BOOK REVIEW: I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER BY SOPHIE KINSELLA

Sophie Kinsella strikes again with I’ve Got Your Number! I’ve always been a fan of Sophie Kinsella’s books since I was in high school and now that I’m an adult in my early twenties I still am. There’s just something about the way she writes her novels that I can’t seem to find in other books. This book is not an exception at all. The novel’s main protagonists are Poppy Wyatt and Sam Roxton.

I love this novel as much as I loved her Shopaholic series, which by the way is my favorite chick lit series of all time. Seriously, I have two copies of the books since most of my copies are either battered or MIA already. A friend of mine borrowed some of the books and refused to give it back. Pfft. Anyhoo, the first few chapters made me laugh so much I ended up reading it in one day.

What I love about this book? hmm. Honestly, I don’t really know why but it’s probably because I fell in love with the characters and the story itself. First there’s Poppy. Poppy somehow reminds me of Becky Bloomwood minus the shopaholic part. I adore Poppy. She’s funny and witty and everything that you could ever ask for in a chick lit heroine. Seriously, she made me laugh so much from the get-go. I think her only flaw is the fact that she wanted everyone to like her even if it meant compromising her beliefs and standards. Oh well, I guess that’s what makes her believable as a character. She’s human and her flaws make her a real person in my opinion.

Then of course, Ms. Kinsella’s novel would not be complete without the almost-perfect-male-protagonist Sam Roxton. I love Sam because he reminds me of Luke Brandon from the Shopaholic series. Oh for crying out loud this book somehow reminds me of the Shopaholic novel series and I honestly loved that series. haha. He’s not a CEO per se but he is definitely one of the “Big Guns” in their company. I’m not even sure what his position in the company is. All I know is he’s one of the big shots and that’s it. Cut me some slack though, I’m not a company person, I work in a hospital and I’m not sure about the hierarchy in the corporate world.  Anyway, I just love the way Sam Roxton’s character was written. He was witty, funny, hot and everything that a girl could ever wish for. Another book boyfriend as one might say. Yes, he’s flawed and everything but that’s what makes him more believable and lovable for me.

Overall, I loved this novel. It made me laugh and feel giddy at the same time. I love the fact that that this reminded me so much of the Shopaholic series. I know the “important corporate guy-ordinary girl” formula has been used by Ms. Kinsella a gazillion times already but somehow she still knows how to make it refreshing for her audience. She has not lost her touch as one might say. Her side characters were amazing as well. I love the fact that she made Wanda and Antony seem so mean and evil but in the end made them oh so adorable. I also love Felix and Ruby. Both are so innocent in their own ways. I wanted to smack Annalise during the first  few chapters but Magnus tops my list of Annoying Character of the Book. I seriously wanted to throw this guy in the ditch. I also love her references to Google and the popular Magnum ice cream today. Anyhoo, I’d give this book a 5/5 star rating just because it’s Sophie’s book. Haha. Kidding! I love this book it made me laugh, cry and feel giddy all at the same time. Recommending this to chick lit and Sophie Kinsella lovers.

I would love to see this made into a movie.

BOOK REVIEW: HEREAFTER BY TARA HUDSON

I finished Hereafter by Tara Hudson a few days ago and I must say that I loved this as much as I loved the last few books that I’ve read this past few weeks. I was actually a bit hesitant at first since this book had mixed reviews on Goodreads. The story’s protagonists are Amelia and Joshua.

To start with, the story is really good. The concept is refreshing for me as this is only my second Ghost YA book. To be honest, I thought I was getting bored within the first few pages and I didn’t even realize that I was already half way done after a few hours. It’s the type of book that would seem boring at first but as I got deepr into the story I found myself immersed in it completely. First of all, I loved Amelia from the very first page. I think she is one of those very well written characters. Though I did find her character a little bit “dry” at first but Ms. Hudson developed her well as the story progressed. There were moments when I wanted to give her a hug since almost everyone around her seems to have a hidden agenda or something.  I actually liked the fact that she decided to fight for what she believes is right in the end. Anyhoo, she’s one of those heroines that would hopefully turn for the better and not the worst like most heroines in some YA novels.

Then there’s Joshua. I don’t know what it is with dark haired boys and their blue eyes. haha. I love Joshua. The fact that he’s not a jerk even if he is one of those “IT BOYS” in school is something that  I definitely liked about his character. I love the fact that he loves Amelia even though their love seems to be doomed in the end since everyone seems to be against their relationship. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, right?

Overall, I loved this book and I can’t wait to read Arise. I’d definitely recommend this to those who are into sappy tragic romance stories. But I am warning you this is not a scary ghost story per se. The pacing was okay for me. I can’t really explain it but it seems slow at the beginning but as the story builds up I found myself completely captivated by it. I’m giving this a 4.5/5 rating.

BOOK REVIEW: INSURGENT BY VERONICA ROTH

Insurgent by Veronica Roth is amazing. I love it but not as much as I loved the first one. Probably because of the fact that somehow Tris managed to annoy me a little. Anyway, the main characters of the story are still Tris and Four.

The story picks up right after the events from the Divergent.I honestly loved that book and that’s probably why I had very high expectations with this one. But I have to say that I didn’t like this as much as I liked the first one. I kinda’ missed the tough Tris. She was just too mopey for me in this book.I mean, I get it. She lost her parents. She killed Will. She went through a lot for a teenager and somehow managed to survive and all that.But I honestly still don’t get why she has to constantly lie. She has her reasons I know but that does not mean that she has to be Miss-Gloomy-I’m-On-A-Suicide-Mission-All-The-Time. Anyway, she redeemed herself in the end. I think she almost went back to being the Tris that I love from the first book.

And of course, there’s Four a.k.a. Tobias. I seriously liked him here. He’s probably one of the nicest book boyfriends out there. He was understanding and supported Tris through her Gloomy Bitch Phase. And I honestly admire him for that. I love the fact that he didn’t feel the need to be gentler to Tris just to get her back on her feet and his methods of getting inside her head somehow worked. Bottom line is I love Four and I hope he remains the same until the end.

Overall, I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first one since Tris annoyed me a bit. Not as much as Clary from TMI does.I still think she’s one bad-ass chick and I admire her for that. I’m giving this a 4.5/ 5 star rating and I’m recommending this to everyone. This is probably one of the best dystopians I’ve read which includes The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Fifty Shades Trilogy

Yes! I have paperbacks! :)

BOOK REVIEW: CITY OF LOST SOULS BY CASSANDRA CLARE

I finished City of Lost Souls the fifth book in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. I could probably say that this is one of the best books in the series even if Clary managed to annoy me up to the very end. haha. Seriously, how can a main character be that annoying? Anyway, the story’s main characters are still Clary and Jace plus Sebastian a.k.a. Jonathan Morgenstern, Simon, Izzy, Alec and Magnus.

First of all, I loved the way this books was written. I think Clare focused on the development of the characters relationships with each other. She didn’t stick to the Jace and Clary storyline that much which to be honest I think is kinda overrated by now.Don’t get me wrong, majority of the pages still involved Clary and Jace but still I liked the fact that Ms. Clare decided to spice things up with Simon and Izzy. I am more of a IzzyXSimon fan since Clary just can’t help but piss me off every single time.There were parts that just broke my heart but still I loved this book as much as I loved the third book which is my favorite in the series btw.

Anyhoo, moving on to the characters. Seriously, Clary annoyed me so much in this book there were moments when I just wanted to hurl the book out the window. I think she was just too immature for her own good in this book. She’s just too hormonal for a teenager. When she wasn’t with Jace all she managed to do was mope around and pretend that the world has stopped because her Jace is gone. Seriously girl, the world has moved on and she should to. I’m not saying that she should just give up on Jace but I think she should also think about the people around her. She’s not the only one who lost someone. And by the time she decided that she should follow Jace wherever he’s going just to find out what he is up to all she managed to accomplish was think of how intimate the two of them can get. And not just that, somehow based on what I read she also had this tension (Don’t ask me if that “tension” is sexual or not because I am not sure myself but there is definitely tension.) with her own brother,Sebastian. Incest much?Anyway, I honestly don’t care if she has an incestuous relationship with her brother or whatever I just wanted her to forget her hormonal urges for just a second and focus what she’s supposed to do. Seriously, Clary just infuriated me every single time.

Then there’s Jace. I honestly could not find myself to like him as much as I liked him in the first four books. I miss the sarcastic and self- absorbed Jace. Well, yeah he was possessed or something but still I missed the old Jace. I didn’t hate him as much as I hated Clary though.
Then of course, there’s Sebastian a.k.a. Jonathan. This boy is seriously evil reincarnate. He’s so evil and Ms. Clare managed to make me hate him but not as much as I hate his sister.He is just so evil it’s just too difficult to like him. And I think he’s very effective as a villain. I’m so intrigued by whatever it is that awaits him in the last book.

And lastly, I would like to commend how Ms. Clare wrote Izzy, Simon, Alec and Magnus Bane’s storyline. I just love these characters. I love the way their relationships were developed especially Simon and Izzy’s.Damn! It’s about time.I love the intimacy between these characters although there were definitely heartbreaking moments but still I love the fact that their stories were given time to develop. Oh, almost forgot about Jordan and Maia. I think it was pretty obvious from the fourth book that they would somehow end up the way they did in this fifth installment.

Overall, I enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed reading books 1-4. It’s just that this time around Clary managed to annoy me up to the very end. Don’t get me wrong. I am not being biased. I am trying to like her as much as I can but I simply can’t find myself to do it. She’s annoying and selfish as hell and she never learns. I actually liked her more in the first trilogy. I think this character was able to redeem herself in City of Glass but somehow managed to go back to being annoying as the books continued. I’d still give this a 4/5 star rating though since I seriously loved the way the relationships and the other characters developed. I can’t wait for the last book. :)

BOOK REVIEW: REVENANTS #1: DIE FOR ME BY AMY PLUM

So, I finished reading Die For Me by Amy Plum and I just couldn't wait to write my review. First of all, I would like to say that I think the concept of the entire novel is just soooooo unique. I mean, yeah, undead/ zombies/ ghosts and all but seriously, how can the undead/ zombies/ ghosts be so damn sexy?! Well, I guess only Amy Plum can do that. Anyway, the protagonists of the story are Kate Mercier and Vincent Delacroix, who is a very sexy revenant!

 Okay, so let's officially start this reviewing by dissecting the characters. So, there's Kate. Well, to be perfectly honest I didn't really like her that much in the beginning. I think she was just too mopey. Well, don't get me wrong, I know she lost her parents only a year ago but she could have made an effort to try to "live" instead of just being Ms. Gloomy and all. But she redeemed herself as the story progressed. I think meeting Vincent was probably one of the best things that happened to her. She seriously grew up and became a stronger character. I think she was also very good for Vincent since she brought life into whatever state his in. But even if I kinda didn't like her a bit in the beginning, I have to say that I loved the fact that she knows exactly what she wants even if her choices weren't exactly the best of the best. I respect her for being decisive unlike other characters from certain books that are just soooooo confused. That tends to annoy me a lot. In short, I like Kate as a character.

Then of course, there's the oh-so-sexy Vincent Delacroix. Man, he puts the sexy in zombie! haha. I seriously fell in love with this character. I know he's almost but barely similar to Edward Cullen from Stephenie Meyer's The Twilight Saga but I like Vincent more. He's stalker-ish in a not so creepy way. Not that I find Edward creepy. But seriously, this guy just drove me up the wall. I loved Vincent. He is a revenant who is trying to live a normal life as much as possible. And then he meets Kate. I have to say I think the two of them were just meant to be. I love their chemistry. There's something about them or probably more about him that's just so captivating. I simply love everything about Vincent.

I also love the supporting characters. Georgia, Kate's sister is someone I absolutely adore. I actually liked her more than I liked Kate in the beginning. Mamie and Papy were absolutely hilarious and at the same time touching in a way grandparents can make you feel. And of course, the other revenants Ambrose, Gaspard, Jules, JB, Charlotte and Charles were just adorable. Jules and Ambrose made me laugh the hardest. I love the fact that even the supporting characters were really involved in the story. They weren't just added there to add more people. They were actually part of it.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I honestly could have finished this in one day but I was trying to prolong reading this because I wanted to wait until my orders from the Book Depository arrived. There's some delay somewhere here in the Philippines so yeah, I simply couldn't wait and I ended up finishing Die For Me faster than I was expecting to. I love the way it was written especially the romance between Vincent and Kate. I especially love the scene in Vincent's room where Katie almost devoured him. Well, who wouldn't? A hormonal girl alone in a room with a cute guy? Seriously who could resist something like that? You could either be frigid or just too prim and proper for your own good. haha. That scene made me laugh so hard. I also love the fact that it was set in France, the City of Lights. The way it was described simply made me want to fly to France right now. Anyhoo, I'm recommending this to anyone who likes paranormal reads that's unique in it's own way and I'd give this a 5/5 star rating. And I can't wait to get my hands on its sequel which is Until I Die.

BOOK REVIEW: ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS BY STEPHANIE PERKINS

Obviously, I had nothing better to do today so I just ended up reading Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I’ve been itching to get my hands on a paperback copy of this book but it always seems to be avoiding me. Anyhoo, I got my copy a few days ago with my cousin. The novel’s main characters are Anna and Etienne/ St. Claire.

I loved this book from the get-go. I loved the way it was written. I love the way it makes me feel giddy and happy as I flipped through the pages. I fell in love with Anna’s character. She’s just so adorable and believable as a character.And I could definitely relate to her in some ways except for the neat freak part. She’s a neat freak and as much as I want to be one I just can’t. I’m a messy person and that’s that. haha.Anyway, I loved the way she was written. There were definitely times when I just wanted to smack her or something. She likes keeping things to herself even if she’s very transparent in some ways and somehow that made things a little bit harder for her and Etienne. Anyhow, I still love her. I think she’s one of those adorable heroines in contemporary YA novels.

Then there’s Etienne St. Claire.Oh, Mr. St. Claire where are thou in this real world of ours?How can anyone picture someone this dreamy? Kudos to Ms. Perkins for creating this character. The Brit/ American/ French guy who swept Anna of her feet. I just love Etienne. I love the way he seems to be Mr. Perfect even if he has his flaws. I think the flaws made him more adorable for me.

The book is not just about young love. It’s about conquering your fears and admitting to yourself that no matter how strong or brave you are that a part of you will always be afraid to be alone. And sometimes you just have to fight in order to get what you want. I honestly loved everything about this book. The characters even the supporting one’s were just adorable. It’s one of those reads that I just can’t put down. I definitely see myself reading this again and again in the near future. I liked the fact that it made me smile as I flipped through the pages. There were no dull moments as I kept on reading. I’d definitely recommend this to everyone out there who is in love or at least wants to remember how it feels to be in love. I think I’m part of the latter though. I’d give this a 5/5 star rating. I can’t wait to get my hands on its companion novel which is Lola and the Boy Next Door.