New Books Acquisition

Last Sunday, I enjoyed myself in Fully Booked too much. In less than an hour, I bought 6 books. 2 of which were for my bestfriend's baby, whose christening I shamefully missed. Anyways, I added interesting titles to my library. The last time I was giddy like this was when I bought three new titles before I left for the States. I finished Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged during my States' visit, Markus Zusak's I am the Messenger on my flight back home and I have 2 more pending from that batch. The Persuasion, a classic and the Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell which is currently being borrowed by a colleague.

Last Sunday, with my initial goal to buy books for the baby, I got four new titles for me as well.



I'm currently finishing the Stieg's Larrson's Millennium Trilogy. I'm currently liking it. I would say that suspense-crime novels are not my most favorite genre, but I can very handle it. I have a penchant for those once in a while. I always get reliable fixes from Grisham, Crichton and Deaver. Of course I would venture out and discover good titles of suspense authors from time to time. For light modern drama I rely on N. Evans and A. Shreve. For contemporary there are J. Ferris, M. Atwood, J. Coetzee, H. Murakami on my favorite list. Fantasy-graphics include J. Gaarder, C. Barker, N. Gaiman and J. Tolkien. Romance novels I rely on J. McNaught and J. Litton. Not that I don't venture out. I love other authors and titles as well. I've always been adventurous when it comes to books. I'm just pointing out that some authors especially those that I have mentioned above have never failed me with their works. Surprisingly to note, I'm not much of a fan of Nicholas Sparks no matter how many books I've read that he has written, nor I am much of a fan of the acclaimed Sue Grafton, Anne Rice and some other popular authors. There are just books that are hits and misses for me.

Last month just before the major storm hit the metro, on the day I got my haircut, I also got two titles from two of my favorite authors in BookSale, a thrift book store. I always have an extra doze of excitement when I find out of print books in second hand book stores. Other people's trash is someone else's treasure. I found Arabat by Clive Barker and The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood both in good condition. You cannot find these in print in major bookstores nowadays. These are no brainers when I saw them. I immediately bought it.




The prospect of good books waiting to be read is so sweet. The feeling of going inside a bookstore is heavenly. I could stay there for the entire day. So little time so many books to read. For now I'm just finishing Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy after which it depends if I'll jump into classics by Austen, fantasy by Clive Barker or contemporary by Junot Diaz. The world is vast and the possibilities are endless when it comes to books.

Books in Tow: Atlas Shrugged

I'm not sure if I blogged about this already, but let me blog about it again since I feel like it. There aren't any rules here for me since it's mine...ha!

When I got my first pay at work last June, the first set of things that I bought, which I indulged in were books. Lots and lots of books. I bought my latest set of books on a rainy Saturday night while Mitch conveniently did his business transactions nearby. I missed the feeling of like being in a candy store, only that I'm looking at aisles and aisles of books. And I was purchasing without a care of the price. It was an empowering feeling.

You see, before I transferred to my new company I had tons of bills to pay. My financial status was in shambles that's why I haven't had time and enough resources to squeeze books in. I wasn't really happy and proud of that phase. So I just kept a list of books that I had planned to buy so when the good cash came in, I stuck to my list and fired away. It was good timing too since I knew that I would be traveling and I always bring good books to accompany me on my new adventure.



One of the books that I brought with me is Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. I brought this because I have been itching to read it since my literary maturity and I saw the thickness will make me miss home less. I don't know why I haven't read this earlier since I know about it since eternity, but I think it has something to do with the right timing.

Atlas Shrugged is considered a classic in a sense that there has been editions and versions of it over time. I remember when I was still in my RL Stine phase, I have seen this particularly thick book. Naturally the plot was not an interest back then, but as time went by this particular book kept on nagging me as Leo Tolstloy's Annakarenina did. Atlas Shrugged is one of those books wherein you just have to read at least once in your lifetime. Your literary experience would not have been complete if you missed it. When I have conquered Annakarenina, I was hooked though it was a challenging read. I knew I could take anything else. It was a period piece with a unique narrative style and it is thick. Atlas Shrugged just like Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth is also noticeably thick and has the industrial era and plot as a setting. Though the thickness could be intimidating, it is something that I am already used to. It's the writing style and setting that scare me the most. It could make or break the book instantly.

Thankfully, Atlas Shrug does not bore me. It is an interesting read. Just like Annakarenina and Pillars of the Earth, I feel this particular book will have an audience forever. This is one of the literary works that has authentic characters and interesting plot that would be understood and appreciated through time. No wonder it has been republished and even used in advance literary major classes.

Now, this is the first book I'm reading while I'm here in Ohio. I specifically felt like bringing it here to face dull moments, but unfortunately work and activities bog my reading pace, but I'm getting there. The characters are interesting and it's my first time to read a plot in an industrial era with the railroad business as a backdrop. It's philosophy, economy, drama and suspense combined. I'm beginning to love it. Hopefully I could get to finish it next week. I have three more books egging in my closet.

Now Reading: The Dip

Four months ago I was slightly pissed at my previous job. I felt like I wasn't getting anywhere despite the fact that I was just recently promoted. I felt the title was just a consolation of hard work and the supposed meaningful work that I should be doing. Most importantly, I didn't get an appropriate raise. Well in the first place, my salary for my position wasn't appropriate at all. It just turned out that I shared the same negative sentiments with almost three of my good colleagues who are also valued performers in the company.

During those days of constantly assessing our situation, the thought of resigning and looking for a better opportunity was the main plan. We even had a betting system and a race on who's going to be the first one to leave. But we still exercised that hope that our situation might change for the better in that company. We just found humor in it. My colleague, Mr. Ivanovic, a tennis fan and an Ana Ivanovic admirer, even searched for songs to include in his personal soundtrack which contains songs of quitting, anger and stress. We would listen to it in dull afternoon hours even if our boss was just a few feet away. Mr Fitness Fan, my pseudo personal trainer, would engage in euphemisms in a very brash manner even if his boss was just beside him. Whereas I just entertained myself by always searching for books online wishing for that day when I would enter a bookstore and actually buy bookS. That's when I came across Seth Godin's book THE DIP: The Little Book That teaches you when to Quit and when To Stick.



Interesting. I presented to my colleagues the possible material that might present answers to all our career-oriented questions. I planned to buy it within the weekend and share to my colleagues as my contribution. But something always came up and my money was allotted for so many different things that buying books was below my priority list. My need had become a luxury. Feeling pathetic of my situation, with or without reading the book, I resigned last April and eventually landed a better paying job in May. Ironically, the resources I got from my new job allowed me to pay my debts, buy new supplies and most importantly, buy books.

Since I'm done with Susan Howatch's The Heartbreakers after a month and a half (Shameful record, I know), I went to Fully Booked last weekend and got books egging on my list. I hugged them while browsing and I thought I was going to cry at the counter due to overwhelming joy. I can honestly say that I'm now back in the game. I'm debt free. I purchased new items for me and most importantly I bought a new set of books. Life couldn't be better.

Nevertheless, I still wanted to know what Seth Godin has to say. This is plainly out of interest. I have no problems with my career now. I'm in a better financial and professional state, but I feel that this book might provide wisdom that I might use in the future in other aspects of life. I've never seen a book that encourages people to quit, that's one. There's something in here that I should know and I'm willing to find out.

From my new set, this will be the first book that I'll read. I've read the first few pages and I'm still hooked. Tell you more about it soon. Give me a week to internalize everything.

Another Book Steal

A colleague and I were busy talking about our possible summer team building. We were surfing the net to look for resorts up north when we got really hungry. Usually we'd go to our canteen for lunch, but both of us were craving for something delectable and in the canteen, it's always a hit and miss, mostly passable but nothing extraordinary. Since we wanted Italian, we decided to hit the road to Glorietta 5 and eat at Sbarro's. It will be payday tomorrow so we were extra bold.

When we got to Glorietta 5 it was practically deserted. If I had the money and time, it would be the perfect place to shop. Summer clothes are marketed and I began to worry about my summer outfits. It's not that I want to buy something new, but I fear that my old suits will be my destruction. I doubt if I could still fit in those and not look like a human sausage. But first we just had to eat.

After grabbing a carbo-loaded lunch, we still had time to window shop. Unfortunately, we were too lazy to fit clothes and found some pieces expensive for the poor material until we were led to a boxed up section at the ground floor of the mall where National BookStore is having a "Book sale." We instantly forgot to window shop for clothes and headed to the books. I recently read in Jessica Zafra's blog about her 99 pesos finds in National Bookstore Glorietta 5, and you know me, I never shy from book purchases especially if they're on sale.

True enough the selections are hardbound and extensive. There are coffee table books, general fiction, autobiographies and self-help, majority are all for 99 bucks. The books may be used but the condition, for the price, is phenomenal. I knew then I would be spending my remaining allowance for tomorrow. In a span of 30 minutes, I found my treasures.


I already made choices before I saw a Susan Howatch book. For those who have been following my blog, I am a Susan Howatch fan. I didn't even bother to read the summary of her book The Heartbreaker. I immediately took it and guarded it with my life.

The next book I've purchased is written by Sarah Dunant. I have read one of her works, The Transgressions, and it was an interesting book. I was mildly entertained so I gave her classically based novel In the Company of a Courtesan a positive try. Besides, I'm also craving from a Classically-inspired novel.

Lastly, I bought a risk book, Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson. I've never heard of the title nor the author, but I've read a paragraph or two to establish that certain connection. The premise of the story was enough to keep me hooked. It's a story about a husband and wife whose love completely clashed against the hard reality of tragedy. It's a story about how their relationship changes towards each other and how they would cope. The story is narrated in a witty and satirical language. It's a kind of book that might make me laugh.

After exhausting the place I realized that I ran out of cash, but I told myself not to withdraw. So, like an obedient girl, I returned the four other books I had been carrying along and left me with these three. Anyways, I could still come back sometime this weekend.

I left the airconditioned mall unto the heat of the scorching sun still feeling ecstatic. Buying books always puts me in a good mood no matter what. I was proud of myself for another successful book shopping that ended up to be a steal. Not bad for spending my last 300 bucks.

On Apple's I-PAD

I know what Apple is doing. It's trying to tap every audio-visual recreation known to man. From cellular phones to laptops that carry the power to capture or store pictures and songs with wi-fi internet capability, it's not a surprise that Apple decided to enter the market of e-reading. You would wonder what's next.

Though personally, I'm still not impressed with the legion of e-book readers out there. Even I still buy my books the old way, through a bookstore, leafing through the pages that smell of intoxicating ink and industrialized paper. But the point is, e-book readers are growing albeit slowly. Some time last year, I played with thoughts of owning my very own Kindle and read literary works on a machine. I just couldn't make the transition because reading books in itself adds to the whole joy of reading. And more than a voracious reader, I'm a book collector. I believe books aren't made to disappear overnight just like how beepers did over the emergence of cellular phones, but I'm a human who is easily intrigued and should be kept updated enough on things to be able to make an appropriate choice.

Eventually, I passed on owning a Kindle, which is distinctively made for e-book customers. Going to Power Books, National or Fully Booked is still the comfy way for me. In dire circumstances I get my literary fix in manybooks.net on a desktop or laptop. But how long will I keep on saying this when I don't normally read the tangible broadsheets anymore? I read news online. I have even eliminated the use of TV. All I need is done in my computer. Movies, I can freely watch while mobile. Books are facing the same signals of modernity.

If you're curious, I'm not turning into an e-book reader overnight. It would take years and a literary revolution. I'm still your traditional reader who is just curious of options that are present. Kindle might have been a bit lax and insufficient, but Apple, which has a proven marketing force to reckon with and the creative desire to present all to the able customers, is a different contender. Apple has become a household name and changed how people do things. The only thing I could do is raise my eyebrows and scrutinize its new toy, the I-PAD tablet for e-book reading. But it's not just for e-book readers, it also carries the ability of its recent ancestors, IPods and I-Touch. You can watch movies, listen to songs, store photos and surf the net. It seems Apple's slowly encouraging people, even non-ebook readers, to try the new "in" thing, then possibly let the users discover for themselves the new convenience that I-Pad brings to reading. In that way, the transition isn't drastic and the switch is made comfortable.



Smart move, Apple. You even got me curious and possibly wanting.

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

I bought this in Fully booked before the year 2010. This belongs to the starter-trio as I would call it. With the works of Jhumpa Lahiri, Tracy Chevalier and Kim Edwards, I plan to regain my reading monstrosity for 2010. 2009 was a bit shameful on my reading record.

After happily finishing Tracy Chevalier's Falling Angels and Girl with a Pearl Earring, I moved on to Jhumpa Lahiri's compilation of short stories titled Unaccustomed Earth. On that day when I formed my Starter-Trio, I never had an inclination who Jhumpa Lahiri was being so out of tune in the literary world for some time. I must admit that amongst the Starter-Trio, this is the only one I'm clueless with. In fact I regarded this as a risky choice. But I read the first three paragraphs and it blew me away. It was the same happy connection when I first read paragraphs of Youth by J.M. Coetzee in Powerbooks or reading Then we Came to the End by Joshua Ferris.



Jhumpa Lahiri's short stories are mostly about Bengali families, their relationships, their challenges and their socio-cultural revolution when they migrated to the United States. I would get to picture first generation Bengalis coping, but not compromising their traditions and values due to their lives' dramatic changes in a more modern and liberated country. While the second generation is torn living the lives they are exposed to, yet finding the need and obligation to stick to their heritage. In these short stories, I admired Bengalis for their characteristics of intelligence, unwavering principles, reference to their rich culture and a national identity. Picturing them is easy. They don't get lost in the sea of globalization.

With the various short stories, you could peel the superficial aspects of the setting and seep through the conflicts of a brother and sister, father and daughter, unrequited lover, parents and child, wife and husband that stick close to home. This is the aspect that does not need any cultural representation.

The reason why I love this book is because I was able to appreciate and learn about the Bengali culture, tradition and social outlook. I was also able relate and put myself in the shoes of normal people experiencing relationship and societal challenges. When a daughter welcomes his father in her home and observing how her father silently adjusts and privately approves or disapproves your life is haunting. When you realize that you are living the life of your mother who puts the needs of her husband first than her own, when you thought it was unacceptable is haunting. Memories of happy times in a relationship gone sour with siblings seems to be the only comfort. Or that after all these years of familiarity, loyalty and devotion, you wonder if you really love your wife.

Her short stories are entertaining with a power to internally haunt your life in a realistic kind of way. She also writes in a fluid motion, capturing the private thoughts of characters and putting it perfectly in writing. She doesn't use much euphemisms and metaphors. She is direct and raw, which is more lovely and effective in these kinds of stories.

After I finished the book in my recent trip to Hong Kong, I wrote in my Facebook status my exhilaration. Some friends, who are Jhumpa Lahiri fans, immediately replied to my post and said that I should read The Namesake, which automatically went on my next list of book acquisitions. But now, sadly, I have to find The Unaccustomed Earth in my suitcase. It's been missing for days. I might have forgotten it at the airport or something. I would be devastated and disappointed with myself, but I know if that's the worst case scenario, I would do the next best thing, buy it again and hope I would not lose another book in 2010.

Books Steal!

I am ecstatically happy and I mean jumping up and down-sugar bubbling in my blood streams-everything looks candy pink-feels like the first time I got my Johnny Depp Pin-up after watching Edward Scissorhands-and that someone could trip me and I wouldn't mind-kind of happy. I may not like shopping, but I think I have the same endorphins released amongst women whenever they buy something of great value. For me, I buy books and whenever I do, the feeling of rushed excitement and certified bribery always happen. But I especially like it if it's a STEAL. 260 bucks for three full novels written by three of my most favorite and trusted authors is definitely worth bragging.

After work, I was waiting for my ride when I decided to go to a second hand books shop in our nearby mall. I'm also planning to buy books this weekend and there's nothing wrong in getting a cheap head start. Bless Booksale and the like, which sell used books, magazine, coffee tables and text books around the metro. Not only that they provide better access to cheap literature, but they circulate the knowledge and the love for reading. In fact they are brave enough to continue their business knowing that their market is selected and their goods aren't something new when in fact it's even prone to aging. I've been to Booksales and other second hand book outlets a hundred times and I'm never the one to discriminate. As much as I love new books, there is nothing wrong in buying old ones. I feel like I've adopted works without having to bend my wallet just to increase and stuff my library. Besides, if you want to experiment on a new author, Booksales are good places to get some materials.

Booksales are also a treasure hunt. Some authors' works are very hard to find and it would take you money and time to order from sophisticated bookstores. Booksales or 2nd hand book shops are an ukay-ukay of great finds. You think why would people just throw away something that you instantly find valuable? Just like someone said, "another person's trash is someone's treasure."

Last week, I wanted to experiment on the books written by Marilyn French, Lucious Beebe and Eric P. Kelly. I followed the normal selection process in buying books of authors I'm not familiar with. I always read the summary, read a chapter or two, find that connection and look at the quality of the paper. After that trip, I bought three interesting titles called The Big Spenders, The Women's Room and the Trumpeter of Krakow. I have no idea how these three books would turn out with me, but amongst all the selections, these three have the strongest connection.



Today I found myself in Booksale again and began to browse without any specific intention of buying. That is until I saw Susan Howatch's book, The Glittering Images, in the middle of a pile with its book stem creased. I may not watch soap operas and I find them a bit crappy, but I do read Susan Howatch. She gives me an intelligent version of an intricate soap opera with settings and characters so rich that tv versions could not replicate. Her books are always about differences of relationships, sharp tongues, society, perceptions of god and nature. She writes relationships and its evolution minus the crappy and mushy parts. The first Howatch novel I read was The Rich are Different. It's a mini-encyclopedia-kind thickness, which plot has a 1920's Wallstreet for its setting. I remember getting hooked with it every lunch or breakfast time in the year 2003. After that, I began to purchase her other titles instantaneously. I also read her other works such as The Wheel of Fortune, Absolute Paths and Ultimate Prizes. I got one in the States but the rest were found in Booksales.

After my eyes caught Susan Howatch's book, my sight led me to see Clive Barker's Coldheart Canyon waiting to be read. Like Howatch, Cliver Barker is seldom found in leading bookstores bearing old titles. Most of my Clive Barker books were bought in booksales. Although I am aware of Neil Gaiman's work first, Clive Barker reserves a spot in my literary favorites list. It only dawned on me on some interview that I read about Neil Gaiman mentioning Clive Barker as his mentor. It figures, Clive Barker and Neil Gaiman have the same fearlessness in telling stories out of proportion and normality. Their imagination is amazing! The first Clive Barker novel that I read was "The Great and Secret Show," which I borrowed from my college library. How it got there, I had no idea, but it was fate. Reading that book was a challenge, a roller coaster ride, but fun. In the middle, I may not understand the metaphor behind the supernatural things, but it hooked me to the very end. With that book, I became his fan. The last novel I've read that he's written was Galilee and and I loved it. I've been eager to find a copy of Imajica and Weaveworld, but his books are hard to find even in booksales, so you could just imagine how happy and protective I was when I got his 2001 work Coldheart Canyon for 105 pesos.

Lastly, I got Death and Restoration by Iain Pears, also one of my trusted authors. Iain Pears has a knack of writing period literature that dapples on mysteries. In his works, you would imagine that behind the graceful story telling is a lot of research and meticulous thought. The first novel I read was Dream of Scipio when I went to the USA in 2004. I had to read it again because it was just so deep and metaphorical for me at that time. A lot of things were happening in the States that I couldn't focus. But once I did finish the book, it was exhilirating. Following my desire to read medieval mysteries popularized by Umberto Eco, I resulted to Iain Pears' The Instance at the Fingerpost. He hasn't failed me. I still have a book under my possession, The Raphael Affair, which I admit I have not had the time to read yet.



Three books, three different genres from my three favorite authors under 300 bucks was definitely a steal. It's enough to keep me happy and occupied for days. Looking at my steals makes me grateful that I have the time and resources to acquire them. It gives me pleasure to know that I would read them soon. As I look at my shelf, I know that I would have to arrange and re-catalog everything. My bookshelf is beginning to resemble like what a hurricane swept in, but I'd have to deal with that in another post. For now, it's time to get those plastic covers.

Happy Girl, Signing off.

Reading Project 2010: Coraline

I am a fan of Neil Gaiman. I love how he sees the world through stories which open up the minds of children and adults effortlessly while still incorporating on the beautiful and jaded things that make humans interesting. His writing is direct, easy and imaginative.

I've been a fan since his Sandman series came out. Then he opened up my world by introducing good writers in the same genre. Books written by Terry Pratchet, Marion Z. Bradley and Clive Barker have a good presence in my shelf. Gaiman stories have always interested, excited and piqued me effortlessly. He continuously inspires me to constantly think out of the box and be more courageous.

A couple of days ago I just finished reading Coraline, his pseudo-fairytale book. I liked it. It's definitely directed to children; and just like fairytales there are good lessons to be derived from it. But what makes this story different is that it clearly stamps Gaiman's writing style and gift of representing things in a more dry and twisted manner that it tends to scare and be more appreciated by adults and somechildren alike. In this story, he represented a child in a more aggressive light. He gives credit to children, for in his eyes, they are smarter and more assertive than we really think they are. It reminds adults of the children's strengths and needs.




It's an easy read. You could finish it in a day if you're free. Serves as a good adult fairytale and a somewhat alternative bedtime story for kids. If you like Alice In Wonderland, you'll like this. This is the fairytale that goes beyond rescues and cheerful songs. This would definitely open up minds. I know for sure that it's a definite breather from Disney.

I bought my copy of Coraline four years ago. I saw the book in Powerbooks and didn't think twice even though at that time I had no plans of buying. I kept it with me until the perfect time came for me to read it. That time came after four years, specifically just a week ago, when the book has already aged and papers discolored by oxygen. On my recent trip to Fully Booked, I find again that Coraline is one of the books featured.

READING NEXT: Girl with with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

2010 Reading Project

One of the top goals I have for 2010 is to read more. My reading track record was seamless when I was still studying, but career and adulthood put reading at the backseat. It shouldn't be the case. A lot of prolific businessmen still read meaningful literature besides the daily newspaper. How come I can't seem to pick up? I might read books, but my pace is so horrifying compared to when I was a kid, reading two to three novels in a week. Now, finishing a good novel in three weeks is considered a challenge.

It's also been a while since I went to a bookstore and actually buy books. Take note of the plural term. My poor financial habits this year affected my purchasing power, believe it or not. I was more focused on buying extra curricular stuff like travel, gadgets and lifestyle membership fees. A part of my goal in 2010 is to be financially stronger and healthier, and hopefully this would also help me boost my reading project.

So for one last credit card swipe on the last day of 2009, Mitch and I went to Boni High Street to spend the last 2009 afternoon together and buy books. He knows how serious I am when times like these occur so he gave me all the time in the world. Luckily, the welcoming Fully Booked has a steady crowd with immaculately stacked and smelling books beckoning me, seducing me, enthralling me.

I took my time and hopped from one aisle to another. My mind automatically processes titles, intuition and mood in choosing books. I would read paragraphs to find a connection until I would naturally single out books. It depends on my budget if I would undergo optional paralysis.

Happily and grinning widely, as soon as I've decided, I went to the counter, took my ailing credit card and swiped one last swipe for 2009. All in all I bought four books and I walked out of the store to meet Mitch, ecstatic like a lightning could strike me and I could go to heaven. The feeling never changes.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards is a title I've seen for quite some time. I've reprocessed this book before and I have this repressed desire to buy it. The second book, which is a good 2-in-one-deal book is by Tracy Chevalier, The Girl with a Pearl Earring and The Fallen Angels. I am also familiar with the two books. I've seen Fallen Angels in the Recommended section of Fully Booked a couple of months back. It's a story about the connection of sisters, which is still a mystery to me. And I've always wanted to read The Girl with A Pearl Earring. Unlike some readers, I don't have any problems reading period pieces, in fact I prefer it sometimes. Give me Austen and Tolstoy and I'd gladly read it.



The last book I chose to buy was out of impulse. I grabbed the interestingly looking book in the Fresh Out of Box section. It's an impulse because I have never heard of the book before and it's considered a stronger gamble. But I always have faith in my intuition. This is how I bought Then We Came to the End , Artemis Fowl series and The Pillars of the Earth and the results were positive. Besides, the book that I bought is written by Jhumpa Lahiri and titled Unaccustomed Earth. The book made it the top spot of New York Time's Best Review in 2008, which made me more courageous.

So, here I am hyped and ecstatic. I have the whole year to catch up on my literature backlog, starting with Tracy Chevalier's A Girl with the Pearl Earring. In a few hours, I'll be the girl I once was, a non-stop chugging reading machine.