Book Club Friday: Daniel Handler's Why We Broke Up

"The story follows the main character, Min Green, as she recounts the relationship she had with her ex-boyfriend, Ed Slaterton, and all of the reasons they broke up. During their relationship, Min saved various items related to their relationship in a box she hid in her closet to keep her mother from snooping. Now that it has been some time since they broke up, Min is ready to return the box of items to Ed by dropping it on his front porch. As the novel unfolds, Min is writing a letter to Ed to include in the box. Min goes item by item, telling Ed what each object is and what it represents in regards to their relationship. Since Ed and Min come from very different worlds and lead very different lives, Min's story recounts in hindsight all of the reasons that she and Ed should never have been boyfriend and girlfriend to start." • Read More: Book Rags

In a nutshell:
Teenage Emotions. Teenage Romance. Teenage Hopes.
The experience of getting your heart broken for the first time.
It's a painful, terribly sad teenage love story.

There's a mismatch between Daniel Handler's Why We Broke Up and I, but I read it anyways. Being a 30-something career wonderwoman-wannabe, I am past YA and break-up genres but I didn't think twice about purchasing this book when I saw it. I was drawn to its cover because it's bloody RED, which happens to be my favorite color.

When I finished reading the book, I got angry at myself ( lol! ) because it wasn't exactly a nice pick. The story was just soooo sad — it almost felt like my heart was being crushed. I like books with happy, hopeful endings. When you have a lot on your plate, you'd usually want to go for something light and pretty positive. Diba? Despite this, Why We Broke Up still appeals to millennials and career women like me ...

I liked it and I think you'll like it because Daniel Handler did a great job in narrating the whys of the break-up from Min Green's inner monologue — the words he used and his writing style were just beautiful, descriptive, and heartfelt. These make it easy for any girl to connect with Min's character. As you read through, you will find yourself thinking about your Min naive days & past relationships including the first time you had your heart broken.

If there's any consolation to this, you'll know how far you've come and what better person you've become from lessons you took with you from previous heartaches.

Rating
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

—

Read anything new lately? You may share your reviews to fellow book worms at Book Club Friday. Visit Heather's blog at Blonde Undercover Blonde or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie. Don't forget to say hello. • Image Credit: @danihersss.

My last Book Club Friday post was Dianna Wynne Jones' The Islands of Chaldea.
Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Dianna Wynne Jones' The Islands of Chaldea

"The Islands of Chaldea is a new, stand-alone novel of magic and adventure by the renowned fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones. It was almost finished upon her death in 2011, the manuscript was completed by Diana's sister Ursula Jones, an acclaimed novelist and actress. Aileen comes from a long line of magic makers, and her Aunt Beck is the most powerful magician on Skarr. But Aileen's magic has yet to reveal itself, even though she is old enough and it should have, by now. When Aileen is sent over the sea on a mission for the King, she worries that she'll be useless and in the way. A powerful (but mostly invisible) cat changes all of that—and with every obstacle Aileen faces, she becomes stronger and more confident, until her magic blooms. This stand-alone novel, by the beloved and acclaimed author of such classic fantasy novels as Howl's Moving Castle and the Chrestomanci books, will be welcomed by fans old and new" • Read More: Imaginary Reads

In a nutshell:
Fantasy and Adventure. The kiddie type.
This is a mismatch for me.

Dianna Wynne Jones' The Islands of Chaldea is not for me. The only reason why I got a copy of the e-Book was because this was a reading assignment in my book club. I judged it by its cover and I should have trusted my instincts. Magic, kingdoms, and pseudo-witches or wise women, it was interesting at first but as I progressed through the story, I found myself struggling to finish it. There were just way too many characters which I think would work better if it were in a different platform.

I went as far as Chapter 11 to see there was something promising to it, but I just did not find it brilliant. Talking animals have always weirded me out and just never appealed to me, but it probably does to children. When I was reading it, I could not help but think of local, old school Pinoy fantasy movies like Enteng Kabisote or Magic Kingdom. A game or a movie may be a more appropriate medium for The Islands of Chaldea.

Rating
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

—

Have you read anything new lately? You may share your reviews at Book Club Friday. Visit Heather's blog at Blonde Undercover Blonde or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie. Don't forget to say hello. • Image Credit: Web E-Reading.

My last Book Club Friday post was Ava Dellaria's Love Letters to the Dead.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Ava Dellaria's Love Letters to the Dead

"It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more -- though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was -- lovely and amazing and deeply flawed -- can she begin to discover her own path in this stunning debut from Ava Dellaira, Love Letters to the Dead." [ Source: us.macmillian.com ]

In a nutshell:
The main character is a young girl and she has an assignment in one of her classes.
She writes letters to dead people that she doesn't personally know: Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, etc.
Different events in the life of the main character as she continues to write these letters.

Ava Dellaria's Love Letters to the Dead is a story about grief and loss. It is not for everyone. It would have been promising, but it was way too heavy for me. I did not like the load of emotional stuff right there. It may work if you're someone who's going through something but it's not for a normal reading day. I'm the type of reader who takes a while to recover from a book that I read. If it's a thriller, it's normal for me to get nightmares. And then here, this book was both tragic and depressing that it made me glum for a few days. The first few letters were okay, but as the story progressed, there was just so much sadness. It was too emo for me. I do give her props though for the epistolary style — she was successful in keeping her readers ( at least me ) interested ( at first ) and engaged in most parts.

I'm giving Love Letters to the Dead - ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

—

Did you read anything interesting lately? I invite you to share these new reads with the rest of the girls at Book Club Friday. All you have to do is head over to Heather's blog at www.blondeundercoverblonde.com or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie.

My last Book Club Friday post was Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love

This is the first time that I've read a Colleen Hoover title and I'm happy to share that I finished the book in half-a-day. I wasn't blown away because I have outgrown chick lit, but I must say that I genuinely liked Colleen Hoover's writing style in Ugly Love. It was sort of poetic-lyrical, which I found fresh compared to the other books I have read. It was also a pleasant break from all the corporate documents that greet me everyday. I liked how her tone shifted chapter after chapter, seamlessly integrating flashbacks to the present without getting the reader lost and at the same time pulling the reader to finish the story because

In a nutshell:
This super duper hot guy is jaded, is stuck in his past, and refuses to let go.
Then comes this super duper hot girl who kind of changes his life.
They spend a lot of time together & things get complicated + ugly.

Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love explores this power of love that most of us fear. I'm not an exception to this. It shows us how awful it gets when something very special is lost. I hate it when stories of perfect couples end ( I guess what they have is not-so-perfect after all ) ... putting the pieces together and getting your life back on track are two of the most challenging things to do especially if what was there in the past was something very beautiful.

How does the present compete with the past that's no longer there but hasn't really left? Tragic, ain't it? "Ugly love becomes you. Consumes you. Makes you hate it all. Makes you realize that all the beautiful parts aren't even worth it. Without the beautiful, you'll never risk feeling this. You’ll never risk feeling the ugly. So you give it up. You give it all up. You never want love again, no matter what kind it is, because no type of love will ever be worth living through the ugly love again."

But then, "God gives us the ugliness so we don't take the beautiful things in life for granted." :)

I'm giving Ugly Love - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

—

Did you read anything good or fun lately? I invite you to share these awesome reads with the rest of the girls at Book Club Friday.
Just head over to Heather's at www.blondeundercoverblonde.com or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie.

My last Book Club Friday post was Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

"Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which book paper burns."

This was such an interesting read. The book was named after the temperature in which book paper combusts. It's set in the 1950s, in a society Ray Bradbury named his award-winning book after the temperature in which book paper combusts. Set in a society that considers books subversive, Fahrenheit 451 presents a situation similar to martial law or a totalitarian state. In this story, books are considered illegal. If they're discovered, the books are burned. Anyone who owns books get arrested and some of them are set to be killed. Harsh, really harsh.

Being the book-lover that I am, it almost crushed my heart to imagine a world without books. It's distressing. People were limited to watching TV. There were those who embraced this kind of lifestyle and there were also those who thought otherwise. Why would the government want to ban books? Simple. It's all for control because books open people's minds to different worlds and to new ideas.

In a nutshell:
This is a broken society where books are ruthlessly burned and firemen start the fire.
Get caught with books, you're dead. Everyone contributes to a shared sacrifice.
Television is the preferred medium because it feeds people whatever information the government wants.

I was faced with conflict while reading this book. There was book-lover Russ who was very much affected and wanted to switch off the TV in our house forever. Then, there's the Russ who studied advertising, TV is an effective medium to promote your products ... yada, yada, yada, yada, yada.

For me, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 is a tribute to all the great writers of our time and should be an inspiration to all aspiring writers. Although it showed how powerful a medium television could be and how the government can control information and manipulate people, the book affirmed that I'm a more knowledgeable reader and viewer because I don't believe most of the stuff I watch on TV. I may have gotten this kind of attitude as a result of studying advertising and well yea, practicing it. Despite this fact, I find the book relevant to our times: while there's a bit of censorship issues presented, one conflict that I see is that of New Media vs. Traditional Media.

"Do you know why books such as this are so important? Because they have quality. And what does the word quality mean? To me it means texture. This book has pores. It has features. This book can go under the microscope. You'd find life under the glass, streaming past in infinite profusion. The more pores, the more truthfully recorded details of life per square inch you can get on a sheet of paper, the more 'literary' you are. That's my definition anyway. Telling detail. Fresh detail. The good writers touch life often. The mediocre ones run a quick hand over her. The bad ones rape her and leave her for the flies. So now you see why books are hated and feared? They show the pores in the face of life."

Anyway, you know that my reviews don't delve so much into the details. I don't want to ruin it for you and yes, I want you to read the book because I am giving Fahrenheit 451 - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

—

Did you read anything good lately? I invite you to share these awesome reads with the rest of the girls at Book Club Friday.
Just head over to Heather's at www.blondeundercoverblonde.com or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie.

My last Book Club Friday post was Jennifer Smith's This Is What Happy Looks Like.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Jennifer Smith's This is What Happy Looks Like

I liked the book only til the part that I didn't know anything about the characters. I know this is fiction, but I tried to picture if there's any possibility of having a good thing with an accidental email. Anyways, the plot is something that has been done bazillions of times. In fact, I've seen it so many times in Filipino films and in local TV programs — too predictable.

One of the two books of the month ( for May ) of my book club is Jennifer Smith's THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE. It was an easy read, a good break from my excel worksheets and media plans at work, but it is not for me. I am not the right reader- market- of this book. If I were my 15-year old self, I'm sure I would have gushed the entire time. This is the love story that teenagers would love to read nonstop. If the characters were not 17-year olds, I may have liked the story. HOWEVER, me saying all these does not mean that the book is not okay.

In a nutshell:
Bored, young, handsome, and wealthy boy does a booboo. He's a movie star.
And meets young, not-really-rich girl. They fall in love. They're teenagers.
They think that they're in love. They triumph over the challenges life throws at them.

I'm giving This Is What Happy Looks Like - ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

—

I only liked this part and it was at the beginning. This was the part when I didn't know that they were 17-year olds. I liked that the story took off from the email exchange but I really couldn't think how an email message could be accidental. You could missend an email to a person in your contacts, but to send something to a total stranger???

From: EONeill22@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, June 8, 2013 1:18 PM
To: GDL824@yahoo.com
Subject: what happy looks like
Sunrises over the harbor. Ice cream on a hot day. The sound of the waves down the street. The way my dog curls up next to me on the couch. Evening strolls. Great movies. Thunderstorms. A good cheeseburger. Fridays. Saturdays. Wednesdays, even. Sticking your toes in the water. Pajama pants. Flip-flops. Swimming. Poetry. The absence of smiley faces in an e-mail.

What does it look like to you?

—

If you're into reading, books ( ebooks ), and stuff, I invite you to share these awesome reads with the rest of the girls at Book Club Friday.
Just head over to Heather's at www.blondeundercoverblonde.com or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie.

My last Book Club Friday post was David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes. __RUSS.

Book Club Friday: David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary

I am keen to making book purchases from authors that I'm not familiar with if the book cover catches my attention. Trust me, it can be a cerebral adventure and this is how I first met David Levithan. It was my turn to recommend a title and one of the two books that we're supposed to read in my book club was a book I randomly picked in PowerBooks because I liked its cover, it was simple but I was drawn to it. To me, it was was made more visually appealing by the handwritten-ish font and the red Vs that stood out. I flipped through a couple of pages and I was both intrigued & hesitant. I was also intrigued. I was intrigued with how the pages were not entirely filled with words, instead each looked like a dictionary entry.

Curiosity won over my hesitation. I went for David Levithan's The Lover's Dictionary. I loved how David Levithan used the power of words to write about one of the world's favorite subjects: Love. He dished out dished out the traditional way of narrating a story. I have not had this much fun looking up new words in a dictionary. Creative. Unconventional. For me, it was something fresh. Despite not having a clear plot, Levithan did a great job in showing the different facets of being in a relationship: happy days & bad times, fairy tale moments and a few bumps on the road.

In a nutshell:
There will be good days and you should always remember them.
There will also be not-so-happy days.
Don't let love & heart aches dishearten you.

I'm giving The Lover's Dictionary - ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I really like how each entry was described and it got me to follow the account of David Levithan in Twitter: @loversdiction.
A few stuff that I want to share about The Lover's Dictionary. Getting into the story was a bit challenging at first, but as you go through it page-by-page + word-after-word, you will find yourself appreciating the power of language and the mundane yet everyone-cannot-live-without-it world of love.

In Filipino, this is something we'd call tagos sa puso • These are words that pierce straight through the heart. The Lover's Dictionary is light and easy-to-read, yet it's filled with lessons. David Levithan was very honest and real that even jaded me was assured that it is nice to be with someone. At the same time, I was reminded that being in a relationship isn't always going to be happy days, but that does not mean make love an awful thing. David Levithan didn't convince me though to see myself getting married. Despite that, I still think that love is a beautiful thing and that it will always be worth all the tears and heartbreaks.

—

If you are a book lover and book worm like me, you'll find Book Club Friday worth your while. If you have extra time, drop by Heather's page at [ www.blondeundercoverblonde.com ] or Katie's at The Nerdy Katie and share your reviews about your latest reads.

My last Book Club Friday post was MK Shaddix's Made With Love.
☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: M.K. Shaddix' Made With Love + Our Secret Book Club

I have a ton of backlog for Book Club Friday, books I've read in 2013 ... and here we are, hello 2014. Some friends, batchmates, and I formed a Book Club just recently. Our club's called Secret Book Club and we currently have five ( 5 ) members: Iza + Joei ( visit her blog here )+ Lar + Balot. We are to read anything under the sun that we find interesting and hopefully we get to finish it by the 25th of each month. We are to make our recommendations. We can sort of pick any genre, except that we all agreed to not include comic books, graphic novels, and manga.

We also intend to meet for coffee ( puede rin wine ) so we can gush, share, and rave about our most recent reads. I am enthralled that in this time and age of everything digital and express, there are still people like us who like to take time to read despite our uber busy schedules. In lieu of our book-bonding moments, we do our immediate raves in WhatsApp. Yup, WhatsApp. Don't you just love technology?

Out of curiosity, I recently downloaded Wattpad and found myself reading MADE WITH LOVE, written by M.K. Shaddix. I had an instant connection with this one because the main character was into Advertising & Marketing. Following that, I was also drawn to Ireland and cheese ... all three happen to be close to my heart.

"There aren't many things more terrifying than getting a second chance."

In a nutshell:
Get out of your comfort zone.
Do not be afraid of love.
Excellence in whatever you do.

I'm giving Made With Love - ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
—
I love how Shaddix made this clear-cut difference between life in New York and what it's like to live in a small island in Ireland. It was a bit of an eye-opener and in a way, it made me realize what I want right now. I know that I cannot always be in this fast-paced city living. There will surely come a time when I'd look for the same peace and quiet that we have in the South ... waking up to the aroma of home-cooked breakfast meal(s), chatting with family in the morning whilst watching CNN or one of the local morning programs on television.

I like where I am right now. However, if I were given a chance to go to a place like Kilronan, Inishmore ( that's where Julie Quinn went for pseudo-vacation ), I'd go but I have a strong feeling that I will come back to Manila, just like how Julie Quinn returned to New York. I am probably at this stage where I love everything about the city. Don't get me wrong, I also enjoy having quiet time. Once in a while, I slow down ... because it's needed for my own sanity. Hahaha.

Following the comparison between the urban jungle and a quaint town, Shaddix also tells readers of Made With Love that we cannot be in control of everything. We may have laid out our plans for the next months or next 3 years, but really,   there is no guarantee  .

It will be sad and at the same time, it will not be right to close our hearts to the greater things that may happen or the nicer people that will be part of our lives. We just need to be our best selves all the time and be prepared for these moments so that when they come, we can fully embrace the opportunities and blessings given to us without regret and resentment. I think this is how we ought to live our lives. Life is too short to dwell on trivial things, right?

"Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." - Proverbs 3:6

Join Julie Quinn in her lovely adventure in Ireland, read Made With Love via WATTPAD ... and if you have something to share with Book Club Friday, make sure to visit Heather at [ www.blondeundercoverblonde.com ] or Katie at The Nerdy Katie. I wish you all a happy and stress-free weekend. Spend time with family and recharge for a new week.

—
Other Book Club Friday Post
Adeline Yen Mah's Falling Leaves.

Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: Adeline Yen Mah's Falling Leaves

Being surrounded by Chinese folks, working in a company owned by a Chinese, and spending a great deal of time with a lot of Chinese friends have made me fascinated with their culture. It’s been going on for a while and it's opened me to a totally different world. This might be the reason why the moment I laid eyes on the cover of this book by Adeline Yen Mah and read the title, Falling Leaves – The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter, I immediately picked it up and was determined to finish it in one day ... which I did, teehee!

"You have your whole life ahead of you. Be smart. Study hard and be independent. I'm afraid
the chances of your getting a dowry are slim. You must rely on yourself. No matter what else people
may steal from you, they will never be able to take away your knowledge. The world is changing.
You must make your own life outside this home"

In a nutshell: Family. Struggle. Hope. 

I thought the book was outstanding. I admire Adeline Yen Mah for sharing her family’s story considering how conservative most Chinese families are. Falling Leaves brought me to different years in China and other countries. Reading about World War I, different revolutions, China when it used to be a young republic, and domestic affairs of an affluent Chinese family from the point-of-view of an intelligent, brave, young girl are riveting. Many of the periods the book touched on—I’ve seen them in several movies and the closest would be The Last Emperor.

Falling Leaves is a true story based on Adeline Yen Mah's life. It is heartbreaking, but at the same time empowering. Not only does one get to look back into history, but one also learns much about life and family from the story of a young woman who was never hateful and never gave up despite the odds and whatever bad times life threw at her. The journey was arduous yet still lovely.

Adeline found support and refuge in her Aunt Baba, who is such an admirable woman. Aunt Baba shows that love still proves to be very powerful. It draws forth strength at our weakest moments. It gives light at the darkest hours. Love brings hope and warms a heart full of sorrow. At the end of the day, every person just wants to love and be loved, accepted in our own social circles. Sometimes, we forgive those who have hurt especially if they’re our closest friends and family, because we still want them in our lives but it doesn’t mean that we should trust them again.

Adeline Yen Mah and I bonded at, “Don't trust anyone. Be a cold fish. I hurt no one. And no one can hurt me."

I'm giving Falling Leaves - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

—

My last Book Club Friday post was John Green's The Fault In Our Stars.
Do you have something for Book Club Friday? Visit the link to share your latest reads. ☮..Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes.__RUSS.

Book Club Friday: John Green's The Fault in Our Stars

Most of the stuff that I've been reading for the last two years have mostly been about Marketing, PR, Social Media, and Real Estate because it's work-related and second, learning should not stop in school. However, this year, I promised myself that I'd start doing some leisure reading as well. I found Heather's Blog + Book Club Friday while searching for good reads that I should look for next time I visit Fully Booked or Powerbooks. Today, it's going to be about John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten."

In a nutshell. Hope. Love. Death. 

It took me a while to get a copy of The Fault in Our Stars. My friends tweet about it, my cousins talk about it. I'm a rather late on this, but I did enjoy reading John Green. In fact, I'm planning to get other titles that he has written.

I liked how John Green showed a world that is not common to most of us. It's a world that involves us and our loved one, but it’s both a place and situation that we don't like to be in especially if you are young. For the emotionally weak, it could get bad. In these kinds of situations, we could only be sure of three things: hope, pain, and death. You could take the one either literally or a metaphor. Hope keeps one going, gives the much-needed temporary relief. Pain is something that cannot be escaped. One way or another, it will be felt. Then here comes death — a portion of the book ( I won't say where to avoid spoilers ) reminds me of an episode in One Tree Hill. I don't remember who said it, but the idea of death is that it's ordinary. We all know that it's inevitable and it's not in our hands. It's the effect that it has on people who are left behind that makes it extraordinary.

I'm giving The Fault in Our Stars - ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Hazel, the main female character in this book shows that life must be lived without worrying about death. In any situation, it's easier said than done, but I think a lot of people who actually go through the same thing in real life always gives death this kind of shot. I instantly loved her because we share the same second name ( Grace ) + before her lung problems, she had a thyroid condition + she's smart, strong, and despite her condition, she is not the typical damsel in distress kind of girl. I did see a bit of me in her, particularly during my Thyroid C days. Going back to the book, I love the story shared by Hazel Grace and Gus. It was both fascinating and humbling. I almost bawled my eyes when I was reading the book. I wonder if the movie will have the same effect on me.

John Green had me at, "I'm in love with you and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasures of saying true things. Im in love with you and I know that love is just a shout into the void and that oblivion is inevitable and that we'll all be doomed and that these will come a day when our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth will ever have and I'm in love with you."

There is a more detailed summary of TFioS here.

—
This is my first entry for Book Club Friday. If you're a book worm like me, you may want to share your book reviews at Heather's blog. Peace + ❥_Love + Good Vibes. __RUSS.