GIVEAWAY SECTION!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

JANUARY BOOK HAUL + BLOG RECAP.


I've had such a good January, bookish aspect wise. It wasn't as busy in the beginning as opposed to the last week of it (UGH) but I still managed to read a few good books. I read 8 books when I was expecting just 4 and I also acquired a lot this month. Blame book sales! I was able to snag MacMillan hardcovers from BookSale Store for roughly 2$ each and one Alice book for about the same price.


My blogger friends and I decided to hangout (yay for our ramen night out!) a few weeks back and OF COURSE WE HAD TO GO TO FULLYBOOKED LIKE, HELLO? HAHA! As usual, we went book shopping there. They were having a sale that time I couldn't be more grateful our night out pushed through! I originally planned to get four books (2$ each) when my ADSOM reservation was all of a sudden ready for pick up! Dafuq! I wasn't ready to pay for 22$ for it! UGGGGHHH! So I said goodbye to my allowance. YOU BETTER WATCH OUT FOR MY REVIEW OF ADSOM ONCE IT'S UP BECAUSE THINGS ARE IN THERE.


~BOUGHT~
All That Glitters by Ines Bautista-Yao (3-star read; review tk)

I've also received a few review copies this month and I love them all! Aside from the Harper and Summit Books galleys, I also joined a few blog tours being hosted by Filipino Authors and I seriously am excited to read them!


~FOR REVIEW~

~FREEBIE~
Break-Up Anniversary by Dawn Lanuza (5-star read; review tk)

~GIFTED~

I realized I'll just post book hauls in a monthly basis just like how other bloggers do it. This is way more convenient and economical for me! Also, did you notice my new Funko? I was SO thrilled when I got it! Been wanting to get my own Bella since the preorder sites went live so now I only have to get Edward and Jacob! #TwihardForever

~ JANUARY BLOG RECAP ~
January 01 - Hello, 2017!
January 14 - Accumulated Galleys.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUMMIT BOOKS, HARPERCOLLINS INTERNATIONAL, #ROMANCECLASS AUTHORS, FULLYBOOKED AND BOOKSALE STORE!
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Wednesday, January 25, 2017

FAREWELL, MY OLD FRIEND.


Isn't it the hardest? To say goodbye to things you love? To let go of all the good things? To not see the only thing that makes you feel alive?

I didn't see this coming and even if I did, I would've never been prepared enough to say goodbye. But I gotta let go. And today I am saying this: goodbye Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4 Branch. Goodbye, my old friend. Farewell, my love.


Next to Bestsellers, Galleria Branch, this is (was?) the next store under the National Bookstore's umbrella that I truly loved. It was huge, fully stocked (as opposed to other branches) and my go-to place whenever. Well, it's one of my happy places. (Was?) in and out of this store for as long as I can remember and what made it hold a special spot in my heart is because it's the place where I've realized most of my bookish dreams (meeting SJM, LBARDUGO, COHO, ELOCKHART) and gained so SO much friends.


This is (was?) where I attended my first book signing (ANÖEL) and first Blogger's Forum (TMAFI) - an event which like affirmed me as a legit Book Blogger (thank you! The feeling just never gets old!). Here, I met and became friends with the bloggers I look up to. Where we shared so much memories. The place where I talked and listened to a lot of fantastic authors. Where I learned so many things and acquired so many books. A place I called home for the past four years. My heart broke when I learned they were closing and lamented over MY loss.


This branch opened up a lot of doors for me not only as a reader but as a book blogger. I may have not given justice to the store in these photos (most of these are from the second floor) but I will definitely miss this huge place (with cafe inside and smoking area) and will long for the moments I've had in it.


Thank you for all the love, Powerbooks Store, Greenbelt 4 Branch! I will treasure our memories forever! Thank you, National Bookstore for sharing this branch with us! #clingy

What's THE book store you won't be able to part with? Like your most absolute favorite?
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Saturday, January 21, 2017

MY THIRD BOOKOUTLET HAUL.

This actually isn't my third BookOutlet haul but the third consolidated package I got. I've shared all my BO haul here if you wanna take a look. 2016 was pretty much hoarding at BO because cheap hardbound books are life! I won't tell you how much I've spent but it was all worth it (or that's just what I tell myself, who knows?).

These books are the ones I've ordered back in May and received I think around July? I was still so happy with Shipping Cart's (courier forwarder I used) service back then but then they went from outstanding to crappy real quick. (If you've been following me on Twitter, you'd know why) Nonetheless, still grateful for their service because I didn't spend so much on shipping fee.





I originally planned to just order my fave series from BO. You see, hardcovers are gold here in the Philippines like, prices are not so friendly anymore (damn tax). They are around 17-22$ so BookOutlet really became my best friend. It's darn hard to transition from paperbacks to hardcovers but gurl, let me tell you this: hardcovers are so fucking worth it.



I've completed most of my series from BO and even acquired a lot of titles I've been lusting over for years. If you are not bothered by remainder marks, then BO is the site to go hoard your soul out.

HAVE YOU ORDERED FROM BOOK OUTLET? IF YES, WHAT BOOKS DID YOU GET?
THANK YOU SHIPPING CART AND BOOKOUTLET!
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Thursday, January 19, 2017

REVIEW: MADE YOU UP BY FRANCESCA ZAPPIA.

Title: Made You Up
Author: Francesca Zappia
Series: Standalone
Edition: Kindle
Publication: May 19th 2015 by Greenwillow Books
Source: eARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss
Pages: 448
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Mental Health, Contemporary

Synopsis:
Reality, it turns out, is often not what you perceive it to be—sometimes, there really is someone out to get you. Made You Up tells the story of Alex, a high school senior unable to tell the difference between real life and delusion. This is a compelling and provoking literary debut that will appeal to fans of Wes Anderson, Silver Linings Playbook and Liar.

Alex fights a daily battle to figure out the difference between reality and delusion. Armed with a take-no-prisoners attitude, her camera, a Magic 8-Ball, and her only ally (her little sister), Alex wages a war against her schizophrenia, determined to stay sane long enough to get into college. She’s pretty optimistic about her chances until classes begin, and she runs into Miles. Didn't she imagine him? Before she knows it, Alex is making friends, going to parties, falling in love, and experiencing all the usual rites of passage for teenagers. But Alex is used to being crazy. She’s not prepared for normal.

Funny, provoking, and ultimately moving, this debut novel featuring the quintessential unreliable narrator will have readers turning the pages and trying to figure out what is real and what is made up.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

This would have been a five-star read but I cut off one star due to some technicalities. I know I've read an electronic galley and errors might have been corrected in the finished copy but the amount of 'already' I've skipped in this book legit ticked me off. Look at this one below. I can ignore anything else but this? Too much.


On to the nice things. This book took me by surprise I couldn't make up my mind if this isn't really paranormal or what because daaaaaaamn it felt like it and I felt I was being haunted the whole time.

Made You Up is definitely the first book I read focusing on schizophrenia. Damn, this is scary af. Scary in a horror/ghost-ish way and accurately dangerous (in a way that dangers the schizophrenic's life). Alex let us see how her mind works and I adore her strength and courage to fight her illness. She tries so hard to distinguish what's real and what is not though sometimes, it's really hard. I mean, fuck her fucked up parent but Alex is so strong to face this on her own. Even though photos still betray her grasp of reality, her effort in taking photos just to be sure of real things is something so striking. I wouldn't be able to handle it as gracefully as she did if it were me.

I jumped into this book knowing absolutely nothing so I initially thought it was paranormal. SERIOUSLY. A lot of aspects of it speak paranormal. I thought Miles was some sort of an immortal or something but then Alex let me in to her head so I understood. At the end of the book, I thought it would all be in Alex's head - like I though she had imagined everything - the Inception-ish vibe is such a strong game in this story. Schizophrenia blends well with reality you couldn't identify which is which and that made me scared and amused all at the same time. Example? Charlie. FUCK THAT. AS IN FUCK THAT, IT BROKE ME. There is no part of this book I find light, for me and for the way it made me react, it's all heavy on the heart and in the mind.

Made You Up is such an intense read there is no way to put it down. Mind-boggling and hypnotic, this debut novel is worth picking up!

Thank you HarperCollins International for the eARC!

"Intelligence is not measured by how much you know, but by how much you have the capacity to learn."
"I didn't have the luxury of taking reality for granted. And I wouldn't say I hated people who did, because that's just about everyone. I didn't hate them. They didn't live in my world. But that never stopped me from wishing I lived in theirs."
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Saturday, January 14, 2017

ACCUMULATED REVIEW BOOKS.

Obviously, I am cramming. This is what happens when you procrastrinate and let blogging slumps get the best of you. I got a bunch of books for review last year which I dont think I blogged about. I usually take photos of new books I acquired and if I have to make a list for photoshoot, I just check the photo date stamp. However, relying on my cameral roll isn't working at the moment and my memory is such an epic fail it serves no purpose, so it made me lazier. In times like this, my Bullet Journal becomes my one true BFF because I get to flip through my lists of books I read, bought etc easily. I learned my lesson the hard way thus I went back to the best way I would be able to remember: by writing.

The books below are all from last year. Some I think I have blogged about, some I haven't yet. I've read some and DNF-ed 3 big titles. Oops.


GIFTED:
▴ Heartless by Marissa Meyer
▴ Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff
▴ Blood of Wonderland (Queen of Hearts Saga #2) by Colleen Oakes
▴ Serenade by Claire Du

FOR REVIEW:
▴ A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes #2) by Sabaa Tahir
▴ The Dark Army (The Starblade Chronicles #2) by Joseph Delaney
▴ Poison's Kiss (Poison's Kiss #1) by Breeana Shields I've read this and loveeeed it!
▴ Traitor to the Throne (Rebel of the Sands #2) by Alwyn Hamilton
▴ Because of the Sun by Jenny Torres Sanchez
▴ My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill
▴ Saving Red by Sonya Sones
▴ Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin
▴ The Secret Diary of Lydia Bennet by Natasha Farrant
▴ What About Today by Dawn Lanuza A 4-star read!


I am absolutely thrilled to dive into these books! Can I just quit work so I can read all day? (Took me three hours to draft this on my phone 😂)

Thank you to the following: Louisse, JB, Claire, Penguin Random House International, HarperCollins International, Scholastic PH and Anvil Publishing!
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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

REVIEW: WHAT ABOUT TODAY BY DAWN LANUZA.

Title: What About Today
Author: Dawn Lanuza
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 2017 by Anvil Publishing
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher
Pages: 115
Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Synopsis:
Aiden's stuck working for his family's amusement park, Funtastic World, for the whole summer. Nothing amuses him, until he met this terrified girl.

Gemma's stuck in Funtastic World thinking she could handle the park's rides. She couldn't. Good thing she met someone to guide her.

As the day comes to a close, Aiden and Gemma ask themselves if one day is ever enough to decide if they were better off as friends or strangers.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Quick review for What About Today - it was so cute I could pinch its cheeks so hard I won't let go! Dawn is obviously pretty good with what she does and it just legit makes me so hooked to her stories.

In What About Today, we meet Aiden and Gemma in a amusement park. Two different people leading two different lives but interwine in a very unexpected way. Their differences created a link for them and the ways of hearts took it from there. They've known each other only for a brief moment but Dawn was able to expand the experience and feelings to a level where potentials and opportunities are endless. What I liked about this is even though most of us are rooting for romance, it could also lead to a beautiful friendship (or disaster because the last line harhar). Dawn kind of gave me that option to think freely or like, imagine a different ending for myself.

Jen E. Smith meets Kasie West, What About Today is a delightful contemporary that keeps me wanting for more. Nostalgic and fluffy, it's a feel-good story that can easily be everyone's fave!

Thank you Anvil Publishing for sending me a review copy!

"Maybe this was here wish coming truw even before she wished it"
"Can we stay on the line?"
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Saturday, January 7, 2017

NEW BOOKS, OLD PUCHASES.

It's THE new year and I am in the mood to update the blog. Earlier today, I finally got the energy to take photos of some of the books I accumulated (starting in July) last year. Some of these I got on sales while some are full priced ones (a total meh). Last year was definitely a book hoarding year but it absolutely didn't fit that I was on a major reading/blogging slump. I am definitely going to change that in 2017. I've let myself be on slumps long enough so expect more posts from me this year!

Book shopping is my therapy. Resisting book shopping is just the hardest thing to do but it is time to focus on reading and zeroing that humongous TBR pile. I am saying this because it's a little embarrassing to look at this photo and only say I've read only TWO.


▴ When We Collided by Emery Lord
▴ Infinite in Between by Carolyn Mackler
▴ Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson *signed
▴ Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson *signed *4-star read
▴ Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer
▴ This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab
▴ Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
▴ Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J. Maas *5-star read

That's all I have for today! Can't wait to show you the other books I got from last year! By the way, who else is listening on repeat to Ed's new songs?

Thank you FullyBooked and National Bookstore for the awesome titles!
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Wednesday, January 4, 2017

JANUARY 2K17 NEW RELEASES.


Happy New Year again to you all!!

I've always loved celebrating the New Year. Fireworks displays, people are busy buying things, well, people are nicer haha and there's just this magical feeling of knowing that you survived a shitty year and that there's going to be another awesome one? That this awesome year is full of beginnings, chances and opportunities? YES, THAT FEELING. And also, new books are going to be released so what more could I really ask for aside from ten million dollars, cash? :)

Here are the Top 4 Picks Ifor this month's new releases! This was originally eight but I need to limit my book budget for the rest of the year because I need to make my savings account as fat as I can :)





I am so SOOOO excited for Blood of the Wonderland and I would like to thank my book fairy for gifting me an ARC! EEEEP!

What titles are you looking forward to getting this month?
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Sunday, January 1, 2017

HELLO, 2017!

Just dropping by to wish you all a very loud Haaaaaaaaaappy New Yeaaaaaaaaaar!
Let us all leave the negativity behind and be more energetic, passionate,
generous, grateful and kind this year!
Like what I always say: New Year, New Beginning!
Here's another chance to make the best out of life!
Make this one count!
CHEEEERSSSS!

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