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Going through 60 posts was not a stressed-out / burnt-out tiring thing to do but it was certainly no easy feat either on our eyes and minds choosing what we like. Can’t have a lucky draw with such varied responses and creativity.

There were so many that we liked, that we chose about a dozen and then asking fellow colleagues to choose their favourites among the dozen. Then, we finally narrowed down further to just four winners and here they are.

The winners of Contest #17 are…

Pei   *    Linda Susanna Lee   *   Ubaidah Naim   *    Varinsha

Each of you has just won a copy of I Should Be Burnt Out By Now… So How Come I’m Not? by Peg Neuhauser, Ray Bender & Kirk Stromberg, ISBN 9780470833858, valued at RM 75.80

Emails will be sent to winners by tomorrow, Wednesday, 3rd November 2010

The books are given, courtesy of John Wiley and Sons.

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To the rest of you, thank you for sharing your thoughts too. Don’t stress out if you didn’t win anything yet.

We have a somewhat ‘remarkable’ title coming up next!

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How has your week / month / year been? Has it been a roller-coaster ride for you? Are you walking on shaky platforms that are giving you a headache and overwhelming stress? Have you reached the point of being ‘burnt-out’ and feel like everything is just too much to cope with.

In this book here, you can learn how to “survive and thrive” in our world today. We have 4 copies of I Should be Burnt Out by Now.. So How Come I’m Not? (ISBN: 9780470833858, RRP: RM 83.80) to give away.

Here’s how you can stand a chance in winning this book:

The cover of the book has an image of  ‘a dizzy spinning top’ .

What would you put on the cover of the book, that would personify you as being ‘burnt-out’?

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The answers with the most creative answers will be judged the winners.

Remember, you may only enter this contest once. Multiple entries will be disqualified.

Do type your answers at the comment column below.

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Only those who live in West Malaysia only are eligible to participate and win the prizes.

Contest ends on 31st October 2010

P.S. ** Please press ‘submit comment’ once only.  Answers will not appear immediately.

It was interesting to read all of your answers, especially on the ‘dangerous’ things that you’ve done in your life.

I think my answer wouldn’t be of much ’danger’ to all of you, but in a sense, it was adventurous for me. Many years back, my best friend and I planned to celebrate our birthdays at Port Dickson. We booked a little known hotel by the beach and didn’t tell the other 2 friends till the morning itself, when we were all in my car. Of course, I’d ask them to bring along sunscreen and overnight’s clothing – and they thought we were just going to the waterpark and staying at my place later. Hah.

The hotel, turns out to be a run-down beach motel, but the old couple who ran the place was kind enough to give us the biggest room for us to share. I even had a shaded carpark, and we could just walk to the beach in less than 30 seconds. Being city girls, my gal-pals wanted to switch to a 4-stars hotel, which unfortunately for them, were all fully-booked. So, we contented ourselves to showering cold in a cemented bathroom, and made sure we’d rid the bed of bugs, if any. For dinner, like bees to a flower, we went to the most crowded restaurant by the roadside. Food was actually yummy and cheap! And we chanced upon a roadside fruit seller for desserts during our drive around town that night. With mosquitoes circling round our toes, we yakked away while enjoying the sounds of the waves lapping and eating durians under the dark sky.

The next morning, we had coconut drinks. I bought a few souvenirs and we snap lots of photos by the beach, etc. Then, drove home. A short but memorable trip.

So, that’s my story. Would I want to go on a trip with the girls again? .. Yes! In a heartbeat.

ps. Actually, looking back now, just us gals going on a short trip like that could have been ‘dangerous’. Oh well.

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Anyway, here are the winners of the contest. Nope not 3, but 4 winners. Enjoy the book… !

Huril ‘Ain binti Ahmad Fauzi   *  Sidra Naim *   Noor Azimah Hassan   *    Shahnaz  

Each of you has just won a copy of The Pocket Book for Girls: Discoveries & Pastimes  ISBN 9780007289899, RRP: RM 44.90

 Emails will be sent to winners by tomorrow, Tuesday (12th October 2010)

The books are given, courtesy of MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd.

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And here it is, one for the girls…

I have here with me, 3 copies of The Pocket Book for Girls: Discoveries & Pastimes (ISBN 9780007289899, RRP: RM 44.90) to give away.

I was rather hooked from the first chapter, with its heading. ”The Daring Girl’s Guide to Danger“. Out of the 7 suggestions, I’ve gone for rides on a roller coaster, worn high heels, stand up for myself, and ate sushi. Actually, those stuff sounds kinda mild. What I haven’t tried are white-water rafting, dyeing my hair purple, having a scary movie festival in my living room and zipping across the canopy of a rainforest.

In the book, you would be able to read about a selection of women who either changed the world, were queens of the ancient world, explorers, spies or even pirates. We have names like Jane Goodall, Joan of Arc, Indira Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Cleopatra, Alexandra David-Néel, Charlotte Badger and Anne Frank. 

There are also in-between and out of the blue stuff that we may or may not realize intrigue us sometimes, like french words, the galaxy, the earth, the weather, clouds,  and haiku, poems, tongue twisters, numbers, rules of certain games – outdoors like lacrosse, rounders, netball and hockey or indoors like charades, board and card games. So much info in such a little ’pocket’ book.

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To win yourself a copy of the book, tell us:

1.   Besides “Discoveries & Pastimes”, what other subjects does the Daring Book for Girls series have? Name us 3.

2. Share with us a “dangerous” activity that you have done that perhaps the rest of us can try to do.

You may only enter this contest once. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Do type your answers at the comment column below.

Only those who live in West Malaysia only are eligible to participate and win the prizes.

Contest ends on 10th October 2010

P.S. ** Please press ‘submit comment’ once only. Answers will not appear immediately. 

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U2 was formed in 1978. I was 2.

Larry Mullen was looking for musicians; Adam Clayton bought his first guitar, Edge read about Bono in the music papers. What a way to form a band - but they did.

The group orignially called their band “Feedback“, then renamed it to “The Hype” and later on, to the iconic name “U2“. After years of scouting, they finally signed on with Island Records and in May 1980, they released their first single 11 O’Clock Tick-Tock, followed by their first album, Boy, and subsequently, War.

And.. you can read the rest of their “Timeline” (history) here: http://bit.ly/boOCBn

U2 has won numerous awards and allocades both for their music (22 Grammys and counting) and humanitarian efforts. To know more on how you can contribute to any of them, perhaps you would like to click here: http://bit.ly/9zckSw .

Admittingly, I am not a huge U2 fan, though my brother is. And so, I grew up, like some of you, not turning off when their music is on.

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Thank you for all the entries. The winners for this round of contest are:

Ivy Khaw  * Imran Muhammad Yusof  *  Sunny Loh

 Each of you has just won a copy of U2 by U2 (ISBN 9780007196692, valued at RM 49.90).

Emails will be sent to winners by tomorrow, Tuesday (21 September 2010)

The books are given, courtesy of MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd.

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Next up …  one for the girls…

U2 is a ultra-big phenomenal rock band which was in the papers recently for having been fined for playing their music too loudly in Barcelona. Oh well. If that piece of news didn’t make it to the papers, I would have stayed ignorant to the bigger news that U2 was scheduled to play to an almost-sold out 360° concert around Australia and New Zealand this week!

Let me cut to the chase! I have 3 copies of “U2 by U2” (ISBN 9780007196692, valued at RM 49.90) to give out this week.

This book was published back a few years ago but fans would still want it, right? 

Hmm… let’s a mini lucky draw for this one. Only those who can answer the following questions correctly will qualify for the mini lucky draw.

Questions:

1.   Which country does U2 hail from?
2. Name us the 4 members that make up U2.
3. U2 is / had been involved in numerous community/humanitarian projects etc. Name us any 3.

(And out of curiousity, why do you consider yourself a U2 fan?)

You may only enter this contest once. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Do type your answers at the comment column below.

Only those who live in West Malaysia only are eligible to participate and win the prizes.

Contest ends on 19th September 2010

P.S. ** Please press ‘submit comment’ once only. Answers will not appear immediately. 

This year, we will see the release of a non-fiction book by Tony Parsons in which he writes about life, death and breakfast. Long before he became a bestselling novelist, he was an award-winning journalist. In this dazzling collection of essays, he captures all facets of modern life  in his sometimes outrageous, often controversial, and wildly entertaining perspective.

Men and women (again…???). Straying and staying (eenie meenie minie moe…). The sound of real guns (I’ve only heard these on tv and movies) and the fashion for fake breasts (wonder if he would include fake lashes, fake teeth, fake forehead, fake smile…). The myth of the mid-life crisis (I thought it wasn’t a myth!) . How true love and learning to box can save the modern male (how many of you out there actually knows how to box?). Car envy (I certainly have that feeling considering I drive an old Proton Wira while other car owners in my neighbourhood drive nice new versions of  BMWs, Mazdas, Peugeots, and my fav little Smart cars),  airport security (I was once asked why I’d rush to the converyor belts for the bags collection in KLIA – well, I answered I was afraid my luggage would go missing), why did football become rubbish (really, it did.. then what was World Cup 2010 about?) ? and when should a man settle down (this, I really want to know…)?

My apologies for the italics interruptions, Oh well…. I will just wait, like the rest of you for Tony Parsons to answer all these questions. Life, death and even a bit of breakfast… all served up with a side of common sense, lightly-buttered passion and lashings of hilarity!

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Okay now… enough of my bewilderment and amusement of the above title.

Congratulations, the 3 winners for Contest #14 are:

Sidra Naim   *   Felicia   *   Charles

Each of you has just won a copy of Tony Parson’s “Men From Boys” (ISBN 9780007327751, valued at RM 59.90 each).

Emails will be sent to winners by Monday (9 August 2010)

The books are given, courtesy of MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd.

* I seriously do not know what the prize of the next contest is … *

Tony Parsons first wrote about Harry Silver in Man and Boy, way back in 1999. Harry Silver started out ordinarily, with a brilliant career in TV and a gorgeous wife, Gina, and a beautiful son. Sad to say, his one idiotic move of having a one night stand with a stranger caused his wife to get up and leave him, for good. To top that, he loses his job and plunges himself into thinking that he is a failure, especially when he compares himself to his dad, a war hero.

And so, there begins a tale (some say, somewhat autobiographical) of a man who has to endure every possible heartache and mischief of bringing up his son as a single parent. It is a story where Harry Silver would have to eventually let his vulnerable self be open to the possibility of a new love, to understand what being part of a ‘family’ means, and to gain the self respect he thought he’d lost. It is likely that he discovers all that for the better, otherwise we wouldn’t have seen the daylights of the second and third book of this trilogy.

In Man and Wife, Harry Silver is toiling between two gravities in his love and marriage life. There is the portion of being divorced and getting married. And there is the part of dealing with both his new wife - Cyd, and his ex-wife. And with his broken family and a new-found one. Taking care of his son, and step-daughter.  Of his dad’s passing and his mum’s enduring care for him. Everything, just seems somewhat “too much” and just so complicated, yet real.

And now, a decade has passed. And a fairytale has ended for just a bit.

Harry Silver, hitting 40, is losing his job again. His teenage son is moving out to live with his birth-mum. His wife, Cyd is growing insecure with the sights of Gina in town. Things seem to be falling apart all over again. What else is new? Well, we didn’t see this one coming – two old soldiers who faught alongside Harry’s dad long ago turns up and help turn around Harry’s life… and help him see what being ‘a man’ is, after all. How?

Three winners will get to know how… (for free) because we have three copies of Men From Boys by Tony Parsons (ISBN: 9780007327751, valued at RM 59.90) to give away.

Question: Name us 4 other titles by Tony Parsons.

Winners will be determined through our own mini lucky draw.

You may only enter this contest once. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Do type your answers at the comment column below.

Only those who live in West Malaysia only are eligible to participate and win the prizes.

Contest ends, this Saturday, 31st July 2010.

P.S. ** Please press ‘submit comment’ once only. Answers will not appear immediately.

In fact, I will only release all entries’ answers on the post on 1st August 2010. Then, the results will be announced next week.

Tune in to a ‘live’ skype interview with Tony Parsons this Saturday, 31st July 2010 at 8.00 pm. Details at www.mphclick.com

9780786868728

Out of the 50 over entries that we received, only 15 qualified. The answers to the questions posted up are:

1. Spain
2. Pastor / Rev.  Henry Covington

The lucky winner that has been picked is Mark, who will be receiving his copy of Mitch Albom’s Have a Little Faith (ISBN 9780786868728, valued at RM 69.95) in his mailbox soon.

ps. to Mark: an email will be sent to you if not by tomorrow, then next Monday.

The book is given, courtesy of MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd.

I remembered that blogged back in November last year, a little about reading Mitch Albom’s book. Here’s a snippet of the blog about this book on our right: “The chapters alternate between Albom’s visits to his family’s church rabbi, who has asked him to deliver his eulogy, and a Detroit pastor who preaches to the poor and homeless in a hole-in-the-roof church. These two starkly different men of God has the same hunger and faith in believing in something bigger than themselves. This inspirational book is about our life’s purpose, about losing our faith and finding it again.”

And by the way, for fans of Spain, if you’re thinking of visiting the homeland of the 2010 World Cup (and Euro Cup) champions someday, here’s a travel guide I’d recommend you:  Lonely Planet’s Spain, 7ed (9781741790009, RM 99.90).

Here’s a little excerpt of the guide book:

“Geographically, Spain’s diversity is immense. .. There are endless tracts of wild and crinkled sierra to explore, as well as some spectacularly rugged stretches of coast between the beaches – many of which are far less crowded and developed than you might imagine. Culturally, the country is littered with superb old buildings, from Roman aqueducts and Islamic palaces to Gothic cathedrals. Almost every second village has a medieval castle. Spain has been the home of some the world’s great artists (too). The country vibrates with music of every kind…”

What’s not to love?

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

(Just to make this more interesting, I’ve decided to put up all your answers on Friday, 9th July 2010)

Previously, in the last round, I threw a contest at the start of the World Cup 2010. Now, many matches later, my question this round, points towards the end. We all know that the four teams that have made its way to the semi-finals are Holland, Uruguay, Germany and Spain.

My first question is this: Which team, do you think, will win 2010′s World Cup?

Simple enough? Here’s an even easier one. It is based on the book,  Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom (ISBN 9780786868728, valued at RM 69.95). This book basically tells us, that in whatever we chose to do or become, we should have a little faith or belief  that things can work out for the better and that we are capable of surviving challenges that are sometimes, beyond us.

Second question: What is the name of the Detroit pastor, in Mitch Albom’s book, who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in its roof?

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I have one copy of the book to give away.

You may only enter this contest once. Multiple entries will be disqualified. Do type your answers at the comment column below. ** Please press ’submit comment’ once only. Only those who live in West Malaysia are eligible to participate and win the prize.

Contest ends, this Friday, July 9th 2010.

Winning entries will first be determined based on the results of the World Cup Final on July 11th 2010 (July 12th Malaysian time) and the correct answer to the second question.

If there is only one person who picked the winning team and the correct answer to the second question, the prize will automatically go to him/her.

If there are more than one entry for the choice of the winning football team and correct answer to the second question, then Book Galaxo will faithfully, do its little ritual and draw the eventual winner through a mini lucky draw.

If no entries has the winning team on it. The book will be snowballed to a future contest.

Hmm.. go pick a team now and toss a coin, yes – no? …