When I met Stephanie Perkins...and Jarrod!

Warning: Long and sappy post ahead.

#StephaniePerkinsinPH

On Sunday, the 6th of July, we had the incredible opportunity to meet the bestselling author of international bestselling books Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door, and the upcoming Isla and the Happily Ever After. This event was hosted and organized by National Bookstore.

I was so thrilled when I heard about Stephanie Perkins' upcoming visit to my country.  This would only be my second author event and I was beyond excited to meet one of my favorite authors in person. My friend, Joy, was a first-timer and she came to her first book signing because of me. She has not read Stephanie Perkins' books yet and I'm so jealous that she's going to experience reading the books for the first time.

On the day of the signing, we were up so early so we wouldn't get caught up in traffic and we could score a reasonable place before the event. It was extra early for an insomniac like me, and it didn't obviously help that I was still awake at an ungodly hour the night before because I was too keyed up to sleep. I don't even know how we managed to get to the venue at such an early time, but we did, and we're so surprised to see a queue already! I just knew right then and there that we would have a very long day ahead.

We're already on the 250's. Crazy line!

The event registration was not until 10 AM so we had a couple of hours to kill...sitting...on the pavement. My friend and I entertained ourselves by listening to the buzz all around us. There were some pretty lively discussions happening behind us and we were so entertained by this person we named as "OMG Lady". They talked about books and I badly wanted to join the conversation, but I'm painfully shy so I just listened and took some book selfies with my friend. 

You can only take too many selfies before you get bored, but then Stephanie came riding in a black car, smiling and waving at us. I was so stunned that it took me a few seconds to realize it was her, and she had already rode past by our spot before I even managed to wave back.

These couches were really comfy.

I see lines everywhere. Not people.

By the time the registration started, we were pretty hungry and quite impatient to get our sign passes so we could already eat. We decided to eat out and this was the most boneheaded decision we made that day. All we could think about was food so we didn't realize that by leaving the venue, we would be losing our place near the stage/platform. Now, I could attest that hungry people really make stupid life choices.

Even this ice cream couldn't assuage my annoyance towards my pathetic decision-making skills.

This parfait makes me want to cry.

At around 1 pm, we went back to the venue only to find out our stupidity there's no breathing space on the first floor already, so we had to settle in a place where we could still see everything. We decided to sit on the second floor and obviously, this too would become a very bad idea.

I spotted this lovely lady while waiting and she's kind enough to let me take a picture of this cute bracelet she had planned on giving to Stephanie.

Ruby knows her fashion.

Anna-Lola-Isla bracelet!

We're too far up!

At 2 pm, the small, compact space came alive with this electric energy that could light up..I dunno..New York? Paris? Then Stephanie came in, and the crowd broke into cheers and screams...and it was awesome. We couldn't really see Stephanie from up above because of that blasted ceiling, but we were joining the lucky ones below with our own shrieking and fangirling. I have no decent pictures, but the worst thing was we couldn't really hear the interview. *sniffs* Since we couldn't really hear anything, I just stared at Stephanie until the interview was over.

Then some people were called on stage to be recognized. Those people happened to have lined up the day before, and Stephanie dropped in around midnight to meet them. Talk about dedication! But I really lost my cool when ARCs of Isla and tote bags were given out. I almost melted into a puddle of want.

The dedicated people with the coveted Isla ARCs. Photo courtesy of National Bookstore.

But there's still the signing and surprisingly Jarrod would be signing, too. We practically flew down the escalator so we can get in line to have our books signed by the man whom Stephanie's books were dedicated to. Jarrod was so nice, and warm, and cute, and adorable, and..wait, sorry I got carried away. He signed my books and even wrote DFTBA. He then looked up waiting for my reaction. I smiled my best polite (clueless) smile and thanked him.

Being this calm is not as easy as it looks.

Awkward smile. Still puzzled by what DFTBA meant.

I immediately went to my friend to ask what DFTBA meant. She didn't have any idea, either. Thankfully, a cool teenager told us that DFTBA meant Don't Forget to be Awesome and I almost went back to Jarrod to say I will and to return the sentiment. Gawd, the day I feared finally came. I can no longer understand teen lingo and I only lost the -teen in my age last year. *shifty eyes*

Then my moment with Stephanie finally arrived. As I got closer and closer, I had to keep wringing my hands to expel some nerves. Good thing, the OMG lady was behind me and she did all the freaking out and fangirling for both of us, to which I will forever be grateful, because I got to keep a calm facade.

All smiles. Look at that gorgeous lady on my right.

We got home at past 10 pm that day. Our feet were ready to walk home by themselves, our legs were carrying us by sheer mental power, and we braved the train. I could barely keep my eyes open as I crashed in bed, unmoving, and I oddly felt empty and full at the same time. And I know someday, I will tell my kids that I hugged Gayle Forman and Stephanie Perkins in one year. That's one awesome record, don't you think?

July 6, 2014 is a day to remember. Before the event happened, I'd always referred to it as the Stephanie freaking Perkins' Day. But I think this demands changing to: Stephanie and Jarrod freaking Perkins' Day.

Swoon. Photo Courtesy of National Bookstore

Stephanie and Jarrod freaking Perkins' Day is the day everybody witnessed how adorable a pair Stephanie and Jarrod are. The day everybody (especially me and my hopeless romantic friend) learned to hope and believe that something called true love can happen in real life and could touch or—if we are as blessed as them—stay in our lives. The day when Stephanie and Jarrod's bright smiles and enthusiasm for us (all 700+ of us), made all the exhaustion—the early commute and the late travel after, long lines, sore feet, and the humid weather—bearable and worth it.

Needless to say, Stephanie and Jarrod freaking Perkins' Day will always be remembered.

Waiting on Wednesday (15): The Infinite Sea

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event,  hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. 

Book: The Infinite Sea (The 5th Wave #2) by Rick Yancey

Publication Date: September 16, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

The riveting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.”

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate. - From Goodreads

I tremendously enjoyed The 5th Wave and I simply cannot wait to read the next installment in this series. I wonder what would happen next? Will there be more Waves? Will someone die? Oh, I do hope not.

So what books are you waiting on?

Review: Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Read from July 2 to July 3, 2014

Book: Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publication Date: July 22, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Number of Pages: 368
Genre/s: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery/Thriller
Source: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run. - (source)

The moment I started reading Welcome to the Dark House, I just knew I was going to like it. I could say that this novel has the strongest beginning chapter among all the books I've read this year. The only question in my mind was: Can Welcome to the Dark House sustain this promising start? 

The answer is it did, for the most part. We have multiple POVs that might seem seriously daunting if not properly handled, but it worked surprisingly well and it kept things interesting. I admire that Stolarz was able to create several characters with distinct personalities and voices. The only thing I find challenging at the start was remembering the characters' names.

Personally, what I loved most about Welcome to the Dark House were the characters' backstories. All of them are coping from their horrifying pasts, and for some of them, entering and winning the contest is an opportunity of a lifetime and a way to move forward with their lives. Although sometimes it feels that there's not enough time to get into a character's head or that it seems quite a short novel for such a diverse cast, I feel that these backstories were substantial enough so the readers could connect to them in some way.

Even though I enjoyed reading Welcome to the Dark House, this novel is not without flaws. At times, I was slightly annoyed because the narrative give the impression that we're supposed to take things at face value. For instance, I find it hard to believe that a contest this big could be kept under wraps and that they wouldn't bother to at least confirm if it's legit or not, before entering. Plot-wise, I think Stolarz could have raised the stakes higher to make the situation more unsettling and frightening. Also, not much horror happens until the latter part of the book. But I mostly didn't mind this, considering that I'm horrified as it is with the characters' backgrounds.

I believe there's a good chance that there'd be a sequel for this novel, and I'm excited to find out what will happen next. I'd definitely recommend Welcome to the Dark House for fans of light horror and R.L. Stine's Goosebumps series.

Cupid's Verdict:

3.5 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett

Read July 1 - 2, 2014

Book: Dream Boy by Madelyn Rosenberg and Mary Crockett
Publication Date: July 1, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Number of Pages: 336
Genre/s: Young Adult, Paranormal
Source: ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley

Annabelle Manning feels like she’s doing time at her high school in Chilton, Virginia. She has her friends at her lunchtime table of nobodies. What she doesn’t have are possibilities. Or a date for Homecoming. Things get more interesting at night, when she spends time with the boy of her dreams. But the blue-eyed boy with the fairytale smile is just that—a dream. Until the Friday afternoon he walks into her chemistry class.

One of her friends suspects he’s an alien. Another is pretty sure it’s all one big case of deja vu. While Annabelle doesn’t know what to think, she’s willing to believe that the charming Martin Zirkle may just be her dream come true. But as Annabelle discovers the truth behind dreams—where they come from and what they mean—she is forced to face a dark reality she had not expected. More than just Martin has arrived in Chilton. As Annabelle learns, if dreams can come true, so can nightmares. - (source)

“I've always been a dreamer. Daydreams. Night dreams. Dreams of grandeur and dreams of escape. If I were an onion and you pulled back the papery outside, you'd find layer after layer of eye-watering dreams. And in the center, where there's that little curlicue of onion heart? There'd be a puff of smoke from the dreams that burned away.” - taken from an uncorrected ARC 

What if what you dream about becomes a reality? Annabelle found out she has this unique power in the form of one, gorgeous boy. Clearly having a dream so powerful, it can bring a being into life, only happens in a SciFi show and easily makes for an interesting read. But alas, in Dream Boy, this is where the interest starts and ends. Because after the novelty of having your dream boy become a reality faded, the only thing this novel inspired me to do, is to take a nap myself. Twice. I can't even begin to tell you how a total snoozefest this book was.

I have no qualms in being this harsh because I tried so hard to like this book. However, Dream Boy made this too difficult, and it wasn't long until I gave up. The characters are abysmally dull, and the pacing is just dreadful. As I turn page after page, all I could think about was: I'm one page closer to the end of the book. I wanted to be done with it, so I can finally move on with my life. I've yet to not finish a book, but this one came so close.

Annabelle, our main protagonist, is so boring. I definitely get it why she has to dream people up so her life could become interesting. I believe there were so many opportunities for her to become likeable and engaging. For instance, if we had explored more about her Dad, or her drawings, or her friendship with Talon and Selena, then I might've grown to like her. Martin Zirkle, the dream boy, does not have any redeeming qualities, either. He's as flat as a cardboard. He's cluelessness is not endearing in anyway, much more his stalkerish, possessive behavior. This could be explained by his lack of social understanding, since Annabelle literally just dreamed him to life, but I won't make that excuse for him.

"I mean," Martin said, "how do you know Annabelle?"
"If you were close you wouldn't have to ask that question."
Martin grabbed my hand and pulled me onto his lap. "Close enough?"
Okay, forget the western. It was more like that thing where dogs pee on their property as a message to other dogs.

— Um, just no. *facepalm*

I'm trying to think of something positive to say about Dream Boy, but all I can come up with circles back to its captivating concept: Dreams and Nightmares—the reason I picked up this book in the first place. Annabelle did choose the right guy for her in the end, so I have to give credit where credit is due. Will can also be included in this very short list because he's the only character I cared about. He almost made me feel something at the end of the book. Almost.

I had high hopes about Dream Boy. I'm deeply disappointed because if you have this intriguing premise in your arsenal, you basically have a sure tool  in crafting a fantastic novel. A slight focus on the world-building in the dream world and having more fleshed-out, dynamic characters might have made this book better. The meaning behind Annabelle's dreaming powers was never adequately explained, too. The explanation was sloppy and prohibitive, and the readers are just left to swallow it up and pretend it all made sense. Also, let's be honest, if you write a story about a special girl, a chosen one, who has to battle an evil entity to save all those she holds dear, it needs to be a girl we can sympathize and root for. Unfortunately, Annabelle doesn't fit the bill.

Dream Boy failed to live up to its potential. Drab and lackluster, even Will is not enough to change how I feel about this novel. Now excuse me, while I dream away the bitter taste this book left in my mouth.

Cupid's Verdict:

2 Cupids

A copy was provided by the publisher at no cost via Netgalley
in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (14): Isla and the Happily Ever After

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating. 

Book: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3) by Stephanie Perkins

Publication Date: August 14, 2014

Publisher: Dutton

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new. - From Goodreads

There are no words to express how excited I am with Ms. Perkins' latest book. I am lucky to have read an excerpt and it only fueled my obsession with having my grubby hands on this sure to be wonderful conclusion to the series we have loved since Anna and Étienne. Thank the lucky stars that the waiting is soon to be over. 

In related news, I will get a chance to meet Stephanie Perkins this coming Sunday. EEEEEEEP!

So what books are you waiting on?