Is 'Islander: A Journey Around Our Archipelago' Worth Reading?

Twenty-year-old Ivy Laurent has built a reputation as a reckless party girl, but her wild behavior hides a secret: she has been deeply in love with her step-uncle, Matthias Thorne, a forty-year-old billionaire. Two years earlier, on her eighteenth birthday, Ivy drunkenly confessed her feelings and kissed him. Matthias rejected her gently, believing their relationship was inappropriate, and has avoided her ever since. Hurt and desperate for attention, Ivy spirals into rebellion until she is expelled from another university. Her parents finally give her an ultimatum: spend six months working with Matthias’s or lose all financial support. Matthias is furious when Ivy arrives. Determined to keep distance, he assigns her minor tasks assisting the research team developing revolutionary renewable energy technology. Ivy, however, refuses to behave quietly. Through constant teasing and bold confidence, she challenges Matthias’s restraint, while he struggles with feelings he has tried to suppress for years. Disaster strikes when a massive earthquake triggers a tsunami that destroys the island facility. During the evacuation chaos, Matthias and Ivy are left behind and presumed dead. Isolation forces them to confront their long-hidden emotions, and Matthias finally admits he has loved her for years. Their relationship finally becomes passionate. Working together, Ivy and Matthias escape. Ivy leads them through the jungle until they reach a hidden emergency beacon that finally brings rescue. Returning to civilization sparks public scandal over their controversial relationship. Families, investors, and Matthias’s ex-fiancée attempt to separate them. Refusing to keep it, Matthias publicly declares his love for Ivy and leaves his corporate role to pursue his research independently. Ivy begins studying environmental science and builds her own career. Despite opposition, they remain united, eventually returning to the island where Matthias proposes, beginning a shared future in love, research, and partnership.

Lazing around has never been a bother and, to say, a hindrance to Josh's life. In fact, as far as he believes in, he's already living with it. The only time he felt a bit of excitement was the first time he had discovered his power. However, it only happened once, and it has been five years since then. He's already twenty-two and indifferently considers it as a thing in the past. As he continues his normal life teaching students, he gets acquainted with the teachers in the new faculty he's in; one of whom is Jelly. He also meets a newly-hired teacher who inspires him in a way to become a better version of himself. Things are going well for them—until the day of the student council's retreat. A strange phenomenon hits them, and it changes their lives, permanently. Josh and Jelly are part of the select teachers who embark with the student council for Bantayan, where everything unfolds. They soon find themselves in tight situations and shocking revelations are unearthed as Josh unravels the secrets of his dormant power.

Morgan is just trying to survive her cousin’s destination wedding in Bermuda. She didn’t come prepared for emotional damage, and she certainly didn't expect the biggest drama of the weekend to involve a head injury, a blocked tunnel, and a very confusing run-in with three dudes dressed like they raided a Pirates of the Caribbean casting call. Turns out they’re not LARPing. They aren't actors. It's not a fun sunset cruise. No. They’re privateers. Like, real ones. From the actual year 1725. And Morgan? She’s stuck. She may have a pretty good handle on how to survive in the wilderness, thanks to her ex-Green Beret dad. But eighteenth-century ships, sexist crewmates, and suspicious captains aren’t exactly her area of expertise. Especially not Flynn, the broody, grumpy, maddeningly handsome Captain who might rather toss her overboard than deal with whatever disaster she’s brought onto his ship. But as danger closes in, from rival ships to secrets Morgan didn’t mean to bring with her, she’ll have to find her place in this brutal new world. That is… if she doesn’t drive Flynn to keelhauling her first. Or fall for him. Maybe both. Adventure, slow-burn tension, and fish-out-of-water chaos collide in this swoony, high-stakes romantic tale across time. For fans of enemies-to-lovers, pirate drama, and heroines who don’t know when to shut the fuck up.

A love affair between two unlikely fellows because of the huge differences in their religion, culture and tribe. The two strange fellows met in a national youth service scheme after graduating from the university. It was love at first sight. But from a distance the love brewed till their paths crossed. Everything nearly fall apart if not that they were meant be. Destiny has a way of orchestrating events. They had no option than to tell themselves the truth which is that happiness lies with both of them coming together as one. But to make this happen the two had to wrestle down the tribal hatred, the religious acrimony, the cultural bias that nearly shattered their love. It's romantic, it's intriguing, it's fascinating, it's titillating and captivating.

Ishida, a young man, unexpectedly meets a girl named Rhina by sheer fate. But before long, a war erupts and they are captured by soldiers led by the malicious Lieutenant Monte. The lieutenant gives them a dreadfully simple choice: leave their homes in search of a legendary "lost city at sea," its immortal king, and bring back a mind-boggling amount of gold, or have their mountain reduced to ashes. Ishida’s father had set out in search of the place, too, but never returned. The journey will take them across oceans, sun-scorched deserts, and over perilous mountains; but most importantly of all: the two will discover their true selves will discover their true selves when they confront what will determine their fate. The questions remain: will they be able to find the lost city at sea and bring its treasures back to the avaricious lieutenant before time runs out? Or, perhaps the place they are searching for is simply non-existent?

Year XX26 when a plane had gone missing. No one has heard from it since then. Search parties were called off and passengers were declared dead. People tried calling out to them through their phones. They hear it ring but no one answers. Nathalia Trayce's father was on that plane and she's determined to find out where or what exactly happened to him; by going to the place that her father was suppose to go. Hoping to find more clues, she boarded a plane passing through the Pacific Ocean when an unexpected thing happened; their plane crashed and they suddenly found themselves in an underwater land. The Atlantis, where they found out that they were responsible for the missing planes in order to save them from the government. At least, those who posses Atlantean genes - a superior gene that help improve their physical and mental abilities. But why can Nathalie hear the thoughts of sea creatures - an ability that is suppose to be for Byron, who's the said reincarnated demigod? Trained by an Atlantean general named Skyr, and learning that her ex-bestfriend, Trei, was actually one of the Atlantean rebels. Nathalia had to choose which side to take. Or in her case, who to believe.