My Book Reviews

Sanctum by Madeleine Roux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok, so I was partially right in my review of Madeleine's first book in the series (Asylum).

Sanctum is more fast-paced, and by far creepier than the first book, which I liked. Before I read it, I couldn't see how you could possibly connect what happened in Brookline to a carnival. But yeah, I was proved wrong, and in this case, I'm glad I was.

Dan, Abby and Jordan are back at New Hampton to resolve what had happened at Brookline, because it affected them greatly to an extent. There's also some back story about Felix and what had happened to him since the events of the last book. This time, the finale got my pulse racing, and the scene with Professor Reyes and Micah left my eyes wide.

It was a good ending, but with a place like that, you can't really help but to wonder if it is all really over, finally, or if there is still some missing piece that the trio had overlooked.

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The book was nice, I'll give you that. Sure, it has its 'OMG!' moments, but this book makes for almost a light read. I was surprised at myself that I took this quick to finish this book.

The adventures of the protagonists didn't go as deep as I thought it would, and Brookline's history was not completely revealed either (intentionally or not, I'm not sure). There were a lot of loose ends still surrounding the mystery of the sanitarium that Madeleine has also not covered in this book.

Also, the climax of the story wasn't really... well, climax-y. It ended a bit too easily and quick if you ask me. However at the end of the book, Madeleine proves that there will be more to come.

Let's hope that all loose ties will finally come together in her sequel, Sanctum.

How Life Works by Andrew Matthews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's depressed, not feeling too happy about themselves, or just needs a confidence boost.
Actually, I recommend this to EVERYBODY. I was actually going through a depression 'relapse' (if you could call it that), and this book really helped me cross over to the bright side again (no, I'm not exaggerating). Something about the way Andrew pens his book just makes things seem more... hopeful, I think is the word? Plus it's humorous as well, which is a plus.

Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



What can I say? If you love Shakespeare, you're definitely gonna love this one.

All his Sonnets in one book, along with detailed explanation notes to help with the meanings of each sonnet. Loved it!

A Girl Walks into a Bar: Choose Your Own Erotic Destiny by Helena S. Paige

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This has GOT to be a record for me at finishing a book. xD Ahaha.

It's one of those 'choose your own destiny' kinda stories, so I guess you can't really expect much, but it was alright for me. The stories were at perfect length; not too long and not too short. Some of the intimate scenes were descriptive (though not too much so), and I swear I hadn't realized it was a semi-erotic novel when I picked this book up. Hahah. I had thought it was your average 'choose your own destiny' book, bar-based.

Nothing much to say about it though.

A Ghost A Day: 365 True Tales Of The Spectral, Supernatural, And Just Plain Scary! by Maureen Wood
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm FINALLY finished with this book and I can say I couldn't be more glad.

Sorry to the authors, but I felt like this book, to me, was a big disappointment. It also goes to show that one should not, literally, 'judge a book by it's cover'. I picked up this book because of the way the cover drew me in, promising '365 True Tales of the Spectral, Supernatural, and... Just Plain Scary!'. However, I can say that the 'scary' and 'interesting' stories were such a select few, I could count them on one hand. (Or maybe two hands. Maybe. I can't really remember, to be honest.)

I had been hoping to give myself a good scare, but it had been mediocre at best. And that, coming from me, should definitely be saying something; coming from a person who has sworn off zombie movies (and practically any horror movie, to be honest) after watching 28 Days Later in the cinema.

From a personal opinion, it may be because almost all the stories involve speculation, and not personal experiences (there was only one story in which author Maureen Wood personally experienced, but even that was not given a detailed account). All of the stories involve mere hearsay, and though I don't doubt that some of them just may be true, it's just not enough to pique my interest. I daresay that the only reason I even finished it was because I don't like reading books and abandoning them halfway through.

On the bright side though, if you're someone who's looking for some not-so-scary ghost stories, this just may be the book for you.

Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life by Nick Vujicic

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



If you've ever heard any of Nick Vuijicic's speeches (and I bet there's a high chance you have), you'll know of his amazing public speaking skills where he's almost always able to move an entire hall to tears. If you've never heard of him or had the chance to see him in person (I was immensely fortunate to have heard him speak for the first time on the 25th last month), this book sums up what he's about pretty nicely, though in my opinion, it doesn't do his speeches justice.

The main reason I chose this book over his other ones was that it doesn't touch on religion too strongly, and it came with a personal action plan, which I'm currently doing. I have to admit though that I took much longer to finish this book that I'd have liked; mostly because I had been busy with work.

Either way, if you're looking for a book for inspiration in life, this is it.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So yeah, I finished it.
UGH.
I just... I can't with this book.

The first 15 chapters or so are okay; basically just building up on Jane and her life at Gateshead, Lowood, and then Thornfield.. And THEN it gets interesting.

And I mean really interesting.

I've always had soft spots for the male protagonists in olden novels like these (Darcey, Rochester, etc), and I'm betting it's mostly because they're normally portrayed as rich, romantic, and gentlemen-y. I wouldn't say 'handsome', because in Jane Eyre Mr Rochester is described as not exactly fitting the bill as a 'handsome' fellow.

But MY GOD. I've heard of this book and I actually just happened to pick it up at a book fair last year (Big Bad Wolf) just because the synopsis at the back of the book seemed interesting, and I had wanted to get as many books as I could, and hey, it was a period book. I love stories set in those eras.

But I didn't expect to love it as much as I do.

Seriously.

I was over the moon as I came towards the end of Chapter 23, (I actually screamed and kicked around as I read it on my bed; I SHIT YOU NOT) and at the second to last chapter, Chapter 27, I CRIED. I FREAKING SOBBED as I was reading it.

I truly felt Mr Rochester's heartaches, and Jane's hardship. I shipped them so hard (too much Tumblr, so sue me for the language) and, well... to avoid spoilers, let's just say there was a moment where both were so stubborn I felt like reaching in the book and just smashing their heads together. UGHH.

Just like The Last Song, this book will probably leave its effect on me for days after I've finished.

But it's a contented feeling. I finished it with a smile, and a feeling that everything fell into place nicely and that it all worked out as it should. I'm happy with this book.

VERY happy.

A feeling something only being a bibliophile can bring. <3 data-blogger-escaped-br="">
Yes, way better than sex.
Unless, of course, it's with Tom Hiddleston or Benedict Cumberbatch.
Or BOTH.
But still.

Next book: Life Without Limits! =D

Cleo: How a Small Black Cat Helped Heal a Family by Helen Brown
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm actually REALLY glad to have finished this book.

I enjoyed the first few chapters; they were laced with the cuteness of Cleo and the bond she built with the family; which is familiar, since I have cats at home too. It made me go 'awwww~' on more than one occasion per chapter, but after the 5th-6th chapter onwards, anything other than that of Cleo was, quite honestly, boring.

I understand that the protagonist is literally overwhelmed with grief at the death of Sam. I definitely understand her situation, but after a while, it seems as if the protagonist contradicts her own opinions. She says that she doesn't like people who immerse themselves in self-pity, but that was EXACTLY what she did for a good period of time, months after Sam's death.
It may be because of my intolerance towards anyone who uses self-pity as a way to garner sympathy (then again, the protagonist said she's sick and tired of everyone's sympathy as well) or attention; which the protagonist says she hates as well.

Another thing that bored me was the way the author described scenes. I can tell that she's trying to be detailed, which is good, but somehow, it just doesn't get me, know what I mean? When it came to those parts, I just felt like skimming through the pages until it went back to 'story mode'.

I found it quite difficult to finish, because as much as I wanted to finish it as soon as I could, I also couldn't muster up enough interest to actually pick the book up to read. Most of the time, I forced myself to.

A little comparison, if I may, to one of the claims made by Good Housekeeping, stating that this book was the next Marley & Me. I can definitely spot instances where scenes are described in a similar fashion, but I beg to differ, if you'll forgive me. John (Grogan, author of Marley & Me) had a flair of describing scenes in detail, yet with humour, which unfortunately, I find that Helen kinda lacks.

I won't deny the 'lessons' that Cleo has taught, though. Being an animal lover myself, I definitely agree that animals DO have some sort of healing power. Not just in dogs like Marley, and not just in cats like Cleo. It could be your pet chameleon for all it's worth.

Then again, I MUST say that I mean no insult to Helen Brown. I understand that every author has their own writing style, and this was just my honest opinion. Will I pick up After Cleo? Probably not. But I've seen a good few readers who enjoyed this book. So I recommend taking my review with a pinch of salt, and not let it deter you from giving this book a shot.

Who knows, you may find that unlike me, you like it!

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had to admit.. it was a little hard for me to latch on to the story at the beginning. Similar to what I thought of The Descendants, I found it a bit hard to read. The only reason I kept at it was so I could finish it as soon as possible and get on to the next book I had in my stash.

If I was truthful, the only thing I looked forward to was how Ellie was going to present her defense. I know Jodi (Picoult)is acclaimed for her detailed court scenes and her extensive knowledge of law (in my opinion, anyways). But I have to say, it was a little disappointing. Not in the sense of the trial, though. Jodi never ceases to amaze with her knowledge. I didn't really get the story, but then again, it might just be me.

The thing that DID make an impact on me, though, was the description of the Amish life. As I was reading the book, I got interested in their way of life; how family is of utmost importance, and how unique their idea of blending in (as opposed to 'our world' where everyone wants to stand out). I felt eager to try and live the Amish life myself. Being the social network freak that I am, I think it would be good for me and a good break from it, as much as I'm literally on Facebook almost the whole day. Another thing I know I would take some times getting used to was waking up so early and have literally the entire day filled with doing chores, under the hot sun, with no air conditioning. Coming from a person who perspires like a freaking pig. (I'm not even kidding. >< ) But I DO realise how good that would be for me; a change in lifestyle.

Anyways..

Story-wise, I'm just glad I finished the book. It's definitely one I wouldn't re-read again, though. I've even decided that I'd take a break from Picoult books for a good long while. But who knows? I may just purchase another Picoult series in the future.

The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

OK so I stayed up MUCH later than I intended just to finish this book.
Then I took up another few minutes to write up this review. I didn't want to write it the next day, for fear of forgetting the finer details I wanted to write about.

This story is basically your average fairytale-ish love story (with more tragedies), but it's so beautifully written that you can't help but wished it would happen to you.
And I mean the love-story part, by the way.

The basic ending is predictable, but Nicholas just has a way of writing things that... I almost feel attached to the story.

I hated Marcus from the off, and as the story progressed, I began to hate him even more. I sneaked a peek at some of the little scenes from the movie, and honestly, Movie-Marcus didn't look much like how I imagined the Book-Marcus to look like. Movie-Marcus looked more... timid than the book had described. Also, I had imagined Galadriel a.k.a Blaze to look slightly taller and with long straight hair, for some reason. Not like Movie-Blaze either.

Anyways, this book didn't suck out as much emotion from me as The Wedding did, but it was an equally good book. I'm starting to be a HUGE fan of Nicholas Sparks, however the only thing I'm worried about from reading too much of his books is having the idea that the 'perfect guy' is out there somewhere, and further disappointing my already disappointing experiences in my love life, to which I already have too high of an expectation already. ><