Review: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Finally got to read this book that I have been delaying for years! And to be honest, I really regret not reading this before.

The Book Thief has just officially been my favorite book (so far). It was absolutely beautiful. Hauntingly and painfully beautiful. A story told in Death's perspective is not only a fresh break from all the other books that I've read but is actually eye-opening too. What if Death really see us that way? What if Death is really tired of his eternal existence and job of claiming and fetching souls?

The Book Thief is about war. Relationships. Love. Family. Regrets. Friendship. I have grown fond with ALL the characters in the story. Especially Rudy and Liesel. They are both such powerful and tear-inducing characters! I'm talking about the last few pages of the book! (I read and finished the last few pages of the book while I was riding the bus and took all my willpower to not ugly sob in public) And I wouldn't want to spoil it to you, yes?

I was both beyond devastated and ecstatic about this book. It would hurt to bid goodbye to the characters of the story and to the story itself as you come close to finishing the book. That was exactly what happened to me. I want to finish the book but I don't want it to end yet. And I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THE BOOK THIEF TO ANYONE. This is one of those books that EVERYONE, and I literally mean EVERYONE, should read before they die.

After reading this book, I think I just died and went to book heaven. The Book Thief would always be a part of me.



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Review: Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"...at some point, you gotta stop looking up at the sky, or one of these days you'll look back down and see that you floated away,too."

Finally, I got to read another genius book by John Green after such a long time of delaying it. Truthfully, there are visible similarities in John Green's Looking for Alaska characters but I really don't care because each character can be set apart by their own humanness and uniqueness. I love how simple yet so powerful the emotions are in this book. It's John Green! Of course it'll be great!

I wasn't particularly enticed by the title "Paper Towns" because to be honest, I DON'T KNOW WHAT A PAPER TOWN IS. Well, until I read the book. I really love the perfect mix of humor and intelligence in this book. It's like I wish I could be as intelligent and funny as the characters! I love how the characters grew and transcend as they near the end of their senior year. I love Q. He could be oe of my literary boyfriends because he's just so smart, witty, and is not afraid to show his true feelings especially through actions. I love Margo! God. She's just so awesome. Oh! I love the adventure Q had with his friends. I wish I can just simply do that. Tell people that I'll leave NOW and nothing can stop my from leaving. It's like a momentary feeling of freedom. To be away from it all even for just a short while.

Overall, I love Paper Towns. Thank you again, John Green. For showering me with your awesomeness with this book.




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Review: Thomas’s First Memory of the Flare

Thomas’s First Memory of the Flare by James Dashner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Nothing much to expect. But it really shows how much The Flare can affect people, especially the ones you love. This aaay be one of the reasons why Thomas has been a part of WICKED. To find the cure. To avoid more heartbreaking memories like this one.



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Review: The Scorch Trials

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Wow. First of all, I cannot believe that it took me almost a month just to finish this. When you're juggling work, family, and social and personal life, it's really a struggle to maintain the 1-2 days reading pace that I usually have.

Anyway, I am so glad that I was able to finish it! If I wasn't busy with work and life in general, I would've finished this in 2 days tops because of its heart-stopping and action-packed storyline.

I am starting to get used to reading in third person point of view. I think I even like how it really makes me use my imagination to the fullest since it is more of description than dialouge.

It worked and blended so well with the first one, The Maze Runner. But I could say that I still liked the first one better than this one. Nevertheless, it was still a great addition and support to The Maze Runner. James Dashner killed it again on this one!



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Only

Only in complete and unbearable silence can I hear the beating of my heart against my chest. 
The ticking of the clock. 
The uncomfortable high-pitched sound in my ears.
And my noisy and sometimes terrible thoughts. 

Review: Lullabies

Lullabies by Lang Leav

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"You were the one
I wanted most
to stay.

But tim could not
be kept at bay.

The more it goes,
the more it's gone --
the more it takes away."

When I first heard that Lang Leav is releasing another book I just can't help but hear angels singing in my ears because that is just so friggin' amazing! I absolutely loved Love & Misadventure and hear I am now, loving ever bit and page of Lullabies! Did I mention that Lang Leav is having a book signing tour here in the Philippines??? No? Then now you know that she's coming back here for another book signing event on December! I wasn't able to join the event the last time she was here for Love & Misadventure book signing. Well, I'm not gonna miss the chance to meet and greet the poem goddess that I really adore.

Going back to the book, Lullabies is a-plus-mazing. The words. The emotions. So raw and true I can't help but mark every page a favorite. Leav's poems were simple (in the sense that no heavy words were really used) yet they stab the heart with every beautifully strung word. I am no expert in writing but Leav continues to inspire me to try and try and try.

I don't particularly expect to forget any of Leav's poems. I have and will cling and hang on to them for the rest of my life.



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Review: B

B by Sarah Kay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"And she's going to learn that this life will hit you
hard,
in the face;

wait for you to get back up,
just so it can kick you in the stomach,

but getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way
to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air."

The poems were really simple. They came from a perspective of a future mother. Simple yet full of love, truth and affection.



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Review: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"...sometimes you don't look very hard for things you don't believe
will or can happen."

It's been a while since I have read such a gripping and thrilling book and the ride was really worthwhile with The Maze Runner. I've been seeing this book for years and it was only recently that I actually tried reading the book. The hype was pretty much the last push (aside from the star-studded and soon-to-be-out film adaptation). I stirred away from the movie trailers just so I wouldn't be spoiled while I'm reading the book. I can't help but check out the movie posters though. But I must say that they helped me while reading the book because it gave me a concrete image of the characters and the setting in some ways.

The main grip of the story is that teenagers were trapped in a place they call the "Glade" and have to work their asses off to figure out how to escape the place and the Maze. They have no memory as to how and why they are there. Sure, they know things and how and why they work but have no memory accompanying that knowledge. Gladers who have lived in the Glade for years have settled in a routine and played different roles in the Glade. Then came Thomas and everything after that changed. Whether they'll escape the Maze or not is up to you to find out!

The writing style somehow worked for me after all. At first, I was very wary because the first few chapters were mostly descriptive and really few dialogues were there. Actually, the book is mostly full of descriptions because it's on the third person POV. But I think it just added a more beautiful effect to the writing and to the book itself.

Overall, I really love it and would definitely recommend The Maze Runner.



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Rants

I HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR PEOPLE WHO SMOKE WHILE WALKING ON PEDESTRIAN LANES! DO YOU EVEN CONSIDER THE PEOPLE WALKING BEHIND YOU????? DO YOU THINK WE WANT TO INHALE THE SMOKE THAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH AND YOUR CIGARETTE???? I DIDN'T SHOWER THIS MORNING JUST TO HAVE MYSELF SMELLING LIKE CIGARETTE!!! THESE TYPES OF PEOPLE JUST PISS ME OFF SO MUCH.  ASDASGDAJFGALJFAKL!



*insert dramatic walk out*

Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 1 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"I know other worlds exist
I can see them
in my peripheral vision."



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Review: Far from You

Far from You by Lisa Schroeder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“Pain in your heart.
You’re playing the part
of a human in need.
You beg and you plead
Wash it away.
Wash it away.
Give me the peace,
the peace I need.”

Far From You is a story about love, friendship and family. Alice Andreeson is broken by her mother's death. Her heart is still recuperating and with this process comes the continuous struggle she has when it comes to her relationships. Alice, named after the classic story of Alice in Wonderland, just can't seem to let people in completely in her life. Sure, there is her boyfriend and her best friend whom she care for so much, but even her relationship with her best friend bumps into an obstacle which puts their friendship to a test. There is a new member of the Andreeson family and Alice just can't seem to give a damn and tries as much as she could to stay out of her family's way. It took her one traumatizing incident just to have a change of heart. Just one incident to make her see that she cares more than she thinks. Just one incident to make her realize what she was taking for granted.

What I like about this book is how it tells the story beautifully in poetry form. It was a fast-read for me because the story is gripping, making me want to read page after page after page. Another thing I like about this book is how it portrayed character development. It's gradual yet fulfilling to be able to see the character, Alice, come out of her shell and finally be on the road to happiness.


“I don’t think it matters how hearts are mended, Al.
Just that they are, you know?”



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Review: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Lovely Bones is a wonderful story about a fourteen year old Susie Salmon who had been raped and murdered by a neighbor. Her death brought heartaches and suffering. But despite all of the painful memories that have been and will always be there because of Susie's death, it's beautiful how her death also brought people back together. Death is and will always be depressing part of life. But it will depend on how people will take it. How they'll move past it, if possible. Because we can't really run away from it. What we can do is savor the memories we have of the departed and cherish them and live.

"These were the lovely bones that had grown around my absence: the connections -- sometimes tenuous, sometimes made at great cost. And I began to see things in a way that let me hold the world without me in it. The events that my death wrought were merely the bones of a body that would become whole at some unpredictable time in the future."



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You

You've touched me in ways
not physically possible.
You've made me feel things
that are so out of this world.
You've seen me in ways
no other person can.
You love me in unfathomable,
incredible,
irrevocable ways
that leaves me craving.
Wanting more of you.
I guess I'll never
have enough of you.
But then I have forever
to love you.

First week of work: Check!

I'm very happy to announce that IT'S OFFICIALLY THE WEEKEND!!! Oh God, I now finally understand the excitement employed people feel when it's already Friday! Anyway, I'm also officially done with my first week at work!!! (Sorry for the excessive use of exclamation points lol) I've have mixed emotions about my first week at work.

1. I felt homesick. 
2. I missed my family. 
3. I missed the comfort of home. 
4. I missed my mom's cooking. 
5. I really miss reading books and watching movies and t.v. series. 
6. I felt really "adult" doing mature stuff. 
7. I felt happy because I'm finally employed.
8. I felt good that I'm continuously learning things and am able to apply to my job everything that I've learned from the past.
9.  I felt excited for the days to come and the challenges along with it.
10.  I felt ecstatic about the future.

Every day, upon getting home, I go straight to bed because I'm tired as heck! Then I wake up early to go to work. A routine. I've started getting a hang of a routine ever since I started working. It's not bad, really. I still got to do diverse things every day. Things that will help me grow. Things that will teach me lessons. Things that will test my patience and abilities.

Anyway, I promise that I will savor every minute and every hour of this weekend. (If only time slowed down on weekends! Ugh)

Note To Self #3

If you're brain is bothered by questions, ASK. Never hesitate to ask questions. Would it make you look dumb? Not always. It depends on the questions you'll ask. But wouldn't it be worse if you didn't ask the question then just proceeded with your task and it turned out to be a total failure? Ask questions.

First Day At Work!

Guess who's currently off the list of the "Unemployed"?? Me! I'm currently working in a small Marketing firm and it was my first day today! Of course there was the first day jitters which quickly faded as I started settling in. As a new employee of the company, the Marketing team basically introduced us to their craft and everything that encompasses our job description and gave me tasks to do for the day. The work is not entirely hard but there is always just a lot of stuff to do. Being a multi-tasker that I am, so far, I could say that I'll survive this fast-paced environment and hopefully really enjoy the job. :)

Note To Self #2

You can always find peace in the quiet. There are things that are best kept inside you to avoid wreckage or further destruction. There are things that are best left in the oblivion of things unsaid or should've said.

Review: Words from a Wanderer

Words from a Wanderer by Alexandra Elle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've posted my first Note To Self entry on my blog days before I read this book. After reading this, I'm more than inspired to encourage myself and others. This brings the definition of "self-help" in a whole other level. There's literally no other person who can help us but ourselves. We make decisions. We make mistakes. We break. We get up and try harder. We choose what to do in this life and no one is responsible for that but us.

This book is really inspiring, heart-warming and in some ways, life-changing. Thank you, Alex Elle for your beautiful and enthralling words of wisdom and encouragement.



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Review: Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish

Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish by David Rakoff

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"But dreams scream as loud,
whether thriving or dying"

This poignant novel which was written and told in verse radiated heartache, pure loneliness, angst and longing. This work is remarkable just thinking about the rhyming and timing of every word and line. I also loved how every person in the story is connected in some ways and factor each and own's perish.



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Note To Self #1

Just because you can't find a job after 3 months of tiring job applications, it doesn't mean that something's wrong with you. It doesn't mean that you're not good enough for anything at all. It's just really hard nowadays. You gotta stay strong, girl!

Review: The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've been seeing The Giver ever since I was in high school but I haven't really given any thought on reading this book. I can say that the reason behind it is because I wasn't particularly enticed by the book cover. I could even remember a time back then when an aunt of mine asked me if I have a copy of The Giver, which my answer was obviously "No". After reading this today, I briefly became angry with myself because WHY THE HELL DID I NOT READ THIS BEFORE????

The book started with Jonas, the protagonist of this book, feeling apprehensive about the upcoming event which was an annual Ceremony on the month of December that includes the Naming (wherein "newchildren" will be assigned to their respective "units") and the Ceremony of One up to Twelve (which represents the children's age) with matching rituals, symbolisms and/or new roles to play in the community. Jonas was specifically dreading the Ceremony of Twelve wherein their group will be assigned to different roles/jobs in the community and would train from then on by the Committee of Elders who has meticulously observed every child in the community to know what lies ahead for the future Twelves.

The book sounds dystopian right? Well, yes, you're right but unlike other dystopian novels like The Hunger Games wherein there was torment, destruction and unhappiness, every bit from the story gave way to the notion that they were living in a world/community of utopia. A place where there's only serenity and harmony. A place where people felt no real pain. A place where people have no recall of the past and everything alongside it. But with that monotonous order and peacefulness implies that there are so much that the people have been neglected of experiencing and feeling. People had no memories of the past. Only The Giver has them. That's what makes it dystopia. Who would have liked to live in a colorless and painless world right? That would have been excruciatingly BORING. Dull. Gray. Jonas learned more of the truth and the horrors and beauty behind it. He started to really "feel" which I thought was beautiful. It was as if I was witnessing a small child learning his way to the world.

The writing style suited the story very well. I love the open ending, the mystery and all. This classic book surely did not disappoint and should be read by every human being at least once in their lifetime. (Again, WHY THE HELL DID I NOT READ THIS BEFORE??)



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You will always be
my 10 pm dreams
and 2 am thoughts.

Review: Alys, Always

Alys, Always by Harriet Lane

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I came across this book last year when Fully Booked Gateway branch had a renovation sale wherein EVERYTHING is discounted with 50% off the original price. I went to the shop on the 3rd or 4th day of the sale so, unfortunately, almost all the good titles were already taken. I bought this along with 2 other books, The Fortunes Of Indigo Skye and The Unfinished Angel. To be completely honest, I only bought this book mainly because it has a pretty cover. Also considering that the book blurb is nowhere to be found. Only short reviews can be seen at the front and back of the book. I trusted the reviews and the pretty book cover. But damn, I was so wrong for having great expectations from this book.

This book talked about the general vulnerability of humans and the lengths and extremities of the things they will do to get what they want.

The book is relayed from the perspective of the main character, Frances Thorpe, who's life is so dull and uneventful until she came across an accident involving Alys Kyte. Well I really find her boring as hell and monotonous. No wonder her life is so uninteresting. I found a hard time calculating Frances and what she was up to. At first I thought, even though she's boring as fuck, she's an entirely nice person. But meh. I think because her life is just so dull, it made her do things that would give her the attention she never had. So, as I'm starting to near the end of the book, all I could honestly think of is how much of an attention whore Frances Throrpe is and how much she really wanted to squeeze into the life of the Kytes, which required a whole lot of effort from Frances. But then in the end, she got what she wanted so hurrah for her, I guess.

On the upside, I liked Harriet Lane's writing style. She put into details the feel and picture of the story although sometimes it was too much and was getting in the way of the actual story. So all in all, I'll give it two stars. I was really supposed to rate it with only 1 star but then I really loved the book cover so I'll add up another star.



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Review: This Is How You Lose Her

This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've been seeing this book long before but haven't really had the urge to pick it up and read it. At first, I thought it's another YA book about a cheesy romance that resulted to a bad break-up or something, but this book is beyond that simple equation. This book is mostly focused on, Yunior, a Dominican man living in the States, experiencing a LOT of shit and fuck-ups in his life. Aside from Yunior's fucked up family life, Yunior's experienced many bad break-ups mostly because he cheated. His brother, father and most of his friends were cheaters. People think that it runs on the blood. Yunior denied that at first. But when he stepped his feet on the road of cheating, he cannot further deny it. He fell in love with a handful of sensible women but being the cheater that he is, he fucks it up. It took a very long time before Yunior decided to flip the coin and started anew.

I love the animated, excruciating and frangible truth about modern love. The use of profane and Barbaric language only added up to the honest picture of human weakness and also added a comedic air in it.

This is the first work of Junot Díaz that I have read and it certainly won't be the last one. It did not disappoint. This is absolutely and easily one of my favorite books.



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When Lightning Strikes

Streaks of lightning
Spiraled down the dark sky
Thunder boomed
Making my heart bolt
Water bleeding out
Of miserable clouds
Wishing you were here
To soothe my lonely
And millstone of a heart.

Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Book review:

Rating: 5/5 stars

First of all, I wanna discuss the reason/s why I chose to read this book. I fell in love with the cover when I first saw it. Shortly after, I went to Goodreads and read the book blurb. It looks promising and tragic so I gave it a go. 

I really love the cover and the meaning behind it. It doesn't only represent the traumatic and tragic incident that happened to Toby at the roller coaster ride at Disneyland, but also symbolizes life itself. that life is a roller coaster ride. Sometimes we're up. Sometimes we're down. Ezra's life is a definitive example of this. 

"I was no longer Ezra Faulkner, golden boy, and maybe I hadn't been for a while, but the more time I spent with Cassidy, the more I was okay with it."

Ezra encountered a really unfortunate incident that changed his life. He was no longer the Golden Boy. Everyone looked at him differently after the accident as if the accident defined him. He doesn't want to hang around his old friends anymore because he thinks that the only thing that will glue him to them is pity. Well it's because they weren't his true friends. True friends stick around no matter what shit happens to your life. Which is why I love Toby's character. Toby is a true friend of Ezra's and it took Ezra a while to realize that. Then Cassidy came along. I also love Cassidy's character. She's mysterious, intelligent, beautiful and sarcastic without being annoying. Their conversations are smart, profound and punny (get it? pun-ny? ha!). I also can't get enough of all the hilarious puns that the characters are using. 
This book is one of those with heart-wrenching endings. It didn't end the way we wanted to be but it just proves that life isn't supposed to be that way. People will enter our life either to fuck it up or change it for the better. Obstacles will come our way either to ruin us or to make us stronger and better persons. 
I love the writing style. It speaks of true emotions yet put into strings of simple words. It's my first time to read a work by Robyn Schneider and it surely didn't disappoint. 

"Oscar Wilde once said that to live is the rarest thing in the world, because most people just exist, and that’s all. I don’t know if he’s right, but I do know that I spent a long time existing, and now, I intend to live."

Sometimes

Sometimes I wonder
if you think about me
as much as I 
think about you.

Sometimes I wish
I could just fly past
the hundreds of miles
between us.

Sometimes I want
to feel the warmth
of your lips
against mine.

Sometimes I will
myself to sleep knowing
that your beautiful face
will haunt my dreams.

If sometimes means
as often as 
I breathe then 
yes, sometimes.

Birth-date!

Today was fun! Tiring but fun! We celebrated my boyfriend's birthday (which was, technically, yesterday). I came by their house first so that the four of us, namely, me, my boyfriend (Nikko), Nikko's older sister (Ate Nikki), and Nikko's younger sister (Nikka) will go to Makati together.

The plan was that Nikko and I will eat lunch at Cafe 1228 at New World Makati and the sisters will eat someplace else. Then after lunch, the four of us will watch Transformers: Age of Extinction. Unfortunately, the day didn't go as planned. I was supposed to be home by 5:30 pm (daddy said so!) so that was a major factor as to why the plans were changed. Most of the movie tickets at Glorietta and Greenbelt were sold out (even 22 Jump Street!) and we're left with the last full show tickets. So that left us no choice but to not watch a movie anymore! :(  Instead, after eating lunch at Cafe 1228, which left our tummies really happy and full, we roamed around the Ayala malls and hung out at Cafe Ti-Amo for a while and ate gelato before going home. By that time, we were already tired. But then we had to face the grueling and exhausting mode of transportation in the form of the MRT. We had to squeeze and bump our bodies with other people and survive the heat. That is surely one of the worst things you could ever experience in your whole life. Fortunately, we arrived at our destination alive. Haha! 

After I got my things at their house and bought daddy dinner, Nikko and I went to our place and ate dinner and shared stories with my dad. It was an absolute delight to see your dad and your boyfriend sharing stories and laughs like they've known each other for years! But like any other day, the day has got to reach its finality no matter how much we don't want it to end.

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak

Book review:

Rating: 2/5 stars

To be completely honest, I only got curious as to what this book will deliver because it's B.J. Novak. I adored him in The Office and Saving Mr. Banks which led me to actually reading his book. This book contained different stories. Some connected. Most are not. Some pretty long. Some really short. But if you'll ask me about the whole experience, I didn't particularly enjoy it. Some stories are a bit dragging. There are a few stories that I liked. A few lines that i remember but that's it. Nothing really special about this book, to be honest.

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Book review:

Rating: 5/5 stars

This book is captivating and honest from the very start. This book opened my mind to how OCD and having cerebral palsy truly feels like. It's tough but seeing how the characters try hard to go beyond their sickness is inspiring. It's both excruciating and fun to watch Amy and Matthew not admit to each other, at first, how they feel about each other. The ways they show how they like each other is gratifying! They're both willing to go beyond what they're going through and beyond themselves because they're starting to like each other. They're both different and the same. 

"That's the whole point. If you want to get better, you don't make the easy choice; you make the hard one."

I admire Amy's strength and determination. She genuinely wants to help Matthew get better. She helped Matthew realize that he really has a problem and needs help. Acceptance is hard for someone who tried hard to keep everything a secret. Progress was slow for Matthew but Amy helped him. There may have been rough roads in their relationship, it's really inspiring to see two different (and the same), people struggle in such a cruel world but struggle together. 

"If you care what they think, they have all the power."

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Book review:

Rating: 4/5 stars

This book is captivating and honest from the very start. This book opened my mind to how OCD and having cerebral palsy truly feels like. It's tough but seeing how the characters try hard to go beyond their sickness is inspiring. It's both excruciating and fun to watch Amy and Matthew not admit to each other, at first, how they feel about each other. The ways they show how they like each other is gratifying! They're both willing to go beyond what they're going through and beyond themselves because they're starting to like each other. They're both different and the same. 

"That's the whole point. If you want to get better, you don't make the easy choice; you make the hard one."

I admire Amy's strength and determination. She genuinely wants to help Matthew get better. She helped Matthew realize that he really has a problem and needs help. Acceptance is hard for someone who tried hard to keep everything a secret. Progress was slow for Matthew but Amy helped him. There may have been rough roads in their relationship, it's really inspiring to see two different (and the same), people struggle in such a cruel world but struggle together. 

"If you care what they think, they have all the power."

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Book review:

Rating: 4/5 stars

"The fantasy never got beyond that -- I didn't let it -- and though the tears rolled down my face, I wasn't sobbing or out of control. I just waited a bit, then turned back to the car, to drive off to wherever it wad I was supposed to be."

Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



(2014 re-read review)

The first time I read TFIOS, I cried buckets of tears. I fell in love with the characters and their story and the book, in general. The second time I read it, I just can't. I haven't completely moved on from it ever since the first time I read it and I dunno if I will ever move on. I don't mind getting my heart broken by this book again and again. It's TFIOS for God's sake!

(2012 review)

This is certainly one of the best books I've ever read. And this is one of the books that made me cry (in a good way). There is just enough love story. It is absolutely not dragging. John Green wrote it beautifully. A must-read!



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Review: The Fortunes of Indigo Skye

The Fortunes of Indigo Skye by Deb Caletti

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



"This is not just a simple story of Money can't buy happiness. Or maybe that's just what it is. And if it is, why shouldn't it be? Because if it is something we are already supposed to know, then why don't we know it? Why do we chase and scrabble and fight for things to flaunt, why? Why do we reach for power over other people, and through the thin superiority of our possessions, believe we have it? Why do we let money make people bigger, and allow those without it to be made smaller? How did we lose the truth in the frantic, tribal drumbeat of more, more, more?"



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Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 2

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 2 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"As my story came to a
close I realized that I was
the villain all along."



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Review: Train Man

Train Man by Nakano Hitori

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"What they did was something very simple: they offered to help somebody who needed help. It was a simple gesture stemming from a sense of common courtesy we all carry within ourselves."

It really is amazing how the power of encouragement and faith to a person can change their lives forever. These anonymous people weren't obliged to help Train but they did so because they really wanted to help him. There really is still hope in humanity.



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Review: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"I think I see the difference now, between loving someone from afar and loving someone up close. When you see them up close, you see the real them, but they also get to see the real you."

I love the fact the story didn't just revolve around Lara Jean's romance but also focused on familial relationships. It's such a light and cute read that you'd just tear through the pages of this book.



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Review: The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"But I have no choice. He is coming, and I am here."

I unquestionably fell in love with this book and and have greatly enjoyed reading every page of it. The mystery of it all. The concept of time traveling. The characters. The emotions. The longing. The pain. The love. All well written by the author. This certainly is a book one must read before s/he dies.



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Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book is an absolute page-turner! It's a really emotional book and an astounding one too. It's a tough-but-must-read!



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Review: Eleanor & Park

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I am absolutely, undoubtedly and undeniably in love with this book. The story is so simple if you really think about it. Two young teenagers fell in love for the first time. But as simple as it may sounds, what makes the whole book beautiful is how the emotions were portrayed. How "real" the characters were. How real their feelings were. I just ran out of things to say about this book. It's just amazingly written! This'll definitely be one of my all-time favorite books!

(Thank God for bringing Rainbow Rowell to this world! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, RAINBOW!!!! AAAAAAHH!!!)



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Review: The Realm of Possibility

The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"You think you know your possibilities
Then other people come into
your life
and suddenly there are so many
more."

I have always loved David Levithan's writing style. And combining that with free-versed poems exhibited such a powerful book of overflowing emotions.



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Review: Hollow City

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Holy crap. Fans of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children won't be disappointed in this book!It was an absolute thrilling and enthralling adventure. If I'm gonna summarize it into just a word: awe-fucking-some!!!

Note: Enoch is so fucking annoying I want to punch him in the throat throughout the whole book.

P.S. Prepare yourself for Chapter 13. That's one hell of a chapter!! Oh what a way to end such a good book AND LEAVE ME HANGING AND WANTING MORE!!!! (i srsly can't wait for the next book ok *cries*)



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Review: Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past

Talking Pictures: Images and Messages Rescued from the Past by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"The passage of time makes old photographs more than just someone else's memories. When names and faces are forgotten, they pass into collective memory. In a sense, they belong to all of us."



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Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 3

The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories, Vol. 3 by Joseph Gordon-Levitt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"I want desperately to press you between the pages of a book and keep you forever."



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Review: The Spectacular Now

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“Goodbye, I say, goodbye, as I disappear little by little into the middle of the middle of my own spectacular now.”

I love this book! Sutter is such a great character. There is so much going on in his life but he chooses to embrace the weird and the "now". He just doesn't care about tomorrow. But all of that gradually change when he met Aimee. I'm a sucker for YA romance and at first I expected for this to be one but no, it's not. Still, it's such a good book about self-discovery and character development.

“Besides, it doesn’t matter if it’s real. It never does with dreams. They aren’t anything anyway but lifesavers to cling to so you don’t drown. Life is an ocean, and most everyone’s hanging on to some kind of dream to keep afloat”



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Review: The Secret of the Unicorn

The Secret of the Unicorn by Hergé

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a fun and enjoyable read. It was nice that Hergé placed some realistic scenarios and details in his drawings and stories.



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Review: Red Rackham's Treasure

Red Rackham's Treasure by Hergé

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"All's well that ends well!"

I enjoyed reading this one probably because of the added hilarity in the form of Professor Calculus! His character is just plain annoying and funny!



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Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“I used to dream about escaping my ordinary life, but my life was never ordinary. I had simply failed to notice how extraordinary it was."

I seriously don't know the words to say to explain how great this book was! I love the writing. I love how the creepy and disturbing yet really vital pictures helped in the development of the book.
The uniqueness of the story, the characters and their development, the twists and the mysteries are all worth it. Reading this book is quite and adventure and I loved it! A must-read!



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Review: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Some shall be pardoned, and some punished.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

There's no question that this book need not a review anymore. It's such a classic telling of two star-crossed lovers bound by their love for each other in such a complex and cruel world.



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Review: This is What Happy Looks Like

This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



It's a good book with an adorable story. I just expected too much from this book, I guess. I was supposed to give it 3 stars but then why not another star for such a pretty cover?!!



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Review: Meant to Be

Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



"It's not MTB. It's better."

ASDFGHJKL!! THIS BOOK UGHHHH! It's so easy to fall in love with this book! Most of the time, I feel like I'm Julia. Probably because I'm a sucker for reading and daydreaming about my perfect guy and all those fairytale-esque standards that I tend to be blinded by what's in front of me. Oh and probably with the "denial stage" she experienced. Yeah I'm a Julia haha!

It's a really good young adult book and I enjoyed every bit of it. Love it! :)



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Review: The Unfinished Angel

The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Magic is found in the most ordinary acts of kindness."

The Unfinished Angel is such a touching, sweet, innocent and funny book. It's such a light and uplifting read that just gives you "happy feels" all throughout the book. It's nice to take a break from all the cheesy, romantic, and thrilling books and just read a book like The Unfinished Angel.



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Review: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book took me a reaaaaaally long to finish. But not because it isn't good. But because I'm just not as enthusiastic to read a book that I've watched a film adaptation of. Nonetheless, I still loved it and it was a really really good book. Just another proof that the book is way waaaay better than the movie adaptation.



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Review: Easy

Easy by Tammara Webber

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I freaking love this book I don't even know what to write on this review. It's an absolute must-read and would totally recommend it to others! It's filled with pure and raw emotions. Both the main characters have demons to face in order for them to finally let each other in. What they both went through really wasn't easy and requires a whole lot of effort. Cheesy as this may sound, but they're love and devotion for each other helped them get through the obstacles in front of them.

Another reason why I love this book is the instant connection I had with it. Probably because I could relate to a lot of parts of this story and those parts of the story made me delve into the past and broke my heart in both good and bad ways.



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Review: Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene

Free Four: Tobias Tells the Divergent Knife-Throwing Scene by Veronica Roth

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Looking at her is like waking up."

It's pretty obvious that this is a short read but I think it's just right. It was enough to give us just a hint of what and/or how Four thinks. I liked that Four is not all gooey and cheeseballs when he thinks about Tris. (that last sentence tho eep!)

"I can't leave now. I like her too much. There, I said it. But I won't say it again."



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Review: Dog Songs

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“For there was nothing sweeter than his peace
when at rest.
For there was nothing brisker than his life when
in motion.
For when i went away he would watch for me at
the window.
for he loved me.
For he suffered before i found him, and never
forgot it.”

"Because of the dog’s joyfulness, our own is increased. It is no small gift. It is not the least reason why we should honor as well as love the dog of our own life, and the dog down the street, and all the dogs not yet born. What would the world be like without music or rivers or the green and tender grass? What would this world be like without dogs?"



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Review: City of Ashes

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"If you really love something, you never try to keep it the way it is forever. You have to let it be free to change."
Although it really took me a long time to finish this book, i still loved it. I'm loving this series more and more as I finish the books.
I am officially in love with both Jace and Simon. especially Simon! (after reading this book)he's like the type of boyfriend that i would gladly have because i dunno he's perfectly imperfect.

and gdi the cliff-hanger. ASDKHASKFHASL




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Review: My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man's Best Friend

My Dog: The Paradox: A Lovable Discourse about Man's Best Friend by Matthew Inman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



"Maybe that's why we love them, because their lives aren't lengthy, logical or deliberate but an explosive paradox composed of fur, teeth and enthusiasm." ❤️



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Review: Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



“Nobody can guarantee that it's going to be okay, but - and I don't know if this will be comforting to anyone else - the possibility exists that there's a piece of corn on a floor somewhere that will make you just as confused about why you were laughing as you have ever been about why you are depressed.”

Aside from the witty drawings and crazy stories (which I really loved and made me LOL), I really loved the insightful things that comes along with her stories. One of my favorite parts is Depression Part 2 because it opened my eyes to what depressed people are feeling and is by far (I think) the most accurate description of depression.

If you're looking for a quick and light read, then it's best that you read this book now. And if you can't get enough of Allie's awesome stories and drawings, then go check out her blog: hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com :)



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