In Defence of Ladies

Posted on May 17, 2013 by Farah Ng @ Broken Penguins

Last year, I bought my father a polo shirt from Brooks Brothers for his birthday and the store has subsequently been sending me gorgeous catalogues, invites and even a handwritten letter from the sales staff that sold me me the shirt.

With service this good, I’ve decided that prep-essentials are best purchased from Brooks Brothers. This comes at a good time because I’m getting too old for Abercrombie & Fitch and their CEO recently came out and said he doesn’t like fat kids. Will Karl Lagerfeld please insult this guy?

Upon perusing the Brooks Brothers website, I found the most adorable manuals for “ladies”. I think these make for great gifts in a world that sees more Paris Hiltons than Audrey Hepburns. Plus, they look great wrapped up with a cardigan.

What do you think of them? Old-fashioned sexism or just plain cute? Scroll to the end for a hilariously inappropriate video from Little Britain on the delicate subject of ladies.

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Photo credits: brooksbrothers.com

Brilliant Reviews

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Farah Ng @ Broken Penguins

Photography by: Gabriel Sanz

I was recently going through my local library’s list of new e-books on Overdrive when I found one called “Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay’s Dance Bars” by Sonia Faleiro.

And then I what most of you would do — I Googled it.

That’s when I stumbled onto a review in the Guardian by Tishani Doshi. I think this is one of the most beautifully written reviews I’ve seen in a long time. It captures the glamour and sadness behind the story so the reader gets a glimpse of Mumbai’s strip-club scene in Sonia Faleiro’s Beautiful Thing — but not enough to give away all the details.

And while the reviewer is a fan, she is stays unbiased. She acknowledges that for a piece of non-fiction, it doesn’t provide answers but it does move the heart. That’s enough for her.

As someone that reviews books, Doshi provides inspiration on how to craft that artistic yet informative review. I find this especially difficult with non-fiction.

So OF COURSE, I signed out the book. What was the last great book review you read?

Photo credit: 500px.com

Last Minute Gift Ideas

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Farah Ng @ Broken Penguins

I don’t know about you but I plan on running around like a mad woman today buying Christmas gifts and ingredients for Christmas baking. I plan on hitting up Walmart, Bulk Barn, The Body Shop, David’s Tea and Coles (aka mini-Chapters).

Are you still looking for that perfect last minute book gift? Here are my recommendations:

Oogy by Larry Levin
Perfect for: Pet lovers, Chicken Soup for the Soul fans and friends who work too much.

Oogy is such an amazing feel good story — the kind of book that shows that love heals all wounds. Oogy is a dog that gets half his face bitten off as a puppy but has enough resilience to wag his tail at the pound. Surely, you can drag yourself to work no matter how much you hate your boss.

Edible Selby by Todd Selby
Perfect for: Food snobs, the at home chef and the take-out aficionado.

I picked up Edible Selby at my Chapters-Indigo and couldn’t stop drooling. My bf called it the kind of cookbook he would put together — slightly dyslexic and mostly chaotic. But it does a great job at showing you what photographer Todd Selby is eating.

Unholy Night by Seth Grahame-Smith
Perfect for: Zombie believers, Bible rejecters and fans of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Unholy Night would appeal to anyone that would appreciate an alternative spin on a classic Bible story. While not a great choice for your church secret Santa exchange, this would be fantastic for say, your quirky nephew or that nerdy coworker in IT.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
Perfect for: YA readers, horse riders and the feistiest young woman you know

I don’t love a lot of YA but The Scorpio Races is such a great ride. Based in a spooky island town of Thisby, man-eating horses emerge from the ocean covered in salt and only the bravest dare to ride them.Steifvater crafts a strong female lead in a fantastic fictional world.

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Side note: I wanted to include Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio in my list of gift-able books but it’s not out till mid January. It would make the perfect late gift for anyone that enjoys Downton Abbey, historical fiction and a frolicking good time.

Reading Sever (Book III) of The Chemical Garden Trilogy

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Farah Ng @ Broken Penguins

SEVER It’s no secret that I love Lauren DeStefano’s The Chemical Garden Trilogy.

I’ve already written rave reviews for Wither (Book I) and Fever (Book II) and I knew it’d be a long wait for the last book Sever.

But the book blogging gods were on my side and I received an ARC of Sever last month. I am currently writing with bloodshot eyes because I started reading Sever last night and can’t put it down.

Somebody stage an intervention. After I’m done. I have about 100 pages to go.

The book has already answered a lot of outstanding questions from the other books. For one, we’ll finally learn what Chemical Gardens are AND we’ll find out more about Rhine’s parents. Have I said too much? My review will be posted early in the new year.

Oh and I asked DeStefano what her plans were after Sever is released and she mentioned something about a “Super Secret Story”. Look forward to seeing more from her.

Sever is scheduled to be out on February 12th, 2013 and it’s totally pre-order material.

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