Little Stories 266 : The End of Week Nov

Some stories collected since last week:

The Covid and the Extended Weekend:

2 weeks ago I had Covid, and then a week later Af got it too. Despite not being in contact with him, he caught it. I'm not sure whether Sofi had Covid, because on the day that I had the test positive, Sofi had a high fever for 2 days but tested negative on both tests.

But I didn't want to risk it, so Sofi and I went back to my mom's and we had an extended weekend stay there. 

-

A Walk in the City:

Then I needed to return the books to the library because it was reaching its 2-week limit, so I went there on a Tuesday - that I mentioned in the previous post. 

-

Then I had another date with myself:

On Wednesday, none of my clients updated me with any feedback yet, so I decided to make an impromptu plan to watch The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I am one of the Hunger Games trilogy fans (not the books, just the story in general). So as a fan, I need to know what Suzanne Collins had to share with the world. 

I booked the ticket at 11am and arrived right when the cinema displayed the gate was opened for entry. I bought myself an americano, drank half of it throughout the movie, got heart palpitations and shaky hands due to getting myself highly caffeinated on an empty stomach, and enjoyed the movie while trying to ignore my shaky chair (due to the back audience's feet) and listening to constant random conversation by a group of friends behind me. 

All in all, I was entertained by the movie. I tried writing an essay about the movie, but I found myself lacking the information needed to understand Snow better (ie in the book, you can actually read Snow's inner monologue). It is a villain origin story, and please, if you say that Snow turned into a villain because he felt betrayed by Lucy Gray, then you obviously need to sharpen your observation more. He chose to be one because of his hunger for power, money, and status. He is mistrustful towards others, he betrays, he manipulates, and he cheats. He is ambitious and narcissistic, he wants to earn his right to entitlement as his father's son. 

A sad past, a difficult life, or a partner that chooses to leave you, shouldn't be a reason for anyone to do evil things in life. Of course, we want to blame others for our fall, but in reality, everyone is responsible for their own decision. His authoritarian convictions grew out of his experiences while growing up, he developed his ideas about the world and human nature and chose to be influenced by the different people that he met. 

He always has a choice and he finally chooses evil. 

-

Then it was the PMS: 

So it was the bad sleepless night, the random cries, the bloatedness, the sudden urge to eat sweets and salty foods, the headache, and the fatigue. All the things I had to go through during the emotional rollercoaster ride. 

Note: NEVER make any big decisions during your PMS weeks. You can cry, you can rant, you can whine, you can curse, you can question, but you can't make any big decisions during these weeks.  

-

An Ode to my fav Flannel:

After 10 years together, exploring the city, drenched in my sweat, it is finally reaching its end of life. I saw a big hole on my left sleeve last weekend, not salvageable by sewing because I know I used it as much as I could throughout its life. 

Thank you my dear dear purple flannel. You were my favorite in those sweaty journeys because you hid my sweat-stain well, or my flat-chested sweaty chest, and you were clinging on me with such precious loyalty. It was always comfortable to wear a cotton flannel on an active day out, and I thank you so much for your service. 

Lepas ni jadi pakai jadi baju kebun :

-

Spotify Wrapped:

These songs will be forever engraved in my mind as the year I was so emotionally invested in pain.

Books : About Books in November

 Books I Consumed in November :

1. Unbecoming by Joanne Fedler
2. Your Story by Joanne Fedler
3. Failosophy by Elizabeth Day
4. A Quitter's Paradise by Elysia Chang
5. A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
6. In Search of Silence by Poorna Bell
7. Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson
8. Shame by Annie Ernaux
9. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles - Omnibus 1
10. How to Think More Efficiently by The School of Life
11. Big Wild Love by Jill Sherrey Murray
12. The Presence of Absence by Simon Van Booy
13. The Border of Paradise by Esme Weijun Wang
14. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles - Omnibus 2

• A Man's Place - A story about Annie's father, a practical man who showed his family little affection.
• In Search of Silence - I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads because it was good. Would reread it again in the future. It is a book on grief and letting go. 
• Satellite Love - This started well but it kinda went sideways by the end of it (I feel like the tone of the book resembles Murakami's Kafka on the Shore). But I took almost 2 months to finish it off, and it wasn't even a thick book. So, not for me. 
• Shame - I think this book should not be printed as a book, but rather, a post in a blog. There was no access to free internet in 1997, thus, Shame is printed as a book. Ha.
• Tsubasa Collection 1 & 2 - ok, I've been trying to read Clamp's Tsubasa since I was in my early 20s, but I don't like reading on screen and I didn't want to collect the manga (ie: buy them). So when I found the series available at the library, I borrowed them right away. 
• How to Think More Effectively - It is a compilation of different thinking skills that can be used in life. I copy this summary from Selim on GoodReads:
• strategic thinking - We rarely think about why we do what we do. We make even major decisions with little forethought. Yet a little forethought can prevent a lot of pain later.  
• cumulative thinking - thoughts come in bits & pieces, if we don't take notes, they will lost in the wild. Make a habit of writing your thoughts down.
• butterfly thinking - a lot of good ideas come while you are walking, taking a shower, or commuting. Good ideas are like butterflies, they come near when you are not consciously aware of them. 
• independent thinking - We are searching for wisdom in books and talks. We seem to believe that other older, wiser, cooler people already sorted things out. It is not. Your own reflection on your latest anger will provide you more insight than some brilliant writing on anger. Similar to the other emotions and the human condition. You have already a lot of experience, your own life is full of insight. Dare to think for yourself.  
• focused thinking - The mind seems to like to generalize. We describe things vaguely. When we say a nice person, a great job, or a fun date, well this is not false but not specific. Being vague prevents us from truly understanding people and situations. So focus, and ask yourself what you really think.
• philosophical meditation - Meditation is about feeling the moment and clearing the mind. Thinking and writing are great ways to meditate and clear mind. Asking yourself questions, thinking about them, and writing down the answers clarifies worries, dissolves hard feelings, and brings calm. The answers will reveal and clarify many untold worries, regrets, and hopes and you will feel relaxed.
• mad thinking - Disregard the constraints. What would I do if couldn't fail? if I had infinite time? if money were not a concern? What if I knew I would die this year?
• friend thinking - Listening and speaking clarifies thoughts, so taking a walk and speaking with a friend is a great way to think.
• reading - The aim of reading is not to accept and agree with all we read. We should think about the material, and draw our own conclusions.
• envy - Society shames envy, yet we all feel it and don't talk about it. Whenever you feel envious, get specific. What exactly are you envious of? Mostly it's just a small part of a life. Getting specific enables you to replace envy with understanding.
• analogies - Great tools, use them, yet an analogy is only partly true, so they are not to be taken too literally.
• empathy - Look inside. What you understand from your own feelings mostly applies to others. Almost all people fear death and rejection, we all have regrets, mistakes, insecurities, and silly moments. The ancient advice has some truth, treat others as you want to be treated.
• death - Remember death, it makes life much easier. In a dead-end job? In a stuck relationship? Putting off things? Not showing kindness to loved ones? Life is short and you may not be here tomorrow morning. Do whatever you wish today.
• love - We all need to feel heard, loved, understood, and respected. No one is completely foolish, and we are all foolish in some regard. Before dismissing a person or judging too harshly, remember we are all human, and to err is human.
• skeptical thinking - Even being hungry or not getting enough sleep clouds our judgment. Our thoughts and values are changing. Imagine sincerely, what you believe might be wrong. Sleep on decisions. Don't be indecisive but not too certain either. Build a broad margin of error into your moves.
• Big Wild Love - It is a self-help book for women who struggle in a relationship, the writer tries to 'convince' or show you how to let go, believe in yourself, and pursue a better life. She keeps on saying "big wild love" throughout the book and it is very annoying. I didn't like it. 
• The Presence of Absence - It is a bit underwhelming, but I think I need to reread this again when I'm in my 50s. It touches on dying, acceptance, and the afterlife - collected from random scrap notes of a dying author from his hospice bed. 
• The Border of Paradise - I think this deserves a shoutout. It is better than RF Kuang's Yellowface or Babel. It is disturbing, a bit difficult to digest, and touches on topics like mental health, generational trauma, racism, and old money. How everything is linked. I never thought it leave me engaged throughout the 2nd half of the book.  

-

On Books:

• I found a reliable library in Klang Valley where I can borrow non-fiction and manga, hideout, and do work. That's in Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur. I went there twice in Nov (to borrow & return books). It is around 12-minute walk (less than 1 km) from MRT Pasar Seni.
• I read two 4-star books: In Search of Silence (non-fiction) and The Border of Paradise (fiction).
• I am currently trying to borrow all the series from Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. A complete individual set has 28 volumes, but the Omnibus collection has 10 volumes and the library got all 10 volumes. Each book from the Omnibus collection combines between 2-3 mangas so it exceeds 500 pages. My shoulder was sore on the day I walked in the city while bringing thick books in my tote bag. 
• I'm going to spend a lot of my time reading the whole series, so I should make a dedicated post on Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles once I finish it. I read 2 from the Omnibus version, so that's 6 volumes : 

Little Stories 265 : Walking in the City with My Pikmin Scout

 

Walking with my Pikmin scout:

Since I started walking again, I searched for any walking/step count/game-related app and then I found Pikmin. They are like little elves creatures that are following me around. So basically I will find seeds along my path, I planted them and they will become little Pikmin. These Pikmin will help me collect more seeds, plant more flowers, and go on their own adventures. 

Apparently, it was launched in 2001 by Nintendo but I just found it this month. The more I walk, the more flowers I plant, and the more creatures I adopt. Or something like that lah. But it still needs some kind of engagement - I need to send them to mission, or plant the seed, or give them nectars to eat. It is not an app that can just simply be ignored on the phone. 

But I can track my walking steps, so it fits the purpose for now. They are not even that cute (yet). 

So yesterday I walked with them to the city, I wanted to return the books that I borrowed almost 2 weeks ago and replace them with more from the Tsubasa Chronicles. I planted flowers and found some new Pikmins in the city like the Rock Pikmins. I reached the 10k steps!

-

I spent some time at the library browsing books, continued the group puzzle for 15 minutes, selected some books (that I already decided on long beforehand), and then I spent my time reading + having lunch at Sekalf in the Pasar Seni area, then I walked some more. Need to try the National Library next.

In case you are wondering why I'm not working, I am currently waiting for my client's feedback. I woke up early to send all drafts that morning, and then it was my rest day off so that I could focus solely on walking after being in quarantine for almost 2 weeks kan. 

Note: It is always a hot day in the city, so need to bring an umbrella + shades. 

Little Stories 264 : Caught the Bug, Again

I caught Covid at the end of Oct last year, and I caught it again around a year later. Didn't think the test would turn positive but it did. It started with a sore throat, mild watery nose, and feeling feverish. The next day, I was better but still had a sore throat and my nose was a bit watery (not even stuffy). I bought the test kit just to make sure.

Surprise surprise, not even 5 minutes in, the test kit turned positive. 

Apparently, I caught the bug again, perhaps during the Pekan trip at RnR that we stopped by, where we mostly mingle around with so many strangers during the festive season. 

-

On Friday night, Sofi started developing a high fever. We suspected that she might caught the virus too because her fever was high - mostly around 39°C, almost reaching 40°C for 2 days straight (she never had those). We got her COVID's home kit test and tested her for both days but they were negative. Went to a doctor and the doctor asked to come again after the 3rd day if the fever was still there.

On the second night, it got a bit scary. She was delirious, she seemed to be seeing things or not seeing things, I wasn't sure. She ran and touched things like the pattern on her blanket, my bundled sweater on the bed, the book on the shelves, or my face, and then she seemed confused, all while her whole body was shaking so hard. Every time she woke up from sleep, she was clearly upset and confused. Her high fever was persistent the whole night, and we had to manually cool down her body using wet clothes. It finally calmed down before Subuh on the third day. The next thing I knew, she woke up in the morning and found me at my table in the other room. Alhamdulillah, I'm so glad. 

That afternoon on the 3rd day, she finally showered and brushed her teeth (she insisted that she smelled dadi's kontot on her and it was not her own breath) =.='

-

My COVID this time around: (self-quarantine)

• Day 1 (Thu): Sore throat, watery nose, feeling feverish
• Day 2 (Fri): Sore throat, watery nose - tested positive
• Day 3 (Sat): Sore throat, watery nose
• Day 4 (Sun): Sore throat, mild cough
• Day 5 (Mon): Some wild cough (on random)
• Day 6 (Tue): Feeling like coughing
• Day 7 (Wed): Feeling fine & tested negative (yeay!)

Note: I got by with Difflam, daily hot tea, mixed with honey. Also, my symptoms are mostly focused on my throat: sore, prickly, sudden wild cough. So other than that, I got madu kelulut from my dad (I ate it twice a day), Af got me turmeric soft gummies to suck slowly, and dry cough syrup (that the pharmacist suggested).

Currently, I'm the only one that is tested positive and my home isolation order ends on Monday. But I will quarantine for longer lah. 

Mini Escapism : A Walk in KL & Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur

I walked around 8 km in the city, approximately 14k steps - exceeding my early plan of walking 10k steps that day. I had to compile a video for a brand so I asked for my brother to help me shoot the reels. We started our walk in the Pasar Seni area, had breakfast in Flaaah, and then walked to Petaling Street, Central Market, Dataran Merdeka, had an iced coffee break, stopped by to explore the KL library, went back to Central Market, then Pasar Seni, and lastly had late lunch at The Garden.

 

It was mostly scorching hot but we had umbrellas and shades so I didn't experience migraine this time. I was drenched in sweat and smelled like a day well spent. It was a productive walking day.

I'm making an IG reel for Charby's Orbit 20w < (link here) power bank. I have been searching for a reliable power bank since I started walking in the city, found Orbit, and asked for a collaboration, they sent me one and I have been using it since then :

• MagSafe wireless 15W + Apple watch charging
• USB-C fast charging 20W
• charge multiple devices at once
• stand mode
• LED light
• safe for flights
• 5,000 mAh capacity, 2 hrs fully charged from 0%
• weigh only 149g, 
• smaller than my palm

-

The KL Library

I was excited beyond words when I visited the library because it is a nice well-equipped, well-lighted, air-conditioned library and I wanted to visit there for quite a while. The fiction choices aren't that good, but the non-fiction (self-help, motivational, philosophy, psychology) are quite OK and they also have manga that I wanted to read and not collect. There is also a kid's section on the lower floor, so I'm planning to bring Sofi there on the weekend to get her a library membership.

I created a library account right away and borrowed 3 books (need to return them within 2 weeks' time), promising myself to spend many more futures in the library. It will be my safe haven from now on. Other than a pantry where you can buy food/drinks on the first floor, and so many hidden spaces to hide or do work, the library is also located near a cafe called KLGB Confectionary & bakery (just next to the building), where they sell so many beautiful pastries and coffees. We can spend hours with free books.

Need I say more? ❤︎₊ ⊹

The closest MRT is MRT Pasar Seni so you'll need to walk around 10 minutes to get there. 

I am so happy, you have no idea. This is the best present for me. 

-

Here are more pictures from that day:

-

But later on, after I arrived home, I felt a bit unwell. My throat was prickly and dry, my nose was watery, and it was so cold to be in contact with water. I felt sick, somewhat feverish, and my whole body was aching. Don't know what that was. I decided to wear a mask at home (in case it is COVID), then fed Sofi dinner, waited for Af, and just let him manage Sofi because I was in dire need of rest. Zzz.

Little Stories 263 : The Month I Don't Feel Like Writing

Just Food Photo

I love taking photos of food even when I'm at home alone, especially when it is full of colours and there is morning light coming from the kitchen window. Between us siblings, we always pass these food-pictures-of-the-day in our group chat. Just because we make an effort to eat properly that day and the visual aesthetic is nice. It is rather insensitive to post these pictures on my public social media when people are dying of hunger, so I posted them on private ones because I personally like them - IG for beautiful food ❤︎₊ ⊹ 

These foods, even though they are packed with nutritious fiber and protein, they always make me bloat afterward. So I tried adding probiotics after meals as well, and if the pain is still bad, I will take Moom's de/bloat to ease the pain and do intermittent fasting. 

-

One Outing Day

That day, I went out with Ms Chin for our borak2 session. I think the last time I met her was in Aug before her Hokkaido and Georgia trips. We sat at Christine's for 3 hours, just talking. I haven't had that for so long, and I don't even know that it is possible to sit & talk anymore without phones as a distraction. I'm trying to convince her to do one of the walking pilgrimages together :F

Then my brother came and treated me to a late lunch.

-

Back in Pekan

We finally went back to Pekan during the Deepavali holiday. I originally planned to go back in early Oct, but we postponed it so many times. So when last weekend finally came, despite the long traffic because it was a public holiday and weather warning prediction in Pantai Timur, we just proceeded with the plan. Sokseksoksek, all went well.

We started our journey at 9am, and we arrived at my aunty's home around 5 pm. So..yeah. It was a long hour on the road and I was overstimulated, but the next day was a calm and mostly silent-slow day, so it was worth it. We went to 3 beaches that afternoon: Pantai Lagenda, Pantai Tanjung Gosong, and Pantai Saujana Biru. Have I ever mentioned that I don't like our local beaches that much? Because beaches are too bright for my sensitive eyes and it is always too hot. I rather have cozy greenery and shady nature. 

Oh, and I also ate so much food in Pekan that I was bloated and feeling unwell even days later. 

-

Awan

Awan is between 11 & 12 years old now.

If she is a human, she would be graduating from lower school, reaching puberty, and turning into a teenager. But she is a senior cat, so she is in her 60s (in her cat's year). She seems okay with everything, just living her golden life at home, not bothered with anything. 

I don't touch her often because I'm allergic to her fur nowadays, since she started shedding her fur badly. But she seems to feel super comfortable with Af and they get along well, so that's good. 

Little Thing 274 : How Nostalgic Are You?

I wouldn't deny it, I'm not much of a hoarder but I keep stuff with personal stories. 

The rainbow moonstone, I got it before Sofi. I was trying to get pregnant and was struggling for several years. It was unexplained infertility, and I never understood it. I bought the moonstone as a symbol of fertility to remind myself of that phase.  

I got the lucky cat from a boy I liked when I was around 15 - we shared the same birthday and were the same stubborn, second-child, wildly lost but silent rebellious teenagers. I think we saw each other like facing a mirror, I can see the things that I hated in myself from him. Nothing much came from the teenage relationship, it wasn't anything serious. He moved schools, and we continued our lives. But the cat stayed, as a reminder of my sweet innocent teenage crush. 

The bracelets are my symbols, 3 round + 1 cuboid net stones because I was born on the 3rd Jan. The cuboid stone bracelet was a gift from AF, it matches my shungite necklace that I have worn for the past 2 years (before that it was a trapezoid-shaped shungite). Ask him what the bracelet means. Then I bought the other 3 round net stones myself, the net stones came from basic stones that are not special, the mediocre large stones. I love how there's nothing special about them except for the meaning that I put in them. 

You know, shungite, is pure carbon just like a diamond, but the difference is its molecular structure of the carbon. Even though it is made of pure carbon, it is not crystallized like a diamond so it looks different. Shungite is mostly solid black, and diamond, you know how diamonds are. I love how people put value on things based on their outer appearance in general. That's why I chose shungite, it is a representation of how I see the world. I was asked several times whether it was a 'tangkal', just because it was a black stone. 

That Sirotan seals that are holding hands, that one I got from a gashapon in the airport, on our first visit to Japan together. I think we had the last 500 yen coin and we wanted to spend it on something. Then I got the Sirotan couple. It was sweet.

The Taro san is also special. We went to the Expo Park in Osaka, not knowing anything about the place, but it was one of my most magical moments in Japan, and I met the Tower of the Sun. It was so memorable so I wanted to buy something to remind myself of the place. That small Taro sun cost 500 yen, but it was worth it because you can't find it anywhere else. It is not the Eiffel Tower or the Pyramid, it is the Tower of the Sun, and it is almost cultist that I can't even explain the inside joke.

The candle was just a gift from my sister, it smelled of wood sage. It is by this local company called Lampu Cherita.

-

I've been thinking about what to keep, what to donate, what to sell, and what to let go lately because we might move out soon. So I've been contemplating what's important and what's not. A lot of the stuff accumulated in the house is somewhat important to me because of these little stories, but there are stuff that I don't know what to do, and stuff that I don't want to handle yet too. 

Do I want to keep 20-year-old Diana Wynne's YA novels because those were the fantasies that I grew up with? Do I want to keep all my notebooks, or unused old MacBook from my uni-days, or how about the trinkets? The old paintings? The unused stationery? All Jodi Picoult's novels? :F

Books : A Conversation on Self-Help Book and More Talk on Books

 

Book Conversation:

I was exploring Kino last week to go through books that I might want. I stayed over 2 hours in there alone. While I was in the Self-Help/Motivational section, there was a group of young ladies searching for books near me, and I tried making myself small so that they could walk past me. They were loud and excited, so it was impossible not to listen to their conversation.

I remember this part when one of the women pointed to Mark Manson's books: Everything is F*cked - a Book About Hope and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, then she asked her friend whether they are any good. Her friend answered "NO. These books are for people who don't read but want to look like they read.", she answered in the most self-righteous way that I can't help but get offended just by listening to her.

Here's my opinion on self-help books. 

It is really hard to define a self-help book because usually, you can relate to a book when the time is right for you. You can read something and find it annoying, and several years in the future you read it again then you feel like all the words were written for you for that moment and it becomes your new fav. So for me, I don't really have any definite opinion on self-help books because they exist to help us in their own way at the right time.

In 2020-2021, I had anxiety, and I remember that it was really hard for me to stick to a book or even finish one. Anxiety was new for me during that time and I didn't know how to manage it. I think I only managed to consume around 50 books each year because focusing was a struggle when you have anxiety. Those were the COVID lockdown & big Gaza attacks year.

Then I tried Mark Manson's book:  Everything is F*cked - a Book About Hope. Somehow behind all those vulgar advice and reminders, I managed to find some kind of peace. I learned to understand how to manage my emotions when dealing with big stuff beyond our control. I listened to his audiobooks so it felt like a friend acknowledging my worries and reminding me about how the world works. It was simple, direct, and precise. Everything I needed at that time.

So for me, you can't simply say 'These kinds of books are books written for people who don't read but wanted to look like they read" just because it didn't resonate with you or your values or your preferences. As someone who loves books and wants people to read more, I would say that it is an easy-to-read book for people who want something like assurance in a f*cked-up world and wouldn't mind feeling offended by his views, style of writing, and his thoughts. 

It isn't for everybody and I'm NOT recommending it on any level. Please don't read it just because I wrote about it. 

PS - There's a documentary on Netflix - The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, if you want to watch it, by the writer himself. 

-

Books I Consumed in October + November :

• Vladimir by Julia May Jonas
• Secret Pandemic by Simone Heng
• Bittersweet by Susan Cain
• The 40 Rules of Love by Elif Shafak
• When We Were Bright & Beautiful by Jillian Medoff
• Unbecoming by Joanne Fedler
• Your Story by Joanne Fedler
• Failosophy by Elizabeth Day
• A Quitter's Paradise by Elysia Chang

• Vladimir and When We Were Bright and Beautiful have the almost same theme but different tones and storylines. Not that great for me, but just okay lah, 3 stars books. 
• Secret Pandemic - About loneliness & isolation, what it does to your brain, how to establish a connection, and how to understand it, the writer wrote in a semi-memoir kind of writing so a lot of personal anecdotes (which I appreciate)
• Bittersweet - I loved it, I wrote a post about it here. 
• The 40 Rules of Love is one of my time fav, I read this one before and decided to listen to the audiobook this time. This book is a bit personal for me.
• Unbecoming - Conversation between women on topics about children, menopause, life after children, female struggles, mid-life crisis, marriage, etc. An eye-opener, I'm preparing myself.
• Your Story: How to Write It So Others Will Want to Read It - After Unbecoming, I listened to another one of her books on writing. The writer is a writing teacher, she shared a lot of insightful knowledge on writing and story-telling. I will listen to it again and take notes.  
• Failosophy : A Handbook for When Things Go Wrong - Basically the whole premise is IT IS OKAY TO FAIL. Here are 7 key principles of failure: 
1. Failure just is 
2. You are not your worst thoughts. 
3. Almost everyone feels they’ve failed in their 20s. 
4. Break-ups are not a tragedy 
5. Failure in data acquisition 
6. There is no such thing as a future you 
7. Being open about your vulnerabilities is the ultimate act of strength
• A Quitter's Paradise - A Chinese American woman grieving over her mother's death and starting on a journey to self-discovery in learning about who she is as a person, it goes back and forth between the present time and the past time (her family's life since before the immigration)

Other than Bittersweet and 40 Rules of Love, all the other books are available on Everand (which used to be called Scribd). If you want to try Everand, here's a 2 months trial for you. 

-

I feel like I haven't had that much time with books lately, the week I commute to work, I didn't read or listen to any audiobooks, because I was mentally and physically tired (I was just too busy). Then after that week, I started to catch up, that's why the list grew. I think I only finished 3 books in October then suddenly all the other books were consumed in the last 7 days.