WWW Wednesdays {June 5, 2013}

WWW Wednesdays: A fun weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This meme gives opportunity to  readers to share our current reading, books we recently finished and books we're going to read next.

What are you currently reading?

I'm currently reading a middle-grade book "The Peculiar" by Stefan Bachmann. I am intrigued with the idea of fay story combined with some mysteries and clockwork devices. I am halfway through the story and it is enjoyable thus far.

What did you recently finished reading?

The last book I read was a thought-provoking story of intersexuality, "Golden Boy" by Abigail Tarttelin. It was an eye-opening and I really liked the way the author tackles such a complicated issue in a beautifully written story of Max Walker. Recommended!

What do you think you'll read next?

Picking the next read is quite hard since I have several books that I really want to read soon. So, I've made a list of TBR books. Next books I'd read would be "Lost and Found", a romantic novel by Nicole Williams, and a mystery book by John Gaspard called "The Ambitious Card" (received from Netgalley)

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection | Author: Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection  Book #1

Genre: Young-Adult Fiction, Romance, Dystopian

Format: Kindle e-Book

Date Finished: May 21, 2013

CoffeeNCrackers Rating: 4 Cups of Coffee

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 to 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. -Goodreads

My Review

When I was trying to find a light reading (usually from YA realm), the gorgeous lady in blue dress on the front cover of The Selection really caught my attention. So, I picked this book. Though the synopsis doesn't wow me I decided to read it anyway just for fun. Surprisingly, Kiera Cass gives me more than what I expected. I really liked The Selection. Being told from the main character, America's point of view, the book started with her daily life and family and the social structure of the fictional country called Illea, where citizens are divided into castes. Then there's the Selection where girls are putting their names to be selected for the prince's future wife candidates. America is not interested but her family and boyfriend encourage her to participate for being the Selected means she's helping her family and herself for a better life. She is selected with 34 other girls and they have being put together in the castle to compete for Prince Maxon's heart and to be a queen. Well, if you ever read The Hunger Game, the premise sound familiar isn't it?

Right from the start I was hooked up with the story and characters. Kiera Cass did a very good job with the Selection because even though this a romance story, when most of the writers tend to exaggerate and make things complicated, she doesn't go over the top in narrating it. This makes the story more believable and easy to relate to. I really like America Singer due to several reasons. First, she is not fighting to win Maxon's heart let alone the crown but for her family to get a better life. Second, she keeps true to herself and speaks her own mind which I think it is a real beauty of a girl. She is not pretending to be someone she is not. The relationship between America and Maxon also is kind of cute and the parts that I really enjoyed and keep my eyes glued to the pages throughout the story is when they are having their dates. When I think that America and Maxon will fall to each other, then comes the annoying character, Aspen, her ex-boyfriend to win her heart's back. Argh! I hate love triangle. 

"No, I'm not choosing him or you. I'm choosing me"

Though the story enjoyable and fun, I still have some issues with this book. I don't really like Cass's selection of names for the characters especially the main character, America Singer. It is such a weird name and I don't really like it. Same goes to Maxon Schreave, Aspen, Marlee, Caleste, Bariel, Sosie and several others.The names got my tongue twisted. In addition, there are some characters which I think should have more roles to make the story more interesting. For example the antagonist character, Celeste. She is an interesting character, however she's not involved much in the story's development, which I think a mistake done by the author. 

All in all, it is an enjoyable ride. I'm having so much fun reading The Selection and can't wait to read it's sequel The Elite. So for readers out there, if you love Beauty Pageant Contest or The Bachelor, I recommend this book to all of you. Happy reading!

FOOTNOTE: This review is linked up to Saturday Situation hosted by Candace of Candace's Book Blog and Lori of Pure Imagination.

FOOTNOTE #2: This review is also linked up to Book Review Party Wednesday a fun weekly meme hosted by Cym Lowell

First Impression: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Hi welcome to "First Impression". Let me tell you what's going on today. First I will share the first line of the story and my opinion on the the book that I've just started reading: the cover, the story, and will give an advance star rating to the book. Second, you'll share with me your "First Impression" by linking it back to Coffee N Crackers through the link widget below. Rules: The book must be a book that you just started reading, not a book that you already finished. Easy right? And you can post your First Impression whenever you start reading a new book: no specific day.

 *****

Delirium, by Lauren Oliver: Love (deliria) is a disease and scientists have created a cure for it. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain, safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

 It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure. - 1st line

The Cover: Just a simple cover. But I think it is creative when you can actually see a face of a cute babe through the alphabet of the title and author's name. But, still I don't like the background's color. What is it? light blue? turquoise? whatever.  


The Story: There're lots of readers out there giving a high credits to this book. But, I don't have a high expectation in this one though. I know the idea of manifesting love as a disease called "deliria" is quite intriguing.  But isn't this just another love story? Wait! don't kill me. That was what I thought before I flipped the cover and  read. But, after reading a few chapters, I think Delirium is going to be a book that I'll enjoy reading.


Advanced Star Rating: 3 Stars

Coming Soon: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Hi guys! Here's a new little segment at Coffee N Crackers called "Coming Soon". Let me first tell you what this is all about. Coming Soon is a segment in which I will post about the upcoming books from my favorite authors and most probably books that I would love to add into my personal collections. So, this segment is pretty much like a hybrid of Waiting On Wednesdays and On My Wishlist memes. This is not a meme though as this is just a personal segment at my blog, but you're always welcome to drop comments. Thanks! 

*****

The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks ( Hardback)

To be Published On: October 11, 2011

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

The Story (author's website): The heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.

Those of you who loves Nicholas Sparks' books, please put up your hands!1, 2, 3, 4....aha! needless to count because I know there are thousands of you out there who really adored his works. Me? I think I am a fan too! So far I've read two books by Sparks, "The Choice" and "The Wedding" and three movies adapted from his books; "The Notebook", "Dear John" and "The Last Song". All of them are good."Dear John" is waiting on my shelf to be read and "Safe Haven" had been listed on my wishlist for quite a long time. And this new baby sounds like a promising read too!

**Pre-Order "The Best of Me" at Amazon.com and visit Nicholas Spark's website for the latest info.

 **Read my reviews on "The Choice" and "The Wedding".

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Wedding
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Warner Vision
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Love, Romance, Family
Details: Paperback, 276 Pages
Source: Library

The Story

After thirty years, Wilson Lewis is forced to face a painful truth. His wife, Jane, has fallen out of love with him, and it is entirely his fault. Despite of shining example of his in-laws, Noah and Allie Calhoun (originally recounted in "The Notebook"), and their fifty-year love affair, Wilson is unable to express his true feelings. He has spent to little time at home and to much at the office. Now his daughter is about to marry, and his wife is thinking about leaving him. But if Wilson is sure of anything, it's this: His love for Jane have grown over the years, and he will do anything he can to save their marriage. With the memories of Noah and Allie's inspiring life together as his guide, he vows to find a way to make his wife fall in love with him all over again.

My Thought

A fascinating love story that make me drift. As an estate lawyer, Wilson has always being so practical in everything he did including the intimate relationship with his wife. He was to much occupied with his job. He forgot his children birthdays, spent less time for family vacations, and even worse he forgot the anniversary. Knowing that her husband did all these to provide the family, Jane try to understand but deep inside she's hurt. The wall between them become thicker and their days are filled with nothing but silence. Before it is too late, Wilson realizes his mistakes and makes a plan to win his wife's heart back and to save their marriage. But, Anna, their daughter,suddenly declares that she's getting married and to make thing more complicated, it'll be on the day Wilson wanted to give a big surprise for Jane, their 30th anniversary. It's actually a part of his plan.

Told from Wilson point of view, The Wedding is indeed an enjoyable romance that will make you smile all along and sometimes get you all teary. The idea is pretty simple and straightforward but the way Nicholas Sparks delivers the story is really engaging. What will you do when you feel that your wife is fallen out of love with you? Wilson did everything he could to make his wife fall for him all over again. Starting with simple, simple change such as spending less time for work and more with family, starting to loose weight, prepare dinner, Wilson has prepare surprise after surprise, that will make his wife's (and no doubt the female readers) heart melting. As a guy, I really admired Wilson because he realizes all his mistakes and even though he can't change what was happen in the past, he makes a great effort for a brighter future for himself and his beloved wife. No doubt he's a great husband or rather he tries to be one. Jane in the other hand is a bit difficult to describe. She is not demanding but she is expecting that Wilson could be a husband more like his father, Noah. (Remember Noah and Allie in The Notebook?. Well Jane's their daughter.) I think it's not fair for Wilson, but who can blame her? Noah and Allie were a sweet couple after all and Jane grown up dreaming that she'll have the same relationship as her parents.

All in all, The Wedding is a very satisfying and enjoyable romance novel which is very hard to put down until the last page. The twist at the end of the novel was so brilliant and I just couldn't imagine that such a situation did occur in the real life. This is one of the the books that that left me saying "I'm glad that I pick up this book".

Favorite Quotes

"It's funny, but have you ever notice that the more special something is, the more people seem to take it for granted? It's like they think it won't ever change." ~ Harvey Wellington, pg. 197

I wish I could undo the past, but we both know that's impossible. ~ Wilson, pg. 232

CoffeeNCrackers' Meter

5 Cups of Coffee: Beautifully crafted romance novel. A simple plot delivered in a very fascinating style. Highly recommended. Enjoy!!

WWW Wednesdays: Nov. 17

What are you currently reading?

I'm just about to start "Are You Afraid of the Dark?", a thriller novel by Sidney Sheldon. Four people are die violently and mysteriously. The dead share a single crucial link. Who is responsible for the murders?? Currently on page 1.

What did you recently finished reading?

I'm just finished reading a magnificent love story! "The Wedding" by a chronicler of love stories, Nicholas Sparks. This sequel of "The Notebook" makes me smile and sometimes get all teary while reading. Definitely a 5 Stars read!

What do you think you'll read next?
Jodi Picoult's  "Plain Truth" is next on the list. A riveting story of a murder that shatters the picturesque calm of Amish country and tests the heart and soul of the lawyer defending the woman at the center of the storm. 

A Meme by MizB @ Should Be Reading
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Teaser Tuesdays: The Wedding

Title: The Wedding
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Publisher: Warner Vision
Details:  Paperback, 289 Pages
Genre: Love, Family, Romance

The first date that Jane and I went on didn't go exactly as I'd planned. - Wilson, pg. 75

Back then, I used to love how you look in the mornings, right after you put on your suit. You were tall and trim, a young go-getter out to make a good life for us. You were very attractive. - Jane, pg. 164

........

Teaser Tuesdays' Rules

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Movie: The Time Traveler's Wife

Title/ Year: The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Director: Robert Schwentke
Writers: Bruce Joel Rubin (Screenplay),Audrey Niffenegger (Novel)
Starring: Eric Bana (Henry DeTamble), Rachel McAdams (Claire Abshire)
CoffeeNCrackers' Meter: 5 cups of Coffee




Hi guys!! CJ's back!! Haha.The Time Traveler's Wife is one of the greatest books that I've read in 2009. I read it twice already and I'll read it for the third time when I feel like reading it. Now, I'm wondering when I'll get to watch the movie version of The Time Traveler's Wife? I also don't know...hahaha!! But I really want to watch this movie. Here's the trailer. Pretty cool!!!

Haha, that's all for now. Till next time. Ciao....

2nd On My Wishlist

Hey guys!! It's Wednesday! Means that my second week of Weekly Meme, On My Wishlist hosted by Book Chick City! This week i'm going to wish for some love books. Haha! Who say man don't like love stories?? I do love 'em!! Up until now I've read three books with the love theme. And all the three were by Cecelia Ahern: P.S. I Love You, Where Rainbows End and If You Could See Me Now. The way she write love stories is sweetly gorgeous!! So, this time I put one of her books, Thanks for the Memories in my wishlist together with Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride.

........

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

The book cover really caught my eyes! Very nice! I knew that Dessen is the author of the international best seller Lock and Key, and most readers said that Lock and Key is awesome! Though I never read any books by Dessen, I know that they are great. But if I ever get an opportunity to read her novels, Along for the Ride would be my first choice!! Yeah..So, here's in short about this book: From Sarah Dessen official site.

It's been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents' divorce or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talks, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then, she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests : for Auden to experience a carefree teenage lies she's been denied and for Eli to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

........

Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

And here comes another book from one of my favorite author, After Holly and Gerry ( P.S. I Love You), Rosie and Alex (Where Rainbows End) and Elizabeth and Ivan, (If You Could See me Now), Joyce and Justin would be my next favorite couple. Haha!! So here's the short synopsis of the book: From Cecelia Ahern's official site.

How can you know someone you've never met? Joyce Conway remembers thing she shouldn't. She knows a bout tiny cobbled street in Paris which she has never visited. And every night she dreams about an unknown little girl with blonde hair.

Justin Hitchcock is divorced, lonely and restless. He arrives in Dublin to give a lecture on art and meets an attractive doctor, who persuades him to donate blood. It's the first thing to come straight from his heart in a long time. And when Joyce leaves hospital after a terrible accident, with her life and her marriage in pieces, she moves back in with her elderly father. All the while, a strong sense of deja vu overwhelming her and she can't figure out why..

I wish..I wish...with all my heart. To get these books and be torn apart.... Haha!! Awesome!!! Ciao....

Best Friends Or Soulmates?

Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern is a story of two best friends. Rosie and Alex are childhood friends and they've been through everything together and have an amazing bond right from the start. As Rosie and Alex grow, this does not change, even when they start dating other people. However, fate steps in when Alex's family decide to move to America and live there and Alex has to go with them. The fact that they have to live far from each other make them sad because they've never been apart before. Thus, Rosie is soon planning on joining university in Boston so they can be together again. However, the night that Rosie is due to fly, she discovers the news that will change her plan forever. News that will keep her at home in Ireland.

Starting with an invitation card from Rosie to Alex inviting him to her seventh birthday party, this book chronicles their lives from teenage to the start of their careers and relationships with others. Their friendship is tested with misunderstandings and sheer bad luck that keep them apart.

The way 'Where Rainbows End' is told is very clever which is at first I think it is strange that there are so many gaps within the pages. This story is told completely in notes or letters, instant messages, emails, text, postcards and even greeting cards which are then I enjoyed reading them. It's like spying on Rosie and Alex, and it's feel like a very naughty boy who secretly reading other people emails, messages and letters !

Here's a snippet:

From: Alex
To: Rosie
Subject: My letter

Hi, Rosie. It's important that I talk to you right now. It's about the letter. I wrote some really important things in there and I would love you to read it if you can. Please try and find it.

From: Rosie
To: Alex
Subject: Your letter

Hi, Alex. I searched the house from top to bottom yesterday when i got home from work. No sign of it. Is everything OK? Can you just email me what it said?

Hey! don't read other people emails! Haha! Just grab this book and you'll know everything! yeah..everything. Ciao...

Hey, It's Friday!

Hacks! It's Friday guys and it's raining. I visited Bryan's Book Blog and interested in the The Friday 56 hosted by Storytime with Tonya and Friends. Here are the rules!


*Grab the book nearest you. Right now
*Turn to page 56
*Find the fifth sentence
*Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blogs or (if you do not have your own) simply post to the comment section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends or this blog. (Malaysian readers if you want to post books in Bahasa Melayu)
*Post a link along with your post back to the blogs.
*Don't dig for your favorite books, the coolest, the most intellectual. Pick the closest.

Here's mine: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, the 5th and several others on page 56.

"I mean I've never met any others." (5)

"We're doing what we often do when we have a little privacy, when it's cold out, when both of us are past puberty and haven't quite gotten around to actual girls yet." (22)

"I mean, I'm not gay or anything." (24)


That's all. Happy Friday! Ciao...........