Review of Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

Status: read and sitting next to my other Princess Diaries books.
Rating: 3/5.

Mia Thermopilis, POG (Princess of Genovia) herself, is back in the building! Long time no see Mia and Michael! Hiiii Lilly, I have missed the sass. Aww Tina, hello lovely. And Lana... well, I haven't missed you. The crew is back together! As I acknowledged in my latest book haul, I knew this was a money grab book from the start, a novel not intended to change the ending but to build a bridge for the Princess Diaries fandom to the inevitable spin-off series.

Mia's family drama is as always a delight to read. Oh the first world problems and the humour that ensues. Grandmere and Mia's father also play key roles in this book which I really enjoyed. Grandmere has also bought a new lady friend for Rommel the poodle, which doesn't really work out as she had hoped. And of course, as the title reveals, we do get a beautiful proposal and wedding :) *Sigh* Eleven books later and here we are.

In this book we also have quite a bit of romance however it was mostly alluded to; I expected a bit more maturity from the themes in this book but most problems and sexual themes were kept very surface, despite Mia's age and the expected maturity of the fandom. The plot wasn't exactly brave or surprising, thus, while I enjoyed the novel, I would not place it highly compared to the other books. Book 10 is one of my favourite finale books and so it has stayed.

Favourite quote:

I'm completely demanding an autopsy on my grandmother's brain when she's dead so I can see what I'm in for as I age.

Review of Winger by Andrew Smith

Hey there! You look super nice today - nicer than usual I mean. Welcome back to another book review, my last before starting university. The attention battle between textbooks vs novels will soon recommence. Let's get into reviewing. 

This is also a dang good cover too btw.

My first though as I finished this book was, 'Quick, write what you're feeling,' and the next few minutes I stared at a blank page. Pretty much, I didn't know what to feel about what just happened which, I guess, was the point. More on the ending later though.

Winger tells the story of a rugby playing, cartoon drawing, 14 year old boy who is struggling to 'not become an ass' under the influence of his new dorm mates. He is the youngest in the grade by 2 year and consistently tries proving self-worth to his teammates, his new friends and to his best friend Annie who has friend-zoned him to the max. Some standout characters included his stalker/perverted friend Seanie, the big-hearted Joey and of course the British rugby coach whose pleasant humour was emphasised by his 'Henry Higgins' accent.

I cannot adequately convey how funny this book was. The book was littered with cartoons Ryan Dean draws to relive moments, play out his weird nightmares or sexual fantasies. There were so many ridiculously hilarious situations -he's a male version of Mia Thermopolis really- and a lot of too-much-information alerts. Being a kind of girly-girl, it took a bit of convincing for me to truly immerse myself in the book. A few chapters in however, I was hooked. The gigantic presence of Ryan Dean as a narrator was the hero of the book for me.

And now we come to the end, which I don't really want to tell you about apart from the shell-shock numbness that washed over me. It was a great book. Truly. But I don't think I'll reread it any time soon for fear that I will notice things I over-looked the first time through. I do recommend you read this book if you like John Green. That means everyone :) 

Favourite quote:

"I shaved this morning, Joey. I had one whisker. Here Can you see it?"

I held my chin up and pointed. 

Joey leaned close and laughed.

"Yeah. Sure." And then he asked, "How was her place?"

"Incredible. I am so in love with her, Joey."

"I can see that, Ryan Dean. More than I can see that nonwhisker, that's for sure."

Leave me your thoughts on Winger and your book recommendations. Ciao!

Review of 'The Moon and More' by Sarah Dessen

I got this book for Christmas and I was so pumped to read it. Lying in the sun with a book is my favourite holiday activity, handy really. The Moon and More lived up to my high expectations. There was romance, awkwardness, future talk and then, clarity. The sort of clarity you get after demarcation. Currently stuck in the limbo between high school and college myself, I found Emaline’s story empowering.

As always, Dessen’s characterisation was the hero of a beautiful dish. Emaline was awesomely kick-ass. Theo was hilarious. Benji was super duper cute. Morris, ah Morris. Every character was flawed and perfect, the relationships between them were dynamic and authentic. They make you laugh and empathise, all the things that characters should do.

Should I mention the crossovers? Crossovers are a notable part of Dessens work; although her novels are standalones, Colby is the hub of so many stories. Sarah Dessen is pretty much fuelling my obsession. The crossovers with Along for the Ride and Last Chance made me squeal. It was like seeing old friends for the first time in years, a phenomenon only a true booklover will understand.

The quote, “I will give you the moon and more,” resonates as Emaline is presented with a murky future. Should she pine for Columbia or be happy with her local college? Should she be aiming higher, or in a different direction? The concept was clear throughout and led to a really satisfying end.

Have I convinced you yet? Go read this book, discover Colby. Be happy.

Favourite quote:

“The mistakes you make now count. Not for everything, and not forever. But they do matter, and they shape you.”

First book of 2014. Done.

The most wonderful time of the year.

Happy holidays!

Christmas has me sufficiently spoiled, fat and lazy so I thought I’d share some of my new bookish acquisitions with you to make myself useful.

1. Champion by Marie Lu.

The final novel in the Legend series did not disappoint. I bought a digital copy of this book earlier in the month as a Merry Christmas present to me. Unfortunately, I could not stop myself from reading it before Christmas. It was very action-packed, suspenseful and romantic. But a little disclaimer, please don’t try read this right after Allegiant as I did. I do not wish such suffering on anyone.

2. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.

This is a pre-loved copy I got at a bookswap for a very good price. It is one of those books that I had no idea about but the lady recommended it, and we book-lovers have to trust each other. I am very excited to read such a classic sci-fi. 

3. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen.

I AM SO EXCITED. My sister –bless her soul- bought me this for Christmas to begin my Sarah Dessen collection. Weirdly enough, I have read all her books, adore them and do not own any physical copies. The situation has been rectified and I am ready to fall head over heels again. This is her latest book and will be for a while. So so excited.

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling.

Ah, I feel as if a piece of me has been restored. I first read the entire series this year without having seen the movies. After being ostracised by the Potterhead community which included many of my friends, I quietly I borrowed the first book from the library and began my journey. A few years late but I made it to Hogwarts nonetheless. This is the childhood favourite I never knew I needed.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K Rowling.

I had enough money for one more Harry Potter book and who could pass up this pre-loved, first edition hardcover? I loved this book to the moon and back and remember re-reading the epilogue everyday until I had to return it. Now that I have my own copy, no one can stop my obsession. Depending on your perspective, this is an excellent or terrible prospect.

6. Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke.

Last but certainly not least, a short collection of letters in reply to a young writer asking for review of his work and life advice. This book is a beautiful patchwork of Rilke’s sarcasm, wisdom and prose which I hope will inspire me to write and read the rest of my life.

Click on the titles to see the synopsis and other reviews. Also let me know what bookish gifts you received for Christmas – the good and bad. Ciao!

Christmas storytelling.

Since it's Christmas I thought I'd do a little post about the season. Apart from buying lots of presents, visiting friends and trying to fit everything into a tight schedule or budget, each year my family and I go to Christmas mass. This is a special mass where we sing Christmas carols, listen to the preachings about Jesus' coming on earth and the Christmas story.

To be honest, I used to hate going to church ESPECIALLY special celebrations. The masses are twice as long, unbearably hot (it's summer in Australia) and extremely crowded. Not good if you're in any way claustrophobic. But one day I just decided I'd look at mass as this story telling session. I can handle that. If I can handle 5 hour book binge reading then I can handle uncomfortable seating and repetitive scriptures for a little while.

Our nativity set 2013.

With this in mind my church experiences weren't nearly as bad. I think if other people took this approach Christmas carols and other "holy" things would be tolerable even if you aren't Christian and don't believe a word of it or it. The Christmas story can appreciate the Christmas story on a purely narrative level.


It was prophecised that a king would be born into the world to defeat evil once and for all- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, C.S Lewis
His parents were turned away at every door- Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
Even so, he was born marked by love - Harry Potter J.K. Rowling
And because of him -a small, poor, rejected boy- there was hope for us all. There was hope of better things to come - I am the Messenger,  Marcus Zusack

I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

How to cry your eyes out- Allegiant book discussion

I’ve tried writing this several times now. But to be honest, I really don’t know what to feel. I may as well start from the beginning...

About a year ago I first read Divergent and Insurgent. Fast-paced and intriguing, it tells the story a Tris who makes the choice to change factions, jumps off buildings, falls in love with a boy of four fears, shoots guns, reveals government conspiracies and searches for some sort of truth. The highly anticipated conclusion to this dystopia increased on the release of the Divergent movie trailer. There was a lot of squeeling when I first saw the book on the shelves. Literally, squealing and skipping towards it in Target.

Brief combined reviews of Divergent and Insurgent:

 In Chicago, the government is controlled by members of factions. Factions divide the citizens into groups who have certain mental and moral structures. For instance, members of Abnegation- Tris’ original faction- dress in grey and are in charge of helping the city’s homeless as they prize selflessness. There are also other factions such as of knowledge and bravery. A person’s faction is usually inherited from their parents however when a person turns 16, an aptitude test reveals to which one they belong and a choosing ceremony forges their future. Tris’ examination reveals an anomaly, that she could belong to more than one faction. Tris is Divergent. Special and dangerous to the government. She commences the Dauntless initiation- the faction of bravery and dare I say, psychosis- where she meets friends, enemies, knives, tattoo artists and a cast of terrifying and fascinating characters. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Tris’ journey continues in Insurgent as she deals with the aftermath of death, killing, deception and knowing the truth when you don’t really want to. The concept of how different characteristics war in us – the good and bad, selfish and selfless, brave and complacent- is consistent in all three books and makes for a fantastic message in the finale. If this sounds appealing then please stop here. You really don’t want to be spoiled on such a fantastic series. When you read the books, feel free to come back and discuss. Ciao...

Okay. They’re gone.

Allegiant Review and Discussion

The novel begins a little while after the Edith Prior revelation. The whole city is a controlled experiment. I’m glad that’s cleared up but this opens up a wave of new questions. What is beyond the fence? Is it time to send out the Divergent to complete their original ‘mission’? Will Evelyn let them? It becomes obvious that the city is in danger of another uprising, this time of the Allegiant – a new rebel group dedicated to preserving the factions, overtaking the factionless and going beyond the fence. Tris, Four, Christina, Uriah, Cara, Caleb, Peter, Tori and Johanna head out of the city. This is where it gets interesting (straggling spoiler seekers, please leave. It’s for your own good and the rest may not make much sense).

Holiday Reads

Hello again,

Brief life update: I graduated about 2 weeks ago. It was crazy and weird and it's freaking me out how non-emotional I was compared to how I thought I would be. Christmas is also coming up very soon and I am extremely excited to be singing Christmas carols and watching endless Vlogmas videos on youtube.

Which leads me to my main post- Festive reads. There is really nothing better. Not only are these books fantastic (trust me) but they are a lot of Christmasy fun and would make great gifts too. Message to my parents, 'THEY WOULD MAKE GREAT GIFTS. Thank you.'

Sneaky bookshop photo.

Book 1- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephan Chbosky.

A long time ago in the magical world of childhood innocence, a boy called Charlie celebrates his birthday on Christmas Eve. Family happens. High school happens. Christmas happens again. Although this book may leave you a bit misty eyed, I guarantee that your heart will be warmed by Charlie's raw letters as he braves the world.

Book 2- Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan.

Lily leaves a little red book in a bookstore hoping a potential friend will find it. Dash completes the first mission and leaves the book for Lily. This treasure hunt through New York is hilarious and sweet. One of my sister's all time favourites.

Another sneaky bookshop photo.

Book 3- Let it Snow by Maureen Johnson, John Green & Lauren Myracle.

3 random strangers caught in a Christmas snow storm who quickly become your best friends. A quirky combination of intertwining stories of love, joy, friendship and a little pinch of magic for taste. My favourite authors all rolled into one. This book will have you dreaming of a white Christmas.

Let me know if you've read any of these or are planning too. Also, what's a new Christmas read I can look for? Ciao.