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There are lots of reasons why this book is very popular; one of the reasons is that - John Green is a gifted writer and this can be witnessed in this novel, The Fault in Our Stars. The novel revolves around the protagonist, Hazel. She is a girl of great sensitivity and humor knowing that her time on Earth is nearing its end. She's not struggling to make peace with it because she accepts it, that death had already found her. Unexpectedly, she met her whimsical soulmate, Augustus, a fellow cancer sufferer. I love how the novel made me cry. I actually cried not because that death has found them but on how the novel tells us that life isn't always fair. The Fault In Our Stars is not a depressing read, then again, it isn't an entirely beautiful novel either. It is simply a truthful depiction of love, loss, and life. The Fault In Our Stars is an insightful and moving novel that will not just leave you with a inspiring story to remember, but also with a more optimistic understanding of life. P.S: I also love ANTM! :p

*Spoiler Alert* This novel is punched up to full force spookiness! It's too much for one sitting! I have to say this, initially. You know what I admire the most in this novel? It's the unpredictable entwine for the lead character, Teddy Daniels. The same basic plot exists in this novel like all other good remarkable mystery novels as well as the anticipated twist in the ending. Shutter Island opens up with two cops, Teddy and Chuck aboard a ferry destined to arrive at a seemingly deserted island called the Shutter Island (It is the place where the criminally insane locked up terribly). The cops went there to investigate an escaped inmate (patient). They were introduced to the institution's authorities and witnesses immediately after their arrival. Teddy hurriedly commenced interviews with other patients who knew the escaped inmate; it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that most of the people interviewed turn out to give unrelated news. It seems everyone knows more than they admit, but absolutely no one is willing to help Teddy connect the dots. And that is where the twist came over. In the first part of the story it is said that Teddy is also a war veteran that is haunted by disturbing dreams and memoirs about his time spent in battle that is why he was slightly bothered on the escape scenario. But he's nevertheless very eager to investigate the insane asylum to the extent that he even tried to put the messed up clues together and figure out the mystery surrounding the place as well. And as we go on near the end, we learn that the lead character isn't there to investigate anything at all since he's also an inmate there who has invented much of what he was investigating as part of his surviving mechanism. This is highly recommended to Sidney Sheldon lovers. This was really an intriguing and suspenseful read!

It's been several months since I have read a John Grisham novel. He has yet again done a great helluva a job in this novel, The Racketeer. John Grisham's works oftentimes include virtuous or upright lawyers as protagonist, but this time, he walks into the Dark Side. I don't know if this was his first novel where he clings into the bad side of a person, a lawyer to be exact. Well, judging from almost sixteen (16) J.Grisham novels that I've read, this was probably his first. A Racketeer is a person who engages in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings. But who is really the Racketeer? This novel will get you thinking who the Racketeer is to the extent that you wouldn't mind skipping meals just to discover who it is. The story started with the man named Malcolm Bannister. He is an ex-lawyer charged with a federal crime --money laundering, a crime he only technically and innocently committed. When he is about halfway through a ten year prison sentence, a federal judge is murdered. As an intelligent man, Mr Bannister sensed a loophole -- a chance to obtain liberty; he challenged the FBI, negotiated his release by telling them he knows who the murderer was and his motives. What appears to be the MOST INTERESTING TWIST in the story is that we begin to find out that Malcolm Bannister has an entirely different and new agenda of his own. This novel has a very interesting story. It is so entertaining that I could actually die! Haha. There is an ultimate high level of suspense throughout, enough to maintain our utmost interest in the story as we follow Malcolm's everyday activities and his mysterious plan to stay out of prison. "I guess under the right circumstances, a man will do just about anything." --John Grisham, The Racketeer

BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE. When you get old or mature enough, you'd naturally learn and adopt the message that the story is trying to convey. Yes, that everything in this is world is not permanent and that life isn't fair. The novel teaches us to enjoy each day -- plus the "Amyotrophic Lateral Aclerosis (ALS)' and its devastating effects to human. If something destructive is destined to come to your life, you must accept it, although accepting it is even harder, you must fight for the moment where you will be able to say: 'I accept' - but that doesn't mean you will just lie on your bed and wait for your death; you have to make the most out of it. The truth hurts, everyone knows that. Life is really just a game, a long fighting journey, so we must desperately try to reach our goals and fight for the acceptance of life and become a person with value. People often say that life is unfair, which is true. Life being frequently unfair is a fact. That's why it can be similar with a game. There are some parts of our lives that in which sometimes we get upset and sometimes we have our sweetest and unforgettable victory. You make your own life, make you own decisions, live, laugh, complain and do anything you want on your own but it will never change the fact the life is unfair. That's the irony of life. Death is a part of living and it should not be feared. Going back to the story, I cried how Professor Morrie's illness and imminent death can affect those closest to him (family as well as close friends) in both miserable and positive way. 'Tuesdays with Morrie' is a profoundly moving, deeply touching, life affirming novel. I cannot believe I just read this today. I've been familiar with this book ever since my elementary days. I missed this for almost 17 years now. I cannot recommend it highly enough!! "Don't cling to things because everything is impermanent." -- Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie

I've never been a huge fan of novel series, but this book made me change everything I like. hihi. However, compared to the book #1 - Divergent, this was not as much as engaging. My mind was on it's way to give this book a perfect score but, when I was on that crucial stage....TRIS happened to piss me off! I rated this book 4.5 stars specifically because 95% of what I did is to turn the pages and love it, however, the remaining 5% turned into rage towards BEATRICE PRIOR - TRIS. When I reached Chapter 40, I hated her. I really really wanted her to be dead, I was like "C'mon Jeanne Mathew SHOOT HER. KILL HER!!" and Tobias Eaton will be mine forever~ lol. Anyway, I will just end this review with this awesome words from our beloved author Veronica Roth: "Cruelty does not make a person dishonest, the same way bravery does not make a person kind."

I'M INLOVE. I'M TOTALLY AND ENGAGINGLY IN-LOVE WITH THIS BOOK. THE WAY IT HAS TWISTED MY MIND IS UNBEARABLY AND AMAZINGLY UNFORGETTABLE! This is a complicated yet creative novel in which the author theoretically depicts the reality that divides our world in the present day or in the near future. When people decide and learn that democracy and autocracy (Political ideologies), Catholicism, Christianity and Islam (Religion), Bourgeoisie and Proletariat (Social Classes) or even Japanese and Filipino (Races, Languages and Culture) are not the ones that cause DISRUPTION and break the UNITY in this world, it is the HUMAN behavior and attitude. So the world will simply be divided into FIVE (5) major factions: The SELFLESS, the HONEST, the PEACEFUL, the BRAVE and the INTELLIGENT and somewhere in the middle lies the faction of the DIVERGENT. And through these factions, we will learn to see the real faces of the government. The book also speaks about LEADERS and how to choose them. I found this excerpt about leaders very interesting: "My father says that those who want power and get it live in terror of losing it. That is why we have to give power to those who do not want it." I was like YES!! CORRECT!! hoho. There are so many enthralling and mind-boggling things about this novel that is why I can't simply put it into words. But once the excitement and the feeling of "OMG, I CANT WAIT TO WRITE SO MANY THINGS ABOUT THIS NOVEL!!" worms out. I'll edit this review.haha! :p Surprisingly, the book made me like its short love story. Well, it's not that I don't like love stories but I usually do not appreciate romance when talking about serious issues and violence. Lol. I sometimes hate having to squeeze a romance in the novel to make the book complete. But I was there with it. I liked both characters, especially Four <3; I wanted their relationship to work out. THE FEELING I HAD WHILE READING THEIR LOVE ESCAPADE IS TOTALLY NOT ME. Haha! And for Tris, the protagonist of the story, she becomes increasingly hard, selfish and brave as the novel moves on...and that sort of made me think; A person today cannot live selflessly in a competitive world and that, though others really matter, sometimes you have to put yourself first. The only sad thing about this novel is that it didn't give the absolute significance of what a DIVERGENT is. Why is there a DIVERGENT? I get how the Divergent people get through with the initiation and simulation of factions but, isn't it too much to put focus on? Nevertheless, the novel grabbed me with a HUGE HOOK and it left me hanging.. so, I will look forward to read the INSURGENT and the LAST BOOK which will be published next year :)

B E A U T I F U L is the appropriate word to describe this novel. ;) A Novel of Forgiveness and Self-Discovery -- what else could you possibly wish for? :p The story could more easily be described as a story of love, as it strives to show that "true love is an act of total surrender". At a deeper level, Paulo Coelho also gives the message that there are no rules when it comes to love. :D The novel also shows how "TRUE-TO-LIFE-SITUATION" of love is ridiculously connected to fairy tales (as quoted from the book): There's nothing deeper than love. In fairy tales, the princesses kiss the frogs, and the frogs become princes. In real life, the princesses kiss princes, and the princes turn into frogs. LOL,if I will put this into simpler words, it would be: There's nothing deeper than MARRIAGE. In fairy tales, when princesses and princes get married, the princes turn into kings but in real life situation, when a man marries a woman, the man will be legally "named" as the husband and get fed up with the married life which (most likely -__-) he got himself with and sooner or later they will turn into FROGS -- JERKS. And the man and woman who were madly in love before would ask for legal help and go for a divorce. I am absolutely NOT AGAINST marriage, but sadly, divorce has been a recent routine for most of the disrupted couples in the world. DIVORCE or ANNULMENT have always been an issue and ironically, a solution for an unwanted marriage :( Lastly, I think the novel calls the attention of all the men, soon-to-be-husbands and BOYFRIENDS in the world. It covertly and indirectly teaches all men to believe in women and to stop discriminating women's effort and strength. (As quoted again from the book): He thinks I'm weak, cowardly, unable to fight for what I want. Even without a kiss, the princess is transformed into a frog. @.@ ooooooh~ Before I end my review, I will (again) quote a passage from the book (which I loved <3 hihi): "Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worst kind of suffering."

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (after I read some research) was meant to be a children's picture book but the author and his colleagues find it unlikely to be a children's book because of the photographs can't stand alone. Hence, a YA-Miss Peregrine series was born. :p The novel from the cover page screams and shrieks blatant spookiness! But then, from the moment I flipped the pages, my expectation of feeling the anxiety where the displeasing sensation of fear and concern combined that will surely and seriously give me the chills and made me paranoid to look around dark corners for daaays and night were all off the beam. However, the best fad in the story is when it is told through a mishmash of description or series of events and numerous disturbing photographs. The book started with a tale of a boy (Jacob Portman) who then follows the clues that his late grandfather has passed on to him. It took him to an abandoned orphanage on a Welsh island somewhere in Europe. And met unusual people....the peculiar children<.i>. Jacob learns that he also has peculiar talents. He sees something no one can put his eyes to like, the hollows or the monsters that killed his grandfather. Despite the fact that Jacob knows the danger of his responsibilities; he accepted it because he is the only hope they have for safety. The story kind of resembles to the Spiderwick Chronicles because just like Jacob there's also a certain boy that sees something a human can't see. Peculiar. I know. Haha. But, the big difference is, the author is a better writer..I guess.

I'll make this review short. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince started with the conversation of the Minsiter of Magic with the Prime Minister of the muggle world (really, I loved this part. It's hilarious haha!) and ended with a breathless moment in the history of Harry Potter series ;) Although the book kind-of focused on teenagers feelings of love, angst, care and whatsoever, it didn't ruin the book because it lightened some of the sinister mood from previous HP series. I will leave this review with an utmost appreciation for Albus Dumbledore. I admire how his usual calm expression guides Harry into a world much darker. Harry's clear dedication still fights with the idea that he could use his magic only for the good and absolutely not for evil. The Half Blood Prince has the best ending in the series so far. However, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Order of The Phoenix will still remain as my favorite HP series ever. :p "We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on." -- Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

If you have been an avid reader of the Harry Potter series you will notice the shifting of tones from bright to dark, darker and the darkest respectively from each series. Apparently, just within two (2) chapters of this Harry Potter series I became aware of the gloomy atmosphere it created. And that certain experience was and still is indescribable. It was so splendid that it makes me impatient -- Impatient as I still don't have the sixth (6th) book. I can hardly wait to read the rest of the remaining series! Oh by the way, prior to the movie adaption of this film, I would like to give a small statement. Before you start reading the Harry Potter series, PLEASE: Separate the film from the book and you will be impressed. Totally. I remember watching the film but as a huge fan of the book, I must be very unrealistic. I knew there have been a lot of information left out in the film adaption. There were few parts of the book that I wish have been included in the film because it could have made the story richer, but I won't go into detail so I don't give away any of the film's changes and this is a book review, as I remember. :p All the same, let us start with the awesome heart-thrilling story of the fifth book shall we? If you can recall in its predecessor book: The Goblet of Fire. Harry Potter was in the state where people thought he was just another boy who cried wolf. (And I shall boast, that is the best among the rest example of Harry's condition.:p). Anyhow, Harry thought his life cannot be at any worst circumstances but it did. While he was strolling around near his house in the Muggle world two (2) dementors attacked Harry and his fat cousin, Dudley. And of course, he defended himself (using magic, obviously) but he was underage, as a result he received a letter from the Ministry of Magic (the Government of the Wizard World) saying that he has done something against the law. Consequently, Harry with all the help of his friends, Sirius and the secret organization: The Anti-Voldemort or Order of the Phoenix (ruled by Professor Albus Dumbledore) members, he had successfully convinced the government that he was innocent because he just did magic just to defend himself from grave danger. Unfortunately, some of the authorities believe that Harry was just dealing with the same feelings of teen angst, emerging love that any ordinary teen finds stressful and consuming and that he was just a bigheaded-know-it-all-freak. The government is covertly not convinced with how Harry Potter was taught in Hogwarts as well, heck, they believe that Hogwarts is not ruled properly by Albus Dumbledore so they decided to ruin everything (that's the way I see it) and created a High Inquisitor (A job taken also by a ministry of magic, Dolores Umbridged) at Hogwarts. Order of the Phoenix is the best Harry Potter series for me (so far) for various reasons. First, there are numerous amazing characters and some old characters have unlocked their personalities throughout the story. You will love them all and you will also learn to develop hatred to some characters as well which is truly remarkable. Second, this book has a lot of breathtaking battle scenes! And lastly, this is also the Harry Potter series that actually caused me to get so teary because of the heartfelt portrayals of friendship and family and Harry Potter's relationship with his friends and Sirius Black. I don't want to spoil the story for you guys, but I am going to miss Sirius Black. :( I love Siruis Black. Note: It's funny how I learn to love different characters per series. haha! As I bear in mind that I was inlove with Harry Potter (of course) in the first series, (*No one for the second series), Professor R.J Lupin for the third, Neville Longbottom (4th) and Sirius Black for the last. hoho.

AWESOME! Just fudging awesome. Now this is what you call a book! (same with my other favorites). Hehe. I felt like I was completely carried inside the book, exactly in Harry's position (and in the realm of Hogwarts) forced with the life he never even asked for. That is life for Harry Potter; adventurous, difficult, troublesome and dangerous. However, somewhere in the deep and dark unseen spaces are the shadows of people who truly look out for him and his precious life. I have decided, upon reflecting, that I have never been this blown away in my life (better than what I felt in my 2012 Favorite Book, Divergent series). This is the best Harry Potter series so far. Eventhough the book has 700pages, the plot can simply be justified shortly by trying to connect some of the usual school events to the event happened in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Well, in a normal (muggles-way) school there's this activity called 'inter-school tournament' or UAAP where three (3) or more school compete with each other in terms of sports and academic activities. And I think, whoever wins the competition will receive the 'Best School Award'. :p Anyway, in the world of HP, they call it (in a most general way) the ancient tournament (Triwizard Tournament) between Hogwarts and two other European wizarding schools. It was held on that certain year in Hogwarts but only a Seventh Year or students aging seventeen and above will only be allowed and chosen from each school to compete. Dumbfoundedly, students and professors were dramatically awry to hear that Harry Potter who has more than three years to qualify in the dangerous and challenging tournament is somehow chosen to compete after his name is mysteriously nominated. (I personally call that one a diplomatic plot, somehow short and polite but vague. XD) Still and all, I noted some of the overt and unobtrusive things a person will learn and think about upon reading this book: Trust as a best ingredient for a long-lasting friendship- It shows, obviously between our trio heroes mainly in Harry and Ron. However, jealousy had withstand their way partly in the middle of the story but they've solved it unknowingly. Diversion- I actually compared Hogwart's divisions (Gryffindor (brave) , Ravenclaw (Intelligent), Slytherin (Power Hungry) and Hufflepuff (Honest and Hard-workers) to Veronica Roth's Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, Candor and Dauntless. I admire how both author (Roth and Rowling) have created the idea that only behaviors and attitudes can divide the world. I just found it rather cool. ;) Neville Longbotton- I purposely reserve this spot for him. I cried when I learned what happened to his parents. How and what would you feel when you have living parents but they don't reckon remembering you? Imagine yourself in that scenario because that's exactly what Neville has gone through ever since he's just a kid. No one have ever thought that beneath his funny face lies a child haunted by the tragic things that has happened to him and his family. From this day forward. I will seriously be against BULLYING! (to be continued)

Since almost everyone I know has read this book (or even watched in a million times), I guess reviewing it is pretty pointless. But before anything else, due to the movie adaption of this film, I would like to give a small statement. Before you start reading the Harry Potter series, PLEASE: Separate the film from the book and you will be impressed. Totally. I remember watching the film but as a huge fan of the book, I must be very unrealistic. I knew there have been a lot of information left out in the film adaption. There were few parts of the book that I wish have been included in the film because it could have made the story richer, but I won't go into detail so I don't give away any of the film's changes and this is a book review, as I remember. What I have here are few of the best things in the last book: (1) Severus Snape: A Professor, Death Eater, Half-Blood Prince, A Double Agent, A HERO "Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. "After all this time?" "Always," said Snape." From the day Harry Potter set foot in Hogwarts, he and Snape loathed each other. The readers initially hated him, believed that he was as the same league as Lord Voldemort. But as the story comes along, secretes were unlocked and we unleashed the purpose of the uncanny and horrifying treatment of Severus Snape towards Harry Potter. Severus Snape is probably the bravest and heroic character in the Harry Potter series (next to our boy Harry Potter, of course). (2) Horcruxes Professor Slughorn: "Well, well, it can't hurt to give you an overview, of course. Just so that you understand the term. A Horcrux is the word used for an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul." Tom Riddle: "I don't quite understand how that works, sir." Professor Slughorn: "Well, you split your soul, you see, and hide part of it in an object outside the body. Then, even if one's body is attacked or destroyed, one cannot die, for part of the soul remains earthbound and undamaged. But, of course, existence in such a form...few would want it, Tom, very few. Death would be preferable." -- Horace Slughorn and Tom Riddle discussing Horcruxes Tom Riddle: "And how exactly does one split his soul?" Professor Slughorn: "Well, you must understand that the soul is supposed to remain intact and whole. Splitting it is an act of violation, it is against nature." Tom Riddle: "But how do you do it?" Professor Slughorn: "By an act of evil -- the supreme act of evil. By committing murder. Killing rips the soul apart. The wizard intent upon creating a Horcrux would use the damage to his advantage: he would encase the torn portion --" -- Slughorn and Tom Riddle on the creation of Horcruxes Horcruxes is one of my favorite magical and deadly objects in Harry Potter. JK Rowling, created an object that is truly unforgettable. (3) Mother's love In the last few chapters of Harry Potter, we found out that the most powerful magic isa mother's love. It protected Harry Potter for more or less than 17 years and it even saved him from the death curse, Avada Kedavra. A mother's love is the purest form of love there is that is why even the darkest magic cannot crack it. This is it! The last book of Harry Potter. I will definitely miss this. I will re-read it as many times as possible. Harry Potter is my world. Harry Potter is love.

Dark, epic and just extraordinary. Two thumbs up! Oh by the way, prior to the movie adaption of this film, I would like to give a small statement. Before you start reading the Harry Potter series, PLEASE: Separate the film from the book and you will be impressed. Totally. I remember watching the film but as a huge fan of the book, I must be very unrealistic. I knew there have been a lot of information left out in the film adaption. There were few parts of the book that I wish have been included in the film because it could have made the story richer, but I won't go into detail so I don't give away any of the film's changes and this is a book review, as I remember. :p This Harry Potter series began with (of course) Harry Potter being pissed off at the Muggle's world by his nasty and beefy muggle relatives. When he escaped his home at the muggle world, he set off to find his way to Hogwarts. Harry's third year at Hogwarts have been extremely adventurous and righteously scary because a grievous murderer named Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban prison. Sirius was believed to be a follower of Lord Voldemort and now they suppose that he has escaped to kill Harry. The Ministry of Magic use foul creatures called Dementors to protect Hogwarts and the whole wizard world from Sirius. The Dementors, as define by Professor R.J Lupin can suck out happiness and the live out of people, and it brings out the worst memories you had which has a really powerful affect on Harry considering his past. Harry asks for help from the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor: Remus J. Lupin to help him defend himself against the Dementors. Harry overhears that not only does Sirius want to kill him, but that he used to be a friend of his parents. Sirius betrayed them, telling Voldemort where they were hiding, and kills their other best friend Peter Pettigrew. Harry swears he will kill Sirius for what he did. I love the twist in the tail of this book. heck, I love Harry Potter! <3

FIVE (5) stars of course! :) I never thought I refused to read this back in high school -_- AND to even think I chose Nancy Drew's Books over this, OH, how I wish I could go back in time. Oh by the way, prior to the movie adaption of this film, I would like to give a small statement. Before you start reading the Harry Potter series, PLEASE: Separate the film from the book and you will be impressed. Totally. I remember watching the film but as a huge fan of the book, I must be very unrealistic. I knew there have been a lot of information left out in the film adaption. There were few parts of the book that I wish have been included in the film because it could have made the story richer, but I won't go into detail so I don't give away any of the film's changes and this is a book review, as I remember. :p Well, my journey doesn't end here. I will pursue to read the rest of the Potter Series <3

I can't imagine anyone wishing to give this book a negative review. o_0 This book pulled more interest to me than the first book did. The fact that Harry's still very young and he's still figuring the whole wizardy thing out and it came out absolutely amazing. JK Rowling do very well with her character especially Harry (and Albus Dumbledore). We all know Harry brings out things and problems that seem definitely out of control, but somehow harry always find clever ways to make the right things happen again. Let us not forget, Albus Purcival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, the only wizard that Voldemort feared. He's a great machiavellian leader. Yes, you heard me, the great Albus Dumbledore is somewhat a Machiavellian figure because he make choices he believed to be for the benefit of humanity even if it will deeply hurt those who surround him. Lastly, I admire Severus Snape...(Sorry, but i have to cut my review to that because I think I've said too far about my favorite characters but wait till I read the rest of the Potter series! :p) JK Rowling must not stop writing because she has built an imaginary world that kids, teenagers and even adults will be reading about for years and years to come. "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore

A two-day vacation deserves a novel to be read, so I read Mitch Albom's The Time Keeper. The story is about a man who was disciplined (I might as well use the word "penalize" lol) for measuring one of God's greatest gift: TIME. His punishment is to teach two seemingly random people the true meaning of time. The first person is a teenage girl who wants to give up on life, and the other is a wealthy businessman who wants to live forever. The story was able to get its message across; that TIME is precious and we should always use and spend it well. These are the quotes worth sharing from the novel: "Yet all around you, timekeeping is ignored. Birds are not late. A dog does not check its watch. Deer do not fret over passing birthdays. Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out." "We all yearn for what we have lost. But sometimes, we forget what we have." I miss this :)

I told myself the night before I finished reading this that I would set this aside for a bit because I really don't want the 'hanging' feeling to bother me again ('cause I still don't have the third book (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest). But hey! what goes around comes around. And now I'm done with it. HOURS AND HOURS of stopping myself to finish this led to an end. I just can't help myself! THIS IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS WHO DESERVES MORE THAN 5 STARS IF YOU ASK ME ;p Anyway, this is how the story goes: Remember the jerk old-man who adopted Lisbeth Salander for entertainment when she was young (you know what I mean by entertainment, no vocabulary lessons required. haha!)? And do you remember how the great Lisbeth Salander got her revenge to that old-jerk in the "Girl with the dragon tattoo"? (Here's a flashback: The old-jerk's name is Erik Bjurman and I remembered how he was humiliated so hard that I even burst out laughing! CLUE: I AM A SADISTIC PIG. A PERVERT AND A RAPIST) And now the old-guy Erik Bjurman wants to take his pride back and have his revenge to Lisbeth. Actually, I had message for that so-called advokat: "Don't ever fight with Lisbeth Salander. Her attitude towards the rest of the world is that if someone threatens her with a gun, she'll get a bigger gun." and one more thing, if he really hates his life because of the humiliation Lisbeth Salander had done to him? Then I'm not going to stop him risking his luck in ruining Salander's life, rather I will want him have his fight because in the end, I know he will lose. He will lose bad. hoho! [Ooops, I loose strings back there but did I mention that that was the novel's plot? ;p) Lisbeth is back in action. Based on my (Lisbeth fanatic) summary alone, The Girl Who played with Fire is truly a greater thriller than its predecessor. Lisbeth is so much hotter (if you know what I mean.hoho. Note: I would like to remind my fellow goodreaders that I am STRAIGHT, okay? hahaha!) plus, the novel adds how Lisbeth's sad background affected her personality and physical appearance. It certainly amazed me on how the novel shows the way our protagonist Lisbeth begins to appreciate friendships and relationships more than ever. Last but not the least, this story shows that when you try and expose the truth and nothing else, it would be the most powerful thing in the world that even people who are hideously bad won't give a reason to oppose with it. PS: People should remember this:"There are no innocents. There are, however, different degrees of responsibility." -- Stieg Larsson, The Girl Who Played With Fire

I will start my review with a saying that goes: 'Nothing beats the first' [nothing beats the first book ;)]. Why did I quote that? Well, almost all of the SECOND book of trilogies I have read had got me boo-ing for the pacing of the story or sometimes, the lead character. And this time, the boo factor was on (1) Katniss. Particularly because her character won't develop individually or with Peeta. Here's an example: "Peeta said he loved me. I kissed him for food but didn't tell him that I don't actually love him. He finally felt like I noticed him and then he found out it was all a show. I wonder why he's mad at me?" GAAAAAH, there are lots of times where I have to yell "OPEN YOUR EYES KATNISS! COME ON!!!" (2) The book surprised me in the way I was left, feeling like this book, was only half finished. Maybe, it is a possibility that my expectations were too high after the first book. Talk about a BAD but a STRATEGIC CLIFF HANGER! @.@ I am sorry for I had to spit out the negative factors of this book, but, in the positive view, I still rated this book FOUR (4) stars because I am absolutely in love with the idea and the concept, and I think nobody can stop that, not even Katniss or the Capitol :p And exactly after I have read this (and the BOOK #1), I had mind-boggling questions and ideas such as, the "SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST (Law of Natural Selection)" which states that the strong shall live and the weak shall die. Philosopher Spencer believed that the struggle for existence benefits living things by stimulating progress and that best individuals are produced based on skill, intelligence and self-control. This is seen and read in movies or novels like HUNGER GAMES that are bloody and involve a lot of killing. Novels like this demonstrate the Survival of the Fittest by showing how the weak are defeated and killed and the stronger ones live longer than them. Also, just like I said in my review of the HUNGER GAMES # 1, this is a politically acclaimed novel that asks us, what is going on in today's world and in the near-future where democracy seems to go in the way of the growing authoritarian leaders; Will autocratic leaders be so hopeless in the near-future that the only way to control the people is to make them kill each other?

Catching Fire and Mockingjay could never match the perfect pacing and brilliant plot of The Hunger Games but they're still are good books. And, just like what I wrote in my review of HUNGER GAMES and CATCHING FIRE, these books reflect on our society as Collin tries to ask us to see ourselves through the eyes of Katniss. But there is no neat ending for Mockingjay. It doesn't' get wrapped up nicely. The ending was a little unsettling. There's really a part of me that wishes for a just a little bit more Moreover, let us not forget how we were left totally frustrated with the love triangle and totally fed up with Katniss' attitude. It's like the author got sick of writing and slapped on a happy ever after. -_-

If you were frightened and terrified to the point of panicking; Panicking in the sense that your mind became alert with the inconceivable yet threatening situation of Katniss from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, Beatrice (Tris) from Divergent series by Veronica Roth, Kathy H and her friends in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and many other characters from Dystopian Novels; Think Read again. I never felt the same way in George Orwell's 1984. This novel is much more frightening, threatening, thought-provoking and dreadfully powerful dystopian and satirical novel. You will unbelievably run from your sleeves because the visuals almost seem to seep into the pores of your skin, intoxicating you with dread and ache. This another novel that will stay with me forever, especially the words: WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. These words keep haunting my head since I read this book. 1984 should not be read for fun, but with utmost curiosity and seriousness. The plot is amazing and (just like I always say from the moment I write this review) Frightening. If you learned Political Geography from your school then this would be easy for you. The world in 1984 is divided into three states, originated from the remains from World War II: Oceania (Western Hemisphere, the British Isles, Australasia and Southern Africa), Eurasia (Continental Europe and Russia, including Siberia), and Eastasia (China, Japan, Korea, and Indochina --also described as the rest of the world.) Imagine the scenario. The story began with the "Atomic War boy", Winston Smith, he grew up as a middle-aged man who endures a filthy existence in the totalitarian "superstate" of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Guards they call, Thought Police. He became a low Political Party official in the Ministry of Propaganda. (If you think that sounds okay, think again). Despite of his Pro-Government position he still lives in a dirty and mini-room, and works in a small office cubicle. Their job is to rewrite history and "erase" anyone who has fallen afoul of the government in accordance with the dictates of the Party/State and its oh-so-supreme-figure-head, Big Brother (yes, he rules Oceania). Winston fate changes when he met an overt "rebel from the waist downwards" who publicly espouses Party doctrine as a member of the fanatical Junior Anti-Sex League, Julia. It turns out that they are both fed-up with the whole system of tyranny/the totalitarian system. I'm going to skip some scenes and give you the ending After Winston and Julia are separated and taken away to be detained, questioned and brutally rehabilitated because they were caught in the night of June 1984 with a small telescreen hidden behind a picture on the wall...And I will stop with their journey in that precise moment. Let the curiosity move you to read this novel. The slogan WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH. War is peace because of the continuous warfare between the three states that exist in the world of 1984 who hold different and similar ideologies. They have to keep the society's order and peace. If you remember the slogan: If you wish for peace, prepare for war" (usually interpreted as meaning peace through strength--a strong society being less likely to be attacked by enemies. That explains the first slogan. The second slogan, Freedom is slavery, simply means in order to gain freedom: freedom of speech and anything else, you must first allow yourself to be included in the Party, in other words, letting you to be part of the slaves, because that way, the oppressor doesn't have the means to destruct you. Last but not the least, the slogan: Ignorance is strength, I think it is about the division of social classes (Big Brother atop, The Party in middle, the Proles at bottom, in 1984 or simply the Proletariat, Middle Class and the Bourgeoisie). Ignoring it will be your strength because in 1984, those classes do not seem to change because the poor will still do as they are told in a very, very irrational way and the rich will keep on loading for more and they will still uphold the law. The state will maintain its structure by torture, exploitation, violence, and brainwashing.

Animal Farm seems like a book for kids. A person may think it's a classic children's book about a jolly pig that lives on a farm. It even looks like it'll be a funny book with a 'happily-ever-after' or a nice ending. I find it exceptional that all of the ideas I would have thought you had after seeing the book's cover is the exact opposite of the book when you read it. Animal Farm is an extraordinary illuminating fable for all times. Since its publication at the end of World War II, it became a sensational star-book which was read by millions of people around the world. According to George Orwell (Eric Blair) when he mentioned the words 'We were very lucky to get out of Spain alive", he was not talking about his experiences during the Spanish Civil War, which he described in another novel Homage to Catalonia in 1938 but about the murderous political agendas of Stalin in 1937. In Animal Farm, he described how escaping the communist in Spain taught him how easily covert tyrannical ways can control people in a democratic country. This had motivated George Orwell to be a devoted Democratic Socialist. The novel started with an Old Boar in a certain farm in England scheming a plan to revolt against the human. And when the animals of the farm successfully revolted against its human lord, they didn't expect to slide into a more brutal tyranny amongst themselves. "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others" George Orwell effectively showed the readers how the animals was played out through deception, cruelty and the two-facedness (hypocrisy) by an unruly leader. It is also ironic that at the end of the novel, one cannot tell the difference of a fat and hungry pig's face from a human. P.S: I had to hide this from my dad when I was reading this novel. He said I should start comprehending my law books (which I did..or did I? hoho) and stop reading SOME (take note of the emphasis.haha) books. Well, I say Animal Farm is not just some book. hoho. (Don't worry I won't start my own revolution. what? haha!).

Some of the movie's scene flash-backed inside my head while I was reading the book and I was both contented and sad at the same time. Well, I guess you couldn't really help cutting out some scenes to fit on a one (1) and a half film. Moreover, I did not felt the boombastic (lol, is there really such a word.haha!) intensity I had while reading the book in the movie adaption. Nevertheless, I must really say that I was completely impressed by Suzanne Collins. She created a moving, detailed portrayal of a girl and her family living under a cruel and brutal dictatorship. She showed an effective background of extreme poverty. The book will show you how the unequal distribution of wealth affects (Panem's)society. I love how World Politics was written all over it! Ironically speaking, this is a realistic novel about the world where HAVES and HAVE-NOTS brutally exist. The poor will do as they are told in a very, very senseless way and the rich will keep on loading for more. Hopefully, I look forward to read the rest of the trilogy soon :)

I didn't like this a bit. Throughout the novel I shouted, come on Liz! You got everything, don't you know how to be contented?! :| How can a successful woman with a husband who loves and cares for her very much is not happy with her life because she has some sort of neurosis and feeling of being trapped? How funny and stupid is that? The story is as follows: Liz decided to abandon her husband and claims to find the 'real one' and herself. WRONGLY, LIZ feels betrayed. She uses few men and then throws them away. I really felt bad for her husband. I seriously cried because of Liz's stupidity... The monument of the novel mixes both feminist, narcissism and boredom. The protagonist whines and complains about a life that most people would love to trade places with. Lastly, You know what I think of Liz? She's a unlikeable, arrogant, snotty, pampered, privileged, rude, morally bankrupt, selfish, self-absorbed who believe that her "so-called" happiness is worth any emotional cost to other people.

I have read the first book (Crank #1) and solely stated that it didn't catch my heart a bit but I was forced by my best friend to read it. Just as I expected, it still didn't catch my heart and mind. lol :)

Although the story is about a common situation of a teenager's life, my heart wasn't attached to this even a bit :)

"Everyone has secrets. It's just a matter of finding out what they are" -- Stieg Larsson, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo I have to say, I had low expectations of this book because it was my first of Larsson's thriller novel. But unexpectedly, it was AWESOME and it's NOT as simple as it might appear. In fact, this is one of those books you would want to read again and again for it is creative and heart-thrilling...although I have had set this aside for a bit 'cause I was quite indulged in a lot of work last week. Nevertheless, since I have started reading it last Tuesday, there's absolutely NO turning back.hoho! Well,I rated this book FOUR (4) stars because of it's interesting and exceptional story and FIVE (5) stars for it's characters! Specifically because I AM PRETTY MUCH IN LOVE WITH LISBETH SALANDER (lol, compared to Mikael Blomkvist :p)! Lisbeth to me is very amazing. If were a 'boy looking for a full-package chick', I would have courted and dated Lisbeth. Lisbeth was introduced as a flat-chested-woman who is straight up rough cut and looks like the type of chick you would really really want to stay away from. YES she is ROUGH but she's HOT! Throughout the novel we find out at that she's a professional investigator (type that watches people and gets information so easily). She's unpredictably coooool! I consider myself as her fan yo. :p (maybe soon you'll see me in mo-hawk! LOL.) Hopefully, I would like to read the rest of the trilogy soon :)

Admittedly, I was quite disturbed and uncomfortable while reading this book. The book's narrator uses informal sh*t and stuff - and I'm not quite okay with that (that explains the three (3) stars actually). But eventually, I did get my hang of it. The story tells a sentimental journey of a stranger on a strange land (so to speak). That certain stranger is Jonathan Foer, a Jewish American who carries on a journey to look for the woman who saved his grandfather during WWII. In a sense that, that special woman saved his entire family. One thing I really appreciated in this novel is the way I was brought inside the Early European History! Kudos to JSF for that! :) Oooh! I want to say one more thing, Everything is Illuminated is a powerful, original, and why not say, an illuminated novel. And there's one thing you should remember before reading the novel. leave normal behind. This is one of a kind!

This is one of Paulo Coelho's novel that would make you crave for time and life even more! The story revolves around a single, 24-year-old Veronika. She decides to die for two reasons: one, because she realized she will someday be old and be a parasite in the society she lives; and two, because a lot of things are not in the right place in this world. Veronika tried to commit suicide by taking a lot of sleeping pills. After series of taking the pills one by one (yes, ONE-by-ONE instead of crushing them and mixing them with water because she thinks that there's always a gap between intention and action) she found herself fervently reading a French magazine. She didn't realize that it was her stepping stone for giving a life another shot.

Best tearjerker and thought-provoking story I have read in years. It got me thinking about life once again. If you look deeply into the message of the story you'll be stunned. The message is simply 'Life isn't measured in minutes, but in moment' and we are given a short time, we must be wise and sure on how we make the most of it. The novel left me a question that still bugs me until now: Do you still wish you could turn back the clock? 'Some people, were born to sit by a river. Some get struck by lightning. Some have an ear for music. Some are artists. Some swim. Some know buttons. Some know Shakespeare. Some are mothers. And some people, dance.- --Benjamin Button

I think Jay Gatsby is just another fish in the sea.

The horrors of war in Germany. What is death? Death is life's ending. Everyone will experience death. Death and dying are an inevitable part of human life. Why did I define death? Well, this book is so deep and poetic that even Death itself narrated the novel. And because of that, the book created a depressing point of view. Death the narrator is the most human of all, he feels weakness, feels sadness, feels sympathy, feels love, feels fear unlike Nazis & ignorant people. This book made my nose filled with mucus. But do not feel disappointed, this book also speaks more about human survival. "I guess humans like to watch a little destruction. Sand castles, houses of cards, that's where they begin. Their great skills is their capacity to escalate." And now, I will end this review with the conscience-stricken last paragraph of the book: "I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race - that rarely do I even simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant... I AM HAUNTED BY HUMANS." I AM HAUNTED BY HUMANS.

I read and finished this book five (5) hours ago and it made me want to read the Perks of Being a Wallflower again. So I actually pretended I was Charlie when I was reading some parts of it. haha! I suppose, a teenager must have the supervision of his/her parents before reading this because it might be a source of delinquency. ;)

Growing up, my favorite book was, most likely, "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory". Roald Dahl's magical tale of a young boy's adventure in the strange factory was spell-binding. In fact I call this book as a deliciously beautiful book back in my elementary days! Haha! This is totally a page-turner! ;) There are lots of lessons to be learned in the story and it was delivered uniquely through each character we meet. The story started with a humble poor boy named Charlie Bucket. He loves his family, home and Willy Wonka's chocolate bar the most. His dream is to meet and greet Mr. Willy Wonka and enter his factory but that greatest and largest chocolate factory in the world has been closed for fifteen (15) years. One day, everybody was taken aback to hear that Mr, Willy Wonka comes up with a plan to open his factory and reveal his secrets to five lucky children, who find golden tickets inside well-acclaimed Wonka chocolate bars. The news was spread very quickly and fate was good to Charlie Bucket as he was one of the lucky five (5) children. The achingly poor Charlie Bucket together with the greedy Augustus Gloop, spoiled Veruca Salt, competitive gum-chomping Violet Beauregard and the chocolate-hating techie Mike Teevee and enter the factory and begin the tour of a lifetime.

Love and betrayal linked in the world of politics. Written by the master of deceit, Sidney Sheldon <3 Sidney Sheldon's "The Best Laid Plans" intrigues from the very beginning and compels the reader to continue reading until the last page (Message to the future readers of Sheldon's novels: Forget about peeing! It ain't going to happen until you finish this in just one sit) OSM SHELDON.

This is the first Dean Koontz novel I read so I decided to do a little research about him; and here's what I read: According to his official website and book blog sites, Dean Koontz is one of the good authors who brought several of his books to appear on the New York Times Bestseller List. He is famous for his novels which can be perfectly described and categorized as suspense thrillers with elements of classic horror, science fiction and satire. Frankenstein (Book One: Prodigal Son) is one of Dean Koontz's best known novels. It is a combined science fiction-horror mystery, and satirist novel. It is actually a modern version of Mary Shelley's highly-acclaimed novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus in 1818. Mary Shelley's version of Frankenstein is about an eccentric mad-scientist, Victor Frankenstein who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment (dead bodies, electricity, lightning and some other stuff). Although Dean Koontz didn't change the horror/goth-ish like theme of Shelley's version, he, however, contemporized Victor Frankenstein's image and "WORKS". Imagine the change from ugly stitches into unnoticeable beautiful sew patches and Dean Koontz named them as the "New Race". Dean Koontz made me like Science-Fiction and Horror novels. His talent in writing didn't fail to meet my expectations. I'm going to read more and more of his works! :)

I've read several novels in my life, and through those indulging occasions, I've been exposed to several writing techniques, some of them are effective and shamefully, some of them are not. This novel, 'It's Kind of a Funny Story' was written effectively though the first-hand familiarity of the author, Ned Vizzini (or Edison Price Vizzini). More accurately, Vizzini suffered from depression, spending time in a psychiatric ward in his early 20s and authoring several works about the illness (and under those days of confinement, he allegedly wrote It's Kind of a Funny Story). And clearly, nobody nobody will understand depression unless they went through it. Truly unfortunate, the great Vizzini was found dead in his native Brooklyn, New York after an apparent suicide from a fall, aged 32. [Yardley, William (December 20, 2013). "Ned Vizzini, 32, Dies; Wrote Teenage Novels". New York Times. 12/21/13] *goosebumps*. And so, many writers like Vizzini felt the urge to write about what he actually saw, what he knew, what he have essentially experienced, capturing the readers hearts (like mine). If it wasn't for writers like him, we would all have been short of understanding specific social, human, psychological and cultural issues or even pastimes. In fact, perhaps we could've gone into a complete oblivion. It's Kind of a Funny Story is about the life of clinically depressed 17 year old named Craig. He felt so much pressure about things he does not know he wants or wanted, and is grabbing for connection and help that does not seem out of his reach. He feels misunderstood by his parents; his father who appears to be there but obsessed with his son's goals of academic prominence, and an achingly overreaching mother who just wants what is best for him. Craig gets a new jump of his life after he checks himself into an adult psychiatric ward two blocks away from his home. He's been treated for a moment of five days. During those five days, he seems to become a normal teenager again, and his hopes have been opened for a new beginning. I have been contemplating about life after reading this. I think we are all "used-up" individuals that could use a five day break from our lives so we can just enjoy the moment and relax without following a strict schedule that forces us to rush around. Just a random (connected) thought: In our adventurous life, there are always unbearable and mind-boggling questions which we sometimes ask ourselves. For instance, we ask: why does this keep happening to me? or What did I do to deserve this? these questions are only struggling feelings inside and/or just plain emptiness we feel deep inside ourselves. Almost every day, these gloomy feelings are there and waiting to swallow you anytime around. And you realize something so simple that you oftentimes forgot: it's just life. It's not what you called suffering. It is what makes life worth fighting for; worth living. In other words, life in all its forms and dealings, it's still worth a try, worth whacking, wacking, waaaaaacckiiing for, because you only have one life to live. Don't waste it on suffering. Final Thought, It's Kind of a Funny Story is really a kind of a funny story and it's kind of an awesome novel too. :)

FAMILY. DAD. MOM. GRANDMA. OSCAR. EMOTION. LOVE. LIFE. MEMORIES. GRIEF. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE (You'll get my caption once you have read this book :3) "I like to see people reunited, I like to see people run to each other, I like the kissing and the crying, I like the impatience, the stories that the mouth can't tell fast enough, the ears that aren't big enough, the eyes that can't take in all of the change, I like the hugging, the bringing together, the end of missing someone." -- Jonathan Safran Foer, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close This is a sorrowful yet heart-warming novel of a boy's journey of keeping his father alive in his memory. I typically get highly emotional when a story talks about his/her father that is why this novel truly moved me. Now, I perfectly understand and feel deep compassion and empathy for people who have suffered tragic events.. (I quote) "I regret that it takes a life to learn how to live." -Ironically, this is how life moves...constantly. I really felt bad for Oskar and his troubles. The story made me want to help him myself. I cried for Oskar's love towards his Father. I think it's really a curse to lose a parent that way :( Oskar Schell will stay with me for a very long time. :') Overall, I was inspired and impressed by Foer's writing style. I consider him now as one of my favorite authors. THIS BOOK IS ABSOLUTELY ONE OF THE BEST EVER.

Life of Pi is spiritually a fantasy adventure novel by Yann Martel. It was published in 2001 and has awarded with the Man Booker Prize the next year (2002). After its continuos success, it has garnered and nominated on a lot of known-book awards around the world. This novel revolves around a man named after a swimming pool in Paris, Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel. From his earliest age, he explores the concept of spirituality and practicality. And then the novel flashes forward as he survives a 227 survival trip on a boat with a Benegal tiger weirdly named as Richard Parker. I think Life of Pi is an adventure of a Boy, a Tiger and God. From the beginning of the novel, it immediately tells the readers that this story will make one believe in God. And lately, I learned that the story that Pi tells, is that of a shipwreck, which claims a teenaged Pi's family. Amidst the chaos, he found himself the sole human survivor, now floating across the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Part survival story, part rumination about one person's faith and their attempts at understanding why God designed nature to do the things in which it does, Life of Pi is an emotion-filled journey that places the reader within these events and has them pondering the same questions that the readers will contemplate about in years. All in all, Life of Pi is not a perfect book, but it's a novel that I do not regret reading. :)

For the first 3-5 chapters, the story produces a lullaby song (one that makes you fall asleep). @.@ Possibly, because it's an exert from a child's imagination, well, yeah I'm an adult! lol. I felt like I have a million words to say to this book, I just can't say it here. But, summarizing the thoughts in my mind, I would say,Harper Lee done a pretty darn job! ;)

"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." (Favorite quote from the Perks of being a wallflower) The book was recommended by many people (first by Celine, thank you! :3) so I thought I would give it a try. I took my pause on reading "A TIME TO KILL" by John Grisham just to give this book a time. And it was worth it :) Stephen Chbosky's 'Perks of being a wallflower' is one of the most meaningful, EMOtional and thought provoking books I have read in years. Oh, There will be a movie of this soon :) Charlie - Played by Logan Lerman Sam- Emma Watson

AWW, Just because something is popular does not mean it's really good. Such is the case with this book, although it's not incredibly bad, it's just not worth the time to read :| This is one of those books that everyone reads and you love it or hate it @-(

Click See Review to view Image Rant is an informal and funny oral biography of a man named Buster Casey (Rant) born in the rural town of Middleton with wicked senses of smell and taste far more superior than any other human. He acquired the nickname "Rant" from a childhood hoax involving animal organs which later on resulted in plentiful people getting sick. As the victims throw up, they make a sound resembling the word "rant," which becomes a local synonym for "vomit" and Buster's nickname ('cause he started it all). Anyway, the setting of the story constantly changes, which is sometimes confusing as I tried to follow the events of the book but nevertheless it's quite enjoyable. ;) I would recommend this book to anyone, especially to the readers who really love Science Fiction. BTW, here's the spider who started it all! [Click See Review to view Image] BOOO!

At last, after series of failure in search of a hard copy of this book at the bookstore I settled to read it in 'PDF'. I've been nagging friends to lend me a hard copy of this because I felt like it was one of those books you have to get...well, it is, I conclude. If you try to look deeper in the simple content of this book, you will find different parts and philosophies (existentialism -- for the most part) of life. Although this wasn't so much engaging but it was intellectually stimulating.

A high school friend lend this to me, He didn't remember that I am not fond of reading VAMPIRE ROMANCE and the like. The only thing that stopped me from not reading this book; is that I hate leaving an unread book on my shelf @.@

A sorrowful story about the holocaust - perfectly narrated and discussed by a young girl named Anne Frank. All I can remember was in Anne Frank's miserable conditions she had nobody in her own age or a friend to talk to. If any modern-day teenager had to go through the same thing, it'd be a mess. If I were to choose between this book and the Book thief by Markus Zusak...I'll choose Zusak's Book Thief. :)

An inspiring book. Enough said :) SALYMAR'S BETTER REVIEW Coming soon... http://www.goodreads.com/starryfields

This book was recommended by my Professor in World Politics. I found this book fascinating because it unlocks the secret behind the strategies of power on different wars fought in the world. Sun Tzu emphasized the importance of positioning in military strategy. The decision to position an army must be based on both objective conditions in the physical environment and the subjective beliefs of other, competitive actors in that environment. He thought that strategy was not planning in the sense of working through an established list, but rather that it requires quick and appropriate responses to changing conditions. Planning works in a controlled environment; but in a changing environment, competing plans collide, creating unexpected situations.

It's a very sweet story in which the authoress has pictured the glamorous society of England during the 18th century. It has made me experience the world enchanted by true love and the attraction of a man towards a girl. I can imagine my self and the amount of pride within Elizabeth Bennett. I felt that after reading the book I have learned a lot about the old times and how life used to be. For example, most girls married not for love but for security. More importantly, I learned that protecting your pride and lowering it at times can not only bring you to a happy place but also a PLACE FULL OF CONTENTMENT :)

If you're in the mood for something different (UNUSUALLY WICKED). Read this. At first, I wasn't quite convinced that it will bring out the "jinkies" out of me. But eventually it did. Years and years have passed and I still can't find something comparable and similar to this. House of Leaves begins with a tattoo parlor employee named Johnny Truant. He is searching for a new apartment in Los Angeles (if I'm not mistaken) when his friend Lude who manages an apartment tells him about a vacant room of the recently deceased Zampano (a blind, elderly man who lived in Lude's building). Convinced that the room will be enough for him to live. He managed to occupy it. In Zampano's room, Truant discovers a manuscript written by the late Zampano that turns out to be a study of a documentary film called The Navidson Record. Bewildered and curious of the thought that Truant can't find evidences that the film ever exist, he decided to run the investigation without knowing the unearthly consequences he's about to face.. The story also changes narrators, it started with Johnny Truant and them his mom and so on. P.S: I LOVE THE BOOK'S FOOTNOTES! It added to the realistic approach of Danielewski. ;)

My Favorite book turned into a movie THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. LEWIS

LOVELY BONES by Alice Sebold. A book so emotionally draining that I even tried to set this aside for a bit. The novel revolves on a young (daddy's) girl named Susie Salmon who has been murdered and watches over her family and her killer from heaven. She must choose between her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. This book is very idealistic and realistic. It made me feel like I was in the novel. I can imagine what Susie Salmon SEES and more importantly I can feel what Susie Salmon FEELS throughout the novel. Moreover, I totally appreciated the intense action susie's dad did for his daughter. I frowned everytime his wife tries to get his hopes down and stop. I cried also because I'm a daddy's girl and I know from the start that whatever happens, my dad will raise his voice and fight for me. That's how strong he is, strong as Susie Salmon's dad, Jack Salmon. All in all, this is one amazing novel, from the characters, story and everything! This is truly special. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, and also who likes tear-jerkers. I cannot express HOW PROUD I AM TO HAVE READ THIS. :) THIS IS A VERY VERY VERY AWESOME BOOK.

This is the first novel I remember reading :3 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Do you remember what book made you fall in love with reading? Well, I do! and you've guessed it...it's the LITTLE PRINCE! ;) I've been a bookworm after I have read this and I always remember this book as it transformed me into a better person :) I've read this book a dozen times and I will never forget how it changed me! This book made me realize that there's a bridge between a child's imagination and an adult. When you become or became a serious adult-- a type that is indulged with a lot of work every single day, you will find things and ideas you miss on your childhood days and you'll find a way to make it real. And you would continue to be a child at heart. To prove that I will paste a heart-striking excerpt from the novel: "All grown-ups were once children... but only few of them remember it." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince BY HEART YOU COULD ONLY SEE RIGHTLY :) "Goodbye, said the fox. And now here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye." -- Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." (Favorite quote from the Perks of being a wallflower) The book was recommended by many people (first by Celine, thank you! :3) so I thought I would give it a try. I took my pause on reading "A TIME TO KILL" by John Grisham just to give this book a time. And it was worth it :) Stephen Chbosky's 'Perks of being a wallflower' is one of the most meaningful, EMOtional and thought provoking books I have read in years. Oh, There will be a movie of this soon :) Charlie - Played by Logan Lerman Sam- Emma Watson

OM. This book kept my interest, PAGE after PAGE. The story is different from normal storyline in most of the books found on the shelves. :) It gets you reading again and again so that you won't have to set this aside for a bit. It's a one sit book - you sit and read then you're finish~voila!(of course with a taste of awesome satisfaction afterwards) John Grisham truly writes legal mystery novels that will really keep your interest from the first page to the last. This is one of my favorite books(after The Street Lawyer) :)

An excellent legal thriller. One of John Grisham's best novels. The story centers on a young intelligent lawyer, Mitch Mcderee who takes a job with a tremendous firm, having been seduced by their huge financial offerings. After he was hired by `The Firm,' almost everything started great. The firm loves him very much that they even pay back all of his student loans and also furnished his new house in his beautiful new neighborhood because they said it is to make him feel at home. The lives of Mitch and his wife Abby are completely and drastically changed weeks after he was hired by the firm. It turns out that they're being set up with a disorienting atmosphere. Now, the couple suspiciously found strange things happening...people getting killed by boat bombs. Reminders to intelligent young lawyers out there: Joining a law firm from hell can be dangerous to your health :p

"With murder, the victim is gone, and not forced to deal with what happened to her. The family must deal with it, but not the victim. But rape is much worse. The victim has a lifetime of coping, trying to understand, of asking questions, and the worst part, of knowing the rapist is still alive and may someday escape or be released. Every hour of every day, the victim thinks of the rape and asks herself a thousand questions. She relives it, step by step, minute by minute, and it hurts just as bad. Perhaps the most horrible crime of all is the violent rape of a child. A woman who is raped has a pretty good idea why it happened. Some animal was filled with hatred, anger and violence. But a child? A ten-year-old child? Suppose you're a parent. Imagine yourself trying to explain to your child why she was raped. Imagine yourself trying to explain why she cannot bear children." - A Time to Kill - John Grisham An awesome book (AS USUAL) by John Grisham. The book has excellent view on mixed ideas like racism and what a father would do under circumstances he did not expect. This was my fifth book written by John Grisham. Oh, I've observed in Grisham's novels that it always have a happy ending in spite of the unmanageable trouble and difficulties each novel has from the start. Well, from my observation, maybe because he thinks that no matter how corrupt and smelly our legal system or government is, there will always be a way for JUSTICE. ["JUSTICE WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL"] This was, in my view, one of Grisham's best. :)

I saw this movie before reading the book. I enjoyed the book a lot, but the characters I would have drawn for myself based on the book are nothing like the characters I saw in the movie, and honestly, I was able to relate to the movie characters a lot better, which added to the book reading experience. I think that is really what pushed it from 3 to 4 stars for me. It definitely didn't pull any punches as far as the brutality of the life it was describing, or the violence the characters lived with, which is why I actually really liked that it was so short, and the author didn't linger on the violence. Sometimes with books on tough subject matter like this (especially relating to women and children) I feel like kind of a terrible voyeur reading it, but in this book, it was just a part of the journey the characters were taking.

I listened to this on audiobook, and I kind of wanted to throw it out my car window until the point that we were officially out of college and these pretentious, entitled, obnoxious kids graduated (if this is in any way an accurate representation of 20 year olds in the 80's, I'd like to call for the official end of the "millennial" entitlement stereotype because these people were THE WORST). If I had been reading it, I never would have made it past this section. WAY too much exposition, too pretentious on the part of both the characters and the author, too much gratuitous literary name dropping, and while I can only assume it was satirical, it bothered me as much as if the story took it seriously, so I don't think the satire was handled very well. Strangely, this kind of worked out for the audiobook, because the voices for the dialogue were unbearable, so the exposition was better to listen to. I enjoyed Mitchell's journey to India (and weirdly made me want to visit India, despite how unappealing it sounded like it was), and Leonard's first person section had me on the edge of my seat. I thought the foreshadowing/backstory type of narrative was a lot more effective toward the middle and end sections, and I was satisfied with the resolution for the most part. I really wasn't expecting the mental illness theme, which was well explored, but got a little heavy handed. Do people with manic depression really say the words "manic depression" in every other sentence? I doubt it.

This should probably be a 3.5, but I didn't quite want to give it a 4. The writing was a little stilted for me, and I had a hard time buying into the world setup (everyone is just cool with being one of 5 things? And enough people thought that would work in the first place to set it up? And only a couple of people are good enough at even two of these things that they register as Divergent? What if you're a terrible person with none of these great qualities? How did this evolve from society as we know it? What happened to the rest of the country/planet? These are an important parts of how you set up a dystopia for me, especially if it's set in a familiar American city. /rant). Also, some of the character stuff seemed a little off. A mother who is supposed to be completely selfless suspects her child is Divergent and just chooses to not give her any preparation for the danger she may face, why it's dangerous, what she suspects about the serum research, nothing? However. This book was a ton of fun to get caught up in, when I was able to set all that aside, it's full of action. I haven't seen the movie, but I'm sure that's what makes it good for the big screen. I think I'll read the other books, this one was a fast and entertaining read and I'm curious about how Roth will tie everything up.

I would have made this 3.5 stars if I could. I couldn't put it down, I read through it in two work days. I loved the suspense and was genuinely surprised at some twist in every chapter, and for that I would give it 5 stars. The premise of setting in the dinner and the revelations made were great writing. But, the characters were too much for me handle. (view spoiler)[ As well written as it was, (I do love a well-written unreliable narrator) I wouldn't read it again, and not because it was too sad or disturbing or tragic (like sometimes is the case with great books that I would never re-read). I just don't want to go through that dinner with such awful people twice. If every character was going to be such a POS waste of oxygen on the planet, I needed at least one of them to be genius or deliciously conniving or otherwise a great villain. I suppose that Claire could have been that villain for me, but I never really felt like I got to know her enough to be impressed or amazed with what a terrible human being she ended up being. From about the point I realized what the crime was, everything that was said or done in defense of it just felt more and more gross to me, and there was nothing to distract me from it. (hide spoiler)]

I really, really liked reading this book, I identified with Mindy, and read it in her distinct voice, which was fun. This was a good beach book for a number of trips throughout the summer, it had a section in the middle that felt "plot-driven" and the rest was a collection of observations and stories, which did seem a little all over the place, but incredibly enjoyable. Mindy is funny, honest, and relatable. I loved learning about her journey to success, and her frank observations about relationships and body image. Not the literary masterpiece of the century, but a fun read and definitely recommended!

I got this book at lunch and was done before bedtime. I laughed, I cried, all that jazz. It was just a beautiful story with beautiful characters and got you right in the center of the heart. I don't know if I've ever cried harder at a book. Through the first 3/4 of the book, I was thinking maybe I was heartless because while it was touching and sad in parts, I wasn't a mess like I thought I was supposed to be, but (view spoiler)[ when he breaks the news to her about his recurrence, I got the appropriate amount of teary. And then. Then she just starts the dropping the "that was the last time..." lines and I lost my shit. Lost it. And then just from there on out I was a snot machine and had to get up like three times for more tissues and thank god my husband is a hard sleeper because he would have had some serious concerns about my mental health. (hide spoiler)] I loved that they had healthy, normal parents and healthy, normal friends. I thought that gave it a relatability that made it even more beautiful and painful. Some of the dialogue did get a little over the top for me, which I know was kind of the point, and I did love it most of the time, but it could get distracting. That's something I'm a little worried about translating to the movie, too, because I think it would be even more over-the-top to hear than to read. I also wanted a little more development for parts of the story like the Caroline back story, it's a short-ish YA book and told from Hazel's perspective only, so I get that it wasn't there and I did like really just concentrating on Hazel's experience, I think I just wanted to know more about everything and have the experience last longer. Overall, I'll love it and I know I'll be reading more John Green in the future.

** spoiler alert ** I was completely engrossed in the book throughout, and I love the authors style. I did get a little thrown off by the alternating perspectives, but I loved hearing from both Claire and Cornelia, and honestly enjoyed Claire's chapters most. The ending disappointed me. I wanted it to either be realistic and messy or tie up nicely and be a feel-good read. I felt like it was a little of both (but not enough of either). I don't buy that Cornelia's whole family (and presumably her sister?) are all just so fine with finding out her new love interest (weeks after her last love interest dies and leaves her with an 11 year old) is her sister's not-yet-ex-husband. And, a somewhat unstable woman makes a life-altering decision to move into her dead ex-husband's girlfriends' house with no ties to the area or family, because her eleven year old daughter asks her to? But, even though I'm given these almost too neat conclusions, I still have to be devastated that Cornelia can't be with Claire the way you want them to be together as mother and daughter.

Having recently been surprised by my enjoyment of Gulliver's Travels, I was willing to once again set aside my instinctual dislike of 18th Century literature to try another satire from that era. I laughed heartily for the first few chapters. Then the exhaustion began to set in. Where Swift used narrative to his advantage in showcasing societal foibles and blind spots, Voltaire's narration felt like a tour guide pointing out city landmarks from the interior of a bullet train. To be fair, zany humour has never done much for me, and this is about as madcap as it gets. Our feet don't even hit the ground before the action is over and we are whisked away to yet another exotic locale. In its time, it's evident that this would have been a bombshell discussed in all corners of society. Even if one only considers how every priest in Candide is practically expected to have a mistress or some illegitimate offspring, those barbs, although well-deserved, are brutally defamatory. I can only imagine the reception from those having to bear daily witness to such moral hypocrisy. Unfortunately, I'm not a product of Voltaire's era. The relevance of his targets has largely come and gone in my mind, leaving only a hyperactive humour behind. Taken as an historical document, though, I must admit that it has been well worth my while to read, despite my failure to appreciate the content.

Don't let the slimness of this volume deceive you into thinking the story is light. This isn't a book through which one can skim quickly. The narrative is a kaleidoscope, and it truly takes all one's reading wits to focus the scattered pieces of the story into a coherent whole. The strength of Woodrell's writing here lies in lacuna and elision; it's more in what remains untold and danced around. At points I would get a bit frustrated at his failure to flesh out the smaller details - to tell the story "properly", if you will. And then he would stun me by delivering a sentence or two so jam-packed with allusive detail that it stood place for chapters worth of writing. Take for example this description of a local penitentiary: "Discipline inside the walls aped the medieval, with prisoners clubbed by guards or lashed at a whim--for making eye contact or not making eye contact, for slouching like a hoodlum or standing insolently straight, because they talked back or wouldn't answer at all--bats on the head regularly applied to encourage order or unconsciousness." After finishing the book, I reflected back upon which elided details should have been more carefully spelled out. I couldn't think of any. To capture such a wide range of story elements - from both World Wars to the Bolshevik Revolution to the American mob scene - in such a small space, and without leaving the feeling of having missed out on a better story, truly makes this an epic writ small. In that respect, it's worth reading just to see how dense a story can be told with just the barest of details.

An okay read, but I somehow felt let down. I guess I was expecting another helping of Correia's "Monster Hunters" series. Too much of the story felt manufactured, with pieces that didn't quite fit cleanly together. Even "Grimnoir" from the series title managed to read uncomfortably - as though I had marbles in my mouth. Correia still delivers a real page-turner, but one with only a fraction of the fun and creative mayhem that made his Monster Hunter books so enjoyable for me.

After reading Legion, I don't think I'll ever be able to pass up a Sanderson novella. Sure he pulls off doorstopper-thick tomes of epic fantasy without even breaking a sweat, but the novella format whittles his thoughts down to lean essentials. The Emperor's Soul in a sleek machine in terms of both concept and execution. The whole plot revolves around just one event - creating a new soul for a comatose emperor - that must be completed within 100 days. Chapter names are simply day markers, which serves both to let you know how much time has elapsed since the last scene and how much remains. It instantly establishes the setting while at the same time ratcheting up the tension as the deadline approaches. Brilliant. What impressed me more than anything, though, was how deftly these characters were developed. 175 pages isn't an awful lot of room for this when the genre demands a thick plot and a well-explained system of magic. Yet the characters Sanderson sketches in this short space are more real and interesting than many I've encountered in much longer books. Short though it is, The Emperor's Soul made for a most satisfying diversion.

This was my introduction to Eggers' writing, and I now have absolutely no interest in reading anything else by him. Perhaps this was a bad place to start. I've heard plenty of good reviews about his other books. His efforts to raise awareness of human rights issues are commendable. Judging by this novel, however, he seems to assume that his audience will be aware enough of his real world efforts that he can now speak in shorthand. How else to excuse his bragging about not undertaking any research before writing The Circle? I can tell you that the lack of effort certainly shows. Take the huge revelation that (...gasp!) data in the cloud actually requires a physical server, or that pulling all online services under one umbrella would somehow make that service safer rather than giving hackers one big bullseye. The whole premise comes across as implausible, which handicaps the story from the get-go. Even beyond that, the characters are so flat that they give 2D a bad name. The exposition is painfully self-aware, conversations are generally wooden, and we are never really given to understand why a character's motivation can so suddenly shift. So long as it slavishly serves to move the plot along, little consideration is given to believability. There are a few moments where I could feel something more real, but these all quickly devolved back to the status quo of overblown inanity. Definitely not my cup of tea.

He laughed. "What's to say? Great paintings--people flock to see them, they draw crowds, they're reproduced endlessly on coffee mugs and mouse pads and anything-you-like. And, I count myself in the following, you can have a lifetime of perfectly sincere museum-going where you traipse around enjoying everything and then go out and have some lunch. But--" crossing back to the table to sit again "--if a painting really works down in your heart and changes the way you see, and think, and feel, you don't think, 'oh, I love this picture because it's universal.' 'I love this painting because it speaks to all mankind.' That's not the reason anyone loves a piece of art. It's a secret whisper from an alleyway. Psst, you. Hey kid. Yes you." From an obverse perspective, that quote from The Goldfinch almost exactly captures my overall ambivalence toward the novel. It's the book that everyone seems to be reading. The marketing campaign has ensured that I see the cover everywhere I look. It could very well become the book which defines this decade of literature. But did it change the way I see, think or feel? Was there some irresitable sibilance luring me from the alleyway? Not really. That's not to say I don't see the merit. There is plenty to praise, and much that I appreciated. It just didn't speak to me. My reading experience was largely devoid of emotion. In addition to not truly caring about any of these characters, I have a tendency to cavil when plot twists are too coincidental (of which there were an abundance here), when some odd element becomes ubiquitous (it came to appear as though everyone had lost at least one parent in some dramatic fashion), or when there is an overuse of dramatic foreshadowing in flashbacks ("If I had only known how things would turn out..."). These may seem like petty objections, but I'm sure we all have those irrational triggers which sap the enjoyment from writing which we would likely otherwise admire. There is also a part of me that wonders whether a shorter version might have been more enjoyable, but I don't think it would have changed much. Judging by the high praise and the sheer volume of 5-star ratings on Goodreads, the editing process turned out a novel with plenty of appeal. The prose is honestly sharp enough that the pages flew by despite my indisposition toward the story, which speaks volumes to me about the quality of the writing. My issue was just that I never found anything here to love.

A fascinating story, but I'm just not a big fan of the journalistic reporting style that made this read like a 300-odd page personal interest story. Skloot also rides a fine line between telling the story of the Lacks family, and telling her own tale of uncovering that story. There's a constant tension between justifying Skloot's efforts as an entirely altruistic effort, and having her express much-deserved pride in a journalistic endeavour fraught with more than its fair share of hardships and interesting personalities. I think there is still too much of a societal gap for this story to be told to full effect. Skloot has done a great job of breaking the ice, though. My wish is that it would lead to a more substantial retelling from the family themselves as they benefit from the awareness raised by Skloot's effort.

Good, but not great. I think any review on this novel is presented with the difficulty of how to fairly respond to a classic work of literature. These characters have become larger than life over the centuries, which should by any definition prove the worth or merit of Dumas' story. Yet I can't come close to thinking the novel as a whole was consistently enjoyable. There are also many elements which don't at all hold up to modern sensibilities. A new acquaintance, for example, gambles away his compatriot's sentimental and priceless treasure without the fellow's permission or even knowledge, yet the whole affair is accepted magnanimously and without question as a matter of honour. As a side note, I began reading The Three Musketeers on account of the continual references appearing in Javier Marias's The Infatuations - particularly the mention of the woman whose branded shoulder escaped the notice of the marital bed. It seemed a ludicrous impossibility when Marias mentioned it, and it seemed equally ludicrous in the book. Something else which hindered my enjoyment is that I'm not a big fan of the serialized novel (or its modern counterpart, the serialized television show). There is a tendency in that format to come up with some smashingly spectacular ideas, only to see them eventually spread too thin or stuffed with time-filling side plots in a effort to meet some marketing requirement for length. There are entire sections in this novel filled with vacuous moanings of passion where I can just imagine Dumas petulantly meeting his publisher's deadline by writing pages of whatever drivel came to mind. Whatever might be said of the novel, though, there is no denying its timeless quality. There are several set pieces in the first few chapters that truly capture the imagination and almost single-handedly justify its inclusion into the canon of classic. Unfortunately, those moments were front-loaded, and getting to the end proved almost anti-climactic. It's like making the wine last longer by watering it down, cutting the cake into smaller pieces as more guests arrive, or trying to use a razor for six weeks when it should have been changed after one. But for those first pages, when things are firing on all cylinders, it's pure magic.

I downloaded this little gem last year from Audible, but never got around to listening to it until now (shame on me). It's a nimble, witty and utterly delightful story perfect for the Halloween season.

I think what made this collection resonate so strongly with me is that the stories flirt with those parts of our lives which would usually remain unvoiced. There was an intimacy and introspection that made the inner dialogue feel tangible without ever being spoken aloud. It's also the first collection of short stories I've read where I felt some strong connection to every single story. Positively brilliant.

Comedy tends to be a hit-or-miss proposition, and that's doubly true of black comedies. The premise sounded intriguing enough to be worth taking a gamble. Unfortunately, this was a big miss with me. I didn't laugh once. Perhaps it's because the humour here was so whimsical where I prefer something more biting.

This completely met my expectations for an Atwood novel. The writing was fantastic and the story elements were always thought-provoking. But as with any Atwood book I've read, everything is at an emotional remove. There isn't that sense of connection that makes one sad to leave a fictional world behind. Sure, some of the visual images and theoretical concepts bounce around the mind for a bit, but there's no evident passion. Yet despite my griping, I'd still recommend it as a worthwhile read, and will no doubt finish off the trilogy even though I'm sure I'll have the same ambivalent response.

A soft 4 of 5 stars, but well-deserved. Gaiman's novels have always been soft-spoken and understated, with supernatural manifestations taking on a sense of inevitability that almost make the magical seem mundane, as though the fantastic is what really exists if we would just have the eyes to see it. It's such a wonderful presumption, and, while I might not always enjoy Gaiman's novels, there is always something that lances through my calcified exterior to poke at the innocent awe buried somewhere within. The Ocean at the End of the Lane also marks a high point of maturity in Gaiman's artistic development. There isn't a lot of fat to this story. What's on the page is only that which is essential to the telling, and the themes and motifs evident throughout Gaiman's oeuvre have crystallized into something almost tangible. His prose has always been haunting and evocative, but there's a new firmness or tautness here that seems new to me. I wouldn't suggest that this is Gaiman's masterpiece. Not by any stretch. And yet it seems to have something much more profound to say than any of his past novels, as though a few extra years have granted him an added keenness of vision or insight. It's certainly a development which I admire, and I almost find myself hesitantly wishing that a magnum opus is already brewing in his creative mind that will make American Gods look like child's play. One can always hope and dream, I suppose...

If some catastrophic event caused hundreds of people to suddenly gain superpowers, what are the chances that the comic book dichotomy between good and evil would manifest? Or is it more believable that the strongest superhumans would create a new power structure where average people became little more than expendable labour? That latter scenario is what Sanderson imagines here in Steelheart, but not in the bleak dystopian style that seems to be so trendy these days. Yet despite the absence of altruistic superheroes, it's obvious from the get-go that beneath a cynical and hopeless facade, this is at heart an old-school superhero novel and a ripping good yarn. As in many of his past novels, Sanderson again shows himself a creative genius in developing what amounts to a magic system. There is a highly-developed classification system to the superpowers of the Epics, which almost makes it feel like a novelized RPG. What I really appreciate about Sanderson's approach is that the explanations are always logical. That's not to say I buy them hook, line and sinker, but even if I'm laughing at the weak and tenuous link between action and result, I don't ever feel as though he cheated in the writing of it. Another thing I both laugh at and appreciate in Sanderson's writing is the PG writing. Curse words are substituted for make-believe words, and sexual innuendo is so mild that you'd miss it if you blinked. But the action and suspense are so incredibly well written that it still feels gritty and dark, and the lack of objectionable content really serves to almost subconsciously buttress the altruistic themes running throughout the book. The audio narration by Macleod Andrews was fantastic, although with a mild caveat. The text was read so slowly that I was on the verge of gouging out my own eyes it was so drawn out. But bumping up the playback speed on my iPod to 1.5x, it was simply perfect. Andrews was exceptional in creating distinctive voices for all of the characters, and it often felt more like a radio play than a novel. In fact, his performance was so outstanding that this Canadian can even forgive him for using a Parisian accent for the French Canadian character (the difference between "zee accent" and "da haxENT"). This style of book makes for great audiobook narration in the first place, but Andrews really took it to the next level. Well, at 1.5X speed anyways, and that's enough for a strong recommendation in my book. FTC Disclosure: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review.

The historical anecdotes underlying The Orenda's plot structure are ones with which I am fairly familiar, since they have appeared in numerous school assignements throughout my years of education. What Boyden brings to the [re]telling, however, is a First Nations perspective that doesn't feel forced or accusatory. The result is a dual-perspective narration that gives equal moral weight to the impressions and cultural assumptions of both the Jesuits and the Wendat people. There are perhaps times when the magical folklore of the First Nations people is pushed into the realm of fantasy, but that potential overreach feels somewhat justified when you consider how many stories in the Christian tradition make saints sound more like magicians. There was also a bit of historical revisionism, such as when one of the Jesuits comments how the Haudenosaunee practice of torture was not much different from the Spanish Inquisition. But again, while this seems jarring when considered in historical context, it serves well here to raise a point of consideration. The plot itself is well-paced, with the book being broken into three very distinct sections, each represented by some tangible turning point in relations between Jesuits and First Nations. And while the pace becomes a little more slow and introspective at about the two-thirds mark, the climax built into a gripping finale that had me staying up late to finish. Bravo, Mr. Boyden. A fantastic job of breathing new life into old stories.

Definitely worth the buzz. Julie Maroh is an exceptionally talented artist, and her ability to convey emotional tension and sexual desire is uncanny. Were this a written novel, I don't think it could pack half the punch of just one of these panels. This is a story perfectly suited to the graphic novel format, and it's executed with rare style. Can I admit to loving that title? It's wonderful because it doesn't make sense, and things which don't make sense immediately arouse my curiousity. Blue is the warmest color, you say? On what basis can you even begin to make that claim? But start reading the story and you will quickly realize that blue is the color of desire in this tale; it's the warmth of love and the burning of passion. The drawings are also done in a muted style with greens and browns as the main palette, which makes the blue pop out in stunning contrast. What also works for me in that title is that blue isn't the warmest color - at least not in a conventional sense. Of course, the love story here is not conventional either. It's all about a young girl struggling with the undeniable fact that she is a lesbian. The emotional turmoil is almost unbearable even in the reading, and one of the panels -- an illustration of this young woman on the funeral pyre like Joan of Arc, surrounded by a group of KKK members -- evokes the feeling of this stigma in rather exact detail. And yet, despite the unconventional nature of her love, the emotions on display are universal. This is a story of true love, even if the packaging is a bit different. I should also include some warning that this book really puts the "graphic" back into graphic novels. There are some scenes which are...well, let's just say not for the faint of heart. And yet, despite the nudity and sexual content, these drawings are never lurid or prurient. In fact, they fit so extraordinarily well with the contours of the story that they are expected and, quite frankly, feel altogether natural. Blue is the Warmest Color is one of those books which makes you feel enlightened after the fact, as though you've really walked a mile in someone else's shoes and can now approach a culturally loaded topic with some modicum of sympathy. It's also a compelling story in its own right, and deserving of all the accolades being thrown its way. FTC disclosure: I received a free copy of this graphic novel from the publisher in exchange for a fair review

Trying to summarize my response to this book is really a hopeless cause. It was so many things at once - action, intrigue, humour, horror, and the most suspenseful chess game I've ever read - yet Benioff's storytelling was so intimate and masterful that it would cheapen the experience to hear the details laid out as bald facts. What I will say is that I didn't want it to end, which should in itself speak volumes.

Whimsically fun, but there's far more spoof than substance here--which was likely the intent in the first place. As a spoof, it works rather well. The sci-fi world owes an immeasurable debt to the Star Trek television franchise, and this entire novel is a gentle ribbing at the shortcomings of the series (like why the bridge always has to explode in sparks during battle scenes when it's the farthest point from the actual damage). As a novel, though, it felt far too self-aware for me to lose myself in the story, with enough winks and nods interspersed throughout the story to continually remind the reader that this is all a lark. What threw me for a loop is that (view spoiler)[the codas made a sudden transition to seriousness, and I wasn't sure what to do with it. (hide spoiler)] That divergence also made the novel seem much less cohesive, as though too many things were being attempted without enough narrative glue to hold it together. Everything works independently, but packaging the material in one novel seems forced and even a bit contrived. The incessant use of "he said" also started to drive me batty, especially in lengthy scenes of back-and-forth dialogue where those words closed every single line of speech. It made the whole experience feel more like a rough draft rather than a final copy.

This is one huge ad for Google, which I found rather disturbing in a novel that is ostensibly about a love affair with printed books. Google simply dominates the pages. Even T-minus countdowns flash in the colours of the Google logo. I have to admit that I was a little depressed when my novel about books became a Google love-fest. The publisher marketed this novel as literary fiction, and I think that was an even bigger disappointment than the Google obsession. I expected a lot more substance. Beneath the mystery that propels the story, though, there isn't really much of anything. The characters are all pretty flat, every chapter seems to employ a deus ex machina of one sort or another, and the incessant pulse of the plot leaves no room for thematic exploration. Just because it's a book about books doesn't make it "literary" by default. Most of my negative reactions stem from feeling deceived or wilfully misguided as to the content. It really was a fun read despite the misleading marketing, even if it was far too similar to Ready Player One for me to be wowed by the originality of the story. This is a solid book with a driving plot that zips along, but just don't expect the thematic exploration or character development that would normally appear in a book marketed as literary fiction.

This was a pretty fun read, but I'm certainly not in the camp questioning why the Pulitzer jury didn't see this as head and shoulders above the competition. The language is humorously idiosyncratic, and it often had me stopping to appreciate what would surely be awkward appositions in anyone else's hands. One example: "The Chief had put on his humongous bifocals to go through our mailbag, specs with made him look a little like Elvis Presley or an erudite bear." Believability can be a bit problematic at times, which is both the charm of and the trouble with this book. Things aren't always what they seem, and the narrative doesn't hold up to any deep scrutiny. Provided believability is not an obstacle, Swamplandia! has enough quality elements to make it a worthwhile read.

This was my introduction to Barbara Kingsolver, and I must admit to being suitably impressed. The writing is exceptionally tight, the layering of narrative voices (writer, redactor, archivist, etc.) added a much-appreciated depth of perspective, and there wasn't a single theme or story element that seemed superfluous despite the length of the novel. One major drawback for me is that I wasn't sold on the major plot device of the lacuna. That's mostly because I'm very familiar with the word in the context of historical manuscripts, so it was jarring to read an underwater cave being described as a lacuna (try Googling that concept of lacuna as underwater cave and you won't find much more than reviews for this book). It might seem like a small detail when most people won't be familiar with the word in the first place, but it's a large obstacle to overcome when it's something so central to the novel. This novel probably won't appeal to readers looking for action and adventure. The pacing is slow and deliberate, slowly folding in events that take place over a lifetime. For those seeking a thoughtful and thought-provoking story, however, this is certainly worth the effort.

I've never felt the urge to describe a book as "searing" until now. The premise sounds so simple and dull, but the hidden depths behind the story are profound. This is a soul-searching examination of guilt handled with the skill of a surgeon's knife, cutting cleanly and deeply to the bone. Deep questions are asked with no answer given, but the clarity of those questions is astounding. The book is so short that I hesitate to say much more in this review. In a sense, saying anything is a spoiler. What I can say, though, is that this is a book well worth the read.

I guess the big question is why I read this book when I'm not a big fan of autobiographies or graphic novels. That's a double-whammy right off the bat, but Blankets seemed to achieve some critical mass of enthusiasm that made it seem worth the effort. What's more, I had just read Maus--also a graphic novel [auto]biography of sorts--and loved it. In the end, though, Blankets just didn't win me over. I expected a lot more substance based on the critical acclaim--especially considering the heavy hitters whose blurbs are quoted on the back cover. There are a few panels that make for intriguing metaphors and such, but the bulk of the story is unadorned autobiography. Maybe "autobiography" is too formal a word. It's more of a personal memento, almost as if the author picked up his old diary and reminisced on the events in a play-by-play fashion. This will work for a great many people, and there's certainly much to be said for any author willing to rip out his or her heart and expose it to the world. Unfortunately, this book and I didn't make enough of a connection to make any part of the story seem meaningful.

A fictional retelling of the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War through the eyes of a small handful of characters. I was relatively ignorant of the events captured by this novel, but I imagine the intent was more to educate and enlighten. If so, Adichie succeeded to a great degree. Highly recommended--especially if you are interested in an accessible and engaging introduction to recent history in Western Africa.

Quintessential King. Like most of his other memorable books, this is rife with Americana and side trips that would have been irrelevant rambling in the hands of anyone else. Like his Dark Tower series, there is a lot of narrative roaming. Although the novel is ostensibly about JFK's assassination, the bulk of the story involves people and places that have absolutely no relation to that event. And like that other series, I can't help but feel some element of cheating when it comes to climactic plot points. The narrative hinge just doesn't seem substantial enough to carry the weight of my expectations. Oddly enough, the wandering narrative serves to minimize the effect. With King's writing I usually become more invested in the personal story than the plot (or at least whatever the marketers would use to describe the book on the jacket). I can shake my head at some of his climactic set-ups and resolutions, but it's closer to a reading speedbump than a roadblock. I'm still more interested to find out how the personal story resolves. Although King is usually sycophantic about the '50s--and this book is no different--it was nice to venture into some caveats this time around. Yes, the '50s would have been a great place to live...assuming you weren't a person of colour, or a "subversive", or even an independent woman. This ended up being a fun read that I would recommend to just about anyone, but prepare to be disappointed if you were looking for some hard questions to asked of anything. This isn't a book about difficult concepts or philosophical what-ifs. It's American-style entertainment written by a master of the form, and it's all too easy to find yourself settling in and asking to pass the popcorn.

After a promising first book and a disappointing second, this series is finally starting to hit its groove. I'm just not sure from this perspective whether it's a groove or a rut. The book begins with an odd murder in the underground, and Constable Peter Grant is called in to work his magic (literally). Although the story really pulled me in, it ended far too abruptly and without addressing some larger issues. My impression was that it felt more like an episode of a TV series than a novel--not surprising, considering the author's history. It's not necessarily a bad thing, either, but one that I'll be keeping in mind before reading any more of these books. Two issues that have loomed since the first book are the faceless wizard and Peter's need to be better trained in the magical arts. Both of these are mentioned in the book, but then left unaddressed. Again, it's like a TV series where one issue becomes the reason for the show, and the viewer is strung along episode by episode without ever solving the biggest issue at hand. That's what I'm seeing for this series, although it really is fun enough that most people won't mind. One of the best recommendations for this book comes from the subtle racial commentary. Peter Grant is of African descent, and there are plenty of jokes and pointed comments about how his heritage influences reactions. My favourite line was the "trio of disreputable-looking white guys," simply because I've heard the reverse from so many ignorant white folk. There are even more magical characters introduced in this book, and that same racial discussion happens at an all new level, hinting at the same issues from a different angle. All in all, this was a fairly solid read, but I was really hoping for something more developed.

This is a great little piece by Sanderson, and it shows that he's capable of moving beyond the magic systems that have made his name. I really hope we can see more along this line from him, because it's not often that something feels this fresh and innovative in this genre.

I'm at a loss in how to write a review for this book. I obviously didn't get whatever the author was driving at--something I find unsettling when the book is garnering critical acclaim. What is it that I'm missing? It felt to me like the author was trying too hard to make a story that didn't really have the legs to make it. Nigerian e-mail scams have provided office jokes for years, so this attempt at a taut political thriller on the same topic seems a few years too late in the making. Moreover, the exposition on the scam seems contrived. It doesn't flow naturally, making it seem impersonal and emotionally removed. Almost halfway through the book we are taken on a long side trip to the tribal areas of Nigeria, and this diversion absolutely sings. There is African mysticism and mythology abounding, and we are introduced to the ecological and economic devastation caused by oil exploration, not to mention the political destabilization caused by vigilante action and black market siphoning. This is what the book should have been about, in my opinion, and it's a shame that the author got so caught up in e-mail scams when there was so much other material to work with.

Abandon all hope ye who enter here. This is a labyrinth in which you will get lost, and the temptation to immerse yourself in the minutiae and symbolism is stronger than a row of slot machines in Vegas. Point in case: there is an entire website (www.houseofleaves.com) dedicated solely to the discussion of this book. The genius of the author is undeniable, and I never ceased to be impressed with the various approaches to the narrative. This is a story told in three layers. First is a pseudo-scholarly attempt by a blind man to relate the story of a...well, let's call it a haunted house for lack of a better description, with footnotes and academic trappings aplenty. The second layer is a young man named Johnny Truant, who gets his hands on the manuscript after the original author's death and marks it up with copious footnotes that tell a story about his own life and the onset of some sort of delusional mania. Then add the third layer of the publishing editors with their own notes and interjections on the annotated manuscript given to them by Johnny Truant. Layers upon layers upon layers... The narrative structure is also toyed with, and all manner of subversive elements are introduced. One chapter is a labyrinth in and of itself, with text running up, down, sideways and backwards, and if properly followed the footnotes run endlessly like a Mobius strip. Sometimes the pages are packed so densely with words that it takes an eternity to read a page; at other times there may be one word per page. One page is written in braille, another in sheet music. Footnotes occasionally change from an ordered set of numbers to symbols which may or may not have meaning. My only problem with overly clever books like this is that there really is no definitive answer. All interpretations are subjective and equally valid, which leads to the temptation of reading far too much into the book. The text refers to labyrinths and stairways and nautilus spirals--all of which are apt metaphors in more than one way, since trying to prise meaning from this tome is an endless and circular task. And there is so much material to work from that one could probably spend half a lifetime sifting through the intended and unintended clues that litter this tome. This is a book which should only be attempted by the heartiest of readers. 700 pages of what could be described as avant-garde horror is not exactly a great option for the casual reader. But if you feel in the mood for a reading challenge that is out of the ordinary, this is a book you should strongly consider.

In my mind, this is another classic whose reputation outshines the actual book. The story itself is little more than an allegorical satire on class and social structure, but the time machine is what managed to grab people's attention. In many regards, I was reminded of Shelley's Frankenstein, where the monster quickly overshadowed the incredibly rich "Modern Prometheus" story. The Time Machine is a very quick read, though, which certainly makes it worth taking the time to experience first-hand.

I love what this book tried to accomplish, but it was so weighted down with rhetorical flourishes and needless exposition that I nearly gave up. Buried in all the words, though, were some outstanding moments. This would play very well to anyone who appreciates the storytelling more than the story itself. Here's the long version of my review: http://wp.me/p2Ih3i-3k

Did not finish. Having always put off this series for various reason, I finally picked this up (many moons ago) on the very strong recommendation of a friend who had only just started reading for pleasure. In addition to some innate need to positievly encourage reading at any level, I was also working under the assumption that any book that could so fascinate a new reader had to have at least something worthwhile. What I didn't expect was how close it would mimic Lord of the Rings. I found myself spending more and more reading time thinking about how much better Lord of the Rings was, until it frustrated me to the point of putting down the book. I know I'm far from alone in my opinion, and that there are just as many Brooks fans who would rally to his defense, but place me squarely in the corner of those who regard Shannara as a blatant rip-off of Tolkien.

Overall impression: A well-crafted novel that just didn't connect. In addition to being hailed as a multiple SF award nominee, N.K. Jemisin is also being promoted with a host of descriptive nouns like feminist, political activist, African-American and practicing psychologist. Taken collectively, that makes for a pretty heady introduction, and one that certainly had me eager to see what intrigues this rising SF star had to offer. The Killing Moon begins with Ehiru, a Gatherer priest of Hananja, the Goddess of Dreams, as he collects the "dreamblood" of a devout follower. This is done in a dream world where the Gatherer peacefully guides the dreaming soul into paradise, the essence of those dreams flowing into his body as the mortal connection of the dreamer is severed. His second Gathering of the night is a foreign unbeliever named as a tithe to the goddess on account of his corruption - an effort which goes horribly astray. This Gathering gone wrong eventually serves as the lynchpin for the revelation of internal corruption that threatens to destabilize the entire created world. Although Ehiru is the character that serves as the connection to virtually every element of the story, the tale is mostly told through the eyes of Nijiri, Ehiru's apprentice Gatherer. As a counterpoint to the unshakeable faith in Hananja possessed by these two gatherers, the world-weary cynic and religious critic is played by Sunandi, an ambassador and spy from a neighbouring nation. Once she becomes a target in a hidden power struggle, fate manages to throw all three of them together in a quest to uncover a nefarious plot and save the world. Well-researched, inventive and innovative, this is a book that won my admiration for all the things it is not: It is not European in flavour or tone; the underlying mythology is not Greco-Roman or Norse; it is not filled with Caucasian northerners fighting the evil southerners (rather the other way around, in fact); and the female characters are strong, perceptive and politically adept. Yet despite so much that I admired, it ended up leaving me cold. Even at the most climactic points in the story, I had to take breaks between chapters in an effort to redouble my wavering focus. I have this same glassy-eyed reaction with other SF writers, like Guy Gavriel Kay or David Weber, whose books are intelligent, well-written, and possessing an almost scholastic attention to detail. What's missing in all these books is simply a hook for my individual sensibilities, something to drag me into the story. There was nothing here to grab my attention; nothing that prompted any emotional investment. In many ways, The Killing Moon reminded me of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. Dreams and nightmares are portrayed through the pictorial lens of religion, with layers of allegory and allusion abounding. Another similarity is that I also fail to connect emotionally with any of Bosch's works, despite their obvious quality and merit. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to enjoy my introduction to Jemisin, but at least now I can see why she's made so many waves in so little time.

I missed the opportunity of studying this book in school, and it's taken me this long to finally get around to reading it. In the interim, I subconsciously built up a mental image of something much bigger and more subversive than it ever could have been. Foolish me. It's actually a very intimate and heartbreaking look at teenage life, despite the coarseness of the narration. The story was ultimately so far removed from my expectations that I think I may have to read it a few more times before developing any opinions on the content, but I can at least now understand why it has captured such a celebrated place in the pantheon of American literature.

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this book. In many respects, I suppose that's indicative of some inherent level of quality. The writing tends toward exceptional, and there are so many rich themes lurking just under the water--visible, yet teasingly beyond simple definition--that quality was never in doubt. My wavering opinion rests more on the fact that I'm not sure whether I truly enjoyed the experience. The conceptual layout of the book is picture perfect postmodernism. The Part A/Part B division was intended to reflect a concept album from the golden years of rock. Each chapter tells a new piece of the overall story through a new narrator, using their unique point of view in overlapping and concentric tales. The story bounces between past, present and future with the reader expected to sort out the details. Heck, one of the chapters is even a self-contained slide show! While all these elements combined to tease and tantalize, there wasn't enough narrative thread to pull things together tight enough for my tastes. There were times when I felt I was reading a whole bunch of previously published short stories, all dealing with the same narrative core, that some enterprising author had decided to publish as a novel with some gimmicky features to razzle-dazzle readers into seeing more than what was really there. Then I reflected on how well everything fit together, and I must admit that there is some real genius behind what the cynic in me sees as gimmicky. And the more I reflect on the stories, the more I'm able to see thematic allusions that thread through several different chapters. This is a book that could easily work its hooks into me and have me raving about it in a few months or years, but my current response is rather mixed.

I'm still buzzing after just finishing a wickedly good ride. Forget The Hunger Games. This is the book you need to be reading instead. I'll readily admit that my inner geek was drooling at some of the catchphrases surrounding the blogosphere noise on this book, things like Japanese Steampunk and chainsaw katana. Mr. Kristoff, you had my geek love in your hands before I even cracked the spine, but then you delivered an incredibly fast-paced and emotional book to boot. I finished with a rush of emotion, a big smile on my face, and "Bravo!" repeating in an endless loop on my inner monologue track. In an alternate version of feudal Japan, an emperor rules over four united clans. He has just had a dream about a mythical creature, and his Master Hunter, Masaru, and his daughter, Yukiko, are sent on what seems like a quixotic mission to capture the animal--a certain death sentence, as failure is inevitable. The emperor's dreams prove to be true, though, and the mythical arashitora is not only found, but captured. With the taste of success so near, a freak storm dashes the airship to bits, and Yukiko ends up deserted with only a now-crippled arashitora for company. Through her ordeals, she discovers the truth about the empire, and makes the decision to stand for what is right. The story was impressively tight, with just the right amount of high-strung tension, and not so many twists and turns that the story suffered. Normally I'm screaming, "Just get to the point!" as the author overhypes a suspenseful ending. This was just about perfect. Japanese Steampunk, though, was by far the most defining and memorable element of this book. Just as Kurosawa used John Ford's Westerns as inspiration for a landmark reimagining of the samurai story, so Kristoff springboards from Victorian England Steampunk to create something new by using the best elements of the old. And just as Kurosawa's reimagining inspired dozens of filmmakers, I wouldn't be surprised if we see dozens of authors begin to push the boundaries of Steampunk in the wake of this novel. Another filmmaker that comes to mind here is Hayao Miyazaki. Especially in his early films like Nausicaa or Princess Mononoke, there are similarities in having a strong female protagonist, and a heavy emphasis on the environmental destruction caused when political or economic interests are unrestrained. Miyazaki's films ended up becoming a shrine of creative juices to the folks at Pixar, and his films are loved by millions, so any comparison comes as no small praise. All this acclamation isn't to say I was enamoured of everything. I was continually distracted by the choice of "chi" as the word for the engine fuel so essential to the plot. The marbles in the mouth sounding "mechabacus" or the awkward "bushimen" (for men following Bushido) were two other terribly distracting terms. There were also a few elements of the story where inspiration from other authors might have crossed the line into pilfering, but it was thankfully done in such a unique way that I was never once put off by it. If anything, I would even say that Kristoff improved on the original. This book is really worth every bit of the hype that seems to be bouncing through the blogosphere, and I do hope it makes a huge splash so that people can experience what a real YA book should read like. For myself, I'm already itching to get my hands on the next book in the series. Note: In compliance with FTC guidelines, I am disclosing that I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.