Love, Rosie (Where the Rainbows End) - Cecilia Ahern

Category: Book

Genre: Chick Literature

Author: Cecilia Ahern


Is a delightful, enchanting read....  about what happens when two people who are meant to be together who just can't seem to get it right.

Rosie and Alex are destined for one another, and everyone around them seems to know it but them. Best friends since childhood, their relationship gets closer by the day, until one day Alex gets the news that his family is leaving Dublin and moving to Boston. At age 17, Rosie and Alex have just started to see each other in a more romantic light.

It's a charming, romantic, addictively page-turning novel that will keep you laughing and guessing until the very last page.

This is a story about best friends and their funny tale of how they can't seem to get it right..... maybe it's not the right time? Or too much: "this could ruin everything else if"

The whole book is basically "letters" or emails. I remember reading something similar from a Cabot. Although, I enjoyed the whole thing. There was a time you just want to strangle the heroine for her to wake up and see all the hints the guy is dropping. But, it's that part that you would love to hate. It's that feeling of "oooof, how can you miss all those opportunities?" The whole thing makes you read and read and wanting to find out what will happen in the end.

Note: Funny, I bought both books, thinking they both have different stories. ooof! this is what happens when one doesn't read the back cover. Huwaaaaaa

Liar Game Season 1 - 2007

Category: TV Series

Genre: Psychological

Episodes: 11

Casts: Toda Erika, Matsuda Shota, Kitamura Soichiro, Wada Soko, Iwasa Mayuko and more

This is an adaptation from a manga.

It's always interesting to watch the psychological tv series from Japan. This one involves around one philosophy or belief: "Not everybody can be happy." and that "Humans will lie, cheat and steal to survive."
 

Nao Kanzaki (Toda Erika) is known for being naive and innocent. She is a high school student.
One day, she receives a black postcard indicating that she has been selected to participate in the "Liar Game Tournament". Along with that postcard is a box with 100 million yen (about $1,000,000). The goal of the first round of the game is to trick the other player out of their hundred million yen. At the end, the winner would get to keep the hundred million earned, and the loser owes the LGT (Liar Game Tournament office) 100 million yen, "will be collected by any means and at all costs".


One might think that the series is quiet unnecessary, placed on an impossible setting (but I'd rather have this over SAW who tests the "human fiber").

I like how it ended and how the events turned around.

However there's a slight implication or definition of MLM that is quiet misconstrued. They should have used the term "binary" or "pyramiding" company. Oh well.

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Category: Books

Genre: Sci-Fi

Author: Suzanne Collins


Once again, Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, has survived. Even though District 12 has been destroyed after the operations at the arena. Gale has escaped, while the family of Katniss remains safe and is heading for District 13. They do exist. Peeta was captured by the Capitol.

The success of the rebellion is on Katniss', and to accept responsibility and to be willing to save countless lives for the future of Panem.

Finally, I finished the whole trilogy!

But, the last book has this nagging effect on me. Is it separation anxiety? Or maybe because, I wanted something more? The Gale part at the end also nags me!!! Why, is there no flashback of Gale? :(( I know, it's all Katniss' side that we are reading. But, but, I would've wanted something more from Gale.

I didn't get to sleep when I finished reading the book though, because I was imagining Panem and all that still. This book, still manages to keep you on the edge, making you want to finish the whole book in one seating. I stayed until the wee hours of the morning, just to finish the whole thing.

And Alas! The Hunger Games is over and done with.

Photo Source: FVHS 

Rating: 4 & Half Stars

She Went All The Way - Meg Cabot

Category: Books

Genre: Chick Literature

Author: Meg Cabot


Lou Calabrese is a Hollywood screenwriter, off to go on a helicopter en route to the wilds of Alaska to oversee the latest movie she wrote. However, on the way she was sharing the helicopter with no other than: Jack Townsend. The uber famous Hollywood actor who stars in her film, and whose long-time love eloped with Lou's bestfriend.  

Success hasn't spoiled screenwriter Lou Calabrese -- it's just given her a taste for luxury. And it's put her in some bizarre situations -- like in a helicopter en route to the wilds of Alaska, sharing too-close quarters with the last man she wants to be with: Jack Townsend! Once a sexy nobody whom Lou helped make a somebody, Jack's just been dumped by a high-profile


I paused the reading of the Hunger Games trilogy for awhile because someone suggested to break it off with a different book muna (eventhough I wanted to just read it straight). 

It's an adult contemporary chick literature this time for Cabot.

But, it's not entirely uhmmm that unique. This is your typical love/hate relationship in a Hollywood setting. And, well if you just want a book to take your time... this will be perfect for you. :)

Photo Source: http://libraree.tumblr.com

Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Category: Book

Genre: Sci-Fi

Author: Suzanne Collins


After Peeta and Katniss wins the 74th Hunger Games, they are now preparing for the Victory Tour. Where they will be touring each district until they reach the Capitol. However, Katniss' got a visit from President Snow who was not pleased with how the Games turned out. However, the Victory Tour is currently disturbing other districts and may even cause some rebellious outbreak which the Capitol has been keen on putting out.



I cried most of the time in this book! Gah. I just read the 2 books straight while I'm on a bed rest!! Which is actually good. Teehee.

I like the way it was written because of its utter simplicity yet vivid narrative and yet emotionally filled action scenes. It pierces your heart at exactly the right time and gives you shivers now and then.

I want to read book 3 already!!!!!

Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Category: Book

Genre: Sci-Fi / Drama / Dystopian / Adventure / Action

Author: Suzanne Collins


The Hunger Games is a dystopian novel for young adults. North America is now run by the powerful Capitol and is now divided into 12 districts (originally 13 but District 13 was destroyed), and is now called Panem. In the 12th District, there's Katniss Everdeen (16y/o) and Gale who hunts for a living. In order to keep the status quo and to remind the 12 Districts not to rebel, every year they hold a game of death, chosing 2 tributes per district via "draw". Katniss' sister was picked to be the tribute but then Katniss exercises her option to volunteer for the games. With Katniss comes Peeta, the baker's son.  Together, they must fend for themselves and survive.


I got hooked with reading this because it has an interesting plot. Although, it's something that is socially and  uhmmm morally not sound. The Hunger Games, I mean.

But, what I particularly liked about it was the love triangle between Gale, Katniss and Peeta. Can someone hand me at least a Gale or a Peeta? *giggles*

Anyway it was a breeze reading it. The author did not use any big words. It was simple but enough to give you the hand or play with imagination. The book tackled many things that can actually make people relate to: love, honor, freedom, rebellion, poverty, family, friendship and particularly survival. In the arena, you'd want to move from page to page since the suspense builds up and introduces many new creatures that came with technological evolution.

Anyway, this ain't something "intelligent", if you want to argue.. but it was successful enough to the audience it aimed for. And it's a good book to start or recommend if one wants to get into "reading". :)

Photo Source: NPR

The Cloud Atlas - Liam Callanan

Category: Book

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Liam Callanan

It is the mid 1940s, set against the magnificent backdrop of Alaska during the days where the World War II is waning. The Cloud Atlas is an enthralling debut novel, a story of adventure and awakening—and of an eighteen year old soldier, trained under bomb disposal on an extraordinary, top-secret mission…and found a world that would haunt him forever.

At first I thought this was the famed "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell, but a few chapters went by, with the same setting and I knew this wasn't Mitchell's. I finished the book, only because it was interesting and I was already halfway the book when I realized it's not Mitchell's. [yes, it was an ebook I got somewhere. only because I couldn't find a copy of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas in the bookstores!!]

With all the references to shamans, magic, palm reading, astrology, tuunraq, balloons containing bombs and the impending war.... its a dazzling unique love story, or this enchantment of the 18 year old soldier with the Yup'ik woman named Lily. It's also a good look of Alaska and it's culture.

A literary art piece. Lovely all on it's own. 

Photo Source: Good Reads