Book Review~V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram

Title: V is for Virgin

Author: Kelly Oram

Publisher: Bluefields

Pub Date: December 11th 2012

Format: ebook

Pages: 360

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Links: Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Book/Author Site

Synopsis: When Val Jensen gets dumped for her decision to stay a virgin until marriage, the nasty breakup goes viral on YouTube, making her the latest internet sensation. 

After days of ridicule from her peers, Val starts a school-wide campaign to rally support for her cause. She meant to make a statement, but she never dreamed the entire nation would get caught up in the controversy. 

As if becoming nationally recognized as “Virgin Val” isn’t enough, Val’s already hectic life starts to spin wildly out of control when bad boy Kyle Hamilton, lead singer for the hit rock band Tralse, decides to take her abstinence as a personal challenge.

How can a girl stay true to herself when this year’s Sexiest Man Alive is doing everything in his power to win her over?

Rating: 10/10

Source: Got a copy from the author. Thank you so much, Kelly, for giving me a chance to read your amazing book!

Cover Talk: Love the cover! Definitely something I would pick up in a bookstore. I love how the V necklace is a part of the title. And I love the colours on the cover!

My Thoughts: OMG!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH I CAN'T EVEN!!!

This book was amazing! The story, the characters, everything was perfect!

Story: I loved the theme of this book. It dealt with the topics of teen sex and peer pressure very smoothly. And while I do not live in a place where these problems exist much, I could understand what it's like to be in that environment. It was also an inspirational book because it taught us to stand up for ourselves and to believe in ourselves. 

Romance: The romance, for me, was the best part! It felt so realistic, the relationships Val had. Kyle was... *sigh* I'll come to that later. But other relationships were very believable too. I don't know if I name names if it would be a spoiler or not so I'll just keep my mouth shut and let you read about Val's love life yourself.

Characters: The characters were very realistic. They could be my friends, that's how realistic they were! And I loved that about them because you could relate to a lot of them. 

Valerie wasn't someone I could relate to but more like someone I could look up to. She frustrated me sometimes but I also understood her reasons. I love how determined and strong she was.

Kyle!! OhmyGod Kyle!

He's officially my favorite book boyfriend ever! He made me swoon so hard! He's basically your typical bad boy you can't help but love. I imagined him as Ian all through the book!

That smirk is SO Kyle's sexy smirk!

Other characters were good too. I loved how believable Val's and Cara's friendship was. Zach was a very real person. Like, I've seen people like him. Isaac was really sweet and a perfect second lead ;) I really liked Margret and Val's parents. All in all, the characters were pretty likeable.

Overall: Overall, the book was perfect and I would highly recommend it! It is relatable, has humor and romance, and is a very fun and easy read. One of my all-time favorites!

About The Author:

Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which family and friends still tease her. She's obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and loves to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.

Liebster Award!

Yaay!! I got nominated for a Liebster Award from one of my blogger friends Jane from Asian Fixations! She has a really awesome blog so you should totally check it out! Thank you Janey! <3

Well first, here are the rules:

1. Post the award on your blog.
2. Thank the blogger(s) who presented this award and link back to their blog.
3. Write 11 random facts about yourself.
4. Answer 10 questions posted by the presenter and ask your nominees 10 questions.
5. Nominate 10 bloggers who you feel deserve this award and who have less than 200 followers.

11 facts about myself:

Oh, I'm really bad at talking/writing about myself! Oh well, lets give this a try...

1. I want to be a doctor.
2. I will turn 18 this year, in July.
3. I love chocolate!
4. I love talking about fictional boys! ;P
5. I have had a crush on a guy in my school for 6 years!
6. I don't like to go out much.
7. I love rainy days!
8. I love to watch "procedural cop shows"! I was a CSI addict once!
9. I love colored eyes! Especially blue and green.
10. I cry very easily while reading a book or watching a movie or TV show and an emotional scene comes up. That is why I don't watch emotional movies with other people or in the cinema because I'm embarrassed of crying during a scene that no one else felt was that emotional
11. I love cats! I want a cat!

Whew! Now that I'm done with that, here comes the hard part! The question, answers!

1. If your life will be turned into a drama/movie, who do you want to play you?

Ans: Oh that's easy, Yoon Eun Hye! She's an amazing actress plus we kinda look alike. So yeah, I would like YEH to play me! :D

2. What’s the one movie you can watch a hundred times and never get tired of?

Ans: Oh but there are so many! In Asian movies, Sunny! <3 And in English ones, Pride & Prejudice, Leap Year, A Walk To Remember, Anastasia...

3. If you’re given the chance to record a duet, what song would you sing and who’d be the one singing with you?

Ans: Oh you have no idea how much I have fantasized about this! :P I would love to song either with Kyuhyun (from Super Junior) or Nick Jonas. And the song I would like to sing is Two Is Better Than One (By Boys Like Girls featuring Taylor Swift).

4. Create a mixtape with your life as the theme.

Ans: Oh that's such a hard question! Ok, so here goes...

• A Place In This World by Taylor Swift
• Count On Me by Bruno Mars
• It's My Life by Bon Jovi
• Young by Hedley
• Invincible by Hedley
• Parade Rain by Hedley (Hedley songs are very relatable :P)
• Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson
• I'll Always Remember You by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
• Time Of Our Lives by Miley Cyrus
• Fifteen by Taylor Swift

I think ten's enough... That was easier than I thought, though :P

5. In your opinion, which movie/drama has the best OST?

Ans: Oh, that's easy! Skip Beat! I love the Skip Beat OST! <3

6. If your life is a Korean drama (or Jdrama!), why not? 

Ans: Does this mean why I wouldn't want it to be one or why it isn't one? Well I'm going to answer the former question. I wouldn't want my life to be a Kdrama because I don't like too much real life drama. It's too tiring :P And really, I'm too simple. I could never deal with the villains and the problems and stuff.

7. What are your pet peeves when watching dramas?

Ans: Bad chemistry between the leads. Bad kiss scenes. Stupid humor or humor I don't undertstand. Overly dumb female leads. Insta-love. Slow pacing. I bet there are more but these are the ones that are coming to my mind right now.

8. What book/manga/comics/etc would you want to be adapted into a drama/movie?

Ans: Someone please make the Mediator series by Meg Cabot into a TV show!!!

9. If you could change the ending of one drama/movie, which one and what changes would you do?

Ans: Well there's Big but I would change the whole second half of the drama, not just the ending... Oh, I would love to change the ending of Heirs! First of all I would give Kim Won his love and make him happy. I would put Young Do and Rachel together. I would kill off the dad and his wife. And lastly I would send Kim Tan and Eun Sang to America so we won't have to see them ever again!

10. “Are monsters born or made?” – White Christmas XD

Ans: Oh no, you didn't! I thought so hard over this question after watching that drama! And to be honest, I think it could be either way. I think it depends on the person and his choices. For example, not everyone who was abused becomes a monster. Similarly, not everyone who has some natural psychological problem becomes a monster. So it just depends on the person and what he chooses to do.

That was fun! Very creative questions, Jane! Now I have to make questions myself... That's hard!

Questions for Nominees:

1. Describe yourself in a sentence.
2. What is your guilty pleasure?
3. The worst drama you have ever watched or the worst book you have ever read?
4. What is the worst punishment you have ever received and for what?
5. What's your most embarrassing moment?
6. What was your favorite cartoon as a child?
7. What is your favorite genre? (In terms of books or dramas or movies etc)
8. If a character from a book/drama could come to life, who would you want it to be and why?
9. What is a common misconception that people have about you?
10. If you could go into the world of any book or drama/movie, which one would you like to go to?

Nominees:

• ChickLitGirl
• A solitary passion
• Literary Marie's Precision Reviews
• A Reader In Time
• The 828
• Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind
• Crazy for Kdrama
• Musings of a Twinkie
• Second Lead Syndrome

Wow! I don't know many blogs with less than 200 followers! So, after half an hour of searching, I can only nominate 9.

Once again, thank you so much Jane for nominating me for the Liebster award! It was a fun post to do :)

What I'm watching right now...

I have never watched so many on-going shows simultaneously! Right now I'm watching 6 shows, 1 of which is on break and 3 are Korean dramas.

All of these are awesome so I thought I'd share them with my readers and see if there's anyone who's watching the same shows so I can fangirl with them! ;)

1. Once Upon A Time

OhmyGod this show is so amazing! It has an amazing concept! You see, fairytale characters come to life! It's really so much fun to watch! Plus, it has a really strong female lead and gorgeous men. ;) Captain Hook!! *sigh* A must watch! Too bad it's on break and comes back in March ;( I can't wait!!

2. Supernatural

I've been a Supernatural fan for ages! Even my mom loves the show! The story is amazing and the cast does a splendid job! And Dean Winchester. Enough said.

3. Reign

I love historical stuff! Sure, Reign isn't historically very accurate but the story is really interesting and it's fun to watch the costumes and the royal lifestyle! Plus, the love triangle is really good! It's a great show and really, very much fun to watch. Highly recommended!

4. Prime Minister and I

Well, this one ended this week but I still have one episode left to watch. I loved it in the beginning! But then it got boring. I do like it now but not as much as I liked it initially. Lets see how the ending goes... Anyway, I thought I'd hate an ahjussi-romance but this wasn't that bad.

5. My Love From Another Star

I was supposed to like this one... I mean, it's good! It's really good! The story is great. The acting is amazing. But I think my timing was wrong. That is why I couldn't give this drama the attention it deserved. So I'm taking a break from this one. I've watched 10 episodes and I hope to go back to watch the rest soon, but only when I'm sure I can give the poor drama the love it deserves.

6. Emergency Couple

This one started a few weeks ago and I'm already in love with it! I want to be a doctor and this drama is set in a hospital so it's even more fun to watch! I love the actors and the story so far! And I eagerly wait for the new episode each week!

So, these are the shows I've been watching recently. Do you watch any of these shows? If yes, do comment below so we can fangirl together! ;) And if you have any other recommendations, feel free to comment those too. I'd love to check out new shows! :)

Battle of the Book Boyfriends

I'm trying something new in celebration of a new year :P Actually I've been wanting to do something like this for a long time but was too scared 'cause I don't really know the "rules". Anyway, this time around I thought 'Why not give it a try? It might be fun.' So here I am, joining in on the BOTBB train!

I haven't really read any book by Kelly Oram but I have read a lot about them around the blogoshpere. And the idea of Book Boyfriend Battles seems so cool and fun! Plus her books seem really good!

I chose Kyle from V is for Virgin to be my book boyfriend! I can't wait to read the book to find out how my new BF is!

If you have read the book, lemme know in the comments what you thought about it! And if you love Kyle then click here to vote for him! (The poll is in the sidebar.)

Also, keep on the lookout for my post for the tour! I will be posting on Sunday, 16 February! Click here to check out the other tour stops. The tour starts on 10 February!

I'm really excited to be a part of this! :D

MIA

I know I've been MIA since New Years but I'm drowning in tests and exams!

And the very little free time I have, I use to catch up on my sleep or read or catch up on TV shows & Kdramas. So I have absolutely no time left to post anything. I have so many post ideas but no time to write them. I miss blogging so much!

The sad thing is that I probably won't be able to post until June, when I'm done with my finals. I will drop by a few times to, maybe, write a review or cover reveal post etc. But it won't be regular.

That's pretty much it. Just dropped by to let ya'll know I'm still alive. Hope you're having a great 2014!

XOXO
Hira

Sacrifice (Daughter of Lilith: Book 3) by Jennifer Quintenz Cover Reveal!

Title: “Sacrifice” (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3)

Author: Jennifer Quintenz

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Secret Tree Press

Release date: January 31, 2014

For fans of Braedyn Murphy, the wait is almost over! “Sacrifice,” the third book in the Daughters of Lilith series, will be released on January 31, 2014.

"Sacrifice" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3) Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in the little town, and when Cassie gets tangled up its intrigue, Braedyn realizes she might have to chose between protecting her friends and stopping Lilith from reclaiming this earth. With her duties to the Guard wearing on her, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. Together they wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have. Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. Braedyn knew this fight could be brutal—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world? 

Check out the previous books in the series: 

Praise for "Thrall" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 1) 

"Before you even start this review, put down anything you are doing and go read Thrall. It's AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! Engaging and smart, Thrall leaves you speechless!" - Savannah, Books With Bite 

"The writing style is so smooth, yet gripping. Add some good characters, well-paced story and you have something that I like. No, not like. Love... No surprise that “Thrall” gets full five stars and the highest recommendations I can give." - Linda, The Fantasy Librarian 

"How do I even begin to put all the crazy, gushy, ramblings in my brain about this book onto paper?!? Where to even begin?....This book is a MUST read!" - Hooked In A Book review on Amazon 

Praise for “Incubus” (Daughters of Lilith: Book 2) 

"If you like gutsy fantasy of the urban variety this should definitely be on your 'must read' list. Don't let the YA label put you off either, like all the best YA fiction, this can be enjoyed by adults as well. I give it an unreserved 5 stars." - Tahlia, Awesome Indies

"This is one of those books that I have been looking forward to since June of last year... I loved this book and I'm so happy I finally got to read it. I recommend the entire series for the fully developed characters, the impressive mythology, and the fight scenes. I am dreading waiting for the next book." - David, David-Reviews.com 

"Great reading. LOVE IT. Jennifer Quintenz is a special writer who can be very riveting... Spent several sleepless nights in a crazy rush to see how it ends. Can't wait for the next books." - Terri, review on Amazon

About the author: Jennifer Quintenz is an award-winning film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. 
JenniferQuintenz.com ~ Jenn on Facebook ~ Jenn on Twitter ~ Jenn on Goodreads

Goodbye 2013! Hello 2014!

Happy new year guys! Hope you had a great 2013 and have an even better 2014!

This year I decided to do a roundup post. Last year I posted separate Top Ten lists. This year, sadly, I didn't have much time due to college. So I'm going to do these Top Ten lists all in one post!

I'll start with Top Ten Moments of 2013:

10. Starting College: I'll be honest, I'm not really liking college. But I am happy that I moved a step forward in life and closer to my dream of becoming a doctor!

9. Graduation: I graduated from school this year and I honestly thought that I would never miss it but I miss it so much! Anyway, this last year in school was a lot of fun. And the farewell was amazing! So yeah, graduation was one of the best moments this year.

8. Blogging: I had so much fun blogging this year! I think I've grown a lot as a blogger. I've still got tons to learn but I feel like I've come far from my beginner days. Plus, I've met so many amazing people through blogging!

7. My Teachers: I miss my school teachers so much! They were the best! And since this was our last year and we had spent 3 years together, they became almost like friends. My English teacher was, and still is, my inspiration and word's cannot describe how much I miss and love her and how lucky I was to have her as a teacher!

6. Making new friends: Even though I don't like college, I made friends pretty quickly. And our little group of 4 has become very close over the course of these 4 months. These people have made my life in college much better and bearable.

5. My friend's engagement: This news came as a big shock to all of us because we are only 17! And none of us were even thinking of getting married. So when one of my friend's announced that she was getting engaged, every one thought it was a joke. But when the reality of it sunk in, we were overjoyed! Her engagement party was one of the best nights of my life!

4. My friends: Aahh! I miss my school friends so much! Especially 2 of my best friends! All the three years with them have been wonderful but this year was more so because this was our last year. So we had lots of parties and get-togethers. We also grew much closer this year. And oh my, I miss them so much!

3. Family trip to Swat: The northern areas of my country are extremely beautiful. My family and I took a trip there and it was so amazing and so much fun! The scenery was breathtaking, the air so fresh, the water so clear. It was awesome, escaping the city for a little while and enjoying the nature.

2. Getting to see Catching Fire in theatre: I know what you must be thinking. 'This is one of her best moments of the year? Pathetic!' But, in my defence, watching a movie in theatres is very expensive in my country plus all the theatres in the city are so far away from where I live. Thus, I rarely get to watch movies in theatres. In fact, I think I haven't seen a movie in a theatre since my childhood. I had been saving money so I could watch Catching Fire. When it came out, I and my brother went to watch it and it was such a nice experience! I cried for the first time in a theatre!

1. Discovering the Kdrama world: This is the best thing that ever happened to me! At the beginning of 2013 I stumbled into the Kdrama (Korean Drama) world and I'm loving it here!

Top Ten Books I read in 2013:

10. Dante’s Girl by Courtney Cole and Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire:

Both of these books are different from each other but both fall at ten for me. Dante’s Girl is a YA novel. It’s short and sweet and there’s no depth or anything. Walking Disaster is Travis’s version of Beautiful Disaster, which are both New Adult novels, and it’s more angsty. While I liked Beautiful Disaster much better, it was nice reading the book in Travis’s voice.

9. Forsaken by Sophia Sharp:

This is one of my recent reads. It’s a Paranormal Romance by an indie author and though it wasn’t perfect, it was very well-written and enjoyable.

8. Teen Idol by Meg Cabot:

One of those books I would love to see as a movie! This is not one of my favorite works by Meg but it was good. The story was cute and overall it was an enjoyable book. I do remember not liking the protagonist’s  voice though…

7. His Black Wings by Astrid Yrigollen:

Another Paranormal Romance by an indie author. This one was so good! I read it all in one sitting. In fact, I stayed up all night reading it!

6. Sheltered by Debra Chapoton:

This book was creepy but so cool! Loved it! It would make such an awesome horror/thriller movie!

5. Pride andPrejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith:

The title says it all! This book was so much fun to read! More so because I have read Pride and Prejudice. It’s no literary masterpiece but it’s a fun take on the classic and I enjoyed a lot reading this one.

4. Dare You To by Katie McGarry:

By now Katie McGarry has become one of my favorite authors and I will read anything she writes! I did not love Dare You To as much as I loved Pushing The Limits but I did like it a lot and enjoyed reading it.

3. Crash Into You by Katie McGarry:

Now this one I loved just as much as Pushing The Limits! It was oh so good! A must-read if you like Contemporary Romances with broken characters who will change your life forever!! (Sorry, my fangirl heart couldn’t contain it any more.)

2. The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins:

I finally read all 3 books this year and I loved them! There’s nothing much more to say. These were amazing books!

1. Harry Potter and the: Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, Half Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling:

You can say that 2013 was the year I read most of the Harry Potter books. It’s no secret I love this series so naturally they are number one on my list <3

Top Ten Asian Dramas I watched in 2013:

2013 marked the start of my obsession with the drama world. Here are some of the best dramas I watched this year:

10. Skip Beat:

Skip Beat was the first Asian drama I ever watched. It wasn’t perfect but I loved it and it will always have a special place in my heart. Plus, Ivy Chen was amazing!

9. Flower BoyRamyun Shop:

Oh Lee Ki Woo!!! <3 <3 I’m not much of a fan of noona-romances plus this drama gives you a really bad case of second-lead syndrome but it wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was pretty enjoyable! And Lee Ki Woo!!!!!! And Jung Il Woo!!!!

8. Personal Taste:

The drama that made me fall in love with Lee Min Ho <3 It was cute and the idea was pretty interesting. Plus, LMH looked so good!!

7. Playful Kiss:

Oh how I loved this drama! I get why a lot of people don’t like this one but I loved it still! Because: A) It had Kim Hyun Joong in it who was my first Asian crush ever, even before I was hit by the Hallyu Wave! B) It was better than the anime. C) Jung So Min's acting was really good!

6. PrincessHours/Goong:

I loved this drama so much! The idea of Korea still having a monarchy system was so cool! The costumes were so amazing! It was so much fun watching Korean rituals and customs. Plus, Prince Yool!!! <3 The acting was good too and I had so much fun fangirling over this drama with my friend!

5. Secret Garden:

HYUN BIN IS SO FRICKIN’ GORGEOUS!!!! <3 <3 The drama was pretty good too. I liked the whole switching bodies plot and the acting was pretty good too.

4. White Christmas:

White Christmas is so different from the average Korean drama! I wanted to do a review but I seriously don’t know how to explain this one. It’s a psychological thriller and it’s so creepy! The acting is really good and despite a few plot holes, the story’s really good too! It is also an earlier work of now famous actors like Sung Joon and Kim Woo Bin. A must-watch if you like to watch psychological shows!

3. Shut-up FlowerBoy Band:

Oh the feels! I loved loved loved this drama! The story was amazing, the acting was amazing, the music was amazing! This drama was perfect!

2. Reply 1997:

Oh the mystery! I loved this drama so much! It made me feel nostalgic. The acting was really good and the story was amazing!

1. In Time WithYou:

This one was my favorite drama out of all the dramas I’ve watched! It’s a Taiwanese drama and it’s a best-friend romance story. If you’ve been reading my blog you’ll know that I love best-friend romances! The story and acting was amazing and I loved every bit of it!

This is the stuff I've been enjoying last year. I would love to read your lists!

Once again, happy new year! Stay safe and happy <3