Monday Muse: Books for Vacation

Monday Muse is a weekly blog feature in which I talk about book-related things: review book-to-movie adapation, lists of my favorite heroines, etc. But really, it's just a feature to excuse my random rants so as not to clutter this blog.


It's officially the first week of holiday! FINALLY. *sheds tears* Technically it's the second week of holiday, but since I spent my first week hiking a mountain and went around with my adrenaline-junkie friends, I only have time to rest and read now. Ah. Bliss. *rolls around* Check out my post yesterday to see pictures of the mountain! :P

Anyways, happy Monday Muse! Today I have a list of books that will be perfect choices for your holiday. Hope you'll find some books that you'll like! :)

1. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige | Goodreads 


OZ! You can watch The Wizard of Oz during your vacation, but you know what else you can do? You can read Dorothy Must Die in which Dorothy becomes bad and a new heroine must kill her! Yay! Not the same old tale we all love and know anymore, right? ;)

Wishing for twists in your book? Give Dorothy Must Die a go. :)

2. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Goodreads

Anna and the French Kiss is especially perfect for beach reading. Short, sweet, and definitely swoon-worthy! And it's all set in France, which makes this book even more awesome. Recommended for anyone with beating heart for romance. ♥

Such sweet, sweet book. Prepare to fall in love!


 

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho | Goodreads

MUAHAHAHA. Yes you read it right. I give you The Alchemist for vacation book! Hehe, one of my friends actually read it for train reading in last week's vacation and it gives me idea to include the book in this list. The Alchemist is a short book, a must-read-at-least-once-in-a-lifetime book, and truth be told, it's good to impress people.

Need a book to read in a plane/train/anything with lots of people passing by? The Alchemist it is.







4. The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes | Goodreads

Want something light and sweet to entertain your day? Pick The Art of Lainey! It may sound like typical getting-back-the-ex boyfriend story (yawn....), but no! Lainey is a very fun character, and she uses Sun Tzu's The Art of War in order to get back her ex! Now that's EPIC.

Good fluffy reading with friendship, family, and romance in a package!



  


 

5. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers | Goodreads

Let's not forget our readers in Southern hemisphere! ;) This is Not a Test is a perfect read in snow, drizzle, or anything without sun in sight. It's gripping, crazy... perfect. Zombie is not my favorite undead creature (vampire FTW!), but Courtney Summers' take of zombies in this book is very interesting.

Not a usual zombie book, I highly recommend This is Not a Test! 





 
 


6. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen | Goodreads

I read This Lullaby loooong time ago and it's still one of my favorites summer time read. ♥ It's simple and sweet, and there's something about restoring faith in love that makes the story even cuter. ;)

If you haven't read anything by Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby can be your introduction to this wordsmith's work!

 

 




 7. To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han | Goodreads

It's cute cute cute. To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of a Korean-American girl who writes letter to her crushes and put it inside box instead of admitting it. But then: her sealed letters are mailed! Yeah, chaos. And awesomeness. :)

Perfect for light reading and yay for heroine from minority! :) It's going to be turned into a movie! Can't wait!! :)

8. Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard | Goodreads

I loved Wanderlove. Backpacking! Have always wanted to try that in Wanderlove, we meet Bria who actually does that. Backpacking is not always nice - mosquito ugh - but of course, a good companion makes everything much better (preferably a hot guy like Rowan haha ;)).

Adorned with illustrations, I bet Wanderlove makes you want to grab your backpack and travel around the world.






 
9. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson | Goodreads

Second Chance Summer is a very powerful read. Heart-touching with strong sets of characters, you may avoid reading this in beach though... red eyes from crying are not very attractive. ;) Really, Second Chance Summer is too good to let go even if you have to go through your stock of Kleenex.

A great choice for fans of realistic contemporary. ♥










 10. The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith | Goodreads

A mystery thriller by J. K. Rowling Robert Galbraith. If you missed The Cuckoo's Calling, now is the time to catch up with everyone by reading The Silkworm! I'm the kind of person who jumps in a series even if it's the tenth book in the series (for real), so no worries if you haven't read the first book! Just grab the second book and enjoy it. ;)

Friendship, mystery, and murder. Ah, what else we can ask?
   






And that's the list of my book recommendation for vacation! Is there any book that grabs your attention from the list above? What do you plan to read for vacation? :)

Stay inspiring, get inspired, and have inspiration! Happy Monday, awesome people! ♥

Stacking the Shelves #1

Stacking the Shelves is a meme to share books that I've received for the past few weeks. The books are either bought, borrowed, stolen, or received. This meme is hosted by the awesome Tynga's Reviews!

Hi everyone! I have done similar meme in the past but this is the first time I do Stacking the Shelves! *shares confetti* I'm currently in summer break so yay for more time to read (and slack!). I actually spent the first week of my break trying to hiking a mountain and am currently spending the second week mourning the sunburn on my face. No one told me that the sun can be cruel in top of the mountain as well. *sad face*

We managed to catch the sunrise!

I'm in Mongol! (or it seems like haha)

Enough about mountain me. Now onto the books!

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Matthieu

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

Harry Potter: Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley

 
I'm currently reading The Truth About Alice and loving it! It's my readalong with lovely Pooja @ On Books!. :) Pooja also recommended me We Were Liars and it seems like I'll enjoy it as well! An Abundance of Katherine, Tiger Eyes, and Harry Potter: Film Wizardry were bought in a book fair few weeks ago. Very happy with the saving in book fair haha. Yesterday I finished with The Art of Lainey, expect a review sometime next week! I'm also giving away a copy of Out of Control in my blog, don't forget to check out the giveaway if you haven't entered! ♥

Highlight of this week's book: Harry Potter: Film Wizardry!

 

IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL I ALMOST CRIED WHEN I HELD IT. 160 pages of goodness - a must have for fans of Harry Potter. The price almost costs my limb but thankfully it was discounted about 85%. Long live book fair!

And that's for today's Stacking the Shelves! Have a wonderful Sunday everyone! What's in your shelves this week? Don't forget to leave the link if you're doing similar meme! :)
 

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Title: Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publication Date: May 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
- Mary Oliver

Valedictorian Parker Frost stumbles across a journey of the most famous dead girl in her town, Julianna Farnetti. Parker know she shouldn’t read what she is not supposed to, but she can’t resist herself and soon she is wrapped in the story of Julianna, Shane, and Orion. The story that is different from what she has always heard of the golden couple Julianna and Shane. When there is possibility that Julianna might be still alive, along with her best friend Kat and her longtime crush Trevor, Parker goes on a road trip to find the supposedly-dead girl and make things right.

I love Frost’s poems, and with snippets of his poems in the beginning of each chapter, it is hard not to like this book. And road trip! We all have soft spot for road trip books, don’t we?

Golden has all of the important ingredients. Neat plot, likable set of characters, and just the right mix of drama and Frost’s poems. Add a spice of mystery, and voila! A wonderful friend to accompany you in the afternoon is ready. The only problem I have with this book is it feels anticlimactic. There are conflicts, yes, but it is resolved in such a peaceful manner that I didn’t feel the thrill at all. It has all the buildups, but no crackling fire. I guess the lack of climax is mainly caused of my distance to the main character. Parker is likeable, but sometimes I feel like she keeps readers at the arm’s length.

While I have some problems with Golden, it’s still a wonderful book that I’m sure many others can relate with. Parker’s journey of self-discovery is something that is worth reading since it is something that we have gone through in one phase of our lives. Then maybe, like Parker, we can be brave enough to take the road less traveled.

My journal. Today I’ll seal it up and bring it to Mr. Kinney, and tomorrow, after graduation, I’ll get on a plane, and cross endless miles of land and sky, to begin the next chapter of my one wild and precious life. I don’t know where I’ll be ten years from now when my story comes back to me, but I hope that when I read it I can see that the road I chose really did make all the difference.


  

 4 cups of tea!

A great choice for afternoon reading.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Interview and Giveaway: Out of Control by Sarah Alderson

Hello everyone! Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you my interview with Sarah Alderson, the international bestselling author for Hunting Lila series, Fated series, and many other books. She is here today to tell us more about her newest book, OUT OF CONTROL. In the end of the interview, rejoice because we have a giveaway for Catch the Lune's dear readers YAY! ;)

Let's get on to the interview!

Hi, Sarah! Welcome to Catch the Lune! It’s so amazing to have you here. *hands over a glass of coconut* Please tell us a bit about yourself! :)

I’m from London originally but I have lived in Bali for the last 4 years!

I worked in a non-profit for nine years before quitting my job, travelling the world with my husband and daughter and deciding to become an author.

I write young adult fiction (Hunting Lila, Losing Lila, The Sound…) and also New Adult fiction under the name Mila Gray.

OUT OF CONTROL, your newest book, focuses on human trafficking. What is your inspiration to write the story? How did you gather data to add details for your story?

Someone came up to me at a party and told me I should write my next book about human trafficking. I dismissed the idea at first as I didn’t feel qualified but then I felt like it was something that really needed addressing and I realised I had a platform from which to shout about the issue and hopefully inform readers.

I spoke to people who work for the UN tackling the issue and I read several books - witness accounts and memoirs. I didn’t feel comfortable writing from a victim’s POV so I switched it and made Liva the daughter of a man who runs a task force tackling human trafficking on behalf of the US government.

I heard that you have decided to venture to New Adult genre with your book (soon published in June 2014), COME BACK TO ME. What made you want to write in the genre? Is there any difference between writing a Young Adult and New Adult book?

Actually, I was asked to by the editor who acquired Hunting Lila and most my YA books. She moved from Simon & Schuster to Pan Macmillan and invited me to write a new adult novel for them. : ) I was very lucky. It’s nice to get signed to a publisher on just a paragraph story idea.

There’s a big difference in terms of the level of steam! My new adult is fairly graphic (I’ve told my parents and mother in law they are under no circumstances to read my new adult!). And also my YA books are all thrillers whereas my NA is just contemporary romance, which is much, much easier to write I find.

It’s awesome that you have published so many books (14 books so far!) in these three years. Can you please share with us some tips on how to juggle between writing and daily life tasks?

Oh goodness, I don’t know if I actually have much balance. At the moment I’m spending 15 hour days in front of my computer. I am blessed to live in Bali where I get a lot of help. Not doing the dishes means more time for writing.

I’m also very focused. I start work at 6am and I keep going. When I’m writing I write for about 6 hours straight.

Being able to touch type very fast also helps.

Is there any difference between Liva and your heroines in other series? How do you differentiate the voices of your characters?

I think Liva’s probably my toughest character since Evie in Fated. She’s grown up overseas (her father owns a private security company) around bodyguards and wealth. She’s a loner and incredibly smart.

To differentiate voices I think of the plot and then think of the best character for that plot – in terms of personal growth and backstory. I find it really easy to think of characters once I know their backstory as that influences who they are. Liva’s bodyguard was shot in front of her when she was younger – and it was her fault – or she thinks it was her fault. So then I just tried to imagine what that would do to a person to carry that level of trauma and guilt. Then I tried to picture her life and all the security and what that might feel like.

If you could have any job in this world, what would you want your job be?

Ryan Gosling’s personal dresser.

If you could be a superhero, what would your superpower be? 

Telekinetic like Lila from Hunting Lila.

If you were in Liva’s situation (witnessed a brutal murder and targeted!), would there be any moves that you would take differently?

No. I think she’s totally kickass. After the initial shock wears off she thinks like a pro. I know I’d never be that calm and collected.

Lastly:

Please share with us a particular passage from OUT OF CONTROL that you really love!

 
Thank you for the interview, Sarah! You’re such a wonderful person and a brilliant author. :)

Thanks so much for having me on your blog!

Remember to check out my Facebook page as I host regular giveaways!

Having spent most of her life in London, Sarah quit her job in the non profit sector in 2009 and took off on a

round the world trip with her husband and tutu-wearing daughter on a mission to find a new place to call home. After almost a year spent wandering around India, Singapore, Australia and the US, they settled in Bali where Sarah now spends her days writing and trying to machete open coconuts without severing a limb.

She finished her first novel Hunting Lila just before they left the UK, wrote the sequel, Losing Lila, on the beach in India, and had signed a two book deal with Simon & Schuster by the time they reached Bali.

Since then she has published a further four novels and several short stories. The contemporary thriller The Sound, will be published in the US in May 2014, while Out of Control, a thriller with a focus on human trafficking, will also be released in May in the UK.

As well as Young Adult fiction, Sarah writes New Adult fiction for Pan Macmillan under the pen name Mila Gray. Her first novel Come Back To Me will be out in summer 2014.

Sarah has co-written the Hunting Lila screenplay and is working on several other books and screenplays (multi-tasking is one of her favorite things).

Sarah is represented by Amanda Preston at Luigi Bonomi Associates (literary agents), and by Josh Varney & Mady Niel at 42 for screenwriting and books to film.

From Goodreads:
When 17 year old Liva witnesses a brutal murder she’s taken into police custody for her own protection. But when the police station is attacked and bullets start flying it becomes clear that Liva is not just a witness, she’s a target.

Together with a car thief called Jay, Liva manages to escape the massacre but now the two of them are alone in New York, trying to outrun and outwit two killers who will stop at nothing to find them.

When you live on the edge, there’s a long way to fall.

And of course... what you all have been waiting for! :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open INTERNATIONAL. The winner will win an ebook copy of OUT OF CONTROL provided by lovely Sarah Alderson, so make sure that you thank her and follow her journey through the bookishland! :)

Giveaway ends June 1. Winners will be notified by email. May the odds be ever in your favor! :)a