[Personal Update] Good-bye 2012, Hello 2013

Happy New Year, Everyone~!

As has been my tradition every year, I look back on the year 2012 with warm feelings of nostalgia. Let me recount the events of 2012 which shaped me as a person.

1.) I started this book blog, Book Junkie Joint. I've always liked putting my thoughts into words, especially about things that I love. I happen to love books, so it was such a neat thing for me to finally have a place for my book reviews. Through my book blog, I also got to meet new people, interact with my favorite authors and get free copies of books! How cool is that?

2.) I got a perfect score on my midterms exams on Criminal Procedures and got the highest score on the same subject during the final exams. Law school is a bitch. It's the jealous kind of bitch because I practically can't turn my attention to other things. Acing exams in law school proved to me and my classmates that it's not impossible to actually thrive in law school. It is hard, yes, but not impossible. This was one event in my life that I would never forget. 

3.) I became class president. I'm a huge lazy ass. Given a choice, I would openly shirk away from responsibility and turn my attention to things that I actually enjoy doing. However, during the second semester, I became class president out of sheer coincidence and without being given any choice. I admit that it was an experience I don't want to repeat again, but I learned to manage stuff so I guess, it gave me valuable lessons.

4.) Headlining the debate organization in law school. This year, I and a couple of my friends from College who also go to the same law school as I do, organized a debate organization in law school. Way back in College, I was also part of the debate team. We were Regional Champions in the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges Debate Series. And bringing debate into law school was such a great experience. I love debating! It's a welcomed break from the monotony that is law school, and I get to intellectually beat my opponent's ass. Hellz yeah.

5.) The Quinta Tragedy was humbling. Just a week ago, we were hit by the typhoon Quinta. It was during this time that we experienced humbling events such as seeing people helping each other. I guess, the thing is, sometimes we need to experience tragedies to remind us of our vulnerability and to keep our feet on the ground.

6.) Reconnecting with relatives isn't so bad. I am an introvert. I don't like going out and meeting people, even relatives. Just last December, a few relatives from abroad came to visit and spent some time with me and my siblings. It was cool to actually have a big brother in the person of a cousin. I didn't think that I would actually enjoy their company, but I did. I hope to meet them again soon.

7.) I took part in NaNoWriMo for the first time and successfully wrote 50,000 words in 30 days! For me, this is certainly an achievement worth bragging about because despite being so busy with law school and exams last November, I came through and finished on time. 

So far, these were the things that I fondly recall in 2012. I hope 2013 will be a better year for me. =)

Again, Happy New Year, Everyone~!

[Book Review] Persistence of Vision

Title: Persistence of Vision

Author: Liesel K. Hill

Date of Publication: January 2013

Source: ARC from Author

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Dystopian

Rating: 5/5

Links:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Blurb:

 In a world where collective hives are enslaving the population and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper, and independent 21st Century woman, must find the strength to preserve the freedom of the future, but without the aid of her memories. 

After experiencing a traumatic time loss, Maggie is plagued by a barrage of images she can't explain. When she's attacked by a creep with a spider's web tattoo, she is saved by Marcus, a man she's never met, but somehow remembers. He tells her that both he and her creepy attacker are from a future in which individuals are being murdered by collectives, and Marcus is part of the rebellion. The collectives have acquired time travel and they plan to enslave the human race throughout all of history. The flashes Maggie has been seeing are echoes of lost memories, and the information buried deep within them is instrumental in defeating the collective hives. 

In order to preserve the individuality of mankind, Maggie must try to re-discover stolen memories, re-kindle friendships she has no recollection of, and wade through her feelings for the mysterious Marcus, all while dodging the tattooed assassins the collectives keep sending her way. 

If Maggie can't fill the holes in her memory and find the answers to stop the collectives, the world both in her time and in all ages past and future will be doomed to enslavement in the grey, mediocre collectives. As the danger swirls around her and the collectives close in, Maggie realizes she must make a choice: stand out or fade away...

Review:

A well-planned and well-written, thrilling dystopian which is like a mix of the movie Push, and the hit TV series Heroes!

The beginning of the story was slow because of the confusion of the lead female from whose point of the view the omniscient narrator was telling the story. Perhaps, it may make the reader feel confused as well. I know I did feel a little bit off at the beginning, but giving the story time to take root and unfold would be the best course of action to take. I’m pretty glad I continued reading!

Aside from being a dystopian, young adult story, Persistence of Vision also largely incorporates sci-fi elements and political ideologies into the storyline. It’s literally a mish-mash of so many things, but the author was able to weave a compelling story in such a way that it wasn’t confusing or unclear.

The plot was very well-planned, and the whole book was very well-written. Even though I haven’t experienced living in the world where the characters in this book existed, I could picture out everything clearly. From the way the individualists live, to the Interchron compound, and even how David struggled to break away from the collective – everything was picturesque and very detailed. I could even picture this book being made into a movie!

As for the characters, everyone was distinct enough that I was able to differentiate one from another. By the end of the story, this may sound weird but I felt that I even personally knew each character myself. I especially adored David because he’s a combination of honesty, vulnerability and courage, and I loved how his growth was portrayed in the story. Also, I wish to know more about Nat and Doc because they are intriguing. I bet they know a lot more than they openly let on. Smart people can often be sneaky and conniving, after all.

By the end of the story, what was unclear at the beginning finally made sense, but more questions were left unanswered and I really wanted to read more!

What were Marcus and Karl planning to do? What made Maggie give up her memories? What was it about Marcus that made Maggie want to give up her memories? What about Colin and his blood-sucking whatever? Where will they find a replacement Concealer? Where will they find a Deceiver? And how were they going to complete the prophesied members? When will Maggie and the other individualist reunite? I have so many questions that I want answered, I’m already awaiting Book 2!

I highly recommend this book to people who are fans of super powers and super heroes! And also to those who might want to read a thought-provoking dystopian story!

[Personal Update] Holiday Fever Got Me

(c) Dixie Allan

Well, it's not a real fever, but it got me bad.

It's the main reason why I haven't been posting book reviews. I apologize for the lack of new posts these past few weeks.

I'm currently trying to make use of what little free time I have left before law school steals me back again. I've been catching up on my reading so hopefully, I will be able to post a few more book reviews before 2013 comes. =)

Cheers~!