The Blair Book Project

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

2013-05-21T15:50:00.000+08:00

Top Ten Favorite Covers of Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer.

Hello! How have you all been?

Today's top ten topic is favorite covers. So here's my list:

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

DARKEST MERCY by Melissa Marr

EONA by Alison Goodman

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas

STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff

FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes

THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken

GRIMM FAIRY TALES: ROBYN HOOD by Patrick Shand (Graphic Novel)

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD by Kendare Blake

I'm not picky over cover designs, but these books stood out most for me. I love Graceling, Eona, Throne of Glass, Stormdancer and Grimm Fairy Tales: Robyn Hood because I love the kick-ass heroine poses. LOL. I like the simplicity of the covers of Shadow and Bone, and The Darkest Minds. As for Anna Dressed in Blood, Darkest Mercy and Falling Kingdoms, I like the eerie/mysterious feel of the covers.

How about you? Care to share the book covers you like from your read list? I'd love to see them.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? [3]

2013-05-20T14:56:00.001+08:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? Is a meme by Sheila @ Book Journey. And I quote her: "This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!"

Hello! Nice to see you again. I've finally managed to get back on my reading schedule after such a crazy few weeks.

RECENT READ

APOLLYON by Jennifer L. Armentrout
THE SHADOW READER by Sandy Williams

I've been looking forward to Apollyon after reading its predecessor, Deity and the novella Elixir. So as soon as this arrived in the mail, I just had to read it then and there. The Shadow Reader however has been on my shelf for a few months now, but I only thought to pick it up recently. And boy did I love it! Can't wait to read the next books in the series (or trilogy? I heard).

CURRENT READ

FRAGMENTS by Dan Wells

Fragments feels like it's dragging, so it has been weeks since I started this but I haven't even gotten halfway. *sigh* I hope to finish this soon enough.

NEXT READ

THE SHATTERED DARK by Sandy Williams
GAMEBOARD OF THE GODS by Richelle Mead
INK by Amanda Sun

I told you I'm excited about Sandy Williams series, so I'm starting book two, The Shattered Dark this week. Teehee! Up also on my reading list for this week is Gameboard of the Gods and Ink which will be released this June.

And that is all for me, how about you? What's your reading plan for this week? :)

Book Haul [26]

2013-05-18T20:30:00.000+08:00

My "Weekly Book Haul" is pretty much just like In My Mailbox by the Story Siren, This Week In Books by Pop Culture Junkie, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and all the other titles with the similar concept here and there. This is a weekly post showcasing the books you received for the given week, either bought online or from a physical bookstore, borrowed from the library or from a friend, received for review or won from a giveaway, etc.

Hello! How are you?

Let's just cut to the chase, shall we? LOL. Here's what I got for this week's post:

TITLES:

(from the Book Depository)
TOMB RAIDER LIMITED EDITION STRATEGY GUIDE by Brady Games
APOLLYON by Jennifer L. Armentrout
THE ORIGINALS by Cat Patrick
THE ELITE by Kiera Cass
THE ETERNITY CURE by Julie Kagawa

(received as Gift)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS BOXSET by J.R.R. Tolkien

(from NetGalley)
THE SKY: THE ART OF FINAL FANTASY by Yoshitaka Amano
OUTCAST by Adrienne Kress

(from Author)
THE ISLAND by Jen Minkman

I'm so happy with all the books I got. I've already read THE ETERNITY CURE a few weeks ago but I thought to get myself my own personal copy since I got an ARC from NetGalley. I've also just finished reading APOLLYON recently, which was really fun and exciting.

How about you? You got any interesting books this week you'd like to share?

Happy reading! ^_^

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken [REVIEW]

2013-05-17T12:47:00.000+08:00

TITLE: The Darkest Minds
(The Darkest Minds #1)
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion
PUB DATE: Dec 18 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

"When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living."

Rating:

I’ve read Bracken’s first book, Brightly Woven, and I just adored the story. It’s been a while since I read her first book so I was ecstatic to find The Darkest Minds. Even better is finding that this was going to be a series. Hooray! I just knew from the synopsis that I was going to enjoy reading The Darkest Minds.

“The government was never scared of the kids who might die, or the empty spaces they would leave behind... they were afraid of us – the ones who lived”

What a line! It actually gave me goose bumps when I stumbled upon it. If that doesn’t get you intrigued, I don’t know what will.

I was already impressed by Bracken’s world building skills and writing style from her debut novel, and she did not fail to impress me the second time with The Darkest Minds. While Brightly Woven was a simple sweet fantasy story, this book was dark and downright crazy. A world where our heroes befall misfortunes, being hunted by every possible villain, and find that there are no good guys to side with – that has got to be tough!

The protagonist, Ruby was an interesting character, although I couldn’t really empathize with her scepticism over touching people or any kind of human affection at first. So she’s dangerous – heck all of them are, right? That is, until I found out about her story; the real reason behind it all. Wow... look at me jabber about her isolating herself too much... and then I get it. Oh, Ruby. You poor, poor girl. Nevertheless, the development in her character just made me admire her more. And that ending... *sigh* that was just sad. But I commend her for such a great sacrifice.

My only complain about this book would probably be the lack of explanation on how they color coded the kids in the camps. Where did all that come from? I get that Reds are the most dangerous and the Greens are the least, but how do they actually classify them?

Action, deception, awesome powers, love and a show of altruism – The Darkest Minds is a book that will keep you guessing and eagerly anticipating what’s next to come. Definitely a series worth reading.

Saving June by Hannah Harrington [REVIEW]

2013-05-14T17:04:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Saving June
AUTHOR: Hannah Harrington
PUBLISHER: Harlequin Teen
PUB DATE: May 1 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

"‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going, California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanour and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again."

Rating:

Saving June was a gift from Maria for my birthday. To be honest, I was sceptical about reading it, but since I was looking for some contemporary books to read, I thought to give Saving June a shot. It’s rare to find myself reading books such as this. Realistic fiction has never been up my alley. I guess I get so much of real life everyday that fantasy and other otherworldly books were a great way to take a break from reality.

When I started to read Saving June, I didn’t really think much of it. The first chapters showed me an angst Harper grieving over her sister, June’s death, who committed suicide. In their family, June is the prodigy while Harper’s the black sheep. I didn’t find Harper to be a character I’d let myself be influenced by. All the smoking and bad seed persona doesn’t win my affection, but that doesn’t mean she’s not a strong character. Over the course of Harper’s journey to California made see what kind of strength she brings into the life of the people she’s with. It may not be as noticeable as everyone else’s, but the subtlety of it makes it all the more awe inspiring.

Jake was one other character I didn’t really think I’d like either. One of the biggest turn offs for me in a guy is a smoking habit. So no matter how cute or hot he was, I was icky about the whole smoking thing. But when he talks about music... man is he a killer. I’m not as fanatical about music as he is, but the passion he puts out whenever he talks about music was fascinating to see. I like that this guy isn’t afraid to be honest about what he likes, even though some would tend to laugh at it or make fun of him because of it.

At the beginning of Jake, Harper and Laney’s trip, I was doubtful about the idea of it. I didn’t get the purpose behind them joining the activists – there’s nothing wrong with fighting for what you believe in, I just didn’t get the essence of it for their agenda. But as soon as I saw the change in Harper’s character, I began to understand the importance of this journey to happen, and whatever spots they stopped at to either rest or just live. How it helped Harper find closure over what June did and, to hopefully move on.

My reading experience with Saving June was pretty short. And to be honest, I don’t exactly have the right words to say what I feel about this book. It was nice and yet it was deep and emotional. I still haven’t figured out why June killed herself though. Her reasons and her story weren’t really cleared out in the end... but for some reason, I feel like it is better left that way.

Books like these make you feel grateful for all the things you have and experience in life... No matter how shallow they may seem...

News and Updates

2013-05-12T09:16:00.001+08:00

Hello there! How have you been?

I apologize for the lack of posts these past few weeks (I only got 2 posts for 2 weeks). I've been on out of town trips over the weekends and work has got me completely occupied during the weekdays.

Also, [if you're following me on Instagram, you probably know this already] just last Wednesday (May 8th)...I got engaged!!!

Written inside: "I would rather spend one lifetime with you than
face all the ages of this world alone" - Arwen
Will you marry me!

If you're wondering which book that is, it's The Fellowship of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien. How very apt is that proposal, yeah? Although I did kind of blurt out that he murdered my book when I should have said 'yes' first. Ah well, talk about bookish people's problems. LOL.

So everything's still a bit crazy right now and my blog will be back to regular programming by tomorrow.

I have a few books that came in the mail this week that will be part of next week's Book Haul post.

Reviews of the following books will be posted soon:

Thank you very much and Happy reading, everyone! :)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

2013-05-07T12:41:00.000+08:00

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer.

Hello there!

You know when sometimes the usual things you love to read suddenly feels like you've had too much of them, so you want to try out something more simple and still get to have as much fun. Once in a while, a good light read is something needed to break away from the accustomed reading preferences.

Here's my list:

FORGIVE MY FINS Tera Lynn Childs

THE AMARANTH ENCHANTMENT Julie Berry

STEEL by Carrie Vaughn

RADIANT DARKNESS by Emily Whitman

HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter

OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks

TOMORROW LAND by Mari Mancusi

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

FORGET YOU by Jennifer Echols

PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale

I think these books have provided me with similar entertainment and satisfaction I find in the other deeper and darker stories I usually read, but this time it's much faster, easier and less complicated. So give them a try if you're looking for something light and fun. How about you? Do you have any recommendation for me? I'd love to know about them.

Happy reading! ^_^

The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa [ARC REVIEW]

2013-05-02T14:55:00.001+08:00

TITLE: The Eternity Cure
(Blood of Eden #2)
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHER: Harlequin
PUB DATE: Apr 30 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood.

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

There's a new plague on the rise, a strain of the Red Lung virus that wiped out most of humanity generations ago-and this strain is deadly to humans and vampires alike. The only hope for a cure lies in the secrets Kanin carries, if Allie can get to him in time.

Allison thought that immortality was forever. But now, with eternity itself hanging in the balance, the lines between human and monster will blur even further, and Allie must face another choice she could never have imagined having to make."

Rating:

The Eternity Cure opens readers to Allison Sekemoto’s next adventure. After leading the company of humans to Eden from The Immortal Rules, Allie is now set on finding her sire, Kanin, who has fallen into the hands of a psychotic vampire named Sarren. As blood calls to blood, Kanin isn’t the only person she can sense. Through her journey, she finds herself connected to the last person she wishes to be. Becoming unlikely allied to this vampire; they go off in search of Kanin in pursuit of a common cause...

I’m a solid Julie Kagawa fan ever since the Iron King. When I read The Immortal Rules, the first book from the Blood of Eden series, my love for her just grew even more. I was so glad she did not fail me. So imagine my excitement over the release of The Eternity Cure. I barely kept myself calm enough to read through it. And might I say, it was quite a longer journey than I expected...

I loved Allison from the start of this series, and it just grew all the more with book two. I admire her for staying the way she once was when I met her. Even with all that has happened in with her, she tries very hard to keep her human self intact. It’s nice to see a protagonist remain true to what she believes in.

Allison isn’t the only one who’s back in this book. I got to see the lovable, sweet, kind-hearted boy-next-door Zeke – and he’s hotter than ever! Although I have to admit, he wasn’t much of a striking male lead in book one, but his change in demeanour here kind of made him way hotter than I thought – not to mention oozing sexy! LOL.

I was surprised to find Jackal make an appearance... as well as Stick, but more on Stick later. I honestly didn’t think of Jackal to be anymore than a villain. I never thought I’d actually like him. He’s funny and sarcastic – very Puck-like (Iron Fey series), only deadlier. Now Stick... oh dear, where do I begin. You completely suck, Stick! Everything was going fine until he came into picture. I swear I wanted to wave pompoms like a cheerleader when Zeke beat the crap out of him. He was a sick bastard! I hated him. As mean as it may seem, I think he got what he deserved.

Many would say that the ending of The Eternity Cure was predictable. As for me, well, I was shocked! I was kind of expecting a heartbreaking ending. It’s not that I’m cruel; I just felt like maybe it was time to get something more than a happy ending, and although I was crying buckets of tears, I was open to a tragedy to befall on our heroine. But Julie just messed with my brain over that ending. Might I say that I’m still puzzled over what happened... and I can’t stop thinking about it up until now.

The journey through The Eternity Cure may have been long... but the in the end, it was all worth it! Fun, funny and action-packed, with twists and turns that blew me away.

*Thank you, Harlequin and NetGalley for the copy of The Eternity Cure.

Book Haul [25]

2013-04-27T15:00:00.000+08:00

Hi there! Nice to see you again! I'm on short supply of new books this week, I only got three (3) but that's alright, I still have plenty to go through with my tbr pile on my shelf.

TITLES:
THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade
TEMPESTUOUS by Lesley Livingston (read and reviewed)
RISE by Anna Carey

I suddenly became curious about Stacey Kade's previous books after reading The Rules: Project Paper Doll which I really liked, so I bought The Ghost and the Goth to start off on this series.

I've read Tempestuous (on ebook) a few years back and I thought to buy the paperback to complete my collection (I have Wondrous Strange and Darklight).

I am really excited about the final installment to the Eve trilogy, so I grabbed Rise as soon as it caught my eye when I was at the bookstore. Please let it be a fitting ending...

Well, that is all for me this week. Anything interesting books you got this week?

Happy reading! :)

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally [REVIEW]

2013-04-26T09:25:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Things I Can't Forget
(Hundred Oaks #3)
AUTHOR: Miranda Kenneally
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
PUB DATE: Mar 1 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt--with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions."

Rating:

Things I Can’t Forget introduces readers to Kate. She has taken a summer job at Cumberland Creek as a counselor for the art activities of the camp, trying to overcome the guilty feeling that has been haunting her after helping her best friend Emily do something that she finds immoral. This summer, she experiences a life she’d unlikely choose herself to be into…

I’m not much of an outdoorsy person so I don’t know what going to camp feels like, but Kate’s days in camp made me feel like it could be kind of fun! It makes me wish I tried it out when I was a kid.

I had a few presumptions about this book. I have read Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker, so I assumed that since I got a glimpse of Jordan in Stealing Parker, I’d get a peek at Parker’s life now too with Things I Can’t Forget. Thankfully, I did and I was happy about that. One thing I didn’t expect was to see Jordan make an appearance too – Yay!

Spoiler: Another thing I thought would happen was, since the first two books mentioned a guy’s name in the synopsis written at the back of the book, the protagonist would end up with some other guy in the book (he who was not named). I thought it was some kind of pattern. I was wrong. Hahaha!

Kate is one of those girls who other people would look at and find self-righteous. Unlike the previous protagonists from Miranda Kenneally’s books, Jordan and Parker, Kate is a prig. She’s always thinking if her actions would cause her to sin or not. So it was a little difficult to like her. But I do understand why she feels that way. Her church and the society she has been accustomed to have really influenced her life deeply and I can’t blame her for uncertainties in life. I’m glad that her summer job gave her the chance to view things in other people’s perspective, whether about faith, spirituality, or simply living.

I have to admit that I’ve been a little skeptical about writing a review for Things I Can’t Forget. Religious beliefs are topics that I believe to be too personal and would rather not be talked about in public. This is really a sensitive topic to discuss. But I’ve always believed that there is no perfect religion. I’ve always thought that it’s not important which church you go to, but what matters the most is your faith and devotion to God.

Wings by Aprilynne Pike [REVIEW]

2013-04-25T15:33:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Wings (Wings #1)
AUTHOR: Aprilynne Pike
PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PUB DATE: May 5 2008

Summary from Goodreads:

"Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful - too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever."

Rating:

Yes, this review has spoilers.

I didn’t know what I would be expecting from Wings when I started it. Mostly I thought it would involve faeries. That’s about as much as I gave it any thought.

True enough, it was about faeries... but there’s a very creative twist to it. We’ve always believed that these supernatural beings are living creatures much like humans only immortal and magical. But have you ever thought of the fare folk to be plants? Well, seeing how the author created a new way to look at these creatures... I have to say I was impressed!

The characters are okay. I don’t find anything extravagant about them, except for Laurel’s lifestyle, and the mystery behind Tamani’s obsession with her. Honestly, at first I thought it was weird, but finding out the history behind his motives, I can definitely understand it now. I’m sorry I was judgemental, but you gotta admit it was a little peculiar.

I’ve seen so many others who have read this book liking Tamani, so is it wrong that I like David more for Laurel than him? Although I’m not sure I’ll stick to that over the next books – we’ll just have to wait and see. But I do have to point out that whoever she ends up with, it’s no excuse to see Laurel kissing two guys behind each other’s backs. No matter how hot you are girl, that is wrong.

The story itself was pretty simple. Like I said, I didn’t expect much from it so I was surprised about seeing some action scenes here. I like a good action scene, so –Yay!

I still have to admit that since I’m so used to the dark kind of fey stories, this one seemed a bit tamed and petty, even considering the trolls and what Tamani had to do to save Laurel and everything.

The verdict: I like it. Simple and creative, added with a hint of science and logic. It was pretty nice.

"Waiting on" Wednesday [13]

2013-04-24T14:26:00.001+08:00

*"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hello! My, it's been a while since my last WoW post. Here's my pick for this week.

TITLE: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
AUTHOR: Sarah J. Maas
EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: August 27, 2013
PUBLISHER: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

"After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?"

I absolutely loved the first book, Throne of Glass, so I'm really looking forward to the second installment to the series. And just look at how lovely that cover is. I can't wait!

What do you think? Have you read the first book yet?
And what book are you eagerly waiting for?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

2013-04-23T15:44:00.001+08:00

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer.

Hello there!

So this week's Top Ten topic is about books the you liked more or less than you thought you would. Here's mine:

Books I liked LESS than I thought I would

FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes
- That cover seemed to promise an experience of blood and gore, sadly it's not as action packed as I thought it would be...

DUALED by Elsie Chapman
- Probably the most disappointing book I've read so far this year. I had a lot of complaints about it on my review, and to think I really thought the premise was an ideally creative one. *sigh*

REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver
- This was supposed to be the finale of the series... didn't feel like it.

SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard
- Another debut novel this year that I thought was going to be epic... not so much. :(

MONUMENT 14 by Emmy Laybourne
- I'm probably in minority on this one. I just didn't like the idea that the whole book revolved around a bunch of teenagers playing house in a superstore. I thought there was more to it than that.

Books I liked MORE than I thought I would

ANGELFALL by Susan Ee
- Didn't really believe my good blogger/reader friend Maria at first that this book was praiseworthy, when I finally tried it, boy was it amazing!

OVERRIDE by Heather Anastasiu
- I hadn't really thought much about Override given that I found the first book, Glitch, not so much of an outstanding story. Imagine my surprise to find it evolve into something that blew me away!

CINDER by Marissa Meyer
- Another book I didn't give a second thought about reading, but seeing it all over the blogosphere, I finally gave it a try. Who would've thought peer pressure can be good for you, huh? LOL.

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo
- I first saw Shadow and Bone on Netgalley and didn't even bother with it. But seeing it going viral made me think otherwise. Again, peer pressure has its perks. *wink, wink*

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
- This is probably another peer pressure moment, my friends on Goodreads have been swooning over Etienne, and since I was in the mood for some good contemporary stories, this was just right up my alley.

Well that's my list, how about you?

Have a good day! ^_^

The Rules by Stacey Kade [ARC REVIEW]

2013-04-23T11:25:00.000+08:00

TITLE: The Rules
(Project Paper Doll #1)
AUTHOR: Stacey Kade
PUBLISHER: Disney-Hyperion
PUB DATE: Apr 23 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules…"

Rating:

They walk among us... Doesn’t that phrase immediately make you think of alien-conspiracies? Well, that is the kind of vibe that The Rules gives off.

Meet Ariane Tucker, a simple high school student... except she’s not really Ariane Tucker. She is an extra-terrestrial being who has taken the name of a girl who died from cancer, hiding in plain sight after escaping the GTX facility where she was used as an experiment.

Arianne’s life was the picture of a typical high school environment, only slightly more different. Where we normally find our protagonist either struggling or acing her school works, we find a girl with advanced intelligence but hides it and tries to be an average student instead. Where we usually encounter a girl wanting to be either in the in crowd or making a statement of her own, we find someone who wishes to be invisible or non-existent. Where we often see girls/guys pining over the opposite sex and trying to score a date with him/her, we find someone who does not bother to involve herself at all.

Knowing the summary of the story beforehand gave me the idea that The Rules was a sci-fi novel. It turned out to be more of a paranormal romance kind instead. But that didn’t hinder me from enjoying the story all the same.

One other phrase I can think of while reading this is: “It’s a small world”. Seriously, everyone is connected to GTX one way or the other. It makes for an interesting ploy on how each one would serve a purpose to the plot. It also seemed funny to me that Ariane and Zane’s story kind of reminds me of “A Walk to Remember”, you know: bad boy turning good, girl not allowed to date, guy and girl teaming up for a common cause/interest – we all know where this is going...

Normally stories like this don’t really excite me that much, also considering it had less action scenes than I expected (thinking alien-search/chasing would involve a lot of powers, guns and all things crazy), but The Rules got me in the mood of eagerly wanting to see what happens next. Not that I want Ariane to be caught or something, but just out of curiosity on how it would all play out. The back stories, although lengthy at times, also helped give me the sense of need/want to get to know the characters deeper.

To be honest, the story isn’t exactly ground breaking, it’s a little predictable even: escaped alien, hides from villains, meets boy, falls in love, gets caught, then escapes again in the end. Really that’s how I pictured it when I started reading the book. And unsurprisingly, that was the gist of the whole thing, but the execution and entirety of this book was beautiful.

*Thank you, Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for the copy of The Rules.

Book Haul [24]

2013-04-20T10:09:00.000+08:00

Hello! It's been weeks since my last book haul post. I've been incredibly busy with work that I haven't bought anything recently. But here are the books that I had a few days ago:

TITLES:
REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver (Read and Reviewed)
CLOCKWORK PRINCESS by Cassandra Clare
THINGS I CAN'T FORGET by Miranda Kenneally (Read)
INK by Amanda Sun
THE COLLECTOR by Victoria Scott
THE PIRATE'S WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Read)

I've read Requiem and boy have thrown a fit over that ending (see review HERE). *sigh* I'm still hoping there's a spin-off or something. I've also read The Pirate's Wish, it was a cute ending, still I feel there's more to tell there. Good thing there's another duology to come from Ananna and Naji's world. So yay! Although it's not about them anymore but I'm just as excited.

I've finished reading Things I Can't Forget as well. It's a lot heavier on religion than the first two from the Hundred Oaks books. I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I haven't read any of the books from the Infernal Devices but now that I have book 3, Clockwork Princess, I'll be sure to start on the series soon.

Well, that is all for me this week. I hope you guys had a good week in books. Let me know what you got as well and I'll be sure to check it out.

Happy reading! ^_^

Splintered by A.G. Howard [REVIEW]

2013-04-18T12:28:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Splintered (Splintered #1)
AUTHOR: A.G. Howard
PUBLISHER: Amulet Books
PUB DATE: Jan 1 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family.

She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own."

Rating:

There is always a trend in everything, and trends do happen with books. One example would be retellings or reimagining s of the classic stories and fairy tales.

Behold, Splintered – on of the many reimagined stories of our generation. But wait, it’s not just some random reimagining; it takes us back to the story of our beloved Alice Lindell from Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. And it seems that Wonderland wasn’t that all of such wonder... it’s a dark and twisted world. And Caroll’s story was made to appease children to happily dream of this land. There is no white rabbit, but rather white Rabid and there is nothing dreamlike about Wonderland. The truth is, it’s a nightmare. And Alyssa Gardner (a descendant of the Alice herself) is just about step into this horrendous land.

I must say the premise was quite tempting. I’m a sucker for retellings after all so this was definitely a high priority on my to-read list.

I was at about 15% on Splintered; I found out that Alyssa is an artist. She uses dead bugs for art. A bit appalling as it was, I found it interesting. Reading through, I found this book a lot more eerie and downright creepy sometimes but wow was it creative! So I really thought that this darker version of the classic Alice in Wonderland story was going to be awesome.

But alas, Splintered has failed me...

Right after Alyssa stepped into the mirror and transported herself, unintentionally dragging Jeb along, things just got dreary. Don’t get me wrong, the twists on the tests and all that were commendable, the way it was narrated and solved just wasn’t as exciting as I hoped it would be. When Morpheus came into picture, things just got worse. While I pitied Alyssa’s struggle to belong in the real world, she just came out annoying once she stepped into Wonderland.

In fact, I don’t find much of the characters in this book likable. Alyssa’s irritating although I understand her indecisiveness due to her family’s curse and all, Jeb’s okay but he’s too overprotective, and Morpheus is just a downright, good for nothing asshole! Sorry. I really don’t like him. No amount of chivalry or heroic acts would make me like him after all he’d put Alyssa through.

I have to admit that for the most part of Alyssa’s journey it didn’t make sense to me. When it finally did, I thought it was a pretty neat trick. The idea of having a rather complex story behind the classic was wonderful (pun intended)... the amount of reading I had to go through and the tedious progress however made me think – was it even worth it? Somehow, I guess... but not so much.

Dualed by Elsie Chapman [REVIEW]

2013-04-16T15:47:00.002+08:00

TITLE: Dualed (Dualed #1)
AUTHOR: Elsie Chapman
PUBLISHER: Random House
PUB DATE: Feb 26 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman's suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better."

Rating:

It sure is hard to find a good dystopian story these days... Dualed was one of my most anticipated debut novels to read for this year. Sadly, I just couldn’t find it in me to appreciate anything about it.

When I first read the summary of Dualed on Goodreads, I was ecstatic. A world where having a twin is mandatory, an Alternate as they call it. Citizens must prove themselves worthy to live on Kersh by eliminating their Alts within a month of being “activated”. If not, both Alts would self destruct. Kersh may be a safe haven from the war outside its borders but here, only the strong survive and the weak must be purged...

I don’t get the logic behind killing your Alt. West says: “All for peace... fighting ourselves in here, so we don’t have to fight the world out there...” I feel that it wasn’t a good enough reason, but I let that go. Eliminating ones Alt gives the victor the chance to live a life of luxury and privilege. Okay, I guess that’s a good bout. Then I came upon the purpose behind eliminating the weak. I forgot the exact words but this is pretty much the idea: when in case the war does break through they have soldiers prepared to send out. WTF? (Correct me if I’m wrong, but there’s a part in this book that talked about this and this is how I understood it). It would have been a viable, albeit wrong and unjust, explanation but with how vague it was described and how messy it was laid out just didn’t suffice.

When a traumatic moment presents itself to West, her ever confident self wavers into someone feeling unworthy of living the life of a Complete (a person who has survived from their Alt). So she does the one thing she thinks is right, enter the profession of becoming a Striker (individuals hired to assassinate another person’s Alt). I thought the tragic events in her life would push her to finally stop doing shit that the government deems them to do, but no... She goes off on a killing spree! While normal heroes and heroines are hesitant about killing people, even the bad guys, West goes off with killing assignments, and I quote her strongly “to train”. Oh yeah, you read it right. Her reason for joining the Strikers as she said it: “I’m in for the training...” Really???

At first I thought her purpose for it was really just to train, like she’d be in extensive exercises and weapons training or something. But on her first day of joining the unit, she’s sent to do her first job, then and there. You sent out a rookie on an actual Striker contract/assignment? Who does that? Okay, so they say it’s a test, let’s say it’s a form of initiation, but I never saw West actually train, like spar, grapple, wrestle, whatever kind of fight-training. Nothing. She really is off on a killing spree. So is that her training? Building an immunity system over the guilt of killing innocent people? Puh-lease.

Another thing, I don’t understand is why West was so scared about killing her own Alt but feels okay to kill someone else’s. What the heck is the difference between them? Aren’t they just wrong on both ends?

You know how most dystopian novels get compared to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collinsthese days? And how a number of authors would take inspiration from it? (I’m not saying the author did so here or anything) I can’t help but make comparisons. I understand that Dualed is giving off the audacity of the government’s way of leading its country, much like, say the Reaping in The Hunger Games. And maybe I would be willing to let the inconsistency of Alt-eliminating back story and purpose go, but the protagonist’s lack of conscience and sense of fighting for what is truly right (like not killing her Alt or anybody else) doesn’t make for a praiseworthy heroine.

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Books To Have In Your Beach Bag

2013-04-16T12:15:00.000+08:00

Top Ten Books To Have In Your Beach Bag

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer.

Hello there! It's a rewind edition for this week's Top Ten Tuesday, and since it's summer vacation here in the Philippines, also that I'm going on beach trips in the coming weekends (I'll be in Batangas on the 21st, then a 3-day vacation on the 28th in... Boracay! Woohoo!) I decided to go for the "top ten books to have in your beach bag" topic. It's very apt, isn't it?

I've been accustomed to reading so much dark, brooding stories over the past few days that I thought beach trips would also be a good time to go for light kind of stories, so here are some suggestions that might help you relax but also get your dose of good reads.

HEIST SOCIETY by Ally Carter

- You're in for some jet-setting and maybe a little thievery on the side. Plus Hale's here so...*giggles*

FORGIVE MY FINS by Tera Lynn Childs

- I like a cute fantasy story now and then, and Tera Lynn's Fins series is just that.

OF POSEIDON by Anna Banks

- A light mermaid story with a little mythological twist

STEALING PARKER by Miranda Kenneally

- or rather pretty much anything Miranda Kenneally has written, they're really fun to read on the beach. A picture of serenity... *sigh*

ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins

- I think this is one of those ultimate must reads of all time...anywhere as well, and the beach is a good spot.

UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand

- is Tucker a good enough reason? Yes he is. LOL.

THE IRON KING by Julie Kagawa

- just because I love it. Ha! Ha!

SCARLET by Marissa Meyer

- amazing sequels just make you want to read them anywhere, anytime!

Books that would actually be in my beach bag:

SAVING JUNE by Hannah Harrington

- I'm planning to read this over the weekend, and since I'll probably on the road to Batangas, I'll be hanging on to it over the course of the trip... also once we get to the beach. :)

FRAGMENTS by Dan Wells

- Fragments you are coming with me to Boracay! I'm on a scheduled buddy read with Maria @ Bookchilla so yeah, this one's in the bag.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? [2]

2013-04-15T10:37:00.000+08:00

Hi! How have you all been? Wow, it has been such a busy week for me that I have a lot of pending reviews to write. I also wasn't able to post my Book Haul over the weekend so I'll probably do that this coming Saturday. Another thing, I haven't had time to go through my emails yet so if you've sent me something and I haven't responded, I am so sorry about that. I'll get to them as soon as I can. The good thing about this week though is that I was able to get a lot of reading time, or maybe I'm just in one of my moods that enabled me to finish a number of books recently. Either way - yehey!

RECENT READ

TITLES:
THE PIRATE'S WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke
WINGS by Aprilynne Pike
THE RULES by Stacey Kade
THINGS I CAN'T FORGET by Miranda Kenneally

Aside from those lovely books, I've also managed to finally finish the Splintered by A.G. Howard and Dualed by Elsie Chapman that I have long since passed my expected date of finishing them. Thank goodness!

CURRENT READ

TITLES:

SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo

THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken

I loved Leigh Bardugo's first book, Shadow and Bone. So Siege and Storm has been one of my ultimate must-read sequels and I'm so happy that I get to read it now. I also loved Bracken's first book, Brightly Woven, so when I found out about The Darkest Minds, I was eager to see what she has in store for her readers. Yay!

NEXT READ

TITLES:
GIRL OF NIGHTMARES by Kendare Blake
SAVING JUNE by Hannah Harrington
OF TRITON by Anna Banks

And that is it for me. How about you? What are your reading plans?

Happy reading!

Requiem by Lauren Oliver [REVIEW]

2013-04-12T14:35:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Requiem (Delirium #3)
AUTHOR: Lauren Oliver
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins
PUB DATE: Mar 5 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

"They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past. But we are still here. And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings. Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it. But we have chosen a different road. And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose. We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge."

Rating:

No!!! Please, no! That it so not the end of this series!

Golly, come to think of it, I’ve more or less started all my reviews from Lauren Oliver’s Delirium series with a “no” (see Delirium and Pandemonium reviews). I’m starting to think whether this is because I have an arguable explanation for saying so or it’s just my refusal to accept what’s at hand every time the books reach their endings... yeah, both.

[Be warned, this will contain spoilers from the first two books...and a bit from book three too. Okay maybe a lot. Sorry. I have to vent out some things.]

Let’s do a little recap... (I’ll make it quick, don’t worry)

We follow Lena’s story first through Delirium, where she is set on getting the cure for deliria, but then she meets a boy named Alex who shows her what love feels like. Falling in love with Alex made Lena decide not to take the cure anymore and instead run away with Alex into the Wilds, which first she thought was dangerous. In their attempt to flee Portland, Alex ends up being shot and left behind while Lena escapes into the Wilds.

This then follows on to Pandemonium where Lena is now living in the Wilds along with other un-cureds/Invalids. She thinks that Alex is dead. On the effort of trying to move on with her life, she takes on a mission for the movement against the DFA. Through her mission, she meets Julian, the role model of young individuals of the society, typically telling all the people that being cured is the right – and only – choice. So Lena, although grieving over Alex’s supposed death, manages to fall in love with Julian, which then leads to them running off to the Wilds together, that is after Lena rescues Julian and all that. I know... vague details. You’ll all get it once you read both books (if you haven’t yet that is). So anyway, although Lena is now happy having Julian with her, surprise, surprise – Alex is alive and has found his way back to her... and so here is where Requiem takes the lead...

Those who oppose the “Deliria-Free America” law of the domineering government continue on with their goal – to give people the freedom to act without the need of the cure. Lena, Julian and Alex are all part of this group, which isn’t exactly comfortable for any of them. Lena is determined to stand by her decision but Alex’s presence makes things complicated.

Compared to the first two books, Requiem has a faster pace. Although most of it involved Lena travelling with her companions to seek other rebels and finally fight against the DFA, and watching Hana prepare for her upcoming wedding to Fred, whom I’d like calling the “ultimate villain” of this story.

In Pandemonium, we got alternating views of the “Then” and “Now” of Lena’s life in the Wilds, here in Requiem, we get alternating points-of-view of Lena and – wait for it... Hana! Yeah. If you’ve read the ebook entitled Hana, her side of story showed that she betrayed Lena which led to the misfortune that happened in Delirium. So imagine reading from her now that she’s cured... but guilt seems to be eating her up inside. I was so excited to see how she and Lena would eventually come face to face here.

Majority of the book revolved around the love story between Lena, Julian and Alex. To be honest, this love triangle was rather stressful. You see, I find Lena a bit annoying here for the whole “torn between two lovers” bit. But I admire her for trying to stand firm on what she has chosen.

I was heartbroken to see my dear, dear Alex come back as someone I don’t know anymore. *sob* The Crypts sure have done a hell of a job on him. I’m still no fan of Julian even though he’s done nothing but his best to fit into Lena’s world. I do love the brawling scene between these two. Probably one the most entertaining parts of this book. LOL. Sorry. *sheepish grin*

Still, I really feel that this is just too exhausting. It feels like one of those Tucker-Christian (from Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly series) slash Adam-Warner (from Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series) moments. Seriously, are these authors talking and plotting against their readers? *glares*

Now let’s get to the part where my “no”, at the beginning of this review, fits in. I hate the ending. Let me explain... Have you watched the movie, Inception? You know the part at the ending where Leonardo DiCaprio spinned his totem on a table to see if that part was a dream or not (if it’s not a dream the totem stops, if it is then the totem keeps spinning), so when he walks away it just keeps spinning until it agonizingly slows down (and just barely even) then – boom! Screen goes blank then the credits roll. And you sit there stunned thinking: “did it stop spinning or not?” and no one gives you the answers... that’s how Requiem’s ending was. Damn it!

I refuse to believe that “bringing down the walls” scene was the only goal of this Resistance. There has got to be more than that. And the whole Lena-Julian-Alex mess? No way did that get settled as simple as that! And frankly I don’t think Lena should get off the hook that easily.

So I have to ask... there is going to be a spin off or something right? Because that CANNOT be the ending. It’s not fair!

Fan Girl by Marla Miniano [REVIEW]

2013-04-09T17:54:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Fan Girl
AUTHOR: Marla Miniano
PUBLISHER: Summit Books
PUB DATE: 2011

Summary from Goodreads:

"As a fan girl, do you:

A. Stalk your celebrity crush online and have a secret stash of his merchandise?
B. Believe that when he is singing onstage, he is singing to you—and only you?
C. Willingly agree to do anything he asks?
D. Leave your life behind and follow him to the ends of the earth?

For Summer, being the ultimate fan means doing all four. When the insanely good-looking half-Filipino frontman of hot local band Violet Reaction, Scott Carlton, singles her out, Summer knows her life is finally going to be spectacular. Only it doesn't turn out that way. Scott leaves and becomes a huge star in the US, and where does that leave Summer? (Hint: check out letter D). Intrigued yet?

From the author of Table For Two comes another gut-wrenching story tale of romance and growing up. Follow Summer's adventures in love and celebrity-stalking as she makes a choice most of us can only dream of by grabbing a copy of Fan Girl by Marla Miniano."

Rating:

When the idea got into my head to pick up Fan Girl and give it a try, I was thinking this was going to be a story where this girl who is an incredibly obsessive fan of a guy celebrity or something would be traveling everywhere he goes in the hopes of being noticed and finally be loved by this guy. Not exactly what happened but my thoughts were close enough.

Fan Girl introduces readers to Summer, a girl who was so used to blending in and going about her day without anything out of the ordinary. Then comes Scott Carlton, the half-Filipino frontman of a hot local band. Summer cannot believe that she manages to catch the attention of such a hot guy. Ah, life couldn’t be anything but great… or so she thought. Opportunity knocks on Scott’s door and he snags a record label in the US, and Summer is determined to be with Scott no matter what…

I’m not sure what I think about Summer. She’s the typical protagonist, meek and uninteresting. The “I have no idea that I’m pretty” or whatever is kind of getting old, but there are times that she reminds me so much of myself when I was younger, or as I like to call it – my dark days. LOL. Although, I’ve never been as delusional as her but still…

You see, when Summer got involved with Scott and she had the idea that, as she said it: “With guys like Scott – you took what you could get, and you didn’t complain,” at some point in my life, I did this. She went blind in hopes that things will get better with a rock star – I thought the same thing a while back when I dated a jock. Thinking with all the busy schedule the guy is going through, I didn’t want to be a burden, I didn’t want to stress him out with my wants and demands, what’s worse is that I never did clarify if we were official or not. So yeah, I was dirt and he was a jerk. And yeah, he cheated, just the same. But that’s a long story so I’ll leave it at that.

I guess the significance of Summer just made me understand her – even though I wanted to slap some sense into her over her decisions, I get how blinded she was. I’m not saying it’s right (in fact it was very, very wrong) but I get it.

Even though it is true that Summer is to be blamed for all that she went through, I don’t believe that it’s entirely her fault. Scott should not have led her on to begin with. A guy like Scott would know that this girl would be expecting, would have hopes of something, and obviously has feeling for him, but he chose to keep mum about it, and I think that alone is enough to say that he took advantage of this girl’s weakness. I just don’t agree with the fact that he got away unscarred (not literally… okay, maybe I want to hurt him a little. Okay… maybe a lot!). Things aren’t all that black and white; I just wish I’d seen this guy get a fall out at some point... Do I sound vengeful?

Anyway, Fan Girl isn’t really something I haven’t seen before, but I had fun reading it. There are lessons in love that you can learn from Summer so that’s a good thing too.

Table for Two by Marla Miniano [REVIEW]

2013-04-05T13:17:00.001+08:00

TITLE: Table for Two
AUTHOR: Marla Miniano
PUBLISHER: Summit Books
PUB DATE: 2010

Summary from Goodreads:

"In Table for Two, a corner table at a quiet coffee shop takes center stage, the latest release from Summit Books author Marla Miniano. The table is the setting for pivotal moments in the lives of the main characters—who, as it seems, are quite the lovelorn bunch. First, there’s the long-time couple on the verge of calling it quits after college graduation. Then there’s the serial dater who accepts her younger brother’s challenge to go dateless for two months. There’s also a photographer who attempts to dissuade his best friend from getting married (and we’re curious to find out why). And finally, there are the two hopefuls: a young man who meets with the girl he never stopped loving, and a young lady who pores over romance novels, waiting for her turn to fall in love."

Rating:

Table for Two has five (5) stories squeezed into this little book. Having not read the synopsis printed on the back of the book, I had no idea that this was written with various characters and settings. When I got through the first story, I thought the second part was a continuation of the pervious story. It got pretty weird to me that it was a sudden change in the character’s portrayal. That’s when I decided to check the back... whoops! My bad.

So let’s dissect:

The first story is entitled Fresh, where long-time couple, Mandy and Tristan, are on the brink of ending their relationship. There’s not much to say about this story. Only that Tristan reminds me so much of one of my ex-boyfriends. A guy who’s always late? Been there, done that! As far as the flashback on how Tristan started to court Mandy, I immediately felt dislike for him. I like a guy who would go after what he wants and wouldn’t just “clue in” his feelings but rather say them directly, because seriously, I’m no mind-reader.

Timeout is the second story. Here readers meet Jill, a girl who has problems with picking the right guy for her. Her brother pesters her that she’s dating the wrong guys and insists she take a break from dating for a month. I don’t know what happened here [if a month has passed or not] but she eventually chose between Robbie and Jack. I, for one, don’t understand her choice and what made her decide on it.

The third story, All the Best, is about Carl trying to stop his best friend from marrying some girl. He feels that they have yet to decide that they are ready for a lifelong commitment such as this. Trying in vain to persuade his friend to change his mind, he forgets about his and Kim’s (his girlfriend of many years) anniversary. I didn’t like this story very much and there isn’t much to think about.

This Closure, the title of the fourth story, tells the story of Lucas. A guy who hasn’t gotten over a girl he had fallen in love with years ago. To be honest, Lucas is a pathetic idiot. I feel sorry for him but he’s pathetic. As for Bettina, the girl he’s so in love with, I don’t know what he sees in her. In spite of what I said about Lucas, I feel worse about Bettina. She shouldn’t have led him on.

Last, but not the least, Table for Two, is the highlight of this book, hence the title. You see, this is where all our stories collide. All the characters come into place in this small, insignificant coffee shop. And it seems that this is where the magic happens... It’s a rather simple one compared to the other four but it’s nice and sweet all the same. You truly can never know where you’ll find true love...

Marla Miniano’s Table for Two is kind of like those Hollywood movies with stellar star-studded cast of multiple stories that collide in one special event; like say, Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve (the actual movie titles). I don’t really get why it need the change in perspectives but it was fun. Although short and a little vague on the details, I took pleasure in reading it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Fictional Crushes

2013-04-02T12:35:00.000+08:00

Top Ten Characters I Would Crush On If I Were Also A Fictional Character

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer.

This is probably the most unfair list I have to make... I have more than Ten Book Boyfriends. LOL. Oh, don't look at me like that, I know you do to. Ha!

Well, as much as it pains me, I have to make do with 10. This is in no particular order. And just so you know, I'll be giggling and fan-girling for the most part of this post, forgive me. May I also add that although I am gushing over these guys because of their looks, they are just as equally worth pining for with their lovable hearts.

ASH

(THE IRON FEY by Julie Kagawa)

- My dark, winter prince. *faints*

TUCKER

(UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand)

- That darn hot cowboy. *giggles*

DAEMON

(LUX by Jennifer L. Armentrout)

- Hello, hot, gorgeous, sexy, delicious alien... rawr!

WOLF / ZE'EV

(LUNAR CHRONICLES by Marissa Meyer)

- the not so usual kind of love interest, shy and timid and yet oh so lovable.

PEREGRINE

(UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi)

- My wickedly rougish champ. *giggles*

COLE

(WHITE RABBIT CHRONICLES by Gena Showalter)

- He's. Just. Hot! LOL.

JACK

(DUST LANDS by Moira Young)

- Jack! Need I say more?

JACE

(THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS by Cassandra Clare)

- The jerk who stole my heart. Ha! Ha! Ha!

DAY

(LEGEND by Marie Lu)

- Who doesn't love this daring rebel?

PUCK

(THE IRON FEY by Julie Kagawa)

- You gotta love our favorite prankster, yes?

Special mentions (sorry I couldn't help it):

Raffe (ANGELFALL by Susan Ee)

Fade(RAZORLAND by Ann Aguirre)

Gavriel (HIS FAIR ASSASSIN by Robin LaFevers)

Alex (DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver)

Adam (SHATTER ME by Tahereh Mafi)

Chaol (THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas)

Dorian (THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas)

Kaidan (SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins)

I have more to list down but if I keep going it'll probably never end. LOL.

So how about you? I'm sure you have your book crushes, so spill!

Happy reading! :D

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes [REVIEW]

2013-04-02T11:12:00.000+08:00

TITLE: Falling Kingdoms
(Falling Kingdoms #1)
AUTHOR: Morgan Rhodes
PUBLISHER: Razorbill
PUB DATE: Dec 11 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

"In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?"

Rating:

I have two major weaknesses that I never got to overcome – my stupid sense of direction, and my inability to remember names. Falling Kingdoms has tested me on both.

I have never really been good with remembering names ever, so imagine my struggle to keep up with all the characters. Thank goodness there was a list of them up front. But it was kind of embarrassing to see myself going back and forth whenever I needed to recall who this character was in the first place. As for my sense of direction, well there was a map up front as well but wow, was it hard to picture which was where... I’m telling you, it was embarrassing - complete and utter shame!

Falling Kingdoms was a rather challenging book to read for me because [aside from the above mentioned], the multiple points-of-view were a lot to take in. It was harder to get to know the characters since, well; there was a lot to go around. Some of them were a bit bewildering, and yet some were quite predictable. It was hard for me to find a character that I’d root for. And the one time I actually find a pleasant character... he dies! Crap!

I was a little impatient about waiting for the action scenes – how long before all hell breaks loose?! And yet, when it finally did, it wasn’t as much as I expected and yearned for.

What I enjoyed most about this book were the background stories, the myths and legends that were spurred here and there. These bits and pieces of their history was what kept me reading even though I came to the point that it felt like this wasn’t going anywhere anymore.

Falling Kingdoms had a promising story. It was nice and interesting, but it just took too long for anything to unravel, some were still even left unanswered until the end, obviously to be continued in book two, Rebel Spring.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? [1]

2013-04-01T10:37:00.000+08:00

Hello there! And I am back from my long weekend and Internet abstinence (my little piece of sacrifice for the Holy Week). How have you all been? Well, since I'm wanting to get organized about my reading schedule (I have been trying to do so for a year now but I can't quite stick to it all the time), I decided to take part in this meme. It might just help me get to all the books I vowed myself to read. So here goes...

RECENT READ

Like I just said, it's been a long holiday (from Thursday, March 28th to Sunday, March 31st), so I managed to finish up several books [although some where just short stories], so Yay me! LOL.

TITLES:

TABLE FOR TWO by Marla Miniano (Filipino Author, Short Story)

FAN GIRL by Marla Miniano (Filipino Author, Short Story)

THE ETERNITY CURE by Julie Kagawa (eARC from NetGalley)

REQUIEM by Lauren Oliver

I enjoyed the two short reads from Marla Miniano they're very simple and very easy to relate to. As for Julie's second book from the Blood of Eden series, I think it was a little too long for me, but still I really liked this one. Lastly, I read Lauren Oliver's Requiem (buddy read this with Maria @ Bookchilla), which was by far the fastest paced book among the three in the Delirium Trilogy. But I'm hoping there would be a spin off or something, because that seriously cannot be the ending... Please! *sob*

CURRENT READ

TITLES:

SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard

DUALED by Elsie Chapman

Wow... I've been on Splintered for, I guess, almost 2 weeks now? and I have yet to finish it. I don't know, all the excitement kind of just blew off and lost its spark once Morpheus came into picture. I kind of drags on from there. Anyway, I'm starting on Dualed today, and I'm really excited about this debut novel.

NEXT READ

TITLES:

WINGS by Aprilynne Pike

THE RULES by Stacey Kade (eARC from NetGalley)

THINGS I CAN'T FORGET by Miranda Kenneally

So I've had Wings on my shelf for almost two years now, and I haven't picked it up. Hopefully this time around I'd get to finally read it. The Rules is set to be released this April so that's definitely on my to-read list this month. And since I look forward to Miranda Kenneally's books I'll be reading Things I Can't Forget, also to take a break from all the fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia books I've been constantly reading.

Well, that is it for me. How about you? What are your reading plans?

Happy reading!