The Girl on the Train —is it worth the read?

I'm not that into the suspense/thriller genré but I was tempted to pick this up because of all the hype it has gotten mid-2015. As I started reading, I thought the diary type of writing is interesting, and so are the alternating POVs, I love that you get to be inside the not-so sane heads of three women (Rachel, Megan and Anna) in a single read.

 However, the middle part was a bit of a drag –Rachel drinking, the police searching this and that, Rachel drinking, AGAIN. I only started to feel the "thrill" towards the ending as I read through the twists that I've already anticipated since the earlier pages anyway. 

For me, it's nothing special, or perhaps, as I said, it's because I'm just not really into this genré. Or it may not be for my age range (if that's a legit identifying factor at all) But hey, I hear it's going to be on the big screen soon! With some pretty decent cast as I've read somewhere. Maybe that won't be much of a drag as the book?

Rating: 2/5

Gift Guide: Perfect Books for the Holiday Season

Books are probably one of the most used gifts in the history of gift giving. Common, yes, but not necessarily uncreative. Personally, I like giving books to friends and family as presents. Whenever I do, I feel like I'm not just giving them an object they can use, I'm also giving them an experience, an escape. Well.. unless they don't read it! So, you might want to make sure that they're into books first.

To help you out on your gift shopping a little bit, I put up a list of my favourite Christmas themed books that would make perfect gifts for your friends and family. 

MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME edited by Stephanie Perkins

                                Courtesy: goodreads.com

My True Love Gave To Me is a collection of short stories centred on holiday love romances. Each story stands alone and each one has a different charm to it. The collection is written by several notable Young Adult authors which includes Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, Stephanie Perkins and Gayle Forman.  —the perfect book to grab when you just feel like snuggling in one corner, with a hot cocoa in hand. And.. can we just take a moment to appreciate that cover?

LET IT SNOW by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Courtesy: amazon.com

Three holiday romances (The Jubilee Express, A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle, The Patron Saint of Pigs) all interconnected, set in the small town of Gracetown, North Carolina on Christmas.   —the closest I've ever gotten to a white Christmas. This book will surely give you (or the friend you're giving it to!) the Holiday feels.

DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Courtesy: goodreads.com

Lily, left by her parents during the holidays at their home in New York, came up with an idea to leave a red notebook full of dares in her favourite bookstore shelf. A boy named Dash finds it and accepts the challenge. They pass the notebook back and forth from each other all over New York, sharing their dreams and personal stories with each other page after page.   —I really enjoyed this book. Not just because it's set during Christmas time but because it's set during Christmas time IN NEW YORK CITY! I'm a sucker for books that have the power to take me somewhere else.

THE HOLIDAY SECRET by Neva Squires-Rodriguez

Courtesy: nevasquiresrodriguez.com

Evaliz has always been jealous of Tatiana, her sister. So when her parents decides to send Evaliz to New York to visit her, she was unsure of how it was going to be. Until Tatiana reveals a shocking secret and Evaliz was left wondering if her life is ever going to be the same.  —this short story isn't as popular as the other ones on this list but it doesn't mean it's not as good. It's well written. It's modern and relatable and I like how well the dramatic scenes are built up. It's one of the many underrated Christmas themed stories out there.

THE CHRISTMAS BOX (THE CHRISTMAS BOX TRILOGY #1) by Richard Paul Evans

Courtesy: simonandschuster.com

The Christmas Box is originally written by the author for his children. It is an inspirational tale about a widow who takes in a young family. Together, they discover the real meaning and the true gift of Christmas.   —the kind of book that would give you a reality check. I felt like hugging my family when I finished it.

So what do you think about this list? I hope it was helpful. If you have some more Christmas themed book suggestions, feel free to comment below!