GIVEAWAY

Stacking the Shelves

Saturday, October 19, 2013
Meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

15283043   13335037   11735983   18593175

Thank you to Dianne of Oops! I Read a Book Again and Netgalley for these copies! :)

Divergent

Friday, October 18, 2013
13335037
Divergent
by Veronica Roth

Summary

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

My Review

This is a book I’d heard a lot about from my friends, but I only decided to read it recently. I regret that now, because this book was absolutely breathtaking! This book took my breath away. Ohmygosh, THE FEELS! :O I loved the entire plot – from the factions to the romance – everything! It sucks you right into the story, and just reading it already made me feel like I was a part of it all. The characters were developed well, especially Beatrice. She was introduced as this timid little girl, but by the end she’d broken out of her shell, becoming stronger and bolder. The romance between her and Four was not rushed at all, which made it all the more realistic. The selflessness shown by Beatrice’s parents was so touching that it even made me tear up a little. This book inspired me, teaching me so much about family, love, fear, and true bravery.

I pulled an all-nighter reading the book, and I’m definitely adding this one to my list of favorites. I’m already excited to continue to Insurgent! For those looking for a fast-paced, action-packed dystopian novel, I completely recommend reading Divergent!

Quotes From the Book

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.”

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it.” 

“I have something I need to tell you," he says. I run my fingers along the tendons in his hands and look back at him. "I might be in love with you." He smiles a little. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."
"That's sensible of you," I say, smiling too. "We should find some paper so you can make a list or a chart or something."
I feel his laughter against my side, his nose sliding along my jaw, his lips pressing my ear.
"Maybe I'm already sure," he says, "and I just don't want to frighten you."
I laugh a little. "Then you should know better."
"Fine," he says. "Then I love you.”

“I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless.  I am Divergent.”

“Sometimes, the best way to help someone is just to be near them.”

My Rating


Feature and Follow


Follow Friday is a feature created by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  It's a fun blog hop where you meet other book bloggers and find people to follow.

What are some of your favorite magazines?

I actually don't read magazines.  Before, I used to borrow Candy Magazine, the local teen magazine here in the Philippines from my cousin, but they just kept on piling up, so I just stopped entirely.  Although now, if I got the time, I love to browse through fashion magazines. :)

The Guys Are Props Club

Thursday, October 17, 2013

17936834
The Guys Are Props Club
by Ingrid Seymour

Thank you to Dianne of Oops! I Read A Book Again for the copy of this from a giveaway! :)

Summary

During her senior year in high school, Maddie Burch promised herself not to ever fall for a cute guy – or any guy – again. Cute guys are players and not to be trusted, a fact she learned the hard way when her first boyfriend ran her heart through a paper shredder. Two years later, her promise is still intact, and she’s determined to make it through college without falling victim to another creep. She has her job, school and The Guys Are Props Club to keep her mind and hormones in check.

The club was founded by Jessica, Maddie’s best friend. It is a sisterhood of girls who have fallen prey to heartless jerks and who have vowed to turn the tables. Once a semester, Jessica requires members to “do onto others as they’ve done unto you.” Setting the example, Jessica’s next play is Sebastian Capello, a theater major with heartthrob looks and a flair for Latin dance, whose heart she plans to break the way hers was once broken.

What the friends don’t know is that Sebastian is different. Despite his perfect looks and popularity, he’s not a jerk. He doesn’t play games to get his way. Instead, he keeps it real and goes after what he wants with honest intentions. And what he wants is not a bombshell like Jessica, but a down-to-earth girl like Maddie – even if it causes a riff in the girl’s friendship. Even if it means getting Maddie to break her personal vow.

Review

Okay, so this is the first time I read a new adult book, and frankly, I was kind of surprised with the topics it dealt with… But either way, the story was really interesting. I’d actually read something like that before in Wattpad; it was titled The Heart Breaker Association. The two plots were a bit similar in that they both involved this organization of girls, but it was actually more than that. I learned to admire Maddie because she was able to gradually break away from her past and realize the things she did wrong. Sebastian was amazing, too, what with his accepting Maddie for who she is. He was thoughtful enough to know when to push her and when to back off. It was great how, through their relationship, they were able to teach each other some valuable and irreplaceable things, helping them grow into better individuals. The character I didn’t like so much was Jessica, because she was just so nasty throughout the story, but even I have to admit that I look up to her for being able to gain the courage to say something that is undoubtedly really difficult to share. It was an easy read that had me falling in love with the plot over and over again as it progressed, and it is surely a book that is worth your time!

My Rating



Waiting on Wednesday

Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Meme hosted by Breaking the Spine


12275873
Title: After Eden
Author: Helen Douglas
Publication Date: November 7, 2013

Summary from Goodreads:
Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school she's hooked. On the face of it, he's a typical American teenager. So why doesn't he recognise pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he's taking in her. 

As Eden starts to fall in love with Ryan, she begins to unravel his secret. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan's bedroom - a biography of her best friend - written over fifty years in the future. Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is there with one unbelievably important purpose ... and she might just have destroyed his only chance of success.