Tuesday 30 September 2014

READ-A-THON #1 : RYBSAT Round 3 TBR

Heya!!!

So I'm participating in my first ever Read-a-thon! Woohoo! 

Finally a Read-A-Thon that the timing is right. It will take place from 1 Oct 2014 to 8 Oct 2014 which will be held during my mid semester break!

The Read Your Bookshelve-A-Thon aka RYBSAT is hosted by Miranda from Bookss101 and Gary from BookNeedLove

Check out their links for more detail of the RYBSAT Read-A-Thon

The shelve I'm choosing


During this read-a-thon you pick a place on your book shelf and read the books from there on. This books are on the 'lighter' side of the shelve where most book are paperback and under 400 pages and that they are small to carry around as I will be on holiday so I don't want to bring thick books or hard back books around.
 
TBR GOAL


My aim is to read at least 4 books but I choose 5 for if time permits!



 
 
Part of the Read-A-Thon will be taken place when I am on my mid-term break so I plan to take Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan along with me.




So hopefully I'll be able to achieve my RYBSAT goals, knock down my TBR and that the first Read-A-Thon I take part in won't be an epic fail.

Follow me on Twitter @rotanrm and Instagram @rotanrm as well as Goodreads @Rou Min Tan where you can follow my reading progress.

If you're taking part in the Read-A-Thon don't forget to put in the hash tag #RYBSAT

Good Luck and Happy Reading!!!




Friday 19 September 2014

Book Review: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1) by James Dashner

Goodreads Description:

If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human.

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his name. He’s surrounded by strangers—boys whose memories are also gone.

Nice to meet ya, shank. Welcome to the Glade.

Outside the towering stone walls that surround the Glade is a limitless, ever-changing maze. It’s the only way out—and no one’s ever made it through alive.

Everything is going to change.

Then a girl arrives. The first girl ever. And the message she delivers is terrifying.
Remember. Survive. Run.



https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6186357-the-maze-runner?ac=1

Title: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner, #1)
Author: James Dashner
Genre: YA, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Apocalyptic, Post Apocalyptic, Action, Thriller, Suspense 
Format: Paperback
Pages: 369 pages
Publisher: Chicken house
Source: Borrowed from friend


 I was introduced to the series as an alternative to the Hunger games when watch Elle from AllThatGlitters21 book reviews years ago. At that time I was not a fan of Dystopian so I put it off till a week ago when friend suggest we watch the movie and lend me the book.

Now all i can say is that I am hitting myself in the head for not reading the book sooner... sorry I am just not one who give into hypes easily :P

The book started out a bit slow and confusing but full of suspense and mystery for me at first as I had to understand all the slang and words the boys use like Med jack, slammer, etc as well as the introduction to the Glade's world. Eventually I managed to catch on and by the end of the book I was used to the slang. 
I felt like I was watching a group of guys talking gibberish but obviously i managed to catch on and gotten used to the dialog. But after the 2 or 3 chapter the book takes off.

The pacing of the book was good but the ending was intense and a bit confusing. I re read the last few chapters as it kinda left a big cliff hanging gap which was obviously is a set up for the next book but I felt like it was a bit too rush. Even though so the ending is pretty damn emotional... 

*wave fist at the freaking feels!!!*

There were a good balance of 'bormance' and friendship moments. The boys in the Glade form a good tight-knit society and manages to keep everything in order to survive the maze.

I like the cast of characters. Thomas, our main character wakes up in a lift where he finds himself in the Glade with about 50 other boys with not a clue on how or why he is there with the only memory of his name. He is different from the other boys in the glade. Curious, intelligent, brave and willing to help others he barely knows. Though he is all that I kinda love and hate his character as at times he can be a bit of an idiot with his not so wise choices but he always manages to counter his decisions and get himself out of the situation. Also reading his character reminded me a bit of Harry Potter.

The other boys in the Glade, it took a while for me to warm up to. A lot of them started out as snarky, annoying or mean but I'm guessing that that's their nature of how they talk to each other in the Glade. Even though there were lack of character development, you do get to know some of them like Alby, Newt, Minho, Gally and Chuck.

Chuck is definitely my favorite side character! He is like the annoying loveable little brother and I love his brotherly relationship with Thomas.

Minho was really snarky and sarcastic but can be loyal and friendly. Same goes for Alby. I found him really mean when I first read about him but I eventually like his personality being the leader of the group. The friendliest I've read is definitely Newt. 

Also Theresa, even though we don't get much character development on her I like reading about her! Trough the book you'll want to know why is she there? What's her link with Thomas?

The grievers in the book, I had a hard time picturing them so in my head I just think of the spiders from Harry Potter but its Hybrid with robotic legs.

I love the concept of this book! Its very different from cliche YA dystopian. I had so many theories going trough my mind like why are they in the maze, who is Thomas and Theresa and why do they have that link, what's with the memory wipe and so much more and the plot twist that answer some of  my theory really got me off guard! 

Overall definitely check this out if you like a dark unique twist to the dystopian genre. The suspense and mystery behind the maze makes the book a page turner along with the fast pace actions.

I'll probably be picking out the sequel 'The Scorch Trials' but not too soon.


 


Book Tag: 7 Deadly Sins

So I was tagged by Ely and Chami from @ A Book So Fathomless to do the 7 Deathly Sins tag.

1. Greed - What is your most inexpensive book?


Any Sweet Vally High book that i bought form a charity shop next to my high school will definitely be the cheapest at 50 cents a book.

If not books that I won in giveaways or gifted from family.

2. Wrath – What author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
I have no ideal to be honest... its either I hate them or I love them. 

3. Sloth – What book have you neglected reading due to laziness?

All the books on my TBR?!?! does that count?? lol

One thing I notice is series! I am lazy to start or finish a series especially those that have alot of books in them. I keep on saying I'll read them some day but that's just procrastination.
.
 
The Vampire Academy is one of the books that I had on my shelve for a while but have yet to pick it up as i am intimidated with the large series.


Also the Insurgent and Alligent! I have yet to continue with the series since they are back in Malaysia and I am kinda scared of reading Alligent since I roughly know what happen at the end to the series.

4. Pride – What book do you most talk about in order to sound like an intellectual reader?

I am probably the only 'reader' among my group of friends so I don't really have much to talk about books unless its recommendations or Harry Potter which most of them have read or watch the movie. 

Probably the books that I studied in literature back in high school like Holes by Louis Sachar and Dr Jackle and Mr Hyde. If not Hamlet when I was in college.
 
Oh and John Green's books! I always like to randomly qoute his books to my friends which either they roll their eyes or have a confuse look! lol.


Also any books that I have the Bahasa Malaysia translation like the entire Harry Potter series or The Fault In Our Stars! I love talking and comparing the translation version of the books.
 
5. Gluttony – What book have you devoured over and over again with no shame?

Harry Potter books! Don't ask me how many times I re read them as its till the point that all my teachers in high school know about my 'obsession' for the series.

I somehow manage to re-read TFIOS over 8 times.

Any Stephine Perkins or Rainbow Rowell books are also up for a re read as well.

 Holes by Louis Sachar as mentioned above I had to study for high school yet I here I am at Uni and I re read this at least once a year.

Long story short... I love re reading books :D  

6. Lust – What attributes do you find attractive in male or female characters.
 
 Female - not annoying or make me cringe (and by make me cringe i meant make me want to chuck the reading device across the room), independent, intelligent, witty, sarcastic, awkward/weird, feisty

Examples for that are Hazel from TFIOS, Cath from Fangirl, Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles,  

Male - smart, witty, charming, cheeky ,caring, sweet, kind, have good hair (lol) preferably brunettes, dreamy eyes, a gentlemen when he needs, be able to cook *wink*, a bit nerdy/dorky, If he likes reading, food or gaming (or all three) then he is a keeper!

Also I like the guys that start out as a total jerk or bad boys that changes for the better like Wesley Rush in The Duff.

Long story short someone like Etienne St Clare from Anna and the French Kiss, Augustus Walters from  TFIOS, Prince Maxon from the selection series

Reason why i don't have a boyfriend number #5127... 
 
7. Envy – What book would you most like to receive as a gift?

LOL that's like all the books on my wishlist!

I really want to get the movie cover and the Australia edition of the hard back of TFIOS but can't bring myself to buy them as... well I already owe TFIOS and rather spend my scared cash on a book that I have yet to read.

At the moment for gift I want is box sets like The Maze Runner, Legend by Marie Wu (lovely hardback if possible) and The summer I turned Pretty by Jenny Han.

I also want to get The Last Of Us 'American Dream' Graphic novel as I love the game but could not bring my self to get the comic. Same goes with some of the Avatar the last air bender comics and the Archie Comics graphic novels.

So yah... here are all the questions! do this tag if you guys haven't!



Saturday 6 September 2014

Book Review : The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel



Goodreads description:

Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash.

Some work at the mall.

Becca Williamson breaks up couples.


Becca knows from experience the damage that love can do. After all, it was so-called love that turned Huxley from her childhood best friend into a social-world dictator, and love that left Becca's older sister devastated at the altar. Instead of sitting on the sidelines, Becca strikes back—for just one hundred dollars via PayPal, she will trick and manipulate any couple's relationship into smithereens. And with relationship zombies overrunning her school and treating single girls as if they're second-class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even Becca's best friend, Val, has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.

One night, Becca receives a mysterious offer to break up the most popular couple in school: Huxley and raw football team's star player, Steve. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date—starting rumors, sabotaging cell phones, breaking into cars...not to mention sneaking back into Huxley's good graces. All while fending off the inappropriate feelings she may or may not be having for Val's new boyfriend.

No one said being the Break-Up Artist would be easy.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17684323-the-break-up-artist


Title: The Break-Up Artist
Author: Philip Siegel
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Chick Lit
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Source: Purchased from Big W


This is one smart, wicked book.

I read a sampler of the first couple chapters off the publisher's facebook page a while ago and love it so the next time I saw the book in stores I immediately got it. I meant who does not want to read a book about breaking up couples for cash?!

I am usually not a fan of relationship drama but the way this was written was bearable and addictive! The main character Becca break-up couples as a 'part time job'. Her life is already complicated with her sister recovering after being left at the alter, her best friend Val just gotten into a relationship and is neglecting their friendship making Becca jealous but also might be falling for Val's boyfriend. To top that, Becca get's an anonymous request to do the impossible, break up the school's IT couple Huxley and Steve. In books there is usually one side story that I don't care for but in this I like all three story! It parallel really well and each side story has a significant role to the book. 

There are alot of realistic talk about love ~ first love, young love, balancing relationships with life/friendship, recovering from a break up etc. It also talks about how it sucks to be the only one who is not in a relationship and the feelings of it (bitterness, left out, jealousy) and how we should not judge a person till we get to know them better.

This book is filled with flawed characters that all plays an important roll in the story development and Becca's character development. Though you aren't suppose to like them, somehow you just can't help but care for them! Well some of them...

What Becca did as 'The Break-Up Artist' was not the best or ideal thing and that she does at first come out as bitter, jealous and full of revenge plot up but as the book progresses we see her reasons and intention where she is breaking up this couples on request of the a friend/ the friends of the couple who feels neglected and unhappy due to the couple's relationship. I actually find her really smart in how she was able to pull out all of those complicated stunts like mapping out to study the target's relationship (in fact it reminded me a bit of a less geeky math and complicated version of the drafts in An Abundance of Katherine),  hacking, sabotaging, black mailing, you name it she goes to some extreme extent of making it happen. Also she has some really witty and sarcastic lines that made me laugh out loud at some parts. She's a very interesting character to read, eventually does learned her mistakes and fixes the problems. She's not the 'perfect role modal' sorta character but she is (to me) realistic and is a good person.

What surprise me was Huxley and that I actually in the end like her character! Trough the book you learn that Huxley was Becca's BFF but had their falling out when they reached High School and when Huxley has a boyfriend. For Becca in order to break up the IT couple she use the 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' concept by getting onto Huxley's good side in the process get to know her ex-best friend a lot better. At first I thought of her as the manipulative overly attached girlfriend but eventually you can't help but find her likeable and misunderstood.

Val was kinda a love-hate character for me. I was okay with Val being all boy crazy and but not a fan of her being desperate to be in a relationship and was kinda mad at her for neglecting Becca.

While I enjoyed the sister relationship between Becca and Diane, I was once again on the love-hate side for Diane. She goes into depression after being left at the alter. Though it is understandable, part of me want to jump into the book and shake her up and shout 'WAKE UP, GET A JOB AND MOVE ON WITH YOUR LIFE!' as in the book it's been over a year since the unfortunate event. Also trough the book she's about her friends moving on with their life and even though they tried to help her she shuts them off and pushes them away.
There was never a dull moment in the book. Fast pace, entertaining, dramatic and addictive. The ending was really good! Its one of those 'Bros before Hoes' important about friendship sorta ending. I kinda feel like there was an opening for a squeal (just saying :P).
Also a little bonus at the end of the book (at least for the paperback edition) there is some 'questioner' that I assume is for if the book is used in school/class where they ask some really good questions about the book as well as a q&a section with the author where he gives some really good advice for aspiring writers.

Overall definitely check this out! Its refreshing, smart and original storyline, witty dialogs, great cast of character that takes a while to warm up to (development people!) with raw realistic scenarios about love, friendship and family.  I am definitely looking forward seeing the next book Philip Siegel publishes.