Cat's Cafe 5.0

終於，Cat's Cafe 也成功改頭換面，邁向 5.0 版本 ヾ(o゜∀゜o)ノ。+゜

從２０００年拿剛學會的ＨＴＭＬ依樣畫葫蘆般建起 Cat's Cafe 的雛型，1.0 版本問世，設計陽春得可笑，勝在有熱誠和內容搭夠；後來多次改版，奉行簡約主義，有意無意間總採用藍白配色，設計精簡了，專心寫作；當中也曾有過許多小改動，出現過許多 1.2、1.2.3、2.1、2.1.2、4.1、4.1.3 等等更新。

自從加入 flash 元素，學着追趕潮流，設計是漂亮了，可是整個 Cat's Cafe 的核心 -- 小說／散文創作內容 -- 反而停滯不前。

因為忙着出版小說，忙着當公關經理、忙着唸碩士，最初最根本的創作動力反在追逐之間遺失了 (．．。)

決定放棄 4.0 版本，內心其實也經歷過一番掙扎。畢竟那是貓第一個以 flash 設計的版本，而且個人十分喜歡那設計。可是因為選單部分仍採用ＨＴＭＬ，故設計的整體展現完全受視窗大小所影響，而且看久了總會生厭？貓是喜歡求變的動物，所以痛定思痛，還是換了個全新的版面設計：

Cat's Cafe 5.0 雖仍採用藍、白主色，但更簡潔清晰，這種反璞歸真的設計理念，大概多少受貓想回歸最初重新出發的潛意識影響吧！

網站連結內頁尚有許多部分未及更新，畢竟從 flash 8 跳到 CS5.5，得花上一點時間適應新介面和功能，又得花點時間學習基本 actionscript（這未免有點本末倒置吧，貓寫的該是小說而非程式啊），但替 Cat's Cafe 換新裝可說是一個宣言 -- 貓要反璞歸真重新努力寫作了！о(ж＞▽＜)ｙ

新版面還引進了社交網絡元素，喜歡 Cat's Cafe 的話，請按頁面 Google+ 的「+1」或 Facebook 「Like」給貓一點鼓勵吧 (*゜▽゜)ノ

p.s. 假如你看到的還是舊版面設計，那證明你的瀏覽器仍儲存着舊的快閃記憶～趕快多按幾次「Ｆ５」或「重新載入此頁」吧！ (￣∀￣)

Handle with Care

Book title: Handle with Care
Author: Jodi Picoult
Status: finished

Synopsis:
Yet another engrossing family drama of Picoult's, spiced with her trademark blend of medicine, law and love. Charlotte and Sean O'Keefe's daughter, Willow, was born with brittle bone disease, a condition that requires Charlotte to act as full-time caregiver and has strained their emotional and financial limits. Willow's teenaged half-sister, Amelia, suffers as well, overshadowed by Willow's needs and lost in her own adolescent turmoil. When Charlotte decides to sue for wrongful birth in order to obtain a settlement to ensure Willow's future, the already strained family begins to implode. Not only is the defendant Charlotte's best friend, but the case requires Charlotte and Sean to claim that had they known of Willow's condition, they would have terminated the pregnancy, a statement that strikes at the core of their faith and family.

Review: (***WARNING: SPOILER ALERT***)

No hidden agenda, nothing unexpected, even Picoult's signature closing "twists", the death of Willow in this case, has become so formulaic that I could see that one coming half way through the book, and therefore can no longer call it a "twist". Having said that, I couldn't deny that it's a well-researched, domestic-and-legal-drama-told-through-multiple-viewpoints framework of Picoult's. Like all Picoult's books, this one is a page turner, though not as heart-wrenching and thought provoking as her other works. I still think Picoult's writing is captivating, that's what she does, to tackle tough subjects in a stimulating manner, yet this book is losing momentum, there's a lack of plot twists.

Maybe Picoult's focus is on underscoring the themes of hope, regret, identity and family, but there is no single one character whom I like in this book, which is a huge setback.

The Dragonriders of Pern

Book title: Dragonflight (Dragonriders of Pern, Book 1)
Author: Anne McCaffrey
Status: finished

Synopsis:
Pern is a planet inhabited by humans. The original colonists were reduced to a low level of technology by periodic onslaughts of deadly Thread raining down from the sky. The dragons, with their human riders, destroyed the Thread in the skies over Pern before it was able to burrow into the land and breed. However, an unusually long interval between attacks, centuries in duration, has caused the general population to gradually dismiss the threat and withdraw support from the Weyrs where dragons are bred and trained. Only one Weyr remains (the other five having mysteriously disappeared at the same time in the last quiet interval), maintaining a precarious hand-to-mouth existence.

To the nobles who live in Benden Weyr, Lessa is nothing but a ragged kitchen girl. For most of her life she has survived by serving those who betrayed her father and took over his lands. Now the time has come for Lessa to shed her disguise—and take back her stolen birthright. But everything changes when F'lar finds Lessa while Searching for candidates to Impress a new queen dragon Ramoth. Lessa becomes the Weyrwoman, and her hereditary telepathic abilities allow her to travel four hundred turns into the past to bring the five 'missing' Weyrs forward to her present in desperate times.

Review:
Anne McCaffrey has created a whole new world of fantasy in which dragons and riders bond for a purpose. This book is a page turner no doubt, though I dislike Lessa at first. Over time, Lessa's bravery and quickness outshines her recklessness, and like F'lar, readers would come to love her; annoyed by her often, yes, but couldn't help but love her.

Dragons are powerful creatures for sure, and the idea of dragons being able to go in "between", a means to teleport themselves between time and space, is refreshing and intriguing indeed, though I still fail to see how ancient, powerful and fearsome they are. Unlike Christopher Paolini's "Eragon", Anne McCaffrey's dragons don't have much character; they're more like riders' pets, obedient and loyal, but not the ancient, mysterious, powerful and magical species as featured in other fantasies.

夢想

又添一歲。

小時候沒有顧累，沒有負累，反似有無限可能，彷彿只要擁抱夢想，一切皆可成真。年輕的眼睛看去，世界總是那樣的遼闊；未經風霜的肌膚罩着一層名叫「夢想」的光芒，不施脂粉仍嬌嫩動人。然而長大以後，夢想失卻了光澤，黯然換上名叫「現實」的妝顏，開始擔心眼角何時會出現第一道皺紋，開始擔心原地踏步。

追求事業，追求更高學歷，努力追趕別人眼中的「成就」；回首，卻發現自己不曾樂在其中 ── 原來自己並不享受穿起畢挺套裝當經理，滿足於名片上的頭銜虛榮；原來最快樂充實的，莫過於埋首小說，趕稿至昏天黑地。

人長大了，反而更迷失。

夢想，彷彿已離得很遠，很遠。

現在後悔，還來得及嗎？