Review: Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1) by Sara Raasch

Title : Snow Like Ashes (Snow Like Ashes #1)

Author: Sara Raasch

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 416

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own. (More from Goodreads)

Since the sequel is coming out this month, I figured it would be a good time to review this book! This is the first book in a trilogy, the third of which is slated for release in 2016.

Mini Review: 1984 by George Orwell

Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Genre: Adult, Classics, Dystopian
Publisher: Signet Classics
Pages: 328

The year 1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we were becoming is timelier than ever. 1984 is still the great modern classic of "negative utopia" -a startlingly original and haunting novel that creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing, from the first sentence to the last four words. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions -a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time. (More from Goodreads)

This book gets a mini review from me, nothing more. Partly due to the fact that it is a very well-known classic and trying to review and/or analyze it would be rather redundant when there are better material out there for that reason, but mostly because a lazy reviewer has to ease back into reviewing books after a seven-month hiatus. Okay, mostly because I'm lazy.

This is a good book. It's not an outstanding novel as novels go, but it is a good... document. Something heavier and more factual than novels, kind of like... An essay. Yes, it is an excellent essay. In fact, if you go to the Goodreads page, you can find one of the top reviewers saying almost exactly the same thing. It is clever and rather prophetic, and this is the reason why this book continues to be relevant many years after its inception.

Although this particular copy seems small and relatively unremarkable next to most of the books on my shelves, it is a highly daunting book and feels like a giant tome in the reading. Often times I had to take a break from the heavy, morose tones of the narration. When something does happen to the main character, it picks up speed- only to fall flat again after a few pages. I took my time with this book because- as almost all classics are to me- it requires a lot of patience.

Thus, a warning: Do not read this when you need a pick-me-up; when things in your life seem rather bleak. Or do, if you feel reading about a highly realistic dystopian novel with little action perks you up and makes your predicament feel like a trifle.

Of course, in the end, you feel rather enlightened. 

Your effort pays off.

Your patience is rewarded.

To what extent? That is entirely up to you.

This is the very definition of a classic book. I wish I had more time and patience for more of them.

~My Rating~

4 out of 5 stars

★★★★☆

A Little Note

Wanting to update the blog even slightly more regularly in my final semester, with the Final Professional Exams (Part 2) coming up is, to put it mildly, hubris.

I am sorry for the absence of posts for the past few months. Clinical posting after clinical posting, I find myself too tired or hot by the end of the day to even engage in the normal acts of diary-writing, much less reviewing of books. My exams are in less than 30 days. And then graduation. And everything else that follows after graduation, which thankfully will include a rather long break before getting a post for a job.

All that said, I can't wait until I can begin reviewing books more regularly again.

For those out there who believe in the power of prayer, do pray that I pass the exams. With or without flying colours is not a concern for me. I just want a definite pass, thank you. ^^

If you're reading this, thanks for spending some minutes here. I'll be back in a month or so with reviews of books, services and pictures!


Edit on October 2nd 2015: I did indeed pass the exams without much incident! I am now officially NOT an undergrad student, which feels very weird, in a liberating but daunting manner- I guess everyone feels this way at this particular stage in their lives. However, I've been lazing around for the better part of 2 months. I have been reading, but not as much as I would hope to, although my Goodreads challenge has been completed by now. Yay! :)

Hello! Greetings! Was I Missed?

To all you readers (yes, all 2 of you) I am SO SORRY for being MIA. 

My final semester of medical school (let that sink in: Final. Semester. Medical. School.) is well on its way, and I started with the most difficult posting which is Internal Medicine- only second to being as busy as Obstetrics & Gynaecology, but with 500 times the reading material. It's been a blast with new group mates, and I am way more enthused about the posting than last semester so hurrah! 

I also met a very nice gentleman in his golden years last week, who writes poetry. I was in charge of his bed, and he's such a darling. He's writing a poem about me (and he says it's encouraging)! While I am unbound by medicolegal issues as a mere student, I am pretty excited about fostering good relationships with my patients. Some of my friends told me not to get too attached to patients, but that's not how I work. Probably will be, once I get too busy to listen to patients' life stories, but now not so much.

Probably the reason why I don't want to specialize in fields with higher mortality *cough* Onco! *cough*

Anyway, he's inspired me to write again. And by that I mean in the blog.

I HAVE been reading. In the month of March, I finished 14 books. For April, I have so far finished 7 books, all of which do not exceed 400 pages and some of which are graphic novels. My aim in the coming months until two weeks before my final exams is to continue reading, but only lighter material that does not require days of reading for immersion (i.e. books with 400+ pages), if I can help it.

And I'm glad to say my favourite book so far this year has got to be:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline!

This is one of the books and part of my birthday package from my boyfriend, And it is AMAZING. I can't wait for Armada by Ernest Cline, his next standalone book coming out later this year!

I love this book to pieces! I am so elated to have it in hardcover; it's such a beautiful book, filled with nerdy goodness.

As for reviews, I'm sorry I have been way delayed with them. I do not dare to promise any set amount of reviews in the coming months but I will try to make more time after this, at least for mini reviews. It's about consistency after all. ;)

I wish all of you great times ahead no matter what you do, and until then, keep on reading!

Review: The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Title: The Magicians (The Magicians #1)
Author: Lev Grossman
Genre: Fantasy, Adult
Publisher: Plume
Pages: 516

Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. A senior in high school, he’s still secretly preoccupied with a series of fantasy novels he read as a child, set in a magical land called Fillory. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, very exclusive college of magic in upstate New York, where he receives a thorough and rigorous education in the craft of modern sorcery.

He also discovers all the other things people learn in college: friendship, love, sex, booze, and boredom. Something is missing, though. Magic doesn’t bring Quentin the happiness and adventure he dreamed it would. After graduation he and his friends make a stunning discovery... But his childhood dream becomes a nightmare with a shocking truth at its heart.

At once psychologically piercing and magnificently absorbing, The Magicians boldly moves into uncharted literary territory, imagining magic as practiced by real people, with their capricious desires and volatile emotions. Lev Grossman creates an utterly original world in which good and evil aren’t black and white, love and sex aren’t simple or innocent, and power comes at a terrible price. (More from Goodreads)

Warning: Unless the summary isn't clear, this is NOT children's book. I repeat, this is NOT A CHILDREN'S BOOK. It has been marketed as 'Harry Potter for grown-ups', 'Harry Potter goes to Narnia', and other things along those lines; and perhaps some elements are so reminiscent of these books that they may seem plagiarised (gasp) but no. Comparing The Magicians to Harry Potter is like comparing tomatoes to carrots. They both belong in a salad, but that's about as much as they have in common.

If I had to summarize the book in one sentence, it would be thus: an R-rated parody of Harry Potter and Narnia with 30 times the angst and misery.

Which doesn't necessarily mean it's not a good book.

Mini Review: Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Sever (The Chemical Garden #3)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 371

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

In this breathtaking conclusion to Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Garden trilogy, everything Rhine knows to be true will be irrevocably shattered. (More from Goodreads)

The Chemical Garden trilogy ends its run with this book.

I tried so hard to like the trilogy. But like the previous books, Rhine's character irritated me, and the people around her are still mere stepping stones to advance her story. The 'science' elements nonsense behind the age cap and subsequent experiments to attempt to cure it still frustrated me. And the 'lyrical prose' everyone so loved still eluded me, and led to my eventual discovery of the term 'purple prose'. 

Yay for teaching me something new!

It deserves a mini-review because I am at a loss on what to say. The points that made me dislike the book can probably be found in my reviews of the first and second books; suffice to say there is not much I will say about this book that has not been said before, since I don't go through the story progression much more than what the summary has given. I just feel the characters haven't progressed all that much

And I ended up liking this book less than its predecessors.

Again, I tried, but not everybody can heap praise on any author's writing. :(

~My Rating~

2 out of 5 Stars

★★☆☆☆

Review: The Cry of the Icemark (The Icemark Chronicles #1) by Stuart Hill

Title: The Cry of the Icemark (The Icemark Chronicles #1)
Author: Stuart Hill
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, War
Publisher: Chicken House
Pages: 494

When her father dies in battle, 14-year-old Thirrin becomes Queen of the Icemark. Not only must she win the respect of her people, but also raise an army to protect them from the most formidable threat of invasion her nation has ever known - and do so before the end of the winter snows. (More from Goodreads)

The Cry of the Icemark is perhaps one of the most unknown books in my bookshelves. It is also one of the books that took me the longest time to finish (apart from OSC's Pathfinder probably, which is still in the pipes) and while that speaks volumes, it is a surprisingly good book- if you can get through certain elements. The Icemark Chronicles is a completed trilogy.

Review: This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl

Title: This Star Won't Go Out

Author: Esther Earl

Genre: Non Fiction, Memoir

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 431

This is a collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends help to tell Esther's story, along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his number 1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her. (More from Goodreads)

Perhaps known best as the inspiration behind the famous TFIOS, Esther Earl has become a common name among teen readers everywhere. This is a memoir, and I, for one, am not a huge fan of those. Knowing that, you probably expect me to have a lot of difficulty with the book. And to that I say:

Review: Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Title: Seraphina

Author: Rachel Hartman

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, DRAGONS!

Publisher: Random House Books

Pages: 499

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.

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. (More from Goodreads)

I have wanted to read this book since I was a little child.

Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration. But I have wanted to read it since 2012 and only got around to it this year- which is fine and dandy, because back in 2012 it didn't have a purple cover. For those uninitiated (perhaps all of you), purple is my favourite colour- the colour that held my favourite colour title for the longest time yet, and possibly will remain my favourite for a good long while.

Now that I have done yakking away, here we go to my humble series of opinions and final rating of the book that we all call a review ;)

Fulfilling Friday: Semester Break!

Fulfilling Friday is a feature where I talk about the happenings of the week, focusing on the positives, and plan for the upcoming days- on a Friday, of course!

And this has been quite a week.

The Passing

It is the first week of a three-week semester break, in which I faced the death of a relative, which, although expected- due to her advanced stage of cancer- was still quite a blow to the family. It doesn't help that she's barely 50 years old, which is... really young. Almost my mother's age.

Death drives home the ephemeral state of life, and the permanence of non-existence. It grounds the fact that we will all cease to exist one day- if you still believe in the Big Bang theory, and the theory of Creationism. It drove me to a mini-crisis of existentialism for a day or two, which I fended off with some more reading and reviewing and good ol' sleeping.

We will always miss her and continue to remember her in our fondest memories.

The TBR Pile(s)

I am rather excited for this month's TBR- or was, before the above-mentioned event came to pass. Nevertheless, I will post my TBR pile for this month of March and strike through those I have already read by the time this post is finished. Bear in mind I will probably read more, if things go my way.

1. The Cry of the Icemark by Stuart Hill - IN PROGRESS
2. This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl - IN PROGRESS
3. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - IN PROGRESS
6. Dreams of Gods and Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3) by Laini Taylor - IN PROGRESS
7. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
8. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - IN PROGRESS
9. The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5) by Rick Riordan
10. Red Seas Under Red Skies - Scott Lynch
11. Apprentice (The Black Mage #2) by Rachel E. Carter
12. DIAgnosis2 [Bahasa Melayu book] by various authors

Yes, I have the tendency to read multiple books at once. I have no idea why this works for me and why it does not get confusing, because it really doesn't. In this case it really is necessary, because two of the books in progress are really very slow reads for me and I need to punctuate the rather humdrum pace by interspersing it with more face-paced reads. They are my rewards for finishing a certain chapter of a slower book.

Of course, my other TBR pile- the TO BE REVIEWED pile- is stacking up like nobody's business. 

Nobody's business but mine.

I would be more sad about it, if I'm not so excited. It's rather unbelievable how excited one can be about things that are not supposed to be exciting when one has nothing else to worry about.

Plans

This weekend will be filled with reading and reviewing, of course. I am also finishing up an actual letter to send to my high school friend (currently in Canada) and will be sending that next week- whenever I will be headed back a bit in the southerly direction.

There is a Sushi King bonanza next week (all sushi plates at RM 3 each!) which I will definitely splurge on. And I plan to watch at least two movies in the cinema, since I haven't watched a movie in the cinema since the last installment of The Hobbit.

I think I better start planning on some revision and cleaning up too, for the rest of the break.

Last but not least, try to restrict the impulse to keep ordering books online- for which a post is due within the next two weeks.

What have you fulfilled this week? :)

Review: DIAgnosis2 by Dr. Anwar Fazal & Others [Malay]

Title: DIAgnosis2

Authors: Dr. Anwar Fazal, Dr Aizzat, Dr. Azah, Dr. Mafeitz, Dr. Mahyuddin, Dr. Fatin Liyana & Dr. Beni Rusani

Genre: Malay, Short Stories, Medical

Publisher: White Coat Enterprise

Pages: 356

Kerjaya ini memaksa kamu untuk melihat nilai nyawa dari pelbagai dimensi. Ia menjadikan kamu penonton setia drama tragis dan gembira yang berselang seli saban hari.Kamu menjadi watak transisi hidup mati.Protagonis atau antagonis,bergantung pada mata penilai manusiatetapi hakikatnya hanya Penilai Mutlak lebih tahu semua yang bersarang di hati.Kerjaya ini, jika benar untuk Illahi, pasti akan menundukkan hati dan buat rasa rendah diri.

Ada tikanya bila kamu berjaya menyelamatkan nyawa dengan izinNya,bila pesakit mula membuka mata dan melakarkan senyuman manisnya, bila ahli keluarganya merangkul atau menjabat erat tangan kamu dengan mata berkaca, saat itu kamu tahu inilah kerjaya yang paling 'kaya' dan kamu rela bersengkang mata, mengerah tenaga hingga ke sisa-sisa akhir yang ada kerana kamu tahu 'rasa itu' rasa yang tak mampu dibeli biar dengan segunung harta materi di dunia. Ya, ini kerjaya kami selamanya. (More from Goodreads)

Inspiring, entertaining stuff!

Sadly it's mostly in Bahasa, so I can't really recommend it to everyone.

Review: Apprentice (The Black Mage #2) by Rachel E. Carter

Title: Apprentice (The Black Mage #2)
Author: Rachel E. Carter
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Astraea Press
Pages: 316

She survived a trial year at the Academy, but that was just the easy part…

Now sixteen-year-old Ryiah is an apprentice in Combat, her school’s most notorious faction of magic. When she finishes she will be a mage, but in order to do so she has to survive four years with a training master she hates and her old nemesis, Priscilla. To make matters worse the unwanted attraction Ry feels for her sometimes-friend-sometimes-rival Prince Darren is at an all time high –even though he is betrothed to the very girl she can’t stand.

Really, the only bright spot to Ryiah’s new life is the time she spends with her friends, including an older apprentice named Ian, who she finds herself thinking about quite often.

Just when things start to get comfortable they take a turn for the worse. An apprentice is killed in a rebel attack and several mages end up dead. Unwittingly, the apprentices find themselves in the midst of a budding unrest between Jerar and its northern neighbor, Caltoth. For Ryiah the impending conflict means many things, but as her apprenticeship draws to a close she finds her biggest problem at home.

Unfortunately for her, Darren’s not going anywhere. (More from Goodreads).

Here's my review the instant I finished this book on Goodreads.

Apprentice by Rachel E. Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh this book is positively evil.

I'm still palpitating and my adrenaline rush is nowhere near over, but let me just say this: This book has improved on every aspect from the first book, and is more. Way more.

I didn't expect this, but I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with this book.

Ugh.

SO EVIL.

View all my reviews

Now for a proper, more (ahem) professional review.

Review: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)

Author: Lauren DeStefano

Genre: Dystopian, Young Adult

Publisher: HarperVoyager

Pages: 320

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago―surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous―and in a world where young woman only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion… by any means necessary.

In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price―now that she has more to lose than ever. (More from Goodreads)

RE-SUMMARIZE

So this book continues where the last left off. 

In a world where crazy science somehow capped the age for females at twenty and males at twenty-five, Rhine finally escaped from her crazy father-in-law's estate with her butler to pursue their freedom outside, leaving behind her husband and remaining sister-wife as well as the comfortable, sheltered life within their beautiful prison. Not long after tasting their breath of fresh air, however, Rhine and Butler Boy somehow wound up in a Red District of sorts, featuring a still-working ferris wheel, which is run by an equally-crazy lady with a penchant for fake, dead accents.

And so begins their life in imprisonment again, and their struggle to escape it.

Yes, that would be the best blurb ever.

Review: First Year (The Black Mage #1) by Rachel E. Carter

Title: First Year (The Black Mage #1)

Author: Rachel E. Carter

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Publisher: Astraea Press

Pages: 276

Before the age of seventeen the young men and women of Jerar are given a choice -follow tradition, or pursue a trial year in one of the realm's three war schools to study as a soldier, knight or mage...

For 15-year-old Ryiah the choice has always been easy. Become a warrior and leave the boring confines of her lowborn life behind. Set to enroll in the School of Knighthood on the eve of her next birthday, plans suddenly shift when her twin brother discovers powers. Hoping that hers will soon follow, she enrolls with Alex at the Academy instead -the realm's most notorious war school for those with magic.

Yet when she arrives Ry finds herself competing against friend and foe for one of the exalted apprenticeships. Every "first-year" is given a trial year to prove their worth -and no amount of hard work and drive will guarantee them a spot. It seems like everyone is rooting for her to fail -and first and foremost among them Prince Darren, the school prodigy who has done nothing but make life miserable since she arrived.

When an accidental encounter leads Ryiah and Darren to an unlikely friendship she is convinced nothing good will come of it. But the lines become blurred when she begins to improve -and soon she is a key competitor for the faction of Combat... Still, nothing is ever as it seems -and when the world comes crashing down around her, Ry is forced to place faith in the one thing she can believe in -herself. Will it be enough? (More from Goodreads)

[This is my first encounter with new authors. Although the author added me as a friend on Goodreads, my review is not influenced in any way by that fact. Well, maybe a little- I wouldn't have bought the book if I wasn't aware of the author, and if it wasn't on sale for 99 cents in digital format to promote the second book in the series, Apprentice- which was released on my birthday, which I took as a sign. Phew. I wouldn't be reviewing this book if things didn't happen in that order so there is that!]

First of all, and I really have to get this off my chest first because it's a huge deal to me, is that this book is not perfectly edited. Or at least, the version I got wasn't. There were quite a few spelling errors and weird sentences that made me flinch a little. These little things are my book kryptonite. So... There is that: This book is in need of further editing. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, let's go to all the other nice stuff!

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1)
Author: Laini Taylor
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Little Brown Books
Pages: 418 pages

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real, she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands", she speaks many languages - not all of them human - and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. (More from Goodreads)

First Impression

It's easy to get lost in this book. I have heard so many good things about it, and I was afraid I would be disappointed with the first few chapters. Everything overwhelmed me, but not necessarily in a bad way; no, I was assaulted by the visions of a setting entirely new to me because I wasn't brought up in art school in the middle of one of the most historical cities in Europe. 

But more than that, the characters that opened the books did so with gusto. 

They weren't slowly introduced to the reader by means of tedious monologues; rather, witty banter and daily happenings abound, and just like that you are easily introduced to Karou and her seemingly odd world, with its quirky occupants and musings.

Hiatus #1 Has Ended!

And...

I passed! \o/

The update took so long because I was so busy paying back my lost hours of sleep for almost the entire duration of the past two days. Nothing quite like a great spell of hibernation~

Now that that is done, a huge sigh of relief, followed by more reading and reviewing to come soon.

Currently reading: Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor.

ONE MORE DAY

TO FREEDOM.
Hopefully. Let's pray I pass.

All I have to do is make the last mad 3.5-hour dash and read as much as I could.

Oh lord.

Can't wait to read more books and write out my thoughts on them- and the ones I've read since the end of my last review. Also, to share my most recent book hauls- my first adventure into ordering books online. Which is funny, because I only started ordering books for my self after I got my boyfriend, a not-quite-reader, to order some for me on my birthday.

Soon, very soon...

26th Orbit Around the Sun

Hello!

It's my birthday. Many things occurred on this day.

I know I don't sound too enthused. Please come back in a week an indeterminate period of time when this post has been updated well, with pictures.

Okay. :)

Fulfilling Friday: Reads, Presents and Revision

Fulfilling Friday is a feature where I talk about the happenings of the week, focusing on the positives, and plan for the upcoming days- on a Friday, of course!

The past two weeks of February have been rather exciting.

Bookish

First of all: Big Bad Wolf Fire Sale! I went on 3rd February, reaching the doors before they opened with my friend on our Thaipusam holiday. I bought 15 books on that trip. The second time around was on the final day of the sale, 9 February- on which I bought another 17 books.

Sorry for the blurry photo, but nevertheless you could see a queue at the entrance.

It's nuts. More on that in the previous post!

Reb and the Big Bad Wolf Book Sales

It would be unfair of me to leave this blog empty for so long this month, even with major exams coming up. It is, after all, my birthday month. Cue non-review posts!

This post will be about The Big Bad Wolf Book Sales, which are humongous bargain book sales that take place in Malaysia. It is run by Mr Big Bad Wolf, affectionately called the Wolf for short. Okay, it is actually run by his minions (or more accurately the owners of the wonderful BookXcess and their minions) but psh. Technicalities.

Meet my main dealer- of books, that is.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my favourite sale.
Of all time.

No competition.

If you're currently residing in Malaysia (or even Singapore) and haven't been living too far from civilization, you have most probably heard of the sales. If you're also a bibliophile who lives rather close by, chances are this is also your favourite sale of all time. If not, it's fine- you still have time to discover them at the end of this year, and hopefully many years to come!

The main sale happens for around a week or two annually since 2009. It is a smorgasbord of books, in a venue large enough to house up to millions of tomes, hungry crowds of bibliophiles who are attracted to them like moths to a candle on a dark night, and other buyers not quite so obsessed. There is space even for food and beverage stalls, charming knick-knacks and merchandise, the odd vehicle or two (or five)- plus countless other things. Of course, it didn't start with millions of books in 2009 but that is not relevant now.

Hiatus Announcement #1

With the exams in two weeks and my scheduled contents out of their run, I would now formally announce a hiatus on reviews until probably the end of February.

This does not mean I won't occasionally pop in to write things, especially on my birthday...
Or maybe it should mean exactly that, because my exams are very VERY important.

After that, I would have a three-week long holiday which I will spend reading and reviewing books I've already read. This might mean a lot more content in March to make up for February.

See you real soon! :)

Review: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Title: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
Author: Gabrielle Zevin
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Abacus
Pages: 243

A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over -- and see everything anew. (More from Goodreads)

I may have been spoiled by my short and limited life span within Contemporary territory, because I seem to think that the lot I've met are all dapper creatures. More likely, this is the result of some very heavy nit-picking and more than the usual amount of cajoling required for me to even consider purchasing a contemporary novel. This book came highly recommended by a booktuber (apparently that's what you call youtubers who mainly do videos and the usual assortment of youtube stuff on books) with whom I share the most similar selections of books in, and I was not wrong to trust her judgment. 

Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title: The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1)

Author: Soman Chainani

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Children, Young Adult, Fairy Tale, Adventure

Publisher: HarperCollins Children's Books

Pages: 488

“The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

 This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed—Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…? (More from Goodreads)

This book is an unexpectedly enjoyable read- and I don't say that a lot about middle grade books which are so blatantly, well, middle-grade. The cover alone is very childish- or well out of my age range, at least- and I can't help but love it.

Review: The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson

Title: The Dragonfly Pool
Author: Eva Ibbotson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure
Publisher: MacMillan Children's Books
Pages: 416

Tally Hamilton is furious to hear she is being sent from London to a horrid, stuffy boarding school in the countryside. And all because of the stupid war. But Delderton Hall is a far more" "unusual and " interesting" place than Tally ever imagined, and she soon falls in love with its eccentric staff and pupils. Now she's even organizing an exciting school trip to the kingdom of Bergania . . . although Tally never expected to meet the "prince."

Prince Karil hates his life at the palace and he is only truly happy when he escapes to the dragonfly pool, a remote spot in the forests of Bergania. Then Karil meets a feisty English girl who brings the promise of adventure. But his country is under threat, and the prince soon looks to his new friend Tally for survival as well as friendship... (More from Goodreads)

I had this book for a while, and never got around to it until I realized it would be perfect for one of the 2015 Reading Challenge categories. It just gave me more of an excuse to read it. The first Eva Ibbotson book I read, almost a decade ago, was The Star of Kazan, and I really liked it. I think I should re-read it because I can't remember anything that happened within! That said, I was also planning on getting Journey to the River Sea as this is her book which garnered most fame, but it's all a matter of time. Onward to the review!

Fulfilling Friday: One-Twelfth Around the Sun

Fulfilling Friday is a feature where I talk about the happenings of the week, focusing on the positives, and plan for the upcoming days- on a Friday, of course!

In the blink of a eye, the curtains begin their descent on January in preparation for February's act.

What have I done in this month?

Book-related

Well, first of all I completed my targets for the first month of this blog's existence. Two book reviews per week at least, and now scheduled posts are still bidding their time until February. I am one month closer to being ready to publicize this space.

Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Title: Revolution
Author: Jennifer Donnelly
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Supernatural
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 496

Andi lives in New York and is dealing with the emotional turmoil of her younger brother's accidental death. Alex lives in Paris and is a maid to the royal family as the French Revolution rages. They're both struggling with their responsibilities and their places in the world. (More from Goodreads)

I picked this book up because the cover caught my eye. I found it gorgeous, and as you can see at the bottom of the cover, it touts the author as having written a best-selling novel. I looked at the back cover and it talks about a curious girl in a very vague, single sentence paragraph. The first thing that crossed my mind was romance. Probably historical, by the looks of the book. Revolution? Only one historical time period, in one particular region, came to mind.

Of Art, and Other Life-Altering Moments

I interrupt my usual flow of reviews to bring you this delightful piece of news.

By some series of serendipitous events, I stumbled upon a Deviant (is that what you call them? I'm not so sure ^^;) whose work moved me to tears.

It started a few days ago, with Garth Nix's facebook post of a Deviant who made artwork of all the Nine Gates of Death. They were marvelous and featured in many other collections of the Abhorsen series' artwork made by Deviants, which I began to explore. Many clicks and other Deviants later, I found this truly beautiful work of Lirael, Sam, Mogget and The Disreputable Dog sailing to Abhorsen's House that I could not peel my eyes from for several minutes. Naturally, I visited this artist's gallery- and was blown away by all of her work.

They were ethereal.

And wondrous.

And tranquil and enthralling and purely magical.

+ Other words that cannot begin to describe her masterpieces.

One work, in particular, captured my attention more than the rest. It was titled 'A Cozy Evening (Detail)', and I felt a sense of familiarity with the work even though I have never been in a snowy country before, let alone that particular scene. Then I discovered it was part of a bigger masterpiece, and was even more bewitching as a whole! I had tears in my eyes and Thijs could attest to this- he laughed at me for being so emotional, but agreed all the same that her work was, indeed, beautiful.

I had to speak to the artist; had to convey how moved I was by her work. So I made a Deviant Art account to do just that. It wasn't until I was writing the first few sentences that I realized... That very work would fit in perfectly as this blog's header. I spent so much time admiring it that I didn't think of it until a few hours later!

I decided to ask her permission to use it, although it felt selfish at the moment... Believe me, if there was a digital print of it on her Etsy site I would have purchased it as long as I had enough money in my bank.

She replied.

And, well... the header picture now is proof of how awesome this person is!

I enjoyed sketching, back when I was younger and had more free time, but I knew I wasn't the most artsy of people. I can't keep my hand steady enough; can't convey my mind's eye to paper; can't focus on the details, and all the other things that matter to make beautiful artwork. But Kundry's Inner World seem to speak to me. The pieces all have a heart and soul, and I spent many hours just admiring their beauty and tranquility. I was mesmerized as I have never been by art.

Visit her Deviant Art account, and be enchanted.

More importantly, the person behind these beautiful pieces is just as genuine and charming as her work. I can't wait until she has more stuff on her Etsy that I can purchase, particularly large prints of her work for me to put in my living space!

EDIT: OMG THEY ARE THERE! Now I must wait torturously for next month's allowance to purchase them :(

Review: Room by Emma Donoghue

Title: Room
Author: Emma Donoghue
Genre: Contemporary, Fiction, Adult
Publisher: Picador
Pages: 321

Jack is five, and excited about his birthday. He lives with his Ma in Room, which has a locked door and a skylight, and measures eleven feet by eleven feet. He loves watching TV, and the cartoon characters he calls friends, but he knows that nothing he sees on screen is truly real - only him, Ma and the things in Room. Until the day Ma admits that there's a world outside...

Told in Jack's voice, Room is the story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible. Unsentimental and sometimes funny, devastating yet uplifting, Room is a novel like no other. (More from Goodreads)

Room is a book that keeps popping up everywhere and remained within the periphery of my vision, untouched and unwanted- at least by me, and at least at that time. This is because (as I have probably mentioned before) I am kind of a book snob and would rarely indulge in buying contemporary fiction in place of a good young adult and/or fantasy title. That is until one fine day, I find someone raving about how good it was and decided, 'Why not? It has been available in the bargain bookstore for a while.'

Fulfilling Friday: Family First

Fulfilling Friday is a feature where I talk about the happenings of the week, focusing on the positives, and plan for the upcoming days- on a Friday, of course!

This week has been an off-week of sorts. I did not manage to do much revision of my own, and a few classes were brought forward. But I did have quite a few free days to unwind and relax, and though it's not enough for me to have finished a single book by Friday, I am currently near to finishing Eva Ibbotson's The Dragonfly Pool, which I will (hopefully!) review next week.

Review: Lirael (Abhorsen #2) by Garth Nix

Title: Lirael (Abhorsen #2)
Author: Garth Nix
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 705

Lirael has never felt like a true daughter of the Clayr. Now, two years past the time when she should have received the Sight that is the Clayr’s birthright, she feels alone, abandoned, unsure of who she is. Nevertheless, the fate of the Old Kingdom lies in her hands. With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil.

In this sequel to SABRIEL, winner of the Aurealis Award for Excellence in Australian Science Fiction, Garth Nix weaves a spellbinding tale of discovery, destiny, and danger. (More from Goodreads)

As should be apparent, this is the second book in the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix- perhaps the best series of books ever written by him, and the very series that made me start reading his work. I started re-reading Sabriel a while back when Rinn was doing re-reads sometime last year, and I figured I should continue to finish the trilogy again- because at the time, the new prequel Clariel was coming out soon. At the time of writing, Clariel has been out for a few months now and I still haven't got it yet because I'm... waiting for the right time (and price).

Fulfilling Friday: What have YOU fulfilled this week?

Based on a screenshot from one of the MMORPGs I play(ed): TERA

Intro to Fulfilling Friday

I've only read about book blog memes. It's easy to see that they're a great way to expand your network in the book blog world, meet new friends and most definitely garner more readership. However, since I'm more into personal reviewing/writing and less into networking at this particular moment in time, I haven't really thought of joining and/or starting book blog memes.

Except... You can only read so many reviews on a blog before it feels dry, and that's me talking about my own blog! 'I must write some non-book-related posts,' I thought. Particularly ones with more of an insight to my life, since I did start this blog with self-improvement in mind. So I decided to do a weekly post which is- to the best of my abilities- consistent, and definitely not just a book review.

Fulfilling Friday is the time when I talk about how fulfilling my week and the previous weekend has been, and detail what I look forward to in the coming week and weekend. Sounds like a blog meme doesn't it? It's not something I have come across, but I would like it to be a feature of this blog- whether or not that makes it a meme doesn't really matter all that much to me, at least in this moment! On that note, it will be as positive as possible, and if there were downsides to the previous week I wouldn't neglect them, but focus on how they improved me. On the Friday that is closest to the end of the month (for example this month it would be Friday the 30th of January), I would probably write a longer post for Fulfilling Friday which may summarize the whole month's fulfilling moments, or even include some throwbacks to some other positive moments in my life, most obviously not limited only to the month or year involved. This would also include aspirations for the coming months and years.

Why a certain day for this? Well it would ensure I remember to come here and do something at least weekly, for one. Also, I would not like to turn this blog into my personal diary- I have another blog for that which is not as public. In addition, in the event that I DO get a readership, I'm guessing it would be more important for people to get a glimpse into my life (and hopefully understand why I don't read or review as often, which is bound to happen sometimes)!

Enough of intros, let's begin!

Review: A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Title: A Tale for the Time Being
Author: Ruth Ozeki
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Cultural, Historical Fiction, Literary Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 422

"A time being is someone who lives in time, and that means you, and me, and every one of us who is, or was, or ever will be.”

In Tokyo, sixteen-year-old Nao has decided there’s only one escape from her aching loneliness and her classmates’ bullying. But before she ends it all, Nao first plans to document the life of her great grandmother, a Buddhist nun who’s lived more than a century. A diary is Nao’s only solace—and will touch lives in ways she can scarcely imagine.

Across the Pacific, we meet Ruth, a novelist living on a remote island who discovers a collection of artifacts washed ashore in a Hello Kitty lunchbox—possibly debris from the devastating 2011 tsunami. As the mystery of its contents unfolds, Ruth is pulled into the past, into Nao’s drama and her unknown fate, and forward into her own future. (More from Goodreads)

I saw this book in my then-housemate's possession, in the alternate paperback cover- nowhere near as colorful or interesting-looking. She expressed her enjoyment of the book and allowed me a look to get a feel of the writing, and before I knew it I was well into the first chapter. Unfortunately, I was supposed to be engaging in our weekly study group at the time and she, noticing my obvious inattention, snatched the book away from me again and tucked it safely into her satchel, away from my prying hands.

Review: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 352

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place - he's the only living resident of a graveyard.

Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other. (More from Goodreads)

I've read several books by Neil Gaiman, all of which were targeted for the adult audience. I started picking them up because of the movie adaptation of Stardust, which I adored. That being said, I've been looking for this book at the bookstores for a while after having read the collection of short stories 'Wizards', in which an excerpt from The Graveyard Book was included- and I loved it (it might have been Chapter Four; I can't find the book anymore).

Mini Review: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Publisher: Riverhead Trade
Pages: 384

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. (More from Goodreads)

I fear nothing I can say will be eloquent enough to begin to describe this masterpiece. Having finished this book in two sittings (stopping only once to have lunch because I have skipped dinner and breakfast), I can tell you that it is one of the most riveting books I have ever read. There was never a dull moment- I laughed, and I cried, and I prayed- and cried again. The hype with this book is well-deserved. The writing was beautiful, the story gripping; the reality of it all is eye-opening, and heart-wrenching.

This is one breath-taking book with the capability to change your life, and I cannot sing enough praises for it. As such, I am not going into detail on the storyline. I feel everyone should read it and form their own opinions about the book.

Looking forward to future encounters with Khaled Hosseini's work!

~My Rating~

5 out of 5 Stars

★★★★★

Review: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden #1)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Genre: YA, Dystopian
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 358

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. She can thank modern science for this genetic time bomb. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males with a lifespan of 25 years, and females with a lifespan of 20 years. Geneticists are seeking a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can't bring herself to hate him as much as she'd like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband's strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement. Her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next, and Rhine is desperate to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive. Will Rhine be able to escape--before her time runs out?Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom? (More from Goodreads)

"What if you knew exactly when you would die?"

This statement, and the rather attractive book cover, was probably enough for me to snap this book up, brand new, for less than $2.

Review: The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

What a better way to kick-off this year (and blog) by reviewing a fantasy classic! 

Title: The Last Unicorn

Author: Peter S. Beagle
Genre: Fantasy, Classics
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 294

The unicorn wants to find other unicorns. Mage Schmendrick, whose magic seldom works, never as he intends, rescues unicorn from Mommy Fortuna's Midnight Carnival. Only some mythical beasts displayed are illusions. Molly Grue believes in legends despite Robin Hood wannabe and his unmerry men. King Haggard and his Bull banish unicorns into sea. (More from Goodreads)

Let me start off by saying this is my first time reading this book, even though it's a certified classic in the fantasy genre.