Last Post of February!

Hi guise,

     This an abruptly written post. I was going to write about the Percy Jackson series, but I ended up putting that post on hold due to laziness yesterday and an overwhelming migraine today. After the migraine stopped, I ventured out of my house and went shopping at Target. I know that I write about shopping at Target a lot since a Target opened near my house around October. There is another Target in the town where I live, but I can only take one bus there and it is a 20-30 minute ride. Plus, I have to shell out $5.00 going there and back compared to spending $2.50 on ride and a transfer on going there and going home. (#AsianFirstWorldProblems.) 

Ah sigh, the problems of a bargain hunter.

    Anyways, I shop at Target due to their lower prices on books compared retailers such as Barnes and Noble. (Cough, cough-Cress) Today I stopped by to buy books for the last time until Easter comes. Yeah, I'm Catholic and I still believe in giving up things for 40 days and 40 nights. If the snowy weather will not kill me by Tuesday, I will buy Cruel Beauty by Rosemund Podge with either Control by Lydia Kang or Tsarina by J Nelle Patrick. After Ash Wednesday hits, I will be forced to read books from my bookshelf that are unread, the new books I bought today and books I received for my birthday. My only way to buy new books is to buy from a thrift store because it will cost less than $5 and the money will go back to charity. Plus, I'm curious about how much money will be in my wallet by the 3rd week of April.

Goodbye going to Target to buy more books!

     On the other hand, my school work is piling up. So I only have time to read two books a month rather than four. I wish I could pause my life and have hours to read, but life does not work that way. So, I will try my best to maintain this blog with my busy life. Moving on to what I bought today, I picked up three books from Target. Divergent by Veronica Roth, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. After going to Target, I went in to the nearest Stop and Shop and browsed their book section. Surprisingly, some books there are 25% off compared to Target's 15-20% off. I went into the bargain book bin and picked up My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher. I will write more on the full summaries of these books after I review them. (And yes, I am aware that Vampire Academy and Divergent are now in film form.) 

Until next time, 

Neko

The Fault in Our Stars Review???

Okay, guise!
    Finally I will review The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The Fault in Our Stars is a realistic love story between Hazel, a stage IV cancer survivor and Augustus, another cancer survivor. They meet at a weekly support group and develop a sweet, melancholic relationship. Hazel is obsessed with a novel about cancer called An Imperial Affliction. She longs to know what happens in the ending after the author ended it openly. So August arranges for them to travel to Amsterdam to meet the author. The journey between the two lovers sets ground for a blossoming love and bitter disappointments.

    Okay, I really did like this book but I had a lack of concentration when reading this book. The past few days I was reading this book, snow hit my area and there was no school for a few days. Plus, I was easily distracted with everything surrounding me. Back to the story. I really found this book refreshing compared to the other books I have been reading in the past few months. (I know this is realistic YA, but I read mass amounts of fantasy YA for the last two months.) The love story between Hazel and Augustus was weird, quirky and eccentric, but it left a sweet, bittersweet taste that you wished that ended sweet. While reading the book, it left me a great thought. I really wish I could meet a guy like Augustus who could like me for the way I am and would do anything for me. (Minus the cancer part on Augustus and Hazel's parts.) 

What an adorable love story! But it ended bittersweet. :(

   While the book did not leave me in tears like other readers, this book left an impression on me. (The main emotions I express when reading a book are excitement, anger or indifference. I'm not much of a crier.) Why can't a love be perfect like that without a bitter conclusion. Why can't I find the perfect person to be in love with? Would the person I love do anything to make me happy? All these questions make me think, "Will I find an Augustus to my Hazel in real life without bitter circumstances?" Honestly, I don't know. But I will wait one day for the answer to that question.

    I hope that this review did not go completely off topic. (Or completely vague.)

See you guise in the next blog,

Neko

Mind Games Review

Hi guise,
    Today's blog is a review of Mind Games by Kiersten White. I read this for free from Epic Reads. This offer is available between February 14-17. (BTW, this post is not sponsored. I'm just putting this out there. Today is February 16, so it kinda expires tomorrow.)  Mind Games is about two sisters Sofia and Annabelle--Fia and Annie for short-- who are both trapped in a school as tools for corporate espionage. Fia is born with flawless instincts with her first gut feelings being correct. Annie is blind to everyone, except when seeing strange visions of the future. Annie and Fia are forced to use their abilities in twisted ways while trying to protect each other.

      While the book has a beautiful cover, the book itself was a quick read. I wanted to like the book, but many things irked me. Though I like the idea of two sisters having powers that can be used as weapons, I didn't feel like the book was executed well. I felt like the whole entire plot of the book was scattered.

   First of all, when we get to one of the first point of views, we see that Fia is sent to kill a research doctor named Adam. I thought that he would be a possible love interest and there would be a journey between both of them to figure out why they want Adam. But after she goes back to the school, he is rarely mentioned except when Fia thinks about not killing him or Annie seeing him in visions.

   Second, the relations between characters felt forced and unbelievable. If I was reading the relations of characters, I would like to have felt it as well. If Annie and Fia were sisters who really cared about each other, I would have like to see flashbacks during happier times when they were younger or scenes where Annie is severely worried about Fia.

   Along with the sister's relationship, I would like to know more of James Kane's role with Fia and the school. All we know is that he cares about Fia and can make her happy compared to her sister. He comes to talk to the sisters, but I don't feel the interactions so much between him and the sisters except for the times when he gives her alcoholic drinks or taking her dancing.

    Lastly, I felt the rest of the book was rushed. I did not understand the exact purpose of the school and if Fia and Annie were the most prized possessions of the school. At the end, Fia gets kidnapped by people saying the school they're in is misusing them and Adam suddenly appears out of nowhere. He has feelings for Fia despite that they haven't contacted each other in a while. Annie ends up being the reason why Adam needs to be killed and has a prediction of her death. This does not make sense.

Guh! Why is this book so frustrating and confusing?

    I am aware that there is a read-a-thon  for this book at this moment and I would have thought about doing the instagram progress, like I did with Scarlet. But honestly, I don't think I'll read the sequel, Perfect Lies. After reading this book in one day, I believe I understand majority of what is going on. This book does not fully explain why some things are the way they are. (Which is a major literary pet peeve of mine.) 

    Until I write another random review out of the TBR schedule, The Fault in Our Stars is most likely to be reviewed out of all the books.

Thanks for reading,

Neko

Love Themed TBRs

Hi guise,

It's Neko.

   Sorry for going kinda odd on the last post. I'm going to admit that it was kinda selfish, but I have my reasons for posting that. For the last few weeks, I was debating of buying Cress from Target or Barnes and Noble. I would have chosen Target in a heartbeat over B&N and save myself some money, but I ended up going to B&N. I misread the Target website since it said not sold in stores. A week later after I walked into the book section and found Cress there with Scarlet and Cinder for a much lower price with a Target exclusive bonus story.

Yeah, I should have waited longer for the better deal.

      But the price of the book did not affect my view on the book, but being that I'm Filipino, the lower the price, the better. (Seriously, me buying anything requires playing the lower price game.) So that's why my title of my last blog was #AsianFirstWorldProblems.

  Anyways, today is Valentine's Day. Ahhh! The scenes of red with roses, chocolates and diamond necklaces and having dinner with my boyfriend. Who am I kidding, I never had a love life?

     Starting off with the love themed TBRs, I will be reading The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. This book is about Hazel, a stage IV cancer survivor who meets a guy named August, another cancer survivor in  a support group. The two befriend and eventually fall in love. Yes, I did buy this book because of the hype but I wanted to see how I would like the book.

     Next in the list of TBRs is Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park. This book is about two misfit teenagers in 1986, who fall in love despite knowing that first loves never last. Again, just like the book above,  I bought it because of the hype and how other book reviewers like reading Rainbow Rowell. So, I'm also giving her a try. 

      Lastly in this list of Love Themed TBRs is Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl. Like the other books above, I bought it because of the hype and the fact that it is about a fangirl. Cath is a major fangirl of a book series called Simon Snow with her twin sister Wren. They wrote fanfictions, hanged out in Simon Snow forums and cosplayed  at every movie premiere. Now that they are in college, Wren is not as much a fan of Simon Snow compared to her sister. She would not room with her sister in college. Cath is now on her own, trying to survive the world outside of her comfort zone.

This book reminded me of myself in ways. I was a fangirl of many multiple things that most of my teenage years were ranging. When I was 12-14 years old, I loved watching Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Sailor Moon Drama). When I was 14-16, I had an embarrassing stage when I discovered anime. (And possibly made myself an outcast by worshiping it.) I will be happy to step into reading the books, experiencing  the days of being a fangirl again.

Later guise, and have a Happy Valentine's Day!

Love, Neko

Finally! I Will Review Cress, #AsianFirstWorldProblems

 

       Hi guise, today's blog post is a review of Marissa Meyer's Cress. (Defining review, more likely my random ramblings as a fan girl. Don't worry guise, I'll try to keep this as non-biased as possible.) I picked up my copy of Cress on Thursday before I hit school in Barnes and Noble and started my hours of reading this baby. (And possibly losing sleep to read this book. *Note to self: Do not read an exciting book before falling asleep.) Honestly, I should have read the book when I was not tired. I would have wrote horrible things about the book since I felt tired and tried to rush reading the book. (Not the best decision ever.) I honestly would have given the book two different ratings based on the halves I read. But as a reader and a novice reviewer, I would be giving bad publicity to a book series I really love.

     After I finished Cress, I decided to re-read it again with a much clearer mind and less exhaustion. Reading up to the parts where I was confused, I understood a better feeling of how good the book is. When we first open Cress, we see the Rampion crew preparing to stop Levana and Kai's upcoming nuptials and Cress yearning to escape from the satellite she is imprisoned in. Without trying to reveal much or anything, I like how Cress mirrors the original fairytale of Rapunzel. Remembering how Rapunzel meets her prince charming and being sent to the desert by a witch was cool as I see Cress and Thorne  in those roles. The development of Cress and Thorne's relationship is perhaps a much rougher patch compared to the developments between Cinder and Kai, and Scarlet and Cress. But, the rough patch I like to think of as a test for how Thorne and Cress will work as a couple and I think it has shown me how Thorne will have compassion for Cress. 

    Besides the scenes of Cress and Thorne, I was fangirling every time Kai appeared on pages. To be clear, while Kai is attractive, I am a fan of him out of connecting to him as a person. He is a boy who was forced to grow up in a dire situation and is struggling to make the best decisions for himself and his people. I was glad to see more of his sarcastic side and compassion as we saw in Cinder. 

    I generally liked this book and will be happily buying the fourth one as time comes.On a side note, I went to Target today and browsed the book section, seeing copies of Cinder, Scarlet and Cress. I deeply regret going to Target first over Barnes and Noble since I would have had $3 left in my pocket rather than $1 left. (Tagert Price: $15.10, Barnes and Noble: 17.99) Plus there was a bonus story about Thorne in the Target Edition. (#AsianFirstWorldProblems) Anyways despite my ramblings, I will be keeping my book and next time will go to Target to buy Winter. Believe me, price does not matter when paying for a good book but, it's nice to have a little cash on the side. 

Thanks for reading guise,
Neko

Cress Marathon-Possibly?

     Hi guise, today's post is not a review. It's more of an update of what exactly I am doing at this moment.
As a college student with much mandatory reading, I cannot focus on this blog as much as I used to. So, sadly the maximum of book reviews I will put up will between 1-2 books for a month. (Ugh, so much for trying to become big.)

Wahhh!!!! So long for days when I could read what I want endlessly!!!!

      Back to seriousness. Today, I finally bought Cress in Barnes and Noble. I am aware that buying from B&N is expensive. (Believe me, I wrote a whole entire post about the massive price I've spent on books in that place.) But seriously, it was the quickest way for me to acquire the book. If I was going to be practical, I should be using Amazon for my purchases. Unfortunately, I don't have a credit card to make purchases and I really don't feel like buying an Amazon gift card every month. Plus, I like to view a book in its glory in a bookstore. The smell, the touch, the feel of a book make my sensors feel intrigued as I view a book. 

    For the next few days, I will try to read the book as quickly as I can. But I will be interrupted from the process due to my art class on Saturday and my 20th birthday which is also on Saturday. (Yes, I'm that old.) I feel happy as a fan of this book series. I have been with the Lunar Chronicles fandom since 2012, when I read the first 5 chapters of Cinder from a sample. 

So hyped to read this!

   Since I was in high school, I rarely bought books. It was months before the library from my high school had the book. I guess I was lucky to borrow it since I was able to devour it quickly compared to other books I have borrowed in the past. Anyways, its only recently where I'm acting like a total maniac for these books. I do write fanfiction, I have made fan art. (Neither is up on the internet.) But, I can't make myself go completely bonkers for the whole thing. (Seriously besides school work, I am also writing me original stories and trying to piece a collaborative Sailor Moon doujinshi project together.) As much as possible, I will TRY to keep the review as non biased as possible and I will also try to post a review on Good Reads. (Not that I will reveal my account.) 

Later,

Neko