The Coming of the Dragon by Rebecca Barnhouse is a retelling of the latter part of Beowulf. I don’t think I’ve ever read Beowulf or a retelling based on it. I don’t know much about this epic tale because we never studied it for school. The Coming of the Dragon came highly recommended by both Brandy of Random Musings of a Bibliophile and Charlotte of Charlotte’s Library so I decided to give it a go. Also, I’m very curious about the companion novel, Peaceweaver, because Ana and Thea of The Book Smugglers gave it a positive joint review. You can imagine my delight when I discovered that both books are available in the library. Yay for making the most out of my library membership!

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

When he was a baby, Rune washed up onshore in a boat, along with a sword and a pendant bearing the runes that gave him his nickname. Some people thought he was a sacrifice to the gods and wanted to send him right back to the sea. Luckily for Rune, King Beowulf disagreed. He lifted the boy from the boat and gave him to Amma, a wise woman living on a farm far removed from the king’s hall, to raise as she saw fit.

Sixteen years later, Rune spends his summers laboring on the farm. And at King Beowulf’s request, he comes to the hall each winter for weapons training. But somehow he never quite fits in. Many people still fear he will bring a curse on the kingdom. Then a terrible thing happens. On a lonely crag on a mountain that belongs to the giants, someone awakens a dragon. It is time for Rune to find the warrior inside himself and prove to the doubters once and for all that he is a true hero.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while now then you’re probably aware that I read all kinds of books but I rarely venture into middle grade territory. I only do that when a book comes recommended by book bloggers I trust. And when I end up enjoying the book, I usually feel like I would have loved to read it when I was in the target age for it. The Coming of the Dragon is one of those novels. I really liked Rune’s character development – he starts off as an insecure young man but grows into something more as the story progresses. I understood how difficult and confusing life must have been like for Rune while growing up. I mean it’s hard enough to figure out what you’re meant to do with your life but with Rune, he had to deal with not knowing who his real parents are or where he came from. He desperately wants to prove himself, he just needs the chance to do so. I liked how the change in his character from the beginning to the end wasn’t drastic, it felt believable based on the challenges that Rune experienced.

There is magic in this book but most of it is subtle, aside from the presence of the dragon. The novel reads more like historical fiction instead of epic fantasy. Maybe I should just describe it as historical fantasy and leave it at that. Like I said, I’m definitely not an expert when it comes to Beowulf or this time period so I’m not sure how accurate the setting is. What I can just say is that I enjoyed reading about the characters and their struggles to overcome their biggest foe: the dragon. I found the first few chapters a little slow but things picked up towards the end. Also, I got the feeling that the kingdom wasn’t that big? I was wondering why there weren’t more people who were there to fight against the dragon. Although that might really be the case, Beowulf’s kingdom might just be a small one. I was really curious about Peaceweaver after reading this one and was a bit disappointed to discover that it’s not a sequel but a companion novel instead. It doesn’t continue the story after The Coming of the Dragon but occurs simultaneously with the events of the novel and features a different character. I’m still interested in reading it though, I just hope Rebecca Barnhouse returns to Rune’s story. Would you happen to have any other recommendations based on Norse mythology?

Other reviews:
Charlotte’s Library
Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie over at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc.

One of my blogging goals this year was to write more Retro Friday reviews but I haven’t been able to do that lately. Sigh, you know what happens when real life gets in the way of things. Anyway, I thought I’d get back on track by reviewing one of my favorite books.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

After the Russian revolution turns her world topsy-turvy, Anna, a young Russian Countess, has no choice but to flee to England. Penniless, Anna hides her aristocratic background and takes a job as servant in the household of the esteemed Westerholme family, armed only with an outdated housekeeping manual and sheer determination.

Desperate to keep her past a secret, Anna is nearly overwhelmed by her new duties – not to mention her instant attraction to Rupert, the handsome Earl of Westerholme. To make matters worse, Rupert appears to be falling for her as well. As their attraction grows stronger, Anna finds it more and more difficult to keep her most dearly held secrets from unraveling. And then there’s the small matter of Rupert’s beautiful and nasty fiancée…

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review for A Countess Below Stairs (also published as Secret Countess). This and The Reluctant Heiress (also published as Magic Flutes) are my two favorite Eva Ibbotson novels. I’ve recommended both of them to so many friends. There is just something about Eva Ibbotson’s writing that makes her books feel good reads. A Countess Below Stairs is historical fiction but it has a fairy tale feel to it, with a Cinderella kind of vibe going on. I think it’s quite obvious from the premise where the story will go but how it gets there is what really matters.

The main character, Anna, is one of those people who always sees something good in any situation. Anna was pampered by doting parents and because they were members of the Russian aristocracy, she pretty much got whatever she wanted. Surprisingly, she grew up to be down-to-earth instead of being a snob. Can I just say that I love how Anna’s family – her parents and her brother – is such an important part of her life? Anna is the kind of person that manages to brighten up everyone else’s day just by being so warm and pleasant. She keeps that sunny disposition even when her life changes drastically from living in luxury to having to work as a downstairs servant. Nope, poverty doesn’t affect Anna’s outlook in life. It’s not surprising that she easily develops a friendship with Rupert in spite of the difference in their social classes. Rupert is a dependable type of person and he feels that it’s his duty to marry well to keep Westerholme running. And there lies the problem. What I found interesting is that the story doesn’t just focus on Anna and Rupert but also includes a whole cast of secondary characters to liven things up. It may get a little confusing to keep track of everyone but I think part of the fun is seeing how Anna interacts with everyone around her.

Writing this review is making me want to reread the novel. I wish I had my copy here with me but sadly, it’s back in Manila. I’ve gone through Eva Ibbotson’s adult (now marketed as young adult) titles and would love to get more recommendations similar to her writing. If you’re interested in historical fiction or if you just want a feel good book, then you should definitely pick this up. A Countess Below Stairs also provides an interesting glimpse of what life is like for servants back in the day, which is why I think this would be a good read for any Downton Abbey fan.

Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers
The Captive Reader
Things Mean a Lot
Random Musings of a Bibliophile

Remember the YAckers Secret Santa that I mentioned a few weeks ago? Well, I participated in my first ever YAckers discussion and we talked about The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. The post can now be viewed over at the YAckers blog. Head on over there to check out our thoughts about the book. I’m glad the latest pick was a book that I’ve been planning to read for a while, The Raven Boys was one of my anticipated titles this year because I loved The Scorpio Races last year.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

I had a lot of fun reading and discussing this with fellow YAckers and I look forward to more YAcking in the coming months.

I don’t get to feature Filipino fiction as often as I’d like here on the blog so it feels like a treat when I get to do so. I can still remember the first time I read The Breakup Diaries a few years ago. I was still in college then and this title was my favorite out of all the Summit Books that were available at that time. After I finished reading it, I worked on convincing my girlfriends to pick it up as well so we could discuss it. Preferably while hanging out in a cafe because Monica, the main character, is a barista. When I saw that it has been reissued, I decided to grab a new edition and read it on my flight back to Singapore from Manila. I ended up enjoying the book just as much as when I first discovered it.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Twenty-three-year-old self-proclaimed nice girl Monica Tanseco is finding out the hard way that in order to survive a breakup, you have to grow up – fast. Sure, breaking up is hard to do, but who knew it involved:

- Denial, followed by desperate bid to get back together involving promises to do everything to make him happy
- Sever loss of sleep, appetite and self-esteem
- Acute paralysis – or maybe death – of good judgment
- Compulsive tendencies to document every event, feeling and fantasy in a manner of reporter trying to make sense of things
- More compulsive tendencies to over-examine relationship carcass and over-analyze cause of death as couple
- Getting a life

When her perfect boyfriend – college hoop star certified hottie and young hotshot eagle Itos Ongpauco – decided to call it quits, Monica, barista by day and dreamer by night, found herself stepping out from behind the coffee counter and out of her comfort zone – into the mad world of magazine publishing.

While starting out at the bottom of the food chain as the overworked, unpaid intern at “M” magazine can obliterate any trace of self-esteem, anything – including bitchy bosses, temperamental photographers, rather dull but oh-so-hot male models – is a welcome balm to her pains. Never mind that her freebie-obsessed boss treats her like an on-call, 24-hour proxy service. Never mind, that, sometimes, when she’s had too much alcohol, male models become irresistible. Never mind that, despite having just had her heart-broken, the possibility of love presents itself again.

One of the main reasons why I enjoyed reading The Breakup Diaries so much is because it’s easy to relate to Monica’s situation: how difficult it us to pick up the threads of your life after a breakup, especially when you didn’t see it coming. Monica had no idea that her boyfriend would decide to call it quits on their anniversary dinner date. Pretty harsh, noh? I felt so bad for her but what I liked about the book is that it was still fun to read even though the character was experiencing a major setback. There were several hilarious moments within the story and all throughout everything, you’re rooting for Monica to heal her broken heart. Her reaction to the breakup felt realistic, from wanting to get back together with her boyfriend to re-evaluating her life and seeing things in a different light. It’s also nice that Monica had friends and family who were there to support her – as with any problem, it really helps to know that other people have your back. I also liked how The Breakup Diaries gave me a better idea of what it’s like working in a magazine publishing company. I don’t want to say too much about the book because it’s a short and sweet read, something that you can finish during a flight or an evening when you’re in the mood for something light. I think it’s fitting that my first review for 2013 is about an old favorite. If you’ve ever experienced a breakup, then you’ll probably be able to relate to Monica as well.

One thing I noticed about the new edition is that it had several typos. I don’t remember seeing those in the original edition – it’s a minor thing but I thought I’d just take note of it. I do like the new cover more than the old one:

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Angie over at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc.

When I asked for music-themed contemporary YA books, Audrey, Wait! was one of the titles that people kept recommending. I decided to borrow it when I saw that a copy was available at the library. I thought it would be a good idea to read this along with my good friend Heidi of Bunbury in the Stacks because she mentioned that she hasn’t read this one either. I had so much fun reading this with Heidi – we divided the book into several sections and we’d email each other back and forth about our thoughts after we’re done reading certain parts. We managed to talk about so many other things during the course of our discussion – ice cream, bands, laundry, college and work. Feel free to check out what she has to say about the book.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

California high school student Audrey Cuttler dumps self-involved Evan, the lead singer of a little band called The Do-Gooders. Evan writes, “Audrey, Wait!” a break-up song that’s so good it rockets up the billboard charts. And Audrey is suddenly famous!

Now rabid fans are invading her school. People is running articles about her arm-warmers. The lead singer of the Lolitas wants her as his muse. (And the Internet is documenting her every move!) Audrey can’t hang out with her best friend or get with her new crush without being mobbed by fans and paparazzi.

What I liked about this book is that it focuses on music but the main character isn’t a musician. Audrey is a music lover but she doesn’t play an instrument and she’s not part of a band. Most of the other music-themed books that I’ve read have musicians as main characters instead of just being music fans. I kind of thought it’s like being a book lover but not a writer. I felt like I could relate to Audrey more because of that. And I enjoy listening to music even if I don’t love it as much as she does. This book reminded me of what it was like to attend various gigs and campus concerts back in college. Like Audrey, I had friends back then who were members of bands. Although there was never a song written about me.

One thing I noticed right off the bat is that the story isn’t realistic in the sense that things got blown way out of proportion. I mean, how many songs out there are about girls who broke a guy’s heart (or vice versa) and how many times does the public go after the subject of the song? I was fine with the whole thing as long as I recognized that reading it would involve a fair amount of suspension of disbelief. The breakup didn’t even involve a lot of drama – Evan wasn’t really a bad guy, Audrey just decided that things weren’t that great between them. It was supposed to be a normal high school breakup until Evan wrote a song about Audrey that suddenly became popular.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the banter between the characters was fun to read. I liked Audrey’s friendship with her BFF, Victoria, and it was cool how reasonable her parents were. We rarely get to see great parents in YA novels so it’s always a good thing when they appear. However, I wasn’t such a fan of the second half. I really can’t put my finger on why that is but I just didn’t find it as engaging as the start of the novel. I guess it felt a bit rushed and I was waiting for a bigger, more complex climax to the story. Also probably because I felt like the romance could have been developed further. It really is a fun book to read but I think my expectations were pretty high because so many other blogger friends loved this. If you’re into music-themed contemporary YA, then I think you’d really enjoy this one. I wanted to make a playlist of all the songs featured as chapter headings – I think it would have been great if I could have listened to that while reading the book. I’m curious still curious about Robin Benway’s other books and will definitely check them out when I get the chance.

Other reviews:
Angieville
One More Page
Good Books and Good Wine
See Michelle Read

There were several things that made me curious about Attachments. First is the premise, I had a feeling it would be something that I could relate to. Next is the author’s name, I thought Rainbow Rowell is a pretty name. The title is also very fitting and a nice play on words – Attachments both in the sense of email attachments and also emotional attachments between individuals. And last but not the least is the gorgeous cover. I’m so glad I was able to get the Orion edition because I think it’s perfect for the story. So these are the reasons why I read Attachments as soon as I could.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now – reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers – not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say…?

I think it’s pretty common for most people to send personal emails using their work mailbox. I don’t do it as often as I used to because I could access my personal mail in the office. But in my previous jobs, when we had restricted access, I would use my work email to send messages to friends and family. Yes, I knew that IT people can track all of my messages but I’m really not worried about it because they’re probably busy with so many other things. I could relate to Beth and Jennifer’s email exchanges because I’ve had threads like that with some of my own girlfriends. Although nowadays, we tend to communicate on social networking sites or communication apps on our phones instead of emails. I liked how Beth and Jennifer are the same age but they’re at different stages of their lives – Beth feels that her relationship with her once dreamy college boyfriend has plateaued while Jennifer is reluctant to have children even though that’s what her husband wants. They’re both witty and intelligent women who are experiencing realistic problems. It’s no wonder Lincoln is fascinated by their conversation. Here’s a little snippet:

Beth to Jennifer: You’re right. I love weddings. I hate my sister.

Jennifer to Beth: Why?

Beth to Jennifer: Basically… because she’s getting married before me. I’m like the petty older sister in a period drama. “But Papa, she can’t get married before me. I’m the eldest.”

Jennifer to Beth: Oh, I love period dramas, especially period dramas starring Colin Firth. I’m like Bridget Jones if she were actually fat.

Beth to Jennifer: Oh… Colin Firth. He should only do period dramas. And period dramas should only star Colin Firth. (One star upgrade for Colin Firth. Two stars for Colin Firth in a waistcoat.)

Jennifer to Beth: Keep typing his name, even his name is handsome.

Aren’t they cute? Personally, I prefer Richard Armitage (with or without a cravat) over Colin Firth. The narrative switches from conersations between these two women to Lincoln’s point of view. I think Lincoln is a great guy – nerdy, plays D&D, reads fantasy novels, still lives with his mother, feels like he’s socially awkward but is a real gentleman. I felt bad for Lincoln because he’s stuck doing a dreary job that he doesn’t really like doing and he’s really lonely. The highlight of his work day involves going through emails between Beth and Jennifer. I can understand his situation, office hours are probably boring if you work the night shift and you don’t have anyone to talk to. I would probably go crazy if I was in his position (or I’d just end up reading a lot of books while waiting for my shift to end). I really liked how the romance developed. Without mentioning any spoilers, I think it’s a quiet kind of love story but also very sweet. I like how the lines are blurred and there’s no clear-cut good or bad guy in this book. It’s just a bunch of people trying to figure out what they want to do with their lives. All of the characters were well-developed and you can’t help but hope that they all get the happiness that they’re looking for. I think what added to my enjoyment was the fact that the characters are about the same age as I am. I’m always on the lookout for contemporary romance with more depth than usual and that’s what I got with this one. Will definitely be pre-ordering Eleanor and Park closer to its release date. I’m also planning to read Rainbow Rowell’s other novel, Fangirl, also out for release this year.

Other reviews:
Book Harbinger
The Readventurer
The Reading Date
The Book Stop
Book’d Out

Queen of the Clueless by Mina V. Esguerra is the sequel to Interim Goddess of Love. Do the books need to be read in order? I think so because that will give the reader a better understanding of the story. In fact, I reread the first book before starting on this because I didn’t want to be confused about the characters and everything that happened before. These books are Filipino young adult fiction that has a hint of local mythology (so “goddess” in the title of the first book isn’t a metaphor). It’s going to be a trilogy and there’s no release date for the third book yet but I’m hoping it will be published soon.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

If you’ve been feeling neglected by the Goddess of Love lately, don’t worry – Hannah Maquiling, college sophomore, is in training to take over. The Original Goddess is missing, but Hannah is Interim Goddess now, and she should figure out how to solve humanity’s love problems soon. Quin (God of the Sun) is still her mentor, still really hot, but apparently isn’t as honest about his other earthly relationships as she thought. It’s frustrating, and enough to make her check out possibilities with Diego (God of the Sea) and Robbie (Cute Human).

In the meantime, she’s decided to spend some of her precious training time helping to break up a relationship, instead of putting one together. Why? Because the girl in question happens to be her best friend Sol, whose boyfriend is stealing not just from her, but from other people on campus. Sol didn’t exactly summon the Goddess, but this is what power over Love is for, right? Surely it’s not just about matchmaking, but ending doomed relationships too. (Even when it’s not what people want.)

Hannah is still the temporary Goddess of Love and while she’s still pretty clueless about certain aspects of the job, she’s learning slowly and surely. She gets regular training sessions with Quin, God of the Sun, on how to improve her game as a goddess. She enjoys these sessions with Quin but keeps hoping that they will lead to more than just doing “work” stuff. What’s funny about Hannah’s situation is, she helps other people navigate the tricky waters of love and yet she’s hopelessly in love with someone she can’t have. I think that’s what makes Hannah a relatable character – even if she’s part-time goddess now, she’s still a normal college girl in so many ways. Clearly, she doesn’t have things figured out and like any non-goddess person does, she just goes with her instincts and what she feels is right. I also think it’s ironic that the main plot thread in this installment is Hannah trying to break up a couple instead of bringing them together. I liked that Queen of the Clueless focused on Sol’s love story, it was nice to get to know Hannah’s best friend since we really didn’t get to do that in the first book. I also liked that we learn more about some of the other secondary characters, like Diego and Robbie. Although I wish there was more of Quin in the story, I felt like he didn’t get enough face time in this book. I would have liked to learn more about Quin’s character, a little more insight on how he is both as Quin the mortal guy and as God of the Sun.

I’m really, really curious about the third book in this series. If I had a copy of it right now, I’d dive into it right away. I have no idea how Hannah’s story arc will get resolved and I’m hoping it won’t feel rushed because these books are on the short side. I found Queen of the Clueless an enjoyable read but I definitely wouldn’t have minded if it was a little longer. I think it was a good idea on Mina’s part to try writing a different genre from her usual contemporary romance featuring women in their twenties. I’m all for Filipino fiction with a college setting, especially if it reminds me of my own college experience. I know I’ve mentioned this before but I really couldn’t help but feel that Hannah’s school is like a smaller version of my own alma mater. So many details about the school was reminiscent of my own school – the cafeteria, some of the classes, the rich kids and scholarship kids. I know that Mina attended the same college so maybe it served as an inspiration for her writing. Since I loved my school, I think that’s a good thing. I recommend this to fans of Mina’s writing and readers curious about Filipino fiction. I know I don’t feature enough of them here in my blog so I would gladly recommend this.

Some lomo shots of my college, which can pass off as Ford River:

I’m not a huge fan of horror books or even horror movies or horror stories. What can I say, I’m a big scaredy-cat. So I don’t think I would have read Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff if it wasn’t the YAckers pick for this month. Since the book is available in the Singapore public library and I didn’t have to buy a copy, I thought I might as well give it a try. Plus, I didn’t want to miss a YAckers discussion two months in a row – last month’s discussion was about Anna Dressed in Blood, another horror book. Also, I haven’t read any of Brenna Yovanoff’s books and I’ve heard good things about her writing from other book bloggers.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life — and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

How about that cover? Looks lovely, doesn’t it? It’s so pretty that I don’t think I would have realized it was a horror book just based on the cover. But now that I’ve read the book, I think the cover design is a good fit. It took a while for me to get into the story and it wasn’t because I found the book creepy. It was spooky but that’s expected since it’s a story that involves ghosts and a serial killer. I guess I just found the start a little slow and dragging. Even after a hundred pages or so, I felt like I was still getting to know the main character, Hannah. And I did care enough about Hannah to read on. I liked how creative she is in designing her own dresses because she wants to look bright and happy even if she doesn’t feel like that inside. She hasn’t gotten over her best friend’s death and that probably has to do with the fact that Lillian’s ghost is constantly haunting her. I also liked the start of Hannah’s love story because it was tentative and hesitant and she liked a guy that was an unusual choice for her. I just wish there was more time for the romance to develop fully. So yes, it wasn’t like I didn’t like Hannah as a character, I guess I just didn’t like her enough to get over everything else that didn’t work for me in the novel.

After I finished reading the book, I thought to myself, “That’s it?” because I guess I was expecting more from the story. It’s not that Brenna’s writing wasn’t good because it is, she has a way of vividly describing scenes and using beautiful phrases while she’s at it. I just felt like there was too much going on for me to like the whole thing. There’s the murder mystery, the ghosts haunting Hannah, Lillian’s death and how strong her hold on Hannah is, the romance, Hannah’s family and her interactions with so many other secondary characters. There were just too many bits and pieces struggling to be noticed that it felt like there weren’t enough pages to elaborate on all of them. Also, there was a build up to the murders but the revelation at the end was kind of a letdown for me. I don’t want to go into details for fear of spoilers but if you’ve read the book and want to hear about more in-depth thoughts, then please check out the YAckers discussion (will link to it once it’s up). It saddens me that I’m a little disappointed in my first Brenna Yovanoff but if you’ve read her other books, please let me know if they’re any good and whether I should pick them up. If you’re a fan of creepy ghost stories and murder mysteries then by all means, go ahead and read Paper Valentine. You might end up liking it a lot more than I did, it looks like that’s the case for other bloggers based on reviews that I’ve seen.

Other reviews:
Good Books and Good Wine
Charlotte’s Library
Emily’s Reading Room
The Nocturnal Library

Gayle Forman’s If I Stay and Where She Went were two contemporary novels that I loved last year. Mia and Adam are even included in my list of Favorite Literary Couples in the past year. I couldn’t wait to read Just One Day as soon as I found out about it. I did consider waiting for the companion novel to be released before I read it but when rave reviews starting popping up in the blogosphere, I knew I wouldn’t be able to wait. I was delighted when Just One Day finally became available in bookstores here, I grabbed a copy and read it as soon as I could.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

When sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished reading Just One Day and I have no idea why I keep putting off writing my thoughts about it. I guess because I really enjoyed reading Just One Day but it felt incomplete without Just One Year. I wanted to get to know Willem more because obviously, meeting him was a turning point in Allyson’s life. In any case, it’s a lovely contemporary YA novel but I didn’t love it as much as If I Stay and Where She Went. While I was reading this, I kept thinking of how realistic Allyson’s situation is. I tend to be cautious while traveling so I was wondering if I ever found myself in her shoes, would I be willing to go off to Paris to spend the day with a guy I just met? Without a phone that has international roaming activated and without being familiar with the language of the country? If I push all of that aside and focus on the story, it’s all very romantic though. I get the feeling that Just One Day would make a great movie. I like how we see a different side of Paris in this novel. Like Allyson said, it’s not the “Paris of the movies.” I’ve always wanted to go to Paris but this novel made me want to explore the non-touristy sections of the city, to get lost and just see what I end up discovering. Here’s one of quote from the book that stood out for me:

“…being Lulu, it made me realize that all my life I’ve been living in a small, square room, with no windows and no doors. And I was fine. I was happy, even. I thought. Then someone came along and showed me there was a door in the room. One that I’d never even seen before. Then he opened it for me. Held my hand as I walked through it. And for one perfect day, I was on the other side. I was somewhere else. Someone else. And then he was gone, and I was thrown back into my little room. And now, no matter what I do, I can’t seem to find that door.”

I chose this passage because I like how it highlights how certain experiences can open our eyes to a wider world. I guess it reminds me of traveling and reading – how those activities make you realize that there’s so much more out there than what you know. I also really liked the college setting of the novel and could relate to Allyson’s situation – how she felt that she has to go the pre-med track because it’s what her parents want, even when she’s interested in classes like pottery or Shakespeare Out Loud. I’m jealous at the wide selection of classes available at her school. Allyson’s parents, her mom in particular, are very controlling people. While my parents weren’t like that, I had to take up a science or engineering degree in college because I was a scholar in a science high school that required all students to go into that field. I found science interesting but I wasn’t really passionate about it and I felt like it didn’t love me back because I had a hard time with some of my subjects. In spite of that, I felt like I had a great college experience and I wanted the same thing for Allyson. Other details in the book that I enjoyed reading about were: Shakespeare (made me realize that I’ve never seen a performance in person, now I want to watch one of his comedies on stage), Allyson’s buddy D’Angelo (he seems like an awesome friend), Paris and macarons (LOVE macarons! They’re not that common back home in Manila but several bakeries sell them here in Singapore). A pleasant read overall and one that I would recommend to fans of older contemporary YA, traveling, getting lost and finding yourself in the process. Really can’t wait to read Just One Year:

Other reviews:
The Readventurer
Good Books and Good Wine
Alexa Loves Books
Makeshift Bookmark

I remember being fascinated by The Lost Conspiracy a few years ago and I’ve been meaning to read more of Frances Hardinge’s novels since then. But you know how it goes, you get distracted by other books in the TBR pile and you forget your intentions to read books by a certain author. Fortunately, I was attracted by the pretty cover of A Face Like Glass when I saw it in one of the bookstores here. I’ve been hearing good things about this book so I was pretty excited to read it.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

In the underground city of Caverna the world’s most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare – wines that can remove memories, cheeses that can make you hallucinate and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as they slit your throat. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show (or fake) joy, despair or fear – at a price.

Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell’s emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed…

At a little less than 500 pages, A Face Like Glass is quite lengthy compared to some of the other YA novels that I’ve been reading lately. Which is why it kept me captivated for several days. Towards the end of the book, I decided to stay up late one night to finish it, I was so curious about where the story would go. I can’t even remember the last time I did that, probably not since I moved from Manila to Singapore last year. I found A Face Like Glass engaging for several reasons:

- I found the idea of wearing Faces like most people wear clothes intriguing. You can never know what a person is feeling based on just the expression that they’re wearing because they can choose which Face to use at any given moment. I’m fascinated by characters who are unreadable because they can surprise you in so many ways. In this book, most of the characters are like that because you can’t even use facial expressions to gauge what they’re thinking of.

- I enjoy reading about how complicated court intrigue is. I love how subtle court movements are and how the smallest of things can be significant because everything means something. There are complicated rules that courtiers follow and it requires a highly intelligent person to navigate the tricky waters of court. I liked how the craftsmen are divided into mafia-like families that compete against each other.

“It is terribly bad form to admit to being terrified for one’s life, but nobody in their right mind would go to a Court banquet without making preparations. One must have the right costume, the right Faces, and at least eighty-two ways of avoiding assassination.”

- I’m a big fan of cheese so I found Neverfell’s apprenticeship with Cheesemaster Grandible interesting. I can’t imagine what it must be like to have to take care of cheese that has its own personality – they can explode and harm people if not handled properly. The same goes for wine and everything else that Caverna excels at making, here’s a passage that I really liked:

“They were masters of memory, its loss and recovery. They could brew Wine that would make you remember the face of your dead love so clearly you could count her eyelashes, or that would make you forget specific chapters of a book so that you could read them again with pleasure.”

- The underground setting because I’ve lived in tropical countries all my life and I can’t imagine living in a dreary world below ground with no sunlight. I would probably feel claustrophobic and suffocated most of the time. It was interesting how Caverna’s inhabitants functioned underground and how they were willing to suffer the consequences just to keep the secrets of their craftsmen.

- There’s a mysterious thief in this novel called the Kleptomancer. As you well know, sneaky thieves in fiction have a special place in my heart. So when bits and pieces about the Kleptomancer started showing up in this book, I was immediately curious. I wanted to know more about him and his reasons for stealing.

- Of course, Neverfell is also another intriguing character. She’s a bright and curious individual and has such a good heart. She genuinely cares for other people, even if she had an isolated childhood. She’s always interested in helping out whenever she can.

With all the reasons listed, I think it’s pretty obvious that I loved reading A Face Like Glass. This beautiful book will definitely make it to my best of 2013 list. Highly recommended for MG/YA fans of fantasy, political intrigue, class conflict and unique world-building. I look forward to reading the rest of Frances Hardinge’s books, I have a copy of Fly By Night waiting for me back home in Manila.

Other reviews:
The Book Smugglers
The Readventurer

I have to thank my good friend Michelle for introducing me to what has become one of my favorite contemporary romance series. I had a feeling that I would enjoy reading Laura Florand’s novels after my copies arrived and I saw how pretty they were. I’m pleased to report that I wasn’t disappointed.

Here’s the summary from Laura Florand’s website:

PARIS
Breathtakingly beautiful, the City of Light seduces the senses, its cobbled streets thrumming with possibility. For American Cade Corey, it’s a dream come true, if only she can get one infuriating French chocolatier to sign on the dotted line…

CHOCOLATE

Melting, yielding yet firm, exotic, its secrets are intimately known to Sylvain Marquis. But turn them over to a brash American waving a fistful of dollars? Jamais. Not unless there is something much more delectable on the table …

STOLEN PLEASURE

Whether confections taken from a locked shop or kisses in the dark, is there anything sweeter?

I LOVE desserts and I’m a big fan of chocolate. Some of my favorites are dark chocolate with nuts, mint chocolate and truffles. I know it’s not a healthy habit but I have chocolate almost everyday. I eat chocolate to cheer me up when I’m feeling a little low and I also eat chocolate to celebrate when something good happens. I feel like there’s always an excuse for me to indulge in chocolate. So imagine my delight at discovering that both the main characters in The Chocolate Thief are fellow chocolate-lovers. Cade is the heiress of Corey Chocolate, one of the largest chocolate corporations in the world (I think the surname Corey is a nod to Hershey). While Sylvain is one of the top chocolatiers in Paris. I wish I could afford to try chocolates that are as good as Sylvain’s masterpieces but I’m afraid they’re probably too expensive for me. I did find Sylvain’s reasons for choosing to work with chocolates intriguing:

He had been a gangly, awkward adolescent with shaggy hair, so it was a good thing he had discovered very early in his teenage years What Women Wanted.

Chocolat. If you wanted to lure a woman who wouldn’t otherwise have looked twice at you, good chocolate was better than a love potion.

Add the fact that the novel is set in Paris, a beautiful, romantic city that I’ve always wanted to visit and I’m one happy reader. We have here a chocolate-filled take of a love-hate relationship. Both of them love chocolate but in different ways. Cade is proud of her family’s heritage and how their products bring happiness to millions of people. She’s all about making chocolate more accessible to people. While Sylvain looks down on mass-produced chocolate and believes that creating chocolate is a fine art form. What I loved about these two characters is how passionate they both are about what they do. Cade knows that people rely on her and their company is responsible for providing much-needed jobs. Sylvain pours so much of himself in what he does that he takes total ownership of his creations, to the point that he feels that people are tasting a part of him whenever they devour his chocolates. This is why he takes so much pride in the fact that Cade can’t get enough of his work, which she doesn’t want to openly admit so she resorts to stealing them. I can certainly appreciate a girl resorting to thieving for the sake of the finest chocolate that she’s ever tasted. I like how the reader is given a full understanding of the characters’ background, how and why they became who they are when we meet them. I liked Cade and Sylvain’s warm interactions with their family and friends. The Chocolate Thief is a deliciously tempting work of fiction, I gobbled it up in just two days. I would have done it in one sitting if I didn’t have to go to work. Highly recommended for fans of chocolate, novels set in Paris and contemporary romance. Just make sure you have some chocolate on hand when you read this. I seriously cannot wait for the third book in the series, The Chocolate Touch, to be released in July. It will be about Cade’s sister and Sylvain’s rival.

On a side note, I’m delighted to put up a post on my birthday about a book that I loved. I wish I could do that every year. Yesterday, my lovely co-workers got me this yummy chocolate cake called Othello:

Happy 29th of March!

The Chocolate Kiss is the second book in Laura Florand’s Amour Et Chocolat series. Featuring top chocolatiers in Paris, these books focus on hot guys who make delectable desserts. What’s not to like? I loved The Chocolate Thief, the first book in the series, so I dove right into this one after finishing that. The books don’t have to be read in order, they’re standalone stories since they’re about different couples although Cade and Sylvain (the leads in The Chocolate Thief) have cameos in this one. I would like to note that one of my favorite restaurants when I was in college was The Chocolate Kiss Cafe. If I was in Manila, I would have visited the place after reading this book.

Here’s the summary from Laura Florand’s website:

Welcome to La Maison des Sorcieres. Where the window display is an enchanted forest of sweets, a collection of conical hats delights the eye and the habitués nibble chocolate witches from fanciful mismatched china. While in their tiny blue kitchen, Magalie Chaudron and her two aunts stir wishes into bubbling pots of heavenly chocolat chaud.

But no amount of wishing will rid them of interloper Philippe Lyonnais, who has the gall to open one of his world-famous pastry shops right down the street. Philippe’s creations seem to hold a magic of their own, drawing crowds of beautiful women to their little isle amidst the Seine, and tempting even Magalie to venture out of her ivory tower and take a chance, a taste… a kiss.

In case I haven’t mentioned it often enough here on the blog, let me say this again: I love macarons. And the male lead in The Chocolate Kiss makes amazing, world-renowned macarons. Sigh, if only I could grab a bite straight out of the book’s pages. Philippe’s artistic creations seemed not only beautiful but deliciously mouth-watering as well. Same with Magalie’s rich hot chocolate, with wishes stirred in specifically for the person the drink is meant for. Magalie seems to know exactly what a person needs, be it courage to seize the day or strength of spirit to handle life’s burdens. With that idea as well as the name of their tea room, La Maison des Sorcieres (The Witches’ House), the whole novel has a whimsical touch to it that makes it feel more like magic realism instead of contemporary romance. It reminded me of one of my favorite books, Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells. Magalie was a character that I could easily relate to. She loves her little corner of Paris but has a hard time adjusting how the rest of the city makes her feel. So she arms herself with stylish outfits that make her feel stronger about facing the world outside their tea room. Here’s a passage that particularly resonated with me, I hope it’s not too spoilery to share it:

You couldn’t cure loneliness by wallowing in it, up above the world, on an island far removed from everything. She knew that. But she had such a hard time with all the cures. They seemed rough and brusque and brutal, as if they abused her skin with a pot scrubber, things like trying to go out with men she barely knew, or dancing in Paris nightclubs, or hanging out with friends in bars over in that world past the banks of the river.

She had been something of a party creature in her high schools, still was one to dance all night at New Year’s celebrations or weddings when she went back to Provence, but there was something harsher about dancing here, forcing herself into a mass of people, stranger among strangers. Occasionally, one of her friends from the university, the longest continuous friendship she had ever had, could talk her into it. But it was much more tempting to curl up with a book under her thick white comforter.

Still, sometimes after she curled up, she regretted her lack of courage and felt bleakly lonely.

It was important to have a really good book.

Yes, it’s really important to have a good book. The Chocolate Kiss can definitely be classified as one of those good books. I wouldn’t have minded giving up a night out with friends to stay in and read this novel. In fact, I did stay up later than usual to finish reading this, even though I had to get up early for work the next day. I thought the romance between Magalie and Philippe was done very well, there was obvious attraction between them that they kept denying so the tension just built up. I thought it was funny how they kept tempting each other with their specialties – Philippe with his macarons and Magalie with her hot chocolate – and how they both refuse to try and sample each other’s work even though everyone else is raving about them. It’s a symbol of how they can’t let the other person gain the upper hand by admitting that they even want a taste. And when they finally give in? Well, you just have to read the book and find out. Similar to The Chocolate Thief, I really enjoyed reading about the secondary characters in this story. I like how the romance isn’t just about the two leads but also about the people important in their lives as well as the work that they’re passionate about. Another excellent installment in Laura Florand’s romantic chocolate series. I think it’s pretty much a given that I’m excited to read The Chocolate Touch. Counting down the weeks until it becomes available.

Other reviews:
A Girl, Books and Other Things
Smexy Books
Dear Author
Nooks & Crannies

All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate is a novella from the Kiss the Bride anthology. I read this after reading the two Amour Et Chocolat novels: The Chocolate Thief and The Chocolate Kiss. All three stories are loosely tied together in the sense that they’re about the top chocolatiers/dessert-makers of Paris but each book is about a different couple. I couldn’t get enough of Laura Florand’s writing so I gobbled up these novels (and one novella) one right after the other.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Going undercover as a bride-to-be, food blogger Eloise Layne is determined to learn charismatic French chocolatier Simon Casset’s famously guarded secrets. But somehow her man of mystery is succeeding in uncovering her every desire, one smoldering kiss at a time.

Ellie is a food blogger, a girl after my own heart! There was a time when I was considering creating a food blog because I enjoy eating good food. You would know this if you follow me on Instagram because I mostly post pictures of food and books over there. At that time, I thought it would be fun to feature the restaurants that I tried in Manila (and now Singapore) but since I already had a book blog, I didn’t think I could maintain another blog. Isn’t it awesome that Laura Florand has a main character who is a blogger? I can definitely relate to Ellie because of that.

“It helped her, the blog, made her feel that when she flung herself out there to the world, well – the world liked her.”

I admire Ellie for her actions because blogging and pursuing your passion is something that I would love to do as well. She takes the huge risk in moving to Paris because she’s always dreamed of living there, knowing that it’s filled with places that would be a joy to discover for a food blogger like her. She’s the type of person who pours all of herself in everything that she does. Very enthusiastic and full of life, she draws the attention of Simon Casset, one of the top chocolatiers of Paris. It’s like a dream come true for her to meet him, discuss his work and get a peek inside his laboratoire. I like how Simon thinks of himself as a nerdy and anal chocolate-maker while Ellie sees him as an artist who creates whimsical works of art. It was so much fun reading about these two characters and watching their love story unfold. Here’s a sample of some of the beautiful words from this novella:

“A longing to taste what she had heard so much about, and what was physically so beautiful. She gestured helplessly toward the half-finished structure, so magical, as if something as earthbound as food could be transmorphed into an airy grace that touched the sky. He made her feel like she could fly. Like it was all worth it. Eating. Life. This was the kind of thing you lived for. Right?”

Yep, that is the kind of thing you lived for. Short and sweet, All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate is a perfect sample for anyone who wants a bite of Laura Florand’s delicious writing. I still prefer the two full-length Amour Et Chocolat novels over this one just because the romance has more depth. Read this if you’d like to give Laura Florand a try but you’re not sure if you’re willing to commit to reading a novel. This is a good novella for a relaxing afternoon or evening, paired with a chocolate dessert.

Also, just a heads up to fellow Laura Florand fans out there, The Chocolate Rose has just been released in Kindle format! If you’ve been waiting to devour another book from Laura, then hurry and grab a copy of this one. I’m planning to read it as soon as I can.

Thank you so much to my friend Maggie of Young Adult Anonymous for giving me a signed copy of Amy Spalding’s debut novel, The Reece Malcolm List. I kept hearing good things about this contemporary YA novel so I was pretty excited to read it.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Things I know about Reece Malcolm:

1. She graduated from New York University.
2. She lives in or near Los Angeles.
3. Since her first novel was released, she’s been on the New York Times bestseller list every week.
4. She likes strong coffee and bourbon.
5. She’s my mother.

Devan knows very little about Reece Malcolm, until the day her father dies and she’s shipped off to live with the mother she’s never met. All she has is a list of notebook entries that doesn’t add up to much.

L.A. offers a whole new world to Devan—a performing arts school allows her to pursue her passion for show choir and musicals, a new circle of friends helps to draw her out of her shell, and an intriguing boy opens up possibilities for her first love.

But then the Reece Malcolm list gets a surprising new entry. Now that Devan is so close to having it all, can she handle the possibility of losing everything?

I felt like I read this book at just the right time. I just came back from L.A. when I read this more than a month ago and I was able to appreciate all the references to L.A. in the book. I got excited whenever I recognized any of the places or things mentioned – like having a burger from In N Out, which is something that I always make a point of having whenever I visit L.A. I’m a fan of musicals although I’m not as into the whole thing as Devan is – I mean I would like to be but I obviously don’t have her talent. I just enjoy watching musicals and I try to watch as many as I can. I wish I was more familiar with Merrily We Roll Along because that was the musical featured in the book. I probably would have appreciated Devan’s rehearsals more if I’ve seen Merrily We Roll Along on stage or if I knew the songs. I also love having karaoke sessions (we call it videoke back home in Manila) with my friends though because I like to sing even if I’m all heart and no talent. So I could totally relate to the karaoke scene in the book, I find it interesting that for a seriously talented singer like Devan, a fun karaoke session lets her unwind.

I liked reading about the characters and how Devan slowly got to know them – her theater friends, her love interests, her mom and even her mom’s boyfriend. There were interesting characters and dynamics within the novel. I really, really enjoyed reading this book and I felt like I would have fallen in love with it if it just had a little more emotional depth. I felt like there was enough room to draw upon the characters’ feelings – maybe more grief or anger from Devan over all the bad things that have happened in her life. I guess I was expecting something like that since her father passed away and she suddenly has to move in with a mom she has never met. I think that this novel is a very good debut and I’m definitely curious about Amy Spalding’s next book – it’s just that I wanted more than the overall lighthearted tone presented in The Reece Malcolm List. If you’re a fan of contemporary YA, then you should definitely check this one out. I’m not surprised that I’ve seen so many rave reviews for it because it’s a really fun read.

Other reviews:
Young Adult Anonymous
Good Books and Good Wine
The Allure of Books

I’ve been aware for a while that The Statistical Probably of Love at First Sight is a good book. I don’t know why I kept putting it off, maybe I just wasn’t in the right kind of mood for it. So I waited and I finally felt like reading it on my flight from Singapore to the States back in March. I thought it would be a very fitting read because I was also on my way to attend a wedding (although unlike Hadley, I was excited for the wedding that I was going to). It was fun to read a book about a character who was experiencing something similar to what I was going through.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. Having missed her flight, she’s stuck at JFK airport and late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

A draft for this review has been sitting in my dashboard for a while now. I don’t know why I’ve been having a hard time trying to capture how I felt about this book so let me keep it short and concise. I found it a little funny that I was traveling by myself and I was reading a book about a girl who meets a guy while traveling by herself. I mean how likely is that, right? Now that I’m based abroad, I mostly fly on my own whenever I travel and I’ve never had an experience like that. In spite of that, I think this is the perfect book while waiting to board a plane or during the flight itself. It’s a quick and fun read with just enough emotional depth to make things interesting. I liked the family dynamics in story, how complicated Hadley’s life is because her dad is about to marry the woman responsible for her parents’ divorce. Hadley’s reluctance to attend the wedding is understandable. But it’s a good thing she did because one flight becomes a turning point in her life. I really liked this passage about Hadley’s dad giving her books:

“It wasn’t that she was meant to read them all. Maybe someday she would, but for now, it was more the gesture itself. He was giving her the most important thing he could, the only way he knew how. He was a professor, a lover of stories, and he was building her a library in the same way other men might build their daughters houses.”

Every book lover will be able to appreciate the sentiment. Who wouldn’t want to receive books to slowly build a library? And it’s a great feeling to share a mutual love of books with someone that’s a huge part of your life. It’s nice that even though the title, the cover and the premise all suggest that this is a love story, it really is more than that. This is a short and sweet novel, recommended for fans of first loves, meet cutes and family interactions. Looking forward to Jennifer E. Smith’s next novel, This Is What Happy Looks Like.

My good friend Michelle and I had fun doing a discussion type of review for Northlander and The King Commands by Meg Burden last year so we decided to do it again. We also thought it would be a good idea to make it a regular feature, alternating the posts in my blog and hers. Ladies and gentlemen, we now present you with our shiny, new feature called Novel Gossip.

The bloggers behind Chachic’s Book Nook and See Michelle Read chatting about books, thousands of miles apart.

We both love Laura Florand’s writing so for our first Novel Gossip discussion, we decided to read The Chocolate Rose together. This conversation happened in the span of a few days and some spoilery bits have been deleted.

Chachic: I really enjoyed the first few chapters. I wanted to start reading it right away because I curious but I only meant to read maybe a chapter or two and then for our readalong to continue. I read until chapter 8 and it’s a good thing I was able to stop myself from continuing. I like how we dove right into the story and we got to meet the two main characters right away. I found their first meeting hilarious. It’s funny how Gabriel is pretty clueless about women and has no idea how to react around Jolie. I’m really curious how the issue of Jolie’s father copying recipes will be resolved.

Michelle: So far, so good here as well. I agree, I like how the action immediately starts up and that we get into their ‘drama’ from the get go. I’m interested to see how Ms. Florand will handle Gabriel’s overt response to Jolie. If Ms. Florand pushes that too much, I feel like Gabriel might wind up just as another boring alpha male pounding his chest every time Jolie is near. But honestly, I really can’t see the author not giving him some softer parts (he is the one who created that lovely chocolate rose, you know). She always does such a great job making her male heroes multi-layered. And boy, do I ever WANT TO TRY SOME OF HIS FOOD.

Chachic: Yes, exactly. I love how all of Laura Florand’s male characters have softer sides and that aspect of their personality comes out in their creations. Can’t wait to see Gabriel cook for Jolie. I really don’t think we have to worry about Gabriel being and alpha male with no dimensions, I like that some background about him has already been shown – how he worked his butt off for Jolie’s dad but never get any recognition for all his hard work.

Michelle: I’m not really a fan of Jolie’s family at all. Her sisters seem selfish and her father, he doesn’t seem like a nice man either. I wonder too how she’s going to play out their relationship where the lawsuit is concerned.

Chachic: I’m not a fan of Jolie’s family either. Her dad seems like a jerk who only cares about himself and his work. And her sisters aren’t any better. I hope we get to see them in a better light but we’ll see.

Michelle: The back-n-forth dialog between Gabriel and Jolie is definitely my favorite part so far, especially how they keep mistaking each other’s meanings. The double entendres, they are a-plentiful.

Chachic: As always, I’m enjoying the tension between the two characters. It will be fun to see it all play out. I agree that it’s funny how they keep misunderstanding each other.

Michelle: And gee, can we talk about setting?! I feel like I’m walking along the streets of South France and seeing all those lovely flowers in bloom while the old ladies take their evening walk.

Chachic: The setting is lovely too! I love how the town (or city?) has been described so far, with its fountains and flowers. Seems like such a good place to take a vacation and relax. I think it’s great that Laura is highlighting various places in France for her novels. If I can’t go to France, at least I can read about it.

Michelle: I know! One of my favorite parts so far is actually from Chapter One where it is describing the different stages of love.

“In the fresh hope of new lovers clinging to each other, in the easy comfort of lovers of longer standing who lounged in chairs by each other reading, in the old, worn happiness of a white-haired couple walking hand in hand, whose love for each other had been used and worked like fifty-year-old shoes into something so exactly fitted to them that those bright new lovers wouldn’t recognize it in their high-heeled love. But oh, how they would be grateful for it, fifty years on, if they reached that perfect fit, too.”

Michelle: Let’s just say I gave a major le sigh after I read that chapter. I just love her way with words, don’t you?

Chachic: Haha we are such good friends, I highlighted that exact same passage in my Kindle because it stood out for me. I wanted to hug that section of the book. I hope we get more sections like it!

Michelle: I love it that you highlighted it too! I read that and thought “Man, THAT is the type of love I want after 50 years.” She just gets love and relationships and I really like her storytelling abilities.

Chachic: I want that kind of love too! She really just has a way with words. I’m so glad we discovered a new author to love. And that we feel the same way about her writing.

Chachic: Let’s talk about Jolie’s work, I’m glad we’re reading about a character who writes cookbooks for a living. I’ve always seen cookbooks featuring celebrity chefs in bookstores but never realized that a product like that involves collaboration between a chef and a writer. If I was any good at writing recipes, that would be an amazing job. As always, I love how passionate Laura’s characters are about what they do. I find passionate people fascinating, even more so when they’ve found their calling in life.

Michelle: I could totally see you as a cookbook writer! You are always posting great meals and treats you’ve gotten. I too like that Jolie wants to keep that part of her life separate and just for herself because she truly loves it. I find that most of the women in Ms. Florand’s books are quite driven and I appreciate it that they don’t totally freeze their lives for a relationship. Although they do eventually learn to make sacrifices when it counts.

Chachic: Aww seriously, you think I can be a cookbook writer? But I think you have to be a good cook in order to do that, because you’d have to have an idea of how easy or difficult the recipes would be. I’m hopeless in the kitchen. I like that Jolie is independent enough and secure in herself that she can spend time on her own, it fits in perfectly with Gabriel’s busy schedule. Although you’re right, both of them make sacrifices to make things work.

Michelle: I honestly didn’t even think that being a cookbook writer was a ‘thing’ until reading this book and you saying that it would be a cool job. Goes to show how clueless I am! I guess I figured the chefs just wrote down their recipes and that was it but it makes sense that food bloggers/writers would do a great job of making them more accessible to the general public. As for me, I love to cook – especially bake. I’m still waiting for Ms. Florand to write a book about a bakery and all that delicious bread cause that is my weakness. In fact, in between writing you tonight I made four loaves of French bread (this is my kryptonite and why I will never diet)!

Chachic: I found this passage really sweet:

“She might have to revisit her conviction that all the best textures and tastes and scents in the world were in food. His textures – the hard resilience of muscle, the soft cotton of his T-shirt, the smoothness of his skin, the silk of his hair, the whisper of roughness of a jaw shaved that morning – were incredible.”

Michelle: I remember the quote you mentioned and really liked it too. Here are a few I found.

“Maybe no one rose to greatness of any kind without being a narcissist. And no one rose to become a great chef without knowing how to make other people hungry. For more of them.”

Michelle: I think Ms. Florand really gets what it takes for someone to dedicate themselves so totally to something that it completely overshadows the rest of their life. And then conversely, the letdown that occurs when that talent or career is over and the depression that follows. It’s got to be awful. Which leads into this other section I liked, it’s really the only bit of sympathy I feel for her dad.

“Jolie tried to hide the profound sadness that winced through her whenever someone refereed to her father in the past tense, as if he was either no longer alive at all or, at best, he no longer deserved to call himself by his own name. No wonder her father believed the same thing.”

Chachic: I highlighted that quote as well – it’s a good one. I think you’re right, Laura does know what it’s like for a job or career or passion to take up so much space in a person’s life to the point where everything else – including family and friends – get pushed back. I admire people who are passionate but there really is a balance to it.

(TRANSITION)

Michelle: I just finished it — but it’s late here so the only thing I can say before I go crash is — she made a The Lord of the Rings joke!! I knew I loved this woman’s books!! Ha!

Chachic: Loved the LOTR reference as well. I knew you would notice that! That’s the beauty of doing a read along, there’s someone else who will be able to relate to details that you notice.

Michelle: I was a bit curious about the name choice of Jolie — which in French means ‘pretty or attractive’. Most of her books have been pretty accurate but I wonder if that is a common name in France cause it just seemed a funny choice to me — even though I liked it.

Chachic: Really? I had no idea that’s what Jolie meant. What were the meanings of the names of her other heroines? Have you noticed that all of her heroines so far have partly come from the States? I think that’s so the books won’t be too French, if that makes sense.

Michelle: As for the names: Malagie (from The Chocolate Kiss) is pretty French but Cade Corey (The Chocolate Thief) is obviously a play on the Hershey chocolate family (there is an actual town called Hershey, Pennsylvania where that family lives and has their factory), so I think hers is pretty Americanized and even a bit of a joke. Honestly, I’m glad all of Ms. Florand’s females have a bit American in them because the French really are so very different (especially at relationships) so I think it helps people relate to the characters more than when they are so completely foreign. Although it would be a nice change of pace to have the hero American and the heroine French.

Chachic: I figured that Corey was a play on Hershey. I knew there was a place in the US named after the family. Oh really? I had no idea that French dating would be very different compared to American ways. So maybe that’s why Laura makes her female characters grow up in the States. I would love to see a French female and American male as well, that would be a nice change.

Michelle: I don’t know if I ever told you but I studied French all through college and even spent a few weeks there on a study abroad (Paris, Nice and Dijon) so I absolutely love reading about all the varying touristy sites I went to. One place I never got to was Provence so I would love to one day go there as well. Although I do have a confession to make: I’ve never tried a French macaron and I am *dying* to! This book made me think of it again when Jolie talks about using Phillipe’s macaron recipe for her cookbook. I don’t know why I didn’t try one in France (I was prolly too busy eating all the chocolate and bread I could) but I so want to go back just for that almost. I know you like macarons – I should find a good bakery in LA that serves them sometime

Chachic: I never knew that about you! That must have been so cool, studying French and then going abroad to soak up the culture for a couple of weeks. I would have loved to do that. So does that mean you have a special place in your heart for French-themed books? I like reading about them because I’ve always wanted to visit Paris. I can’t believe you’ve never tried a macaron! I love macarons. Several restaurants here in Singapore sell them but not all of them are good. I hope you get to try one soon. Pretty sure macarons are available in LA.

Michelle: One thing that bugged me about this one was the formatting! Did you have issues with the fact that there were no spaces or marks to indicate that it was a new narrator? Sometimes I had to go back just to figure out who was speaking. It’s totally minor but I wish they would have done something to mark the flow for readers so it wasn’t always such an abrupt change. But maybe that’s just me

Chachic: Yes, the formatting bugged me as well! I ignored it the first time it happened and then I kept noticing that there aren’t any breaks in between sections, even when the POV changes. It got a bit confusing. I think it’s just a formatting issue – the extra spaces probably aren’t showing up in the Kindle edition.

Michelle: I’m glad I wasn’t the only one bugged with the formatting. I wasn’t sure if it was due to the fact that it was self-published that there were quirks that would normally have been ironed out by the publisher or what.

Michelle: So did you read the first chapter of The Chocolate Touch at the end of The Chocolate Rose? I’m all aflutter.

Chachic: I’ve read the first chapter of The Chocolate Touch when Laura posted it on her website. I really can’t wait to read it. I hope it goes up in NetGalley soon!

____________________________

There you have it, folks, our first Novel Gossip post! In conclusion, it’s pretty obvious that we enjoyed reading The Chocolate Rose, which isn’t surprising since we both loved the other novels in the Amour Et Chocolat series. Can’t wait to read more of Laura Florand’s writing. Stand by for more Novel Gossip discussions, the next one will be posted over at Michelle’s blog. Feel free to let us know what you think of this new feature.

Chachic and Michelle, March 2013 in Los Angeles

Reading order of the Amour et Chocolat books:
All’s Fair in Love and Chocolate
The Chocolate Thief
The Chocolate Kiss
The Chocolate Rose

Icon of the Indecisive by Mina V. Esguerra is the third book in the Interim Goddess of Love trilogy. The first two books in the series are Interim Goddess of Love and Queen of the Clueless. Do you need to read the books in order? Yes, unless you want to get really confused. They’re all tied together, with Hannah as the main character, tasked with helping college students with their love problems. Mina compared the series to a TV show, with the first two books as different episodes and Icon of the Indecisive as the season finale. I received an advanced review copy of this for the audio commentary that Mina organized with several other bloggers. Here’s my account of that experience and feel free to download the file over at Mina’s website.

Here’s the summary from Mina’s website:

College student Hannah Maquiling, also temporarily working as the Goddess of Love, has had enough of everyone asking for her help when it comes to relationships. It’s her turn to find romance! She deserves it, after serving as matchmaker and confidant to everyone else in Ford River College for the past year. She’s had a crush on handsome senior (and God of the Sun) Quin forever, but he’s destined to fall in love with an extraordinary mortal woman, so she’s figured her chances with him have pretty much dropped to zero.

It’s not like she doesn’t have any options for a classic college romance though. There’s Diego, God of the Sea and Quin’s best friend/enemy. And regular guy Robbie is stepping up, making sure she knows how he feels about her. How hard can it be for a goddess to find someone to love, and be loved in return?

It was nice to be back in Ford River College, a setting that I enjoyed reading about because it reminded me of my own college experience. I feel like I keep saying this but since I had fun in college (in spite of not loving my major), I take pleasure in reading anything that takes me back to those years. Even though Hannah and the other characters in the series weren’t ordinary college students, because they had abilities as gods and goddesses, I could still relate to them. To be honest, I was a little worried about Icon of the Indecisive. I felt like we were left hanging at the end of the second book and there were too many questions that needed to be answered in the final book. I shouldn’t have worried because the whole trilogy was wrapped up quite nicely in this installment. In the first two books, readers were able to see glimpses of Hannah’s own love story interspersed with the cases that she needed to solve as interim goddess. I was rooting for Hannah to get her own happy ending – I felt like she deserves to have her own beautiful romance after going through the trouble of comforting and supporting other people through their love-related difficulties. I had no idea where things would go when it came to Hannah’s leading man and I liked not being able to predict what would happen. While I didn’t think the ending was perfect because I thought it could have gone in a different direction, I still found it quite satisfying.

The Interim Goddess of Love trilogy is different from Mina’s usual contemporary romance with main characters in their mid-twenties. The series is young adult, set in college and has a mythology aspect to it. Granted, it’s light on the mythology and doesn’t have as much worldbuilding as other fantasy novels that I’m used to. Still, I think it’s a good idea for an author to branch out and try writing something different. In this case, I think it worked well because romance is still a big element of this series, something that it has in common with the author’s previous work. Like all of Mina’s other books, Icon of the Indecisive was a quick read for me. Thank goodness it didn’t take long for this one to get published so the story was still quite fresh in my mind and I didn’t have to reread the first two. You’re pretty lucky if you haven’t started on the series and you’re curious about it, because now you can read all of them in one go. Recommended for fans of romantic novellas, readers who want something light and fun, and anyone interested in giving Filipino fiction a try.

It’s funny how Interim Goddess of Love has several cover designs. I just wanted to mention that I really like that it got redesigned and now all three installments have matching covers:

All three covers were designed by Tania Arpa using photographer/blogger Rhea Bue’s photos. Aren’t they lovely? I like that the covers feature a Filipino fashion blogger and how all the photos give off a college vibe that represent the series well.

Other reviews:
The Girl Who Read and Other Stories
One More Page

I found out about A Girl Like You by Gemma Burgess through my good friend Janice of Specfic Romantic. I’m always curious whenever Janice gives a romantic read a thumbs up because I feel like we enjoy the same type of things when it comes to romance novels. The fact that she mentioned Sarra Manning, who is one of my adult contemporary romance authors, in her review convinced me that I really should read A Girl Like You.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

After breaking up with her boyfriend of, well, forever, Abigail Wood must learn how to be single from scratch. Her dating skills are abysmal, and she ricochets from disaster to disaster – until Robert, one of London’s most notorious lotharios, agrees to coach her.

With his advice, she learns to navigate the bastard-infested waters of the bar scene and practices the art of being bulletproof. The new Abigail is cocky, calm, composed…but what happens when she meets her match?

I picked A Girl Like You up because I was in the mood for a light and fun contemporary romance. I was surprised that I got something with more meat on it than I initially expected. The whole book spans several months, starting right after Abigail’s breakup with her long-time boyfriend and covering the time when she learns how to become a bulletproof single lady who enjoys dating. I must say that I really enjoyed reading about how Abigail and Robert’s friendship develop. I think it’s great that they got along so well as flatmates and even better as friends. It was also nice how their groups of friends merged together. At the start of the book, Abigail’s sister Sophie is about to marry Luke, who is one of Robert’s oldest friends. The wedding towards the end of the book is also something that I enjoyed reading. It’s always fun for me to read books that focus not only on the main characters but also on their relationships with friends and family. I liked how Abigail’s family also gets some screen time in the book. I felt like the characters were realistically portrayed – they’re funny, smart and sarcastic people at various stages in their lives: single, in a relationship, settled in a career, still trying to decide what to do with their lives. I even felt like I would get along with Abigail and her friends if they were real people (although I don’t think I would be able to keep up with the swearing and the drinking).

I liked how Abigail’s life didn’t revolve around her love life – she liked spending time with her best buddies and she was also thinking about her career. Even though I don’t work in an investment firm, I could totally relate to being an analyst in a corporate setting. I could also relate to Abigail trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life and what she’s really passionate about. It’s not that easy to find a job that you’re qualified for and is also something that you can get excited about. I thought it was fun that the book is partially set in Hong Kong because while I’ve never been to London, I’ve visited Hong Kong before. I have a minor quibble which is that some of the characters dated within one group of friends – I know that that’s an accurate portrayal of real life and I’ve actually seen it happen but it’s something that I don’t particularly like. But maybe that’s just me. All in all, I think A Girl Like You was a delightful read. It falls under what I like to call contemporary romance that has more depth than usual, which I really enjoy reading. I look forward to reading Dating Detox by Gemma Burgess. I recently got approved on NetGalley for the first title in her new adult series, Brooklyn Girls, so I’m also planning to read that soon.

A lomo shot of Hong Kong

Other reviews:
Specfic Romantic
Perfect Nostalgia
Novelicious
You Book Me All Night Long
Me, My Books and I

I’m always up for good contemporary romance and I get excited whenever a friend highly recommends something that falls under that genre. So it’s no surprise that when Angie does a bibliocrack review, I sit up and listen. And I end up getting a copy of the book in question right after I finish reading what she has to say about it. I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for good romance. I was looking forward to reading Big Boy by Ruthie Knox, especially since I found both the cover and premise intriguing.

Stamp created by fellow YAcker Laura

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

When Mandy joins an online dating service, she keeps her expectations low. All she wants is a distraction from the drudgery of single parenthood and full-time work. But the invitation she receives from a handsome man who won’t share his real name promises an adventure — and a chance to pretend she’s someone else for a few hours.

She doesn’t want romance to complicate her life, but Mandy’s monthly role-playing dates with her stranger on a train — each to a different time period—become the erotic escape she desperately needs. And a soul connection she never expected.

Yet when she tries to draw her lover out of the shadows, Mandy has a fight on her hands… to convince him there’s a place for their fantasy love in the light of day.

Big Boy was my first introduction to Ruthie Knox’s writing. I liked it so much that I immediately picked up her other novels right after finishing this one. I’ve read all of her books and I have to say that Big Boy is still the one I like best. I found myself surprised at the emotional depth present in such a short piece of work. I cared for Mandy right away. She felt like a realistic character with genuine problems. Although I haven’t had a similar experience to what she’s going through, I understood how difficult it is to adjust her life when motherhood is suddenly thrust upon her. She doesn’t even have time to grieve for her sister, she had to get her act together to take care of her baby nephew while balancing her workload. No wonder she feels the need to take a break and unwind, which she does on her monthly dates with a guy who won’t even reveal his real name.

“His weirdness was what appealed to me. I felt so unfocused so much of the time in those days – like I wasn’t myself anymore, but I wasn’t a new person either. I was a blob with feet.

This guy knew something I didn’t. He knew how to change identities nimbly, with a gleam in his eyes that said I’m having more fun that you are.“

I loved how unusual their dates are. They meet in one of the trains in the train museum and they have to act as characters in a certain time period. Let’s say 1957 – both of them would show up dressed in historically accurate attire (and being history nerds, they take pains to do this) and come up with a back-story for their character for the duration of that date. The background they come up with doesn’t matter just as long as they stay in character. Doesn’t that sound so interesting? It definitely kept me reading. At the same time, it made me wonder how things will work out between them when they’re being less than truthful with each other. Well, you just have to read Big Boy to find out. I really liked the setting of their dates as well, such a creative venue for their role-playing. It made me realize that even though I used the MRT everyday, I don’t really know much about historical trains. If there was a train museum anywhere near where I am now, I’d go and check it out. I’m now a Ruthie Knox fan and will always be willing to read anything that she publishes, I’m keeping my fingers crossed I’d get to review them as well. Big Boy is definitely a title that any contemporary romance fan should check out.

Other reviews:
Angieville
Bitching, Books and Baking
The Allure of Books

I’ve said it before and I will probably say it again in the future: I love Aussie YA. I can’t help it, there are just so many great authors in the land down under. So it’s no surprise that I’ve been curious about All I Eve Wanted by Vikki Wakefield since I first heard about it, when glowing reviews from Aussie bloggers started popping up all over the blogosphere. I knew I was in for a treat when I finally got the chance to read this one.

Here’s the summary from Goodreads:

Mim knows what she wants, and where she wants to go — anywhere but home, stuck in the suburbs with her mother who won’t get off the couch, and two brothers in prison. She’s set herself rules to live by, but she’s starting to break them.

Now Mim has to retrieve a lost package for her mother.

Does this make her a drug runner?

Why is a monster dog called Gargoyle hidden in the back shed?

And Jordan, the boy she sent Valentines to for years, why is he now suddenly a creep?

How come there’s a huge gap between her and her best friend, Tahnee?

And who is the mysterious girl next door who moans at night?

Over the nine days before her seventeenth birthday, Mim’s life turns upside down. She has problems, and she’s determined to solve them herself. But in the end, she works out who her people are, and the same things look entirely different.

I kept being surprised by how beautiful the writing is in Vikki Wakefield’s debut novel. It’s the kind of writing that jumps out of the page, grabs you and makes you pause because you just want to savor the words. All Mim ever wanted was a way out of her life. She’s done her best to be a good girl by staying away from illegal activities that her mom and brothers engage in, mostly because that’s what they know how to do and that’s what brings food to the table. Mim has her own set of rules that she hopes will lead her in a different direction from that kind of life. She dreams of traveling and visiting places that she’s only read about in books. For someone like me, who grew up in the Philippines, reading about what poverty is like in a first world country like Australia is enlightening. I know that so many people back home dream about a better life in another country. Some of my own friends even aspire to live in Australia, specifically (and I have to admit that I wouldn’t mind doing that either if it means I’d have access to so many wonderful novels). In this sense, All I Ever Wanted reminded me of one of my favorite reads last year, Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. The same kind of yearning to move beyond the current reality is present in both books. I loved so many passages and I want to highlight a sample:

“God, who lives like this? There must be families who eat together and speak to each other with respect. There must be couples who love each other but don’t have sex. There must be friends who can have a disagreement without screaming at each other and breaking up. Friends who don’t change overnight and turn into complete opposites of each other.

It’s almost funny. My rules are clacking over like dominoes but I’ve never felt so alive. I want to cry and scream in the middle of the street, just like Mum when she loses it. I want to smash things with a golf club. I want to spin my life like a bottle and see where I end up because any place would be better than here.”

Isn’t that just lovely? Certain passages in this book just made me sign in happiness. As much as I love romance in the stories that I read, I was able to appreciate that All I Ever Wanted was light in that aspect. It focused more on friendship, family and what happens when you let your guard down and let people in. Mim may feel like her life is bleak but I never felt burdened by her story. I felt like the book had the right balance of hope and despair. Highly recommended for fans of contemporary YA, I’ve marked this title as one of best ones that I’ve read this year. Vikki Wakefield is an author worth watching out for. I cannot wait to read her second novel, Friday Brown. All I Ever Wanted and Friday Brown can be purchased through Text Publishing or Fishpond, both of which have free international delivery.

Other reviews:
Inkcrush
Young Adult Anonymous
My Girl Friday
The Tales Compendium