The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Published date: December 22nd 2009

Pages: 372, Paperback

Publisher: Egmont USA

My Rating: 4/5

Where to buy: Amazon

A Prodigal Son

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

I just finished this book recently, and I'm fitting in this review among the havoc of school. Anyways, this book was an escape for me, I don't know how I managed it but I read this in a heartbeat! This book was ever so intriguing, the summary in the back was very well put out without giving too much away. Here we have Grace, who's a daughter of the local pastor, so she's someone who has to deal with staying true to herself and yet still trying to be the girl everyone expects her to be. She remembers when her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood and her friend Daniel disappearing. Suddenly he comes back into her life and Grace begins to immerse herself in danger. Questions will be asked, and people will get hurt, and Grace is determined to unravel this whole mystery.

I can say that this is another refreshing and yet dark read. The plot started a bit slow for me and I was waiting for something to happen, but as it got to the middle I wasn't disappointed! I love how Bree Despain was able to weave her own view of mythology into the story along with the modern context. She puts so much mystery and I couldn't stop flipping the pages to read more! There are some twists which sent my jaw dropping and nail biting scenes.

As far as characterization goes, it's written in Grace's point of view and I really enjoyed getting to know her. There's the typical "good girl" meets "bad boy" romance going on, but Daniel and Grace's character are well portrayed that you can see beyond that. I also loved seeing how Grace's parents are involved within the story, showing their vulnerability and effort. The ending was excellent, leaving you smiling, satisfied while leaving that possibility of a next book, and I can't wait to get my copy of The Lost Saint!

Shelf-Worthy: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Expected publication: March 22nd 2011

Publisher: Philomel Books

Pages: Hardcover, 336 pages.

Here's another totally shelf-worthy book,

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I know about this book from Kristi at The Story Siren, and it sounds really good and powerful. Wanna know why? Here's the synopsis (from goodreads.com

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously—and at great risk—documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

We all know about one of the biggest events in history (a quite dreadful one), the killings of millions of Jews, led by Adolf Hitler. But here is a similar event that's hidden from our view. It's about a man just like Hitler who wanted to cleanse a specific region of the world. It's a story about a girl who became a refugee, and it tells about her struggles. But it is also a story about hope, faith and love. Ruta is a daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, and she wants to bring this story out of the shadows and to provide an awareness for other people. This is a book that I just HAVE to get. You can find out more information about the background of this book by visiting its website. There's a video for you to watch, and it was really touching. I do hope that I get the chance to get this and immerse myself in the story. This book will definitely be a memorable one, and I do love a story that will be inside my heart forever.

Shelf-Worthy: Passion by Lauren Kate

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! The cover for Lauren Kate's third book of the Fallen series is FINALLY released, thanks to RandomBuzzers! I'm absolutely in love with it and I can't wait to have it! It's coming out on June 14th this year...Need I say more?

Wait for it... 1, 2, 3. Shebamm!

Shelf-Worthy: Sea by Heidi R. Kling

Published date: 10th June 2010

Pages: 336, Hardcover

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Another new thread for by blog which is Shelf-Worthy. There are usually books that I'm DYING to get my hands on. This time it's Sea by Heidi R. Kling, it's related to my beloved country, Indonesia! I found the super awesome book trailer, so that's there. And here's the synopsis:

Haunted by recurring nightmares since her mother’s disappearance over the Indian ocean three years before, fifteen-year old California girl Sienna Jones reluctantly travels with her psychiatrist father’s volunteer team to six-months post-tsunami Indonesia where she meets the scarred and soulful orphaned boy, Deni, who is more like Sea than anyone she has ever met.

She knows they can’t be together, so why can’t she stay away from him? And what about her old best friend-turned-suddenly-hot Spider who may or may not be waiting for her back home? And why won’t her dad tell her the truth about her mother’s plane crash? The farther she gets from home, the closer she comes to finding answers. And Sea’s real adventure begins.

aWhen I read the synopsis I was immediately drawn to it. I'm so interested to how my country is viewed through someone else's eyes. And the sound of this book just makes me want to sit by the pool, or go to Bali and sit in a restaurant/cafe and read it! The event of the tsunami had a huge impact on me and other countries affected and I'm excited to see how Heidi will portray that in the book. I just love the idea of being in an unfamiliar place and learning more about yourself by experiencing the different culture, the people you meet and get new perspective on things. I'm also looking forward to see the romance between Sea and Deni and how that develops.

I think I'll have to order this book from the nearest bookstore because I'm craving for it! Haha!

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Published date: 31st August 2010

Pages: 335

Age group: Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Teen

My Rating: 4/5

Where to buy: Amazon

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I just finished my first book in the Wish I'd Read That Challenge, 11 more to go! Well here goes.

Wow..just wow. This was such an awesome read, it's so hard to put down. I was expecting something that's dark in the story, but boy was I wrong! This book was like a breath of fresh air for me and it's different from the usual paranormal books I read. I came across different characters that were so unique. It's fun and fascinating to know about what goes on in the agency, and how Evie deals with her job. Her job is to keep the paranormals and humans safe. But then she meets the mysterious Lend, and she tries to find out what he is. Then IPCA figured out that paranormals are being killed at an alarming rate and they have to do something about it, fast. And on top of that Evie has to deal with her relentless faerie ex-boyfriend.

Now Evie, she is such a fabulous character, and one of the strongest heroines I've ever come upon in a story. She's fun, sassy and sarcastic, she kicks butt but then she's someone whom you feel like hanging out with. She's also insecure but it's in a way that's delightful. Evie never really knew what she was but then the secrets and facts start to come through to her, and she had to face some tough situations. I was impressed on how she was willing to take risks. I was impressed by one more thing, the romantic storyline with Lend. He's just got the depth and sensitivity that felt so right. Their relationship felt genuine, and not too sudden as it progresses really well, unlike other books where the characters just fall madly in love in an instant. Their relationship builds up in a pleasant and relatable way that makes you go "aww".

This book is just different, the plot was amazing, keeps you guessing (although it drags on a little bit at some parts) and it's got a little bit of everything. It stands out in all the right ways yet it presents us the things we've come to know and love within the paranormal genre. I can't help but smile over the amount of sarcasm in this book, which makes it very memorable. Of course there is action in the story and some interesting and intriguing scenes relating to Evie's conflicts and struggles. Kiersten's way of writing is very fun and refreshing, the dialogue between the characters made the book an easy read. She has created an awesome, complex world that is described in such a natural way for us. I can't wait for the next book, Supernaturally.

Color-Coding is super fun

Hello there! I just finished color coding some of my books, and it looks awesome :D The ones on the left are some of my mom's books, magazines, my magazines and my books that are yet to be read. So they're for my Wish I'd Read That Challenge 2011!

Shelf-a-Yearning (1)

I'm starting a new blog thread which is called Shelf-a-Yearning and it consists of Young Adult books that are yet to be released/have been released. Sadly, some of the books here are not on my shelf, hence they "yearning" part of it, haha. Well, here goes!

Halo by Alexandra Ardonetto

Angels! My favorite thing to read about!

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

Looking for Alaska by John Green

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Sea by Heidi R.Kling

It's about my beloved country, Indonesia!

Between the Sea & Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Mermaids. I haven't got the chance to read about them.

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Starcrossed by Josephine Angeline

..Look at the cover

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

CLOCKWORK PRINCE by Cassandra Clare

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I WANT

Wish I'd Read That Challenge, 2011

Man, I should have done book challenges AGES ago. I've come upon this awesome challenge. I've been buying a lot of books, and I haven't got the chance to read most of them. I keep on buying and buying which has led to my TBR pile increasing. This challenge is hosted by My Love Affair with Books.

I've decided to go with Addicted, reading 12 books this year.

• Curious – Read 3 books.
• Fascinated – Read 6 books.
• Addicted – Read 12 books.
• Obsessed – Read 20 books.

So this challenge runs from January 1st until December 31st, 2011. If you want to participate, please do click the button above for the rules of the challenge. So if you have books that are just waiting to be read, you might want to challenge yourself :) We don't have to make a list of what we're going to read but I'll just make one below. And of course, I'll review them! The list of books might change as the year progresses but these are the ones I will read for now:

1. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (now reading)
2. Beautiful Creatures by
3. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
4. Torment by Lauren Kate
5. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
6. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
7. Old Magic by Marianne Curley
8. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
10. The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
11. Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass
12. L.A Candy by Lauren Conrad

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Published date: 22nd December, 2009

Pages: 310

Age Group: Young Adult

Publisher: Harper Teen

My Rating: 4/5

Where to buy: Amazon

Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom...or part them forever.

I JUST finished the book, and I thought I would review it right now, while my impressions are still fresh. Darklight starts right where Wondrous Strange ends. Lesley Livingston does such a great job in this book to immerse myself into the story without it being boring, since this is right in the middle of the trilogy. But then, how can it be boring since I learnt so much about the characters that I've already met in Wondrous Strange.

The story line in this book is definitely a lot larger, Kelley's separation from Sonny has led her into having dark dreams being a plague to her mind. And she finds out what he's capable of as he's completing a task from the King Auberon. But Fennrys is in the picture to protect her while Sonny's away. From the book I saw that each of the Faerie courts have a secret lurking in the shadows, and something's out to get Kelley, Sonny and the courts.

Kelley's character really develops in this book as she's becoming tougher as the danger keeps rolling in. I enjoyed getting to know the other characters, Fennrys (hello there...), Tyff and others from the Otherworld. Getting in touch with the characters is a big reason on why I like to read, and Lesley did an excellent job with that and also writing out the components of the Faerie Realm. Where there's danger, there's action, and it's placed so brilliantly in the book, there's more deceit games, and eye-opening facts, and some heartache. Once again, Kelley has grown so much as a character, and it was great and sometimes painful to see her make some choices. She has to come into terms about her feelings toward her parents, developing and managing her powers as a Faerie, and feelings for Sonny.

I LOVE how Lesley incorporates her knowledge of Arthurian Literature (Shakespeare) into the stroy, and that just gives her books a fantastic edge and bonus points! I'm so happy to see that in her writing, and it makes me appreciate the book a lot more. I'm still waiting for Tempestuous to be added to my shelf.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Published Date: August 31st, 2010

Pages: 479

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Walker Books

My Rating: 5/5

Where to buy: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

Summary from GoodReads.com

I just finished reading this a few days ago and I was completely blown away! 3 days of reading, and it was pure adventure. This is a prequel (The Infernal Devices) to the Mortal Instruments series (which I loved by the way!) and it is set in London, during the Victorian period of England. So, from Clockwork Angel, I was so delighted to indulge myself into the history and what lies behind the Shadow World, the lives of Shadowhunters and how they interact with other groups like the Downworlders and all that.

Everything about this book is so engaging. Cassandra Clare's writing captured me from the very start and I was amazed at how she could do that without being too overbearing with the words in the book. The beginning of the story was a little bit slow for me, especially with Tessa's time in the Dark Sister's captivity. But! I trusted in Cassandra and as the story goes on, I was not disappointed! One of my most favorite things about her books is how well she could create her characters so that we could get in touch with their feelings, and know them. I was able to understand why the characters are how they are. They were so real that they remind me of people in my life! The characters made me laugh, smile, frustrated (in a good way! if that makes sense, haha) and in the end, they were memorable. So characterization was purely excellent!

And goodness me! There was so much action in this book that I couldn't put the book down cause I was afraid of missing some kind of spectacular event. Before I knew it, I was done reading. I could gush more about this book, so I have to stop now. Great book, another masterpiece by Cassandra Clare and now that I have the history, I can't wait to know more in the upcoming book of the Mortal Instruments series, City of Fallen Angels!

Books To My Shelf (Christmas Edition!)

These are the books I got for myself, for Christmas!

Tales of the Unexpected- Roald Dahl

Interpreter of Maladies- Jhumpa Lahiri

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Paranormalcy- Kiersten White

(OMG)

Crescendo- Becca Fitzpatrick

Darklight- Lesley Livingston

Torment- Lauren Kate

The Dark Divine- Lesley Livingston

Clockwork Angel- Cassandra Clare

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Whew! I just finished reading another book, Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith. Alright, the synopsis.

At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die. Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight. Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess's personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl's soul and plan the Master's fast-approaching Death Day gala.

First of all we have seventeen year-old Miranda. All her life, she never knew that she was being watched, and loved by a guardian angel, Zachary. He has known her since birth, got to know her, and fall in love with her over the years as she grows into a beautiful yet shy and quiet young woman. Miranda has a best friend Lucy who is so much more than her and Miranda stands under her shadow. She's just the usual teen girl, quite insecure, crushing on the perfect boy and trying to make it in theatre for the school play. As said before, Zachary is always there with her, invisible to her eyes, watching, protecting. Until one night he keeps seeing this shadow of Death swirling around her, he knows something is wrong. Then another night came. And that's when everything changes for Miranda and Zach.

That is when Zach does the unforgivable thing that an angel could do. That night, he admitted his love for Miranda by showing himself to save her life. But he's too late and fails. Instead, Miranda is taken by the king of vampires, the Dracul into his underground world where vampires are called "Eternals", and he converts her into one of them, and as his heir. As for Zachary, he becomes a fallen angel. But he's been given a chance to redeem himself. Miranda's new life involves Dracul who Miranda calls "Father" while she forgets about her life as a human. She has her killer and fancy wardrobes, servants and a sleek SU. It's all so different! But then Drac tells her to get her own Personal Assistant. Zach is told about this so he jumps at the chance to help Miranda find her redemption too.

The book is told in two perspectives, Zach's and Miranda's. The story really builds up when they both reunite. I like the interaction between them two, especially Zach's humorous and delightful personality. Of course that bloomed into something more. But the story is more than the love between them. In this book I get to explore more of the mythology about vampires, angles that I've been reading about from other books. There are also some references to other classic literature, and I also love the funny and witty phrases that I find. Eternal definitely has the gothic theme to it, and it's got more of a bloodthirsty vileness to it which sets it out from the usual vampire books. Altogether, Eternal was quite the page-turner, a story of redemption, salvation, love, loyalty and grace. Cynthia has wrote a book that turned centuries of lore about these mythological creatures into something unique and spooky.

Grade: B

xoxo,

Maya

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

This is another Sarah Dessen installment. It's called Lock and Key. I've already read one book of hers, Just Listen which made quite the impression on me. First here's the synopsis:

What happens when your past is not just past, but wiped clean entirely? How do you figure out where you're going when you can't even claim where you've been? These were the questions that inspired Lock and Key. It's the story of a girl named Ruby who is abandoned by her mother and determined to make it on her own, even---and especially---when she is sent to live with her long-lost sister in a whole new world of privilege, family, and relationships. As Ruby learns, there's a big difference between being given help and being able to accept it. And sometimes, it takes reaching out to someone else to save yourself

This is a story about seventeen year old Ruby and her life. Now Ruby and her mother moved around the country a lot of times. So their lives are almost unpredictable sometimes, and in the story they currently lived in this old yellow farmhouse. So one day Ruby's mother disappears without any notice, and she doesn't come back for months. So Ruby was left on her own. She tried to ignore the fact that she's too young to be living on her own and then she eventually learned that her mother had abandoned her. So she tried to live on her own at the yellow house for a few months until her landlords found her and sent her off to live with her long-lost older sister, Cora. Ruby and Cora hadn't seen each other since Cora left for college, leaving her and her mother.

So that's basically where the story started with Roby narrating the whole plot. She's a girl with a lot of memories behind her, and they're usually not very warming memories. Somehow she's in this state of self-proclaimed denial.Anyways, Cora, she has build a very good life for herself. A successful career, Jamie her husband and a great house. But Ruby has never lived a life like that, and she's not sure if she wants to. Jamie happily welcomed her into their home but Cora seems a little tense, so Ruby doesn't want to be a burden to her sister. She doesn't really trust people so easily, so she has put up a big wall around her as an emotional defense. She tries to escape this new life, but instead she got into a good school, finding a job and finding friends, and maybe a little something more with her next door neighbour, Nate who seems to have secrets of his own. There's a special thing to Ruby that is of a big significance in the book, she always wears the necklace with her yellow farmhouse key to remind her of her difficult but more familiar old life.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this book, like Cora's husband Jamie and Nate. As the story unfolds, I see Ruby discovering herself a lot more and opening up to people. Something she has always been reluctant to do. She begins to learn more about what a family is all about, she begins to lower her emotional defense wall and reconnecting with Cora. She begins to settle into the changes in this new life. I really liked this book, even though the plot started a bit slow and stale during the beginning, but it got more interesting towards the end. I loved how Ruby grew into a more open person, and this is something I can relate to. A touching and meaningful story of moving on, but still holding on and opening your heart to others.

xoxo,

Maya

Grade: B

Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita

Here's another review! I just recently read this delightful book. It's called Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita. First of all is the synopsis:

When Sam's best friend gets her first boyfriend, she's not ready to spend the summer listening to the two of them call each other "pookie." Sick of being a third wheel, Sam applies to be a counselor-in-training at Whispering Pines camp in the New York Catskills. But what she doesn't realize is that it's not going to be all Kumbaya sing-alongs and gooey s'mores. If Ashley, the alpha queen of Whispering Pines, doesn't ruin Sam's summer, then her raging crush on the surfer-blond and flirtatious Hunter just might. At least she has playful Cole, who's always teasing her, but is oh-so-comfortable to hang out with, and the singular gang of girls that become fast friends with Sam-they call themselves the Sleepaway Girls.

When I found this book at the store, I was actually in the midst of my summer holidays. So I thought, why not? I should buy a book with a really summery feel to it. And I'm so glad that I bought Sleepaway Girls. So, from the synopsis above you could already see what the story is all about! Summer Camp! There's Sam Montgomery, your average fifteen year old girl in her summer holiday. She has a best friend who apparently has found a new boyfriend and she hated feeling left out. Sam loves her, but she just doesn't like being treated that way. But then she finds her way out, by applying for a job as a counselor-in-training (CIT) at a summer camp called Whispering Pines.

Sam is in for quite the ride at Whispering Pines, this book wasn't all about the smooth ride of spending your summer at a camp. There were quite the amount of drama in this book. It involves the mean girl Ashley and her little entourage, and they didn't exactly make Sam's life fine and dandy at Whispering Pines. Then there are the two guys, the handsome and dreamy Hunter and the cool, pleasant, laid-back Cole. Well, they definitely brought a lot of sweetness in Sam's life at the camp. Yet she still made some funky friends that she got to know, and they really did had her back, and were with her through Ashley's backstabbing way. Okay, but Sleepaway Girls isn't only about the drama, there were actually a lot of details about Whispering Pines and the camp traditions. And since Sam is a counselor in training at the camp, she had to learn to take care of the little campers. I loved how they were described based on their age levels. Pez, marshmallows. It's one of many delights that I found in this book. I never really got bored while reading and I found the book very colorful.

I love the excitement of Sleepaway Girls, but it's also a book about Sam standing up for herself and deciding on her own. It's about friendship, loyalty and love. It is actually a meaningful story and not the typical Summer book that is mostly focused on the drama and stereotypes. As I said, I was never bored and I loved the feeling of looking forward to turning the page and reading more. The plot of the story was very real and it got me to look a little differently on summer camp. The characters were well defined and described, although I wished it could have been done more on some. From this book I also learned about the sacrifices we make for others, standing up for yourself. But I also learned that we don't always have to follow the path people want us to take, we could make a path of our own. It's definitely a great book to read during a car ride, (unless you get a little car sick) the beach or the pool with the sun kissing your face.

I hoped you had a good summer everyone!

xoxo,

Maya

Grade: B+

Marmut Merah Jambu - Special Post!

Hi all. Sorry that I have been kind of AWOL for the past few weeks. But I'm back for several reviews now. You can see that I've labeled this as a special post. I'm about to review a book by this special author from my country. And his name is Raditya Dika.

There he is on the cover page! So he's a writer, but not fictional. He's also a comedian so he loves to entertain himself, and make fun of himself. Weird enough. Haha. Raditya loves to write books about his life experiences, in a really funny way of course that will get you laughing to tears! I've never really heard of him that much until people started talking about his latest book called Marmut Merah Jambu. a.k.a Pink Hamster. So I became interested and decided to see what's all the buzz about Raditya Dika. And boy! I was hit by the Raditya Dika tornado!

Usually Raditya writes about random funny moments of his life. But in this book, it's more about funny encounters in his life about one of, well, maybe the most absurd and confusing matter in this life. Love. There are still the random stories in there though, which makes the book really special.

I honestly laughed a lot while reading this book. And a slight hint, you might want to read it in private. That means if you don't want to get funny and weird looks from people while you read. It tells about his junior school crushes and how dumb he made himself look in front of those girls, it's very genuine yet still very humorous. He's making his simple life stories so interesting and funny, and I really love that! Now, just when you feel like you're reading in peace, there comes the random phrases and words that gets you exploding in laughter! But then, there are the simple and delightful things coming unexpectedly that will make you think and smile. It'll make you think about how it feels when you have a crush on someone, that tingly feeling of just seeing them.

Marmut Merah Jambu is a book with a lot of different feelings or emotions wrapped into one. You know, it actually took me a while to realize the Jambu (Pink) part of the title. It's trying to describe to you that hint of love. Haha. Raditya Dika really did a fantastic job in telling us his private life stories that people wouldn't really care about, into funny, delightful and sweet stories that will make us smile. I really did enjoy reading this book, and I can always look back and read a specific chapter to get a good laugh. Maybe it is the best medicine. :)

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: A+

Playlist?

Hi all, I just want to explain about a tiny addition that I will have to my reviews. And it's the Playlist.

So it's basically a list of songs I know that relates to the books I've read. I thought it would be fun to do that, and it collaborates my passion for music and books.

xoxo,

Maya

Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland

Here's another review! I thought I'd like to kick off the Summer with a light and pleasant read. So I thought, Scones and Sensibility would do the trick!

Synopsis

Polly Madassa is convinced she was born for a more romantic time. A time when Elizabeth Bennet and Anne of Green Gables walked along the moors and beaches of the beautiful land, a time where a distinguished gentleman called upon a lady of quality and true love was born in the locked eyes of two young lovers.

But alas, she was not.

This, however, does not stop our young heroine from finding romance wherever she can conjure it up. So while Polly is burdened with a summer job of delivering baked goods from her parents bakery (how quaint!) to the people in her small beach town, she finds a way to force…um…encourage romance to blossom. She is determined to bring lovers, young and old, together…whether they want to be or not.

When I read the synopsis on the back, I was really intrigued by the book. I opened it and I jumped right into it. It's such an adorable book and the main character is the ever-so-charming Polly Madassa. She and her family own the Madassa bakery, and she has an older sister named Clementine. Polly is so special in her own way. She's this twelve year old girl who seems to come out from those classic books. Her favorite ones are Pride and Prejudice and Anne of Green Gables. It's like she's living in the wrong time. But again, that's what makes her so special. I also have a soft spot for classic writing and how beautiful and lush when people speak back then. She calls her parents Mama and Papa and her outfits are usually those old fashioned frocks and dresses. I love the term affection of "bosom friend" that she has for her friend, Fran.

I could relate to some of her aspects, especially the daydreaming part. Sometimes I just love sitting still, outside with the sun dancing on my face, and just think. In other words, daydreaming! Haha. Okay, well, one summer she was told by her parents that she was to be set with a duty of delivering pastries in her town. She was very happy with that and she loves socializing. One thing you should know about Polly is that she believes in love, but her idea of love and finding it is through her novels. So then she comes up with this idea of bringing love to the people that means so much to her in town, through delivering these fantastic pastries!

Polly's antics into finding love for her friends were very charming at first, but then she finds out that things doesn't always go the way that it does in novels. Her heart is in the right place and she means well for everyone. But then she realizes that you can't force love. That was basically the main challenge for Polly in the book, but Polly was willing to learn from her mistakes. So it's not all tears.

There were a lot of characters in this book, but I didn't mind that at all. Lindsay Eland's writing for this book was very charming and understandable. Scones and Sensibility is a wonderful book that I can read in a cafe, by the beach or the poolside. Along with a refreshing drink and a tasty sweet snack. There were some parts of the book which felt a little bit slow for me, but I kept my faith in the book and in the end, I really enjoyed it. From Polly's story I learnt the same thing she did, you can't force love, on anyone or on yourself.

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: B-

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Hi all, I'm sorry for being AWOL for the past couple of weeks. I was so caught up in the chronicles that is life, so caught up that I had to abandon this blog for a while. But now I'm back I've got some reviews! And do you notice the new layout? Thank you Blogger!

Anyways, I was so happy when I got this book, the second installment of Aprilynne Pike's faerie world, Spells. I read this in just a couple of days, so here's my review.

Synopsis:

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

This is the sequel to Wings and it's about a year after Laurel learns that she is a faerie and the events occurring onwards. In this book it was really about Lauren being sort of torn between two of her worlds. She accepts who she is as a faerie but this also causes a few problems. She is set to Avalon which is the faerie realm for one whole summer. Since she's a Fall Faerie, she has to learn the skills and the ways of being one. The first part of the book was mostly her being in Avalon, I was really happy to finally get the chance to read all about it. It was very interesting to read abut this whole faerie caste system in Avalon and the people from her past. I also got to read about the differences between the Summer, Winter and Spring Faeries and they magical powers. Avalon seems like a really beautiful place from the book, but Laurel isn't exactly there to bask in the beauty of Avalon most of the time. She has to come forth to learning and improving her faerie skills. She spends a lot of time reading about faerie craft. I love that Aprilynne didn't go straight into the whole typical situation where once Laurel finds out she's a faerie, she is already fully equipped with faerie powers. Boom- just like that. But no, she actually has to control and make use of her faerie powers.

In Avalon, of course she spends some of her time with Tamani. In the previous book, there was obviously an undeniable connection between Laurel and Tamani. By spending some time with Tamani, their relationship and their feelings begin to develop. This of course resulted in conflicted feelings within Laurel, because, well she is already in a committed relationship with her boyfriend, David. I also got to see their relationship in the book go even deeper and I think I found myself rooting for him. Hmm.

So, after Avalon, she has to come back home. And once she's home, she has to cope with different challenges. Now that she's a faerie, and both her parents knows it, she has to cope with their feelings about her new faerie ancestry. And in the previous book, there was the threat of the trolls to Laurel's life. And in this book, the problems doesn't end, and what with Laurel's conflicted feelings, she has to deal with a lot of things in this book. For me personally I think that the synopsis above might be a little bit ambiguous. When I first read it, I was thinking "Oh, okay. More romance. I understand". But when I read the book, it's not wholly about the whole love triangle drama. It was also about Laurel discovering more of herself, coming in to her own. Once again, what I like about Aprilynne, she doesn't take the typical approach with Laurel, the heroine of this story.

Laurel is not a character who is very dramatic, with an in-your-face disposition to her, who obsesses over boys all the time. She's a quiet heroine, with her own strength, and she's also a little bit vulnerable. Her relationships with Tamani and David is obviously an essence to the story but she also has her responsibilities in the human world and in the faerie world. She still has the love of her friends and family, that is also important to her. She makes her fair share of mistakes, and she is not the character that has to always be saved by someone. She even puts her life in line to rescue someone she loves. Laurel was a really tough cookie in this book, but with her vulnerability she still has her share of mistakes and faults. Between Tamani and David, she still manages to keep composure and stand on her ground. Even when she has to make that one decision.

In Spells, you really got to know more of the characters in Wings. Not only that but more knowledge of the faerie world, the culture and the responsibilities that the faerie has, especially in Avalon. I also loved the friendship between Laurel's friend Chelsea and there are even some fresh faces in the story. Aprilynne's writing is very pleasant and I can't wait to read the third book and see how Laurel develops. You rock!

xoxo,

Maya.

Grade: A-

Playlist:

1) High- James Blunt

2) No One- Aly & AJ

3) No Surprise- Daughtry