Feature and Follow Friday #15: Tricks Learnt + Last Time

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
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Q: Share something you’ve learned about book blogging or just blogging in general in the last month.

I've learnt many many things in the process of blogging. In the past month, I've learnt how to do things such as the slider that features my latest posts. It was excruciatingly hard but it wasn't too bad. I know, paradox but it was only hard because I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my blog. My experience with blogging has been amazing because I've learnt how to do so many things with blog design. I'm Asian, which makes me really cheap, which means I still have yet to pay someone to do my blog design. I'm guess I'm glad I never did though because otherwise, I would've never learnt how to do things like my blockquote, slider and how to use Photoshop CS6. Just while I'm talking about blog design, just a reminder that I offer free blog designing for all the simple stuff. If there are any elements on my blog that you'd like to see on yours, feel free to contact me.

I know that weekly memes are meant to be forever. I feel really bad 'quitting' but at this point, I don't want to continue doing the Feature and Follow Friday posts. I still and always will follow back anyone who lets me know that they have a blog. Nowadays, I have so many posts that I have to do and this post takes up a day of what could be a different post. I don't like posting too much on one day. Once again, I will still follow back everyone because I love my followers, I've just decided that I don't want to do these posts again. Farewell guys. Especially to Jessica @ a GREAT read who manages to leave a comment on every single one of these posts.

You can continue to leave comments on this post and I will follow you back.
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Sit Tight Sunday #5: Roar by Katy Perry

Sit Tight Sunday is a weekly feature on my blog for me to showcase upcoming music. The original post can be found here.

Genres: Pop, Electronic, Dance, Rock
Released: 12 August 2013
Capitol Records

It's Katy Perry, I don't know what else I have to say. Who doesn't love Katy Perry? I can't wait until she comes back. Roar will be the first single she released from her upcoming album. The album, Prism, if I'm not mistaken, will come out on the 22nd of October. If you haven't already watched the teaser below, you have to. A 30 second clip of Katy Perry burning the blue wig she wore in California Gurls. You can tell that she's going for a much darker concept compared her first albums. August 12th. So close yet so far away, I can't wait!



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Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

 
 Ink is Amanda Sun's debut YA, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance novel. I read this for the Debut-A-Thon ages ago and am finally getting to doing a review. I'm pretty sure that I'm the one blogger that is most behind on book reviews. Oh well. I loved Ink! Okay well I didn't love love it but I did enjoy it a lot. I personally had a few problems with it which is why I ended up giving it a 3.5 STARS or 4 STARS on Goodreads. It's quite a different novel. American girl in Japanese world. Read more to see the full review.
Characters:
The characters to me seemed a bit fake. They're personalities weren't delved into. I feel as though to really bring a character to life, you have to have more character development. The main character, Katie, was nice but then again, that's the problem. She wasn't a strong protagonist. Tomo was meant to be the main love interest but you find out almost nothing about his personality. Then there's Jun which I think is the coolest character. As expected, he's the other love interest and he's the only one that has any layers in his personality. At first, Jun and Tomo kind of reminded me of Will and Jem with the bad guy and good guy thing. Even though it's still true, the good guy and the bad guy aren't so black and white.
Pros:
The storyline hooked me in at the beginning. I was quite interested to see what would happen. Then when I found out there were amazing illustrations, I got even more excited. There were lots of funny parts that were relatable and fun. I also really loved the paranormal aspect. If I didn't know that the book was in that genre, it would've been a complete surprise to me. The uniqueness of the concept is really fascinating.The story can totally be an anime or a manga.
Cons:
From there, it kind of goes downhill. Well some may totally hate me for this but I've never really read any manga. The idea of it isn't super appealing to me. After awhile, the book got more and more boring. I had to really force myself to read it which is a bad sign. I was lucky I was reading this during a read-a-thon or I might've taken forever to read it. The romantic factor was probably the worst part. It was what felt the most unrealistic which may be a reason why I feel as though the characters are fake.
Summary:
I think most people would love the setting. If you love anime, mangas or J-dramas, I think you'd really like this story. Though there are a few cliche aspects, the uniqueness of the setting and themes probably outweighs them. I'm not telling you to run out and grab a copy but I do definitely recommend this.

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Review-A-Thon: Vain by Fisher Amelie

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.
I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

 
As soon as I read the synopsis of this book, I completely fell in love. I had to read it and I knew I'd enjoy it. For once, the synopsis was the thing that sucked me in. It wasn't the cover and it wasn't because someone else told me that it was good. This is what you call a spectacular synopsis. I gave this book a straight up 5 STARS and it easily went straight into my favourites. I can't wait until the next book in the series comes out. See why I loved Vain.
Characters:
If you start reading it, you'd think the main character is a complete bitch. I thought that too but for some reason I just couldn't hate her. I loved the character development as she and Dingane worked their problems out together. All the characters had so many different layers that were slowly unveiled. I love how there wasn't that one stupid and annoying character trying to screw up everything. Sometimes I get why the author would put in an annoying character but all it does is pisses me off. They're completely unnecessary and I'm so glad Fisher Amelie didn't put one in.
Pros:
I always enjoy love stories with a moral and Vain definitely fits that category. It wasn't just love at first sight, it was way more deep. It was so extremely cute at some points and I just couldn't stop giggling. It also left me crying which is always good. I also loved her writing and how she incorporated so many different metaphors to enhance the meaning.
Cons:
Well the only con is that I don't have anything to write in this section.
Summary:
Hurry up and read this! Or at least go add it to your to-read list. This book blew my mind away just like I knew it would after I read the synopsis. It received a well-earned 5 STARS in my books.

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Review-A-Thon: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand.
Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

Please forgive me for this super delayed review. I read this book over a month ago and I'm not doing a review until now. But after all, this is the point of this Review-A-Thon. Beautiful Disaster is right up my alley. Even though I haven't read much in the New Adult genre, the classic and cliche love story portrayed in this book is my type. I've said this before and I'll say it again. I have a complete love/hate relationship with this book. I really didn't know whether I should've given it a  2 STARS or a 5 STARS. In the end I gave it a 3.8 STARS. Or if you want to be all mathematical and round it up, I give it a 4 STARS. Keep reading to see why I loved and loathed it.
Characters:
Well first of all. I absolutely HATED the main character Abby. It's me and this thing where I hate it when girls keep pulling away. I get that that's the whole reason Travis fell in love with her in the first place but sometimes, these girls really got to get a grip. Sure, at first, go ahead and judge them but once they fall in love with you and you fall in love with them, why do you keep pushing them away? Also, I feel like some characters were there just because the story needed more characters. Abby's gay best friend, I don't even remember his name, was such an amazing character but he wasn't delved into. I did however like the subtle character development.
Pros:
Now for some good things. Though I hated how they fell in love, I love what happened once they were together. Bad boy meets good girl stories are the best. I love stories where a guy meets a girl and then they work they're problems out together. You'll see that these are my favourite kind. I loved Jamie McGuire's writing and how the point of view fit the character. Her writing was amazing and there was a lot of foreshadowing which I also enjoyed.
Cons:
Alright so, if this book ended half way through, I swear it would've been the best book ever. I'm not going to spoil anything but unnecessary dramas and problems came back even though they were already solved. I hated this so much. I was so happy for a moment there and then BAM! something bad comes back. I had a full on WTF moment. I really wish this could've ended at the half way mark. If you've read it, you'll know which point in the story I mean.
Summary:
Ultimately, this was a good read if I ignore all the parts where I got super duper annoyed. I really can't wait until I read Walking Disaster which is in Travis's point of view. Maybe then, I'll be able to appreciate the book more. I want to see how the hell Travis fell in love with a girl that made it seem like she hated him.

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Feature and Follow Friday #5: Series Break Ups

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.
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Q: Have you broken up with a series? If so which one and why?

I'm not proud of it but I will probably never finish the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I mean, it wasn't terrible or anything but the first book, A Game of Thrones, didn't hook me in enough to inspire me to read the rest. Each book is so extremely long and it probably take me half a year to read it all. Maybe one day.

I'd really love it if you could leave your links in the comments but also if you could maybe look at my other posts as well. I will leave comments on your blog as well and not just on your FF post.  If you'd like to follow me, I'd appreciate it no matter how you do. I have a variety of ways to make it easier for everyone. My links can be found in the sidebar and in my header. My NetworkedBlogs and Facebook needs extra love. Thank you everyone!
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Top 5: Favourite K-Pop Boy Bands

I tried my hardest. The hardest I could. To order this from 1-5. But I couldn't. In the end, I had to do it alphabetical order and just promise that all five of these bands are absolutely spectacular.

1. B.A.P
One Shot
2. BIGBANG
Monster
3. BOYFRIEND
Janus
4. SHINee
Sherlock
5. U-KISS
Believe

Where do I start? All these bands are absolutely wonderfully spectacular. When I first heard One Shot by B.A.P I instantly fell in love. I'd heard other songs by them but those songs never sucked me in. One Shot is the song that made me fall in love with them. I'd listened to K-Pop in the past but what really hooked me into the genre overall is BIGBANG's Monster. That means I haven't been a fan for as long as other people but that doesn't mean I'm not a dedicated fan. BOYFRIEND is not as popular as the other bands but they're just so beautiful. Their dancing is so amazing. I could just watch the Janus music video over and over again and not get bored. Lots of people agree that Sherlock by SHINee isn't their best song but I've listened to their older songs and newer songs and I don't really like any of them as much as I like Sherlock. Lucifer is good it's just not my favourite. Last but not least is U-KISS. Believe is such an amazing song to me. Though I loved Stop Girl and songs from their latest album, Believe is definitely my favourite. U-KISS's dancing is also fantastic. BEAST and NU'EST almost made it onto my list, but at this point of time, they haven't impressed me as much as these five bands.

 Watch my playlist!

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Top 5: Favourite Female Artists

I decided that I wanted to do more of these 'Top 5' posts. Maybe I'll even do a 'Top 10' one day if I can't choose 5. Today I choosing my five favourite female artists. I'm not being sexist, I just like a lot of female singers and I'll do the male post one day, I promise. These are all American singers. I feel as though even though there are famous female soloist in South Korea like BoA and Son Dam Bi there aren't enough for me to a whole post on them. I'll include them when I do my favourite female K-Pop groups/soloists. Keep in mind that it was extremely hard to order these five amazing vocalist in order of five to one. I've also included my favourite song by the singer.

5. Nicki Minaj
Masquerade
4. Demi Lovato
Skyscraper
3. Rihanna
Stay
2. Taylor Swift
Nevermind
1. Adele
Rolling in the Deep/ Set Fire to the Rain/ Turning Tables

The links lead to some of my favourite posts about the singers. Some of them are actually pretty funny like the Taylor Swift and Nicki Minaj ones. Masquerade is was never made into and official music video but it's still a pretty popular song and I loved Nicki Minaj in this one. Skycraper has such a good message that I just have to love it. Who doesn't love Stay? My favourite Taylor Swift song, Never Mind, was surprisingly actually never released. You can find it on YouTube and on the internet but it isn't sold anywhere. It's still my favourite song by her though. And lastly, Adele, I just couldn't choose. Chasing Pavements is also up there in my favourite Adele songs but the three that I chose just can't be beaten.

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Review: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

WICKED above her hipbone, GIRL across her heart
Words are like a road map to reporter Camille Preaker’s troubled past. Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls.
NASTY on her kneecap, BABYDOLL on her leg
Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory.
HARMFUL on her wrist, WHORE on her ankle
As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming.

This book was completely different to what I normally read. Instead of the usual YA and Romance stuff that I read, I decided to go for something out of my comfort zone. Sharp Objects, beautifully written by Gillian Flynn, is Mystery Thriller. Some go as far as saying that it's a Horror book and I completely understand. Sharp Objects was Gillian Flynn's debut book published in 2006. Her more recent book Gone Girl is more popular. If you read the description, you'll see that it is a pretty twisted book. I gave this book a 4.5 STARS. I have so much to say about this book which is why you have to keep reading, I won't have any spoilers. If you're too lazy to read the whole review though, to sum it up: I recommend it, go and read it, but only if your ready.
Characters & Themes:
Alright, I'll try my best. The characters and the themes played a very huge part in the story to me. The protagonist is a very unique character and all the people she meets are too. I can't say much about them but they are portrayed very cleverly by the author. Nobody is simply black and white. They're not if even black, grey and white. Every single character has so many layers and secrets. The author's innuendo's did help me unravel the mysteries before the protagonist did but even so, there were many things that I found out about the characters that still shocked me. The themes were what really got me into the story. So many different things were explored. To list a few: mental illness, sex, drugs, 'don't judge a book by it's cover', pain, grief and I could go on forever.
Pros:
I'm still trying to really wrap my head around the story. I apologise for this scattered review. I really loved the writing because I felt like Camille was telling the story and not the author. This really brought the story to life and with the use of inclusive language I was very compelled. This book left me holding my breath during most of it. It is a fairly short book, under 300 pages, which seems very little for a mystery book. You'd think that the story wouldn't be in detail but trust me, it is. It's so well thought out and intelligent. There's always something happening that evokes a different kind of emotion. Many parts were jaw dropping, literally.
Cons:
The reasons why this book didn't get a perfect score from me are because I wasn't ready and I hated the ending. I felt like some of the issues were just too much for me at this point in my life. Some things were too gruesome or too twisted and wrong. I'm just glad that I know not to be influenced by anything that happened. This is an Adult Fiction novel and I only suggest reading it if you're ready for very heinous things. And then there's the ending. If you've seen my past reviews, you'll know how I am about endings. They have to be good. The ending just wasn't happy enough for me. Being the optimist that I am, I crave a happily ever after.
Summary:
Sharp Objects was an amazing and absolutely spectacular book. I just wish I would've read it when I was older. I would've been able to appreciate everything a lot more than I do now. I definitely recommend this to more experienced readers. Even if you're a teenager, just make sure you're ready. It was a fantastic murder mystery.

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Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

 Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy. 
Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Clockwork Princess is the final book in the Infernal Devices series/trilogy by Cassandra Clare. As you probably expected here on my blog, this book is a Young Adult and a Romance book. It is also a fantasy book. The series is about Shadowhunters and Downworlders (warlocks, vampires, fairies and werewolves). In this book Tessa and the Shadowhunters must fight against Mortmain and his Infernal Devices to protect the whole race. I gave this book a 4.8 STARS. So what made me take of that 0.2 of a star? Continue reading to see why I absolutely adored this book but also the minor thing that made me bring score down.
Writing:
I don't normally address the writing in it's own paragraph but I just have to express how amazing it is. I love how at the beginning of every paragraph Cassandra Clare starts with a excerpt from a text. The chapter's names are also from poems, plays etc. I think this a really smart way to introduce a new chapter. She also uses flashbacks and going back in time to go deeper into the story. Because the story is set in the late 1800's and early 1900's the language and context is different. I love how Cassandra Clare uses the right speech to fit the time period. Things like "I shan't" really brings the characters to life.
Characters:
I love love loved the characters in this book and the series overall. I love how Cassandra Clare cleverly connects them to the characters in the Mortal Instruments series even though the time periods and settings are completely different. The characters were so strong and unique to themselves. I loved the Lightwood brothers, Sophie, Cecily, Charlotte, Henry, Magnus and the more minor characters Bridget and Cyril. They all had they're unique personalities. I also liked the way the main trio - Tessa, Will and Jem - ended up. Love triangles are hard, especially when you don't know who you're fighting for but the ending of Clockwork Princess was perfect. I won't spoil it but let's just say it was beautiful but sad at the same time.
Pros:
Well obviously, I loved the writing and the characters. I really liked how Cassandra wrapped up the series. If you've read my past reviews, you know that I hate endings that don't tie loose ends, well this one definitely does. The ending was a highlight for me. I also really liked the epilogue. It ended the Infernal Devices but it also gave us a sneak peek for the last book in the Mortal Instruments series. This book evoked so many different emotions.
Cons:
Unfortunately, I couldn't give this book a 5 out of 5 for one minor reason. I couldn't get into the book right from the start. It's really a bummer when this happens. It took me a few chapters to really want to read the book.
Summary:
This book was amazing. If you haven't read any of Cassandra Clare's books, go do it now! I suggest reading both the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices in the order that they came out. Read them closely so that you can really see the connections between the two. Some say that City of Bones, the first book of the Mortal Instruments is a bit boring and I totally understand but once you get through that one, the rest is amazing. Clockwork Princess definitely deserves it 4.8 STARS. 
Favourite Quotes:
"The good suffer, the evil flourish, and all that is mortal passes away."
"Truth is brighter than the light, Falsehood darker than the night. Revenge is keener than an axe, And love is softer than melting max."
"How could three people who cared for another so much cause one another so much pain?"
"Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die-"

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