Bookish Tumblring

I have a couple of books that I need to write reviews for, but I’m just really in a lazy mood to blog, even if there’s not much work. I don’t think it’s just me — some of my other blogger friends are going to a blogging slump. I’ve been blogging for so long already that this isn’t a strange or new thing for me anymore. I try not to pressure myself in blogging since I do this for fun. I do feel a teensy bit guilty though, not enough to have me pressured, but enough to make me think of something to post.

Enter Tumblr.

I’ve had a Tumblr account for a very long time now, but I’ve only been active in it as of late. There’s so many cool stuff to look at there, especially nice pictures. I don’t really read much in Tumblr, I look. It’s so easy to post pictures in tumblr, and so many people post that it’s also just so easy to look! Dogs, cats, TV show screencaps, memes galore in Tumblr, but one of my favorites (obviously) are the book-related posts. :)

Like these:

Okay this says the girl is really studying, but hey, it could just be reading, you know. The stars around her made me like this instantly. Can I has the same for my room?

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Bumped

Bumped by Megan McCaffertyBumped by Megan McCafferty
(Bumped # 1)
HarperCollins, 304 pages

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.

When I first heard that Megan McCafferty of Jessica Darling fame is coming up with a YA dystopia novel, I kind of squee-d. I wasn’t sure if I was squee-ing because it’s a dystopia novel, or because it was written by Megan McCafferty — probably both, so it was one of my highly anticipated reads for 2011.

It was the year 2036, and teen girls are the most important people in the world. Girls under the age of 18 and are fertile, that is, after a virus has spread that renders adults incapable of producing offspring. Teen girls — the ones who allow themselves to be, that is — are now surrogettes, allowing themselves to get “pregged” for a couple who wants children, at least until before they become infertile, too. Some girls make use of their fertility as a business, prepping themselves up with talents and health just so people would bid on their wombs, and they’d get pregged by top guys who are obviously selling their fertility as well. This is where we find Melody Mayflower, who’s 16, a pro-pregg but still waiting for her agent to get the best guy to pregg her for her very picky clients. Melody’s life has been planned from early on, until she meets one person she never expected: her twin sister, Harmony.

Now if Harmony had the same viewpoint as Melody, there probably wouldn’t be any problems. But she’s not. Harmony comes from the Goodside, a little community that believes that pregging for profit is a sin. When Harmony finds out she has a twin, she goes to the Otherside to visit her, and intends to help her twin see the light and bring her to Goodside. That is, if Harmony’s own secrets don’t chase after her.

Bumped is fun. I was immediately faced with loud, strong characters who fought for attention from page one, but I never really felt overwhelmed by them. Just like in Jessica Darling, Megan McCafferty had the characters’ voices down pat. I actually really liked Harmony, even if I know most people were annoyed by her. I think it’s probably because I saw the churchy side of me in her. I never felt lost between the switching POVs, and I found the twins very endearing despite their differences. The supporting characters were quite fun, too, especially Shoko and Zen and even Johndoe, even if I was never really sure about Johndoe’s personality. McCafferty definitely knows her characters, and it was a pleasure to read them.

The world that the characters moved in is kind of confusing, so it took a while for me to get fully immersed in it. There were a lot of familiar things but it took me a while to place them, especially the technology that they were using. I don’t think this represents the kind of dystopia that people are used to or that people expect, but as far as the world building is concerned, I think it’s pretty stellar. You can see that the author really built her world from the ground up, taking care to make sure details fit, and that it all felt real. Take a bit of patience getting yourself familiar with the world, and soon you’d also want to have your own MiNet contacts (like Facebook, Twitter and all other social media thing combined — maybe even uses some kind of megameeting.com web conferencing), or even wonder if anyone has a Stalker app on you. :P

Overall, I found Bumped not only enjoyable, but actually quite relevant especially in the light of all the Reproductive Health Bill issues happening in my country right now. I don’t have much opinion over that debate, but I think the story that Bumped tells can be connected with that — whether for pro or anti, I’m not really sure. I do think this book tackles issues existing today in a thought provoking but funny way, and it would be useful to start good discussions on teen pregnancy, sex, and religion among others.

The ending wasn’t really such a big cliffhanger, but I do want more. I’m curious to what will happen to Melody and Harmony. Bumped is another good one from Megan McCafferty, and I think missing this one would is a neggy thing to do. :)

Rating: [rating=3]

My copy: Kindle edition

Cover and blurb: Goodreads

Other reviews:
Steph Su Reads
Forever Young Adult

The Thief

The Thief by Megan Whalen TurnerThe Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
The Queen’s Thief # 1
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Number of pages:
280

My copy: paperback, bought from Powerbooks

“I can steal anything.”

After Gen’s bragging lands him in the king’s prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king’s scholar, the magus, needs the thief’s skill for a seemingly impossible task – to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

* * *

So I’ve been hearing about The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner for the longest time, and all reviews I’ve read seemed positive. Back then I had a series compulsion, and I refused to start a book series when I know I don’t have all books with me. I had a hard time finding a copy of The Thief until someone pointed me to the right direction, and eventually I ended up acquiring the next two books in the series. That should have been enough to get me started on the series ASAP, but I waited a little while more for reasons that I can’t really say until I finally made myself read it for this month’s Required Reading.

Eugenides, also known a Gen, is a thief, and a loudmouthed one at that. After bragging about his thievery in the wrong wine shop, Gen ends up in the prison of the king of Sounis, where the story opens and he patiently waits for something to happen so he can escape. Before he can, though, the king’s magus comes to fetch him and includes him in a mission that requires Gen’s talents. He was to steal a hidden treasure that could possibly be just a fairy tale.

To speak more of the plot would spoil it, and the last thing you’d want to be with in this book is spoiled. I was drawn in the story immediately by Gen’s voice. I loved him from the moment he opened his mouth and spoke to the magus. Gen is snarky, sarcastic, and he got on everyone’s nerves by the way he complained and how he kept on asking for food. But even so, I never felt annoyed with him. Gen is charming in his own way, and I can see why people liked/loved him so much. :) The supporting characters were well-written, too, and I think I have a soft spot for Sophos. I would love to see more of him in the future books.

The plot seemed very simple at first, but when everything unraveled at the end, I had to stop myself from gasping and reading back to the other pages to see what I missed. In a way, this reminds me of how Jellicoe Road was written — you think you have the whole picture, then the author surprises you with a twist that left me gaping. I love how it took me by surprise and when you think about it, it all makes sense. I liked how everything fell into place without sacrificing any other element in the story.

I can’t say I’m a huge fan yet, but I really enjoyed reading this one. It starts a bit slow, but stick to it and you’ll be rewarded in the end. :) I am very excited to read The Queen of Attolia now. :)

Rating: [rating=4]

2011 Challenge Status:
Required Reading – May

Other reviews:
Janicu’s Book Blog
Angieville
Good Books and Good Wine
Presenting Lenore
The Book Smugglers
(review for the series)
Chachic’s Book Nook
(review for the series)

 


30 Summer Feel-Good Reads at Female Network

I wasn’t expecting this list to be up so soon, but it is! Just in time, because after a tropical storm weekend, I was already missing the sunshine. Even if it is too hot sometimes. But what better way to cool off than pick up a feel-good book (and an ice cold drink), right?

I am over at the Female Network once again today for a list of 30 Feel-Good chick lit reads. :)

Click the image to go to the list! :)

I think I’ve read a little more than half of the books on the list, while the others are on my wish list. Much thanks go out to Chachic, Holly, Angie, Janice and Kai for the reviews the posted for some of the books on the list (and their reviews are really the reason why I added some of them in). :)

Hop on over to the list to give your comments or share other feel-good reads! Suggestions for future book lists are also welcome here — leave a comment and I’ll see what books or characters or any-book-related things I can come up with. :D

In My Mailbox (14): Mother’s Day and a Long Hiatus

Before anything else!

Happy Mother’s Day to all moms out there! :)

Especially to mine:

<3Thank you for getting me all those books when I was a kid even if you’re not too fond of reading, and I know sometimes you think I read too much. :D  Thank you for reading all the things I wrote despite that fact. :) I love you!

* * *

It’s been a long time since I last did an In My Mailbox post. Other than laziness and trying to resist buying books, I went on a book-buying fast during the Lenten season. I could not buy books for myself, but I can buy them as gifts, or receive them as gifts since my birthday falls within Lent. It’s all good, and I ended up using the usual book money for other equally important things, like clothes.

But as soon as Easter morning came, I went to Book Depository and ordered books. :) It felt nice, to celebrate victory in that way. The books aren’t here yet, though, so that will be for another posts.

The books I bought in recent bookstore trips are a different matter. And so after a long hiatus, here’s my 14th In My Mailbox. In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren, where bloggers post about what books received that week, be it via  mailbox, library or store.

In My Mailbox (14)

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