Book roll call x Book window shopping

Because I was MIA for almost 2 weeks (sorry!) I'll give you a roll call of the books I've been reading up to my current read and the book/s I'm lusting for. Can I just say that I'm having historical fiction withdrawals? It's like I'm time traveling when I'm reading. Now I'm caught up in WWII. You'll know why! Read on.

1960s to present

The Last Letter from your Lover

Jojo Moyes

I've read this over semester break, even brought it with me to my dorm. I just can't keep my mouth shut about this. I've practically shoved this to my friends. I want the whole world to read this!

18th century to nearer today

Manhattan Monologues

Louis Auchincloss

I got this on sale almost a year ago and has been gathering dust ever since. I mostly got it because of the title. For some reason I didn't get to the part where I actually read it until last week, warming up to it. Manhattan Monologues is a collection of short stories from Old New York to Nearer Today. My favorites are The Heiress, The Marriage Broker, and Collaboration.

present, summer

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Jenny Han

Borrowed from a friend. Took a break from historical fiction. I miss summer when I read this. Light read and a cliffhanger ending. Pales in comparison to my current read, though.

back to 1945, WWII just ended

The Diplomat's Wife

Pam Jenoff

My current read. This book found me! I can't stop reading it ever since I got my hands on it. I can relate to everything in it, applying what I've studied for the past three and a half years. I loved International Studies more ;) Historical romance + espionage + international relations = delectable!

Even had to pull out Fodor's Britain just to see Marta's route when she walked the streets of London. :)

present, window shopping

Farundell

L.R. Fredericks

"A stunningly original debut novel, Farundell is literary fiction with a metaphysical twist."

This book found me when I was scanning the bookshelves at Fully Booked. Since I'm still having withdrawals, I'm lusting for anything historical. Reminds me so much of Atonement and Brideshead Revisited which I both love. Set in 1920s, a little before both novels, it also boasts a mansion, an eccentric family with a beautiful young lady, and remnants of war, everything that I look for in a book! Although not the bit about the metaphysical. The book even has a map of the whole estate and the floor plan of the mansion on the inside flap. Book lust!

How's your book lust?

x

Day 15 – Favorite male character

If you asked me months ago, I would've answered Mr. Darcy right away.

Matt from Twenty Boy Summer
You can read plot here.

(Warning: contains spoilers!)

Matt is Frankie's older brother and both are Anna's best friends and neighbors. Anna has always loved Matt but he doesn't know. Until her birthday, he kissed her with frost in her hair. They'd sneak out to the backyard when everyone's asleep and just talk, look up at the stars. Frankie doesn't know and Anna is scared that she might feel left out. Matt made her keep their secret and promises her that he would tell her. But then he suddenly dies because of a hole in his heart. And she finds herself thrown into Frankie's scheme of twenty boys in Zanzibar Bay where Matt used to write to her about every summer. She couldn't grieve for the boy who loved her because Frankie seems intent on running away from it. But she couldn't forget him when everything around her has traces of him.

I guess his early demise has drawn me to him, in a way. What would've Matt been like if he didn't die? Matt hangs out with her younger sister and is best friends with a girl. He likes to read, like Jack Kerouac's On The Road. He collects sea glass and makes necklaces and bracelets out of them. He loves the sea and writes postcards to her best friend about his summer. He's not the typical kind, alpha males. His soft side makes him more an amazing person. I wish he was real. I wish he lived long enough.

Sorry for the spoilers!
Who's your favorite male character? :)
x

Book surprise: Looking for Alaska

Someone got me this book and he really tried to surprise me but he was more excited than I am so he spilled it. Haha! I've been looking for Alaska for quite sometime now. It was out of stock everywhere! The sad thing is I got a free PDF copy over the internet. I couldn't resist so I've read it for days in my laptop. But now, I have it on paperback! Thank you, stranger, for making me happy with your little surprises. ;)

Looking for Alaska taught me that life is a Great Perhaps. We are in this labyrinth and we spend everyday trying to get out of it. But I also think that we were place in this labyrinth of life for us to solve, to move forward, to try to find direction.

American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

I do sign my books. :)

Everything happened before and after.

The famous quote from the book.

You just use the future to escape the present.

Pudge reads last words of famous people. He used Simon Bolivar's How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!

I hope we find our own answers to that. x

Book feature x Book surprise

Remember my post about my current read? I finished the book and I really want to do a book feature about it but I'm still thinking what I should do. I really want to share something about the book because I loved every bit of it. Read the plot of The Last Letter from your Lover here. :)

There's also something I can't wait for! It's a surprise!!! (which isn't really anymore because HE told me). And I already gave away what it is judging from the title. Haha! I'll keep you posted. Will blog about it as soon as I get it.

Excited! x

Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer

Say hello to November! :) Since I answered 4 for my favorite writers, I only chose one book from them. And it was hard! Haha!


The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I know it's her only book (she's still writing her 2nd) but still, I'm in love with it! I remembered the first time I saw the book, the cover was so beautiful. I had a gut feeling it's a delicious read even before I knew the plot. And it was wonderful! The love story is high school. But the words are vibrant, the plot, heartwarming. It has the right combination of different emotions, it makes you feel alive. I do love a book that makes me feel that.

This is the cover of the book that I got for my birthday. ;)

This is the beautiful hardbound cover. I want this too.

Photos from Google Search. Hoped you liked it! x

Book Lust: Now open!

Book Lust is now open! Book Lust is an online bookstore which sells pre-loved books for your book lust. The first bookshelf is out so feel free to check them.

Like us on Facebook!

Making up for being so unproductive this semester break. I know it's late, should've thought about this sooner. Nonetheless, I am now a happy and proud owner of a little online bookstore. I'm new to this so bear with me. So excited! x