JULY AND AUGUST 2016 WRAP UP + BOOK OF THE MONTH.

I know I dropped this post a few months back because I felt like it was just a buffer and that no one really reads it. But then I realized I need all these monthly recaps for me. I need these to keep track of everything blog/books related and that by the end of the year, its significance will just blow my mind away I know it (it also helps in my Bullet Journal). So welcome back to my Monthly Recap blog post!

July was such a disaster for me because I think most of my posts were haul! I only reviewed one book and it's A Court of Mist and Fury!

August has such been a good reading month for me because I was able to finish 5 books. Would have been 7 in total if the last 2 books didn't drag my ass to hell. I mean, I enjoyed them both but they're sitting on my shelf waiting to be read again. I just don't have the patience to read slow paced books.

BOOKS READS:

A Court of Mist and Fury (not pictured)

Everything, Everything

Anatomy of a Misfit

My Heart and Other Black Holes

A Sense of the Infinite which I haven't reviewed yet

It Ends With Us

I was able to also be a part of the pretigious annual event here in the Philippines and I was a panelist! Legit bookish dream come true! The Philippine Readers and Writers Festival 2016!

And I also was able to attend Penguin Random House International's Blogger Tea Party! (Will recap soon!)

July Book of the Month

"A Court of Mist and Fury is TAUNTING, HAUNTING, AND IS SO FUCKING PAINFUL YOU WOULD WANT TO THROW IT OUT THE WINDOW. SJM MASTERED TOYING WITH MY FEELINGS AND ACOMAF LEGIT DESTROYED ME. I CANNOT ANYMORE WITH THIS LIFE" - ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas

August Book of the Month

"Anatomy of a Misfit is a bold and hilarious novel I would surely reread. Highly recommended for those readers who are into another level of contemporary. This book is so good you won't be able to do anything else but read it." - Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes

Cannot wait to devour all books this September!

LET'S TALK BOOKISH: PRWF2016 PANEL TALK.

Hello, guys! We are all in the middle of a heated Twitter "discussion" about book diversity and I just want to let you all know I cannot stop learning from all of you. Truly though, I miss the days I can just fangirl nonstop on Twitter about books and those rare days I can post random rants/opinions without the fear of getting attacked. Let's all work towards having THOSE days back but the improved and much better versions. But this post is not about that haha - this is my recap for The Philippine Readers and Writers Festival 2016 Event last Sunday, August 28th.

Book Blogging 101: Growing Web and Social Media Presence to Promote Books

Hazel of Stay Bookish, Lyra of Defiantly Deviant, Eunice of Nerdy Talks Book Blog, Kai of Amaterasu Reads and I were panelists in The Philippine Readers & Writers Festival 2016. We talked about Blogging 101: Growing Web and Social Media Presence to Promote Books. This was my second panel (first was with SouthVille) and let's be honest here, I was excited but ninety five percent nervous. I was stressing out over the fact that no one would attend. When we arrived in Raffles however, few people were seated already and they just kept coming in!

Our schedule was 9:30AM to 12 noon, I even wondered why it was too long only to be cut short because the talk was such a success! We've shared a lot of things about Time Management, Reviews, Bookstagramming, ARCs, Social Media presence and such! We were only able to have an hour of Q and A and it was the best part because aside from the amazing questions, these people came in really for our panel! Ugh guys, my heart melted by just thinking about it.

I remember all the questions and I love them all but there are three that stuck up in my head. (These are not verbatim, okay) first one was about this person not having a literature background and it kind of like stops him a little I think in reviewing. Well, just like what I told him, it should not stop him from doing it. Then we were asked if is it true that when you are a book blogger, it comes with privilege. No, this is not true at all - the "perks" that we get are all bonuses or rewards because being a book blogger is work. We don't get paid for any of this so no privilege unlike what other people think. And the last question was actually like the best finale of the talk because an old man asked us what are we actually doing to like reach out to the poor who couldn't afford books more less, education. It was such an honor to be asked this but to be honest, at my level (I mean am not powerful enough or even wealthy), I have only donated books to our barangay and I haven't done much to reach that far out. But as a book lover, I am not closing my doors, if you know, people would actually fund like an outreach program or something, I would definitely volunteer as tribute! Then, a day later, we found out that the old man who asked these questions was actually the National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera!!! I honestly no idea who he was, totally clueless, I would have taken selfies with him!

Then after the talk, we stayed a little because I needed to like thank everyone and URSULA URIARTE attended our panel and ugggggh fangirl moments! Ursula is also a huge Jay Kristoff fan and she's so approachable so we hit it off right away! Thanks also to everyone who took notes and some selfies with me! Heart heart!

On behalf of the amazing ladies (thanks JM for the pic), thank you all for coming to see us! It was such an honor to be there sharing my tip and experiences about blogging and I still couldn't wrap my mind about the success of it! Stop don't doing what you love to do and just go for what makes you happy! No pressure, just have fun!

Thank you ever so much National Bookstore for having me. I can't thank you hard enough for making my bookish dreams come true!

REVIEW: IT ENDS WITH US BY COLLEEN HOOVER.

Title: It Ends with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: August 2nd 2016 by Atria Books
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 384
Genre: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

Yeah, Colleen Hoover was born to just continously break my heart and rip my soul. (I can't really dissect this book for my review because my feels are messy and I can't get Ellen Degeneres out of my head)

It Ends With Us is another Hoover book that again, took me by surprise. Well, I know that it would surprise me but I just didn't know how, if that makes sense. It was so moving I felt my bones quiver. I haven't read something like this before (really, am serious) and I was absolutely touched and empowered by what Colleen experienced and wrote.

The majority of feels I felt all thoughout is sadness. Yes, I did hurt for the characters but the sadness took over my emotions. Aside from this entire thing is based on CoHo's experience, there are others out there who suffers from domestic violence. Not just women but men as well. It saddens me because no one deserves to be treated this way and that lives take such a different turn if this terrible thing is witnessed from a young age. I can't understand it, I don't want to and I will never be able to. But one this It Ends With Us made me grasp is why people stay in destructive relationships such as this. It never justified the why but it made me see it from a point of view that I can understand.

I kind of expected that this story is going to have a happy ending. I wish all the time that CoHo's book would have a much realistic ending but this one is an exemption. The ending is just hopeful if perfect and I adore our women in this story for empowering others and by standing up to their choices.

It Ends With Us is such a moving story. Gripping and taunting, this novel will surely render you emotionally disabled, maybe for the rest of your reading life.

"There is no such thing as bad people. We're all just people who sometimes do bad things"

"All humans make mistakes. What determines a person's character aren't the mistakes we make. It's how we take those mistakes and turn them into lessons rather than excuses."

"Life is a funny thing. We only get so many years to live it, so we have to do everything we can to make sure those years are as full as they can be. We shouldn't waste time on things that might happen someday, or maybe even never."

"Just because someone hurts you doesn't mean you can simply stop loving them. It's not a person's actions that hurt the most. It's the love. If there was no love attached to the action, the pain would be a little easier to bear."

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY (59): STEALING SNOW BY DANIELLE PAGE.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine that highlights our much anticipated books.

Expected Publication Date: September 20th 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Add to Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she's not crazy and doesn't belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.

Using her trusting friend Bale as a distraction, Snow breaks free and races into the nearby woods. Suddenly, everything isn't what it seems, the line between reality and fantasy begins to blur, and she finds herself in icy Algid--her true home--with witches, thieves, and a strangely alluring boy named Kai, none of whom she's sure she can trust. As secret after secret is revealed, Snow discovers that she is on the run from a royal lineage she's destined to inherit, a father more powerful and ruthless than she could have imagined, and choices of the heart that could change the fate of everything...including Snow's return to the world she once knew.

This breathtaking first volume begins the story of how Snow becomes a villain, a queen, and ultimately a hero.

I NEED MORE RETELLINGS IN MY LIFE LIKE I AM NOT KIDDING I NEED THIS! I think I want all the fairytale retellings in my shelf. The cover is so pretty, the sysnopsis so intriguing and I need to know Danielle's take on this! Goodreads isn't a promising place to check the ratings of this book but I want to see it for myself.

What title/s did you pick this week?

LET'S TALK BOOKISH: READERS AND WRITERS FESTIVAL 2016 PANEL TALK.

Hello there, guys! I am so excited (well, ninety percent nervous actually) to share with you all that my blogger friends

Hazel of Stay Bookish,

Lyra of Defiantly Deviant,

Eunice of Nerdy Talks Book Blog,

Kai of Amaterasu Reads 

and I will be in a panel this coming Sunday, August 28. We will be a part of the Readers and Writers Festival 2016 (also known previously as The Philippine Literary Festival) and we will talk about bookish things! Our panel will kick off at 9:30AM and will end around 12ish. This will be at Namayan Room, Raffles! Admission is free! I am so thankful to have been invited and I dunno really what to expect. You can ask any bookish questions and we will gladly answer!

We will definitely have some goodies for those lucky attendees so don't forget to see us! Thanks in advance!

Thanks so much National Bookstore and Raffles!!
Hope to see you there!

REVIEW: MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES BY JASMINE WARGA.

Title: My Heart and Other Black Holes
Author: Jasmine Warga
Series: Standalone
Edition: Hardcover
Publication: February 10th 2015 by HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 302
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mental Illness, Suicide

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT - SPOILER ALERT

Welps. This is why I don't really want to be exposed to book hypes, this is the reason why I don't want to read book reviews for those hyped ones, this is also why I don't even want to entertain bandwagons on Twitter - because I usually get disappointed with hyped books. I did enjoy this book don't get me wrong but I was like, fed lies on social media about it. Maybe I would have loved it if I wasn't exposed too much to everything about My Heart and Black Holes. I guess that's good for the book's publicity but welps, not for me sorry.

So Anika was pretty much depressed because her mother looks at her as if she's her murderer father, because she feels like the entire town sees her as a monster (because of the murder), her work and co-workers are somewhat irritated by her presence (because of the murder) and her high school treats her like shit after her dad killed the first boy who would have represented their town in the Olympics. So, okay. That was nasty shit she's going through there and I just want to hug her and reassure her that this too shall pass but I just kept reading. She's scrolling through this suicide website and she finds a partner. She's basically decided she will kill herself so she met Roman through this website and they met and dicussed their plans. They have like twenty six days (I forgot) to go before kill themselves so they can master up a plan and you know, this is a novel so there's definitely a plot twist somewhere. So in the twenty something days, ugh the cliche of all cliche happens, they started to be friends - they hang out, talk a lot, Roman introduced Anika to his mother and all that - basically Anika kind of fell in love with Roman and she decided not to kill herself anymore but to live for him *WELPS*. She has to convince Roman not to do it, like, you know, for her maybe? *WELPS WELPS* Now, I am not entirely evil so I will leave the ending for readers to figure out but if you base it on the entire plot line, you'd guess it *WELPS*

That's it. I mean, that's entirely it. I didn't cry because I wasn't that impressed. I didn't hate it too much because there are parts that honestly pinched sides of my heart but guys, I just can't take how heavily hyped this is then I get nada. It maybe also because I read a lot of suicide themed books and I got immune with the pain? Also maybe I was expecting too much because The Last Time We Say Goodbye practically set the bar too high as well? Anika is a good person and she's not her father I don't understand why she can't see it. What also happened to the visiting brother of the victim? It just disappeared like that? Grief is there, loss is there, every possible aspect that could push someone to off themselves are present but I think it focused too much on the romance aspect. Like how they filled that void up in their lives and shit, I mean, thank goodness people find other people to save them but I guess I was expecting a friendship of some sort instead of hitting it like that right away just because they are on the same boat. What about their differences then? What about things outside their goal to checkout? Would they still fall for each other? The author could have developed trust and friendship and maybe ended it with the blossoming romance? Well, am not the author haha

My Heart and Other Black Holes is a nice debut tackling such a heavy theme and nailed it. It is beautifully written no doubt but I wish there's more elaboration to it than romance. A friendship sometimes works best. Authors should try that.

"Depression is like a heaviness that you can’t ever escape. It crushes down on you, making even the smallest things like tying your shoes or chewing on toast seem like a twenty-mile hike uphill. Depression is a part of you; it’s in your bones and your blood."

"Life can seem awful and unfixable until the universe shifts a little and the observation point is altered, and then suddenly, everything seems more bearable."

REVIEW: ANATOMY OF A MISFIT BY ANDREA PORTES.

Title: Anatomy of a Misfit
Author: Andrea Portes
Series: Standalone
Edition: Hardcover
Publication: September 2nd 2014 by Harper Children’s
Source: Bought from National Bookstore
Pages: 336
Genre: Young adult, Realistic Fiction, Romance

Synopsis:
This emotional, hilarious, devastating, and ultimately triumphant YA debut, based on actual events, recounts one girl’s rejection of her high school’s hierarchy—and her discovery of her true self in the face of tragedy.

Fall’s buzzed-about, in-house favorite.

Outside, Anika Dragomir is all lip gloss and blond hair—the third most popular girl in school. Inside, she’s a freak: a mix of dark thoughts, diabolical plots, and, if local chatter is to be believed, vampire DNA (after all, her father is Romanian). But she keeps it under wraps to maintain her social position. One step out of line and Becky Vilhauer, first most popular girl in school, will make her life hell. So when former loner Logan McDonough shows up one September hotter, smarter, and more mysterious than ever, Anika knows she can’t get involved. It would be insane to throw away her social safety for a nerd. So what if that nerd is now a black-leather-jacket-wearing dreamboat, and his loner status is clearly the result of his troubled home life? Who cares if the right girl could help him with all that, maybe even save him from it? Who needs him when Jared Kline, the bad boy every girl dreams of, is asking her on dates? Who?

Anatomy of a Misfit is Mean Girls meets The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Anika’s hilariously deadpan delivery will appeal to readers for its honesty and depth. The so-sad-it’s-funny high school setting will pull readers in, but when the story’s dark foreboding gradually takes over, the devastating penultimate tragedy hits like a punch to the gut. Readers will ride the highs and lows alongside funny, flawed Anika — from laughter to tears, and everything in between.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

It took me a while to get a hold of this copy because as usual, I kept stalling. I wasn't able to read it before the book signing which was a bummer because I liked this one so much. But I am happy I got my copy signed.

The story at first you'd feel 'normal' but this novel touched base with various important topics like bullying, racism, suicide, religion and rape culture. These were tackled subtely and I appreciated how Anika handled them. It was as if she's brushing them off but in reality, she's grossed out as anyone else. I am so glad Anika was written in such a way her character displayed logic and rationality I haven't encountered much from most YA protags. She's young but she thinks differently, like, she looks at the effects of things to people. She's going to be a kick-ass psychologist if she wanted to. Her perception of Logan and Jared is so on point that seriously, she's brilliant.

Anika's journey wasn't easy for a teen but the way she handled it shows courage and compassion. Yes, the world she moves in is shitty but then it felt like she had it all figured out because she is that brilliant of a person. Getting out of shitty situations comes easy to her and I totally enjoyed her quirky personality. She's a little rebellious and most people go through this phase and I just find it so easy to connect to her. And her decision-making ability is remarkable.

What happened to Logan wasn't something I predicted and that just tore my throat down to my small intestines! I mean, OMG how can it happen to him and goddammit it was so brutal! I just cannot absorb it. I cannot.

Anatomy of a Misfit is a bold and hilarious novel I would surely reread. Highly recommended for those readers who are into another level of contemporary. This book is so good you won't be able to do anything else but read it.

"You get one chance.

You get to do this and that and you don't even know when it goes from swirling forward and around and around in circles to just a plain cold stop and nothing more. Can you believe it? All this time I've spent weighing this and weighing that, worrying about this and worrying about that, living back then and living forward, caring about so-and-so, too, but never living here, here, this moment here. Never even acknowledging that this moment even exists, and it hits me like a live volt through the chest.
This moment here.
This is all you get.
Before you are part of the sky."

"You look cute in your little uniform." [Jared]
Did he read my mind or something?
"Yeah? You don't think I look like an Easter egg?"
"No. I think you look like I should be asking you to marry me."
CRASH!"

"Ceaseless.
Almost too much for this small frame.
You make me part of the sky."

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY (58): THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEWHERE BY JULIE DAY.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine that highlights our much anticipated books.

Expected Publication Date: September 6th 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Add to Goodreads

Together is somewhere they long to be.

Ash Gupta has a life full of possibility. His senior year is going exactly as he’s always wanted-- he's admired by his peers, enjoying his classes and getting the kind of grades that his wealthy, immigrant parents expect. There's only one obstacle in Ash's path: Eden Moore—the senior most likely to become class valedictorian. How could this unpopular, sharp-tongued girl from the wrong side of the tracks stand in his way?

All Eden's ever wanted was a way out. Her perfect GPA should be enough to guarantee her a free ride to college -- and an exit from her trailer-park existence for good. The last thing she needs is a bitter rivalry with Ash, who wants a prized scholarship for his own selfish reasons. Or so she thinks. . . When Eden ends up working with Ash on a class project, she discovers that the two have more in common than either of them could have imagined. They’re both in pursuit of a dream -- one that feels within reach thanks to their new connection. But what does the future hold for two passionate souls from totally different worlds?

First is the cover. The cover is so perfect! Aside from the cute typography there, just look at the background! Gosh, I am absolutely swooning! And the premise is so catchy and intriguing I want to read it right now!!! Also, did I tell you it's standalone?

What title/s did you pick this week?

REVIEW: EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING BY NICOLA YOON.

Title: Everything, Everything
Author: Nicola Yoon
Series: Standalone
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: September 1st 2015 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Bought from Fullybooked
Pages: 310
Genre: Young adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

I flew in and finished reading Everything, Everything in I think four hours and this is definitely one of the best reading records I have jotted in. It was an easy read. I may not have loved it as much as I wanted to, I didn't hate it either but just quite enjoyed the novel overall.

The first half of it felt sci-fi-ish and very similar [feel] to The Fault in the Stars and honestly, that kind of felt off for me. I was expecting something unfamiliar and yet, I knew I've read this kind of premise before. I was also weirded out by the fact that Maddie was "imprisoned" for 18 years and she never tried to go out? Like ever? Like, she has unlimited access to the internet and knowing how social media can influence teens, she never thought, OR DARED, or like, not even once, to go out? Then all it took for her to come running out that door is a.. love interest? LIKE, WTF? REALLY NOOOOOOOW? And then Hawaii happened and that's all it took for her to risk her life, a guy? I mean, I totally appreciate that someone's presence in her life shook the sense out of her but come on now, no, girl! NO. YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE OUT FOR YOU AND NOT FOR ANYONE ELSE.

Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this one because of the cute doodles and illustration. I am currently into Bullet Journaling so imagine how much I loved the journal entries. I mostly loved Maddie and Carla. Maddie is totally relatable in most parts and she makes you swoon with her. All those butterflies in the stomach feels every time she sees Olly I giggle! And Carla is such an amazing mother. Totally opposite of Maddie's mom. Like, what the hell, Maddie's mom is scary! It is so heartbreaking to know she took 18 years from Maddie when her own daughter could have enjoyed life more but naaah, she totally faked it. I understand she's sick and all but gaaaaad, she's a doctor so she could have seen the symptoms of her own misery. I dunno really but I think she should have.

Everything, Everything isn't everything to me but as I have said, I still enjoyed it. Totally heartbreaking and absolutely a story you can learn from. Too much love can kill you song is underrated, legitly.

"You're not living if you're not regretting."

"Spoiler alert: Love is worth everything. Everything."