I'm Selling Books(etc.)! ☺

I have made an online shop for the books and other reading materials I'm selling. I had set up one in Multiply late last year, but I guess I wouldn't be able to draw as much attention to it as my blog would (hopefully). Also, registering as a Multiply seller requires a bank account etc. and I don't want such complications. :P

The stuff I'm selling ranges from English novels to Archie comic books to Precious Hearts Romances pocketbooks (yeah I read those. Guilty pleasure. Hahaha! My favorite author is Belle Feliz. Next is Princess Faye. But I'm selling titles by other writers.). Please do check it out! Just click on the photo. If you're interested to buy anything, you can email me at shopmonsterpretty@gmail.com and I'll reply as soon as I can. ☺

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Me, as a reader: I can read a book in a day or in a matter of hours if the story is very riveting, while it takes me days or even months to read something when I am bored to tears by the plot (yeah I have the patience to finish a book I started reading, however long it takes me to do so). However, when I read love stories and inspirational fiction (e.g. Sparks, Coelho), I tend to drink all that literary sweetness in, reflecting on the narration and the dialogue, causing a supposed quick read to extend to 2 or 3 days. :P

Moving on to the review...

First, I want to say thank you to Christy. I won this book from her second summer giveaway in the blog she and her friend Erica owns.☺ It arrived in the mail yesterday, and I was surprised to find a beautiful hardbound book from The Book Depository (I really hope shipping would still be free after being acquired by Amazon).

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Author: Beth Revis

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian 

Hardcover: 416 pages 

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin Group

Release Date: January 1, 2011

Source: Book Depository, won from a giveaway

Blurb:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Alternate Blurb:

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed.  She has left her boyfriend, friends and planet behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. 
Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future.  But fifty years before Godspeed’s scheduled landing, cryo-chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed’s 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader.  And Eldest’s rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder.  But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship’s cold metal walls?  All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tried to kill again.

Opening Line: 

Daddy said, “Let Mom go first.” Mom wanted me to go first.

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Movie Trailers: One Day

A book that I have been wanting to read for a long time is now a movie! One Day by David Nicholls is one of the much raved about books by book bloggers, and I would like to read it for myself. I won a $15 credit in Book Depository via a giveaway (yey!) and I immediately thought of this book. ☺

The movie adaptation stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess and will be released August 2011. From the trailer alone, I'm guessing I would love this movie. I've made early plans with some friends, and I hope that would push through! I've heard that this involves themes of friends-with-benefits (oops, not very wholesome) and unrequited love, so it's not advisable to watch this with your best friend you have feelings for! :P

Here are two trailers (official and UK) that I got from Youtube.

So will you watch it, wait for it on DVD, or skip it?

And if you happen to have read the book, please give me your thoughts on it, without giving spoilers of course! Thanks in advance! ☺

Book Review: Every Girl's Guide to Flings

Every Girl's Guide to Flings by Marla Miniano

Because bad girls fall in love too.

In her high heels, short skirts, and purple eyeliner, Rickie is known as the wayward friend of good girls Anna and Chrissy. Her string of meaningless flings, happening parties, and more boys lining up to ask her out make her the envy of every teenage girl—till she sets her sights on a very bad idea: Anna's ex. Is Rickie headed for disaster? Or will she finally fall in love and get her very own happy ending?

Rule number 1: Know where to start.

Rule number 2: Trust your instincts.

Rule number 3: Don't take things too seriously.

Rule number 4: Mistakes do not make up for other mistakes.

Rule number 5: Learn to take risks.

Rule number 6: All's fair in love and war.

Rule number 7: Know where it all ends.

Rule number 8: Be open to finding yourself.

Rule number 9: Change is inevitable.

Rule number 10: Sometimes, a fling can lead to The Real Thing.

My thoughts:

Okay. I admit. I am in love with this character. Rickie is the party girl of the trio, the one who never gets serious with a guy, the one with flings you need all of  your fingers and toes to count. She's the intruder to Anna and Chrissy's longtime friendship. She's the daughter who is not as talented, pretty, and ma-PR as her older sister, Lexie. She stays out late at night to party with her gay friend Bryan and to hook up with boys. Eventually, she chose to be with Jaime, Anna's ex, much to the chagrin of her friends. It didn't last though, because of Rickie's commitment issues. Rickie turned out to sincerely like Jaime and in a confrontation-for-closure scene she acknowledged the fact that she could have chosen to be with him but she chose to walk away. One weekend changed her perspective on life and love when she learned how her sister Lexie chose not to pursue a relationship with Timmy (Anna's brother), even if they liked each other because it was the right thing to do. I like the fact that Rickie realized that she shouldn't be looking elsewhere for affection, because she had the right people (family and friends) with her to give her the love that she needs if only she chooses to let them in and have a sincere relationship with them. She learned to value herself, respect herself, and see herself as a person who deserves something serious and who is capable of something serious. I sort of related to her character in this vein. I loved that the author was able to let her character speak in this candid, unpretentious voice. Rickie seems to be the type to tell it like it is. Gah, I just love her. I'm confident she and Diego ended up happily as a couple. Rickie, no longer lonely. ☺

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ ☺

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Book Review: Every Girl's Guide to Boys

Every Girl's Guide to Boys by Marla Miniano

Because two boys wanting you isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Chrissy thinks her life is problem free (she even sets up an online advice column to make use of all her good girl talent) till her best friend, the boy she's been in love with since she was maybe five, comes back from the US. Now this would be a good thing if she wasn't already in an unofficial, sort-of relationship with her long-time crush Nathan. Is it finally time for Chrissy to trash her good girl image and follow her gut? Or is she making the biggest mistake of her life?

Because I am so passionate about this "trilogy", I shall write as much spoilers as I can. I really am sorry about this Ms. Marla Miniano, but you are one heck of a talented writer.

Rule number 1: Not having (boy) problems is A Good Thing

The story opens with Chrissy describing how other people see her as a girl who has no problems at all which is probably due to her being a responsible, well-adjusted, level-headed, and mature-for-her-age teenager. She chooses to spend time with family than partying with friends on weekends. She has good grades and she has no record of ever being in trouble. Sounds like one of your girl friends right? Or maybe it sounds a bit like you, reader of this blog post. ☺

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Book Review: Prom Nights From Hell

Worried that prom is gonna bite?

In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl) take bad prom dates to a whole new level - a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet are nothing compared to discovering you're dancing with the grim reaper - and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.

From vampire exterminations to angels fighting demons, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux can. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.

The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle: ♥♥♥♥♥

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison: ♥♥♥♥♥

Kiss and Tell by Michelle Jaffe: ♥♥♥♥♥

Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer: ♥♥♥♥♥

My Php0.20:

I have not much to say except that the second story was spooky as it was inspired by "The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs" and that I loved Hell on Earth! Who else can make the story of a demoness falling in love with a half-human, half-angel so romantic? I could really melt while reading the denouement. If you get to read it, use your imagination. Whoa, I'm getting goosebumps just typing this review now.

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Sinister Shorts by Perri O'Shaughnessy

The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Nina Reilly thrillers brings her prodigious storytelling gifts to this first-ever collection of short crime fiction. From desperate housewives to hard-boiled PIs to an appearance by Nina Reilly herself, these chilling short mysteries-many appearing in print for the very first time-set the mood and ratchet up the suspense as only Perri O'Shaughnessy can. 

Here are tales of love and betrayal, rage and revenge-nineteen sizzling stories that run the gamut from classic whodunits to winding thrillers to an unusual cozy that casts Gertrude Stein as an unlikely Miss Marple. And here Perri O'Shaughnessy has created some of her most sinister and compelling characters yet: a college student who devises an ingenious method for getting her sexy teacher's attention . . . a haunted ex—homicide cop who takes a long walk into his blood-shadowed past in a twisting tale of brutal murder and escalating violence . . . a model wife who surprises both herself and a bothersome furnace man when she is confronted with an unacceptable ultimatum . . . a lemon tree that plays a pivotal role in the tale of a woman who at long last asserts her independence. . . .

From a blood-soaked scheme that's born at a slot machine in Vegas to the violence that ensues when the fat lady stops singing, Sinister Shorts shows us life at its most menacing, murderous, and unbearably suspenseful. And it proves once again the unique and captivating genius of Perri O'Shaughnessy.

My Php0.20:

I love, love story compilations/anthologies! I read this in November while visiting Dad's grave in the cemetery. It was rainy, the air cold, the sky a dull gray. And me, reading stories this sinister. I liked the plot of the nineteen short stories and enjoyed the twists. How the bad guys turn out to be good, how seemingly good guys have skeletons in their closets (or murderous tendencies). My faves in this collection are Dead Money, House Afire, The Furnace Man, Chocolate Milkshake, The Young Lady, The Couple Behind the Curtain, Sandstorm, To Still the Beating of Her Heart, and Lemons.

Find a copy and get to reading!

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

Do you believe in love at first fight?

Any ship arriving from England means good news for Virginia colony farmers. The "tobacco brides" would be on board—eligible women seeking a better life in America, bartered for with barrels of tobacco from the fields.

Drew O Connor isn't stirred by news of a ship full of brides. Still broken-hearted from the loss of his beloved, he only wants a maid to tend his house and care for his young sister.

What he ends up with is a wife—a feisty redhead who claims she is Lady Constance Morrow, daughter of an Earl, brought to America against her will. And she want to go straight back to England as soon as she possibly can. She hasn't the foggiest notion how to cook, she dares to argue with her poor husband, and spends more time working on mathematical equations than housework. What kind of a wife is that? Drew's Christian forbearance is in for some testing.

Headstrong and intelligent, deeply moral but incredibly enticing, Constance turns what was supposed to be a marriage of convenience into something most inconvenient, indeed.

My Php0.20:

I loved reading this historical romance (apparently with slight Christian themes. However, it also has slight application of sexual themes. It won't be a romance if it didn't. It's still quite conservative anyway. THAT is a good thing. :D)

The book is set in a time when women were treated as commodity, and sold off in exchange for tobacco. Here, we have Constance, daughter of an Earl who was won by a farmer, Drew O' Connor. The man didn't want a wife and was afraid to be attached to another woman because of a painful past. Read it to know what it is. I found their constant bickering very entertaining and couldn't help wishing they'd act on all the romantic tension already! :)

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Playing House by Patricia Pearson

Even in a tiny apartment, there were enough rooms for Frannie to get into trouble...

First, there was the bedroom...where it all began in such a casually romantic way.

Next, the bathroom...where things took a suspicious turn.

Finally, the living room...where she picked up the phone and prepared to break the news to the boyfriend she barely knew...

When Frannie Mackenzie got sick all over the sweater section of a major urban retailer, she couldn't quite believe that this was a reaction to gray being this year's black. So she went back to her postage-stamp-sized apartment and took inventory. Jeans tighter? Yes. Boobs bigger? Yes. And the absolute proof-positive...the stick had turned blue.

Frannie decides to give up cocktails, late nights, and anything else fun that the big city has to offer. But one thing -- or rather person -- she's not sure she's going to get to keep is the surprised father in the situation -- an experimental jazz musician with the improbable name of Calvin, who'd taken off to Europe before Frannie figured out parenthood had awkwardly united them. Falling in love was the last thing that Frannie expected, and the happiest surprise of all.

My Php0.20:

Wonder how it feels like to get pregnant by a man you barely know? This book is about that and more. It is a funny and warm novel that touches on the changes unexpected pregnancies bring to a couple. With no original plans of starting a family, Calvin and Frannie bravely treads the slippery road to parenthood, making sacrifices and compromises along the way.

I quite like the spunky main protagonist, Frannie. Playing House  is a notch better than your average chick lit.

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Aphrodite's Tale: Fatal Attraction by Alicia Fields

Aphrodite is the most beautiful goddess of all, a mighty magnet for men. They fall in love with her on sight, and she reciprocates--come what may...

Aphordite has been trouble ever since Zeus claimed he found her in the surf. Most think she is another of his illegitimate children, an accusation he repeatedly denies. But she behaves like a female version of Zeus. She's way too beautiful and can't resist romance--whatever the consequences. Plus she is responsible for her friend Helen's elopement with Prince Paris, starting the Trojan War.

Some think Aphrodite should marry someone who can control her, and the artistic Hephaestus would make a steady husband. But it's Ares--Hephaestus' hotheaded, quarrelsome brother--whom Aphrodite loves. However, Ares has rushed off to the Trojan War, leaving Aphrodite with a series of troublesome lovers.

No wonder legend cast her as a goddess. What man or mortal could contend with anyone who loves so many, causes so much chaos--and is beautiful enought to die for?

My Php0.20:

Wow, Aphrodite is that wanton. 'Nuff said. :) Kidding aside, it is an enjoyable read.

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Female Intelligence by Jane Heller

BEWARE...

Lynn Wyman has a wildly successful practice in sensitivity training, teaching men how to communicate better with the women in their lives. Little does she know that her sensitive husband has been "communicating" with another woman--in the bedroom...

OF THE SMART WOMAN...

With a marriage on the rocks and a career in nose-dive, Lynn is in desperate need of a life make-over. She finds it in Brandon Brock, the macho CEO on the cover of Fortune magazine's "America's Toughest Bosses" issue. To restore her reputation, all she has to do is snag the notorious chauvinist as her new client, take a cue from My Fair Lady, and turn this pig into her own Pygmalion...

WITH A SCORE TO SETTLE...

The perfect plan? Not so fast. Somebody has been out to sabotage Lynn's happiness, and before she can reclaim her career--and her heart--she'd better figure out who it is...

My Php0.20:

A good enough read. Fairly funny but I don't quite like the female protagonist. Themes of backstabbing friends, unfaithful lovers, and "taming the lion" are evident. I'm not quite convinced of the "Wyman method" though. If you're in for a light read, you can grab this book. :D


 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Runaway & Heart-Core Metal

Taglines:

Runaway by Karla Maquiling 

When the going gets tough, pack your things up and move!

Heart-Core Metal by Nikki Domingo

If you're in love with a ROCK God, will you ROLL with the punches?

My Php0.20:

I enjoyed reading both stories! The first story is about a woman who seeks a fresh start after every breakup, making large changes such as finding a new job, packing her bags and moving into a new city, and anything that could majorly cut her off from her old life. The latter is about a girl who "fell in love" with a rock star, not knowing that the "right one" was beside her all along. The authors were able to squeeze believable stories into 60 pages. Though the first story is somewhat open-ended, I am optimistic that the pair would end up together. In the second story, I found myself pitying the guy friend a lot. He was making way for the girl and the rock star to be together because he wanted her to be happy! The girl was just so stubborn and dense! Hahaha!

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: The Hagette

Blurb: Self-confessed “Hagette” Cynthia de la Rama seems like the perfect girl: she’s tall, thin, pretty, charming, and fashionable. So why hasn’t she found the right man? Her gay friends think it’s a defective gaydar to blame. Most of her exes were in the closet. She’s right about ready to give it all up for a well-dressed, celibate existence. That is until two men enter her life at the same time: the bad boy who disappeared without a trace many years ago (and whom she hasn’t gotten over yet) and an aloof, handsome model with a knack for doing the laundry. The only problem is, will her gaydar let her down yet again?

My Php0.20:
I had fun reading this book. I'd like to believe that I don't have a defective gaydar but I used to have this weird fantasy of wanting to make a gay man fall in love with me. Hahaha! This is a good, quick read. I found the use of Tagalog words cute. Of course, as what often happens, the gay bff saves the book by upping its humor value.

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥