Friday 31 January 2014

Follow Friday (Jan. 31)

First time joining Parajunkee's and Alison Can Read's Follow Friday :) I'm super excited! Please feel free to follow me anywhere. I prefer GFC for now but RSS/Bloglovin' would be great too! PLEASE leave a comment so I can follow you back!

Question of the Week: Time for Book Spine Poetry again! Take a picture of your book spines spelling out something epic.








Here's mine!

"The Bed and Breakfast Star
bouncing off the moon
All The Finest Girls
Crash
a tangled web
Pandemonium"

Hope I did that right :)





Friday Finds (Jan. 31)

FRIDAY FINDS showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased)

My to-read-pile is getting extremely unwieldy, and now i'm not even sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. All I know is that there are now a ton of books that I am coveting and no time to read them all. Just the thought of it makes me want to weep silently into the night....

Here are some of the additions to my to-read stack:

(Review) No One Else Can Have You - Kathleen Hale

Title: No One Else Can Have You
Author: Kathleen Hale
Format: ebook
Pages: 384 pages
ISBN: 9780062211224
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date Published: January 7th 2014

Summary (from Goodreads)

Small towns are nothing if not friendly. Friendship, Wisconsin (population: 688) is no different. Around here, everyone wears a smile. And no one ever locks their doors. Until, that is, high school sweetheart Ruth Fried is found murdered. Strung up like a scarecrow in the middle of a cornfield.
Unfortunately, Friendship’s police are more adept at looking for lost pets than catching killers. So Ruth’s best friend, Kippy Bushman, armed with only her tenacious Midwestern spirit and Ruth’s secret diary (which Ruth’s mother had asked her to read in order to redact any, you know, sex parts), sets out to find the murderer. But in a quiet town like Friendship—where no one is a suspect—anyone could be the killer.

Review:

HOLYMOLY This book was quite the pain in the butt to read. I can't even begin to describe how incredibly insane it felt reading through the character interactions. They were all so unrealistic. I'm still in shock I managed to finish this book because that was a whole form of torture in itself. I admit that the cover was what initially drew me in, it's very cozy and homey compared to the stereotypical "elegant girl" on dresses.

The book begins with the death of Kippy's best friend Ruth, who was found brutally murdered in the middle of a cornfield in true horrific fashion. What follows is a series in painfully kitschy scenes that involves incapable police officers and fake people. I would love to point out every single thing that made this book completely insane but that would probably give me a little stroke so I'm just going to highlight some parts...

First, there's the issue with the lone police sheriff (basically, there was no one else on Friendship that could've helped?) doing all the work and he seemed hellbent to pin the crime on a person he doesn't like. Who does that? How can that happen so easily and so unopposed in real life? Second, everyone seemed to act extremely suspicious throughout the book, and then suddenly the epiphany arrives on who the true killer is. The whole transition from confusion to revelation seemed a little too quick. And lastly, Kippy kissed another guy because she didn't think the other one liked her? I mean, come on, I would imagine a smart, straight-A student like her would think twice before pulling that off. She also seems to get into all sorts of trouble, many of which she doesn't oppose to no matter how wrong and insane they are! Who gives one retort after being told you're going to be sent to an insane asylum for two months? These kind of things, and the psychological torture Kippy half-willingly endures almost drove me insane.

I would hope that whatever book Kathleen Hale chooses to write next doesn't belong in the same realm as this one. She has the potential and the imagination to pull off something far greater than this.

Rating: ♚♚

Thursday 30 January 2014

2014 YA Contemporary Challenge


 This year I've decided to join the YA Contemporary Challenge, hosted by Katie's Book Blog and Montana by the Book Belles. Please head on to the official challenge post to learn more about it. 

I've decided I'm going to read at least 15 books or more in this category. It wouldn't be easy (I get derailed very easily) but it would be fun! Here's my unofficial list of to read books in this pile:

1. No One Else Can Have You - Kathleen Hale
2. The Impossible Knife of Memory - Laurie Halse Anderson
3. See Jane Run - Hannah Jayne
4. Far From You - Tess Sharpe
5. Great - Sara Benincasa
6. The Chance You Won't Return - Annie Cardi
7. Exile - Kevin Emerson
8. Royally Lost - Angie Stanton
9. Now and Forever - Susane Colasanti
10. The Things You Kiss Goodbye - Leslie Connor
11. The Lonesome Young - Lucy Connors
12. The Geography of You and Me - Jennifer E. Smith
13. Heartbeat - Elizabeth Scott
14. The Last Best Kis - LaZebnik, Claire
15. Panic - Lauren Oliver

(Review) Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful, #1) - Jamie McGuire

Title: Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1)
Author: Jamie McGuire
Format: ebook
ISBN: 2940012575814
Publisher: Jamie McGuire LLC
Date Published: May 26th 2011

Summary (from Goodreads)
Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Review: 

Wow.

Seriously not what i expected at all. Travis and Abby didn't seem like the kind of people who'd get along at first but you can see how much Travis gets drawn to Abby and her to him as the story progresses. It conveyed a semi-realistic, not always relatable college atmosphere, but i like it anyways. 

The dynamics between the relationships of the characters were also interesting, considering Travis seems to be ticked off by random things, sometimes i thought he was borderline. His initial "fixation" to Abby didn't really help in changing my perspective of him. Abby's inability to keep her decisions for a long time seems to parallel how most women go back and forth with their decisions and in this case, it's good for their relationship since she too seems to have a one-track mind. It helps her, and the other characters explore the consequences of their actions. 

I wouldn't say Abby was gullible, but i would've liked her more if she wasn't so easily swayed, or were firm and honest with her intentions. Overall, it's a good read :)

Rating:♚♚♚

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts (Jan. 30)

This meme is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. Please head on to their blog for more information, and to link up your post! :)
Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.

  1. Let's see. I'm finally done with one of my midterm exams! There was a lot of material that needed to be covered but I'm just really glad that it's done and over with. I missed a lot of classes for my checkups so I hope I did good and I get an okay grade. The exam wasn't even that hard, just the fact that there was a ton that needed to be read made things very overwhelming. 
  2.  My medications are making it difficult for me to breathe! Oh no! My boyfriend suggested I lower the dose by myself (without the doctor's approval) if it becomes too much so I'm gonna do that. I'll worry about the complications later. It won't do me any good if I'm unable to breathe.
  3. Chinese New Year is almost here! My family isn't Chinese but my mother likes to follow this tradition. She'd buy round candies and fruits and we'll eat this glutinous rice fried in egg batter called "tikoy" colloquially. I shouldn't eat a lot of it considering it's very sweet and has a lot of carbohydrates but maybe a slice or two wouldn't hurt. 

 

Wednesday 29 January 2014

WWW Wednesdays (Jan. 29)

WWW Wednesday is a book blogging meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Hop over to her siteto check it out :)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?




• What are you currently reading? 

I'm currently reading No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale. I'm not even a hundred pages in and I already know i'm already in one hell of a rollercoaster ride. That one particularly descriptive scene at the funeral kinda turned my stomach.




• What did you recently finish reading? 

I just recently finished reading Delirium by Lauren Oliver. It definitely has a great potential to be something big. I'm a big believer that humans will just cease to be "human" once we take our ability to feel for other things, and that treating something so deeply-seated in our very beings as some deadly disease definitely falls into the crazy category. It's our brains trying to comprehend and put order into something as abstract and chaotic as love.

• What do you think you'll read next?

I'll read whatever's next in my to-read pile. Right now, i'm not particularly tight on schedule and am free to read whatever I pick. I'm eyeing Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver :)



Waiting On Wednesday (Jan. 29)

Waiting on Wednesday is a blog meme hosted by Breaking The Spine that aims to showcase any release you're eagerly anticipating! Please head on to their blog to know more and to join! :)

First post! I know there are many exciting new releases in YA, new debut authors and sequels to many beloved series but i'm particularly excited for is The Heiresses by Sara Shepard. You may know Sara Shepard from her other popular work Pretty Little Liars!

The book is expected to be released May 20, 2014 and I can't wait for it to be in my hands right now.

Summary (from Goodreads)


The series follows one of the most prestigious and wealthy families on the Upper East Side who have built their entire fortune on the business of diamonds.
Due to a clause the grandfather placed in his will, only his granddaughters are set to inherit his massive fortune…these are the heiresses. After the death of their cousin, the remaining heiresses try to figure out if the family curse is real or not, and if not, who killed their cousin, and more importantly, which one of them is next on the hit list?

Tuesday 28 January 2014

(Review) Delirium (Delirium, #1) - Lauren Oliver

Title: Delirium (Delirium, #1)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN: 9780061726835
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date Published: February 7th 2012

Summary (from Goodreads)
Ninety-five days, and then I'll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It's hard to be patient. It's hard not to be afraid while I'm still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn't touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don't.
Review:
Interesting concept but I felt like the whole "love is a disease" immediately just jumped to "love is a crime" and there wasn't any back story in the whole novel that provided any insight. Aside from snippets of fictional references to books that talk about the deliria, there wasn't anything concrete explanation on how did this kind of thinking escalate?

I think the use of such medium (fictional references to explain more things) was very good, but many of them fell empty and flat for me. Lauren Oliver does have a knack for putting the right words together to create a good atmosphere and I definitely enjoyed the rich detail she provided. It worked really well with the whole story, considering what they're trying to kill here is the ability to feel love and affection to anything. 

Character-wise, I am particularly happy at Lena's growth from being very scared and dependent to what she's been fed to someone who can finally see the other side of the story. There's a good enough pool of characters that provided really good momentum to the story, and i feel like her friendship with Hana is purposely dragged out for use in the next installment. I can just feel it. She has a lot more room for improvement as a main character but it's been good so far. I only wish it didn't end so abruptly for Alex. I'm dying to read what happens next.

I'm reading Pandemonium as soon as I can and I only wish Lauren Oliver would provide more background to it. As i've said, it's very very interesting and has a lot of potential.

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚

Top Ten Tuesday (Jan. 28)

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Please click here to read more about it and join in :)

Today's topic is "Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In OR Top Ten Characters I'd NEVER Want To Trade Places With"

1. Panem (The Hunger Games) - There's no way I'd survive or want to live in a world that's driven with fear and oppression. Even living in the richer districts would probably drive me insane.
2. Delirium universe (Delirium) - I'm a romantic. Having love be branded as a disease that's brain-damaging and fatal, to the point that people have to get it "removed" out of them is a sad world to be in. 
3. Starters universe (Starters) - There's just something icky about having old people rent out young bodies, and even suggesting the permanence is just seriously too much to handle. The whole concept reminded me of the movie Surrogates, but with actual people who's only in said situation because of having no access to some cure. 
4. Alex (character, The Covenant series) - She's a strong, determined girl but not even being a demigod would make me want to trade places with her. To choose from self-destruction, freedom, ultimate power and being attacked by her own mother
5. Game of Thrones universe (A Song Of Ice and Fire) - Do I even have to explain why this world is extremely unsuitable? I doubt I would survive half a day in King Joffrey's court. I might get too mad and slap him multiple times myself. 
6. The Vampire Diaries - Sure, Elena's life seems peachy that she's surrounded by these hot brothers who'd do everything to keep and protect her, but it just seems a little convoluted to me. I'd rather be someone special to one person and live my life as quietly as possible than be surrounded by these intricate characters in a complex life. 
7. Pretty Little Liars - Let's not even go there. I really liked this show since the start, and having best friends who I can share secrets to would be really great but to trade that off with a stalker who might or might not be someone who's very close to me is a massive no-no. The setting is pretty quiet, for a book (and i know the show has delved into parts the book hasn't even considered) that involves so much to the deconstruction of the characters. 
8. Aria (Pretty Little Liars) - The most fashionable and arguably charming of the Liars, I simply cannot trade my simple, quiet life for Aria's. She's beautiful and smart but I don't want a stalker/boyfriend tailing me all the time, sending creepy messages to my best friends and manipulating people to get what he wants. 
9. Narcissa (Harry Potter) - We didn't get to see much of Narcissa in the movies but her character, personally, is one of the most memorable ones for me in the book. I wouldn't want to trade off with her not because she's in the Dark side but that she endures just too much for her own sake. I am a Slytherin at heart (no shame in there!) and to have people peg her as someone very ill-meaning and cold hearted is just too much. 
10. Jules (Visions series) - Not dystopic, but I'd probably the first one to go insane if I suddenly keep seeing visions of a terrible crash that kills multiple people, and that I have no one to tell them to. 

Musing Mondays (Jan. 27)


I should really be studying for my midterm exams, but for some reason (and by some reason i mean being heavily medicated and experiencing all the side-effects) I can't concentrate reading the stuff that I have. Then there's also the fact that I'd have to tell my professors about my illness. It's really gonna be very uncomfortable.

I can't wait to be off this medicine, it's making me bloat and eat a lot. It's also making it very difficult for me to concentrate on doing anything important like studying for midterms. Ugh. If i don't eat, my stomach would hurt so bad. I'm glad I have these Young Adult books to read to take my mind off thing. I'll try to study later on and see if I can just condition myself to not pay attention to the lack of concentration.

Monday 27 January 2014

(Review) Ink (Paper Gods, #1) - Amanda Sun

Title: Ink (Paper Gods, #1) - Amanda Sun
Author: Amanda Sun
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0373210718
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Date Published: June 25, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads)
Ink is in their blood.
On the heels of a family tragedy, Katie Greene must move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn't know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks and she can't seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
When Katie meets aloof but gorgeous Tomohiro, the star of the school's kendo team, she is intrigued by him…and a little scared. His tough attitude seems meant to keep her at a distance, and when they're near each other, strange things happen. Pens explode. Ink drips from nowhere. And unless Katie is seeing things, drawings come to life.
Somehow Tomo is connected to the kami, powerful ancient beings who once ruled Japan—and as feelings develop between Katie and Tomo, things begin to spiral out of control. The wrong people are starting to ask questions, and if they discover the truth, no one will be safe.
Review:

This book started a little....off for me. First off, It immediately jumps into the story and throws the reader in a conversation filled with Japanese words which I didn't really expect. If it wasn't for the story being heavily anchored to Japan, i would've easily pegged this story as something many people on the internet would call a "weeaboo". I'm glad that Amanda Sun has managed to avoid that by making sure that the Japanese culture aspect of the story is nailed to the ground. 

Katie Greene's mother died eight months prior to the beginning of the story, and due to her mother's will and her grandparents' medical condition, she has to stay with her mother's sister who resides in Japan. She has tried to live her life as average as she could, but an encounter with a mysterious guy named somehow changed her life forever. The whole dynamics of their relationship reminded me a lot of Twilight. Tomohiro being the dark and mysterious character that Katie must avoid if she wants any normality in her life. Despite the many attempts to avoid each other, they still manage to get very close. Many parts of the story did look typically "manga/anime"-ish what with the whole beach episode, but I didn't really mind it that much. The whole story also included the Yakuza, who were after Tomohisa's power. After that dangerous encounter, they managed to escape with the help of another one of Tomohisa's kind only this time they were made to pick between being together or separating for the good of themselves and everyone else. The whole "we're kami and we don't have to put ourselves in the shoes of human so let's just take over like before" opened up a little too late towards the end, which I wish was introduced earlier on.

The part where the author suggests that Katie was somehow connected to something so intrinsically Japanese as the "Kami" without even hinting at any Japanese connection to her was a little weird to me, but I guess that would be explained deeper in the later books. 

Rating:  ♚♚♚

Sunday 26 January 2014

Super Six Sunday (Jan. 26) - Books I Wish I Lived In/I’m Glad I Don’t Live In

Super Six Sunday is a blog meme hosted by Bewitched Bookworms. 

It's very difficult to pick a "book" to live in or glad not to live in considering many or most YA books feature some sort of damaged setting. If it's only the general environment, I'd have to pick these:



Books I  Wish I Lived In

1. Anna and the French Kiss - a love story in Paris
2. The Princess Diaries - Manhattan, New York. 
3. Daughter of Smoke & Bone - Prague, Marrakech, Eretz. Fairytale-like places.

Books I'm Glad I Don't Live In

4. Starters - bodies for rent, anyone?
5. Delirium - love is a disease? as a romantic, living here would be a death sentence.
6. The Mortal Instruments series - Steampunk, fast-paced Manhattan just isn't for me. 

(Review) Timebound (The Chronos Files #1) - Rysa Walker

Title: Timebound (The Chronos Files #1)
Author: Rysa Walker
Format: epub
ISBN:  9781477848159
Publisher: Skyscape
Date Published: January 1st 2014

Summary (from Goodreads)
When Kate Pierce-Keller’s grandmother gives her a strange blue medallion and speaks of time travel, sixteen-year-old Kate assumes the old woman is delusional. But it all becomes horrifyingly real when a murder in the past destroys the foundation of Kate’s present-day life. Suddenly, that medallion is the only thing protecting Kate from blinking out of existence.
Kate learns that the 1893 killing is part of something much more sinister, and Kate’s genetic ability to time-travel makes her the only one who can stop him. Risking everything, she travels to the Chicago World’s Fair to try to prevent the killing and the chain of events that follows.
Changing the timeline comes with a personal cost, however—if Kate succeeds, the boy she loves will have no memory of her existence. And regardless of her motives, does she have the right to manipulate the fate of the entire world?
Review:

WOW I'm so glad I finally got around to finishing this book! I seriously thought I would get too frustrated and just drop but Rysa Walker has got me hooked at every word despite my agonizingly slow pace. Just thinking about the whole deal with time travel is enough to make my head spin but this book my Rysa Walker was definitely a good and worthy read.

The story starts a little simple, and slowly hops into more convoluted aspects of time travel. Kate's character, who I love so much because she's realistic about everything despite everything going on around her, is a feisty but shy girl. My favourite mix of a heroine. The convoluted parts may stem from the fact that my reading was spaced in long intervals (days, at most) due to personal circumstances, but in it's entirety it wasn't that difficult to follow. There are areas that seemed a little grey for me, like if Prudence on who's side, the ultimate plan of Saul and the Cyrists for the whole world and how those people who were going to be time-travelling and researching points in history came to be but I'm hoping that'll be answered in the next books. I also had my doubts on who Kiernan really was, and I was starting to worry that his character wouldn't be utilized well but Rysa Walker has weaved him really well into the story. Sure, he didn't get that much face time but there was something in the way that the story was written that you know it's believable. 

I'm very glad that the story flowed the way it did, instead of a terrible and agonizing cliffhanger immediately at the end. The whole aspect of time travel, CHRONOS keys and changing the course of history greatly interests me (Whovian here) and this book would certainly be suited for someone interested in it. 

Rating: ♚♚♚♚

Sunday Serenades (1) - Til Infinity by IYES

I apologize for the lack of quick reviews this week, but here's an original meme i'm doing starting this week!



This week, i'm introducing a new find of mine. I found this track while listening to the December 2013 playlist offered by BIRP.tv, which is entitled 'Til Infinity by IYES. It's catchy and upbeat, and the lyrics somehow fit into the book i'm currently reading (Timebound by Rysa Walker). Heres the youtube video to it for you to listen to. Enjoy!



Sunday Serenades

Sunday Serenade is an original blog meme that showcases any good music you are listening to while reading, a song from an artist you've recently discovered or just any song that fits the book you're reading.

Please feel free to use the banner below if you decide to join, and leave a comment on the week's post with a link to your own post so everyone can go check it out :)


Thursday 23 January 2014

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts (Jan. 23)

This meme is hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. Please head on to their blog for more information, and to link up your post! :)
Bookish (and not so Bookish) Thoughts is a chance for book bloggers to dabble in areas besides books (but those are welcome too). Share your plans for the weekend, a rant on people not using their turn signals in parking lots, or your love of Sunday morning mimosas.
1. I have  a doctor's appointment for my ITP tomorrow. I'm finally gonna get the results to my biopsy and we'll show him my test results for Lupus (which said I was positive up to some certain point of dilution). I've been showing good progress with the medications he's put me in so far except that the steroidal meds are increasing my appetite to a horrendous degree. The nurse did say my body's just trying to cope with the hyperacidity that is one of the side-effects so i'm hoping it'll stop once i stop using the medicine. I might get something for my possible Lupus but i have no idea what it is yet. 

2. The internet at my house isn't working at all and the plugit thing isn't getting a proper reception from where my room is now. It really really sucks because my boyfriend and I are kinda in tight schedules nowadays (him being in Germany and me being sick haha) so I really miss being able to just message him whenever I can. I hope it'll get fixed as soon as possible though. I can't wait for all these renovations to be done.

3. Aside from the medical appointment, I'm also excited to be going to the big city to check out the bookstores. There aren't any book stores in my small town so these little trips get me very very excited. I'm looking forward to checking out the booksales in some big mall I saw near the hospital the last time I was there (last week). 

Bloglovin'!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

(Review) We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) - Jenny Han

Title: We'll Always Have Summer
Author: Jenny Han
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781416995586
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Date Published: April 26th 2011

Summary (from Goodreads)
It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

Review:

You have no idea how happy I am that i'm finally done reading this series. I'm not saying it in a bad way, but more like it was getting a little frustrating read Belly (or should I say "Isabel") going back and forth with her feelings between Jeremiah and Conrad. It felt like she was pushing the decision to the both of them and she can't decide what she must feel for herself. 

Maybe it's her somewhat sheltered and closed-off upbringing that made her somewhat unable to understand how people normally behave in college, but her entire reaction to Jeremiah cheating on her or why Conrad decided to leave was very frustrating. Even after finding out that Jeremiah slept with someone else during their so-called break, she still accepted his careless proposal of marriage. That did it for me. It's like she didn't grow up at all. The only part that I really enjoyed was her standing up to her mother. I get that Lauren was only looking for her daughter's well-being, and if she only knew what Jeremiah did she would have flipped at her daughter's decision to accept their proposal but I really enjoyed watching Belly stand her ground. She needed it, i think. 

I expected more from Jenny Han, but perhaps it's just inherently "Belly" that i'm disappointed in. The book ended a bit abrupt and I'm kinda glad it did. It was a fairly enjoyable read and i'm still looking forward to reading another Jenny Han book soon. 

Rating:♚♚♚

(Review) It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) - Jenny Han

Title: It's Not Summer Without You
Author: Jenny Han
Format: epub
ISBN:  9781416995555
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Date Published:  April 27th 2010

Summary (from Goodreads)
It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

Review:

I liked the first book in this series but I wasn't sure where it would be headed. My observation upon reading the first couple of chapters was that it was going to be a little heavier and in-depth than the topics encountered in the first book. Susannah has died and everyone left that were close to her goes through various emotions in dealing with her death. This triggers many rifts and changes in the relationships between the Fisher boys and Belly. It was a little painful to read her being confused about her emotions and Conrad having to deal with it by himself because that's just how he does things.

This book was more about the Fisher boys than Belly, but told in various perspectives that included hers. It was actually a breathe of fresh air. The more I read about Belly, the more i start to dislike how she deals with her issues. She's a stereotypical brat who more or less always gets what she wants and it was a little frustrating for me to read through. I guess the part that saved this book for me was when Conrad revealed why he left school and the reasons why he wanted to save their Cousins beach house.

It was really nice to read between Conrad and Jeremiah's points of view. Belly's attitude was starting to make me itchy, to be completely honest. I can't wait to read and review the last book in the series.

Rating:♚♚♚

Wednesday 22 January 2014

WWW Wednesdays (Jan. 22)

WWW Wednesday is a book blogging meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Hop over to her site to check it out :)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

 •What are you currently reading?
I am currently reading two books that I'm very excited to write a review on. The first one is Timebound by Rysa Walker. The second one is Ink by Amanda Sun.



• What did you recently finish reading?
I just recently finished the first two books in the Starters series by Lissa Price, as well as Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins.

• What do you think you’ll read next?

I think i'm going to read one of the January debuts or The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanne Wiebe.

Top Ten Tuesday (1)

Top Ten Tuesday is a book blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Please click here to read more about it and join in :)

Today's topic is "Top Ten Things On My Reading Wishlist (if you could make authors write about these things you would. Could be a specific type of character, an issue tackled, a time period, a certain plot, etc.)"


  1. Utopian fantasy, not that i hate dystopia but I feel like the possibility of a utopian future isn't explored enough in YA. Maybe it's just because it's not as exciting to write, haha.
  2. Villain main-character. That'd be exciting. I want to read YA that focuses on the villain being the focus. 
  3. Retellings of more obscure fairytales. Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast have all been done and redone so many times. 
  4. Horror YA? I could be in to that. Perhaps one that doesn't include much romance.
  5. Male main character. I know, I'm glad there are so many female main characters in YA but I feel like the spotlight is always on the girls. 
  6. Something set in a time period in Asia. Perhaps in ancient Japan or China.
  7. When humans live under water. Not like mermaids, but more like being forced to live in a man-made underwater community because of some infestation in the land surface. 
  8. ...and that turns out to be a conspiracy and the land is actually fine. 
  9. Something like Suckerpunch. I enjoyed the movie but it felt more like all cinematography and no actual plot. I wish they made something more out of it.
  10. A group of young teens fighting to save what's left of the earth by taking care of the last plant on earth. I'm not a hippie i swear. 

2014 Debut Author Challenge

This year i've decided to join the 2014 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren. It's a great way to read and showcase new authors. Please head on to The Story Siren to read more about this challenge. I'm really excited about this :)

Here's a list of some of the books i've decided to read, i'm just waiting for them to be published and released.

  • Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
  • Far From You by Tess Sharpe
  • Sekret (Sekret, #1) by Lindsay Smith
  • No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale
  • Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell 
  • Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas
  • The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant (V, #1)  by Joanna Wiebe 
  • Great by Sarah Benincasa
  • The Accidental Socialite by Stephanie Wahlstrom
  • Hungry by H.A. Swain 
  • The Lonesome Young by Lucy Connors

Tuesday 21 January 2014

(Review) Enders (Starters, #2) - Lissa Price

Title: Enders
Author: Lissa Price
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780385742498
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Date Published: January 7th 2014

Summary (from Goodreads)

With the Prime Destinations body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save Callie's life - but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too ...and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body? This is the thrilling sequel to "Starters".

Review:

ASDFLGHKSAKJ I am so glad I bought Starters and Enders together so I wouldn't have to sit and wait in anticipation until I can grab my hands on it. This book was so exciting the lack of proper lighting didn't even stop me from reading! Lissa Price is a genius and Starters has to be one of my favourite dystopia book in recent history.

The second book, Enders, starts a couple of weeks after the end of Starters and that's when things start to get more messy. The chip in Callie's neck somehow allows some bad guy to infiltrate her own body. It's a little creepy, and many parts of the book made me want to throw it to the opposite side of the room in frustration but it was just so good and so suspenseful to put down. I think the most frustrating part was the ones where the people who you root for are being pushed to the edge and there's nothing you can do but watch the bad guys be at the top. Lissa Price has a knack for writing in a way that would push you to the edge of your seat and take you on a rollercoaster ride. I can't wait to read what's next in this series!

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚

(Review) Starters (Starters, #1) - Lissa Price

Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9780385742375
Publisher: Ember
Date Published: July 23rd 2013

Summary (from Goodreads)
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .

Review:

I am sooooo glad I picked up this series. It's so exciting and such a page turner! Starters is an action-packed book that's a great mix of Maximum Ride and The Hunger Games. The world painted by Lissa Price is vividly futuristic. The beginning of the story was a bit of a drag for me, but I guess it was just a catapult to all the action that happened in the future pages.

The main character, Callie, joins a body bank that uses some very futuristic technology that allows rich Enders to rent a young Starter body. The whole process at first seemed a little light but as the story progressed I could feel it starting to become bigger than just Callie and her gang. The more chapters I've read, the more questions popped up. The whole array of characters were adequately described and used throughout the story and the whole "possession" thing wasn't so confusing. It was actually fun to guess who might be inside a Starter's body.

There wasn't so much background to the Spore Wars in the first book, but it was enough to keep the story anchored to the ground. I was very excited that I ripped open the second book in the series and start reading immediately. Lissa Price is a talented and imaginative storyteller. The quote from Dean Koontz was enough to draw me in and I wasn't wrong. This series is a must-watch.

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚

Monday 20 January 2014

Making Up For Monday (1)

Making Up For Monday is hosted by An Avid Reader, A Wannabe Writer. Click on the link to learn more!

This week's question is: If you could be any character in any book, who would be and what would you do as them in their book?

Wow I can't even pick from all the people I'd want to be but the first character that comes up to mind is Alex from the Covenant series. She's headstrong and keen, and despite the whole series being fantasy she has a lot of realistic teen issues to deal with. There isn't really anything to complain about her character, or change anything about the book because Jennifer L. Armentrout wrote her so fabulously. I admit that I'm not as determined as her (considering her issues are between life and death) so perhaps I'd try to emulate how she does things. Playing her part in the book might help me. 

(Review) Crash (Visions, #1) - Lisa McMann

Title: Crash
Author: Lisa McMann
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4424-0591-2
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Date Published: January 8, 2013

Summary (from Goodreads)

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first in a series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.
Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.
What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode…and nine body bags in the snow.
The vision is everywhere; on billboards, television screens, windows; and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Review:

The cover initially drew me in to purchasing this book. To be completely honest, I couldn’t completely immerse myself in the story at first. How Jules seemed to just admit that she was in love with the son of her family rival happened so suddenly to me, perhaps it was because of the directness of the writing. It took me a while to get past it and I’m glad I didn’t put this book down. It’s got to be one of my favourite first books in a series. Sawyer and Jules were adorable together, and I got very excited towards the end when Sawyer and Jules finally got together.

The action was engaging but not over the top and the style was befitting of Jules’ personality. Even her siblings are so fun to read about. Rowan is a lovely sibling while Trey was funny and very loving. Her parents….not so much. Her dad may not feel like he’s hurting anyone but his hoarding and the complete lack of explanation about his odd behaviour in the beginning of the story confused me a lot. I’m glad it was explained towards the end but that just opened up even more questions in my head. Sawyer getting the visions is giving the thrills! I can’t wait to get the second book and hopefully learn more answers.

Lisa McMann is a fabulous writer, that I can say much.

Rating:♚♚♚♚♚

Stacking The Shelves (1)



Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's reviews. Head over here to learn more!

Despite being ill in a big city, I make it a point to visit the book store. Mainly because it's the only way I can go to one since my tiny town doesn't have a book store, let alone one that has any Young Adult titles. I just had a bone marrow biopsy but I can't let that stop me from visiting the book store chain (National Bookstore) nearby. They even gave me a calendar, haha :) I think it's time I revive my membership card to this bookstore chain.

(Review) The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) - Jenny Han

 
Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Author: Jenny Han
Format: epub
ISBN 9781416968238
Publisher: Simon and Schuster 
Date Published: May 05, 2009

Summary (from Goodreads)
Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.
Review:

Many of my fellow rosy bloggers on Tumblr have listed this book as their favorite, and as much as I admit to reading YA, I have not heard of Jenny Han nor this book before. I've been warned about Belly’s less-than-charming attitude towards certain situations in the book but that wasn't nearly enough to dissuade me from reading.

First off, Jenny Han’s writing is simplistic with enough descriptions for the imagery. I think it complements Belly’s personality really well and it also gave the whole story a realistic feel. I’d like to find a teen that talks like they’re always in deep contemplation during summer at a beach-front house! It was in-depth enough to give dimension to the characters, although some points i felt like the issues that connected the elders with the teens were dropped on to the reader a bit slowly and then all at once. 

Second, Belly’s attitude is a bit off-putting. I think that confrontation with her and Conrad really hit the nail on the head. Or maybe I just need to cut her some slack for acting like a fifteen-year-old who was mostly confused with how to deal with her emotions. And it wasn't like Conrad was any better. They had shitty attitudes, but that just lends the story more realism and I think that’s part of the appeal of the book. I've seen many people profess their hate for Belly, but personally I think if she was written out to be any less imperfect than she is, it would have been boring. A completely-pleasant girl in a love triangle with hot boys with the sun and sea in the backdrop would have put me off!

Lastly, not only does it deal with real-life issues like parental divorce and illness, I think it’s one of the best coming-of-age stories in the way that it doesn’t sugarcoat the inevitable changes in one’s life. I am excited to pick the next book in the series when I can, the end left me both satisfied and curious!

Rating:♚♚♚