The Selection Series

I was looking for a light read and The Selection series did not disappoint. Though I despise heroines who are caught in a love triangle, America is an intriguing character. The history of the country of Ilea is quite interesting and I am most excited about the developments the upcoming final book will bring.

Book #1 - The Selection.

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Book #2 - The Elite

Thirty-five girls came to the palace to compete in the Selection. All but six have been sent home. And only one will get to marry Prince Maxon and be crowned princess of Illea. 

America still isn’t sure where her heart lies. When she’s with Maxon, she’s swept up in their new and breathless romance, and can’t dream of being with anyone else. But whenever she sees Aspen standing guard around the palace, and is overcome with memories of the life they planned to share. With the group narrowed down to the Elite, the other girls are even more determined to win Maxon over—and time is running out for America to decide. 

Just when America is sure she’s made her choice, a devastating loss makes her question everything again. And while she’s struggling to imagine her future, the violent rebels that are determined to overthrow the monarchy are growing stronger and their plans could destroy her chance at any kind of happy ending.

The Recorded History of A Girl

Source: www.amazon.com
Publication Date: July 31, 2013

Imagine a life unraveled through a series of letters.

That is exactly how one can live vicariously through R’s fabulous but mostly dramatic life. The heroine of the novel The Recorded History of a Girl is both mysterious and open as she shares her thoughts to the many people she meets along the way. Set against the backdrop of some of the world’s most glamorous cities and islands, R finds herself exploring the nuanced meanings of love, friendship, motherhood, bourgeois guilt and everything else that happens in between

There is a letter for everyone in this book. It is both hilarious, sarcastic, but most of all it is at once touching and genial. Enter R’s world and see how a pen and paper can do to create a lifetime.

Author:
Celine R. Lopez is a columnist for The Philippine Star. A former fashion editor and creative director of the paper’s Ystyle design section, she has now moved on to producing movies for European production houses. Her first film Metro Manila won the Sundance award for World Cinema Audience Award for Dramatic Film. She is currently working on her second film. She is also the head designer for the jewelry line Fah/Lux.

She splits her time between Manila, London and California. She lives with her two dogs, Milo and Caligula. Her first book From Coffee to Cocktails was nominated for the National Book Awards for essays.

My Take:

First of all, I downloaded this book for free. Yes, it's legally free on Amazon. I got it for my iPad by simply downloading the Kindle app and syncing it with my Amazon account. 

The very reason that I'm interested in this book is the author. Celine R. Lopez wrote the column From Coffee to Cocktails for the Philippine Star years ago. I am not quite sure if it is still being published today. I read that column everyday and proceeded to wait for Friday because I'd get my fill of her anecdotes then. I was only a teenager and had no idea that she was an IT girl. I just like her easygoing writing style and sophisticated life. I was fangirling over her. I even cut up some of my most loved articles and hid it away in a shoebox.

Though I am only 75% through reading the book, I genuinely adore it. I love that it showcases the various letters written by R to the numerous people in her life. It is full of remarkable quotations which I shall share with you soon. It is a voyeuristic view into the life of a society girl. Everybody thinks that they're all made of gold and glitter but really they are just ordinary people who got lucky early on in life. R, the main character, faced crises and tribulations, too. It is well-written and I believe that Celine, the author, has outdone herself!

Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo?

Read the book that inspired the movie of the same title. Read the book which made Kim Chiu decide to star in a less than glamorous role.

“Simply put, the best revenge is to live an awesome life.” 

“Sadyang mailap ang humanap ng tunay na pag-ibig. Madaling sabihing mahal kita, madaling isiping mahal ka niya, pero paano mo malalamang... ito na, eto na talaga?” 

“The only stupid question is the question that is never asked.” 

       ― Ramon Bautista, Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo?: At Iba Pang Technique Kung Paano Makaka-Move On sa Wasak na Puso 

 

Download the book and find out why your crush is not crushing on you.

Happy Reading!

BOOK GIVEAWAY: CRAZY RICH ASIANS

Crazy Rich Asians is the outrageously funny debut novel about three super-rich, pedigreed Chinese families and the gossip, backbiting, and scheming that occurs when the heir to one of the most massive fortunes in Asia brings home his ABC (American-born Chinese) girlfriend to the wedding of the season.
When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry. Uproarious, addictive, and filled with jaw-dropping opulence, Crazy Rich Asians is an insider's look at the Asian JetSet; a perfect depiction of the clash between old money and new money; between Overseas Chinese and Mainland Chinese; and a fabulous novel about what it means to be young, in love, and gloriously, crazily rich.

My Take

Ok, Rachel Chu enamored me! She is the female lead in Kevin Kwan's recent bestseller entitled Crazy Rich Asians. It's written like a Filipino television series. Replete with meddling mothers and polygamous men, this novel might get overly dramatic. There are a whole lot of characters whose names you have to take note of. Having said that, it is still an entertaining read which introduces you to the lives of the ultra-rich and elite people of Singapore and the rest of Asia. 

Download a Digital Copy of Crazy Rich Asians here.

Happy Reading!

Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy

Is it just me or did any of you think that the Fifty Shades trilogy by E L James would be as thought provoking as those of Coelho or as moving as Nicholas Sparks' love stories?

I judged based on the mysterious title and the dark packaging. Boy, how wrong of me to do so. Having read the first 6 chapters of the first book, this trilogy is chick literature for beach reading. It should be reserved for moments when you don't want to think too much about what you're reading. Gone are the days when chick lit were limited to the pink and pastels color scheme. *peace*

Expectations aside, it is still a fun book to read when there's nothing else. =)

Download Free Ebooks after the jump!

Of Reading, Booksale, and Harry Potter & the Deathly Boring

I never had a Barbie or any Polly Pocket thingymajigs as a child. No, I wasn't into toy guns and race cars, either. I fell in love with books at the tender age of seven.

Reading Progress:

1. Bible Stories
2. Winnie the Pooh books (I remember this because I got two sets of the same series and I loved them both equally.
3. Sweet Valley Kids
4. Sweet Valley Teens
5. Sweet Valley Jr. High 
6. 6. Sweet Valley University
7. I know, I know. I never grew tired of Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield. I worshipped its author during my teen years.
8. VC Andrews' books (Given by my sister-in-law. This was the first I got Booksale books and got hooked.)
9. Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, etc. phase (I was falling in love. This is where all my love advice came from.)
10. Paulo Coelho, the author I will never outgrow. Started with The Alchemist (3rd year HS, i guess) and I have been a loyal reader since then. Buying a brand-new Coelho book is worth every penny.
11. My foray into the wonderful world of international general fiction. (Murakami/Picoult/Garcia-Marquez,etc.)
12. Philippine literature is full of wonderful and exciting stories. So underrated. Thank you, Prof. Aquino, for that Lit 21 subject! (Joaquin/Tiempo/Casocot)
13. Of course, I get my Candace Bushnell/Sophie Kinsella fix once in a while.

Nowadays, the purse strings have to be tightened. It's perfect timing that Booksale Dumaguete opened its first branch in the University Town!

Three Consecutive Days. Take Note: I didn't see the books the day before I bought them.

I just took pictures of this comic book 'cause it was kinda funny. Spoofs of the two iconic books-turned-movie titles of our time. 




What are YOU reading?

Love,

Yy