Story Time : The Heir of Fire

I've been really sick of Dystopian books lying in every single bookshelf when I walk pass a bookstore. It's so difficult to find something really good. Kudos to The Hunger Games that really blew up the concept of dystopian societies appearing on every single book shelf. Thanks to that, my plans to actually read Divergent went into the drain. Because let me repeat, I am really sick of dystopian themed books, movies and anything dystopian. Kinda harsh, but it's gone way too far. 

P.S, I usually don't do book reviews but when I do, It means it's a pretty darn good book.

SPOILER ALERT. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. 

|| A Little History and Info about this Series ||

The 'Throne of Glass' series was in fact called 'Queen of Glass' and is written by Sarah J.Maas who was member of fiction press. Wikipedia all this for more information. Thank the lord, a publisher picked up a story. Now we have this work of amazingness. The Story? Blew my mind. 

Book 1 : Throne of Glass

Book 2 : Crown of Midnight

Book 3 : The Heir of Fire (Photo Above)

The main character Celaena Sardothien is not your typical, emotion driven (maybe a bit) assassin. She knows what is wrong and what is right. She knows pain and she knows what it feels like having nothing, but she knows how to enjoy the little things in life too. Ah-hem... she has a passionate obsession over books and wanting to feel beautiful. CLICK HERE for good reads and summary. 

The series is full blown of Magic, Fae, Witches and awesome creatures. 

|| First Impression ||

The first time I came across the first book, I thought the cover was the coolest thing I ever seen. It left a lasting impression.

|| My Thoughts ||

What really made me love the book was that Celaena felt real, she wasn't made into a character that fantasises about Happy Endings, her ultimate goal was survival and freedom and using whatever methods it would take. Her refusal to seek the truth or understand her 'past' was contrast greatly from typical book characters who usually try to poke their nose in everything they wish to know. (Most of the time)

However I am not a fan of Celaena's Love interests, Chaol and Prince Dorian. This is just my personal point of view. I understand there's actually quite a number of Team Chaol fans, but Chaol didn't actually stand out to me from the beginning, his character actually made me want to smack him for his 'indecisiveness' by Book 3. I understand that his position makes it difficult for him but sometimes I felt that he could have actually said 'Yes' or 'No'. Even so the series isn't done yet, I will only make the Final Verdict after the series has ended but until then he isn't that impressive in my eyes. 

Whereas for Prince Dorian, he was charming at the beginning. I wasn't really in his Team either. I felt that Celaena and him did connect at one point but it just wasn't enough. Considered what happened at the end of 'The Heir of Fire', I am anticipating his growth in his character. It was quite cruel of the King to kill the girl off. (As cruel as it sounds, I wanted her dead because she was a little unnecessary) 

Rowan totally won me over, but I'm pretty sure he won't be Celaena's love interest at all. It happens every single time. The guy who deserves it never gets it, despite him being married before. I'm looking forward to see more of Rowan. 

|| My Verdict || 

Book 1 - Book 3 :  9/10. 

The reason for not receiving 10, it's because it's incomplete and the 'love interests' just didn't work for me. (For Now) I'd rather Celaena ended up a Queen without anyone, that way I can pretend she ended up with Rowan. Or even better, she ends up with Rowan. (LOL) 

A book that will make a reader feel whirlwinds of emotions and leave you craving for more. Lord of the Rings + Games of Throne combined = Throne of Glass. Perfection, my two favourite series became one. 

“She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.” 

― Sarah J. Maas, Heir of Fire

Mini London Photo Diary

Yesterday I woke super early in the morning and chuck down meds to ensure my meeting with my friends would go smoothly without any of my sneezing and coughing interfering. Took a train down to London in the morning and arrived in the afternoon, my schedule was pretty pack on the day. I was meeting two different groups of people and at the same time get some errands done in between (mainly finding a new pair of jogging shoes). I wanted some kind of "western" meal for lunch and so the night before I was researching a lot until I stumble upon Lily Pebbles's blog post about "The Breakfast Club". Decided to give it a go and headed to the branch tuck hidden in London Soho. There was definitely a que but a 20 - 30 minute wait for me is something I don't complain often because I believe good things comes to those who wait. Got seated at the corner of the restaurant. The ambiance was really casual, something I really appreciate, it was a slight escape from the busy streets of London as the restaurant was quite close to the infamous Oxford Street and Regent Street. I was too engrossed talking with my friend and hence the DSLR was forgotten once the meals arrived (quite fast in fact). I ordered The All American Pancakes which was scrumptious, the bacon was so good. Drools. 

After that, I kiss good bye to my friend telling her I'll see her in Japan soon. (Gonna miss her loads) I decided to just take one hour to look for a pair of trousers and shoes. I was prepared to spend but not much. Urban Outfitters currently has my heart but the prices are always ridiculous and hence after a short visit, I left with a heavy heart. But I'm happy to say I found a new pair of Jogging shoes and at Schuh with a student discount. I was a happy girl until I decided to head to Costa to grab a cup of tea for my throat before meeting with another bunch of my friends, my wallet/purse was missing. I was shocked, beyond shocked, I've never lost my belongings before. I always have a habit to check my bag every single time. This could only mean one thing, I was robbed/pick pocketed. I was so distraught that I called my mum who was sleeping back in Malaysia. However, thank God that I have a habit of storing important documents/ID's/Credit Cards/Debit Cards separately. I did tell myself before if I ever loose my purse, at least only the not-so-important items are gone. I was glad I was sensible enough to do that but it was still a shocking experience. To the person who stole my purse and there was only £10 and lots of pence in it, I hope you had a good meal. 

I met up with my friends a bit later because of this incident, I spent an extra hour on the phone with my mum. (I LOVE YOU MUM) I met up with my friends later than planned, had a good laugh and being comforted. Ate Chinese Food at Bayswater before heading home during Midnight. It was in fact a great day but loosing my purse definitely killed it slightly for me. Anyway, right now I'm purse-less and thinking of getting a new one during my trip to London again some time next week. That concludes a very interesting yet exhausting day in London, I came home and my sneezing and coughing returned, full force, now I'm tuck in bed, resting and getting some studying done. It was a long post but I needed to vent and share my experience to make myself feel a little better. Just another one of my life stories I can share in many years to come. 

The Weekend Update #01

My 1st attempt to a weekend post. Splurged on a very expensive Yankee Candle in Pink Sand. The reason I bought it it's because it reminds of the Beach and I love Pink. Clearly it did not smell like the beach, it was sweet but not overwhelming. (Thank God) I've been sick for the past week, I don't get sick very often, but I do know once it hits, it's going to be Harsh one. Besides staying in bed, blowing tissues and coughing like crap, I decided to be a little productive by doing some filing. Exams are coming soon, so I need all the necessary notes to be ready and easy to be access. 

Also, In order to comfort myself, I decided to make myself some pretty easy to do pancakes. Sliced some banana's and top it off with whip cream and honey, VOILA! Not the most conventional food for the sick but it totally made up for the bland food that I had for the past week. On a side note I'm heading to London this Tuesday to visit two different group of friends, one for lunch the other for Dinner. Pray to Lord that at least I will be better by then, I've canceled all my weekend meet ups, I want to at least make it for the upcoming one. I'll try to make an effort to bring my DSLR, depending whether my health has improved or not. Til then, toddles! 

P.S, I hate the filters I did for the candle but I'm too sick to bother to adjust. 

Like First Love

[January / February 2013, Tokyo, Japan]
My love for this city probably started way back when I was just a little girl. Undeniably, anime was what made me hooked on the thought of Japan. But time passed and I grew up, still watching Anime, but not a hard core anymore. Japan itself always has this serene atmosphere about it. Back in 2011, blame the adrenaline rush, I book a flight alone to visit Tokyo and my friend who is (still) studying in the country. The city itself blew me away.  There's a Japanese expression of a feeling when you meet your love, well my heart went  "Doki Doki" for the country. (Cliche as this sounds). I can't wait to visit the country again for this Summer holiday. This time, I'm gonna visit other parts of Japan. Can't for the all the amazing. Until then, gotta study hard. XO !

To Deny is to Invite Madness, To Accept is to Control

Half Term Break. What a better excuse to give me a reason to whip out my DSLR. It definitely has been a while. 2 days ago, I visited a beautiful tiny village located in West Sussex called Hartfield Village. For what? Well, for those who don't know. Apparently the author who created the infamous Winnie the Pooh, a.k.a Pooh Bear, lived in this part of the country and pen-ed the story from there. I was excited and actually managed to get my friends to go with me. I was prepared mentally and physically. The only thing that I absolutely forgotten was the fact, England is a wet and muddy country. Hence I wore the wrong footwear and my sneakers were soaked with mud and maybe poo. I freaked out so much that I actually said this "I don't feel the Pooh, but I definitely can feel the Poo!!" Nonetheless t'was a good experience. We didn't stay long because we started our journey late and had to rush back for the train. I didn't complete the entire tour, except visiting "Pooh Sticks Bridge". Will definitely return again when I get the chance.  Till next time.
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Dreaming

It's 2014 and I'm a little late in posting this. I'm gonna list a few things that I will attempt to do for this new year. Forgive me if New Year's Resolution is too mainstream for you, but I need to make one this year because I seriously need to sew my life into place. Shall we?

1. Less Shopping. This will be my top priority because it's the most difficult one for me. Less shopping = more savings. 
2. FOCUS. I need to focus more on my work and think about other non-sensical things less. I'm moving forward not backwards!
3. Exercise, Be it at home or even just a walk. I'm always more of a lay in bed kind of girl, for many years the word "exercise" might as well be a taboo word during my teenage years. I just loathe using energy. (Absolutely explains my laziness)
4. Connecting with No. 3, I need to eat much more healthily. No more carb's and chocolate. More fiber and protein. 
5. Waking up at 6.30/7am in the morning. 
6. Try to compromise with people and at the same time try and say 'NO' more. 
7. I need to social more. Seriously, sometimes I feel like a shut in. Sure I have friends but I feel like I hang out lesser now. Maybe in my terms, but compared to others I'm definitely a minor in this category.

For now thats all I can think of that my life needs fixing. Basically after moving to the UK, I'm moving towards the life of being an Independent girl. There are those who has said I've always been independent and also those who said I've been nothing but a spoiled brat. But whatever it is, I think I'm taking baby steps to improve myself. No more relying on parents, never too late to start anything. This quote "Nobody said life was an easy life" I accept it whole heartedly even when I was a kid. Nothing is free, anybody can whine and complain for all I care but at the back of their head there's always someone telling them you gotta work for it. 

P.S, I'm trying to make this blog thing work but I'm too busy every time. Urgh....