This Month on The Bookshelf Intruder

November is almost over and I couldn't be more excited. Don't get me wrong, I had a great -- busy but great -- month but boy, am I so excited for December! If you've read my previous recaps, you know that I love Christmas. I love love love it so much. But hey, before I dive into full-on Christmas mode, let me tell you about my November first.

Reviews:

Features:

As I've said earlier, I had a fairly busy month. You can read about it in detail here, here, and here. To save time, let me just give you the highlights, in case you missed it:

  • Sci-Fi November was a blast. I only posted 2 reviews and 1 interview for that, yes, but I did enjoy visiting other blogs with Sci-Fi November posts.

  • This month, I discovered Canva and had so much fun with it. Check out my Instagram page and you'll see pretty quote images that I've designed on Canva. :)

  • And I also used my weekends to watch the entire Harry Potter movie series with my sister. This is only the first time I've watched movie #5,6 & 7. I know. Don't judge. Anyhoo, these past few days, I've been struggling with Harry Potter separation anxiety. Thank Merlin for Pottermore!

  • I bought a signed copy of Isla and the Happily Ever After and it's one of my treasured purchases this year.

  • I watched Mockingjay part 1 and I loved it. Although I'd prefer to have the whole book in just one movie but oh well.


Quick mention of the blog posts I love this week:

And now, for the big announcement... A few nights ago, Paula of Her Book Thoughts and Irish of Nocturnal Reader and I'm Socially Awkward and I were tweeting about one of our favorite Korean series, Coffee Prince. For those who do not know what Coffee Prince is about, go check this out. After exchanging tweets about Coffee Prince, Paula and Irish and I thought, why not do a marathon/buddy watch (like buddy reading)? So that's what we're going to do next month. First, we're going to watch Coffee Prince and along the way we'll be selecting another Korean show (movie, even) to watch the following month. But it might get a little lonely and boring if it's just us. So we invite YOU to join us in watching this awesome, funny, lovely show and we want YOU to talk to us about it. The more, the merrier!

So if you'd like to join, please put your name in the "Link Title" and answer our short poll, just so we know how to schedule our buddy watch and Twitter chats. Blog posts are totally optional, but we'd really like you to be part of the Twitter chat. And tell your friends about it, too!




What to expect next month:
December is full-on holiday mode. That means, holiday (as in Christmas and winterish) reads, reviews, and lists. Nothing sad or stressful or too philosophical for me, just holly, jolly, Christmassy stuff. Also expect year-end posts which should be fun. I don't know about you but I like looking back and remembering the best books I've encountered. :)

There you have it. I hope you had a super fun November and I'm sure we'll have more fun next month. Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends! :)
8:00 AM
First of all, THAT COVER. Is it gorgeous or is it gorgeous?!

As I've mentioned on my review of Reader, I'm not really a sci-fi fan. But because of Sci-Fi November, I decided to read more sci-fi novels and watch more sci-fi flicks. A Thousand Pieces of You is one of the newer YA sci-fi novels that was recommended to me by several people. I can see why. Although I suck at Physics, I loved A Thousand Pieces of You.

I didn't read the blurb because lovely cover + recommendations = add to TBR/read ASAP. If I'd read the whole synopsis, I would have known that this is book 1 in a trilogy and I wouldn't have bought it. Nothing against trilogies or series in general but I struggle with waiting for the sequels. I am, however, happy that I went through with it because it's really good.

The concept of multiverse or multi-dimensional travel is not something new, and I've seen a few movies using this. Make no mistake, this is not time travel. Instead, Marguerite, Paul, and Theo jump into parallel (and supposedly, neighbor) universes which are in the same time period as their home dimensions. It was the 21st century (but I can't remember if the book mentioned a specific year) and the world is pretty much advanced. Marguerite jumps into a futuristic London, an imperial Russia, and other dimensions.

The world-building was great, very imaginative and vivid. I know some readers were disappointed that the jumps were not really "neighborly" because the characters went from futuristic London to very backwards Russia -- that was not a jump, that's a leap -- and it looked like time travel, which clearly isn't part of what the Firebird device can do. And maybe that's a flaw, a violation of the premise that Claudia Gray set early on. I tolerated this because I thought neighbor dimensions, which generally should be almost like Marguerite's home dimension with only minor differences, would be pretty boring and tougher to differentiate. Honestly, I just let it past because I enjoyed the Russian dimension too much. This dimension has the most FEELS.



Now that I think about it, yeah, it was strange and impressive at the same time that Marguerite had the best experiences *wink, wink* in a place and time that was full of conflict.

The characters were also well-written. I loved Marguerite. She's strong and brave and a badass. If I was in her position, I'd probably die of heart attack because of all the stressful, terrifying, and exhausting things that she had to go through. Paul and Theo were okay but it was sort of hard to hold on to them because their characters change from dimension to dimension. But I liked them. It was evident from the blurb that there is a love triangle but unlike some readers, it didn't bother me. It was pretty obvious from the get-go who Marguerite was going to end up/fall in love with.

Unlike the love triangle, the plot was not easy for me to figure out. Or maybe I'm just not very smart, no? I was definitely surprised with the twists and turns. They were not explosive but shocking to a certain degree, and these plot twists kept me turning the page. And surprisingly, even though I'm not very good at sci-fi, I enjoyed its unpredictability.


Anyone who loves sci-fi, especially the concept of multiverse, will love A Thousand Pieces of You. It's a quick read and despite the genre, it's not very intimidating as I thought it would be. Go, grab a copy, even just for the cover. :)

And now I leave you with my favorite quote from the book:
"Every Marguerite," he repeats, and the struggle is over.




As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
2:00 AM
This Week on The Bookshelf Intruder

This Week on the Bookshelf Intruder rounds up everything that happened on the blog, share-worthy links from around the web, my current reading list, and some offline happenings.



Another week has come and gone. Only one week left for November. Where did all that time go?!

This week was pretty awesome. Very busy and exhausting (got a little bit sick, too) but I feel thankful.

On the blog:

On Instagram:

[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="510"]instagram accounts Posted these pretties on my Instagram account. Those quote photos were made using Canva. :)[/caption]

On the blogoverse:

Movies:

  • Have you read Gayle Forman's Just One Day? You should, if you wanna watch the movie.

  • Anyone here who's read Before I Go to Sleep? I read this a couple of years ago and I only found out yesterday that it now has a movie version! I loved this book, it was creepy and mysterious and beautiful. I can't wait to see the movie!

  • This weekend's my 3rd Harry Potter marathon weekend. The first weekend, I watched The Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. Last weekend, I watched Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, and Order of the Phoenix. I've already seen the first 4 movies before and read up to book 5. I don't think I'll ever have the time to read the last 2 books so this weekend, I'm watching Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. It's so great to see the movies without the year-long wait because I get to see the cast literally grow up and I don't forget the details easily.

  • If you've seen my tweets and photos last Wednesday, then you probably already know that I went to the advanced screening of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1. It was good! I wasn't expecting it to be great (that almost never happens with book adaptations) and I was actually disappointed that the movie was divided into 2 parts because if you've read Mockingjay then you know that all the action is in the latter part of the book. But overall, I think the movie was good.


2014-11-20 07.25.08

2014-11-19 18.56.20That was my eventful week. I wanna hear about yours. Tell me what you've been up to in the Comments! :)
7:51 AM
Musings of The Bookshelf Intruder

About a month ago, the book blogging community was shocked by a Guardian article written by a YA author, Kathleen Hale. By now I’m sure you’re all familiar with it so I won’t rehash it. Around this time, a fellow blogger from the Philippines, Ana of Tara! Let’s Be Happy, and I got in touch and started chatting on Facebook. I don’t remember how it started but we ended up talking about a lot of things for more or less three hours. It was the start of a beautiful, bookish friendship. :) And one of the things that we talked about in those three hours was the Kathleen Hale issue.

It gave me the idea of doing a collab post on my blog, talking about the basic issues and questions concerning this Kathleen Hale controversy. So here it is. Although the article came out last month and this seems a bit dated, we believe that these questions are still very relevant. So let’s take it away, Ana!



Question: Some authors warned Kathleen Hale against checking reviews of her book on Goodreads. Some authors have experienced bullying from readers/reviewers on the said platform. So, as a reader and reviewer, what do you think about Goodreads? Yay or nay?

Ana: Yay, definitely. Ever since I started on this book blogging journey, Goodreads has been there to hold my hand. It allowed me to catalogue the books I’ve read and the ones I’m planning on reading. It even helped me connect with some authors. I believe it’s a great tool for readers all around, not just for bloggers. Like with everything else, we just have to practice caution in using Goodreads. Make sure that whatever we’re using it for would be for the benefit of the community of readers that reads our reviews.

Joy: Yay! You may call me naive (or just clueless) for not being aware of the bullying that goes on in Goodreads. I didn't know anything about it until this Kathleen Hale thing happened. I mean, sure, there are reviewers who lambast authors and their works but I've always seen it as criticism. Sometimes constructive, sometimes mean and harsh but just criticism. I haven't come across something with curses or threats addressed to the author. That being said, Goodreads has been a really great tool for me. I'm able to list down the books I've read and will read, I get to read what other people think of the books I read, and I get really good recommendations there. Plus, if you don't have a blog, Goodreads is a great way to record your thoughts about the books you've read. I think like any platform on the Internet,  what matters is how you use it. For authors, don't let the bullies get you down. Flag them, alert Goodreads, or just ignore them.

Question: Any thoughts on stalking and (cyber)bullying, and the #HaleNo campaign?

Ana: A big NO to stalking & cyberbullying. Stalking is never justifiable. Whatever the reason behind a stalker’s motive, it’s never good. I believe that there are better ways of using one’s time instead of spending it on someone you don’t know. If you want to establish a communication, there are a number of ways to do this without overstepping someone else’s personal boundaries. And bullying of any kind is never okay. We live in a genre where leaving derogatory comments on someone’s Facebook wall seems okay. But it’s not. And it never will be. The #HaleNo campaign is an answer to someone who validates stalking. I understand the reason, but I’ve never taken part.

Joy: When I first read the Guardian article, my first reaction was, who has time to do these things (the making up of a fake identity and the stalking)? Don’t you have things to do? It was exasperating. Here we are, bloggers who try to keep up with our schedules, juggling school, work, reading, reviewing, and everyday life. Who has time to make up a fake identity and constantly tweet hurtful messages to another person? Crazy people, that’s who. But Kathleen Hale didn’t realize that. Instead of ignoring and moving on, she engaged this “Blythe Harris” and well, you know what happened next. I think they’re both wrong, just as both bullying and stalking are both not okay.

Question: Any thoughts on 1-star reviews?

Ana: I’m familiar with them, but my blog isn’t. Meaning, I don’t plan on posting one star reviews on my blog. Why? Because my blog is where I post about things I love. I love great books and I want them immortalized on my little space on the web. I don’t see anything wrong with others posting about a book they didn’t like. But I know that it isn’t for me. I can’t write about a book I didn’t like at all.

Joy: I've only given a 1-star rating once and I didn’t write a full review. It would have been depressing. If a book is so bad, I don't finish it. There are so many books in the world, why waste my time on a book that I will just end up hating just so I can say that I finished it? It doesn't make sense for me. So if I finished the book, there's probably a good thing or two about the book and it deserves 2 stars or above. If I ever do give a book 1 star, I won't publish my review.  Heck, I won't even write a review because how will I come up with something nice to say about it?

Question: What’s your take on using pseudonym in blogging/writing reviews?

Ana: I’m not that comfortable giving out my last name. I am using my real name as well as all the other details about me. However, I try to separate different aspects of my life. Why? Well, I think that’s what I’m comfortable sharing with other people for now.

Joy: I don’t have a pseudonym. As someone who works in digital marketing industry, it’s important for me to have a positive online presence -- it contributes to my “personal brand.” I don’t feel the need to hide behind a pseudonym but I understand why some people need to do that.

Bonus question: Is Logan Lerman hot? (First of all, Ana was the one who asked this, NOT ME. But we did write down these Q & A during the time that I was crazy about Logan. I still am but I can control my outbursts now. ;) )

Ana: Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Joy: Super!!!!!!!!!! I mean, look at him!






I KNOW, RIGHT?!



While there are other issues out there concerning the book blogging community, we can’t tackle everything in one post. We think these -- Goodreads, stalking, bullying, 1-star reviews, pseudonyms -- are enough for now. And no, we’re not trying to be experts here. Just two Pinay bloggers and book lovers sounding off, and we’re looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Let us know what you think about this issues, or the book blogging community in general, in the Comments. :)
2:31 AM
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] It's time to celebrate![/caption]

So yeah, a week ago, I completed my Goodreads Reading Challenge.Reading Challenge
I know, I know, that number's too low for someone who claims to be a bookworm. But you see, I've been setting a higher number ever since I went on Goodreads and this is the only time I've reached my goal. It's not really because I set a lower number. It's because I set a number that I thought was more achievable given the amount of spare time I have. I work, and I also have a life outside books (although admittedly I sometimes love reading more than doing any of those stuff) so it's hard for me to finish 100 books in a year. The best estimate was one book per week which gives me 48 books in a year. But I also guessed that there might be a time that I will be too busy to read so I lowered it just a tiny bit to 45. There are a few more weeks before the year ends so I am going over my goal! Yayyy!!!

This may not be a big deal for most of you. After all, it's just a number and what's important is that you read, right? I agree. But see, this year, I've read more good books and made good friends because of those books, too!

Here are the books I read for my Reading Challenge:
1. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - 4 stars
2. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - 5 stars
3. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell  - 5 stars(yeah, I had a Rainbow Rowell marathon in January. Great way to start the year.)
4. Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman - 5 stars
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - 5 stars
6. Marley and Me by John Grogan - 4 stars
7. Catching Jordan by Miranda Keneally - 2 stars
8. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - 4 stars
9. Diary of a Crush: French Kiss by Sarra Manning - 4 stars
10. Diary of a Crush: Kiss and Make Up by Sarra Manning - 3 stars
11. Diary of a Crush: Sealed with A Kiss by Sarra Manning - 4 stars
12. Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen - 3 stars
13. Kipnuk the Talking Dog by Heather Wolf - 4 stars
14. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han - 2 stars
15. Fake Boyfriend by Kate Brian - 2 stars
16. Up in the Air by Walter Kirn - 1 star
17. The Son of Sobek by Rick Riordan - 5 stars
18. Besides Naturalization by Isabel Chloe - 2 stars
19. Intertwined by Jerilee Kaye - 4 stars
20. My Life with the Walter Boys by Ali Novak - 3 stars
21. Flirting with Maybe by Wendy Higgins - 4 stars
22. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith - 4 stars
23. Children of Na by A. L. Burgess Jr. - 4 stars
24. Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen - 5 stars
25. The Girl He Knows by Kristi Rose - 4 stars
26. City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare - 5 stars
27. Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz - 3 stars
28. Falling For Her Fiance by Cindi Madsen - 4 stars
29. An Officer and a Rebel by Cindi Madsen - 4 stars
30. Landline by Rainbow Rowell - 4 stars
31. The Giver by Lois Lowry - 3 stars
32. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins - 5 stars
33. The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikli - 4 stars
34. Dangerous Reflections by Shay West - 4 stars
35. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - 5 stars
36. The Staff of Serapis by Rick Riordan - 5 stars
37. Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan - 5 stars
38. Fairytale Apocalypse by Jacqueline Patricks - 4 stars
39. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey - 3 stars
40. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith - 4 stars
41. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan - 5 stars
42. This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith - 5 stars
43. Reader by Erec Stebbins - 4 stars
44. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins - 4 stars
45. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - 4 stars

Reading Challenge Pie Chart
I read more good books than bad so and that is a cause for celebration!

I'm excited to hear about your challenge. Are you done with it? How many books did you read? How many books do you still need to read? And what are your favorites so far? Share your thoughts on the Comments!
2:35 AM
Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It might sound weird, but I love Christmas more than my birthday. My family makes a big deal out of Christmas – it’s this one big but intimate family event with lots of food, games, laughter, singing, and tons of gifts. I love Christmas and everything about it. Which was why I was very excited to read My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. That, and the fact that Stephanie Perkins edited it and has a story in it.

My True Love Gave to Me

A couple of reminders before you go off reading this gem:

  1. The book is a collection of twelve short stories written by wonderful YA authors – Rainbow Rowell, Kelly Link, Matt de la Peña, Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan, Holly Black, Gayle Forman, Myra McEntire, Kiesten White, Ally Carter, and Laini Taylor. Emphasis on short, which makes character and plot development more difficult. If you are the type who hates insta-love, be wary. You have to be open-minded about the limitations of a short story and if you can’t, then you probably shouldn't read this.

  2. Also, if you are the type who hates the general mushy vibe that holiday anthologies give off (in short, if you’re The Grinch), don’t read this! Holidays (not just Christmas) are supposed to be happy and positive, and yes, maybe a bit cheesy and mushy, so you can’t be too critical about it.


Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you what I think about each of the stories.

1. Midnights by Rainbow Rowell - 5 stars
Midnights is about two friends -- Mags and Noel -- who spends four consecutive New Year's Eve together at a common friend's party. Since that first New Year's Eve party in 2010 (or was it 2011? I'm not sure), they've become best friends. Noel always kisses someone when the clock strikes twelve and on the fourth party, well, you'll have to read what happens!

Rainbow Rowell sure knows how to make her readers smile. Midnights is the perfect holiday read, especially if like me, you love romance between friends. Noel is such a sweet, adorable character. I think Midnights was a great opener for a collection of short stories because it promised more awesomeness.

2. The Lady & The Fox by Kelly Link - 1 star
Unfortunately, the promise of awesomeness fizzled out after I *endured* this chapter. So this girl, Miranda, spends the holidays at her friend's house. Every Christmas, when it snows, she sees a man outside the house. But he always disappears, and you know what? I will not even try to explain what happened because I really did not understand the point of this story. There was no explanation why what happens, happens. My reaction while reading was: WHAT IS THIS? A FILLER? WHAT THE HECK AM I READING? So yeah, Kelly Link was the weakest (here comes the pun!) link.

3. Angels In The Snow by Matt de la Peña - 4 star
Shy is a starving (literally) NYU student who is cat-sitting on a very snowy Christmas day. The cat's owner has a neighbor, Haley, whose shower isn't working and she ends up showering in Shy's boss' apartment.

Shy (who I found out is also the main protagonist of Matt de la Pena's novel, The Living) is a very funny but also sad guy. What I love about this story is the way Shy and Haley converse -- it sounds so natural and real.

4. Polaris Is Where You'll Find Me by Jenny Han - 3.5 stars
This one is about a girl named Natalie (Natty for short) who was adopted by Santa Claus when she was a baby so she now lives in the North Pole. She falls for this elf, Flynn, but elves are only meant for well, elves.

Is it just me or are all of Jenny Han's main characters whiny and annoying? Natty reminded me a lot of Belly because of her whining. Despite this, I did enjoy this story but the ending, if you can even call it an ending, really threw me off. I need mooooore.

5. It's A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins - 5 stars
Marigold needs the voice of this hot guy for an animation project. This guy, North, sells Christmas trees and Marigold ends up buying a Charlie Brown Christmas tree for Yule (winter solstice).

I have my biases towards Stephanie Perkins. For good reason. She really is a good writer and I love her books. But I think Perkins' strength lies in the conversations between the characters. I've always loved this about her books. Marigold and North bickered and told stories and basically talked their way through a busy and exhausting night. So in a way, what happened wasn't insta-love (also because Marigold has been eyeing out this guy for a month before they got formally introduced) but there is definitely instant attraction. Not surprisingly, I loved this chapter.

6. Your Temporary Santa David Levithan - 4 stars
This is about a Jewish boy who dresses up as Santa in an effort to make his boyfriend's sister believe in the magic of Christmas.

This was funny in the beginning. Then, slowly, it became sad. One minute I was laughing and then I was getting this bad feeling like something bad is about to happen.

Overall, this was a bittersweet story. I've always like David Levithan's works and this was a good one.

7. Krampuslauf by Holly Black - 5 stars
The book not only features stories set on Christmas or New Year's. Krampuslauf is an annual run joined by men dressed as Krampus -- a beast who, in contrast with Santa Claus, punishes children who had misbehaved. Hanna, the main character, goes to this celebration with her friends, Wren and Penny, to see if Penny's boyfriend is cheating on her. Hanna meets a man dressed as Krampus (or so she thinks) and a Krampusnacht miracle ensues.

This was surprisingly good. I didn't expect the fantasy element but that actually made it better. I like Hanna. And I like Krampus. Okay, that's probably a weird thing to say but this was very enjoyable. The best thing about this story? It reminds us that there is magic in the world and it's okay to imagine things.

8. What The Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth? by Gayle Forman - 5 stars
Sophie Roth is big city. She studies in a small town college and feels out of place... until she meets Russell.

I doubt I'll ever dislike any of Gayle Forman's works. She's simply amazing. Sophie Roth has assumptions -- all misplaced of course. I love how she changed throughout the story.

9. Beer Buckets & Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire - 4.5 stars
Vaughn is a guy who never runs out of pranks and practical jokes and mischief. But then he almost sets fire on the local church, resulting to forty hours of community service. He ends up helping the church's annual Christmas production along with the pastor's daughter.

Oh, this was very cute! I appreciated the character development for Vaughn, and I loved how a guy like him is a perfect example of a Christmas miracle.

10. Welcome To Christmas, CA by Kiersten White - 4 stars
Christmas is a little town in California -- so little you won't see it on a map. But it's there and that's where Maria lives. She wants to leave but a new chef, who was hired by her mom (they have a Christmas-themed restaurant) starts whipping up magic meals that makes her rethink everything she knows about her town and family.

Kiersten White's chapter is very Christmas-y and I love it! It made me feel warm all over, made me want to have some hot choco and curl up in bed. I love how this shows you that on Christmas, everything feels better.

11. Star Of Bethlehem by Ally Carter - 5 stars
Lydia swaps plane tickets with an Icelandic stranger and ends up on an Oklahoma town, pretending to be the Icelandic girlfriend of a teenage cowboy. But Lydia has more secrets up her sleeve.

I loved this chapter because it was so much more than romance. It was more about family and loss and hope. It's definitely one of my favorites in this anthology.

12. The Girl Who Woke The Dreamer by Laini Taylor - 5 stars
Neve is from the Isle of Feathers. Advent is the time for betrothal and for 24 days, girls like Neve receive gifts from their suitors. On the 25th day, the pairs gather at the Hall. But Neve's courtship proves to be very different...

This is the only chapter with the alternating POVs, which was very impressive when you think about the limitations it had to face. Laini Taylor did a great job -- the world-building was perfect, the plot was perfect, the characters were truly fantastic. This story is not something you usually read about on the holidays but it was so well-written.

 

I've only read works written by Rainbow Rowell, Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, David Levithan, and Gayle Forman so it was really good to read from more YA authors. I thought I'd be able to get a glimpse of their writing styles through this anthology and I did. I'm definitely excited to read something from Matt de la Peña, Holly Black, Ally Carter, and Laini Taylor.

The best thing about this book (besides the awesomeness that is Christmas) is the diversity. The characters are of different races, have different religions and beliefs, sexual orientation, and backgrounds. The holidays are not even the same; in most it's Christmas, but there's also New Year's, Krampusnacht, Advent, Yule, and others. So when I say that this is a book for everyone, it really is a book for everyone.

But while I love this book, I was also (unfairly) comparing it to Let It Snow which is my favorite Christmas anthology book. I was hoping that My True Love Gave to Me will be as great as Let It Snow. It carried so much promise because of that lineup of authors. But I guess it's also because there are so many authors that there's little space for each story to really grow. That's just me though. I still think this is an awesome book and a lovely companion this holiday season.



As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
2:30 AM
This Week on The Bookshelf Intruder

This Week on the Bookshelf Intruder rounds up everything that happened on the blog, share-worthy links from around the web, my current reading list, and some offline happenings.



Another busy week has gone by and wow, we're halfway through November!

Although this time of the year is definitely more exhausting for me, I also love Christmas a lot so mostly, I just feel excited and very hopeful. :)

Anyway, these happened on the blog this week:

Jennifer E. Smith

I also finished reading A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray. It was good!

[caption id="attachment_917" align="aligncenter" width="350"]A Thousand Pieces of You One of the prettiest covers I've seen this year[/caption]

And last Sunday, I snagged a SIGNED COPY of my favorite book of 2014. I cannot believe my luck. There I was, looking for a paperback of Isla and the Happily Ever After (to match my paperback Anna and Lola) and then I saw this. Not paperback but SIGNED!!! And the odd thing is, it's cheaper than the unsigned ones.

Isla and the Happily Ever After

Also, I finished my Goodreads Reading Challenge last week and it was awesome! I did put a low number but what the heck, this is an accomplishment!

Goodreads Reading Chllenge

Due to my crazy work week, I wasn't able to visit a lot of blogs this week. But I did read some great posts:

So that was my week. How was yours? :)
7:30 AM
The Geography of You and Me. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. This is What Happy Looks Like. I've read three books written by Jennifer E. Smith. By now, I've not only grown used to her writing but also came to love it. I love her. Here are three reasons why:

Jennifer E. Smith

1. Not unique... but distinct
Jen's (we're tight like that) books, at least the three I've read so far, have concepts that are not unique, not new. In fact, you may think these are all very cliche. Love at first sight. Long distance relationship. A movie star falling for an ordinary girl. Fate and destiny. These are not only common but also relatively unrealistic. But Jen has a way of writing that is so distinct that I can't even think of any other author who writes this way. Sure, it might be a little similar to Rainbow Rowell's or even John Green's writing sometimes but not really. I can't explain it. Even when she's writing about something that is so cliche, it's still beautiful and special and believable. She has mastered the art of turning the impossible into possible. Ha!

destiny fate

2. Another kind of happy endings
All three books I've read so far (Statistical, Geography, and Happy) all have happy endings. And some would say that these are all light and fun reads and I agree on the "fun" part but not so much on the "light". Jen writes about teenagers who have problems, and whose relationships are not easy. There's always these subtle hints of trouble, of sadness, in the parts of the books before their endings. And even the endings are not your conventional jump-for-joy-let's-celebrate happy endings. No, these are contented type of happy endings, the ones where you close your book with a sigh and secretly smile to yourself. It's still happy but quiet happy. One can argue that Jen's books are open-ended (happy endings but you don't know if the main characters stay together forever) but for me, as long as there is no sequel, I'm gonna assume that the couples are happily together.



3. Matured teenagers + family drama
Another thing I love about the Jen E. Smith books is they don't just focus on the romance aspect. They also tackle the main characters' relationships with their parents. It is so refreshing to read about teenagers who care about their parents. These books emphasize the importance of family and i like that it's an integral part in Jen's works. It's like she's saying that everything begins at home, and I totally agree with her. That said, I admire how the main characters handle whatever's going on in their families. Hadley, Oliver, Lucy, Owen, Ellie, and Graham -- they know how to take it in stride and be calm and collected even when in not-so-good situations. I love that, because I definitely wasn't like that in my teenage years.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Great excuse to use a Logan Lerman GIF. Hihihi[/caption]

I love that after three books, Jen Smith still hasn't disappointed me. And I am very much looking forward to reading her other works.

How about you? Have you read Jen's books? Love it or hate it? And who's your current favorite author?
2:00 AM
I used to have a pen pal (do kids nowadays even know what a pen pal is?). Like, snail mail pen pal. She was my cousin and I was maybe 7 or 8 years old then. I remember it being fun and waiting for the mail was exciting. And then when I was in 6th grade, I had another pen pal and this time it was a guy (gasp!). He was my classmate's cousin and he was my age, too. The wait in between letters (which was, if I remember correctly, just 5 letters in total) was shorter because my classmate just deliver the mail to us. It was exciting in the beginning, but I was disappointed when on his second letter, out of nowhere, he said I LOVE YOU and drew hearts on the paper. Whut. Even when I was a kid, I couldn't take insta-love. Hahahaha!

Fast forward to college. That time was like the golden age of texting, at least in the Philippines. So it was perfectly normal to have "textmates" and I had a lot. Argie, my boyfriend, was one of my many text mates then (my classmate gave my number to him). What made him special though (besides the fact that we were obviously meant to be, hahahaha) was the letter exchanges we had before we met in person (we sometimes hid letters under classroom desks). Here I was, a decade after my first pen pal experience, and I was writing to the best pen pal ever. The rest is history, as they say. We've been together for over five years now. We don't write to each other anymore, but I kept his letters. Why am I telling you this? It's because I just finished reading This is What Happy Looks Like (what a mouthful) -- or Happy, for short -- and it reminded me a lot of my pen pal days, even though in this book it was email and not snail mail. A missing number in an email address, that's how Graham's message accidentally arrived in Ellie's inbox. Was it fate? Coincidence? Whatever it was, it was powerful and beautiful. Graham and Ellie are the kind of pen pals I like: witty, funny, and highly interesting. They talked about everything under the sun for three months...everything except their identities. They don't even know each other's names. Tricky, especially since Graham is a famous teenage movie star. And Ellie's... well, you just have to read it to find out. Happy is the 3rd Jennifer E. Smith book I've read. Surprisingly, it's also my favorite among all three. I know a lot of readers who didn't love this book as much as Jen's other works. And out of all three books, this one seems to be the most unlikely to happen in real life, although that's arguable. I'm not saying it's unlikely, but really? You fall for someone who you've been emailing with and it turns out he's a celebrity. That doesn't happen 99% of the time, right?
“I'm not sure I'm quite finished saying hello yet.”

But there's something in the way Jen Smith writes that makes me want to believe in seemingly impossible things like love at first sight, successful long distance relationships, and finding out that your pen pal is a Hollywood star. She's just so good at these things. She makes it so believable and real. And I love that this book gives a substantial glimpse of what being a celebrity is like. It's also remarkable how SAD this book was, at least the middle part of it. I felt betrayed. Why didn't anyone tell me that this book is sad? But I guess I should've known because Geography and Statistical also had really sad parts in them, too. It's so subtle and yet it's there. The heartbreak was palpable. Which was why I heaved a sigh of relief at Harry's (Graham's manager) genius plot twist.
“And like every ending, it was a strange mix of exuberance and sorrow.”

This is What Happy Looks Like is a lovely book, a modern fairy tale if you will. It's the perfect read for a lazy afternoon, or a rainy morning, or a cold night... really, any time. Whether you've had a pen pal or not, Happy will make you smile.
"Ellie was surprised to find herself thinking of the little town in France, the one with all the miracles. She could only hope that in a place filled with so many wonders, it would have still been possible to appreciate something as remarkable and ordinary as all this.”

Have you read this book? Have you ever had a pen pal, text mate, chat mate, or email buddy? Sound off in the Comments!



As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
3:00 AM
I have a confession to make. I don't like sci-fi. I don't hate it but I don't like it either. Out of all the book and film genres, science fiction is my least favorite. That is slowly changing though.


I surprised myself by signing up for Sci-Fi November. I remember thinking, this should be fun! After all, I've read a few sci-fi books here and there that I really liked, so I thought, why not? I'm glad I did that because now, I've read more sci-fi books and watched more sci-fi movies. Which was fun, but also mind-boggling.


One of the sci-fi books I've read recently is Reader by Erec Stebbins, which is the first book in the Daughter of Time trilogy. I was actually asked to review the second book, Writer, which came out last April 26. But of course, I had to read book 1 first so I did exactly that.

Ambra Dawn is unlike any seventeen year-old girl. She is special, not because she's beautiful or smart or talented but because of cosmic reasons. She is a 'reader', someone who can see what others cannot. You can think of it as 'third eye' or 'sixth sense' but it's not really like that because she can see through time and space. Her power is a blessing and a curse, for it is because of this gift that she was sold as a slave, deformed as a lab rat, and transported to other worlds serve alien creatures. Her power is the reason she lost everything... but it's also the one thing that can save her and the universe from the super villainous Dram. Ambra Dawn is a great narrator, a compelling one. I could feel her pain, her sorrow, through her words. Yes, she is powerful but she has lost everything and everyone that is important to her. So I couldn't help but feel for her and be  awed at her strength, grace, and resilience. She's probably the most resilient character I've ever come across. While Reader is highly character-driven, its world-building (or universe building?) is just as well done. This book is very imaginative and unique in this sense. It really made me think about the possibility of other worlds. Truth is, this book is so well-written that a lot of times, the line between Ambra's world and mine blurred and I kept thinking, is this still fiction? Reader is a really engrossing read, with parts that just kept me excited and twists and turns that were mind-blowing. My only criticism is that there were parts that felt overwhelming for me because of the info-dump. But other than that, I can truly say that Reader is one of the best sci-fi novels I've read. I can't wait to read Writer, and more of Erec Stebbins' works.


thumbs up



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Erec Stebbins

I am a biomedical researcher who writes political and international thrillers, science fiction, narrated storybooks, and more. Erec's Website Find him on Goodreads





As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
3:00 AM
This Week on The Bookshelf Intruder

This Week on the Bookshelf Intruder rounds up everything that happened on the blog, share-worthy links from around the web, my current reading list, and some offline happenings.



Whoa. It's been a while! I can't remember the last time I did a weekly recap. But it's back and I'll try to do it regularly now. *fingers crossed*

It's been an average week -- busy but not crazy busy. Here's what happened on the blog:

Reading Progress:

  • I finished reading Reader (Daughter of Time #1) by Erec Stebbins last week.

  • Badly wanted to finish Flawless by Sarah Lemmon but it just wasn't exciting enough for me. I was a little bit bored with it and I thought, there are so many books I want to read and I have little time to do so. So I dropped Flawless. Maybe I'll come back to it someday.

  • Just finished reading My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories and I love it!






Sci-Fi November:
As most of you know, I'm joining this year's Sci-Fi November. Here are some of the posts that you should check out:

Outside the blogiverse

  • Harry Potter is RAD-cliffe! Daniel Radcliffe's rapping and Reddit AMA is so awesome on so many levels. Also watched his latest movie, Horns, and well, it really wasn't what I expected.

  • Goodreads' search for the best book of the year has started! Cast your votes now!

  • Love reading but don't have time? There's no excuse.

  • There might not be another Mortal Instruments movie... but there will be a TV series!

  • I love the Minions! And I'm so happy that they're having their own movie. Check out the super cute and funny trailer here.

  • I discovered Canva (an online design tool) a few weeks ago and I've been playing with it since. I can stay there all day and forget the world. This week, I made these:


Vera Nazarian quote

Geography of You and Me quote

I have more of those on my Instagram account. :)

So that's my week? How was YOUR week?
7:10 AM
Sci-Fi November

Sci-Fi November is here!!!

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock or something, Sci-Fi November is a month-long celebration of everything sci-fi. So that's books, movies, games, etc. Anything sci-fi! Rinn of Rinn Reads and the lovely girls at Oh, the Books! are hosting this year and a bunch of bloggers are joining. So expect lots of sci-fi awesomeness in the following weeks. :)



Andrea of The Little Red Reviewer was nice enough to help set up interviews with sci-fi authors. I was lucky to be introduced to Lavie Tidhar, World Fantasy Award winning author of Osama, and of The Violent Century and A Man Lies Dreaming. He works across genres, combining detective and thriller modes with poetry, science fiction and historical and autobiographical material. His answers to my questions (which are much more intellectual than my Slam Book questions. Shame.) are really insightful and interesting. So, without further ado, meet Lavie Tidhar!

Lavie Tidhar

1. What do you like most about science fiction? What do you think makes it special?
I think when it is done right, it can be a very liberating experience, that it allows you to ask really big questions, but still do it in a, hopefully, entertaining way. And I have a weakness for the big space opera type – the vast galactic epics. I’d love to write one, one day.

2. Your works combines various genres such as science fiction, mystery, and historical fiction. Do you have a favorite genre? Do you prefer one over the other?
I suppose most of what I do is cross-genre, so I like to mix things up, but I’ve written numerous “straight” science fiction stories, for instance, all set in the same future history. But I’m drawn to a mix of historical – or alt. historical – and crime/thriller modes, I suppose. I love noir and hardboiled for the attitude, and I like mystery for the way it allows you to go around asking lots of questions! And then, for the rest of it, I like weird stuff. I love pulp, especially for the covers! But I’d get bored in just one. I’d like to do a bit of everything, as long as it’s weird enough.

3. One of your works that have caught my attention is Selfies, most likely because of the title. I have only read the blurb but I thought that was really creepy! And the cover, wow... Just out of curiosity, where did you get the idea behind this short story? Any plans to expand it to a full-length novel?
I thought of it initially as an idea for a film, but I decided to take the core idea and write it as a story eventually. It took longer than I’m used to, since it was hard to get the structure just right, but I’m quite pleased with the way it turned out.

4. In books - not just in science fiction - the world building always amazes me. I really admire authors who can make their fictional world both unique and amazing and realistic at the same time. I can't imagine how hard that must be. Do you follow a pre-determined process when building your books' worlds? How do you start and where do you usually get your ideas?
I don’t world-build at all – I know some people keep whole wikis of notes and that sort of thing! I just start with an idea or an image or even, sometimes, an ending, and I work it out as I go along. I actually don’t like making stuff up all that much. There’s so much real weirdness everywhere that it’s easy to write stuff that sounds crazy but isn’t.

5. What are your favorite science fiction novels?
Too many to list, really. The Man in the High Castle is one that was a very direct influence though, to mention one.

6. Any science fiction authors who have influenced you in any way?
A lot, when I was growing up – Zelanzy and Delany, C.L. Moore, Cordwainer Smith. I have a soft spot for Clifford Simak. Old school stuff...

7. I read somewhere that you've traveled extensively since you were a teenager. Did this affect the way you write?
It certainly did, though paradoxically it also brought me slowly to the realisation I want to write more personal stuff, more stuff rooted in my own personal reality. You can live in places for years but can you really know them? But it certainly informs my writing, and I like writing about places where I’ve lived for some time.

8. Where do you think is science fiction heading? Any predictions?
I find it hard to write science fiction these days – my last pure SF story was written almost a year ago. I’m wondering where it’s going. We get to a point where the future stops being the present-just-extended and it becomes... weird. We’re so much in dialogue with all the science fiction that had gone before that I do wonder how we can start imagining wholly new futures. I don’t know if we can. It’s worth trying though!

9. What can readers expect from your newly published book, A Man Lies Dreaming?
Imagine if the Nazis never rose to power in Germany in 1933, but the Communists did... and that a former dictator named Wolf is now a grimy private eye working in London in 1939. Who is then hired by a Jewish femme fatale to find her missing sister. Leading to a whole heap of trouble. And the whole thing takes place in the mind of a Yiddish pulp writer in Auschwitz. Honestly, it’s funnier than it sounds! It’s a mix of noir and alternate history and a bunch of other stuff. It’s out in the UK in hardback right now. I figured if one person could get away with writing this book, it might be me...

10. This one's just for fun... If you can be anyone and anywhere right now, who and where would you want to be? (just couldn't resist asking this one)
I’d still be me, only ideally somewhere on a beach instead of in rainy London. (Rainy London is still London. I'll take it.)

Isn't this guy just awesome? I am so excited to read Osama and Selfies!

If you want to know more about Lavie Tidhar, check out his site. Or tweet him! For a list of his books (and there are A LOT), go here.

Thank you for sticking around! Let me know if you've read any of Lavie's works, or if you intend to do so. :)
3:00 AM
November is here and it's an exciting month for me! While my book buying/downloading ban is still happening (hahahaha! Who am I kidding?), I have my eyes out for this month's new releases. Check out my list and tell me if you're also excited about these ones:

November 2014 new releases



 

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
Expected publication: November 4, 2014
THAT COVER. Isn't it lovely and so intriguing?
I love Every Day and Cloud Atlas is something that I've been meaning to read for so long, so this one piqued my interest. Plus, my good friend Laila recommended this to me. Claudia Gray had her book signing in the Philippines last month and I've heard great things about her.

The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson Bane Chronicles
Expected publication: November 11, 2014
This book is centered on the enigmatic, mysterious warlock Magnus Bane. I am a fan of the Mortal Instruments series and I absolutely freaked out over City of Heavenly Fire so a spin-off/companion book sounds great to me. I was also delighted to find out that Cassandra Clare teamed up with Maureen Johnson for this. I haven't read any of her previous solo works but her story in Let It Snow is my favorite. So I'm expecting good things from her.

The Book of IvyThe Book of Ivy by Amy Engel
Expected publication: November 11, 2014
I must admit, I'm too big on dystopia. Most of the time, it weirds me out but I do have favorite books that are dystopians. The Book of Ivy's cover got me. There's something unsettling about it... And once you read the synopsis, it gets even more unsettling, but in a good way. Ivy sounds like a great heroine, and I have a feeling that I will fall for Bishop.

How We Fall by Kate Brauning How We Fall
Expected publication: November 3, 2014
I've seen mixed reviews of this months ago and I have to see it for myself. I am a little bit unsure how I will handle the incestuous relationship between cousins Jackie and Marcus but the mystery element is what I'm curious about.

StrangerStranger by Rachel Manija Brown and Sherwood Smith
Expected publication: November 11, 2014
This one is the first book in a 4-part series. In the distant future, Los Angeles is called Las Anclas and some people have unique powers. It sounds really interesting and the cover is equally fantastic.

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin The Walled City
Expected publication: November 4, 2014
I know I sound shallow for picking out books based on covers but man, this really rocks. This book sounds like one that's filled with running and maybe killing and so much suspense. I WANT.

Girl OnlineGirl Online by Zoe Zugg
Expected publication: November 25, 2014
This may sound funny but I actually don't know Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella. Don't laugh at me. For people like me who don't know her either, Zoella is a famous YouTuber and a beauty and fashion guru. And now she's a novelist, too.  I like fluffy chick lits and Girl Online sounds like something fun and if Penny, the main character, is English then I'm betting that I will love her.

In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak In Real Life
Expected publication: November 11, 2014
Math and gaming are two things that I'm not too keen about. But I did love Ready Player One and recently watched Gamer, so I think I will enjoy this. When I need a break from all the dystopia and romance and fluff, I will pick this up.

There you have it, 8 new releases that I'm excited about this month. Now, your turn. Are you interested in any of these 8 books? Which newly released/upcoming books outside of this list are you looking forward to? Tell me in the Comments!
9:30 AM
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