Getting the Girl (Wolfe Bothers #3) by Markus Zusak

This is a book for lonely people. LOL. No, seriously it's a book for lonely people. Okay at least half of it is since (I KNEW IT I KNEW IT I KNEW IT!) this is also mainly (and FINALLY!) the love story of Cameron Wolfe so if you think reading this book would make you realize solitude is bliss then no. Sorry.

I mean, we had it coming, eh? The main character (and narrator) of the story  have been whinging and whining about, not just being alone but, being really lonely from the very beginning (and since the title is Getting the Girl) then it's pretty much self explanatory. Although going back, there are some good parts about self awareness and independence and acceptance that's hard to ignore. I think that's what I like about Markus Zusak's stories. It sort of tells you a lot of ... erm ... lessons (?) but not in a self-righteous way. Not in an end-all-and-be-all manner. The stories are very real that a lot of people can relate to it and, really, people usually read to find something to relate to (although a lot of times they don't realize that, heh). To tell them what they believe in is right and true or what they did (whatever that is) is the right way to go. So yeah, Markus Zusak is amazing at doing all that but it's as if he knows you can't herd a cat so he doesn't herd us cats, he does things to (in this case, write things) that would make you go to the point where he wants you to go without realizing it ... if you know what I mean.

Three stars unlike the first two installments because I loved most of the book ... not all of it. It's still a good ending to the series, though. :)

Also, I don't know about him much except he's a great writer and story teller, but ... it's kinda of amusing to think this is maybe an autobiography of some sort ... No? Okay, forget I said that lol.

Underdog (Wolfe Brothers #1) by Markus Zusak

This book is so ... RAW. But first, if I might say, this, for me, is Markus Zusak's first attempt to I Am The Messenger. I can see a lot of similarities, not just in the writing style, but also in the message he wanted to pass on. Granted, they have a very different story line, but the main character's struggle with himself and the inner dialogues are pulled out of the same material. Or the same cause ... or something.

The one huge difference between the two is what I already pointed out. In I Am The Messenger, the writing style and flow of the story had a bit more finesse (?) to it. I wouldn't say that that was an advantage because I also loved this story. Maybe Underdog just came off so raw because it was his first book. Or it could be that he intended to deliver the story that way. (He's the only one who could answer that. Maybe he already did but I try not to read anything that authors say about their book before I read it.) Also, as with his other books, this was an easy read.

Lastly, before I read this book I was already hoping that I'm going to like it (lol) because by the time I learned about this trilogy I'm already a Markus Zusak fan. Good thing it did not disappoint.

NOTE: This is of the Young Adult category. No matter how much the title looks like it, this is not a romance novel. LOL.

Read: August 15 - 20, 2013

Baby, You're As Sweet As 3.14159265 by Hog Wild

I always thought books of the comedy genre are the easiest to write but are hardest to sell. People's sense of humor vary. Some don't have any, heh. Baby, You're As Sweet As 3.14 is a funny book. It's witty and sarcastic, but it's not for everyone because it's also raw and crass. I did find like 75% of the book funny. Probably because I don't get offended easy or I'm not very sensitive or I have a lot of guy friends or because I used to work for an offensive website managing their traffic so I was exposed to this kind of content. Pick any from those reasons.

The concept was easy and has potential. 101 funny love advice answers. Easy enough but you need to know where and how to get hold of your specific audience. Now, while it's an easy one, it also becomes boring because it's too long. For example, the "Im-laughing-too-hard-I'm-spilling-pepsi-from-my-nose" parts (not the exact text but work with me here) is funny during the first 20x it was used but after the 800th time? (I was exaggerating but you know that, right?) I think for the genre (and the format) the author should've stopped at … 250 pages? 374 pages is way too long for this kind of book. This might also be better as an audiobook. Since this is mostly comedy bar-humor, listening to the tone of the voice and the proper diction would help deliver the humor. It's funnier that way. It's different when you're reading comedy. Not everyone is going to get The RedNeck Guy's "Yee-I'm-A-Redneck-and-you-should-be-reading-this-in-my-accent" parts. I get it, though, stand-up comedians like to talk so I guess it's hard to stop and decide which parts they shouldn't include in the book ... like now with this review ... I should probably shut up and stop but I'm still typing. Anyhoo … yeah, I'd give this book maybe 3 1/2 stars. 

Lastly, the blurb on Amazon said: * WARNING: Content may not be suitable for people offended by naughty words, honest thoughts about love, and sexual thoughts of sextastic sex with sexy people. * Now, you, dear reader, should take that Warning seriously. If you read that and also thought this is not your type of genre and still went on to read the book because you were asked to write a review, then it's entirely your fault that you thought you wasted your time. Now that is not to say I'm defending the book … I'm just saying. Lol. I mean, using the words "sexual" , "sextastic", "sex" and "sexy" in one sentence? That should be a dead giveaway that there will be a lot of sexual slurs, right? I guess I already braced myself when I read the blurb and that the author is a stand-up comedian. Stand-up comedian = comedy bar humor. There's another dead giveaway. I don't go to comedy bars but I've seen a few videos on youtube and I have enjoyed some of them. That's as near as I'd get to a comedy bar.

Thanks, Hog Wild for giving me a copy and letting me review the book. :) Best of luck on your next one!

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If you want to read this book here's the Amazon link. And he has a website.

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (and the third book's cover *gasp*)

I don't really have a lot to say about this book except I liked it a lot! I thought it was much better than Daughter of Smoke and Bone, too, which was a pleasant surprise. Too often, we'd be thrilled about the first book of a trilogy only to be let down by its second installment. That wasn't the case for this one.

The main characters can be pretty annoying because they seem to not know what they want and how to deal with the situation they're in (isn't it always like that?) but I guess I'd be the same lol. For a moment there I thought there'd be a love triangle here and I was so ready to chuck the book out the window but, alas, I was proven wrong and I'm glad. I loved the other characters, though, and although this is very dark compared to the first book, Zuzana and Mik's character sort of brings it a brighter angle. Winning the chimaeras' hearts are kind of corny but it was cute too. Other than their story everything was very serious. I thought the deception chapter could've been better, though. Loved the concept but I didn't feel like the story was told with justice. For that I took off one star. 

Some things that I'm really looking forward to in the next book, I guess, is Akira's origin and what Brimstone said about how the angels could win the war if they hadn't burned their library during the war. I'm hoping the story won't be disappointing. I don't wanna go holding my breath and end up saying "that's it?!" Oh and I like that there's more to the war than just Angels and Chimaeras hating each other. This should make it easier to accept that two races are at war and will just stop because a member of each decided they'd fall in love with each other.

So yeah, really looking forward to the last installment and Days of Blood and Starlight officially made me a Laini Taylor fan. :)

Read: November 13 - 19, 2012

Still broken-hearted about the final installment being pushed to April 2014. Loving the cover, though! *fangirling*

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Surprisingly ... I found this book good. Great, even. I thought it was just going to be one of those angel-devil kind of book (and technically it really is that) but it turned out a lot better than I expected. There's too many fantasy novels now about angels but this one? Wow ... just ... wow! I have the Kindle version and the Audible version and I still want to have this one in print. That's how much I liked loved it!

Granted, the book Daughter of Smoke and Bone has the usual Romeo-and-Juliet plot. Angels and "monsters" at war, a character from each side falling in love with each other, fighting for that love against all odds, a bit of twist and turns here and there but it's the story telling that did it for me. Laini Taylor has some wild, vivid and amaaaaaazing imagination. I mean, souls and ... teeth? Teeth!!! Of all parts of the body! Who knew?! Kinda makes one think that eyes are overrated now, eh? Lol!

I loved how she gave each character ... well ... character. I loved them for their strengths and their flaws. Their weaknesses and their talents. I loved Brimstone, Issa, Yasri, Twiga, Zuzana, Izil and even Razgut, Chiro and Thiago and that hunter guy with the disgusting beard! Maybe it's just me but it's so ... balanced. The only thing I didn't like was Karou (I love her name) being a rebel towards Brimstone. The adopted, teenage drama gets old. I loved how she wished for petty things, though. That was amusing. Ironically, it's the angels that I found less interesting but I imagine they get more featured(?) in the next books? I also don't get why the ex Kaz was mentioned too much at the beginning unless he plays a big role in the later part of the story. I guess I'll find out soon enough ... the second book is out! :D

I thought this one actually lived up to the hype.

Read: November 5-11 of 2012.

Maktub: My First Ever Paolo Coelho Book

In a gist, I'd get the same experience reading this if I browsed Facebook for, say, 15-minutes. Seriously. Sorry. I guess this isn't the best book to start with if you're a Coelho virgin? I don't understand if this is something that he wrote or compiled.

I know I'm a bit late jumping into the bandwagon but I did that on purpose. But no matter how you try not to get dragged by the hype you'd get curious when you see everyone you know posting about him and how great his works are, right? Even those you rarely see with a book have read him except you. Read him, they say. He's good, they say. He's great, they say. Maybe I'll try again next year?