[Date is in UK format]

Ze weekend plans are:

Off to watch The Tudors Season 2 and some other borrowed DVDs of movies -- "My Best Friend's Girl", "The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2", "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian", and "The Accidental Husband."

Still reading: Beware, Princess Elizabeth by Carolyn Meyer and finishing up Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak bk 1.

Off to Fernwood Gardens and the mall on Sunday.

Will post photos/reviews once done :)

Apologies for the late posting -- I haven't been progressing much in my Book/Telly Shows/Movie reviews. Probably because I haven't even finished watching a new movie or telly series in a while.

Last night, I got home early and popped on Medical Investigation Season 1 on DVD. I only got to watch the first episode, but it is so addictive, I am saddened that this series has been cancelled.



First aired in 2004 [and sometime 2005, 2006, I think in Star World], this telly series focuses on a team of doctors who specialize in infectuous diseases that may turn into full-blown epidemics. Think House MD meets CSI. This team is usually the only doctors who could run tests on the quarantined patients and represent the NIH [National Institute of Health].

I'm kind of surprised that this telly series didn't receive a huge following, but I'm a huge fan and if you see this DVD, go and watch it! :) It's one of those shows that makes me think. :)

I'll post more reviews of the episodes/whole series once I get to finish the other 19 episodes so till then :)

This is the latest telly show that I've been going crazy about. It revolves around the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, with headquarters in Quantico, Virginia. This group is dedicated to finding serial killers by thinking like a murderer.
Sounds like CSI? Well, it is a wee bit like CSI but it's much more interesting IMO.

In Criminal Minds, there are lots of red tape -- ie the local police has to file a report and formally invite the BAU to their crime scenes, so in each episode, there is an element of surprise. The BAU go to different states and encounter murderers, some of which are so sick, you'll look away from the telly.

I have been a fan of this series ever since I first saw it on Studio 23 that I had to get a copy of the DVD. Now, three seasons later, I can't wait for the fourth installment of this series! :) In fact, I'm more hooked on this more than CSI!

My favourite character is Dr. Spencer Reed -- he is a genius. He is the walking encyclopedia of the team and he can always remember what he reads. Gosh, I wish I could have that kind of talent.

Then there's JJ -- the liason officer of the team. She's the one who filters all the cases and basically decides which case the team should handle. Personally, I think that she is a bit biased in crimes regarding women -- missing, battered, raped, etc. She has a bit of a soft spot for that.

There's Morgan -- I think he's a bit aggressive and does not normally follow protocol. He has a past he'd rather forget [watch Season 2 for a background on that] which molded him into what he is.

Garcia -- She is the technical analyst of the team. And she is fast in searching for information on the unsubs or victims. She is awesome!

Rossi -- The newest character. He replaced Gideon and is the best profiler of the team. He came back to the BAU after a retirement because of his unfinished business.

And there's Hotchner -- a former field agent of the FBI, he is almost like the leader of the group.

And that sums it. :)

Overall rating for this telly series: 4.5/5
Do watch it if you can :)

Apologies for the delayed posting of this.

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to watch this movie starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.

Based from F. Scott Fitzgerald's fictional short story with the same name, it chronicles the life of Benjamin Button, who was born with the features of an 80-year old and seems to age backward.

It is a very entertaining tale of love and life, albeit some parts are a bit boring.

But if you do get to watch, please take a note of the conversations/dialogue between the characters. You'll find out that there is more meaning to them.

Overall, I'd give the movie a 3.5 out of a 5.

This is the first book I've finished for the 2009 Quantity Challenge.

I've started this book in late 2008 [December] and only got to finish it last night.



It's the story of how Morrie Schwartz, an old professor of Mitch [the narrator] faced his impending death when he was diagnosed with ALS. Morrie then "teaches" life lessons to Mitch about love, relationships, money, and how to face impending death.

The book touched me a lot and made me think about what I want in life. There were numerous quotes/lessons that had its impact, one of it was "It's never too late to change."
Ditto on that remark.

It's funny how people change whenever they're in the brink of losing something important. *sigh*

I'd give the book a rating of 4/5. I'd recommend it to those seeking a bit of meaning in their lives, maybe it'll open your eyes out to what you really want to do and how to make your life more worthwhile.

I'm off to watch "The curious case of Benjamin Button", "Rome" season 1 and a few others.

Will post reviews on Monday.

Ta for now! Have a nice weekend!

Movies:
Ang Tanging Ina Nyong Lahat [Local Movie Review]
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Seven Pounds
(500) Days of Summer


DVDs:
Boyzone: Back Again...No Matter What Live 2008 [Concert Review]
Criminal Minds -- Season 3
Medical Investigation -- Episode 1
Lipstick Jungle

Wheee!!!

I finally got my hands on the live DVD of one of my favourite bands in the world, Boyzone! :)

I watched it for two straight days and it made me reminisce so much about the Boyzone 2008 tour which I was soo blessed and happy to have watched live in London on June 1, 2008.

The DVD was awesome -- the package contains two DVDs -- the first being the concert, the second being a documentary and interview with the lads themselves.

Although not available locally in Manila [I asked a friend to buy me a copy of the DVD when she was in Hong Kong], I highly suggest that fans of this band do get a copy of the DVD. After all, it is Boyzone! And they're finally back after an eight year break. You can order it from amazon.co.uk via the link above.

I am off to watch it one more time over the weekend. I just can't get enough of it! :)

Other DVD lemmings I have:
Live In Chicago

Westlife Live at Croke Park [2008]

'Take That - For The Record - Official Documentary [Amaray] [2006]

In book clubs, there is what we call a TBR list.
I assume that TBR is short for "To Be Read".

Therefore, here's my list and will be updated from time to time, quite long so please bear with me.

**note that I don't own some of the books I've mentioned but I'd just like to read them at one point in time :) **

1. Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants bk1-2 -- Ann Brashares [sp?]
2. Cirque du Freak bk 2 -12 -- Darren Shan
3. Inkheart, Inkspell, Inkdeath, The Thief Lord -- Cornelia Funke
4. The Seventh Sacrament -- David Hewson
5. The Last Templar -- Raymond Khoury
6. Twilight [re-read], New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn -- Stephenie Meyer
7. Shopaholic Abroad, Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Shopaholic and Sister, Shopaholic and Baby, Can You Keep a Secret, The Undomestic Goddess, Remember Me -- Sophie Kinsella
8. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
9. The Tudors -- Michael Hirst
10. My Take -- Gary Barlow
    

2010 reviews:


2009 reviews:

 

1. Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom
2. Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1)
3. A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle
4. Beware, Princess Elizabeth - Carolyn Meyer
5. Me & Mr Darcy - Alexandra Potter
6. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
7. Shopaholic Abroad - Sophie Kinsella [re-read]
8. Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella [re-read]
9. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
10. For One More Day - Mitch Albom [Done!]
11. The Cat In The Hat - Movie Storybook [Done!]
12. The Cat In The Hat [Done!]
13. Madeline [Done!]
14. Remember Me - Sophie Kinsella
15. New Moon - Stephenie Meyer.
16. The Broker - John Grisham [Finished!]
17. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
18. Perfume - Patrick Suskind
19. Eclipse - Stephenie Meyer
20. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone - JK Rowling

 

Other book-related posts:
1. Dan Brown's pattern
2. October 2009 24Hour Readathon Day 1
3. October 2009 24Hour Readathon Day 2
4. October 2009 24Hour Readathon Wrap-Up Post
5. Cleopatra's Daughter - Virtual Tour I

In My Mailbox Posts

***MOVIE REVIEW***

So this is technically the first movie I ever saw at the cinemas this 2009.

Thanks to this site, I got some MMFF passes to see a Filipino movie of my choice. I'm normally not too fond of Filipino movies, but since my mum was keen to watch at least one, I let her decide which one to watch.

And so, we were at the cinemas, deciding which one we wanted to watch. The choices was down to two: "Baler" and "Ang Tanging Ina", but our schedule permitted us to watch "Ang Tanging Ina". Well, it also seems obvious since the cinema we went to has three theatres dedicated to the latter, while only one for Baler.

My thoughts on the movie? Uh.. Two words to sum it up: mindless fun. And that's about it. The story is so shallow, I felt so bored, looking at my watch every 20 minutes is an understatement. The only winning point of the movie? Eugene Domingo and Ai-Ai's acting. It's quite good. Some of the "kasabihans" or sayings in the movie are also funny, but they're quite boring now, as it has been shown in the commercials/trailers of the movie from time to time, you kinda expect for it to appear at one point or another in the movie.

So.. overall rating? 1.5/5 stars.

Go watch it in the cinemas if you've got money to burn. Otherwise go wait for it to be shown in Cinema One or some other local telly channel to save your money.

Since my friends have all been posting their 2008 round-ups, might as well post one too.

Let's see... I shall do it by month.

January 2008 -- I really had this strong feeling that 08 is going to be lucky. I can feel it in my bones. And yes, it was lucky indeed :)

February 2008 -- Seeing Ne-Yo in Shangri-La. Super funny. I was craving for a Wendy's frosty and there he was, in line, in front of us! Syempre we asked for autographs, but what are the chances? Lol.

March 2008 -- Maroon 5 in Manila -- And oh yes. I got a chance to meet them too. I'm sooooo infatuated with Jesse Carmichael, oh yes, oh yes. I had my photo taken with him but its a bit blurry. But who the hell cares? I still had my photo taken with him!

Colbie Caillat in Manila I got a chance to meet her too, thanks to Tet's Ayala Card. teehee! :) She's awesome.

Mandy Moore in Manila I got a chance to meet her and see her in concert IN THE FRONT ROW! Oh my gosh. She's been my fave female singer ever since I was younger and I was soooo gutted when I didn't get to see her concert at Araneta in 2004. But oh well. That all changed now :)

Special mention: Incubus in Manila. I never really liked the band that much but I went to the concert to see how they were good live. I liked some of their songs anyway.

It was also on this month that I found out I'm flying to London in a couple of weeks for training. Waaaah Yay! :)

April 2008 Was supposed to go to Pagudpod, but had to cancel my trip because the London trip was scheduled for April 12th. But the London trip got delayed till May. Oh well.

May 2008 The Click Five in Manila!
Just when I thought that I wouldn't be able to watch this concert, I got to! My flight for London was scheduled for May 31st, the concert was on May 30th. Teehee. Lucky no? Well..... part of it was because I had rescheduled my flight hahaha. Instead of leaving on the 30th I had it moved to the 31st instead.
I didn't get to meet Click this time around, but hey, the payoff was good anyway... I got to book tickets to MY ULTIMATE FAVE BAND two days before the Click concert... You'll find more of that in the next month ;)


CDs I loved for 2008:



Books Read for 2008:

I am addicted to this stuff!
They're P40 from Som's and they have a very addictive taste :D
You could get this tea from Som's, a Thai restaurant somewhere in Rockwell.

I highly recommend this! :)

In addition -- I got my MMFF voucher for free tickets today. Will watch a movie this weekend and post a review by Monday. Not quite sure what to watch yet though, so stay posted :)