Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Monday, August 29, 2011

Genre: Young Adult - contempory/paranormal-ish
Rating: 2.5 stars

Review: This book was alright. It has its fun and entertaining moments, and for the most part, I enjoyed my time reading it. The writing and the flow makes it perfectly readable, and the characters were okay enough - even though I have to admit, they were a bit stereotypical at times.

But like I said, it was just alright. It's one of those books that's fun as I read it, but one that I completely forget about after. It just didn't stand out to me. So at the end of the day, I don't think I would recommend it. Not necessarily because it was a bad read - because it certainly wasn't - but because I do feel that there are other titles out there that perhaps could be better choices instead.


Little funny tidbit: Bridget's best friends are Jillian and Michele. Well, my name is actually Jillian Michele ;)

quote of the day.

Friday, August 26, 2011

from the Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

---

I will be back to normal blogging by next week. Thank you for all your nice messages and tweets! Happy Friday, everybody. I hope whatever it is you're reading is fantastic so far :)

in which I blog about not being able to blog about anything.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Right now I am sitting staring at my computer, trying to come up with something to talk about. Nothing is coming out. Blank. Zero ideas.

Do you ever get this annoying blogger's block? I have a very bad case of it right now for sure. I don't know if it's because I'm writing this at 11am (this is a scheduled post) which is in itself is unusual - as my writing/blogging brain typically works well late at night. Perhaps. Or maybe it's because I need to discover a new favorite read. Although I have read many and liked some, I really can't remember the last time I truly fell in love with a book, to be honest.

So as always, I come to you for help.
1) Do you ever get blogger's block? What do you do to cure it?
2) What inspires you, and where do you get ideas for blog posts?
3) Recommend me a book you personally think is amazing.

And as always, thank you. Which reminds me - sometimes I really, really think, "What would I do if I didn't have reader friends like you?" Sounds cheesy, but it's so true! Where will all my book and reading-related thoughts go if not here?











Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5 stars

Review: There's not much to say about this book - it was just simply a fun read. It was very entertaining, and loved the fact that it's incredibly fast-paced. I really liked the change of setting also, and liked the overall growth and development of the characters. Speaking of, can I just say how much I love Sophie Mercer as a protagonist? She's pretty awesome. I think her personality just fits, and her sarcasm definitely makes her a likable and realistic character.
I also liked the writing style - simple, conversational, and casual; almost like you're speaking with a friend.

So overall, I loved this book. It's just a fun read. It's a great sequel to the Hex Hall trilogy, and it most definitely made me excited for the final installment. This series as a whole is a must read for any paranormal YA fans that are tired of the usual and typical Paranormal YA stuff we often see around nowadays.

for the love of WORDS.

Monday, August 15, 2011

I don't know if it's just me, but I've always loved words. Reading them, writing them, learning more about them, discovering new ones and their definitions, actually using them in my daily life... I just love words. So today I thought I should share some of my favorite words - the ones that I just find sound nice - and my not-so-favorite words - the ones that make me cringe when I say them!
Lovely Words: (in my opinion)
rendezvous
tranquility
aesthetic
ethereal
serendipity
eloquent
quintessential

Not-So-Lovely Words: (in my opinion)
moist
spatula
chuckle
bulge
pus
ointment
yeast
colonel (because why would you spell it this way when it's meant to be pronounced COMPLETELY different?)

Pretty random topic, but what are your favorites and not so favorites? Tell me why. And remember, we're just basing it on the way the words sound - not necessarily on their definitions ;)

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Genre: Adult Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

The thing is, I would not even consider this as a "novel" or a "story" - at least not in a traditional sense. I am sure someone else will see it differently than I do, but for me, that's how I felt about this book.
I don't really see a plot. I don't see an actual story. I do see bits and pieces of it, but I also feel like it's too short, too abrupt, too spaced out, too scattered. At times, I felt like it wasn't even making any sense. There were moments when I disliked the narrator. Moments when I couldn't really grasp what was truly happening.

However, I really liked it.

The Lover's Dictionary, to put it simply, is one of a kind. For one, the idea is unique - to 'tell a story' not in order, but alphabetically. I sure haven't read anything like that.
And the writing is great; David Levithan creates such wonderful prose effortlessly. You can just collect countless quotes from here, and be inspired by each of them. In fact, I feel like typing some of them out on a board, framing it, and displaying it on my wall.

Would I recommend it? Definitely. But I would advise you to to go in this book without expectations, but with an open-mind. It's a different kind of reading experience for sure.

...

ineffable, adj.

These words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations word cannot convey. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough.

you know that feeling you get when you're JUST starting to REALLY like someone?

Friday, August 12, 2011

Well, this book covered that feeling pretty well! The excitement, the confusion, the craziness, and the giddiness that comes when a new friendship/relationship is growing. I was literally just feeling all happy and smiley as I was reading this!

In all seriousness though, I just really enjoyed this book. It was such a fun, cute, light page-turner that truly made me happy for the few hours that I devoured it. I liked its fast pace, the conversational and casual narration, the settings (Paris!!)... and the characters! I adore them. They were not stereotypical, and they just seemed genuinely real to me.

I do think that the best part for me, aside from all of those already mentioned, was how realistic their young, blossoming love story was. From the characters themselves to the slow and uncertain but steady and gradual development of their relationship. There weren't any moments when I felt as if their relationship was forced or pushed too fast. And though there were a couple of 'too-cheesy' moments, I didn't really mind. I was still sold. I still truly believed it.

Maybe it's silly to feel giddy over a fictional romance - but the thing is, I don't really mind. I had such a fun time reading this, and a fun time feeling "in love" while reading it.
It's not a deep book by any means, and it's most definitely not for everybody, but I'm going to say that if you like cute, simple, and fun contemporary YA with realistic character&plot development, you might enjoy this.

Title: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 5 stars


hop

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Welcome to my blog! If you came here from Follow Friday from Parajunkee's View, thanks for visiting! This is where I talk, rant, rave, and gush about all things, books!

This week:

Parajunkee asks: "How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen?" It has changed a little bit, but not a lot. I've always been an avid reader so that part hasn't changed. But I guess the only difference is that now, I read even more than I ever did! I am also more open-minded about different titles, authors, genres, and story lines. Before, I was still a bit picky.

--

I would love to check your blog out as well, so please leave your link here if you can. Also, visit me on Twitter and Facebook! Happy Friday, everyone!

Book-Inspired Outfits: Hogwarts Edition

The first time I did this, I focused on some of the women in the Classics genre. I got good feedback from that, so I wanted to do another one - focusing on some YA characters. For the third one, I thought it'd be fun to focus on the four houses at Hogwarts. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Again, these are just inspired outfits - mostly from their colors, and not necessarily from the actual characters in the books.

---

GRYFFINDOR
Scarlet and Gold
bravery, courage, and chivalry
gryffindor inspired outfits


SLYTHERIN
Green and Silver
ambitious, cunning, resourceful, manipulative

slytherin inspired

RAVENCLAW
Blue and Bronze
intelligence, knowledge, and wit <- my favorite house for some reason!

ravenclaw inspired

HUFFLEPUFF
Yellow and Black
patience, loyalty, hard work, friendships
hufflepuff inspired

----

Again, these are just inspired outfits. You can always mix it up, change it up, and do it differently according to your own personality and taste. I for one chose these outfits mainly because I personally would wear it.
Now I have to admit I had the most difficult time with Ravenclaw. For some reason, I couldn't get a "blue and bronze vision." Maybe because I don't feel like they really match. Ha.
Anyway, I encourage (and challenge!) you to do house-inspired outfits too. Either link up to your actual Polyvore account or do a separate post on your own blog. Either way, have fun!

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Genre: Young Adult - Fantasy
Rating: 1 star

Review: I may be the only one that did not like this book so I'm going to apologize ahead for giving it a 1 star rating.

First off, let me say that the premise and the story line for this is awesome. It's nice that it is set in India, and it's pretty cool that they're using a tiger as a character. I do love tigers! All these things made the book have so much potential.

Unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me due to a combination of things. First, the writing. I didn't find it engaging at all. There were also too many unnecessary information added in! At times, the narrator would go on about telling us what kind of shirt the other one's wearing to what she had for breakfast to what kind of car they're in. There's just too many details, too much "telling and not much showing."

Next, the characters. The female protagonist seemed flat to me. And the male lead reminded me too much of Edward Cullen - "the perfect gentleman" with not much personality. Their relationship with each other felt forced to me as well. Finally, the development of the plot and the characters. I didn't really see any, unfortunately.

And maybe the worst thing for me was that I did not believe it. I didn't get in or give in to this fantasy world. I didn't get into its fantastical elements. I didn't want to learn more about it. It felt contrived to me, and this fictional novel just did not seem "real" at all to me. I simply wasn't sold on the idea. That to me is a deal breaker.

So as a whole, I obviously did not enjoy it. I have to admit that I was very bored by it and can't really find anything that was good about it, as far as how the story itself was told. So would I recommend it? Probably not. But then again, I may be the only one that didn't like it, so I could totally be just wrong. I suggest you try it out. See for yourself. For me, sadly, it's a no.

I am officially MAGICAL.

7 books.
7 days.
7 chances.

I have to admit that I tried staying up to get in Pottermore, but by the 5th clue, I had already given up and told myself that I would never have the chance to get in early registration. But on the last day, the 7th day, at around 5PM, my cousin, Justine, told me that the clue is still up! I literally rushed to go online and answer the clue. And yes, I found the magical quill. So now... I am officially magical!

Now I have to be honest - I still don't quite understand what Pottermore is exactly, but who cares? It looks fun. It sounds fun. It's Harry Potter - (which is of course my excuse for everything) As for my username that they picked for me? Well, from now on, you can call me:

STARSHIELD 175

I kind of like it. It reminds me of Star Wars for some reason.

Now I heard they will be sorting us into our own houses later on too, which I am very excited about. I am hoping I'd get in Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws eat books, you know. I And even though Gryffindor would be a great house to be in, I don't think I'm much of what a true Gryffindor is, a.ka. I'm not as courageous as Gryffindors should be. Ha.

So... my questions for today is:
1. if you got in Pottermore, what is your username?
2. Which house do you think you really belong in?


made fun of being for a reader?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Okay. Random story. So there's this guy who's been a temp at work for a month now. He and I never really clicked or got along, for different reasons. And since we shared a cubicle, it was evident all throughout his stay there that he didn't like me.
Well, today was his last day. While he was cleaning up his stuff from our desk and drawers, he suddenly came up to me and asked me if I could recommend him a book. I thought it was random of course. But being the normal bookworm that I am, I started suggesting a couple of titles I thought he'd like. He then told me, "Well, I actually don't read." He said how he finds it boring, and how he would never actually find it fun or enjoyable at all. He said he was just teasing me, mentioning how he saw my blog (a couple of my close co-workers who read this probably shared the link!) and how it's funny that I spend soooo much time on it.
He then laughed - actually snickered and burst out laughing - for a good minute or two. I'm not even kidding! He stops, looks at me all serious, and tells me, "You are such a nerd." It was obviously supposed to be a "harmless insult." He walks away and continues to organize his stuff.

Long story short - dealing with this guy reminded me a lot of the times when I was made fun of for being really nerdy as a kid. When people would laugh at me for wanting to have a pitstop at the library or the bookstore before going shopping at the mall with friends, or when I would get so passionate about explaining what Horcruxes are (LOL!) or what Middle-earth is. It reminds me of the times when people would make fun of me for watching documentaries on TV about conspiracy theories, hoaxes, and real urban legends. And I remember I would get offended then. Now I see, being a nerd, being a bookworm... I am actually now really proud of that! So in the end, I decided not to say anything to this guy anymore. I mean, why should I? I guess I just wonder though if he knows that being called a nerd is actually a compliment to me.

So... I guess I wanted to ask you; have you ever been made fun of for being a reader? A bookworm? A blogger, even? Have you ever been called a nerd when they meant it as an insult? Tell me your funny and maybe not-so-funny stories.

The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Wednesday, August 3, 2011


Genre: General Fiction
Rating: 5 stars

Review: I love a good love story every once in a while, and this was the perfect read for me. It was such an engaging book, as simple as the story is. It's about two lovers, who shouldn't be lovers, and it tells of their heart-wrenching journey together. It could have easily been boring and contrived, but somehow, the author makes it work. There are moments when it was predictable, but the thing is, this is one of those books where it's the journey towards the end that matters, and not necessarily just the conclusion itself.

I loved the characters; thought they were realistic and likable, and I found myself empathizing with them. I love the writing - very old-fashioned. I also liked the overall pace, even though at times I found myself wondering that in the event that some chapters were edited out, if it would have been the same, and I think it would be. I didn't really mind, because I was enjoying the flow and the story itself overall despite the unnecessary chapters.

So to recommend or not to recommend? Well, I highly recommend this to fans of good love stories - albeit a bit cheesy, I thought it still worked. I would also recommend this to contemporary Fiction readers and fans. And if you liked/loved books with the style similar to The Time Traveler's Wife, One Day, The Violets of March, Suite Francaise, then there's a chance you might enjoy this too. For me, I really liked it. It's not a favorite necessarily, but man, I really felt for this story. For that, I'm giving it 5 stars.


share the love: give me someone to follow!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Earlier today, I was going through all the blogs on my list and realized two things:

1) I should unfollow some for various, non-personal reasons.
and...
2) I need to follow more awesome bookish, literary, and nerdy-type blogs because I LOVE discovering more like-minded bloggers and read more interesting and unique content.

So.... I come to you! If you have a blog, let me know where to find you. AND! If you have a favorite blog that you can't help but visit all the time, let me know where to find them.

I do want to mention that I think I've come to a conclusion, that the type of blogs I tend to like and adore are usually the ones with:

1) a distinct and genuine personality and voice
2) an approachable blogger
3) more than just book reviews (don't get me wrong - I read your reviews ALL THE TIME, but it's nice to read other things like discussions, ramblings, and even personal posts)

So please. Recommend me a book blogger! Share the love! Tonight, I would most likely be in front of my computer, following, reading, and commenting away, as usual.

P.S. - If you'd like to see my own favorite blogs and bloggers, clickclickclick.

locus focus - kind of.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Ahh this week has been crazy for me, so I haven't really been commenting or posting much lately. Anyway, I wanted to do this post to give you a heads up about a fellow blogger, Enbrethiliel, and her 'settings' meme, Locus Focus. This week, she's featuring places in the Harry Potter world - the only thing is you can't do posts on Hogwarts; you have to be more specific than that! ;)

I know a lot of the readers here on this blog are huge HP fans as well, so I thought I'd let you know about it. I encourage you to join in the fun, and I will make sure to read them all.

I meant to join in this week, but like I said, this week has been rather draining and stressful for me. I will be back hopefully next week or sooner. Happy posting, happy reading <3