THE BEST OF 2013.

Where I get to recap my fruitful year and compile all the best ones I've read!

Hi Blurbies!!

I know. I've been missing in action for the past few weeks yet I have never felt so enthusiastic in a while. It was never my intention to take a break from reading, book hauling or blogging but I've been really lazy when it comes to these things. The usual blogging burn out welcomed me again at the beginning of the month and I gave in to it. I haven't read a single book even though I received a ton of review books because I don't want to test the waters that I know would eventually lead to complete breakdown. I felt so pressured and I no longer enjoy what I do so instead of "wasting" my time reading, I started going out with friends and focusing on doing things not related to books. I might do this annually. Like one whole month of break. It really feels so good and I know I would be the best that I can be after this break. I am so excited to go back and be involved in a lot of book blogging activities. Plus, I miss talking to you all through Twitter. I am still engrossed with my personal Facebook account but again, I will be back in a week or two!

To those of you who were concerned and were still visiting this page: THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH for your continual support!

I missed a lot of my personal blogging goals and scheduled posts because of the said blogging hiatus so here I am, I would try to be familiar once again in all this. These are the books I thought are the BEST ones I read this year and a little bit of recap. Let get on with it, shall we?

January

Hemlock (Hemlock #1) by Kathleen Peacock

"Kathleen Peacock made a mark with her debut novel, Hemlock. It is such a wonderful read that I seriously cannot put down. The novel is paranormal slash mystery slash romance rolled into one. It is incredibly written and honestly, there are no dull moments in it! It is beautiful from inside-out that one would wish for book two right away. I would definitely read it again. Over and over and over again."

I loved not only this book but Kathleen to bits. She's such an amazing person who is full of kindness and sweetness. I hope someday I would be able to meet her and give her the best panda hug she deserves!

February

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater

"The Raven Boys is the novel everyone should read right now. It is enthralling, hair-raising and phenomenal paranormal plotted story perfectly crafted to entice every hearts brave enough to be swept away with it! A must read!"

I was so surprised that I loved The Raven Boys even after learning that the premise is too slow. I hate slow paced stories but Stiefvater did transform me from the first page! There are just a million things to love about this adventure and to take these 4 oozing Raven Boys for granted is simply a mistake you would want to avoid!

March

Fallen Too Far (Too Far #1) by Abbi Glines

"Fallen Too Far is a very sensual novel with such unexpected twists. Its fun to read and is written beautifully. It also full of surprises and a little bit of drama that kept it well balanced. There's no words right enough to use on how painful the ending was which would definitely push you to crave for more!"

Fallen Too Far is my first Glines novel and first New Adult read. I am telling you, it is absolutely HOT! I loved everything about it even the sexy parts! The story is compelling and come on, RUSH FINLAY? He's the bomb! He makes me melt and truly, he's the one I want to spend my bookish life with. He's not perfect but his imperfections are beautiful.

April

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes

"My review wouldn't make justice to how wonderful Falling Kingdoms is. It's full of mystery, action and blood. Its heart-shattering romance, knee-buckling loses and mind-blowing magical tyrannies would keep one holding on from page one till the very end! Asking for more wouldn't suffice how much I itch to read the sequel! At this point, I am damaged beyond repair!"

I've always loved High Fantasy plots and Falling Kingdoms did exceed my "requirements" when it comes to this genre. Politics, romance and action bundled into one fantastic story sure did amazing things to me. The world building is unique and rich and it deserves a lot of recognition!

May

The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3) by Rick Riordan

"Riordan never fails to amaze me. His writing is just right to the core and his adventures always leave me catching my breath. Mark of Athena surely gave me all the goosebumps and mini heart attacks. The world building is getting better and better and the characters positively progresses every chapter! This third book to his Heroes of Olympus series is definitely the best yet among the books and I couldn't wait to read House of Hades!"

Aside from Harry Potter series, Heroes of Olympus would be my next favorite Middle Grade read. Riordan just simply brings out his expertise with Roman/Greek mythologies in such an outstanding way! I loved everything he writes!

June

Anna and the French Kiss (Anna and the French Kiss #1) by Stephanie Perkins

"Anna and the French Kiss unraveled my love for being in love! It exploded with so much romance that I wanted to cuddle and kiss and hold hands! It is the epitome of love despite differences and it is truly a wonderful read! The experience from reading it was priceless!"

This novel is one my favorite Contemporary reads for the year mainly because of the so many FEELS it gave me. This is definitely a contemporary story anyone would want to be their story. Ethienne is beyond dreamy! If it wasn't for the annoying experience I had with the author, this book would have topped my favorites.

Defiance (Defiance #1) by CJ Redwine

"Defiance is a stunning debut novel that captures one's full and undivided attention! It is magnificently laid out and gravely consuming! I let it give me emotions I never thought I would ever feel again and the adrenaline rush every page turn is terrifyingly addictive! I was at the edge of my seat the whole ride!"

Defiance series seriously rocked my world. It is truly THIS close to my heart, especially Deception. Rachel's journey and emotion took a huge part of me because I can relate to her so much. A beautiful series plus and awesome author equals unforgettable reading experience. It is almost like getting a tattoo. After reading it, the whole thing just branded my heart with so much awe.

July

Hopeless (Hopeless #1) by Colleen Hoover

"Hopeless is the enigma of one's capacity to love after being shattered to pieces. It brings empowerment to those who have been destructed yet survived such horrific incident that leaves an unalterable scar. It breathes healing and it shows that even after a tornado that wrecked every bit of one's soul, there's still a very brilliant rainbow in one's heart. Magnificent novel, entertaining and moving. Most of all, the novel hits home."

The most amazing story ever!! Hopeless made me create a new rating system which was previously a crown but I eventually changed it to 8 stars. It deserves the highest rating and I felt like 5 stars wasn't enough. One of the best stories ever written.

August

All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill

"All Our Yesterdays is a highly recommended novel that would twist your innards and make your brain cells go haywire! It was such dark, dangerous, action-packed and fast-paced story that would keep you hyperventilating with every flip of the page! It totally loved the nerve-wracking combo of Time Travel and Sci-Fi! And the unrequited romance? HEART-SHATTERING! This, I think, is one of MY novels for the year!"

Seriously? All Our Yesterdays is my TOP favorite Time Travel novel. It blew my mind away! As in my brain just melted by how EXTRAORDINARY this is! Super fantastic, mind wrecking story!

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah Maas

"Crown of Midnight is such highly (repeat "highly" 1 million times) recommended book to everyone, whatever age-bracket you're at. This is a all-in-one series: bone-breaking action, mind-blowing quests, heart-breaking romance and magical surprise elements that will surely leave you AWED, I cannot express how much I love love love this novel and even though waiting for book 3 is almost the same as being a slave in the Salt Mines, I would willingly and patiently wait -- WITHOUT A SINGLE DROP OF DOUBT IT'D BE AWESOME AND WORTHWHILE."

ALL TIME FAVORITE SERIES. ENOUGH SAID. HUGS BOOK.

September

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

"Eleanor and Park is one novel I would surely not forget. It pinched my heart that the mark will be there forever. Engrossing, romantic and witty kind of a story, it is surreal, subtle and nostalgic. It hits the right spot! I will never find the right words to proclaim how much this novel embraced me but it is one you would come back to over and over again!"

The FEELS this book gave me! The ravings over Rowell's novel were all correct and goodness, I loved every single page of it! Rowell knows how to play with emotions and I absolutely recommended this to a lot of people. Luckily, they loved it too! Rowell's books are all must reads!

October

Deception (Defiance #2) by CJ Redwine

"Deception surely tops my Best Sequel of 2013 list. It is overflowing with raw emotions, full blast actions and powerful analytical concept. It is truly a mind-blowing sequel that no one would forget easily. It tore my bookish defense wall brick by brick and didn't leave me with sufficient strength to move on. IT IS MY KIND OF SEQUEL. ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SEQUELS EVER WRITTEN."

Did I tell you I love this series? This one connected to me stronger than Defiance did because of Rachel. Truly loved this! And I will never forget my ever loving Logan. He's one of the best male characters ever!

November

Splintered (Splintered #1) by A.G. Howard

"Splintered is definitely one of the awesomest novels I have read this year. There is no way and no one can stop me from raving about this ever! Such magnificent retelling of a story we all fell in love with turning it into a story I am in love with. No recommendations high enough will amount to the fantastic story I got sucked in to! Absolutely worth all the praises and it is a story not only exceptionally written but a story one will never ever forget. *standing ovation*"

THE BOOKAHOLIC BLURBS' BOOK OF THE YEAR!

So there you have it guys! These are the books that made so much impact on me this year! Thank you so much for sticking with me through thick and thin and I love you all so much for all the bookish goodness you share with me!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

REVIEW: ARCLIGHT BY JOSIN MCQUEIN.

Title: Arclight
Author: Josin L. McQuein
Series: Arclight #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: April 23, 2013 by Greenwillow
Pages: 403
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Romance, Dystopia

Synopsis:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon  🔼 Barnes and Noble 🔼 Book Depository 

I've only seen Arclight several times and only heard about it a few times. I wasn't really familiar with the book at all because embarrassingly as it is, I wasn't THAT interested about it. I don't honestly know what it is about. Though I admit the cover pretty much did the job of convincing me to get it. And at this point, I am awed by it. AWED TO THE CORE.

Arclight is a facility that has so much light. It is surrounded with Grey and then the Dark where deadly Fades live. These Fades are humans poisoned when they entered the Dark and according to the humans in Arclight, no one survives the Fade. But Marina did. She is rescued from the Grey but the people who helped her didn't come back. Everyone in Arclight loathes her for being an anomaly plus she can't remember anything from her past. When the Fades attacked Arclight, they captured one Fade, Rue. They are dumfounded that he looks like a regular boy who can speak and only talks gibberish to Marina. Curious enough, Marina tries to know more about her past, about Tobin's father and the Fade and she's gone back to the Dark with Rue. She finds the truth she never expected to have happened and what she truly is.

Arclight is so fascinating. Arclight itself was built after the world and civilization's destruction after a science experiement gone terribly wrong. The nanites that are supposed to me a medical breakthrough in curing illnesses only it got out of hand and turned into a weapon that created the Fade and killed 90% of the human race. What I simply couldn't understand are: how are these nanites can't be exposed to light and how can they disintegrate a human body to pass through walls and still be whole afterwards. If it weren't for Rue, I will always imagine them just like the Death Eaters in Harry Potter.

The plot of Arclight moved as slow as a snail but that didn't annoy me or stop me to finish the novel. This is the first time it happened to me because I hate slow-paced stories. I devoured Arclight page by page and moved along with it slower than usually because Arclight kept unravelling mysteries and secrets as I go through it. The romance isn't so bad at all. Even if I felt like there's a brimming love triangle in one corner, it is a love triangle like no other. The story did focus on much important aspects such as the war with the Fade and the Fade itself and brought touches of intriguing romance in between. Arclight is so good on its own am afraid a sequel would just ruin it!

Marina is a tough chick. Without her memories to answer her questions, she braved facing her new life in Arclight. No matter how badly people treat her because of being different, that didn't stop her to care. She cared about her friend's safety but most especially Tobin. I loved Tobin's courage and emotional control and Tobin's father is so ideal. It isn't hard to fall in love with these amazing characters.

Arclight is suprisingly good that one book satisfied my bookish needs. It is thrilling and magnifyingly amazing! Arclight is more than that beautiful cover and even though I wouldn't want it to be a series, I can't help but be excited for book 2! I want more Tobin!

"Someone's attention shouldn't have a physical weight, but it does. Hate's a heavy burden; hope is worse."

"I wasn’t home. Home wasn’t that bed and that pain. Home didn’t hurt. There were no strangers who hid their faces or their voices from me. Home held no secrets."

STACKING THE SHELVES (42): THE JENNIFER ARMENTROUT EDITION.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases newly acquired books or goodies we bought, received or borrowed during the week.

BOUGHT: (Fullybooked, Fort)

• Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Daimon (Covenant 0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (5/5 stars)
• Elixir (Covenant #3.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Apollyon (Covenant #4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Pure (Covenant #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (4/5 stars)

So what do you guys think? I bought these November 15 and I was supposed to go to the National Bookstore Warehouse Sale November 14 where books are like 80-90% off. I went last year and bought a ton. However, aside from the fact that I spent 2 weeks worth of work allowance on these beauties, I was having seconds thoughts. Like, I might not get hard bound with good titles, it is too far, I don't want to go alone and all that crappy excuses so I slept it off and finally decided not to go in the morning. I felt good with the decision and after paying for these, I knew it was the right thing to do. I might be missing a lot of super cheap books but am totally okay with this loot.

Am only missing Sentinel for the Covenant series and I cannot wait to get it. I also bought Obsidian (here) and I am really, deeply hoping that these books are worth the price. Because they are seriously expensive.

Thank you so much Louisse Ang of The Souls Sisters for loving JLA and her books and for recommending it to me. (Remember, the pressure is on you LOL). And thank you Chitz and Joyce of Fullybooked Fort for reserving them for me!

REVIEW: CINDER BY MARISSA MEYER.

Title: Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Edition: Hardbound
Published: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 387
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Romance, Retelling
Trailer: Here.

Amazon ▲ Book Depository ▲ Goodreads ▲ Barnes and Noble ▲ Fullybooked

Synopsis:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I've seen several movie versions of my favorite childhood fairytale story, Cinderella. It doesnt matter whether it was a cartoon-Disney version or Drew Barrymore version because I truly loved them all. When I heard the buzz about Cinder last year, I knew I would love it. I only regret that I didn't get the hardbound copy I saw when it was still cheaper. Because the copy I have now is one of the most expensive books I own.

Cinder is a cyborg. She is only 36.28 percent human and she can't remember anything about her past after her operation. She is one of the best and only female mechanic in the Commonwealth. Her rude stepmother treats her as if she's a disgrace to humanity and makes her work to sustain the family needs. She can't complain at all because she's her legal guardian. Only Peony, her youngest step sister and Iko, the house android remain her friends. During their trip to the junkyard, Cinder finds marks on Peony's neck and knows instantly she's got Lemutosis -- a epidemic plague. She comms for a hover to take Peony in and what she doesn't anticipate is that her stepmother volunteered her to be a cyborg draft. She knows she will die soon enough because no one survives being a guinea pig to the plague but she discovers she's immune. That she's Lunar. That she's someone valuable.

At my 200th page mark, I wasn't still impressed with Cinder. I thought, "Really? Really?". Come on now guys, the Commonwealth society might have appeared poor but the medical technology they have is so advanced. They have been trying to find and make an antidote for the plague for decades but nada? Seriously? I don't agree that Cinder is the answer to the plague because this whole time, the doctor is just like her. The research team should have made incredible progress by now. But nothing. As in nothing. What they did progressed on though is Cinder's bloodline and DNA sequence. Which in my opinion should have been the least of their priorities. And one more thing, how in the world the ball helped in getting a ridiculous evil Lunar Queen to agree on an alliance which doesn't include marriage? She could have just easily manipulated the Prince to marry her. And how Peony...??? The way she...?? Aaaaaaaaah!!! Why didn't Cinder shove it to her mouth! That's mainly the part where I don't think Cinderella's part matched with Cinder's. I find it superficial. And the romance? Does it really have to be like that, instant? The prince liked Cinder because she's just easy to talk to? REALLY? I was expecting a bit more development because this is a book but againnnnnnnnnn, NOTHING. Haaaa. I feel so frustrated right about now.

*breathes in, breathes out*

Let us not forget I enjoyed a few things here. a) The monarchy. Of course, it wouldn't be a complete Cinderella retelling if there isn't a swoony prince just waiting to fall in love with her. b) The third person narration. Though I find that confusing at the beginning, I enjoyed following the story through different character's side of the story. c) The android system. Wow. I felt like Wall-e is there somewhere hiding. I loved how technology and paranormal mixed well in Cinder. d) The Lunar aliens. They are the unexpected surprise I guess because I wasn't *seriously* expecting them to happen. e) How Cinder's the best FEMALE mechanic. Kickass cyborg is a kickass cyborg. f) Iko. Kindness isn't limited to humans but even an android showed love and care towards Cinder. Even if it was just simply programmed to be a part of her personality, it only shows that love would bleed deep even into a piece of metal.

Cinder is absolutely an interesting read. It breathes unexpected twists in a story we all know too well. Surprisingly, old and new interconnects in unexpected way that brought enchantment to the fairytale I fell in love with. Scarlet, you better be good!

"Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful. But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth."

REVIEW: HALF-BLOOD BY JENNIFER ARMENTROUT.

Title: Half-Blood (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Edition: Paperback
Published: October 18, 2012
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 281
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Romance, Paranormal
Trailer: Not applicable.

Amazon ▲ Book Depository ▲ Goodreads ▲ Barnes and Noble ▲ Fullybooked

Synopsis:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals--well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Left intrigued by the prequel novella Daimon, I took my time and savor every page of Half Blood right after. And you know what, it gave me mixed emotions which at one point I wanted to throw my book outside the window in frustration then at times, I just stared at it and wanted to hug it. It was a very pleasant experience reading Half Blood and sure enough, I will read Pure soon.

After Aiden found her, Alex is brought back to the Covenant. Her uncle is now the Dean and her step father is now a Minister. So much chances for her to train since she isn't too fond of the two and vice versa. With Aiden's help, she starts to train and make her catch up with the things she missed. She tries hard to improve for her Uncle to accept her back to the Covenant and be a Sentinel. She knows she would do everything not to be a slave at her step father's house. But what she never thought of arises: her mother isn't truly dead, she has bigger responsibility than being just a Half Blood and she's starting to fall for a Pure which if caught, she will end up being under servitude anyway or worse, executed.

The Greek Mythology touch Armentrout exposed in the story isn't heavy which I liked. That said, I believed the plot did provide the necessary information about the gods, their powers and how they no longer communicate with humans. My questions were basically answered. How are the Pures turned into an Aether-sucking Daimon and why, what is Aether and why the Half Bloods are less privileged than Pures. I liked how the rules were ridiculous but sensible altogether. As I've mentioned on my Daimon review, the prose Armentrout used is so easy to go through. The feeling of reading a book like how you converse is overwhelmingly fun. I also felt like this series is a fan-fiction of something I read in the past (though am not a hundred percent sure) which again I enjoyed. The familiarity of it brings a lot of good memories and the uniqueness of the story pushes me to read more.

I noticed the age of the characters. Alex is 17 and Aiden is 20 something. This, infact, made me ecstatic. I want and long for mature characters in YA. Ironic as it may sound, this age bracket is what I prefer. The responsibility of the characters and how they may end up saving the world wouldn't be questionable. Unlike with 14-16 year olds who do extraordinary things an experienced adult couldn't which is terribly tiring. However, what I couldn't wrap my mind into is how immature Alex is. She is just as stubborn as hell. She doesn't listen, she's irresponsible, careless, sarcastic and she does whatever she wants. In short, she's simply a disrespectful bitch. Though those traits are what made her standout, I just couldn't like it. These ugly attitudes I would have never foreseen from Daimon. I never once felt happy about her decisions nor her dry humor because she's just way annoying. Only one thing I approved of all the things she did, her version of funeral. She may have been a character that fights back (which is a trait I adore) when someone's but lying her, but it just wouldn't compensate to how rude and disrespectful she is. I don't even understand how Aiden, Caleb nor Seth can tolerate her. Speaking of which, I enjoyed reading the romance develop. I guess, anyone in a normal state of mind would fall hard with Aiden. He's swoony alright. He might be uptight but it matches up with his Sentinel aura. Strong, brave, rational and gorgeous. I liked how he imposes sense of responsibility and his protectiveness brings out so much drool from my mouth. But who is dreamier anyway? Aiden or Seth? Seth is gorgeous as well but he came too intimidating to me. He's too buff and powerful that sometimes I think he could kill Alex by merely looking at her. He's a little scary for my taste. But Aiden is definitely sexier.

Half Blood is like bacon versus salad. You know what is right for you but the addiction you have for bacon is just off too strong. It is delicious, savory and oh so good for the taste buds. Half Blood is thrilling, comforting and addicting! I want more bacon, Armentrout! Toasty, crunchy and yummy bacon!

"You need to know about love. The things people will do for love. All truths come down to love, do they not? One way or another, they do. See, there is a difference between love and need. Sometimes, what you feel is immediate and without rhyme or reason.” She sat up a little straighter. “Two people see each across a room or their skin brushes. Their souls recognize the person as their own. It doesn’t need time to figure it. The soul always knows.. whether it’s right or wrong."

STACKING THE SHELVES (41): THE RANDOM EDITION.

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases newly acquired books or goodies we bought, received or borrowed during the week.

BOUGHT: (Fullybooked, Fort)

• Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1) by Susan Ee (4/5 stars)
• World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
• Wondrous Strange (Wondrous Strange #1) by Lesley Livingston
• The Story of Us by Deb Caletti
• Allegiant (Divergent #3) by Veronica Roth
• Teardrop (Teardrop #1) by Lauren Kate
  

BOUGHT: (National Book Store, Glorietta 1)

• Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood

FOR REVIEW:

Net Galley

• Consume (The Clann #3) by Melissa Darnell
• The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1) by Laura Howard
• Autumn (Dog Days #1) by Sierra Dean
• Sia by Josh Grayson
• Pawn (The Blackcoat Rebellion #1) by Aimee Carter
• Waterfell (The Aquarathi #1) by Amalie Howard (3/5 stars)
• Crash into You (Pushing the Limits #3) by Katie McGarry
• Witchstruck (The Tudor Witch Trilogy #1) by Victoria Lamb (3/5 stars)

Edelweiss:

• Me Since You by Laura Wiess (4/5 stars)

BOUGHT:

• Scripti Stick-on (70% cheaper than Post It brand)

This haul is titled Random because I bought/got these books separately on random occasions. I got Allegiant and Teardrop during the release day and I was the 4th person to buy Allegiant from the store. I haven't reviewed it yet because believe it or not, I haven't read Insurgent. I don't know when I will get to it because the thickness of it is intimidating. I also got Born Wicked for 50% off! Am so excited to read World After! I got it a few days before the release. It was shipped early here. And I know I have to get to these eARCs.

WHAT DID YOU GET THIS WEEK?

REVIEW: DAIMON BY JENNIFER ARMENTROUT.

Title: Daimon (Covenant #0.5)
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Edition: Paperback
Published: May 6, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Pages: 62
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Category: Romance, Paranormal
Trailer: Not applicable.

Amazon ▲ Book Depository ▲ Goodreads ▲ Barnes and Noble ▲ Fullybooked

Synopsis:

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards… and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.

According to her mother, that’s a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.

The daimons have found her.

When my lovely blogger friend Louisse Ang created the JLA Twitter and Facebook Fanpage, it really made me think that I probably be missing so much in life. She isn't only a die hard fan but she totally loves JLA. So I thought, why not get copies of JLA books and see what the fuss is all about myself. Today my friends, I read the prequel novella of Half Blood, and I am absolutely impressed.

Daimon is just a 62-page novella (thankfully it is printed) and way cheaper than the novels itself. In 62 pages, Armentrout made me want to start readathoning her series in an instant. Daimon is intense, action-packed, emotional and intriguing. This I hope is a glimpse to a masterpiece worth all the money I spent (am only lacking Sentinel). It has what I want most in a novel: kick ass heroine, cinematic world building, promising romance and light and quirky prose. Goodness, I really cant wait to start reading Half Blood and see more.

I think I read it at the wrong and right time.Wrong time because I just had a misunderstanding with my mother and the gruesome thing happened here isn't really the right thing for me to visualize at the moment. But right time because it made me love my own mother more. What thing can be more beautiful than that? Also, I loved Alex. She isn't afraid to do the correct thing even if it is against what she feels. I adored how she tries to save Red even if he tried to rob her. And who is the mysterious guy Alex might not be able to see again? I loved this prequel to bits!

Daimon is the best prequel for a series I am afraid I wouldn't love. It gave me the right amount of wanting. I want to read Half Blood right after I finished Daimon and the thrilling ending is enough to torture me to want for more! 62 pages worth of action and emotion I couldn't find anywhere else! Armentrout, just so you know, you impressed me!

"Damn girl. Is your daddy a thief?"
"What?"
I'd never actually met my dad. Maybe he was. All I knew was that he'd been mortal. Hopefully, he'd been nothing like these two ass-hats. Ren flexed his nonexistent muscles, smiling.
"Well, then who stole those diamonds and put them in your eyes?"
"Wow."

"Normal girls didn’t want their boobs mauled either, and I wholly believed if they could’ve landed a fist like I could, they would have."