Hello! My name is Chie. I am likely to be the girl you'll see whose eyes would bulge out of their sockets at the sight of a book store and be seized by waves of epileptic shock whenever there is a book bargain. I'll probably be the one pushing you out of my way to get through the book bargain bins and tediously combing through the pile. (I forget my manners when it comes to books). I am tone deaf and have two left feet. But I would endure the embarrassment of a performance in exchange for books (terms and conditions apply). I have created this blog in order to find kindred souls. Those who would gladly share the same passion for books and reading because although reading is solitary task most of the time, it's no fun having no one to ramble to after..
Synopsis: None of us came here. We look like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books -- but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England
And Number Three in Kenya
I am Number Four
I am next.
Review: The story revolves around the "9" aliens or Lorics from the ravaged planet Lorien. They are called "Garde" because of their special powers, called Legacies, which not everyone has in the planet. They came here with their guardians who are supposed to keep them safe because they're the ones who will save the Earth. And get Lorien back.
Unfortunately, their enemy, the ones who ruined Lorien followed them on Earth. The 9 are protected by a special charm that allows them to be safe as long as the one preceding them is not killed. They can only be killed according to their number. Unfortunately for John, Number Four, the first three were already dead. The story actually revolves around Number Four. And the story slowly unfolds as to their history. The plot slowly reveals the powers that John has inherited from the elder Garde.
John has never really developed any close relationships with other people except for Henri, his guardian. However, once he got the signal that Number Thre is already dead - they get this searing pain and mark etched on their flesh. Dark Mark, anyone? - he and Henri decided that it's time to go. They went to this sleepy town called Paradise in Ohio and there, he meets Sarah and like every other story with a teenage boy and a teenage girl, they fall in love. Everything goes peachy until the Mogadorians tracked them and they had no choice but to fight?
Who wins?
Go read the book. I swear it's a good read.
The only thing I didn't look like about the plot is that it felt a bit too dragging especially on the part where he and Sarah were growing more in love. Furthermore the sudden entry of a surprise character in the end just really caught me by no surprise. It was good, perhaps it was needed, but there was no foreshadowing at all and it just felt confusing.
The story has all the elements of a good read: light humour, action, adventure and a bit of romance. There is also the play on family ties and solid friendship. I likednthe way it was written because the friendship and romance didn't feel shallow to me. I think John's relationships were really established, which helped cement the emotion behind the succeeding scenes when Henri died and when his new friend Sam Goode stuck by him til the end.
It's a good read for anytime of the day and I recommend it.
Synopsis: Westeros is a kingdom of swords and and scheming, a kingdom that has been enjoying a decade-long summer, a kingdom to which winter is returning. Lord Eddard Stark is content to rule House Stark and enjoy the company of his wife and children, but the King, Robert Baratheon - Ned's long time-friend and co-leader of the revolution that overthrew the Mad King Aerys Targaryen - has other plans. Robert wants Ned become the Hand of the King, and with no way to refuse, Ned must go to King's Landing and attempt to put the kingdom back in order... a daunting proposition whilst the scheming Cercei Lannister, a daughter of the most powerful house in Westeros, is Queen. And meanwhile, across the seas, the last of the Targaryen children wait and plot to reclaim the throne that is rightfully theirs.
Review: To say that this series is rich with detail is a laughable understatement, so I figured that having things fresh in mind would be a good thing. I completely enjoy Martin's writing style. His world-building, his action, his action and his character development, all wonderful. He's great at presenting complicated political maneuvering in a way that's easy to follow. His prose doesn't make me want to leap out of my seat, but it's smoothly fades into the background, which is exactly what you want when you've got a story this compelling.
Of the six major events that I remembered happening in this book, one actually happens in the next book, one I knew happened at the end, and the other four all happened within the first 25% of the book. And to make my point, the book doesn't feel front loaded at all. The pace keeps going strong throughout - clearly so much stuff happens that my memory couldn't hold it all.
And what does happen? Is of the no-holds-barred style of story telling. This book is casually brutal. Or I remembered this was brutal - The Red Wedding is pretty well seared into my brain permanently - how unrelentingly brutal they are. Martin's not shy about doing horrible things to his characters, and having them do horrible things are to each other, and no one is safe... and yet I let myself get attached to them anyways, even though I knew (more or less) what was coming.
It's impossible not to get attached to the characters. They're all really complex, and well-drawn that even the bad guys are still interesting, and still at least somewhat sympathetic (except Joffrey. Gods, I just want to punch Joffrey in his smug little face, even though it's not his fault he was raised to be a prattish jerkwad). On the flip side, even the good guys I occasionally want to slap and yell at to stop being dumb/blind/proud/annoyingly obsessed with their own honour. And the best part is that so many of the characters are neither good guys nor bad guys, but somewhere wonderfully meaty and fascinating in between. I remembered all that in principle.
Honestly even better than I remembered it being. Not for everyone, but if complex historicals or epic fantasy is your thing, it's a series well worth diving into.
Upcoming Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Cast: Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), Samantha Morton (Mary Lou), Ezra Miller (Credence), Collin Farrell (Percival Graves), Faith Wood-Balgrove (Modesty), Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina), Jon Bought (Henry Shaw), Ron Perlman (Gnarlack) Directed by: David Yates Date Premiered: November 18, 2016 Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Based on: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Newt Scamander -J.K. Rowling) Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Synopsis: The story revolves around Newt Scamander's arrival at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), for a meeting with an important official. Central to the story and this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American Wizarding after Newt, and it threatens even further strain the state of magical and non-magical relations, which is already in a dangerous place, due to the threatening presence of fanatical New Salem Philanthropic Society, an extremist organisation dedicated to the eradication of wizard-kind. The story tells of what effect this devastating mistake has on the state of wizard/No-Maj (the American term for a non-magical person) relations in New York City's community of wizards and witches in 1926, the effort to correct the mistakes, and the horrors of the resultant increase in violence, fear, and tension felt between magical and non-magical people.
Thoughts: I thought I would be done with this. I thought I had cried my final tears four years ago when the last Harry Potter film ended. Never would I have thought that I would be writing related to Harry Potter in my adult life, especially something that is relevant to our present day. But as Warner Bros. have decided to adapt J.K. Rowling's novel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to the big screen. I am obviously going to take any chance that I can get to write about it. Within the past couple of months, the public have been given a handful of information about the film here and there, which have been spread sporadically through our social media platforms. However, I am going to try and lay out all the information I could gather about the film for you all in one post. And I hope that my inner childhood Harry Potter fan girl doesn't take over.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is originally a 2001 novel written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander, a fictional magizoologist (the study of magical creatures). In the book, Scamander lists the 85 magical creatures that reside around the world, which he found through observations from his travel around 5 different continents. Within the Harry Potter Universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is uses as a Hogwarts textbook that is compulsory for first year students (even though the class Care of Magical Creatures is not introduced until third year). However, the book is a helpful encyclopedia to identify dark creatures for the class Defense Against the Dark Arts, and according to Dumbledore, is a wonderful addition for a wizarding household.
Newt Scamander
As the current synopsis goes, the film will follow the adventures of Newt Scamander and his quest to find magical beasts. J.K. Rowling herself has stated that it does not serve as prequel or a sequel to the Harry Potter world, but will act as an addition to the Wizarding Universe. It will take place in 1920's New York, which is seven decades before Harry Potter and his gang go to Hogwarts.
Because the film is set in America, we definitely get to see US witches and wizards right? Absolutely! If your are religiously following Rowling on Twitter, you would know that she has already teased the idea of the American School of Wizadry. Even though it is uncertain that we will be introduced to this school, we do get to meet some of its ex-students and may even explore the inner workings of American magic, which apparently is influenced by Native American culture.
It's reunion time for the Harry Potter crew, as all have worked on most/all of the movies within the franchise. Producer David Hey man and Executive Producer Lionel Wigram are making their comeback alongside David Yates who directed the last four Harry Potter films. J.K. Rowling has written the script herself with the involvement from Steve Kloves, who has scripted all but one of the Harry Potter films.
Unlike the crew, we won't be seeing any of the original cast return for the film.
Like The Hobbit, this one singular novel will be turned into three films. Kevin Tsujihara has already confirmed that it will become "three mega movies" and J.K. Rowlkng has nearly finished the material for the first film and is already working on the two additional chapters. Release dates have already been chosen, with the first movie set to come out on November 18, 2016 and the two preceding on November 16, 2018 and November 20, 2020.
Thank you, Warner Bros. Thank you for keeping the Harry Potter and all its magic alive. From what I have read, the public, young and old, are genuinely excited to see this novel adapted into a live-action. Hopefully the success of this film will manifest into others within The Hogwarts Library like Quidditch Through The Ages and The Tales of Beedle The Bard
Synopsis: Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tried to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination, but an answer.
In heaven, five people explain your life to you. Some you knew, others may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"
Review: The reason which propelled me to read this book was its title, which hooked me and I wanted to know more. The book answers the question we all ask at some point in our life, "What will happen after death?" But do not think of it as a religious book indicating philosophy of a particular religion or scholar. It is just author's interpretation of afterlife and he explains it through a story in the most simplistic words possible. The book is just over 200 pages long, so it can be read easily in one sitting.
It is about Eddie, who works at an amusement park and the story starts from his 83rd birthday, the day when he dies whilst saving a girl from a fallen cart. I won't spoil the ending for you so you can enjoy the book, buy it and find out more. The gist of the book is that "Throughout your life, you come across many people, some of whom you know, somehow you don't, but all of them change the course of your life in some way or the other. You may or may not notice when you are alive but through the journey in heaven, you find out how and when the path of your life changed due to interaction with someone significant or insignificant individual in your life. " As I started this book, in spite of being able to predict what will happen next, I wanted to know who those five people Eddie meets in heaven are and how they changes his life at some point or the other, and at what levels his life got affected by them.
This is the theory of life and afterlife put forward by the author through the main character of this book. The only thing that bothered me was the way he tells the story, like an old man trying to teach morals to his grand children through "once upon a time" stories. Maybe the author could have out his thoughts in a non-fiction categorising the book under self-developmental/self-help/ spiritual book" to make it a mature reading. But in spite of his preaching style, you will not find it dull or boring. You may or may not agree with the writer's beliefs and how he perceives life hereafter but you will definitely like how the story unfolds smoothly from one chapter to another and keeps you engaged til the end. The book is suitable for children and adults because of its simple yet interesting style. So give it a read and let me know how did you find it.
Top Ten: Ten Things You Need To Know Before Dating a Bookworm
Date: Sunday, January 31, 2016 Time: 1:13 AM
Disclaimer: Everything written here is based on my opinion, it might not apply to all bookworms but I'll try to find a common ground.
Know the word "bookworm" actually means. A bookworm is not a book worm. It is a person who loves to read and spends alot of time doing so. If the person you're planning to date does not fall under this category, go, read another post instead.
Reading has set our standards in dating sky high. Let's be honest. Most, if not all, bookworms dream of meeting someone similar to or who resembles the fictional character they fell in love with (although most of the time we dream of meeting the fictional characters themselves.) Likewise we dream of experiencing some of the relationships we've read about, specifically, those that made us fall in love ourselves. This is the reason why some people perceive avid readers as the most difficult to date. We expect a wee bit too much (it's an oxymoron... I think).
We do spend alot of time reading. Our free time will always be consumed by reading (and swooning over fictional characters) so do understand that there will be times when we will not be able to respond to your text messages, or your phone calls, or whatnot. It's either we're sleeping or reading. There is no in-between. Just kidding we have work and school too.
We fall in love with fictional characters. They will be your greatest rivals. There will be times when all we would blabber about are fictional characters, how attractive they are and how much we want to marry them. It's like having a third party, only you cannot get back on fictional people.
We prefer books for presents. If there was one thing you should be grateful for, it's the fact that you no longer have to worry about what to give us on our anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, maybe even Halloween. It's automatic: all we want are books. This can be a bit tricky though for the following reason a). You might get the same book, hence a double b). You might get a book that she or he is not interested in and c). It's not easy picking a book most especially when there's just too much to choose from. All you need is skill and adequate knowledge on your girlfriend/boyfriend's wish list and orders that month and you're fine.
Bookworms are the best lovers. Living different lives and being exposed to various feelings and people make us utterly sensitive. Thus, it's easier to know what you're thinking, how you're feeling and what can we do about it. We also know how to weave words and thoughts and make someone special in different ways. But the most important of all is that despite the "warnings" mentioned above, at the end of the day, we will always come back to you and you will always have us (though some pieces of our hearts would still be with fictional characters).
When we see your apartment for the first time, the first thing we will look for is your bookshelf or bookcase. It will be the first thing we gravitate towards and we will spend several minutes looking through your collection, trying to get know you better. If you don't have a single book in your apartment, we might be a little concerned.
Letting you borrow a book is a huge step for us, and we will resent you if you don't give it back. Books are amongst our most prized possessions. It doesn't matter if we've already read it. You still have to give it back. Because we might want to read it a second time. Or a 17th time.
Sometimes we just need to be alone for a little while. Nothing's wrong. We're not upset with you. We still love spending time with you. But we are accustomed to a certain amount of quiet time in our daily lives, and sometimes we just need to sit down with a good book for a few hours in order to feel refreshed and energised.
When you're upset, sometimes our first instinct will be to suggest to read a certain book. We're not trying to be cold or unhelpful or pushy. We're just trying to share a special piece of literature that has gotten us through some of our most difficult moments. Bookworms often have deep emotional connections to many different books, so if we suggest a book to you, it means we really want to help you so much as we can.
Synopsis: In the Republic of Greater East Asia, a frightening event called the "Program"takes place once a year in order to keep the citizens compliant and distrustful of one another. Third-year junior high classes are randomly selected throughout the nation, relocated to an isolated area, and forced to kill one another just one survivor - the victor remains.
This year, it's 15-year-old Shuya Nanahara's class that gets chosen and relocated to a small island. Shuya is forced to watched his friends die and his classmates go crazy. But what if there were some way to beat the fascist government's supposedly infallible system?
Review: Battle Royale is brutal, both physically and mentally. It tosses you into the middle of a corrupt world and forces you to be witness to an event that's deadly and well established. Innocent and not-so innocent teenagers die every few pages in unapologetic prose. No sooner do we come to know a student's personality and the past when he or she is killed, the abruptness of losing someone interesting you've just begun to know a definite stomach-turner, a definite shake up.
If this kind of dystopian literature is your kind of thin, there's plenty of it to be had. Even if you've got a weak stomach for violence, however, Battle Royale still gives you alot to think about. Koushun Takami's writing is nothing striking, and yet there's something about the plainness of it, the bluntness of the translated version that gets inside your veins and messes up your organs. It's the way he gives us a brief character of each of the 42 students - and then takes them away in horrifying manners. It's the way that this book's world takes the existence of the "Program" as expected, unchangeable. And it's the way that this book makes you doubt yourself and the characters, not sure whom you should trust, just as the government intends for you to react.
This book has inevitably been compared to The Hunger Games, so why not say what I think about the two? The Hunger Games is clearly YA, readers are spared the too-gruesome details and through the eyes of Katniss, are spared the intensity of the horror that arises when a character whose history you know dies. Battle Royale is a stand-alone novel, which makes its shocker of an ending all the more satisfying; whilst I have yet to read the next two books in Suzanne Collins' series, I can only hope that she will deliver an equally believable and satisfying answer for Katniss and her world.
If I had to make a choice between the two, I'd go with The Hunger Games, for its less stomach-churning material and the successful development of memorable characters. However, Battle Royale provides more questions to think over, more disturbing ideas and images that will keep you up later in the night. If you do not have a weak stomach and have the time to read an intense 600-page work, I suggest picking up Battle Royal in order to completely annihalate everything you've previously thought about the dark side of human nature and our curiosity in violence and death.
So here we are again, another year have passed us by. 2016 is gonna be a year that is filled again of anticipated books and growing TBR. So without further a do, here's the list of my most anticipated books of 2016.
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Release Date: August 2, 2016
It made me have this unputdownable wanderlust to Scotland, I fell in love with the magical kingdom of Doon and the characters, especially the MacCrea brothers.
Also if you've already read Shades of Doon, you know why I am so eager to have this beautiful book in my hands. Because if you've read the last book, that cliffhanger made me want to reap my hair out of my head.
The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Okay. Who would say no to this? Rick Riordan is one of my author buy books. Together with growing up with J.K. Rowling's books, shaping your book loving persona, I also have Uncle Rick to shape mine. I grew up with his characters by my side. Plus we're gonna be having Percy in this book, if that doesn't made it more exciting I don't know will. So yeah I am so looking forward in this book. Apollo is gonna be a teenage boy, and Percy is gonna be like in his 20's in this book. The excerpt had us crazy for the book. I can't wait to have it in my hands.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Remember what I said earlier that Uncle Rick is one of my automatically buy authors? Yeah I am so excited for this second book of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The first book is such a fun and amazing read. We met the ever sassy and witty Magnus, we get to see glimpses of Annabeth in the book too. I am just looking forward to reading this book and hang around with Magnus more and maybe we'll see our dear old Camp Half-Blood friends in this book too. And I love Magnus, he's such a fun dude. No official cover for this book just yet.
Demigods and Magicians by Rick Riordan
Release Date: April 5, 2016
This is going to be awesome! Rick Riordan does that just makes your insides go squishy and you can't help but be excited for months for his book releases. There aren't many authors that are on my auto-buy list but let's just say.. HELLS YEAH! RICK RIORDAN IS ON THAT LIST! Something would have to be MAJORLY wrong with me, to not immediately buy his book. This is even better than a Futurama/Simpsons crossover.
Uncle Rick has done it again.
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Red Queen was such such a blast to begin with. I am looking forward on seeing more of the Scarlet Guard, and Shade and Cal and Mare and of course, Maven. The first book had been mind blowing and feels shattering that I was in a cry fest when I am done. And if you see that tag line: "Kneel or Bleed", well I thin I should start get freaking nervous.
Soldier by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 26, 2016
I am currently loving Julie Kagawa's works. Soldier is the third book. The feels are totally hitting me like tidal waves and every time there's a climatic scene in her books I am just freaking the hell out. There better be more Ember and Riley scenes in this book. Like really, I wasn't done reading yet, and "if" Riley die on Rogue I don't know if I'll be able to go on.
The Winner's Kiss by: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 29, 2016
I loved The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime. This is the final one and WAR. I love the politics in this book series. The world building is A++mazing and the characters are really remarkable and clever. I am just so excited for this book and what gonna become of Kestrel and Arin. There rumours that they changed the cover design and I am not liking it. The original covers are so fab why change it? My OCD shelf is growing inside. Please keep those amazing covers. No need to change it.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Release Date: August 2, 2016
The third and final book of Mary E. Pearson's The Remnant Chronicles. The first book has been mind blowing and drove the fans over the edge. The second book was kind of okay in comparison to the first book. But hey it's a middle of the book, it's a bridge between the first and last book, and it usually does, Fans are so looking forward on what gonna happen to this crazy love triangle too.
The Dark Artifices: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Another book in the Shadowhunter universe. There's no stopping Cassie Clare on revealing all the secrets of the amazing Shadow World to us. Just so you know Cassandra Clare is one of my auto-buy book authors. She wrote that, I am gonna buy it. Especially if it involves the Shadow World in it. I am so excited to meet Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn and some appearances of our all time loved characters of the past. Shadowhunter books. I am just so excited to read this, my feels about this book is all over the place.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
Released Date: February 2, 2016
I loved Melissa Landers;s Alienated series and I am just so excited to read her works. Starlight is also gonna be a series and I need to have it. I love her amazing galactic imagination and her amazing writing and fun scenes. At some point I think it's gonna remind me of something Star Wars-y and I am gonna love it for sure.
United by Melissa Landers
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Another book from her Alienated universe. Yay. More Aelyx and Cara. I am just so fashing (see what I did there?) excited for this book to come out because if you've read invaded, the second of the series, you know it's not really the end even though the characters seemed fine with their happy ending. We know that there is more to the world that "that" and we've barely scratch the surface of the said invasion. So I am just so happy that we're gonna be having a third book in the Alienated series. The cover is yet to come.
A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: August 2, 2016
An Ember in the Ashes has been a mega amazing book. It was said to be a stand alone but the uproar from the readers who have finished reading the book have made the book two a possibility. I wonder if there's gonna be a Helene and Keenan, Such an amazing series.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 8, 2016
I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, especially Winter. Such a great way to wrap up an epic series. I love her fairy tale re-telling style, it felt so Star Wars-y (again) to which it made mega amazing.
The Fever Code by James Dashner
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Finally a prequel that is related to the series' characters to where I could finally get the answers I am waiting for. Now I don't care if this takes two years or even ten years to be published. I just need my closure and I don't mean just some half-baked story, unanswered questions and forced explanations. It have to be something that would leave me saying "It sure was worth the wait". I won't expect much though, I might be left disappointed again but crossed-fingers.
So that is all. For all the books that I am anticipating this year.
Synopsis: None of us came here. We look like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books -- but we are real.
Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.
But they know.
They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England
And Number Three in Kenya
I am Number Four
I am next.
Review: The story revolves around the "9" aliens or Lorics from the ravaged planet Lorien. They are called "Garde" because of their special powers, called Legacies, which not everyone has in the planet. They came here with their guardians who are supposed to keep them safe because they're the ones who will save the Earth. And get Lorien back.
Unfortunately, their enemy, the ones who ruined Lorien followed them on Earth. The 9 are protected by a special charm that allows them to be safe as long as the one preceding them is not killed. They can only be killed according to their number. Unfortunately for John, Number Four, the first three were already dead. The story actually revolves around Number Four. And the story slowly unfolds as to their history. The plot slowly reveals the powers that John has inherited from the elder Garde.
John has never really developed any close relationships with other people except for Henri, his guardian. However, once he got the signal that Number Thre is already dead - they get this searing pain and mark etched on their flesh. Dark Mark, anyone? - he and Henri decided that it's time to go. They went to this sleepy town called Paradise in Ohio and there, he meets Sarah and like every other story with a teenage boy and a teenage girl, they fall in love. Everything goes peachy until the Mogadorians tracked them and they had no choice but to fight?
Who wins?
Go read the book. I swear it's a good read.
The only thing I didn't look like about the plot is that it felt a bit too dragging especially on the part where he and Sarah were growing more in love. Furthermore the sudden entry of a surprise character in the end just really caught me by no surprise. It was good, perhaps it was needed, but there was no foreshadowing at all and it just felt confusing.
The story has all the elements of a good read: light humour, action, adventure and a bit of romance. There is also the play on family ties and solid friendship. I likednthe way it was written because the friendship and romance didn't feel shallow to me. I think John's relationships were really established, which helped cement the emotion behind the succeeding scenes when Henri died and when his new friend Sam Goode stuck by him til the end.
It's a good read for anytime of the day and I recommend it.
Synopsis: Westeros is a kingdom of swords and and scheming, a kingdom that has been enjoying a decade-long summer, a kingdom to which winter is returning. Lord Eddard Stark is content to rule House Stark and enjoy the company of his wife and children, but the King, Robert Baratheon - Ned's long time-friend and co-leader of the revolution that overthrew the Mad King Aerys Targaryen - has other plans. Robert wants Ned become the Hand of the King, and with no way to refuse, Ned must go to King's Landing and attempt to put the kingdom back in order... a daunting proposition whilst the scheming Cercei Lannister, a daughter of the most powerful house in Westeros, is Queen. And meanwhile, across the seas, the last of the Targaryen children wait and plot to reclaim the throne that is rightfully theirs.
Review: To say that this series is rich with detail is a laughable understatement, so I figured that having things fresh in mind would be a good thing. I completely enjoy Martin's writing style. His world-building, his action, his action and his character development, all wonderful. He's great at presenting complicated political maneuvering in a way that's easy to follow. His prose doesn't make me want to leap out of my seat, but it's smoothly fades into the background, which is exactly what you want when you've got a story this compelling.
Of the six major events that I remembered happening in this book, one actually happens in the next book, one I knew happened at the end, and the other four all happened within the first 25% of the book. And to make my point, the book doesn't feel front loaded at all. The pace keeps going strong throughout - clearly so much stuff happens that my memory couldn't hold it all.
And what does happen? Is of the no-holds-barred style of story telling. This book is casually brutal. Or I remembered this was brutal - The Red Wedding is pretty well seared into my brain permanently - how unrelentingly brutal they are. Martin's not shy about doing horrible things to his characters, and having them do horrible things are to each other, and no one is safe... and yet I let myself get attached to them anyways, even though I knew (more or less) what was coming.
It's impossible not to get attached to the characters. They're all really complex, and well-drawn that even the bad guys are still interesting, and still at least somewhat sympathetic (except Joffrey. Gods, I just want to punch Joffrey in his smug little face, even though it's not his fault he was raised to be a prattish jerkwad). On the flip side, even the good guys I occasionally want to slap and yell at to stop being dumb/blind/proud/annoyingly obsessed with their own honour. And the best part is that so many of the characters are neither good guys nor bad guys, but somewhere wonderfully meaty and fascinating in between. I remembered all that in principle.
Honestly even better than I remembered it being. Not for everyone, but if complex historicals or epic fantasy is your thing, it's a series well worth diving into.
Upcoming Film: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Cast: Eddie Redmayne (Newt Scamander), Katherine Waterston (Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein), Dan Fogler (Jacob Kowalski), Samantha Morton (Mary Lou), Ezra Miller (Credence), Collin Farrell (Percival Graves), Faith Wood-Balgrove (Modesty), Carmen Ejogo (Seraphina), Jon Bought (Henry Shaw), Ron Perlman (Gnarlack) Directed by: David Yates Date Premiered: November 18, 2016 Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures Based on: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (Newt Scamander -J.K. Rowling) Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family
Synopsis: The story revolves around Newt Scamander's arrival at the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), for a meeting with an important official. Central to the story and this meeting is a magically expanded briefcase which houses a number of dangerous creatures and their habitats. When the creatures escape from the briefcase, it sends the American Wizarding after Newt, and it threatens even further strain the state of magical and non-magical relations, which is already in a dangerous place, due to the threatening presence of fanatical New Salem Philanthropic Society, an extremist organisation dedicated to the eradication of wizard-kind. The story tells of what effect this devastating mistake has on the state of wizard/No-Maj (the American term for a non-magical person) relations in New York City's community of wizards and witches in 1926, the effort to correct the mistakes, and the horrors of the resultant increase in violence, fear, and tension felt between magical and non-magical people.
Thoughts: I thought I would be done with this. I thought I had cried my final tears four years ago when the last Harry Potter film ended. Never would I have thought that I would be writing related to Harry Potter in my adult life, especially something that is relevant to our present day. But as Warner Bros. have decided to adapt J.K. Rowling's novel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them to the big screen. I am obviously going to take any chance that I can get to write about it. Within the past couple of months, the public have been given a handful of information about the film here and there, which have been spread sporadically through our social media platforms. However, I am going to try and lay out all the information I could gather about the film for you all in one post. And I hope that my inner childhood Harry Potter fan girl doesn't take over.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is originally a 2001 novel written by J.K. Rowling under the pseudonym of Newt Scamander, a fictional magizoologist (the study of magical creatures). In the book, Scamander lists the 85 magical creatures that reside around the world, which he found through observations from his travel around 5 different continents. Within the Harry Potter Universe, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is uses as a Hogwarts textbook that is compulsory for first year students (even though the class Care of Magical Creatures is not introduced until third year). However, the book is a helpful encyclopedia to identify dark creatures for the class Defense Against the Dark Arts, and according to Dumbledore, is a wonderful addition for a wizarding household.
Newt Scamander
As the current synopsis goes, the film will follow the adventures of Newt Scamander and his quest to find magical beasts. J.K. Rowling herself has stated that it does not serve as prequel or a sequel to the Harry Potter world, but will act as an addition to the Wizarding Universe. It will take place in 1920's New York, which is seven decades before Harry Potter and his gang go to Hogwarts.
Because the film is set in America, we definitely get to see US witches and wizards right? Absolutely! If your are religiously following Rowling on Twitter, you would know that she has already teased the idea of the American School of Wizadry. Even though it is uncertain that we will be introduced to this school, we do get to meet some of its ex-students and may even explore the inner workings of American magic, which apparently is influenced by Native American culture.
It's reunion time for the Harry Potter crew, as all have worked on most/all of the movies within the franchise. Producer David Hey man and Executive Producer Lionel Wigram are making their comeback alongside David Yates who directed the last four Harry Potter films. J.K. Rowling has written the script herself with the involvement from Steve Kloves, who has scripted all but one of the Harry Potter films.
Unlike the crew, we won't be seeing any of the original cast return for the film.
Like The Hobbit, this one singular novel will be turned into three films. Kevin Tsujihara has already confirmed that it will become "three mega movies" and J.K. Rowlkng has nearly finished the material for the first film and is already working on the two additional chapters. Release dates have already been chosen, with the first movie set to come out on November 18, 2016 and the two preceding on November 16, 2018 and November 20, 2020.
Thank you, Warner Bros. Thank you for keeping the Harry Potter and all its magic alive. From what I have read, the public, young and old, are genuinely excited to see this novel adapted into a live-action. Hopefully the success of this film will manifest into others within The Hogwarts Library like Quidditch Through The Ages and The Tales of Beedle The Bard
Synopsis: Eddie is a wounded war veteran, an old man who has lived, in his mind, an uninspired life. His job is fixing rides at a seaside amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, a tragic accident kills him as he tried to save a little girl from a falling cart. He awakes in the afterlife, where he learns that heaven is not a destination, but an answer.
In heaven, five people explain your life to you. Some you knew, others may have been strangers. One by one, from childhood to soldier to old age, Eddie's five people revisit their connections to him on earth, illuminating the mysteries of his "meaningless" life, and revealing the haunting secret behind the eternal question: "Why was I here?"
Review: The reason which propelled me to read this book was its title, which hooked me and I wanted to know more. The book answers the question we all ask at some point in our life, "What will happen after death?" But do not think of it as a religious book indicating philosophy of a particular religion or scholar. It is just author's interpretation of afterlife and he explains it through a story in the most simplistic words possible. The book is just over 200 pages long, so it can be read easily in one sitting.
It is about Eddie, who works at an amusement park and the story starts from his 83rd birthday, the day when he dies whilst saving a girl from a fallen cart. I won't spoil the ending for you so you can enjoy the book, buy it and find out more. The gist of the book is that "Throughout your life, you come across many people, some of whom you know, somehow you don't, but all of them change the course of your life in some way or the other. You may or may not notice when you are alive but through the journey in heaven, you find out how and when the path of your life changed due to interaction with someone significant or insignificant individual in your life. " As I started this book, in spite of being able to predict what will happen next, I wanted to know who those five people Eddie meets in heaven are and how they changes his life at some point or the other, and at what levels his life got affected by them.
This is the theory of life and afterlife put forward by the author through the main character of this book. The only thing that bothered me was the way he tells the story, like an old man trying to teach morals to his grand children through "once upon a time" stories. Maybe the author could have out his thoughts in a non-fiction categorising the book under self-developmental/self-help/ spiritual book" to make it a mature reading. But in spite of his preaching style, you will not find it dull or boring. You may or may not agree with the writer's beliefs and how he perceives life hereafter but you will definitely like how the story unfolds smoothly from one chapter to another and keeps you engaged til the end. The book is suitable for children and adults because of its simple yet interesting style. So give it a read and let me know how did you find it.
Top Ten: Ten Things You Need To Know Before Dating a Bookworm
Disclaimer: Everything written here is based on my opinion, it might not apply to all bookworms but I'll try to find a common ground.
Know the word "bookworm" actually means. A bookworm is not a book worm. It is a person who loves to read and spends alot of time doing so. If the person you're planning to date does not fall under this category, go, read another post instead.
Reading has set our standards in dating sky high. Let's be honest. Most, if not all, bookworms dream of meeting someone similar to or who resembles the fictional character they fell in love with (although most of the time we dream of meeting the fictional characters themselves.) Likewise we dream of experiencing some of the relationships we've read about, specifically, those that made us fall in love ourselves. This is the reason why some people perceive avid readers as the most difficult to date. We expect a wee bit too much (it's an oxymoron... I think).
We do spend alot of time reading. Our free time will always be consumed by reading (and swooning over fictional characters) so do understand that there will be times when we will not be able to respond to your text messages, or your phone calls, or whatnot. It's either we're sleeping or reading. There is no in-between. Just kidding we have work and school too.
We fall in love with fictional characters. They will be your greatest rivals. There will be times when all we would blabber about are fictional characters, how attractive they are and how much we want to marry them. It's like having a third party, only you cannot get back on fictional people.
We prefer books for presents. If there was one thing you should be grateful for, it's the fact that you no longer have to worry about what to give us on our anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, maybe even Halloween. It's automatic: all we want are books. This can be a bit tricky though for the following reason a). You might get the same book, hence a double b). You might get a book that she or he is not interested in and c). It's not easy picking a book most especially when there's just too much to choose from. All you need is skill and adequate knowledge on your girlfriend/boyfriend's wish list and orders that month and you're fine.
Bookworms are the best lovers. Living different lives and being exposed to various feelings and people make us utterly sensitive. Thus, it's easier to know what you're thinking, how you're feeling and what can we do about it. We also know how to weave words and thoughts and make someone special in different ways. But the most important of all is that despite the "warnings" mentioned above, at the end of the day, we will always come back to you and you will always have us (though some pieces of our hearts would still be with fictional characters).
When we see your apartment for the first time, the first thing we will look for is your bookshelf or bookcase. It will be the first thing we gravitate towards and we will spend several minutes looking through your collection, trying to get know you better. If you don't have a single book in your apartment, we might be a little concerned.
Letting you borrow a book is a huge step for us, and we will resent you if you don't give it back. Books are amongst our most prized possessions. It doesn't matter if we've already read it. You still have to give it back. Because we might want to read it a second time. Or a 17th time.
Sometimes we just need to be alone for a little while. Nothing's wrong. We're not upset with you. We still love spending time with you. But we are accustomed to a certain amount of quiet time in our daily lives, and sometimes we just need to sit down with a good book for a few hours in order to feel refreshed and energised.
When you're upset, sometimes our first instinct will be to suggest to read a certain book. We're not trying to be cold or unhelpful or pushy. We're just trying to share a special piece of literature that has gotten us through some of our most difficult moments. Bookworms often have deep emotional connections to many different books, so if we suggest a book to you, it means we really want to help you so much as we can.
Synopsis: In the Republic of Greater East Asia, a frightening event called the "Program"takes place once a year in order to keep the citizens compliant and distrustful of one another. Third-year junior high classes are randomly selected throughout the nation, relocated to an isolated area, and forced to kill one another just one survivor - the victor remains.
This year, it's 15-year-old Shuya Nanahara's class that gets chosen and relocated to a small island. Shuya is forced to watched his friends die and his classmates go crazy. But what if there were some way to beat the fascist government's supposedly infallible system?
Review: Battle Royale is brutal, both physically and mentally. It tosses you into the middle of a corrupt world and forces you to be witness to an event that's deadly and well established. Innocent and not-so innocent teenagers die every few pages in unapologetic prose. No sooner do we come to know a student's personality and the past when he or she is killed, the abruptness of losing someone interesting you've just begun to know a definite stomach-turner, a definite shake up.
If this kind of dystopian literature is your kind of thin, there's plenty of it to be had. Even if you've got a weak stomach for violence, however, Battle Royale still gives you alot to think about. Koushun Takami's writing is nothing striking, and yet there's something about the plainness of it, the bluntness of the translated version that gets inside your veins and messes up your organs. It's the way he gives us a brief character of each of the 42 students - and then takes them away in horrifying manners. It's the way that this book's world takes the existence of the "Program" as expected, unchangeable. And it's the way that this book makes you doubt yourself and the characters, not sure whom you should trust, just as the government intends for you to react.
This book has inevitably been compared to The Hunger Games, so why not say what I think about the two? The Hunger Games is clearly YA, readers are spared the too-gruesome details and through the eyes of Katniss, are spared the intensity of the horror that arises when a character whose history you know dies. Battle Royale is a stand-alone novel, which makes its shocker of an ending all the more satisfying; whilst I have yet to read the next two books in Suzanne Collins' series, I can only hope that she will deliver an equally believable and satisfying answer for Katniss and her world.
If I had to make a choice between the two, I'd go with The Hunger Games, for its less stomach-churning material and the successful development of memorable characters. However, Battle Royale provides more questions to think over, more disturbing ideas and images that will keep you up later in the night. If you do not have a weak stomach and have the time to read an intense 600-page work, I suggest picking up Battle Royal in order to completely annihalate everything you've previously thought about the dark side of human nature and our curiosity in violence and death.
So here we are again, another year have passed us by. 2016 is gonna be a year that is filled again of anticipated books and growing TBR. So without further a do, here's the list of my most anticipated books of 2016.
Forever Doon by Carey Corp and Lorie Langdon
Release Date: August 2, 2016
It made me have this unputdownable wanderlust to Scotland, I fell in love with the magical kingdom of Doon and the characters, especially the MacCrea brothers.
Also if you've already read Shades of Doon, you know why I am so eager to have this beautiful book in my hands. Because if you've read the last book, that cliffhanger made me want to reap my hair out of my head.
The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Okay. Who would say no to this? Rick Riordan is one of my author buy books. Together with growing up with J.K. Rowling's books, shaping your book loving persona, I also have Uncle Rick to shape mine. I grew up with his characters by my side. Plus we're gonna be having Percy in this book, if that doesn't made it more exciting I don't know will. So yeah I am so looking forward in this book. Apollo is gonna be a teenage boy, and Percy is gonna be like in his 20's in this book. The excerpt had us crazy for the book. I can't wait to have it in my hands.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan
Release Date: October 4, 2016
Remember what I said earlier that Uncle Rick is one of my automatically buy authors? Yeah I am so excited for this second book of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. The first book is such a fun and amazing read. We met the ever sassy and witty Magnus, we get to see glimpses of Annabeth in the book too. I am just looking forward to reading this book and hang around with Magnus more and maybe we'll see our dear old Camp Half-Blood friends in this book too. And I love Magnus, he's such a fun dude. No official cover for this book just yet.
Demigods and Magicians by Rick Riordan
Release Date: April 5, 2016
This is going to be awesome! Rick Riordan does that just makes your insides go squishy and you can't help but be excited for months for his book releases. There aren't many authors that are on my auto-buy list but let's just say.. HELLS YEAH! RICK RIORDAN IS ON THAT LIST! Something would have to be MAJORLY wrong with me, to not immediately buy his book. This is even better than a Futurama/Simpsons crossover.
Uncle Rick has done it again.
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard
Release Date: February 9, 2016
Red Queen was such such a blast to begin with. I am looking forward on seeing more of the Scarlet Guard, and Shade and Cal and Mare and of course, Maven. The first book had been mind blowing and feels shattering that I was in a cry fest when I am done. And if you see that tag line: "Kneel or Bleed", well I thin I should start get freaking nervous.
Soldier by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: April 26, 2016
I am currently loving Julie Kagawa's works. Soldier is the third book. The feels are totally hitting me like tidal waves and every time there's a climatic scene in her books I am just freaking the hell out. There better be more Ember and Riley scenes in this book. Like really, I wasn't done reading yet, and "if" Riley die on Rogue I don't know if I'll be able to go on.
The Winner's Kiss by: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 29, 2016
I loved The Winner's Curse and The Winner's Crime. This is the final one and WAR. I love the politics in this book series. The world building is A++mazing and the characters are really remarkable and clever. I am just so excited for this book and what gonna become of Kestrel and Arin. There rumours that they changed the cover design and I am not liking it. The original covers are so fab why change it? My OCD shelf is growing inside. Please keep those amazing covers. No need to change it.
The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson
Release Date: August 2, 2016
The third and final book of Mary E. Pearson's The Remnant Chronicles. The first book has been mind blowing and drove the fans over the edge. The second book was kind of okay in comparison to the first book. But hey it's a middle of the book, it's a bridge between the first and last book, and it usually does, Fans are so looking forward on what gonna happen to this crazy love triangle too.
The Dark Artifices: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Another book in the Shadowhunter universe. There's no stopping Cassie Clare on revealing all the secrets of the amazing Shadow World to us. Just so you know Cassandra Clare is one of my auto-buy book authors. She wrote that, I am gonna buy it. Especially if it involves the Shadow World in it. I am so excited to meet Emma Carstairs and Julian Blackthorn and some appearances of our all time loved characters of the past. Shadowhunter books. I am just so excited to read this, my feels about this book is all over the place.
Starflight by Melissa Landers
Released Date: February 2, 2016
I loved Melissa Landers;s Alienated series and I am just so excited to read her works. Starlight is also gonna be a series and I need to have it. I love her amazing galactic imagination and her amazing writing and fun scenes. At some point I think it's gonna remind me of something Star Wars-y and I am gonna love it for sure.
United by Melissa Landers
Release Date: August 2, 2016
Another book from her Alienated universe. Yay. More Aelyx and Cara. I am just so fashing (see what I did there?) excited for this book to come out because if you've read invaded, the second of the series, you know it's not really the end even though the characters seemed fine with their happy ending. We know that there is more to the world that "that" and we've barely scratch the surface of the said invasion. So I am just so happy that we're gonna be having a third book in the Alienated series. The cover is yet to come.
A Torch Against The Night by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: August 2, 2016
An Ember in the Ashes has been a mega amazing book. It was said to be a stand alone but the uproar from the readers who have finished reading the book have made the book two a possibility. I wonder if there's gonna be a Helene and Keenan, Such an amazing series.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer
Release Date: November 8, 2016
I love Marissa Meyer's Lunar Chronicles, especially Winter. Such a great way to wrap up an epic series. I love her fairy tale re-telling style, it felt so Star Wars-y (again) to which it made mega amazing.
The Fever Code by James Dashner
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Finally a prequel that is related to the series' characters to where I could finally get the answers I am waiting for. Now I don't care if this takes two years or even ten years to be published. I just need my closure and I don't mean just some half-baked story, unanswered questions and forced explanations. It have to be something that would leave me saying "It sure was worth the wait". I won't expect much though, I might be left disappointed again but crossed-fingers.
So that is all. For all the books that I am anticipating this year.
