books reviews and all of life's in-betweens
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix does not live up to its predecessor, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. It pains me to say this because I enjoyed the previous book. But the book deities weren’t kind to me in this round. I had to force myself to finish this book. Why didn’t I DNF it? I needed to know what happened to Xifeng. But aside from that? I could care less.
So, what went wrong?
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Even as a kid, I loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and reading. I adored it when my mom read to me. And once I felt comfortable reading on my own? I could not stop. Plus? My Catholic grammar school placed a lot of emphasis on reading. We had a pretty well-stocked library where we could check out books. Teachers would also set reading goals and put a star next to our names for every book report we did after reading a book. I’m proud to say that I would always be one of the top 5 readers in my class.
What was even better was that my teachers didn’t care what books we read as long as they were books at or above our targeted grade/reading levels. Assigned reading didn’t become a thing for me until high school, and by then, I adored reading.
So, I read a lot of books. But what books had the most impact?
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Wow, February! What an exciting, whirlwind of a month you’ve been. From passing the NCLEX-RN to that COVID scare, this month gave me no breaks emotionally. And bookwise? It has been a rollercoaster. But let’s jump right into the monthly wrap-up!
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God, I wanted to love this book so badly. But once again, a book with an exciting premise disappoints me.
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There are no words to describe the utter bliss and exhilaration I felt when I checked Quick Results and saw I passed the NCLEX-RN with 75 questions on my first try. I had done the Pearson VUE Trick three times prior and kept getting the “good” popup each time, but I still didn’t believe it. Thankfully, I live in a state where Quick Results is available, so I paid the $7.95 as soon as I saw my results were ready on Saturday. Worth it!
Now that I’ve taken and passed my boards, I want to share how I studied and passed the NCLEX-RN in 75 questions on my first try.
What worked for me may not work for you. Everyone studies and learns differently. Some may need months to study for the NCLEX, but others may only need a few weeks. Either way, it’s crucial that you reflect on yourself, your study habits, and what you know and don’t know.
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Where do I even begin with describing this book? No joke? I want to reread this NOW. I’m only stopping myself because I have the NCLEX coming up. But Lord, I am speechless. Is it wrong that I want to make out with this book?
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Even though it’s been a few days since I finished this book, Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan has stuck with me. I was transported back home to Manila thanks to Batacan’s prose. I could vividly imagine every single scene. If I shut my eyes for a moment, I could hear the characters’ voices even now because they felt so alive. Batacan not only analyzed the criminal justice system in the Philippines, but she also shined a light into the Catholic Church’s corruption and misdeeds.
Where do I even begin with this love letter to this book?
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Yeah, no. Say No to the Duke disappointed me. Actually, disappointment is putting it lightly. I was actually pretty excited going into this book. It had an interesting premise and I saw a few friends on GR rated it 4 or 5 stars. I’ve never read any of Eloisa James’ books before, so this was a first. Not exactly a great introduction to a new author, ya know? But wow this book fell flat.
At least The Duke and I by Julia Quinn was entertaining and I enjoyed the ride up until That Scene. But Say No to the Duke? Let’s go through the pros and cons, shall we?
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I “accidentally” fell down a rabbit hole that is historical romance. And by accidentally, blame my mom, who suddenly remembered how much she loved reading romance.
I’m sure you’ve either seen or read all that needs to be said about The Duke and I by Julia Quinn. Many reviewers have pointed out the following trigger warnings for this book: sexual assault, sexual content, dubious consent, and sex while intoxicated.
Ok, so I went into the book knowing what happens. But I still wanted to give this book a try. So how did these impact my reading experience?
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A flash from the past! I read this book back in August 2020 for Wikathon and never uploaded the flash review to the blog. Whoops? But this is a great opportunity to share my love for Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay once again.
Look, have you ever read a book so good that it left you numb afterward because your brain legitimately cannot process how amazing the book was? That’s me right with this book.
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