Odd Superstitions: A weird way to cure hiccup.

Hello my pulchritudinous readers!

I don't know if I am the only one, but there are many said cures of curing hiccups. Some seem to make sense, but there are some out there that don't quite make sense.

I know several hiccup cures like drinking water, holding your breath, holding your breath and swallowing etc.

There is this one hiccup cure that my dad has recently showed me when I got hiccups (when I get them, I usually get them throughout the whole day), and I found it super odd, but what's weirder is that it works on me...

What my dad told me to do is get a bowl or plate of some sort, hold it and using a cutlery or your fingers, hit it a couple of times at the base, and voila, the hiccup is gone.

Does that make sense? No? Okay then...

Weird, I know. But also effective for me. I tested it out throughout the day and it worked like a charm. Me and my sister are still trying to figure out what is it behind the whole bowl thing that stops the hiccup but it does somehow. My great grandfather taught it to my dad and my dad taught it to me, and now I am sharing it with you guys (well, at least whoever who reads it...)

Well that is it. Are there any weird ways you know that actually helps cure hiccups for you? Comment it down below! I would love to read them.

xx,
Khatie

Tips for decorating/furnishing in a small bedroom

Hello my pulchritudinous readers!

Today's post will be about a topic that I don't think I have covered yet which would be home and decor. Small bedrooms. Some of you lucky things out there might not need to face the dilemma of having a tiny bedroom, but others might be like me -- they get stuck with a bedroom the size of a nutshell. I am not trying to sound bratty or anything but I can honestly say that I spent weeks trying to figure out how to fit both a bed and a desk in my room with storage without having it come in the way of either my built in closet or my door or both. My room is a 2.9 meter by 2.9 meter room with a built in closet (sliding door ones), so safe to say it is a bit of a squish. Like aforementioned, I am not trying to be a brat of anything of that sort because I understand that for me to be able to have a stable roof over my head is a blessing on its own. Enough of my blabber, lets get on to the main point!

To start off with, let me just put this out there:
If you have not already figured, I am not in anyway professional in this department, I am speaking from personal experience if you would call it. I never really got a chance to have a big room, much less to myself, so these are just some things that I have collected over the years (gosh, that made me sound wise)

ANYWAY, lets move on, shall we?

1) Avoid painting dark colours.

This is fully up to you to pick your own colour, but with dark colours it somehow makes it feel like it is a smaller, more confined space. Using light 'variations' I guess of your intended colour would be a good choice. For example: instead of a midnight blue use a lighter blue instead. I find that using lighter colours help make the room feel more spacious. Another way that might help if you really like a specific colour is maybe paint only one or two of the walls in your room and leave the rest white or a similarly light colour.

2) Avoid overcrowding your room.

Get only what you need and try to reduce the amount of unnecessary furniture in your room and use hidden spaces wisely. With smaller rooms, it is slightly more difficult to furnish our rooms like we see in magazines and on the internet or catalogs. Ditch the blanket chest or the dressing table and try to incorporate them into one, like instead of storing your winter coats or your doona in the blanket chest, put it in storage boxes and under your bed and instead of having a separate dressing table and study table, try having only one and create a multipurpose dressing table and desk area.

3) Keep the decor simple

Decorating your room is a good way of self expression. It is great if you want to have your room be unique and fit your style, but sometimes we tend to overdo it. We see things on the internet and go like 'Oh, I want that, that, that and that in my room', but when it comes down to putting it into your own room, it ends up looking too BAM, and sure, it will look nice in the picture, but keep in mind the results probably won't come out the same in your room. Keeping it simple could help with making it feel less stuffy as opposed to having lots of decor, like wall full of paintings, bed full of pillows etc.

4) Try to stick to a colour scheme.

For some people this may be hard, but sticking to a colour scheme can sometimes help.
What I would suggest is find a main colour -- this would be the colour the sort of ties the whole room together and is like the name suggests, the main colour. Then get up to 3 accent colours -- these would be the ones to add some different colours and to allow you to incorporate more colours in as opposed to having only a one colour room theme. (Using colour palettes may be helpful with deciding which colours go best with each other! You can find these online -- some paint brands have simulations where you can virtually test the paint colours out!)

I hope this helps you guys with your rooms/future rooms, and this is it for now.

Adios!

xx,
K



B/N: I take no credits for the following pictures. Pictures were from the following places respectively:
http://the-adventures-of-wood-wall.weebly.com/

www.pjvanoverschot.wordpress.com
www.dididado.org

mezzoblue.com

If you own any of the above pictures and would like me to remove it, I would fully respect that decision :)

I apologize in advanced if you are not properly credited.

Wake by Lisa McMann

Hiya my pulchritudinous readers. I know it has been a while but things are pretty busy with school so do bear with me. Holidays are coming soon so that would probably mean more books and more reviews YAY. Enjoy!

Synopsis from Lisa McMann's website 

Rating: 2.5/5 stars 

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.

She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....

So, as mentioned in the synopsis, this book revolves around Janie and her very special 'talent', shall we call it? She gets sucked into peoples dream -- and not by will! She realised her little 'talent' when she as a child. While other children her age are having fun at sleepovers -- she can't do that -- unless, of course she doesn't mind being sucked into and invading others dream while she is there. She can never dream a dream that belongs to herself, so what happens when she starts being a participant in them? Read the book to find out.

What I liked about this book:

Obviously one of the main things I look for in a book would be the concept of the story. I liked how in the story, instead of just plain text and paragraphs, she groups them in time, sorta like a chronological timeline, if you may. That was one of the first books I have ever read that have done that and I found that it was fun to have a change like that for once. It was refreshing. Like most of my favourite books, this one has a dash of romance in between that I really like. 

What I felt needed some improvement:

Although it had a great concept, I can't help but feel that at some points of the book I felt a little bored. The story base has so much potential and expansion opportunity that I felt rather disappointed. 

So there ya have it, short and sweet ;) 

I might consider reading the next book, but that is not definite. 

xx,

Khatie  

Best Brownie Winner?

Recently, our Anti Bullying Committee held a fundraising stall for the Alannah and Madeline foundation. I felt the need to participate to help, so I decided to bake so BROWNIES!

First of all, I felt the need to let all of you know that I have NEVER baked a brownie before in my entire life, so I had no idea what to do: from scratch or box mix?

I did some research on which is better, and I somehow felt more convinced to get the box mixes.

Why? Because I had very limited time (like 3 hours) to bake loads of brownies, and it seemed like the best way to bake brownies for the first time -- easy and minimal mess considering my mom would freak if she saw me mess up her kitchen! So box mix it was!

I was just waking down the baking isle in Coles and found myself wondering which to get. There were tons of brownie box mixes and they all looked really good (also priced about the same!) so I pondered and pondered and finally decided to test 3 different type of brownie mixes! I ended up trialing Betty Crocker Tripe Chocolate Fudge brownie mix, Adriano Zumbo Chocolate Brownies and Donna Hay Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownies.

They all turned out pretty well for me. Both my mother and sister favoured the Donna Hay Molten Chocolate Chunk Brownies, saying that it had the richest taste out of all of them. I personally thought that they were all good, but was more of the Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Brownie fan. I felt that it was simple and not too overpowering and overwhelming in terms of flavour and chocolate richness. For the Adriano Zumbo one, I felt that it had this light coconut aftertaste which some people may fin weird but I oddly like. I am not quite sure as to how my fellow schoolmates would react to the brownies ( I made about 35 big brownie slices), so I'll update you guys on how a bunch of teenagers would react and which was the most popular among our school!

*Update*

Whew! Today was great! We raised almost $200 for the Alannah and Madeline foundation so that was awesome! Pretty much all my brownies were sold :) I reckon they were all equally popular among the student body, but the one to finish quicker would be the Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate fudge one, so there you have it, but they are equally fantastic (from feedback!).

xx,
Khatie

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

As said, since I couldn't find a book to read yet, I'll just be reviewing a book I have read a couple of months ago. With that said, it might not be the most accurate of all, but I will try my best! Here is the blurb/synopsis:

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Blurb from Goodreads.

Two young people are forced to make a stand in this thought-provoking look at racism and prejudice in an alternate society.

Sephy is a Cross -- a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a Nought -- a “colourless” member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood, but that’s as far as it can go. In their world, Noughts and Crosses simply don’t mix. Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum -- a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger. Can they possibly find a way to be together?

In this gripping, stimulating and totally absorbing novel, black and white are right and wrong

Now that the blurb is done, lets move onto my usual summary.

So this book is set in a very different, yet similar society. It is set in a society where people are split into two different levels or castes -- the noughts and the crosses. Crosses are the dark-skinned, leading/higher class people. Noughts are the fair skinned, the 'blanks'. They are the underdogs, the lower class. Sephy is a Cross. Born into a family of wealth like majority of Crosses, she has everything she ever wanted handed to her on a silver platter. Callum is a nought. He is part of the lower class. He barely gets any education, does all the work that the crosses don't want to do for a living. His home can barely be called a house. Callum's mother used to work for Mrs Hadley, Sephy's mother. They were good friends, which was how their children grew up together and became best of friends. In this society, equality barely exists. It's all about the better race. Noughts were not allowed full education privileges. What would happen when you put two strong-willed teenagers from a Cross family and a Nought family together, who wants to stay with each other against all odds? Toss in some terrorists, a broken family and some disapproving people and pretty much the whole society discriminating against you? Can feelings still stay strong, or will it start to waver?

What I liked about this book:

The author, Malorie Blackman, did an amazing job on creating this oter world that seemed so realistic. I think now that we think about it, this story could be seen as an eye opener. This teaches us that if we let this go on, chaos will occur. I also think that by changing the 'fair skinned' people into the inferior class adds a very unique twist to it. She has also done a marvelous job in expressing how it would feel like to be in that society, and while reading it, I can feel some raw emotions boiling up inside me and especially towards the end, it made my heart clench when I read the book. I literally ran to grab the second book right after I read the first one. *there was originally a more personal input here but I have cut it out incase you guys don't want my rant to get in the way*

What I found needed some improvements: -

Favourite quote(s) from the book:

“You're a Nought and I'm a Cross and there's nowhere for us to be, nowhere for us to go where we'd be left in peace...That's why I started crying. That's why I couldn't stop. For all the things we might've had and all the things we're never going to have.” 

“I hadn't fully realized just how powerful words could be before this. Whoever came up with the saying 'sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me' was talking out of his or her armpit.”

“And things go unsaid soon get forgotten”
That is it for this (I apologize) rather short book review. I read this book as part of a nationwide reading challenge and I loved it so much I read all the others in this series.
*here is my rant*
This book really struck something in me -- whether it is realization or something else, I am not quite sure but it made me realize that if roles were reversed, it wouldn't be at all different, and how society can be so cruel and twisted, and it makes it worse knowing that we are the ones who created this whole thing to discriminate against one another of the same kind. Why? Because they don't have the same complexion as you, they don't look the same as you? It's insane and it makes me so sad to be faced with such a reality. I mean I understand that there have been some inequality, but after the book, I did some closer observations and research into the inter-racial discrimination and I can't help but feel disappointed in ourselves. I feel that sometimes, I can relate to this whole ordeal. Maybe not as seriously, but still a little bit. This is how heartbreaking it is to know.

*end of rant* 

Okay, so I should really get going because I have a Spanish, English, Maths and Science test coming out and I still have Chinese homework so byeeee!

xx,

K

Cabonara Pot Pie

Hello Pulchritudinous readers,

Today I am here with a new recipe! I came up with this myself as part of my Home Economics class and got really great feedback from my friends and kayaking teammates, so here I am sharing it with you guyssss!

So this Pot Pie apparently tastes like Cabonara Sauce, so I changed it a little and decided to put in some pasta under the sauce(in the pot), and it worked like a gem! The picture above is from my first trial and excuse the bad photography and background. Yes, that is a love heart made from pastry on it. I'll try to get my other picture (probably had better lighting than this!) up soon!

So without further adieu, here is my pot pie recipe!

Ingredients: Olive Oil (about 3 tbsp)
Garlic (2 cloves, finely chopped)
White Onion (half, finely chopped)
Bacon (1 rasher, cut into about 2cm squares)
Chicken (1 chicken breast)
Mushrooms (about 7 pieces, cut into quarts)
Frozen peas, corn and carrots (3/4 cup)
Skim milk (1/2 cup)
Chicken Stock Powder (1/2 cup)
Tasty Cheese (1/4 cup)
Parsley (optional)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Flour and Cornflour as thickening agents
Ready made Puff Pastry

Recipe:

1) Preheat oven to 200 degree.

2) Chop garlic and white onion finely.

3) Add olive oil to pan

4) Add in garlic and white onion and cook till soft but not to brown.

5) Once soft, add in bacon (cut into small cubes) and fry.

6) Remove from heat and empty pan’s content onto a bowl and put aside.

7) Add a little more olive oil onto pan and put in chicken (cut into small cubes) and fry it till cook, but not too cook to remain moisture.

8) Take chicken out of pan and set aside.

9) Add some olive oil and mushrooms (chopped) and stir around over medium heat til cook and slightly golden brown.

10) Add in peas and corn. Stir around in the pan and add in chicken, bacon, onion and garlic mixture.

11) Put in skim milk, tasty cheese and chicken stock. Bring to boil then simmer. If needed, add in some flour

and/or cornflour to thicken!

12) Stir well to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

13) Add in a dash of chopped parsley for flavour

14) If desired, add in some cooked pasta in the pot you are going to bake you pie in, then pour the sauce mixture over the pasta, and cover with the puff pastry however you like it. 

Note: When using the recipe, it is advised to not put in all the liquid ingredients at once to prevent the 'too much sauce/liquid' situation. This was an estimate of how much I put in, so you have been warned. This is also based on a two person serve, so adjust accordingly. Happy Cooking!

xx,
K

Mothers Day

Hello my pulchritudinous readers!
Okay, so mother's day is coming up really soon! I spent ages brainstorming on what to get my mom, you know, something special that isn't costly but is priceless at the same time, one that would make her whole face light up when she sees it, one that is irreplaceable. So after some serious thoughts, I decided to go with one of the cheesiest thing I could think of -- a mother's day poem! Yes, I know, how unique blah blah... But that was the best I could do. Being a minor, I can't afford much, so that was my gift. I will post a copy of my poem below. Hope you enjoy it and blog soon since it is the weekend though I have quite a weekend filled with lots and lots of homework (3 history research task essays, maths homework, English book PMI, Chinese homework etc) *groans*

SO there ya go!

I know this is overrated

Thousands of the same kind

And probably kinda belated

So I hope you don’t mind

Sometimes I seem indifferent

Towards your affection

Towards your sentiment

And your compassion

I won’t go about

Saying thing I don’t mean

Although that won’t make me sprout

A long nose, like a beam

With that said,

No holds barred,

And I promise to not raid

Those insincere greeting cards

I can’t begin to express my gratefulness

To your ever-present humility

To your ever-lasting gentleness

And your never-ending dexterity    

Those are one of the many

Things that you prevail

A list might come in handy

As a reminder, full scale

This list would be long-winded

The longest you’ll ever see

Miles and miles, you’ll be adulated

In the best means it can be

This list would start from A

Have it follow through to Z

Though it can’t formulate

For the sake of the trees

Just know that in my heart

You will always be the best

And one day we may part

But I won’t be like the rest

Today is your day

To kick back and mitigate

So keep your worries at bay

And luxuriate

Forever & Always

Wonder if you people get what I was trying to do...

Anyway, it is my first time writing a poem so please be nice :)

xx,

K

UPDATE

Sorry about all the personal posts lately! I know I have not posted a book review in like a while (well, for me at least) so I will try to get that to you as soon as I find a book, hopefully! I am still in the search for a good new book, but if I still can't find it, then I guess I will have to do an old book review (as in the ones that I have previously read). I will visit the library if I can, though that is not guaranteed that I will find something that catches my attention, so for the time-being, you guys are stuck with my personal posts! Yay? Nay? Meh? So anyways, I reaaaally shouldn't be blogging right now because I have a Science test tomorrow and I should be studying, though I heard that it is easy... Yeah, I should stop procrastinating now and acutally get my lazy bum to study so that is it for this very short update! Might delete this once I find a bunch of books and are active with reviews again!
 BYE FOR NOW

Cheers,
K

Mashed Potatoes

Since I have kinda started this recipe or food thingy, might as well continue it! So the next thing I am sharing with you guys is mashed potatoes. I know that there are lots of them out there, but personally, I prefer this one.

Ingredients:
-Potatoes
-Milk
-Butter
-Salt
-Pepper

Recipe:
1) Cook the potatoes (preferably boil it)
2) Peel and mash the potato, but don't stress if there are some chunky bits in it
3) Get some butter (softened)
4) Mash butter into potato.
5)Once thoroughly mixed, transfer the potatoes into a stove-top safe pot container.
6) Put your fire on low and add in a little bit of milk. Mash it together. Repeat process until achieved desired consistency.
7) Add in some salt and pepper to taste.

For every 150 grams of potatoes, have about 40 grams of milk (don't have to use them all, this is just an estimate) and about 1TB of butter, but this should be adjusted to your taste. Like it buttery? Put more and vice-versa. This was about how much I used.

* make sure it is hot or as warm as you like it, but not too hot that it burns your potato or milk when you add it in! *

Happy Mash Potato Making :)

Cheers,
K

Avocados

So I feel pretty bad about not having anything to post and I feel so empty and lost so here is a random, personal post about... Avocados.

As random as this post seem, I just had to. So I know most people have their avocados in guacamole form or on toast or in a smoothie whatnot, but I have mine with milk and sweetened condensed milk. It might sound weird, but it really isn't (to me, at least). I don't know any one else does this, but if you have not, give it a go, it tastes great with like some ice on a really hot day or just with cold milk and all. Seriously...

How to have avocado my way:
Ingredients: -Milk
                  -Sweetened Condensed Milk
                  -Avocado
                  -Ice (optional)

Recipe: 1) Wash Avocados and halve it.
            2) Using a spoon, scoop avocado out and put into bowl
            3) If desired, cut into small pieces with knife/spoon/fork/anything you wanna use.
            4) Pour some milk over the Avocado
            5) Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over it and voila!
            6) Add crushed ice if you like.

So there ya have it! My attempt at doing a good recipe tutorial thingy! Hope you enjoy it and let me know if you do.

Cheers,
K

B/N: Let me know if you want a pic tutorial or something of how it looks like in the comments and I might just do one, though this is a very simple 'recipe'. If you would like more recipes, let me know!

Road Trip!

Hey! I recently took a trip to Yarra Valley! WEEEE. It was one long drive, I tell ya! it was fun though, so enjoy the pictures :) I took them using my iPhone camera so excuse the quality! Most of these were taken at a kiwi farm/winery. Enjoy! (Don't go all photography Nazi on me because I am in no way a professional)

 This is a close up this gorgeous rusty chair I saw just there on a field of grass. Why was it there, I have no clue...

 No clue what this is, a machinery of some sort, maybe...

 Dramatic B&W of a pond 

 Such pretty colours *sighs*

 Oh the morning dew drops 

 Boat #2

 Back of the pond...

 Dramatic B&W strikes again!

And to end this update, cute little post boxes I took from the car!

Cheers,

K 

Competitions?

Imagine being entered into something you don't quite want to join and get ready for. Probably won't be too glad about it, or confident. Well, here's the thing -- I was entered into a competition by my coach with like 2 weeks notice and I was barely ready for it. I was just paired up with another girl on my team, who I don't even (sorry) new existed on the team. Apparently, it is part of our program or something, I don't know, but we aren't exactly allowed to back out. I was actually thinking of being mean and just not going to it, but then I would have to ditch my partner and all that jazz, so I went! Guess what? It was pretty awful. First off, my partner and I both have horrible balance. Secondly, in the river we went to paddle in, they had no proper landing/dock, so we had to climb in from this teeny tiny beach thing. Thirdly, the water was pretty choppy. Besides that, it was freezing and it was raining. What more can I add to the beautiful list? Me and a couple of other teammate got withdrawn because we failed to get to the starting line without falling out at least 10 times on the way there. So there you go, the summary of my perfect day! Unfortunately, there is more to this fun little tale. YAY -- not. So after we got withdrawn, we went to the shower rooms to clean up and all, and then BAM, I dropped my clean Trekkie into a big fat puddle in the public toilet. So I was stuck wearing the tiny little spare shorts I had thankfully packed in my bag, and let's just say the weather just loves me so dang much that it became cooler after that. Wonderful, huh? The competition host probably felt bad for us so they presented us with these ribbons that wrote 'ENCOURAGEMENT' on it and honestly it was kinda like a big sign writing LOSER on you, not too nice, but it was a cool ribbon nonetheless. Oh, and I have another sport event tomorrow :( so hopefully things won't go all crazy on me again!
-edited and updated version-

Update (9:08 pm 4/05/14) : Guess what? The sports event tomorrow is cancelled. I don't know if I should be happy or sad. Happy because I don't have to be at another house event or sad that I have to wake up earlier to get myself to school. *sighs deeply*
Maybe I could just skip? *evil smirk*

Until next time, my pulchritudinous readers :)

Cheers,
K

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Annabel

Heyyy! I'm back! I know I was actually supposed to upload this before Invisible but oh well. Enjoy!

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

Basically, this story is about a girl, Hadley running late to her flight to London, where she was expected to attend her father's second marriage to a woman she has never met that goes by the name Charlotte. She is not too pleased about being forced to go, but for her mother's sake, she agreed rather reluctantly. She missed the flight by 4 minutes and the next flight would give her a slim chance of making it to the wedding on time, but better late than never, right? So she goes for it. She meets Oliver first when she was waiting on her flight, and needs to go to the bathroom. She asks for a lady sitting nearby to hold onto her bag for the time being, but the lady refuses, claiming that it is illegal to do so, which was when Oliver swoops in and offers his assistance. Eventually, they start talking and discover that they are taking the same flight, and Oliver claims to also be heading over to London to attend a wedding, and as every minute pass, their chemistry get stronger -- and what would they do once the flight lands? Will they keep in touch, or will they just move on? 

What I liked about this book: 

I liked the humor in it. I enjoyed Oliver as a character and it could be classified as a light read, nothing too serious.

What I felt needed some improvements:

For a book called The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, I would've expected a lot more than what I got. I felt that the story was not really engaging, and the story line was dull. Some aspects of the book was also unrealistic. Yes, I know that books don't have to be realistic, but that just makes the book totally cheesy. I also thought that things in the book was moving too fast. It was an okay read, but it did not leave a deep impression on me. 

That is it for now! WOW! 2 in a day, man I'm on a roll!

Okay, so it is pretty late and I should probably get off the internet and all but I just can't help it.

Cheers,

K

B/N: I feel kinda bad for all the negativity towards this book but I speak the truth, or at least what I feel! I need to look for more books to read now! Byeeeeee :)

Invisible by DelSheree Gladden

Hello! So today, I will be reviewing a book that probably isn't as well known as my previous books, but I figured -- why not give it a shot? So I did! I originally found this book on Wattpad, and it has been published, so the copy was removed when I read it, but I think the book is up again, so if it sparks some interest in you, go check it out :)

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Blurb/Synopsis from Goodreads

Here is the blurb/synopsis: 

Olivia’s best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she’s pretty sure he’s not a hallucination. He’s just Mason. 

He is, however, invisible. 

When Olivia spotted the crying little boy on her front porch at five years old, she had no idea she was the only one who could see him. Twelve years later when new-girl Robin bumps into the both of them and introduces herself to Mason, they are both stunned. 

Mason couldn’t be more pleased that someone else can see him. Olivia, on the other hand, isn’t jumping at the chance to welcome Robin into their circle. Jealousy may have something to do with 

that, but honest fear that Robin’s presence will put Mason in danger is soon validated when a strange black car shows up outside Olivia’s house. 

The race to find out what Robin knows in time to protect Mason from whatever threats are coming becomes Olivia’s only focus.

Okay, so now that you have read the synopsis/blurb, let's move onto the review!

So this book is about a girl named Olivia and her invisible best friend, Mason (thus the name of the book-- Invisible). They met when five year old Olivia saw Mason crying on her front porch, confused as to what is he doing alone out and so sad, and wanted to help him. She only realized that she was the only one that can see Mason when she finds that her whole family thinks of him as her imaginary friend -- and no one believes her! Well, that is until they start seeing thinks being picked up but no one was there, the shower being on and off when no one is in it, except Mason, of course! For twelve years, they were successful in hiding him away from everyone else, giving him shelter and a family. Until one day, a new girl at their school called Robin bumped into both of them in school, and not only apologized but introduced herself to Olivia and Mason, leaving them shell-shocked. Let's just say that when she realizes that she isn't the only one who can see Mason, and she have been having Mason all to herself for twelve years, she is not prepared to share him. Mason, au contraire, is more than delighted to find someone else who can see him besides Olivia. Olivia is determined more than before to keep Robin away from Mason when she finds a very suspicious black car conveniently stationed outside her house. With the warning bells ringing, they soon finds themselves tossed into a situation that just turns their whole world upside down...

Right, now for the personal opinion...

What I liked about this book: 

I like the whole invisible person thing because, lets face it -- it's pretty cool, unless you are the person who is invisible and no one can see you, but that is besides the point. I also liked how there was alternative point of views because I personally prefer books that are seen from more than one point of view because it gives you a better aspect of the story and you can see it in a different light and opinion as opposed to only sticking ot one character. I also think that this book has such a sweet story that is shared between Olivia and Mason. 

What I felt needed some improvement:

Well the heading for this is not quite accurate, but I feel that the whole best friends then into love thing is a little cliche and their whole romance is pretty cheesy and mainstream -- still, it is a good story :) 

That is it for now! Until the next post, my pulchritudinous readers ;) Ciao. 

Cheers,

K

B/N: Phew! Now, excuse me if the formatting is a little off or if this is shorter than usual but I will try to add onto it if I find anything! PS. I wrote this up in school, so yeah :) 

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

Hello guys! I'm baaack! So now that I finished all the existing Lux series books and it's review (though I can't wait for the final book in the series!), I will be moving on to other books, and to start it off, I will be reviewing A Girl Named Digit! Enjoy!

Here is the blurb/synopsis: 

Farrah Higgins started high school with one thing on her mind: ditching the math geek image that earned her the name Digit in middle school. By her senior year she’d figured out how to fake normal and fit in with the It Girls of Samohi. And it was all good, if exhausting, until she noticed some faint numbers in the corner of her TV screen and cracked the communications system of a murderous eco-terror organization. Kidnapped by the FBI for her own protection, half in love with her captor and running for her life… can she end world terror and get life back to normal before the prom?

Now that you have read the blurb/synopsis, which is comparatively short to the ones from my previous review, I shall move onto the personal summary thing (wow, using 'shall' makes it all sound so formal!). So this book is about a girl named Farrah Higgins, but was given the nickname Digit in middle school, with the reasons behind it being her special mathematical abilities to allow her basically to be a human computer or calculator. But as she enters high school, she has mastered the art of being normal -- or as normal as someone like Digit/ Farrah can be. She joined a clique/group in her high school dubbed as the Fab Four, and everything was as good as it can be, until one night, when she was watching TV with the Fab Four, and happen to see a flash of numbers at the corner of the TV screen, and Digit being Digit, remembered the numbers, and the next set, and the next. After attempting to push the whole number extravaganza into the back of her mind to no avail, she finally gives in and starts trying to crack it -- which she did --  only problem is is that it doesn't seem to make much sense, and no one else has seem to notice, until she heard the shocking news at her school that makes her realize that the series of numbers weren't just some silly joke, but the work of some lethal eco-terrorists organisation. She soon confides in with her father, a Maths professor, since it seems that her mother (an actress) and Danny (her younger brother) wouldn't be too suitable to confide in. She feels guilty for not realizing it earlier and they the decided to go to the FBI to report what her findings were in hope to help them with the investigation, where she soon finds herself sucked into the chaotic world of espionage -- alongside a very attractive, slightly older agent...

What I liked about this book:
The concept of having a girl like Digit with such a special gift is refreshing. The author, Annabel Monaghan, definitely did some research and dug out all existing mathematical knowledge for her to be able to write such detailed process on how Digit cracked a lot of main codes, and it was good to include Digit's 'working' or 'calculations' because it adds to the truly authentic smart, geeky and brilliant Digit way! Also, for some of those that is as smart as Digit and could actually understand it (I have to admit, I don't quite understand most of the calculations and may or may not be guilty of skipping some of her 'workings'). Overall, it is a great book, so check it out :)

What I found needed some improvements:-

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #4)

Hey guys! I'm on a roll! Yeaaaaah :) Yes, I know so far, I am doing only books under the Lux series, but this will probably be the last one on the Lux series for now (because the final book is not due for a while!), and I'll be starting on some new books, though I don't know for sure what I am going to be reading... Probably going to the school library soon to get some more books, so YAAAAY! Okay,on to the review...

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the 4th book in the Lux series. Here is the blurb/synopsis:

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

BAM! There you go, the synopsis/blurb of the book-- now before I get to my summary, I will probably have a mini rant whatnot on the previous book, especially it's ending, so if you have not read Opal yet, SPOILER ALERT! There, now that that was out of the way, on to my mini rant (Feel free to skip out on the rant and go straight down to the summary if you want). Note that this will be a literal - excuse me for how I am phrasing this out - word vomit. I just type the first thing that comes to mind and don't filter it.

-Start of rant- 

*Takes in a deep breath* I honestly don't know what to feel about Blake right now. I mean, one minute I trust him, then I don't, then I sorta do, and now I don't. Honestly, everyone's a traitor-- no doubt to that. Who can you even trust now? Though does it make me a weird person if I hope that somehow deep down, Blake was the good guy in disguise? And was all that sh*t about liking Katy even real? Oh Lordy I feel like a total girly girl + disappointed fan girl (no offense) right now. Though I was actually out of the house when I was reading the ending, expecting some sort of happy ending and ZAMBAM, it was like someone smacked me in the face with a fish. Though I guess stories can't always end up happy, huh? It was hands down, a pretty good way to end the book and keeping people on that cliffhanger was genius yet cruel at the same time. I was pretty mad at Blake, and the whole Chris thing was like total BS? Dang, isn't he a great actor, either that or everyone else is just extremely gullible -- not that we would know because, after all, we are in Katy's mind/thoughts... I guess this would be the end of the rant! If you actually stuck through with my rambling, congratulations, you just found out what it is like to talk to me about books unfiltered, or just talk to my mind and thoughts in general -- though it would be much more messier than this... ;)

-End of rant-

Sorry about that! Now really on to the review..

So this book, unlike the past couple of books, are written in alternating point of views of Katy and Daemon. The book starts off what I assume would be 31 hours after Katy was captured by the DOD and Daedalus. Katy has been captured and transported off to Area 51, Nevada to the DOD/ Daedalus experimental base sorta place and she is pretty much expecting to be the next Dawson and Beth (recap: Dawson is the Blacks' other triplet and Beth is his girlfriend). Also as expected she was taken in and had many tests ran on her, needless to say, some easier than others. If they thought that she was pretty unstable, then they did not do a good job when they brought in someone who she has grew a strong loathing too in a short amount of time -- the one and only Blake. Yes, the Blake that betrayed her not once but twice; the Blake that took her opal and pretty much set her up for being caught in the DOD/Daedalus facility. But after going around the place, it seems that maybe the DOD/ Daedalus facility and research motives weren't as bad as it seems; perhaps her extraterrestrial friends and their kind were the one at blame...

Daemon was miserable and as approachable as a bed of nails since Katy was taken away. He was mad, to say the least at Matthew and Dawson for knocking him out when he was supposed to save Katy. His Katy. The one that he was supposed to protect. Look where that got her now, in the hands of their enemy -- The DOD/ Daedalus are doing God knows what to her, and he is not going to stand by and let that happen. He is going after her, and no one can stop this stubborn, strong-headed and madly in-love alien.He probably is in deep sh*t for doing what he did to the Elder and some people of his own kind, but what did they expect? Him to be all happy and sunshine-y after they took Kat? Desperate times come for desperate measure, and this very handsome alien would burn the whole world if it is what it took to get her back. He will do whatever it takes to be with her, even if it means turning himself into a situation that screams trouble...

This book, unlike the past couple of books, are written in alternating point of views which is undoubtedly Katy and Daemon's. Now this book is where it gets pretty deep into the whole Daedalus ordeal, so there will be quite a dystopian-ish feel to the book, especially when reading from Katy's point of view. The author, Jennifer L. Armentrout has seemingly very deliberately planned the plot line once again, and slowly, things start to click into place. This book kinda gave me a very paranoid feeling, in the sense where every time a new character was introduced, I would analyse pretty much all of their movements (if it makes sense) and then decide if they were evil or not. As cheesy as this sounds, this book makes me feel like I am being sucked into the story, which I guess would be every author's aim. It is a pretty emotional book and I won't lie and say that I don't think some things they did were stupid, just because ;).

What I liked about this book:
As usual, the author Jennifer L. Armentrout never fails to deliver. I loved the details in this book, with the whole Daedalus/DOD situation and it somehow has this very sweet little love story in it which just makes me go 'AWWWW'. It was like the other books -- amazing. I really would say some more but it might give out the story and all so I will just keep my virtual mouth/keyboard/words/whatever-the-heck-you-would-call-this shut.

What I felt needed some improvements: -
as per usual :)

Ahhh! Can't wait for the last book in the series!!

That is it for this review! Thanks for reading my pulchritudinous readers ;) Until the next book (get it? because next book = next book review = post? no? okay. buh bye now)
Cheers,
K

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #3)

Hey guys! So before you start wondering why on earth am I seemingly only reviewing books from the Lux series? Well that is because that is what I am currently reading, so that is what I am posting. I post what I read at the time, so to some extent you can keep up with what I am reading,that is, if you want to do that.
Okay, on to the review...

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars 

Opal by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the third book in the Lux series. Here is the blurb/synopsis:

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it

So now that you have read the blurb/synopsis, we can move onto my version of the summary. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT READ THE PREVIOUS BOOKS. You have been warned... 

 Okay so the third book, like the previous couple of books, are from Katy's point of view.This book takes off at where it left off, with escaping from Will (recap: Katy's mother's 'boyfriend' and evil, psycho doctor/traitor) and finding Dawson (recap: Dee and Daemon's brothers). As you probably remember from the previous book, Katy was held by Will, tortured using onyx, the stone that is painful to hybrids and Luxens (similar to how obsidian is harmful to Arums). Will used the special connection shared by the hybrids/mutations and their 'Healers' to get what he wants, which is to be mutated by a Luxen. He captured Katy, taking the bet that Daemon, who is the strongest of his kind, was her Healer and would do anything to set her free, including mutating Will. In exchange for mutating him, he would set Katy free allegedly unharmed and release Dawson, knowing that he has struck both of Dawson's weaknesses. He gave Katy the address and once the mutation was done, would set both of them out of the warehouse-like detention centre and give them easy access to Dawson, handing them a chance to free the last one of the Blacks' triplet.  Even though Dawson is back physically, doesn't mean that he is back mentally. Keeping in mind that Dawson was also harmed and tortured by the Daedalus, a group supposedly within the DOD (aka the Department of Defense).
 After knowing Will's true intentions for capturing and torturing hybrids and taking advantage of the special bond developed between them and their healers, we can easily conclude that is why they took Dawson and Beth in the first place -- to use them for mutating purposes -- which probably wasn't too helpful to the Daedalus, leading to the capturing of Katy Swartz and Daemon Black,

From the battle between Katy, Dee, Adam and Blake (recap: the cute surfer boy and hybrid), Blake killed Adam, which he claims that was not intentional. Shockingly to most of us, after getting their hands on Blake post-Adam's death, they let him go, claiming that this was his finla chance to go away and never come back unless he has a death wish, agreeing that there were too many deaths in one day. Dee still is grieving over Adam, who she only lately and discovered and confessed her feelings for. Dee blames both Daemon and Katy, but Katy blames herself. In this book, Dee plays as an powerful character and element in the book. Katy is regretful for pushing Dee away, and wants to be friends again, but Dee replies, saying that it was too much and she don't reckon they can ever be friends again. *winces* Ouch! Add in Ash and Andrew, the remaining of the Thompson triplets, who before Adam's death already seem to have a strong dislike towards Katy, now probably hates her guts. To make it worse, someone who isn't ever supposed to show up is back, and the devil has a deal to make -- one that they can't possibly turn down...

Yeah, cliffhanger-ish sort of thing I just did there *winks* I won't elaborate more because I am already at a risk of spoiler, and I might have already committed a mini crime there (not too sure though!). Onto my personal review...

What I liked about this book:

This book took many turn of events, some I did not expect. I particularly enjoyed watching Dawson grow out of his hollow shell and start to warm up to his old life. It is also particularly amusing having a jealous Daemon. Having Daemon as well, Daemon is protective enough in his nature, so Jealousy + Daemon = A very amused me. Some parts of the book got me gaping at my book like an idiot, but I couldn't help it. I particularly enjoyed the intensity of the book too. A great story line and plot! Praises to Jennifer L. Armentrout! Not gonna spoil but the ending = Oh My Lordy!

What I find needed some improvement:-

That concludes my book review! WOOHOO. Until next time, my pulchritudinous readers :)

Cheers,
K

B/N: I don't know what else should I add down to my reviews to improve it! Comment if you think I should
add anything new into my reviews and I'll consider! Also, Happy ANZAC day to anyone who celebrates it :)

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Lux #2)

Onyx by Jennifer L Armentrout is the second book in the Lux series. This book follows the story of it's previous book and pretty much picks up where it left off. Here's the blurb/ synopsis:

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Rating: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads

The book, like it's previous one, is seen from the point of view of Katy. This book follows on the journey of being 'connected' to her Daemon, her alien neighbour and crush. In this sequel, it focuses mainly on the complexity of the decision on who to trust and who to not. After all, traitors are everywhere! Not to mention what happened to a shadowy part of the Blacks' past -- one that is not often explored -- known as Dawson and Beth? Well, that is mainly what the book focuses on!

So if you are reading this post, you should know that beyond this point, there might be some spoilers for those who have not read the fist book, so READ AT YOU OWN RISK! You have been warned! Now, onto the summary...

So, the last book ended in a slight cliff-hanger, where Daemon made a cheeky little comment about not giving up on Katy, and isn't he serious! This book included some sweet moments where Daemon kinda 'courts' Katy to win her over and have her fully declare her true feeling towards him, but Katy being Katy would not believe that things like hat comes so easily and heavily suspects that the only reason Daemon is now pursuing her is because of some freaky alien connection that has surfaced after Daemon healed her. Now that you have the alien boy pursuing the stubborn, human girl that refuses to admit to her feeling towards him, what else to do but to add a new boy in town -- one that seems to know more than he should and seems to be getting a little cozy with Katy? Jealous alien boy who's suspicion is higher than ever? Check. Stubborn, overly trusting, kinda-human girl who is in denial about her feeling? Check. New surfer boy in town who seems to be bringing some pretty fishy business with him and who can't seem to get enough of Katy? Check. What else is there to a action pack, thrilling read? Throw in some evil aliens, a very incredulous government association, some dark past and backstabbers, then BOOM! You have one heck of a read!

What I enjoyed about this book:

The more detailed explanation is one thing to look forward to in this book. For those of you out there that have already read the first book, this will be the one where you get to further understand some of the plot and more about what is going on. Take this as a big stepping stone to the bigger truth, some which may be discovered at the end of the book! In this book, we can also watch as Matthew ( you guys remember him right? For those that don't, he is the 'guardian' of Dee and Daemon) becomes more transparent and open as a character, warming up more to the idea of having Katy around -- and not temporarily. We also watch as Daemon pours out his sweet side for Katy, which can turn some people into quote from Katy"a gooey puddle"*.

*Cue the cooing*

Lastly, as usual, the Daemon's P. O. V. is pretty exciting because we get another insight into Daemon's abstruse little alien head.

What I disliked about the book:-

So that concludes my second review! *Bows* 

Until next time I finish a book, my pulchritudinous readers!

Cheers,
K

B/N: What did you think about this review? How did the book make you feel? Let me know in the comments below! :)

*Quote might not be exact, due to my occasionally goldfish-like memory

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian is the first book in the Lux series written by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Here is the blurb/ synopsis:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is...

Rating: 4/5 Stars
Blurb from Goodreads.

This book, if you can't already tell, is a supernatural novel about, well, aliens! Now before some of you go like 'What? Aliens? SO IMMATURE', let me tell you, I had pretty much the same reaction, but I figured, 'why not give it a go?' so now I can officially tell you that it is not as childish as a book about alien is expected to be. 

If the synopsis/blurb is not enough for you to understand the book, here is my version of a rundown of the book, which may or may not be helpful -- but that is up to you to decide. 

So the book is written in the point of view of Katy, a high school student, who moves to the small, silent town of West Virginia. She lives with her mom, which we will know at the beginning of the book, works as a nurse. A big factor that contributed in this move was her mother's intention to hep both of them move on from Katy's father's death from cancer 3 years ago, which was also explained at the first couple of chapters. She first meets Daemon when she offers to get some groceries for her mother, and getting some gardening tools for herself (which at this point, if you can't figure out yet, her liking towards gardening is revealed! DUN DUN DUN). Since she is new to town, she and her mother both have no clue to where the grocery and gardening shops were, so her mother suggests that she asks their next door neighbour, who she has not-so-discreetly mentioned that she saw some teenagers Katy's age - a boy and a girl. 

A little begrudgingly, she agrees and sets off knocking on her neighbour's door, which swung open to reveal Daemon in his so-called half naked glory. This event led to another and soon, she finds herself being tangled into a web of complications, and of course, aliens. 

BOOM! So that was my version of the story line rundown! I am trying my best to not have any spoilers in there, but if there is one or two minor ones, please don't come after me with a knife.

Now time for personal review! *rubs palms together with a smirk*

What I liked about the book:
Personally, I really enjoyed Katy as a character. She was smart, occasionally sarcastic, a dash of sassy and downright humorous. I thought Jennifer did a great job in writing out the story line to make it somewhat relate-able and engaging. In the story, Katy is a fellow blogger too, blogging mostly about books, and I comprehend her love for books, because in some aspects, I find that me and Katy are not all too different when it comes to our passion for reading -- not the being neighbours with aliens part, of course!Also the dry humour from some of the characters are very entertaining. Not to forget the extra special Daemon's point of view at the end of the book (we can finally take a sneak peek into the seemingly extra complicated mind of our attractive alien)! YAY :) 

                                         

What I feel that requires some more improvement: -

Dear PULCHRITUDINOUS people out there reading this, YOU JUST READ MY FIRST EVERY BLOG POST ON THIS BLOG!

For those of you who don't know what pulchritudinous means, Google it! ;)

Cheers,
K