tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34397462374331050252024-03-19T11:54:48.524+08:00The Patchwork OwlJin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-87901281215529463852013-08-13T16:53:00.002+08:002013-08-13T16:53:56.054+08:00Save me, I am swallowed by the guilt of this.<span style="font-size: x-small;">My boss is out for the rest of the day, so I might as well take this time to write.</span><br />
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I realize that apologies have become regular prologues in my entry, and I am not one to break tradition (ha!). But it kind of feels like the cosmos is out to get me with this whole updating thing.<br />
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A few weeks ago, I made myself a Lift.do account to keep myself accountable for three things: (1) writing, (2) Japanese review, and (3) exercise. I figure seeing a visual output of my goals was going to make me more productive.<br />
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Boy was I ever so wrong!<br />
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First off, I was feeling off with random bouts of sickness that even I cannot understand. Nothing serious, but enough to incapacitate me and leave me lazy. Second, the city where I work has passed a most moronic bus ban that has left me frustrated and confused for a week. Lastly, I gravely underestimated the workload I had for July and August.<br />
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Thus, upon getting home, being productive becomes the last thing on my mind. I spend my evenings playing Candy Crush or Theaterythm, or reading random articles. I'm not even advancing on my book goal!<br />
<br />I guess this is a special sort of Murphy's Law constructed for I and I alone. It postulates: "The feeling of productivity brings about factors out of your control that will render you useless and unmotivated." It's like how I <i>know</i> I'm about to get my period because I suddenly get the urge to exercise, only to cancel all plans while writhing on the floor with cramps.<br />
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So what's the point of this whole entry? Well, I just wanted to remind myself that I have a <i>blog</i> that I promised I'd commit to once upon a time. The entries will take a while, but at least I'm beginning to kick myself in the arse instead of constantly forgiving myself. I might write a bit about a concert experience (so I can finally come to terms with the fact that it's <i>done)</i>, but more importantly<b> I'm back</b> and I hope I stay.<br />
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Now I hope this stupid allergy stuffs itself and lets me write in peace.Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-92170933251491636362013-06-30T11:23:00.000+08:002013-06-30T11:23:11.985+08:00May-hem! May-hem!This morning I was sipping my morning coffee, contemplating life and thinking "Oh, I don't have much to do today..."<br />
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Today, June 30.<br />
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A.k.a. the very <i>last </i>day of June.<br />
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For some reason I panicked and thought of this blog and how I promised myself to write two entries this June about my monthly reads. Which was strange. seeing as I have the tendency to forgive myself and allow late entries as often as I can. But what the hey, I <i>did</i> say I didn't have much to do today, so I guess I better put the writing gears to use and write.<br />
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I didn't actually read a lot last May for some reason. Birthday blues, I guess. But at least I managed to read three books!<br />
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17 and 18. Scott Westerfeld - Behemoth - **** and Scott Westerfeld - Goliath - *****</h3>
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Finally I finished this series! I forgot the exact month when I finished Leviathan, but after that I went on a rampage on <i>all </i>the Book Sale outlets I came across, trying to look for <i>Behemoth </i>and <i>Goliath</i>. I almost caved in and bought the exorbitantly prized hardcover version of Goliath, but I luckily had my sister with me to slap me out of that bad decision. I ended up reading the ebook versions, but I <b>swear</b> I will get around to buying actual copies of these books!</div>
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I don't actually know how to go around reviewing this book, other than flailing around declaring my eternal worship for Scott Westerfeld, but I will try to be coherent! Both books were very good follow-ups to the first book in the series, and the action just heightened from there. I love how the Leviathan crew journeyed to a lot of different places during the war, and Westerfeld still manages to paint the scenery in such a compelling manner that I felt like I was in those places. Character-wise, Alek and Deryn really matured during these books and it's a lot of fun seeing them deal with unexpected feelings. And I love Bovril! </div>
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Such a far-fetched idea, but I really think this series would make a good movie! Think of all the CGI potential! I know movies adapted from books don't really turn out well for most, but I totally want to see this universe come to life!</div>
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19. David Levithan - The Lover's Dictionary - ****</h3>
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At least five people in my Twitter feed retweet something from The Lover's Dictionary, so I thought it was probably time I read it in its entirety. I've always liked story collections with unusual concepts, and this was pretty unique!</div>
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I quite enjoyed reading the entries and learning meanings from new words. I also thought that this was going to be a series of unrelated entries. Turns out all entries are related but not told in chronological order. So it was interesting trying to piece together the timeline of the relationship being narrated about while reading this novel. I kinda hoped there was going to be a bit of an explanation at the end, but I guess it's really up to the reader to interpret what happened. </div>
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I think I might just read Every Day next, because a lot of people have been talking about it as well.</div>
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Oh God, look at those entries. JUST LOOK AT THEM in all their incoherent and juvenile glory. I miss the days when I could write and actually say something worth reading. How do I words???</div>
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Deities of writing, lend me your ears. Throw a dictionary at me, idk, I just want to be able to write well again. </div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-57364150517079552042013-06-24T11:57:00.000+08:002013-06-24T11:57:21.318+08:00April Books!Hello folks!<br />
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I know I mentioned here some time ago that I was going to have to write two entries for my April and May books. I guess I better begin now, since June is ending in a week! Can you believe that? I felt like June 1 was just yesterday, but now it's June 24.<br />
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Recently, I haven't had the time to write because I feel like I get sick every week. One week I was down with a bad allergy and the next week I had coughs that wouldn't stop. Whenever I get thoughts of updating, some random virus suddenly attacks. The weather's not helping my case as well. But now that I am relatively well, you are getting a post.<br />
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Also I mentioned forever ago that this blog was going to get an overhaul, but obviously that's going to have to go into the back burner. Wait until I get my life together.<br />
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Onwards to the books!<br />
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<br />For some reason April was a really slow reading month for me. Probably because it was a busy month at work that I'd rather sleep on the bus than read. But anyway I finished two good books this month!<div>
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15. Kristin Cashore - Graceling - ****</h3>
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In a world where people born with an extreme skill—called a Grace—are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even shedespises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.<br />When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.<br />She never expects to become Po's friend.<br />She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.</blockquote>
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I've been seeing this book for a while in Book Sale, so I decided to finally buy it since the plot was intriguing. I've always liked fantasies involving powers and Graceling is unique, in the sense that the characters don't really have unusual powers like invisibility or pyrokinesis, but they simply have heightened skills for a certain attribute. I also enjoy the world of Graceling, very medieval and simple (there's definitely a theme to the YA fantasies that I read lol). Katsa is also an awesome character. I related a lot to her overall social awkwardness and greatly admired her sense of duty and inner strength. Po is also a great character (I talked about him before in a book challenge entry).</div>
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TBH it wasn't that great plot-wise, but I think the one thing I really liked about this novel is how it shows relationships and love. A lot of YA fantasy (or YA in general) kind of suck about handling relationship issues. Not a lot of books discuss the fact that there are people who are not ready for relationships (now or ever), and even if a character does come out and talk about it, there's definitely someone who's going to say "Oh, just wait. You'll want to fall in love/marry in the future." It actually happened in this book (with Giddon) but I liked that Katsa basically raised a middle finger to that and continued her merry way. When (spoiler alert?) she <i>does </i>start developing feelings for Po, yet was not ready to have a relationship, Po respected that. He tells her he'll be there as a friend anyway. AND THAT IS AWESOME. If this was any other book, the boy would feel entitled about the girl's feelings and say "Well you like me and I like you so we should get together, don't be so stubborn yadda yadda yadda" and I am <i>sick </i>of that. I'm glad to finally see an acknowledgement that some people just aren't made for relationships <i>and that's ok.</i> Well, they got together in the end though, but at least she wasn't forced into it.</div>
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All in all, I enjoyed this book and I <i>might</i> read the sequel and prequel when I get the time. </div>
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16. Lisa See - Peony in Love - ****</h3>
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For young Peony, betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, amid the scent of ginger, green tea, and jasmine, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera, a live spectacle few females have ever seen. Like the heroine in the drama, Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family, trapped like a good-luck cricket in a bamboo-and-lacquer cage. Though raised to be obedient, Peony has dreams of her own.<br />Peony’s mother is against her daughter’s attending the production: “Unmarried girls should not be seen in public.” But Peony’s father assures his wife that proprieties will be maintained, and that the women will watch the opera from behind a screen. Yet through its cracks, Peony catches sight of an elegant, handsome man with hair as black as a cave–and is immediately overcome with emotion.<br />So begins Peony’s unforgettable journey of love and destiny, desire and sorrow–as Lisa See’s haunting new novel, based on actual historical events, takes readers back to seventeenth-century China, after the Manchus seize power and the Ming dynasty is crushed. </blockquote>
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I bought this book because of the cover. YES KILL ME. At first I didn't really want to buy it because the title was so corny (KILL ME AGAIN), but I'm glad I didn't let that stop me! </div>
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Lisa See is an author I've been hearing about a lot, and for good reason I think! Her writing is very melodic, though she has a tendency to get verbose (or maybe that's just the result of writing historical fiction idk). It really immersed me into the world of ancient China. That's the thing I like best about historical fiction -- you get to enter a new world without being confused! </div>
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I also like how I learned a lot about ancient Chinese burial rituals and afterlife beliefs, more than I'd care to know haha. It's fascinating how much attention they pay to the burial of their ancestors and seeing them through the afterlife. I think it's a bit unfair though that women who die in childbirth go straight to hell. It's not like they wanted a miscarriage! But oh well, who am I to argue.</div>
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The one thing I didn't like was that the ending was a bit flat? In true Chinese fashion, it was very subtle and quiet but I just felt like decades of waiting needed to be commemorated with something else other than Peony just floating up in the sky. </div>
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I think I'll be reading more of Lisa See's books!</div>
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And that's it for my April reads, yay me! This week I'll also be posting my May books. I hope I don't get sick again!</div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-92091147125620928602013-06-10T17:29:00.002+08:002013-06-10T17:29:17.168+08:00[book post] March-ing in my Monthly ReadsLame pun! I'm sorry for that, I couldn't resist.<br />
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By the way, I wrote this entry WAY BACK MARCH and it is now *drum roll please* JUNE! Yay me! Hahaha. Well, an entry is an entry. That means I'm going to do double time for my April and May reads.<br />
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Anyway, March comes rolling around and I finished <b>five</b> books! What a miracle! I have just finished my 16th book, but by April last year I was only up to 10 books. I don't know why I'm reading so much. I guess this is what happens when your iPod gets stolen? I stopped playing so many games and just read, which admittedly is a lot more beneficial to my intellectual capacity and development.<br />
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I am, however, developing the unfortunate habit of buying new books and finishing them <i>before</i> I finish the books I've bought before. Some books I've bought <i>years </i>ago are still in my bookshelf collecting dust. Ugh. I do hope I get around to reading the books I've bought before instead of going out and buying more books.<br />
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That said, let's proceed to my March reads!<br />
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All summaries taken from Goodreads (except the last one which I took from Google Books because the GR one was nonsense).<br />
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10. Julie Ann Peters - Luna - ****</h3>
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Regan's brother Liam can't stand the person he is during the day. Like the moon from whom Liam has chosen his female namesake, his true self, Luna, only reveals herself at night. In the secrecy of his basement bedroom Liam transforms himself into the beautiful girl he longs to be, with help from his sister's clothes and makeup. Now, everything is about to change-Luna is preparing to emerge from her cocoon. But are Liam's family and friends ready to welcome Luna into their lives? Compelling and provocative, this is an unforgettable novel about a transgender teen's struggle for self-identity and acceptance.</blockquote>
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11. Brian Katcher - Almost Perfect - ***</h3>
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Logan Witherspoon recently discovered that his girlfriend of three years cheated on him. But things start to look up when a new student breezes through the halls of his small-town high school. Sage Hendricks befriends Logan at a time when he no longer trusts or believes in people. Sage has been homeschooled for a number of years and her parents have forbidden her to date anyone, but she won’t tell Logan why. One day, Logan acts on his growing feelings for Sage. Moments later, he wishes he never had. Sage finally discloses her big secret: she’s actually a boy. Enraged, frightened, and feeling betrayed, Logan lashes out at Sage and disowns her. But once Logan comes to terms with what happened, he reaches out to Sage in an attempt to understand her situation. But Logan has no idea how rocky the road back to friendship will be.</blockquote>
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I'm gonna try something new and do a combined review of these two books, just because they're so similar.<br />
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My sister probably thinks I have gender issues after seeing me read these two books, one after the other. So just to clarify, I am a girl and I'd like to stay that way, haha. But it <i>is </i>particularly interesting for me to read about transsexual issues since they've never been discussed before in mainstream media, and I just happened to have found <i>two</i> novels talking about the same issue! So I got to reading.<br />
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Aside from the general issue at hand, <i>Luna </i>and <i>Almost Perfect </i>had some other similarities too. For one, the events were narrated by someone who isn't transsexual (Regan in Luna, and Logan in AP). Some people found it a bit imprudent to have a novel talking about transsexual issues narrated by cisgendered persons, but I don't really see the problem. I think it's more disrespectful to write about a transsexual's feelings when they're so complicated. Both novels are also about males who want to become female. I've yet to see a book tackling the issue the other way around. Also, both Luna and Sage have little sisters who have been very supportive of their true gender. The novels will definitely take a different turn if they dealt with brothers instead.<br />
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Finally, a similarity that was to me a bit off-putting was that both Luna and Sage are portrayed as really flamboyant and super femme -- skirts and make-up and squealing about boys, the whole nine yards. That felt kind of contrived to me, I guess. I mean do <i>all</i> transsexuals (mtf ones) act like that just to show that they want to be female?<br />
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A main difference is the tackling of the issue of love and attraction alongside transexuality. It was never discussed in Luna (but we do know Luna is attracted to boys), although in AP it's discussed at length, but more from Logan's side of things. Also, Logan is totally an asshole about the entire thing. I'll admit I hated him a lot during the very first chapters because he was acting like such a typical teenage boy, being highly misogynistic and shit. But I gave him a chance and I'm glad he redeemed himself a bit. I don't have qualms with how he was written though. I think any normal teenage boy would be highly conflicted if they found out the girl they liked was born a boy.<br />
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I think I like Sage more than Luna though, because Luna is so desperate to be female that she came of sort of bratty and a burden. I mean (SPOILER ALERT) she rifled through a strangers wardrobe and used her makeup! What part of that is OK? I felt really sorry for Regan after that part. Sage is a lot more controlled about her identity, but I feel sad for her because her attitude is obviously driven by fear of her father.<br />
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In the end (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN) both characters don't get a perfectly happy ending. Luna flies off to Seattle to meet with a fellow MTF transsexual to begin her transitioning, leaving behind her sister. I mean it's great that she finally gets to live out her dreams, but obviously sad to leave her family behind. Sage, oh my heart, it just broke for poor Sage. I hated that part where she was thinking about living as a boy again just because it was causing her so much grief (Seriously, I was screaming "NO SAGE DON'T DO IT." in my room). It's sad that both endings had to be so bittersweet, so close to real life.<br />
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I hope next time I can read about a female-to-male transsexual! Any recommendations?<br />
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12. Rachel Hartman - Seraphina - *****</div>
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Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.<br />
Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.</blockquote>
I forgot why I picked up this book, but I think it was from an author recommendation? I mean, it already had me at "dragons" but upon further reading, I found out it involved music, medieval times, court life, the military, and most importantly, a romance that wasn't a love triangle! Sign me up for the war!<br />
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Obviously I really liked this book because of all the elements above combined. I think Rachel Hartman worked really hard in her world-building because everything was so particular. The danger of that was inserting details that didn't seem to be of much use. Like the saints. There was a lot of talk in the beginning about saints and their significance in your birth or whatever, but it didn't really add much to the story. Maybe in the future it'll mean something.<br />
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With the world-building came new terms, and I think Hartman did a pretty good job in her language-crafting because the words sound believable as a new language, and I even managed to remember her terms. I envy her world building so effing much! I only wish I can do the same for my own stories. And I really, REALLY like how she imagined the dragons to be (hehe imagine dragons). I think it makes total sense how they're intellectual but unemotional and that this particular quality of theirs caused conflict with an entire nation. I think this is the kind of novel that would make a good movie.<br />
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Finally, I really liked the protagonist and the novel's namesake, Seraphina Dombegh. To be honest, I was a bit apprehensive because her name sounded like total Mary Sue fodder. And she's supposed to be a gifted musician. But I'm glad I put that train of thought aside, because Seraphina is pretty normal (well except the half-dragon part), she's not amazingly gorgeous, she's talented in music but not astonishing in much else, and she's kind of socially inept. I enjoyed reading about her and her journey, and even coming into terms with her feelings for the prince, Lucian.<br />
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I think I saw some people in GoodReads say that the romance was a bit rushed, which I agree with. Then again, this was based on the Middle Ages and they weren't particularly known for long courtships. Besides, I think getting into an all-out battle with dragons speeds up your realizations, haha. What's important to me is that Seraphina has a pretty good reason for liking Lucian, and not just cause "he's so hot omg".<br />
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<i>Seraphina</i> is actually the first in a trilogy (the second book comes out next year, urgh!). Nevertheless, it's not a loss to begin reading this book. I might re-read this sometime, but with medieval oud music playing in the background.<br />
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13. George Orwell - Animal Farm - *****</div>
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Tired of their servitude to man, a group of farm animals revolt and establish their own society, only to be betrayed into worse servitude by their leaders, the pigs, whose slogan becomes: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” Published in 1945, this powerful satire of the Russian Revolution under Stalin remains as vivid and relevant today as it was on its first publication</blockquote>
Aww man. I've been wanting to read this book since FOR-FREAKING-EVER. I really loved 1984 and I've always wanted to read Animal Farm, even though I knew what was going to happen. I found a copy of the book at work and I took it home to read on the bus.<br />
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THERE GO MY FEELS.<br />
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Gosh darnit Orwell, why do you have to make this world such a hopeless place to live in! I remember finishing this in the bus, looking up at the sea of empty seats and thinking of how pointless my life really is. No, not really, but I did feel really intense while reading this novella. Which was strange, given that I basically knew what was going to happen. Orwell's language just adds to that hopelessness. I <i>did </i>think it was a bit too preachy and in-your-face. Like, you can't miss the comparisons between the political ongoings of his time to the Manor Farm. It could have been more subtle. But all in all, it was a great read. I'll probably buy a copy for myself.<br />
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14. Dorothy and Thomas Hobbler - The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn - ***</div>
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Samurai fear nothing, not even death. They are loyal and brave. Fourteen-year-old Seikei has studied the way of the samurai, and would like nothing more than to be one. But a samurai is born, not made; Seikei was born the son of a tea merchant, so a merchant he must be. But when a priceless ruby intended for the shogun-the military governor of Japan-is stolen by a ghost, Seikei finds himself having to display all the courage of a samurai. Seikei is the only person to have seen the thief, and now the famous magistrate, Judge Ooka, needs the boy's help to solve this mystery. Can the son of a merchant prove himself worthy to the shogun himself?</blockquote>
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Confession: I have a tendency to take a look at/buy things that have anything to do with Japan. I am a weaboo, shoot me. I saw this book and was intrigued, especially with the premise of "the Japanese Sherlock Holmes". I honestly wasn't expecting much, seeing as it was a 9-12 book.<br />
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I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it! I managed to read it in just one sitting and had a good time. I like that the sleuthing wasn't the typical scenario where we figure out the culprit by the very end. Seikei and Judge Ooka already had a culprit in mind, and the problem was finding out how he did it. I also liked that it didn't woobiefy the perpetrator, and he got sentenced in the end.<br />
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I will try to find the other books in this novel! It'd be interesting to see how Seikei grows up.<br />
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AND THAT IS IT FOR MY MARCH READS! Gosh darnit! Now I'm going to have to write 2 more entries for April and May huhuhuhu. I'll definitely try to be less verbose in my upcoming reviews!Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-55609453865097926732013-06-01T14:31:00.000+08:002013-06-01T14:31:02.996+08:00day 30 | my favorite book of all time. OF ALL TIME!As consistent as always, I am late to the party! Yay me!<br />
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Well, I severely underestimated the work I had to put in for Thursday and Friday. I got home late both days and I was extra tired on Friday because I had to keep running up and down the stairs. BUT HEY. I guess it's finally time to end this book challenge!<br />
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<h2>
Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time.</h2>
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I believe I am justified in taking so long to write this entry. <strike>No I'm not.</strike> But it's just so fucking <i>difficult </i>thinking about your ALL-TIME favorite book! At this point in my life I have read up to quite possibly 300 books (not counting required reading and anthologies), and now I have to pick ONE? Just ONE?<br />
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All of the books I have read take up special places in my heart, some spaces more prominent than others but I love them all the same. So it's really hard for me to pick just one! It's like making someone choose their favorite child! So I think I'll write about the book that started it all:<br />
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Beverly Cleary - Beezus and Ramona.</h3>
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My book-loving journey began at a very young age. When I first learned how to read, I read EVERYTHING. I distinctly remember my parents telling me to shut up because I read every single sign that we passed on the road and I just had to relay the information. I remember reading the "Keyway" label on a food storage box, and for some reason my mother was very impressed that I could read "key" right. I remember reading the sign that says "thank you come again" and I pronounced "again" as "ah-GAH-een".<br />
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I guess at that time, I enjoyed reading because I was finally becoming more knowledgeable and independent, in a way. I didn't have to ask adults to read labels for me anymore, or ask them what a passage says, because I could read it for myself. I enjoyed reading so much that my grandfather (bless his heart) decided to buy me a collection of fairytale picture books and a huge, HUGE dictionary. I treasured those items. I read the fairytales over and over and used the dictionary countless times to look up all sorts of words.<br />
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But I could say that my book reading journey officially began with this book.<br />
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I forgot at exactly what age I read this, but I'm sure I was less than 8 years old. My uncle has a lot of these books from his own childhood days and still likes buying and giving books to his nephews and nieces. For a book that's pretty important to me, you might find it strange that I don't know where I got it. It might have been a gift or I might have pulled it off my uncle's bookshelf at random.<br />
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One thing's for sure: reading this book changed my life.<br />
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Big statement right there, but it's true! Especially for a 7 year old kid whose idea of fun was to go outside and roll around the concrete. Picking up this book really brought a change in me. I realized that reading can bring you to places, it shows you that there are people going through the same things as you are, and that nothing is more vibrant than your own imagination.<br />
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Time has passed and I've moved on from Beverly Cleary to Sweet Valley High, from slice of life stories to swashbuckling fantasy, from books with huge fonts and hundred pages to tomes amounting to days of reading. I think I wouldn't be the reader that I am today if I didn't realize early on how fun reading is, and it's all thanks to this book. It might not be <i>the best</i>, or <i>the most memorable, </i>but it's super special to me and thus deserves this spot.<br />
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AND THAT'S IT OMAYGAAAAAAAAAAAWD *dances*<br />
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At this point, I'm going to go back to updating once or twice a week, instead of everyday. I'm trying to come up with sections on this blog! Any suggestions? Hit me up on the comments!Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-82576838619356438032013-05-29T22:02:00.001+08:002013-05-29T22:02:29.232+08:00day 29 | 'cause i'm hipster like thatI almost forgot the reason why I opened this computer in the first place. Oh well! I'm getting to it now!<br />
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I can't believe I only have two more days with this book challenge! I really wanted to devote more time in writing these blog entries; unfortunately, I really do not have all the time and resources to make a proper blog post. I am way too effing busy at work, and when I finally get home the only thing I want to do is curl up into a ball and sleep. Then I wake up and repeat the cycle all over again. Woe. Hopefully the work dwindles down in the coming months.<br />
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That said, I shall go on with my entry.<br />
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Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked</h2>
I seriously can't think of an answer to this! Usually when people hate a book, that's a good sign that I probably shouldn't read it. I take people's advice on books seriously, lol. Sooooo let's pick a book that people are <i>meh </i>about but I liked enough:<div>
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Graceling by Kristin Cashore.</h3>
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I just recently saw on a forum that a lot of people were apparently bored by the book. I really liked it though! I love Katsa and Po, the setting, and the plot. Also, I love how there's <i>finally</i> a book that recognizes the fact that some girls don't want to get married. Oh well, different strokes I guess.<br /><div>
<br />Tomorrow shall be my final entry for this book challenge! Will I be able to write it or not? Find out, mwahahha.<br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br /></i>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-43812095591808503802013-05-28T22:05:00.002+08:002013-05-28T22:05:41.926+08:00day 28 | ALL THE RAGE.*meditative breath*<br />
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So. I just got home from work. And I mean I JUST GOT HOME FROM WORK. What time is it? 9:17 PM. What time should I have been home? 7:40 PM. <b>That's an hour ago.</b><br />
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It took me <b>more than an hour</b> to get to the bus terminal when it should have taken me only 30 minutes! For some fucking reason, the roads were really congested, so the jeep I was riding took an alternate route. <b>Bright fucking idea</b>, because everybody else thought the same thing! Now the alternate route took so fucking long, and we had to run into a Flores de Mayo procession. Whoever you are, what a bright fucking idea to hold a Flores de Mayo AT NIGHT on a WEEKDAY, at a BUSY STREET. Gosh darnit. And I almost fell off the jeep because the driver was being an IDIOT and continued to drive even though it was fucking obvious that a bunch of us were getting off the jeep.<br />
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Oh, but that's not all! I walked all the way to the bus terminal, and when I finally got on, the bus took the long route home. Like, seriously? You are obviously aware that the traffic situation is mental out there, but you chose to take the long route home?<br />
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PLUS, I had to sit next to the most <i>kuuki yomenai </i>person in the history of EVER. I have this anxiety when someone in the bus sits beside me and there are a fuckton of free seats all around. I just get soooooooooooo annoyed and frustrated! And it was totally showing in the way I was zipping my bags and massaging my forehead. But the idiot still was not getting it <b>at all.</b> I had to double my bitchiness before he even got the message.<br />
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PLUS PLUS, when I got home (finally!), I am greeted by a <b>banshee</b> who does not understand how fucking stressful my night was and proceeded to scream about how much she needed to get her presentation done, when in fact my <i>sister</i> is the one making the presentations and all she was doing was screaming about her presentation. How much more stressed would you fucking be if your computer-illiterate ass was the one doing this presentation?<br />
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GOD DAMMIT I AM PEESED.<br />
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Now that <i>that's </i>over, it's time to get on with the book challenge, which I honestly am not up to right now. But anyway, I'm already here and I might as well type something.<br />
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Day 28 - Favorite title<br /><br /><br />
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Confession: I judge books both by their covers and titles. I know that a lame title like "Love" is not a hindrance for a gripping story, or a cover with horrible font, for that matter. But I feel like if you really like your work, you'll package it in the best, most interesting way possible, right? Thus my penchant for titles that sound "cool". But for some reason, this title is the one I like best:<div>
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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon.</h3>
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Why do I like this title? It's straight-forward, quirky, it says a lot about what happens during the novel (or the main driving force of the novel, rather), and pulls me in to find out more.</div>
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Another candidate is...</div>
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Anything titled by E.L. Konigsburg.</h3>
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As a child, I wasn't used to her uber-long titles (such as<i> Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth</i>), but I've come to love looking for her titles. Her shortest title (that I've read) is probably "Father's Arcane Daughter".</div>
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Well, that was short! My rant was a heck of a lot longer! Anyway, I only have two more days of this challenge to go. I might just schedule the posts since tomorrow and the day after will be super busy. But I will finish this challenge on time! Yay me!<br /><br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-84268076807419988282013-05-27T09:52:00.001+08:002013-05-27T09:52:49.024+08:00days 22 - 27 | BOOK CHALLENGE SPREEEEEEEEEE.Oh freaking elephants.<br />
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I had no idea that I was so behind on entries! Gosh darnit. But I have totally valid reasons though. This week was pretty busy (in the sense that my to-do list was longer than the Nile). Also, last Saturday was mah burfday and yesterday was my cousin's birthday PLUS I went to a Flores de Mayo procession. Blogging was just not an option.<br />
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But hey, I have a significant amount of free time today! The whole day! What an amazing thing! So I shall spend it filling up the blog challenge. Today, I challenge myself to make this as succinct as possible because I have <i>a lot </i>of entries to write.<br />
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Off we go!<br />
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Day 22 - Favorite book you own</h2>
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Hmm, I don't know how to approach this question. I assume that when a book is my favorite, the tendency is for you to buy that book right? So would it also count as my all-time favorite book? Anyway, I think it's probably...</div>
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The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan.</h3>
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I love owning these books because it's the first series that I picked up and started actively collecting! I don't even own all the books in Harry Potter, my all-time favorite series, because I used to just borrow copies from my classmates. Now I have three books in the the HoO series, and I'm about to add another one in October! <i>Accio, </i>House of Hades! </div>
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Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t</h2>
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This entry can potentially go on forever because my booklist is WAY long! But I shall settle for...</div>
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Anything Margaret Atwood.</h3>
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I've been meaning for SO LONG to read at least one book from her, preferably <i>The Handmaid's Tale! </i>For some reason, I don't really see a lot of her books in bookstores, so I don't get to buy anything. Remind me to pick up an ebook!</div>
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Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read</h2>
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Oh goodness, A LOT. Because I read a lot of books that aren't really "mainstream," I can go on and on listing books here. Can I just throw my entire fucking booklist here? But anyway, I'm going to have to go with... </div>
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Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.</h3>
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This book is not perfect, it's super long and it goes in circles, but I think the message is clear: DON'T BE A BULLY. It sucks how people still can't get that message. It's been how many fucking years and so many kids still kill themselves from bullying, and kill other people for bullying them. Didn't anybody ever learn from Columbine and Virginia Tech? This was a great insight into how bullying really damages a person. Even when you think it's all just fun and games, it's not really "fun" if someone wants to die because of you. </div>
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<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most</h2>
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This is going to be a strange answer, haha. </div>
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Lisa See's Millicent Min.</h3>
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Millie is a young 11 year old genius, whilst I am a 23 year old idiot. But I just couldn't help but laugh at her narration, because I kept thinking "OMG she acts just like me." From her social awkwardness to her penchant for intellectual, hipsterry things, I related to her so much. It's like she's narrating my thoughts. There was also a part in the book where her friend Emily forces her to write a list of qualities she's looking for in a boy/man, and I thought to myself "Damn, did I write this list and submitted it to Lisa See subconsciously?" </div>
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<h3>
Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something</h3>
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What the hell. Uh. Well this is a bit difficult because I don't really read about things I disagree with (like infidelity and super Catholicism). But I guess I'll pick...</div>
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The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.</h3>
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I have a tendency not to read spiritual books because I feel like they say the same things over and over again. But for some reason I really liked this book! Maybe it's cause I read it at the time when I really needed guidance. Anyhoo, because of this book I am now more open to reading books about spirituality.</div>
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Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending</h2>
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Well, this is not really a surprising twist but I was really disappointed. And I ranted about it before so...</div>
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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo -- The Darkling is an evil little bastard all along.</h3>
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I just.... URGH. I am still not over this! I think this book would have been better in third person, so we see hints of his "inner darkness hullaballoo". Obviously Alina was a little bit in love with him, so she doesn't see anything suspicious about what he's doing. Alina had me so convinced that he was a good guy. Ugh! That's so heartbreaking.</div>
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<br />I swear on my new sneakers, I will not skip the last three days of this stupid challenge!</div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-53351327239770719842013-05-21T20:54:00.002+08:002013-05-21T20:54:22.705+08:00day 21 | life imitating art and vice versa + a bit of childhood regressionSigh. Once again, work piled up and my tasks for the week barely fit in a notepad. Thus, having no time to write a blog post during work breaks. I should have foreseen this coming! Then maybe I wouldn't have spent half of an entire fucking day playing Sims 3.<br />
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Out of sheer boredom I made a Sim, aiming to be a doctor. For some reason I was really obsessed with her getting her lifetime wish (thus spending 5 - 9 PM madly making her play chess). At one point my sister came to observe my game and commented on how alone the girl was. "<i>Ang lungkot-lungkot naman niya! Bigyan mo na ng asawa! </i>(She looks so sad! Give her a husband!)" she said.<br />
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<b>"Career before love!!!!" </b>I screamed, and she guffawed.<br />
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Y'know I think this Sim is going to be me when I grow up, haha. Not that I ever want to become a doctor. But I didn't realize I was living vicariously through this Sim, being successful and having fun "socializing", until my sister commented on it.<br />
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She <i>did</i> look pretty lonely though, so I found her a boyfriend. Something I'm not doing for myself in this lifetime XD<br />
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Now, onto the book challenge! Hey look, I only have 10 entries left!<br />
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Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood</h2>
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This question is soooooo unfair. For me, at least. A large bulk of my reading memory came from my childhood books, so this question is really effing hard to answer! But I think I'd really have to go with..<div>
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Matilda by Roald Dahl.</h3>
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I know I said I wasn't going to repeat books in this challenge, but I would be lying to myself if I wrote down anything else. This book had a HUGE impact on my life, you have no idea!</div>
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Matilda is a huge factor in why I'm such a reader (another factor? The library from <i>Beauty and the Beast). </i>I don't think any other book has relayed exactly how I felt about books at that time. I actually used to sit by the corner and drink Ovaltine (not Milo, OVALTINE because that's what the book said) while having a pile of books beside me. Of course I only read one book a day haha. <i>And</i> I was way too young to be impressed by the likes of Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling. Though I <i>do </i>plan on one day reading all those books that she read (or at least, what was listed).</div>
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I found a lot of comfort in reading about a girl like Matilda, who was bookish, a loner, and a lot misunderstood. A lot of books I read featured kids who were mischievous, happy-go-lucky, and friendly, and those were characters that were difficult (for me) to relate with. Matilda was more of <i>my </i>character, and it felt good to have some sort of ~representation in a book.</div>
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Another thing I liked about Matilda was that it didn't enforce the belief that "your parents are wonderful because they gave birth to you blah blah blah so you have to stick with them no matter what." NO. Just NO. Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood were <i>horrid</i> human beings, but Matilda left them because they weren't good for her. Not saying that my parents suck (<strike>only sometimes</strike>), but we need more books that say "horrible people are horrible people and you're better off without them PERIOD."</div>
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Also, I remember that scene in the movie where she makes pancakes for herself and I wanted so much to do that, except my parents never let me near the stove (up to this day, haha).</div>
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Matilda is actually a book that I still read up until adulthood. If I found the book now, I'd probably read it again. I think I might look for the movie again! </div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-91251538668340102872013-05-20T11:35:00.004+08:002013-05-20T11:36:35.401+08:00day 20 | love is all around.It's such a boring Monday morning.<br />
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I guess we were all really tired from yesterday's events. We had a procession for <i>Flores de Mayo </i>and it was exhausting. Running around for an hour and a half trying not to trip over children and taking photographs. Urgh. It was fun though, but I'm glad it only comes once a year haha.</div>
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Let me just share a photograph I took yesterday of our two "tenants"! They're a mother and daughter pair and they ham it up pretty well for the camera. Aren't they adorbs?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6NixpJc7xCcQssPuRWtTvs9j_YSugyAfgjRqQ83WmH4h7GeTftSsur9uQUKzM0KivNLjfDurKrhQyBNUEkKM_BJZ8EH9lXZx-gapl3bGwBFHQB1OBGNcLhIhFtT4deubgkPlzZNIPA/s1600/wifiandnyanko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTW6NixpJc7xCcQssPuRWtTvs9j_YSugyAfgjRqQ83WmH4h7GeTftSsur9uQUKzM0KivNLjfDurKrhQyBNUEkKM_BJZ8EH9lXZx-gapl3bGwBFHQB1OBGNcLhIhFtT4deubgkPlzZNIPA/s640/wifiandnyanko.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I realize I made a promise to myself to make a weekly photodiary, and though I <i>have</i> been doing pretty well with that, my problem is I don't really like sharing my personal life through a public platform. Lol. So I will resign myself to take more pictures of animals and inanimate objects for this blog.</div>
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Anyway, onto the blogging challenge!</div>
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Day 20 - Favorite romance book</h2>
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I think I already mentioned in this blog that I don't really read romance novels. I tend to skip through huge parts of the narrative because I can't bear the cheesy dialogue and cliched plotlines. But sometimes I do read romance if I don't want to get too much into a book and just pass the time, haha. So my pick for favorite romance book is...</div>
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Romancing Mr. Bridgerton - Julia Quinn</div>
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I picked up this book at the recommendation of<a href="http://www.elizabethmayphoto.com/" target="_blank"> Elizabeth May</a>, a photographer/author who I follow. I've always liked bickering couples, so I decided to take a look at the prologue:</div>
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Oh, not the love part. He certainly didn't fall in love with her in 1812 (and not in 1813, 1814, 1815, or-- oh blast, not in all the years 1816-1822, either, and certainly not in 1823, when he was out of the country the whole time, anyway.) But his earth shook, his heart leaped, and Penelope knew without a shadow of a doubt that his breath was taken away as well. For a good ten seconds.<br />
Falling off a horse tended to do that to a man.</blockquote>
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And I was sold! I think it's so different from other historical romances that I've read because:</div>
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(1) Penelope is not a goddess-like beauty. She's not even the "beautiful deep down inside" beauty. She's <i>plain.</i> I think there should be more characters like her in romances. We need to show the world that beauty isn't everything. </div>
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(2) Penelope and Colin are painted as equals. They encourage each other through their dreams and want to see the best for their partners. I have such an equality kink, can't you tell. I hate it when romances focus on the sad dark past of the hero and all the woman has to do is give him a hug and cheer him from the sidelines. Women have problems too! We need support!</div>
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(3) It's nice to see a woman have a job and supporting herself in a Victorian society! I've read way too many historical novels where the woman just rots all day at home, mending or reading. I mean, I <i>know</i> that's how women used to spend their days, but it's just incredibly depressing for me to read XD.</div>
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I've yet to read books from the rest of the series, but I definitely will!</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-80776103878364351172013-05-19T14:29:00.002+08:002013-05-19T14:29:33.096+08:00day 17, 18, and 19 | apologies in orderBEEP BEEP BEEP Here comes the failboat! <div>
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Urgh. I really need to get better at this whole updating thing! To be fair, I had a busy day last Friday, and I spent yesterday out with my friends for a joint birthday celebration. Both days had me wonky by nightfall. It looks like it's going to be a busy week too, so I <i>know</i> I'm bound to miss a day or two this week again.</div>
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ANYWAY let's get on to it. This is going to be a really short entry because I am so lazy it's criminal.</div>
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Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book</h2>
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Y'know what, I was planning on illustrating these quotes, but fuck it. I am waaaaay too spent to do anything.</div>
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“She was elusive. She was today. She was tomorrow. She was the faintest scent of a cactus flower, the flitting shadow of an elf owl. We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a cork board like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew.”<br />-- Stargirl, Jerry Spinelli.</blockquote>
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“Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering.”<br />-- A History of Love</blockquote>
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Do I really have to explain why I like these quotes? Just listen to the words. They sound like music. </div>
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Day 18 - A book that disappointed you</h2>
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<br />The Jian by Eric van Lustbader.</h3>
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The book probably doesn't ring any bells for anyone because it was a pretty obscure book. But I decided to read it for a very special reason: I was named after it. In the book, the Jian is the Chinese version of the ninja, and translates to "master of the arts". I guess my aunt wanted me to be an assassin or something.</div>
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<br />Anyway, I read this when I was around 14 or 15 and I really didn't like it. I mean, it had a pretty good premise but the writing sucked. Too many fragments all around and it was pretty straightforward. Also there were so many unnecessary sex scenes. Like, can't we just fade to black? All the sex scenes looked the same anyway. And my memory's a bit fuzzy, but I think it ended with the bad guy falling off a cliff. Like.. OK? And I was rooting for him too. Haha. To be honest it wasn't such a sucky book, but the fact that I was named after it really disappointed me. </div>
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Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie</h2>
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<br />Atonement by Ian McEwan and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen<br />Adapted for film by Joe Wright.</h3>
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Is it not painfully obvious that I adore Joe Wright? I love his films. If he decides to adapt Fifty Shades of Grey I might even watch it. That's how much I love his films.</div>
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The Pride and Prejudice movie inspired me to read the book, and I decided to read Atonement right before I watched the movie. I love how he adapts books. He keeps the important parts intact and you'll feel like you've read the whole book. I also like the subtlety he brings to the films. My favorite part of P&P is when Mr. Darcy helps up Elizabeth on the carriage and afterwards it closes up to his hands clenching and unclenching. HNGG. Also, the legendary library scene of Atonement. Any director would have done it in a more exploitative manner, but the scene was so tasteful. </div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-5094613620291691922013-05-16T16:56:00.002+08:002013-05-16T16:56:17.287+08:00day 15 and 16 | guys and dolls, gather roundI thought I wasn't going to be busy today. FAT CHANCE. Now I finally have some free time, so I'll use it to type up a quick entry.<div>
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Awww man, I really want to dedicate more time to these entries! But I can never get enough typing time at home, so I have to sneak it in during lunch breaks or work breaks. Ugh. Maybe next time I'll try writing up some stuff on my phone and try to save time.</div>
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<br />Anyway! I combined the entries for day 15 and 16 in one entry because they're related. I think it's easier to talk about my favorite characters in one go than dedicating separte entries for the males and females. </div>
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As you might know by now, I like cheating with this entry and providing more answers than necessary, so you will expect THREE characters! </div>
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I promise I'll keep this as short as I can.</div>
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Day 15 - Favorite male character and Day 16 - Favorite female character</h2>
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Favorite Male Character</h3>
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1. Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)</h4>
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Percy motherfucking Jackson, how do I describe thee? I think part of Percy's charm is that we see him visibly growing up as you read all five books in the series. Percy is just fiercely loyal and very determined, qualities that always inspire me. Also, you can't get enough of that snark!</div>
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2. Charlie (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)</h4>
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I loved reading Perks because reading Charlie's thoughts was a lot like looking inside my own mind. I related incredibly well with his awkwardness and his struggles being on the outside looking in. I wanted to hug him really bad while I was reading the novel! </div>
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3. Prince Po (Graceling)</h4>
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Admittedly he doesn't have the coolest of names, but what endeared me so much to Po was that he was so supportive of Katsa and whatever she chose to do with her life. He was there to push her when she was being indecisive, but knew when to agree when it comes to her choices in life. Also, I envy his Grace so much!</div>
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Favorite Female Character</h3>
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<br />1. Lisbeth Salander (The Millenium Trilogy)</h4>
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LISBETH SALANDER MY HERO. Did you know I had a phase where I almost cut my hair like Rooney Mara in the Dragon Tattoo movie? Thank God that never panned out, it would have looked really horrible on me. I love Lisbeth because even though she is often described as cunning and clever, she is very, very flawed and she recognizes that. Throughout the books she overcomes those flaws and becomes a more sociable, less selfish human being. Plus, I've always wanted to be a hacked (the nice kind, might I say).</div>
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<br />2. Annabeth Chase (Percy Jackson and the Olympians)</h4>
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I've always looked up to Athena. That sounds weird, I know, but she was <i>my </i>goddess. I had ownership over her lol. So naturally I was drawn to Annabeth. And she just kept drawing me in! Annabeth definitely has her bratty, know-it-all moments, but underneath that tough exterior is a comrade and a leader. I love how she's a female in a position of power, but she doesn't use that power to assert her status. I can see that she really loves Camp Half-Blood and will do anything in her power to protect it.</div>
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3. Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)</h4>
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The moment Luna was introduced to us, I felt like I was going to love this character, and I was correct! I love Luna's unapologetic quirkiness and how she has no shame in being herself. Also, despite her crazy self, she's not just a token character. She proved to be a useful ally in the final battles and is incredibly loyal to the people who stuck with her. To be honest, I wanted Harry to end up with her but <i>c'est la vie</i>, the word of God says no.</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-65141941599157591252013-05-15T16:49:00.001+08:002013-05-15T16:49:13.884+08:00day 13 and 14 | the wordsmiths and their crafts + a rant of a democratic cynicThis entry has been three days in the making, yet I can't seem to really get into it and write.<br />
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I blame the elections.<br />
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Last May 13 was my second time participating in my country's elections. To be honest, I was a bit excited! I saw it as an opportunity for <i>change </i>and <i>improvement. </i>A lot of people in my social media accounts seem to be getting into the spirit as well, promoting the candidates who they think deserve a spot in the senatorial roster. I thought, "Wow, people are really getting into the spirit of things!" As I stood in line to exercise my right as a democratic citizen, I believed in a change. I believed in progress.<br />
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<strike>But everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.</strike><br />
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Sadly, idealism will get you nowhere, and as the recent results will tell you, my country still has a long, <i>long</i> way to go in terms of "voting wisely."<br />
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I seriously didn't understand the situation. I felt like <i>everybody knew </i>who to vote for, and who <i style="font-weight: bold;">NOT </i>to vote for, yet everything still went downhill.<br />
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Then my father said, "Well, that's just how it is. Especially the urban poor, they'll vote for whoever gave them money or gives them feeding programs or hands out bags of groceries."<br />
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And that just sucks. It sucks that it's not even a matter of information dissemination anymore, it all boils down to who gives short-term solutions (money, groceries), not people who are capable of pushing for bills that will help the Filipinos for generations to come. It sucks that people would vote for a candidate because s/he entertained them with a song-and-dance number during the motorcade. It sucks that people who come from the same family as an esteemed politician will get voted because hey, "<i>baka namana nya yung galing ng tatay/nanay/kapatid/lola/lolo nya.</i>"<br />
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I can sit here and rant all I fucking want, but at the end of the day, these are who the "people" voted for. I'm just one person who's very dissatisfied with the results. All I can do now is hope and pray that these elected people would do their <b>gosh-darn best</b> to make this country a better place.<br />
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And now let's get to my book entry!<br />
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<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer and Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer</h2>
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I know that this entry is a day late, but that's cause I wanted to combine the two topics together.</div>
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I'm kind of annoyed at this question, actually! Way down Day 30, the question is "your favorite book of all time" but obviously, if I had favorite book EVER, I'd probably really like the author too right? Ugh. But no matter, I'll still try to not repeat a book while doing this challenge.</div>
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Oh it's so hard coming up with a list for this! I look up to so many authors and I don't even know how to write this without it turning into a full-blown Buzzfeed/Flavorwire-like list. Bear with me! I shall ramble! But I'll try to make this as short as I possible can.</div>
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In no particular order...</div>
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<br />1. J.K. Rowling</h3>
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Uh, obviously. I remember receiving a book on J.K. Rowling's mini-biography and it was so battered and dog-eared. Then someone borrowed it and lost it, urgh. But Rowling was seriously one of my earliest inspirations. I really loved how she started out with a children's story that transcended across all ages, and I <i>know </i>will still be read for generations to come. She gave me hope in a dreary, boring world, hope that somewhere out there magic exists.</div>
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Favorite book from J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter</h4>
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... cause what else am I going to write? I've yet to read The Casual Vacancy but that's definitely on my list.</div>
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<br />2. Haruki Murakami</h3>
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I read Murakami when I was in the high weaboo phase, and I picked up Dance Dance Dance simply because it was written by a Japanese. Thank God my weabooness brought me to a gem! Murakami is a marvel because he effortlessly writes about the strangest things and you don't even question the existence of it, you just go along with the flow. Whenever I read a Murakami, I always feel like I've been transported to a different world. Even the voice in my head sounds different. I've yet to come across another author who has that power.</div>
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<br />Favorite book from Haruki Murakami: toss up between After Dark and Kafka on the Shore</h4>
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I love After Dark because it's one of his shortest books, so reading it over and over never tires me. Kafka, on the other hand, is a lot longer, but sparked a healthy debate with me and my roommate. It's a book that has always stuck to me.</div>
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3. Oscar Wilde</h3>
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I already mentioned my love for Oscar Wilde in a previous entry so I will not ramble about him any further.</div>
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Favorite book from Oscar Wilde: The Happy Prince and Other Stories</h4>
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My copy of this book is super worn out and battered! That's how much I love it, I read it over and over again when I was in high school. My favorite story would definitely have to be "The Nightingale and the Rose." I don't think I've ever been so heartbroken over a story my whole life!</div>
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4. Hans Christian Andersen</h3>
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Oh, HCA. I can blabber on forever about him. I guess I like him so much because I feel like I would be him, only a girl, if ever I was born in his century. Most fairytales always ended with happy endings, but HCA always had the most tragic endings for my poor childhood heart. In some masochistic way I really liked that about his fairytales. Somebody needed to show the world that we don't all get happy endings.</div>
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Favorite <strike>book</strike> story from Hans Christian Andersen: The Little Mermaid.</h4>
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I don't think he's ever written an actual novel? Anyway, the <i>original</i> version of The Little Mermaid is always a favorite. Not the sugarcoated Disney version. I'm glad that instead of villainizing the girl that the prince falls in love with, HCA shows us that we can love someone with all our heart but it doesn't make them conniving little spawns of demons when they don't return our feelings. Of course we don't have to die in the end XD</div>
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5. Banana Yoshimoto</h3>
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The same with Haruki Murakami, Yoshimoto always takes me to a quiet place whenever I read her books. I voraciously read Kitchen, N.P. and Goodbye Tsugumi, so much that their spines are cracked. Reading Yoshimoto is like talking to an old friend -- always comforting, sometimes mysterious, and always leaves you hanging for the next time you meet.</div>
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Favorite book from Banana Yoshimoto: Kitchen.</h4>
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I don't even know why I like this book so much lol. It's essentially plotless and very plain. But I really grew to love Eriko and Yuichi as characters. I think that's one of Yoshimoto's pulls -- characters who you can't help but be attached to.</div>
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6. Beverly Cleary and Roald Dahl</h3>
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I'm sorrryyyyyy I've been writing way too much! But I definitely couldn't leave out the authors who shaped my childhood! Beverly Cleary was the first ever author who I watched out for, as in I made my mother and uncle buy the books simply because it was authored by her. Roald Dahl was also my first foray into more serious, higher level children's literature. There's something so fantastic and carefree about Dahl's writing, I love reading his books over and over even up to this day.</div>
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<br />Favorite books from Beverly Clear and Roald Dahl: <i>Beezus and Ramona </i>and <i>Matilda</i>.</h4>
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Beezus and Ramona was my first Cleary book, and remains a favorite. It's the only book in the Ramona series written from Beezus' point of view and I loved reading it because I could relate so well to having a bratty sister! Matilda was one of my favorite movies, so naturally I had to pick up the book. I think I definitey prefer the book more than the movie. Also, I've always wanted Matilda's powers! This book was also really formative with regards to my reading habits. I think I had the idea that reading a lot will give me telekinetic powers. I still need my hands to reach for the remote, so that didn't happen. But who cares, when books have given me such immense joy?</div>
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AND THAT'S IT. OH GOSH THIS WAS A LONG ENTRY.</div>
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<br />My next entry will be on the 17th, because two related questions are coming up again. Until the next post!</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 15 - Favorite male character</i><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-7171123010983714972013-05-12T18:42:00.003+08:002013-05-12T18:42:32.881+08:00Day 12 | now you're just a book that i used to loveLol at my title.<br />
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Anyway, before I get to my entry, let me greet the mothers a <b>Happy Mother's Day! </b><br />
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Coincidentally it is also my twin cat's birthday today! <b>Happy Birthday <a href="http://curieuxcat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Oya</a>! </b><br />
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It may be mother's day but my mom was definitely not in a celebratory mood, as she spent at least half of the day asleep. It prompted me to say "Happy Mother's Day wooohooo party people" in a really bored tone, flailing my arms. At least my sister was amused. <br />
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As we already had our fill of cake and pasta, it's time for me to write, write, write!<br />
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Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore</h2>
<br />Aww man, what kind of question is this? I'm not the kind of person who just suddenly hates something I love because I grew up or whatever. Especially when it comes to books. So I think I'll discuss a book that I thought was <i>the shit</i> when I was younger, but looking at it now, it's not as good as I made it out to be. And that book is...<div>
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Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.</h3>
<br />I think there's a lot of vitriol out there for Dan Brown and his novels, probably because they're so famous yet they're not really ground-breaking. However, I remember that I liked this book a lot when it came out. I've always had a penchant for mystery, sleuthing and adventure. Plus, the little digs at history and religion were interesting too. So safe to say I enjoyed this book while I was reading it.</div>
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I think it's when I re-read this the second time that I realized "This wasn't really as good as I made it out to be." For one, Robert Langdon was such a Gary Stu. The plot was super linear and kind of predictable. And the writing was a bit fanfiction-y, like someone just picked up a book of writing tips and decided to go overboard with them.</div>
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I don't really hate the novel now, but it's really not that great. Oh, and I didn't like The Da Vinci Code at all. I <i>did </i>flashback to the book again when we were electing a new Pope, so you could say this book was not completely irrelevant to my life.<br /><i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br /></i>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-57577379067044807742013-05-11T23:53:00.001+08:002013-05-11T23:53:50.351+08:00day 11 | brace yourself for immense loathing below I have an hour to write this blog entry if I want to remain faithful to my "one blog entry a day rule." Challenge accepted! Damn, I didn't realize it was already 11 PM because I slept like a log during the bus ride home.<br />
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I was planning on doing this during my lunch break at work, but I didn't get the time at all. I think I underestimated my workload for this month by a <i>mile. </i>Now I can't work properly because I'm thinking "Am I prioritizing the right thing? Should I have done this later?" which leads to me not working, which leads to work not being done, which leads to work piling up. Argh! If I could only learn how to execute Kage Bunshin!<br />
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Well, let's forget about that for a while! Bring out the next entry!<br />
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Day 11 - A book you hate(d)</h2>
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Y'know I just realized these questions are a bit repetitive. Or at least my answers for these questions will tend to be repetitive. Serves me right for not reading all the questions when I first encountered them! Anyhoo, I will try my best to not repeat any of my answers for this challenge.<br />
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See the little modification I made on today's question? It's cause I still hate this book, haha. So without further ado...<br />
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The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer.</h3>
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*gets pelted with donuts*<br />
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Hehe. Anybody who knows me must have seen that coming from lightyears away! I don't think I've hated a book as much as this one, so it deserves to be written about. Just to clarify, I hated Twilight before it was cool to hate it (lol). Nobody can tell me that I hate it irrationally without ~reading the book~.<br />
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I once wanted to read Twilight because a lot of people I follow on Livejournal have read it and praised its beautiful love story. The blurb wasn't actually all that interesting (small-town girl in love with vampire boy, oh whatever shall we do), but I decided to give it a go. Plus, I really liked the cover. SUE ME.<br />
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So I picked up a friend's copy, and immediately after I read the prologue, I thought to myself, "Is this seriously published work? <i>Published</i> work?" The language Meyer employs is one I very much associated with fanfiction. <i>Mediocre </i>fanfiction, at that.<br />
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"But, no mind!" I said to myself again. Maybe the writing sucks but the story is its saving grace.<br />
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Oh, how I wish somebody just told me to put down the goddamn book!<br />
<br />Aside from the writing getting exponentially worse, I had such a problem with Bella Swan's existence. First of all, <i>nobody</i> is forcing you to move away from home. It's explicitly stated in the narration. However, she chooses to move out anyway, and finds a way to bitch about her move every 2 sentences. Seriously? Also, the narration makes it a point to mention how "smart" and "bookish" she is, but why does she keep making the stupidest decisions ever? Seriously, that's how you characterize "smart"?<br />
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The first time I read this, I hardly made it through the first quarter of the book before violently putting it down. Then, it <i>exploded</i> in popularity, and I said to myself, "y'know maybe she gets better when the love story progresses. Let's try it again." I read it from an e-copy of my dormmate the second time.<br />
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It still sucked.<br />
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And now, it had the added suckage of touting "the greatest love story of all time" in the form of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. All I can do is shake my head at this nonsense.<br />
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I am not the greatest expert in love stories. But what I <i>do </i>know is that it's never romantic to break into a girl's house and watch her while she sleeps, ruin her car engine so she can't meet her friends, involve her in various perilous situations, and keep on calling her variations of the term "idiot". And all these traits are supposed to be endearing!<br />
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Seriously, if I met a guy like this in real life, no matter how hot he is, he is getting a swift kick to the groin.<br />
<br />And don't even get me started on the whole imprinting thing! I don't know what kind of person thinks it's a good idea for a grown man to be "imprinted" to a two year old, or even a newborn! That's so wrong in all sorts of levels. The "soulmates" excuse just doesn't cut it.<br />
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I have a lot more problems with this series, especially the blatant sexism, but I'd have enough material for a novel.<br />
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The thing is, it's OK for bad novels to exists. It's OK for people to be horrible writers. But what bugs me about this book is that it has some undeniable sorcery that for some reason, people become totally blind to the fact that it's problematic and sub-par. It's scary how people are idealizing this kind of relationship as "perfect" and "dreamy" when in reality, it's almost a complete mirror image of an abusive relationship. Read the book, enjoy it by all means, but at least acknowledge that it's highly problematic.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-5552278463080536412013-05-10T16:57:00.002+08:002013-05-10T16:57:27.070+08:00day 10 | something oldCongratulate me! I reached day 10 of this challenge! <div>
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Well to be honest, I had every intent of finishing this challenge anyway, but I'm having difficulties with the Internet connection and the inspiration. So I think "congratulations" are in order! *throws confetti for herself*</div>
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Ehem. Anyway, I think I'll trying doing the illustrations for this challenge tomorrow, when there's not much to do.</div>
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This particular entry will be an exercise on time restraint, as I have only 15 minutes before I get out of work. So let's begin!</div>
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<br />Day 10 - Favorite classic book</h2>
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I am a fan of classic books. A lot of people deem them boring and would not even waste an ounce of effort reading the blurbs. I, on the other hand, adore classics. I think if something's a classic, it's bound to be good if it can stand the test of time, right? I try to read as many classics as I can. </div>
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Because I am indecisive once again, I shall pick THREE books! Three seems to be my magic number for this challenge!</div>
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1. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.</h3>
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I adore Oscar Wilde's writing, ever since we had to read <i>The Happy Prince </i>for my high school English class. I stumbled upon a collection of his short stories and I wanted more! So naturally, I picked up this novel and of course, fell in love with it. There's just something about Wilde's prose and narration that makes you feel like you're part of a fantasy. I remember reading this novel from cover to cover in one day, because it was <i>that</i> interesting! Strangely, I've yet to watch the movie adaptation of this novel, but I'm sure I'll get to it soon.</div>
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2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.</h3>
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Welp, I know, typical answer. But I included it on the list because it's one of the <i>few</i> romances that I truly like! It's difficult for me to get into romance, but for some reason this really pulled me it. The beautiful movie was also a factor. I like relationships like Lizzie Bennet's and Mr. Darcy's because I have an equality kink and I don't like romances where they're making out like crazy every other chapter. I've yet to read another Austen novel, but eventually I'd like to read all of them!</div>
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3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.</h3>
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The inclusion of this novel in my list is a bit of a stretch, but I think it counts as a classic, don't you think? This was one of my first "serious" novels as a child, wherein the language wasn't so simple, the plot was a lot longer, and it was not episodic but linear. I read this because I've been a fan of the many movie versions of the story, and I thought reading it would be fun. Then I started re-reading it forever because it was my favorite novel as a child. A lot of people in my family also like telling me that I remind them of Mary Lennox because I was such a cross child. Maybe that's why I liked this novel so much.</div>
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And I finished this entry in record time! Yay me! See you again on the next days to come!</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-91390245449104297182013-05-09T14:47:00.004+08:002013-05-09T14:48:33.186+08:00day 9 | when school reading gives you jewelsI'm feeling better today, but still not completely in shape. Ugh. Should I have gone to work today? I rather would have not, but <i>c'est la vie --</i> a penniless creature such as myself needs to go to work for the monies.<br />
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Ugh.<br />
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Anyway, let's discuss the book for <b>day 9</b>! Honestly, I am finding it hard to answer this question because I don't really pick up books without at least being intrigued by the summary. Will <b>you</b> seriously pick up a book with the initial thought of "this sucks"? So I decided to talk about a book that I had to read for school. Because seriously, no student thinks "fun!" when they're <i>assigned</i> to read a book.<br />
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Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving</h2>
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Crime and Punishment by Fyodr Dostoyevsky</h3>
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We had to read this book for my world literature class, and of course I wasn't that thrilled about it. I mean, the blurb was OK, but it didn't reel me in (especially since I was a science fiction, swashbuckling action fan!). But what the hey, it's not like I could protest and refuse to read the book. I <i>could,</i> in theory, but the most probable end result would have been my expulsion from that class. So I grudgingly read the book, armed with Spark Notes.</div>
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To be honest I was surprised that I actually liked it! I found myself really excited and nervous when Raskolnikov was plotting to kill the money-lender. And even though I <i>knew</i> what he did was wrong, for some reason I wanted him to be saved. But as such, justice must be served and the moral lesson is "two wrongs don't make a right."</div>
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I've been meaning to read this book again for sometime now, since I was reading it in a certain time constraint. I think I'll read "The Brothers Karamazov" first.</div>
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This entry has been really short! What a record! Well, until the next book!</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 10 - Favorite classic book<br />Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-59391620559050447412013-05-08T16:50:00.001+08:002013-05-08T16:50:39.606+08:00day 8 | the fault in this bookI feel horrible.<br />
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My stomach is aching and my kneecap is hurting. Earlier, I was breaking into a fever. What in the world did I do to deserve this? I feel like dying. Hopefully writing will ease my mind a bit.]<br />
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Let's talk about the <b>most overrated book</b>! I know that people are going to be mad at me for writing about this, because it's a book that a lot of people really enjoyed. So I'll just disclaim beforehand that this is all <i>my</i> opinion and I am not judging you for liking this particular book, it just didn't do it for me and did not live up to my expectations.<br />
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Without further ado, let us discuss...<br />
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Day 08 - Most Overrated Book</h2>
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The Fault in our Stars by John Green.</h3>
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*dodges bullets, tomatoes, and debris*<br />
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Haha. I think I've already mentioned how much this book has let me down in my Year-end Book Post. But I think I'm up for expanding my explanation.<br />
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You see, John Green is the author of our generation, I will admit. Practically everyone in my news feed in various social networking accounts has reposted a quote from one of his books. And the quotes were nice, I'll give you that. They were so nice that I thought to myself, "I'm going to read a John Green book!" Thus, I picked up <i>Looking for Alaska.</i> I stormed through it and then...zilch. There was no magic. A lot of times I was nitpicking the book instead of getting into the plot. But no mind! Maybe <i>Alaska </i>just isn't for me.<br />
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And then, people started talking about <i>The Fault in our Stars, </i>how it changed their life and how everyone and their mother should read it. The plot seemed interesting enough, even if the kids-with-cancer trope has been a bit overdone and is guaranteed to be cheesier than Pizza Hut 3 Cheese Pizza. People liked it! It must be good! So I read it.<br />
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Same thing as before, there was no magic. No life changing moment. To be honest, I was looking for the point of the novel about halfway through.<br />
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The thing is, this book might have potential been an OK novel for me, had it not been written by John Green. Mr. Green has a nasty habit of putting himself in his characters's shoes. Now the thing is it's not a bad thing to do that -- all authors do it at some point! But the problem with Mr. Green is that he gets into the character's shoes and runs a 10k marathon in them.<br />
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Simply saying, there's an abolition of the character because the character becomes Mr. Green himself.<br />
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It's difficult to differentiate the characters from one another because they're all witty, insightful, and wise beyond their years. They become too much like Mr. Green and I find it hard to like characters who all sound and talk the same way.<br />
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I've actually seen lots of other people having the same critique about this book, and I have seen two "justifications".<br />
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1. So what if they all sound smart? Do you want to read a book about stupid people?</h4>
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No, it's never a bad thing to be smart. I love smart people! I immediately take a liking to characters introduced as geeks or geniuses. So yeah, I want to read a book about smart people. But you have to realize that <b>not everyone is smart</b>. Not everyone is witty and self-deprecating and wistful and melodramatic.<br />
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People are all different and that's the beauty of our "peopleness". That we're all different. So if Mr. Green is writing a book about five kids in boarding school, or two kids battling cancer, do they all have to sound the same?<br />
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The answer is NO.<br />
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<br />2. Of course they sound smart: they're dying! They've become more mature because of all they're experiences!</h4>
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Now hold up there, son! Since when was it postulated that dying people = witty people. I can see it happening with one kid, who's sort of accepted that he's going to die anyway and there's no reason to angst about it. But the general reaction of children, TEENAGERS, is to be really sad about what is happening to them. No time for introspection.<br />
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I mean, he's dying! And you tell 911 "the great love of my life has a malfunctioning tube!" HELLO? Be urgent! You're running on adrenaline -- there's no time to be witty! Also there was this one part in the narration where Hazel was reflecting upon omelets (amirite) while they were going off somewhere. It was a highly misplaced philosophical moment, one of many in this book.<br />
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Let's face it -- you're dying. Do you really have to waste time debating the most mundane, useless information?<br />
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Ok, I'm done lol. Let me just say, I think John Green is a pretty awesome person, but his writing and his stories are definitely not my cup of tea. I might try reading Will Grayson though, cause David Levithan co-wrote it. <br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;"><br />Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving<br />Day 10 - Favorite classic book<br />Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-69350214003465894412013-05-07T16:01:00.003+08:002013-05-07T16:04:05.501+08:00days 5, 6, and 7 | hodge-podge!<b>WELL SNAP.</b><br />
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I failed to update for two whole days! But I have an actual excuse! The Internet connection at home is still a nightmare, and I was out for the whole Monday. By the time I got home I was dying from exhaustion. I seriously wanted to write something, but I was soooooo tired. Ugh.<br />
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Anyhoo! Now I am here and I shall write, write, write! Last week I said something stupid about doing illustrations, and I think that'll take a backseat for a while. Obviously I can't do it with this entry. So let's just say by the tenth entry, I'll probably do it, to commemorate me sticking to something for once.<br />
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Onwards we go!<br />
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Day 5 - A book that makes you happy.</h2>
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The correct answer to this question is "<b>Books make me happy. Period.</b>" But I think I have to give an actual answer to this one.<br />
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I'm going to take this question in a more literal sense, as in "a book that made me laugh and made me feel good by the end of it." With that, I think I'll have to go with...<br />
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The Pippi Longstocking Series.</h3>
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Strange choice, I know. But I remember these books being my go-to series as a child, whenever I was horribly bored and needed a pick-me-up. You can't imagine how much I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking! As a child, I really wanted to go on an adventure like Pippi, Annika and Tommy. I wanted to go wild and wreck the town! Of course, I can't really do that unless I want to put myself behind bars, but basically Pippi's adventures allowed me to live vicariously through her as I continued living in a sleepy subdivision.<br />
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Day 6 - A book that makes you sad.</h2>
To be honest, I wanted to write about <i>Tuesdays with Morrie</i>, as that is the only book wherein I vividly remember crying upon finishing it. Then again, I think I was highly hormonal at that time and thinking about it now, it actually wasn't that sad (and tbh a bit gimmicky). So I shall pick this book instead:<br />
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Jerry Spinelli - Stargirl</h3>
Stargirl starts of as a whimsical, cute little story about an unusual girl with unusual hobbies, then it proceeded to slowly rip my heart bit by bit. I seriously expected this book to be more lighthearted! That was naive, in retrospect. I could hope for a happy ending where Stargirl is accepted and loved and everybody just leaves her alone, but that wouldn't be the least bit realistic. The world is cruel and rejectful, and a girl like Stargirl just didn't stand a chance. It made me so incredibly sad, reading the very last chapter where (SPOILER ALERT) Leo receives another porcupine tie after they're all grown up. Is it too much to hope for a reunion for them in the future? In my mind, they do, haha. But that's what made me really sad about this novel: the fact that the world is not going to come close to accepting everyone.<br />
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Day 7 - Most underrated book</h2>
I can actually think of a lot because I tend to pick up books by obscure authors or unpopular titles, since those are the kind of books that you'd most likely find in secondhand bookstores. But I think I'll pick this one instead:<br />
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The Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld</h3>
How can anybody not love this series? Steampunk! Royalty! The military! Weapons! Genetically-modified creatures! A runaway prince! A bad-ass heroine! Side-characters who are all awesome!<br />
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Of course I loved this book because it had a lot of themes that I look for in a book. The story itself was amazing, the characters were endearing and not douchey, and it takes a great deal of imagination to think of a giant flying whale participating in an all-out gunwar with walking metal spiders. But the fandom is so small! It sucks that so many mediocre paranormal YA romances are garnering huge fanbases and support while an awesome, well-crafted series like Leviathan is ignored.<br />
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I am heading a brigade to bring more recognition to this book! The bad-assery of Deryn Sharp must not be ignored!<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 14px;">Day 08 - Most overrated book<br />Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving<br />Day 10 - Favorite classic book<br />Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-34312976053009577752013-05-04T14:06:00.000+08:002013-05-04T14:06:47.073+08:00book challenge day 3 | until the next episode<div>
Welcome to Day 3 and 4 of my book challenge!<br />
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I actually had half of my Day 3 entry written up yesterday, but as luck would have it, my home Internet connection was being wonky as heck. Sigh. So I'm going to combine the entries for Day 3 and 4. It's a good thing the two questions are connected!<br />
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Also, I've been thinking of doing something different with this challenge. Since my entries are looking so blah and imageless, I think I wanna try illustrating my answers. I know this idea is probably going to crash and burn, given my history of brilliant ideas that never seem to reach resolution, but what the heck! It's not a sin to make and break promises, haha! I might try it with my entries for next week.<br />
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That said, let's get on to our next entry...</div>
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Day 03 - Your favorite series <i>and</i> </h2>
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Day 04 - Your favorite book from your favorite series</h2>
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By now, I think you know that I'm going to cheat again and name more books than is required. Why? Because I'm indecisive like that!<br />
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To be honest, I'm not really a fan of trilogies and books that come in a series. I just <i>hate</i> having to wait! I have a tendency to pick up completed series or stand-alone novels, simply because I am <i>consumed</i> with such giddiness and impatience when waiting for the next book. I also have a tendency to obsessively marathon-read books when I want to find out what happens next, to the point of staying up all night just reading or buying the next book (and does not happen to be in my budget). But I still read a lot of series books 'cause I never learn my lesson.</div>
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That said, I am going to name (once again) <b>three</b> series!<br />
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1. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling</h3>
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Blah, typical answer. This deserves a special place in my list because it's the first big series that I ever followed. I started reading this when I was 11, exactly the age of Harry and the gang during their first year. Yes, I waited very desperately for my owl to come and take me away to Hogwarts. </div>
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What makes HP very special was the fact that readers had a sense of community. Up until that point, I've never experience geeking out with someone over a book, because as we were all brought up by society and the cool kids to believe, books are not cool and are only for nerds. Imagine my delight when I could finally talk about a book (singular lol) to other people and have an actual conversation!</div>
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This book was also pretty important to me since it came at a time of confusion and deliberation. My peers and I were 11 going on 12, the age where everyone was in a hurry to grow up and leave behind any remnants of their childhood. People were moving onto "cool" things like pop music and mainstream movies, while I was still reading books and watching anime. I got ostracized quite a bit for not participating in normal teen behavior.<br />
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But I didn't care. Harry Potter is one of the books that made me realize I'm okay being me, I don't need to become someone else, and that "normal" is overrated anyway. I'd rather be magical. So thank you, Harry Potter and friends. The magic lives on.<br />
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Favorite book from Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix</h3>
I started reading Harry Potter when the first four books were already out, so I took a nice, steady pace with reading the books, since they were on beck and call whenever I was ready to read the next one. <i>Phoenix</i> was the first book that I had to wait for, and I hated and loved it at the same time! There's nothing quite like getting your hands on a new book, speed reading it to the end, then reading it over and over again until the next book comes out. This book marked my first experience with that.<br />
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Let's boil it down to five reasons why I loved this book the most:<br />
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1. Things start taking a darker, more sinister turn with the appearance of the dementors.<br />
2. It marks Harry's first steps as a leader and as a hero, with the creation of Dumbledore's Army.<br />
3. It introduced my favorite person in the books ever, Luna Lovegood (I will be reincarnated as her in the next life, mark my words)<br />
4. It introduced Dolores Umbridge, a person I hated way more than Voldemort.<br />
5. Finally, the death of Sirius Black and the ripping apart of my heartstrings.<br />
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2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians + The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan</h3>
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I picked up Percy Jackson at the suggestion of my college Mythology teacher. I read it just before the first movie was released (btw feelings about PJO movie = GRRRRR). I've always loved Greek and Roman mythology and I'm always looking out for retellings of the famous myths, so I <i>knew</i> I was going to enjoy PJO.<br />
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At first, I wasn't drawn to it because the writing was really made for 9 year olds and above, and the establishment of the setting and plot was a bit linear (it's for middle school after all, they ain't got no time for prose lol), but what really drew me into this series was the humor and the fast-paced action. A lot of people said that the story was predictable because of the myths, but I for one loved how he retold and reintroduced the myths to younger kids, even the different versions. Also, I applaud Uncle Rick for breaking stereotypes with female characters (no damsels in distress here, folks!) and being really diverse age-wise and race-wise for all the characters.<br />
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I think PJO is the kind of series I want to write in the future.<br />
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Favorite Book from Percy Jackson and the Olympians : The Last Olympian</h3>
I read the five PJO book in a week, I think. The Last Olympian is the final book in the series, and most definitely my favorite! It was a really good wrap-up to the series, as well as a lead in to the Heroes of Olympus series.<br />
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Here's five points on why I like The Last Olympian<br />
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1. The action suddenly spikes up! Manhattan in ruins! The Party Ponies!<br />
2. Home of great quotes such as “With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later.” -- Nico diAngelo<br />
3. Percy Jackson the Awesome Idiot being more awesome and more of an idiot.<br />
4. It's so much fun reading about the gods and how the banter with each other.<br />
5. Finally, PERCABETH. PERCABETH BECAME CANON AND OBAMA APPROVES OF THIS POST.<br />
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3. The Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson</h3>
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I bought The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo because the title was cool (and it was cheap at the second-hand book store). Kill me, right? It's a good thing the entire series turned out to be cool as well!<br />
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To be honest, I can't quite say what I like so much about this series. The writing's not special and the plot's just so-so. But I think the best part of this trilogy is really Lisbeth Salander. She makes the entire series. It's so much fun reading how crazy she can be! At one point in time I actually wanted to cut off all my hair just because I was so crazy about this book. But yeah, I think the best thing about this trilogy is in the characters. They're all really unique and well-crafted, and I really wanted to know more about them. I'm so sad that Larsson had to die before he could finish the series! Just knowing that there were supposed to be 7 more books makes me sad.<br />
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The murder-mystery element of the book was also really intriguing. This is probably the first instance where I bought the two follow-up books immediately after the other. I usually wait and save up a bit more money, but I couldn't wait with this trilogy!<br />
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Favorite book in the series: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</h3>
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I still remember the moment I bought this in the book store. "Oh, apparently this is a good book... Php 125?! COME WITH ME TO THE CASHIER."<br />
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That said, five points again!<br />
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1. Compared to Fire and Hornet's Nest, I liked the mystery element of this book better.<br />
2. Snowy eerie almost ghost town setting!<br />
3. It's fun reading about publishing and the economy, things I will never be interested in, EVER<br />
4. The murders were soooo creepy and interesting; sadly, they didn't get in too much detail.<br />
5. LISBETH MOTHERFUCKING SALANDER, the Queen of my life.<br />
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And that concludes this entry! Man, this was long! I need a creature that pokes me when I start blabbering again.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />Day 05 - A book that makes you happy<br />Day 06 - A book that makes you sad<br />Day 07 - Most underrated book<br />Day 08 - Most overrated book<br />Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving<br />Day 10 - Favorite classic book<br />Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></span></div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-28664781993482975142013-05-02T16:58:00.002+08:002013-05-03T09:20:48.023+08:00book challenge day 2 | reading and reading and readingI am bored (shh), so to prevent myself from falling face-first on top of my desk, I will write day 2 of this book challenge!<br />
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Day 02 - A book that you’ve read more than 3 times</h2>
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Man, I got stumped again! The truth is, I was a big re-reader when I was younger for the very simple reason that I didn't have enough books! Books were a luxury to me. I had tons of hand-me-down books from my uncle, but once I finished all of them, I had to wait for special occasions before I could buy a new book. Of course, when I got older I blew all my savings in books, no occasion needed. So I had a bit of a hard time coming up with just one book. </div>
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Which is why I'm writing down <b>three</b>! Mwahahaha!</div>
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1.<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span><i>Dance Dance Dance</i> - Haruki Murakami</h3>
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This was my first Murakami book, and for a long time, my <i>only </i>Murakami book. That's one reason I read it over and over: because I couldn't wait until I got another Murakami (I think my second is Norwegian Wood). Also, as most Murakami books are, the plot was totally out of my head and I didn't feel like I read it right the first time. So I read it again. And again. And again. </div>
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To this day, I don't think I still have it completely correct -- but with Murakami, nobody's going to be anyway. Hehe.</div>
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2. <i>Dancing Shoes</i> by Noel Streatfeild</h3>
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As mentioned above, when I was younger I re-read by bookshelf from top to bottom, cover to cover, so technically I could write about at least 50 books on this list, from the likes of Beverly Cleary to E.L. Konigsburg. But for some reason, whenever I felt like I had to pick up a book and read, this book is the one I got out of my bookshelf.</div>
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I think the appeal of this book to me was that it had multiple storylines as part of the Wintle Wonder journey, so I felt like I was marathoning a series. Also, I was really attached to Rachel because she reminded me of myself, and I was rooting for her to find her niche and finally be happy with something. </div>
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It's a nice novel on growing up and it was by my side when <i>I </i>was in the process. </div>
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3. <i>Kitchen </i>and <i>Goodbye, Tsugumi</i> by Banana Yoshimoto</h3>
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As I have mentioned in my booklist page, I have an affinity for first person novels written by East Asian novelists. Banana Yoshimoto is the culprit. I really liked Kitchen because I loved the super subtle but very touching interactions of the characters, and I love reliving that moment of slowly connecting with a stranger. In <i>Goodbye, </i>I was super drawn to the seaside setting and shaking my head at that god-forsaken brat, Tsugumi. Man, now I'm getting nostalgic. I think I'll be reading the books again, if I ever find them in the dump called "my room".</div>
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By the way, I cheated. I wrote down four instead of three. Teehee!<br />
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And that's it for Day 2! Think I can keep up with this challenge? I sure hope I do!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Day 03 - Your favorite series</i><br /><i>Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series</i><br /><i>Day 05 - A book that makes you happy</i><br /><i>Day 06 - A book that makes you sad</i><br /><i>Day 07 - Most underrated book</i><br /><i>Day 08 - Most overrated book</i><br /><i>Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving</i><br /><i>Day 10 - Favorite classic book</i><br /><i>Day 11 - A book you hated</i><br /><i>Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore</i><br /><i>Day 13 - Your favorite writer</i><br /><i>Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer</i><br /><i>Day 15 - Favorite male character</i><br /><i>Day 16 - Favorite female character</i><br /><i>Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book</i><br /><i>Day 18 - A book that disappointed you</i><br /><i>Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie</i><br /><i>Day 20 - Favorite romance book</i><br /><i>Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood</i><br /><i>Day 22 - Favorite book you own</i><br /><i>Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t</i><br /><i>Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read</i><br /><i>Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most</i><br /><i>Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something</i><br /><i>Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending</i><br /><i>Day 28 - Favorite title</i><br /><i>Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked</i><br /><i>Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></span>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-41764476852140359412013-05-01T21:29:00.000+08:002013-05-01T21:29:18.713+08:00Another Apology + A Book Challenge!GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.<br />
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I AM AN IDIOT.<br />
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Remember almost a month ago how I made an apology about not writing in this blog? Well, I AM APOLOGIZING AGAIN. Because I am an inexcusable idiot!<br />
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See, this time I don't even have a reason for not writing. I'm just an idiot who has random bouts of depression and general discontent with life. And I hate it! I think it's because I'm getting really burnt out at work, causing me to go home and temporarily convert to an amoeba. I'm not even reading as much, which is definitely a surprise!<br />
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I've also been having a lot of bouts of just general reflection and thinking, "what's the fucking point?" So what if I have a blog and I don't update it? So what if I'm unproductive -- not everybody can be the next Steve Jobs.<br />
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And then I finally kicked myself in the proverbial arse and said, "<b>YOU</b> should care about your life."<br />
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So yeah, here's me caring and trying to get back in the writing groove again.<br />
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I actually had my March books lined up AGES ago, but I never got around to finishing it. I swear, I'll put it up sometime this week. My April reads will be easier because I only read two books :(<br />
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AND! As a way to kick in the month of May, I am doing a <b>30 Day Book Challenge</b>! This month, I am challenging myself to write about books that I've read and all that jazz, one entry per day! I really hope I accomplish this, I think it pressures me more when I have to go through a timed challenge.<br />
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Onto the first challenge:<br />
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Day 01 - Best book you read last year </h2>
<a name='more'></a><br />Day 1 and I'm already stumped! 2012 was a pretty good reading year, but the book that really made my year was....<div>
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The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan</h3>
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Why am I so in love with this book, you might ask? The writing's not amazing and the plot is all over the place. But it's hard not to be excited about a book when you've been waiting for it for a <b>year</b>! I don't remember being THIS pressed when the Harry Potter books were coming out. I guess it's because Uncle Rick has a bad habit of leaving us hanging (and in this book, LITERALLY!). I will be the first to admit that there are a lot of nitpicks to be made with the Percy Jackson series, but in this case the good outweighs the bad. I really loved this book because Percy and Annabeth were finally back together, kicking ass, and I also got to learn more about our lovable cast of characters. I can't wait for House of Hades!</div>
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<i>Day 02 - A book that you’ve read more than 3 times<br />Day 03 - Your favorite series<br />Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series<br />Day 05 - A book that makes you happy<br />Day 06 - A book that makes you sad<br />Day 07 - Most underrated book<br />Day 08 - Most overrated book<br />Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving<br />Day 10 - Favorite classic book<br />Day 11 - A book you hated<br />Day 12 - A book you used to love but don’t anymore<br />Day 13 - Your favorite writer<br />Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer<br />Day 15 - Favorite male character<br />Day 16 - Favorite female character<br />Day 17 - Favorite quote from your favorite book<br />Day 18 - A book that disappointed you<br />Day 19 - Favorite book turned into a movie<br />Day 20 - Favorite romance book<br />Day 21 - Favorite book from your childhood<br />Day 22 - Favorite book you own<br />Day 23 - A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t<br />Day 24 - A book that you wish more people would’ve read<br />Day 25 - A character who you can relate to the most<br />Day 26 - A book that changed your opinion about something<br />Day 27 - The most surprising plot twist or ending<br />Day 28 - Favorite title<br />Day 29 - A book everyone hated but you liked<br />Day 30 - Your favorite book of all time</i></div>
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Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-34880210922601488222013-04-08T10:29:00.000+08:002013-04-08T10:29:08.527+08:00A Visit to the Owl Burrow*cricket chirping, tumbleweed rolling*<br />
<br />
Uh, hello.<br />
<br />
I posted here almost a month ago. That has got to be a personal record! In retrospect, I've never really meant to abandon this blog, but here's why I never got around to writing anything.<br />
<br />
First, I was dealing with a bit of sickness that made breathing a bit difficult and delicate, so I didn't want to spend time making a blog post because that requires sitting up. Kill me, I know. I'm doing better now and I hope it keeps up, but given my track record with luck nowadays, I'm not looking at the bright side of things. On the bright side, being sick made me take better care of myself and my diet, so it's not entirely a downer.<br />
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And secondly, I've been having thoughts about reconstructing this blog. I know I said before that this blog was going to be more art-oriented, but I'm having a difficult time producing art (I will talk about this further in another entry). Meanwhile, I'm really getting into finishing my giant pile of books and my to-read list is ever expanding. Also, my last two entries have been about my monthly reads (March's entry is coming up!) and I think I quite like writing about books. I have a lot of themes and issues that I also want to explore through writing.<br />
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So here's what's going on:<b> I'm making The Patchwork Owl a more book-centered blog</b>. I'm going to try and produce art with a theme (book characters and quotes) so I get more motivated. I might also sneak in some photodiaries, but most of this blog is going to be about books.<br />
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Someone poke me if I start being an idiot and not posting again!Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-44920945803727081662013-03-11T11:59:00.001+08:002013-03-11T20:21:55.239+08:00February Books!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbsm6BI6PU2YDEC8BrJEB8ch0UZBdaI0AR1ezy-k4IBtZAB78lQe9ouqtrC92a6vuUdaZvg0FzX7OdCOSihFhuHsqmFXqleGxtsGsVq0ZISpT326VenBu2hNM2xcSjC1WMANYInuzlE0/s1600/bookshelf_by_anyjazz65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbsm6BI6PU2YDEC8BrJEB8ch0UZBdaI0AR1ezy-k4IBtZAB78lQe9ouqtrC92a6vuUdaZvg0FzX7OdCOSihFhuHsqmFXqleGxtsGsVq0ZISpT326VenBu2hNM2xcSjC1WMANYInuzlE0/s400/bookshelf_by_anyjazz65.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Hello to my February reads!</i></b><br />
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February was a pretty good reading month for me. My first book started out really slow, but once I picked up the next books, I just went through them like hotcakes. My bus rides have just become extra boring, I guess.<br />
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All summaries from these books are taken from GoodReads, because I'm too lazy and inept to make summaries.<br />
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Without further ado, here are my February reads!<br />
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5. Kim Edwards - The Secrets of a Fire King - ***</h3>
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In each of these elegant and mesmerizing stories, Kim Edwards explores the lives of those who exist on the fringes of society--a fire-eater, an American and his Korean war bride, a juggler and a trapeze artist. Spanning several generations and transporting us to exotic locations in Europe, Asia, and America, this wise and exquisite story collection marks the debut of a gifted new voice in literature.</blockquote>
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Sigh. I don't really know how to begin talking about this book, because it didn't really leave an impression on me. "Secrets of a Fire King" is a collection of short stories featuring a variety of characters in a multitude of locales. It's largely character driven, and features settings that aren't widely used in most general fiction.<br />
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The great strength of this book lies in Edwards' penchant for characters that are memorable that you can't help but read about their story. I particularly enjoyed the titular story, as well as "Spring, Mountain, Sea," a story about a mail-order bride and her struggle in a new world.<br />
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Edwards' prose is also really beautiful, almost lyrical. Several times, I've had to stop and savor a passage because the words flowed so beautifully.<br />
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BUT! (A HUGE KIM KARDASHIAN BUT)<br />
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The stories itself didn't really speak to me as a whole. There were several gems in the collection, but a lot of times I just sat there and flipped through the pages to see how much was left of the short story. A lot of the stories were plotless, or had a climax but reached no resolution.<br />
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I'd like to read more of her work, but I don't really recommend this book.<br />
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6. Leigh Bardugo - Shadow and Bone - ***</h3>
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Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.<br />
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.<br />
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.</blockquote>
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Damn this book. DAMN THIS BOOK.<br />
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I stumbled upon a recommendation to this book through the blog of Rick Riordan (he regularly features his latest reads and recommendations), and I thought, if Uncle Rick likes it, it must be good! Also, the plot was fairly intriguing. The military! Russia! Magic and mystery! A dashing lad and an awkward girl! I picked up an e-book and finished it at the span of a day.<br />
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Let's start with the good things: I really like the characters that Bardugo has created. To me, they felt really unique and had their own distinctions. I didn't have a hard time differentiating who this person was from that person. Also, Alina didn't fall into the trap of being a generic placeholder for the reader to step into (aka NOT BELLA SWAN). She had her own goals, her feelings were well conveyed, and I really felt her growth from an insecure cartographer to a powerful Grisha.<br />
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I'd also like to give props to the setting! Russia is so very much unloved in all of these dystopian YA novels, and it has such a large amount of potential too. Their history is so rich and the environment is one of a kind. So kudos to the author! I also really liked her take on the Grisha, the people who basically get to be cool and have magic powers. Magic can tend to be really blah because it's so overused in literature already, but I really liked how she made unique magic powers and created a hierarchy for all the Grisha.<br />
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That said, this book definitely wasn't perfect. For one, I don't think the author did proper research on Russian language and customs. Alina's last name was written as Starkov, but anyone who has read up on Russian language should know that females and males have different variations of the same surname. So it's should be Starkov<b style="font-style: italic;">a. </b>The language was also a bit unbelievable, even for someone like myself who's Russian vocabulary spans one word. <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/283956289" target="_blank">Someone up in Goodreads</a> made a more coherent review discussing the discrepancies of her language, so clickety if you want to find out more.<br />
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And now my biggest quip with this book: THE DARKLING. Oh yes, I said it! The DARKLING! Can you just hear the thunder and lightning when I say, THE DARKLING???<br />
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*cough*<br />
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<span style="color: red;">[SPOILERS beyond this point!]</span><br />
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How do I even begin to speak about this coherently? I've decided that I won't speak about him coherently, because until now it still makes me mad. My biggest quip with his characterization was that it was a huge seesaw of "oh he's bad" to "oh, he might be nice after all" to "damn he's hot! woohoo I am rooting for you and Alina!" and finally to "well fuck, he turns out to be evil incarnate! I was rooting for the devil!" It just sucks that Bardugo spent all that time, at least a couple hundred pages of the book getting us to fall in love with the Darkling (and in the case of my fragile heart, succeeds!), then after one chapter there's a revelation that he's the evil dude. I am not pleased! I know that this is how Alina is probably feeling, but I am not supposed to be Alina! I am supposed to be an outsider peering into the story!<br />
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And then there's the love story with Mal, Alina's childhood friend and forever love interest. The story is they spend most of their childhood together in an orphanage, get drafted together in the military (albeit in separate units), Mal gets hotter as he grows up and Alina channels Taylor Swift in the entire book by pining for him. Alina gets discovered as a Grisha who can summon the sun and gets taken away, and her connection with Mal gets cut off from there as she goes away to train. At this point, she spends at least several months training, sharing sexual tension with the Darkling during break time, and then out of nowhere, Mal arrives and she's like "oh I'm confused again!" Seriously? There was already a point in the narrative where she realizes that Mal is the reason her powers aren't realized. She realizes that Mal hasn't exactly paid her as much attention as she has to him. And all of a sudden she's conflicted?<br />
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Then, she escapes from the palace, coincidentally finds Mal, and now they're runaways and basically fugitives. Somewhere along the way, Mal makes a speech about how he's loved Alina all along, and I'm like "...meh." Seriously?? He hasn't paid her that much attention at all and now he's in love with her? Why, because he realized that someone (THE DARKLING) can also like Alina and now he's threatened? I don't even know why Alina is so in love with Mal other than he's hot! I really hate seeing love stories that have no build up or given a solid foundation, which is why I am raging right now. They were childhood friends, so I guess that was a sort of foundation, but one I did not see or feel.<br />
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Aside from those problems, however, I <i>did </i>like this book. It's not a game changer but it kept me entertained for a night. I am looking forward to the 2nd book in the series, just to hear from my beautiful Darkling again.<br />
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Goodness gracious, I typed up a fucking storm for this book. Next time I'm <i>this</i> upset about a novel, I should dedicate a separate blog entry for it XD<br />
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7. Gail Tsukiyama - The Samurai's Garden - ****</h3>
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The daughter of a Chinese mother and a Japanese father, Tsukiyama uses the Japanese invasion of China during the late 1930s as a somber backdrop for her unusual story about a 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen who is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight. Matsu is a samurai of the soul, a man devoted to doing good and finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world, and Stephen is a noble student, learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soulmate, gentle Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy. </blockquote>
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After all that action and emotional turmoil I went through with "Shadow and Bone," it was nice to pick up "The Samurai's Garden" and be soothed. It's like going through a wild stampede and jumping into a rowboat away from the chaos.<br />
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I've always liked reading from Japanese and Chinese writers, because their novels have a very tranquil quality to them, and very masterfully written in the first person point of view. I think the danger with writing in first person is that you tend to be selfish about the details you share, but in most Japanese and Chinese first person novels, they retain the personal quality of the narrator but also make sure he makes proper observations relevant to the story.<br />
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Tsukiyama's narrator, Stephen, is a great narrator. The story isn't solely about him; it also focuses on the different characters that he encounters during his short stay in Japan. His adventures aren't exactly the stuff of legend, it's all very quiet and subtle. But what can you expect from a quiet seaside town? I encountered a couple of kids on Tumblr who got this book as a reading assignment and they were ranting on how boring it was. Which kind of disappoints me. Just because it doesn't have swashbuckling fights and adventures doesn't make it boring! There's a quiet kind of intrigue to discovering things that you would have never thought about a person, and that's what I got from this novel.<br />
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The end of the novel felt like saying goodbye to a good friend after a long afternoon of chatting over tea. I think I might pick up this book again when I have the time. Or when I feel especially melancholy.<br />
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8. Christopher Golden - Soulless - ***</h3>
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Times Square, New York City. The first ever mass séance is broadcasting live on the Sunrise morning show. If it works, the spirits of the departed on the other side will have a brief window—just a few minutes—to send a final message to their grieving loved ones.<br />
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Clasping hands in an impenetrable grip, three mediums call to their spirit guides as the audience looks on in breathless anticipation. The mediums slump over, slackjawed—catatonic. And in cemeteries surrounding Manhattan, fragments of old corpses dig themselves out of the ground....<br />
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The spirits have returned. The dead are walking. They will seek out those who loved them in life, those they left behind...but they are savage and they are hungry. The horror spreads quickly, droves of the ravenous dead seeking out the living—shredding flesh from bone, feeding . But a disparate group of unlikely heroes—two headstrong college rivals, a troubled gang member, a teenage pop star and her bodyguard—is making its way to the center of the nightmare, fighting to protect their loved ones, fighting for their lives, and fighting to end the madness</blockquote>
I cheated a bit with this book, haha! I actually started reading it at least several months ago, but it wasn't a bedside reading book for me because I didn't want to go asleep thinking of zombies. I finally picked it up again and read it during my bus rides.<br />
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The thing I liked about this novel was it's diversity. I keep seeing novels with a huge cast of characters, but all consisting of the same white, teenaged/young adult males, and maybe one girl just to become the romantic interest of the main boy. This cast was really diverse in terms of age, gender, background, race, and sexuality. That's pretty awesome for a young adult book! I also liked how Golden established characters from different parts of the country and how they all dealt with the crisis at hand.<br />
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That said, my opinion of this novel fell apart at the very end, because of what I feel is a really weak and faulty resolution to the conflict.<br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">[Spoilers abound!]</span></b><br />
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So the crisis here was that in the giant seance that occurred, the three mediums and the two news anchors had their hands joined together in some sort of prayer circle and, despite all possible efforts, could not be separated. The people at the news station come to the conclusion that they have to break apart the prayer circle to stop the shenanigans occurring outside. One of them says they have to saw off someone's hand, and so they do just that. But the zombie attack still goes on. One of the characters, Jack, says they're going to have to kill one of them to break apart the seance. Of course, this is met with vehement protest. I forgot exactly what happens but another character comes and kills Jack in self defense. And that just sucks!!!! We spent at least several chapters building up this character's back story, <i>empathizing </i>with him, and at the very end he gets killed! Just like that! It sucks so bad that at the end, he was presented to be this antagonist when, in the previous chapters, he totally wasn't that violent of a person. I mean he was learning how to work with people and care for people instead of being selfish! And suddenly this happens!<br />
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And here's what's more infuriating: at the very end, Phoenix (the main character) decides to just shoot one of the people in the prayer circle, killing him and effectively ending the zombie outbreak. My point? JACK WAS RIGHT. He was right all along, people didn't listen to him because "oh it's inhumane" but when a white girl does it, it's fine??? That's just... urgh.<br />
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Also it sucked that the people who got bitten by the zombies ended up being dead as well. In the Soulless world, that must have been a good month for funeral parlors.<br />
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All in all, this was a pretty enjoyable novel. Just ignore the ending.<br />
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9. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Creatures - ***</h3>
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Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.<br />
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.<br />
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.</blockquote>
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Random quote before I continue with the review:<br />
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Friend: What are you reading? Oh, <i>Beautiful Creatures</i>! It's a book about me!</blockquote>
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Lol. Moving on.<br />
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I picked up this book because of the movie adaptation. Not because I was planning on watching it, but the setting and premise really intrigued me. I felt like it would be the kind of novel that I enjoy reading. So when I saw that my uncle had a copy, I took it and started reading it.<br />
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It was a fairly enjoyable novel, particularly owing to the beautiful setting and the story's main plot. I don't see a lot of novels set in the South, so it was nice to pretend I was in a quiet, almost eerie rural town. Around the time I was reading this it was also raining a lot, so that helped. And it was entertaining reading it and having most of the characters have Southern accents in my head (I love Southern accents!).<br />
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The characters are OK. Ethan was kind of non-descript to me, but I love his interaction with Lena and Lena's little quirks. Link was also an enjoyable character, but he sometimes felt unneeded to me (until he meets Ridley). Amma's quirk of reciting and spelling words from crossword puzzles was interesting, but I felt it was a bit contrived.<br />
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I also really like Ethan and Lena's love story because it wasn't in your face and suffocating. The authors paid equal attention to their love story and the conflict at hand, Lena's claiming. I like how it took time for them to warm up to each other, and they weren't making out every other page. Let's leave that to the Harlequin novels.<br />
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I have a bit of a bone to pick with this book when it comes to slut shaming, because it just does it SO MUCH. I get that this is a conservative town, but there's such an effort to differentiate Lena from the "slutty girls" that it's kind of nauseating! It's upsetting to see that this kind of narrative is coming from TWO women authors. Also it's like every single girl in that town is a flirty little "slut" and that's hard to believe.<br />
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Plot-wise though, the book was OK, it was paced pretty nicely, and it was well crafted. I think this is definitely more appealing to a younger audience, or teens who don't really read a lot. I didn't bother reading the follow-ups to this book, just the summary.<br />
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And that ends my February reads! *confetti!* Remind me to keep these things short next time?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Picture of bookshelf from<a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/49024304@N00/" target="_blank"> anyjazz65 @ Flickr</a>. </span>Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3439746237433105025.post-39248971450534253642013-03-04T18:19:00.001+08:002013-03-04T18:19:21.184+08:00January Books!Welcome to my MONTHLY READS post!<br />
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I made a promise to myself in a previous entry that I was going to read an average of 3 books per month this 2013. I've kept track of the here and will try to write about them at the end of the month.<br />
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January was a pretty good reading month for me. I read two extra long books this month, but I still managed to read 4 books! Take a look at some of my January reads:<br />
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January. </h2>
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1. Megan Bryce - To Catch a Spinster - **</h3>
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It took me quite a while to recall what happened in this book, because I read and finished it on January 2, 2013! To be honest, it wasn't a very good book to begin my year, but whatever! I'll be sure to read more substantial books as the rest of the year passes. Anyway, this is a historical novel in which a spinster named Olivia decides that even though she's lost hope in getting married, she still wants to experience the physical side of it. She enlists the help of Nathaniel, and the plot problem lies on how far the deal is supposed to go.<br />
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(I suck at summaries for romance novels, writing them gives me the creeps!)</div>
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I didn't really like this book, but I didn't hate it either. There were some funny moments, and the heroine wasn't the typical regency damsel fawning over the tall and handsome stranger. However, the development between the two characters left much to be desired. I usually avoid romance stories because most romance novels don't really tell us the reason/s <i>why</i> these characters fell in love with each other, other than "S/he's hot!" This was one of those novels. Also, (spoiler alert!) at one point Nathaniel proposes marriage to Olivia, and she refuses because she's gotten so used to being a spinster and was quite set on living that way forever. The boy, however, is not daunted! He just says something along the lines of "oh well, I'm just going to pester you until you say yes." He even bought his mother and sister into it. I just find that really annoying. If a girl doesn't want to do what you want her to do, either leave her alone or have a proper conversation about it. My complaint isn't really valid considering the time period this was set in, but I just wanted to put it out there that COERCION IS NOT ROMANTIC.</div>
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2. Jodi Picoult - Nineteen Minutes - ****</h3>
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This might sound strange to you, but I'm interested in crimes that occur within youth. Not stupid things like theft, but more serious things like torture and murder. I spent a lot of time reading up on Junko Furuta and Columbine. I just wonder <i>what</i> in the world pushed these children to commit such heinous acts, which is why I picked up Nineteen Minutes, a novel about a school shooting and how the lives of everybody involved changed.</div>
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The book's plot is very compelling, and I like how Picoult makes an effort to introduce the characters to the readers as much as she could, so we could relate better and see where they're coming from. It does come off as a bit tiresome, however, it's necessary in order to examine the actions and reactions of all the characters. The plot was nicely paced and the story itself wrapped up pretty well.<br />
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One thing I didn't like about this book was that it had the tendency to blabber on about philosophical things out of context or not fitted to the situation, just to make a quotable quote (personally, I call it "John Greening"). Like at one point Josie Cormier says "You don't need water to feel like you're drowning," which was one of the more memorable lines in the novel. The problem was it felt really out of place to say it during a simple conversation with her daughter. Another problem I had is with the "twist" in the ending. I saw it coming from five miles away, and it wasn't really necessary to the plot nor was it dealt with properly. There was a revelation, a resolution, BAM! Take a bow. But other than that, this novel really made me think about choices and the twisted ideals of society. It left me very heavy-hearted and sympathetic for the characters. I hope more people read this book and realize the consequences of even the tiniest actions against our fellowmen.</div>
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On a random note, I didn't really like the cover. It looks a lot like a self-help book on grief or something.<br />
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3. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan - ****</h3>
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I will be very excited and squealy about this book. Be warned!<br />
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I'm super interested in history, steampunk, girls in kick-ass roles, the military, and fantasy. Imagine the amount of drool accumulating in my mouth (eeew!) when I heard about this book, combining all these and more! <i>Leviathan</i> is a story about Alek, a prince on the run from assassins and usurpers, and Deryn, a girl disguised as a boy to serve as a midshipman in the titular vessel. That was enough to get me hooked, but imagine an all-out war between man-made steam-powered fighting machines (the Clankers) and genetically-modified animals as weapons (the Darwinists). I was super sold, and was super ecstatic when I found a copy at a nearby Book Sale.<br />
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For starters, the story is amazeballs. It's the kind of story that I <i>wish</i> I thought about first! The pacing was great, and the events were plausible but not predictable. I really like how he took actual history and twisted it all around to come up with a more kick-ass and exciting version! Another thing I really liked about this book was the characters. I felt like each character had a purpose, nobody was there to be stupid or unneeded, and I sympathized with their causes. Westerfeld's writing, as always, is very witty and refreshing. Since it's Young Adult, I'm not really expecting mind-blowing, reflective and insightful prose, so if you're looking for that, this is not the book for you.<br />
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One thing I also really liked about this book was the treatment of the female characters! I WANT TO BE DERYN/DYLAN SHARP! She's awesome without being a Mary-Sue, she knows her limitations, and even if her initial reasons for joining are a bit questionable, she still knows her duty and embraces it. Professor Barlow is also a strong female character. She's important to the plot and she's a doctor in a time where women are not expected to become such. Sadly, even though there are two awesome females, there aren't a whole lot of them at all in the book. Which is OK, given that they're in a military setting.<br />
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I think the only thing I didn't like about this book was that it ended! I'm still on the look out for a copy of <i>Behemoth. </i>I'm super looking forward to reading the next two books!<br />
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4. Alan Gibbons - The Shadow of the Minotaur - ***</h3>
After my excitement of reading <i>Leviathan, </i>I unfortunately was pulled down with this book. I picked it up because it's about Greek mythology, a subject that I LOVE to death, and computer games, another subject that I love to death. However, the book did not live up to my expectations. Or I just made my expectations too high based on <i>Leviathan.</i><br />
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The plot is pretty basic. Phoenix has a game developer dad who is part of a team making a game called "The Legendeer." It's a game where you can be the hero of a number of Greek legends (like Perseus and Theseus). Problems arise when the lines between game and reality blur, putting Phoenix, his father, and his friend in mortal peril (MORTAL PERIL WHOOO).<br />
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As you can see, the premise is basic but intriguing, and it also proved to be the biggest disappointment. It picked up really slowly, then the action started kicking in, and the ending was solid but a bit meh. It didnt' really get me excited for the next book (it's part of a trilogy). Also, I didn't really feel the atmosphere of the game. The game rules weren't well-established and it honestly didn't feel like an exciting game. When you adapt a game from a legend or a well-known story, you're supposed to add your own twist to it to make it feel more like a game instead of a story simulation, and I think that was missing from the story. Maybe Gibbons should go pick up an MMORPGs because I think he's not super in-touch with the culture of gaming.<br />
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The narrative was also a bit meh,. Nothing really jumped out at me and Phoenix wasn't a very solidly constructed character. I do give props to Gibbons for putting in a POC as Phoenix's best friend! This book honestly wasn't that bad, I probably would have enjoyed it if I read it at 12 years old. It's just forgettable, which is disappointing considering the potential of the material.<br />
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And that concludes my January reads~! I was going to include my February reads, but as you can see, I have a penchant for rambling about books and it would look utterly cluttered if I included two month's worth of books in this entry. So stick around for my February reads!<br />
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What were <b>your </b>January reads? Comment below and help me expand my ever-so lengthy reading list!</div>
Jin Deehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03318957976553720579noreply@blogger.com0