Book Review: Falling For Hamlet by Michelle Ray

Title: Falling For Hamlet
Series: N/A
Author: Michelle Ray
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance, Retelling
My Rate: 1/5  a waste of my time
Published: October 1, 2011

Meet Ophelia: a blonde, beautiful high-school senior and long-time girlfriend of Prince Hamlet of Denmark. Her life is dominated not only by her boyfriend's fame and his overbearing family, but also by the paparazzi who hound them wherever they go. As the devastatingly handsome Hamlet spirals into madness after the mysterious death of his father, the King, Ophelia rides out his crazy roller coaster life, and lives to tell about it. In live television interviews, of course.

Passion, romance, drama, humor, and tragedy intertwine in this compulsively readable debut novel, told by a strong-willed, modern-day Ophelia. (Goodreads.com)

I wish I had never read this book. I actually expected a great deal out of this modern story-telling of Hamlet. I was pained every time I read this and maybe it's the fact that I am not a fan of the original Hamlet. But yeah, this book is basically Ophelia's modern re-telling but it basically stuck to the original and that for me, is kinda sad (because again, I didn't love the original Hamlet by Shakespeare). Another thing is that it was too hormonal and too dramatic. Way more dramatic than (original) Hamlet had ever been I guess.

Book Review: So Over You by Gwen Hayes

Title: So Over You
Series: N/A
Author: Gwen Hayes
Genre: YA Fiction, Romance
My Rate: 4/5  cool
Published: April 25, 2005

Layney Logan, girl reporter. That’s all she’s ever wanted to be. The only thing Layney dislikes more than swimming in the high school dating pool is letting her arch-nemesis and co-Chief Editor, Jimmy Foster, get the better of her. So, she’ll take his stupid assignment to go on twelve blind dates and she’ll prove to him she’s twice the reporter he is. Unless she listens to her heart...

Don't judge a book by its cover. I know I did (the cover's not very nice, that I almost didn't read it) but man, was I glad I pressed on.

CHARACTERS || I loved Logan and Foster, 'nuff said. They had a real love-hate relationship. Their bickering and sweetness made my tummy dance every now and then.The supporting characters weren't that bad either. I actually had a thing for Abercrombie model for awhile. But Foster can be really... spontaneous (I guess) but yeah, they can be really REALISTIC.

WRITING || It's gorgeously written. I can't explain enough, you'll just have to read it for yourself! But lemme tell you this: the lines here are witty, and outrageously funny!

OVERALL || Buy it if you're hormonal. Even if you lack the hormones, you'll get them soon enough. In my case, I didn't really like the whole revelation thing. They were too abrupt for me, like they came out of no where. But even so, the whole of the book will make up for that fail and you'll be happy to have read the book (despite reading this negative criticism) anyway. So READ IT, READ IT, READ IT!

I'm putting the synopsis because I want to, haha.

Catching fire

Title: Catching Fire
Author: Suzanne Collins
My rating: 4/5


     This book is the 2nd in the Hunger Games trilogy. After reading the first book, I was really excited for this one! 


    If the first book was full of thrill and suspense, this one has a lot of ants (alamigas)! haha. What I mean is, there's a lot of focus given to Katniss and Peeta. But the thrill and suspense are still there, they just put a lot of scenes of sweetness! Which I actually like about catching fire. But I think in my opinion, the first book is still better. ;D


     And the ending of this book is such a cliffhanger. tsk. I guess that's good in a way for series kind of books. It makes the readers want more. xD

5 Christian Books To Read

I was at a local bookstore earlier today and found two books that I would probably buy before the end of this month. One is Passion & Purity by Elisabeth Elliot and the other another edition of My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. So as you might have guessed, they're topping this list.

1. Passion&Purity - Elisabeth Elliot

A friend of mine suggested this book to me when I asked him for a good read. I read the foreword by Joshua Harris and suddenly, interest sparked within me. I'm really looking forward to reading this book and finding out what God's plan for me is in here.

2. My Utmost for His Highest - Oswald Chambers

I found a copy of My Utmost for His Highest at my church nearly a month ago and read it (cuz that's what I do when I find books, haha). But I'm planning to return it to the owner soon so I'm getting myself a copy of this amazing devotional.

3. It's Not About Me - Max Lucado

I like the cover, for one. I think I read the synopsis sometime ago and liked it (because I made a memo of it in my phone). So when I get the funds, I'm gonna buy it!

 

 

4. Stop Dating The Church - Joshua Harris

I read something in Harris' blog, a letter or something addressed to him by a pastor of a small church. Because of the commendation or story or whatever you call it, I decided to get the book. I'm a fan of Harris' from his I Kissed Dating Goodbye and Boy Meets Girl.

5. True Colors Series - Melody Carson

Some strong teen fiction. Read about 4 books since my 2nd year of high school. You get alot from them really. But they're majorly for girls. But if you're open-minded...

Book Review: Boy Meets Girl by Joshua Harris

Title: Boy Meets Girl
Series: N/A
Author: Joshua Harris
Genre: Marriage & Relationships
My Rate: 4.5/5 ohsum
Published: 2005

School has taken a toll on me and I want basically unable to post for a couple of days. But fear no more, as I am now back with a brand new book (and the blog's brand new look). So I received this book as a gift from Page, Christmas 2010. My relationship ideas were really challenged by it (although I was, and still am, really young.) in a good way. I've never read I Kissed Dating Goodbye or any other Joshua Harris book prior to this but I enjoyed it and got many things from it. I'm really happy to have read this book at this age (I'm seventeen going on eighteen) and plan to read it again in the future to further understand it.


At first I thought that me reading this book would be weird since I'm no where near the age of marriage--not even for the age of romantic relationships (in my opinion). I've never even had anything close to romantic. But I know it can get pretty complicated, my parents' failed marriage is a testimony to that. Because of this book, I was encouraged. And despite this book not being entirely age-appropriate, it really allowed me to embrace my singleness (even when people would think otherwise, as in their minds I'm but a hormonal teenager--not really the case in reality) and look forward to the one God has set for me. Out of all the marriage books for teens out there, this seems to be the most digestible. So I'm more than glad to have finished this read.


I really thank God that I was able to read this book (I can't say that enough). He revealed much to me everytime I flipped a page. This book talks much of glorifying God in marriage and the preparation of such. I really recommend it to my peers who, like me, want to have God-glorifying relationships in the future!

Book Review: Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Title: Wander Dust

Series: The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy
Author: Michelle Warren

Genre: Romance, YA Fiction, Adventure

My Rate: 4.7/5

Published: 11/30/2011

I just got out of the hospital and am supposed to be resting today so I'm not at school. Caught a little virus and was there for four days. THE HORROR. But I kept myself busy by playing Tetris and reading a little. I finished Wander Dust in there too. HOOORRRAY! Read on for the actual review mateys.

CHARACTERS || I like the characters, just not a fan of their names. I mean, Seraphina, seriously? But I think it started to grow on me by the end of the fifth chapter. And I really pity the protagonist. She's so lonely I could cry! (not really) But yeah Bishop and Sam's okay. I hate the third wheel because I hate third wheels in general (but this girl's a whole new different level, I just wanna kick her in the shin). But aside from that, I really admire Sera's strength in controlling her feelings for Bishop. She's not like those hormonal, deluded female leads who are almost the ones jumping the male leads. She's goal-oriented and us girls (even the non-fictional ones) could learn a thing or two from her. As for Max Bishop, typical British hottie. The lady in black, the grungy gang kept me on the edge as I read them at night time. But by the middle of the book, I was a wee bit disappointed for the Lady in black--I really wanted more from her.

WRITING || I love how it's written and how it incorporates Egyptian myths and legends into the plotline. Historical events even. Fun to read, their world isn't that hard to grasp too. The mystery thrilled me. Her making a list of them was, in my opinion, very helpful.

OVERALL || I think it's a pretty interesting book. I've never read anything on time traveling before (I've seen the movie Time Traveler's Wife though, if that counts). The cover is quite attractive, if I may say so myself. I'm going to wait for the second book while I'm crossing my fingers this trilogy won't keep me up for several nights then fail me in the last installment (AHEM, Hunger Games).

First book review: Hunger games

Title: Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: 5/5 ✔  ☺ 

Review:

My friend recommended me this book when we were in high school. So I read it and I loved it so much.

It's about a girl, Katniss Everdeen, from a very poor district who volunteered to join the annual hunger games in place of her little sister. The hunger games is an annual thing that features children, called tributes, from the 12 districts to fight each other and the last man standing wins. The Hunger games was a reminder for everyone in the 12 districts of the uprising against the Capitol, that if they ever rebel again they will be defeated just like how the Capitol wiped out the 13th district.

Katniss met Peeta Mellark as another tribute from her district. Along with their mentor, they try to fight for survival in the Hunger games.

If you want action and suspense, romance and even a little bit of comedy- this book got it all. The way it is written is superb and the descriptive paragraphs gives you a really good image of what the author is trying to portray.

It will keep you turning the page, you can't get enough of it!

So I highly recommend this! :D 

*p.s. my first time in giving reviews so excuse everything and yes, also the signature. haha :P