Movie: The Fate of the Furious 2017

★★★★★/★★★★★

Main characters:

Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto

Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs

Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw

Michelle Rodriguez as Letty Ortiz

Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce

Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker

Scott Eastwood as Eric Reisner 

Charlize Theron as Cipher

Director: F. Gary Gray

I saw the movie with my Dad and sister the other night and I know we'd been late to the party since the movie came out over a month ago but who cares? Fate of the Furious is still as good as the past installments and we definitely enjoyed all the thrilling car chase scenes, banters between characters, the action and the unexpected turn of events. But somehow, it's sad to see the movie without Paul Walker's character, Brian.

The 8th installment focuses on Dom as a woman called Cipher forces him to join her team and makes him betray his family. Dom goes rogue after a mission (retrieve an EMP device in Berlin) with his team, sending Hobbs to prison and leaving the others wondering what he has done. Dom then delivers the EMP to Cipher and later we see how Cipher convinced him to help her and I think any man would've done the same thing! To stop Dom and Cipher on whatever they plan to do, Mr. Nobody assembles the team, with Hobbs being the new leader plus Deckard Shaw, who also wants to take down Cipher for what she did to his brother.

 It's 2hrs and 16mins long and I enjoyed every second of it. And when you think the action stunts and plot couldn't get any better, you're wrong. Because this movie keeps on surprising us! And it's really hard not to love the character even more especially when you've grown fond of each and every one of them already. The additional characters of Charlize Theron and Scott Eastwood also make it more fun and the plot a little intriguing.

Overall, I loved the movie! Now I can't wait for Fast & Furious 9 because I can only guess it'll be better and more exciting than the last!

Summer Mixtape #1 ♫♪

♪ You Look Good - Lady Antebellum ♫

♪ A Whole Lotta You - A Rocket To The Moon ♫

♪ 17 - Avril Lavigne ♫

♪ Hello Friday - Flo Rida ft. Jason Derulo ♫

♪ Crash - Usher ♫

♪ Broken Record - Krewella ♫

♪ Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs ♫

♪ Runaways - All Time Low ♫

♪ Dance With Me - Kelly Clarkson ♫

♪ It Won't Kill Ya - The Chainsmokers ft. Louane ♫

♪ Don't Come Down -The Maine ♫

♪ 3 AM - Meghan Trainor ♫

♪ Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran ♫

♪ It Ain't Me - Kygo & Selena Gomez ♫

♪ Love Me Like You Mean It - Kelsea Ballerini ♫

♪ Summer - Cassadee Pope ♫

♪ Runaway With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen ♫

***

  Hope everyone's having a great summer! 🌞

May 2017 Music Videos

 Heaven - PVRIS (May 1)


Thunder - Imagine Dragons (May 2) 

Told You So - Paramore (May 3)

Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran (May 3)

 Take On The World - You Me At Six (May 4)

Good Goodbye - Linkin Park ft. Pusha T and Stormzy

 

Can I Be Him - James Arthur (May 8)
 

Sign of the Times - Harry Styles (May 8)

 Malibu - Miley Cyrus (May 11)

If - R5 (May 11)

Kissing Strangers - DNCE ft. Nicki Minaj (May 11) 

Bon Appetit - Katy Perry ft. Migos (May 12)

Gunner - Machine Gun Kelly (May 12)


 Don't Let Me Be Yours - Zara Larsson (May 12)

 Middle of the Night - The Vamps & Martin Jensen (May 15)

No Promises - Cheat Codes ft. Demi Lovato (May 16)

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! ❤

🌸🌸🌸

To all the Mommy, Mama, Ma, Nanay, Nay, Mamay, Mom, Mie, Mamsie... HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY po!

Always know that we thank you for the time, support, care, love and every single thing you give us.

And of course to my beautiful mom, I miss you already! See you in two months! Love you. :D

🌸🌸🌸

ED SHEERAN LIVE IN MANILA 2017

English Singer-Songwriter Ed Sheeran is coming back here in Manila on November 7th as part of the Asia leg of his Divide World Tour. He was here last 2015 for his Multiply Tour which everyone loved and enjoyed.  

You can see the official announcement here. 

 

More details will be posted soon.

Poem: One Lie Then Goodbye

Those were the days when we still smiled to each other
You would hold my hand and I'll blow you a kiss
Everything was so simple, things were working out
But now look at us, always screaming and things are going south

Those were the memories we treasured most
We were walking down the street with love in our eyes
Everything was dear to us, our words were enough
But we've changed, now we walk away when things get rough

Those were the good old times we thought would last
I promised to love you a lifetime and you did too
Everything felt so right, we thought we'd stay forever
But what happened to forever when you couldn't even stay longer?

That... was us
You and I... and our great love
Everything... everything was so perfect until that lie
Now I'm fighting for our love while you prepare to say goodbye

Those are my tears I can't stop anymore
Because you choose to walk away while I choose to fight
Everything I did, and yet you're still leaving
When you were the one who lied and left me hurting

Now this is my goodbye
It still hurts but I don't deserve this
Everything... everything will still lead me to you but...
I'll try to unlove you after this lie then I'll be fine

Book: King (King #1) by T.M. Frazier

★★¹⁄₂/★★★★★

“Stop being alive, and start living.”  

I've had this book with me for a while now and been meaning to read it but didn't have the time until last week. And to say I wasn't excited to get my hands on it when I first saw it was an understatement. I always love a good dark romance and with all the good reviews I'd seen, I was convinced that I'll totally love this book. 

On the contrary, I was a bit disappointed when I got around the book. I admit I haven't read that many dark romances but I had my expectations and sadly with King, I was underwhelmed. The plot has potential but I don't think it was well developed. There were heavy scenes that felt flat to me and though the writing is good, I think Frazier could've done better. Same with the characters. I really wanted to like Doe and King but they failed to appeal to me. I don't know what's wrong but I wasn't hooked with their story and at times they actually annoyed me.

“I found myself again in the most unlikely place. I’d found myself again in the haunted eyes of a girl who was just as lost as I was. Or maybe, we didn’t find each other at all. Maybe, we just decided to be lost together.”

 Right from the start I didn't know what to expect from Doe. She's lost her memories, she's homeless and just barely surviving. She's scared but she knew she has to survive so when opportunity presents itself, she knew she has to grab it. She's desperate. Next thing she knew she's at Brantley King's party with a newfound friend. There are bikers which to her mean protection. And though she's terrified, she knew she has to score one if she wanted to stay alive longer. 

King is a big bad boy. He lives outside the law. He's an ex-con who just got out of prison and is ready to get back to his old life when Doe suddenly shows up. Of course there's an instant attraction between Doe and King but both didn't want to act on it. It's too complicated for them. But along the way they start to grow closer and at some point decided they need to feel each other.

I know I should love King because I'm always drawn to alpha asshole jerks but for some reasons I didn't. I think he's too much to handle though there were times when I rooted for him.

“I would have given anything in the world for that smile and that breath, to have not been his very last.”

Of all the characters I think my most favorite is Preppy. He made me laugh, cry, giggle and cry some more! He's a very endearing character and I love that Doe has found a friend in him. He's damn funny and he broke my heart. Same with Grace. I think she's very sweet and lovely. 

Overall, I did enjoy the book a bit but there were so many things that didn't work for me. I failed to connect with the characters. Doe is too nice and too forgiving at times that it's maddening already. I also didn't get that way she acts sometimes and for someone who has amnesia, she's way trusting. King, on the other hand, is hella confusing. Sometimes he's nice, sometimes he's bad, sometimes he's both and I don't know how he does that! He frustrated me more than anything in this book. Also, I hated how he treated Doe sometimes, ordering her around and all. Then there's the last 10% when things got so crazy I didn't know what to expect anymore. The ending makes it worse by giving us a cliffhanger. Ugh.

So there. I know I ended up just ranting so forgive me but this is all just my opinion. I'm actually glad that a lot of people have loved it and hope the next person does too. I just think this book isn't for me.

Summer 2017 🌞

HELLO, SUMMER! 🌞

***
Last May 1 we had a get together with our relatives in Bulacan and decided to beat the heat by hitting Malamig Park Resort. It is located in Bustos, Bulacan, just a couple of hours away from the busy metropolis. The resort has kiddie pools, adult pools, private pools and a wave pool which you will surely enjoy.

It was a whole day of fun, just swimming, eating and of course catching up with our cousins. Our mom and dad were also with us so we really had a great time since it'd been a while since the last time we had a trip out of town. 

 ❤

Poem: Most Times

Sometimes you push me away
Sometimes I hate you
But most times I choose to stay
Because I understand what you do.

Sometimes you make me want to cry
Sometimes I hide
But most times I accept your lies
Because I still want you by my side.

Sometimes you are too much
Sometimes I break down
But most times I miss your touch
Because I still love you deep down.

Sometimes it hurts
Sometimes I want to give up
But most times I ignore it
Most times I love you too much.

April 2017 Music Videos

Break My Heart - Hey Violet (Apr 3)

Now or Never - Halsey (Apr 4)

A Place We Set Afire - Yellowcard (Apr 12)

 Stay - Zedd, Alessia Cara (Apr 18)

Hard Times - Paramore (Apr 19)

At My Best - Machine Gun Kelly ft. Hailee Steinfeld (Apr 21)


Flame - Tinashe (Apr 21)

It Ain't Me - Kygo, Selena Gomez (Apr 24)


Attention - Charlie Puth (Apr 24)

Young and Menace - Fall Out Boy (Apr 27)

Life of the Party - All Time Low (Apr 28)

 

Book: The Girl in the Ice ( Detective Erika Foster) by Robert Bryndza

★★★¹⁄₂/★★★★★

“The secret of blending in, is don’t try to. Everyone is so fucking self-obsessed.”

The Girl in the Ice is the first in the Detective Erika Foster series, a thriller by Robert Bryndza. I'd heard a lot of good things about this book from my blog friends and I can say I was pretty excited when I finally picked it up. But despite the excitement I felt, it took me a while to finish it. The first few chapters were a bit slow for me but I'm glad I stuck to it until the end. I haven't read a lot of thrillers but this one is a good one.

The book centers on DCI Erika Foster when she is called down to South London to investigate a murder case involving a body of a woman found under a thick sheet of ice. Erika has been off the police force for the past months due to the death of her husband and we see how she's still struggling because of it. She tries to do her best to solve the case but when she starts to find some leads with the help of her new colleagues, the victim's wealthy father and the higher ups start to meddle. At some point she is kicked off the case because her boss wants her to play by some rules but Erika only wants to do her job properly and not to be dictated what to or not to do. 

I think Erika Foster is a strong character, a smart and determined woman. She has some ups and downs but they don't stop her from doing what's right. We also see some backstory of what happened to her husband which I think helped on understanding her more. I also actually like Moss and Peterson! The three of them make a great team and I would like to see more of them working together. 

What I love most when reading mystery/thriller is when the author keeps on making me guess what will happen next or who the real culprit is. In this book, I kept guessing until the middle part where I finally figured out who the killer was! And man, did I get that right! But still, the turn of events are unexpected and there are a lot of suspects until finally the last few pages reveal who it really is.

Overall The Girl in the Ice is a good debut thriller novel. The pacing is just right (though for me the first few chapters were a bit slow), it has great story line, impressive writing, has some twists and turns and intriguing characters. I'm planning on reading the second book in the series some time soon.

Book: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

 ★★★★★/★★★★★

“Love and loss,” he said, “are like a ship and the sea. They rise together. The more we love, the more we have to lose. But the only way to avoid loss is to avoid love. And what a sad world that would be.”

One word: Brilliant. 

Gahd, I really love this series and now that I've finished the last book, I don't think I'll ever be the same again! I mean, after knowing Kell, Lila, Rhy and all the other characters, it's hard to move on! And thinking that their story is already over... no, no, no! But well, Shades of Magic has been an amazing adventure. 

It's been over a week since I finished the book but until now I still have a book hangover. I tried picking up another book right after finishing but I just can't take my mind off Kell. It's a bit crazy, I know, but I needed a while to absorb everything and convince myself that it's really finished. The series is over. And it still makes me frown everytime I tell myself that.  

Everything in this book is just plain brilliant. The characters, the plot, the prose, the worldbuilding, especially the world building! I fell in love with everything the instant I read the first chapter and right there and then I had my new favorite series. And author! 

“Picking out a gift?” asked the captain.
“No.”
“Good, then take this.” He dropped a ring into Kell’s hand.
Kell frowned. “I’m flattered, but I think you’re asking the wrong brother.”

The characters are what made me love this series even more. I've already grown fond of Kell, Lila, Rhy, Alucard and even Holland who broke my heart in this last book. They all had their own moments, times when they had to make crucial decisions and I think that's when their character shone the brightest. Rhy has finally started acting like a prince, wanting to do something to protect his family, his people, his kingdom. Kell is ever the self-sacrificing prince/brother/Antari. (And I fell in love with him all over again!) Lila, well, she's still the best thief out there, always headstrong and  stubborn. I've always liked Alucard since the AGoS but in this book, omg, he stole my heart! And Holland, oh poor Holland. My heart ached for him all throughout.

I also love the interactions between the characters because they always just end up bickering with each other, annoying the hell out of one another. Especially Kell and Alucard! Sometimes Holland too. But those playful moments are what I'll miss most!!!

Her heart was beating hard against her ribs, some primal part of her saying run, and she was running, just not away. She was tired of running away. So she was running into Kell.
And he caught her.

Now let's get to the romance part where oh. my. gulay. Kell and Lila. Lila and Kell. Do I need say more? Because they're perfect. For each other. With each other. From the first book I've been rooting for their romance and finally, finally, Schwab gave us something exciting in this book! And can we also talk about that scene where Kell was teaching Lila some magic words? OH. MY. GOD! I was practically grinning the entire time. And when Alucard walked in on them? It was hilarious!

Moving on, we also have Rhy and Alucard and they're the cutest! I enjoyed every moment they had together especially when Rhy acted all prince-y at first but in the end finally realizing Alucard's true feelings. 

 When Kell Maresh and Lila Bard had first parted ways, he’d whispered the word in her wake, beneath his breath, full of the certainty—the hope—they’d meet again. He’d known it wasn’t an end. And this wasn’t an end, either, or if it was, then simply the end of a chapter, an interlude between two meetings, the beginning of something new.

 Overall, I'm very satisfied with this series. Schwab didn't disappoint and that ending is just... perfect! I honestly had to stop myself a few pages away from the ending because I just didn't want it to end. I love this series that much! I guess I wasn't just ready for it to end that I tried to draw it out for as long as I could. But of course, it had to end. 

Anyway, I know I only ended up fan-girling without even coming up with a proper review but there's really only one word to describe this book and it's brilliant. So read it, you guys!

And, well, Anoshe.

Sad Song by We The Kings ♫♪

It was 2013 when We The Kings released the album Somewhere Somehow and it's probably one of the best albums ever! I love all the songs but my favorite is Sad Song. Several days ago, the band released a music video for Sad Song and I tell you, it's beautiful!!

 

You and I,

We're like fireworks and symphonies exploding in the sky.
With you, I'm alive
Like all the missing pieces of my heart, they finally collide.

So stop time right here in the moonlight,
'Cause I don't ever wanna close my eyes.

Without you, I feel broke.
Like I'm half of a whole.
Without you, I've got no hand to hold.
Without you, I feel torn.
Like a sail in a storm.
Without you, I'm just a sad song.
I'm just a sad song.

With you I fall.
It's like I'm leaving all my past in silhouettes upon the wall.
With you I'm a beautiful mess.
It's like we're standing hand in hand with all our fears upon the edge.

So stop time right here in the moonlight,
'Cause I don't ever wanna close my eyes.

Without you, I feel broke.
Like I'm half of a whole.
Without you, I've got no hand to hold.
Without you, I feel torn.
Like a sail in a storm.
Without you, I'm just a sad song.

You're the perfect melody,
The only harmony
I wanna hear.
You're my favorite part of me,
With you standing next to me,
I've got nothing to fear.

Without you, I feel broke.
Like I'm half of a whole.
Without you, I've got no hand to hold.
Without you, I feel torn.
Like a sail in a storm.
Without you, I'm just a sad song.

Without you, I feel broke.
Like I'm half of a whole.
Without you, I've got no hand to hold.
Without you, I feel torn.
Like a sail in a storm.
Without you, I'm just a sad song.
I'm just a sad song. 

-azlyrics