2016 Reading Challenge: Golden

As you can see I'm on a roll. Hahaha. Nako two years in a row na akong hindi naka-meet ng Goodreads goal ko and I did much worse this 2015 than 2014. Not good. So now that I have more free time, I should read as much as I can. I am determined to read 50 books this year. So without further ado, this year's second book, Golden by Jessi Kirby.

I liked it but not liked it liked it, if you know what I mean. You know my issue with these YA heroines, they always think they've got it figured out and blame the adults why everything is messed up (well, most probably it's the adults fault that these kids are messed up) but really, when you're 17, 18 or 20, you have a very limited point-of-view. And no, love is not the answer to everything.

So Parker is up for a full scholarship which will pay for her four-year Stanford schooling. She just needs to write her speech for the scholarship dinner where the panel will decide to whom they will award it. But during one of her extra-curricular activities, she encounters the journal of one of the students that has been missing and presumed to be dead. The students were supposed to answer the question, What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? She finds out things which I think sort of inspired her to go all carpe diem and let go of the scholarship she worked hard almost all her life. At that moment, gusto ko siyang kalbuhin, krompalin at hindi pa ako ang nanay niya sa lagay na yan. Can you just imagine how her mother felt at that time? So maybe she realized she doesn't really want to be a doctor but can't she, like, use that scholarship on a different course? So I liked the book except for that little shocker.

In fairness to her, it wasn't because of a boy.

Speaking of the boy, I liked that little diversion. Bitin but I guess their story wasn't the main angle in all this. Although all the time I was thinking that even if get together towards the end of the book, they'll be off doing their own thing when the new school year starts and they'll be apart. For me, sayang lang those six years that they could've been together because apparently, the feeling is mutual.

So yeah I liked it but, again, I'm not very crazy with Parker's decision.

2016 Reading Challenge: The Gray Wolf Throne

I'm back! It's been almost three months since wrote anything on this blog. I was that busy, believe it or not. And I am not complaining. Busy means business, haha. I still have projects this January which is a great way to start the year but of course it wasn't as crazy as the holiday season that had just passed. Which finally leads me to my good news- I finally have a new Kindle! Huzzah ☺ My sister gifted me a new one, a Kindle Fire I named Kendall 2.0. I would have preferred the non-tablet type mainly because of its looooong battery life. Kendall 2.0 now lasts 2 days if I read non-stop. The trade-off is that I can read in the dark. Ang Kindle parang life lang, hindi puedeng walang trade-offs. Ha.

And one of the first things I did when production wasn't as crazy anymore, I started reading again. First book for the new year was Book 3 of The Seven Realms series- The Gray Wolf Throne.

I am in love with this series. Too bad there is only one book left in it. I love how all the characters are not annoying, of course except for the antagonists who were really supposed to be hated. Even Cat Tyburn turned out okay.

This book is just the perfect blend of everything. And look, it even has a cute love story in it which is my cup of tea hihihi ☺ It's actually taking Han and Raisa forever to get together but now that is Raisa is Queen of the Fells, it has gotten more complicated. Since the Breaking, the queen cannot marry a wizard, if I remember it correctly, and Han is a wizard. If Raisa can't marry Micah for that reason, she also can't marry Han. But I believe that there will some kind of revolution in Book 4 which will involve Alger Waterlow that will change the rules of the game.

Actually, Book 3 left us with a lot of hanging issues which could be source of Book 4's conflicts. First is the killings of the wizards which I feel could be linked to Lord Bayar (but I could be wrong cos why would he kill his own kind?) and second, the scorned Gerard Montaigne of Tamron who will do anything to achieve his goal.

See, I am not really good at this summarizing my thoughts. Wala naman talaga kayong nakuha dito. I really have to spiffy up my "book report" writing abilities. Anyhoo, excited to find out what happens in Book 4 and if Raisa and Han lives happily ever after but I have this urge to put off reading the book because I don't want it to end just yet. Sa tamang panahon... Haha.