Raising My Boys

I am currently reading the book Raising Kids Who Will Make a Difference by Susan Vogt and it's interesting - in a parenting point of view.  Granted, I don't agree with all her methods but I understand her intentions and I respect that.

For instance, assigning a particular color for each child to color-code their stuff.  It's very ambitious and I'm sure it worked for their household, but I don't think I have the time to color-code everything here since we're living with my in-laws and I wouldn't want to color-code their stuff along with ours! I did like her idea of going on dates with each child.  That I would want to do especially when my boys are older.  I hope they will look forward to those dates with me.

Another topic that I enjoyed reading was her propensity to bring eco-bags wherever she went.  Living in Las Pinas has taught me to bring an eco-bag whenever I'm out of the house lest I carry any stuff I buy in paper bags or god forbid, a cardboard box.  I want to encourage my boys to do the same but again, I always encourage them to decide for themselves on what they believe is best for them to do.  Hopefully, all our lessons on recycling and being environmentally conscious will guide them accordingly.

I'm halfway through the book and I hope to learn more.  I hope to finish at least one (informative) book every two months so I guess I'm on the right track. :)

BOOKS 2,3,4 and 5

I've finished reading books 2, 3, 4 and almost completed book 5 of the Percy Jackson series. It's pretty neat. Well, I found that all fantasy/alternate universe stories intrigue me. Think Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc. I just think that their stories are amazing. The authors' creative minds just blow me away.

Anyway, I'm now in the final chapter of the last book and I'm quite happy with the way the whole series turned out. It was very entertaining and engaging. I hope my boys get to read these books when they are older, maybe after they've studied Mythology.

Since I breezed through the whole set of books in just a few short days, I'm sure I'll be reading them again the future. I do that. I read all the Harry Potter books like 5 times, the Phillip Pullman books (Golden Compass) like 3 times, Twilight series 4 times and other series books more than once I'm sure. So I just know I'll be doing the same with the Percy Jackson books. :D

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It's so hard to lose weight. It just seems as though I'm fighting a losing battle. And it sucks.

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I gave Ruther a haircut today. It's actually nice, even if I have to say so myself. He was complaining that his hair was unkempt and hard to fix in the mornings and some of his office pals mentioned that it was getting ugly. Since we were both too lazy to leave the house, we decided that I should simply give him a trim. And it turned out okay, thank goodness. If he's getting compliments tomorrow, I'm getting the credit. :D

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF

I just finished reading Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief and I must say, I was really disappointed that the story was so different from the movie. I mean, sure, the characters were there: Percy, his mom, the centaur, the satyr, Annabeth, Poseidon, Zeus and Hades but other than that, the movie seemed like it was inspired from the book rather than based from it, if you know what I mean.

For instance, in the book, Percy never developed his powers until he was in Camp Half-Blood. In the movie, he was underwater holding his breath in the first few minutes of the flick. In the book, Annabeth and Percy did not have an attraction towards each other. She was more interested in Luke (son of Hermes). Also, the god of war, Ares was never ever mentioned in the movie but in the book, he was the one of the gods who conspired against Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. Ares gave Percy a magical backpack that had the lightning bolt while in the movie, the bolt was hidden in the shield Luke gave him before leaving camp. Also, Luke was the one who stole the lightning bolt PLUS the Hades helm of darkness when some demi-gods went on a visit to Olympus. Are you confused yet?

It's just so disappointing for me when movie versions stray away too far from the books. I would have thought it to be more of like Harry Potter or The Golden Compass where there were some extra scenes but still stayed true to the story. Oh and that scene with the Hydra, getting of the pearls, Persephone in the Underworld, and Hades visiting the camp? Those were never in the book.

I just didn't like it. I mean, I enjoyed the movie (watched it weeks ago). I thought it was nice. Then, reading the book chanted a whole lot of things for me. Now I wonder, "Do I like the movie version more? OR the book?" And I can't say because they are both SO different! Oh and guess what? In the book, Percy never got to save his mom! Wrap your head around that! And in the movie, that was all he was thinking of, right?

Sigh. Anyway, I'm now on the second book The Sea of Monsters. I just hope that if they do a movie version of this, they would stick to the story.

YUMMY DURIAN

Yay! We have gotten around to eating the fruit these past days and I'm really happy it's available this early in the year. I don't care what some people say about this fruit. I don't care if some find it smelly or revolting. I don't care if some people can't stand it. I love it and my family loves it. I've been eating it all my life and I don't think I'm going to get fed up of it. The last time I was in Zamboanga I didn't get a chance to eat durian so I'm quite happy that it's now being sold around the city. Yay!

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I've been researching the 'net for places of interest and accommodations around Dipolog and Dapitan Cities for our upcoming roadtrip. We were initially planning a trip to Camiguin, an island in Northern Mindanao (we're in Western Mindanao) but aside from costing a lot to get there by bus, we would need another 2-hr. bus ride when we get to Cagayan de Oro and then take another 2-hr. ferry ride to Camiguin. Just thinking about it already exhausts me. And my mom agreed that that would be too expensive, too tiring and just too bothersome. So now we're planning to visit the not-too-far-away citites of Dipolog and Dapitan. I'm actually excited to get there. Aside from this being my first Mindanao road trip, the last time I was in those cities was when I was in high school. So yeah, I'm excited to see the places and to take thousands of photos. I hope I won't run out of SD cards! :)

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I've been reading No Place Like Home by Mary Higgins Clark and although I really love her books, I've been too preoccupied by many things to really appreciate the story. I know, I suck. But well I can't help being worried about things and I can't help thinking about things that affect me, my family and our future. Anyway, I'm halfway through the book and if I concentrate hard enough and push all other thoughts from my head, the story is quite riveting. So I plan to finish the book before the week is over then get around to doing all those other things that's been bothering me for the past days.

Sigh.

VAMPIRES AND MORE

I seem to be saturating myself in vampire tales these days. Aside from doing a Buffy marathon (Ruther got me the complete collection for Christmas) for the past weeks, I have been following the story of Bella and Edward and if you have no idea who they are then maybe you're just not into books or the supernatural. Anyway, I'm almost done with the Buffy episodes. I'm in Season 7 now (the final season) and I want to know how things end for Buffy and the Scooby gang. I have to admit, when I followed this series on tv I was not able to catch all the episodes so it's better doing the marathon, at least this way, I could connect all the stories and subplots I missed in the past. It's actually nice getting to watch the entire story unfold in the proper order. I might be done with the final season by next week if nothing hectic comes my way in the next few days.

I just finished reading Breaking Dawn and I must say, once you get over the first book (Twilight), the rest of the books just get better and better. My favorite is the last book because of revelations, resolutions and well, everything coming together I must say. After reading the entire story, I'm now thinking of getting the second, third and fourth book for my collection. My sis gave me the first book last year. I like the writing style and tone of Stephanie Meyer. It's easy to read, the emotions are real and she has a very creative imagination. Hopefully, she will be writing more books in the future, vampire or no vampire.

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I read in the newspapers the other day that short hair is the in thing this year. Well, at least I'm keeping up with the latest fad. My hair is starting to feel a bit longer though. I'm thinking of getting a trim in the next 2 weeks to keep my hair as short as it is. I still don't know when I'm going to start growing it long but for the moment, I'm happy to keep it this short. And oh yeah, I forgot about posting my photo. Again. Will do that after I post this...

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Afternoons in my room is absolutely wonderful. After the noon sun has gone down a bit, the wind coming through the window is really refreshing. I usually leave the windows open at this time so the breeze could come through unhindered by the wire screen. The boys usually nap in my room (because of the cool breeze and to save electricity - we would be using 2 fans if we were in separate rooms) and I usually like the quiet and the wind while I'm in bed reading a book or listening to some music on the laptop. I just love the breeze, the calm, the relaxing tropical atmosphere. Now, if only Ruther were here, this would be perfect.

UPDATES

So much has happened these past few days that I didn't have time to write anything....

Ruther took a few days off work and we spent those days together with the boys. It was nice and I really really appreciate whatever time we could get for bonding. Living apart from Ruther has made me learn to just let go of the less important things and focus more on the things that matter at the moment and matter to me.

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The weather has been erratic this week. Sometimes it would be rainy, and then it'll get so warm, then one day it'll be cloudy. Ruther has got a cold but it's getting better now. The boys are doing okay so I'm glad for that. It's just really terrible if one of them gets sick. Not only do they get cranky but it's hard to cure a cold in kids. Anyway, am trying to drorwn Ruther in fruit juices so hopefully, that will do the trick.

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A few weeks ago, I read Breakfast at Tiffany's. I got the book at Yurindo and since I haven't seen the movie yet and since I always want to read the book first before watching the movie version and since it was not that expensive, I bought it. But unfortunately, I didn't like the story. Surprising, huh. I know and heard all the rave reviews about the movie version and how Audrey Hepburn's character Holly Golightly was called "a hilarious heroine" but that was not how I saw the character in the book. To me, she was just too ambitious, too flighty and just too self-involved. I know I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm making my comments based on the book version and really, I was not too happy with the story. After I read the book, I was aghast to be honest. I mean, who would want to base a character on Holly Golightly I really don't know... So disappointing.

But I still love Audrey Hepburn.

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Ruther introduced me to a new tv show So You Think You Can Dance and I loved it. I just loved the concept and I think some of the dance choreographies in the show were just astounding. My favorite dancers in the last season were Katee Shean and Joshua Allen and if you watched the show, you'd know why. After I completed watching the entire season, I would sometimes check YouTube for some of their routines (they were partners in the show) and I would always be amazed at their movements and skillfulness. I just love them. Anyway, I'm looking forward to watching the next season and hopefully, it will be just as amazing as this last one.

FINISHED

I just finished reading The Subtle Knife AND The Amber Spyglass, the second and third books of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series (that follows The Golden Compass). Frankly, I feel so overwhelmed with the story of Lyra. The closest thing to describing my feeling is like watching the Matrix for the first time. It's like you get lost in all the lingo and jargon and you just need to watch the movie one more time and pay attention a bit more closely. Well, Philip Pullman's books were like that. I feel -now that I've read through all the stories- I need to read the books one more time to fully appreciate the story. It was just so riveting that my eyes devoured every word and I just hated putting the book down to do something else. Last night, I slept at around 3am because I only had a few chapters to finish and I wanted to know how it was going to end. And when I finally read the last word on the last page, I just felt a bit empty. Like when I read the last book in the Harry Potter series. I felt like I won't be able to talk to a friend again, that's what I felt. I just wanted to know what will happen to Lyra next, and to Will and to all the many characters in the story. How will the universes survive? What will Lyra's future be? How are the beings going to live again in their homes? It's all very frustrating because I just want to know so much more. It's like being so involved in something that you just can't think of anything else. So it's very frustrating. And I really really really want to know more. It seems pretty disappointing that there are only 3 books. It would have been nice to have read a bit more about Lyra's adventures. And there was so much material to go by, so many stories to tell, so many other adventures. It's just soooo frustrating. But still, I loved it. It's something I've really really come to love and now, I can't stop thinking about it. So maybe, I'll make up my own stories about Lyra and Pantalaimon and Will and Iorek and Serafina Pekkala and the angels and the mulafa and Mary Malone and all the other characters that made the current reading so entertaining. And I wish that one day, I'll once more stumble on a wonderful story such as this, that would not only take my breath away, but would transport me to another world, completely wonderful and completely unexpected.

THE SUBTLE KNIFE

At last I have it! I now have the second book!! The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman. Been waiting for this ever since I finished The Golden Compass days ago. And I couldn't help but think of anything else after that. The story is just so riveting. Really. I know many will hate me for saying this but I just love this loads more than the Harry Potter series. And I loved the Potter stories a lot! So you can only imagine the reasons behind my extreme obsession with the story of Lyra Belacqua. The whole thing/movie/book/story was just so unexpected that it just caught me by surprise. A very pleasant surprise. And now, I'm hooked! Tonight, I will once more lose myself in the thrilling and exciting life of a young girl named Lyra. Can't wait. =D

OBSESSED

So remember how intrigued I was about the movie The Golden Compass? Remember that I mentioned not knowing anything about the flick (except that Nicole Kidman was there) and then being blown away by the story? Well, one day, at a discount bookstore, I happened to find the book. Yup! What were the chances right? So I got to reading the book right away and oh my god, the book is waaaay better than the movie, I must say. It's very rich and detailed and very creative. I loved how Philip Pullman incorporated metaphysics in his writing. I said that the movie was intriguing? Well, the book is just amazing! The thing is though, the movie wasn't really faithful to the book (unlike the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - it was made as it was written in the book). Lyra Belacqua in the movie is rebellious but somewhat sweet. In the book, she is headstrong, petulant, and almost mean aside from being intelligent and easy-going. Her past is also explained in greater detail in the book. More explanations about the human-daemon relationship was also written in there and I found them to be all so fascinating. Like all adult servants all have dog daemons. So cool. Also, it took Lyra a while before she could figure out how to read the alethiometer. But of course, they couldn't do that in the movie - naturally. All the other characters were amazing as well but I love Pantalaimon and Iorek. I was just so fascinated and amazed at the imagination of Philip Pullman. The book was something I enjoyed tremendously and I am already thinking of reading it again. (I watched the movie twice already.) I went back to the discount bookstore the other day to look for the second part of His Dark Materials series, The Subtle Knife but I couldn't find it. I was soooo disappointed. I so wanted to read it because The Golden Compass left me hanging and I really couldn't help but wonder about Lyra's fate. I already read the synopsis and I just want to get my hands on a copy so I could once more lose myself in a wonderful world of daemons and alethiometers and alternate universes. I asked my sister to help me look for The Subtle Knife at a bookstore close to where she works. I'm hoping that she'll find me a copy. And soon.

RAISING CONFIDENT BOYS

I am currently reading a book by Elizabeth Hartley-Brewer titled Raising Confident Boys. I got this book at Booksale and I was hesitant to buy it at first because I had already picked a lot of books to purchase then but when I browsed through it, I liked what I saw. And after reading the first few pages (I read one tip every night before going to sleep), I thought that it was a very handy book. Not only will it help me deal with my boys' temperaments but it will also provide me with insight on how to be a more understanding and loving parent. I really liked the straight-to-the point tips that I decided to share them with Ruther. So, I email him a tip a day so that together, we would be able to develop our boys' self-esteem, be more sensitive to their needs and teach them self-discipline to help them achieve their goals in life.

Here are a couple of tips from the book:

1. Boys Need Love, Too

Boys often seek love in roundabout ways from parents and other adults close to them. When they are old enough to make sense of what it means to be male, they may decide this means feeling love but not being soft enough to show or want it.
It can be hard for a boy to accept that being boisterous, and sometimes difficult and destructive, works comfortably with also needing to lose oneself in the warmth and safety of a hug. This may even be harder for older boys, particularly if the arms are female. So boys often use more aggressive tactics to get the love they need than do girls, who have far less emotional distance to travel to claim their emotional birthright.
If he's just jumped on you from behind or given you a painful punch, this can mean that he needs your love, so it is better to respond affectionately than to lash out. Your goal should be to reduce the parental ties gradually without leaving him feeling emotionally stranded and abandoned.

*You can show love by being interested in his ideas, paying attention to and doing things with him, and understanding his feelings.
* Giving special tasks to certain boys who lack confidence can make them feel significant, noticed, reliable and trustworthy.


2. Show that you understand him

All children find being misunderstood extremely frustrating. It starts as an irritation, but when the mistake persists, a boy will begin to question whether his version of himself is normal, reasonable and justified. When boys see their wishes as continuously ignored or misinterpreted, they feel not only humiliated but also increasingly resentful, angry and, most damaging, self-doubting.
You can show understanding by anticipating his needs and - carefully - expressing his possible thoughts. You can say things such as "I guess you're feeling left out. Am I right?" This gives him room to disagree, and keeps you from coming across as infuriatingly all-knowing - and possibly wrong.

*Accept how he sees the world. He doesn't have to agree with you, nor you with him.
*Value his uniqueness. Tell him what you like about him.
*Look behind his behavior for possible causes and feelings. Let him know you understand.
*Remember his likes and dislikes.

NEW BOOK

I found this book at National Bookstore and I just had to get it. It was on sale and only cost P50!! Can you believe it?! Anyway, I thought that it would be great for our homeschooling lessons. Besides, sometimes it's hard to research and browse the internet for crafts ideas. It takes a lot of time and I sometimes spend 2 hours just checking for ideas and tips. With this book, I can simply mark the pages of crafts that would be ideal for Nikki and Ethan and prepare the materials beforehand. Neat huh? =D

MY "NEW" BOOKS

These are the books that Natasha gave me since she could not bring them all to Australia. I was expecting at least 3, 4 the most but she gave me 7!! So I'm quite ecstatic about that. =D She also gave me a Mango blouse and a facial mask. Oh yes, and a very lovely letter as well. =D

GREAT BUYS

I went to the mall this afternoon while the boys were napping because my dad asked me to check the prices of the flash disks. I think he needs one for the office. Since the boys were napping, I thought it would be okay to go on my own. Anyway, after checking that out, I decided to pass by National Bookstore before heading home because I needed to buy some masking tape and glue. While there, I decided to look for the Pugad Baboy 19 since Ruther collects that. Fortunately they did not run out of it (much to my relief) and I got a copy for Ruther. While browsing through the aisles, I caught sight of a Baby Blues book. Ruther and I have been collecting the Baby Blues series even before we had kids and we really enjoy the humor of Kirkman and Scott. Checking the titles, I saw one that we did not have yet: Two Plus One is Enough. I quickly got it and was happy that I now have one more to add to our collection. Anyway, after I paid for those I happened to pass by a table full of discounted books and textbooks. I decided to have a look-see and it was a good thing I did because I found some great workbooks for Nikki that were only P20 each!! I got him 4 workbooks in Math, Science and Health, and Music, Arts and Physical Education. I was happy I found those. The Grade 1 books are okay for Nikki right now. We are currently learning the lessons in that level already so I was really glad I chanced upon those books. Really great buys today. Yup, am happy, happy, happy. =D

IT'S AUGUST TOMORROW

Last day of the month. And it's Harry Potter's birthday...

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Do you sometimes think luck hits you when you are not expecting it?

Today I went to the bank to deposit some money. I decided to go out while the boys were having their afternoon nap so that I would not have to take them along. Being payday today, I already expected a long queue so I decided to bring my Deathly Hollows book with me to while the time away. When I got there, I asked for a number from the guard and my number was 1. When I checked the counter, the number read 75. Oh-kay. Since all the seats were occupied, I braced myself for the long wait, stood in a corner, flipped open my book and started reading. After reading like 3 pages, the guard (who was near me by the way) asked me if I was going to do one transaction and I said "yes". He then directed me to teller 4 because he said she does single transactions only. He got my number back and I proceeded to the counter. My deposit slip had scarcely touched the countertop when the teller announced to the waiting people, "Yung mga may single transaction, pumila lang kayo dito." ("Those with single transactions, please line up here.") If I tarried a bit longer, I would have been at the back of the line (teller 4 was on the other side of the room from where I was standing) or I might have waited until all the people before my number were entertained. So, turns out, it really was a stroke of luck that I ended up in front of the teller before the announcement was made, another stroke of luck that the guard told me about the teller at the right time and another stroke of luck that i was not asked for my number since I would have been transferred to the back of the line.

Yup, lucky.

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I have finally finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. The moment I closed the book after it ended, I really felt like I lost a friend. It was just sad that the tale is over. Of course I am quite happy that good prevailed over evil but still, I know I will really miss all of Harry's adventures.

It just seems too anticlimatic that after all this time, after anticipating the final book, I am now sad that I have no more Harry stories to look forward to. Yes, really sad. =(

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS

At last I have my book!! Yes! The last Harry Potter book. Woohoo! I got it from my sister yesterday when we met at Robinson's Place. She pre-ordered the book for me months ago (I was in Zamboanga then) so she had to claim it. Sooo great! I'm so excited to read it! I have read some great reviews about it but nothing that would spoil the ending for me. So yeah, I'm really looking forward to starting my first page. I'll probably do that tonight. Ruther already finished reading his book so I'm excited to exchange thoughts and ideas with him once I'm done. =D

TGIF

I have started reading another book. I actually started last night. I said I was probably going to read a Mary Higgins Clark book but I picked another Agatha Christie. I really really want to finish reading this book because I realized yesterday that this book had been in mom’s bookshelf all these years and I haven’t read it! So yes, I want to know what the story is about. The title is The Secret of Chimneys. I’m currently in the 10th chapter (out of 31) but I’m confident that by Sunday I’ll be done with this. =D

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This afternoon the boys and I played with their Frisbee. There is a wide field near the church where we hear mass and we went there and the boys had a bit of fun. Nikki had some difficulty throwing the disc. He would either throw it the wrong way (like he was throwing ninja darts) or throw it too high. I think he needs a bit more practice but he did enjoy it a lot. Ethan did throw the Frisbee a few times but he was more interested in playing with the grass clippings (part of the field was newly mowed). After a while, Nikki was interested with the grass clippings too so we just gathered the clippings into a small stack. Then of course, Ethan messed it all up. It was a fun afternoon for everyone. =D

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Another addition to my recipe files:

ARROZ CON LECHE

4 servings

4 C water
1 ½ C malagkit
1 C fresh milk
1 300-ml can condensed milk
½ tsp cinnamon

Topping:
Canned peaches well-drained
Strawberry jam
Sprinkling of cinnamon
Sprigs of mint (optional)

Boil the water in a large saucepan. As soon as the water boils, add the rice gradually, stirring the mixture while pouring the rice. Lower the heat.
As soon as the rice is almost done (taste to test doneness) pour in fresh milk, condensed milk and cinnamon. Adjust sweetness to taste by adding sugar if desired. Allow to cool at room temperature then chill.
When ready to serve, spoon as adequate amount of sweet rice into a bowl. Top with slices of peaches, a spoonful of strawberry jam and a dash of cinnamon. Decorate with mint sprigs if desired.
From Food Magazine

HOT HOT SUNDAY

I've started reading another book. I actually began reading it a few days ago. I chose Agatha Christie's Elephants Can Remember. Pretty interesting. Since I'll be going home in a few days' time, I figured, I might as well do as much reading as I can while the books are readily available. Hopefully, I'll be done with this book soon.

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It has been particularly hot today. Ethan was quite cranky at church this morning and I had to fan him furiously to calm him down. We had to exit the church for a while because he became quite whiny. Although it was quite bothersome, I still understood why he was having a tantrum. So, I just continued to fan him until the mass ended. I think next week, I'll let him and Nikki wear sleeveless shirts. He usually isn't this cranky when we're at church so it must have really been the heat.

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Last night, I watched Batman Begins on HBO. I already watched this movie before but I still wanted to watch it just the same. I'm really not a Batman expert (I leave that to my brother, who's a Batman fan) so I can't really give an adequate comparison of this movie with the other Batman flicks. But I could say for sure that I enjoyed the movie last night. It was simple and not as comical as let's say, having the Joker or The Riddler there. I also think Christian Bale is the best Batman among all the actors who played this dark role. Katie Holmes would not have been my first pick as Rachel but she did play a pretty good role there so I suppose that was allright. Anyway, it was nice watching it. Pretty entertaining. =D

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With it being a warm day and all, I decided that later in the afternoon, the boys could frolic in their inflatable pool. Well, after their nap at least. I think that will cool some hot heads. =D Maybe I'll take a quick dip as well.

BOOK OF THE WEEK

I'm done with By The Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie. Wonderful story. Like I said, I could never go wrong with an Agatha Christie (right, Jane?). =D

On to the next book! I decided on a Mary Higgins Clark book titled On the Street Where You Live. This is my mom's book and she bought it at Booksale, a secondhand bookstore in Manila. I figured that since I was still hung up on murder mystery novels, I might as well make the most of it. Might be done with this is a few days as well since it seems to be quite interesting.

SLOW SATURDAY

This is the book I am reading right now. The Shoemaker (the previous one) was not a very good book, much to my disappointment. In my opinion, the author seemed a bit biased to me. She was not a psychologist or a psychiatrist and yet she believed everything Joseph Kallinger told her and she really and truly believed that he was psychotic and had no control over his actions (when he murdered people). I find that pretty hard to swallow. Diagnosing someone with mental problems is not an immediate thing. You don't just meet someone several times and say, "Yes, he's crazy." I think the author realized that she could ride on the popularity of this criminal and rarely questioned his statements or tried to verify it. So yes, I didn't like the book that much but the story WAS interesting, so too bad.

This next book is of course, another Agatha Christie book. After reading a bad book, my faith in good reads is always returned after I read an Agatha Christie book. So, it's a good thing we have lots of Agatha Christie books here. =D

BOOK OF THE WEEK

This is the book I have decided to read for the week. As the book says, it's "the anatomy of a psychotic". It's the story of a shoemaker (thus the title) named Joseph Kallinger who performed many atrocious killings in his lifetime. If you want to know more about his life and the crimes he committed and not read this book you can go here (one of my favorite sites). It's really interesting if you're into the criminal mind, forensics, criminal psychology and such.

Hopefully, this book won't give me nightmares. =D