On Secret Garden and stuff like bubbles and homemade wine

Last night, I've finally finished this Korean drama titled Secret Garden. I don't feel very much like talking about the summary so I'm sorry but you just have to go to Wikipedia or somewhere to know it. What I feel like talking about though, is just how good the show is and how good it made me feel.

First of all, the plot. It's so complex (and I do love complex plot structures). There were some holes and gaps in it but not something as big as a valley I assure you. I loved the magical feel that some people might call corny or whatever. Next, the actors. They were amazing. I especially loved the main guy's performance. His acting was so good. And the main girl's too. The roles must be very challenging for them because they switch character personalities. And to think that their character's primary personalities are difficult already! A stuntwoman who grew up without parents and a narcissistic rich guy who's suffering from claustrophobia. I know some might think that the rich guy-poor girl characters are a little more than a bit overused in dramas but these characters are not as simple as that. You have to watch 'til the end to know what I mean.

As expected of a Korean drama, there were a lot of really cute scenes. Major Spoiler: Skip through to the next paragraph. My favorite was definitely the one in the coffee shop.

It was surprising and really romantic. Ha! I did just say that.

I have to warn you though, because nobody warned me before, that it's not all funny and cutesy. There were some major tearjerker moments as well. Don't say I didn't warn you. Don't worry though, there were a lot of comic relief in the forms of various characters besides the main pair. All the pairings (there were quite a number) were good and have great chemistry.

I loved the literary references like Alice in Wonderland and The Little Mermaid (the original story, not the more popular Disney version). The Dark House (was it the Dark House? I know for sure it was Dark something) painting was creepy but the kind of creepy that I want posted on my wall.

All in all, I really enjoyed this Korean Drama and definitely recommend it. I would watch it even just for the couple. They have major major chemistry, people! They deserve a best couple award or something. If the interesting plot wouldn't make you watch it, the pairing will.

I don't think this needs a caption but I really love typing captions. Plus, do you think it's weird kissing your own  lips? Hmmm.

So...have you watched it? What do you think of it? Leave comments. Stay awesome my followers. All six of you. :))

Notes from the Midnight Driver: A Review

If the cover wouldn't make you read the book, the story will.

Here is a book filled with humor all throughout. Not the usual slapstick comedy routine, but the kind that is dripping with sarcasm. The humor comes from the narrator, 16-year old Alex, who will wait for two more years before he can get his driver's license. Why is that? One fateful Friday night, he just took his mom's car while she was on a date determined to pay his estranged father a not-so-friendly visit. That didn't sound so bad, but the fact that he drank Vodka from what was left of his father's liquor cabinet didn't make things better. In fact, I'm pretty sure that made everything worse.

The narration and the character itself reminded me of Cameron from Going Bovine by Libba Bray, sans profanity. I think Jordan Sonnenblick writing children's books accounts for the lack of profanity in this book. Too bad. In many ways, Alex is like Cameron: mediocre, loveless, and a loser. In the end, they both realized they are, in fact, not. But the end is not what is important and worthy of reading, but their entire journey through redemption.

As for Alex, his punishment is serving in a nursing home, specifically an old Jewish guy named Solomon Lewis. Sol is a very nasty, very smart, and wistful guy who's very good at counter-sarcasm. He and Alex make a very formidable diabolical duo, that is, if only the older guy wouldn't make Alex's life miserable enough. I find their whole relationship very endearing, sort of reminiscent of Tuesdays with Morrie. There are times when they make me laugh out loud, and there are times when they made me cry.

Jordan Sonnenblick is very good at taking serious matters and coating it with just the right amount of funny - kind of like hiding vegetables in kids' food - for people of all ages to enjoy and get the lesson at the same time. I am looking forward to reading his other books.

All in all, a very satisfying and wonderful read. Sonnenblick just earned an honorary spot in my favorite YA authors list. I absolutely recommend it. It was short enough to be read in just one sitting (I read it for give or take four hours) but not too short to leave you wanting more.

They Walk Among Us

Superman.

I assume every Homo sapien in this planet knows him. Also known as Clark J. Kent, his civilian alter-ego. Some sees Superman as just, well, a superhero. Some random muscular guy with “to die for” looks and ridiculous costume and uhm, cape. But very few people (if you call the comics fandom “few”) are familiar with Superman’s other identity: Kal-El. His alien identity.

Now I don’t even know why I’m talking about Superman. I’m not even a fan (Batman ftw). It just seems so relevant to my topic for today which is the sci-fi book I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore.

In I Am Number Four, a group of nine gifted humanoid aliens left their home planet “Lorien” in order to hide from the race of murderous Mogadorians. The Mogadorians destroyed their own planet due to their destructive ways. Then they invaded Lorien, the closest life sustaining planet to theirs. The nine scattered on Earth in the hope that when they developed their legacies (powers, if you will) and are mature enough to fight, they will get back at the Mogadorians and revive their planet. A charm was put upon the nine, that they should only be killed in order otherwise any physical attacks will not work on them.

Number One was killed in Malaysia. Number Two was murdered in England. Number Three was hunted down in Kenya.

Err, that’s from the trailer. I find it fascinating. Anyway, the Law of Duh tells us that Number Four is next in line. Number Four is the protagonist in the book. He took the name John Smith - which is not very creative in my part, but hey, it’s easy to overlook, which is kind of like the point - and his Cepan (or guardian) took the name Henri Smith. They move from place to place, see. Once they were in Florida, now they’re in some place in Ohio called Paradise, which is kind of like appropriate and ironic at the same time. John’s first legacy, Lumos (ability to control light and be insusceptible to fire and heat) showed up when he was at school. Telekinesis came up next.

John made some friends in Paradise. He met Sam, a fan of conspiracy theories and Astronomy in general, which eventually became his bestfriend. Sarah Hart, a blonde blue-eyed all-American girl, became his girlfriend. Now he has a reason to stay, which is very inconvenient. Very very inconvenient. When everything seems to fall into place and he’s adapting to the normal human kid life, well, you guessed it, it went horribly wrong.

What I liked about the book is that every character seems real. Even the aliens John and Henri. And the conspiracy theories, rad! I actually believe that they’re walking among us now. No kidding, I do. How else will you explain the Stonehenge, Easter Island, Loch Ness, Albert Einstein, the Hadron Collider? (Look out for my post about these stuff). The Mogadorians were scary, okay. They were not easy to kill and they’re very menacing. There were lots of blood and life-or-death situations. I laughed at some point. I cried. I cringed. I bit the back of my hand to prevent myself from screaming. Overall, it’s very a very engaging read. I surely recommend this to everyone. Stop the vampire craze. Let’s all engross ourselves in something more realistic, like aliens.

Here’s the favorite quote:

We don’t have to be defined by the things we did or didn’t do in our past. Some people allow themselves to be controlled by regret. Maybe it’s regret, maybe it’s not. It’s merely something that happened. Get over it.

says John to Sam.

So guys, be on the lookout for this book:

and if you’re more of a movie person than a bookworm, this movie:

Grab a bowl of popcorn, a cup of coffee, or what not and take the wildest ride of your life.

*Movie poster created by fan from deviantart. Click here for original source.

TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY

This is a review of the book “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher. It’s about a teenage girl named Hannah who took her life and recorded 13 reasons (corresponding to 13 people) why she did it in audio tapes. The audio tapes are to be passed from one person on the list to the next one. The whole story was told partly in her perspective and partly in Clay’s, a guy included on her list. In honor of the book, I will write 13 thoughts that I have about it.

1. The story is very unique; just the whole idea of it.
2. It’s also very gripping. I literally read the book in one sitting. Just when everybody’s deep in sleep, I’m crying my heart out. Seriously.
3. Hannah is talking from the dead. She’s dead but she’s very alive. She was the one telling her story, and you just can’t help but listen.
4. Clay Jensen. I can’t help but love him. He wanted to help Hannah. She pushes him away. Now part of him is blaming himself for the loss, and he is willing to find redemption.
5. It’s amazing how our very acts - no matter how trivial it may seem - could change, or in Hannah’s case, “take” a life.
6. It is a very emotional read. You may not cry, but deep inside everyone can relate.
7. It get’s a little confusing sometimes because of the two perspectives, but it’s still a very good narrative.
8. BACK STABBERS beware of your actions.
9. Rumors are very dangerous things.
10. Respect every person’s personal space.
11. When you want to help somebody and you’re sure they needs it but they’re pushing you away, try harder.
12. True friends are really really really hard to find. Be thankful of them.
13. There’s always hope in the end. This story started out tragically, but ended with hope. Sometimes it’s too late to lend a hand to somebody. But there’s still a world-full of people who could use a little help.

Here is my favorite quote from the book:

Hannah: That tiny scar you’ve all seen above my eyebrow, that’s the shape of Jessica’s fingernail…which I plucked out myself. Or maybe you’ve never seen it. But I see it every morning when I get ready for school. “Good morning, Hannah,” it says. And every night when I get ready for bed. “Sleep tight.” But it’s more than just a scratch. It’s a punch in the stomach and a slap in the face. It’s a knife in my back because you would rather believe some made-up rumor than what you knew to be true.

That line up there is full of hurt and betrayal that her friend Jessica would rather believe some fucked up rumor about her. If Jessica’s my friend, I would have had slapped her back.

So guys, look out for this book:



It’s totally worth your time.

Digeus System Optimizer: It's like the cleaning lady; only it cleans and organizes your computer

Product Overview:
Digeus System Optimizer is the smartest way to solve computer problems and protect your valuable data. This easy-to-use software helps you eliminate system crashed, prevent computer problems, and restore your system to a healthy state.
>Eliminates system crashes, freezes and slowdowns
>Automatically identifies and repairs common Windows problems
>Easy to download, install and use
>Free support and service

Review:
As a student, I totally take my enormous desktop disk space for granted. I download everyday: movies, music, eBook files (I'm a total book freak and I can't afford to buy books on a daily basis). Sometimes, when I'm feeling studious (which happens like, once in a blue moon. LOL) I also download scholastic materials. When I've downloaded a wrong/broken file, I download it again and will not bother to remove the wrong file. I know these things don't take up too much space but I've been studying for a long time now and I don't delete anything. I don't. Even if I don't need things anymore. Well, then again maybe I do, but this happens even more rarely than me studying. Could you just imagine how awful a waste of space that is?

Digeus System Optimizer is a very helpful program if you have the same disease as mine (HINT: It starts with "L" and ends with "aziness". LOL)It has different tools which are all very useful. The ones I liked the most are the Junk Files Cleaner and Duplicate Files Finder because these tools solved my number one problem. I do have a lot of files in my computer that I don't use anymore but are still taking up a lot of space.

There are also tools that I know would be useful for other people as well. Such includes the Registry Cleaner for those whose computers are as slow as snails, those whose computers just love to flash that annoying Blue Screen of Death (I've a friend who used the BSoD as screensaver on their shared computer, scared the hell out of others. Nerd pranks. LOL), or, if you're really unlucky, both. People, especially those who input important details on the internet like credit card info, passwords, etc., will value the Privacy Protection tool. I strongly recommend this tool to computer users.

With the Digeus System Optimizer, major programs could be "tweaked" in one compact program for optimal performance. Such programs are Internet Explorer, Multimedia - you know, the things we use the most. My favorite tweak feature is the Repair System Settings. My computer's always having this problem wherein my volume icon's always missing. Guess what? I found it with the help of the Repair System Settings tool. The feature solved it in an instant, without the need to reboot (it's optional). The tool could solve some of your everyday problems with your computer too, like when you cannot open your "My Documents" or "My Computer" (this happens more often, I've noticed) and other stuff.

I don't regret taking time to evaluate this product. I mean, this is very useful and people should know that. It's totally worth your money. If still not convinced, I guess you could always download free trial from their website then register when satisfied. Consider this a fair warning though, you might not get full satisfaction from the trial version. I mean, duh.

Classified: RAVE!

I totally exposed my laziness to the whole wide world. Do not be like me. The world needs less of our kind. LOL.

'Adventureland' does not equal 'Zombieland' nor 'Superbad'

When I first first heard of the title, I thought it was like a prequel Zombieland. Yes, I watched the best zombie movie ever prior to this one. Coincidentally (?) these movies both star Jesse Eisenberg. Plus their titles are very similar. Even the movie posters were similar. Then again, I was proven wrong when I watched the trailer: What?! No zombies?

People like to compare Adventureland to Superbad. That's the dumbest idea ever. Given, Adventureland may have some R-rated scenes (although not more than few making outs, no explicitness whatsoever), but this movie does not equal Superbad.

Here be spoilers
Adventureland is more real and more sentimental than any teen sex movies out there. The lead, James Brannen (not sure 'bout the spelling, played by the brilliant Jesse Eisenberg) is a fresh college grad and got a summer job in the titular park. During the expanse of the summer, he realized the harsh realities of life. I now have to stop here so that you can find what these realities are for yourselves.

Now I want to focus on the characters. James is very much like the character of Eisenberg in Zombieland: sweet, sincere, and therefore weak. He once told this story to Em (Kristen Stewart) that really got me admiring the kind of person that he is. He was reading Shakespeare and he realized that he didn't love the girl he's currently dating. So one night, he's ready to tell the girl that he doesn't love her but the girl told him that she wanted to have sex. Instead of taking the chance to have his first, he did not. This kind of implied that James associate sex with love, unlike any other guys his age.

The movie was mismarketed though, so people might think that it's just a sex comedy when it's a actually a lot more than that.

Def a RAVE.

I totally heart Jesse Eisenberg. Great actor. Especially in drama.

Movies to watch: Zombieland, The Whale and the Squid, The Social Network (coming soon! Are you excited? >_<)

Change the title to "The Sex Life of the American Teenager"

When I finished watching the first episode of "The Secret Life of the American Teenager", my only reaction was "What the -?!". Needless to say, I was disappointed. I mean, I had high expectations for this show! (For being a fan of BOTH 90210 and Gossip Girl).

It had great potential though, and good casting. The actors were really into it. Generally they were all phenomenal. Kudos to Amy Rider (loved her since the first episode) for doing a great and believable job. Ken Baumann was awesome in his role as well.

Let's face it, they were clueless in making the storyline of this show. "We need a teen-oriented drama like Gossip Girl and 90210." "Let's make the well-defined characters talk about sex. The audience'll dig it!" "Oooh, that's a great idea." Uhm excuse me? What are you, like, twelve?

Oh ho, believe me when I say that it's so not great idea.

And what pisses me off so much is the fucking title. Really? The Secret Life of the American Teenager? So American Teenagers have this secret like where they sleep around (euphemism, of course) in camp and get pregnant and stuff? Do American Teenagers really only care about sex these days? Shouldn't there be lots more to talk about? Like drugs, peer pressure, importance of education, poverty, violence, etc. These things are more realistic and I'm pretty sure more relevant to the American Youth. They overemphasize on sex too much that the show does not seem to demote immature sex like it's supposed to but rather promote it.

Oh well, I hope they'll realize one day that they're wasting such skillfully created characters on this crappy storyline.

♪Rah-rah-RANT♪

All the Average Girls Unite! >:)

Emily Osment - Average Girl lyrics | LyricsMode.com

I'm not a fan of Emily Osment but for this song I might as well be! The lyrics and up-tempo got me want to memorize the song and sing it in the shower.

Ever felt like some girl's better than you for the guy you really like? Listen to "Average Girl" and make it your themesong! I know I did. ;)

RAVE!

Other songs to listen to by Emily Osment:
I HATE the Homecoming queen, All the Way Up, and Found Out About You
(Though these songs cannot compare to our girl anthem)

What's Up For Me?

Strike that. The title of the book I'm reviewing now is "What's In It For Me" and it was written by the awesome - no, magnanimous - Nelvie Soliven. Meaning me.

Okay, so I will not be reviewing this book for now. I'll let you guys decide on its fate. So grab a free copy here now.

So basically it's about Kit Sherlock, the most hardworking Straight-A student in Greenvale High. She’s overly competitive and overly witty. Only one stands between her and the number one spot: Andrew Alleyn - her competitor since Kindergarten and the guy who may [or may not] be her soulmate.

I'd appreciate comments on this book and suggestions for writing. You can either send me an email at nlvi.soliven@yahoo.com and type "Comments/Suggestions" as the subject or just leave a comment here. :)

Love,
me
(no, not love ME. Love, me. There. Good to get that right)

Oh, and I made the cover. Tell me what you think about it! :)

Just When You Think Dexter's A Stupid Name

This is probably the BEST young adult light-reading book I've ever read. The characters are easy to identify with and somehow humorous. Remy, the heroine, is often regarded as, pardon the language, a "bitch". She never believed in love as something that is permanent, therefore, she changed boyfriends a lot and it never seemed to bother her. She just dumped her latest boyfriend when dashing [sort of, in a way] Dexter came along. He's everything that Remy doesn't like in a guy: he's a musician [well, he's a vocalist for this band called the "Truth Squad" aka "G-Flats"], he's very clumsy and twitchy [like he has some serious case of ADHD or something] and he actually LOVES her.

I strongly suggest this book to those who are looking for non-serious humor-filled and heartwarming [that scene in the front lawn makes me want to cry out for Dexter] read. You will find yourself falling in love with Dexter.

This Lullaby is written by the awesome Sarah Dessen. Other books you might wanna check out: Someone like you, The Truth About Forever and Along For the Ride. All by Sarah Dessen.

RAVE!!!