Below is my email to my bookcafe on getting a friend to read:
http://www.livejournal.com/users/berisman

On 18/5/03, I placed an order for Harry Potter and The order of the Phoenix.
This is the 5th book by JK Rowling.

I am now half way into a small book of 82 pages. The title is called Time in The Life of the Muslim by Dr Yusuf al-Qaradawi and published by Islamic Inc,Cairo.

I strongly recommend to all my fellow muslims to read this book. It is about time ;hence it is about life that many of us wasted away every second and yet we ask Allah to give us a longer life.

Isn't it a mockery to ask for more and yet we are throwing it away all the time?
Would you give money to someone whom you have given but keep it spending it wastefully?
You know the answer before you finish reading the question.

To-day I 'discovered' BIG Bookshop at Ampang Park,KL and found a few good hard covers books sold at deep discounted prices. These books are marked down because they are "oldies" as compared to new arrivals but they are still good. If my wife were to buy a book,then I know it is good value for money.

Last week I bought a magazine called Writers Digest. What motivated me to spend RM 30 for the magazine is about its special articles on writing. It tells about the lives of writers, and HOW TO GET INSPIRED, HOW TO GET INVOLVED AND HOW TO GET STARTED writing!
I love writing but I am not there yet.

Now, I am trying to get into the flow of writing...
My favourite author Nicholas Sparks advised: Read, Research and wRite!
-another 3R I have to abide by if I want to be writer. It is a long way to go for me ; but I know how to get there.

When I left my bookcafe meeting this afternoon,there were three persons including yours truly.I hoe to see more more attending the gahtering next time. Anyway, we discussed a few things and Tim will report later.

One project I suggest is to get another friend/office-mate/relative who never read a book a year to read a book this year.This is an interesting challenge.

My bookcafe egroup will be having our second gathering next Wednesday14/5/03. It is a public holiday due to Maulid Rasul( Prophet Muhamad's birthday). InsyaAllah, I will be there even though there are only two of us.

I look forward to see as many people as possible.

I am happy to note that my youngest son is reading novels. Thanks to the government efforts introducing English literature in schools and to his peers for telling my son that they read this and that book.

I am still struggling to inculcate the culture of reading to my other sons:-(

At night, I read management books, and in the morning I read religous books.

Now, I have problem when to read novels and the like?
May be after zuhur prayer just to make me easier to have after siesta;-)

I never buy any book that costs more than RM 200, but to-day I just did. It is actually for my new business as the " new flea" on the block. It contains the success stories of project leaders and managers. I hope to use some of the stories in my lectures or discourse.

I like it because I believe story telling is a powerful medium to deliver a message- be it moral or management ideas or lessons.

My thanks to TimKwan for moderating my bookcafe egroup.

Yesterday, I took my son to British Council Library. I like the setting,especially with the cafe' bar inside the library but I observe not many books to borrow:-(

Borrowed a colletion of short stories-Elementals by A.S Byatt.

Kunikoniya bookshop is promoting Literature this month. I have got three vouchers worth RM 30!
Now, what books I must buy?
Btw, I have at least ten more books that I bought but have yet to read!

Yesterday, I bought a book that I was looking for months. It will cost me around USD80 if I were to buy and fedex to KL from USA. But I was lucky to have to pay only RM 127 for the book at Kunikoniya. Lesson learnt: Just wait for a few months, then you can save a few hundreds bucks.if you can't wait, just buy-which I do many times!

It is entitled : Building Project Management Competency

Now, I have two PM books to read this month(April ,2003). Another one is Radical Project Management!

Yesterday,just finish browsing surah al-Rahman.
Now, I continue reading The Elephant and the Flea, but I broke my own rule never to read the last chapter before I even finish the book.
My friend who recommended the book told that the last chapter was very sad.I agree with him that it is very sad for mankind.

If you are reading this and wish to know,please do not ask me. Just go and read the book.

Just finish writing a speech for a senior government officer to deliver during the opening of a seminar conducted by my company.Wheww! I prefer to go jogging than writing speeches....

Now, let me do some reading on Tafsir Fizillil Quran.

Too busy with my xproject course that I have neglected my reading.

On the way to buy bread for my son to-day, I dropped by at Kunikoniya Bookshop and bought The Elephant and the Flea.

At KB airport last night, I bought a booklet on Tarikat and Tasauf. It is a short note on the meaning of tarikat. Many talk about it, but as always only a few really understand it. I am still reading to understand it...

Bought another book-The Mindgame by Yong May. She also wrote The Flame Tree. The book cost me RM 9.90!