Tuesday, September 26, 2017

The Guilty Reader Book Tag

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Hello-Hello! It is time for another post, a book tag. I've been tagged by the wonderful blogger, Abi, from What Makes A Good Book. If you are curious what her answers were, just be kind and click on the link. ;)
The creator of this book tag is ReadLikeWildfire from YouTube. 

Let The Book Tag Begin...!

1. Have you ever re-gifted a book that you've been given?
I rarely receive actual physical books from people but the ones I did receive... No, I have not re-gifted any of them from what I remember. 

2. Have you ever said you've read a book when you haven't?
This goes into technicalities territory. I said that to books I was currently reading or books I did not finish reading. I've done this mostly for school books like most people in this world. ^^' Sorry, professors! Although, I did read some of the content and researched the heck out of that said book's content. Thank you, Google!

3. Have you ever borrowed a book and not returned it?
Guilty as charged. Hey, don't judge! It was around the time when I was a kid and I did not give a dime about books. Yes, I was a kid who did not like to read because it was too boring for my kid hyped brain. An exception to the rule were the W.i.t.c.h. comic books. 
Now, I want to rectify my kid mistakes as much as possible. :D

4. Have you ever read a series out of order?
I guess so. It mostly happened with [romance] books that were part of huge series but each book could be read as a standalone.

5. Have you ever spoiled a book for anyone?
Yes. I know. I know. I know. Fire and damnation. "Shame! Shame! Shame!" "Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!"

mulan, mushu, dishonor, meme, animation, cartoon

It was one time by mistake when I was talking with my desk-mate about Anna Karenina's ending and someone,who was not done with the book, overheard us. And other times, I spoiled books for my friend(s) who wanted to know the ending. Yes, I ask for permission! So... In your face, judgmental readers! 
But, please, ask for permission to spoil books. And, hey, mistakes happens. 
Most of the things I spoiled were for myself. I spoiled books, movies, and TV shows to myself...

6. Have you ever doggy eared a book?
Yes. I did that a lot when I was younger or when books did not want to cooperate. Do you know how hard it is to read a book that does not want to stay open? Very. Even dangerous, I can say.  It is like playing with one of those bear traps. When you least expect it, CLAP! Your hand and face are injured. You see dancing stars. Plus, the page number is lost. And then you cry, not because of the pain, but because you did not remember what chapter you were reading. Then, you cry some more while trying to find the last sentence read. Sadly, you end up rereading a good junk of the chapter (or even the book) you were at and cry of frustration. Oh! And that is nothing compared to the time when it happens to read a spoiler while searching for your spot then you scream. The book screams. Your mom screams at you asking why you are screaming. Then your pet screams in terror. Then the Earth screams together with the entire universe and so on and so forth... Lastly, you ask the universe what you did to deserve such destiny.
I am telling ya! It's a whole drama.

lion king, meme, drama, drama meme, drama gif

7. Have you ever told someone you do not own a book when you do?
  No, I do not think so. Rarely happens for someone to ask if I own a book and if she/he can borrow it. But when it does happen... I try to suggest other options like the library and OverDrive or to insist on the part where "You should take care of my baby book or else..." >]

dracarys gif, meme, game of thrones, game of thrones gif, GoT, Daenerys, dragons, fire

8. Have you ever told someone you haven't read a book when you have?
 Yes, in the past when I thought that some books I read are going to make people judge me. Little did I know, people judged me anyway.

9. Have you ever skipped a chapter or a section of a book?
Yes. Mostly school books when only some sections were required to read. Or, I either scan and skipped some sections/chapters in favor of their summaries on the internet. I am usually not a big fan of classic/old works (except some ancient writings). Plus, as a busy student like myself you have to give something up if you want to be able to have all your homework done. [Sorry, professor(s)!

10. Have you ever bad mouthed a book you actually like?
Yes, just because I like a book that does not mean I have to loose my critical eye. [wink]

Tags:
Savannah from The Book Prophet
Joan from Books & Fitness & Lifestyle 
Carmen from Carmen's Reading Corner
And if i did not tag you and you want to do this tag, consider yourself tagged

PS

Until next time, feel free to check out my latest posts:

See you in my next post!

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Melody Obsession of the Week, Brought to You by Me, Presents Fetish by Selena Gomez

music, madness, music madness, music notes, music doodles, doodles, music symbols, music art, The Book Portal

Hello-Hello, fellow readers! Fall is here. The weather is chilly and the leaves are changing colors, green for read, yellow or orange. 
After my break from books and blogging, I started to debate what my new song pick is going to be for Music Madness - aka Melody Obsession of the Week. If you read my previous posts regarding this section of my blog, you probably know that I like to give a meaning and a reason to the song I choose. Usually. So, after days of debating on songs I encountered during my leave of absence, I decided on Fetish by Selena Gomez. 
I am well aware of its innuendos and the sexy meaning behind the lyrics. However, one day when I was listening to the song next to my pile of book, it hit me. Its lyrics perfectly describe a reader's - or at least my - relationship with books. 
No matter how long our reading slump or break from books is, we still find our way back to them, to reading. We crave the stories they contain within their covers. We want to go on adventures with the fellow characters, be the heroes, fight the villains or just be a reader. The smell of paper from a brand new book is the most sexy perfume we have ever desired. We love the art on the covers, dust jackets, and pages. And if the story of a book is THAT good, we obsessed over it. We devour its words over and over again through sleepless nights and even decades later. Just like a certain book friend of mine  who read a certain series at least 17 times. (Heck, even I got convinced to read that series again. Good job, my friend! Your passion for those books really inspired me. ^^)
So, you see, our relationship with books it is a bit sexual. We obsess. We crave. We want more. We want so much more from our beloved books that we even start writing our own stories. Books have a huge impact on their readers. They change us because we learn and gain knowledge from them. We, the readers, become imprinted by the books we read because their stories stay with us for the rest of our lives.

And finally, without further ado...

Selena Gomez - Fetish 
  
Listen it on repeat!
Happy Music Madness!  
And, let me know in the comments section if you have a similar "relationship" with your books. Also, what do you think about this week's song?

PS 

Until next time feel free to check out my latest posts The Diabolic Book Review -->HERE<-- and "I am back, readers!" Random Post -->HERE<--.  

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid aka The Roman Empire in Space

Book Synopsis

the diabolic, SJ Kincaid, Kincaid, fiction, science fiction, young adult, future, space, roman empire, romance, action, politicsNemesis is a Diabolic. Created to protect a galactic Senator's daughter, Sidonia. There's no one Nemesis wouldn't kill to keep her safe. But when the power-mad Emperor summons Sidonia to the galactic court as a hostage, there is only one way for Nemesis to protect Sidonia.
She must become her.
Now one of the galaxy's most dangerous weapons is masquerading in a world of corruption and Nemesis has to hide her true abilities or risk everything. As the Empire begins to fracture and rebellion looms closer, Nemesis learns that there is something stronger than her deadly force: the one thing she's been told she doesn't have - humanity. And, amidst all the danger, action and intrigue, her humanity might be the only thing that can save her, Sidonia and the entire Empire... The Diabolic - Goodreads





My Opinion

4/5 stars.
Cause of Science, I took one star. I will explain later in my review. Let's start with the positive, shall we? ^_^
This book was something. It got me intrigued from the very first chapter. It combined the very things I love most to read about space and Roman Empire. Two ingredients that should not work together like salt caramel ice cream or chocolate and salted pretzels but they do and they were so delicious to devour. 
The story is unpredictable. You think the plot is moving in one direction then the next thing you know... Surprise! You just got spun 180 degrees with the narrative moving in the opposite direction than you initially thought. 
The Diabolic, Book Photography, book, Photograph, adventure, space, romance, politics, future, science fiction, SJ Kincaid There is an amazing cast of characters which keeps the action moving forward besides the politics rich driven plot. It was interesting to read how the Emperor tried to keep his place on the throne like a dictator by killing and suppressing progress. He was like a futuristic version of Nero. But let's not forget about the Queen mother. She was... worse than the Emperor himself. If you ever watched Game of Thrones, then you should be very familiar with Cersei's character and how vile she can be. Well, the Queen mother is Cersei's mirror image.  
Aside from the whole political drama, there is also the Diabolic mythology. Designed bodyguards ripped off of all their humanity and trained killing machines destined to protect only one person at all costs. They are feared by everyone and paradoxically enslaved by the very same people.
Watching Nemesis rediscovering herself was beautiful and frustrating. Beautiful because she tried to understand her feelings and humanity, a side of her she never got a chance to explore. And frustrating because there is me, the reader, attempting to understand Nemesis' inhuman ways and pointing the obvious while she needed time to see past those ways.
the diabolic, book, SJ Kincaid, artwork, Bamboo paper, The Book Portal, romance, fiction, future, space, action, politic, young adultLike I said in the beginning, I took off a star mostly due to the science and, next, due to the very rushed ending. First, the science. The story tells us that Diabolics do not have lacrimal glands because they were designed not to cry. My question is: Then, how do Diabolics keep their eyes moist, clean, and infection free? So far, science says that the primary role of tears is not crying. They are just a tool used by the brain when showing distress to gain more sympathy from others. (Do not quote me on this but it's something like that :D). The author could have stick to the brain manipulation thing. It would had been more plausible in my opinion. I know. I know. By the end of the day, this is still a work of fiction but I still want my simple science to be accurate. ^^' The perks of being a science lover.
Second, the ending was a bit rushed and somewhat anticlimactic. I believe this was due to the uncertainty if it is going to be a standalone or a series. Which  it is understandable because the author wanted to give us a resolution just in case we are not going to get another book. And for that, I am also grateful.
All in all, I recommend this book if you are fond of space, ancient times, and politics. This was my cup of tea. Oh! The romance is good too. It fits perfectly into the narrative.

This is my sole opinion. ^_^   

PS - This is a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed this long promised review. Let me know what are your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in the comment section down below. All the images from My Opinion can be also found either on my Instagram or Deviant Art accounts.
Until next time, feel free to check out my latest posts I am back, readers! -->HERE<-- and Tarnished Crown Mini Book Review -->HERE<--.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

"I am back, readers!" - A Random Post

So... I am Back!


miss me meme, Sherlock Holmes, Moriarty, TV show

A lot had happened and a lot had changed even the seasons. Fall is here and winter is about to come. New books are being published nearly every day like the falling red autumn leaves. TV shows come and go wounding our hearts  - and by hearts I mean brains - with sorrow, joy, and awe. Amazing music popping up everywhere. People meet and people part via internet or real life. We connect, reconnect, and sometimes disconnect with the humans around us in need for all different forms of love. The most basic and common type is... Friendship. Present, old, new or forgotten we all seek one for the good words and feelings it provides just like a book.
I CAN FINALLY READ BOOKS AGAIN!!!
Watch TV Shows
And Movies
Make future plans
Write the blog posts I planned for 
Write my stories
Take photographs
Learn new languages
Offer and spread love all around me
Especially my Love for Books
And most importantly, take care of myself
Be the hero of my life and move forward   
You know, the usual. ^_^
Anyway, I missed blogging and all the things it brought into my life. It feels so good to be back on my "private" piece of the world wide web. In the future, I might have some news regarding my blog but until then... Shhh! You did not read anything.

inspector gadget, message auto-destruct,  meme, cartoon

Summer is almost gone in the Northern hemisphere and the nature took its time to remind us how much we depend on things. Humans. Earth. Nature. Sun. And Universe. After a beautiful solar eclipse, we had chaotic floods. Thus, I am sending to all the affected people my warm and positive thoughts. When things get harder, you fight because there is only one path to follow, forward.
And for those of you who got the chance to get cozy with books lately, let me know what adventures you've been through. Music, movies, and TV shows included or life events even ;).

I. AM. BACK.

PS

 Until next time, feel free to check out my other posts: Mini Book Review --> HerE <-- and Summer Book Tag --> HerE <--.