Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews that is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual, including books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Before Typhoon Glenda took away our electricity and our water supply along with it, I was able to add more ebooks to my already huge pile of to-reads.
8:48 AM
Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added, that we can’t wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves!

This week, I chose Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="314"] Source: Goodreads[/caption]
Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they?

When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie–a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance–mysteriously appears, she has one last request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, and Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara, on the other hand, has a number of ongoing distractions. Her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, her start-up company is floundering, and she’s just been dumped by the “perfect” man.

Sadie, however, couldn't care less.

Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from each other along the way. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

4:31 AM
Cinderella Screwed Me Over. The title itself tells you what the central theme of this book is. If you are the type who loves fairy tales and is eternally looking for Prince Charming, you may want to think twice about reading this book.

I love Darby Quinn. She's smart, funny, tough, and has a pretty unique name. And she's kind even though she has every reason to hate the world. When I read her stance on relationships, I kind of saw it as something too cynical, negative and just impossible. But then she lays out her "case studies" (comparisons of her exes to popular Disney princes and even generic rom-com leading men) and who wouldn't be as jaded as she is when you go through all that? I would have fled to a convent and spend the rest of my life there. There were parts that I was frustrated with her and her ideals but she's just so relatable that I just couldn't hate her.

Jake, on the other hand, is this mega swoon-worthy guy who's not only handsome but also kind, knows how to cook, funny and very, very patient. Like Darby, I was waiting for Jake to make a mistake and I kept getting surprised by how patient the man is. Before the book ends though, Jake unveils his past and well, that's another surprising part of the book.

Reading this book gave me a whirlwind of emotions. It made me laugh and made me cry on the last few chapters (even on the happy parts). I was an emotional mess by the end of the book.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Basically...[/caption]

Cinderella Screwed Me Over is a gem. It's sweet and light. A quick read.It's funny, highly entertaining and has just the perfect amount of romance -- not too cheesy but not bland either.

Despite being a quick read, this book contains valuable life and love lessons especially for women, which is why I'm giving it 5 stars. I think every girl/woman can relate to this. All our lives, we are subjected to gender stereotypes: we get pink cribs and pink rooms and our storybooks are mostly fairy tales. There are all these standards on how we should act or dress or what our job should be. But really, we're more than just princesses waiting for our own Prince Charming.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="478"] Girl power![/caption]

Some other lessons/quotable quotes from this book:
“We're not puzzle pieces, Steph. There's 'no you complete me' guy out there, and the beauty of this day and age is I don't need one.”

"I once heard this statement that women marry men hoping to change them while men marry women hoping they'll never change."

"There are a few guys who aren't complete jerks. But it doesn't even matter. Because Fate can be a bitch."

"You can't fix people. They have to learn to fix themselves."

"The hardest lesson: Sometimes love's just not enough."

"I'm so crazy about you that if you asked me to give up watching sports for the rest of my life, I would. Except maybe the world Series, 'cause that's more religion than sport."

"The truth is, fairy-tale beginnings are easy. It's what comes after that's hard. Life doesn't have a clean-cut ending."

I haven't read Cindi Madsen's other books but I loved this book so much (it's one of my favorites now) that I might just pick another one written by her soon. And I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a light and entertaining but realistic read. :)

Have you read Cinderella Screwed Me Over? What can you say about it?



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.
4:00 AM
Hey, guys! How was your weekend? Mine was pretty great. :) I started watching Suits (better late than never!) and unsuccessfully attempted to finish City of Heavenly Fire. I also kinda worked and got lots of sleep. So yeah, I had a good weekend.

Anyway, I chanced upon this photo as I was scouring the net for a possible Monday Inspiration post.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="550"] Our friend Neil Gaiman was onto something. [Source][/caption]
It is an impossible task, isn't it? With all the books we bookworms/book bloggers/reviewers devour every day, how can we possibly pick just five? And that's when it hit me. Becoming a book blogger is just... totes amaze. :)
4:00 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.



Last week was spent re-reading and reviewing Stephanie Perkins' books, tweeting about her, and basically daydreaming about the day that I'll finally meet her. All that, just to get sick on the exact same day of the book signing. But you know that already, if you've read my Monday Inspiration post.

What else happened this week? Well, besides my Stephanie Perkins (non)experience, I also read and reviewed Children of Na. It's A. L. Burgess Jr.'s first novel that's a combination of sci-fi and historical fiction and it was an amazing read.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="267"] Want a break from YA, romance or dystopian novels? I recommend this.[/caption]

And then there's Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn which I featured on my first ever Wishlist Wednesday. I'm getting pressured now. I have to read it before October because that's when the movie version (starring Ben Affleck) is coming out. So, yes, I will squeeze it in my long list of to-reads.


It's been a week of firsts, as I also posted my first Stacking the Shelves entry. I've always loved hoarding books but sharing my haul to the world -- to you! -- is even more fun. :) I'm sure I'll look back at these posts a year or two from now and I'll marvel at how fun this all has been. And yes, this is my first weekly recap, too! :)

In other news, book tweeps have been celebrating because of Marie Lu and Colleen Hoover's recent announcements: they're coming to the Philippines!





I haven't read Marie Lu's books but they're on my list. Colleen Hoover though -- I have to see her. I absolutely, definitely, completely love Slammed. (But that picture above, is that really Manila? I've never seen it looking like that before.)

And oh, there's a new teaser video for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay!!! :D



So there. Next week, I'll be posting my review of Cinderella Screwed Me Over, which was fantastic and beautiful. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads and landed on my Favorites shelf so you should watch out for the complete review. :)

I'll be spending the weekend at home, probably reading, cooking, and binge-watching (again). Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a great weekend! :)
9:00 AM
Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual, including books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Hoarding ebooks is my guilty pleasure. I buy physical books when I have the cash to spare, but ebooks are definitely easier to get.

And so this week, the hoarding continues. The haul includes mostly chick-lit and YA stuff:
4:00 AM
Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop hosted by Pen to Paper where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added, that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves!

For my first ever Wishlist Wednesday, I chose Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="315"] Source: Goodreads[/caption]

4:00 AM
In case you were wondering, Na is a universe from far, far away and a long, long time ago. Silas is an i-Na, which means "created for the Na".

Now, that's out of the way. Let me tell you what I think about this book.

When I started reading this book, I had low expectations. The previous self-published book that I reviewed wasn't good and I didn't enjoy it so I psyched myself to not expect too much from this one. And so I was surprised when I got to the first few chapters. Man, it's good. Really good.

Children of Na is a combination of fantasy, science and historical fiction, spanning the Civil War era in Georgia and World War II times in Russia and Germany. It was like watching 12 Years a Slave and Enemy at the Gates at the same time. Which is great. I love World War II films. Civil War-themed movies, not so much because it upsets me. But having two of these themes in the book makes it exciting, gripping (really gripping, I tell you), awe-inducing, and well, depressing.

When you combine two very different genres into one book or one movie, it seldom succeeds. Most of the time, it doesn't blend well. The amazing thing is, this is one of the few times that it does. I didn't have a problem with the alternating voices of Silas and Yakob or the fact that a Negro slave can invent a space and time traveling machine. Burgess just makes it believable. He makes it fun to read, to discover how these two characters were going meet and save each other.

There were parts of the book that I skimmed a little -- the parts where Silas was making the machine which he used to teleport through time/space. I couldn't picture it in my mind because it's so bizarre and freaking high technology. But that's just me. Anyone who enjoys science fiction or is a chemistry/physics/biology nerd will highly enjoy this book.

But Children of Na not only excites or amazes. It can also be heartwarming. I love Yakob's friendship with the German doctor, Wernher von Braun. It's unlikely for a Russian and a German to struck a friendship during World War II but being both men of science, they found common ground. Von Braun was sympathetic and condones slave labor and the whole idea of Aryans being the supreme race. And having read a few history books and watching Valkyrie, I know that men like Von Braun existed. (Found out from my boyfriend that Von Braun actually existed in real life and he's credited as the Father of Rocket Science. So, Burgess actually included a few true-to-life details here and there.)

Of course, Children of Na is also a sad story. A Negro slave's life can never be fun, right? But Silas's life, it's even more depressing. I won't tell you how his story ends though. You have to read it and I think you'll enjoy it.

For a debut novel, Children of Na was really a surprise. A. L. Burgess did a great job. I hope he continues to write great, unconventional stories like this.

Check this out to see how you can get your own copy of Children of Na.



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.
4:00 AM
I am so bummed out right now.

Practically everyone who's into YA knows that Stephanie Perkins (it even hurts to say her name) came to visit the Philippines for a one week media blitz and book signing. She stopped by Cebu last Saturday and Manila last Sunday (yesterday).

And since last week, I have been posting and tweeting about her and I was super excited to see her and get my books signed. So imagine my *sorrow* when I got sick on the exact, same day of the signing. What kind of fate is this?!

I got colds and was a little feverish. I was sneezing all morning and I figured, man, I don't want to sneeze on Stephanie. So even though my mind and heart wanted to go, my body decided to stay home. I resorted to reading #StephaniePerkinsinPH tweets, which I thought would make me feel better. But no, I felt worst after seeing all those book nerds and Perkins fans fulfilling their dream. I felt sooo bad. I knew that being there meant going home really tired (because the crowd was so big, you really had to wait a long time for your turn) but still, no matter how you look at it, it will always be a great experience for those who were there.
5:17 AM


From time to time, I share articles from around the web -- articles about books, reading, and writing -- that I found insightful, useful, and inspiring. I hope you benefit from it, too. :)

The other day, I was browsing through my Twitter feed and I saw a tweet that says something along the lines of "why you should write anywhere & everywhere", something like that. I clicked on the link and I found this article.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="516"]Write anywhere and everywhere 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Carolyn Marsden[/caption]

7:34 AM
This is a bit late, I know. Scratch that, these books were published and released in 2010/2011 so this is really late. But I re-read and am reviewing Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door because 1) there are people out there who haven't read them yet (I hope I can convince said people); 2) Isla and the Happily Ever After, the 3rd book, is coming out this August; and 3) Stephanie Perkins (a.k.a. my imaginary bestfriend) is coming to the Philippines this July!!!

[caption id="attachment_380" align="aligncenter" width="553"]Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door, Published by Dutton Anna and the French Kiss & Lola and the Boy Next Door, Published by Dutton[/caption]

I will do my very best not to spoil the ones who haven't read the books yet. But please forgive me if I gush too much; I just really, really love these books.
5:14 AM
You've probably heard but still. Yep. #StephaniePerkinsinPH is happening this weekend!!!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="724"] Photo from National Book Store Facebook Page[/caption]

Stephanie Perkins is the author is not one, but two, of my favorite YA books: Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door. :)

Here are some of the details I got from the NBS page...
7:56 AM
Good morning, book nerds! It's kinda gloomy, but nevertheless it's a lovely morning.

This week's inspiration comes in the form of this poster.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photo by Bryan Todd / CC BY-NC-ND 3.0[/caption]

What is it with coffee and books that make it seem like they go together? I don't know why but sipping coffee, or tea if you're not into coffee, while reading a good book is like an art in itself. Maybe the coffee's supposed to keep you alert while the book relaxes you... and then you strike that happy balance. But I'm just guessing here. ;)

How about you? Do you like caffeine with your books? Chime in on the Comments section. And have a great week ahead! :)
6:41 PM
Hello, hello!

Quick FYI to the very few people who tried to subscribe to this blog using the floating FOLLOW button that used to be on the bottom part of the page... Well, that button wasn't working properly. So I had to remove it. You can now subscribe and have my new posts delivered straight to your inbox by punching in your email address on the FORM on my sidebar. Yep, right side.

So there you go. Hope that helps.

Ciao! :)
6:13 PM
My first "spotlight" post should be special, memorable, and close to my heart. That was what I was saying to myself when I planned what to write. And in the past four months since reading Anna and the French Kiss, there's been no character as special as Étienne St. Clair is to me. I've had some great reads and I've known some good fictional men and women, but Stephanie Perkins' golden boy is the most memorable for me. And so it is only right that he is the first one on my spotlight.

If you haven't read Anna and the French Kiss yet, then I urge you to stop reading this right now. I can't help but mention some spoilers. Just go buy and read the book first -- you won't regret doing so. This is one of the few books that I don't mind reading again and again and again. :)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="273"] Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins[/caption]

9:20 PM
Ahhh... Another week of reading amazing books and watching equally amazing TV shows. I binge-watched Game of Thrones and I think I'm still hung over from the intensity of the Mountain and the Red Viper's fight scene, the battle at the Wall, and Tyrion and Tywin's rather heart-wrenching conversation. Here I am, taking a break from all that by talking about something far from intense.

I also read The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith last week.

First things first. That elevator plot is cute. I've seen too much of Grey's Anatomy to know that elevator rides are not just elevator rides, so yeah, it piqued my interest. Being stuck is scary. I would have panicked or hyperventilated. But if I'm going to meet my soul mate in there, I guess that's fine.

I initially thought that this was just your usual YA romance novel, and that was okay with me... but then I found that there's the travel thing so I went from being interested to hell yeah!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="503"] Hell yeah! [Source: Tumblr][/caption]You see, I love traveling (who doesn't?). Sadly, Lucy and Owen didn't travel together. That's the problem -- it was a long-distance relationship. Sucks.

After reading several YA novels with whiny, entitled, childish characters, I was happy to get to know Lucy and Owen who are both smart,responsible, and kind of old-school with their choice of communication tool. Lucy's rich but she's not braggy; she's actually simple and keeps to herself -- an introvert like me. And Lucy and I share the same favorite city (Paris, although I haven't been there) and same favorite spot in Paris (Point Zero in Notre Dame). Owen's poor and broken (because of his mother's death) but he's resourceful, smart, and a very good son.

But more than young love and travels, this book's most interesting subject is the viability of long-distance relationships.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] If only this happens every time... [Source: thetortoiseknows][/caption]I'm not a fan of long distance relationships. Although I know that some LDRs do survive, I believe that most have the opposite fate. The communication hurdles, trust issues, physical absence -- it makes things a lot harder. But that's just me. I also believe that when it's meant to be, it's meant to be.

Lucy and Owen were not just facing regular couple troubles. They were apart, separated my thousands of miles. They don't email or IM each other the way normal people do. And they're not even officially a couple! Sure, they had this special bond once on a starry, quiet night but after a few postcards, who's to say that they can actually make it?

And so besides making me love the lost art of postcard writing, this book made me think about the chances of a long distance relationship at survival. So kudos to Jennifer Smith for writing a gem, something that's not just meant to entertain but also to touch hearts and minds.

 

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="442"] Wish you were here! - Lucy and Owen [Source: Simplon][/caption]Do you think LDRs work? Let me know 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.
11:51 PM
Hi, you guys! How are things going? I'm sorry for being MIA these past few weeks. I've been busy with work and stuff, and I was, well, a little bit uninspired. But now I'm back, and I've got something good for you.

So I read Flirting with Maybe by Wendy Higgins. I haven't read any of her books before but apparently her Sweet Trilogy is pretty famous. Flirting with Maybe's premise is simple:

He was fifteen and she was seventeen...

Ryan is  a sophomore and part of the Varsity baseball team. Brooke is a senior and she's the team manager. The two-year age gap doesn't really matters, right? Wrong. For us who are done with school, it doesn't. But when you're in high school, it does.

Ryan is cute but he's quiet and shy -- reasons why I like him. Hahaha!

From the start, it's obvious that Ryan likes Brooke and when they became friends, he also goes to know her more, and learn that Brooke's life is not so perfect. Through it all, Ryan fell in love with Brooke. Unfortunately, he's benched on the FRIENDZONE.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="485"] Poor Ryan... [Source: We Heart It][/caption]But Brooke had to go to college, and Ryan had to move on. He had a girlfriend... But then he sees Brooke again.

I won't spoil the ending for you. You'll have to read it yourself. :) And really, you can read this in one seating because it's a novella. It's really short. I was hungry for more, and I guess, most of its readers were. That's why Wendy Higgins came up with its epilogue which you can read here.

Flirting with Maybe is a good reminder that time can be both a curse and a blessing. So is age. When we were children, we thought that candies and toys and playtime are all that matter. When we were in school, we thought school was the whole world. But when we're full-grown adults, we look back and laugh at the memory of how absurd our issues were.

Despite being short, the book has touched other important social issues like body image (thigh gap and love handles!), and alcohol addiction. There was limited space, yes, but I like that the author was still able to insert thought-provoking messages on the book.

So yeah, I definitely recommend this book to you, especially if you like a quick but satisfying read. Happy reading!



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.
1:04 AM
Aaand I'm back! I told you last time that I have tons of books to read and review. One of those is "Besides Naturalization", a children's sci-fi book. I received a free electronic copy of it from its author, Isabel Chloe.

The book was pretty short (only 36 pages in PDF format), a novella,  and I thought, great, this will be a quick and nice read. Uh, no.

First off, it wasn't quick even though it's short. It would have taken me just one sitting to finish reading it, but every time I try to do so, I end up pausing and confused. It's the 23rd century and Lily and her family are supposedly living in a new planet. This is a pretty common plot for books, but what made this confusing was the lack of background, or explanation on why they're there. Why are they in a new planet? What happened? Why is Lily's grandmother sooo mean to her? Why is Lily like that? Most of the time, a character smiles or frowns or turns pale out of nowhere and the reason was not explained at all. It's so puzzling.

The ironic thing is, this book was made for middle-grade school children and so it's supposed to be an easy and enjoyable read. But I found it hard to read at times, and sadly, I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. How will kids enjoy it when they can't understand it?

Every time I open a new book, I wish for it to be good, to be relatable or at the very least understandable. I always believe that a book should be a reflection of a reader's life, or a window to an appealing alternate world. This book sorts of gives that because it's set on Hynocripta, a new planet.The characters live different, advanced lives. Sometimes, the technology is fascinating, like when any character just pulls up a screen panel with his/her palms, and voila, they can order food. But a few times, it's creepy but maybe that's just me and my fear of robots taking over humans.

The sad thing is, this book could have been better if the author didn't cram everything in 36 pages. Maybe because of the limited number of pages, she was not able to do enough character development.

But hey, Isabel's another book, Basil, sounds interesting so maybe I'll still read her work.

That's it for now. Let me know if you've read this book. :)



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.
7:32 PM
I'm sorry for being MIA! I've been (and still am) swamped with work for the past few weeks, and I received tons of book review requests recently. I'm tackling those along with my usual stuff from work... so I might be gone for a few more days. In the meantime, let me share this quote with you.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Source: All Fantasy Worlds[/caption]

Whatever it is you're reading now, I hope you're enjoying it. 'Til next time! :)
9:08 PM
How's your summer going so far? I hope you're still keeping your cool, pun intended. I am staying sane, thank you. And I do that by having fun (translation: eating, sleeping, exploring my new toy, and of course, reading). The first book I picked from my 2014 summer reading list was Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen. This is the story of Auden, this nerdy girl who doesn’t know how to have fun and be young. But when she spends the summer in her father’s house near the beach, she’s introduced to a world of girls, friendship, and bikers. She meets Eli, a mysterious biker, who takes her on a quest to experience the teenage life she's never had.

Hollywood and most American romance and YA novels portray summer as the time to find a nice guy/girl to strike a summer fling with, meet new friends, and spend nights of partying at the beach. I don't know if this is reality, but it's certainly not the case for me. My summers were mostly hot and boring. Despite this, I liked Along for the Ride because it actually tells a good story. It was well written, very vividly written. It has a great storyline that touches not just your typical summer romance and abs-clad guys, but also brings in the family and friendship element. Truth is, romance took a back seat on this one. What's front and center was this question: do/can people really change? Auden went on to find out if her parents, her brother, and herself have changed and how. I think it's safe to say that yes, they all did, and if you haven't read this book yet, it's ok. You can still find out for yourself how Auden transforms.

Now, I've said that Along for the Ride is more than just a romance novel, but that doesn't mean Eli's role was not important. It is, but it's not overwhelming. You still get the necessary dose of kilig from Eli and Auden but without the cheesiness. Once in a while, it's nice to read a YA novel that's mature and sensible, if you know what I mean.

Another surprising thing about this book is that it subtly shows that women can be anything they want. They can be kikay and girly and still be brainy at the same time. They can be money-savvy and nerdy but still fun-loving. Stereotypes be damned.

The only thing I don't like about this book is Auden's father. Sure, it was important to show that he's immature in order for Auden to come out as the more responsible one but man... he really sucked at being a father. Sarah Dessen wrote convincingly.

Let me just add that I don't agree that Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han's writing style are the same. A lot of readers are saying that and it's not surprising because Jenny Han also wrote summer-themed books. But I hated the Summer trilogy (The Summer I Turned Pretty). Unlike Auden who's quiet and smart and adult-like, Belly is petulant, immature, and very whiny. Most of the time, I found Han's writing style confusing and not relatable. I only kept reading  find out who Belly will end up with. BUT I always say this and I will say it again: to each his own.

And with that, I hope you also liked Along for the Ride and if you don't, do tell me why. Share your thoughts in the Comments section. :)



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.
9:12 PM
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