4. THE WOMAN IN BLACK by Susan Hill

Set in the marshes of England, The Woman in Black tells the story of a young solicitor from London and his encounters with a malevolent supernatural entity.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed with the book. I expected there to be more horror or horrific scenes involved. I never felt frightened while reading this book, though I must admit that the plot was well-structured. One thing I appreciate about it is that Susan Hill did not make anything in the book sound cheesy.

Hill's writing style and narration, through the first-person point of view of the protagonist, made the novel an easy and quick read. She has a way with words and descriptions, though sometimes she goes about describing things that are not important in the story.

While I was disappointed, I cannot say that I hated the book. It is a good thing to pick up when you want to read something that is substantial yet won't bog you down with complicated plot twists and unnecessarily flowery writing.

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

3. ARKHAM CITY by Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda

As the official prequel of  the hit video game of the same name, this graphic novel by Paul Dini and Carlos D'Anda bridges the gap between Batman: Arkham Asylum and its sequel, Batman: Arkham City. With the riot in Arkham Asylum over, Quincy Sharp takes the long-coveted position of Mayor and decides to wall off one section of Gotham City and turn it into a Arkham City, where the criminal and evil-doers can build their own society. The Caped Crusader, realizing that there is someone pulling Sharp's strings, decides to intervene. 

The plot of this graphic novel is quite well-written, though any major action is deferred so as to not preempt the game. As a lead-in, the graphic novel succeeds in three things: (1) bridging the storylines of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City, (2) exciting those who have not played the game yet or shedding light on certain aspects of the game's plot for those who have played the game, and (3) provide Batman-styled action and intrigue. 

The artwork was very good. Balancing the use of darkness and light, the comic panels were dark and gritty enough to capture the essence of a Batman comic yet bright enough to be eye-catching and exciting. 

While this graphic novel was not the best Batman graphic novel I've read, it is a great read for all the fans of the Caped Crusader and the video games. 

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

2. WORLD WAR HULK by Greg Pak and John Romita Jr

Banished to the planet Sakaar, the Hulk returns to Earth to exact revenge on the four who exiled him: Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Black Bolt, and Dr. Strange. Driven by hatred and unmitigated rage, the green giant is willing to smash through anything (and anyone) that gets in his way.

A premise like that sounds very promising. However, Greg Pak's execution of this story line left much to be desired. The plot felt a rushed and, at one point, simply became series of strung together fight sequences (which also felt rushed). There are many characters (e.g. She-Hulk) that had the potential to be key players in the plot but were sadly underused. But, to be fair, this edition only includes the main story arc and not the side stories attached to this title.

The art was generally very well done (John Romita Jr. is a great comic artist)., but there were certain panels which, in my opinion, were a bit cluttered and had many details which served as distractions from the main action of the panel.

Despite all this, World War Hulk is an enjoyable read for the fans of Marvel Comics (I stress the word comics). This graphic novel is bursting with old fashioned comic book action. It also lets you peer deeper into the character of the Hulk, who is one of Marvel's most powerful and conflicted anti-heroes. Sadly, an "enjoyable read" is all it is.

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

1) THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho

The first book in my 50 Books in 2013 project! I know that I am probably one of the last people on Earth to pick up a copy of this book, but I figured that, as a literature student, I should read this book.

As one of the most popular novels in modern literature, there has always been an argument as to whether or not this book deserves the praise it garnered upon its publication. After reading it, I was finally able to form my own opinions about it.

Is it overrated? Yes, but it is a very enjoyable read. The story of the Andalusian shepherd who leaves everything behind in order to fulfill his Personal Legend was very entertaining and inspiring in a fairy tale sort of way. There is also a lot of that well-loved mysticism which sets Latin American literature apart from the rest. However, I think that Coelho tried too hard to make the novel something life-changing and profound to the point where he begins to become somewhat preachy. Also, towards the end of the novel, the mystical aspect of the story began to feel a tad forced and cheesy. 
.

The book is also full of wonderful and inspirational quotes. I took note of the ones that I especially liked:

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting."

"It's the simple things in life that are most extraordinary; only wise men are able to understand them."

". . . when each day is the same as the next, it's because people fail to recognize the good things that happen in their lives every day that the sun rises."

"Not everyone can see his dream come true in the same way."

"Every blessing ignored becomes a curse."

"Making a decision is only the beginning of things."

"People need not fear the unknown if they are capable of achieving what they need and want."

"When you can't go back, you have to worry only about the best way of moving forward."

"Everything on earth is alive...and it [the Earth] has a soul.We are part of that soul, so we rarely recognize that it is working for us."

"Every search begins with begginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested."

To be fair, reading this book was a good way to start off the year. being about following your dreams, facing hardship, making sacrifices, and following your heart, this story reminded me of a lot of the lessons we learn as children but often forget.

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop

My Official 2013 Resolutions

Hi, everyone! How has the first week of the new year been for you guys?

After much deliberation and procrastination, I finalized my 2013 resolutions. Seeing that the world did not end last December, I decided to make this list as comprehensive as possible.

1. To keep my bedroom neat - My parents decided replace all of our old furniture pieces, including my old bookshelves and amoire. Now, all of my things are just piled up in a corner of my room. I was planning to clean everything up over the holiday break, but, sadly, indolence was my master. So, I vow to clean up my room and keep it neat (my room seems to have a nasty habit of becoming messy one week after I clean up).

2. To not procrastinate - If there's one thing certain, it is that I am a professional procrastinator. I always find myself cramming my homework and papers late at night, even on weekends. I even procrastinate leisure or recreational activities (like blogging). But this year, all that will change!

3. To pray more often - I come from a Catholic family, though they're all, with the exception of my mother, non-practicing Catholics, and graduated from a Catholic high school but I never picked up the habit of praying regularly. This year, I'll try to pray every evening before I go to sleep. 

4. To sleep earlier - This will solve my "waking-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed" problems, which has been a problem since high school. 

5. To maintain a healthy diet - The recent holidays seemed to be especially laden with food, thanks to the numerous cakes given to my family last Christmas, the trip to Bangkok with my brother, and the big family New Year's party. Also, I spent most of last year eating unhealthy university cafeteria food. This year, I'll eat more fruits and vegetables, eat less sweets (I have a big sweet tooth) and deep-fried food, drink less sweet drinks, and control the amount of meat that I consume. But, of course, the occasional gastronomic indulgence wouldn't hurt. However, I have a feeling that Tumblr will make this a very difficult resolution to keep.

6. To regularly update my  planner - Every year, I buy a planner but eventually stop using it. As a result, I experienced a lot schedule conflicts. This year, I plan to update my planner regularly. Maybe that will help me keep resolutions 2 and 3. 

7. To read 50 books in 2013 - One of my literature teachers in high school has a project wherein she reads fifty books every year. She documents her progress on her Tumblr (fightingforjune). I tried to do this last year but only made it to thirty-two. This year, I hope to make it to fifty. I already finished one book and am currently in the middle of my second one. 

These are resolutions for 2013. I wasn't very successful in keeping some of them last week. But hey, I have time, right?

Until always,

Lemonjuicesoda

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I'm glad to see that the world didn't end and that we are now beginning the year 2013. To be honest, 2012 wasn't such a great year for my family in the personal sense, having lost three people who are very close to us. We did, however, try to end the year on a good note.

To celebrate the holidays, my eldest brother and I traveled to Bangkok, Thailand. For five days, we did nothing but sight-see, eat, and shop. The whole trip was marvelous! I will be posting pictures and a post which details our adventures in exotic Thailand soon.

I was also able to squeeze in some holiday reading by finishing three books: The Tempest by William Shakespeare, Scott Pilgrim 1: Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley, and Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot.

Accompanying the new year are the well-loved New Year's Resolutions. My resolutions are to eat healthier food, study more often, and to complete this year's project of reading 50 books by December 31. I started the project by reading Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist.

What about you guys? How did you celebrate the holidays? What are your New Year's Resolutions? I hope to hear from you guys soon!

Until always,

Lemonjuicesodapop