UPDATES! UPDATES! UPDATES!

No words can explain how glad I am to finally have another post after almost two months of being absent online. There were lots of work, lots of travel and amazing experiences that I can't wait to share. Ow, I also missed my Rainbow Rowell October month plan but I think it can wait. Christmas is Coming (that sounded a bit of Game of Throne-ish) and I'm excited. That means vacation with the family and lot of time to blog, reflect and read. But before that, let me just blabber some random things about books and what I did for the past couple of weeks.

DNF: Damascena - The Tale of Roses and Rumi by Holly Lynn Payne

DAMASCENA - The Tale of Roses and Rumi by Holly Lynn Payne

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

OVERVIEW:

Holly Payne’s spellbinding tale brings the unparalleled poet, Mevlana Rumi, to life, and transports readers to the enchanting world of 13th century Persia. Simply but elegantly told, the story unravels the mystery surrounding a legendary orphaned girl, who discovers her gift of turning roses into oil. Named after the flowering rosa damascena, the girl reluctantly assumes the role of a living saint for the miracles she performs—longing for the only one that matters: finding her mother. Deeply wounded by the separation since birth, Damascena undergoes a riveting transformation when she meets Rumi and finally discovers the secret of the rose. 

Imbued with rich historical research and inspired by the devastating disappearance of Rumi’s most lauded spiritual companion, Shams of Tabriz, Holly Payne has courageously opened herself to receive Rumi’s teachings and offer a timeless love story. Inspiring and magical, the story of Damascena transmits the wisdom of the heart, inviting us to transform our pain into love. ~From Goodreads~

Book Review: The Temple is Not My Father by Rasana Atreya

The Temple is Not My Father by Rasana Atreya
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 40
Genre: Literary Fiction, Cultural
Source: Book Review Request
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.08


SYNOPSIS:

Ensnared by a tradition hundreds of years old, a woman fights for her daughter’s happiness.

From the author of 'Tell A Thousand Lies,' which was shortlisted for the 2012 Tibor Jones South Asia award. UK's Glam magazine calls 'Tell A Thousand Lies' on of their 'five favourite tales from India.'

If you like Rohinton Mistry or Shilpi Somaya Gowda,you might like this short story of 40 pages.
~~From Goodreads~~

Book Review: Grieftime by Heather Bulpett

Grieftime by Heather Bulpett
Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Publisher: Book Guild Publishing
Pages: 292
Source: Book Review Request
Genre: dystopian, mystery 
Average Goodreads Rating: 3 stars

THE BLURB:

In a world where life, love and even reproduction are regulated by the state, Lyn reluctantly accepts that she must marry again just weeks after her first husband's death. Supported by her friend Judith, she acquiesces to her every movement being monitored 'in her own best interests’.

Into Lyn's life comes Mikey, a younger man who was once a pupil of hers. Lyn tries to follow the rules and fit into the wifely role that has been allotted to her, learning how to cope with the exuberant, straight-talking Mikey and his large, boisterous family - something she never had as an orphan brought up in a 'dump' home. But a new relationship is not the only surprise Lyn has to face: she feels as if she is being stalked, and isn’t even sure if she can trust her best friend anymore.

As Lyn's world unravels, she is comforted by her new husband and supported by her mysterious 'counsellor' Dylan. But who really has her best interests at heart, and can the heavy surveillance she is under ever be justified? Grieftime is an innovative novel that embraces a world shaped by technology; a world without free will that surely none of us would want to live in.
~~From Goodreads~~

GOT#3: The #TenBookChallenge

Before turning this post to a total chaos with the books I'm about to list, I would like to thank pretty Lola of Hit or Miss Books for tagging me to another exciting tag and apologize as well for posting super late. (sigh) It's been a chaotic week at work. Thank God I survived. So well, here's my share on this tag.

The rules of #TenBookChallenge tag is simple. 

List 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Do not take more than a few minutes and do not think too hard. They do not have to be the “right” books or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way. Paste these instructions and tag 10 friends, including me, so I can see your list.“

Book Review: Instant Karma by Donna Marie Oldfield

Instant Karma by Donna Marie Oldfield
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Source: Book Review Request
Genre: ChickLit
Published: July 19, 2014
Format: Ebook
 

THE BLURB

Do you believe in karma? Materialistic, selfish estate agent Siena Robinson doesn’t – until she hits a disastrous run of bad luck that makes her wonder if she has brought it upon herself.

In Instant Karma, Siena moves to the quiet village of Fenville, where the locals are opposing a development that will see a beloved hall and library replaced by new flats and shops. What her neighbours don’t know is that she is one of the developers and stands to make millions from the deal.

But then Siena discovers that her high-school sweetheart, Aiden, is leading the protest and she finds herself acting as a double agent who is torn between her neighbours’ plight and making lots of money.

Will Siena betray her new friends and let greed ruin a second chance with Aiden? And will she ever find out who or what is behind her run of bad karma?
~~from Goodreads~~

Book Review: Season 7 by D.F. Nightshade

Season 7 by D.F. Nightshade
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Source: Book Review Request
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
Published: August 4, 2014
Format: Ebook
Goodreads Average Rating: 4 stars

THE BLURB  

Richard has been a security system salesman for about a year now. He’s good at what he does and loves his job, but doesn’t feel valued at the workplace. He’s passed up for promotions he feels he should get and is constantly second-guessed. His anger starts to affect his job performance. Stressed out Richard goes to a bar to try to calm his nerves. On his way home from the bar he is waved down by Nautilus who is nothing but trouble.

Nautilus is a seemingly normal guy who just so happens to be an alien. Nautilus believes that Richard is the “special one.” The one destined to rule his planet, but everything’s not as it seems and Richard has to find that out the hard way.
~~From Goodreads~~  

Book Review: The Guardian Angels by Rohit Gore

Photo from Rohitgore.com

              

The Guardian Angels by Rohit Gore
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Received: Free Copy from Author in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher: Grapevine India
Genre: Drama
Goodreads Average Rating: 4.00 stars


SYNOPSIS
The Guardian Angels is the epic and tumultuous story of two star-crossed lovers who weren’t just soul-mates but were also each other’s protectors.

The fates of Adi Mehta and Radha Deodhar are deeply entwined when within days of their first rendezvous they save each other’s lives.

Despite their vast sociopolitical differences, they are drawn to an uncertain future fraught with contrasting ambitions, personas and ideologies.

. . . he is the son of a billionaire, she is the daughter of a socialist.
. . . he is quiet and unassuming, she is a firebrand and spirited.

However, the unexplained phenomena ties them forever – whenever they are in peril, they are each other’s only saviors.

Over the following two decades Adi and Radha live through hope and despair, joy and sadness, and try to decipher their relationship. As the truth of their bond is revealed, they must confront the true nature of love, and ultimately, their destinies.
---From Goodreads---

GOT #2: The TBR Tag

Being tagged into another awesome and fun tag made me come up with making my Tagged Post officially called the Game of Tags. Well, it's quite obvious how I'm such a sucker for Martin's GoT. Anyway, Lola of Hit or Miss Books tagged me again to another bookish Game of Tags, The TBR Tag. It's a tag created by Dana of Dana Square and Rachel of A Perfection Called Books. All these questions are just about TBR list. This tag is about mine, of course. he-he

Movie Monday: Stardust

Late last month, I posted a review of Neil Gaiman's book Stardust. It was an assigned book read of the month by a bookish community Read Philippines. After reading the book, I immediately downloaded the movie from Isohunt, my torrent best friend.

PLOT:

The English village of Wall lies near a stone wall that is the border with the magical kingdom of Stormhold. A guard is constantly posted at a break in the wall to prevent anyone from crossing. At the beginning of the story, Dunstan Thorn crosses over the wall and into the Wall Market. There, he meets an enslaved princess named Una, who offers him a glass snowdrop in exchange for a kiss. Nine months later, the Wall Guard delivers a baby to Dunstan, saying his name is Tristan.

Book Review: There's No Mistaking Me

Title: There’s no Mistaking Me by Thyraellis Howard

Publication Date:  February 11 2014

Rating: 1 of 5

Source: Book Review Request

Format: PDF

Publisher: Createspace

Preview:

 

---For those who grew weary of the same story line that you have read throughout your childhood to the point where you’re an adult, this book is for you. The mix of lust and death comes as a surprise and is not easily predicted like in most books. The mental state of the characters is portrayed in their actions. Most of the characters are based on real people and most but not all events have taken place. The places and portrayed people are real but it’s all based on an over aware dream. ---

~~From Createspace~~

Famous Writers Who Commited Suicide

Early 2011, I posted an article at Triond about writers who committed suicide. That article was actually inspired by my addiction to Bob Ong's "Stainless Longganisa" where he listed some authors who killed themselves. Now, I am reposting it here. This list only contains 7 writers. I only limited myself to this number since I don't want my to flood this post with depressing news about these amazing writers. Up to now, I still can't believe that Wikipedia's list of it shows 200 writers. I just filtered the ones that I'm familiar with and with reference to my stored knowledge from my College Literature.

 

Brace yourself friends for some random death trivia!

The Seven Deadly Sins Tag

Last Friday, Lola of Hit or Miss Books tagged me into this tag. I've been intending to publish my post during the weekend, unfortunately, my offline work demanded too much time. Anyways, here I am and I'll answer all these seven deadly questions.

Game On!

Greed:

1. What is your most unexpensive book?

That would be John Green's Looking for Alaska. I got this book as a prize of the 2013 July Challenge from Read Philippines. (Waves to Laila who sponsored the Challenge)

Book Review: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stardust by Neil Gaiman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


SYNOPSIS:

Hopelessly crossed in love, a boy of half-fairy parentage leaves his mundane Victorian-English village on a quest for a fallen star in the magical realm. The star proves to be an attractive woman with a hot temper, who plunges with our hero into adventures featuring witches, the lion and the unicorn, plotting elf-lords, ships that sail the sky, magical transformations, curses whose effects rebound, binding conditions with hidden loopholes and all the rest.

~~~From Goodreads~~~

Wednesday Quotable Quote #1: Killer Love Lines

Wow... This is a last minute chase to my Wednesday post. Anyways, ever heard of Daniel Padilla's latest song? His song keeps on playing on radios and the song is so catchy. I'm not a die hard fan of him but his song entitled "Unlimited and Free" kind of inspired me to have a Killer-Love-Line themed short post today. So how about we play that song while browsing my doodles. Today's doodles are only few so it'll be short.

Book Review: Monster by Anke Napp

Monster by Anke Napp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published May 19th 2014 by Tredition Gmbh

SYNOPSIS:

In the middle of a heated election campaign for the Governor's seat of Georgia, the FBI is informed of a planned terrorist attack on Atlanta's new Conference Center. Only 24 hours remain to find and disarm the bombs, save the NATO summit and thousands of lives. In a sinister maneuver, the ex-terrorist Shadid is recruited out of prison and teamed up with the Conference Center's project manager Sarah - a woman whose husband has died in one of his former attacks. But crawling through the building's bowels, Shadid discovers more than a time fuse of perfidious ingenuity.
~~~From Amazon~~~

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.
~~From Goodreads~~ 

Children's Book Reviews: Say it Like a Snake and Where Are You Pickles

 Say it Like a Snake by Lucy Morse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Plot: This beautiful 32 page picture book tells the story of a girl named Sue who couldn't say her S's. With the help of Sam the snake she learns a rhyme that teaches her a great way to overcome her problem. 
 ~~from Goodreads~~



My Review:

I have a 6 year old nephew who is still having a hard time speaking fluently. It's like talking to a robot when I'm with him. It's cute but of course, his parents are still worried about his speaking problem specially with the letter "S".

When I read this children's book, I definitely told myself that this is an excellent exercise for him. I love how the authors have presented the S reading exercise in such a cute and fun read storybook that will absolutely encourage kids his age to read and learn reading "S" words.

Movie Monday: Reviewing God’s Not Dead

Aside from being such a booknerd, I'm also a self-confessed movie junkie so I thought, I'll finally make my movie reviews a blog feature. Well, I've posted movie reviews here already before but this time, I solemnly swear I'll never go hiatus again... To formally launch my Movie Monday, my review today is (drum roll please)... God's Not Dead.

Photo from DVD Release Dates

PLOT:

 

Josh Wheaton (Shane Harper), a Christian college student, enrolls in a philosophy class taught by Professor Jeffrey Radisson (Kevin Sorbo), an atheist, who demands that his students sign a declaration that "God is dead" to get a passing grade. Josh is the only student in the class who refuses to sign and is then required by Radisson to debate the topic with him, with the class members deciding who wins.

Radisson gives Josh 20 minutes at the end of the first three lecture sessions to argue that God exists. In the first two debates, Radisson has counter arguments for all of Josh's points. Josh's girlfriend Kara (Cassidy Gifford) breaks up with him, fearing that standing up to Radisson will jeopardize their academic future. Ultimately, it comes down to the third and final debate between Radisson and Josh, who again both make compelling points. Josh then halts his line of debate to pose a question to Radisson: "Why do you hate God?" After Josh repeats the question twice more, Radisson explodes in rage, confirming he hates God for his mother's death that left him alone despite his prayers. Josh then casually asks 

Radisson how he can hate someone that doesn't exist. In the end, Martin (Paul Kwo), a foreign exchange student whose father had encouraged him not to convert to Christianity, stands up and says "God's not dead." Almost the entire class follows Martin's lead, causing Radisson to leave the room in defeat.

Against the backdrop of the debates, a series of peripherally related subplots develop. Radisson dates Mina (Cory Oliver), a Christian whom he often belittles in front of his fellow atheist colleagues. Her brother Mark (Dean Cain), a successful businessman and atheist, refuses to visit their mother, who suffers from dementia. Mark's girlfriend, Amy (Trisha LaFache), is a left-wing blogger who writes articles critical of Duck Dynasty. When she is diagnosed with cancer, Mark dumps her. A Muslim student named Ayisha (Hadeel Sittu) secretly converts to Christianity and is disowned by her family when they find out.

After the final debate, Josh invites Martin to attend the Newsboys concert that is in town. Radisson reads a letter from his late mother, and is moved to reconcile with Mina. Amy confronts the Newsboys in their dressing room, only to admit that she wants to get to know God. While on his way to find Mina, Radisson is struck by a car and fatally injured. Reverend Dave (David A. R. White) finds him and guides him in becoming a Christian as he dies. Mark at last visits his mother, only to taunt her; she responds that all of his financial success was given to him by Satan.

As the film ends, the Newsboys play a video clip of Willie Robertson congratulating Josh. The Newsboys then play their song "God's Not Dead", dedicating it to Josh.

~~~Plot from Wikipedia~~~

Wednesday Quotable Qoutes: Introduction

I've always been a collector of quotes ever since I became a movie and book junkie. I would write all the quotes I find very inspirational or just AWESOME.  

So, I figured I should feature my doodles on the quotes I collect twice a month and that would be every Wednesday. I'm actually excited since I've doodled a lot already. I even post them on my bedroom wall just below my Naruto Poster.

There..there... If Chloe Sullivan has her own Wall of Weird, well, I've got my own Wall of Quotes

Book Review: To All The Boys I Loved Before by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

~~From Goodreads~~
 

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

---From Goodreads----
 

Book Review: Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Synopsis: 

In the wake of the post-9/11 sniper shootings, fragile love finds a stronghold in this intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer.

It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig's crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he'll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.

This intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer is a poignant look at what it is to feel needed, connected, and alive.
----from Goodreads

Stephanie Perkins in Cebu

I hope it's not too late to post about another one of my exciting book signing escapades. I got stuck with work and I've been saving my post in flash drive just waiting for the perfect time(means being free from the demands of my boss) to finally post it. This is the time.

Stephanie Perkins at National Bookstore SM Cebu

First, I have to say that I've never read yet any of Stephanie Perkins book but I already heard so much about it and I always get stranded in the shelf where her books are displayed at National Bookstore. I'm curious about her books and she looks really pretty in the picture. The books she wrote are not the usual genre I read. What I mean are young love and all the teenage scenario plots. Maybe because I'm already 23 and the thought of reading this kind of stories makes me think about the high school version of myself reading a pocketbook about romance.  The last book I read that contained teen love was Meg Cabot's Jinx and I only bought it because it has some witchy-twist and all. I was always into some kind of Dystopian setting (Hunger Games, Selection, etc), suspense and Harry Potter kind of plots. 

My hands were always itchy every time I would see Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door at National Bookstore. Reviews say that it's fantastic and hilarious  and it really makes me want it. Part of me want to buy them considering that I have read John Green's TFIOS and teenage love kind of convinced me that it's not that bad and it's a feel-good(I mean awesome) book but there was a part of me saying "You're being a bad girl in the bookstore again. You got a pile of books in your room and you are not even half done with it and now you're adding another bunch" and then that's when I would turn my back and say "Good-bye Anna and Lola".

Book Depository: Every Book Lover's Bestfriend

I am declaring Book Depository one of my bestfriends when it comes to book-related shops. Well, National Bookstore will always be the top 1, then Booksale and then Fully Booked and now, Book Depository is now one of them.

Image from TheCollective

I’ve been hearing a lot of Book Depository ever since I started looking for online book shops. It took a long time of reviewing various blog posts and reading Book Depository experience before I finally decided to try this Book Shop which delivery worldwide for free.

Reviewing The Fault in Our Stars

I know it’s a bit late to post a review for TFIOS but I’m still having a hang-over from the movie which is really, really not like most of the book-to-movie adaptation where series of things are cut-off and changed. The movie is just like the book. It’s what I actually visualized when I read John Green’s The Fault in our Stars last year.  Well, I didn’t know who would play the roles but Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort did the job really great. I can’t imagine anyone else play the role apart from them after the success of this movie.

Photo from IBTimes

I watched the movie on its first day in the cinemas. It was already out in Cebu at June 5. I was actually looking forward to watch Maleficent that night but upon seeing TFIOS on the cinema schedule, I changed my mind in an instant and I forced my office mates to come along. My office mate are not bookworms like me so when I told them that the story is awesome and tear-jerking, they were having second thoughts since they were thinking that I might spoil them and that maybe the movie is not that nice since I kind of have a different taste on some things and they were thinking that I’m more of a sci-fi and superhero movie/book addict than a tear-jerking teenage love story.

The Post-it Doodles

I drew it while I was on a meeting.

A quote from the Amazing Spiderman 2 movie. I missed the word "were" in the sentence.

Mitch Albom Booksigning at Philippines

Best-selling author of Tuesdays with Morrie visited Philippines for his book signing tour last Feb. 22 and 23 at Glorietta Manila and Ayala Cebu and I was really happy to be able to attend that awesome event and have a chance to have my book signed by himself.

Photo from www.marcellapurnama.com

Mitch Albom wrote inspiring books namely Tuesdays with Morrie, For One More Day, The Five People you meet in Heaven, Have a Little Faith, The Time Keeper and the newest released "The First Phone Call From Heaven".