Book Review: The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

Disclosure: A free copy of the book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

From Goodreads: "A sarcastic storyteller traps three characters in his web in order to get hold of a special book. 

Daniel, Cassidy and Igor are three unique individuals, considered outcasts for different reasons. They are about to meet and stick together, as coincidences and forced situations lead them to a journey all around Europe. 

As everyone is after the Book of the Forsaken, the coming Game is about to take place on the dark side of the moon. But there is a cost to that knowledge. Let alone to the wish to partake."

The Book of the Forsaken got the gold medal on authonomy.com's HarperCollins UK hosted competition on Feb 1. 2012.

The Book of the Forsaken by Yannis Karatsioris

Series: The Game, #1 

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Action, Adventure

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

The mini-dossiers at the start of the story that sort of introduced us to the characters hooked me up and made me want to read more. I like that the plot is fast-paced, there are elements of action and suspense I found very interesting, and that there's a somewhat cozy mystery feel to the narrative. Keeping up with the narrator as he jumps from one character to the next was a bit of a challenge for me though. That said, I think using a "storyteller" instead of just writing in a 3rd person omniscient POV is very creative albeit confusing at times. And yes, I also thought the footnotes were a bit distracting. Even so, I really think the concept upon which the novel was based is brilliant. I had fun weaving through the many twists and turns and I can't wait to read the next book.

Recipe: Beef Salpicao

Here's my version of Dulcinea's beef salpicao -

Ingredients

½ lb beef tenderloin, cubed

2 tablespoons garlic, minced 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons liquid seasoning (Bragg Liquid Aminos is the healthier option although Knorr Seasoning for me is yummier)

2 tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

Directions

1. Marinate beef in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper for a couple of hours.

2. Heat the marinade in a pan, saute garlic, then add the beef (make sure the oil is very hot).

3. Sear the beef evenly, this shouldn't take long, no more than 8 minutes.

4. Add Worcestershire sauce and liquid seasoning.

5. Turn off the heat and then add butter.

6. Sprinkle with green chilies (optional).

7. Serve hot.

Resto love: Dulcinea

Paella Valenciana, Php495

Saffron rice with vegetables, seafood, pork and chicken

Lengua Estofada Especialidad, Php370

Ox tongue with mushroom gravy served with vegetables and mashed potato

Salpicao, Php310

Tenderloin sauteed in olive oil and garlic served with garlic rice and potatoes

Churros con Chocolate, Php98

Fried-dough served with hot chocolate

Book Review: Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

From Goodreads: "What if all you knew about fairy tales was wrong?

Sixteen year old Loki Blackstar is no Prince Charming. His mother is a ghost. His only friend is a red Cadillac that sings to him through the radio. He looks like an Angel but acts like jerk. No wonder he has been banned from Heaven, which is the least of his troubles. Loki needs a job to pay for school and support himself.

Still, Loki has a rare gift: He is a Dreamhunter. One of the few in the world who can hunt and kill immortal demons in their dreams so they never wake up again.

When Loki is sent to kill a sixteen-year-old vampire girl the locals call Snow White Sorrow, he is pulled into a magical but dangerous world. The locals believe the monster to be Snow White.

The real Snow White... living in the ruins of an ancient castle in a small town. She is described as horribly beautiful, terrifyingly enchanting, and wickedly lovely.

What he finds instead is a beautiful monster girl filled with rage and hurt, who has an epic untold story to tell of things such like why the Brothers Grimm altered the fairy tale, who the Evil Queen really is, where the mirror came from, and who possessed it.

Snow White has killed every person who has dared come near the castle where she once lived with the queen. Mysteriously, she lets Loki live, and whispers two words in his ears; two words that will change his life forever."

Snow White Sorrow by Cameron Jace

Series: The Grimm Diaries, #1 

Genres: Young Adult, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy, Paranormal, Vampires

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

It does sound like Anna Dressed in Blood but except for the blurb, they're nothing alike. Snow White Sorrow is an interesting take on the classic fairy tale, Snow White. I love everything about the magical world Cameron Jace has spun. It's whimsical, goofy and romantic. I love the characters, even the small ones. Georgie Porgie, Skeliman the Ferryman (sometimes the Libraryman), that vampire in Forks who was killed by Loki but was resurrected and "appears in the twilights", they cracked me up. Love the food - Sticky Sweet Bones, Tragic Beans, Coffinmuffins, Poisoned Apples, Cinderella Mozerella, and Reluctant Jelly; and the name of places - Bedtime Stoories, Candy House, Sorrow, Snoring, Belly and Beast. The story is captivating, it's impossible not to get pulled in. Perhaps my only complaint is the dialogue, especially Loki's. I thought it's very cheesy and clichéd. I cringe every time anyone speaks. Frankly, I'd rather they didn't have lines at all, but oh well.

Lazy ovaries, drug side effects and gym membership

So today I thought I'd take a break from my usual blogging and just talk about what's been going on with me. Those of you who know me have probably wondered or even asked me at one point or another why we remain childless. It's been six years and you are either getting tired of waiting or just totally losing interest. If I tell you the answer, will you promise not to judge me? I'm scared of doctors. There. I guess I'm what some people would call a "silent hypochondriac". Over the years, I have somehow become an expert in self-diagnosis, looking up my symptoms online, slowly driving myself insane with worry yet refusing to see a doctor for fear of what the doctor might find. Welcome to my world! So anyway, while I adore my baby nieces, I'm not in any hurry to have my own. I have low tolerance for pain and just the thought of birthing just plain terrifies me. And besides, hubs and I are doing great just the two of us that procreation (or lack thereof) has never been a priority so why push it? If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. 

The fact though that it's not happening therefore there is something wrong has not dawned on me until recently. And once it did, oh it gnawed at me every minute of the day. I always see every ache and pain as precursor to a more serious condition, but this time, my paranoia has gotten even worse. It cracks me up sometimes, thinking the way I do but mostly it irritates me. For instance, what started all of this was a drop of what appeared to be blood on my husband's shirt. That suspicious looking stain that may or may not have been soy sauce seriously sent me into a paralyzing panic. I had him immediately checked out, poked and prodded, you know, the whole nine yards, only to find out later that yes, it was indeed soy sauce. My manicurist and I had a good laugh about it. I know it's no laughing matter it's just hubs was super pissed at me for everything I've put him through. But I'm really glad I had that health scare. Because even though most of his results came back normal, there's a couple of things we need to address and check with his doctor.

So this now leads us to me. I realized there's no point delaying the inevitable. So petrified as I was, I hauled my procrastinating ass and finally got checked. After numerous doctor's appointments and nerve-wracking weeks spent waiting for test results, I now know that I have this condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). I might go into details about this effing disorder some time but for now I think it would suffice to say that my hormones are out of whack and all over the place. Hubs and I can try (TRY being the operative word here) and get pregnant but these buggers have got to behave first. So now I'm on meds, dieting, and will soon be exercising. Regularly. I know this is the way to go but oh how I hate everything about this. One of the meds I'm taking makes me feel nauseous and gassy and gives me the mother of all diarrheas and at the most inconvenient times too. Not only that, I'm starting a low GI diet and quite literally, those I love I cannot eat and those I would rather not eat like oats, beans and fruit cake, well now I have to. Anyway, I should stop. Talking. Now. Before I bore us to tears.

On a not so unrelated note, someone from Fitness First Megamall just offered me discounted membership. I know, right? Can't he be any more timely? Tempting as it is, these days I just don't have the patience nor the bowel control to endure the horrendous traffic in EDSA on a regular(ish) basis. So there, thanks for letting me rant. I've got a few more tests lined up in the coming weeks. More hand-wringing and nail-biting for me, can't say I'm excited. But hey, I've been anxious all my life, so why stop now? (I said that in my most sarcastic tone, in case you couldn't tell.) If there's any update, I'll let you know. Maybe.

Swatches and Review: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick

Php450 (about $12)

The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick line comes in 82 shades and 4 different finishes - pearl, crème, matte, and shine. I have 3 in pearl finish and 3 in crème. Pearl finish lipsticks are frosty and shimmery while crème finish lipsticks are well, creamy with a hint of shine. Staying power is relatively good especially the crème lipsticks.

Berry Rich 510 (Crème)

Medium berry pink 

Blushing Mauve 460 (Pearl)
Nice frosty nude pink

Love That Red 725 (Crème)
Blue-based pinky red

Rosedew 407 (Pearl)
Sheer frosty nude pink with shimmer

Champagne On Ice 205 (Pearl)
Bronze nude

Demure 683 (Crème)
Sheer peachy coral with shimmer

L-R: Berry Rich, Blushing Mauve, Love That Red, Rosedew, Champagne On Ice, Demure

Top-Bottom: Berry Rich, Blushing Mauve, Love That Red, Rosedew, Champagne On Ice, Demure

Book Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

From Goodreads: "In what seems like an instant, Amy Harris's life is changed forever. They arrive and quickly begin killing off humanity one by one. No one knows how they got here—and even worse, no one knows how to stop Them.

Marooned in a high-security house, Amy manages to stay alive—and even rescues "Baby," a toddler she finds in an abandoned supermarket. For years they escape death, forging a bond as strong as sisters, until they are finally rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living on a former government research compound.

On the surface, New Hope is the happy ending Amy was looking for. She's even started falling for Rice, a handsome researcher she's become close with at the facility. But then she makes a shocking discovery. And staying in New Hope could mean losing her freedom . . . or her life.

With pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate, In the After is an action-packed dystopian page-turner that will keep fans guessing until each secret is revealed and every lie is uncovered."

Book Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta

Series: In the After, #1 

Genres: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic, Dystopia, Zombies, Aliens

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Love it! Based on reviews, you either love it or you don't and I happen to love it. I will not go into any more details about what happened in the book as there have been quite a number of reviews already out there that will clue you in. I will however base this short review on other reviews, a comparison of sorts of what I think to what other people say about this book. So, here goes.

1. The first half is better than the second.

I didn't think so. For me, the last half is just as engrossing as the first, if not even more so. Here, you find answers to questions, you get a glimpse of what happens next. How can it be any less gripping?

2. Some parts are dragging.

Well, yes, there might have been some parts where my heart didn't skip a beat. But overall, I think the story is nicely paced and plot-driven.

3. Second half is confusing.

I didn't think it was hard to follow but I do get it why some people find the flashbacks and flashforwards a little disorienting.

4. Predictable.

I don't know, it might just be me, but I honestly didn't see the twist coming.

5. Similar to Rick Yancey's The 5th Wave.

I wasn't too crazy about The 5th Wave. It was way overhyped but in my opinion, failed to deliver. Aliens, kick-ass heroine, and survivalist theme, those are about as far as the similarities go I think.

All in all, for a debut novel, I think it's great.

Resto love: Cibo

Porchetta, Php450

Roman-style roast pig, with mushroom rice pilaf, and 3 sauces - red wine liver, apple and pear, spicy tomato

Linguine alla Nettuno, Regular Php263 | Family Php465

With seafood sauteed in garlic and extra-virgin olive oil, topped with basil pesto

Linguine alla Siciliana, Regular Php258 | Family Php453

With shrimps, garlic, EVOO, anchovy, and capers

Agnello Stufato Carne, Php190

Pita with stewed lamb, alfalfa, pine nuts

Praga, Php218

Tuscan wholewheat, ham, gruyere, mushrooms

Prosciutto di Parma Rossa, Php358

Tomato, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, parma ham, arugula

Funghi Trifolati Rossa, Php343

Tomato sauce, mushrooms, mozzarella

Book Review: A Triumph For Sakura by Jason Ridler

Disclosure: A free copy of the book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an unbiased review.

From Goodreads: "Famed fight coach Ned Bangs was down and out, until he saw Sakura fight four deadbloods like a champ. The catch? Unlike Ned, she was human. 

Under Ned’s guidance, Sakura fights from the street to the big time, gather fame and enemies as they reach the arena of Cascadia. Can they both survive when her courage fans the flames of a human revolution against their vampire overlords? 

What cost will they both pay for a Triumph for Sakura."

A Triumph For Sakura by Jason S. Ridler 

Genres: Dystopia, Vampires, Action, Fighting

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I'm no stranger to dystopian, vampire, survival, or fight themed books. But A Triumph for Sakura, I would say is kind of new to me. It's interesting in that it's a mix of genres from the opposite ends of the spectrum that at first, I wondered how could anyone use vampires and boxing in the same sentence, let alone in a novel. I wasn't sure if I'm going to like it, honestly I'm not a fan of Kung Fu or wrestling or boxing so I doubted a novel, or anything really, could change that. But I did love the characters as well as the creepy, violent world Jason Ridler has created. A Triumph for Sakura is very action-packed, incredibly written, and will keep you turning the pages. Nancy Kilpatrick compared it to the Hunger Games, Fight Club and True Blood. Although not a young-adult novel, it's very reminiscent of a lot of young-adult books I have read. If I have to pick what it reminded me of the most, I would say Melissa Marr's Carnival of Souls, Julie Kagawa's The Eternity Cure, and Moira Young's Blood Red Road. If you're a fan of action and fighting, the imagery is vivid enough to keep you entertained through the last page. It's an intense read.

Plays over and over in my head

Anyway, nothing to see here, just popping in to say hello!