BOOK REVIEW: ISLA AND THE HAPPILY EVER AFTER, STEPHANIE PERKINS

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss, #3)
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Edition: Hardbound
Published: August 14, 2014
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 352
Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

Featuring cameos from fan-favorites Anna, Etienne, Lola, and Cricket, this sweet and sexy story of true love-set against the stunning backdrops of New York City, Paris, and Barcelona-is a swoonworthy conclusion to Stephanie Perkins' beloved series.

Out of all the books in this trilogy, I can say that this is the most heartwarming and astounding book. From the shy beginning of Isla warming up to Josh, and Josh returning the favor, this got me swooning all over the place. I love the simple yet lovely flow of the story, with all the ups and downs, beginning to end. I also love how Stephanie put in all the characters from the previous books to give us readers a taste of nostalgia like: "Oh my God, I remember him/her!"

And the relationship between Isla and Josh was almost realistic cause it reflects the relationship of a true couple in the real world. From the sheepish conversations and sexual amusement. Also, the connection of all the characters (namely Anna and Etienne, Lola and Cricket) made me want another book where they're all the protagonists or something like that.

This book made me teary-eyed too and broke my heart. It broke my heart into tiny little pieces that you could not glue together again. It made me realize that no one is perfect, and no love could last forever without arguments. It also made me realize that with a little pinch of love and forgiveness, even the dirtiest words could go down the drain.

Isla and the Happily Ever After is a book where it will feed your heart up with content just to break it into a million pieces and one by one put it back together. It will make you love and hate the characters for doing what they do, and the realism of Isla and Josh's relationship would make you want more. Definitely a great and spectacular closure to this trilogy and I hope Stephanie Perkins' would continue to fill up the world with love.

"A blank canvas... has unlimited possibilities."

"I've always thought the best relationships are those that are as happy and content in silence as they are in action."

"I am hard on myself. But isn't it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn't it better to break it yourself?"

COMING SOON: THE HEIR, KIERA CASS

Title: The Heir (The Selection, #4)
Author: Kiera Cass
Edition: TBA
Expected Publication: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 352
Genre: Romance, Dystopian

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon's heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn't expect her Selection to be anything like her parents' fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she always thought.

Oh. My. God. Will you look at that cover!? IT IS SO GORGEOUS AND PERFECT AND IS THE EPITOME OF THE SELECTION SERIES. I just discovered this cover tonight and thought of "Hey, why don't I make a new series of posts about the books that are yet to be published?" So that's how this all started. So apart from book reviews (and the possible book-movie adaption reviews), we'll have this.

My initial thoughts on the book from reading the synopsis? Princess Eadlyn. Yes, that's apparently a name in the dystopian world of Kiera Cass' the Selection. The first time reading it got me surprised because apart from the wonderful names (Celeste) from the previous books, this is a huge step. Do you know anyone named Eadlyn in the world? Well I don't and I think she's making this up.

But apparently if you search the web, you can find Eadlyn for baby names and it means "wealthy friend". And the more that I say Eadlyn, the more I'm growing attached to it. Now it's a pretty cool name, don't you think? Eadlyn. Princess Eadlyn America Schreave. OMG YES! :)

On the cover we see Princess Eadlyn, seems like she really took over from her mom. Her bright skin, and brunette hair. All I could say was "wow" because I think Eadlyn is more pretty than America. Moving on to the blurb of the book:

35 SUITORS. 1 PRINCESS. A NEW SELECTION HAS BEGUN.

It's so captivating and it's so exciting because now the tables have turned. Boys will be the ones registering for the Selection and boys will be the ones fighting for one girl. How will all this turn out? I cannot wait. I CANNOT WAIT. I WANT IT NOW. I'm just so excited. And look at the shimmering diamonds on the cover on the mirrors and Eadlyn with her back to us and her hand on her shoulder. It's all so very perfect.

I wish Kiera won't disappoint us with a fourth and fifth book. Not that I don't want the series to continue, but the ending of The One really made me feel satisfied. I don't want anything to happen to the characters and plot anymore, but since there's more sequels, all we could hope for is for Kiera to just make the series even better than before. Cheers!

INTRODUCTION: MY BOOKS

Hey guys!

I can't believe I didn't post anything for almost a week! A lot has happened and I can't already keep up. Sigh... I need to stay in more and blog.

*Inhale* *Exhale*

*Repeat 5 times*

So I'm just here to tell you guys that the My Books page is now available and now contains all my books (excluding Pokemon Adventures, the Goosebumps series, and the Geronimo Stilton series because there's a lot and it would take up half of the page... and besides it's for kids).

The promise I made that I will post at least once every day? That would be a hard thing to do. It's hard to keep up a blog while you're living life. Sigh... I need to stay in more and blog.

*Inhale* *Exhale*

*Repeat 5 times*

Then again, I'll try to work on the other pages until my blog becomes fully functional.

That's all for today. Until next time. :)

BOOK REVIEW: FATEFUL, CLAUDIA GRAY

Title: Fateful
Author: Claudia Gray
Edition: Trade Paperback
Published: September 13, 2011
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 328
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction

Eighteen-year-old maid Tess Davies is determined to escape the wealthy, troubled family she serves. It’s 1912, and Tess has been trapped in the employ of the Lisles for years, amid painful memories and twisted secrets. But now the Lisle family is headed to America, with Tess in tow. Once the ship they’re sailing on—the RMS Titanic—reaches its destination, Tess plans to strike out and create a new life for herself.

Her single-minded focus shatters when she meets Alec, a handsome first-class passenger who captivates her instantly. But Alec has secrets of his own. He’s in a hurry to leave Europe, and whispers aboard the ship say it’s because of the tragic end of his last affair with the French actress who died so gruesomely and so mysteriously. . . .

Soon Tess will learn just how dark Alec’s past truly is. The danger they face is no ordinary enemy: werewolves exist and are stalking him—and now her, too. Her growing love for Alec will put Tess in mortal peril, and fate will do the same before their journey on the Titanic is over.

In Fateful, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray delivers paranormal adventure, dark suspense, and alluring romance set against the opulent backdrop of the Titanic’s first—and last—voyage.

Beware, there might be minor spoilers in this review. I couldn't keep myself from hiding them. So this book is set back in far 1912. I know right? Who would read stuff like this? Apparently me. Claudia Gray has once again surprised me with this book. A book mixed with the RMS Titanic... and werewolves. How did she ever think of that idea? I was really surprised because the two don't normally mix well, but in this book it did.

We have Tess, a young maid that is determined to escape the troubled family of the Lisles, a wealthy and very well known family in Europe. They board the Titanic in hopes of going to America starting over again because apparently in the book even though they're physically rich, they are now going into bankruptcy. That's where the plot takes its course. The family has a treasured safe that contains nothing but jewelry, and they were planning to sell it to gain money. But is there more inside than what they know? You'll have to read it to find out.

If I say more I would have just told the story in a short summary, but no. This is a review and it will remain as is. I'm still not pretty used to making reviews, but I do hope in time I would do better.

It was a really good read, and it had a good amount of twists. It has those stuff that you'll never expect and would really surprise you throughout the book. It was interesting to read what was inside the Titanic after watching the movie (which I haven't yet, but I have a few ideas about it), and I could really imagine the scenery. I guess Claudia's writing has some very good imagery if I may say so myself. I praise her for that. There were some flaws in the book, scenes that I didn't really like and could've been better, but I guess it was okay.

Fateful is a historical, romantic, paranormal read that will keep you guessing what will happen next. There will be tear-jerking moments, and it will leave you shrieking in relief for the survivors; and it will move your heart after Tess' kind consideration for her beloved family and friends (along with the treacherous Lisle family). Fateful made me shed a tear during the final moments, and it ended a good note. I recommend you reading this before you read A Thousand Pieces of You.

"Nobody else will ever be able to save me if I'm not fighting as hard as I can to save myself."

"Beauty is no guarantee of goodness."

"Because I know—if there's any justice in this world, good things are going to come to you. Better things than you ever dreamed."

INTRODUCTION: VERDICT GUIDE

Hey guys!

I'm new here as you can see and I really hope that I could succeed in making my blog successful. I don't know what to say. It's been one of my hobbies to share my books with people, but since I don't have lots of friends who are like me (or similarly), I decided to make a blog. That way, I could communicate with my fellow book bloggers!

I apologize if I may have any wrong grammar or misspelling anywhere around here, I'm still a student and learning new things every day. :)

By the way, I just wanted to post something cause I've been busy lately and I'll try to post at least once each day. That way I'll have tons by the end of the year. If I'm really free, I could blog all day. As you can see, some of the pages are still blank, so I'll update you with a blog whenever one comes available.

As of now, only the Verdict Guide is accessible. Again, I thank The Bookaholic Blurbers a.k.a. Kate for letting me use her blog layout. Ever since I found out about her blog I was really hooked into it by the simplicity and cleanliness of it. Everything is so organized, and that's what inspired me to make a blog.

So that's all for today. Until next time. :)

BOOK REVIEW: A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU, CLAUDIA GRAY

Title: A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird, #1)
Author: Claudia Gray
Edition: Trade Paperback
Published: November 4, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 368
Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance



Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

A Thousand Pieces of You, in my opinion, has one of the BEST covers this year! From the background, a picture of the cityscape of futuristic London and mirroring it below is 21st-century Russia, two alternate dimensions which will be featured in the book. First of all, the character Marguerite (Mar-ge-wee) is so wonderful. She's not the typical book girl where she's so weak and self-centered. In this case, she's the brave, strong-willed protagonist who gets what she wants. She's so determined to catch Paul, who apparently murdered her father (according to the synopsis) and also stole her mother's invention the Firebird, that she will go through great lengths by traveling to different dimensions.

This book includes yet another Love Triangle, from Marguerite (let's just call her Meg) to Theo and Paul. I bet you're surprised to see I mentioned Paul. You're like Omg, how? What, when, where, why, HOW? Well, I won't spoil you how. You'll just have to read it by yourself. I really liked Theo from the beginning up to the middle of the book. Halfway through he was already annoying me. With his constant father-brother like-figure to Meg. He's always here, always there, always everywhere. And Meg was also getting annoyed, seems like I'm not the only one.

Paul, on the other hand, was partially absent in the first few chapters of the book. He was only mentioned, but he did appear in several flashbacks. Oh, and did I tell you that 1/4 of the first part of the book are flashbacks? But halfway through the book, we already encounter major twists that will undeniably destroy the synopsis of the book. I have a warning for you: Do. Not. Trust. Anyone.

A Thousand Pieces of You kept me wanting more. It was a very good story, with the concept of traveling to dimensions and alternate realities. It's a really long explanation on how they work here in the book, but I promise the book will do justice to it. Every chapter really twisted my brain. There were some confusing parts, but it will make sense later. Also the twists! Did I mention it already? This book HAS a LOT of twists. And I mean A LOT. Claudia Gray kept me glued to the pages and I didn't want to stop reading (eventually I have to), that's how strong her writing is. Your perception of the story will constantly change, so don't hold onto memories.

There wasn't any cliffhanger, and it could really stand-out as a stand-alone, but it's not. It is a trilogy. Claudia Gray has already finished working on her draft by the time I finish this review. She'll announce the title when the book comes out of the U.S. Now I'm really excited for the sequel, which will be probably released next year. Isn't it always like that? I hope that it will be next year. Please, Claudia Gray?

A Thousand Pieces of You will keep you hooked with the storyline, the ever refreshing new set of lovable characters, the constant changing of scenery (dimensions), and the thrilling action and romantic kissing (and sex) scenes. It is absolutely one of the best books of 2014 and it will keep you wanting more.

"Every form of art is another way of seeing the world. Another perspective, another window. And science - that's the most spectacular window of all. You can see the entire universe from there."

"Now I know that grief is a whetstone that sharpens all your love, all your happiest memories, into blades that tear you apart from within."

"What people really mean is that eventually you'll get used to the pain. You'll forget who you were without it; you'll forget what you looked like without your scars."