The current state of your hair: okay
The largest item on your desk/workspace (not computer): pile of lab notebooks
Your skill with chopsticks: good
Which section you head for first in a bookstore: romance
Something you're craving: sweet
Your general thoughts on the presidential race: i'm canadian
How many times have you been hospitalized this year: zero
Favorite place to go for a quiet moment: bedroom
You've always secretly thought you'd be a good: secretary
Something that freaks you out a little: open wounds
Something you've eaten too much of lately: potatoes
You have never: traveled west in Canada past Toronto.
You never want to: work again (wishful thinking, I know).

I'm tagging Isabel, Kris, Rosie, Holly and Jill.

Four Things meme

Four Things Meme...

Yes, I'm alive. I'm trying to get some things done so I can blog. Sigh.

I've been tagged for this meme by Jill and Brie and it just slipped out of my mind ^_^; Major oups... but here it is.

4 Jobs I've Had
volunteer librarian
sale clerk
scientist
receptionist

4 Movies I've Watched Over and Over
Lord of the Ring
Back to the Future
Transformers
Pirates of the Carrabeans

4 Places I've Lived
Montreal island
Brossard
LaPrairie
*only lived in 3

4 Shows I Watch
House M.D.
Grey's Anatomy
Heroes
Amazing Race

4 Places I've Been
Hong Kong
Europe
Las Vegas
Los Angeles

4 Things I Love To Eat
Ice cream
Spaghetti
Libanese potatoes with garlic sauce
Crackers

4 Places I'd Rather Be
In bed
On a trip
At the bookstore
Anywhere else other than work

4 Things I Look Forward To
Easter (it means 4 days week-end)
Getting my book order
My next trip
Books

So whoever is up for the meme is being tagged :P

6 unimportant facts about me Meme

Kristie tagged me.

The rules are:

1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.

Soooo, 6 unimportant things about me... You sure you wanna know?

1. I'm addicted to blogland LOL :) I blog-hop almost every 2 or 3 hours and that's not counting the number of times I check my Google Reader.

2. On Saturday evenings, I work at the Fathers' House as a receptionist. Basically, it's like a dorm for Fathers who were all missionaries in Africa... The oldest Father there, Father Vincent (94 y.o.), now considers me as his own secretaries because I now take care of his emails correspondance LOL :)

3. I still haven't book a hotel in Las Vegas for our trip, which is 3 weeks away - I'm not sure if this is unimportant though LOL.

4. I've been having lots of craving lately. Libanese food, greek food, chinese food, sweets... you name it.

5. I don't have space for books anymore in my room and I don't want to store my books in the basement, so I've been buying boxes. I already have 5 of them ^^; and now, I'm running out of space for the boxes. They don't fit under the bed and there's no space in the closet.

6. Lately, I've been bored. I don't know what to read. I went through my TBR pile and was meh at every book I pulled out :( The thing is, I don't have anything to buy before the end of the month... and most of what I want, I've already pre-ordered :(

I'm tagging: Kris, Chantal, Holly, Isabel, Samantha and Vivou

7 things meme

So I’ve been tagged by Devonna for this meme. I don’t think there are any rules except that to say 7 things about you.

1 – I’m messy. It’s not that I don’t like it when my room is clean, but it just gets messy and dirty so quick!! Also, you should see my lab bench. For some reasons, I always end up working on two or even three benches, because things just pile up. Luckily, cleaning my bench is not as bad as my room ^_^; I might be messy, but I’m organized too… so go figure LOL J

2 – I’m an extreme worrier, border-line paranoid. I worry about everything… every single things… if there’s nothing to worry about, my imagination will take care of it. For example, I couldn’t find my cellphone charger the other day and I thought perhaps it was a work. So I came in yesterday and couldn’t find it and I started to worry. Did I really forget it at work? If yes, perhaps I left it still plugged or on my desk in plain view and someone took it off… as proof that I was charging my cellphone at work… aka stealing electricity? See what I mean? And that was just a minor case. Luckily for my peace of mind, I found my charger… remember that messy room I mentioned above… yeah…

3 – I need to lose weight. Serious. I know some people will say I don’t need to, that it doesn’t show and all… but I gained about 20lbs in the past few years… My face is much rounder and my belly… I don’t really want to think about it. So for myself, I should start exercising. However, I’m lazy. To go several times a week to someplace to exercise… doesn’t sound fun… sounds more tiring then anything else. Also, I’d rather not go to the gym or do yoga. I’m more interested in badminton or something I could practice with my sister… It just hasn’t happened yet ^_^;

4 – I love watching sports on tv. Tennis, tracks and field, volleyball, curling, figure skating and the list goes on. I’m in heaven when it’s the Olympics! Which is soon!! This summer is the Beijing Olympics!! You will probably be reading tons of posts about the Olympics at that time.

5 – I’m addicted to internet. I remember a discussion I had with Holly a couple of months ago. She sent me this article about a boot camp in Korea to severe the internet addiction to the youngsters… and I told Holly that I wasn’t addicted to internet. Well I was wrong. I am. Can’t live without it, even for a couple of hours! Need it to check my book orders status, to check the scores of tennis matches, to blog, to talk to friends, etc. Seriously, who was I kidding?

6 – I like to be in charge of things and events… maybe because I don’t trust people enough… or just because I’ll do them faster and better :P

7 – I’m a multi-tasker. I will often be doing many things at the same time. Watching tv and reading, blogging and reading… reading and studying. It’s like my brain is on fast, so everything has to be done fast and one of the best way is to multi-task.

So that’s 7 things about me…

So I’m tagging Ames, Jennie, Holly, Kris and Zeek.

TV meme

Yesterday was Transformers' DVD release date. We don't have a big DVD collection contrarily to many ppl, but whenever we see a movie that we really enjoyed, we buy the dvd :P So we watched it yesterday night and it was great :D Really a good movie :) Now, my advice, buy the 2-discs edition, so you get the special features :) I think that the director is crazy LOL :)

anyway, the real topic of this post isn't Transformers, but a TV meme I was tagged for by Devonna :)

What are your top five favorite television shows when you were a kid?

1. Lady Oscar
2. The Smurfs (Les Schtroumphs)
3. Les Quatres filles du Dr. March (Little Women)
4. Passe-partout
5. Bibi et Genevieve

LOL, I bet most of you have never heard of some of this show :P Of course, as a kid, I didn't watch any shows in English. the cool thing is that they had a channel for kids shows and so that's what was showing the whole day. Cartoons and educational shows and exercises shows and so on. I think that kids tv shows in the past were better than today's though. Anyway, Lady Oscar and Little Women were both Japanese cartoon (at least, Lady Oscar... not sure about Little Women - it was drawn by Japaneses, but not sure if it was for North America/Europe or Japan). The Smurfs, I think everyone know those little blue creatures :D they were soo cool. Passe-Partout and Bibi et Genevieve were both shows produced in Quebec. Actually, Passe-Partout was a cult tv show for kids.

So here are the rules:

List your favorite 5 television shows from your childhood, name three more bloggers to do this meme, copy/paste these very short and sweet rules, and then leave said bloggers a comment letting them know you have tagged them!

I'm tagging DC, Holly and Chantal!

Desktop meme...

So this has been going around since yesterday on blogland... Hard not to be tagged ^^;

Here is my home desktop:


It's a characters from the manga called Naruto :P that's usually what I have as my desktop - wallpapers made from manga :)

So here is how you play:

A. Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop. It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun. You can do a screen capture by going to your desktop and pressing the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key). Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and do a Paste (CTRL + V).If you wish, you can “edit” the image, before saving it.

B. Post the picture in your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop just below it if you want. You can explain why you preferred such look or why is it full of icons. Things like that.

C. Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktop as well.

DC, Jennie, Casee, Renée and Kat

D. Add your name to this list of Free Viewers with a link pointing directly to your Desktop Free View post to promote it to succeeding participants.

The list of Free Viewers so far is:

* iRonnie - I Set No Corner
* Thess - Thesserie
* Rebecca - Skippy Heart
* Knoizki - A Dialogue With K
* Beng - Kauderwelch
* Tina- My Good Finds
* Rachel - Heart of Rachel
* Alice - Hello, My Name Is Alice
* Julia - Julia's Books Corner!
* Darla - Nichtszusagen
* Marg - Reading Adventures
* Holly - What Were You Expecting
* Ames - Thrifty Reader
* Cindy - Nocturnal Wonderings
* Devonna - Good Reads
* Isabel - All About Me
* Kristie - Ramblings on Romance, etc., etc.
* Rosie - Nobody asked me...
* Wendy - Super Librarian
* Nath - natuschan - books, books and more books

Catching up on meme

Hey everyone!

sorry for the last of posts... I've been lazy. Work has been exhausting and really, really annoying. My experiments haven't work, the atmosphere sucks, there's been a lot of tension between my co-workers and so on... so it hasn't been fun and has basically drained all my energy :(

So finally a long week-end and all I've been doing is sleep and read and watch tennis. Today, I've gathered some energy and cleaned my room. It's not all done, but at least, better than it was. Anyway, let's not talk about depressing stuff :D Instead, let's start about books :D but first, I own some ppl a couple of meme :D

I can't remember who tagged me, but I was tagged ^^;.

1. Total number of books I own: hmmm, I haven't kept tracked of the number of books I own ^^; I'd say between 750 - 1000 books. However, this number doesn take in account my manga. If I do, I'd probably have to add another 500 ^^; To tell the truth however, I'm not sure I want to know exactly how many books I own LOL

2. Last Book I bought: Hmm, the last books I bought were Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh, Unforgettable by Julie Ortolon, Clan Daughter and King's Property by Morgan Howell. That was on Friday... again, if you count manga though, those, I bought on Saturday: Hanakimi vol. 15, Eyeshield 21 vol. 14, Yami no Matsuei vol. 8 and Yakitate Japan! vol. 11

3. Last Book I read: Fangs for Memories by Kathy Love.

4. Five books that mean a lot to me: Seriously, this is really hard!! What if I say none? I mean, sure, I have favorites and books that I dislike... but books that mean a lot for me?

- Until You by Judith McNaught: my first English romance
- Homeport by Nora Roberts
- Out of the Dark by Sharon Sala
- Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie
- in Death books by J.D. Robbs

5. Tag five people: LOL, this is hard :) but the three gals at Book Binge, as well as Chantal and Kris


This one, I was tagged by Holly and I know that Rosie did it, so I included her tips:

BLOGGING TIPS

It’s very simple. When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)

Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers. Try to make your tip general.

After that, tag 10 other people. Link love some friends!

Just think- if 10 people start this, the 10 people pass it onto another 10 people, you have 100 links already!


1. Look, read, and learn.
-http://www.neonscent.com

2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other.*
-http://www.bushmackel.com

3. Don’t let money change ya!
-http://www.therandomforest.info

4. Always reply to your comments.*
-http://chattiekat.com

5. Link liberally — it keeps you and your friends afloat in the Sea of Technorati.
-http://chipsquips.com

6. Don’t give up - persistance is fertile.
-http://www.velcro-city.co.uk

7. Give link credit where credit is due.*
-http://www.sfsignal.com

8. Pictures say a thousand words and can usually add to any post.
-http://scifichick.com

9. Be Brave, some of the best posts are when you step out of your comfort zone.
-http://twisted-kingdom.blogspot.com

10. Follow the links in posts and comments. You never know what blog gems you will find!*
- http://readingadventures.blogspot.com/

11. If you're visiting a new blog for the first time, comment. You never know what kind of blogger buddy you might make because of it.*
- http://cranberrytarts.blogspot.com

12. Post it and they will come. Be yourself, let your own personality shine through and people will respond to that.*
-http://rosemont1217.blogspot.com

13. Try to post regularly or at least, write a few sentences to say that you're alive. That way, people will keep coming and also, they won't worry too much.
- http://natuschan.blogspot.com

Do I really need to tag ppl? I think that many were tagged and didn't do it... so I won't bother...


I was also tagged for the middle name meme, but seriously, it's too hard... and my middle name is Phuong-Nam... so I'll skip :P

Good night everyone!

Nameless meme

I know, I know... you're dying to know which gal is me right? I'm at work right now, so no pics of me, but I'll post the answer tonight LOL :D

Also, I have much to tell you since I went on a book buying bing on Sunday :D Book buying binge indeed, since I think I got about 30 books :P I claim withdrawal symptoms for the madness :D

But for now, here is my answers for this nameless meme for which I got tagged by Ames :D

Two names you go by:
1. Nath
2. Nam (half of my viet name)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. jeans
2. labcoat

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Honesty
2. Friendship

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Reading
2. Blogging

Two things you want very badly at the moment:
1. ice cream
2. more money

Two pets you had/have:
- never had any pets and I doubt my sister counts, although in my opinion, she's a wildcat LOL

Two things you did last night:
1. read
2. play Train trax (little game at www.cbc.ca/kids/games/)

Two things you ate today:
1. graham bar (i don't know how you call in English, so that's what I think it is)
2. graham bar (I ate two)

Two people you last talked to:
1. my parents
2. a co-worker

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. working
2. going to the library

Two longest car rides:
1. VN - Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi
2. Montreal to New York

Two favorite holidays:
1.Christmas
2. Chinese New Year

Two favorite beverages:
1.Lemonade
2. Coke


Four things About ME!

Things you may not have known about me:
1. I don't know what to do in the near future
2. I want a husband and kids before the age of 30
3. I'm a messy person :P but I do find my stuff
4. I have now fallen under the charm of Orlando Bloom after watching Pirates 3

Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. sell clerk
2. lab research assistant
3. database entry
4. receptionist.

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. Lord of the Ring
2. Pirates of the Carabbean
3. Back to the Future
4. hmmm, no idea.

Four places I have lived:
1. Montreal
2. Greenfield Park
3. LaPrairie
4. why does it ask 4? I've only live in 3 places...

Four of my favorite foods:
1. pizza
2. shish taouk with potatoes and garlic sauce
3. chinese food
4. ice cream

Four places I'd rather be right now:
1. at home
2. in bed
3. somewhere else
4. bookstore

Four people I tag:
Mailyn, DC, Jennie and Kristie

The Little-Known Favorites Meme

Hello everyone!

So how was your week-end? Mine was relaxing :D A little of work, a little of gardening... little of reading and lot of sleeping LOL :D I've been reading some books, but I don't feel like reviewing them... so instead, here is my The Little-Known Favorites meme (I've been tagged by DanceChica)

I thought this meme was particularly hard to do ^^; I looked at my books and was: which ones are my favorites? which ones are not really well-known? I've been reading mainly romances and I guess I'm pretty mainstreamed. Anyhow, I finally came up with three books which I have read and re-read so many times.... and yeah, I know... I've raved about them so many times (or at least about the authors, but stay with me :P)

Rules: List and describe three of your favorite books that other people might not be familiar with. Then tag five people. See, easy!

Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea

This book is part of the Crimson series by different paranormal authors, but it is a stand-alone in the series. There are all new characters and it introduces the world of demons to the readers.

The story is about Mika, a half-human/half-demon, who has lived most of her life in the realm of the demons which is separated from the realm of humans by a crimson veil that no demon can cross except for halflings. Mika is given the mission to steal some magic incantation from Connor McCabe, another half-human/half-demon who has lived in the human realm all his live and is in fact a demon slayer. While Mika embraces both her demon and human culture, Connor despises his demon nature...

I simply love this story. I've always been a sucker for storylines in which a) there is a playful heroine who draws out a very stern and serious hero and b) one of the main character sacrifices him/herself for their great love. This book contains both of these elements I love so much. In addition, Mika is a great heroine :D She's a kick-ass character with a playful side to her and not at all annoying or typical :D Connor also makes a very attractive and protective hero :D As for the storyline, I thought it was great as well :D

The Perfect Lie by Dinah McCall aka Sharon Sala

I've gushed so much about Dinah McCall/Sharon Sala in my blog, so it's pretty normal that one of her books make this list :D I think The Perfect Lie is my favorite among all her books written as Dinah McCall.

Jonah Slade was once in love with a rich heiress, Felicity Blaine... however, she broke his heart by aborting his baby. To forget his pain, Jonah pours all his energy into his career, an undercover agent for the CIA. 16 years later, Macie Blaine, Felicity's younger sister, shows up on his doorstep and tells him that Felicity lied under the pressure of their father and that Jonah has a son... and his son has been kidnapped...

I have to say I'm not really a fan of those storylines where the hero or heroine later falls in love with their ex-whatever's sister/brother... but in this case, it works well and I guess that's because Jonah and Macie had very little contact with each other when Macie was young and so much time pass through. Also, Macie really loved Jonah and she gave up a lot for him. In addition, I found the storyline very interesting.... but what drew me most were the characters and their relationships.

Touching Evil by Kay Hooper

Finally, my third book is Touching Evil by Kay Hooper. I think that Kay Hooper is quite well-known as an author, but not really in the romance sphere. Me, I just love the FBI SCU series :D and it was a hard choice btw Touching Evil, Stealing Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Hunting Fear :P In the end, Touching Evil won... there is just something about this book...

There is a serial killer on the loose: he rapes, beat his victims and take away their eyes. So far, he has made 4 victims. John Garrett's sister was one of the victim and she killed herself later on... John is determined to seek justice for his sister and he is ready to do anything. If this means calling his good friend Quentin and his partner from the FBI SCU and putting faith in Maggie Barnes, a sketch artist with an extraordinary gift, he'll do it... although he doesn't believe in psychics.

Maggie's psychic ability is both a gift and a curse... She's an empath and so she feels what her victims feels. She's also an amazing artist which allows to draw such accurate sketches and she believes that she's been put in this world, been given this gift to right something she did wrong in her past life... to re-establish a balance that has been long ago disrupted... However, this case is different from all what she's been through, the feelings she gets are amplified and her powers are starting to grow stronger... scaring the hell out of her. Will she succeed to re-establish balance? or will she fail again?

Like I said, I love this series :D Yes, it is gory and there is a lot of violence, but we're talking serial killer and FBI stuff and so I don't think there's any way around it... The real world does have a lot of gratuitous violence :( I also love the author's take on psychic abilities, the explanations she gives in her books are very believable... I guess I'm more of a scientist than I thought :D This is one of the best in the series in term of plot and relationship :D and I really liked Maggie and she was going through... only someone very strong could have made it.


All right, so this post got longer than I thought it'd be :D So I'll stop here... but just before saying good night, here are the persons I'm tagging: Chantal, Kris, Isabel, Rosie and Kristie :D

Good night :D

8 Random Things about Me...

Well I was going to do a random post about myself (some updates), but I got tagged by Kristie! :D Isn't coincidence great? So, here are the rules for the newbies:

- you need to state 8 random things/facts about yourself if you're tagged
- don't forget to include these rules in your post!
- you need to tag 8 other persons
- comment on the blog of your 8 tagged persons, so they know they've been tagged

Not clear? it doesn't matter, almost everyone's on blogosphere has been tagged in the past few days, so just go to another blog for clearer rules LOL


1 - I got my answer for both pharmacy schools: got refused :( I'm a bit disappointed, but not crushed. After all, I have a bachelor and master degree already... still waiting for answer from optometry school... which will come next Tuesday. Although, I'm not getting any illusions...

2 - I've really been eating too much junk food lately. My eating habits are all screwed up actually. I guess I should do something about it... and try to lose some weight... just a tiny bit.

3 - I want to go to Japan someday soon. It'd be fun to go to Japan with some friends. I also want to go on a trip with my parents and sister - been so long. My sister wants to go to Australia, so perhaps next year I'll bring her there.... since apparently, I'm going to be working for the next year and making money :D

4 - I've been so sleepy lately! and bored! So yeah, haven't been reading much - but you knew this already. Which means I have urges to go buy books... but there's nothing to buy! By the way, anyone has suggestions of books? Did I mention I'm bored? :P Luckily, there's Ames to order me not to buy books. Although I actually think it's because she wants to limit herself and so, find it easier if she has a friend that does the same LOL :)

5 - Actually, I've just been in a mood of spending money... which I shouldn't... but I am. I want to buy more notebooks, but I mean, how many book journal can you have? Especially since I have difficulty keeping the current one up-to-date!

6 - I really don't have 8 things to say about me... All right, I thought of something. You know, the more I study and see the education system in North America, I wonder why we value studies and college and university so much. I mean, can you do well without having gone to college? Sure. So why are we puhings ourselves and the younger generations so much to attend to college? Seriously, I have a bachelor in biochemistry, but that didn't help me looking for a job afterwards. I seriously think there's something wrong with our believes in school and education... but I'm too lazy to do something about it.

7 - I'm going crazy waiting for June's releases. I'm going to pre-order Demon Moon by Meljean Brooks and Rises the Night by Colleen Gleason next week. Other books that I'm looking forward too are Up close and Dangerous by Linda Howard and Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong.

8- If Max ever has puppies, I want one... but then, I think that Ames has taken away his ability to make puppies LOL :P

Oh! the people I tag are the following:

Ames
Jennie
Cindy
Chantal
Kailana
Kris
Mailyn

Scategory meme

Hey, I got tagged by Kris for this meme :D and it sounds like a lot of fun!

So here are the rules:

Use the 1st letter of your middle name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names,things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question.

.....Your Middle Name: Nathalie

1. Famous singer: Nelly F-something
2. 4 letter word: neon
3. Street name: New Brunswick Blvd
4. Color: Navy blue
5. Gifts/presents: Nintendo games
6. Vehicle: Nissan
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: nutcracker (?)
8. Boy Name: Nathan
9. Girl Name: Natasha
10. Movie Title: Nemo
11. Drink: nutty flavored milk(?)
12. Occupation: NICU doctor
13. Flower: euh, this, I don't know...
14. Celebrity: Neil Gaiman
15. Magazine: New woman...
16. U.S. City: New York
17. Teams: Nicks (basketball I think)
18. Something Found in a Kitchen: napkins
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: napping
20. Something You Throw Away: napkins
21. Things You Shout: NO!
22. Cartoon Character: Naruto
23. Food: noodles

I'm tagging Ames and Jennie