The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer

I'm giving this two stars for the cover.

Getting straight to the point, the writing is so simple that it should've been a quick read but it's just so didactic and filled with ... religious righteousness which ruined the plot for me. And the prose, oh my god the prose is sooooo boooorrrinnggg. 

Normally, I like historical fiction and it doesn't matter that I'm not from the continent where the history happened but this just doesn't make sense. Yes, I guess it's kind of cool to be given a chance to see how the world changes 700 years from now and that (apart from the cover) was what drew me in, but the idea of travelling through time here was just thrown in there like ... nothing. Like it isn't a big deal. Like hey-whatever-let's-do-this-because ... nothing.

This should've been written better. Is it interesting, yes? Is it worth your time? I'd say no. I seriously think I wasted mine.

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Sometimes I’m glad I (literally) judge a book by its cover because I discover gems like this cover-love-purchase-that-delivered.

I have read The Room and although I liked the story, I also remember it dragged a bit (for a short book). For that I did not expect much from The Wonder despite its mysterious plot (and I do love a good mystery). There are similarities between the two books when it comes to style but for some reason I find I like this better. The author kept the number of characters to a minimum for both books which I suppose is also the reason why a lot of people complain about the seemingly overflowing monologue. That is where good writing comes. Emma Donoghue knows how to keep me engaged even with the “overflowing monologue” so 

I’m no Irish but I was born and raised in a mostly Catholic country where, in the early 90s, a teenager claimed the Virgin Mary talks to him. Although the kid in this book does not claim to witness an apparition or carry any message from the silver city, it reminded me of that hullabaloo because of the inclination of the people to blindly believe in something without proof. It’s a very controversial issue. More controversy comes in when the reason for the kid's solemn oath to fast was revealed. 

There's only so much my heart can take.

Soul Music (Discworld #16) by Terry Pratchett

Magic is the genius way of explaining (or not) the effect of music on people. Also why people go gaga over musicians. You might like this book if you love music (thus the five stars). And while music is the antagonist in this book (it has a life of its own!), it also made people -- reflect, at the very least.

"every note was as sharp as a bell and as simple as sunlight so that in the prism of the brain it broke up and flashed into a million colors ... and then the music unfolded in his head ... the fall of the notes conjured up memories of the mine where he'd been born and dwarf bread just like mum used to hammer on her anvil, and the moment when he first realized he'd fallen in love ... and more than anything else he wanted to be home ..."

I love the puns and references to Elvis (or in this case elvish which means elf like), rock music (Music/Band with Rocks In - hah!) and people throwing their underthings on stage. I think this book is brilliant. Wait, I think most Discworld books are brilliant. 

I recently went back to listening to audiobooks to catch up on my reading list. I would put my earphones on during my commute to and from work. This, however, is not a book I would listen to in public. It makes me snigger in the most awkward moments and let's face it, anytime you snigger without people knowing the reason why is awkward.

Elijah's Mermaid by Essie Fox

Elijah's Mermaid is about the same as the Essie Fox's first book, The Somnambulist. I know that doesn't sound particularly enticing but I wasn't looking for anything new, really, so it worked for me. The story is still full of intrigue and of juicy, shocking tabloid material scandal. The gossip monger in me wasn't disappointed. 

It's not an I-cant-put-it-down sort of book, though. It was only a bit engaging towards the end when all the secrets were coming out. There was even a part where I cried (but I think it was also because I was hormonal, heh). Admittedly, though, there are some pages where I feel like just stopping altogether. And I did, actually. I had to try a few times before I can really get to it. 

And I don't get why the title has Elijah's name on it when he played such little role in the development of the story. He was the reason for the biggest conflict in the story but what did he really do other than that? Well, I suppose Elijah's Mermaid is a better title than Pearl.

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

I thought it's safe to start reading Strange the Dreamer because I only have to wait until October for the Muse of Nightmares to come out. Should've waited longer before I did because this book ended with the mother of all cliffhangers. Am I'm exaggerating? Yes. Is the ending a cliffhanger. A big fat YES. I haven't really read like really, really, really read in a long time and I thought Laini Taylor will save me from this reading slump. She did. But at a price. The one star I knocked off is for the ending (d'oh). I loved the book, of course (because Laini Taylor). I mean, I can't not love a book that makes me want to ugly-cry in public (as in inside the tram while I was heading home from work) merely because of the words that it used.

I'll be honest. The concept can be compared to the Smoke and Bone trilogy if you think about it. 
One species falling in love with another ... remember the whole "Once upon a time, an angel fell in love with a devil" thing? In Smoke and Bone it's angels and monsters. In Strange the Dreamer, it's humans and gods. The beauty, however, lies in how she created a whole new world (not the song, heh) that somehow equals the Smoke and Bone trilogy. Something THAT amazing is hard to top but lo and behold, she creates another world that you cannot help but care about with a whole new set of characters that you cannot help but fall in love with. I don't mean to be poetic (wait, is that poetic enough?) so ... gaaaaaah for the lack of more coherent words.

The Fireman by Joe Hill

Oxytocin. Social interaction. Empathy. Attachment. Emotional memories. I loved the concept of how a certain hormone that is responsible for so many positive human emotions can be turned into a scary sci-fi/horror disease stimulant because it's not really far from the truth. I'm not talking about spontaneous combustion but the fact that oxytocin triggers protective instincts but can also trigger possessive and demanding attitude. It turns belief into obsession. It promotes social connection but can also be the reason for mob mentality. Moral of the story? Individualism, ladies and gentlemen. Okay I kid but you get the gist. It's something so positive but if you don't get a good grip at it it can turn sideways very easily.

The story sort of mimicked Harry Potter in a sense that it covered tyranny and I thought it was brilliant how two stories can tackle the same issue in two very different, very elaborate ways.

I mentioned HP because the author dedicated it to J.K. Rowling. Now, I can't tell if reading the inscription helped me understand the book or if the fact ruined it for me. Don't get me wrong, I love J.K. Rowling and the HP series but I found there's too much reference to it and most of them I found ... off. Also, I'm not sure why the title is Fireman. Shouldn't it be Harper?

I loved this book as well, hence the 4 stars, but I would've given it more if not for the constant mention of Dumbledore and other works of British authors. It's like the author wanted the story to revolve around books but not really so he only did it half-heartedly throwing in a title or a character whenever he seemed appropriate. Except it didn't seem appropriate for me. But that's just me.

Love is Red (Nightsong Trilogy #1) by Sophie Jaff

I always thought great story telling is better than a great plot. I haven't met a book that proved me wrong. Take this book for example. Some parts were told in first person and some in second. Yes, second person. I mean who does that?! In fiction no less! I understand how the book is told in different perspectives and for some books that can work. The story telling has to be full proof, though. And whose voice does the second person story telling belong to? If that's not enough there are a couple of chapters towards the end that were told in third person. I blame artistic freedom. If you can get over the constant switching of voices you might like this.

Or not. Because Love is Red had such great potential if it didn't try to put so many ideas in one book. The birth of Jesus Christ and the alien wise man (I SHIT YOU NOT), some Wiccan tale which didn't really relate to the ... colors (don't even get me started with this), and of course the main mystery. This is the first book of a trilogy, if I might add. I got more questions than answers when I'm done. I'm hoping these will be clarified in the next two instalments, not that I'm holding my breath for those. Okay sorry but the colors ... the colors should've at least been mentioned at the beginning not in the middle with no explanations whatsoever. I'm not saying the writing isn't good.

It is ... for the most part. I wouldn't finish it if not. And I also kind of understand why this is in first and second person because there are a couple of chapters written in 3rd person and this is how one sounded like: 

Chapter 28: The woman opens her eyes. Her eyes are open in the darkness. It is too dark in here.

I rest my case.

Random Ramblings On The Beginning of 2018

A popular photo blogger recently announced he is coming over to the PH to gather content and feature "random" people in the country as he did on his own. Great. Awesome, actually. And honestly.

He reached out to social media and asked for resumes and references because he needed an interpreter to help with this project. I understand that Filipinos are a proud and competitive race. I think this is why there were so many people who said that this guy doesn't need an interpreter. Apparently every Filipino speaks English. Partly true. Most Filipinos know some English to be able to help a brother out.

But here's the difference between people who feel they are significant when they post something online and people who knows the shit they post online: They know that (proper) research and meticulous analysis is the best way to gain credibility. So hey, if they have resources why stop them from getting what they need.

When you want to gather content to present to people with the intent of informing and not just making yourself look like a know-it-all influencer, you do not just look at something, hear 2 words about it and decide you already have it figured out. And then tell the world wide web you got it figured out. More than experiencing things (because everyone knows if you've experienced it once you are an expert? -- lol), responsible people actually think before opening their mouths (or in the case of social media, before typing three letters on a comment box).

I've said this before and I'll say it again, it's very easy to make content but there's a TON of gullible people online. Some people believe everything they read online -- I mean a few minutes ago I just Googled DIY frothy milk because I wanted a cappuccino and I'm too lazy to walk a couple blocks to the nearest Starbucks and all I have at home is drip coffee and some full cream fresh milk. I followed the instructions online because it said "full proof" ... just saying.

Finders Keepers by Stephen King

It took a couple tries before I got into this book. I started reading and then I stopped and read something else. I tried again and stopped and read something else until finally I started reading again and didn't stop. 

I thought this was a better story than the first book. I mean, who likes to read about incest? There's also a certain feel-good air even through the twisted circumstances. I guess this is because of the teenager protagonist and his intentions. I'm curious what happens with Bradley, though. From the very beginning this has been a straight-up detective/investigative/suspense story but from what I've read so far it looks like this will turn into something ... paranormal(?). I mean, it's Stephen King but this might ruin the trilogy for me. Lol. 

I guess we'll see.

Burning Girls by Veronica Schanoes

This is not a book but a short story from TOR. This website is like a mine of gems. If you're looking for a quick read or looking to discover new stuff, head over to the website.

This literally gave me nightmares. Literally. ReadItReadItReadIt! Noooowwww! Not a huge fan of the writing/storytelling but the story itself is gold I think it should be a whole book. I didn't think it would end the way it did but no issues there.

Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy 3) by Marie Rutkoski

Can't get into the God of Death bits. Or I should say chunks, there were a lot of that going on. I think that was what killed this for me. I'm not saying it's awful. I still like it. I just couldn't get past the God of Death bits. Wait I already said that. 

What's in this book? War. Fight scenes. Not a lot of plotting and spying anymore because that was so books 1 and 2. Lol. A lot of kissing and making up towards the end ... it's a love story in a war setting, what do you expect? OH! A lot of Roshar! YAY! I think he made this whole book a lot more enjoyable.

3.5 stars.

PS: Does anyone else think Jafar when reading Roshar? Probably just me? Like this but without the nose?

K maybe a bit hotter? But again without the nose.

Okay never mind.

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell

Reading this felt like I'm eavesdropping on the family's life. I felt dirty but satisfied at the same time. 

While some stories lack character development, this is like a whole book of character development. It is THAT slow. Imagine describing each member of the family in one book. This is what Instructions for a Heatwave did. So since the pace is very leisurely, the reader has to be very patient to be able to appreciate the story. It's a pretty standard family drama story and each character were pretty ... standard ... family members as well. I think what I'm trying to say is this book will not blow your mind. It's something that will take your mind off something else, though.

This is my second Maggie O'Farrell novel (the first one was The Vanishing of Esme Lennox) and although I felt the same way I did when I read the first one, I find I like this book better. It's much lighter and much more engaging (hashtag juicy gossip).

Also, from the look and feel of it, it seems her trademark is an engaging story with an open ending? A VERY open one.

Three stars.

The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen

This is one of my "oooh-nice-cover!" reads. It's also one of the "wtf-did-i-just-get-myself-into" reads. I understand the hype. It's just not something I can jump into. The plot was very promising but it didn't quite cut it because it was stretched too thin and the twist felt like it was thrown there for the lack of imagination. The same can be said with the lack of names. The first person narration (through the eyes of a boy) might be the reason for that but it didn't sit right when the past was told in a third person's voice. I have no problem with switching from first person to third person when reading as long as it's clear why the switch is made. It is clear in this book. However, I had a problem with this kind of story telling: "The sudden intrusion of his granddaughter's voice made Grandpa initiate a series of movements that he did not complete ... Grandma closed her eyes, hugging the boy preparing for the worst. The woman looked at the roll of posters that her daughter had been putting up ... She sighed, accepting what would happen if she discovered what her brother had done. The man rushed to the girl's body." I mean, my little brain can only take too much. Who is "she"? Is it the grandmother, the mother or the daughter? Okay I'm exaggerating, but still ... wtf?! It's also not clear where the behavior came from. Most especially the sister's angst. That is more than just teenage angst. I'm no expert in behavioral analysis but I'm pretty sure emotions don't come out without a trigger. Even the flashback chapter where everything that led them into their current situation was well, very thin. I wanted to give up halfway through the book but I also wanted to know what will happen which was very annoying. I meant my situation was annoying ... but, yes, the ending was annoying too. One star only.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

I love books about books and bookstores. I don't like that they almost always end up snobbish and even pretentious. This isn't one of the pretentious and snobbish stories even though the main character is a literary snob himself. The story is not unlike other books of its genre but the story telling and prose was easy to get into. I thought at first this is a feel-good read but there's too many deaths in it. It's more a 3.5 but I read it under 12 hours with a ton of interruptions and that counts for something. I also only realized now that this isn't the first book of the author that I have read. I liked both her books.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

Ironically, the reason why I bought this book is also the reason why I found it annoying.

If the main character grew up in a library/bookstore surrounded by expensive first editions and classics, has a father who taught her the importance of books/stories, and writes biographies of her favorite dead authors, why is there a need to dedicate half of the book trying to establish the fact that little-miss-biographer loves to read? You love to read, get over it. (I wonder if this is how people on my social media list feel like when they see another book post from me on their feed.)

There also seem to be a lot of ... misplaced words throughout. Like a kid trying to put a new word he just learned about into a sentence.

In all honesty this book sounds like an elaborate fanfic. If you can get past all that then maybe this is the book for you. It's a good mystery notwithstanding the delivery. 

Two stars.

The Second Time Around by Mary Higgins Clark

Here's my first Mary Higgins Clark book. The antagonist's, Ned Cooper, character was pretty weak. There wasn't much oomph in it. I would classify it as a mystery but it's nowhere near thriller or suspense. The last couple of pages was heartwarming, though. But it didn't make up for everything else.

Two stars.

Bird By Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott

Halfway through the introduction I was so sure I'd give this book a 5-star rating. It made me nostalgic, it made me laugh, it made me cry (hard) ... it made me remember how it was when I started writing hardcore (in highschool). In short, I was able to relate to the author's story. My father is not a writer but he introduced me to the wonderful world of literature. I thought this book was gold! A couple of pages into the first chapter I had to take down 2 stars. By the end of the book I had to take down another one. It wasn't bad. It was actually pretty good (and I'm not saying that just because I was able to relate). I get the self-deprecating humor that the author is apparently known for. I, too, have my insecurities growing up and until now. What I didn't like was the part where humor had to be at the expense of other people. There are a number of them throughout. Some are subtle, some are not. But even when they were subtly implied I felt like it was screaming at me. There were chapters that made me forget that I was put off by the supposedly funny and sarcastic remarks but then another one would come and I'd remember how annoying it is. 


If I had to be specific I am referring to the examples and descriptions where the author had to use autism, harelip and children of parents with marital issues. The description using autism was the one that really pissed me off. Clearly the author does not know what it means.

If anything, this book reminded me why I rarely read self-help. 
Two stars.

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Women go-getters are a common factor between Kinsella's main characters ... err from the two books I've read of hers lol. Right? Right. It's good because it's what makes her books relatable. And funny. And ... predictable. Wait-what? I guess most chicklit are. No laugh-out-loud moments for me but I threw quite a lot of "heh" and "sniggers".

This is a great in-between read for me.

Three stars.

Crooked Little Lies by Barbara Taylor Sissel

It's hard to touch controversial issues when writing fiction. I don't know if the story was trying to make any point other than entertain but I found the whole thing so judgmental so if it was, then everything that the characters did inside the story defeats its purpose. Yes, it talked of how people should empathize with people with disabilities and how they can function in the society. It talked about how they are judged but I think the book itself was judging. Even the people who were trying to help the people who needed help were judgmental. 

If one tells a lie that one cannot support then the cover is blown. I think this would've been a great plot if enough research was made. It's like putting one issue over another without the right foundation. It will eventually fall apart. It's so muddled with emotions that doesn't make sense. One might argue emotions rarely do but emotions do have a source. Every bit of reaction is a cause of a previous action. The story puts one issue over another and a pile like that just won't stand. 

All that being said, I would like to congratulate myself for finishing this book.

1 star.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik

A mediocre plot can be amazing if delivered with great story-telling. Uprooted, however, is not mediocre. It was action-packed and there were so many things going on that readers would be constantly on the edge of their seats. I loved the story, I thought it was an amazing mix of fantasy and romance with a lot of beauty-tames-the-beast feels which every woman loves and don't you disagree. 

BUT! Issue #1: I think there are pages that the story can do without (maybe 50 of them? give or take?). I was about 10% into the book when I had to stop because the descriptions were repetitive. Specifically how the spells were cast. More specifically how they "let it flow out of" them. It was all over the book you can't miss it. That and there were just parts that I wanted to skip completely. I understand how there's a calm before the storm as in other-stuff-before-the-twist but I thought making a point about how politics worked and how the citizens in the capital were petty was too much. Especially since Sarkan already talked about it before Agnieszka went there.

AND! Issue #2: The voice used in story-telling is confusing. It's not because each scene calls for a different pace. It's experiencing a simple story telling using simple prose and vocabulary for one chapter and then suddenly going Alice in Wonderland feels. It didn't happen throughout the book. But it happened.
It was ...
Chapter 1: The ball is red. 
versus
Chapter 2: The spherical object is a of a color at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet. Like rubies and blood and it was scarlet.

I think I liked parts of this book but felt meh during the other parts.

Oh and apparently, 417 Goodreads users marked this as YA ... um ... no. Lol. Although I had the same first impression of the book due to the opening, there are other parts that are a bit too adult to be young adult. 

3.5 stars.