Category Archives: Writings

Announcements, articulations, etc…

Why is BooksAvenue not selling books anymore?

19/03/2019 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

With so many books now published on Amazon, in particular, the competition to attract book buyers is fierce.

While there are countless sources of advice and marketing tricks on how to sell ebooks and books online on Amazon, the most important factors of all are to have a good product and to attract positive attention to your books. Likewise, if you have published more than a couple of titles, perhaps it has been some time since you analysed what you are really doing to attract attention.

As with all things Internet, change is the only constant, so while certain approaches may have been successful a year or so back, it is not necessarily true that they are working now.

These summarises the external factors why BooksAvenue not selling books now. It’s true that BooksAvenue started with book sales. Yet it is not sustainable in Singapore from different perspectives. Rather to paraphrase this, it is totureous and inefficient to compete with online retailers as well as physical bookstores. That competition itself, is an uphill challenge for us on many levels.

The other factors also include the buyers’ willingess to spend which resulted in profit margins, the book conditions, economic of scale, as well as the availability of title choices.

At the end of the day, it defeats the fundamental purpose of BooksAvenue: Bringing people closer to literature and art. We rather be building bridges to minimise the gap between readers and books efficiently, than to exhaust our resources to fight against profit driven business and corporations.

With a more focused and specialised scope, BooksAvenue believes that this will be the better way to bring people closer to the world of books.

How to buy Kindle Books for those living outside US

07/01/2019 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

Previously, we discussed how to have UNLIMITED FREE reads on Kindle in Singapore and Malaysia. In this post, we are going to talk about how to buy Kindle books in Singapore as well as buy Kindle books in Malaysia, both countries use the same method, but let’s just refer to Singapore.

This tutorial will be showing you on how to buy English Kindle book from US Amazon.

Continue reading How to buy Kindle Books for those living outside US →

ebooks, Writings

3 Steps To Read Amazon books for FREE

02/01/2019 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

With e-commence portals such as Lazada and Qoo10, you can now easily get a Kindle Device.

But books in Amazon costs money, so can we still do the ultimate way and read for FREE?

Glad that you asked! Good that you have been following us and bookmarked us for future updates to know this today.

You can read on Amazon for FREE apparently. AND no, it’s not a scam or some click bait. 3 steps, 3 legit steps. All you need is an Amazon account (does not require subscription to Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited).

Step 1: Register an Amazon account.

Step 2: Get a Kindle E-reader. I assumed you would have purchased the Kindle either from Amazon or through one of the e-commence portal.

No Kindle? Read this: If you have NOT purchased the Kindle device, you can download the free Kindle Reading App from iTunes or Google Play Store. The free books works with both the Kindle device and the reading app.

Step 3:

After creating an account, go to Departments > Books & Audible > Kindle eBooks.

Then search for “free Kindle books”. You will then see a list of books that say “Kindle Edition” $0.00. You don’t need to be a Prime or Kindle Unlimited subscriber. And you don’t need a Kindle either.

BONUS:

Now an extra step, this has been my ultimate secret for a few years now and every day I have been browsing it constantly for the latest free books.

Freebook sifter is the answer!

Its is a web application where it scans the entire Amazon catalog and displays the link to the free books on its web site. It sorts the books into 30 different categories such as Parenting, Investing and Friction. It also proudly displays the number of free books you can actually download.

So there you go, an Amazon account with free.

Now if you would like to read PAID books for FREE, there is another way too.

Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans are available with 6, 12 and 24-month membership plans.

AND there is a 1 month trial period available before paying. So the idea is to read all you can for FREE in that 1 month.

There will be:

Unlimited reading from over 1 million ebooks
Unlimited listening to thousands of audiobooks
Read on any device
Membership plans are also giftable

Readathon baby!

If you like this post, please help to LIKE and SHARE with your friends. Your small gesture goes a long way for us. 🙂

Click the banner below to read more:

Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans

Writings

Mother’s Love

24/11/2018 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

What is Mother’s love?

A search on Google derives the following statement from Helen Steiner Rice:

A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain, It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may. For nothing can destroy it or take that love away—Helen Steiner Rice.

This is something not as simple as a sentence or two. Surely not an element or a simple emotion, a feeling that derives from the given relationship by birth. It is more than just platonic selfless care and concern for another’s well being, possibly even at the cost of caregiver’s expense and safety.

Is it an obligation due to the arrival of a new life? Or a conscripted responsibility which is out of will? From the spectrum of logic, I do not think so and certainly not. Ever.

18th Nov this year on a peaceful glorious morning, a little prince is born. A magical event to witness the beginning of life, the start of another chapter in life, surely another significant milestone to be marked and more exciting times ahead. Even before the arrival of the baby prince, daddy and mummy have committed and promised each other to give only the best to ensure his growth and well being.

That commitment and decision is the epitome of mother’s love.

And that prince? He is my son.

Writings

Altruism

15/10/2018 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

Six degrees of separation is the idea that all living things and everything else in the world are six or fewer steps away from each other so that a chain of “a friend of a friend” statements can be made to connect any two people in a maximum of six steps. It was originally set out by Frigyes Karinthy in 1929 and popularized in an eponymous 1990 playwritten by John Guare.

Now with this chain of friends and acquaintance, consider the effect and repercussions of positive actions done for your friends and the people around you. It forms a happy environment, producing positive energy that will pulse thought the network of connected friends and beyond.

If we all can help each other without expectations of direct benefit or renumeration, the world will be a much, much better place.

This brings up the topic of Altruism, which is disinterested and selfless concern for the well-being of others. A good example is one who may choose to work with vulnerable elderly people out of altruism, probably at one’s expense.

A glass of water is not the same for a thirsty man and a drowning man. A donation of $100 to a homeless man is not the same as to a middle income working executive. In other words, the same help rendered might not have the same effects.

To help someone effective, it is better to ask the beneficial party directly how to help better. Social media likes and shares might bring about some forms of awareness, but the actual help is limited, and not as instaneous.

Similarly in my opinion, performing a good deed for a picture to be shared and post on social media, is not considered an altruistic action. To me, I would view it as somewhat like a “personal marketing campaign”. For personal fame and glory perhaps?

As surprising as it sounds, altruism helps to bring about a better us. It reinforces our perspective to care for people around us, creating a better place for everyone.

Try to sleep on the streets for a week, and you will know how the homeless feels like. Try to skip 3meals a day and forge for food in malls and whatnots, and you know how the hungry is experiencing it every day. The point is there are people worse off than us. We have to help to the best of our abilities to ensure that everyone around is happy. This creates happiness and peace around them, and around us too.

Do something for the homeless man around the corner, or the person in queue who is seeking coins. Help them, give them and assist them with zero expectations.

And if you are lucky, you might receive a smile brighter than sunshine.

Writings

Which Countries Read The Most?

26/09/2018 BooksAvenue 2 Comments

The Importance Of Reading

Being able to read is one of the most important basic skills that a person can learn today. In fact, reading is crucial to being able to relate to and take part in society. It is required for reading traffic signs, medical instructions, and news stories. Additionally, accessing information online or in books and magazines helps keep people educated and informed about the world around them. The human brain needs constant development and reading is just the activity to help. Reading helps people create a more active imagination and leads to higher levels of creativity as well. So, where in the world do people spend the most time reading?

Countries That Spend The Most Time Reading

The World Culture Score Index conducted a global study to measure the amount of time that people around the world spend reading on a weekly basis. The results of this study do not specify what type of material is being read, which could be anything from online news to work e-mails and magazines to books in print. Additionally, the study does not report specific information about the people surveyed (like age, educational level, or sex) or how many people were surveyed. The findings are as follows:

India

India topped the list with its citizens reporting an average of 10 hours and 42 minutes a week spent reading. Achieving the number 1 position on the list is quite an accomplishment for this country, which has a literacy rate that is lower than the global average (only 74%). This rate has, however, increased by more than 6 times since the country gained its independence in 1947, which could be an indicator of an increasing interest in reading. This time spent reading does not necessarily reflect the amount of time reading printed books, however, and may include time spent reading online or in electronic format.

Thailand

Thailand is the country with the second highest number of hours spent reading. Here, survey respondents reported that they spend a weekly average of 9 hours and 24 minutes reading. Additional surveys have found that approximately 88% of the population reads book in print and spend around 28 minutes a day reading them. This means that significantly more time is spent reading online. As seen in India, smartphones and tablets have changed reading habits in Thailand as well. In fact, the amount of time spent reading books in print has decreased from reports published in previous years.

China

The third greatest amount of time spent reading is in China, where survey respondents report spending around 8 hours every week partaking in this activity. This country has a 96.4% literacy rate, which is higher than the global average of 86.3%. Of this time, only around 11 minutes a day are spent reading newspapers and magazines. In a study conducted by the OECD, researchers found that over 90% of students in Shanghai, China report reading for entertainment purposes, which is an increase over previous years. This increase indicates that perhaps reading is gaining popularity among the citizens of this country.

Other countries included in the survey results can be found in the chart published below.

The Countries That Read The Most

Rank	Country	Hours spent in reading per person per week (selected countries)
1	India	10:42
2	Thailand	9:24
3	China	8:00
4	Philippines	7:36
5	Egypt	7:30
6	Czech Republic	7:24
7	Sweden	7:06
8	France	6:54
9	Hungary	6:48
10	Saudi Arabia	6:48
11	Hongkong	6:42
12	Poland	6:30
13	Venezuela	6:24
14	South Africa	6:18
15	Australia	6:18
16	Indonesia	6:00
17	Argentina	5:54
18	Turkey	5:54
19	Spain	5:48
20	Canada	5:48
21	Germany	5:42
22	USA	5:42
23	Italy	5:36
24	Mexico	5:30
25	UK	5:18
26	Brazil	5:12
27	Taiwan	5:00
28	Japan	4:06
29	Korea	3:06

Last updated on August 1, 2017

Taken from: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-countries-that-read-the-most.html

Taken

Writings

Plodding Through The Presidents — Discover

Quote 29/08/2018 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

American history buffs, this one’s for you: Howard Dorre, who’s reading (and blogging about) a biography of every U.S. president, has published numerous posts on arcane-yet-fascinating aspects of the presidency.

via Plodding Through The Presidents — Discover

Bookmarked for my own future reference!

Writings

Animal Farm

31/07/2018 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

Animal Farm: 1984

Originally published: 17 August 1945
Author: George Orwell
Page count: 112 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Genre: Satire, Political satire
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0452284241
Product Dimensions: E-book

100 Word Book Review:

‘Animal Farm’ penned down by Eric Arthur Blair under the pen name George Orwell. It might have derived its source from the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution. The author has channelized his thoughts via making allegorically use of animals, which proves to be highly effective on the reader, makes us see what is unseen to our eyes. The story summaries when given a chance to a country after getting independence to rebuild its constitution and its future, it is in the leaders’ intentions as well as the followers’ which will decide where the county will go.

Who should read:

Animal Farm is suitable for readers who are keen in politics. It is an introductory short story that depicts from the start of a revolution, to the final stage of tyranny state. There are many similarities drawn from history, and present paradigms as well.

Not to mention, the animal responses are exactly the same as how citizens react in the actual world.

Who should not read:

Most likely this book is not suitable for readers who are looking for indept discussion of politics or governance structures.

Likewise it is also not suitable for those who are not comfortable reading about talking animals who live their lives just like humans.

Takeaway points:

Power corrupts.
During every election, it is very unlikely to know which party is corrupted or not. Only when the party is in power, the true colour reveals.
Not all is lost. There are still good leaders who will serve truthfully and altruistically.

George Orwell

Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950),^[1] better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist and critic whose work is marked by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism and outspoken support of democratic socialism.^[2]^[3]

Orwell wrote literary criticism, poetry, fiction and polemical journalism. He is best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working class life in the north of England; and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences in the Spanish Civil War, are widely acclaimed as are his essays on politics, literature, language and culture. In 2008, The Times ranked him second on a list of “The 50 greatest British writers since 1945”.^[4]

Orwell’s work continues to influence popular and political culture and the term “Orwellian“—descriptive of totalitarian or authoritarian social practices—has entered the language together with many of his neologisms, including “Big Brother“, “Thought Police“, “Room 101“, “memory hole“, “newspeak“, “doublethink“, “proles“, “unperson” and “thoughtcrime“.^[5]^[6]

100 Words Review, Fitness and Health, Non-Fiction, Self Help, Writings

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

11/06/2018 BooksAvenue Leave a comment

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

Originally published: 24 April 2017
Original Title: Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
Author: Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant
Page count: 240 pages
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Non-fiction, Self Help, Psychology
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-1524732684
Product Dimensions: 222 x 144 x 25 mm

Literary Awards: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2017)

100 Word Book Review:

Sheryl opens up describing the grief and isolation in the wake of her husband’s sudden death. No proper farewells, no premonition nor physical indications of an end. Abrupt as it is, life goes on. Option B illustrates that deep within us, we all have resilience and adaptation. A dynamic evolutionary process that fits us to our current circumstances. While Sheryl was certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again, her psychologist friend Adam Grant guided her. Indeed, it is a sad book to read but this will help readers to seek the recovery strength within themselves.

Who should read:

Ironically, Option B is very suitable for those who are upset, depressed or despondent. The author been through possibly the lowest point in life one could ever be.

One may argue what she been through is worse than having suicidal thoughts. But this is not the point here. If anyone is upset and depressed for prolonged period of time, he or she should seek help. Of which the author did, and she is using herself as a living example to guide those in need too.

Who should not read:

Obviously readers who are expecting a happy story, or maybe a sad-first-then-happy-ending-story, should not read it.

Option B focuses quite a bit on the author’s feelings and emotional state. Unknowly, one will eventually feel equally depressed or probably even worse after that.

Also, the positive turn comes much later towards the end of the book. So it takes a bit of patience to get to that part.

Takeaway points:

Life is short, unexpected, a constant struggle
It is natural to feel sad, but it is important to snap out of it and recover.
Life goes on, and there are so much more.
Happy and sad things happen for a reason, and at times, happen unexpectedly without a reason too. And events that happen without a reason usually will have the greatest impact.

Sheryl Sandberg is chief operating officer at Facebook, overseeing the firm’s business operations. Prior to Facebook, Sheryl was vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, chief of staff for the United States Treasury Department

BooksAvenue

Category Archives: Writings

Why is BooksAvenue not selling books anymore?

How to buy Kindle Books for those living outside US

3 Steps To Read Amazon books for FREE

Kindle Unlimited Membership Plans

Mother’s Love

Altruism

Which Countries Read The Most?

The Importance Of Reading