WWW Wednesdays #6

What are you currently reading?                             Right now I'm reading The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (finally!). I can't wait, as I've been hearing many good thing about this book *taps nose*.

What did you recently finish reading?                        I just finished reading Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson. Click here for my review of it.

What do you think you'll read next?                        
I'll say it now: I tend to choose a book to read once I've finished reading the previous one. I'll pick depending on my 'mood', or 'hunch', or whatever you'd like to call it. But I have two options at the moment: Memoirs of A Teen Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin, or Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. So this is my dilemma: Which one should I pick? 

Catalyst - my book review

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


True rating: 2.5 stars

There is one word that illustrates this book: ordinary. That word itself is as dull sounding as what Catalyst actually is.

After reading two of Laurie Halse Anderson's books (first Wintergirls then Speak), I was convinced that every single one of her novels were worth 5 stars. But I was wrong. Naivety got the better of me. This was an awesomely tedious book. To tell the truth, I was sort of glad to be able to turn the last page.

The main thing that saved this book from a 2 star review was the fact that I never got bored or skipped parts, even though I wanted to do so.

I felt that there was no depth in this book. One accident leads to another, and then...? What about Mitch? (They didn't really seem to break up.) What about the university? (We don't know what happened with that in the end.) What about Teri? (She doesn't seem to hate Kate that much.) And the BIG incident that changed everything... well, it was quite sad, I admit that, but I didn't find that it affected Kate personally.

Aside from the above, I also disliked the characters. Except for Mikey, of course. But apart from him, none of the characters were very likeable in my perspective, and there was no real background information on them. Like, I know Sara less than Kate knows Melinda.

Speaking of Melinda, as a side-note, I enjoyed her cameo role in this book. I loved Speak, so naturally I liked her guest appearance in this book, starring as herself.

There's not much else to say, but I've got Prom and Twisted on my TBR list. I'm definitely gonna read them sooner or later. I hope they won't be as disappointing as this book was...!



View all my reviews

Top Ten Tuesday #7

Top Ten Books Lauren Has On Her TBR List This  Fall   Spring (where I am it's gonna be spring, not fall!) :

1. Wake by Lisa McMann - been wanting to read this one for AGES!
2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - I'm in need of a dystopian book as challenging as The Hunger Games.
3. Zelah Green Queen of Clean by Vanessa Curtis - I've been wanting to read this book ever since I was ten... I don't know why, but I just do.
4. Shiver by Maggie Steifvater - highly recommended by one of my non-book-loving friends, and that's saying something.
5. Entwined by Heather Dixon - I'm in love with the original fairytale that this book is based on, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, so it's absolutely necessary that I read this soon.
6. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard - haven't watched the TV show yet, but if I love this, I will definitely watch it.
7. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand - I admit it. I don't read many angel/vampire/werewolf/fairy books, but I'd like to start.
8. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - need I explain why I want to read this book so badly?
9. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin - since reading the synopsis of this book, I've really wanted to read this book. It sound awesome!
10. The Boy Book by E. Lockhart - read the first book in the series: loved it. Wanting to read the second book in the series: that should be on my 'do before I die' list.

Cover Crazy #6

This is the cover of Awaken, by Katie Kacvinsky.

• The first thing I noticed about this cover was the sunflowers inside the glass jar. Sunflowers are known for happiness. Jars are used to keep things; trap things. Happiness is trapped. As simple as that.
• The pixellation of the background is effective. It gives a surreal element to this picture. The jar of sunflowers looks so real, but the background looks almost fake.
• Fonts are a very important factor to me, especially the font for a title of a book. For example, would you find the font: Ariel very interesting for a front cover? The answer is not really. But the word 'Awaken' appears handwritten. It makes me think that this book is sentimental in some ways.

In My Mailbox #6

This week, I borrowed...

If Naomi had picked tails, she would have won the coin toss. She wouldn't have had to go back for the yearbook camera, and she wouldn't have hit her head on the steps. She wouldn't have woken up in an ambulance with amnesia. She certainly would have remembered her boyfriend, Ace. She might even have remembered why she fell in love with him in the first place. She would understand why her best friend, Will, keeps calling her "Chief." She'd know about her mom's new family. She'd know about her dad's fiancée. She never would have met James, the boy with the questionable past and the even fuzzier future, who tells her he once wanted to kiss her. She wouldn't have wanted to kiss him back.
 

But Naomi picked heads.

 Source: Goodreads

It sounds like a great book, and there have been many rave reviews about it. Can't wait!!!

Follow Friday #7

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

A: I would choose fairies (or faeries), because they sound awesomely cool and I'd love to meet one. Don't you think they sound cool?

Award... Number 2!

I can barely believe it myself, but 'A Novella's Tale' has been given ANOTHER blogging award! This time it's from Deidra from A Storybook World.

The Best Books Blog Award

This is what she had to say about 'A Novella's Tale':


"You have a fabulous blog!... I want to award you with the Best Books Blog Award for all the hard work you do!"


Thank you so much!!!

WWW Wednesdays #5

What are you currently reading?                             I had a sudden change of heart and decided to read Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson, rather than my original choice of The Truth About Forever. I apologise for this, but I promise that I'm going to read that next. (The reason for this decision was that I didn't like the idea of reading two rather thick books side-by-side. I needed a break!)

What did you recently finish reading?                        I just finished reading Gone by Michael Grant last night. Click here for my review of it.

What do you think you'll read next?                        I am definitely going to read The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen next. You have the right to sue me if I don't.

Gone - my book review

Gone by Michael Grant

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


True Rating: 4.5



Everyone disappears upon their fifteen birthday. Poof. Gone.


The concept of this novel was very intriguing, and though it was a thick book, I got through it without getting a tad bored. Good from the start, brilliant to the end.


When I read the blurb of the book, I didn't really understand the 'power' bit. So when I got to reading the book, I was actually slightly surprised when I found out about the powers. I have yet to see the types of powers you can have. (My favourite would be Taylor's!)


Also, I'd like to mention that the puzzle pieces come together in the end. At first I was wary of Lana, Albert and Mary's presence in the book, but things become clearer in the end, and these 3 supporting characters get a slightly larger role near the final duration of the novel.


Things I liked:

+ The plot
+ The characters
+ The way the story is written; jumping to different character's opinions, while staying in third-person perspective.
+ The cliff-hanger. God, it made me thirsty. I mean, er, hungry...


Thing I didn't like:

- The complexity of the large array of main/supporting characters. It got so confusing with so many things happening with so many people.



I am definitely going to borrow Hunger from the library when I finish getting through the huge stack of books in my room...!



View all my reviews

Top Ten Tuesday #6

I swear that this list was made for me. Anyway.....

Top Ten Books Lauren Loved But Never Wrote A Review For

1. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
2. Parvana by Deborah Ellis
3. The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
4. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
5. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
6. The Declaration by Gemma Malley
7. Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe
8. Loving Richard Feynman by Penny Tangey
9. The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
10. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

This Is A Bright Place

I was really bored so I made this mini collage... You like it? :)

Liebster Blog award!

Just got my first blog award! I'm so happy! This is the Liebster Award, which was given to me from lovely Larissa from Howling Turtle. Thank you so much! :D

The Liebster Award is mainly for small blogs, which helps us out heaps to gain followers and rep, LOL!

This is what Larissa said about A Novella's Tale:

A Novella's Tale This blog just has the cutest design! I love it! Lauren gives her blog a great personality! 

I'm gonna pick 3 other blogs which I think should be given this award:

1. Random and Booky Sara-Sadiya has a great blog going, and I think she deserves some attention! Keep up the good work!
2. In Interest Holly runs this blog, and I really love its dark design and woody features. If you know me well, you know I love themes!
3. In Between Writing and Reading  Okay, I wouldn't really say that this is a small blog, but this is seriously one of my most favourite blogs of all time! My friend Jude runs it, and there is A LOT to see. You hafta check it out!!!

Once again, thank you to Larissa!

In My Mailbox #5

Eek, I didn't really borrow anything from the library this week. That was because I was away. Um... Well I'm very sorry about this, but I'll definitely borrow another book when I get the chance!!! :)

WWW Wednesdays #4

What are you currently reading?                             I'm currently reading Gone by Michael Grant. Have to say, it's not what I expected, but I'm ready for what's gonna come up. Bring it on!

What did you recently finish reading?                        Does it count that I went halfway through a book and stopped as 'finish reading'? If so, then I recently finished (or rather gave up on) Accidents of Nature, by Harriet McBryde Johnson.

What do you think you'll read next?                        The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen is next on my list. This'll be my FIRST Sarah Dessen book! So basically, it all depends on this sweetie whether I'll read the rest of Ms. Dessen's books.

Cover Crazy #5

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't get to read this edition of Wintergirls. Oh well. Gives me more of an excuse to rave about it!

• Wintergirls. What's the first thing you think of when you hear the title? Cold, icy, grim, shivering, frost. You can decide for yourself what the girl is looking through on the front cover.
• The girl's eye. Huh. Just one, not the other. The other is either covered by hair or a thick slab of ice. One eye... Unbalanced... Helpless... Needy... Desperate... In trouble. It all comes together neatly. There is something wrong with this girl, and something needs to be done.
• Just looking at the image on the top-left gives me shivers. I'm all about colours and how well they fit together. In this case, I can mainly spot turquoises, blacks and sky-blues. But there is also the dash of pink from the girl's lips and white from the author's name. But there is a reason why these are called cold colours.                                                

Top Ten Tuesday #5

It's freebie week! So I pick...

Top Ten Books that have the weirdest plots:

1. Amelia Dee and the Peacock Lamp
2. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging
3. The End
4. Breakfast at Sadie's
5. Bridge to Terabithia
6. Coraline
7. The Hunger Games
8. Darius Bell and the Glitter Pool
9. Forgotten
10. Holes

Follow Friday #6

Yes! I'm back from my holiday... or more specifically, camp. I had a good rest, and now I'm back in the swing for bloggin'!

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

A. I would pick Divergent. My role would be a close friend of Tris'. I would be in Amity, duh (*ahem* I'm pro-Amity all the way), and I will help save Tris and the other escapees in Insurgent. If that is what happens.

Note of Absence

Hey everyone!

I'd just like to let you know that I'm gonna be away from the 15-19 August. So from tomorrow until Friday, there will be no new posts :(

But meanwhile, you can of course look at older posts and reviews of mine. Smiling now? :)

In My Mailbox #4

I have progressed very little with my currently reading book and I'm considering to leave it for another time. Yes. Because of my tardiness, I've decided to not borrow anything more from the library for now. No.

I couldn't help it!!! It's my impulses, you see. One good book, and I MUST snap it up! It's like how many women are obsessed with shoes... I'm pretty obsessed with books. Is there such thing as a book-aholic therapist?

I borrowed Sarah Dessen's:

I plan to read it after I have finished reading Gone, which will hopefully be very soon.

Cover Crazy #4

This is the book cover of the young-adult novel, Tris & Izzie. I came across it on my good friend Jude's blog, In Between Writing and Reading, and I totally fell in love with it! But really, the cover looks exquisite, doesn't it?

• From afar, I thought that those fluttering red/orange things were autumn leaves, but when you look at the picture closely, they are in fact rose petals. It really gives you an impression that the book is a romantic one.
• The couple sitting on the boat are in love, or rather... the male is, but the female is not quite content. What's going on here??
• The colour scheme of deep reds and pastel fit together seamlessly. Put together with a dash of blue, and voila! You have a book cover that anyone would crave for.                                                    

Follow Friday #5

Q. What new genres are you in love with currently?

A. At the moment, I am really loving dystopians. But not normal dystopians. Only adventure ones. To be honest, I haven't read many of them so far but I really love them! I also like realistic fiction dealing with common teen issues. They are amazing to read and I can relate to them more easily.

The Hunger Games trailer

I was exploring Youtube once again, and found a brilliantly made 'trailer' of the upcoming Hunger Games movie!

Here it is:

Don't you love it? It's a combination of a few movies including Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. And several times in that video I saw Little Red Riding Hood, too,

But anyway, when I first saw it, I actually thought it was the real trailer! It is pretty easy to get yourself fooled though...

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Sorry I'm a bit late with the Top Ten Tuesday, but I've had an overload of homework that keeps and piling up on my desk... Anyway, here's the list...

Top Ten Underrated Books:

1. The Declaration by Gemma Malley
2. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
3. The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
4. Girl Saves Boy by Steph Bowe
5. The Book of A Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
6. Clair de Lune by Cassandra Golds
7. Kat Got Your Tongue by Lee Weatherly
8. The Girls by Lori Lansens
9. Once by Morris Gleitzman
10. The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd

In My Mailbox #3

I'm so sorry that I'm a bit behind with the meme's... You know, homework and holidays and stuff! So will you forgive me? :(

This week, I borrowed...

About time, too! It was out from the library since the rats carried the Black Death. So I'm pleased that it's in my possession now! Earlier in the year, I read an excerpt of it and I loved it. I can't wait until I finally finish reading my current book so I can move onto Gone! ☺