OmO. :3

Hello, hello! Today, we went shopping and I bought two cutesy items!

First up is a key chain from Comic Alley. That girl with the long, blonde hair is Tsumugi Kotobuki (Mugi, for short) from the anime K-On! She's, obviously, the keyboardist of Hokago Tea Time. My bunch of friends said I'm like her for these reasons: (1) she plays the keyboard, and (2) she is demure but easily excitable (nyah~). She's also a rich girl and brings tea and dessert for the club (her father owns a maid cafe, nyao).

The second thing is... a book! Yeah, some people may not consider that cutesy, but it's cute for me. Heehee.

The book on the right is Mermaid in the Basement by Gilbert Morris. I have never heard of Morris until a couple of hours ago. I bought the book because it was interesting: (1) it's set in 1800 (I think?) London, (2) the lead character is female, (3) it's a detective story, and (4) I smell romance in the corner. Haha! I was actually in a pinch when I bought this because there were two other interesting books: The Phantom Tollbooth and The Mistress of the Art of Death. Meh, the latter title is really piquing my interest... But it costs 115 pesos and that's the end of the dilemma. :P

Anyway, I also saw a lot of interesting things in the mall: a two-finger ring with a skull design (which is so Sunako Nakahara), cute pencil cases, a wolf plushie (so adorable~), Gundam OO merchandise (finally!), and a poster of a topless Kurosaki Ichigo with nun chucks. Haha!

My Political Compass

Book Review - Dirty Sally by Michael Simon

Rating: 10/10

Sgt. Dan Reles, a Jew and New Yorker, is trying to fit in the Austin, Texas police department. When his buddy is killed, Reles finds he is having a hard time coping with the death and with his feelings for the widow. Additionally, he is set to go before a review board, and cracking his current case is the only way for him to look good in front of the superiors. However, the future seems bleak, as businessmen and prominent Austin citizens appear to have a hand in the murder of a prostitute.

Gritty and dark, this is an example of a good crime novel. Not only is it exciting, it is also well-written. This may be Michael Simon's first novel, but he sure writes like an expert.

Book Review - Three for the Chair by Rex Stout

Rating: 10/10

Three for the Chair contains three stories starring Nero Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin. The first, "A Window for Death," involves a pretty nurse, a squabbling family, and the mysterious death of Bert Fyfe. "Immune to Murder" brings Wolfe and Archie to the Adirondacks where the famous detective is asked to cook trout for an ambassador. But things start to go awry when Archie discovers a dead body during a fishing expedition. Finally, Wolfe and Archie are suspects in a murder investigation in "Too Many Detectives."

As I mentioned before, I have started to like Nero Wolfe and how he does his work. A secretive man, much like Sherlock Holmes, his methods are irregular but his results are always astounding.

Book Review - Plot It Yourself by Rex Stout

Rating: 10/10

A group against plagiarism asks Nero Wolfe to find out the person behind the recent plagiarism claims in the literary world. As Wolfe and his assistant, Archie, embark on this seemingly simple investigation, a dead body suddenly turns up, followed by another, and another. Soon, they are not only looking at plagiarism, but also at murder.

I didn't like Nero Wolfe at first because of the comparisons given by people between him and the beloved Sherlock Holmes. With this book, though, he is starting to be likeable, and his methods of investigation are as astounding as Holmes. A wonderful book this one is.

Book Review - The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

Rating: 10/10

Boston PD Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles receive an appalling - and rather grotesque - Christmas present: a murder investigation. However, this is no simple murder. There are evidences of arcane and demonic activity in the crime scene left by the mysterious killer. An occult group offers to help them - a group that aims to find the root of Evil in this world. When the murders grow closer to home, the group wonders if they accidentally summoned a demon on earth.

Medical suspense can't get any more thrilling than this. Tess Gerritsen's The Mephisto Club lingers in the reader's mind long after it has been finished (heck, I couldn't sleep for three nights). This is one of her best books, really.

Book Review - The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

Rating: 9/10

To the ordinary human being, midnight occurs only for a moment. To a special group of people, though, midnight lasts for an hour. Only at this time can they truly be free, enjoying their powers to the fullest. The darklings, creatures that roam only in the midnight hour, let them be, afraid to come near the humans. However, when a new girl comes to the town of Bixby in Oklahoma, the midnight hour turns dangerous. Meet Jessica Day, a normal girl with a normal family. The darklings, though, see a power in her that could destroy their precious midnight hour, and they must stop her, at all costs.

The Secret Hour is the first book in the Midnighters trilogy.

This is my second Scott Westerfeld book, and all I have is praise. He is a master of his art - able to use literary techniques to their full potential. The Secret Hour is a well-written dark, adventure novel, with just a hint of romance here and there. It's a good read for teens.

Book Review - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Rating: 9/10

Professor Robert Langdon is summoned to Washington, DC late at night to deliver a lecture. When he gets there, the lecture is mysteriously cancelled, and the only thing that remains is a severed hand belonging to his friend, Peter Solomon, which represents the Hand of Mysteries, an invitation to a challenge. With his life's friend on the line and a killer on the loose, Langdon unravels a series of events that leads him to the secrets of Freemasonry and the search for 'the Lost Word.'

With amazing writing techniques and numerous surprising secrets, Dan Brown created a book where the reader can't help but go on and on reading without stopping. Interesting and filled with lessons about history and religion, The Lost Symbol is a thrilling page-turner.

Book Review - The Society of S by Susan Hubbard

Rating: 10/10

Ariella Montero is a young girl living in Saratoga Springs, New York. She has almost everything: a nice house, education, a caring (and handsome) father. But Ari does not have a mother. One day, amidst the questions plaguing her life, she sets off to look for the mysterious mother she never met.

To those who have been disappointed after reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight and who have given up reading YA novels about vampires, this book is for you. Beautiful and sensitive in its writing, The Society of S keeps one reading forever, if that is even possible. I like the way Susan Hubbard wrote: dark, haunting, and often infused with humor. Her techniques will leave you begging for me (which is precisely the reason why I shall now be looking for a copy of The Year of Disappearances).

Even humans can enjoy this book.

If you think this is an Independence Day post, then you're wrong...

At eighteen and a half years old, I'm still like a kid rummaging through her mother's bureau - I don't know the first thing about make-up! Sure, I know about eyeliner, eyeshadow, lipstick, mascara, blush-on and all that stuff, but actually applying it is tricky. Yeah, I have watched and read about how to apply but it's hard when you're painting your own face. I have had make-up applied on me by other people, but I can't seem to do it to others or to myself. It's really frustrating, haha!

In the picture on the right, I tried applying pink eyeshadow and black eyeliner to match my clothes. The problem is, they disappear quickly because I have oily skin and the weather is freakin' hot. My mom says I should get waterproof make-up, but I bet that costs a ton. Also, the only make-up I could get along with are eyeliner, face powder, lipstick, and lip gloss. Even eyeshadow is a chore because I don't know which should come first: darker hues or lighter hues?

I'm getting the idea that the weather in the Philippines isn't suited for eyeliner. Once, I wore some and it was really hot. In the middle of the day, I looked like a bad version of an Addams Family member.

But, I am trying to learn, because I know I'll need it someday. :D

I love Bruno Mars and Ryota Miyagi, yo! But... *chuckle chuckle*

It's my sister's idea, really. And I want to thank you, yo! :D

Random stuffies~

Hi! This is the last Friday of vacation. Next Monday, we'll have to go to U.P. Diliman and dive into another year of academic work, yo!

*sigh*

*groan*

Ugh.

Summer is almost over and I think I haven't done anything absolutely productive - anime-books-fanfiction-games-and-drama things-wise.  Well, I did finish watching Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge live-action drama, post two stories (1 oneshot and 1 on-going), kept ourselves updated on BLEACH (manga and anime - strictly canon... sort of), re-watched and relived Slam Dunk, watched Season 2 of K-On!,  managed to read several books, downloaded a ton of DS games, almost done with Bleach: The 3rd Phantom, but it just is not enough, yo! For one, I wasn't able to get to the beach this summer. That is so dream material, yo!

*sigh*

Anyway, I'm happy with how things turned out. We manage to go on everyday. *grin grin grin*

This is one random post.

Oh yeah! My bebz and I (count 4 in that "bebz" word) went out this summer! We also had an overnight! Yay! All of us are in college now, except Reg-kun who graduated last April. Yay! It's awesome, really.

Also, this summer was full of firsts. I attended my first cosplay convention - Ozine Fest 2011, yo! I participated in a cosplay event as Sunako Nakahara from Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge in Hobby Fest 2011 (and got a lot of recognitions, yo!). Maybe it wasn't such a bad summer, after all.

*shrug*

Nyahaha. That is probably my favorite online laugh right now. So addicting... Nyahaha.

Muh. I still haven't posted any reviews which is so... Um... Lazy of me. Also, I haven't updated Broken, which sucks because I don't have anymore ideas (on how to make my OC non-hateable, ahem)! Plot bunnies, come on!

And, so, this totally random post stops here.