#T5W Episode 3: Summer Reads

Hello, reader. Welcome to Episode 3 of Top 5 Wednesday! Man, I miss doing these weekly memes on the blog. Anyway! If you don’t know what this series is, Top 5 Wednesday was created by Lainey of gingerreadslainey and is currently hosted by Sam of ThoughtsOnTomes. If you want to participate in #T5W, you can head on over to their Goodreads group.

Flame in the Mist – A Review

As I’m writing this review, I’m thinking to myself, how it must be a tall order for an author to write a story of different race and culture other than their own. You must really abandon your “own voice” to breathe life and authenticity into your character’s voice. And with Flame in the Mist, I think Miss Ahdieh created something really special. A brilliant and authentic tale of lies, love, and good ‘ole fantasy.

Seeking Mansfield – A Revivew

There’s always that rare and beautiful moment present when diving headfirst in a story. I’m that sort of reader who usually checks out Goodreads first for reviews and the summary of a book before actually reading it. But sometimes spontaneity can be good, and the unknown is a welcome change of pace. That’s what I felt when I picked up this book on a whim – an unexpected surprise.

Re: March/April ’17

Re: is a new feature here in The Quirky Reader wherein every month (or every other month) I make a neat summary of what went down in terms of blogging and living IRL. 

Guess who’s read more than one book this month? That’s right – this nerd right over here did that.

Hey guys! So amidst the intense summer heat here in the tropical island, I’m still pretty much alive. I actually got a bad sunburn from swimming a few weeks ago, so kids, if you know what’s good for you, lay on thick with that sunblock. Anyway! It’s been a month since I last did one of these recaps, so without further ado here’s what went down last March up to April.

These Vicious Masks – A Review

It’s Jane Austen meets X-Men in this highly entertaining historical fantasy debut that left me utterly hanging and wanting the next book. Prior to reading this, I already had this weird notion that I was going to enjoy the read because I enjoyed that pitch so much. And lo and behold, These Vicious Masks exceeded my expectations and then some.

Descendants – A Review

Rick Riordan sort of ruined other young adult novels with (Greek) mythological storylines for me. His Percy Jackson series is one of my all-time favourite books to read and even now many years later I still get a kick from them whenever I skim through the pages. But recently, I think I may have a found a new series with a lot of potential to rebuild what Riordan has ruined for me in YA mythology. 

My Guide to TV Series 2017 #1

Besides reading, like the regular 21st century person with a lot of time, I also enjoy watching TV series. Some of my all-time favourites include How to Get Away with Murder, Game of Thrones, UnREAL, etc. And now that summer break has officially (😭😭😭) begun for me, I have two months of catching up and watching all the TV series I’ve -been-meaning-to-watch-but-didn’t-really. Without further ado, I present to you my definitive guide to TV series 2017. 

Why You Should Read the Ministry of Curiosities Series

You may or may not have heard me constantly talk about this fabulous series. It’s only one of the most entertaining urban fantasy series out there. There’s currently 7 books, with the 8th book coming out later this year, and yeah – I finished all of those in just under two months tops. What is this elusive series I’m talking about? (Though it’s already in the title)

Mini Movie Reviews! The First of Twenty-Seventeen.

It’s been a long time coming, but thank God I am back with another episode of Mini Movie Reviews! If you’re new to my blog and don’t have any inkling about what this series is about, basically, in this feature I give short reviews of movies I’ve collectively watched. And since this is the first for 2017, I watched all of these over the period of three months (beginning in January).

Also, I am deeply sorry for not being active lately haha. I just finished all my papers for school (and my technical report 😭), and I’m getting ready for summer break, which means more time for reading and blogging. But anyway! On with the reviews…

Blog Tour – History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

You’re still alive in alternate universes, Theo, but I live in the real world, where this morning you’re having an open-casket funeral. I know you’re out there, listening. And you should know I’m really pissed because you swore you would never die and yet here we are. It hurts even more because this isn’t the first promise you’ve broken.

Going into this book, I was expecting a lot of familiarity since reading Silvera’s extraordinary debut, More Happy Than Not (which I also did a review on right here). I knew I was in for another one of his whip-smart dialogues, well-rounded and complicated characters, and poignant storytelling. But History Is All You Left Me is all that and more – it bridged the gap between old and new by offering something magical, heartbreaking, and true.