Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Romance was not a part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see insider her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgement.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decides whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those who have fallen--and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

I like the cover once I saw it. An angel with scattered black wings. First thing came up: fallen angel. I was right. Now vampires era is up and angels take place. The story is as good as –no, it’s better than – the cover. It’s delicious. I find the story about fallen angel is more interesting than vampires. Or because I’m bored with blood-drinking-guy? I think so. Twilight Saga made me full of vampires for a while.

I’m stunned by Patch. How come I don’t? He is handsome, tall, sexy (according to me), yet mysterious. It reminds me of why I love male characters with black personalities; black hair, black outfit, black eyes. It also means he is mysterious, lesstalk, cool and attract female readers.

Though I don’t know where the story will take me, I’m forced myself to keep on reading. In the middle of the book, I feel like I read some chicklit: not so average girl (that’s how she felt) attracted to a mysterious and sexy guy. Luckily, I insisted on reading so I knew what – or who – exactly Patch is (I can guessed it easily). Fitzpatrick is dragged me to the end. The tense is on the highest point almost in the end of the book. Good job, Mam.

Blue Bloods: Masquerade, a novel by Melissa de la Cruz

2007
309 pages

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help - her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman - a true Blue Blood affair.

But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

This book is more interesting than the first one. I’m not too confused anymore as I read Blue Bloods. I think I’ve got de la Cruz’s style. The tension is higher. It’s needed to sequels so as to attract readers. I like the twists here. I was surprised reading this because I didnot expect the flow. Very surprising.

I’m torn in two, between Jack and Oliver. But I prefer Oliver. He loves Schuyler without hesitation and he wil sacrifice himself if he has to. Unlike Jack. I don’t know whom he loves. He attracted to Schuyler and he realized he loves her but he loves Mimi, too. How can it be?

Vampire here has different meaning than all we know. And I’m hard to understand “the bond between twin vampires”. It’s weird twin vampires are couples.

Maximum Ride: School’s Out – Forever, a novel by James Patterson

Little, Brown & Co.
2006
409 pages

Avian-human hybrid Max and her similarly genetically enhanced Flock are on the run from the evil scientists and their nasty minions, the wolf-human hybrids called Erasers. Including Ari. Yes, he was killed in the last book, but now he's back, with no real explanation, and meaner than ever (daddy issues), now that he and the other Erasers have had wings grafted on their backs. You'd think this would make them more dangerous, but it actually seems to have made them more clumsy.

Max and the Flock engage in plenty of fighting, chases, and escape plans while Ari and the evil scientists do their scheming. Apparently there's a plot to kill off half the people in the world, method unspecified, reasons rather vague. (You know, that's what evil scientists do.)

Meanwhile the Flock get taken in by an apparently nice woman ... until it turns out that she's evil too. And they get to go to a normal school for a while ... until it turns out that the school is evil too. And Iggy finds his parents ... until (wait for it) it turns out they're evil too. Well, not evil -- just bad. And so on.

I like unfunny jokes in this story. Like Max told Iggy that he was blind. Everyone knows he is blind. it’s funny that make my lips curled up and smile. But I hate Max and Fang. If they have a cursh on each other, why they didn’t say or show it? I hope they will end up together. Or that’s what I was thinking of, that Patterson made them as couple.

I can’t get the book down. It’s exhilarating. It made me breathless when I read parts of the flock was chased by Erasers. Though I still don’t know what whitecoats’ intention to the flock. Saving the world? Max is important? What’s the meaning of that? I’m not Max and it’s all so confusing, indeed.

Blue Bloods, a novel by Melissa de la Cruz

Schuyler Van Alen has never fit in at Duchesne, her prestigious New York City private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapidated mansion. Schuyler is a loner—and happy that way.

But when she turns fifteen, Schuyler’s life changes dramatically. She has a mosaic of blue veins on her arms, and craves raw meat. The death of a popular girl from Duchesne is surrounded by a mystery that haunts her. And strangest off all, Jack Force, the most popular boy in school, is showing a sudden interest in her.

Schuyler wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

I feel a little confuse reading this. Melissa de la Cruz’s style is different from books I’ve read before. She used all kind of point of view each chapter. I had to think for a while to get it. She described all the socialites life. Social committees, pretigious mansions, bilionaires families, branded fashions, private schools. I can hardly imagine all that.

The story is up not until the third of the books. Although I feel dizzy with the flow and where it took readers, I kept on reading. And I was right. The story was attracting me. I can’t put it down until I am too tired to open my eyes. Too bad, I still have to go to work. I can’t finish it in once reading.

Inkspell, a novel by Cornelia Funke

Although a year has passed, not a day goes by without Meggie thinkingof the extraordinary events of Inkheart, and the story whosecharacters strode out of the pages, and changed her life for ever.But for Dustfinger, the fire-eater, torn from his world of words,the need to return has become desperate. When he finds a crookedstoryteller with the magical ability to read him back, he sets inmotion a dangerous reversal that sees the characters of Inkhearttransported to a charmed Inkworld, about to be fought over by rivalrebels and princes.

It’s still the same with the first book. Each chapter, it is completed by a quotes from famouse novels. Tom Sawyer, The Subtle Knife, The Wizard of Oz, etc.

Funke’s book is told about books. Books are not only words but have something that can make you traveling and imagining. In here, books are the most important thing. Elinor had a jar full of ashes of her books burned by Basta, beside her bed. I know, that’s too much.

I love books but not like her and other protagonists treat books. I place my books on bookshelves. I wrap some of them with plastic cover. I try not to open too wide when I read one of them, avoiding it broken. Just that. I don’t place my books inside a box and take it wherever I go.

Inside this story, imagination rules.

The very annoying person in this book is Fenoglio. He played as God in his own creation book. He twisted the story, he brought back Cosimo from dead, he caused so many innocent people in dangerous condition. I hate him.

Top Ten Matching Couples 2009

Teenlit or chicklit (and fantasy) have their place in the readers’ heart. It’s has romantic sequences. That’s the main reason. If the main characters have something (strong chemistry, good personality, good appearance, power), readers will always remember them. I like it when the main characters are together, no matter what conditions they were on. Below is my ten matching couples 2009.

Here is the list:

1. Maximum Ride - Fang in Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment

2. Sadira - Hassya in Aerial

3. Ishida Keiko - Nishimura Kazuto in Winter in Tokyo

4. Emma Corrigan - Jack Harper in Can You Kee a Secret?

5. Sophy Metcalfe - Josh Carmichael in Asking for Trouble

6. Rahmania Utoyo - Takeo Fujita in to Tokyo to Love

7. Susanna Wilding - Lloyd Rockwell in Perfect Stranger

8. Percy Jackson - Annabeth Chase in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

9. Wanda - Ian O'Shea in The Host

10.Nicko Heap - Snorri Snorrelssn in Septimus Heap: Physik

Top Ten Stuck-in-My-Head Annoying Characters 2009

Story won’t be interesting if there are no bad people. No matter how happy ending they are, it’s useless if all the characters are on "white" area. Readers wanna know the conflicts between them. Readers need to feel their fights to reach the goal. To get that, antagonists are needed. But sometimes, even the protagonists look like the bad guy. They can be so charming or on the average, too. They’’re stepping on the "gray zone" so that s/he can trick my mind. Below is my ten stuck-in-my-head annoying characters of 2009.

Here is the list:
1. Queen Etheldredda in Septimus Heap: Physik
2. Luke Castellan in Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
3. Simon Heap in Septimus Heap: Flyte
4. Sheri Crystal in Perfect Strangers
5. Roland in Nocturnal
6. Rebecca Greenhall in Love Trainer
7. Nick Bianco in Perfect Strangers
8. Prince Nicolo Thierry Ferdinand Ignazio Alfonso Roberto Paolo Tadero Giovanni Bourbon-Parma in Reality TV Bites
9. Byron in The Wish List
10. Karina Latulo in to Tokyo to Love

The Subtle Knife, a novel by Philip Pullman

Will is 12 years old and he's just killed a man. Determined to discover the truth about his father's disappearance, he steps through a window into another world. There, he meets a girl called Lyra who, like himself, is on a mission.

It’s a very, very difficult book to understand. Though, has difficult theme. Religion, physics, archaeology, politics and global warming. All aspects in one book and make me fuzzy. It has deep meaning and phew, I have to read it slowly to get it done. A child holds the connection of all worlds and she has task to save those. I can feel the burden myself.

The book has sensitive theme here and no wonder the first book is banned. I understand why they do that. I think this is not good for children eventhough the main character is a child. She is 12 years old with consciousness and thought of an adult. Inapropriate for children reading it.

Top Five Compromising Sequels 2009

Reading series of a book is exciting. I can explore the story and the characters deeper than one-stand novel. But not all sequels better than their origins. Usually, the first one is a homerun. Below is my five compromising sequels 2009.

Here is the list:
1. Brisingr, sequel to 2 books of The Inheritance Cycle
2. The Last Battle, sequel to 6 books of Chronicles of Narnia
3. Breaking Dawn, sequel to 2 book of Twilight Sagas
4. Sons of Destiny, sequel to 11 books of The Saga of Darren Shan
5. D’Angel: princess, sequel to 2 books of D’Angel Series

Top Ten Most Devastating Books 2009

This year, I read a lot more than last year. That’s a surely thing—I don’t wanna stuck in the same level as last year. Readers don’t have the same opinions to a book. One said book X is awesome and book Y is confusing. Other said book X is average and book Y is astonishing. I can’t judge how they rate books they read because I have my own opinions, too. Below is my ten most unbearable books of 2009.

Here is the list:
1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, written by Rick Riordan
2. Can You Keep a Secret?, written by Sophie Kinsella
3. Winter in Tokyo, written by Ilana Tan
4. Chronicles of Narnia: The Last Battle, written by C.S. Lewis
5. Nocturnal, written by Poppy D. Chusfani
6. Aerial, written by Sitta Karina
7. Asking for Trouble, written by Elizabeth Young
8. Brisingr, written by Christopher Paolini
9. The (Un)reality Show, written by Clara Ng
10. to Tokyo to Love, written by Mariskova