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Received an arc in exchange for an honest review

Title: And We Stay

Author: Jenny Hubbard

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: January 28, 2014

Hardbound: 240 pages

Rating: 4/5 stars

And We Stay is a wonderful masterpiece of prose and poetry. It's a book that mirrors the loss and tragedy of Emily's life through the main narrative and through Emily's own poetry. I've never come across a book that has tackled death and loss the way Hubbard did it in her book. Although I hate chapter in betweeners, in this novel I felt like Emily's poetry was complementary to the story and was essential to drive the plot further. At some point, I even felt like I wanted to read the poetry more than the actual narrative, as Emily became even more real through the poetry.

And We Stay was a quick read, despite the theme to be very tragic. A lot of issues such as abortion, suicide and depression were brought to light in the story, something that is very challenging to do in a decent way. I also found the characters to be very real and relatable - Emily, Paul, her friends, teachers, everyone. All the characters are believable, none of them being overly dramatic or angsty, and their actions properly justified. This is the kind of book that I felt like so many things were happening, but nothing was happening much at all. And We Stay didn't jam pack you with too much events but you could feel things happening for the characters, especially Emily as she comes to terms with her grief. Thus, there was a very calm and poetic atmosphere while reading the book - something that I appreciated immensely. There were no screaming and bawling dramatic intense scenes. It was very simple and silent, which I loved. I also love how they paralleled Emily to Emily Dickinson, I felt like it was very apt and a unique way to go with the story while at the same time having the readers learn more about Dickinson.

Author: Robin Sloan

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; First Edition edition (October 2, 2012)

Publication date: October 2nd 2012

Hardcover: 304 pages
Rating: 3.5/5

Nerds are awesome! Nerds are cool! Nerd out! Let your nerd flag fly! Seriously!

Upon finishing this quite eccentric yet totally awesome book, this nonsensical blubber is the result. Mr. Sloan, I don't know where to begin with this except to tell you that: YOU ARE SUCH A NERD, BUT AN AWESOME ONE AT THAT. Really. Awesome.

Okay so maybe I have overused the word 'awesome' already, but I cannot think of a better word to describe this feeling I have in connection to this awesome book. Okay enough with the awesomes.

The hero of this novel is Clay Jannon, a graphic designer with mediocre programming skills who has become unemployed due to the recession. He ends up with the late night shift at a bookstore, where everything is not what it seems. The rules set by the mysterious owner Mr. Penumbra are at first simple: 1. You must not be late. 2. You must not browse, read or inspect the shelved volumes in the bookstore (otherwise known as the Wayback List).

Well, obviously, curiosity strikes and Clay finds himself breaking the rules Penumbra laid down for him, as Penumbra always hoped and expected him to. From this, Clay discovers that this isn't about a weird book club for old people, but is actually a secret society trying to decode a 500-year old encoded volume with gibberish language that actually contains the secret to the greatest question: How do we live forever?

This is the first comic or graphic novel I've read this year (and in a long time). I love art and illustrations but for some reason, the last I've read are Archie comics, WITCH comics and the occasional manga (they weren't actually occasional they were pretty frequent). I don't really know what got into me that I stopped reading comic books or was never into them in the first place. I've always planned on reading Marvel comics or DC comics but I didn't know where to get them so it never happeend. I guess what I'm saying is I am not that kind of geek.

But I wanted to widen my horizons and decided to start reading more graphic novels this year. When I received an arc of Monsters & Other Stories, I thought why not? And it is definitely the perfect graphic novel for everyone who wants to get into comics.

Just a little anecdote before I begin with my review. I once had a film professor, who is one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the country, before who told me that we shouldn't make films that had no sound - in other words, he was saying that the silence can be awkward. He said that dead air can be quite deafening and that it is a big no-no in filmmaking. They were great words of advice, but I guess what he told us only applied to film.

Because sometimes the silence is not defeaning, but actually very comforting.

Reading Monsters & Other Stories was like that - like watching an animated silent film. It had no dialogue so you had to make sense of all the illustrations - which were all very graphic and full of detail. But in this case, the lack of dialogue was what pushed the plot and made it all the more an enjoyable read. It wasn't awkward to not have the characters talk or have a dialogue bubble following them around. It was strangely liberating, as we as the readers are for the first time given the creative freedom to make sense of the story in our own ways. I myself do admit that I prefer words over pictures any day, but this one made me appreciate the silence and the independent license to interpret the tale into whatever way you want.

The stories were also very brilliant, eccentric yet brilliant. The first had elements of aliens and pigs, the second had the Reaper and some chickens and the third involved giant monsters attacking the city with an unlikely hero saving the day. My favorite would have to be the first one, it was so morbidly funny I tried to imagine it being colored, and then dismissed the idea when I started imagining seeing the blood and all those gore. That would just be too much.

Monsters & Other Stories was altogether a very enjoyable read. It did not feel like just looking at flat 2 dimensional pictures - instead the story and the characters all sprang to life and I was seeing them all dancing in my head as if they were all real. On the first level I was just reading the book and scrolling through the pictures, but in a deeper level I was experiencing the book and felt like I was a part of it - observing the story in front of me. The drawings were so imaginative but also vivid and real at the same time. The stories were all so wonderful, they made you think and ponder over what happened, encouraging the readers to think outside the box, and that sometimes you overlook things by not looking at the bigger picture. This is the kind of book that will make you think - it borders satire yet still can be passed as an innocent cartoon.

I would recommend this book to open minded readers who can make sense of alien pigs, chicken in suits and giant monsters. Of course, I am talking about children.

But if you still have the childlike wonder and awe inside you, then this book is also for you.

Have I ever told anyone that I love love love Ariana Grande? It's actually pretty crazy that out of all celebrities out there, Ariana is the only one who I can say is my inspiration (big word guys). There was even a time that I chose Ariana to be the one who I should dress as and act like in class. That was a long time ago and the only song of Ariana's that I knew was Put Your Hearts Up, so I sang that one. Pretty embarassing really. 

Why do I love Ariana? Because she's adorable and simple and amazing in every way. She does whatever she wants and doesn't care about all those haters. Plus, she has the best vocals ever! 

She also wears the BEST clothes ever!

Enough of my fangirling, I'm just gonna go straight to the point. I was scrolling over my photo albums then I noticed that I have A LOT of Ariana Grande quotes, so why don't I share them to you? 

So guess what happened yesterday?

I FINALLY GOT TO MEET GAYLE FORMAN!

Thank you National Book Store for this wonderful opportunity! :)

And I had to do it alone too, since my co-bloggers, Beryl and Audrey had *other* stuff to do (Guys, I am judging you for not going - haha just kidding, love you guys).

Anyway, I spent the whole day at National Book Store just waiting for Gayle to finally arrive. All the while, I was reading. I actually finished 3 books that day!

Oh and I also met some really cool and friendly girls, who talked to me and fangirled with me over my favorite books. Our discussion ranging from what year in school we are currently in to our thoughts about John Green. Cool, eh? We screamed for Gayle together, we squealed together, we laughed together, we got squished together! Only regret: WE NEVER ASKED FOR EACH OTHER'S NAMES! Why?!

Author: Julie Anne Peters

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publishing Date: February 1, 2006

Paperback: 248 pages

Rating: 4/5

Author: Karen Foxlee

Publisher: Knopf Books
Publishing Date: January 28, 2014

Hardcover: 240 pages

Rating: 4/5

I am very thankful that I was able to read this. When I first saw the synopsis, I admit I wasn't all that excited about it but now that I have read the story, I know that if I hadn't read this story I would have missed out on a lot. 

This story is about a young girl named Ophelia whose mother has just died. Ophelia, her father, and her sister have different ways of mourning their mother's death. The father immerses himself in his work, Alice, the sister, starts spending more time on her looks and with the fashionable Miss Kaminski, and Ophelia wanders around the museum. As Ophelia explores the museum she meets a boy and together they recover a sword and  save the world (with a bit of her family's help too). 

WARNING: THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO ALL ADULTS

Teenagers have always been a mystery to adults, but honestly we're not that mysterious. Adults misunderstand us. They think we're the kind of people who will end up homeless and unemployed. They think that we're disrespectful, sarcastic, shallow people who will end up becoming bums and/or couch potatoes. Well, we're not (although, inevitably, some of us will). Adults judge. Some of them act like they know everything, not accepting correction. 

I would like to talk about some topics that involve our generation and adults.

1. Technology

All that talk about technology ruling the younger generation's brains, making us more and more stupid everyday, is absolute crap. It's just not true. Adults also use a lot of gadgets! Some of them even rely on it more than we do! Some of them think that you won't get anything done without gadgets. Those people probably wouldn't stand a day without their phones or their computers. It's true that some teenagers are like that too. I am as guilty of this as the unnamed adults that I am talking about. Gadgets aren't useless but they aren't the way to everything either. 

2. Assumptions

Let me just say that I hate it when adults assume things that aren't even remotely correct. They judge people by how they dress. They judge books and movies by the covers or the titles and I just hate that. I know that when they do this they're just looking out for us, but that doesn't make it less frustrating. I hate it when adults say that a book is not appropriate simply because of the title or the cover. I hate it when adults say that a person must be bad just because they dress in the wrong color, or if they frown too much.

The first nail art that we tried is the braid manicure.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine

Book: City of Heavenly Fire

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publication date: May 27, 2014

From Goodreads:

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

You can preorder it here:

Title: Cursed Hearts ( A Crossroads Novel) 

Author: Light and Lowell

PDF: 446 Pages 

Genre: YA, Romance, Paranormal

Rating: 3.5/5 

Received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Pigments of My Imagination

Author: Angela Kulig
Publisher: Green Envy Press

Publication Date: September 23, 2013

Epub: 826 pages

Source: RC

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Pigments of My Imagination is about Lucia, an artist prodigy who is about to enter her new school at Bayside Academy. Yet even if others would be thrilled to be at one of the most prestigious and advanced art schools, Lucia is nothing but bothered, as she has always felt as if she knows people (déjàvu, she has always dismissed it), and it has become even worse when she arrives at her new school. Her mother would send her to psychologists and after each session, she would feel better, not knowing that her memories are being repressed. Yet, Lucia still has an empty feeling, as if she has to remember something but can't - until she meets Leo. And then we find out that Lucia and Leo are two lovers, part of the Soul Painters, a group of artists who have been reincarnated over and over again. And Lucia finds out that she has started a war several lifetimes ago, and it will never end until she does something about it. 

Pigments of my Imagination was definitely a fascinating read. I found Angela Kulig's writing so vivid and real. She was able to paint the setting quite so remarkably I could imagine the story play out in my head. The premise of POMI is very interesting and unique. For one, it's a reincarnation plot which has been done over and over again. But on the other hand, it uses art as the central key to the story. It is not just about fates, harpies and all sorts of magical creatures but it also talks about art and its beauty or curses. It's unlike any book I've ever read. At first I thought it to be a Mortal Instruments/Twilight crossover, but surprisingly it is actually very very different although some elements were similar. It didn't dwell much on the romance between Lucia or Leo, and the approach wasn't melodramatic with the story - though there were some melodramatic revelations.