Eleanor and Park Spoiler Review

Hey guys!

I've been away far too long but now I'm back and I really want to do a review for Eleanor and Park. I already wrote one on Goodreads but it didn't come out so well so I'm trying again. If you're wondering why I titled it "Spoiler Revew" it's because I want to say everything that I felt and I really don't want to bother with the whole "Un-Spoiled" and "Spoiled" deal so if you haven't read it and don't mind being spoiled, read on!

What it's about: Eleanor and Park is about Eleanor and Park. Duh. But who are Eleanor and Park? Eleanor is a quiet girl with a loud attitude and way about herself. She's the new girl in town and that's not the only reason why everyone including Park notices her. Park is a half-Korean boy who keeps to himself but when Eleanor shows up everything changes.

Okay, I know that that description majorly sucked. I tried. Read the book for yourself if you haven't, then you'll know them and I won't have to explain them in such a sucky way. XD

I gave it a 5 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and here's my review telling why.

*Caution* SPOILERS AHEAD *Caution*

So first off, I loved the way this book progressed. The way that Eleanor and Park disliked each other at first and then grew closer. If that's one thing that I love about this book, it's that it felt REAL.

Anyway, going into this book I was excited. My sister had hyped me up, a Booktuber named Ariel had hyped me up, I wanted to read it for myself; it was all just so exciting.

I started out slowly(mostly because I was busy) and it was okay but then I got to the part where they actually started to open up to each other(Which isn't that far in, I know. Like I said, I was busy) and it was amazing. The way they silently communicated had me on edge just waiting for the moment when they finally actually talked. And then they did and first it wasn't that great but then it was and it got awesome and awesomer(totally a word :P). Then the hand-holding scene. *Sigh* You see, the Booktuber I mentioned had said something about the hand-holding scene and I was just like "Is it really all that?" and then when my sister read it she didn't seem to think the same thing that Ariel thought and I was like "So what was it like then?'. If I were to describe it, I'd say it was magical. It was super cute and warm feeling and embarrassing in that awesome way and it was magical and I swear to you, I felt it. I think I'm getting way better at engrossing myself in books and feeling like I'm really there because before I never really was good at doing that.

I felt so sorry for Eleanor and her family. I don't know what it's like being stuck in a bad situation you can't get out of and I hope that InshaAllah(God-willing) I will never find out but I sympathized so much with them. The way it was written, you felt it. You could imagine the horribleness. I mean, the girl couldn't even take a shower.

Park's story was, thankfully, not that horrible. The whole thing with his dad seemed pretty normal(as in, how a normal teenager interacts with his dad). The eyeliner thing was kinda confusing to me but I think it symbolized how Park wanted to be different and how his father didn't accept that he was different. Honestly, I could just imagine Park with eyeliner and I would be drooling(shhh). I have a thing for Asian guys(especially Korean) and "guyliner", no lie and I could totally imagine it and with his green eyes too? Ugh(sorry, fangirling a bit). Park, in my mind, is super cute(and not just because Eleanor said he was). And he's totally my new book crush because not only was he cute but he was awesome and quirky and a little weird and I loved it and him and Eleanor and run-on sentences ftw because I don't even care. :DDD

Like I said on Goodreads, my only criticism is that the other characters were sorta background noise. Not that they weren't all awesome at the same time. It's weird. I mean, I liked the other characters and their personalities(what little of them I saw) but besides Eleanor's and Park's families, the other characters didn't seem like they were entirely significant(although, other people have different opinions about that). However, as I also said, I didn't exactly mind that. I liked that they seemed to be in their own little bubble.

So I kinda thought it might be Richie that was writing in her notebooks. Only slightly though. I'm super glad she got out of that situation as fast as she could because I would've reached in the book and strangled Richie myself if he did anything to her. I liked that Park's father let him drive the truck because it tied something up in Park's side of the story as well, the fact that the whole time he did know how to drive a shift. I'm also wondering: did Eleanor and Park "go all the way" on the drive because I thought that it was hinted at but I wasn't sure but I don't even know why I'm wondering anyway. Whatever.

So now we're down to the last thing: the ending. It was not enough. I get it(or at least I think I do) but I sooooo want more. Those three words just had to be "I love you", I'm sure of it. But what if they weren't? WHAT WERE THEY???? I'm just kidding. Honestly, though, I do want more. I want to know more of their story. I want to meet them in real life and hang out. I want to be one of them. I don't even know. I just want more.

Anyway, that's it. To sum up this all-over-the-place review, I loved this book. I thought it was cute and it was awesome and beautiful and I smiled through a lot of it and it was also sad on Eleanor's part but it was such. A. Good. Book. I thank my sister for forcing me to read it even though I was going to read it anyway, just not fast enough for her :D

Like I said on Goodreads, I recommend it to anyone. If you want a good, touching, kinda sad, story to read or you want to read about teenage love or if you just want something to read, read Eleanor and Park. Even if you've already read it. ^^

So, this is really it.

Bye, see you when I do.

Read on, my friend,

Sumiyya <3

I'm back! Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen Review

  Hey! As you can see, I'm back. Been away for a while, I know. Anyway, I'm back now and I have a review for you! It's a review on Lock and Key which is a book by Sarah Dessen and a book I like a lot.

  So here's my review:

  Book Title: Lock and Key
  Author: Sarah Dessen
  Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

I will start off by saying that I have not felt so much from a book in a long while.

Ruby is a 17 year old girl entirely used to being independent. With an unreliable mother, she's basically been taking care of the both of them for a while. Then, when her mother abandons her she is forced to go live with her older sister, who she hasn't seen in years.

Suddenly, her world is upside down. She's faced with a new house, a new school, and a new life and everything she thought she knew is being questioned.

Along with her new neighbor Nate, she discovers the true meaning of friendship, life, and a very important thing: family.

Okay, so don't laugh at my summary up there. I just thought I'd try my hand. Excuse me if it's not completely accurate but I'm getting better right? Hopefully...

Anyway, this book was amazing! It was beautiful, it was poignant, it made me FEEL. As I said at the start, I have not felt this much from a book in quite a while. I teared up during this book and if you know me, crying over books doesn't come easily.

I was completely attuned to Ruby throughout this book. When she hurt, I hurt. When she rose up, so did I. When she branched out, my chest swelled with pride. That's how much I felt this book. Never before have I felt so in tune with a character. Or maybe I have. I have a short term memory anyway, so who knows? :D

The thing with Nate really added greatly to theme and voice of this book. When she realized that maybe he wasn't so different from her after all. When she had to reach out to him and touch the same sore spots she hadn't wanted to be touched herself. I kind of knew that there would be something more with him too.

Also, I liked all the characters in this book. I think Harriet and Olivia tie for favorite. Gervais comes close.

Anyway I hope I haven't spoiled anything and I also hope this review was enough. As I continually say, I'm not that good at reviews. Not really the type to do a lot of them.

So, all in all, I loved this book and I'm glad I made myself read it despite my initial misgiving that it'd be some dry chick-lit that I'd be bored to death with. Another point for Sarah Dessen I guess.

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoy it if you decide to check it out. 

 So, I just want you to know that I copied and pasted this from my goodreads. The link to that is here: 

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1001693362?book_show_action=false 

 I just really didn't feel like writing a whole separate review. Anyway, taht's pretty much it.

Read on, my friend,

Sumiyya <3

Review Pending

Hello! I'm sorry for not posting last week but there's a reason for that(check my main blog for more detail). Anyway, I really wanted to do a review on Divergent which I just finished today but I started it and then the power in my house went out and my review was totally obliterated. I was really sad. It's a little bit late now and I am busy so I'll just post the review next Monday. 

I do have something new to tell though. I started a book journal! It's like a regular journal except I write in it as I read the book and evaluate what I'm reading and all that stuff. 

This is what it looks like: 

Really pretty, right? 

So that's it. Look for my review. I'll be doing something a bit different than usual.

Read on, my friend,

Sumiyya <3 

Minders by Michele Jaffe Review

Hey there!

It seem like recently I'm popping out review after review. :D That's a good thing though. It means I'm getting more into evaluating what I've read and how I felt about it. 

So as you might know, Minders is not a book I own. You know what that means: Library!! 

My mother, the kindhearted woman she, decided to pay down one of the library cards instead of waiting for the Summer so we could pay it down with fine wavers. I'm so happy that she did but I also feel horribly spoiled. So I made a promise to myself that I'd only check out a total of 5 books per week. 3 regular books and 2 manga. No more than that. 

I haven't had the chance to fulfill that promise yet as I still haven't been to the library but I shall go soon hopefully. 

Anyway, enough wasting time. Here's the   review. 

Minders by Michele Jaffe

5 out of 5 stars 

What it's about: 

I'm going to use the blurb from the book because I'm finding it a little hard to summarize. 

"In a not-so-distant future Detroit, reading someone's mind is no longer just a fantasy

"An unflinching perfectionist, Sadie Ames is about to embark on every teenage girl's dream-she will be an observer in a boy's mind. Her task is to gather information for a corporation that is working to improve inner-city conditions.

"But as Sadie watches Ford struggle to peel back the mystery of his older brother's death, she begins to realize their is a dark truth lurking at the heart of the city. And when Ford does something criminal, she'll find out how well she can ever really know someone, even someone she loves." 

My review:

The cover is really interesting but it's only about a quarter of the reason I requested this book. The concept is just so interesting. 

The story played out very well and I have nothing about this book that I didn't like. Except maybe the way the characters talked. Other than that, I totally loved the book. 

I know, this is a very short review but all I can really extend is more praise and I think that'll get a little boring so I'll end it here. 

Thanks for reading!

Read on, my friend, 

Sumiyya <3

What Happened to the Writing?

Hello!

I'm back for this week's Monday. I know I've been gone, it's just that I didn't have any books to write about. 

This week I really don't either but it wasn't until this week that I realized: my blog isn't just about books and reading. It's also about writing! That's why it's called Read, Write, and Have a Blast. 

I also realized because of my neglect in remembering such a fact, I haven't posted any of my newest poems on here. 

So today I'll post a new poem I wrote. Although it's not actually that new though. 

Here it is: 

Happiness

I'm happy when the wind blows,

When all the leaves scatter,

When voices rise in the air

With laughter and with chatter.

I'm happy when I sing

A tune just for me,

When I hit the right note

And let my voice free.

I'm happy when there is food in my tummy. 

No matter what it is, it's sure to be yummy. 

I'm happy pretty much every day.

When I laugh, when I read, when I smile, when I pray. 

When watching my family laugh and play. 

These are things that make me happy,

But there are even more.

Though the happiest things are those who make me happy and those I'm happy for. 

And that's it. That third stanza though :D 

Anyway, hope you like it. 

That's it for today. 

Read on my friend, 

Sumiyya <3

Strands of Bronze and Gold Review

Helloooo!

This is my second review here on my blog. Kinda my second review ever too because I don't do reviews often and I don't know if the "reviews" I've done before count. 

So as you know, here is the book:

First what it is about:

When Sophia Petheram's father dies, she goes to live with her godfather whom she has only known through letters and gifts. 

Her godfather is an enchanting man with lots of wealth and power. 

As her stay with her godfather carries out she soon discovers he is not all that he seems to be and that the abbey he owns hides terrible and astonishing secrets. 

For my un-spoiled review:

Rating 3.5 out of 5

The beginning of this book was delightful and interesting. I couldn't help smiling at the book and loving everything inside of it.

Towards the middle, when things finally start settling in, my excitement kinda waned. I began to put it down more often but I still found it an okay read. 

Toward the ending, where things take a twist, I still liked it but I wasn't sure of my feelings were conflicted because of what was happening in the book or the quality of the reading. 

All in all, though, I liked it and while it was a bit crazy, and it did kinda drag on just a bit, it was a nice read. I would recommend it to people who like fairy tale remakes and people who like historical books. 

For my spoiled review:

****SPOILER ALERT****

So as I said, I liked the starting quite a bit. I myself was kinda charmed with Sophia's godfather and his wit and their conversations. 

I kept wondering through the starting of he liked her, liked her. He seemed more flirtatious than father-figure to me. 

Anyway, after a little while, I could quickly see that he was adamant about getting his way and Sophia seemed to think that was OK. I don't know. 

Later when she finds and falls in love with the preacher(it kinda seems that it's just because he's the complete opposite of her godfather) and then got heartbroken when he said he couldn't come it seemed kinda silly to me. I guess maybe because I've never felt that way or whatever or maybe because it was kinda silly.

When he announced that he wanted to marry her it was kinda not news to me as it seemed inevitable throughout the whole book and I really didn't understand why she would think that it was sorta out of nowhere. 

I didn't like when her siblings came and her brother asked her to ask for more money and her sister was basically saying that she should marry him and that all her reasons for not wanting to were silly. I keep wondering though, should I have liked the book because the author so well portrayed siblings who were willing to take advantage of someone? 

Oh, and the ghost thing: was it supposed to have an element of paranormal as well or was the main character just supposed to be able to see stuff like this? It confused me. Then when her godfather saw then too it confused me even more. 

Now the ending wasn't really very exciting for me. When I was at an earlier part of the book I was curious about what Bluebeard's story line was as I've never heard/read the fair tail myself. So I found out that it's about a person who has a lot of wives and kills them and yes I have heard of that story. I kept wondering what I would've thought of the ending had I not decided to see what Bluebeard was about. Even though, I still thought the ending was okay and kinda gruesome too.   

So again, I liked it and the starting was nice but it didn't take the cake. 

Thanks for reading my review. That's all for today.

Read on my friend,

Sumiyya <3

Books I Own

Hola! 

I kinda forgot to post yesterday :/ So here's another Tuesday blog for you. :D

So, as promised(for once), I'm doing a little blog on the books that I own and a brief story about how I got them. Honestly, I'm not like a lot of other book lovers who splurges their money on books. Mainly because I don't have money a lot of the time and a little because I don't actually like owning books. When I own books I don't read them because I get a lot of books from the library and since those are due on a certain date while the books I own are not, I read them first and it just keeps going that way. Now that I won't be able to get library books for a while, I'm going to try and read all the books that I own. 

On that note, let's get into the books that I own:

1. Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

I won this book as one of the prizes when I won the preliminary round of the Scrabble Tournament I participated in last year. I picked it out from a small selection of books. I just began reading this on Sunday while on a trip for 3 hours. I'm really liking it so far. 

2. From the Files of Madison Finn Super Edition Number 3 by Laura Dower

My mother bought this for me from a thrift store because she knew that I liked the Madison Finn series. I've already read this one but it doesn't hurt to own it if I ever want to read it again. 

3. Living with Ghosts

This is a Chinese book that I bought from the library because I was hoping that it was Japanese. Anyway, it looks really cute and interesting and I might try and learn some Chinese just to read it. :D

4. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 

I'm sure everyone is familiar with this book. I got it when I went to a book club meeting that was discussing this book. The first 5 people to come got a free copy and since only a few people came, we all got copies.

5. Mysterious Messages by Gary Blackwood 

I got this book from the Free Book bin at our library. I thought it looked interesting and everything. It turns out it's a book about all kinda of different codes thought history. I thought it would've been a story with a plot that incorporated this but it wasn't so I was a bit disappointed. 

6. A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer

I don't actually own this book, I believe it belongs to my father, but I have it anyway. It is a really interesting and really funny book. 

7. Outpost by Ann Aguirre

This book is the sequel to Enclave, which I never read. I got this book specially sent to me and signed by the author because I participated in a Skype chat with the author along with some other teens including my sister. She liked the Skype session so much that she decided to send us all new, signed copies of her most recent book at the time Outpost, the sequel to Enclave. It was very nice of her. I never did end up reading either though.

8. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

I got this book as part of the K12 package when I did 8th grade with K12. I still have yet to finish it but I have started it and I hope to finish it as soon as I can.

9. A Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

This is a two book in one special that I got as one of the summer reading prizes. I have not read either stories yet. 

10. Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell

I believe this was last year's Summer Reading prize. I picked it out because I loved Scott O'Dell's book Island of the Blue Dolphins and I thought that I'd enjoy this one as well. I still have yet to read it though. 

So that's it for all the books I own. I told you it wasn't very many. Also, sorry for the low quality pictures. It's getting late and I want to go to bed so I don't really have time to set up and edit and all that. 

Anyway, that's pretty much it. 

Read on my friend, 

Sumiyya <3

I'm Really Sorry

So I know I said I'd do the top 14 books I want to read in 2014 but I realized that there aren't actually that many books I want to read. In fact, I cannot read anything until the Summer anyway.

If you want to know why, it's because of library card issues. My mother borrowed a Minnie Mouse DVD for my little sister and when went to take it back we could not find it anywhere. We searched and searched and eventually the library put it up as lost. So we went to the library a little while ago and guess what? We found it in a case for another DVD we had. Like, did the librarians even bother checking inside the case before checking it in and sticking it on the shelf? Because if they had we wouldn't have had to waste so much time and money.

So yeah, basically we're not getting anything from the library until the summer when we can do summer reading and get fine wavers to pay off our cards. So until then I guess it's just online manga and books we own. 

I think my next blog will be about my collection of books. It's quite small but it's okay. 

So yeah, that's pretty much it. Again, I'm horribly sorry for going back on what I said. 

Read on my friend, 

Sumiyya <3

Not a Very Long Post

Hello!

This is my first blog post of 2014.

Hope you've been having a great, already book-filled year thus far. 

My year so far hasn't been exactly what I want it to be but I'm sure, I'm hoping, it'll get better as I go along. 

So I'm here today just to say that I am a little busy and I wanted to do a 14 Books I'm Most Excited For in 2014 blog but I've got stuff to do so hopefully I'll do that next week. Then the week afterwards I want to do a book review. 

So I'm sorry this is short and not much but yeah, see you next week!

Read on my friend,

Sumiyya <3