I am definitely happy with my accomplishment.
But anyways, I'll get back to reviewing the book later, as seeing that I'm pretty hyped up to blog about other things as well.
Going for a trip to Sunway Pyramid the week after next week, and I really can't wait for it! I googled it a while ago, and being the really sua gu person I am, I became the cow inflicted with mad cow disease (just kidding) and jumped over the moon when I saw the words 'ICE-SKATING RINK' appear on the Wikipedia page (strange, can you believe Wiki has a page on one of Malaysia's shopping lots?).
AN ICE- SKATING RINK!!! OMIGOSH! That is SO COOL!!!!! I must edge out some time to try it!!!! I'll beg my parents to let me have a go on it, hehehehe (evil laugh). Well, even though I'm only staying there for a day (driving up to KL on Friday after my parents' work and staying over at my uncle's, heading off to SP the next day in the morning and staying there for the night before returning back the next day. Packed schedule, really) but I must try it!!! I have a really low chance to go abroad (budget constraints, unless I study my ass off and get a scholarship) so this might be my only chance to experience these sort of snow things.
And I really hope there will be a bookstore (hopefully Borders, Kinokuniya is only present at KLCC, and I went there last Friday) for me to get Zhi Wen's present and succeed in obtaining the last two Sarah Dessen books I don't have.
Checking up their webpage now to see if there's any bookstore. (You can't blame me, I have NEVER been to Sunway before.)
Oh! There's a Comic Paradise shop!!!!!! Eeek!!! (squeals with excitement!) Well (scrolls down list), there's MPH and Popular... but no Borders. (Narrows eyes) I kinda lost faith in both book shops as their knowledge as well as supply of books here in Johore are below five stars (out of ten), close to zilch.
Anyways, now that I've gotten around to checking what I've wanted to but kept on forgetting to, I'll start the review on Along for the Ride.
I loved it, enjoyed it, but I think I still like Just Listen and The Truth about Forever better. Maybe 'cause Just Listen was my first Sarah Dessen book. Originally, I didn't really like The Truth about Forever but in the end, it proved me wrong. And normally stuff like these grab my interest and teach me that I shouldn't assume things. Actually, a lot of stuff did in the past, just that I always forget this lesson I learned. Hehe...
But I digress. Along for the Ride is a wonderful book, along with the element I've always loved about books ever since I realized the Twilight saga was just some pointless romance book that only most of the people who loved it are people itching for romance -character development.
No offence meant to all Twilight lovers out there, but it finally hit me that suddenly, Twilight is just... I don't know, dead boring. But I can't really fault it, as it is a fantasy story, and anything can happen in fantasy stories so yeah. Besides, I just accepted the whole thing, mainly irritating cliches (like Bella having almost-perfect control over the vampire first stage thing, she being one of the strongest and gifted in the whole bunch of vampires) and those romance-craving moments as flaws and mistakes we humans make. No offence, I swear. You can obsess over Twilight as much as you want, and I will respect you for your choice, but don't go around proclaiming your love for Twilight and stating how perfect and romantic it is in front of my face and hoping that I'd agree with you. Sorry, but that scene is so (most likely) not gonna happen (god, get a life).
Still, if Stephenie Meyer writes another few new books, I'd still buy and give them a shot.
(Spoilers below, so if any of you who have yet to read Along for the Ride, I think you'd better read it first before getting yourselves spoilers, unless you're like me XD)
Gah, sidetracked again. Anyways (I'm sorry for the overuse of this word), Along for the Ride was great. Character development is undeniably the best element of one's life, and I believe in that. Auden, her mum and dad, Hollis... it's all there. I'm just really glad for them, you know? Especially Auden, with the bike thing, and giving everything she failed at a second chance. It taught (and inspired) me lots of stuff too, like how quitting is never good, we shouldn't make excuses (Auden's dad, god, he's pathetic, but he grew up in the end) and other things like that.
On a side note, I AM glad (or relieved) that Auden did not go to the prom-themed Beach Bash Heidi organized with Jason (a nerdy bastard from The Truth about Forever). When I read the part where Jason asked Auden out to the party and she agreed, I was like 'NOOO!!!!! Auden you
I think I should start on Dreamland this week, and slowly take my time. The abusive relationship with Rogerson does seem interesting. Plus, I did flip to the end of the book and read the ending (guilty) so I think it's not bad.
If I were to rank my favourite Sarah Dessen books for the ones I have read so far, it would be something like this:
#1 - Just Listen
#2 - The Truth about Forever
#3 - Along for the Ride
#4 - Keeping the Moon/Lock and Key
About spot number four, I couldn't decide. Maybe I should re-read all of them again (as well as That Summer) and place them in ranking again. But for the mean time, it should be that way. :)
My relatives are in Penang now, and part of me wished I had taken up my mum's offer to go along with them. But on the other side, it would be really weird because it's definitely the best to travel up with your family (a sign of unity and kinship or something like that). After all, my relatives living there are quite... erm... old-fashioned (or judgemental) so it wouldn't be a very good sign to show up without my family members, especially at a wedding dinner.
Never mind, there's still next time.
This is the longest post I have written in the past few weeks, as well as the one I feel that has most sense of direction and point of what I am writing. In the past few weeks I wanted to write so much stuff until I just ended up getting nowhere at all. Meh. But anyways, it's late, and I'm not an insomniac like Auden and Eli, so I guess I should stop now.
Goodnight, my blog.
