City of Fallen Angels, or the book that made me pull my hair---a lot.
It has been more than a year since I've read the preceding book and honestly, I was not looking forward to reading this 4th instalment. Why? I was quite satisfied with the way the things ended on the third book. I thought it was enough, although when Sebastian's body didn't turn out, I had a pretty good idea who the villain would be on the next trilogy. So, here comes the 4th book which I could pretty much say, I dreaded reading.
The verdict: Oh, it was DREADFUL. Har-har.
Seriously though, as the title of this blog-slash-book-reaction suggests, I wanted to get drunk while reading this. Too bad I don't drink. I actually formulated a drinking game based on the book. Let me share this:
The City of Fallen Angels Drinking Game:
Ø Drink 2 shots every time you read about Jace's angles, or how sharp his face looked like, or the protruding bones of his face.
Ø Drink 2 shots (to be fair) every time you read about Clary's admiration on Jace's perfect physique. This book should also be called the "Jace Lightwood Appreciation Book".
Ø Drink 3 shots every time you read about Clary's insecurities, when obviously she's as pretty as they make it. Really. Can't we have a heroine who isn't completely oblivious to their good looks? I hate it when girls from books thinks they're ugly when everyone around them tell them differently. Seriously. Don't they own a mirror? Be confident about yourself.
Ø On the other hand, drink 3 shots every time you read about Jace boasting on his good looks.
Ø Drink 2 shots every time Clary thinks she doesn't deserve Jace. Okay. I get that Jace is so gorgeous for his own good…or that he's probably the greatest Shadowhunter of all time (which I beg to disagree), but Clary don't need to feel that she doesn't deserve Jace because of that. Clary is supposed to be brave, and loving, and kind. Those are enough qualities to deserve any man out there. Heck, being a good person is enough to deserve anyone.
Ø Drink 3 shots every time Jace thinks Clary isn't for her. This is even worse. Jace thinks he doesn't deserve Clary because he might hurt her. Blech. I hate this. I really, really, really do. This is so clichéd. It's not as if YOU (Jace, I mean) wanted to hurt her on your own accord. You know that. We all know that. So please stop doubting yourself, it's getting into my poor nerves.
Ø Drink 2 shots every time Jace and Clary push-out one another then drink 2 shots when they kiss and make-out afterwards.
Ø DRINK 5 SHOTS every time you READ on HOW Jace and Clary's LOVE for each other is SOOOOO SPESHUL. PLEASE. Gag. Gag. Gag.
That sounded so negative, but this book also has good points too.
What made this book good?
1. Simon. I have always loved Simon so it wasn't surprising when I enjoyed reading the parts about him.
2. Maia and Jordan. Oh, the scene on the end part was cute.
3. Izzy. Probably my favorite character. Kicked-ass as always.
4. Magnus Bane and Alec. Do I even need to elaborate?
5. Camille. Intriguing. Now I need to read the Infernal Devices.
6. Queen of the Seelie Court, how I love thee? I like characters who does their bitchiness with sass---especially if that bitchiness is directed towards Clary. LOL
As for the plot---hmmm, kinda predictable, to be honest, except the Lilith part. Would still read the next book though, even just to find out what happens next with Izzy and Simon and Maia and Jordan and Magnus and Alec and Camille, of course.
Too cute for words.
"Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under."
The best photo to describe this book:
Eleanor and Park were really awkward in their own ways.
Now, both were endearing as well.
Gahd. I have this thing for Korean males, so yeah, I had a little bit of a crush on Park.
Reading this book is what probably felt like drinking tea.
I don't drink tea, but I imagine it as soothing.
I actually felt bad a little bit because I am 22 years old and I still haven't met my first love. DAMN. It didn't matter before, but now I think I just missed something really big.
So, Richie's sole purpose in life was to be a douche bag. Right?
AND ELEANOR's MOM bothers me. Really bothers me. But hey, it's the 80's.
The ending. Now I'm guessing what those three words are:
"I hate you"
"I love you"
"I miss you"
"I'm coming back/home"
I hope it's the last. But please not this:
"Please forget me"
Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) - Book Reaction
It was January when I first attempted to read this book, sadly, I must have been insane that time when all I have only finished was the prologue and decided to let the eBook sleep on my reader. Not that the prologue wasn't captivating. It was. I just thought the book was too long, blah-bleeping-blah. Excuses. Anyways. Come November, my birthday month. I was thinking of celebrating it the way I did last year~~~by reading my favourites. But then, I thought, what the heck. I should finish reading the Game of Thrones as some sort of a birthday gift to myself. Most of my friends were raving about the TV Series so I've decided to find out what all the hype is all about. And so the beginning of one of the most exciting journey of my life, my journey to Westeros…
CHARACTERS - Freakin' five stars. (*****)
It's hard to find a book where you can almost love all of its characters, villains included, and this series is brimming with colourful characters which you can love or (try to) hate.
Take the Starks, you have Ned Stark, an honourable lord and a loving father; Catelyn, caring mother, faithful wife, strong woman; My goodness. It would take all day to enumerate the great qualities of every part of the Stark family. Though my favourite Stark (or should I say Starks) of all was Arya. Brilliant girl. Brave. And JON. Please forgive me for saying this; I don't care if Jon and Arya are siblings, they look so good together (at least in my mind, I haven't seen the TV series…yet) and I meant that ROMANTICALLY.
Now the Lannisters. Of course, Jaime and Cersei are hateful. At least I tried hating them, but I found the attempt unsuccessful. See, even Ned Stark tried to justify what they did and even gave Cersei a chance. But Joffrey?! Naah! Him, I abhor. He totally deserved what Arya did to him. What a wimp! Even his grandfather thought so.
Tyrion Lannister was a different story. He IS a favorite from the very beginning. Even when Catelyn Stark "arrested" him, I knew he was innocent. He's not exactly kind, but he's not too bad either.
The Targaryens: Viserys. Vile. Cruel. Obnoxious. Totally deserved what happened to him. Daenerys. I loved. She totally kicked some ass. Especially on the last part. And her first night will Khal Drogo was a favorite.
Character I would totally bitch-slap: Petyr Baelish (you don't deserve the Lord).
Character that I would give a bear hug (aside from the aforementioned characters above): the Dancer, Arya's trainer.
PLOT/STORYLINE: Oooh, give it a FIVE! (*****)
Of course it's a five.
World building: CHECK. Twists and turns: CHECK. Solid plot: CHECK.
Creating a whole new word is no easy feat, that much I can tell. Westeros is just so rich of detail, it's amazing. Yes, when people say this series is EPIC. Believe that cause there is just no other way to describe it.
No wonder this was turned into a TV Series. It is THAT good.
The relationship among the characters.
The deceptions. The secrets.
The romance angles.
"Oh, the things we do for love" ~ Probably the best line to describe this book.
Everything that happened in this book was because of love.
May it be for family, for honour, for power.
It was love that killed; that endured; that lived. (Jeez)
This is like a fairy tale for adults; complete with kingdoms, knights, princesses, monsters, and dragons. But THIS is NO BEDTIME Story. Unless you want nightmares. It's a fairy tale for adults. No sugar-coated bullshits. If Martin wants to kill his character, he killed it without considering its possible effects to the sanity of the reader. So, an advice for those who haven’t read it yet. Don't EVER choose a favourite character (THAT IS SO HARD, MIND YOU), unless you want to end up with a broken heart (LIKE ME). please don't kill Jon and Arya, please, please, pretty please, with chocolate toppings on top
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: Damn, a 6? (*****)
Sometimes, you just have to put it down to get some air. Every chapter was a heart-stopping chapter.
Sometimes, you just have to stop reading because everything is just so intense, and you kinda want to know what happens next or just stop it for a while because you're afraid that on the next chapter one of the characters which you absolutely loved might be dead.
If you want some sleepless night, this book is the perfect choice.
It sure would keep you up all night, turning the pages, and in the morrow, you wouldn't regret even a wink of your sleep.
Though, I think that this book is best taken on small doses. Too much emotional assault isn't good for the heart. You get too attached with a character, on the next chapter, it's dead.
So, there's a lot of fight scenes too. For those who likes those physical stuffs, though I prefer the one-liners.
This book has Tyrion Lannister, he's enough to get five stars for entertainment value.
BOOK 2? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
A Game Of Thrones, Season 1: On its way.
Life is just so great.
Now, how I wish I get 240 hours a day.
Sometimes, stand-alone is better
Okay. So that was it!
I wished that Bethany stopped on the first.
I get the importance of the party scene. I've read the original Poe, but how I wished she just fitted that one on the first book. This second book just left me miserable.
At the first book, I love the goth feel.
Araby and Elliot's somehow twisted relationship was just right for me.
This book....was disappointing.
Trying to finish it was a chore. It was a "for the love of Poe, let's just get this over and done with". Somehow, the magic of the first book got lost, what with the love triangle in almost every corner. Seriously. This book is full of Araby being confused between Will and Elliot, it's annoying.
Honestly, if it was me, there wouldn't be a contest. It's Elliot. And I don't care of he's twisted, or if he's in love with power more than Araby. I don't know. I never really liked Will.
To be honest, it was April and Kent who made me endure this book up to the end. I wished this book were just about them. They're very refreshing characters.
So, yeah...I'm thankful that this series only had two books...not that I'm all smiles-and-laughters with the ending. Far from it. I just don't want this to get worse.
"We are the children of murderers, abandonded by our fathers. We do things others wouldn't dream of. But here in this garden, we can forget.
So I take off my mask and kiss him.
And he kisses me back. All of his intensity and all of my own yearning seem to twine between us."
Because I'm Team Elliot up to the end.
The Book that Almost Took Away My Sanity
RICK RIORDAN, YOU ARE SERIOUSLY MESSING UP WITH MY SANITY.. or what's left of it after that cliffhanger (on the 3rd book).
This is so much.
Great character development.
I don't know how Rick Riordan do this, but he really makes you fall in love with his characters.
He's like the MASTER of CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!
Moving on...
Percabeth: Okay. I ship this couple so much, I think of them as just one entity. Everytime the scene switch to Tartarus, it makes me cry and smile at the same time. I just love how Anabeth thinks that seawead brain is not just her "boyfriend", but someone who's part of her that she cannot live without. We all know how awesome the two of them are, but being in Tartarus is quite different. They had to drink liquid fire in order to survive---plus monsters, titans, and giants are just around the corner waiting for the right time to attack them. Add in the fact that Anabeth has no weapon, their survical rate is close to nil. Thank the Gods for Bob.
For the author: please, please, please, i am begging my heart out here; do not, i repeat, DO NOT mess with Percabeth again. I might have a heart attack. As Anabeth said, if all sufferings has a corresponding reward, then they truly deserve the grand prize.
Frank Zhang: Honestly, Frank is one of those character which is "unnoticeable" for me. I don't even remember him that much. What his special abilities are, what quest was he in---i don't remember those. So, Frank's character development is like a big BANG! on me.
Piper and Hazel: The two ladies left behind at Argo II. I have..and will always be a big fan of Anabeth, and these two seemed like "support characters" for me on the first few books. Heck. I even remember Reyna more than I remember them. But thank the Gods of Olympus, Rick Riordan is the master of character development. I mean, woah! Hazel on that last part was totally amazing...and so was Piper in defeating Khione. These ladies really took a leap in the bad-ass heroine department.
Leo Valdez (and a little bit of Calypso): Halfway through the book, I was wondering what on Earth I was going to write for Leo Valdez. He was being his usual self, until----
Dodong~~~ Calypso came along and changed everything. I wouldn't write any spoilers..but it was just so sad and beautiful. Ahh.
Jason and Nico: OMFG! Nico and his confession. T________T
I don't think I have to comment on that. Then, of all people, it was Jason who found out. Nico has always been solitary, so I think that was a good thing. It would serve some sort of a bridge between him and Jason...and hopefully with the whole group.
But man, that confession was like a...
So basically, this book is still action-packed! Full of scenes that would take you on the edge of your seat. And yeah. Full of gut-wrenching---heart-breaking scenes too.
and in every chapter I was like...
I WILL NOT. I REPEAT. I WILL NOT ACCEPT A TRAGIC ENDING FOR THIS SERIES.
DON'T YOU FUCKIN' DARE RIORDAN! YOU DON'T DO THAT TO ME!
Riordan....
I guess I'm still in some sort of hangover.
The Cover
I'm sorry, but I think it didn't do justice to the whole book.
Honestly, no matter how much people say to not just the book with its cover, sometimes, you just can't help. So yeah, I almost missed this one because it looked boring.
Honestly, I kinda get what all the hype on this book is all about.
It got solid world building.Great imagination you have there Samantha Shannon.-t
Likable characters. Hello Paige, hello Nick.
Intriguing story line.
Fast-paced action scenes.
A little bit of humor.
So why the 3 stars?
truthfully, I also don't know.
maybe it has something to do with the complexity of the story.
some kind of information overload.
there are a lot of things that i have to remember,
the order of the clairvoyant, their classification, etc. etc. etc.
the name of the places,
seriously, can't Samantha Shannon create a character which doesn't have a unique sounding name?
would that lessen the beauty of her book?
relationships
one of those things that usually turns me off.
all the time i was reading the book, i keep on anticipating where the love interest would appear and where the love story would start, and boy, thank goodness it isn't insta-love.
from the very beginning, Arcturus Mesarthim (a.k.a. Warden) intrigued me.
the man is made up of mystery,
and i'm just so happy about him and Paige,
somehow I had the feeling that it would end up into something like that.
you don't spend day and night with someone, save their lives without having even a little amount of feelings.
The Rephaim.
Scion.
Seven Seals.
Clairvoyants.
There is so much more to learn in this book, and since this series is supposed to have seven books in it, I just hope that it could maintain, or even exceed the hype.
P.S. What's with the number SEVEN? Seven seals. Seven dials. Seven Orders. The series have Seven books too. Oh well.
crying blood and tears because of that ending 
sometimes, this series don't feel like a series at all but a really-really-really long book divided into parts, what with all the cliffhanger endings?
i'll probably give this book a 4 if not for that heartbreaking ending?
eight? seriously?
Four: Still great, his smooching with Sarah still pisses me off though, even if Sarah learned how to fight and all. I don't know. I just find it really annoying.
Six: My favorite Garde. Gahd. Bad-ass.
Nine: Next to Six, Nine is my favorite. Gotta love his devil-may-care attitude and his love for violence (against the Mogs, at least)
Eight and Marina: I just love this couple. Also, I loved Marina's character development.
Ella: that comment from her about possibly marrying Nine almost cracked me up.
Five: I wish I could kill that bastard myself.
I'm just happy that Sam and his Dad are finally reunited. As well as the Garde. Phew. Unfortunately, the end is coming near and I bet that more interesting characters would end up dying, so better be prepared for that.
There are books that could sweep you off your feet. This one belongs to it. I'm a big sucker for fairy tale retellings. I do love happy endings. The first time I've seen this book in Goodreads, I instantly fell in love with it. The title. The cover. The blurb. I had high expectations for it. And thank the ancestors, it didn't disappoint.
In the beginning...
The moment I laid my hands (figuratively, it's an ecopy) into this book, I just can't seem to put it down.
The writing was compelling, the story, riveting. It was a mix of fairy tales (at least for me) that I grew up loving. Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty. I almost expected a stepmother and two stepsisters to pop out. I believe there's also a little bit of Romeo and Juliet mixed in. But even though this story is a mix of different tales which are loved for centuries, the author managed to make it his/her own. She created her own realm, her characters with their own personalities, her own myths and legends.
Gem and Isra's love story touched me to the core, who wouldn't? I admit I have a soft spot for forbidden love and i-hate-you-so-much-i-love-you stories, and this one is perfect for my taste.
I could almost feel the conflicting emotions of the two leads as if they were my own. Man, I even cried. Loads. Buckets of tears. The funny thing was, now that I think of it, I never felt hatred towards any characters on this book. Even for the villain. I guess, all the time I was thinking about how Gem and Isra will be able to get the happy ending they truly deserved.
One thing that irked me though, was the ending. I dunno why, but it seemed lacking to me. I wasn't satisfied. But maybe that was just me. I think I wanted something grand, more dramatic. Blame it on this book too. I was crying halfway and I expected an...i dunno...surge of emotion...maybe..towards the end part, and it's just wasn't there. And it's so sad because I missed breakfast just to finish this book.
Anyways, the whole story can make up for any shortcomings. This is one of those books that will leave you with a hang over. I wonder how long will this hang over last? One thing is sure though, this will be part of favorites shelf.
Actual rating: 2.5
That sums up my feelings for this book.
The story line was good. Interesting.
I had problems with the way it was written though.
Similes and Metaphors? For the love of all that's holy.
I think I just had an overdose.
Realization is a pendulum the size of the moon. It won't stop slamming into me."
I think lines like this are major overkill. HaHa.
Feels weird reading them.
Another thing. Another thing. Another thing.
Juliette is so repetitive, it's annoying, annoying, annoying.
Seriously? When you're speaking in your head, do you really repeat words? over and over and over again?
Anyways. What saved this book was Warner and Kenji. I just thought they're cute, in different ways.
I mean, okay, Warner is a psycho, but heck, I like him...for no other reason. Just that.
And Kenji, I think I have to be thankful to [a:Tahereh Mafi|4637539|Tahereh Mafi|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1299027546p2/4637539.jpg] for creating a character like him. So likable. HaHa.
Since I'm a bit interested of the plot, I think I would still read the next book, I'll just totally ignore Juliette. LMAO
Since I cannot find the right words to describe how much I love this book.
I actually fell in love with the title. It sounded creepy, and beautiful.
I fell in love with the characters too, though I have to say that Brooke pretty much beat all of 'em on the art of being cool. LOL
So yeah. Story was great. I thought there would be a lot of icky zombies like this:
but it doesn't, so I guess it was more than fine.
I mean, for most part of the book, Sam was captured, but it didn't turned out to be boring. Yay for that.
Another thing. I am so looking forward to reading the next book. Sean, watch out. Hahaha
The Time Keeper
Mitch Albom....
Thank you.
TBH, the only Mitch Albom book I've read before was [b:The Five People You Meet in Heaven|3431|The Five People You Meet in Heaven|Mitch Albom|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348889243s/3431.jpg|2561472], and then this one. It actually felt like I was reading a [a:Dan Brown|630|Dan Brown|http://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1206553442p2/630.jpg] book due to the short chapters and fast-paced storytelling. Unlike TFPYMiH, this one is less emotional for me, though it was as interesting and as meaningful.
I'm thanking Mitch Albom for bringing me back into the game. See, I've been infected with "Reader's block" for a while now and I can't seem to find a book that would make me feel like "I have to read this book now", until this one. I became so excited on what might happen with Father Time and the two people. So for that, Thank you very much.
Charlotte's Web
I imagine Wilbur looking like this:
No, i'm (slightly) kidding.
Truth is, I don't really see what Charlotte had seen in Wilbur for her to do all of those things. Kindness? Naaah. Most of the time, Wilbur was just whining.
Anyways, it's hard not to like this book, even if I haven't seen anything special in Wilbur, I totally admire Charlotte, and EVEN Templeton. Yikes. That Rat is like your GRUMPY little old man who is always mad at everything but is really kind-hearted. At least, I see him that way.
Nobody, of the hundreds of people that had visited the Fair, knew that a grey spider had played the most important part of all. No one was with her when she died.</>
Isn't that a sad-sad-sad thing?