Abby Joy B.: 2014

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

Tis' the season to be jolly, *falsetto voice* fa la la la ~ la la la *cracks up*

Anyway, Christmas already passed and the New Year awaits us in a few hours. Time flies really fast, eh? To share our Christmas celebration, we just had the usual family gathering which used to be chaotic and in an uproar, but this year only a few relatives showed up. Some of my aunts and uncles as well as my dad work abroad. Some of my little cousins were away from us. So in short, it was really serene and calm, but hey, we still enjoyed it with the chatter and FOOD. You can never go wrong with FOOD. <3 My mom, sister and I will have a simple New Year's Eve dinner celebration + watch fireworks light the sky<33 So excited!

New books for December ♥_♥ Two of these were gifts, the rest were from my Christmas moneyyyy. I just noticed that DoSaB was used twice XD I'm so excited to read all these books especially Shadow Kiss!

Won this from Kaitlin's giveaway! Thank you so much! :D It is huge. GOSH. I thought it was just the usual size of a hardback but maaaaan, it is huuuuuge and heavy. I am so excited to read this. Let's do thiz Celaena! Sorry for the messy room XD

I wish everyone a wonderful and epic 2015! Be happy and get wasted (just suggesting (;)

NINE B O O K S O F 2014

Second part of this post is about my top reads for 2014!!!! I was supposed to do Jamie's end of the year survey, but while I was doing it, I realized how repetitive my answers were for I read a few books this year. Frankly, I admit that 2014 was a terrible reading year for me. 5 star books were so elusive this year. I don't know what I have been reading, but seeing my TEN 5-star ratings made me want to re-evaluate my choices in life. It didn't help too that I was so busy with college this year. Click on the covers for goodreads page.

The Young Elites made me cry - not just because of that particular scene, but also because the heroine was horribly tormented + has daddy issues. Her pain and agony were almost palpable. I haven't written a proper review for this, but I hope I could share my thoughts about this book next year! World After made my heart ache and erratically beat so hard. I missed my RAFFRYN OTP so darn much! I felt a little underwhelmed with The Blood of Olympus but over all, I still rated it 5 stars since, duh, NICO AND WILL???? Goshdamn. And also, there were a lot of moments that I absolutely enjoyed. I will miss Percy and the gang :(. The Lost probably was the most surprising book for me this year. It is my first Sarah Durst book and I utterly loved it! It has a very unique premise and the magical-realism was really executed well.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone was awesome! I never thought that I could enjoy another angel book aside from Ee's books. Laini Taylor is a very talented storyteller. Aaaahh, you guys should read the book. Her writing was breathtaking. Maybe Someday was a helluva rollercoaster ride. I- I just... There was too much feels! I recoil from books with cheating, but this is definitely an exception. It was done so well! Goshdamn, the emotions!! Split Second: “What about you? How does it feel to know though you have an advanced mind, the girl you love wants me?" Nuff said Trevor, mi luv.

Lovely Vicious was another surprising read. So here's the thing, the main character was SUPERB. Friggin' fantastic and hilarious. On the Fence was very fun and fluffy read. Anything that is contemporary Kasie West is a go-go.

I highly recommend all these to everyone! These books absolutely made my year epic and superb. Some of these are part of a series that I already started way back and some were from authors that I haven't heard before <3.

Have you read any of these books? Any of these books are also on your top reads this year? Share your thoughts!

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This feature settles to be a weekly update of both my personal and bookish activities. Although I am sure that this won't be a regular weekly post, I am going to try my best to publish this kind of post if I really have interesting to share (I tend to be lame). So without further ado here it goes...

LEARNING CENTER (LIBRARY VOLUNTEER)

We volunteered in a learning center to help arrange their library. And being a book junkie, seeing hundreds of books all in one place made me so giddy. We got to cover the books, catalog the books, find the liexer of the books, arrange them on the shelves....& (gush over all the books - well I did)! It was a fun experience I totally found solace and happiness seeing those children books. I even got to browse some of the books I've read since I was young. The organization also sells tote bags with beautiful book quotes! My mouth really watered from all the beautiful typography and graphics.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Hands down! One of the best movies I watched this year! \o/ The action scenes were intense as well as the struggle of Ceasar (main lead) to trust humans again. SO AMAZAEBALLS TIL THE LAST SECOND OF THE FILM! And oh, my eyes got misty for some heart-wrenching scenes T_T I highly recommend this film!

LAST DAY OF VACATION

Finally, my second year in college!!! And that's actually everything about this portion. Lol. Wish me luck ;)

POSTS FOR THE WEEK + BOOKS READ

Like, Okay, Nope: Sea Breeze by Abbi Glines
A long due review of Vampire Academy // 3 stars
Top Ten Blogging/Reading Confession - I missed doing TTTs!
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I READ THIS YEAR: Review of Lost by Sarah Beth Durst // 5 stars

On the Fence by Kasie West // 5 stars
Love Rosie by Cecilia Ahern // 3 stars
Fallen Too Far by Abbi Glines // 2 stars

EXTRAS:

WATCH AND LISTEN TO JOHN LEGEND'S YOU AND I MUSIC VIDEO! The beautiful imperfections of women and the song - the song got me weak on my knees! So powerful yet so endearing.

LOVE ROSIE'S TRAILER!!! Oh gosh there were tears! I am a sucker for childhood/bestfriend romance and the story really took it to a different level. I am not taking my expectations on this film adaptation, but I AM OVERLY EXCITED TO SWOON OVER SAM CLAFLIN EXCUSE MY *INSERT KEYBOARD SMASH*

Starring: Lily Collins & Sam Claflin

(CLARY FRAY AND FICNNICK ODAIR! HAHA)

And next week I might post my first ever accumulated book haul! AHA. Plus some book reviews I've drafted over the week. I might as well do a font rec post inspired by Cee @ Novel Hermit. My #LEGENDary posts shall be moved to a different month due to some reasons that I need to fix! Heehee. So that's for my week! How was yours? :D

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The Lost
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Date of Publication: May 27, 2014
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Synopsis:

It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassable dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing--and what she's running from--before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found...

Against the backdrop of this desolate and mystical town, Sarah Beth Durst writes an arresting, fantastical novel of one woman's impossible journey...and her quest to find her fate.

Alice In Wonderland Confused animated GIF

Isn't this book just maddening? But then again,

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN LOST?

I feel like I am compelled to write something deeper than the usual. I don't know, but this book made me realize a lot of things in life. It resonated me. It struck me with a chord. My mind is still reeling as well as my emotions. This is like a darker version of Alice in Wonderland & Peter Pan with ample of physiological and emotional contort. The world is very unusual, it needs a good writing to depicts the intention of The Lost. My interpretation might differ from others. That's the beauty of books, you can never know what they really are all about. You can only see it the way you are.

"All the world is made of faith, trust, and pixie dust."

This is a story about Lauren's unexpected detour. She only meant to drive and run away for a while from the possible mishap or bad news to come in her life: Her mom dying of Cancer. But she found herself in a dust storm and ended up in the town called Lost. Where all the Lost are Found.

HARDY HAR HAR THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR. SO AMAZING. AMAZEBALLS/ HELLUVA AWESOME. AND ALL SORTS OF WORDS RELATED TO BRILLIANT.

This book is very unique, odd, eccentric yet too enticing and thought-provoking. It tackles about everyone's crisis in life. Being lost. The main character, Lauren, is a very realistic character. She's no fictional, we see the kind of her in our everyday lives. Maybe I even see myself in her. She's smart with a sense of dry humor. She's not the kind of character that everyone will like,but then again she is very realistic and by means of being realistic she can be annoying and insufferable sometimes (i mean we all are in many ways). But in the end, I eventually admired and loved her. She's a strong grown-up woman, she wears her big panties and knows how to be independent. Until she got lost in Lost.......and met a bunch of crazy lost people, a kid with a knife and teddy bear, a mysterious, hauntingly handsome Peter.

“You don’t seem to be an interesting person,” he says. “Lost your way emotionally, psychologically, and physically. Cut-and-dried, really. There must be more to you.”

Three of the most striking characters (ever in my reading history) would be Lauren, Claire and Peter (as in hot and older version of Peter Pan). Their bonding was precious and memorable. It was a spur of the moment kind of friendship that grew stronger and stronger as they struggled to survive. I ached for them. They were a team, not individuals who will betray you any time of the day. Claire is a very endearing character. She's just a kid but she acts like an adult. She's very resourceful and talented, so full of life.

Peter might appear brusque and an asshole potential at first impression, but that's just the impression. He's playful and full of riddles I sometimes can't comprehend. Let's just say, he knows stuff and he experienced stuff. He's the Finder after all. He helped Luaren through and through her adventure in Lost. But he's also lost and that makes him very frail at heart and soul. I loved loved loved Peter. After I finished reading this I am sure he's now included ON my book boyfriend list. He made it to the 5th place! (I only have like 4 book boyfriends before). I am a very picky reader, sometimes I swoon over heroes but never considered them to be a book boyfriend, BUT PETER OH PETER!!!!! He was very different from the usual. I can't understand him, he was so mysterious and I like heroes to be that way. You know they do more than they talk and that was all makes him gushy gush gush kind of character.

DEFINITELY ME

The romance was slow burning with lots lots lots of attraction and sexual tension. It was palpable, I almost got burned because of Lauren and Peter's undeniable bizarre chemistry. I found myself restless on my reading position because of what happened to their relationship. I GRUNTED, SCREAMED AND CLENCHED MY FIST SO HARD. It was so unfair. So so unfair. Everytime they have an intimate moment it will be cut short! Seriously, why are you doing this to me?

"If they come back they're yours. If they don't they never were."

"If you love someone, set them free." That's the start of that quote. I don't meet Peter's eyes.

But what afflicted the most on me was the mother-daughter relationship in this book. OKAY I AM NOT GOING TO CRY NOT. NOT. NOT. I love my mom so darn much, and this book just made me realize that one day, He (whoever is above) will take her from me without a warning sign (or maybe just a three month warning sign). I can't imagine that. I've always dreamed of a life with my mother in the picture that's why I sobbed like a baby when I got to read the last pages of the book. And throughout Lauren's stay in Lost, she never ever ever forget about her mother. As in never. She was just shaken at the fact that she might be dying soon that's why she ran away for awhile, but she never intended to leave her mother alone for a long long time. The relationship and bonding was gold, it made me really cave for it. I was very vulnerable in this aspect of the book. So thumbs up, this book has very wonderful perspective about mother-daughter relationship.

All in all, this book was sheer brilliant. I loved that it was written in a way that fuzzed my brain but later did I understand why. The writing matched the overall tone of the book. Sometimes the writing can be very detailed that it feels like it's meant for a five year old to comprehend, but don't fret because beneath the writing is an adventure that is worth reading. So much mystery, romance, family bond, inner conflict, life lessons and all. You just don't get a simple book, you get so much more than you expected.

And to anyone who has read the book, can I ask you a question........... highlight the text...

Is the Missing Man Lauren's father? Because Lauren has the same ability as him and he went to her Mom's funeral.. So I am guessing there's something deeper to this. What you think?

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Vampire Academy

Author: Richelle Mead

Date of Publication: Aug 16, 2007

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Synopsis:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

RAWR! *shows pangs*

Sorry I don't know the sound of vampires, maybe, *SNAAARL-GRRRRawr* will do?

Okay, stop with that nonsense! I've read Vampire Academy way back 2011 and I never had the chance to write a review for it. The 14 year old me probably was so giddy to swoon over the male leads. HA! That was me as a reader. But I changed. A little. Heck. A lot. I reread VA before I jumped into watching the movie last Feb. You all probably know what VA is all about for it is popular and well-known in the YA section. But if you don't know, then, you must know. SORRY I BLABBER.

*clears throat* I'll be serious now. So imagine a typical high school life, but this time it's a vampire version. There are the cool kids, bitchy popular ones, hot dudes and of course, the royal ones. But don't fret, it has a very promising story about greed for power, Strogoi starving for vampire blood and Moroi protecting the royals(Dhampirs) scheme.

“Love and loyalty runs deeper than blood.”

I enjoyed reading this because of four reasons: 1.) Rose Hathaway is kickass and snarky. Her character is very refreshing. She doesn't cause drama and she just basically do the hell she wants. Her reactions are precious. She's also loyal and responsible to her job of protecting Lissa, her bestfriend. 2.) The bestfriend relationship was touching. Lissa and Rose maybe on different class of their society, but they have this very very close tie that no one can destroy. 3.) Plot has so much potential, it is very unique for me. The writing as well as the pacing was enough to get lost in the sea of pages. 4) CHRISTIAN OZERA.

On the other hand, the romance was very flat. It didn't spice up anything. Rose and Dimitri was so meh I actually want to skim their moments. WHERE'S THE CHEMISTRY. Lissa and Christian's relationship on the other hand was almost fluffy, but still hauntingly dark. Christian is hot.. I mean mysterious and I like my heroes to be that hot...I mean mysterious. Lissa felt like a secondary character rather than a main one. It was hard for me to get the connection or give appreciation on her character. She doesn't say or do that much.

The cliche highschool drama was still here. After all, this is YA. But I can't help to roll my eyes or scrunch my nose at the futile dramas. The latter was exciting. I wasn't able to guess who is behind the evil doings, but BAM once we got to the closure of the book, I was thrilled and sort of surprised. You know that feeling of "I know who it is but I feel like he/she is not it" kind? That was exactly what happened. Last point I want to share is I definitely adore Rose & Christian's uncanny, wacky friendship. Before I end this review, I leave you some of my favorite lines/dialogues.

Exhibit A:

A ghostly smile flickered across his face. "If you weren't so psychotic, you'd be fun to hang around."
"Funny, I feel that way about you too." He didn't say anything else, but the smile grew, and he walked away.

Exhibit B:

“When I saw you fall..."
"You thought, 'Wow, she's a loser.'"

Exhibit C:

“I love pity parties. I wish I'd brought hats”

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Welcome to my new feature called Like, Okay, Nope! Yes, a lame and lousy title for a lame person like me. Anyways, this is a series review. Sometimes I marathon series because WHY NOT. Marathon-ing series especially if there are already many published books save us from the agony of waiting.

The first series on the grill is Sea Breeze by Abbi Glines. The whole series revolved around a group of friends living in coastal town Sea Breeze, Alabama. I wasn't a fan of Abbi's other books, but I still found time to try this series since I was told that all the stories are quick read with predictable plots, but very compelling characters. My first thought was, "I got nothing to lose anyway." And so, I read Because of Low. I instantly jumped into the second book randomly. The rest is history..

L I K E - ★★★★

Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2): Really entertaining. Gripping. It tackled a very sensitive social issue that concerns affairs in family. It was a hard subject but the writing made it lightweight. As soon as the story starts, Marcus Hardy instantly snugged all my attention. He's so charming, funny, gentleman (yes he's hot but he's more than oozing hot or yummy!). He loves his family and he was his family's strength in times of mishap. Willow is a strong heroine, I found myself liking her despite the fact that I feel that she was selfish sometimes (because of that thing with Cage). Their relationship wasn't rushed, as well as reconciliation that happened in the end. I loved that their relationship worked in progress. And man the s scene? You'll be surprise!

Misbehaving (Sea Breeze #4): Kudos to this book! It made me misty-eyed. That says a lot to be honest. Once a story got me engaged, I know that it won't be long for me to call it as a very very good emotional book. It sort of wrecked me because the situation of Jesse is very poignant. Although she's known for causing trouble and the kind of "make-all-boys-kneel" because of his body, she still is a very vulnerable and insecure person. Jason is rich and quite famous because of his brother, but he isn't a jerk and cold prince in the making. He's also charming, playful, naughty (in a way), genuine and thoughtful. The chemistry between them is palpable, that I admit made me really like this book. Their relationship also went to a lot of downhill and while I enjoyed those parts (I was in a mood for a dramatic one), my heart also ached for them to be just together. Both Jesse and Jason amazed me. That and the "out of my league" plot made me really like this book.

O K A Y - ★★★

Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4): This book is nothing but cliche. But I still liked it and thought it was okay. Innocent meets the tainted one, huh? I was trying hard not to laugh at Amanda. She's innocent, sweet and infatuated to the bad boy, Preston. She's really desperate for his affection and eventhough he was acting like a jerk on her she still looks at him with so much adoration. Girl,you gotta love yourself first. Preston is hot, but the thing about him that made me "Awww" is he is family oriented. He does everything for his siblings's welfare. Their relationship was a constant "I want you" and "I am not good enough for you". It was tiring that I actual just want to skip through the last 60 pages to see what the big plot twist is. They deserve each other, I believe that and 'til the end, I thought that this book is still worth my time. (Warning: A number of sexual intercourse here ugh).
While it Lasts (Sea Breeze #3): Cage York, the known bad boy and player is actually that sweet and loyal. Yep. Actually the issue I have here was Eva. I think there were like 10 moments I want to grab and shake her so that she'll make up her mind. She's very confusing and sometimes I feel like she's just experimenting. Oops. Harsh. Cage isn't perfect too, he's too much of an alpha male, possessive and too sexual. I like the story though, two people mending and recovering.
Bad for You (Sea Breeze #7): So you've read the title.... The guy is bad for the girl. Boom. They fell in love. End of story. I really don't have much to say except that it's very typical. Krit has personality issues that affected his relationship with Blythe. On the other hand, he was gentle with her and their relationship was fluffy! OH EM GEE. Fluffy, really? Yes.

N O P E - ★
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Breathe (Sea Breeze #1): I dislike this so much. I think my head throbbed so hard from all the eye-rolls I made. Of course, the issue goes to the main characters, Sadie and Jax.
Hold on Tight (Sea Breeze #8): Dewayne seriously scared me. I don't know why I cared to read this, but for the sake of finishing the series (which actually doesn't end here because there'll be a 9th book, i just knew that yesterday haha). Actually, I just skimmed it because this is a predictable as duck as Breathe.

Last book is titled, Until the End. Expected release date: October 14, 2014.

Let me just rank the guys acc to my own preference:
1. Jason Stone
2. Marcus Hardy
3.5. Cage York & Preston Drake
5. Krit Corbin
6.5. Jax Stone & Dewayne Falco

Aaaaaand I am back! Sort of. Two weeks vacation to catch up with my TBR and blogging. I am going to visit a lot of blogs so you better prepare for the coming of the dark lord. Seriously, I missed blogging! Stressful first year in college just ended, I felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I am just now waiting for the final grade *anxious anxious anxious* I won't even fuss about the change in my template. ~~I am sorry I can't help it.~~

Do you like to marathon series? Have you read any of the books listed? What are your thoughts about this kind of review system? Do share!

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I wish everyone a wonderful and epic 2015! Be happy and get wasted (just suggesting (;)

NINE B O O K S O F 2014

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