July Multiple Books Review: 2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney

2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Third Wheel (Book #7)

Author: Jeff Kinney

Published: November 13th 2012

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 224 pages

Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Love is in the air - but what does that mean for Greg Heffley?

A Valentine's Day dance at Greg's middle school has turned his world upside down. As Greg scrambles to find a date, he's worried he'll be left out in the cold on the big night. His best friend, Rowley, doesn't have any prospects either, but that's a small consolation.

An unexpected twist gives Greg a partner for the dance and leaves Rowley the odd man out. But a lot can happen in one night, and in the end, you never know who's going to be lucky in love.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Well, I've been following this series, and I love and enjoy it so much.

Forever funny, hilarious, and entertaining! Love this series! Appropriate for all ages tho I personally think children under 9 years old need to be supervised by their parents when reading this, haha to be able to see which behavior is OK and which is NOT.. Haha..

July Multiple Books Reviews: 1. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Oh Wow, I think I have to say that July has been a great reading month for me. I read 10 books in total.. I am so excited..

Since it's been quite some time I haven't posted any book reviews, guess this is the time to catch up the absence don't U think? :)

1. The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey
Published: May 7th 2013
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 457 pages
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars

Synopsis:

The Passage meets The Hunger Games in a gripping new series from Carnegie-shortlisted Rick Yancey. After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it's the dawn of the 5th wave. On a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth's last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, until Cassie meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan may be her only hope for rescuing her brother and even saving herself. Now she must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. Cassie Sullivan gets up.

Deskynowsky's Review:

Everyone has been raving about this book... So am I.. I was sooooo curious, because I really like a good YA SciFi with post-apocalyptic setting..

This book is definitely one of my fave books of year 2013! I am really impressed and satisfied with this amazing YA book!

Somehow the story of this book (for me) kinda reminded me of The Passage by Justin Cronin and The Host by Stephanie Meyer (and fyi, I love those two books). The idea of this book is in the line with the idea of The Host, and the post-apocalyptic world setting of the story is very much as creepy as The Passage.

I like all characters in this book, very well characterized and built with a devastating background-story which shaped their development through out the story. And as for the story line, this one is the most main factor that made me enjoyed and love reading this book. Like I have mentioned earlier, this book is for me like the combination of The Host and The Passage, but less complexed and complicated than the Passage, and more action than The Host. So, how could I not like this book?! xp

So I think, most people who like The Host (and/or The Passage) will like (and favorite) this book. So read it! :D

What's New #8: Kinokuniya's temptation!

It was like last week since I posted a book haul post.. Well this time, it's a different story.. I've been avoiding to come to this bookstore, but there was just this pull that calling me to go there and I have been so stressed-out lately at the office, therefore I think I need to reward myself a bit.

So I went to Kinokuniya Bookstore at Grand Indonesia after the office.. I basically got myself (or bought myself) SIX books! hahaha..

Here they are!

Fragments and Unravel Me are sequels to Partials and Shatter Me which I have not yet reading xp well, I just can't let them hanging there, and I will read them eventually, so I decided to get them anw..

Pushing The Limits, I only hear good things about this book, it sounds like a good romantic story with a twist. I had put this book down two times at Kino, I was not so sure I want to read it, but then I was just "what the heck" and decided to buy it.. Because I am just too curious about it, what is the buzz about this book.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, Everybody Sees The Ants by A.S. King, and Life After Life by Kate Atkinson are probably books that I am really most excited about.. XD I've been wanting to get them for so long, and I saw them at Kino then I was like "put them in the basket!!!", so happy..

Okay, so that'd be all for today, I will probably back with reviews after this.. I am expecting The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey to be posted within this week.. and The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson also The Ocean at The End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman..

Alright then, see ya!

My Absence and What's New #7 (kinda incomplete edition)

Hi!!!

It's been quite some time since I posted my last post here.. Well, life happens which I mean by it is work which literally has taken over my life.. BUT I had 4 days of holiday to Thailand so it's okay I guess for now.. Okay, I won't talk about my work in this blog (no way!).. Let's jump to the What's new! :D

To be honest, I have purchased many books during my absence, but somehow I don't think I can remember which all those books I have bought, so I will just show you my very recent haul which I got by redeeming my IDR 250K (around $25) member voucher at Periplus Store here in Jakarta. And I am just sooooo happy to get these babies ;)

I am sure that many of you have heard about these two recent published books.. Alright then, that's it from me for now. Hopefully I can come back and post more here.. 

Wish you all a happy and great weekend.. Do what you want to do! and be yourself ;*

Book Review: The Passage (The Passage #1) by Justin Cronin

Buy The Passage by Justin Cronin? click here :)

SPOILERS FREE!

Year Published: 2011
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 784
Rating: 

In case, you don't know.. I read this book because of Joseph Morgan.. If you guys don't know him, google him.. It's been a long time since I really like an actor and considering myself as a fan. haha.. I like many actors and actresses, but never really thought myself as a fan.. but this time, I make an exception ;)

4.5 stars! - SPOILER FREE!

This is one of those books that could catch me off my guard.. I just can't seem to formulate coherent thoughts of what I felt after finishing this book. It was just a mix of anxieties.

It took me a while to finish this book, other than the monstrosity of how thick this book is, there is also a busy life to live.. work and everything, mostly the limited time.. but what a journey and experience reading this book.

I don't think people who can not bear a really slow and long development of a story-line can enjoy this book. But if you are patient enough and up for the long, intricate, and complexed details of a story, this book probably is for you. Because there were so much of it. I think it was from the start till well most of the stories anw.. xp There were actions here and there, but mostly the story was about a journey.. a very long one and a-very-not-smooth one. There were just so many things happened, and most of them were unexpected. Surprises and puzzles of why things happened the way it was happening were kinda overwhelming.

Okay so let's talk about the book.

This book is a sci-fi/post-apocalyptic/dystopian/adult fiction.

So basically, this was a story about a journey of the-descended-survivors in the post-apocalyptic world.. The world in the state of apocalypse because of things human-made during the Time Before. Humans created through experiment monsters (or twelve of them) that were becoming disaster when all of them broke free from their containment-facility. And their escape has created pandemic that crossing all over the states (in the USA) and created more monsters or virals. And for sure, it put down the history of human. These monsters were like vampires. So it was really interesting to read. Instead of as supernatural/paranormal creatures, vampires in this book were human-worst-made-creation. and speaking about the Twelve, there were more about them than what it seemed. They were like the originals (hah, I can't think straight when I said that.. ) and the kings of the virals (Volturi to the Twilight world) xp

The story line. I can divide the book into two parts. First, the pre-apocalyptic story. It was the intro story of how these things happened. In this book, they called it "The Time Before". and the second part, the post-apocalyptic one, where the journey and everything began. When people were starting to find answers and actually do something about it. At this point, it was like I was watching "The Walking Dead" tv series. and I love TWD, so I really enjoyed the process of the reading and the development of the story. The story was detailed and complexed. But it was amazing to see how the story developed and gave so many surprises. I like how the world setting and everything were able to shape the story itself. It was like the story was alive and forced everyone to live in such a state. Although, in the Time Before, we learned that everything happened because of humans.

It told the story from the 3rd person perspective of multi-characters in the book.. It was confusing at first, especially at the middle of the book or at the time when the story was set in the colony. There were quite many characters in the book, so sometime it was difficult to keep track on who was who.. haha.. but I got the hang of it after some pages (thou sometimes I had to get back to previous chapter to read about which characters was who). Other than the main casts (whether it was in pre- or post- apocalyptic world) were really amazing characters. I could actually feel their personal and emotional growth. So that was one of the great things about the book.

As many good story went on, it has a crazy ending. And it was told in the way that made me stunned. Okay, crazy! CRAZY!

oh and one more thing, it was like the sense of time in this book stopped. and somehow it also influenced the story (well, that was how I felt ;) )

And am actually pretty excited to read the sequel (thou I don't know when will I read it.. ) xp

Alright then... up to the next read.. :)

Book Review: Under The Never Sky (Under The Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Year Published: 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 376
Rating: 

Spoilers Free!

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered.

This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland—known as The Death Shop—are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent energy storms will. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild—a savage—and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile—everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must come together to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Okay.. I am actually conflicted whether on giving this book 3 or 4 stars.. this time there is no in between..

I honestly enjoyed this book. I really like the world setting and development. I think it was unique and different. There were elements combination of sci-fi-dystopian and primitive-fantasy. It was like there was two worlds in the story. Both were very different, but related. And they were on earth. One lived in the security of isolated dome, and the other one lived constantly in danger of deadly storm (and other weird things) outside the dome. Both were also different in the sense of how they rule their own world.

Then the story plot and character development. I really like the idea of the story plot, but maybe there were quite many different things going on, sometimes I just had "what what what just happened?!" reactions. Still I adore the plot thou, think it was different and refreshing. And as for the characters, I love how complex they could be. But again there were quite many different things going on in these characters as well that also gave me "what what what?! She/He is what?!" reactions.

and here was my problem also why it can be 3 stars.. I pretty much enjoyed the first 280-ish pages and the last 50 pages. And pages between the first 280 pages to the last 50 pages were kinda let me down a bit. Somewhere along where they were on the run from the cannibal tribe and the saccharine-sweet-romance that was happening, there were slightly.....off a bit moments? well I don't know, I just felt that way.. but hey at least the last 50 pages towards the end, the story was kinda picking up again and it even surprised me.

Why it can be 4 stars.. the world setting and well.. mainly because I love the unexpected surprises that this book gave me. Quite many things, that I did not see them coming (nor even think).. and the ending, got to love that one.. Pretty good cliffhanger.. And I could not help to find myself wanting to read the sequel. So it got to be good ;)

yup, that's pretty much summed up everything ;D

Book Review (a slightly out of ordinary one): The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Spoilers Free!

Year Published: 2013
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 448 pages
Rating: 

Thanks NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with the eBook :)

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Former piano prodigy Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone learning about her past and to make the boy who took everything from her—her identity, her spirit, her will to live—pay.

Josh Bennett’s story is no secret: every person he loves has been taken from his life until, at seventeen years old, there is no one left. Now all he wants is be left alone and people allow it because when your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, the mysterious new girl at school who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. But the more he gets to know her, the more of an enigma she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he will ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding—or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a rich, intense, and brilliantly imagined story about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

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Since yesterday (15 Feb 2013), I am officially an emotional-wrecked! Thanks to a certain vampire tv series and its angst/tragic/beautiful ship that is my current ultimate OTP. YES! I am talking about you, #TVD S04E14!



And today, I finished reading this book (16 Feb 2013), and it just adds more emotional battle in my heart and soul..



I don't expect that I can be more emotionally-exhausted-and-drained after yesterday.. But it seems it's very much possible..

coz now I am just full of feels and emotions.. and I just don't know what to do..



Okay, so let's talk about this book..

WHAT WITH ALL OF THESE FICTIONAL CHARACTERS??? You guys ruin my life.. huhu (not that I am complaining thou..).. But still... what you guys have done to me?!

Nastya and Josh..... what I can say about them... I feel for these two so much.. Two people who were coming from two different worlds and have their own messed up lives with terrible histories.. They were facing their own demon and isolated from people around them.. Then it was like fate and destiny had their own plan to have these two met and saved each other..

This book has a very beautiful story line, amazing writing, and great character developments..

Like seriously, I don't know what to write, coz I just feel so much when I read this book.. It was like I could feel what these characters feel.. 

I love how are these characters were written.. especially for Nastya and Josh as the female and male leads in this book. How their characters were shaped from their painful pasts that had caused them to be socially isolated and misunderstood. Although, they were still very much admirable! How strong they were in facing uncertainties in life and how they fought and saved each other.. it was really beautiful and heartfelt.. It just seemed like they were different, but actually they were the same..I could also kinda relate to other characters in the book who were pretty awesome as well.

Then the story line.... I enjoyed the SL so much.. It was great and captivating! love how the writing kinda make the story easy to digest, but still without losing its charms and purpose..

I put this book in the category of New-Adult book.. This one works for me like charm! I love it! definitely goes to my favorite books category..

I got this ebook for review, and I most certain will love to buy a copy of this.. It was just such a beautiful read.. and wish I can hug the writer.... *sending Katja Millay a virtual hugs..*


This was (and still is) my favorite lines from the book:
"Maybe one day you'll come back, Maybe you never will and that'll suck, but you can't keep doing this. The blame and the self-loathing and the bullshit. I can't watch that. It makes me hate you for hating yourself. I don't want to lose you. But I'd rather lose you if it means you'll be happy. I think if you come back with me today, you'll never be okay. And I'll never be okay if you aren't. I need to know that there's away for people like us to end up okay. I need to know that there even is such a thing as okay, or maybe not just okay, maybe even good, and it's out there and we just haven't found it yet. There's got to be a happier ending than this here. There's got to be a better story. Because we deserve one. You deserve one. Even if it doesn't end with you coming back to me."

Maybe my only problem was just, I continued reading this book till finish after I watched a very emotional scene on TVD 4x14, especially Klaroline scenes.. and I just could not help to have Feels-Attack.. coz Nastya and Josh kinda remind me of Klaus and Caroline.. (in their own very way..)

And suddenly I think of this..... O(T^T)O



Sorry for this slightly weird review.. At the moment I am just having so much emotions going on for these four characters.. so it was kinda mixed and I just can not help myself to feel it that way.. hiks.. fictional characters you are going to be the death of me..



*Gifs are not mine, they are belonged to their respectful owners who are very awesome people! ;*