These are what I bought this afternoon. I’ve already read Tuesdays with Morrie way back when I was still in grade school. My cousin lent me his copy. Now, it has been over four years since I last read that and I actually really wanted to have my own copy so I picked it up when I saw it.

Now, Les Miserables has been in my to-buy list ever since, but this is just the time when I really had the urge to buy it. One main reason is this: I won’t be able to watch the musical in the big screen. Since it would take time before the DVD will be released, I just chose to buy the book and indulge in its world.

What I first saw was Anna Karenina and that was what I was supposed to buy because it has been intriguing me ever since I’ve read The Fault in Our Stars. (If I remember it correctly. Or was it a Sparks’ book which had a character reading AK?)

Anyway, I’m still thinking if I would bring this in the dorm or I’ll just leave this in my room because, surely, these two are distractions — I really have to practice controlling myself when it comes to buying books — especially now that I have a research paper to do.

Sigh.

I finished reading Insurgent last night before going to sleep. I think it’s better than the first book. I especially loved the unexpected twists that happened. Words can’t express how much I’d love to read the last installment now. The ending of it is just… LAKSJDLASDJALD.

Battle Royale

I finally got a copy of this book that has been intriguing me ever since I read something about The Hunger Games being based on this one.

I knew I shouldn’t be going in the books section, but I couldn’t resist the urge of looking at some books although I saw them just last time also. There are more books there now, though. I’ve seen copies of The Lord of the Rings in a shelf at last.

Anyway, since I wasn’t able to find the To Kill a Mockingbird that I was eyeing last time, I chose to go look for some others. Then, I saw Battle Royale. It was the one and only copy there so I immediately grabbed it.

My money was short, so I had to ask for my brother — who’s saving some money for their field trip on September — for some money because I wasn’t able to bring extra money. I’ll pay him next week.

Despite the excitement I have for reading it, I still, sadly, have some other books that I have to finish reading before more dust’ll be gathered on their covers. I’m halfway through The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I started reading The Little Women months ago, too, but I’ve yet to finish it. Same goes with The Lucky One and The Chronicles of Narnia. And to think there’s still The Catcher in the Rye and Jane Eyre that are, like Battle Royale, not yet out of the plastic they’re covered with.

Oh, dear me. I really should learn self-control.

Pumunta dito sa bahay 4 na best friend ko kanina. Kauupo palang ni Joela sa may higaan ko nang...

Joela: Nabasa mo na 'yang mga libro mo? (turo sa may HP set na napatungan pa ng 2 books ni Roald Dahl)
Ako: Oo.
Joela: Eh 'yong mga 'yon? (turo sa ibang books sa 'di kalayuan)
Ako: Yung iba.
Joela: Benta na natin!
Almost an hour later, dumating si isa pang best friend. Nakwento ni Ella 'yung sinabi ni Joela.
Cherry: (kinuha ilang books ng Harry Potter) Oo nga. Benta natin 'to.
Ella: (kinuha 'yong sa Deathly Hallows) Ay, Php600+ pala 'to. Benta na natin!
Cherry: (akmang lalabas na ng kwarto at sinundan ni Ella) Oo nga. Dagdag pera para makabili ng ticket ng concert ng Big Bang.
Parang ewan lang sila. X3

(Low quality. MY CAMERA’S BROKEN. ;A; It got wet because my water container got open while it was still in my bag during our Philosophy class just last Friday. >^< Anywaaay…)

Yes, I got three more books! I knew I wasn’t able to really restrain myself from buying. At first, I was supposed to be really buying just The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but then, I looked at some shelves and saw Jane Eyre which is on my to-read list for so long now. Since it costs only 99Php, I grabbed it. I looked at another shelf and saw The Catcher in the Rye. I rarely see a copy of it (or it’s just that I didn’t notice them before?) so I grabbed it also. I actually saw To Kill A Mockingbird, too! I was really tempted to get it, but then I only have 1000Php, so I left it. (;A;) I’m really going to buy it next time, along with Insurgent, hopefully.

Myrtle became the Big Winner? As expected. Too bad for Joj and Jai though. :<

Anyway, I finally got a copy of The Fault in Our Stars! I’ve been meaning to buy a copy months ago; I just didn’t have enough amount of money. This afternoon, I finally got the chance to buy one. I was torn between two choices though: to buy The Fault in Our Stars or to buy Insurgent. In the end, I bought the one I had my eyes on for months (even though I really waited for Insurgent to come out).

I have high expectations in this book. Many said it’s really great. I’m looking forward in reading it.

Of Harry Potter

It still kind of troubles me that I loved this because, well, this series isn’t really an advisable one to be read/watched by Christians, they say. Still, I can’t help but enjoy it. 

Anyway, I’d finished reading the last installment of this series just last Wednesday. It was a wonderful read. HP’s books proved to me, yet again, that books are better — way better — than movies.

There are so much things that happen in the seven books that aren’t shown in the movies. I discovered that many parts have been changed for the movies. The characters are more lovable especially because they appear more. (Sadly, there are characters who doesn’t make appearances in the movies.) I really admire how Rowling made the characters three-dimensional. (And in case of Harry and some others, I think, four-dimensional!)

When I finished the last book, I really wished they showed in the movies what Dudley did before they left Privet Drive. I really teared up when I was reading that part. I loved that Percy re-joined them. It isn’t shown in the movies, though, the fact that Percy left the Weasleys to join the Ministry. My favorite chapter in the last book, of course, is “The Prince’s Tale”.

When I was really young, when I still wasn’t able to fully understand what the actors/actresses were saying and just loved the series mostly because of the music and the effects, (when I was around 7) I really thought that Snape was an antagonist despite the attempt he made to save Harry from what Quirrell did. He was wearing black in the first movie (yeah, all the movies); the fact that I see all the characters associated with black clothing as antagonist back then gave me that impression of him. I’ve grown to like him as years pass, though. I loved Snape more after watching the last movie, and even more after reading the books. He is one of my favorite characters in the series.

Here are my favorite characters in the series:

• Severus Snape — I loved him for obvious reasons.
• Nymphadora Tonks — Well, she is a lovable character! Even when I still haven’t read the books, she caught my interest already. And her name… oh, how I love it! ♥
• Remus Lupin — He is a fun character, just like Nymphadora. I disliked how he had a hard time accepting Dora’s love for him, but I loved everything concerning him, especially how he acted while delivering the news about their baby at Bill and Fleur’s. 
• George and Fred Weasley — especially Fred. I don’t know if it’s just because he’s the one who died (;A; so much tears), but from the start, he’s the one I always loved more between the twins. Still, I say that it’s incomplete without them together.
• Luna Lovegood — I loved how unique she is. I’m always fascinated with her character. It’s funny that I read her lines in the books with a dreamy voice. Or a voice trying to copy Evanna Lynch’s (or so I thought XD).
• Draco Malfoy — He just is a lovable character for me. I have to add that I admired and loved Tom Felton more after reading the books. I believe he’d perfected Draco. The expressions Tom showed for HBP. Really… 
• Minerva McGonagall — I… simply love her.
• Neville Longbottom — He’s so brave. ♥ And I loved Trevor!
• Molly Weasley — I love her lines while she’s fighting with Bellatrix in the last battle, especially. And how she treats Harry. :>
• Dobby — Dobby is so adorable! (Even though I found him irritating at first. >w>) 
• Peeves — I find him so amusing. ♥
• Harry, Hermione, Ronald — for obvious reasons

These are my ships:

• Harry X Ginny (Well, they’re canon. =w=)
• Harry X Luna (Crazy it may seem, but I’m serious. >w<)
• Harry X Hermione (In all honesty, when there were still no Romione hints yet, I really wanted these two to be the couple. .___.)
• Ron X Hermione (Canon. And I find it amusing with them bickering and all that. X3)
• Draco X Hermione (I just love these two. ♥ Actually, I love Dramione than the canon pair. >w>)
• Neville X Luna (They just seem so cute together for me. Erm…)
• Snape X Lily (I ship them way more than I ship Lily with James. /goesintohiding)
• Remus X Nymphadora (Canon. And I simply love these two. :3)
• Dobby X Winky (They’re so cute together!)

My most hated characters (until the very end):

• Rita Skeeter
• Dolores Umbridge

Harry Potter is a really legendary series. It gets better as the story progresses. It’s narrated in a way that I really managed to imagine things easily in my mind. It’s the best of all the books I’ve ever read. After reading it, I fear that I will crave for more books as great as this.

I still can’t believe that I really managed to collect all the books just this year’s summer vacation. It’s… wow.

I’ve just bought the Order of Phoenix and Deathly Hallows two days ago. And yes, I bought Half-Blood Prince first because I was thinking that I may not find some other copies of it on the bookstores. I mean, there were barely no Harry Potter books on the bookstores I go to before! Then all of a sudden, just weeks ago, every bookstores I went to had copies of it. I felt like I was trolled.

Anyway, good thing I’ll be able to read the whole series finally. I’m currently halfway through the Order of Phoenix, which movie is one of my favorites. 

AT LAST! After looking for an individual copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I finally got my hand into one! ♥ It’s all right if it’s not hardbound. At least I have one.

I’ve been looking for an individual copy of this for over a year already. (Me haz no money for buying a whole set. ;A;) And yes, I’m kind of ashamed to say that I loved Harry Potter even before reading the books, but hey! I’ve known lots of things about it because of Tumblr. >w<

I was really planning to start collecting the HP books long time ago but I always had no luck to find the first book. I didn’t want to start buying the others without having the first book so… yeah. And earlier, without me expecting it when I entered the National Bookstore, I saw this one and only copy available there. Without hesitancy, I got my wallet and bought this. ♥

Last night, around 10PM, I managed to finish reading “Delirium”. Earlier around 2PM, I finished reading “Matched”.

Delirium is a story wherein love is a disease. They call it Amor deliria nervosa. The government has a cure on it and it’s given to every citizen once they turn eighteen. Then, a girl, who looked forward to the cure, suddenly fell in love with a guy ninety-five days before she get her cure.

It was a fun read. I loved the characters. Lauren Oliver’s words are so beautiful. I even cried at some parts. Especially by the ending. It left me hanging. And now, I want more. There are a lot of answers that linger in my mind.

Meanwhile, Matched is about a story of girl living in a place where the Society plans everything for everyone’s lives. What they do, what they eat, who they’ll marry, when they die. She believed in the Society… until wrong things started to happen.

I really enjoyed reading this one. Probably a lot more than when I was reading Delirium. Probably because I’m a hopeless romantic and there’s more love story in this one. The ending left me hanging, too! I especially loved the characters — Cassia, Ky, Xander, Bram, almost everyone, except Cassia’s Official. Really. That girl irritates me!

Anyway, I both enjoyed and loved these two books. I loved the twists and turns. Both made me want Pandemonium and Crossed appear in front of me now so that I could read them. These just made me crave for more Dystopian, YA books.

Thumbs up to Lauren Oliver and Ally Condie for wonderful works!