Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

The story was a generic of The Princess Diaries.

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Samantha Rousseau is happy living her simple life. Though there are struggles to be dealt with, she's contented with getting by.

Prince Alex D'Lysanal together with his aunt arrives from their kingdom Lilaria.

Her whole life will be heading to a different direction upon having dinner with the royals of Lilaria.

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Goodreads readers rated this book 4.08 out of 5 stars. I bluntly disagree.

Reasons why I think it's too pretentious:

• It didn't convince me that there is such a place called Lilaria.
• Samantha's "I can't be a princess. I don't want the fame and the wealth and the responsibility and oh the prince, I can't be in love with him!" character is beyond exaggerated. (Wake up girly! you're being too unrealistic, everyone wants to be a princess)
•  The romance was fake. It was too fast, too made-up. No one will fall in love just like that, it was all lust. I hope the author just built the romance up with brilliant dialogue.
• The love-making part went graphic.

The Bermuda Triangle by Charles Berlitz

My Dutch neighbor Brother Lou (Laurence is his real name though) is lending me his Charles Berlitz book collection. It's very generous of him, indeed.

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A well-researched book about the mystery and controversy of the 'Bermuda Triangle', Charles Berlitz has made a terrific job at this extensive collection of cases in his book The Bermuda Triangle.

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While I was engrossed by reading this, I sort of knew which conclusion it would led me to believe. Berlitz of course, was never biased in his narrations. Be that as it may, the most convincing factor why people are being taken away is 'alien abduction'.

Either that or it's the ancient Atlantean's crystal power outlet buried beneath the waters!

Lizzie Goes Wild

I've had this book for a really long time. I forgot whether a friend bought me this (if she did, thank you) or I bought this (if I did, thank you self). Long story short, I was bored and read it for the heck of it!

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Lizzie Goes Wild contains two short stories. The first one is about Lizzie going wild and the other one is about Gordo being a rat pack cool dude!

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I don't even know why i'm jotting this here. It may seem inconsequential but it counts for me. I miss Lizzie McGuire!

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

This. Book. Is. The. Book.

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Lucy has long been searching for her dream guy Shadow, a talented graffiti artist that captivated Lucy through his street-art.

Ed, a high school dropout, is Shadow.

Will Lucy find Shadow? Will the street-art reveal Shadow? Will her expectations be met? Will this relationship work despite Lucy and Ed's compromising past?

Read Graffiti Moon and be captivated like I was!

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Another amazing Australian YA! Fresh story-line and inspiring characters. I am just in love.

The Boy Book by E. Lockhart

Yeah yeah, I said I didn't like it but what can I do? I have the books already!

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And the Ruby Oliver saga continues as conflicts with her ex-best-friends and ex-boyfriend continues! Also the search for potential boyfriend is on like donkey kong!

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This is possibly the lamest review for the Ruby Oliver series.

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart

Alas! After a long long time, i'm finally updating my blog. You might be wondering where I went. Well, that's not important. I'M BACK!

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The Boyfriend List is Ruby Oliver's enumeration of all the boys who are somewhat/completely/almost/could-have-been involved in her topsy-turvy life!

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A one-sentence book review! There's a first for everything.

This book reminds me a lot of An Abundance of Katherines, which is also an enumeration type of story (and has fun-facts/footnotes too). I didn't really enjoy the book like I thought I would. Maybe i'm growing out of the genre (not YA per se, just the chick-lit-YA type). Though, I will admit I would have adored it four years ago.

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony & Rodrigo Corral

Believe it or not, it was last year when I bought this book. I picked it even though there were many other books the all-too-knowing saleslady recommended. All good things in due time, or not. I was saving Chopsticks for a rainy day.

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This is a novel about Glory Fleming (piano prodigy) and Francisco Mendoza's (a new foreign neighbor of Glory's) abstract love affair.

Narrated in pictures, this visually engaging album will bewitch readers to go back and forth through the pages until they've finally satisfied themselves with a conclusion.

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I am not going to rob the other readers of the 'full Chopsticks experience' so i'm restraining myself into fully recounting the events that lies ahead. 

However, I am also here to tell 'my experience' and my personal opinion.

(if you haven't read it yet, do not go further than this parenthesis)

1. There is no Willard Dunn School for Boys. Willard Dunn is the Chief Administrator of Golden Hands Rest Facility. I discovered it because I recognized the 'golden hands' logo in a pamphlet on the last few pages before the book ends. Also, if you look at the very first newspaper clipping of this book, a picture of Golden Hands' building is attached (you won't really know or care at the beginning, a phase where you're still clueless).
2. All the paintings, books, trinkets and whatnot are Glory's. None of it were Frank's (as we all know now what Frank is). She was the one who drew them all as well. The F. Mendoza signature is void! Please refer to the last few pages, look carefully.
3. Yes, it was Glory who had sewn the lettering of the boxer's name at the back of the boxer's robe. The robe which we are talking about is actually a gift from her father and not Frank! (admit it, we've all assumed it was him who gave it)
4. The Julio Iglesias records are Golden Hands' property.
5. Glory is an insomniac.
6. Watch out for phrases like "This place is a hellhole", "PIENSA EN MI" and yours truly's personal favorite... "Tu hermano no tiene testiculos." (for an imaginary person, this one's got feisty attitude)

Questions and conclusions

• Did Jo Ann Castle really gave Glory that autograph dating 12/5 (the year is another question, but this was the day she went missing) with a dedication saying "NO GUTS, NO GLORY"? If so, she might be the one who pushed Glory to elope (with herself!)
• If Frank was really a figment of the imagination, how can the book explain their pictures together? Especially the ones when they went to Coney Island (the book's cover is nothing but a Coney Island fantasy?!)
• If Frank is 'not real' then who did Glory lost her virginity to?!
• Conclusion, the book is more or less letting the readers decide as stated on the mini-excerpt at the back. But they should also know that what they provide is what we get and what they've provided is this... when Frank's face showed up in the sticker of a Francisco de Mendoza wine bottle and in Glory's handwriting were "♥F" at the very last page, it was clear as day that none of it was ever true except maybe what Glory thought to be true (since, in my guess, this book is her personal 'mental patient' memoir)