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Book Review

Book review: Becca Fitzpatrick’s “Hush, Hush”

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Want to know what I found out this morning? This is what I found out.

If you’re too lazy to click on the link, it’s a campaign to get “Hush, Hush” author Becca Fitzpatrick over here to our fair islands. Our fair capital is leading the survey, but the Fitzpatrick fans want to make sure the deal is locked down.

If the country does win, I will end up interviewing Fitzpatrick. There’s no two-ways around it. And while I have no trouble talking to her, I may have some trouble not being critical of her writing.

You see, I hate “Hush, Hush”. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I hate it so much I talked to Lauren Kate about it, which turned out to be a horrible decision since the two of them are friends. I hate it so much, I take every possible opportunity to tell my friends and anybody who’ll listen not to read it.

I hate it so much I wrote a review about it for a newspaper

It’s right here

Book Review

Book review: Chinggay Labrador’s “Popped”

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I don’t think anyone can accuse me of having any anti-KPop bias.

When KPop supergroup Super Junior came around these parts last year, I was right there in the mosh pit with friends, screaming it out with everyone else and taking videos of all the shirtlessness and Korean weirdness happening all over the stage. My phone got stolen though, so no fan videos will be passed down to young faglings.

When Rain came to perform — with UKiss in tow — I was also front and center, with the tweets to prove it.

I also have nothing against Summit Books and its line of chick lit novels, if my review of Tara Sering’s “Between Dinner and the Morning After” is anything to go by. I loved “Between Dinner and the Morning After”.

Seeing that the newest Summit Book was about the KPop fan experience, I thought that nothing could possibly go wrong. At best, I would love Chinggay Labrador’s “Popped”. At worst, I thought I would just be mildly irritated.

Was I ever wrong

Book Review

Book review: Tara Sering’s “Between Dinner and the Morning After”

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I’ve got a really busy day ahead — paying bills, figuring out housing loans, talking to real estate peeps — so I thought of putting up this old review I did of Summit Book’s “Between Dinner and the Morning After”. You guys can think of it as a prelude since I am currently reading Chinggay Labrador’s “Popped”, also from Summit Books.

More than meets the eye

Book Review

Book review: James Frey and Jobie Hughes’ “I Am Number Four”

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The last time James Frey was in the public consciousness, he was being reprimanded by Oprah Winfrey herself for fabricating numerous events in his critically-acclaimed, bestselling “memoir”, “A Million Little Pieces”.

When he came out with “Bright Shiny Morning” in 2008, it was meant to be his comeback novel and auger his return to the public eye. But “Bright Shiny Morning” got mixed reviews — The New York Times praised the book a called Frey a “furiously good storyteller”, while The Los Angeles Times called it “execrable” — and barely made a blip on the New York Times Bestseller List.

But now Frey is taking an entirely different plan of attack with “I Am Number Four”. Produced by Frey’s own Full Fathom Five publishing company, “I Am Number Four” is a young adult novel done in collaboration with Jobie Hughes, a student of the masters writing program of The Columbia University School for the Arts. With “I Am Number Four” now having spent more than a month on the New York Times Bestseller List, has Frey finally for his grove back? Or is this success in the young adult field merely a lucky strike?

He was number one!

Book Review

Book review: Brian Katcher’s “Almost Perfect”

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Growing up gay, I found very few books about the gay experience. I think it was late into my senior year in high school when I finally got around to grudgingly reading some Danton Remoto, and it was only four years ago that I finally got to read gay classics like James Baldwin’s “Giovanni’s Room” or E.M. Forster’s “Maurice“.

While I didn’t exactly have a difficult gay childhood, I sometimes wish that I had these books around when I was grappling with my sexuality. I feel like it would have made things so much easier for me and probably shortened my time in the closet considerably.

But if I had any trouble, I’d think it wold be so much more difficult for transgendered teens. I don’t think the transgendered experience has been written about a whole lot, and I am struggling to think of a book in the Western canon that does so.

Which is why it’s a good thing that there are now books coming out that tackle this particular experience. In 2004, we had Julie Ann Peters’ “Luna“. And just recently, Brian Kathcer’s “Almost Perfect” won the Stonewall’s Children and Young Adult Literature Award, given out at this year’s Newberry Awards. Of course I had to get a copy.

Definitely not a hot tranny mess

Book Review

Book review: Scott Westerfeld’s “Behemoth”

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I know, I know. I’ve been remiss with my  blogging duties, and so early in the game as well. But it’s been a mostly crazy few days at work and with my personal life and I haven’t been able to spare some time for the old book blog.

I did, however, have time to do some book shopping.

As most of you guys know, Brian Katcher’s “Almost Perfect” won this year’s Stonewall’s Children and Young Adult Literature Award, so finding it on the local bookshelves was a pretty good signal for me to buy it. I’m looking forward to reading it and seeing what the buzz is about.

I also got myself a copy of Stephen Chbosky’s “The Perks of Being a Wallflower“. I’ve heard about this book countless times from so many people, and I’ve been seeing it on bookshelves for about as long. But I’ve never really found a cover that I really liked as much as this one. And this copy’s cheaper than the other editions!

But the most important thing I did the past week was finally finish reading Scott Westerfeld’s “Behemoth“, the second book in his “Leviathan” series.

The Great War continues

Book Review

Book review: Scott Westerfeld’s “Leviathan”

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Busy day today, paying bills and the like. Later tonight I will be meeting up with friends from the Philippine Tolkien Society, so I thought about putting up my review of “Leviathan” that got published about a year ago because I may not be able to write later on today.

I’m currently re-reading this YA steampunk novel by Scott Westerfeld to bone up for “Behemoth“, the review for which I hope to have up by Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.

Clankers and Darwinists and the Great War, oh my!