This is a follow-up post of my recently published article last week, Bestseller Books of All Time. Datas posted were taken from the Nielson Bookscan, for which in my opinion is the world's most reliable research database about the top sold books in over 31, 500 bookshops all around the globe. The results were astounding and the enumeration of  specific imprints, authors, price points, book categories, actual sales price, and consumer discount levels were detailed.

A recopy of the top books  of 2011 is featured here. This will be good reference for book lovers, whose goal is to find quality reading materials of 2012. It seems that I got the edge after visiting the library of Kiryat Ono, almost all books posted were available already on the entrance bookshelf (what a luck!).
Nielsen Data
Another recommended site worth visiting is GoodReads. They've just recently posted the site's choice awards for the following categories:

• Favorite Book of 2011
• Best Fiction
• Best Mystery and Thriller
• Best Historical Fiction
• Best Fantasy
• Best Paranormal Fantasy
• Best Science Fiction
• Best Horror
• Best Romance
• Best Humor
• Best Non-fiction
• Best History and Biography
• Best Food and Cooking
• Best Travel and Outdoors
• Best Young Adult Fiction
• Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction
• Best Middle Grade and Children's
• Best Picture Books
• Best Graphic Novels and Comics
• Best Poetry
• Best Goodreads Author

Don't miss out the fun of reading....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Have you heard about Nielson Bookscan?  This is the world's largest book tracking service that collects retail sales information in more than 31, 500 bookshops around the world. And the data I have posted showed the top 100 books sales since 1998. The data did amaze me surprisingly. What have I been doing the last 20 years that I have missed reading all the books posted?

After briefly scanning the documents, it's a relief to know that I have read all the books of Dan Brown, J.F. Rowling (Harry Potter Collection) and Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series books, all of which appeared in the top 20 list of the top-selling books since 1998. Outdated is a term no one can accuse me of, but really, it's a shame to miss these amazing books. 

For the year 2012, I am revising my list of Books to Read and I am adding many books mentioned in the data. What I've posted is HISTORY and  I want you to  take  part in it also.  Now start making your own list and join me in reading the bestseller books of all time. When your old as your grandparents, I am sure you'd be proud to tell them: "My child, I have read that book."
 
Bestseller Books of All Time - ToP 100 - ALL TIME

Two options were given to me last week: a morning breakfast to a nice restaurant and a visit to Kika, an Austrian furniture chain in Israel. Regrettably, I chose the latter. It was supposedly a day of fun (shopping is fun and therapeutic...i believe) for me and my husband but to my dismay, we were left disappointed with the trip.

After Ikea, the competitor store of Kika, got burned some two years ago, this was the first time we visited again Natanya. I differ the notion that it's close to home (home now for me is Kiryat Ono) so it really has been a planned trip. The night before we set forth to this foray,  I did make some random lists to buy, mostly were stuff for the new house. We've just moved in to Kiryat Ono last July (2011) and the excitement to furnish the house with new gadgets is emminent. I have a goal and I succumbed to that buying crave.

The store, was undeniably huge, but not as spacious as Ikea. The building had four floors with departments for kitchen and living room furniture, bedrooms and bathrooms, baby rooms and toys, as well as household appliances, mattresses, home textile, cooking appliances and wallpaper. It has a children's playground and a coffee shop. The best part was the children's department. Compared to Ikea this is haven for children, and parents, as well as grandparents.  The variety to choose for newborns (with baby carriages) and tots were considerably big. I got frantic attack to grab many items but got shaken up after seeing the prices of the items. I may say they're overpriced and that was a huge turn off.



The store does have really nice stuff but not really extraordinary special. These are gadgets/stuff you could buy anywhere (except for the rectangular molders for baking and room cabinets) and for affordable prices. I remember the first time we visited Ikea, we got into panic buying mode. The prices were incredibly cheap, considering their imported from Europe, and the quality was commendable. I am proud to say that after eight years, all goods I bought in Ikea were still functional and routinely used at home.

Prices in Kika were a huge disappointment. We could have at least been compensated afterwards if they did have a good restaurant at the entrance. The people could at least treat themselves for a nice meal after a letdown but their breakfast was unsatisfactorily unappetizing. It's not only you have to wait 20 min for the meal but it was costly also.  For the price of the food, me and my husband have eaten, I could have fed my whole tribe (5 children) lavishly in Ikea with a hot meal and unlimited drinks.

At the exit door of Kika, I did only find empty trolleys and disheartened faces. Definitely, this is our first and last with Kika.

News about separation of KC Concepcion and Piolo Pascual (with speculation that Piolo is gay) had gone viral in print and the internet. This had been followed by the video of Mo Twister claiming abortion of ex-girlfriend Rhian Ramos in Singapore.  Whether these news were my cup of tea or not, I am joining the circus ride. You may call it curiosity but filling up that need made me realize few things in life.

First,  never get attached to what you are reading in the news, and internet (that applies especially to gossips about entertainment celebrities). It doesn’t matter whether you are fond of an actor/actress, the point is that probing their stories will get you nowhere (waste of time). True or not, whatever had been magnified in the news is an effect of  the need of the industry (let’s call it showbiz) to make a name and an after effect to earn money. They use him and he uses them to gain something and they use us to get the more benefit. OUCH!!

Second, actors and actress are not superHUMANS. We do share with them the pains of living….failure in relationships, betrayal, death, sickness, humiliation, discrimination and a whole bunch of things that life could offer. They do also need privacy in life, like anyone else. And if I do deserve respect, so are these people.

Third, homosexuality in the Philippines is still unacceptable in the Philippines (in reference to true sexuality of Piolo Pascual).  There are many transgenders (men dressing up like women and vice versa) in the local streets of Manila but the norm is still traditional. We want men to act like studs, not lame ducklings. We want the women to be feminine and vulnerable. Shame on these mentality, shame on the culture that motivates hypocrisy (try to read forums about Piolo and see for yourself  what hypocrisy I am referring to).

Homosexuality is not a disease. It is a CHOICE and a way of living. It’s the same for a woman when she chooses to get married and raise children. They are not different from who we are, these are people who feel love, anger, pain, depression and joy. They could be anyone else… your children, husband, wife, mother, father, the senator, the president… and they do deserve RESPECT.

Lastly, love is simply giving without even asking favors in return. For all the KC’s in the world…when a man is NOT INTO YOU….simply move on. There is always someone waiting for you somewhere. Love is a journey, so enjoy the ride!

I am posting the videos of KC Concepcion and MO Twister…enjoy watching!


Complete Script of Mo Twisters’ Video

"ITS 28TH OF JULY 2010, FIRST TIME IM DOING THIS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY. UM, MAYBE ONE DAY YOU'LL WATCH THIS. JUST TO REMEMBER HOW HORRIBLE OF A DAY IT IS. YOURE IN SINGAPORE, YOU'VE BEEN CRYING ALL EVENING BECAUSE TOMORROW MORNING, YOU AND RHIAN WILL GO TO THE HOSPITAL HERE AND GET RID OUR BABY. IT DOESN'T MATTER NAMAN WHAT I THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THIS WAS HER CHOICE. I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU'LL KEEP THIS AS A SOUVENIR, BUT THIS IS THE TEST. (WHISPER) THIS IS WRONG. THIS IS THE HARDEST THING (CRYING) THIS IS THE HARDEST THING YOU'VE GONE THROUGH BEFORE AND YOU'VE GONE THROUGH SO MUCH. AND WE HAVE TO BLAME OUR JOBS FOR THIS?
THIS INDUSTRY THAT JUDGES YOU FOR THESE THINGS. THIS BUSINESS HAS MADE HER BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE THE LIFE OF OUR OWN CHILD BECAUSE NO ONE WILL FORGIVE HER FOR THIS. THAT THIS JOB WILL RUIN HER, SO WE AGREED THAT WE'D COME HERE AND GET IT DONE. BECAUSE YOU LOVE HER AND YOU JUST WANT HER TO BE OKAY. ITS NOT LIKE RHIAN IS HAVING AN EASY TIME WITH THIS TOO. ITS HARD ON ALL OF US. SHE SAID ONE DAY WE WILL SEE THIS AGAIN. AND MAYBE OUR JOBS WILL BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER AND MORE ACCEPTING ABOUT IT. ONE DAY YOU'LL LOOK AT THIS VIDEO, 20 YEARS FROM NOW, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF YOU WILL STILL BE TOGETHER AND IT WILL STILL HURT. IT WILL STILL HURT LIKE HELL. (CRYING). YOU'LL BE SORRY FOR THIS YOUR WHOLE LIFE. I'LL BE SORRY FOR THIS MY WHOLE LIFE. IM SORRY FOR THE BAD CHOICE WE ARE ABOUT TO MAKE. ITS HARD FOR BOTH OF US. NOBODY WANTS TO DO THIS. I KNOW OTHER CELEBRITIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SUCCEED AFTER THIS PROBLEM, IF IT IS EVEN A PROBLEM, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A PROBLEM. BUT YOU KNOW, HER PARENTS ARE TOUGH ON HER. HER STATION, HER CHANNEL, HER MANAGER IS SO TOUGH ON HER THAT IT HAS MADE HER FEEL THAT HAVING THIS BABY, IS JUST NO OTHER OPTION.
I KNOW RHIAN IS YOUNG. MAYBE ONE DAY WHEN WE'RE OLDER, WHEN SHE IS OLDER, THAT WE WONT HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS. I DON'T BLAME HER. THE PRESSURE ON HER IS SO GREAT. THAT I KNOW SHE FEELS LIKE SHE HAS NO CHOICE. SO THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT RHIAN. ITS NOT. I KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE YOU IN HERE, IN THIS SITUATION. ITS JULY 28, 2010 AND IM SITTING INSIDE THE HOTEL. THE RITZ-CALRTON IS SINGAPORE AND WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING ALL NIGHT ABOUT THIS. IM DOING MY BEST TO TRY TO KEEP YOU SAFE. AND ALL THIS FIGHTING IS TAKING A TOLL ON US. I WISH WE COULD HAVE THIS CHILD. I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. THIS JOB IS SO DIFFICULT. ITS SO DIFFICULT. IM SO SORRY. I'LL BE SORRY FOREVER. AGAIN, ONE DAY YOU'LL WATCH THIS. MAYBE WHEN YOURE AN OLD MAN. YOU'LL REMEMBER HOW DIFFICULT TODAY WAS. AND I HOPE YOU WATCH THIS AND I HOPE BY THAT TIME I'LL BE MARRIED AND I'LL HAVE A FAMILY THAT I CAN TRY TO MAKE IT UP TO. YOURE GOING TO DO SOMETHING REALLY WRONG TODAY. IM SORRY FOR THAT. THIS IS BUSINESS IS SO SO HARD. THIS BUSINESS IS SO HARD ON ITS EMPLOYEES. I GUESS ALL BUSINESSES ARE. I DON'T KNOW. ITS OUR FAULT I KNOW. WE CANT REALLY BLAME OUR JOBS BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE DID IT. BUT UM, I UNDERSTAND

http://www.pinoyboldstar.net/is-piolo-pascual-really-gay/
http://www.simplymanila.com/2007/11/yet-another-piolo-pascual-gay-gossip.html
http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2011/11/kc-concepcion-is-not-piolo-pascuals-sunshine/

Welcome to the new look of Under the Sun. I've changed the format of my blog in advance for the coming of year 2012, besides it's been due for a long time. After decluttering all the unimportant aspects (widgets), a cleaner and organized feature surfaced. It's must be true what they say...THAT LESS IS MORE.

Despite taking an over a year break from posting, it's been fantastic to see the surge of a number of visitors continue to trend upwards (not thousands though, but thanks to my wonderful friends...you know who you are). With a new format, I hope that it's now easier for you to find whatever you're interested in. You can now follow-up the blog on Facebook,  and the same with Twitter.

Thanks to everyone who asked when the blog would return – now, I'm really back with more VIGOR and DIRECTION. And I'm into many exciting things, please watch out for my future posts.

And thanks as always for reading,








P.S. Your feedbacks, by the way, are welcome.

As far as I'm counting, it's been more than a year since I had my last Blogger post...and whooh, that on my opinion is truly disappointing. Considering the new developments in Blogger's unique browsing experience (Blogger Dynamic Views), I felt totally left behind. It's time to say goodbye now to manual CSS coding and embrace these wonderful ways of sharing the blog to the public.


But STILL despite these changes in Blogger I am STILL looking forward for an addition of an e-commerce platform. Bloggers and merchants are quite a combination, if Blogger would eventually create such powerful integration, its goodbye time for Prestashop, Magento, Zen Cart and other open source e-commerce modules. And MAYBE I'll settle for good...it's good to be back!





a cat makes life fun