...observe...react...

Bared to You by Sylvia Day My rating: 3 of 5 stars I give this 3 stars (It's been a long time since I've given a whole number rating :))). I can justify the 3 stars, but I'd rather not go into details. Hahaha :D:P View all my reviews

I've always been told what makes me different, sets me apart; that it is my uniqueness which makes me special. I do not know if there is truth in that. What I do know is that being different can hurt because the more different a person is, the less understood that person is. And to have no one able to understand you, it's painful. It feels like you have to solve every problem on your own. I guess that's what makes it painful, the loneliness. I don't know how. I don't know why, but I believe we humans can only go so far when we're alone. We are always in search for companions. Now, I'm not saying that we should find people like ourselves. Yes, it is easier to be understood by someone like ourselves, but I also believe that true companions can be found in people who are willing to listen to us and open their hearts and minds to understand us. I admit there are times I wish I'd be like any other person my age. There are also times when I am happy that I...

To my dear friend, I never thought we would end up like this. I never thought we would ever go for weeks without a regular conversation. I never thought it would be this difficult, maintaining our friendship. Since when did it become hard to talk to you? Since when did our conversations amount to just small talk? Since when did "oh"s, "ah"s and "okay"s fill our dialogues? I miss you. I miss not having to worry what to say to you. I miss the time when all I had to do was tell you, and you'd understand completely. In times of need, I was there. In times of sadness, I was there. In times like these, I hope you're there, ready to listen and understand me.

When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book is probably the most challenging book I have ever read. I'm sure I didn't completely understand this book. I'm not even sure if I understood this book by half. Nonetheless, many parts of the book were quite enjoyable. However, some parts were just outright disturbing. Another reason why I only gave it 3 stars is because it was very difficult to establish a connection with the protagonist. I had very little common ground with her. Fortunately, there are aspects of this book that are quite likable. I don't really recommend this book to everyone, but if you're up for a challenge, why don't you give this book a try (although the challenge might just be for me because I still lack the wisdom and maturity to completely understand this book). View all my reviews

The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst My rating: 2 of 5 stars I give this 2.4 stars out of 5. Girl needs her perfect guy to have money so she can pay for her parents' house. Guy needs to marry so that he can inherit his uncle's company. Girl believes in love, family and marriage. Guy, a product of a broken family, doesn't believe in any of those. What started out as a simple business contract developed into something. I'm sure the story is all too familiar. This novel is not original in any way I can think of. It's a very common plot. However, I want to give props to the book because it admitted it was a cliche or rather the girl admitted she was becoming cliched. Not a lot of books do that :)) Ok, I don't normally read books of this type, but let me explain. I have 2 perfectly reasonable (I hope so) justifications as to why I read this book. 1. I wanted to read something light after reading several thought-provoking novels conse...

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.75 Attachments by Rainbow Rowell is really funny. creepy, yes, but it's very funny. I kept laughing and smiling while I was reading the book. This book didn't let me sleep until I finished it, and I have to say. I really enjoyed reading this book. I don't want to say anything else. I recommend it to anyone. :D View all my reviews

Wonder by R.J. Palacio My rating: 3 of 5 stars Beautiful. The story was just beautiful. You're probably wondering why I only gave it three stars. The thing is, I'm not part of the target audience. I feel this greatly diminished the impact of the book on me. I believe that if I were younger, I would have given this book four stars. Nonetheless, it was fun and entertaining to read this book. I don't feel like I wasted any time. I recommend it to everyone. :D View all my reviews

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell My rating: 2 of 5 stars A heartbreaking 2.5 Yes, I should have marked it 3 stars if the rules of rounding off numbers are to be followed. However, I chose to truncate all decimal values, so I marked it with 2 stars even if I rated it 2.5. The Hand that First Held Mine is the first book by Maggie O'Farrell I have read, and it was the biggest disappointment this 2012. This book had potential. I really mean it. It was the premise that pushed me to read the book. I guess I just expected more than what I got. First of all, the style with which this book was written is just plain weird to me. I didn't understand how the story was being narrated at all. I ended up skimming entire paragraphs because they felt useless and inconsequential. Second, the pacing was too slow for me. I feel the author took too long before giving a concrete connection between Lexie and the couple, Elina and Ted. I got bored. T...

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes My rating: 4 of 5 stars Now, I don't know how to review this with 0% spoilers. I'm sorry. I'll try to avoid mentioning details, but sometimes, I think that'll be impossible for me. Read if you want to, Leave if you must. This book is another random pick. None of my friends in goodreads have indicated that they have read this book, so I didn't really know what to expect. The title and the cover of the book did give a hint that it was a love story. What I didn't expect was that the central plot device of this book is euthanasia. I find that very relevant. Not that I am contemplating about committing it, but because I know the debate about it. A few months ago, I was required to participate in a debate about legalizing euthanasia as part of the coursework in my philosophy class. I researched the arguments of both sides, but as I was assigned to the pro side, I knew more about the pro arguments. It is because of this reason tha...

Darkfall by Janice Hardy My rating: 4 of 5 stars This really was a fun book series to read. It wasn't anything heavy. It was just casual. I really enjoyed reading it. The main issue dealt in this book was whether Nya should stay and lead/inspire the rebellion or escape. She was the only one who could inspire the people, and this gave her a responsibility. I can very much relate to the thought processes she went through. Sometimes, there are things only we ourselves can accomplish, no one else. We either do or ignore it. I love how Nya "did" it. Anyway, I recommend this book to people who want to kill time and enjoy. It didn't really deliver any hard blows. I didn't get inspired nor encouraged, but this is still a fun read. P.S. I was a bit of let down when what happened during the climax of the book wasn't explained. I was hoping for an explanation. Anyway, it's just a minor detail. View all my reviews

Blue Fire by Janice Hardy My rating: 4 of 5 stars This one's 3.75 I don't have words right now to review this book, but I just want to say that I liked this book. It continued with its moral conflicts and stuff like that, but this time, the decisions were more than just about healing. We now have politics. Well, there was politics in the first book too, but this book had more of it. I especially loved the implications of the ending, so I'll go on and read the next book. :D View all my reviews

One Day by David Nicholls My rating: 4 of 5 stars Admittedly, what pushed me to read the book was the movie. I watched and immensely liked the movie, so I thought the book was worth reading. Fortunately, I was correct in my assertion. One Day is a new type of book for me. I've never read a book quite like it before. Other than love and romance, it shows how people grow up, make life decisions and live their lives It was enriching to observe how Emma and Dexter grew over the years, with their evolving ways of thinking. As they became older, it was evident that they became mature, and the things they wanted constantly change. It was also nice to see how their relationship evolved over the years. I guess the "growing up" aspect was the best part of the book for me. Well, there's still a long way to go before I graduate, but I somehow can relate with Emma and Dexter when they ruminate over what they want to do with their life. In fact my fav...

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan My rating: 4 of 5 stars Before I write my thoughts regarding this book, I would like to thank Toby for giving me a copy of this book. I was about to buy my own copy. Thank you for allowing me to save money. Thank you also for the bookmark. I know it's free, and it just comes with the book. Nonetheless, I appreciate it. The bookmark I use is just a small card of the periodic table. On to the review..... I have to say once again (as I have said this for most of his books) that Riordan managed to seamlessly weave ancient Greek and Roman culture. Perhaps, the most unique thing this book has offered to the Heroes of Olympus series is the team dynamics. In most, if not all, of the previous books (both Heroes of Olympus and Percy Jackson and the Olympians), groups who do a quest only have 3 or 4 members. Having 7 or 8 (including Coach Hedge) members this time around is new. It is also worth to note that only the Greek demig...

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4.4 The amazing thing about Perks of Being A Wallflower is that I am able to relate and not relate at the same time. It's like being enlightened and confused at the same time. There were really times that I was unable to relate to Charlie. Some of his actions didn't make any sense to me, but the good thing about it was that I was able to gain a new perspective. There were also a lot of times that Charlie managed to confuse me as he was confused. It was irritating because it became a bit difficult to understand him, but it allowed to understand what he was going through. But perhaps the greatest thing about Perks was that it confirmed something I've learned before: "Be there and participate." I believe that was the point of the entire book. The only reason Charlie could write those letters is because he's a wallflower, and that ending those letters meant he...

The Philippines: A Past Revisited by Renato Constantino My rating: 5 of 5 stars Excerpt from Ch. 18: "When there is an attempt to understand society not in terms of myths and theories but in terms of the concrete experiences and sufferings of the people, history acquires practical significance. For only if they are armed with a concrete understanding of Philippine reality can the Filipino people act correctly to change that reality. And this understanding can come about by a systematic and patriotic effort to synthesize the experience of the past in order to obtain a concrete vision of the future. History, then, should serve the purpose of integrating seemingly isolated facts and events into a coherent historical process so that a view of the totality of social reality may be achieved. Only then can facts be really understood and not be merely known; only then can this understanding of facts become an understanding of society; only then can history b...

Private Games by James Patterson My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.9 My first James Patterson book. I have to say I was impressed. No author has ever creeped me out before. I think I chose a book that's not really for all ages, but certainly ok for my age. I still think I shouldn't read James Patterson novels consecutively unless it's a series (in the strictest, not loosest, use of the word). Nonetheless, I had a great time. I've always wondered what it would be like if all those movies and tv shows about spies and investigators were novels. And as I've always said, reading a book from a new author is refreshing because it always feels like you're seeing new sights and new horizons. Great read! View all my reviews

It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn My rating: 3 of 5 stars 2.8 View all my reviews

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.6 Just because Eloise is one of my favorites among the Bridgerton siblings :D View all my reviews

The Duke And I by Julia Quinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars 3.7 All because it was the first in the series. There's always something about the first that make it more magical. :D View all my reviews