Amelia falls in love

Type: Prose
Genre: Fiction
Author: Laura James
Year Published: 2005
Publisher: Ryland Peters and Small

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Summary

This book is a story about a lady named Amelia who grew up in an island. She was a well-pampered child. She and her parents lead a happy and contented life in their place. Until one day, a circumstance came which forced her to embark on a journey. She started to live in the city and experience little adventures like falling in love and having a broken heart.



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The book is a perfect companion while sipping a cup of latte in your favorite coffee shop. It has a very short story filled with brilliant ideas, wonderful illustrations, fabulous recipes and helpful tips. You can say that it's like a magazine in a hardcover. Yes, it's hard bound too!


The first time I laid eyes on the book, I thought it was a children's book misplaced in the wrong shelf. But as I scanned the pages, I was totally awed and decided to buy it. It's so attractive that you won't be able to resist it.


About the story, it is very to understand and is also perfect for teenagers. Although I must say that the beginning part was really deceiving and would make you think its just another fairytale.


Well, if you want to give your girl friends a gift, this one is a good choice. :)

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

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")

The EX Commandments and Other Post Break-Up Stories

Type: Prose
Genre: Short Story
Author: Carmelle Hyacinth Penetrante
Year Published: 2006
Publisher: PSICOM Publishing Inc. (Philippines)

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Book Overview

This book, as the title suggests is a compilation of stories about girls who had just experienced a break-up. The five stories show the different ways of females in handling a heartbreak. Some are funny, crazy and there are also some that are touching and heart-warming. So, I picked two stories to review...

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The Ex Commandments


This short story is divided into ten parts. Actually, I think it's more of a mini-novel. Anyway, each part is about the commandments that the protagonist, Jenni has thought of in dealing with her break-up with ex-boyfriend, Joe.

The first commandment up to the ninth are very much realistic. Overspending, confiding with friends, denying what happened, and throwing away relationship-related things. If you are a girl, certainly you've done a thing or two in those nine commandments that Jenni has listed. Or perhaps, you even did them all.

However, when you reach the tenth commandment, that's when you realize that this literary piece is truly fiction. The tenth commandment is about seeking revenge. And, Jenni's idea of sweet revenge is burning her ex's car.

As you read the last part, you will notice that it seems as though what you are reading is a material for a film. Everything in that part is detailed and very cinematic. You could even imagine yourself as Jenni trailing away gracefully while the flames devour her ex's F150.

Well, even if it was a biased narration (but justifiable since the idea of the book is a collection of girls' post break-up stories), it was a nice story. Something that you would let a brokenhearted woman read that won't make her cry even more. In fact, she might even smile and think if she has done all those commandments.

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Sleepless in Makati


Unlike the Ex Commandments, this story was narrated from the point of view of the two main characters, Jen and Jeff.

The two characters were batchmates during high school. They had a thing before but they were too young to make it work. After seven years, they met again in a coffee shop. Both of them single again because of finished relationships.

Jen's relationship with her boyfriend ended after she discussed wedding gowns over breakfast. It was the same for Jeff. However, the reason for Jeff's break-up with his girlfriend was because he never had time for the girl.

And so, they spent hours coping up with each other in the coffee shop until they realized that they seem to click well. At the end, they ended up with each other. Jeff is still the same workaholic guy and Jen still the same dominant woman. But, they accepted each other's attitude so there was no conflict.

So, this is the light part (and definitely the last in the process of recovering from a break-up) of those post break-up stories. When the girl has decided not just to move on but to move forward and welcome a new love. And though "Sleepless in Makati" is somehow a story that lacks in sweet moments, it was still able to justify the whole theme of the book.


To sum up, the author, Penetrante, was able to showcase what girls are going through after a break-up in a realistic manner. Her choice of situations and conversations were able to connect pretty well with the reader especially if you are a female. For male readers, reading this book will truly enlighten you and let you understand why your ex girlfriend acts weird after your break-up. Somehow, this is like a guide book for both men and women. It tells females how to recover from the incident and it tells the males how to handle their ex girlfriends.

By the way, if you wish to grab a copy of the book and can't find it in the bookstores, get it here.

Shanghai Baby

Type: Prose
Genre: Fiction
Author: Wei Hui
Year Published: 1993
Publisher: Robinson Publishing UK
Main Characters: Nikki or Coco - a Shanghai woman who works as a waitress in a cafe
Tian Tian - Coco's boyfriend; an artist who frequently uses drugs
Mark - a married German businessman whom Coco got involved with.



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Summary



Coco, a young woman working in a cafe has always been struggling to become a writer. During her struggles, she met a young artist named Tian Tian who encouraged her to reach for her ambition. She fell in love with him, moved in with him and left her work. They lived together as they try to fulfill their dreams. However, one day, Coco met another man named Mark. The two became intensely attracted to one another. Tian Tian somehow sensed something's wrong and started to use drugs. Confused of what she feels for the two men, Coco became torn between conflicting emotions.



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A semi-autobiographical book, Shanghai Baby exposes a different face of the society. A woman blinded by love and lust.


Actually, this book was banned in China in April 2000. An estimate of 40, 000 copies were even publicly burned. However, a different reaction came when the book was brought to the West.


Shanghai Baby possess an aggressive voice that some people even don't want to hear. It's views on life, love and sex have never been so realistic. It was no doubt that the book became a bestseller.


If you want to have a feel of how complicated love is and how it is different from lust, then read Shanghai Baby.



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Memorable Lines from the Book



"Death is the expression of exhaustion, a solution arrived at rationally once one has known the deepest depths of tiredness." - TianTian (Coco's boyfriend).



"Life is like a chronic illness, and finding something interesting to do is a kind of long term cure." - Coco

Twenties Girl

Type: Prose
Genre: Fiction
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Year Published: 2009
Publisher: The Dial Press
Main Characters: Lara Lington - a twenty-something lady who just started with her business; frustrated over her break up with her boyfriend; and got visited by the ghost of her great-aunt
Sadie - great-aunt of Lara who seeks help in finding her necklace



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Summary


Lara has been undergoing the gloomy days in her life. Everything has been going beyond her control from her relationship with her boyfriend to her newly-launched head-hunting business. So she thought that because of these stress, she has been starting to see things like a ghost. But, she's wrong. Sadie, her great-aunt has come to seek her help. They have to find a necklace who has been in Sadie's posession for more than seventy-five years. Sadie said that she couldn't rest without it. And so, the hunting and haunting began. As they go into the journey in finding the necklace, they started to discover things about love, about each other and most important, about their family.



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Ever tried laughing over a ghost story? Well, now you would with Twenties Girl.


Unlike any other ghost stories, this one is filled with humor and amusing scenes from two girls who came from two different timelines. One of them alive and one is a ghost.


At first, one would have the impression that this is just another boring novel about a ghost who wants to play some more nasty stuff before he rests. But, as you go on with the book, you'll definitely be hanging onto it until the necklace has been found.


This novel is really a breakthrough for Sophie Kinsella. Not only did she make a good ghost story but she was also able to add humor to it.



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Memorable Lines from the Book


“People break up. It’s just the way things are.And you can’t dwell on what might have been. You have to look at what is." - Lara Lington


“Life is like an escalator... It carries you on regardless." - Lara Lington


“The worst thing a girl can do is trail after a boy when a love affair is dead.” - Sadie Lancaster

An Ex to Grind

Type: Prose

Genre: Fiction (Chic Lit.)

Author: Jane Heller

Year Published: 2005

Main Characters: Melanie Banks -financial planner, ex-wife of Dan Swain

Dan Swain - pro football player, ex-husband of Melanie Banks

Evan - attractive painter; neighbor of Melanie

Leah - veterinarian; Dan's girlfriend

Desiree - matchmaker

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Summary

Manhattan financial planner Melanie Banks is pissed off. She has gotten divorced from his pro football player ex-husband Dan "Traffic" Swain but still trapped with him. She needs to share custody of their pet dog Buster. Plus, the alimony that she has to give him every month. It has been so stressing to her especially since her ex-husband doesn't even bother to look for a job and even spends her money recklessly. Because of that, she devised a plot to get rid of the alimony. The loophole in the arrangement which is the cohabitation clause that her husband needs to live with a woman for 90days. She then hired a matchmaker to set up her husband with another woman who happens to be Leah. Dan fell into the plan. In fact, he and Leah fell in love. Leah was able to motivate Dan and bring out good changes in him. Melanie noticed it and started to get caught in her own trap. She is falling in love again with Dan. Now she doesn't know how to clean the mess she just did. Will she pursue the plan or will she go after Dan?

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This novel is very witty and hilarious. You could easily relate to it since the setting is very much taken from the present time.

Jane Heller was successful in showing how a woman could be responsible for the success and downfall of her man. How a woman could do things that man could also do. Yet, she also showed that a woman is still a human being capable of being weak and getting hurt.

I can say that this novel is a perfect after-break-up read to all women out there. the story teaches us about moving on. letting go and taking chances.

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Memorable lines from the book


"You can’t have a marriage between strangers.” - Melanie Banks


"It isn’t possible to love two women. Not in the same way at the same time." - Evan


"What makes ordinary people heroic is when they give up the thing they want most." - Evan