Ruby Loves Adventure

From Goodreads: This penultimate series installment finds Percy, Annabeth and the satyr Grover furiously working to prevent former camp counselor Luke from resurrecting the Titan lord Kronos, whose goal is to overthrow the gods. When the heroes learn that Luke can breach Camp Half-Blood's security through an exit from Daedalus's Labyrinth, they enter the maze in search of the inventor and a way to stop the invasion. Along the way they encounter a lifetime supply of nightmare-inducing, richly imagined monsters. Grover's own quest to find the lost god Pan, meanwhile, provides a subtle environmental message. Percy, nearly 15, has girl trouble, having become something of a chick magnet.

Yay, I've read book 4 of the Percy Jackson series! Seriously, this book is more action packed compared to the other Percy books, I think. It's like every page is riddled with dangers, new demigods and gods to meet. I was literally writing a whole load of new characters [I don't know if they are part of historical Greek mythology or not] and wanting to research them. Action - this book I love. I am literally awaiting what may happen to any of the characters at every turn they make in the labyrinth.

In this book, Percy lands himself into a sort of love triangle between Rachel Elizabeth Dare and Annabeth. Ahh, to be young and confused in love. Of course, I know who Percy would choose, there is a small bit of a spoiler from The Lost Hero. But it is cute, nevertheless. I love how the characters are all growing up nicely and are maturing into great demigods, or cyclops, or a satyr.

I also think that choice is one of the main themes in the book. Each character practically had to make a significant choice in this book at one point in another: whether which path to choose, or who to follow, there are always choices, which of course, we all encounter in our lives. It's just a matter of living with our choices that makes us who we are right now. We may not always be happy with those choices, but hey, sometimes we end up being better than what we think we should be because we always learn.

Published: 2008
Available From: everywhere!

Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: Good! [4/5]

Blurb from Goodreads:

She's just a New York City girl living with her artist mom…

News flash: Dad is prince of Genovia. (So that's why a limo always meets her at the airport!)

Downer: Dad can't have any more kids. (So no heir to the throne.)

Shock of the century: Like it or not, Mia is prime princess material.

The worst part: Princess lessons from her dreaded grandmere, the dowager princess of Genovia, who thinks Mia has a thing or two to learn before she steps up to the throne.

Well, her father can lecture her until he's royal-blue in the face about her princessly duty no— way is she moving to Genovia and leaving Manhattan behind. But what's a girl to do when her name is PRINCESS AMELIA MIGNONETTE GRIMALDI THERMOPOLIS RENALDO

I first came across this book when the movie came out. Back then, I had no idea who Meg Cabot was, and how good she was. All I know was that Anne Hathaway starred in the movie, I loved the movie, and what would it really feel like if I woke up one day and find out that I am a princess of some unknown, but rich country? That would be the day!

And so, I borrowed this book from a close friend of mine, Yam. Well, I loved the movie, so maybe I'll love the book even more? Err... maybe not. First off, I find Mia too annoying in the book. I mean, quit whining, girl! You're the princess of Genovia, for crying out loud! You should be happy, take the responsibility, and take pride in the fact that you're royalty! But then again, maybe she is acting out because a) she is a teenager, and b) she will have to say goodbye to her normal, day to day routine of being just a normal girl. At the latter part of the book though, I've come to like her. She has grown to become independent of Lilly and well, eventually try to live a life of her own: princess or not. Ugh, Lilly. For me, she epitomizes a girl with serious problems.

I love how the book was written. It feels like I can totally relate to Mia, although I'm not Mia, and I'm not a princess. haha. But I feel for her, I feel for what she's going through, and not to mention, the writing style is very, very easy to comprehend. Ahh Meg Cabot, I will definitely read your other works soon! I'm going to borrow book 2 when I see my friend again! :)

Published: 2000 [that long ago!! 11 freaking years ago? Where was I when this book came out? Under a rock? Man, I've really got to get some serious reading done, imagine all those years and great titles I've missed out when I've stopped reading books]

Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: HarperCollins
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: Very good! [4/5]

Blurb from Goodreads: Amy and Dan Cahill have been located once again, this time in the company of the notoriously unreliable Alistair Oh. Could they have been foolish enough to make an alliance?


Spies report that Amy and Dan seem to be tracking the life of one of the most powerful fighters the world has ever known. If this fearsome warrior was a Cahill, his secrets are sure to be well-guarded . . . and the price to uncover them just might be lethal.

Alliances and Teamwork are the theme of this book. It is probably the first time where Amy and Dan would ally themselves with not just one, but two of their opponents to try and find out about the 39 Clues. It's cute though, the team dynamics of these people really stand out and makes their characters so much interesting. There may even be a potential love match between two characters. Ooooh. Interesting. This is a more interesting read for me than the second book, which was all about deception and double crossing each other. So not fun. I would prefer my YA reads to be happy, to be honest!

In this book, I found out more about the history of the Cahills, and take the reader to more destinations: Japan and Korea, and a hint to where the next destination will be. But obviously, since all the books are out now, you'll probably know where the next destination for the clue hunt will be.

This is probably the thinnest book in the whole 39 Clues franchise, so it is a quick read. This book is more graphic too. Graphic in the clue sense, of course. There are many pictures and hints that will make you think you're one of them, trying to solve the puzzles to find the clues together. Good thing all 10 books are now out, or else I'll go bonkers waiting for the fourth book to come out. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Published: 2009

Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: Scholastic
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: Very good! [4/5]

I'm too lazy to write my own blurb, so here's the one from Goodreads:

To save her mother's life, Clary must travel to the City of Glass, the ancestral home of the Shadowhunters -- never mind that entering the city without permission is against the Law, and breaking the Law could mean death. To make things worse, she learns that Jace does not want her there, and Simon has been thrown in prison by the Shadowhunters, who are deeply suspicious of a vampire who can withstand sunlight.


As Clary uncovers more about her family's past, she finds an ally in mysterious Shadow-hunter Sebastian. With Valentine mustering the full force of his power to destroy all Shadow-hunters forever, their only chance to defeat him is to fight alongside their eternal enemies. But can Downworlders and Shadowhunters put aside their hatred to work together? While Jace realizes exactly how much he's willing to risk for Clary, can she harness her new found powers to help save the Glass City -- whatever the cost?

Love is a mortal sin and the secrets of the past prove deadly as Clary and Jace face down Valentine in the final installment of the New York Times bestselling trilogy The Mortal Instruments

This book disappointed me a bit. After the high of reading the second book, City of Ashes, it all comes down to this. A lot of loose ends have been tied, and although some elements are predictable, there seems to be a lot more action in this book compared to the first two. However, what I don't like is that the incessetant comparisons/similes is back again! I thought it improved from the first to the second book, but in the third book, it's baaaack! The first 200 pages bored me to bits and pieces. Yes, I do admire how Clare has described Alicante, but some elements had me lost, which is much like how I felt when I read the first book. At one point I wanted to just stop reading altogether, but then again the investment of time I've spent reading the first two books and some of the third kept me reading altogether. Good thing the final 100 pages surely made up for the boring parts.

What else - this book is darker than the second book - it deals with war, death, and so much revenge and suffering. Seriously, even the demons are scary. I wouldn't want my young adult children to read this, but then again, for older readers like me, it provides a breath of fresh air. It also shows a unity to races that are not of the same kind, which is what we need in the world right now. What I don't like is that there were some meaningless deaths. Ugh. And oh, I would really want some more fight scenes - like detailed descriptions. That would make for an awesome story!

I also liked the fact that the characters are growing up and learning more about themselves and accepting their talents and who they are. Alec's, for one, is a very inspiring tale. Jace's is too - he definitely went through a lot.

This review is really hard to pull off without giving much spoilers, so I guess I'll leave it there! This book is also one of the thickest, longest books I've ever read so far! I wouldn't say the time I've spent in reading the book is definitely worth it though!

Published: 2009

Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: Margaret K McElderly Books/Simon and Schuster
Book was: borrowed from a friend
Rating: The book could be better - it was disappointing at first, but if you find that it bored you, wait until you read the last 100 pages - it is awesome! [3.5/5]

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It features bought, borrowed, or received books as well as other cool stuff from the mail.



I wasn't really planning or expecting to do an In My Mailbox post this week since I haven't requested any books to review from NetGalley nor am I expecting to buy books within this week [trying to cut back on my Mt. TBR]. But a funny little surprise awaitied me!

Last Jan 26th, Simon & Schuster UK tweeted: "Posting out lots of books for the @bookchickcity thriller and suspense challenge". It came with a photo too:

In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately.

Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence.

But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes.

Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire.

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City.

I normally only feature one book a week because:

I want to limit the number of books I intend to buy in the future

It is much easier to update with only one book lemming a week

Easier for my friends to check if I already own the book or not.

For this week, I chose to put Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Experiences on my wishlist.

Why? Because it's travel related! =) I love everything travel right now, so this book would be quite a guide for me to follow my dreams and serve as inspiration for things that I may want to do on my next trips, and possibly even where to go.

Only downside? The book is expensive. Oh, and I'm not even 100% sure if it's really worth it given some of the reviews being provided at Amazon. Oh well.

This is my best read of 2011. Hands down. No other book could possibly top this. Yes, it seems I'm very biased considering that I'm such a HUGE effing fan of this band.

And so, this is my long thought-of review of Take That - Take Two. The picture on the side was taken when I saw the book on my bed [after the package was so conveniently opened by a member of the family]. I actually squealed when I saw this book on my bed, and made numerous blog entries about thinking of getting this book, from the Book Depository experience, to an In My Mailbox post, to the time I bought the book, and an On My Wishlist post. I really can't beleive I'm reviewing this book, and I own it. I really can't.

So, what's the book about? It's a photo book filled with photos of the band from the time they had reunited in 2005, and following their success until 2009. Why's it called Take Two? Because it's their second time to come back, I guess.
There are numerous photos in there, and some photos have captions that have been written [or provided, I dunno] by certain members of the band. My favourite quote though: "Ten Years On and Howard still does it. Bastard. - Jason" That cracked me up. Well, if you could see the photo that accompanied the quote or if you're a huge fan of the band then maybe you'll get what I'm saying as well. :)

My favourite photos from the book:

And is it obvious that I am a huge fan of Jason? The other two photos I am featuring here are of him!


Available From: Amazon.
Publisher: Penguin books/Michael Joseph
Book was: bought from the Book Depository
Rating: Best.Book.Ever. [5/5]

The book is divided into four parts: the first is an introduction to what the species is, the second on where it originated, the third on the cat behaviour and the fourth on what to do when you [or your parents] decide to get a cat for yourself.

This is quite informative, however, given that the target market is for children, seems to me that it is marketed to "convince" children to "convince" their parents to get them this cat breed. However, one must always be aware that getting pets is a responsibility, and if your pets don't behave as you expected, you have to deal with it and love it as your own.

What I like in the book is how the information has been presented. It was very clear and straight to the point. The pictures are okay too, the cat is cute, with its huge, blue eyes and fluffy fur!

Published: 2011

Available From: Amazon
Publisher: Lerner Publishing Group
Book was: an ARC from NetGalley
Rating: It's okay, informative, photos are cute. [3/5]

Another book-related meme that I haven't done in forever. I decided to resurrect this because I realized that some of the books I blogged about on my wishlist have been bought by friends as gifts to me or I found that I bought myself eventually :)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City. 

I normally only feature one book a week because:

• I want to limit the number of books I intend to buy in the future
• It is much easier to update with only one book lemming a week 
• Easier for my friends to check if I already own the book or not. 

This week, I want to get The Chancer by Shane Lynch. 

Why do I want this book? It's Boyzone related, that's why! And I love me my boybands!! As you can see from a previous on my wishlist post, I wanted to get a Boyzone DVD set.

On another On My Wishlist post, I wanted both Take That books, which I eventually bought after some months.

Who knows, maybe this book would be featured on an In My Mailbox post and on a review on this blog in the next few months, when I finally come around to buying this!


 

I haven't done an In My Mailbox post for forever.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.  It features bought, borrowed, or received books as well as other cool stuff from the mail.

So, for this week/month, I got the following:

BOUGHT:

• Take One by Take That. Asked my friend's dad to buy this one from Kinokuniya in Dubai since it's sold out at the Book Depository, Play and Amazon.co.uk. Luck was with me because Kino still had this book in stock! Thanks Tito and Yam for getting me this! :) Why did I get it? It's TAKE THAT!!!
• Take Two by Take That. My Book Depository order just arrived last Jan 21st. Oh yeah! Oh yeah! I'm poring through the pages again and again and again. I <3 this band!
• Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit. Got this from my favourite used bookstore for only a fraction of the original price. 

I got two more books from my favourite used bookstore but I forgot the titles :( One is about Josephine Bonaparte, and the other is a YA book. 

FOR REVIEW:
Got the following ebooks from NetGalley:

• Bless this Mouse by Lois Lowry  - I've loved the Giver and when I saw that this galley is available for review, I immediately requested it! 
• B is for Bufflehead by Steve Hutchcraft - a picture book. Perfect for days in the office where I'm not feeling 100% and as a pick me up. 
• Ragdolls are the Best by Elaine Landau - I like cats, so this is a cute book to read and review too!

Share what's in your mailbox too! :) 

Living in Asia and away from England sure has its downsides, and hence, when I first went to England, I went back home to Manila with an additional suitcase filled to the brim with toys, books, and magazines that either a) are not available in Manila, or b) cost an arm and a leg to get or c) out of stock and would probably not be available anytime soon.

Anyway, thanks to the Book Depository, they have now opened up my world to England a bit more! This is a post of my purchase of a very limited edition book that I wanted to add to my collection.

If you know me and maybe if you're a follower of my blog, you probably know that I <3 Take That and that they're like, one of two of my favourite bands. [The other favourite band is Boyzone, but hey, that's an entirely different story].

So, woe is me, a book I wanted came out in England last 2009, and I'm too shy to ask some of my co-workers to get it for me from England and ship it to Manila [not to mention it would cost an arm and a leg to do so]. But thank goodness that Book Depository then decided to ship to the Philippines. And shipping is free!!

So, I got the book "Take That - Take Two" for $29 [approx], last December 14th as an early Christmas gift to myself. I promised myself I would then buy "Take That - Take One" once I receive the packet from Book Depository. 


I am a very, very impatient person. And you could just imagine that I check the website every day to see if my order has been dispatched,  all the while imagining "what it if's sold out? It's a rare book!"  My order was finally dispatched on December 20th, 2010, and finally arrived in Manila last January 21st, 2011.

It took a month for the book to arrive, but granted, there's Christmas and New Year breaks to consider, and of course, like an excited fan girl, I was waiting for the book to arrive in my house for days, and days and days.

I pored through the book last night [review coming up] and literally finished it in one sitting.
I went online today, and found that my worst fear has been realized: Take One is already out of stock. :(

I immediately placed my email address in the notification list, in hopes that if the book DOES get restocked that I would be notified, and I could then purchase the book.

Anyway, I'm more than happy with the book depository service. It brings a whole load of British books available to me, who is living on the other side of the world. The prices are quite reasonable considering that they provide free shipping, but it is definitely more expensive compared to just buying the book to other UK retailers, and if you live in the UK [Amazon.co.uk and Play.co.uk provide free ground shipping to UK addresses].

I love that Book Depository has a wide array of titles as well that you could select from.

Note to self, I need to get the following books:
1. Take That - Take One [HELP me find this book!!! I've already emailed a friend of mine who goes back and forth to Dubai to try and help me locate this one]
2. Shane Lynch - The Chancer [what kind of Boyzone fan am I if i don't get this book?]
3. Stephen Gately - The Tree of Seasons [again, the Boyzone fan in me is screaming to get this]
4. The Saturdays - Our Story
5. Cheryl Cole - Through My Eyes
6. The Wanted - The Wanted.

As you can see, my wallet will eventually be drained by the Book Depository. Ha ha.

Note also to others: If you want something really bad, just get it! This is the nth time this has happened to me: pondering over and over if I should get something or not, and when I finally decide to get it, it's now out of stock. Sadness!

Since I have recently discovered NetGalley, it is so much easier for me to sign up to the 2011 Debut Author Challenge, hosted by The Story Siren. :) The goal is to read at least twelve novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors.

So, on my list for now, a galley that I am currently reading is "Lost Voices" by Sarah Porter. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's.

I'll just blog about whatever 2011 debut I read, can't really think about any debut authors for now :)