2015 Reading Challenge: Since You've Been Gone

It took me a while to finish the book because of, you know, real world stuff. I've been busy with the NS relocation among other grown-up things that it took me two weeks to finish this- absolutely not an indication that the book sucked because it totally rocked my socks, dude!

...And we have Frank to thank for that. It's been a while since I've encountered swoonable fictional boyfriends and now here's one when I was totally not expecting him. He's every bit a gentleman- nice, proper and smart! But honestly, Frank had me at the mention of his 'abs.' Yuuuh, I'm an ahjumma like dut.

Plus, I also liked Emily. She's not as angsty like most of YA heroines and what she felt at the start when she found out her best friend, Sloane, just left town with no word of goodbye or whatsoever. And I understand how she felt lost without friend. They used to do everything together, they spent almost every waking hour together and just like that Sloane's gone. Ni ha, ni ho.

So the gist of the story is Sloane and her family left town and Emily's dumbfounded as to where her bestfriend could be and why she would leave without saying anything. Sloane just left without a word. She just left Emily a list of bucket-list-ish things to do. Emily does the things on the list, believing that they'd lead her to Sloane. Well, they did alright but also it led her to so much more.

Ahhhh basta loved the book and if you're into kilig reads, I highly recommend this.

2015 Reading Challenge: Me Before You

via Goodreads

Just a few hours away from Valentine's Day and I am here stuck at home silently crying from what I just read. Wow. That was one depressing yet beautiful story. It's been quite a while since I last read something like it.

Funny that I almost didn't read this book because I thought it was too dismal for me and my mood nowadays which is a little unstable, so to speak. Hah. But I reckon I needed a little deviation from my usual YA reads. (Yes, reckon talaga. In keeping with the book's English vibe). A love story still because it's the month of loooove after all ☺

I loved it. I loved the story. I loved all the characters- no exception. I loved Lou and even though I see her as somewhat a manic-pixie-dream-girl-ish type (characters I am not really very fond of), I have endeared myself to her. Even if life didn't offer her much, she didn't act the part of a victim. Well, she did stay in that teeny tiny space because her sister and nephew needed more space and I don't see that as Lou being a pushover. Just goes to show that she's very considerate. Will, on the other hand, was someone who, at first, wasn't very likable but maybe because he really was being a difficult person. Frustration can do that to a person; what more to Will who had access to everything and anything given his wealth and good looks (well, good looks can get you far in life).

All the time, while I was reading the book- I kept on waiting where the love story would kick in. It wasn't until almost the end of the book that it was spelled for us. At first I thought Will has just grown fond of Louisa because I think it is possible for a person to be fond of another without romantic feelings attached. Ditto in Lou's case. Just like Will and Nathan's relationship. But towards the end, we witness how their feelings have subtly evolved into something beautiful.

To cut the long story short, Will's this quadriplegic guy who wants to die via assisted suicide. He promised his parents six months. This is where Louisa steps in- she was hired by the family as Will's carer- they needed someone bubbly and optimistic, someone who could change Will's mind. I wanted Will to change his mind but at the same I was thinking that he wouldn't because that would be so predictable and too fairy tale-ish.

At the end, I wasn't exactly ugly crying- it was actually more subdued than when I was crying over Eleanor & Park- but man, that was some heavy stuff.

Kawawang Louisa. She just took the job because at that time she just wanted to have a job and this job paid lots of moolah but she ends up brokenhearted. I mean, how do you get over that? Now I understand why Mrs. Traynor always wears that pinched expression on her face. I mean, how can you let someone you love do that to himself. In the end, as Will said, it was still his decision to make.

There was nothing left for me to do. Do you know how hard it is to say nothing?
When every atom of you strains to do the opposite? 

I do think it was selfish of Will to subject his loved ones to such an ordeal. But then again it was also selfish of Mrs. Traynor, Louisa and the others to also impose on Will when he clearly doesn't want to go on. Tama si Louisa for being angry, for asking Will that if he really loves her, 'isn't she enough?' for him to want to keep on living?

And finally, my head pressed into the pillow, I cried, because my lifesuddenly seemed so much darker and more complicated than I could ever haveimagined, and I wished I could go back, back to when my biggest worry was whether Frank and I had ordered in enough Chelsea buns.

Eto ang book na talagang "all the feels." If ever they make this into a movie, I think I wouldn't want to watch it. Masakit sa puso. But man, that was beautiful. Five stars.

P.S. Wait lang. I need a pick-me-upper. Sinimulan to ng If I Die video ng mga shortlisted volunteers who want to go to Mars. Sinundan ng Gravity kanina. I feel sad. I need to watch The DUFF already!!!

2014 Book Challenge: The Sea of Tranquility

First up, I just want to say something about the cover. I never really paid attention and I thought this was just a silhouette of a woman in a long gown. It's just recently that I realized that it was a spilled ice cream and only today (as in now lang, mainit-init pa) that I noticed the two face silhouettes.  If I had noticed the ice cream on the cover before I read the book, I wouldn't get the significance but of course, now I do. But still, I think this is an ugly book cover.

I needed a really good book because I am three books behind. This book was included in the 30 Contemporary YA Romance Reads and ratings on Goodreads are high and I'm a sucker for frustrating stories about love. Although I hesitated at first cos although I like frustrating, I don't like "too much baggage," and both Nastya and Josh have plenty of baggage- overweight pa.

It was clever of the author to not divulge right away the reason of Nastya's silence. All the while I thought that she was raped or that she was in some witness protection program and the mystery of it somehow kept me glued to my e-reader. But you know, real life gets in the way so it took me longer to finish reading.

At first, I found Nastya annoying. Maybe because I didn't know what was eating her and actually even after I found out why she did what she did, I still couldn't understand it. I know I shouldn't be judgmental because people cope in different ways and she, after all, went through a very traumatic experience. She may have not been sexually assaulted but what happened to her was as equally horrendous and in the process, she also lost her identity as The Brighton Piano Girl. But what I found very frustrating about her is that she's pushing away and shutting out people who love her. Her parents may not know how to exactly deal with her ordeal as well but I'm sure they mean well and if they could take all of Nastya's pain instead, they would in a heartbeat. Josh, on the other hand, is another sulky character. He lost his family members one after the other and I think it's but normal to sulk after losing everyone. Individually, they're annoying characters but together, they just work.

I loved Nastya and Josh together. Obviously, Nastya chose to speak to Josh because she found him attractive. I am not sure if Josh was already attracted to her at the start but even then, the chemistry between them is undeniable.

Aside from Nastya and Josh, another favorite is Drew. He's Josh's best friend and although Josh wasn't really one of the cool kids, he wasn't afraid to be associated with him. I thought he'd be one of those jocks we'd love to hate in YA books but he's different.

Loved this book. I loved how the characters evolved, most especially Nastya. Now I believe that two broken people can make each other whole. Naks. Haha. Pero kasi before I didn't understand the deal with these "broken" people, but when I talked to two of my friends who were both broken (separately) and then they found each other and found solace in one another. It's very easy to say that happiness is a decision but hard to put into practice.

I liked how the book ended- nothing too dramatic.

2014 Book Challenge: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I swear, the words "Don't you dare fall in love with me" is some kind of a reverse psychology technique. Sinabi yan ni Anne Curtis kay Derek Ramsay sa The Other Woman pero na-in love pa rin siya. And here in Jenny Han's latest release, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, the same happens in spite of the 'warning' given by one of the characters.

I never really thought of Jenny Han as one of my favorite authors. I thought The Summer I Turned Pretty was pretty lame that I almost didn't read the next two books of the series but it was a good thing I did because they turned to be waaaay much better than the first book. Deciding on what to read next is hard so I let my sister pick a number between 1 and 50 which led me to my 20th read for the year. I started reading without any expectations because Han, I think, is still a hit-or-miss type of author.

Lara Jean has a crush on her sister's boyfriend. At first I was thinking, "here she (Han) goes again with siblings fighting over the same person," and although I liked It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer, I still feel that it's SO WRONG to be the girlfriend of two brothers (somehow I knew Belly would end up with Conrad because she never did it with Jeremiah and in YA world, that sort of thing almost never happens and they were already in college at the time, soooo.. puede ;)). So anyway... Lara Jean claims that she liked Josh first, but when Josh and her sister Margot became girlfriend- boyfriend, she immediately wrote a goodbye letter to her crush which is also a farewell of sorts to the feeling. She does this letter-writing thing to banish any feelings of "love" for the guy she once liked. But these letters were never meant to be sent, so when Peter Kavinsky approached her asking her about a love letter she sent to him, she was mortified.

The thing is, not only Peter Kavinsky's got sent. Josh also got his. Lara Jean was doubly mortified but since she figured that the lesser of two evils is Peter, she got into a pretend relationship with him. The time was right since Peter just got dumped by his long-time girlfriend, Gen, and he wanted to make her jealous and then maybe, want him back. Peter and Lara Jean pretends they're a thing but I knew eventually they're going to like each other for real. They're so cute together and so wholesome. The Prude In Me approves. Haha.

this is exactly how i feel the whole time i was reading the book

In the end, Peter admits to liking Lara Jean for real and I want that to happen but seriously, what is going on with him and Gen? And that ending...

Dear Peter,

Oh come on, don't leave me hanging like this. And yes, Han is gonna milk it for what it's worth- there is a sequel to this. But I am not complaining. It's always good to have something to look forward to. Just don't make me wait too long.

Albeit starting the book a few days ago, I only got the time to really read it today. Technically there were things that needed to be done but after a few chapters into it, I reckon I could never put it down. I have Peter Kavinsky to blame for today's non-productivity. I give this book five stars because I really, really liked it and this one by Miss Han is a 'hit' with me.