by Li Cunxin

Autobiography / Biography / Memoir / Non-Fiction

Click here to buy the book Mao’s Last Dancer (with free delivery)

Here’s Reading Like Rabbit’s first guest review by a good friend of mine, Naazli Somjee, who being such a fast reader, probably gets through more book than I do!

Thanks for your recommendation Naaz!

x Julie

Book Review:

A book you have to read is Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin! It is lovely, touching story about the author’s growing up years in China towards the end of Chairman Mao’s rule. He talks about the abject poverty of his childhood and his feelings for his family and the opportunities he is given. It could all become very melancholic but he writes with a combination of humour and matter-of-factness that you need to keep turning the pages till you reach the end. You will then feel the need to youtube the author to watch him dance, and go out and watch a ballet, and hug your parents all at the same time

x Naazli

Online Bookstore and Book Review Site

-Reading Like Rabbits-

a play by Yazmina Reza

Click image to enlarge

ART is an hilarious comedy about three men and a white painting.

Starring: Jason Chan, Andrew Keegan and Glynn Connop

Black Box at Centre Stage 15 Woking Road (off Portsdown Road), Singapore

Playing from April 8th till 24th. Thurs to Sat only. 8pm.

Book your tickets now at: http://www.tix.com.sg

How much would you pay for a white painting?

Click here to buy the play ART by Yazmina Reza

Have a great night of theatre with your friends. It opens real soon, so book your tickets now. I’ll see you there!

x Julie

Book Reviews – Reading Like Rabbits

I’ve been listening to podcasts like the New York Times Book Review and B&N Meet The Writers which I have enjoyed very much, but I’m now ready for more. I get motion sickness if I read while traveling, so I get really bored and frustrated not to be able to be engaged in a book while I’m getting from one place to another.

So, I decided to sign up for an audio book membership with Audible.com to listen to audio books on my i phone/i pod/ MP3 player. I used to think of audio books as being expensive, but I’ve realised, they can be cheaper than buying an actual book!

Here’s the plan I’m getting:

Audible Listener Discount Gold Membership

• Price: Monthly: USD$7.49 for the first three months and USD$14.95 thereafter and Annually: USD$149.95

• Benefits: 12 membership credits; 30% discount on future purchases; complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times
  

• Click here to Download an audiobook for $7.49 and save 50% for your first 3 months. Choose from over 75,000 titles.

or try:

Audible Listener Platinum Free Trial Membership

You can also sign up for a 14 day free trial – but you must remember to cancel it before 14 days are up in order for it to remain free.

• Price: Monthly: $22.95 and Annually: $229.95

• Benefits: 14 day risk free trial; 24 membership credits; 30% discount on future purchases; complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal or The New York Times.
• Click here to Try Audible Now and Get A Free Audiobook Download with a 14 Day Trial. Choose from over 60,000 Titles.

Personally, I think the Gold Membership is better if you only want one book a month. But if you plan to listen to more than one audio book a month, Platinum would be a good choice.

All plans allow cancellation at any time.

Audible Fact: The average reader gets through 5 books a year, the average AudibleListener member completes 16 books a year.

Click here to buy the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett (free delivery)

The first Audio Book that I’m going to get is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I’ve heard so much about it. It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list for 50 weeks and is still at number 2. It’s about a young white woman and two black maids in 1960s ­Mississippi.

Click here to read my review of The Help by Kathryn Stockett

You can listen to samples of all the books to get an idea of the story and what the voice you will be listening to will sound like. I’ve found the quality of the voice actors very high. (there are even audio awards!)

IMPORTANT NOTE:

When I tried signing up on audible.com the first time, I was furious to find out I couldn’t get the book I ordered because I live in Singapore. However, audible.com kindly wrote back to tell me that I can usually get the audio books I want, but owned by a different publisher (it’s an area rights and copyright issue). Once I sign up and they have details of where I’m from, as long as I’m logged in, they will show my only what I CAN buy.

Look out for my audio book reviews coming out soon!

x Julie

Audio Book Reviews

Reading Like Rabbits

The author of The Long Song and the award winning Small Island

Click here to buy The Long Song by Andrea Levy

Click here to buy Small Island by Andrea Levy (free delivery)

Meet author Andrea Levy on at the following bookstores:

When: 27th March 2010 (Saturday)

Where: Kinokuniya (Singapore Main Store), Orchard Road,  #03-09/10/15 Ngee Ann City

Time: 3.30pm

OR

When: 27th March 2010 (Saturday)

Where: Borders, Wheelock Place, Orchard Road

Time: 6.30pm

Join award-winning author Andrea Levy as she makes an appearance for her newest book The Long Song, at Kinokuniya Singapore Main Store on 27th March 2010, Saturday at 3.30pm and at Borders (Wheelock) at 6.30pm!

Be sure to catch the winner of these prestigious awards – the Orange Prize and the Whitbread Book of the Year Award (2004), as she shares on her books and writing experience, as well as autograph your copy of her book at this event.

The Long Song tells of an extraordinarily powerful story of slavery, revolution, freedom and love, set in Jamaica, and told in the irresistibly willful and intimate voice of Miss July. With some editorial assistance from her son, Thomas, the book traces the life of Miss July, the child of a field slave on the Amity sugar plantation, who experienced war and slavery through to its chaotic end.

Andrea Levy is also the author of Small Island, Fruit of the Lemon, Never Far from Nowhere and Every Light in The House Burnin’.

I’ll be going!

x Julie

Book Recommendations

Reading Like Rabbits