Books Before Boys (but I guess not when you're in your 30s)

Uy in fair marami-rami ang posts ko this month.

Anyhoo, I just feel like posting this book list here to track my progress as well. Some time Valentines week, I found this article on epicreads.com- 30 Contemporary YA Romance Reads and since YA is my genre of choice as of the moment and I am a sucker for anything romantic, I decided to, at least, try reading everything in the list. Fortunately, I have read about one third of the list which leaves with just 20 more.

So without further ado, ze list:

{image source}

1. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
3. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
4. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
5. Perfect Chemistry by Simon Elkeles
6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
7. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
8. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
9. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
10. Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller
11. How to Love by Katie Cotugno
12. Rock and A Hard Place by Angie Stanton
13. Crash by Nicole Williams
14. Open Road Summer by Emery Lord 04/2014
15. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
16. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandi Nelson
17. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
18. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
19. Every Day by David Levithan
20. The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay 7/2014
21. The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik 3/12/14
22. If We Kiss by Rachel Vail 3/13/14
23. Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
24. The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine
25. The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler  3/9/14
26. How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
27. Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski
28. Street Love by Walter Dean Myers
29. Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
30. If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan

Apparently, I have read almost lang pala 33% of this list. I'm currently reading The Book of Broken Hearts and hopefully I could tick off another title soon.

I'm happy that the list has Eleanor and Park and Sloppy Firsts because they're two of my favorite books ever. Of the first nine books I've read in this list, I've liked everything except for Before I Fall and also I was not too big on The Summer I Turned Pretty (which I "read" via an audiobook so I was thinking maybe I didn't like the book because I found the narrator's voice annoying). Hopefully hopefully, I'll be able to finish everything in here this year.

An Attitude of Gratitude

It's been a while since I posted a gratitude list in here which, I think, may have contributed to my "depression." I have been feeling shitty for a while now and I feel I may have gone back to that dreaded quarter-life crisis stage in life (which I thought I have undergone earlier than most of people my age). I have been advocating this happiness-is-a-decision frame of mind but honestly, I think my happiness is directly proportional to my bank account. I should try harder to be happy for real and not make my happiness dependent on material things. So I'm doing this gratitude list con más frecuencia ☺

♥ The ovaries are normal, y'all! After years of dealing with PCOS, I was told yesterday that the ovaries are now normal. I do not know which actually healed my PCOS- the pills or Fr. Carmona's enzyme. But whatever did it, I'm thankful that I'm finally healed. This calls for a celebration ☺
♥ I finally enrolled in driving classes. Today will be my fourth and I am actually enjoying it. I'm not too sure though if I can do it without an instructor by my side and without the CAUTION: STUDENT DRIVER signage at the back of the car. I can't drive at 20mph and with the hazard light on forever. But what the hell, I can do this. Aja!
♥ Trying out new foods. Ha ha! I actually hate it that I am an emotional eater and that food makes me happy and that my happiness is also directly proportional to what I eat, but to be truly I guess I should learn how to stop feeling guilty every time I eat good food.

Project Pie with AD. Cheese is love. True love.

burrito and cheese flautas at Burrito Brothers in Marikina

In relation to trying out new food, I am grateful for a sister who also likes eating (and treating me!) to good food.
♥ Orders. Small orders pa lang but it's a start, right? Eventually, orders will flood my mail and phone. Soon.
♥ New series love and a new series character crush ☺ My sister watches Beauty and the Beast (not the Disney movie, okay) while I don't because I thought it was too mushy and I think I've had it with anything paranormal/superhuman-themed. But guess what, I have been sucked into the Beauty and the Beast vortex. I just started last Friday and I am now in the first season's 17th episode. I am such a sucker for secret loves and love triangles.

Anyway, guess who my character crush is. Clue: not Vincent Keller. This is who

Evan

I luuuuurve Evan Marks. I have the feels for him. Haha. And you know, I feel for him, I actually cried for him. Not that I cried because I "crush" him, but because I feel his pain- loving Catherine secretly. And as of the most recent episode I've watched, JT now knows that Evan is harboring some kind of romantic feels towards Catherine. I am watching this mostly because of him and I am praying and hoping that he doesn't get killed off or cross off to the dark side. But I fear that his love for Catherine will make him do things, that if he can't be with her, the "beast" can't as well. But I like to believe that he will be more determined to catch the beast because he wants to protect her from him and not because he wants to get him out of the way.

but after seeing this, I have a hunch he will cross to the dark side

This series reminds me so much of Chuck.

So there, things I am grateful for. I really should do this more often. To cap off this post, here's a note to myself:

from Pinterest

2014 Book Challenge: Wait For You

{via Goodreads}

I'm only two books behind schedule, huzzah! Anyway, this book, Wait For You, falls under the New Adult (NA) genre and not YA. Which I do not get, actually. What does New Adult exactly mean? With the proliferation of sexed-up YA books they have finally come up with a genre for it? Haha. I feel it that's it though. Goodreads defines New Adult as:

"New Adult fiction bridges the gap between Young Adult and Adult genres. It typically features protagonists between the ages of 18 and 26."

Oh okay. But what is Adult genre, actually? Initially, I thought it's those type of books a lá Fifty Shades of Grey, but Pride & Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird also fall under the category. Whatever.

Seriously, why are these book protagonists always good-looking and sexy, male and female alike? Take for example, Cameron. He's tall, handsome and has an amazing body. Almost all guys in these books are like that. But real life is a different story. I don't see tall, handsome, well-built guys around here. But then again, this is fiction. Haha. And Avery. She's equally as hot as Cam is and she's totally oblivious to it. Every YA and in this case, NA, book has protagonists like that. It gets old, sometimes. But you know what doesn't, the kilig moments.

Cam is definitely swoon-worthy. Every girl's ideal guy, I suppose- good-looking, nice, a reformed bad boy. Don't we all want that guy? And what actually makes him more attractive is his loyalty to Avery. If girls are practically throwing themselves at him and he shrugs them off for you, the guy is a keeper.

 

(Maybe reading these books is bad as it taints my view of reality. Ha.) But when it comes to fictional boyfriends, Cam maybe there in the list of the best but he's not the best. The best fictional boyfriends are, in my opinion, Marcus Flutie (Jessica Darling series), Park (Eleanor & Park) and Nick (This is a Love Story). Hmm.. this gives me an idea- to add another category in my Goodreads page: Swoon-worthy Book Boyfriends.

The book's title is Wait For You. Okay, I give props to Avery for holding off until she has sorted her issues out and also props to Cam for waiting until Avery has sorted her issues. And in Fiction/YA Land where teenage girls lose their virginity at a drop of a hat, six months is a long time. But what I find funny is these two have done EVERYTHING except that. So technically, there wasn't much waiting that happened. But then again, this is your Lola Prude talking. 

2014 Book Challenge: Stealing Heaven

{via Goodreads}

Stumbled upon this book while looking for another title by the same author. The book is Something, Maybe and I've been wanting to read it for quite some time now but surprisingly, I read this one first. But I do not regret picking up this one because although it wasn't really a fun read (because, seriously, the girl's got some serious issues) but I guess the kilig factor made up for it.

Danielle, our protagonist, is in the family business, only it is one business one cannot be proud of. Her mother steals silverware from rich people's houses and all her life it's what she has known to do. She has never gone to school. She and her mother hop from one town to another, taking on one identity after another. Danielle wanted more but she reckons she doesn't know how to be and have more than she is right now, plus she just can't leave her mother alone, that they are a team.

But things changed when they came to Heaven- she became friends with Allison and she's genuinely into this guy, Greg, who turns out to be a cop. But to be successful in their plan of laying low, she must not have both but the desire is so strong and she does maintain both the friend and the love interest, unknown to her mother. Of course I wanted things to come up roses- for her mother to truly fall in love with a nice guy and decide to stop stealing silver from rich people and the plan to steal from Allison's family doesn't push through because of it, then Dani and her mom stays in Heaven and then they live happily ever after. But that wasn't the case.

They got busted and both relationships that Danielle gained from their stay in Heaven was compromised. The one with Allison was irreparable (but still you've got to give the girl props for not turning in Danielle), but the one with Greg, well, it was a good thing he finally came around. Understandable that he'd be hurt because of the lies but of course, true love wins. Ha. Sige na, huwag na tayong kontra-bulate.

My like for Danielle is reversely proportional to my dislike for her mother. Even until the end, I am unsure if she truly, genuinely loved Danielle. Maybe she's just doing the stealing because she wants to be able to provide for her daughter and stealing is what she knows how to do and what she does best. It's just that I hope she didn't involve her daughter in it.

But we still got out happily ever after, just not the way I wanted it though. Mom gets cancer, which I think is for all the bad juju just coming back to her for stealing from other people. Greg stays by Danielle's side and preferred to see what she wants to be and not for what she was. But what I liked most was that Danielle has risen above her past and turn into something better. Well, she was able to do it with the help of ill-gotten wealth but still, she chose to use it for her betterment, so she doesn't have to do what her mother did for a living.

Ang serious naman ng "review" na 'to.

2014 Book Challenge: Wallbanger

Funny how I breezed through this one but finding it difficult to finish the third and last installment of the Fifty Shades trilogy.

First reason is this is actually a fun read. In fair ha, there was no "action" until near the end and I guess I found the "chase" amusing and interesting. In comparison to Fifty Shades, the main characters had more than lust going on between them. Well maybe there was attraction (and lust, sige na nga) but they didn't act on it right away- in fernez, they did take the friendship route first before going there. And nothing beats the anticipation, right? Right? RIGHT??? We know that he likes her and she likes him but they're sort of taking it "slow."

We think Simon is your regular man-whore (a la Nate Achibald), well actually he was until he met Caroline. Which was sweet, by the way, that he was willing to drop all the other girls because of her. And I think that was what endeared me to him. Of course, kasama na yung description na he's good-looking and has, get this, not six but eight-pack abs. Who has that? I guess hot, fictional characters. Ha ha.

I feel you, Jenna

You know, these books always ALWAYS have good-looking characters. And not only good-looking, but drop-dead gorgeous and sexy girls and these beautiful, hot girls are usually unaware of their gorgeousness. This makes me want to quit reality, pack up and move to the land of fiction.

Caroline is likable. Unlike Anastasia Steele and Bella Swan, she is her own woman. She didn't have to quit her work or quit life (yes, I am mean you, Bella) to get her man. And she refused to succumb to the call of the flesh (in Tagalog, tawag ng laman, har dee har har). The woman has restraint, y'all!

And like what I have said earlier, this couple is not only about that. Well, we know it eventually leads to that but unlike Christian Grey and Ana Steele, they do other things such as go out with friends, watch movies and cook. And that is why I think I am not yet done with Fifty Shades Freed- it gets old eventually. Remember, the anticipation is half the fun!

I gave it three stars. Yes I did like it but you see this Goodreads rating system is a bit tricky. I hope they have, like, ten stars. Cos personally, I only give five stars (the perfect score) to books I truly, madly and deeply loved, books I can't get over of even after n number of days, books that make me gush to no end. Four stars I give to books which I enjoyed so much but didn't really leave a lasting impression on me. And most books, I give three stars. So anyway, three stars for this book and definitely would pick up another book from the author.

2014 Book Challenge: Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Can you believe it we're frickin' halfway done with February? I can't and I am still in denial. I am seriously way, way behind my to-do list but in fernez to me, I already enrolled myself in driving school. Finally 'no? After a bizillion light years I finally did it. Hooray for me! So anyway, I finally got myself on a roll with my books and even if I'm six books behind, I think I can make habol. Larios, isdatchu?

So ze second book for the year is.. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares. High ratings/reviews on Goodreads and I think a book about dares is fun.

It took me 15 days to finish the book- FIFTEEN DAYS! Kung dati mabilis na sakin ang 15 days, well now I consider that mabagal and that means either I'm busy or the book isn't very interesting to me and I am not very busy these days; ergo, it failed to tickle my fancy. It was a collab between David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, who by the way is the author of Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. The book did sound/feel/seem similar to Nick & Norah's, although I haven't read the book yet, only saw the movie because I adore Kat Dennings (and Michael Cera, for a teensy bit).

A book about two strangers daring one another to do things that are, honestly, not too daring. Haha. Not that I am for the scandalous ones. I remember watching a French movie about dares and I was not a bit amused. So Dash and Lily's dares were tame and age-appropriate. If this was a movie, I'd say na mejo lacking ang chemistry between Dash and Lily. You could say it's because they haven't met but Lincoln and Beth (Attachments) were all chemistry even if they haven't seen nor spoken to each other. Well, actually they've seen each other but at the time, they did not know that it was the other person.

Verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang ☺

Six of fifty-two: Sino'ng may S?

33/365: Spent the entire day watching a Korean drama and come sunset, I glanced outside and saw this. I tried to look outside but since the blinds were closed, I saw the shadow of the snowflake ornament I hung outside my window. The snowflake was there for almost two years now but it was the only time I saw it like this and I thought it was very pretty.

34/365: Obviously, I have plans of getting rich. Haha. Although I haven't really gotten myself to reading these yet. Used these books to get inspiration of corporation names. I'm trying to put up a corporation and start my business from step 1 para malinis at hindi pa magulo which is the case now and no thanks to St. Francis department store for that. Just wish me luck starting with a clean slate, at least with this one.

35/365: My cousin "promoted" my Facebook page and from 114 likes, I now have 143 likes. I think this is befitting of being my photo of the day for Project 365 since 1-4-3 is also known to mean as "I love you," and Valentine's Day is just around the corner. He he he :P

36/365: Running errands. Mail documents to New York. Pay AC's credit cards. Deposit funds. Free lunch c/o AC. I swear ang takaw ko because I ate a 2pc chicken, three pcs nuggets, a medium coke and a large caffe latte. Felt super bochog afterwards.

37/365: Meet-up with a customer. I'm happy that I've been receiving orders since the year started. Putting up an FB account for my colognes was a good decision. However, I should learn to insist delivery via shipping instead of meet-ups cos I end up spending what I made on that transaction. Ha ha. So here is my stash for that day- anti-pimple chuva. Snoe's Outzit was very effective but I wanted to try their other soaps so this time, trying out Awesome Poresome. Crossing my fingers here.

38/365: It was a very, very crappy day. I woke up already in a cranky mood. Lumayas for awhile and sought shelter in my sister's house. Playtime with ze other nephew who was making pa-cute while eating. Effective naman sakin. He he he. But happy mood was, again, momentary, and went home in a crummy mood again. Only Suburgatory made me laugh. Which, of course, was also momentary.

39/365: Woke up in a crummy mood. AGAIN. Alam niyo hindi ko naman ginusto na lagi na lang masungit and actually nakakapagod ang laging asar. But I can't help it. Sometimes, there just are days like these. Anyway, tagged along AC to her project monitoring at SM Aura. This picture was accidentally taken on my way outside the house. It was a surprise that it wasn't blurred since I was in motion and since I liked the shot so much, I made it my photo of the day ☺

I hope this week will be much much MUCH BETTER  because think all these negativity are taking a toll on my skin and I freakin' look like crap. While I was taking the pill, my skin was very well-behaved and the moment I stopped, my skin went berserk. Mas mataba pero good skin vs. mataba but fugly skin? Argh.