Ruby Loves Adventure

The Book Bloggers - Photo from Chachic

Okay, I know I said I'm slowing down on blogging a few posts back but I found myself with some extra time this weekend so here I am trying to schedule some posts in hope that you guys won't get bored of me not posting anything ^_^

So, last Saturday, Mar 12th, I went to the Filipino Book Blogger meetup at Libreria. I was actually late for around 45 minutes because I was distracted at National Bookstore Cubao, looking for some excellent finds, but walked away with nothing. Booo. I was actually looking for some travel books but they were too expensive for me at the moment.

Anyway, back to the book blogger meetup. It was actually very informal, and we introduced ourselves and our blog. :) There was also a special guest: Mina V Esguerra, author of Fairy Tale Fail and My Imaginary Ex [among others]. Whee. I actually didn't know she was coming, had I known, I would have scoured the local bookstores for a copy of My Imaginary Ex. [although I think it is very very hard to find now].

We munched some popcorn: Cheddar vs Parmesan flavoured popcorn. What is the difference? Hmm.. Love the cheese though. Thanks for the popcorn, Chachic! Thanks for the donuts Celina :) 

So, some topics we discussed - the 24 hour readathon, and how the PH should have a browse-a-thon where people would read as much as they can for an hour, pass an exam, and the winner would get a copy of the book, the losers would pay for the book. Ha. Ha. Fun, given that Filipinos are known book browsers.

Book Piracy - on how photocopying reading materials for school [*gasp* I didn't know it was illegal! I was photocopying my reading notes throughout my university days!] and how it affects sales of authors. Mina was quick to note that if you get pirated, that means you're a best seller, and most people who download stuff for free has the intention of buying a copy eventually [which I guess, is true]

We also had this mini-debate about the Kinsella and Riordan books. Ha ha. Turns out most people didn't love the books that I soo adored. Oh well, everyone has their tastes :) I guess I'm more mainstream and how I rate the books is depending on my emotional connection to what the characters are feeling and/or how the book was written.

There was also one particular discussion that made me laugh out loud: how there was a blogger who "spies" on what the people are reading in a train station somewhere in America, and how the ereader makes it harder for her to check on the titles that people read. [Which, as we all pointed out, would be easier for those who love reading romance novels, and coincidentally, also lead to how romance novels are a girl's guilty pleasure - and the pages that are the most marked/well-read/dog eared in a romance novel are the steamy parts ;)]
Okay, that was some mighty rambling going on.

I also loved how book hoarding was discussed. And which I could so relate. It's like a shopaholic series, although instead of clothes, we all buy books, and we always buy them even if we have multiple books waiting to be read [hey, we will try to read all the books in our pile... eventually].

We also had a book swap - I got Garden Spells and The Guernsey Library and Potato Peel Society :) It was so much fun, also got some books from Aldrin. Thank you :) They are all featured in my In My Mailbox post for this week.

Note to self - I definitely should have some business cards printed. :)


Oh, for other accounts on the meetup, you can visit these:
Chachic

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.


From a book swap from the Mar 12 book bloggers meet-up: 


Garden Spell by Sarah Addison Allen


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows


**Both from Celine


From Aldrin: ** thank you!! :) **



The Labrador Pact: A Novel by Matt Haig

This is a personal post, but something to do with why I am not as consistent right now in my reviews.

Okay, it all started a few weeks ago, when there are a LOT of things happening in my career. I won't disclose it yet, but some of my collagues and close personal friends do know bits and pieces about it. Well, everyday is a different rollercoaster of emotion for me. Sometimes I ride high, sometimes low, and of course, like everything in life, nothing is ever certain. I'm still uncertain about stuff, even if all the people who know keep telling me the opposite.

So, on that note, I have to say that my reading and my blogging has taken a huge hit. Whenever I try to read books now, I feel that I can't concentrate, my mind seems to always wander to that particular what if scenario that I am constantly thinking about.

I know it is not in my personality do delve on things. Normally, I just move on. But something about this makes me feel that I can't... I just can't move on. Why can't I just leave this uncertainty and paranoia behind and just take it as it is?? Oh well.

So there, I will still be posting reviews [whenever I can finish reading books quickly enough]. I am trying to create a blog review for the 6th 39 Clues Book that I just finished, and I'm trying to start on the 7th.

Goodbye to my previous goal of more than 5 books per month. It's already the second week of March and I've only finished a book.

Oh, the above and travel keep me busy most of the time. Ha.Ha.

But if all goes well, looks like I'll have to narrow down my TBR to a few books that I would want to read while I'm not in my comfort zone. That is, if I do get a chance to read.

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.

Bought:

From Book Depository:
My orders finally arrived!! I placed them on the first week of February and it arrived last Friday evening. Hurrah! Hurrah!

The Tree of Seasons - Stephen Gately. [blurb from Goodreads]

When Josh, Michael and Beth Lotts catch sight of some mysterious lights one summer’s evening, they are drawn into a dense forest near their home where no one dares ever go. What they find there is incredible.


The Tree of Seasons is a doorway into another world. There are four kingdoms in this world, each forever stuck in spring, summer, autumn and winter and each with its own ruler. The tree and the world it conceals have existed for hundreds of years and have never been uncovered by anyone, until now.

The Lotts find that peace has been shattered in this magical world. One ruler, who bears a remarkable resemblance to their aunt is intent on power at all costs. She causes destruction and suffering that threaten to tear worlds apart. Josh, Michael and Beth have arrived just in time to take part in the battle that the other three kingdoms have to fight in order to survive.

The Tree of Seasons is a beautiful story of good and evil and a vividly imagined portrait of a world beyond our own.

The Chancer - Shane Lynch
An autobiography of Shane Lynch [also from Boyzone -- I've featured it in an On My Wishlist post a few weeks back and I finally got it!!]

From the used bookstore:

Found myself at my favourite used bookstore chain again when I went to watch the fireworks and do a bit of sightseeing in the Metro. Got myself the following:
Paddington: Here and Now by Michael Bond.
Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer.

Both books for $3! Absolutely amazing!

Info from Goodreads:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

OH.MY.GOD. Cutest novel I've ever read! I mean, seriously! This is one of those books that almost made me late for work a few times [given that I read her book a few minutes before I'm set to get ready for work]. I literally cannot put it down!

The chemistry between Etienne St Clair and Anna Oliphant is sizzling. I can't turn a chapter without reading about those near-misses or thinking "heck, make a move!" and is literally gave me goosebumps. Aaaah. It's spinetinglingly sweet and fun and well, made me wish that I was Anna! Or maybe in another life, I could be transported to Paris when I was back in high school and still a teenager. It's just good.

The words are very well written that made me feel that I am Anna, I feel what I feel, and I could imagine myself in her place. She is not one of those pathetic heroines where she needs a prince. Oh noes. And oh.my.gosh. St. Clair. The author has been absolutely brilliant in thinking about the St Clair hybrid: French-American, with a British accent! I mean, come on! The author definitely had me at the British accent part [very believable. Loved the die-rections part] and the fact that she made St Clair a mutt and with flaws [hello, small guy?] made him even more loveable!! And the thing is, she made her characters with lots of flaws, and not one of those perfect high school kids. Which made it more realistic and relatable, of course. Love. Love.

For a great pick-me-up book, this is definitely for you. I do adore chick lit books, and my previous favourite was the Shopaholic series. Now, Anna is my favourite favourite chick lit book. And yes, I will pick up the book and re-read it again. When? How about today!

**Note: Thanks Tina for recommending this book. I never imagined it was this good. I do know other bloggers have raved about this book, but I don't normally take other recommendations to heart. Good thing I listened this time! :)

Published: 2010

Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: Dutton
Book was: Won from Tina's contest. Shipped via Book Depository.
Rating: Absolutely brilliant! One of the best books ever! [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.

Bought:
Was in the mall with my friends for a travel expo and a fireworks show after and I couldn't resist the urge to drop by my favourite used bookstore chain. I walked out with this:
The Truth About Diamonds by Nicole Richie. I wanted to get this full price, but as I always say, "every book I could possibly want, I could eventually purchase at a discounted price".

I also saw a book about the two princes in the tower by Robin Maxwell [which I didn't get because it was a bit too battered for the price] and a hardbound Stephen King "Under the Dome" book, which I also didn't get because it was quite expensive, and I'm not entirely sure if I could stick reading the doorstop of the book that it is.


So, what did you get in your mailboxes? :)

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.

Summary from Goodreads:

WHERE ARE AMY AND DAN CAHILL? The two kids were last seen in Egypt, hunting for one of the 39 Clues that could make them the most powerful people on earth. But no one has seen the siblings since. Has the ruthless Irina Spasky finally tracked them down? Or worse...the Madrigals? No one knows where the Clue hunt leads next. But one thing is certain – Book 5 is gearing up to be Dan and Amy’s most dangerous adventure yet.

Volgograd, Moscow, Yekaterinburg, St Petersburg, Magadan and Omsk. Those are the cities that are featured in this book. And what do they have in common? Russia!! A Lucian outpost, might I add. Oh, and a place that I would also like to visit at one point in my life.

Anyway, this book has the two Cahills teaming up with the Holts, as a mysterious clue sent by NRR within a given time period has them bolting across Russia, and knowing they can't make the deadline alone, sent the Holts to Siberia. Yay. I like it when the teams work with each other to accomplish a common goal! The Cahills also meet other allies throughout the tale, although I'm not 100% sure if they are indeed allies or are pretending to be one.

I like how the destinations were described. I actually googled some of them and was absolutely enthralled by them: The Kremlin, the Road of Bones, the Motherland Call,s and many others! It's a nice way to travel by reading, if you don't have the funds to do so. Historic figures were also prevalent in the book: Stalin, Rasputin, and the Romanovs. I also learned a new sickness: hemophilia! Anyway, whilst some of the plotlines stated in the book aren't exactly facts, they are certainly entertaining nontheless.

I'm starting to looooove this book series. Not only do each book feature a new country, with new cities, historical figures, and facts to learn and understand, they are also very easy to read! :)

Published: 2009
Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: Scholastic
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: Very Good! [4/5]

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 am on a roll! This week, I got the following:

Bought:

I, Elizabeth by Rosalind Miles.

I got this from a used bookstore near my place. Although it is a bit more expensive compared to my original budget, I just couldn't let it go. Historical fiction about one of England's beloved queens? Heck, yes!

For Review:

The Promises She Keeps by Erin Healy
Blurb from Amazon:

It's her destiny to die young. The man who loves her can't live with that.

Promise, a talented young vocalist with a terminal illness, is counting on fame to keep her memory alive after she dies. Porta is an aging witch and art collector in search of the goddess who will grant her immortality.

When Promise inexplicably survives a series of freak accidents, Porta believes that Promise is the one she seeks. But Chase, an autistic artist who falls in love with Promise and opposes Porta, comes between the women with his mysterious visions and drawings, and plunges everyone into a flesh-and-blood confrontation over the true meaning of eternal life.

Cute cover. How could I say no to this kind of book? It's brilliant!

From Goodreads: A resilient and quirky colony of church mice fears another Great X more than they fear cats. Under Mouse Mistress Hildegarde’s leadership, they save themselves from one danger after another—sometimes just by the skin of their tails! Can one ultimate act of bravery during the feast day of St. Francis get Father Murphy to bless these mice and keep them safe forever?

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you guys will know how much I adore animals, especially anthropomorphic animals - those that could walk, talk, and do the things that we humans normally do!
So imagine my delight when I saw that this book is available to read [and for free, I might add] via NetGalley.

So, what do I think of the story? I think it's waaaay tooo short. I wish Lois made it longer, gave the mice more adventures they could embark on, oh, the other possibilities! The story is quite straightforward, the mice are clearly unhappy about being tagged as pests, or rodents, and need to escape the great X [otherwise known as the exterminator].

I love the illustrations that were accompanying the book. With cute illustrations as these, and with characters that are just adorable, and so loveable, how could you not read this book? The supporting characters also provide bits of twists and turns here and there, and the mouse family sure knows how to work together to achieve a common goal. The narrative is beautifully written, and is appropriate for the young adult crowd. Wording is excellent too. This book is definitely different from the other Lowry book I read before ["The Giver"] but nevertheless, her transition has been excellent.




Available From: everywhere [starting March 21, 2011]!
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Book was: an ARC via NetGalley
Rating: Very Good! [4/5]

On their hunt for the next clue, the Cahill kids find themselves in Egypt, the land of ancient pyramids! They would encounter a new ally, and would eventually add some romantic factor to their au pair. The Cahill children learn that Grace left something for them, a message from beyond the grave, that would eventually help them in finding the next clue to their puzzle.

Thoughts: Can I book a trip to Egypt within the next few months? Seriously? As I was reading the book, it made me envious at all the historical sites that Dan and Amy went to in order to find the next clue! They were so well described, it makes me feel as if I'm there as well, although, in reality, I'm not.

I love how Jude Watson has magically brought Grace back to life with the hints that she has provided to the children, and how everything all came into place, much like pieces of a puzzle. The transition from the third book to this waas so smooth, it was harder to think that there were two different authors that wrote the story.

There wasn't much deception and betrayal in this book as compared to the others though, and it seems as if the softer side of Alistair and Irina came out with this book. Oooh. Now that's a first. The photos accompanying the mini-clues were abundant. Yay. They provide a bit of mystique to the story too, as if I'm part of the chase.

Overall, the book provides much historic data, quite consistent to the story, and serves as an excellent backdrop to the hunt!

Published: 2009
Available From: everywhere!
Publisher: Scholastic
Book was: Borrowed from a friend
Rating: Very Good! [4/5]

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 haven't done an IMM post yesterday, mainly because I haven't received or bought any new books lately, but this week is an entirely different story!!! :)

Won from One More Page:
"Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins. This book came as a package from the Book Depository [thanks again Tina!!! :) ] and I immediately dove into reading the book the day after I got it. Squee! Was particularly happy that the book arrived during a time when I was feeling sooo down and needed a little pick-me-up. The book definitely gave me that!

Borrowed:
So, I met one of my closest friends again who is also a bookworm now. Wheee! I got to borrow the following: 

• The 39 Clues Book 7: The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis
• The 39 Clues Book 8: The Emperor's Code by Gordon Korman
• The 39 Clues Book 9: Storm Warning by Linda Sue Park
• The 39 Clues Book 10: Into The Gauntlet by Margaret Peterson. Note: this book is probably one of the thickest in the series. Not sure which is thicker: book 1 or book 10!

Anyway, even though I haven't finished reading book 4 yet, and just returned books 1-3 to its rightful owner, Rosie still let me borrow the rest of the series. She was quite scared that I would hate waiting to read the next book, considering we only meet each other once every month or every other month. Was supposed to borrow Percy Book 5: The Last Olympian too, but maybe next time :)

So, that's what's in my mailbox for this week. Care to share yours as well? :)