Drop Down MenusCSS Drop Down MenuPure CSS Dropdown Menu

Monday, March 16, 2015

BOOK UPDATES : REAL BOOKS VS E-BOOKS!

Hello Readers! So summer vacation is right around the corner. And our exams are done! I can now post more regularly!

So today, I decided to post another entry for my Book Updates. And our topic for today, is Which do you prefer? Real Books or E-Books?



Now this topic is not the newest one but, I still want to share to you guys my opinions, and my friends opinions too. 

For all of you guys, I decided to put some pictures (even though they're probably ugly)  and we will talk about several factors affecting the "battle" between these to formats of reading.

Let's begin!



1.) Affordability. Who doesn't look at the book's price? (Well probably rich persons) I know a lot of us do. So, one of the main reasons why the battle between e-book and a physical book occur is its price. Real books (especially when in the hardbound format) is usually expensive. On the other hand, e-books are sold at a not so very low price, but cheaper than physical books. This factor is favoring e-books. (Real Book - 0 ; E-Book - 1)






2.) Availability. This is also one of the main factors why readers get annoyed. The feeling of excitement and happiness while entering the bookstore and suddenly, you found out that the book you've been wanting is sold out. On the other hand, the e-books stores never run out of digital copies of books. Especially when the book is newly released, e-book is one of the first solution of those who were not able to purchase the actual book.

3.) Durability. This is not very talked about or elaborated from various readers. So I took the opportunity to express my opinions regarding the two formats' durability. A physical book, can easily be torn, soaked, creased, etc. but it costs a very impossible experience to be able to torn or ruin a lot of books at the same time. On other words, 1 book can get ruin at a period of time. Also, a book even though it was soaked, I believe can sometimes be read even though it has that wavy pages. On the other hand, and e-book reader, cannot be torn, creased, etc. but it can possibly break when it fell from a high place or soaked into water but e-book reader has a different case, once a reader breaks the hundreds of books on that machine disappears too and It's very hassle to restore all of that. Physical books also last longer than e-book reader when given the same care. So in this factor, physical books are much durable. 



4.) Sentimental Value. Physical books can be inserted with notes, can be a gift one by one, can be wrapped one by one, can be passed to the next generation, can be a vintage or old book, you can have them signed, the sentimental value possibilities are endless. On the other hand e-books can be, yeah, purchased and you can have gift cards, yeah. (Real Books - 2 ; e-Books - 2)

5.) Experience. This one has to be the most wanted thing a reader can think of. The physical book just gives you so much experience than the e-book. The smell of freshly printed pages are like the bibliophile's drugs. The feeling of turning the last page of the book is a priceless moment. The feeling of rereading the exact same book that you read once will never replace e-books. On the other hand, e-books provide a much modern experience, you can easily bookmark, put notes, or search in the dictionary. Though for me, regarding this factor, the real book is no match for an e-book.



6.) Convenience. A reader will be more inspired to read if the book or reading experience is convenient. The physical book, is very hard to read while laying in your bed, it's also very hard to do another task such as chatting, eating or something while reading a physical book. Real books also are heavy and not perfect or recommendable to bring, especially if you're a fast or wide reader, during vacations. E-Books, on the other hand, are much convenient to read. It only requires one of your hands to flip the page and you can bring a thousand of book in just a single device.

My final evaluation is a tie. 3 points for Real Books, and 3 Points for e-Books, but because I'm the judge here, I'm adding a thousand points for the real books, because of the factors above (mainly with sentimental factor, and experience). Don't judge me. Just don't. And so for me, the Real book is much better. Though, I believe that it's not about how, when, what, why, where, you read a book, it's about learning from, enjoying with, and living in the story.

Sunday, March 8, 2015

BOOK REVIEW : LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY JOHN GREEN!

Hi Readers! I'd like to apologize for the past weeks/month in which I was not able to post anything but I'm active on my new Book Instagram and Facebook Page! Go check em out! (Click Instagram and Facebook)

So I was able to read a single book for the month of February (I feel so ashamed) school is so demanding! We're also preparing for the final quarterly test and putting extra effort to be able to pass Grade 7. But anyway, let's start!



Details:

Title: Looking for Alaska

Author: John Green

Number of Pages: 256

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Contemporary

Publisher: Speak

Published on: December 28, 2014 (First Published on 2005)

Format: Hardbound

Price: Varies from $16.27 and above

Purchase the book at:


Sypnosis:

"Before. Miles "Pudge" Halter's whole existence has been one big nonevent, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the "Great Perhaps" (François Rabelais, poet) even more. He heads off to the sometimes crazy, possibly unstable, and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed-up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young, who is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart.
After. Nothing is ever the same."

About the Author:

 John Green's first novel, Looking for Alaska, won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award presented by the American Library Association. His second novel, An Abundance of Katherines, was a 2007 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book and a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His next novel, Paper Towns, is a New York Times bestseller and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best YA Mystery. In January 2012, his most recent novel, The Fault in Our Stars, was met with wide critical acclaim, unprecedented in Green's career. The praise included rave reviews in Time Magazine and The New York Times, on NPR, and from award-winning author Markus Zusak. The book also topped the New York Times Children's Paperback Bestseller list for several weeks. Green has also coauthored a book with David Levithan called Will Grayson, Will Grayson, published in 2010. The film rights for all his books, with the exception of Will Grayson Will Grayson, have been optioned to major Hollywood Studios.

In 2007, John and his brother Hank were the hosts of a popular internet blog, "Brotherhood 2.0," where they discussed their lives, books and current events every day for a year except for weekends and holidays. They still keep a video blog, now called "The Vlog Brothers," which can be found on the Nerdfighters website, or a direct link here.
 


Reach the Author at:

Review/Rating:
  • John Green was able to write the book intelligently. The books is just very very pure. I mean it's full of things you probably won't or didn't notice about life. I also love the different perspectives shown in the book even though it was only Miles' point of view.
  • The book is very interesting. I mean yes, the characters and writing style is interesting but we'll talk about that in the further sections below. I mean the book is very very interesting, it's message is interesting. I also love the essence of the book. You'll understand what I'm saying if you have read the book. If you haven't, then you should. 
  • Awesome characters and characteristics. The characters are all interesting. Starting from the main character Miles Halter who is a boy who transfer to a school named Culver Creek and then his life suddenly changes when he meets the Colonel and Alaska who are very interesting and quite different people. And then a lot of characters enter in his life. ALL OF THE CHARACTERS ARE DIFFERENTLY AMAZING AND INTERESTING.
  • Great character development. What comes after awesome characters? XD Great character development. I loved the character development of Miles from a typical and shy teenager to a much mature person you probably have noticed. I also loved the quite recovery stage of the characters because of something-I-wouldn't-tell-you-because-it-might-be-a-spoiler.
  • I love the way the book is written in a before and after basis. This book is one of a kind. I loved how the author made it flow perfectly. I love it. I just do. Especially the major plot twist unfolding the before to after writing style.
  • The book is for everyone. This book doesn't choice any gender. It doesn't require a specific age. It doesn't require a certain religion (Trust me). The book is for everyone. It's just amazing.
  • The book will make you realize a lot of things. The book is very informative. It's very true. It will make you realize a lot of awesome and quite miserable facts about life. It will make you rethink of many things just because the book made you realize it. Trust me.
  • The ending was just very very indescribably amazing. (SPOILER ALERT) I loved how the book ended in an essay or probably conclusion of Miles. I also loved and quite felt anger towards Takumi when he admitted that he had an idea all along but I really understand his side. I also love the whole year concept of the book in which the story ended in the summer vacation/break.
Overall I'd give the book a:
4/5 books!

Favorite Quotes:
"'We are all going.' McKinley said to his wife and we sure are. There's your labyrinth of suffering. We are all going. Find you way out of the maze" 
"Everything that comes together falls apart" the Old Man said. "Everything. The chair I'm sitting on. It was built, and so it will fall apart. I'm gonna fall apart, probably before this chair. And you're gonna fall apart. The cells and the organs and systems that make you you -- they came together, and so must fall apart."
When adults say,"Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. 
My Friends' Short Review/Rating:

Forgive me if I was able to ask two persons only because they're quiet busy and I understand them for not responding to my messages. But if you're reading this, and you have or haven't read the book, please do comment a show review or future expectations for the book!

"My favorite book written by John Green. I personally think this is more better and realistic than TFIOS." - Angelica Manansala, gave the book a 3.5 stars and read the book last April 2014.

"Looking for Alaska is a heartbreaking novel. I think Looking for Alaska is one of the best debut novel ever. John Green wouldn't have TFIOS or Paper Towns or AAOK without this book. I can't wait for the movie adaptation!" - Kim Bejerano, gave the book a 4.5 stars.

Features:

This exclusive collector's edition has:

  • Excusive interview and Q & A with the author.
  • A message from the author
  • Discussion questions!
Yep, that's it! Thank you for reading and apologies for the not active blog. I'll be more active after March 20 since that's our last school day. And I'm going to the #ELockhartinPH hosted by National Bookstore! Hopefully It will be successful. Bye!