DUN DUN DUNNN.
Okay let me just say I suck at book reviewing.
And since I wrote these
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and these are mine. Feel free to disagree.
* 11, 12, 13 - borrowed from college library.
* 17 - borrowed from this one book shop at Central Market
1) Thirteen Reasons Why - Jay Asher
Comment : Amazing. Absolutely amazing. I couldn't have chosen a better book to start the year with. It's basically about a girl, who committed suicide, and left this 13 tapes to 13 of her schoolmates. I don't even want to tell you what happened because I might spoil it, but it's so far, one of the top three TOTALLY UNPUTDOWNABLE books I've ever read. I just want to know what happens next? WHAT HAPPENED? THEN!? OMG. There's just something about a book about suicide that makes you want to keep on reading.
Rate : A+
For more info : click here
2) That Summer - Sarah Dessen
Comment : I love Sarah Dessen, but this book is just forgettable. Although relatable to teenagers, the story and the characters seemed a bit cliche. Recommended if you're below 15 years old. But if you're older, there are a lot more interesting young adult book you might want to read.
Rate : B
For more info: click here
3) All About Vee - C. Leigh Purtil
Comment : I've read another book by this author before and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give this one a shot. And I'm so glad I did. It's about a plus-size girl who dreams of being an actress in Hollywood. Instead of being insecure about her body, she knows what she wants and she's confident for it. There's enough depth in the story that sets this book apart from all 'making it in Hollywood' type of book.
Rate : A
For more info : click here
4) The Song Reader - Lisa Tucker
Comment : It happens all the time - having a song stuck in your head all day long. And what does 'the song reader' do? She(Mary Beth) decodes the song to help her clients deal with their problems. Now how cool is that? I wish a 'song reader' does exist. Anyway, the story was rather enjoyable, though the ending was a bit abrupt and left the reader(maybe it's just me) with some questions unanswered.
Rate : B+
For more info : click here
5) Red Tears - Joanna Kenrick
Comment : I'm pretty sure I bought this book at less than RM 10, at this book bargain sale. This is the first book I've read on cutting/self-harm, and boy that's some powerful stuff. It's very realistic, and even though I'm sure the author wants the reader to know the bad effects of cutting, it might just trigger ex-cutter to start the habit again. That's just how powerful it is.
Rate : A
For more info : click here
6) Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
Comment : BETTER THAN TWILIGHT. Okay it's not about vampire, but it's about fallen angels - a sexy, badass one too ;) The main character, Nora is not clingy and annoying like Bella. Great plot twist, believable character(only main flaw I can't help but notice is how can a mother left her daughter at home alone way too often ._.) Bottom line is, goodbye Edward, hello Patch. (Okay that was a tad dramatic I still love Edward) *sparkle sparkle*
Rate : A+
For more info: click here
7) The Lucky One - Nicholas Sparks
Comment : Nicholas Sparks is overrated. There I said it. The book was, good. NOT MIND-BLOWING AWESOME LET'S MAKE THIS INTO A MOVIE kinda book. But of course, just like 481073628174 of his other books, it will be made into a movie(starring Zac Efron). This is his second book that I read(first was A Walk To Remember) and sadly, I don't think I will buy anymore of his book. Borrow, maybe.
Rate : B-
For more info : click here
8) Crank - Ellen Hopkins
Comment : I think I finished this book in one day, because the book was written in this poem/poetry kind of way. That rhymes! Haha. It's true that less is more, because even though the author did not write it in 'essay-like' nature, the short poetry is enough to send the powerful message across to the reader - how drugs can destroy a person.
Rate : A-
For more info : click here
9) Lock & Key - Sarah Dessen
Comment : Another Sarah Dessen book. I think this one is slightly better than That Summer, though the ending was very predictable. Being someone who doesn't open up to people often *cough* the character was relatable, and the story unfolds beautifully.
Rate : A
For more info : click here
10) The Other Hand - Chris Cleave
Comment : The synopsis at the back of the back was very unique. It didn't reveal what the story is about, but more like 'We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.' There was definitely an element of surprise, and it's not the kind of book I usually read. I think the story was a bit weird(and creepy at some parts) and along the way I felt like the author doesn't know how to end the story. All I can say is it's definitely, different.
Rate : B
For more info : click here
11) How It Ends - Laura Wiess (borrowed from college library)
Comment : Hanna is a normal girl who wants to be in a relationship with this guy who is totally wrong for her, and then there's Helen, her next-door neighbor/grandmother. I enjoyed Hanna's part of the story(though rather cliche), and Helen's part of the story was pretty intense. The book started out good, gets weird towards the middle, with a shocking ending.
Rate : B
For more info : click here
12) Have A Little Faith - Mitch Albom
Comment : One of my all-time favorite author. Although involves Jewish and Christian, it favors neither and when other religions were mentioned, it was factual and in no way offending. Mitch Albom has never failed to impress me with his simple, yet well-chosen words and effortless flow of story. This book made the readers realize to refocus life on things that matter - love, hope and faith. Forever a fan of his books? I think yes.
Rate : A+
For more info : click here
13) The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
Comment : Absolutely beautiful. More of a story of life after death than a mystery(everybody knows who is the killer from the start anyway), sometimes it's painful to see how the family cope and fell apart. Definitely shed a tear here and there, sometimes it moves a tad bit slow, but the way it was written was anything but boring.
Rate : A-
For more info : click here
14) Perks of Being A Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
Comment : I've heard so much about this book and began searching for it everywhere since last year. Thank God I finally found it. It was published 11 years ago! Overall an easy read, honest and captivating. I like how Charlie, the main character wasn't perfect and that made it much easier to connect with the story.
Rate : A
For more info : click here
15) Live Bait - PJ Tracy
Comment : Mystery and crime solving are not really the kind of book I would read, but I think I bought this at like 70% discount or something. I think the story was, okay. Although there seems to be two stories that ended up related, it's not confusing. The details made the story easy to imagine, though not very believable. A good book, not really recommended, and I think I would just stick to watching CSI.
Rate : B
For more info : click here
16) Does My Head Look Big In This - Randa Abdel-Fattah
Comment : I don't 'want' to read this book, I need and HAVE to. Being a Muslim girl, wearing tudung(aka hijab) in a country where Islam is the main and official religion is easy enough. But this book pretty much answered my question; what if I was born and raised where a Muslim is considered a minority? The racism and discrimination Amal felt was eye-opening. I can relate surprisingly well at one point in the book, where Amal tried to find a part-time job and was declined ONLY BECAUSE she wears the hijab. I've experienced the exact same thing. Very well-written, witty, and easy to read. This book does not preach and I believe non-Muslims can read this book and learn a thing or two about Islam without being overwhelmed of it all.
Rate : A+
For more info : click here
17) The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
Comment : I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this book is. Technically the storyline was great, but it's the language. The language! It's so, delicately written. You know with some (thick) books, the author used so many different words to describe a setting/feeling, but with this book, the words were simple, yet meaningful. Impactful. You can feel the heartache, the joy of the main character.
Rate : A+
For more info : click here
18) Willow - Julia Hoban
Comment : Another powerful book on self-harm. I love how the ending is not too cliche, and the author didn't sugarcoat the story with too much romance(okay there IS a guy, but it's not 'she met a guy and everything gets better' kind of way) and the emotions portrayed was heart-wrenching. I can feel the depression, the guilt and how helpless the characters felt. Definitely recommended.
Rate : A+
For more info : click here
19) Crescendo - Becca Fitzpatrick
Comment : The sequel to Hush, Hush. What a great roller-coaster ride it was reading this book! Awesome plot twist, though I felt more confused than ever after finishing it. There's a third book in the making and I want all my questions answered! Amazing sequel nonetheless.
Rate : A-
For more info : click here
20) 21) 22) 23) Harry Potter Book 1, 2, 3, 4 - JK Rowling.
Comment : What can I possibly say that hasn't already been said about Harry Potter books? (I know. YES I've never read any of Harry Potter books till now. DEAL WITH IT. And I planned to read all 7 books before this year end. Failed.)
Rate : Infinite A+
For more info : click here
FINALLY DONE. Phew.
2008 [click here]
20 books
7983 pages
2009 [click here]
15 books
5382 pages
2010
23 books
8668 pages
I'm still disappointed! Aimed for 50 books this year :(
Oh well. Still proud of myself, though like I said I don't deserve the title bookaholic anymore. Blergh.
Hope y'all have a good year ahead, and keep on reading! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to shower and get ready to go out and buy more books!
No seriously. I'm going out with my family after this.
“The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.”
— Roald Dahl
ps; I just found out Kinder products(Kinder Bueno, the Kinder eggs) are not sold in the USA? O__O That's so weird! Apparently it's only sold at like, European chocolate store or something. We can get them here at pretty much every grocery store! I LOVE BEING MALAYSIAN.
1 comments:
13 reasons why? jay asher? i follow his blog. he just had a lil' baby boy :)
www.jayasher.blogspot.com
and sarah dessen? I LOVE her :D
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