So here is an update from me after 2 days. Well, not exactly an update, since I am not going to write my review YET. I am so sorry.

I had a bad week this week. Seriously bad... I was scolded by my supervisor and all. Even though working with kids can be the best thing ever, it also comes with a lot of prices that have to be paid. Heavy prices.

Basically this post, as seen from the title:

Sitting on a Sycamore Tree, Drown in Laughter, off in Saturn



The title actually implies 2 books:
1, Flipped
2. American Girl on Saturn

As I mentioned about finishing Flipped on last Saturday, the review, as of now, is not up yet. As for American Girl on Saturn I started last Sunday night, and I finished it today. There is a total of 231 pages. I am a slow reader, but I actually took one day off from reading American Girl on Saturn to catch up on my drama and variety show.

Just a short mentioned on the 2 books.

Firstly, the two books are enjoyable. Both books contain such fabulous sense of humor that I found myself literally laughing out loud (LOL-ing!). So, if you want a good laugh even when reading, do read the these two books.

Secondly, both books cater to teenager of age 13-16. For people older than that, it does not mean you cannot read it. I read it, and I am definitely not in that age group. The thing is, it will bring back deja vu (here goes my deja vu lecture again) to when you first started reading novels when you are 13-16, and you were hoping for a fairy tale to happen in your life.

For those seeking of a fairy-tale-like-ish book, American Girl on Saturn is one for you. Though there is no mention "fairy-tale", unlike Cinder & Ella, it still gives off a happily-ever-after feels. For someone who prefers something real, Flipped is best. Flipped is very real. It could happen, but not in a such "dramatic" way, but it does not mean that it will not happen.

Okay, so the thing is that I finished my last Cinder & Ella post on a Sunday afternoon. That very evening I went to watch Flipped: The Movie. So, I will also be giving a review about it.

My next update will probably be on the Friday. On Friday, I end work at 3pm, but I would have to rush for my tutoring session. Hopefully, when I get back home it would not be too late. Then, I really hope to get the Flipped, American Girl on Saturn and Flipped: The Movie reviews up all in one day. Might I say, I would LOVE to get my Divergent, Divergent (movie) and Insurgent (movie) reviews up by this week too. It all depends whether I have the time.

I know I keep giving excuses about time time time and time. I would like to apologize for giving such excuses. Please do understand that I do not want to write a review in a state of debility.

I should be starting on either:
1. Play with Me by Anna Katmore
2. The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram (Kelly Oram again!)
3. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (woohoo! The thing about Insurgent is I want to find a time where I can read it without disturbance cause Divergent was awesome!)

Sorry people, but...






Until next time...

Hiiii! I did not update my blog on Friday as I was really dead tired. I could hardly open my eyes during tuition. As I rushed back home from tuition, my energy was completely depleted. On Saturday, I thought I should give myself a break too- to do things that I could not do while working. So, for the entire Saturday, I slacked. I did not even do anything important; just caught up with my drama and also started reading Flipped by Wenderlin van Draanen like I mentioned I would.

I finished Flipped yesterday, just as I started it. It is 180 pages long. For speed readers or simply fast readers, an hour is all they need to complete Flipped. However, I am an extremely slow reader, I could re-read a whole page again just to understand what every single word means to the story, I would even go back to previous chapters just to understand the interrelationships between the chapters. Hence, my Flipped review will be up either today, or I hope soon; depending on my mood.

Like I mentioned, I completed Cinder & Ella on Thursday, so without futher ado, here is my review...


It will be LOOONG one...

Into the end...

A fairy tale meeting turns out to be a not-so-fairy-tale-like meeting. Ellamara is appalled, that the current, hottest Brian Oliver is her long time best friend slash one-sided crush. As Brian Oliver sit there smirking at her while the truth set in, she cannot help but stare at the beautiful Kaylee. Ella knows what is the right thing to do.

Brian Oliver suspects that lady dressed in Ellamara, the priestess, would be Ella, the moment the discussion panel started, and it did not take long for him to figure it out. She is brilliant, amazing, everything that Brian ever dreamed she would ever be. Brian knows this is fate. Fate is bringing them together! Until... Ella congratulates his beautiful (air-headed) fiancee. Brian knows this is his only chance, so he did the only thing he could think of at the moment. Sign an autograph.

Ella does not want to meet him. She knows no matter what she does, she can never stand next to THE Brian Oliver like she ever belongs there. However, she knows she has to, this is what she always dream of, and it is time Cinder knows the truth about her. Knows the truth of what the accident did to her.

Brian breaks it off with Kaylee. How can he not? Ella is here, right before his very eyes. She is not an instant message, not a voice at the other end of the receiver, not an internet friend, not a pen pal. She is here, in flesh and blood. He just have to make sure no paparazzi catches him dining with the love of his life, and he is 100% confident that they will not. How can they? He covered himself well with a cloak, and blended in the FantasyCon like an avid fan.

He knows now... And he pities me... Ella knows this is the ends. Well, not the end to their friendship but at least the end to anything more she always hope for. Until, Brian (Cinder) leans in for a kiss.

I should not have kiss her. What was I even thinking?! His body reacted before his mind could will himself to think of the consequences before he kissed her. He did it. But, the aftermath is not what he thought it will be. 

There is no fairy tale ending.

Ella wants to disappear. To somewhere far far away. If a kiss from a princess or prince is all it needs to turn a frog or a beast to a prince charming, Ella learns that that definitely only happened in fairy tales. Her life is definitely not a fairy tale, because the kiss from her prince making her life a living hell. Brian Oliver's management has officially made her the most-hated-person in America, and Brian is nowhere to be found in clearing up the deception. The only solution for her is disappear. And she did.  She moves to a rehabilitation facilities to recover from injuries. Injuries on her skin grafts, on her hip bones, and her broken heart.

Brian ran away. He wakes up not remembering where he was, only recalling Ella's rejection and recognizing that his assistant, Scott is banging at his door. As Scott enters his room with a grim expression, he knows he is in trouble. Deep trouble. Is Kaylee on rampage? Is his life ruined? Is he the the most-hated-person in America? What he did not expect is to find Ella gone. Her number is not in service, her IM is not in used, her twitter is gone, and her facebook does not exist. What is left is her blog- with the message block taken down. He did not become the most-hated-person in America. Ella did. And he must find a way to salvage it before it is too late. The first thing he did: call his lawyer to fired his whole management team. Next, appears on the most popular show to profess his love for her. Then, wait for her answer.

A not-so fairy tale ending.

After one month of isolation, except from the frequent counselling sessions she have with her father, she is set to start new life. Well, a new life after her last session. The last session should be easy. After all, what could Dr Parish probably ask her, besides making sure she is ready to return to reality. What she did not expect was her doctor to bring up the topic that she has been avoiding for a month- Brian Oliver.

Ella insists that they can never get in touch again, but Dr Parish thinks otherwise. "He is your closest friend, Ella, and the strongest link in your support system. You need him" is what she insisted. Ella is confident that there is no going back to the way it was, and Dr Parish knows it too. Instead, she advises, "Let it evolve." Ella is sure, then, that Dr Parish has lost her mind. She is the most-hated-person in America because of a kiss with Brian, letting it evolve is definitely making her dig an early grave. It is not like she had never tried to dig herself one when she slit her wrist. She did not even try when the accident occurred. She has been given a lot of chances to keep breathing and she is going to continue to do that, even if it means a life with Cinder.

Maybe fairy tale ending does exist.

When Dr Parish brings her to a room with a TV, DVR player, and filled with the people she loves. Her eyes welled up with tears. No, not because of the TV nor the DVR player, but because she misses them- the people she loves. As she hugs and cuddles, and finally settling down on the couch facing the TV, she could sense excitement radiating through her Juliette and Vivian sitting besides her. Dr Parish plays the video- the recording of the primetime talk show with popular comedian, except the special guest is none other than Brian Oliver. She knows then, that she is going to have a panic attack.

What she did not know is for Cinder to profess his love for her to the whole nation- calling her his soul mate, that they are meant to be.

Brian is still waiting for his oh wise, mystic priestess of the Realm to let him gives her the ending she has always wanted. They are Cinder and Ella! They are supposed to get their fairy-tale ending! So he waits. For the day of the premium, for his date to show up and deliver the happily-ever-after.

The fairy tale happily-ever-after ending.

Cameras flash. People gasp. The red carpet is beneath her feet. She is here to claim it. Her fairy-tale ending. 

Words have passed down to where he is. That she is here. On the red carpet for his movie premium. He has to close the distance between them. Now.

The crowd falls into a hush. Everyone that has gathered here is waiting for this moment. The big, dramatic reunion. Sure enough, it is dramatic, with a red carpet kiss. As they make their way to the theater doors, Ella knows that this moment will go down in Hollywood history.

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I warn you! It is loooonnggg! *wink*
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So, this is the end of my happily-ever-after review to the modernized fairy tale. Hope you enjoy my spoilers. For haters, sorry for the spoilers!

Rating

★★★★☆





As mentioned, I will be starting on Flipped review soon. I will also start reading American Girl on Saturn by Nikki Godwin. For those who heard of the book, it will be something like Cinder & Ella, but hopefully less dramatic.







Until next time...

Hello! I was ultimately drained yesterday, hence explained my absence from the blog. It is not that I do not want to post, but I feel that if I post, I will take hours to complete or I will do it in such a rush that the post will have to have to be edited.

I think I mentioned being a student care teacher. For people suffering from insomnia, or simply want to start sleeping early, work just one day at a student care and you will understand how draining it is. However, as you get accustomed to it, the exhaustion will go away with time. Today is my twelfth day as a student care teacher, hence I am still getting used to the exhaustion - both physically and mentally.

As for this week, I am very busy especially tomorrow as the student care is opened for full days on 2 days, and amongst my colleagues, I have one of the longest working hours. Unfortunately, my colleague falls sick, hence every day is like rush hours with one less teacher.

As a prove I shall tell you my schedule for this week:

Monday
9.30am - 6.30pm: Working

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
12pm - 6.30pm: Working

Friday
8.30am - 2pm: Working
2pm - before 3.35pm: Rush to medical appointment
3.35pm to hopefully 5pm: End of medical appointment and back at home
5pm - 5.30pm: Dinner
5.30pm - 6.30pm: Travel to my cousin's house to start my part time job as Math tuition teacher
6.30pm - 8pm: Tuition starts
8pm onwards: On my way home and relax

It might not seem exhausting but I am drained every day.

HOWEVER, I STILL LOVE MY JOB!
How can I not with all those kids looking at you so innocently, especially my primary 1? They are my little healers. Love them so much!



Anyways, just an update! I FINISHED reading Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram. I do not want to do the review as I want to collect and organized what I am going to write as my last review.

This weekend I have certain things I hope I can finish. Here is a list:

• Finished Cinder & Ella by Kelly Oram review
• Start on Divergent (book) by Veronica Roth review (I finished the book before Cinder & Ella and I really want to do the review)
• Divergent (movie) review (I watched it for a thousand times, simply because I LOVE the first 35 minutes)
• Change template for my blog (I LOVE SHINee but since this blog has no post regarding SHINee I thought I should change it)
• Start of Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen
• Dark Knight Trilogy review (I LOVE Christopher Nolan's works but so far I only watched the Dark Knight!)
• Kingsman: The Secret Service (This movie is FANTASTIC! I watched it twice in the cinema.)
• Insurgent (I watched this twice too. I was aiming for FOUR though...)

Hello! I thought of not doing a Cinder & Ella Part 3 today, but I simply cannot resist the temptation on doing it. Despite not being able to spend more time of Cinder & Ella, it pains me too much to not write this review.

There isn't much progress in my readings, I am currently on page 250, meaning I only completed 249 pages. However, I am happy that I manage to complete 121 pages in a night!!! YAY!!! Unfortunately, I burnt the midnight oil to accomplish so. *sobs*

Without further ado...

Here is the exciting summarized 121 pages... I think it would be a long one!

249 pages into...

Ella life just keeps getting better and better. Despite the terrible accident in school, her stepsister (Juliette) has been confirmed to be a not-evil-stepsister after all. Juliette not only "match make" Ella with an outcast, that become Ella's best friend... Wait! A "second distant best friend" as that is what the generous Cinder is willing to offer. Aside from a second distant best friend, Juliette brought along a popular, cute boy crushing on Ella that later becomes her unofficial boyfriend, and also an alliance with Juliette herself.

Juliette hated Ella, but for all the right reasons to. After Ella understood the reasons behind Juliette's hatred, Juliette becomes one of her most supportive friends. However, that only fuels Anastasia's antagonism towards Ella. Putting Anastasia's fueled antagonism aside (because well... who cares about Anastasia?), the only dispiriting moment in Ella's blossoming life was an argument with Cinder due to a misunderstanding. 

Brian life just keeps getting worse and worse. Firstly, he found himself engaged to a superstar model, Kaylee, who he wishes could be as smart as she is evil. Secondly, he realizes that the sham that he and Kaylee pulled is becoming harder and harder to pull out, with Kaylee carrying more clout than he thought. Lastly, the worst thing that ever happened - Ella being angry at him.

The best birthday presents from Ella's (second distant) best friend, supportive (unofficial) boyfriend and lovely family (once again, putting Anastasia aside), allow a fairy tale meeting to come true.
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As expected, the summary is LONGGGGG! However, it is not the end... *wink*

"So why Ellamara?"

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*Squeals* I just simply could not resist! The conversation is in order, but I removed some of the conversations in the middle and from the start.

As for the last sentence, it does seem to bring in confusion, but if the story is following through from the beginning, that sentence itself holds a lot of meaning. Its significance is like the last piece of jigsaw required to complete the puzzle, and when it is finally put in place, the puzzle is solved.

Well, that's all for today. I really want to do the Words of the Day, but I am too tired. *sobs* Initially, I thought of doing Words of the Day in place of "Say car for me" a Cinder & Ella Part 3, but I found myself succumbing to the temptation of doing "Say car for me" a Cinder & Ella Part 3. Words of the Day will just have to wait for tomorrow. Sorry!







Until next time...

So I thought I should probably do this section too.

*Drum roll*


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I definitely needed more help than just mere 5 words, but that's all for today as it actually took me an hour to type both my posts. I shall continue tomorrow if I am not dead tired then.





Until next time...

I didn't had much time to read today as my work started at 9.30am and lasted all the way to 6.30pm. The only time I did get to read was when I am travelling to and fro work and before bed. Seriously, working with kids are so enjoyable but exhausting. Everyday I go back home both mentally and physically drained. I love my kids. ALL OF THEM. It's the best job I can ever ask for. In case, anyone is wondering. I am as a student care teacher. Not a permanent, just an associates during my holidays and probably when I am free when school starts/

As I was saying, I did not have much time to read. Therefore I am only on starting on Chapter 12 (page 129).


So here is a brief summary where I left off from page 52. I don't think it will be long... I hope...

128 pages into...

Brian is hopelessly in love with his beautiful and wise mystic priestess of the Realm. She is the only one that see him not for his outer appearance (the hot, sexy Hollywood star with great abs), but for his inner self. He worries about her but respect her privacy, never asking for more than she is willing to offer. In order to protect the love of his life in his own way, he reluctantly accepts the engagement with his co-star, Kaylee. 

Ellamara, finally having contacted the only person that understands her, found solace in him. After months, she is able to laugh and smile. Naturally, not forced. However, that does not mean that school has miraculously turned into a paradise. An accident in school almost caused Ella to be transfer to a public school, "special" school, or worst a mental institute. As she desperately tries to stop the transfer, her father finally understand what is best for her daughter.

The father, who does not seem to understand and trying too hard, becomes someone who understands and cares for the daughter he left when she was eight. The stepmother, an insensitive woman who does not know the correct way of showing compassion, is sincerely trying to help (hey! she is not evil at all!). Juliette (the step-sister), who Ella thought  ignore her existent, has a unique way of showing that she cares for Ella. Anastasia, the evil step sister, is well... still being evil! Kaylee, the top supermodel, turns out to be literally an airhead, who only knows how to threaten her way up to fame (yes, she took over the role as the evil stepmother cum stepsister).

Unintentionally revealing the accident that happened in school to Cinder through IM, Cinder reply is his very own phone number. After much persuasion, Ella eventually gives in and calls him, The greeting from the other end of the phone is a (/an unsurprisingly) sexy voice.
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*phew* Surprisingly it is not as long as I expected it to be. Hopefully it is spoiler-free enough. I did omit most of the details. *wink*

Anyways, I love the phone conversation the between those two. It reminded me of the love birds drawings my kids and I did today today in the student care. To know what the conversation is like between the two love birds, read to find out!!!








Until next time...

So I got myself a new book in my Kindle. The book I am currently reading. 


I am pretty sure everyone would agree with me that I am an idiot. Upon seeing the title I honestly thought it meant Cinder and Ella. It took me close to half an hour to realise it actually means CinderElla!

It happened when I was once again caught surfing the net for new ebooks for my Kindle. When I came across the book, I had a deja vu. It has been a really long time (7 years) since I stopped reading simple, contemporary, romance novel. I had always been reading books in series. I shall not tell you the titles of those books, but you could probably guess them. I mean who can't. A healthy teenager (am I still a teenager?) have yet to touch those books before?!

Anyways, I digressed. As for those titles... I shall reveal it next time.

Back to Cinder & Ella! I thought I needed some fluff in my life after so long so I got myself the book and started reading it. As of now I am at page 52 on my Kindle. I can't say I fell in love with it or I hate it. I am enjoying though. In fact, the reason I deleted all my posts and started blogging again was because of the book.

The main girl in the book had a blog on critics on books and movies. I thought that I should try it too. I want this blog to be my memory "capsule" - to keep all the memories of what I read and watched. Not for the public to read or anything. But for me to look at... that is if I can keep the capsule updated at all time. If I wanted for public attention I would have sought out louder network, and not a blog no one knows about. I like it this way... Peace. Only me and my memories.

On my voyage through the CinderElla sea, I felt different range of emotions. There are tear-jerking moments, where my heart goes for the main girl Ella (Ellamara). There are times I felt annoyed at Ella. There are occasions I went back to my fifteen years old self and was like "YAY!", "OMG!", *squeal*. All in all, it's just deja vu. I love the feeling of deja vu. Therefore, I definitely enjoyed the book up till now!

Here's the synopsis:

It’s been almost a year since eighteen-year-old Ella Rodriguez was in a car accident that left her crippled, scarred, and without a mother. After a very difficult recovery, she’s been uprooted across the country and forced into the custody of a father that abandoned her when she was a young child. If Ella wants to escape her father’s home and her awful new stepfamily, she must convince her doctors that she’s capable, both physically and emotionally, of living on her own. The problem is, she’s not ready yet. The only way she can think of to start healing is by reconnecting with the one person left in the world who’s ever meant anything to her—her anonymous Internet best friend, Cinder. 
… 
Hollywood sensation Brian Oliver has a reputation for being trouble. There’s major buzz around his performance in his upcoming film The Druid Prince, but his management team says he won’t make the transition from teen heartthrob to serious A-list actor unless he can prove he’s left his wild days behind and become a mature adult. In order to douse the flames on Brian’s bad-boy reputation, his management stages a fake engagement for him to his co-star Kaylee. Brian isn’t thrilled with the arrangement—or his fake fiancée—but decides he’ll suffer through it if it means he’ll get an Oscar nomination. Then a surprise email from an old Internet friend changes everything.
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I am pretty sure some of you will be cringing at the words "hollywood sensation", "anonymous Internet best friends", "teen heartthrob", etc., but let me remind you, this is why I mentioned "deja vu".

Although this book may seem to have (or may have) cliche story plot (hey the title practically spells Cinderella ignoring the "&"), I enjoyed the writing.

52 pages into...
Ellamara lost her mother in car accident and unfortunately, she was left scarred physically and mentally after the accident. After waking up from a coma, she found herself trying to cope with life in a new place (from Boston to California). In order to try and escape from living with her father - a man who tries too hard to understand her daughter but failed miserably, stepmother - who (as of 52 pages) is not an evil stepmother, and step sisters - Anastasia, the insensible one and Juliette, she sought out the only person left on Earth who truly understands her, Cinder (real name Brian).

Brain, a Hollywood heartthrob, has the looks, the skills but not the attitude wanted in the industry. He wanted acknowledgement for his acting but all the reporters and tabloids seem to care about is his abs and well... if he is willing to date a fan. Making matter worse is his bad-boy reputation. He does not do relationship is what he told himself after eight months of losing contact from the one person he is actually wanted to start one. In order to salvage his reputation and let the public to see him in a whole new light, his reluctantly accepts a fake engagement with Kaylee (his co-star of the new blockbuster movie - The Druid Prince). His heart aches from the lost of the only person he is willing to start a relationship with, until 5 seconds ago when he received an email from her, on the very first "date" with his "fiancee". She is alive.







Until next time...