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So I found out why I couldn’t consistently use blogs (or Facebook) for my post reading exclamations and updates -  I was looking for connection. Whew!

Bookstagram has become my new haven! It’s the awesomest virtual reading community - I think. Hehe

There are lots of readers who actively respond to posts that they can relate to and post their own reads. It’s easier to update with pictures (and “react” to creative ones! Ugh. I couldn’t reciprocate other users’ conscious effort and editing/photography skills but oh well)

I started my account three months ago, and I’m loving my feed, the other bookstagrammers I’ve met, and discovering new titles. Reading communities are alive! There are lots of readers who are way too brilliant and naturally artistic! 

Readers may be from different parts of the globe, but I feel like we’re living in a single subdivision - all caught up in our own reading nooks saying our quick hellos through our windows.

I just love it.

So are you there yet? Follow me. Lol.

Ciao!

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READING LOG

Quick Update ✨ Early 2020 💚

New reads:

Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Rereads:

The Boy in Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Continued books:

The Heir by Keira Cass

1984 by George Orwell

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"From then on, the little men did not come back but the shoemaker still fared well, and had good luck in all his undertakings." 👴👞

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BookLife Update

Currently on Summer vacation in the Philippines 🥰

I've been collecting books (that are wayyy too less expensive here than anywhere else in the world) and trying to read short stories and quick reads in between. 😚

I reread some short stories from my college days including Tell Tale and A Rose for Emily 💕 and lived new reads like Appointment in Samarra and Cathedral which gave me pretty good goosebumps 🤭 [and these were brought to me by the best literary anthology ever that I had found at Brooksale] 😁

Anyway, I just thought of updating cause this blog looks rusty. It's not even a log anymore! But I'll try to list what I read when in mood 😬 (or maybe not?)

Lol! For some reason, counting the literary pieces that you have finished reading doesn't really matter anymore ☺️

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The Selection Series

Enjoyed this series sooo much! 💜👑 SPOILER FREE feedback? 😁🤗 Couldn't help but notice its similarities with THG but with much more romance than dystopia in its plot 👐 I love its themes on women empowerment, the Marxist touch, family relationships, and bravery. I love how it showed the division in society as well as how people could still look out for each other. Nevertheless, since I've read novels that have much more depth in dystopia and fighting for change, what really stood out for me is the romance. 💫 I love how stressful it was to read America's indecisiveness 🤦 yet knowing that the truth in how they "found" love is the closest picture to most of our realities (admit it, we have different versions of it) 😂📖 Love is not just about destiny. It's about our choices, our mistakes, and our acceptance that we will be able to have this precious connection built. 💘 P. S. Among the three books, I must say that the first one is my fave. I loooove Aspen. 💜 P. P. S. Sweetest "Acknowledgement" part ever! Thank you, author, for sharing your gift of writing. 🤗💘 #readathon 📚

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My best 2019 reads so far :)

It has been ages since I last visited this blog. Whatever happened to consistency?

Anyway, my book life has started so well last January. I got to read two good YAs (this genre had not been my fave last year - or at least the books of this genre that I got to read).

Turtles Alll The Way Down was a niiiiiice read. I love the friendship between Daisy and Holmesy as well as the themes on poverty and mental health. This book would help raise mental health awareness and would be so relatable to a lot of teens or even adults who are going through anxiety. The love story part didn't get to me that much though the characters were given great attributes. I loved how John Green made the characters responsible teenagers. At present, millenials aren't being viewed as nice kids in general and technology is viewed as something toxic to them. In this book however, technology was used in meaningful ways and the teenage characters are realistic representations of youth. And the best part of this book for me would be the confrontation between the two best friends. That me into tears! I loved that reconciliation and for me, that kind of acceptance of the bad things - of differences - is love.

The other YA would be Eleonor & Park. And I must say that I enjoyed reading it more. 💖 I just couldn't put into words how this novel made me smile, cry, and giddy all at the same time. It's books like this that make me want to read more love stories. And I mean real love stories. This kind of romance - like Flipped, Love Rosie, TFIOS... that kind of love is what I want to experience. Painful but genuine 💘

For the month of February: The Kite Runner makes me feel like I've just finished reading it yesterday. It was AMAZING. One of the best books that I've ever read. The first six chapters would take you back to your childhood. It was vivid and joyful. Precious! Even the backstory of Ali among other adults was a pleasure to read. However, Chapter 7... I just cannot... it shattered me into pieces like a child being taken away of his innocence for the first time. It got into the ugly parts just like in life that we all want to deny. Yet, the following chapters were still so good to read. It was painful what happened to Amir and Hassan. It was a roller coaster ride. When things were going good, something else would happen. But that made it even better as a novel.

It's so hard to write here how much I love these three books especially when I'm trying not to spoil much of the novels. Anyway, it's almost four in the morning as I am writing this scribble so I gotta end this. Lol. Gotta go back to rereading The Prisoner of Azkaban. My third time to read this book but still... couldn't stop! 💖

Ciao.

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It feels weird writing a disclaimer as intro but here it goes 😅

I've read this book without watching the series so whatever this scribble would turn out to be would just be an honest reaction of a reader clueless about the novel's previous form whatsoever. Lol

This book has been a great companion during the beginning part of the story. Unfortunately to my disappointment, the last part got really boring. And I came to the point that I just wanted to finish it off.

For starters, it was interesting to have a 28-year-old protagonist in a fantasy novel (which usually features teenagers, lol). I like how Emily was gradually introduced and Henry had led her to Storybrooke. 💖

I love the flashbacks and how I got to travel in Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land as the story unfolded. Honestly, I had enjoyed the flashbacks more than the present time parts especially the Troll Bridge adventure of Snow White and Prince Charming. That part was written so well. However, their present time selves weren't.

I hated David and admired Mary Margaret; but got lost about the relevance of Red's story to the present time event (since flashbacks served as a quick backstory somewhat explaining why and as present events happen). It seemed like David was not genuine and was simply a jerk which was so unlike the flashback Prince Charming who was sincere but just a victim of circumstances.

The clash between the two mothers was interesting though. I just wished it didn't get lost at the middle part of the story. There were also some plot holes at the last chapters.

When I was halfway reading the book, it felt like the narration was rushed. There were so many parts that would've been more enjoyable if described in detail and written in a more "well versed" manner.

I gave this novel three good stars on goodreads cause I really do not regret reading this. It had its moments and those were nice ones.

P.S. I particularly liked the mad hatter part. I wished it had been more lengthy.

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That's why I love reading children's stories 💕

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I had reread THG 🏹

If you feel like you've been in a reading slump and couldn't get yourself to finish reading a novel, try to reread your favorite books. It won't only help you get back up into reading but also, enable you to relive your well loved characters' lives with dawning comprehension.

Though I have already known that I've been missing Panem months ago after rereading the Divergent Series' post-apocalyptic Chicago, I have never realized how much I was longing to reread THG until I was finally doing it.

I have never entirely thought of Katniss as a student when I first read it. And rereading it, reminded me of Katniss's youth that has been quickly taken away by the burden of a first child's responsibilities. I realized how tough she was and how beautiful District 12 people were (my heart skipped a bit writing in past tense). The way they got each others' back - especially the Seam - when the family was trying to recover from Katniss's father's death and when she was in the games. I love how I got to love District 12's peacekeepers and finding out that it was probably the luckiest of all the districts.

I love how tough Rue had been and how beautiful District 11 was. Their tributes were defensive and Rue especially had shared their district's atmosphere of nature, music, and peace... these elements had kept their lives worth living in spite of monsters and mayhem. They still do in real world.

I love finding out how Peeta had been so pure and innocent. I had been suspecting the worst from him when I first read the book. And thinking about what's about to happen to him on the third book makes me adore him even more rereading the first as I have always been on Gale's side from the beginning.

I love this book sooooo much. There were a lot of "aaahhhh" moments and foreshadowing. I don't know how to end this post and I wanted to scribble more about the Capitol people, the Avox, Haymitch, etc, etc. but another book is literally waiting in front of me. So maybe I'll just add something in my next log (on Catching Fire?) ~ if motivation would motivate me. Hahahaha. Ciao.

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She finally has time to cover her new babies 😍

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“We don’t create a fantasy world to escape reality, we create it to be able to stay.”

— Lynda Barry, What It Is (via books-n-quotes)

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Put this one down at its 5th chapter online last year 💔

Excited to read dystopia again 🌪

📚 year-end tbr 🍏

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A few of my favorite things 📖📚

Befriend an artist for free bookmarks 🖤

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My babyyyyy 🖤

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“A well-chosen book saves you from everything, including yourself.”

— F. Scott Fitzgerald

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World War 2 historical fictions

While typing this, I’m literally watching The Boy in Striped Pajamas’s film adaptation which I first watched perhaps four years ago. I decided to reread the said novel (finished just a while ago) which I first read January this year as I try to condition myself in reading “The Book Thief”. *insert excessive exclamation marks here*

The Book Thief is that one novel that I have been longing to read for ages! It has been sitting in my shelf for quite a while but I still couldn’t get myself to read past the first chapter.

Just the other night, I watched a film called “Freedom Writers”. While it’s not about the Second World War, it kinda encouraged me in reading “The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank years ago which ended up being one of the novels that I am most passionate about! *insert heart emojis here*

The three great novels (cause the two are; and the other one I know would be - fingers crossed) that I’ve mentioned here are currently piled up beside me. (and it makes me so happy that they’re all together)

I really hope I would be able to start reading The Book Thief today or maybe after rereading Anne Frank (which I’m sure I won’t be able to put down once I get my hands on it) It’s plain wonderful.

Wish me luck. Ciao. :)