Suzumiya Haruhi series

Author: Nagaru Tanigawa

Illustrator: Noizi Ito

Country: Japan

Subject: High School

Genre: Light Novel, Fantasy

Publisher: Kadokawa Shoten

Publication date: June 6, 2006 - ongoing

Source: Kinokunia Book Store

Rating: 5+/5

Read: First three volumes

The Suzumiya Haruhi franchise is very famous throughout Japan, China and Taiwan. Originated from light novels, it has been transferred to manga, movie and TV anime. The author and illustrator of this novel soon became very famous. With more than 10 million sales in Asia, this series is of the best selling light novel in Asia. In this book, the author creates a story about a high school girl - Suzumiya Haruhi. Her ability is very powerful indeed, she can change the world easily in seconds and yet she doesn't know about her power.

I have read many light novels and mangas since I was a little boy. What is so adorable about them is that you won't get bored even you read them over and over again. This series is the perfect example, as I always carry the books around and start reading whenever I can. It is really fascinating when all the strange things - such as the appearance of Aliens, Espers and Time - Travellers in the novel. Suzumiya Haruhi leads me to the fantasy world, where I could fly in my imagination.

I just finished reading the newest English version of [The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya]; it is good that I can combine my interest and the study of English together.

Vocabulary:

Melancholy: A gloomy state of mind. esp. when habitual or prolonged; depression.

Boredom: The state of being bored; tedium; ennui.

Describe the main character. How is she / he like or unlike you? How interesting is she / he to read about?

Haruhi Suzumiya is a junior high school girl in Japan, which is same as my grade level here. She has very strange personalities; sometimes she likes to do all those weird things. I think we share quite a lot of behaviors. Haruhi always likes to fantasy about those that don't exist in the real life, such as aliens and espers. I also like to dream about many things that are not quite possible.

Other resources about the book:

List of Haruhi Suzumiya light novels

Wikipedia - En - 23:39, 11 August 2009

A Briefer History of Time

Author: Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow

Country: United States of America

Subject: The Universe

Genre: Popular science

Publisher: Bantam Books

Publication date: 2005

Source: Book Store

Rating: 5/5

Read: Whole article

Stephen Hawking is probably one of the most well-known physicist today. He became very famous after the book 'A Brief History of Time'. Together with Leonard Mlodinow, they published a even briefer version - 'A Briefer History of time'. In this book, they addressed the nature of space and time. It is very easy to comprehend since they have simplified the explanations.

I have read many of Stephen Hawking's books from childhood. However this book is my favorite among all because it is easier to understand and it really explains a lot about the mysterious universe. It reviews the secrets of Black Hole, Time Travel and even the Big Bang. This book made me to think deeper than ever and it answered many difficult question of mine.

Vocabulary:

Wormhole: (Physics) Feature of spacetime which has the capability to 'shortcut' through space and time.

Big Bang: A theory believed by many modern scientists which states that the Universe started at a certain point in time. In other words, the universe has a definite beginning.

If you disliked or found something you read very boring, explain why?

Although Doctor Hawking had simplified the explanations, I found that some sections of the book could have been further simplified so that even the primary school students can enjoy reading it.

Other resources about the book:

Hawking's briefer history of time

BBC NEWS - Sci/Tech - Monday, 15 October, 2001

Reading Profile

Reading is a good habit which I have since I was very young. I always love to read books before I sleep. I love to read all types of books, from fairy tales to those hard to understand science books. But I like Comic books and fiction books the best.

My favorite series is the 'Harry Potter', written by British author J. K. Rowling. It is one of the most famous fiction book in the world. I love how the author describes a totally different world from us. I also like the book 'Eragon'. This is the story written by American author Christopher Paolini.

For non-fiction books, I simply love Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time'. Although some parts are sort of hard to understand for me, it is still one of my favorite books.

In High School, I will be reading a lot of English books. I will also try to read those books I don't really like to read, such as poetries written by William Shakespeare or something.

About Myself

Hi everyone, I'm Timothy! I am 14 years old and currently studying in Overseas Family School.

I came from China. As you might guess, Chinese people don't usually speak English. I came to Singapore three years ago to learn English. I started from SPP level 1 in grade six, and I moved on to mainstream level in grade seven. My biggest problem in English is writing. Besides that, I also need to improve my grammar and spelling.

I love to play piano and have been learning for the past six months. I read a lot of Japanese comics during my spare time.