A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE READS (02)

Here I am again dreading to write my reviews for this post but I think I will be at peace with myself soon enough. It is absolutely hard to DNF books much more write reviews about them but someone's gotta do it. I am absolutely surprised with the books I could not finish for different reasons.

▴ Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch ▴

Just too slow for me. I reached 40% on my eARC but just couldn't go on any further. Will try again once I get my hardbounds.

Thank you HarperCollins International for the eARC!

▴ The Mirror King (The Orphan Queen #2) by Jodi Meadows ▴

Maybe because I was disheartened by how Jodi unfollowed me on Twitter after being with her even before Incarnate came out. Even if I loved The Orphan Queen so much, I can't right now after 127 pages in. Maybe in the future.

Thank you Amaterasu Reads for the ARC!

▴ If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin ▴

After all the trouble I experienced just to get this book, here I freaking am, DNF-ing it. I started reading thing at the peak of my reading slump but I will definitely finish it. I am halfway through anyway.

▴ Three Dark Crowns (Untitled #1) by Kendare Blake ▴

12% in and I stopped. I wasn't in the mood to continue. I will pick it up again maybe when I my finished copy.

Thank you HarperCollins International for the eARC!

▴ The Star-Touched Queen (The Star-Touched Queen #1) by Roshani Chokshi ▴

My blurb from my full review: "The Star-Touched Queen didn't capture my taste at all. I wish there was more to it than just fancy wordings. I would have loved the concept it if was kept simple but striking." Gave this one 2 stars.

Thank you so much St. Martin's Griffin for the electronic ARC!

▴ Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown ▴

Okay, do not panic. I LOVE THIS SO MUCH but I just don't have time yet to finish it. It is very hard for me to read from my Kindle app so pardon me. I will by the finished copy soon!

Thank you so much Random House for the electronic ARC!

A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE READS (01)

Hi, bookish peeps! Today I am happy to publish my new feature (well not really because this has been a constant post on other blogs) I called A Series of Unfortunate Reads. This is practically an old stuff but just new here on the blog but aside from that, there's nothing really interesting in this post. What I am sad about today though is that this feature will be about the books I did not finish. I need to make this one because my TBR is never-ending (old news) and I couldn't really afford to force myself to like reads I truly cannot. So here I am, contemplating about the books I can give another shot and the books I do not see myself re-reading. I have 16 today - the first batch.

▲ Evernight ▲ Finale ▲ Fire ▲ White Cat ▲

▲ The Demon King ▲ The Promise of Amazing ▲ Rain ▲ Resist ▲

▲ Etiquette & Espionage ▲ Illusions of Fate ▲ The House of Hades ▲ Infinite ▲

▲ Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend ▲ For Darkness Shows the Stars ▲ Emmy & Olivery ▲ Stormdancer ▲

Reasons why I DNF-ed these books (and most probably the next DNFs):

1. SLOW PACING. Most of these I DNF-ed due to the pacing. You should know by now how I don't have the patience in reading utterly slow-paced stories. I feel like the story isn't moving at all or it will take literally forever to finish a book. It is absolutely easy for me to get bored as well.

2. HISTORICAL FICTIONS (SteamPunk, Thrillers and some High-Fantasy) ARE NEVER GONNA WORK FOR ME. I couldn't wrap any part of my brain on Historical Fiction books. It is just THAT hard for me to imagine it or to understand the puns and all that.

3. NO CHEMISTRY BETWEEN ME AND THE BOOK. Some I DNF-ed because of my disconnection to the characters/world building. Rain and Stormdancer were the hardest for me to read because even though I could easily picture Japanese Culture, the language is the issue. I know a few phrases but these books used a lot of Japanese references (obviously) I can't truly get in to. But I would re-read them.

4. INSTA-LOVE. It is okay for me if it is insta-romance but the story would be able to justify why it happened that fast. Just like Hoover's books, you would instantly hate how the romance department developed but as you go deeper in to the story, you'd get why. I just can't accept it ever that you fall head over heels in love with someone after meeting them twice?

5. BOOKS/STORIES WHICH PROMOTES SLUT-SHAMING, BULLYING, RAPE, RACISM ETC. NO WAY. NO WAY I AM GOING TO READ ONE. 99 DAYS IS A MISTAKE ACTUALLY. WHY DID I EVEN FINISH THAT

6. THE PROBLEM IS ME. When life gets in the way, you know, it is hard to finish a book and sometimes I pause for several days but then completely forgets about the book. Or there are instances where I get overwhelmed by the thickness of the book? Yeah, all on me, guys. This is on me.

I couldn't think of anything else. Will probably edit if I think of something else.

Sorry, authors. Sorry pubs. But this is bookish life and I need to learn to DNF. I love you all, though.

Thank you for all the review copies, publishers!

DNF REVIEW: NEVER JUST FRIENDS BY MINA ESGUERRA.

Title: Never Just Friends
Series: Standalone
Author: Mina V. Esguerra
Edition: Paperback
Publication: Anvil Publishing / 2015
Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher
Pages: 134
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Trailer: Not available.

Synopsis:

It's too easy to fall in love with Jake. Don't do it.

Lindsay and Jake have loved each other (as friends) since their senior year in college, and she made sure they didn’t become more than that. The guy now known as Jacob Berkeley, star of a wildly successful TV show, was always too much for her. Too handsome, too many questionable hookups, too restless. Also sensitive, fun, and genuinely caring. She's his emergency contact, his "zombie apocalypse buddy," his holiday dinner companion.

They've kept up this low-maintenance friendship for years, surviving graduation, their new careers, her move to New York City to work as an environment consultant. But then, days before a big climate change conference, he shows up, with big news. Jake wants to pick up what he never managed to finish in college. He wants to save forests again, work in environmental research - and he wants her.

Don't fall in love with Jake...Why again?

Well, let's see how this will go.

This is my first ever DNF review. I tried so hard to finish reading it thinking this is just a hundred and thirty four pages long but I failed miserably. I picked it up over four times trying to get myself immersed in the story but nothing -- I got nothing. I have a strict policy that I won't DNF much less review one but I guess there's always an exemption to the rule. I tried, I promise. I tried and tried and tried until finally, I just gave up. (I technically finished it but I skimmed hard core so I don't think it would count. You know what I mean.)

Am just going to make this very quick, alright? So here are the reasons why I DNFed this one:

1. There was something about the writing style that I find absolutely weird.
2. The attempt in humor just...flailed.
3. Female main character was initially mad at the Male MC for not contacting her for a year and then when he came back, she immediately gave herself to him. She should have at least let him make it up or something but no, she just did it with him right away.
4. Male MC was always a jerk.
5. Male MC just wanted to have sex, all the time, anywhere.
6. The plot would have been interesting enough (campaign for saving the environment or something) but it didn't make sense at all. It felt so pretentious to me.
7. It was so confusing who was the narrator.
8. I couldn't relate to anything - Female MC, Male MC, the plot -- AAAAH NOTHING!
9. There were a ton of unnecessary self-monologue-ing that makes the story all jumbled up.
10. Did I say something about the plot not really making sense to me? I mean, what was it about really?

There you have it. I've seen mixed reviews on Goodreads, I don't want to be the ONLY black sheep. I just simple can't lie to myself, I would never have enjoyed this even if I read it thoroughly.

Never Just Friends didn't make it to my favorite reads list. The experience was weird, stiff and a little off that recommending this would be hard.

Sorry. I tried.

Thank you Anvil Publishing for sending a finished review copy!

ZERO STARS - DID NOT FINISH

No quotes.