I felt like a slacker when it comes to finishing the reading challenges I had signed up for the year. Anyway, I am happy to say I have completed the 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge, hosted by Home Girl's Book Blog (previously known as J. Kaye's Bookblog).

I committed to read 12 books and here's a list of what I read:

1. Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles


2. Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick


3. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles


4. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles


5. Half World by Hiromi Goto


6. Hate List by Jennifer Brown


7. Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills


8. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols


9. The Worst of Me by Kate Le Vann


10. All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab


11. The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson


12. Mia the Magnificent by Eileen Boggess

And here's the part where I failed when it comes to Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge which is hosted by the lovely Candace of Beth Fish Reads.

I'm ashamed to say I have only read two books of this series:

1. Living Dead in Dallas


2. Dead Until Dark

I think my main reason for not completing this challenge is due to my reading mood. I'm not a fast reader in general and plus, I tend not to read books of the same series in a row, no matter how interesting they are. Perhaps I have left the reading gap for too long with this series, thus that explains why my anticipation wasn't there. Still, I'd want to read the rest of the books since I have them all in my pile.

Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Here's what I borrowed last Friday:

1) The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

2) Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman (Magister Series #2)

I read the first instalment, Feast of Souls and enjoyed it! (Here's my review.)

I regret to say I have to return Infinity (by Sherrilyn Kenyon) and The Toss of a Lemon (by Padma Viswanathan) after reading a few pages. At that point of borrowing Infinity I didn't realise it's a story about Dark Hunters and zombies. Though I enjoy reading about vampires, I've no idea why I just can't get sucked into any zombie story like the way vampires stories do to me. I think I've to blame it on some of those freaky zombies movies I watched. As for The Toss of a Lemon, the due date is up and plus it's a chunkster and I want to devour this story at my own pace, thus I will probably purchase this book next time.

Caleb Becker and Maggie Armstrong used to be friends and neighbours but an accident has changed everything. Now Maggie walks with a limp and Caleb was sent to a juvenile jail for drunk driving. This incident has left Maggie both physically and emotionally scarred, and though she could tolerate the pitiful stares she received in school, she is definitely not prepared to face Caleb in person now that he has been released from jail early for his community service duties.

However, this is not the only emotional baggage Maggie is carrying for she is still sadden over her parents' separation. She often wonders if her father is happy with his new life, and whether or not if he still cares about her. To complicate matters, she does not know if she should feel happy for her mother now that her boss is paying much more attention to her. Though Mr. Reynolds is a good man and she knew her mother deserved someone better like him, she could not help missing her father. However, she likes Mr. Reynolds' mother and when she offered to pay her for helping out at her house, she agreed. She enjoys working for Mrs. Reynolds and thinks she is a great woman but her happiness is a short-lived one after learning that Caleb is also helping Mrs. Reynolds to build a gazebo in her garden.

At the beginning, they do not feel comfortable working under the same roof but something changed over an incident and plus, Maggie felt she has learnt a lot from Mrs. Reynolds' advice and understand that sometimes it is easier to forgive than to bear a grudge against someone for the whole of your life.

On the other end, Caleb felt the tension in his family. He felt he could no longer communicate with his twin sister, Leah; not that he could blame her considering her friendship with Maggie is ruined after the accident. And their mother seems to rely heavily on medications due to the stress and added to his frustrations is his schoolmates' mockery towards Maggie.

I have to say reading Leaving Paradise is like riding on an emotional roller-coaster. One moment I was feeling sad for Maggie's unfortunate situation, and then the next I could be laughing along with Mrs. Reynolds because she is such a funny and open-minded person. And of course there are scenes that made me cry but I'd rather not say anything as that would spoil your fun of reading this book, isn't it?

ISBN-13: 9781416982647
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Published: October 2009
224 pgs
Source: Library




It seems like I have been reading a lot of YA books lately, but that's because they are library books and I want to return them on time.

Holly lost her mother to cancer, so in a way this has made her worried and very conscious of her health. She does not have many friends at school, and she loves hanging around with her childhood friend, Nils, and she was glad that they went to the same school together.

While Holly thinks Nils is a good friend, she finds another Paul, another schoolmate attractive and despite they do not know each other very well, she does not mind hooking up with him though she knew he already has a girlfriend named Saskia. However, the more Holly spend time with Paul, the more she wanted their relationship to be serious but Paul thinks the other way, he wants their trysts to remain a secret.

To make things complicated, she and Saskia are classmates and their friendship blossoms as the days go by. Holly began to feel bad and try to leave Paul but he threatens to tell everyone about their relationship should she leave him. At this point of time, Holly realised that her friendship with Nils has began to change, and she thinks Nils having a girlfriend may also be a contributing factor.

However, when Holly realised what's most matter in her heart, things start to get more complex and she is caught in a lose-lose situation. She has chosen to leave Paul but then she would lose her friendship with Saskia and Nils too, since she has also broken a promise to him.

Nothing Like You is a bittersweet story of a young girl finding her self and love after the loss of her mother. Reading about her loss and her sadness have brought me memories of my late mother so I could relate to her in some ways.

I liked reading about Holly's exchange with Nils. Their friendship seems so sweet and real to me, and personally I think Nils is a perfect match for Holly but sometimes, things aren't supposed the way they are and moreover we have no control over things such as fate. Nothing Like You may seem like a typical teenage romance story, but I think there is much more depth to it as it allows the readers to think about things like loss (in general) and how we are going to deal with it, and also in what way it will affect us by the choice we made, etc.

Finally, I want to share an extract with you that I liked which made me think of self-acceptance and courage.

I had enjoyed reading Simone Elkeles' Perfect Chemistry so much so that I have to read this sequel immediately after finishing that book.

Using the same writing style as in Perfect Chemistry (alternating narratives), Rules of Attraction tells the story of Alex's younger brother, Carlos Fuentes and his stay in Professor Westford's house after his involvement with a dangerous gang and Alex would rather have his former instructor to watch over Carlos than having him being expelled from high school.

Professor Westford's eldest daughter, Kiara, is the other narrator of this story and from the opening of the story, it is not a surprise to see there is a clash between Carlos and herself due to the difference of their personality. However, that does not mean that Kiara isn't one who will say no to challenges if she ever met one, and she has proved to many others that she could fix vehicles just as good as many guys do.

Despite their differences, Carlos and Kiara are drawn to each other the more they get to know each other but Carlos, thinks Kiara deserves someone better than him and also that he wouldn't want to get her and her family into trouble since a drug lord had sought him out and wanted him to run some illegal deals for him.

As in Perfect Chemistry, there are a lot of intense moments both in the plot and the romance department. As much as there is attraction between Carlos and Kiara, there are obviously some obstacles between them and the Westford family will go to any lengths to ensure that Carlos is out of danger. There are a few heartwarming moments as well and I was especially touched by the way Professor Westford had helped Carlos. His past history surprised me and it was interesting to see the other side of him when he went out of his way in helping Carlos.

I also enjoyed reading about Tuck, who is a good friend of Kiara and reading about their exchanges had me grinning most of the times because he is such a funny guy. I'd love to read a story about him, and it would be a GLBT lit since he is a gay. Overall, I find Rules of Attraction a compelling read and I think fans of Perfect Chemistry would be delighted to devour this sequel as Carlos and Kiara make an interesting couple. As there is a youngest brother in the Fuentes family - Luis Fuentes, I wonder if there would be a story of him in the near future. I would definitely hope so.

(Click here for other bookbloggers' reviews.)

I think Perfect Chemistry is one of the best YA romance I read this year, besides Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols that is. But then again, these books are not all about romance but also about the difficulties and some issues teenagers faced today.

Told in alternating narratives - Brittany Ellis and Alex Fuentes, Perfect Chemistry tells a story of the differences between our two protagonists and how they overcome their difficulties and find love in the end.

When Brittany and Alex first met, they were assigned as lab partners in their Chemistry class. Brittany is beautiful and popular in school, while Alex is viewed as an outcast since he is known to be a gang member of the Latino Blood. It is obvious that they do not belong in each other's world, but their Chemistry teacher refused to budge on Brittany's request to change partners so they are stuck with each other.

Truth be told, Brittany and Alex aren't like what others think they are. Brittany might give people the impression she is living a happy and perfect life, but actually no one knew she is unhappy with her parents and that she loves her sister dearly despite she has severe cerebral palsy and she is always taking some time to keep her company and so forth. Alex, on the other hand, is not as bad as what he has portrayed to the outside world. Deep in his heart, he wishes to go to college and lead a decent life. The reason he is a Latino Blood member is to keep his family safe and that it would exempt his two younger brothers from joining the gang.

The story took a turn when Brittany and Alex start to look at each other differently the more they know each other as the days went by, but that was before Alex took a bet with his friends that he could have Brittany in a matter of time. Meanwhile, Brittany has fell in love with Alex and decided to ditch her glitzy life and be with him, after all she knew she isn't perfect, and her relationship with her boyfriend has began to fall apart. Alex has wanted to leave the gang all the while, but something kept him from doing so and this is where the intensity and the complexity of the plot set in as readers read about the struggle between Brittany and Alex, and the consequences thereafter.

What can I say? I enjoyed this book immensely! What I loved about this story is it shows two people of different status and race falling in love, and most of all they are not afraid to make changes and be real not only to others but to themselves as well. I liked the alternating narrative as it allows the readers to view from their standpoint; I also liked the way they used two types of fonts at the opening of each chapter as a representation of them. Because this story covers issues like drugs, sex and some gang activities, it is not recommended for younger readers.

Finally, I was thrilled that I managed to borrow Rules of Attraction (which I'm currently reading) that features Alex's younger brother, Carlos. Like Alex, he is another interesting character and I cannot wait to see what is in store for him.

(Click here for other bookbloggers' reviews.)

"Half World is a haunting combination of a coming-of-age novel and a spiritual quest, a mad funhouse of horrors and a tale of redemption and love. Wonderfully odd, and quite unforgettable." — Neil Gaiman

With an eye-catching cover, an intriguing title and not to mention a blurb from Neil Gaiman, how could I possibly ignore this book? It even piqued my husband's curiosity, which I took it as a good sign because he rarely took notice of what I'm reading (well, he's not a reader like the way we all are).

To begin with, Half World introduced the readers to the three worlds of Flesh, Spirit and the Half World whereby it allow living beings to undergo a specific cycle before they could go on to the next one (think of karma and incarnation). Through the prologue, readers get a glimpse of the division of the three realms and how it would affect our heroine, Melanie Tamaki, as her parents were involved and got sucked into a horrible pact a long time ago with a grotesque character who called himself Mr. Glueskin; one who behaved as if he was the ruler of Half World.

Though Melanie lives with her mother, she knew nothing about her father since young as her mother never shared bits of his life with her. Because her mother is weak, she stay bedridden most of the times and thus they lead their lives in poverty. And Melanie isn't too happy in school because she always got bullied. Her only refuge is at the elderly Mrs. Wei's house as she is the only person she could turn to whenever she is in need of advice or assistance.

The night when Melanie received a strange phone call from Mr. Glueskin, she knew she has to save her mother even if it means putting her life at risk. With the help of Mrs. Wei, Melanie began her quest after learning something about the prophecy and a jade rat pendant was given to her for safety.

I will not disclose too much of Melanie's quest and the world of Half World, but let's just say it is both a mysterious and a bizarre world filled with all kinds of grotesque characters. Melanie has to be alert and very careful with her disguise, because any wrong move would send her to Mr. Glueskin's way. In the midst of saving her mother, she also realise that the three realms need to regain their ongoing cycles and she has to do something to restore their worlds together again.

What can I say? I was totally sucked into this fantasy world Hiromi Goto had created, yet I was terrified of Half World because it is both a mysterious and a frightening world. Aside from those grotesque creatures, it is a world bereft of colour. Everything about Half World is gray and gloomy. The characterisations are great too, especially Mr. Glueskin.

And oh, I so loved Jillian Tamaki's illustrations (she's also the illustrator for Skim)! Not only they are beautiful but they also helped me to be able to visualise Hiromi Goto's characters and her world building so much better. I wish this story could be made into an animation because I know I would want to watch it.

(Leave me a comment if you have reviewed this book so that I can add yours onto this post.)

I have not read anything by Jennifer Echols, so I bought Going Too Far after reading several good reviews on it. I have to say I totally enjoyed the reading experience. Packed with teenage angst, intense and not to mention romance, this is one of the best YA novels I have read this year!

Seventeen-year-old Meg McPherson wants an escape. To sum things up, she wants to get away from school, her parents, and even her life. And by doing so, she seeks thrills and excitement and this lead her into trouble when she and her boyfriend, Eric, crossed line with a cop (who is known as Officer After) when he caught them at a railway bridge.

Charged for underage drinking and not to mention illegal drug use (it is actually Eric's doings but of course the cop couldn't care less), Meg has to ride along with Officer After and to submit a report as a form of punishment as well as a reminder to other teenagers about the consequences and also what she has learned from these experiences. Eric managed to escape from this thanks to his parents, while Meg's parents have gotten used of her troubles and think it is best to sort things out on her own, but deep down they do care a lot and want everything the best for her.

Just when Meg thinks her spring break is totally ruined, one of the things she did not expect is finding out that Officer After is just a 19-year-old guy, and that she is attracted by him. But what she does not know is that Officer After has also developed feelings for her along the way and she would soon discover his reason over his obsession with the railway bridge.

What can I say? I totally enjoyed reading Going Too Far! One of the things I admired about Meg is she is frank and is not afraid of consequences. Though she may seem rebellious at times, that is her method of dealing with all the stress and problems she has faced and my heart totally ached for her after learning what she has gone through during her early teenaged years. Officer After is another interesting character because he too, has his issues. His righteousness will definitely charm you off but on a certain level he is vulnerable too so I could see the connections between him and Meg.

I look forward to reading other releases by Jennifer Echols.

(Click here to read more reviews of Going Too Far.)

With a combination of mystery and character study, All Unquiet Things marked one of my most unforgettable reads this year. This story basically revolves around three teenagers; a murdered 16-year-old Carly, her ex-boyfriend, Neily and her cousin, Audrey.

Audrey's father is convicted of Carly's murder. But even after a year has passed, Audrey still believes her father is innocent and she hopes to find out the truth about everything, even if that means she has to approach Neily for assistance. Audrey has never been close with Neily right from the beginning, and on top of that Carly dumped Neily for another guy and she is not sure if Neily is still feeling bitter about everything. It turns out that Neily is still feeling guilty about not taking Carly's call before her death, and Audrey's request somewhat seems like a remedy thus they agreed to do an investigation of Carly's death.

However, in order to find out the truth, Neily and Audrey has to find out what secrets did Carly harbour, and what she was doing with the dangerous popular crowd before her death. Suddenly, everyone in that crowd becomes their suspect. But the most complex issue of all is, Neily and Audrey have to be honest and trust each other, including to their own self.

All Unquiet Things was a page-turner through and through, and I wished I had the time to read it all in one sitting. What makes this book such a gripping read (besides the premise, that is) is that it is told from Neily and Audrey's perspective in different sections. I find this pretty effective as the readers get to understand their thoughts and emotions through their respective narrative, besides their findings on Carly's murderer.

The dangerous crowd which Carly mixed with before her death is also another interesting read. Each character appears to be troubled and seems to have an agenda of their own, and I was glad that I was able to figure out the real murderer towards reading the half of the book. Anna Jarzab has done a great job in crafting this story, but I think it is her observations of the characters (their thoughts, emotions and behaviours) that really made this story stands out.

All Unquiet Things is a must read for any YA readers who love a good mystery. I will definitely keep a lookout for Anna Jarzab's new releases in the near future.

(Please click here to read what other readers have said about this book.)

ISBN-13: 9781890862671
Publisher: Bancroft Press
Published: January 2010
161 pgs
Source: Bancroft Press




I have not read anything by Eileen Boggess, so when Bancroft Press offered me an opportunity to review this book, I said yes because the premise sounds like a fun read to me, and don't you think that cover is colourful and eye-catching?

Mia The Magnificent is actually the third instalment of Eileen Boggess' Mia Fullerton series. In this book, sixteen-year-old Mia has already battled over her shyness and acquired new confidence from the previous two instalments - Mia the Meek and Mia the Melodramatic but there are more adventures and new challenges awaiting her in this instalment and this time around, she has to prove to herself that she could be an independent girl regardless if it is a lead role she has to play in a school musical, learning to drive, dealing with an ex-boyfriend who seems to be giving her all the mixed signals, and not to mention her over-protective parents and a few issues that are tossed into her path.

Despite I have not read the first two instalments, I still enjoyed reading this book. Mia is a great character; she has a zest for life and I liked the way she always stay true to herself despite the peer pressures she has to face at times.

Another thing I liked about this book is the witty dialogues. There isn't a dull moment as Mia and her friends kept me entertained throughout the story. Eileen Boggess managed to capture the emotions of the characters (and the scenarios) well which I am sure most tweens would be able to relate to.

All in all, I had a great reading experience and it makes me wonder what would be in store for Mia in the next instalment.