{Bookish Review} The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass

(The Selection #1) 

Genre: YA Dystopian/Romance

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 a palace and compete for the heart of 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.

In The Selection, America Singer was one of the thirty-five hopeful ladies vying for Prince Maxon's affection to become the next Queen, except there she wasn't there to win.

Being a member of the lower caste meant life was tough for America and her family but joining the Selection could help with the situation. Even America's secret boyfriend, Aspen, urged her to join as well to eliminate any "what if" thoughts. However, they broke up before America left. The first encounter between America and Maxon was... not what you would expect and Maxon was kind enough to let her continue in the Selection. I guess being true to oneself makes one special in their own way. I was rooting for her throughout the book.

I chanced upon this book again during the last library visit and I grabbed it again. This is the second time I read this book and I still enjoyed it. However, this time round I do feel that there are not much insights on the reason behind the attacks on the palace but I do enjoy reading the interaction between America, Maxon and Aspen. I can't recall if I have read the second book but I definitely will want to read it to find out what happens next.

My rating: 4🌟

Source: NLB Singapore

{Bookish Review} The Iron King (Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

(The Iron Fey #1)

Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny; one she could never have imagined.

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth - that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil, no faery creature dare face; and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Help! I'm hooked onto this series again.

I first read this book in 2012. This is a book on how a mortal girl, Meghan Chase, travelled into the Faery realm against all odds to save her little half-brother Ethan from the clutches of the Fae. Of course she had help of 2 boys from opposing Courts in Faery, Puck from the Summer Court and Prince Ash from the Winter Court and a witty cat, Grimalkin. 

Through this treacherous journey, Meghan  learnt the truth about her own heritage, the secret behind her closest friend in the mortal world and the impending danger that was approaching them all in the land of Fae. What is she going to do to save her little brother? What are the sacrifices to be made?

I simply enjoyed the characters' interaction, which can be really funny at times with a prankster around an icy prince. The author is really good at pulling me into the story, making me feel what Meghan was feeling and how anxious I was to see her succeed in the trials. I'm really glad I picked up the series again. Off to the next book!

My rating: 5🌟

Source: NLB Singapore

{Bookish Review} Hungry Bunny by Claudia Rueda

Hungry Bunny
By: Claudia Rueda
Published on: September 11th 2018 by Chronicle Books
Genres: Children's Picture Book
Source: Library
Rating: 

It's fall, which means it's the perfect time for mama's apple pie. The only problem? These apples are hard to reach! But Bunny has some ideas. Young readers will delight in using the red ribbon to help Bunny reach new heights and pick those tasty apples. But the fun doesn't end there! Readers will also rock the book back and forth and turn it round and round for a one-of-a-kind roller-coaster adventure on Bunny's way home. Claudia Rueda shakes up the reading experience once again in this delightful sequel to Bunny Slopes.

I read this book to my 6 month-old girl and she loves it! I love how interactive this book is, with prompts for us to do certain action as we follow the bunny around. At one point, we were prompted to turn the book 360 degrees and my little girl was delighted. In addition, the book also made use of a red ribbon as a scarf, which was a tool in the story. Fantastic. I borrowed the book from the library and now I have to buy a copy for myself to keep at home.

{Bookish Updates} 23 December 2018

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Updates

My baby girl has kept me busy and tired for the past few months ever since she decided to pop out almost one month earlier than expected. She's almost 6 months old now and I have started reading books to her. Expect to see reviews on children's books soon!

Last Few Months On Bookish Michelle

• {Bookish Review} Scythe by Neal Shusterman
• {Bookish Review} Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett
• {Bookish Review} At the Stroke of Midnight by Tara Sivec
• {Bookish Review} Pax by Sara Pennypacker
• {Book Review} Four Nights With the Duke by Eloisa James
• {Bookish Spotlight} Guards Gone Wild! by Loh Teck Yong

New Books For Bookish Michelle


I have borrowed quite a number of books but have yet to compile them. I will be sharing them in Bookish Michelle's new Instagram account @bookishmmichelle. Hope to see you there!

{Bookish Spotlight} Guards Gone Wild! by Loh Teck Yong

In support of local authors, I'm happy to present to you Guards Gone Wild!, a memoir of the author's experience in the private security industry. Be sure to check out the sample chapter available in the post!

Guards Gone Wild!
By: Loh Teck Yong
Published on: October 1st 2018 by Loh Teck Yong
Genres: Non-fiction/memoir
Purchase at: LocalBooks.sg

Guards Gone Wild! is a memoir of Teck Yong's experiences in the private security industry. There’s plenty to tell. Scams perpetrated by security agencies and guards. Intense confrontations with delinquents and work colleagues. Funny moments to make you laugh and frustrating moments that made him cry. And so on and so forth.

But Teck Yong doesn't want you to just laugh or cry along with him. In order to reduce conflicts between security guards and the general public, he thinks there are some serious questions that need to be asked.

For example, why are some shopping malls are more popular with delinquents than others? Why do security guards get cranky when customers want to enter the department store at the very last minute? Are security guards overworked? What are the negative effects of sleep deprivation? The answers to these questions and more can be found in his book.

SAMPLE

Get a preview of the table of contents for Guards Gone Wild! and read a sample chapter!

Table of Contents | Excerpt

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Blurb

Guards Gone Wild! is now available at LocalBooks.sg and at selected Times and Kinokuniya bookstores. 

About The Author

Loh Teck Yong is unsure if he's a security guard who writes whenever he gets time off work, or if he's a writer who's working as a security guard to support his literary habit. When he works it out, Facebook will be the first to know.

Guards Gone Wild! is his debut work and if this self-publication effort does not ruin him financially, he will continue to squander his time writing stories that may or may not sell.

{Book Review} Four Nights With the Duke by Eloisa James

Four Nights With The Duke
Series: Desperate Duchesses by the Numbers #2
By: Eloisa James
Published by: Gollancz on July 14th 2016
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Library
Rating: 

As a young girl, Emilia Gwendolyn Carrington told the annoying future Duke of Pindar that she would marry any man in the world before him—so years later she is horrified to realize that she has nowhere else to turn.

Evander Septimus Brody has his own reasons for agreeing to Mia's audacious proposal, but there's one thing he won't give his inconvenient wife: himself.

Instead, he offers Mia a devil's bargain...he will spend four nights a year with her. Four nights, and nothing more. And those only when she begs for them.

Which Mia will never do.

Now Vander faces the most crucial challenge of his life: he must seduce his own wife in order to win her heart—and no matter what it takes, this is the one battle he can't afford to lose.

My first historical romance book by Eloisa James and I am certain it won't be the last! I finished this book in less than 12 hours and enjoyed it very much. The bargain was what drew my attention and made me curious.

The story starts with when Mia and Vander were young. Mia was humiliated when her secret poem to Vander was disclosed but instead of cowering behind, she showed her inner strength when she came out from her hiding spot to face the group of boys who mocked her poem. Vander was with the group. Fast forward many years later, Mia was faced with no choice but to seek Vander for marriage to keep her nephew with her.

What I like about the book is the cast of characters, especially Vander's uncle, who injected some fun into the story with his antics. I like the bickering between Mia and Vander too and how both of them slowly come to terms with their feelings for each other. I also love it that Mia is an author in the book! How exciting! The thing that had me frowning was Mia's low self-esteem due to her figure.

This book can be read as a standalone, which was what I did and I'm ready to dive into the rest of the author's books!

{Bookish Review} Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pax
By: Sara Pennypacker
Published on: February 2nd 2016 by HarperCollins
Genres: Middle Grade
Source: Library
Rating: 

Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds.

Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax, this story truly showcases Sara’s mastery of characterization and her fluent ability to pay off small yet beautiful details. The conflicts that Peter faces are mostly internal and center around the anger that has affected both him and his father in the wake of his mother’s unexpected death. Peter can’t shake his grandfather’s claim that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” when he wants so badly to distinguish himself from his closed-off father. Pax’s hardships, on the other hand, are more external; his domestication has left him an unskilled hunter and misled him as to the true nature of men. However, it is the beautifully-crafted characters that Peter and Pax encounter on their separate journeys who ultimately help the protagonists find what they are looking for, in addition to each other. These distinctive and multi-dimensional individuals leave a rare kind of impression on the reader while subtly infusing it with themes of loyalty, self-worth, denial, and truth.

This book really breaks my heart. This story is told from dual POVs--Peter and his pet fox, Pax. Peter was forced to abandon Pax when his father enlists in the war. Peter was then sent to his grandfather's place, where he made the decision to head back to look for Pax against all odds.

Pax believed that Peter will come back for him and waited. However, things were not so smooth for the fox. He needed food and water and there were dangers all around him.

This story about loyalty and friendship touched me. However, for a middle grade fiction, there were mentions of animals being killed and a scene where a landmine detonated. It won't be pleasant for the young ones to be reading these. This story also touches on the element of strength and resilience, when Peter was injured but still determined to find Pax despite his injuries.

Pax is an emotional read about the strong friendship between Peter and Pax and the adventure they had while trying to find each other. I'd advise parental guidance when it comes to reading this book with the younger ones due to the themes of war and death.