Ruby Loves Adventure

Chrissie's Shell is a story about Chrissie, a turtle. She is living in a forest, and on her daily life, she encounters numerous critters and imagines what it would be like to be that type of animal. While she does that, she checks her shell to see if she managed to transform in the animal she was imagining about.

The illustrations are some of the cutest things ever. And as you know, I have a bias for all things animals, and all things cute so plus, plus for me. Those sympathetic round us totally do me in! Awww. I could easily go back to all the pages, even without reading the text, just looking at the pictures! Oh yes, it definitely brought me back to my childhood.

The colouring is brilliant they are very accurate with nature, and so eye-popping!

The story is good too. It shows how Chrissie was struggling to come to terms with her real self. The part that moved me the most was when Chrissie was talking to God about how he could make her into a real someone, and how she said her shell was empty and could she make her into some of the other creatures she had seen. Little did she knows that she is one unique creature, with her own traits and advantages in nature.

What I love is that this book teaches children to be comfortable in their own shell - in their own skin, so to speak. Of course there are times when we people would feel insecure about what we have and normally compare it with the others who may appear more blessed or lucky or superior than us, but each of us is unique, and I love this lesson. Children should learn this early on and not get on the bandwagon of the plasticity of everything. Sometimes you just need to look in yourself to find out what's perfect, and what you are, and that you're beautiful inside.

Published: 2010
Available From: Everywhere! Locally, I'm not sure though.
Publisher: Warner Press
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Rating: Such a cute book. I loved the illustrations! [5/5]

wBased on the novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, it tells of an alien little prince, who explores various planets across the universe and eventually lands himself on Earth. He meets all sorts of people and creatures along the way, and discovers more about their traits and their quirks, so to say.

Can I just say I ABSOLUTELY ADORED THIS BOOK?
I started this back in 2010, when I was quite busy with getting ready for Christmas and parties. And yet, when I was reading it, it made no impact whatsoever. But as I was finishing the book, I was feeling quite down, and yes, each and every passage outlined in the tale hits me, hard. I wanted to cry as I was reading each line, and seeing the pictures added to plethora of emotions that have hit me.

The illustrations is cute, a bit crude, and as much as I honestly prefer the illustrations from the original book, this one would do. As I haven't read the original novel yet *gasp* I don't know how many parts have been removed in order to make this more interesting and more compact in a sense. Maybe once I've read the original, I could comment on what diferences there are between the graphic novel and the original.

I'm still a bit teary-eyed and I honestly don't know what else to write. It is just a brilliant novel, and this graphic novel version would probably interest the children who don't really like reading. Pick this book up [or the original novel, for that matter] and just try to read between the lines at what the quotes mean.

The original book would be discussed for our December 2011 book club discussion and I can't wait to partake in it!

Published: 2010
Available From: Everywhere! Locally, I'm not sure though.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Read it if: Just read it! It's my first book of 2011 and oh my gosh, it just blew me away.
Rating: I loved it, one of my favourite reads of the year [5/5]

Thoughts: Okay, the book was written in the second-person point of view, which makes me feel like I'm reading those Choose Your Own Adventure novels from way back, although this adventure has already been chosen and the ending is set. I honestly am not a big fan of this type of narrative, so I got annoyed more at some bits of the story.

True, I could relate to the character on most parts [the getting pressured to get married, settle down and have kids, having a successful career, among others], but I would probably never even consider running after someone in order to save a future that I so planned in my head. What happens, happens, and the time, effort, and resources it would take for me to undergo such a journey that Grace did would be unfathomable, and bordering on insanity [at least for me]. So yeah, to each their own. I dunno if I enjoyed reading the Grace's story, but the places and sights featured in the story piqued my interest, and yes, the descriptions of the places are indeed detailed and updated. It's either the author researched on the countries well or has been to the places too.

Okay, what I did like about the story - it was by a Filipino author, and I *think* I've read a chick lit of hers way back in college, but I don't remember now. It was quite nice that this book was first published abroad before it was picked up in the PH to be published. It's also one of the few Filipino books that I could easily recognize and can be seen in the shelves of the major bookstores. The cover is excellent - it's cute, and the accents in the pages: the airplane and what I suppose is Grace in the odd pages, is an excellent touch. The paper used in the book, I'm not a big fan of.

What else can I say? The book certainly lacked the goosepimply, awww moments that I was looking for in chick lit books. Maybe I was wrong in thinking this was chick lit, I don't know, maybe it was just plain literature? I was not really happy as I was reading the book and it took me quite some time to finish it.

Published: 2010
Available From: Locally - major bookstores. Internationally? No idea.
Publisher: Anvil
Book was: provided by Anvil for review. Thanks to Gege and Honey for compiling the list and offering =)
Rating: I'm completely between the fence here. I really could not make up my mind if I didn't like the book or if it was just okay. [2.5/5]

1. Update my Goodreads and Shelfari accounts often.

I've realized during the early part of 2010 that I was a lazy lout and not updating my bookish-related social networking sites. I now look at my online bookshelves in both sites and realize that the number of books I've read for 2010 wasn't really updated :(

This 2011 will change all that though! I plan to be more active in updating my bookshelves and joining the online discussions too

2. Blog more often.

Looking back at the early part of 2010, I got lazy in writing reviews. Bah. I realize I should write reviews as soon as I finish the book [or maybe nearly finished with the book, like 20 pages or less to go] so my thoughts and opinions are still in my head and not floating off elsewhere. Note to self: if i keep on writing stuff in notebooks, only I could get to read it, and not be able to share my discovery with others :(

3. Use specific tagging for easier searching

I realized that my bookshelf tag in Goodreads and labels here in the blog is not specific. So, to make things easier for myself [and maybe for my readers, if I have them heehee] I'll do the specific tags!

4. Buy books that are only P150 or below[3.50 USD or 2.50 GBP equivalent]

I need to cut back on my TBR list and save the money for my travels and the essentials. So, I'll resort to borrowing books from my dear old bookish friends Haydee and Rosie and Yammie, and buying books from second hand bookstores [Yay Book Sale] or just buying discounted books =) Less space required too. Oh. And I'll also resort to BookMooch.

5. Attend more bookish events

Book discussions, group meet ups, book launches and the like. =)

I planned to do two 2010 wrap-ups: one for a book-related and one for an overall personal post.

So, in line for the beest and worst discussion of my book club for 2010, let me present my bookish highlights for 2010!

Some Awesome Things that Happened:

• Meeting Miguel Syjuco of Ilustrado fame during his book launch at National Bookstore. This was my first ever book launch and I'm surprised at how casual book launches are. Oooh! And the first book I got signed by the author. Whee.
• Getting involved with Lenore's International Book Blogger Mentoring Program. I got to read and review awesome books [Dust of 100 Dogs by A.S. King and Wish You Were Dead by Todd Strasser] that was not released in Manila [that I know of].
• Going to the Trash Book launch and getting to interview Andy Mulligan.
• Getting a chance to review books from Anvil Publishing, NetGalley, and thanks for the books sent by publishers to me!! Yaay!

Best Books Read for 2010:

• Trash by Andy Mulligan. I loved that this has a Filipino theme in the book. Yes, I am partial to the book because it presented the Philippines and revolves around Filipino people, but it shows a truth to what's really happening in the country today.
• The Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer. Can I just say cutest little picture book ever?? I <3 animals!!
• Belle De Jour. Where the popular British tv show, Secret Diary of a Call Girl was based on. Lovely. Although I can't say I would love the second book, which is a bit bland and boring.
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Reading about teens killing one another for survival has never been this interesting and addictive. Yeah, it sounds a bit morbid but you have to read the book to appreciate what I'm talking about!
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. The one that got me started on the Rick Riordan reading addiction. Thanks very much Rosie, you are such a bad influence [in a good way =p ]
• Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran. Best historical fiction book I ever read so far!

Disappointing Reads for 2010:

• Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding. I had such high hopes for this book. Oh well.
• Extravagance by Gary Kirst. I thought this would be excellent historical fiction. I thought wrong.

Book with the best cover [that I read for 2010]:

• City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I was not too impressed by the writing style, but dang, the cover is absolutely gorgeous! The one I borrowed from my friend has a holographic effect to it. It's tooo pretty!!

Bring on 2011!! :)

Whee!

I reviewed Death By Garrote last December 28th and lo and behold, some friends from my book club, Flips Flipping Pages, informed me that Mr. Ambeth Ocampo shared a link to this blog on his Facebook site!

I was squeeing in happiness.  Lookie! Lookie!

Death by Garrote is the third book in the Looking Back series by Ambeth Ocampo. But not to worry, you don't need to buy Looking Back 1 and 2 before you appreciate Looking Back 3. They are all standalone books which comprise of a series of editorial articles that Ambeth Ocampo wrote for the Philippine Daily Inquirer which revolve around Philippine history. These articles do not necessarily just delve in the heroes of the past, but also of various foods, establishments, and so much more!

I was introduced in the Looking Back series when I was at Ambeth Ocampo's talk at the Ayala Museum last August 14th, 2010. I bought a copy of Looking Back 2 to have signed, and was instantly hooked!

What I absolutely loved about the Looking Back series is that they provide short glimpses of Philippine History without being too boring! They were written in such a way that is entertaining, informative, and fun! Unlike some of the other history books I read when I was younger [flashback of my Araling Panlipunan days back in high school where I fall asleep], this book would definitely interest you in Philippine history. I know it peaked my interest, and yes, I was also insistent on peaking my mom's interest that I kept badgering her with some questions about who was the president during her time, the food she ate, what it was like strolling through Quiapo and Sta. Cruz and how they compare to today. Okay, back to the book. I also loved that some old photos were incorporated in the book. Something that is very difficult to find now.

I learned while reading that these articles was researched thoroughly by the author, and maybe someday someone would browse through his notes and make a living out of his research [Hmm.... I may have to find those notes and trawl through them]. And yes, that particular note made me want to stand up from my seat and go directly to the Lopez Memorial Museum in Ortigas, and the dumdum in me initially did not know where it was until the wonder that is Google pointed me in the right direction. [Note: Rosie, if you are reading this, please can we go there on our historical tour this 2011?]

Oh, another noteworthy thing about the books, the title of Looking Back 2 and 3 is already an overview of the first few articles presented. In Looking Back 2, it was about Mabini's dancing [could you ever imagine, our most precious hero, dancing? Normally we just associate him with his wheelchair], and in Looking Back 3, it was all about the garrote. [Another note: Frankly, I also never knew what a garrote was. Uh.. dumdum moment again!! Thanks again to Google and this book to erase the stupid factor in me].

Can I just say - when is the next book out?? At 100 pages, it is enough to leave you hanging and wanting more. So, while there are no books out yet, you can discover some of the other Ambeth Ocampo books available in the local bookstores. 

So, overall, this is a must read book. You may not be a history buff to appreciate all the articles, but maybe after reading this, you'll get to learn more about Philippine history and look at our heroes and past differently.

Published: 2010
Available From: All local bookstores! [I checked National Bookstore & Powerbooks and they already have a copy of this. Not sure about Fully Booked but I'm sure they have this also]
Publisher: Anvil Publishing
Book was: Provided by Anvil Publishing for review. Many thanks also for Gege and Honey for offering :) 
Read it if: You want to know more about Philippine history. I know, I would!
Rating: I loved it, one of my favourite reads of the year [5/5]

It was just the beginning of summer and Percy, Annabeth and Thalia were out to help Grover, as he was trying to protect two new half-bloods, Bianca and Nico. As they go through their adventure, a manticor suddenly attacks, and Annabeth falls off a cliff. What comes next is a quest to save Artemis and Annabeth, and find out what is brewing in the Titan's camp, as the prophecy about the hero who may bring down the gods looms nearer.

I am loving this book!! It's quite different from the Sea of Monsters, where I know the basic plot of the story so its a breath of fresh air for me. Here, I meet the warriors of Artemis, and the gods that had no direct interaction with Percy on the previous books: Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, and Hephaestus. I'm loving the new characters too: the Ophiotaurus, and the Pegasus Blackjack, Porpie and Guido!

Although I'm not used to not having Annabeth around in the story, it is quite amusing to read about Percy trying to battle his feelings about her. Awww... it looks like he's growing up and likes Annabeth as more than a friend. It's amazing also how these new characters got injected in the book, which a part of my mind was saying "are they part of the Heroes of Olympus spinoff book?" Although there were certain elements in the story that I guessed easily [Atlas, for example], it is a fun and entertaining read as well. There may be some new characters and scenarios that are a bit hard to follow at times, but I guess they would all form a part of the final two books that would ultimately conclude in Percy's choice when faced with the prophecy. Oooooh.

I can't provide much thought on this book without giving too many spoilers, so I'd better wrap this up now.

Published: 2007
Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Read it if: You want to continue the tale of Percy. This is the middle book, by the way
Rating: I liked it! [4/5]

I find that the second book is not as interesting as the first one. Don't get me wrong, maybe I'm just trying to get used to the writing style of this author, as it is quite different from Rick Riordan. There were some parts of the story that were boring, and predictable. I knew they would happen and what would happen before I even finished reading that particular chapter, would you believe? Also, the darker side of the Cahills are showing in this book - they would steal and make cunning efforts to try and get to the next clue, however, I guess they have to do that as they are obviously the underdogs, only relying on wits and information that Grace may have passed on to them. Thankfully the book picked up near the end, as they were in Venice and in Vienna. Those parts, I can't literally put the book down. Hmm... both cities, I would definitely add to my to-travel list.

One thing I can't take was how the other characters/teams seem to be non-existent in the book. Where was Irina, where were the Holts, what happened to Jonah after he had lost Amy and Dan during the chase? There were quite a lot of loose ends and I am not quite happy about that.

What surprised me about the tale was how Marie-Antoinette was included in the book. Oh, you'll have to read it how she was involved, but she is all right. One thing about the 39 Clues is that they mix historical facts to the storytelling, which I guess from what I read in a press release before was a goal of the publisher - to make kids love learning about history as they read the books. And I totally agree, since I can't help but research some of the facts and places mentioned in the book to add to my own general knowledge.

I can't wait to pick up the next book - it is currently in my TBR list, and although book 2 disappointed me for a bit, here's hoping that book 3 won't!
Publisher: Scholastic
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Read it if: You want to continue the story as outlined from book 1
Rating: It could get better! [3/5]

This morning, I was searching through http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/ and saw that my well-wished for book is still available on stock.

After watching their youtube video performance of Never Forget with Robbie at Children in Need, I went out of my mind and pondered if I would really, really, really want to get a copy of this book.

And I did, BUT after I consulted a few websites.

Checked http://www.amazon.co.uk/ and the book is out of stock, checked http://www.asda.co.uk/ and its also out of stock - http://www.play.co.uk/ is also out of stock. Oh.My.Gosh. I definitely, definitely should get this book now!!!


And then I filled myself with thoughts and explanations on why I would get the book:
1. It's sold out in all the UK websites I'm expecting it to- I need this book NOW!
2. It's a collectors item
3. It's a book about one of my favourite bands, enough said!
4. Maybe one day I'll get the band members to sign the book when I stalk them somewhere
5. It's a book.