Maya's Book Rental?

Hmm, that's what I was thinking. My friend Winie suggested that I can come up with a productive project from my book collection. One of her ideas was a book rent. That has been on my mind for a while too and it's actually not a bad idea.

What do you think?

Book Haul

I've recently gone to Singapore, and the major thing that I like to do there is go on a book shopping spree at my most favorite bookstore of Kinokuniya.

And it was definitely a good break from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. What I also love about Singapore is how safe the country is, I could totally picture myself going there by my own someday. I was successful in the book spree and got quite an amount of them. So here they are! (You can click on their links to find out what they're about!)

clockwise until the center :

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

- A classic tale I'm sure some of us have heard of. And I like a challenge while reading a book.

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

- I simply loved the first book of this series by Maggie. It's so poetic and moving and it really captured me.

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

- I've heard a lot of good things about this book so I thought, why not?

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

- I've been anticipating this book and I'm super excited to read it.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

- A love story, with some fantasy twists. How can I not love that.

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

- The concept of Witchcraft goes into this book and that's a bit of unfamiliar territory for me but I'm excited to read it too!

Angels Are Everywhere by Karen Romano Young

- Ever since I've read Fallen by Lauren Kate, I've been so fascinated about the concept of Angels. This book caught my eye and it will definitely satisfy my curiosity.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

- I've read this one too, and I like it, it's like a modern fairytale.

Carpe Diem by Autumn Cornwell

- I love traveling! Traveling sure does emerge in this one.

Tao Te Ching

- A little Chinese philosophy could go a long way.

Evidence of Angels by Suzy Scalora

- My first picture book in a long time and I was blown away by the pictures. Totally amazing.

xoxo,

Maya.

Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

I'm so excited to do a review for this one! I picked up this book at my school's book fair. I've heard a lot of good things about this one and I was excited to read it! And I've been so into fantasy, folk lore stories and this was one of the most enjoyable ones.

Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined.

For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.

From the first few pages of the book, I was totally hooked. I think you could pretty much sum up what is in the book from the synopsis above. Kelley's an aspiring actress trying to make it in New York, working at a theatre as a stand in for the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She's actually got the talent. Until at the Central Park, she meets the strange, and handsome Sonny. He guards the Samhain gate to the Otherworld which prevents from beings from the Otherworld from coming over to the mortal world and cause trouble.

Sonny is somehow intrigued by Kelley and she noticed how she strikes out, and how she's different from others. From that moment on, he just can't seem to get her off his mind and becomes very drawn and attached to her, much to her annoyance. She doesn't believe about him being one of those from the Otherworld. But as she eventually gets to know about him, both of them are in for the dangerous journey that they thought would never come. There's a lot more to Faeries than Kelley thought.

This book was like cotton candy, cause it was just a delicious read! It took me sometime to get into the book, but the story just has this amazing flow. I love getting deep into the Faerie world, and it is actually really fascinating and beautiful! Wondrous Strange just had all these characteristics mixed together so brilliantly. Like, theatre, romance, folk lore, magic, fantasy with some urban twists here and there. Let me tell you, the romance is so devouring, and so humorous at some parts. She doesn't give in to Sonny that easily, laughs at his face, which then leaves him confused and frustrated, and it just gets so humorously sweet from there. I totally love the characters in this book, and how the details were so carefully thought out, it's just amazing, really. It was all so vibrant with splashes of color within the characters and the plot. I just can't bring enough praise for this book. Bravo!

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: A

Impossible - Nancy Werlin

Hey y'alls, it's time for me to do another book review. First of all, I just had a book shopping spree, and I was so successful and ended up with 10 books, which will be shown very soon. I picked up Impossible as soon as I saw it. I saw the book a couple of times on the shelves but I don't know, I never really got around to buy it, but I'm glad I did. It was a good book.

Okay, the synopsis.

Lucy is seventeen when she discovers that the women of her family have been cursed through the generations, forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or to fall into madness upon their child's birth. But Lucy is the first girl who won't be alone as she tackles the list. She has her fiercely protective foster parents beside her. And she has Zach, whose strength amazes her more each day. Do they have enough love and resolve to overcome an age-old evil?

Three impossible tasks, a family curse, only true love can save her. That's what it said on the back. That really lured me in to read the book. So here's Lucy Scarborough, your ordinary 17 year old girl who lives with her foster parents as she was abandoned by her estranged and mentally-ill mother Miranda, and Lucy only occasionally sees her. But when that happens, things doesn't usually turn out so good. Besides that, she's got the life we've always envisioned as "normal" for a teenager. She's in her senior year, on the track team and she's got her best bud on her side, Zach. They've known each other since they were little, he's a little older than her, but he'll always be her best friend.

Then on prom night, everything will change for Lucy, and this surely is a life's test. She soon discovers after that she's pregnant, then she finds out about this curse from Miranda's journal and letters written before Lucy was born, before Miranda went crazy and astray. From Miranda's writing, Lucy finds out that many other Scarborough women before her suffered a curse and Lucy herself could be affected by this curse too. Then it also tells Lucy about a song called "The Scarborough Fair" that Lucy has always remembered growing up. There's more to the song than she thought, and it's linked to the curse. The song showed 3 apparently impossible tasks that she must attend to before her unborn daughter is born. Otherwise, she'll suffer the same fate that the past Scarborough women have experienced.

But she's not alone, she has her family's support and the faithful support of Zach, who has no intentions on giving up to break this age-old curse. Attempts on breaking this curse will really test Lucy, emotionally and physically. Scarborough women in the past, never had the help that Lucy has, nobody there to support them. Lucy, Zach and her parents will go to many extents to break this curse.

This is a good story, and it keeps me turning the pages to find out more. I love the essence of fantasy in the story yet it also keeps you grounded with reality still intact. There are continuous changes with the points of view between character. It makes me a little bit confused at some parts that I have to go back and read the paragraphs again. The characters are also quite well-crafted in the book. The story had a nice flow to it, and some parts of the book were exciting that I had myself almost jumping out of the chair at Starbucks, hands in the air, saying "I KNEW it!". It's a jewel of a coming-of-age story that I'll cherish.

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: B-

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

I've been wanting to review this book for a while. Now I don't have any homework (what a miracle!), so I'll take advantage of this time. The book is Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I heart the cover really!

Of course first of all, here is the synopsis

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po.

She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace—or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

When I read the review I immediately wanted to read it. I read the first few pages, and I was feeling rather confused. I guess it's because of the whole medieval setting of the story and the early action, which is great, don't get me wrong, but it took a while for me to really get in the book. I got through the confusing part and I became even more and more immersed in the book.

So Katsa (I love her name, it's so unique) is a Graceling. One of those people in the kingdoms which possesses a special and sometimes extreme skill of their own, they have a special characteristic to define them. That characteristic is the different colors of their eyes. Some of these talents vary, like physical skills, hunting, fighting or emotional skills such as influencing people and reading their minds. Katsa's skill is a very extreme one, which is the ability to kill someone very easily. This talent of hers was put of use by her uncle who is the King to carry out her killing skills to various activities among the seven kingdoms. To put it in a simple way, if anyone crosses the King, or meddles with his political status, he'll order her to wound that person to very extreme extents. So other people respect her, they fear her too. Katsa doesn't always like this, and as the book progresses, her dilemmas about her uncle's use of her power will continue to surface. Alliances will form, and other good stuff which I enjoyed tremendously. I really liked Katsa's character, she is very determined, sheltered. Although she is a bit insecure about her powers, she's not used to people looking into her eyes.

It was definitely a page turner, and the plot was played out really well. The setting of the story was very enjoyable, which is in this not so distant medieval time, with the fantasy twist delightfully thrown in there, it was also detailed but it didn't trail on with a bore. I was able to imagine the setting very nicely in my head. I love the never-ending adventure of the story.

Then she meets the Leinid prince, Prince Po, a Graceling himself equipped with excellent combat skills. He's very charming, open and likeable, then they both get closer, and their skills seem to match each other, so perfectly. Katsa was really thrilled that she has found someone that will give her a good challenge. He isn't afraid of her, and they began to practice fighting almost every day. Together, Katsa and Po teams up to solve a mystery that threatens the seven kingdoms. I love how their friendship gradually blooms into something more, and turns into this heart-throbbing romance that I couldn't get enough of in the story.

Katsa and Po's journey really involves a lot of action, suspense, mystery and adventure. I was biting my nails because of some of the action-packed aspects of the book, and it really deepened especially as it grows to the end. The romance was very enjoyable, vibrant and refreshing. i liked how Katsa and Po are so comfortable around each other, and they don't have to pretend. Other supporting characters in the book was superbly well-drawn and described and that is a big, big plus for me. I love how the characters grow within the story. I also liked how Katsa, in this book, is basically on the journey of becoming a young woman, dealing with her powers and emotions, and all that melted along with her relationship with Prince Po.

I extremely enjoyed the radiance of this book, definitely one I will treasure.

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: B+

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

I've been wanting to have a review for this book. Now just to tell, you I read this book in one night, just when I bought it. That was how amazing this book is. Well, this is no supernatural love story like the previous books that I have read. But this book just captures me so intensely. Thirteen Reasons Why also brings up an issue that teenagers face around the world.

Now the synopsis,

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker – his classmate and crush – who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah’s voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he’ll find out why.

Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a first-hand witness to Hannah’s pain, and learns the truth about himself – a truth he never wanted to face.

You can pretty much get a picture in your head on what is going to happen in the story. Clay Jensen simply gets these 13 tapes that Hannah recorded before she died. Each of these tapes reveals confessions, feelings, and stories from Hannah which she has kept bottled up inside her for so long. And let me tell you, Hannah's words from the tapes were so haunting and intense. Once again, I could feel chills in my body as I read, I wonder how much more intense it will be if I actually heard those tapes.'

Every second I was with Clay during the story, I was so captured into the words. It was pure suspense really, it was so great that I can't just turn the pages fast enough. Before I knew it I was finished with the book.

The things that Hannah went through with different situations, different people in her life was explained so honestly, some of those things were so relatable, and it was so painful reading some of her experiences. I salute Jay Asher and his excellent writing in the book. I connected with Hannah, I felt her and I also felt some empathy for Clay, just so it's clear, he cared about Hannah. I love how the story developed, how every word just gets so intense. This story is played in two different perspectives, Hannah and Clay. It was really interesting to see these two perspectives melted together.

I learnt a lot from this book, and it has really woken me up and gave me more insight to some of life's principles. As I said the issue that surfaced from this book is teenage suicide, and I loved how Jay Asher is speaking to all of us about it through the story, it was very appealing to me. From this book I learnt that, we can just never know how we can affect other people, especially when they're already in so much pain, and how we are (sometimes unknowingly) adding more to their pain. I was able to see how the seemingly little things various people in her tapes have done to her can lead to her reasons for committing suicide. Those individuals could have just changed their actions, their attitudes, their behavior.

But us humans can be a little insensitive and we don't know how our actions can affect other people. I honestly wanted to help her, I could relate to her. I desperately wanted to help her and tell her to have faith, and all this would pass. But in this book, everybody else was ignorant, they never helped her, and that's why it had to tragically end.

So, from this book I really wanted to change my ways. I want to treat people as well as how I want them to treat me. I also want to help people in my life who are going through the hard obstacles life is giving. I highly recommend this book and I hope that people will gain awareness about this issue around them before a similar disaster like this happens.

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade : A+

Fallen by Lauren Kate

I've just finished a book borrowed from my lovely friend Neysa. It is a book that I have been anticipating for quite a long long time. I jumped and shrieked at the sight of it when I saw Fallen at the mall bookstore when I was spending time with Neysa and her friends. I encouraged her to borrow the book, since she's a book lover like me.

So here it goes, first, of course, the overview.

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret... even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

I knew this book was worth waiting all those months! I loved it and read it within a span of 5 days. I've fallen (woot!) for the alluring scent of supernatural fiction books and Fallen is one at its best. Like the silly teenage girl that I am, I'm going through the years where the words "boy" and "love" are currently the loudest rings in my ear. Books like this are getting my attention, and I simply devoured this one like a bowl of Chocolate Mousse. This book just keeps tugging at me, with Lauren Kate's superb execution of the plot and her way with words. I get caught up in the mysterious, eerie setting of Sword & Cross reform school, I swear to you I've had a couple of chills up my body while reading this book.

The characters were brilliant and I really connected with them. Just in case you didn't know, that is a plus on my list. I really liked Luce, she's a troubled, disturbed girl because of these dark "shadows" that keeps appearing before. And that has shaped her the way she is in the book, and she definitely learnt a lot more. She has just these troubled emotions and she dealt with them a lot especially when it involves the gorgeous, mysterious and strangely familiar Daniel. Daniel is oh so intriguing, and he just seems to have this problem with her and she confuses over it. But you'll find out more about him as you read and as the pages unfurls, you can't help but feel empathy for him. Then there's Cam, and there would be something that you'd never expect of him, mostly because of his "like-ability", he was almost to good to be true. But I'll leave that for you to find out ;)

There is also Arriane. She's the first girl Luce talked to at Sword & Cross, and she is this quirky, funky girl that you'd want to be best friends with and can't help but love. I really, really liked her. Then there's Penn, the funny, easygoing who also befriends Luce.

The story just builds up chapter-t0-chapter and it gets a lot more interesting and twisty nearing the end of the book. But it's never boring, never. It doesn't feel slow at all like other books I've read (like Going Bovine by Libba Bray). Lauren Kate just has this way of keeping you on your toes as the story progresses until it really starts building up. She kept the story interesting, capturing without using so much flowery or "cheesy" words. You will keep wondering about so many things in this book and you just might come up with some questions.

Of course, the good stuff. The forbidden love. The irresistible yet intense chemistry between Daniel and Luce. I simply loved it. Why I love reading about love so much is that, I think love is worth striving, worth fighting for, and I've had my share of fighting. I really connected to the characters and understood more on how they feel, and I felt that too. The way Lauren Kate speaks about her characters just felt so genuine and real, I could relate to some of Luce's emotions especially towards people in this book.

Alas, my review is coming to an end. Now, as you pick up Fallen, I must say, don't pick it up and compare it with other books that relates to this type of genre. Because this book itself is just so one-of-a-kind special, unique and amazing.

And, don't you think that the cover is just to die for? It will definitely get my vote if there was ever an award for Best Book Covers of the Year.

This engrossing, gothic love story is just too irresistible for me. And I will definitely read the next book, which is Torment. I loved the whole mystery of it, and it will leave you hanging, until the last word.

xoxo

Maya.

Grade: A+

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

So I recently finished a book (finally). It's Going Bovine by Libba Bray. So much school stuff has been happening lately but I finished the book. So here it goes. But first! A quick overview shall we?

Cameron Smith, 16, is slumming through high school, overshadowed by a sister “pre-majoring in perfection,” while working (ineptly) at the Buddha Burger. Then something happens to make him the focus of his family's attention: he contracts mad cow disease. What takes place after he is hospitalized is either that a gorgeous angel persuades him to search for a cure that will also save the world, or that he has a vivid hallucination brought on by the disease. Either way, what readers have is an absurdist comedy in which Cameron, Gonzo (a neurotic dwarf) and Balder (a Norse god cursed to appear as a yard gnome) go on a quixotic road trip during which they learn about string theory, wormholes and true love en route to Disney World. Bray's surreal humor may surprise fans of her historical fantasies about Gemma Doyle, as she trains her satirical eye on modern education, American materialism and religious cults (the smoothie-drinking members of the Church of Everlasting Satisfaction and Snack 'N' Bowl). Offer this to fans of Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy seeking more inspired lunacy.

Okay, first I just have to say that Going Bovine was one of the most funniest and also the strangest book I have ever come across. Not that it's a bad thing. So there's Cameron just trying to get through highschool like the rest of us, I guess one could say that he's unhappy with his life. He gets some slight oblivion from his parents, including his sister. He doesn't really mind that, he just wants to live his life as "normal"as possible. Until one day he ironically discovers about his disease, Mad Cow Disease thus leads him to be hospitalized. Mentioned in the overview above, this punk-rock-pink angel called Dulcie comes to his side and tells him to go on a roadtrip, find a cure from a so-called "Doctor X" and save the whole world, whoopee.

Now, readers can look at this book in two different ways; that Dulcie came for him and told him about taking that road trip or that he has some severe hallucinations in his head about the roadtrip because as his brain worsens over Mad Cow's. Whichever way they want to look at the book, Going Bovine will take them on one heck of a cool yet strange journey. He takes Gonzo and Balder with him on this roadtrip across America and they went on to discover so many things. This is simply a coming-of-age story, with some crazy twist to it. Readers will find themselves, laughing, smiling and raising their eyebrows. I know I did all of it.

The plot was digestible, although some parts of the story were just too long and some parts of the chapters just lingers on and never really added much to the story. But I stuck by the story because I felt that it was really worth reading. People might not really like Cameron during the beginning of the book, mostly because of his smart-assed humor and language. But if readers will just hang a little bit longer, they would start to feel for him because of the experiences he had within these pages. I found myself laughing and nodding to the many observations that Libba Bray has put into this book, for example, about modern day life, like school and life as a whole. There are times where I almost quit on the book, but I kept on reading and I appreciated Libba's work at the end.

This story will definitely tickle readers' funnybones and it will tug on their heartstrings. No matter how absurdly funny this book is, never a word of this book is dull.

Again, if I had to grade this book, it would be:

C+

xoxo,

Maya.

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

I just have to do a review of this one! I waited for some time to read Hush Hush and when I finally got it, I was super duper excited! The cover totally blew me away and pretty straightforward as you can see. Haha.

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

So, you can already guess what this story is about right? It's set in the normal highschool setting, and biology class. Which triggers a switch in my mind about Twilight. But I love the setting. It's of a teenage girl Nora Grey, the usual sarcastic, somehow edgy, and just completely unfazed with high school. I liked her character and could relate to her. But if I could name my favorite character of this book, it would be Nora's best friend Vee Sky. She's this ultra-hip, spunky, hilarious and confident best friend. She talks about boys, shopping, shoes, boys, and jokes around a lot. But she totally made me laugh in some parts of the story.

Then of course, a typical yet sensational plot twist of the girl meeting the guy. Nora meets Patch in biology class. And boy, he makes this story so amazingly delicious. He's this mysterious, dark, bad boy. I think we gotta love that right? She knows nothing about him and apparently he has no history, nada. There's just something about him that intrigues Nora, and it leads her to not be able to stay away from him, and him from her. She feels that there's something fishy about Patch, and it eventually leads onto the department of fallen angels. The story just goes on from there.

Again there are some language and phrase use that is a little touchy especially on Patch's part. Just for a lookout.

Becca Fitzpatrick did a very good job with this book. The prose is intriguing and she slips in comedy amongst the darkness and mystery of the story. I totally loved that. She captures us with her comfortable, effortless writing, and I could hardly put this book down. (I read it in 2 days!). There are lots of twists and turns within the plot that is very much worth savoring. It definitely kept me coming back for more. And I would definitely come back for more of Becca's work. I love love LOVE this book!

Grade:

A +

xoxo,

Maya.

Tithe by Holly Black

Hi there! I'm going to do a review of the book I just finished reading not too long ago.

It's Tithe by Holly Black.

Welcome to the realm of very scary faeries! Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad/ Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms –a struggle that could very well mean her death.

I swallowed this book whole. First of all I should tell you that I'm a sucker for fantasy/supernatural/science-fiction books. Tithe is a very interesting story, with a straight-forward and yet a really unique storyline. It is told in third person of sixteen-year old Kaye. Although because of the whole straight-forward element in the book, I find myself confused in between the story and I have to re-read the words a few times. The point of view will change back to forth and takes some time to get used to. Descriptions of the faerie realm were very vivid.

Setting asides the confusions, I was never bored with this book and I kept reading. It's a story of adventure, romance, and of course, fantasy. I wouldn't really consider this as one of my favorites, but I savored it.

*Warning*

You might find some of the language used a bit uncomfortable (e.g the F word). So do mind for that.

If I had to give a grade for this book, it would be:

B-

xoxo,

Maya