12 Steps to Quitting AJ

Type: Prose
Genre: Novel (chic literature)
Author: Faye Ilogon
Year Published: 2009
Publisher: Summit Books
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Summary

Grace and AJ have been friends since their childhood days. They have fallen in love and has an on and off relationship. One day, something important happened to Grace that might change the course of her relationship with AJ. She started to evaluate things and even composed a list of steps to quitting the guy.



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12 Steps to Quitting AJ tells us a story of a couple who always break-up and get back together again. You'll notice that in the novel, Grace, the protagonist, is just like any other girl, fickle-minded, hopeless romantic and quite childish. She wants her man to be expressive in every creative way. And, she also wants to be the one to handle the reins. But of course, that isn't always possible.

The plot of the novel might confuse you for it is full of flashbacks narrating the love story of Grace and AJ. But, it is one interesting novel because you'll learn a lot of things not only about humans but also on animals. This is so because AJ is a veterinarian.

Another thing you'll love in the book is that it has a magazine-feel. It is full of guides that at one point, you might even find yourself wondering, "Is this really a novel or a magazine article?" But at the end, you'll still enjoy the story saying it's a nice read and that you learned from it.


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Memorable Lines from the Book


"Men are like dogs. They like to chase catty sexy things. " - Grace


"Never make a man do anything he isn't ready for. He will give you hell for it and make up all sorts of excuses to get back at you. " - Grace's mom


"A man who has little or no self-esteem is just as bad as man with too much of it." - Elise

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

Type: Prose
Genre: Novel (Young Adult Fiction)
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Year Published: 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

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Summary

This story is about the young vampire we encountered in the book "Eclipse". Her name is Bree Tanner, one of the newborn vampires. She was created not knowing the many interesting and important facts about her kind. Until one day, she learned that her creator is using her and the other newborns as an army against another vampire coven, the Cullens. Too late to escape, she finds herself trapped in the war between the Cullens and her creator. She decided to surrender and is given another chance to live. Unfortunately, this chance to live is only good for a short time because she would still be facing death. Not in the hands of the supposed-to-be-enemies but of the Volturi.


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This book is actually a companion novella to the third book in the Twilight series, Eclipse. What is interesting here is that we are taken to the other side of the story. The side of the vampires.


In the Twilight series, what we only read are things from Bella's point of view especially the first three books. Thus, we are not aware on how the vampires really live, how they feel about their situation and what is it like being a vampire. Well, those questions were answered by Bree.


This young vampire, Bree, somehow gives us a glimpse of what Bella Swan would be like in the fourth book, Breaking Dawn. Yet, unlike Bella, her story ends in a tragedy. Her love that hasn't even started has already came to an end. Which leads us to question the author. What really happened to Diego? Why did he just disappear in the scene? Does he really have feelings for Bree?


Actually, there are a lot more questions in the book that were left hanging in the air. If it's intentional, that we do not know. Still, it would be better if they would be answered if not in the same book, maybe in another one.


Short as it was, at least we were able to hear a vampire's point of view this time. How I just wish that next time, it will be Edward Cullen telling the story. I think Stephenie has a book for that. Midnight Sun, right? Well, hope she'll finish and publish it soon.

Table for Two

Type: Prose

Genre: Novel (chic literature)

Author: Marla Miniano

Year Published: 2010

Publisher: Summit Books

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Summary

The novel revolves around a small coffee shop that served as a quiet witness to the love stories of its customers. There's this long-time couple about to break-up after college graduation. A young teacher who decided to accept a dare from her brother to quit dating. A wedding photographer trying to stop the marriage of his bestfriend. A guy who never got over a girl. And a girl sitting alone reading romance novels thinking when will her loneliness come to an end.

It is amusing how the lives of these characters are connected and how their joys and heart aches lead them to the coffee shop.

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The book is divided into five parts narrating every story of the usual customers of the coffee shop. No, it's not a collection of short stories because as you move from one chapter to the other, you'll come across the previous main characters of previous chapters and realize what has happened to their story.

What is lovable with this book is that you'll find that you could relate to the characters. That these stories are somehow true and real for some people. That at one point of your life, you've heard their dialogues or maybe even said some of their lines.

The plot is not the traditional, rather, it was written in a way that will make you wonder and say "Hey! So that's just their story? What happened after?" Then you'll catch yourself hooked and flipping the next pages. You'll never know that you have reached the end. But when you did, you'll be grateful that you've found this good read.

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Memorable Lines from the book

"Girls don't like shy guys; they think they do, but they always end up with the ones who speak up and assert themselves and win people over with the grandest of gestures." - Mandy (in "Fresh")

"Anger, more than any emotion makes you lose control." - Mandy (in "Fresh")

"Guys are so easy to drive out of your life, especially when their interest in you has mostly been sustained by your blind, naive, hopelessly hopeful interest in them." - Jill (in "Timeout")

"Goodbye is a strange concept - if the person being left behind resents it and refuses to accept it, is it still goodbye, or simply a departure? " - Lucas (in "This Closure")