writer's block

Sherre over at Beckoned By Books is hosting her very first giveaway now that she's reached 100 followers! Woohoo!

So click on over and submit your entry to win either a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card OR any one book (up to $25) from the Book Depository! Pretty neat, huh?

The contest will be go on until Friday, October 7th 2011 so hurry on over!

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

Ah well I would truly love to see a film version of The Night Circus (which I believe a studio has already acquired the rights to it) and as I was reading it I was thinking of possible actors for roles (comes with being a movie junkie as well).

The setting is late 19th century and it's a very magical world, so I would love to see more established actors as the older magicians like Donald Sutherland as Celia's father and Christopher Lee as the Man in the Grey.

For the main characters, Celia and Marco, I rather see lesser-known actors instead (God help me if Kristen Stewart is anywhere near this!).

The stories often start off as simple as "The octopus is spooning sugar into his tea when there is a knock on the door."- if that can be considered "simple", are blended seamlessly into a new reality.  Bedtime stories for adults is how I would describe it.

Tales that would make you want to know what happened next would usually make me cry "foul!", but giving some pause afterwards I found them to be quite enjoyable and sometimes thought provoking.

Although most of the stories I found to be quite beautiful, there were a lot that I didn't give a second thought to. Overall a delight to read and a good reminder that the world of fiction is only limited by what you can imagine.

Rating: ★★★★ 4/5

Hosted by Booking Through Thursday

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?
I can only really recall being read to in second grade by my teacher. My parents' limited English skills and busy work schedule was the reason why reading was never much apart of my childhood. I suppose it's the reason why I don't care much for being read to. I like to see the words for myself and being able to go at my own pace.

2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?
I've actually never thought about it. I've never listened to an audio book in it's entirety, but I'm not against them.

3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?
Definitely not a whole book or a speech, but every-so-often I (or someone else) would read a bit of peaked interest.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights an upcoming title that I'm eagerly anticipating.

This is my first WoW and although I don't really have a lot of upcoming books I'm looking forward to, this one has been popping up a lot around Blogger that I want to check it out! You you've received this as an ARC and wrote a review, leave a link! I'd love to read what you thought!

Title: Carrier of the Mark
Author: Leigh Fallon
Publication Date: October4
Website: LeighFallon.com
Amazon | goodreads

Their love was meant to be. 

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs. 

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

This is one of the very few YA novels I’ve been looking forward to for awhile and when I was able to get a copy of it almost a week earlier than it’s release date, I was really excited to start reading it!

Prior to the first chapter, we are told in a “hand-written” letter that Mara Dyer is not her real name. Intrigued already! It goes on to say that she’s responsible for murders and so begins the story.

One day Mara wake up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there. Her family tells her that she and her friends were in an accident and she was the only survivor.

Because of the traumatic event and no memory of it, Mara and her family move from Rhode Island to Miami in hopes that the change in scenery will help with the recovery. To no avail, Mara starts hallucinating on her very first day at school and she slowly begins having nightmares of that dreadful night.

At school is where a lot of her hallucinations take place and it’s also where she meets Noah, who by reputation, is an ass. Rumors that he sleeps with girls and leaves them are abound. and she’s hesitant to believe his friendly and flirtatious demeanor. But she can’t help but succumb and I even found myself having to put the book down just to catch my breath!

Throughout the book Mara is trying to deal with what happened to her… what is happening to her, but because it’s the first book of the series, it seems like a lot of that stuff is pushed aside while her relationship with Noah is built up. I had thought that not getting to the point was going to annoy me, but Michelle Hodkin has a way of making you not care so much when she puts these two characters together. Much like Mara feels like when she's with him.

It really took some time to get more in depth with Noah’s character and what point he serves other than being a nice distraction. He definitely is in the story a lot not to play some kind of significance and by the end of the book I kind of felt this book should’ve been about him instead. Not that I don’t find Mara to be entirely likeable or her story interesting, but Noah’s was more intriguing and I generally found him to be more enjoyable to read. Though I suppose that's one of the many things that make these two characters compatible.

Overall, I found this book to be thoroughly satisfying. The pace of it was done well without leaving anything out but not giving away everything all at once. The characters were enjoyable and realistic with their speech. I did notice about three typos towards the end of the book, but by that time I was fully committed to the story and the more than one surprise twists were enough to keep my (self-diagnosed) OCD in check and have me eagerly awaiting the sequel!

Rating: ★★★★ 4/5

Every Monday I will recommend a title that I've enjoyed. It could be something I read as a child or something recent.

Because it's Banned Books Week, this week's recommend is:

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Publication Date: November 30, 1961
Amazon | goodreads

Meg's father mysteriously disappears after experimenting with the fifth dimension of time travel. Determined to rescue him, Meg and her friends must outwit the forces of evil on a heart-stopping journey through space and time. A Newbery Medal winner.

I absolutely loved this book!

Set in the late 19th century, two young magicians, Celia and Marco, must play out a game that they have been training for since childhood. The rules of the game that binds them isn’t clear, yet they play it best to their abilities in the venue that has been set for them- Le Cirque de Rêves. A spectacular circus that’s only opened at night that boasts nothing that your imagination can’t handle. It’s a place where everything that you think is impossible is possible.

Though Celia and Marco are unaware how this game is actually played nor how the winner would be determine, they each use their abilities within the circus creating new tents and features to display their talents- which soon becomes sort of like love letters to one another when they suddenly fall in love.

But the game must be played out and there could only be one player standing. It becomes and dangerous and deadly game when the actions they make are the consequences of all those within the circus.

Though the circus seems like merely a backdrop to the game, it carries a life of it’s own- from the grand clock that changes shape as the time ticks on, to the many mysterious tents that hold wondrous things. Morgenstern captures the magic and atmosphere of the circus with such ease that I found myself lost within it’s pages. The description and details put into the story was captivating and it easily came to life in my mind.

The story jumps around from the circus and it’s players to a small farm and boy named Bailey. His role is unclear, but eventually the past catches up to present… literally and all is revealed.

I’m not one who relishes romances, but the one between Celia and Marco is magical (pun not intended). For the few chapters that are centered around them, it becomes clear that they were meant for for each other and how desperately you want this game to go in their favor no matter how difficult that may be.

This is story that’s filled with magic, dreams and love. But just because it’s main stage is a circus, there’s no clowns or dancing bears. Instead you’re brought into a world where it’s a feast for the senses and what ever your preconceived notion of what a circus should be is left at the gate.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Rating: 5/5 stars

Whoa! I had such an incredible book buying week with Borders in it’s final days- up to 90% off! I ended up going to two locations to see what I could find and I’m really happy with what I came out with!

The Orphan Sister by Gwendolen Gross — Probably the more dramatic and serious of most the books I own! But for $3 I’m willing to give it a shot and I figured if it doesn’t work out for me, my sister would probably enjoy it since it’s more suited for her.

I picked up this book shortly after I saw it as a favorite for a lot of people and honestly, the cover would’ve gotten my attention alone.

It’s the distant future and the world is dying. Genetic mutations have left the human lifespan to a mere twenty-five years for males and twenty for females. A desperate world where girls as young as thirteen are taken by Gathers to be sold off to wealthy men to become wives and bare children- a hope to keep the human race alive.

Rhine is one of those girls. At the age of sixteen she was kidnapped by Gathers, drugged and kept prisoner as a new bride to Linden Ashby. Fortunately, she’s not submissive to her new life and she secretly plans to escape her lavish cage and return home to Manhattan where she hopes her twin brother awaits her.

While perfecting her plan, she becomes close to her two sister wives, an attendant named Gabriel and even her new husband who, as many things here, is not what they seem. At times she’s torn between her desire for freedom and her devotion to those she cares for, but she’s a strong character that will not sway from her determination.

There was a point when I thought I might find this book a little though to read- the youngest sister wife, Cicely, at age thirteen is so eager and willing to bare children and there’s talk of death that’s sometimes taken so lightly. But it’s because of this that makes the story to engaging. I know there’s still places in this world where children are married off and places where death comes more naturally than eating.

I’m glad this story didn’t sugarcoat this world, but I’m sure it was because we saw this world through Rhine’s eyes which is probably how most people who read this would see it. There were times when her new life doesn’t seem all too bad- clothes made just for her, attendants tending to her every need and lavish parties. Though Rhine is too determined to let these illusions of happiness break her and I’m really grateful that she always reminds herself of that.

I can go into a bit of a rant about how some reviews bashed this book by saying it was “unrealistic” and “disgusting” (referring mainly to Cecily’s pregnancy), but I will only say that those arguments are ridiculous. I don’t expect any story set seventy years in the future to be “realistic” and I certainly don’t expect a world with mostly kids NOT to have sex.

This is simply the world Rhine lives in.

Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Rating: 5/5 stars

Kimberly Chang and her ma just immigrated from Hong Kong to a dump in Brooklyn.

11-year old Kimberly must quickly adapt with being a superstar student and a sweatshop worker alongside her mother, while hiding the truth of her poverty and having the weight of her family’s future depends all on her.

Author Jean Kwok let’s us follow Kimberly through her struggles to learn a new language and custom. She’s a sweet girl who wants what most girls want, but she has a duty to her family and she knows that any wrong move she makes, could land her and her mother in jeopardy.

It was quite an enjoyable read and it was mainly because Kimberly was such an inviting voice and even if you can’t relate to her, you’ll understand the type of hardships most immigrants had to go through. It’s a wonderful story about hardships and triumphs- the sacrifices a young woman makes to ensure she and her mother will be able to leave the sweatshop and into a better home.

I thought the use of phonetic and literal translation was a nice touch as being Chinese myself, I always phonetically translated whatever Chinese that was spoken to me into English and it would always sound like a fortune cookie message.

As a first-generation born American whose parents were both doing financially well with two other children, I never felt the pressure to succeed or to endure the language barrier. But I knew how it felt to be one of the very few minorities in class and feeling like an outcast when my Caucasian friends did things differently than how I was brought up since my family still followed some traditions.

Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
Rating: 5/5 stars

My friend, Michele recommended that I start doing this as part of The Story Siren. This is suppose to be a weekly thing, but I don’t know if I’ll be getting books that often, even though it sure seems like I’ve been doing just that recently


Vampire Academy #1-3 by Richelle Mead — Bought this at Borders for about $13. I don’t know if I’ll bite bullet and actually read them since they’re not my usual kind of reads, but a lot of people seem to enjoy them so I’m sure I’ll get around to at least opening the package!

Thanks for stopping by! Leave your link and I’ll check out what you have this week!

I heard about this book from an issue of Entertainment Weekly and I automatically said “I have to read this!”

Earth is a dystopia in 2044. Much of the population is poor, unemployed and just down on their luck. The only refuge they have from their reality is the virtual world of the OASIS where people use their avatars to attend school, work or hang out. It’s like an RPG but instead of the obvious computer graphics we know, the OASIS is seemingly realistic.

James Halliday, the creator of the OASIS has died, but instead of leaving his mass fortune and the company to a beneficiary, he created a game within the OASIS with the winner inheriting his fortune.

Wade Watts is one of the many that go in search of the three keys that will unlock 3 corresponding gates. It’s much like a quest- solving riddles, battling enemies and searching for treasure. But there’s a catch to this quest- Halliday had a strong affinity for the 1980s and his challenge has much to do with it- movies, games and music.

After five years of searching, no one has even found the first key and many people have given up. Until one day, Wade (AKA Perzival) solves the first riddle and makes his way to the first key. What happens next is an adventure into a vast virtual world, a surge of 80s pop culture references.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Even though I was born in 1983 and some of the references went over my head, but for the most part I understood it. I couldn’t get enough of the John Hughes’ references and the mentioning of Commodore 64 and Amiga games I used to play as a child. I went giddy when Perzival had to make his way through movies as part of a challenge, reciting lines like it was the alphabet because he had watched them numerous times. All the movies I can recite by heart are from the 80s.

Ernest Cline had written such a fun read that brought out the young geek in me, but I would only recommend it to those that share a likeness to the 80s culture or who have spent countless hours playing video games (I would definitely liken it to World of Warcraft). A lot of the jargon may be lost on anyone else, or simply they’ll just lose interest. I can easily see this being adapted for the big screen though. So if you’re not much for reading geek jargon, then wait a few years and I’m sure it’ll be playing at a theater near you.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
Rating: 5/5 stars

Honestly, it was the cover that drew me to this book. That and because I kept on seeing it around the bookstore. It’s not my typical read, but lately I’ve been more open to the “chick-lit” genre.

The story is about Dora, an undergraduate who rushes home to news that the grandmother who raised her has suffered a stroke and has been hospitalized.

Her grandmother, Mimi, owned a vintage clothing store in town and Dora assumed the responsibility of running it to keep her busy. She goes about it like she has always known Mimi to do so- after all, it was Mimi who taught her everything about the shop and about life.

She finds out that some of the dresses in the shop come with a “secret life”- a short story about a day in the life of that particular dress. Everyone knows about them except Dora, but no one can tell her anything about them other than Mimi has been doing them for years.

Though even in the small town of Forsyth, North Carolina, we don’t get acquainted to many of the people- which for that I’m thankful. Instead the author, Erin McKean, sticks to those people that matter to Dora- Gabby, Mimi’s best friend and aunt-like figure; Maux, Mimi’s outspoken, tattooed goth chick employee; and Con- a handsome contractor who befriends Dora.

These characters are what hold Dora together in this difficult time… Even stories of Mimi is refreshing and makes you wish you knew her too.

Although somewhat predictable and the secret lives of the dresses don’t come up too often, it actually is a sweet story- one of those “there’s no place like home” type stories. I can actually see this being turned into a Hallmark or Family channel movie. The main characters are very likeable and they’re described so well that you feel like you’ve known them as long as Dora has. I was overall quite surprised how much I enjoyed it and I would recommend this to any woman that wants a light read or who appreciates the beauty of a vintage.

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean
Rating: 4/5 stars

I haven’t heard a lot about this book, other than a friend that read it and really enjoyed it and the movie adaptation coming out early next year.

The majority of the book is told through the eyes of Oksar, a precocious nine-year-old boy, whose father was killed in the attack of September 11. Oksar finds a mysterious key in his father’s closet and thinking it’s one of their scavenger hunts, he goes around the boroughs of New York searching for the lock.

At times, the story will jump to a narration from Oksar’s grandmother and estranged grandfather from when they were younger living in Germany to their marriage and ultimately to their reconcilement. These were the parts that I enjoyed the most.

The book is scattered with pictures, one sentence pages and even completely blank pages, but it’s that unique form that makes this book so engaging. You feel like you’re apart of this journey that’s mixed with adventure, mystery, tragedy, hope, forgiveness, longing and love.

I honestly found Oskar to be quite annoying in the beginning, but he eventually grew on me. Even though he struggled with his father’s death, I couldn’t really care about Oksar. I wanted this lonely little boy to succeed in his search, but I think it was his know-it-all attitude that overshadowed it. Him being able to walk from borough to borough without being stopped was so unbelievable that I wanted to stop reading at that point.

Foer’s way of telling this story (and the story itself) was interesting enough for me to finish, but can’t say I was impressed by it.

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I had first heard about this young adult novel in a fairly recent issue of Entertainment Weekly. I thought the format of it alone seemed interesting enough to give it a shot and so last night I started reading it.

Clay Jensen has just received a package containing 7 cassette tapes- there’s no return address on the package and no note. Intrigued about what it contained, he starts to play the first tape and hears the voice of Hannah Baker- a girl from school that had committed suicide just weeks ago.

Hannah explains that the tapes contains the reasons why she killed herself and for each reason, there’s a person responsible.

Hannah was starting her freshman year of high school in a new town, but one event was the start of how low it got for her. Like every high school, there’s going to be rumors made about someone- whether you choose to believe them is up to you. Hannah had a rumor spread about her and that lead to others acting on them, giving her a reputation she didn’t deserve.

You follow Clay in his listening journey through the tapes and through the small town- like an audio tour. Clay doesn’t know how he’s part of her list or when he’ll come up in the tapes, but he listens to them out of respect to Hannah- a classmate and crush.

By the time all 13 reasons are through, you wonder if it was worth dying over. I read some of the reviews on goodreads and some said that it was unbelievable that someone would kill themselves over these reasons. Yes, if you look at one reason alone you might say it’s silly to get all worked up over, but high school is a rough place and kids can be cruel.

Clay would say Hannah gave up too easily- that she should’ve come to him for help, but she just didn’t ask. In a way it seemed like he blamed her for not asking for help sooner. But anyone that’s been down the same dark road as Hannah, knows that admitting to yourself that you need help is harder than asking. And if you get the strength to finally ask for help, it might be too late.

I identified with Hannah because I went through a depressed phase during high school and a few years afterwards. I had friends, but I never fully trusted any of them. I kept my distance but acted like nothing was wrong. I thought about suicide. I even saw a psychologist (though it was only 2 sessions). A series of unfortunate events occurred throughout the years and even with all the pain I was feeling, I held on to that little bit of hope that things would get better.

That little bit of hope that Clay wished Hannah had held on to.

This book is a good reminder about how your actions can effect someone- even a good action like merely saying “hello” can brighten up someone’s day and possibly change the way they look at life.

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Rating: 5/5 stars

I picked up this book at the library recently and although a “love story” is not usually what I go for, I had hopes for it since it came highly recommended by my friend, Michele.

Having nothing to do today, I decided to start it and see how far I could get. So being a skeptic, it was a surprise to me when I realized I read more than half the book and I just wanted to keep going!

And I did.

The story revolves around two people- Emma and Dexter, and their lives during the anniversary of the day they first met for 20 years. Emma is the everyday girl who loves her classic novels and strives to be a writer herself. Dexter is the privileged good-looking guy who can be a douche.

I really liked the concept of it being a series of snapshots of their lives and it shows how significant this day actually is to them. There were some moments when I wanted to know what happened the day after, but alas, we skip to the next year. Not to say that it bothered me, but the story will grab you and you want to know what happens next in Emma and Dexter’s life!

I absolutely loved Emma. She was a great mix of modest and quick wit and a character I think a lot of women can identify with. She’s the type of person you wish you knew because she’s sincere and genuinely goodhearted, but not without faults.
Dexter, although lovable at times, he was a complete ass most of the time! I suppose he really did play the stereotypical rich-boy with being handsome and a womanizer… and though I wished I could’ve slap him at times, he was a really decent guy underneath that and that’s what Emma saw and loved.

I actually didn’t see the trailer for the upcoming movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess (who I loved in Across the Universe!) until after I was done with the book. Not sure if I’ll see it, but it seems like they got it right- at least I recognized some lines from the book!

Anyway, the book was great! A surprisingly fun and emotional love story.

One Day by David Nicholls
Rating: 5/5 stars

Although this book is filled with sorrow, I couldn’t put it down!


The story is about a young Nigerian refugee that goes by the name Little Bee and Sarah, the white British woman she met on a fateful day on the beach.

The chapters alternate between the two women as they tell their stories and ultimately we find out what happened on that beach. A gruesome story that can easily be true.

It’s a beautiful story about the human spirit- how strong it can be but so fragile to the touch; How the choices you make may not always be the right one, but you have to go on with it; How running away from your fears will do no good.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Rating: 4/5 stars