From the Shelf: The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel book 1)

Title: The Alchemyst (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel book 1)

Author: Michael Scott

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Magic, Mythology

Date read: May 4-15, 2013
Dawn Rates: ★★★☆ (3.5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on 28 September 1330. Nearly seven hundred years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life. The records show that he died in 1418. But his tomb is empty and Nicholas Flamel lives. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects - the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. And that's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it. Sometimes legends are true. And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Don't judge me if I finished this in a span of 11 days...I was just busy. Normally I'm not like this. Anyway, I've been curious about this book before but there were too many in my queue so it was pushed aside until now. My brother TJ bothered me to buy the series because he had post-Percy Jackson syndrome so I did (yep, I did this while enduring the House of Hades wait...ugh, 5 months more).

This is the first installment of Michael Scott's Alchemyst series. As I said in my past reviews, the first book is the most crucial one. It can either hook and reel me in or me not giving the next book the light of day. Sophie and Josh Newman are protagonists of the book along with Nicholas Flamel and Perenelle and with the help of their magical friends they have to stop John Dee and other elders to lay chaos upon the world. Typical right? But the author added his own flavor to it. He made a big risk on entwining real and reel events and even mashing different gods together (egyptian, greek, roman and even norse). And I think that big risk was worth it. What I didn't like though is how the author constructed the main prophecy:

The two that are one, the one that is all.

There will come a time when the book is taken,

And the Queen's maid is allied with the crow,

Then the Elder will step out of the shadows.

And the immortal must train the mortal,

The two that are one must become the one that is all.

I mean, say what? While I was reading it...I thought, maybe he could get tips from Riordan or Rowling (I may be biased but for me they give the best prophecies so far) I don't know if this is his first major series (I have a feeling that it isn't) but I really didn't like the main prophecy...I figured it was self-explanatory. He wasn't subtle about it and the words he used were somewhat deep but if I were given that prophecy I might not give it a second look. I wish he was more cryptic about it in a creative way.

All in all, this book made me curious and yes, I'm hooked. I don't know if I'll be reeled in deeper (like Riordan's mythology series: Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus and Kane Chronicles) but I will definitely read the second book.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: The Best of Chico, Delamar, and Gino's The Morning Rush Top 10, Book 2

Title: The Best of Chico, Delamar, and Gino's The Morning Rush Top 10, Book 2

Author: Compilation from The Morning Rush

Genre: Filipino Humor, Top 10 entries

Date read: March 15, 2013
Dawn Rates: ★★★★★ (5/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

They're baaaack!

And they brought the whole barkada! Get ready fr another round of pee-in-your-pants LOLz wth 100 more of the crazy lists from Chico, Delamar, and Gino's The Morning Rush Top 10, from the award-winning hit radio show on RX 93.1.

This follow-up to the bestselling book, The Best of Chico and Delamar's The Morning Rush Top 10, includes lists like:

- Top 10 Beki Problems
- Top 10 Bromance Rules
- Top 10 Date Fails
- Top 10 Nicknames for Your Naughty Bits
- Top 10 Fun Menu Entries 

The Best of Chico, Delamar, and Gino's The Morning Rush Top 10, Book 2 also comes with a set of stickers that you can use to pimp the cover and accessorize the Kikay Barkada!

My Review: (also in goodreads)

Chico Garcia and Delamar Arias, hosts of 93.1 The Morning Rush, is the most sought out tandem in the 90's. They have surpassed the 15 year mark and they are doing it so well that you couldn't even feel that they've been on air for that long. I used to listen to them back in elementary but stopped when I was in high school. I was a silent Rusher (that's what they call their listeners) and I came back listening to them, surprised that there was the Chichi and Gigi show...I was thinking, were was Delamar? It turns out she was on maternity leave and when she came back...the Chico and Delamar love team became the kikay barkada with the addition of Gino Quillamor...the show was never the same again, it became more kikay and gay (?)..lotsa laughs...included and it renewed my love for the show. I even laugh when on the road and in my cube at work. This book is the compilation of Rushers most hilarious entries for the out of this world top 10 topics. The first book was to commemorate the duo's 15 years on radio and this sequel one year later is as funny as the first one. The DJs even wrote each other's about the author (well technically the Rushers are the authors and they should be called compilers (?) but oh well...) pages and it is downright funny; more like what is this person in their eyes. And the cartoons in those pages...hilarious!

me at the book signing

me and my friend Arian at the book signing

finally meeting C, D and G

yay~

me with C, D and G

Arian with C, D and G (she even made them do a kikay pose...daya~ *inggit much?* haha)

my TMR Top 10 books..book 2 even have stickers for you to design your book...cool~

finally got my books signed.

Till the next read...

From the Shelf: Everything I Need To Know About Love I Learned From PAPA JACK

Title: Everything I Need To Know About Love I Learned From PAPA JACK

Author: Compilation from Papa Jack

Genre: Filipino Humor, Love and Relationships

Date read: April 30-May 2, 2013
Dawn Rates: ★★★★ (4/5)

Summary (cr: goodreads)

“Love is unpredictable.”

Even if you’ve fallen in love a million times, you can’t claim, “Alam ko na ‘yan!” And that’s because “Ang pag-ibig kapag sineryoso, nakakabobo.”

It’s really complicated, but you have to remember, “Sa isang relasyon dapat masaya ka, hindi ka stressed, hindi ka pressured.”

Because “Love is such a wonderful feeling!”

And to those who have not experienced what it is like to be loved, don’t worry, “Lahat ng kaldero, may nakalaang takip.”

365 quotes: Read one love quote a day to keep the love troubles away.

My Review: (also in goodreads)

I am a radio person, even back in elementary...I love listening to the radio. I do watch a ton of TV but when I'm bored, just needs to chill or in a cool-down I listen to the radio.Maybe that is why I know a lot of songs, even those that are already old. My siblings used to tease me that I came from another era wherein I even know the songs from my parents' generation. When I was on field or I came home late from the office I easily get bored...then my officemate told me to listen to 90.7 Love Radio and wait for Papa Jack's show "True Love Conversations" (from 9PM to 12MN) and Wild Confessions (12MN to 2AM)...and I was hooked ever since. That was 5 years ago. Papa Jack is a radio DJ whose show format consist of callers asking for love advices. There are callers that could touch your heart, you might sympathize with them and there are some who are downright idiots that even the DJ would scold him/her on air. He is very blunt and brutally frank that at first a listener would be irritated but you know that he is just stating the facts. He always tells the caller that the moment he answers the call, he will be very blunt and be a friend. This book is a compilation of the stories and quotable quotes he did say on air from the getting to know stage till the end of love. It has humor...mostly Filipino humor, so to foreign friends, they might not understand because of the culture (mostly in taglish format) but this is one feel-good breezy read.

Till the next read...