The Bibliophilism: December 2014

[Teaser Tuesdays]: December 23

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by 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!

First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros is a weekly meme hosted by Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea. It lets us share the first paragraph or (a few) of a book we are reading or thinking about reading soon.

Christmas and year 2015 are coming! *hope this won't be my last post in 2014* Have all of you already been in holiday? I wish everybody to have great holidays with your loved ones. Do you still have time for reading or busy decorating the Christmas tree? ;) for me, I won't have any trees this year, but it's okay as long as my family's with me.

Now let me introduce the book I'm reading, another masterpiece from Melina Marchetta, The Piper's Son.

The first paragraph and teaser:

First paragraph:

From the prologue:

The string slices into the skin of his fingers and no matter how tough the calluses, it tears.
But this beat is fast and even though his joints are aching, his arm's out of control like it has a mind of its own and the sweat that drenches his hair and face seems to smother him, but nothing's going to stop Tom. He's aiming for oblivion.

From the first chapter:

He's just Tom.
"Thomas Finch Mackee?"

The everyman with the most overused name.

"Come on, mate. Try to keep awake," the voice says.

Even the Bible was hard on them. The doubter who didn't trust his band of brothers and had to see the proof for himself to believe. He never liked that story. It made the Toms in history look piss-weak.

Random teaser:

How can he explain that the international code 670 isn't the issue? The 44 is. The U.K.

Because five minutes before he rang Tara Finke, he had made a call to London.

To his dead uncle.

~p. 80, "The Piper's Son" by Melina Marchetta.

Do you like the first paragraphs and the teaser?

In case I miss the Christmas day post, let me wish you an earlier ~

[Book Review]: Sorta Like a Rock Star by Matthew Quick

Book Title: Sorta Like a Rock Star
Author: Matthew Quick
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Year: 2010
Page Count: 355
ISBN: 9780316043533
Find it at: Matthew Quick's Official Website
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Goodreads' Blurb:
Amber Appleton lives in a bus. Ever since her mom's boyfriend kicked them out, Amber, her mom, and her totally loyal dog, Bobby Big Boy (aka Thrice B) have been camped out in the back of Hello Yellow (the school bus her mom drives). Still, Amber, the self-proclaimed princess of hope and girl of unyielding optimism, refuses to sweat the bad stuff. But when a fatal tragedy threatens Amber's optimism—and her way of life, can Amber continue to be the rock star of hope? With an oddball cast of characters, and a heartwarming, inspiring story, this novel unveils a beautifully beaten-up world of laughs, loyalty, and hard-earned hope.

Wondering why all books I read recently were given five stars? I'm wondering as well. Maybe because I've been trying to read all good books recommended by one of my most favorite Goodreaders, Emily May. I don't know, we just happen to have the same taste, so I always rack her shelves to find new gems to read. Thanks, Emily!

I've seen The Silver Linings Playbook before, and I've been wanting to read the book even though I haven't got the chance. So this is my first Matthew Quick's written work. To say that I liked it, would be an understatement. Because i really LOVED this book.

This book is divided into four parts, where the first two parts recount that how much Amber convinces herself to be everything but negative. She has her own special group of friends in school. She teaches English into a number of unconfident Korean women. She volunteers and thus mingles with the elderly people in a retirement home. She makes best friend with a Vietnam war veteran. Amber is nothing but a bundle of sunshine to everyone around her. Now the last two parts deal at how suddenly her life is turned upside down and she loses all the cheerful demeanor and starts to not care about people.

This book is about good people. About no matter how much life shatters you, you need to keep going and be good to others, even though there will be no guarantee that other people will treat you the same as you do them.

Even though the title of this book seems to lead you into an idea that this book is all about rock music, but I think that the 'rock star' part means that no matter how hard her life is, Amber needs to be a rock star to herself, get up and move on from the tragedy life brings to her.

Read my review for Matthew Quick's Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock here.

[Book Review]: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Book Title: Saving Francesca
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Year: 2003
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Goodreads' Blurb:
A compelling story of romance, family, and friendship with humor and heart, perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Lauren Myracle.

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastian’s, a boys' school that pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas, who specializes in musical burping, to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling of who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

I needed to force myself looking up from the pile of excellent books I've been currently reading, and started to write about them before the feeling goes out.

Since the first time I heard and read about this book, I was not really sure about the title, it didn't seem to blend well with the synopsis. But as I turned out the pages of this book and was engrossed in the writer's simple yet deliverable proses, it all made perfect sense.

There were tons of topics this book discussed, using the high-schooler's daily life, Francesca. From complicated friendship, school, sisterhood, teen romance and family's issues. I'm not sure how those great contemporary writers write, Marchetta is one of them who had that skill which could grip you in such topics without being too intricate and complicated. Each character was perfectly carved, and so different with each other. But the other thing I loved that the writer did them all in Francesca's first person point of view.

I was so lucky that I could get the opportunity to read Marchetta's work, and I certainly can't wait to get my hands on the next one, The Piper's Son.

[Book Review]: Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Book Title: Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Author: A.S. King
Publisher: Ember
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Year: 2010
Page Count: 323
ISBN: 9780375865640
Find it at: A.S. King's Official Website
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Goodreads' Blurb:
Vera’s spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she’s kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

This review is going to be hard, because I don't think I can find exact words to describe how I feel about this book.

Vera Dietz is just like other ordinary teenagers we know. Her father is a parsimonious accountant, who always emphasizes the importance of having a work for Vera. Her mother left her when she was in her early teen age. Vera is also that girl who can still keep her straight A grades while having a full time job in a pizza store. And she had a best friend, Charlie Kahn, whom she secretly fell in love.

The book is delivered in first person point of view, most of it is Vera's, with occasional from Vera's father's, Charlie's and even the ancient Pagoda (one of the symbols for Vera and Charlie's friendship. You will find the story recounts between the past and the present time.

This book is all about Vera Dietz. About how Vera copes with her best friend's death and with her mother leaving her and her father. The author has a very neat way in delivering the story, the readers can feel and understand Vera's grief without her being a noisy character. This leads into how such a complex story becomes a very light reading.

Enough what I have to say. It's better if you just grab the book and read it. Trust me, some books are not meant to be reviewed, and just to be felt and experienced so that you will know how I'm feeling.

[Teaser Tuesdays]: December 9

I love holiday! I got to read lots of great books and there are still pile of them, so I wouldn't need to fret of having none. One of the picks for this week is Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Despite the humor genre, I still think it's a great one so far. Bray tried to deliver lots of good messages in the book.

Below are the first paragraph and teaser.

First paragraph:

From the prologue:

This book begins with a plane crash. We do not want you to worry about this. According to the U.S. Department of Unnecessary Statistics, your chances of dying in a plane crash are one in half a million. Whereas your chances of losing your bathing suit bottoms to a strong tide are two to one. So, all in all, it's safer to fly than to go to the beach. As we said, this book begins with a plane crash. They are all beauty queen contestants. You do not need to know their names here. But you will get to know them. They are all such nice girls. Yes, the are nice, happy, shining, patriotic girls who happen to have interests in baton twirling, sign language, AIDS prevention in the animal population, the ancient preparation of popadam, feminine firearms, interpretive dance, and sequins. Such a happy story. And shiny, too.

From the first chapter:

"Are you all right?"

The voice was tinny in Adina's ears. Her head ached, and she was wet. She remembered the plane pitching and falling, the smoke and screams, the panic, and then nothing.

"Am I dead?" she asked the face looming over hers. The face had apple cheeks and was framed by a halo of glossy black curls.

"No."

Random teaser:

"When they come to rescue us, they will find us with clean, jungle-forward, fashionable huts and a self-sustaining ecosystem. We will be the Miss Teen Dreamers they write about in history books," Taylor said.

"Nobody writes about Miss Teen Dreamers in history books," Adina scoffed.

~p. 104, "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray.

[Book Review]: Some Girls are by Courtney Summers

Book Title: Some Girls are
Author: Courtney Summers
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Purchased
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Year: 2010
Page Count: 246
ISBN: 9780312573805
Find it at: Courtney Summers's Official Website
Add to your Goodreads shelf.
My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

Goodreads' Blurb:
Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard—falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around. Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

Another mind-blowing story from Courtney Summers!

Just like Cracked Up to Be, Some Girls Are is a story of high school teenagers. In this book, the main character is Regina Afton, who was once a member of a feared girls-gang in Hallowell High, led by her best friend, Anna Morrison. On one occasion, Anna is convinced that Regina has an affair with her boyfriend. Regina then is frozen out and bullied by the gang and avoided by the students, except for one nerd and misfit, Michael Hayden.

If I could feel the sensation of being Parker in Cracked Up to Be, in this book, I only needed to put myself as the reader, but felt the magnificent effect that gnawing my mind. This book creeps me out. I know the bullying in this book is not that nasty as what I heard in real life from other sources, but the way the author describes and drives the story are the one which put fear and horror into me.

In her trademark, the author puts some mystery and reveals it little by little in the most vague ways, which made me wondering whether I got my interpretation right or not. In short, I think every teenagers, teachers and parents should read this book. No, they should read all Courtney Summers books so that they can understand what really happens in high school.

Hell, it even brought me the aftereffect to fight bullying in every way and form in real life.

I think I need to take a rest for a while from Courtney Summers' works. Fall for Anything should be the next of her works that I will read after this. Once again, read her books, people!

[Teaser Tuesdays]: December 2

Fiuhh, I'm finally done with this semester and have some quiet and refreshing time for a month, before I have to do an internship this January. I didn't have much time to read books when the school was on, but now I'm catching up at the track.

I was in a bit of reading syndrome for the last few months since I couldn't find good books to read, but a week ago I read one of Courtney Summers's works, Cracked Up to Be and it was really awesome! If you're interested, check out my review for the book here.

Now I'm addicted to her books and I'm reading Some Girls Are.

These are the first paragraph and teaser.

First paragraph:

Hallowell High:

You're either someone or you're not.

I was someone. I was Regina Afton. I was Anna Morrison's best friend. These weren't small things, and despite what you may think, at the time they were worth keeping my mouth shut for.

Everyone is wasted.

Anna is wasted. Josh is wasted. Marta is wasted. Jeanette is wasted. Bruce is wasted. Donnie's always wasted. I'm not wasted. I had my turn at the last party, called shotgun in Anna's Benz after it was over. My head was out the window, the world was spinning. I puked my guts out. It wasn't fun, but it's not like there was anything else to do. Tonight, there's even less to do than that. Tonight, I'm the designated driver.

Random teaser:

"I heard what happened." He doesn't look at me. "I wanted to make sure you weren't-"

"Dead?" I ask. He nods. "Well, I'm not. But the day is still young. All I have to do is step down a deserted hallway alone, and I'm sure they'll jump me."

~p. 130, "Some Girls are" by Courtney Summers.

Well, are the first paragraph and the teaser gripping enough for you? I have a feeling that this one will be amazing too. Please drop the link to your first paragraph and teaser so that I can visit you back. Have a good week, everyone!

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