A Monster Calls: The Moonlight Cinema Experience

08:00 Cilla 6 Comments



I've always wanted to know what an outdoor cinema is like. It doesn't seem like the most convenient method of movie-watching - what if it rains? My father reminded me that Indonesia has a term for this kind of cinema: misbar (gerimis bubar), roughly translated to mean that it's over as soon as it drizzles. It was a worrying possibility, but when I saw that Moonlight Cinema was holding an advanced screening of A Monster Calls, I thought why not. I hadn't read A Monster Calls at this stage, but had heard all the raves for it. My friend, Elise, made the effort to read the book before we went, but I decided I'd go in blind.

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[Book Talk] Where's the Line Between Insta-Attraction and Insta-Love?

08:00 Cilla 8 Comments



Aah, that moment in a book when two characters lay eyes on each other for the first time and something between them sparks. There's interest (for better or for worse), there may be attraction (or friction), and maybe some humour. When done right, a meet-cute is exactly that: cute. But when is it insta-attraction, and when is it insta-love?

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[ARC Review] Caraval by Stephanie Garber

08:00 Cilla 2 Comments


"Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.

But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.

Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever"

Title: Caraval (Caraval #1)
Author: Stephanie Garber
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Source: Netgalley
Release Date: 31 January 2016

Review

The massive hype around Caraval had me expecting great things out of the book. I'm going to be the black sheep here, and admit that it didn't live up to those expectations. The world of Caraval is enchanting, and I enjoyed exploring it alongside Scarlett. The characters fell flat for me, however.

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[Conversations] I'm a Book Multi-tasker and Proud

08:00 Cilla 8 Comments


Conversations is back! I'm excited to be participating in it again, and hopefully more regularly so this year. In case you haven't heard of this link-up, Conversation is a fortnightly discussion meme hosted by Geraldine at Corraling Books, where the aim is to get to know other bloggers and to generate conversations, as the name of the meme suggests. Hop on over to her blog to join in the link-up! For future topics, click here.

This week's topic is; Do you prefer to read one book, or multiple books at a time? Why?

8 comments:

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And Then There Were Sleuths: My Dream Crate Project

08:00 Cilla 0 Comments



Recently I found out about a fun project set up by Loot Crate where fans can create a box that represents their very own Dream Crate. If you haven't heard of Loot Crate before, they are a subscription box service that caters to all kinds of fandoms.. I love the idea, so here we are! I thought of a few themes, but the one I keep coming back to is 'Sleuths' - a box of goodies that highlights my favourite fictional detectives.

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[Review] Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot

08:00 Cilla 6 Comments


"For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity: living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend, Michael, managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course, Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal "oui."
But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: her grandmother has leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a stomach. Can Mia prove to everyone--especially herself--that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?" 

Title: Royal Wedding (The Princess Diaries #11)
Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: Macmillan
Source: Bought
Release Date: 2 July 2015

Review

"I always thought when I became an adult everything would become less confusing, but unfortunately, everything's only becoming more confusing."
When it was first announced that Royal Wedding was coming out, I knew instantly that I would read it. My re-read of the series leading up to reading this installment, however, made me wonder if I would love it. (My thoughts upon the re-reads can be found here and here.) Thankfully, despite its flaws, Royal Wedding reminds me why I fell in love with Mia Thermopolis and Meg Cabot's writing in the first place.

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[Beautiful Books] Writerly Goals for 2017

10:00 Cilla 6 Comments


I've talked about reading and blogging goals since January started, and it wouldn't be right to leave out my general writing goals! So I'm joining up once again with Beautiful Books hosted by Cait and Sky. I'm not at the editing stage, but hopefully I'll at least have a complete first draft by the end of the year!

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[Review] Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

09:28 Cilla 4 Comments
"When Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home, long drives to explore the island, and quality time with the man she might one day marry. What she doesn't know is that Nick's family home happens to look like a palace, that she'll ride in more private planes than cars, and that with one of Asia's most eligible bachelors on her arm, Rachel might as well have a target on her back. 
Initiated into a world of dynastic splendor beyond imagination, Rachel meets Astrid, the It Girl of Singapore society; Eddie, whose family practically lives in the pages of the Hong Kong socialite magazines; and Eleanor, Nick's formidable mother, a woman who has very strong feelings about who her son should--and should not--marry."

Title: Crazy Rich Asians (Crazy Rich Asians #1)
Author: Kevin Kwan
Publisher: Doubleday
Source: Bought
Publication Date: 11 June 2013

Review

To me, reading Crazy Rich Asians feels like watching Keeping Up With the Kardashian: fascination and mild revulsion in a constant rotation. I can believe that there are people who live like the characters in this story, but how could people live in such excess? I enjoyed the peek into the opulent lifestyle of the 1% of Singapore society, a side that I hadn't seen in novels before. It's difficult not to - put a crazy amount of money together with a family of meddlesome creatures, you get a fun story. Unfortunately, I never grew to care for any of them.

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[Conversations] I Read to Know Life Can Be Okay

07:30 Cilla 6 Comments


Conversations is back! I'm excited to be participating in it again, and hopefully more regularly so this year. In case you haven't heard of this link-up, Conversation is a fortnightly discussion meme hosted by Geraldine at Corraling Books, where the aim is to get to know other bloggers and to generate conversations, as the name of the meme suggests. Hop on over to her blog to join in the link-up! For future topics, click here.

This week's topic is; What kind of books do you read and why?

6 comments:

Thanks for reading! It makes my day to hear your thoughts and I will respond asap. :)

My Blogging and Bookish Resolutions For 2017

08:00 Cilla 0 Comments



I'm a resolution kind of girl. I like making a list of my goals and working toward them, or most of them anyway after February. 😝 In 2016, most of my goals for this blog get forgotten because I started the year launching into my study. This year, I'm hoping to be better!

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2017 Reading and Blogging Challenges

08:00 Cilla 6 Comments



Happy New Year! Here is now the time to make all the goals and resolutions, and hope they don't all go out the window in two weeks' time. I'd like to do a post about all my bookish resolutions, but for now, it's time for me to sign up to this year's challenges.

At the beginning of 2016, I was ambitious and signed up to seven challenges. That was a mistake, especially since I went through some life changes and I basically lost track of most of the challenges. This year, I'm holding myself to six challenges, two of which can go hand-in-hand.


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[Rewind] December 2016

08:00 Cilla 10 Comments



Hey there! Hope you guys had a lovely holiday season! It feels a little strange to write a monthly rewind after I've written a couple of yearly ones, but why not, hey? December has been a... nice month both in terms of blogging and life. Fairly quiet, but after ten months of going full-speed ahead, quiet is a good thing. Let's check out the highlights, shall we?

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