What's "worse" than being in love with your best friend (who more than likely has no clue about it) and being spoiled with apartments and cars? Probably being stuck as being "just friends".

I was curious about how good Just Friends is due to its popularity on Twitter, but after finishing it just now, I'm only giving it 2.3 stars (★).

- - - - - - - - - -
Synopsis from Goodreads: August and Ethan have been bestfriends since the day they met at Ethan’s seventh birthday party. And now, twelve years on, their friendship continues to grow. But after magic, fame, money and an unexplainable miracle in a car accident, August realises maybe she wants to be more than just friends.
- - - - - - - - - -


So here's another one added to the never ending list of friends-to-lovers fictions. Honestly, I have no problem with this genre, because they're mostly cute (and sometimes extremely cringe-worthy) and relatable for people who have close relationship with a friend of different gender. Due to Just Friends' popularity and hype on Twitter, I was quite eager to read it, because if it was hyped this much, of course it's gonna turn out amazing, right? But bummer, I was disappointed by the outcome.

Plot

In my opinion, the plot fell rather flat. Instead of reading a story line, it felt like I was reading journal entries of a girl (and the dates made it seem more that way). Sure, there are parts that were good enough, but I couldn't pinpoint where the actual climax is. It was like the story was divided into several chunks, making the supposedly climax part drown in them.

The time line was quite a mess too, one time the character will be acting in the film set and suddenly in the next paragraph, she's already inside a restaurant having her lunch with someone. It's a bit... annoying to me, if I should say. The parts are supposed to be separated, even a small divider or any small sign signalling that we're entering a different scene would suffice. I find myself being confused most of the time trying to figure out where the hell is the scene happening.

I was hoping that I can relate to the characters of the story, but the moment August Bishop suddenly landed a main role in a movie and Ethan Knight bringing home millions of bucks that he got from the roulette, I knew that this one will not be relatable. The fame August received, and the money rolling into Ethan's pocket rather easily were unbelievable. Sure, it probably can happen, but the it would have been a lot better to add August struggling to handle the sudden fame and Ethan trying not to spend too much money. All they did was splurge, to the point that it was insane. Suddenly buying two cars and a huge apartment, I felt like it was all too much. 

Now that I'm here, why were Ethan's nightmares never explained?

Language

I am not very fond of the language used, it is extremely simple and there are quite a number of grammar errors detected. I mean, if an amateur reader like me can even notice the errors, doesn't that mean something went wrong during the prepublication time? Was the book not proofread first? And like I mentioned before, because of how it was written, it felt more like a journal instead of a story, one of the reasons why I did not enjoy it as much as I hoped to.

Characters

I know that August Bishop is the main character of the story, but can we start with Ethan Knight first? Oh Ethan, just as his last name suggested, he is most likely a good example of a knight in a shining armour. His constant use of "my dear" towards August... how can one not fall in love with someone as gentle as him? Though I don't have a long-time boy best friend like August, I have enough experience to understand how it had been for August. Ethan was sweet to everyone, and protective towards the ones that he loved. What an amazing guy.

I can go on-and-on about Ethan, but I might end up spoiling the goodness and sweetness that he presented in the story. So let's talk about August Bishop.

August... Well, firstly, I love her name. It's quite cute to have a month name as your name, and I think Ethan would agree with me. From the start, I was okay with her character, but it gets to a point where I'm a bit annoyed with her way of thinking. To me, she's just a plain girl that fell in love with her long-time best friend, nothing else. Nothing special. I was disappointed that I could not see the "specialty" of her, seeing how fast her fame grew (even though it was only her first appearance in the big screen).

I have no problems with Max, he's a good friend and useful but sometimes can be quite unreliable. But he was there when August needed him, so that's good enough. And then there's Eleanor. Is it just me or she's a literary example of Taylor Swift? She goes on and off relationships with a lot of men, and though she can be sweet, sometimes I don't think I liked her that much.

Overall

The whole story is rather cute, despite the things that I'm not satisfied with. It's still a wonder for me on how August was able to remember all the ties she gave to Ethan on his birthdays and Christmas, yet it took her twelve years to realise her feelings for him. I appreciate that Billy Taylor wrote about friendship, love, cheating (only a little), magic, fame and wealth, though I admit that the story will be a lot better with major changes.

This story will suit new English book readers, because the language is simple and the story is not heavy. It's a shame for me to say this, but I don't think I'll be reading anything else from the same author.

It's the way he looks at you.
Every girl dreams of being looked at the way he looks at you.
Even me when I was with him. You just never catch him when he does.


Till next time ♡ Love, Maira

Just one word will suffice: ka-effing-pow! 

This is my first time with a Jandy Nelson book, and just like that, she became one of my favourite authors! I'm giving 4.7 stars (★) for I'll Give You the Sun.

- - - - - - - - - -
Synopsis from Goodreads: At first, Jude and her twin brother Noah, are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.
- - - - - - - - - -

There are so many things that I want to say about this book, so many things that I wish I can express beautifully, as beautiful as Jandy Nelson's words. I admit that I initially bought this book because it has such good reviews, but what intrigued me to actually start flipping through the pages was the fact that the story involves the life of a set of twins. I have no idea why, but I have always have a soft spot for twins. I often wonder how it would feel to have your own twin, whether the person will be a mirror of you, or a contrast of you. Jandy Nelson showed that by being twins, you may experience everything twice as harder, you love harder, you hurt harder, and the siblings connection are stronger.

Plot

I think the plot is very beautiful, and quite relatable should I say. Not that I surf, or extremely good in art, but I can relate to being intimidated by your own sibling, and not knowing whether you will ever be good enough.

The story is told in two different times, by two different point-of-views: the earlier years are told by Noah, while the later years, by Jude. We are able to know what happened in the past, and what will happen in the future, except that we missed the things in between. We know that when the twins are thirteen, they are the closest a twin as they can get, but when they are sixteen, everything is broken. No more telepathy, no more comfort talks, no more hushed secrets. 

The story builds steadily in both timelines, and slowly we learn more about Noah and Jude. How they found each other, how they lost each other. It doesn't move slowly nor it moves too fast, but it was enough to keep you flipping through the pages to know more of what had happened between the two. It will make you smile, make you scream inwardly in frustration, and even make you tear up, but it will all be worth it. There's nothing more that I love than the way how things relate, and how it ends.

Language

I have to say, it took a while for me to adjust with the writing of the story. It may have been due to my two-years of book slump, but I find everything too overwhelming at first. Jandy Nelson's language was too... flowery, too colourful for me at first.

But as pages went by, I find myself hooked to the book, and I fell in love and fell in love and fell in love deeper for the words. It was so artistic, so full of colours and expressions, they were vivid and almost exploding from the book. I have never dog-eared so many pages of a book before.

Characters

Noah and Jude are the very definition of twins that I always love: different, yet stronger when together. Even though at first, Jude is more of the daredevil, and Noah the safer and silenter twin, everything changed the moment they lost their mother. It is like a switch is flicked, and their bodies swapped places. Jude becomes scared of everything, pushing people away from her, and Noah becomes the daredevil of the twins instead.

Initially, when I know a lot more of Noah than Jude, I could not help but dislike Jude because of her "selfishness", but when Jude comes rolling in, showing how hard she had it too, I easily grew fond of her. I love Noah even with his quirkiness, his way of thinking is just so out of the world and so... so Noah. And I love Jude, because even after everything that happened, Noah is still the first person that she will look out to. Like I said, they may be different, but they're the same in so many ways, so much stronger together.


Overall

I love every single bit of I'll Give You the Sun. I've never realised how much I need a story filled with so much art and colours like this one before. It taught me not to ever live my life in a lie, and always be honest. Always be honest to yourself.


The tool roars to life. My whole body vibrates with electricity as I split the rock in two.
So that NoahandJude becomes Noah and Jude.
"You kill them?" Guillermo says in disbelief.
"No, I saved them."
Finally.


Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'


After five months, I'm back with another haul post! I swear I still have no idea how I'm able to make a haul post for almost each month- I don't even want to calculate how much I spent on everything, oops? I just splurge on anything that I want, bad habit bad habit, I know. 

Oh well, this time, I'm back to the normal editing style, unlike the one in my previous haul post. It was too time consuming, and I currently have a lot more on my plate, with all the BTS comeback teasers and my journalling + reading process, I'm all too preoccupied! So, I just prefer to keep things simple now.

1. Large Notebook



Another notebook for my never ending collection! Got this from Daiso, and I'm planning to use it as a sketchbook. If I get back to sketching, that's it. I lost my previous sketchbook, and I'm still grieving over my lost sketches, so I'm probably not going to use this one any time soon.



2. Flamingo Post-It Notes


If I had to pick a favourite from the bird species, I would definitely choose flamingos! They look very graceful to me, especially when they stand on their one leg. And also because they're pink, of course. I've been collecting some random flamingo-themed things without quite realising it, and I'm so happy to get this cute post-it notes. It can stand too, which makes it easier for me to use when I get back in university to study.

Also got this from Daiso.

3. Bunny Post-It Note


One can never have enough cute post-it notes. Well, at least that's the case for me! Another adorable must-have post-it note from Daiso, and this time featuring my favourite animal, a bunny. Just as you can see in the right side, it can be folded and you can write a "secret" message in it. Pretty cute, huh?

4. Flamingo Washi Tapes


My washi tape collection is happily growing, I probably need to buy a washi tape organiser real soon. This one's another flamingo-themed item that I got from Daiso.

5. Disney Princess Stickers


Anything Disney will always be my personal favourite, especially when it comes to Disney Princesses! I love them so much to the point I get so happy whenever I see anything with Disney on it, even if the items were meant for a child. I guess I'll always be a child at heart.

6. Cactus Notebook


I'm very fond of succulents, I think they're very soothing and also adorable. But I'm horrible at taking care of them. Remember the two cacti I bought last year? (I mentioned them here) They both died several months after I bought them. I'm thinking of getting another cactus soon, but I guess I need to make a few researches on how to take care of them well before that.

Anyway, how cute is this notebook? I love the fact that you can make it stand, definitely good for writing my to-do lists!


7. Enamel Pins


I have decided that I'm going to start an enamel pins collection! I super love pins, I used to have all sorts of button pins on my bags and pencil case. Stopped buying button pins a while ago, but nowadays I just fell in love with enamel pins. I've been surveying shops from other countries for quite some time, and I'm so happy that I finally found local shops selling beautiful enamel pins! Look forward to this collection growing ♡

  • Magical Unicorn & Freckled Dreamer Girl by @eurekartstudio
  • Get Lost & Pearl by Typo

8. BTS - Wings Album (W, I & G Ver.)


Finally got my hands on Bangtan's Wings albums! I got them all for very cheap price (without the posters and photocards though) from Carousell, so I'm really happy. I actually bought all four versions, but the seller made a mistake and sent me two 'I' versions, so I end up selling the extra one to a friend.


Look at how beautiful they are ♡♡♡ But ugh Bighit why are you wasting the pages you could have filled in more pictures on the left pages! (┛◉Д◉)┛彡┻━┻

9. Novels (Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, Emma by Jane Austen & The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas)


I got Frog Music for RM10 only, what a bargain! I haven't read it yet, and I've never read any books from Emma Donoghue (I knew she wrote the bestselling Room), but the moment I saw this book, I just felt like I had to have it. I love the brightness of the cover, and the synopsis seemed like it have a good plot. Will try reading it soon!

Ever since I read Black Beauty, I've always wanted to read more classic literature. I was actually looking for Romeo & Juliet, but the cheaper version was out of stock, so I decided to try Emma instead. Jane Austen is a really famous author, and I'd love to read her works.

I also heard a lot of good things about The Hate U Give! It is said to revolve around current issues like racism, police violence etc., which really intrigued me. I'm hoping it will be as good as everyone is saying!

10. An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Fashion - What on Earth are You Wearing?


My first illustrated encyclopedia! Bought this with Frog Music, which is also RM10. The moment I had my eyes on it, I got super excited because all the illustrations are graceful and beautiful. And it definitely won't hurt me to learn a thing or two about fashion, wouldn't it?

Here's a preview of it's absolute beauty;


Well, that's all from last month! See you guys again in my next haul post ヽ( ≧ω≦)ノ

P.S: To those returning to university/college, all the best! 


Till next time ♡ Love, Maira

Annabelle: Creation (2017): Former toy maker Sam Mullins and his wife, Esther, are happy to welcome a nun and six orphaned girls into their California farmhouse. Years earlier, the couple's 7-year-old daughter Annabelle died in a tragic car accident. Terror soon strikes when one child sneaks into a forbidden room and finds a seemingly innocent doll that appears to have a life of its own.

My rating: 5/5 stars (★)

For years, I've thought that nothing can surpass the horror of the first Conjuring movie, but today I was proven dead wrong. Annabelle: Creation was almost everything a good horror movie should be, it had the right amount of suspense and terror. It just made you wonder continuously who's blood would be shed next, and who would be haunted once again by the doll. Another element making it a great horror movie is having one of the most scary thing: dolls.

If you have watched the trailer, you'll catch the gist of the story. A pair of couple who was unable to accept the death of their only daughter, ended up bringing the dead spirit back through the doll. Obviously, things didn't go well after quite a time living with the undead. The plot seemed rather cliche to me at first, but there was definitely a lot more than that. This was not the typical ghost-seeking-for-revenge thing, but more of demonic things. Ghosts can't hurt you, but demons, they're different than that. 

The Conjuring franchise used a lot of Christian things, and even though I'm not in that faith, it opened my eyes more on how people with other religion dealt with cases like this. Janice, one of the orphaned girls, even with her faith and Sister Charlotte's constant reminder that she was wrong, fell for the doll's call. I was angered throughout the whole story, because when someone warns you to not open a door, do not open it- but. But. When I think about it again, it was definitely not Janice's fault. The demon called for her, and it was hard for a young girl like her to resist it, no matter how scared she was. 

My horror-loving self loves every single part of the movie, and my hatred towards dolls increased tenfold more. The sound effect irked me, but it did a great job in adding the suspense. The execution of the horror elements were to be applauded, and I'm marking this with a small spoiler; my favourite horrific part would be when Linda was chased by a half-body bloodied woman that was crawling on the floor...

Well, that's it. I have a lot more to say to be honest, but I'm afraid that I will give too much spoilers. If you loved Annabelle: Creation too, do talk to me because I need someone to rant to!

For horror movie fans, this is a must watch!


Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

Arrival: Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars (★)

Arrival is probably one of the only brilliant alien-related movie that I have ever watched in my entire life. I grew up hating any alien-related movies thanks to the Alien VS Predator franchise, so alien movies were just a no go for me. But somehow, I was glad that a friend of my suggested me to watch Arrival, because boy, this is a totally different from any cliched alien invasion movies.

The story started with Louise Banks reminiscing the time she spent with her daughter, who turned out dying because of cancer. I couldn't see the relation between her memories of her daughter, with the sudden arrival of the aliens (in their football shaped pods) at first, and throughout the movie, the biggest question is why on earth were the aliens on the Earth?

It was interesting to see that the aliens had their own language, their own way of expressing their messages, instead of some typical alien stories where everything and everyone speaks in English. Because we all know, English is not the only language existing in the universe, obviously. As a language student myself, I got hooked up the moment they tried to decipher the language of the aliens, even though it was quite unbelievable, the way they deciphered it. But anything is possible, and I just think that Louise Banks was really intelligent and brave. If she's a real person, I would have absolutely idolised her.

The aliens reminded me of squids, and it was kind of cute that Louise and Ian called the two aliens that conversed with them as Abbot and Costello. I'm upset at what happened to Abbot in the end, but Costello's message to Louise was overwhelming. Things went a lot worse when the people from different countries refused to cooperate with each other, confirming that some humans are dumb and cooperation between mankind was the very thing that we need when the world is collapsing. Helping each other is better than being at war with each other.

All in all, Arrival was a good movie. The plot twist in the end was mind blowing, though I got a little bit angered at how things actually turned out. But if you're a fan of alien movies or sci-fi, do add this in your to watch list!


Till next time ♡ Love, Maira

A Street Cat Named Bob (2016): Based on the international best selling book. The true feel good story of how James Bowen, a busker and recovering drug addict, had his life transformed when he met a stray ginger cat.

My rating: 5/5 stars (★)

I lied, I'm rating this one 11/10 !!! I swear this is one of the most beautiful story, and it was so wonderful as it is a true story. I always find close relationship between a person with an animal a very beautiful thing. Especially when it comes to the one that are hard to tame or trained. We often see people with amazingly trained dogs, but we rarely get to see trained felines.

And it just added to my wonder about the fact that Bob is an actual street cat, he was not trained at all when he arrived in James' house. I was absolutely in awe throughout the whole movie, I was impressed by a cat actually acting, and I was utterly amazed that Bob is such a brilliant cat. The whole story is so beautiful and inspiring, I think I might re-watch it again any time.

Bob is obviously my favourite character, but I appreciate Val and Betty too, for helping James to recover. Other than the relationship between a man and his cat, Val and Betty both showed that just by supporting him, James will learn to recover all by himself. I think the world needs more people like Val and Betty. 

It pains me to see the hurtful things James experienced because they were all true, all of them happened in real life. People view homeless and drug addicts in a very negative way, and I admit that I do too. But after watching this movie, I believe that not everyone is the same. Some people just end up the way they were because of some bad circumstances, but that didn't mean they don't want to change. All they need is good support, and in some cases, a love like Bob gave to James.

A must watch for everyone, especially if you need something inspiring.



Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

200 Pounds Beauty (2006): Hanna is a very large girl with a warm heart. She also possesses an unbelievable voice. Hanna wants to become a pop-singer, but due to her extra-large appearance, can only work as a faceless singer. She provides the vocals for a popular singer named Amy, a beautiful young lady that can’t carry a note to save her life. One day, she decides to have full-body plastic surgery to change her look.

My rating: 2.5/5 stars (★)

I was complaining a lot throughout the whole movie, simply because I had a whole lot to disagree. I know for a fact that this is a pretty old movie, it was released more than 10 years ago, but the fact that "beauty" is being defined with being skinny & having a "perfect face" still irks me to no end. In 200 Pounds Beauty, Hanna was treated unfairly just because she was overweight and didn't have the "perfect face" despite having a wonderful voice.

Though I think it was rather stupid, but it was understandable when Hanna wished to undergo a full-body plastic surgery and changed her look drastically. The people around her all forced her to decide on getting the surgery, and I'm more than positive that a lot of women (and maybe men) in real life had done the same thing because of the same reason. The very thing that people like Hanna need is self-confidence. Instead of going for a plastic surgery, Hanna could have worked out and go through a diet to gain the body that she would be comfortable in. Shedding the weight was definitely a healthier idea than getting a plastic surgery. Even after getting under the knife, Hanna ever gained any real self-confidence, which later got her into more trouble.

Despite all of the mess, I think the actual message from the story is really actually for all of us to accept ourselves for who we are, and not to change just for the sake of others. And that message is beautiful. I think the ending was rather good, even though I don't think it will ever happen in real life, because we all know that not everyone can be accepting, especially in a short amount of time. If you have watched the movie, you'll understand what I meant. 


To anyone reading this, remember that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Just because someone does not think you're beautiful, that does not mean you are ugly. You are beautiful, learn to love yourself more. Don't let anyone change you from who you really are.


Till next time ♡ Love, Aishah Humaira'

Time Renegades (2016): A 1983 high school teacher and a 2015 detective join forces through their dreams to save a woman they both love.

My rating: 4/5 stars (★)

Stories related to time travelling and being given a chance to change something from the past are not really my cup of tea, but somehow I end up quite enjoying Time Renegades. Even though I still disagree with the fact that the main characters, Jihwan and Detective Gunwoo were able to change some things in history, the thriller part of the movie kept me on the edge of my seat.

While Jihwan is a teacher in 1983, Gunwoo is a detective in the present day (2015). And then there's Yoonjung & Soeun, who is a girl in 1983 & 2015 respectively, but shared the same face and are both teachers in the same school. Jihwan and Gunwoo's life collided through an event during New Year's Eve, and ever since then, Gunwoo was able to see the past through the dreams while Jihwan could the the future through Gunwoo's eyes. Jihwan learned that something will happen to Yoonjung, and he tried to save her using what he was able to see in the future, and Gunwoo, having being able to recognise Soeun from the dream he had, ended up falling for her and did everything he could to save her too.

If you change even a small thing in the past, everything in the future may change, and that was what had happened. Jihwan tried to save Yoojung, but some things were just meant to happen. That didn't mean nothing changed in the future, as Gunwoo struggled to help the woman he loved, but at the same time had to learn the changes in the future because of Jihwan's actions in the past. Every time Jihwan changed something in the past, one can't help but wonder whether something good will happen in the future, or if someone was going to be murdered earlier than they were supposed to be. You can't help but worry who would die and who would survive this time.

I'm surprised that I never heard much from this movie, because it was a rather good one. I love the element of surprise and thrill in it, and it kept me trying to figure out what will happen even until the end. The ending was quite unexpected, but I wouldn't really call it a surprising plot twist? I did love the ending however, I think the people who made this story did well.

Definitely recommending this to anyone who loves thriller and enjoys time travelling stories!


Till next time ♡ Love, Maira