JUNE 2017 BOOK HAUL + BLOG RECAP!

Sharing with your the titles I got this month! I have a long way to go before I master this thing you all call Book Buying Ban haha!

BOUGHT:
BARGAIN/PRE-LOVED BOOKS:
- The Young Elites (The Young Elites #1) by Marie Lu (Got the Exclusive Paperback Edition!!)
- Of Neptune (The Syrena Legacy #3) by Anna Banks
- The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider (Finally got a hardbound copy! 5-star review here!)
- How to Love by Katie Cotugno (Let's hope for the best LOL)
- The Accident Season by Moïra Fowley-Doyle
- Forget Tomorrow (Forget Tomorrow #1) by Pintip Dunn
- Hate List by Jennifer Brown
- Obsidian Mirror (Chronoptika #1) by Catherine Fisher
- Alice in Wonderland paperback (not pictured)
- Unexpected Magic: Collected Stories by Diana Wynne Jones

BRAND NEW:
- Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown
- This is How It Starts by Dawn Lanuza (Kindle)
- Always and Forever, Lara Jean (To All the Boys I've Loved Before #3) by Jenny Han

FOR REVIEW:
- Lucky in Love by Kasie West (not pictured)

Post card: Painted by yours truly!

Twitter thread of my Book Haul for June!

JUNE 2017 BLOG POSTS RECAP

June 01 - June Hot Pics 2017
June 03 - 3 stars for Whenever I'm with You by Lydia Sharp.
June 05 - 5 stars for Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1 by Young Kim and Stephenie Meyer
June 09 - 3 stars for Before I Lose My Nerve: (This is NOT About You) by Layla S. Tanjutco
June 13 - 5 stars for You Could Be the One by Ana Tejano
June 16 - Blog Tour Guest Post for Karmic Hearts by Jhing Bautista
June 20 - Featured Post for Romance Class: The Thing about Heartbreaks..
June 30 - June 2017 Book Haul x Recap

Here's pretty much what happened in the blog for a month. Boring if you ask me. But I just don't wanna fall into that black hole again where every single drop of blogging mojo is sucked. So, let's all take our sweet time and not force anything!

HOW MANY BOOKS DID YOU GET THIS MONTH?

THE THING ABOUT HEARTBREAKS..

"The thing about heartbreak, I realized, is it's not really about waiting for things to stop hurting before you start moving. A broken heart can and will heal in time, but for time to actually do its job, I needed to acknowledge what I had lost and move on. However, I knew it was going to take a while - that the road would be littered with bumps and possibly smaller heartbreaks that would punch me in the gut and make me grieve again.

Even with all the truths I held in my heart, there were so many uncertainties left and so many things that I had to learn over again on my own. I didn't know if things would turn out the way I wanted then to, until I got there. For now, all I needed to do was to keep moving, because at the one of the day, uncertainties were simply an exercise in faith."

The title of this blog post is from a book I loved so much. This post is more than the heartaches I got from reading her stories but actually an appreciation post for Ana Tejano. So Ana, this one's for you.

I know this is so weird because we just finally met in person few months back. But here's something for you. Please don't be weirded out.

The first time I ugly cried over a book was when I read The Last Time We Say Goodbye by Cynthia Hand. It was literally a snot fest (HAHA gross, sorry) because ughhh it was so emotionally invested I couldn't contain the pain and sadness in my heart. So my tearducts took over. It was that mind-blowing good that I posted a photo of myself while I was crying (I didn't think at that time it would eventually be embarrassing so I removed it).Then I read your book Keep the Faith and let me tell you this, it was snot fest all over again and some.

There's something in your writing that legit captivated my reader heart that I wanna devour your books - even your grocery list - right away. Keep the Faith was too short, as in too short to pick me up on the floor. There's a need in me for Keep the Faith to be longer (PLEASE MAKE SOME MORE SEQUELS) and well, all your novels should be longer because aside from it's torturing my heart, I NEED more feels. You see, I recently reviewed your new book, You Could Be the One and man, it gave me serious cheek cramps so you gotta write more. You just gotta do it, man. For the sake of my sanity, please do.

Your characters give me so much life I could not even begin to tell you how much they mean to me. Especially Faith. It's as if you picked her from my past and you wrote her to torment me (I love it, don't worry). She encapsulated all those mysterious emotions I wasn't able to name and now I fully recognize them. THAT cry was such a good cry, Ana. I didn't expect I would still feel a hint of pain from losing people and it made me rethink how I value things. If I didn't read your book, I would still be in that floating zone where I deny what I felt. Thank you for validating my 'old' feelings and for making me realize they were real. Your book helped me get to that level of acknowledgement and put the much needed closure in a way, so thank you. Thank you so much.

You are instantly added to my Auto-Buy Authors list and you legit deserve that spot. The way you mold words into cardiac-arrest inducing stories is just magical to me. Not only that, your stories are all delightful and packed with delicious twists. It's always nice to look forward to reading something from you and get my heart broken again.

BLOG TOUR GUEST POST: KARMIC HEARTS BY JHING BAUTISTA.

Hello, blurbies!! I am so happy to have been given a chance to be a part of this wonderful Blog Tour! Today is the last day and this is the last post so thank you so much to Summit Books and Pop Fiction for hosting! Karmic Hearts by Jhing Bautista is the first ever Pop Fiction book I ever read. Sadly, it didn't meet my expectations. I have encountered *technical* nuances that could have been easily avoided and it was honestly hard for me to get in to. Well, I'll spare you with my rants for now but I'd like to share with you a letter from Cupid! Enjoy!

Title: Karmic Hearts
Author: Jhing Bautista
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: June 2017 by Summit Books/Pop Fiction
Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher
Pages: 241
Genre: Paranormal, New Adult

Synopsis:
Love. Magic. Fate. Best-selling romance novel author Karmina Joan writes about these things. She believes that every person has a purpose, that every soul has a destiny to fulfill. She thought hers was simply sharing her stories.

Her story unfolds with Cupid, the Angel of Love himself. He brings with him a mysterious vessel and a message from on high. It turns out Karmina has a bigger purpose after all—a mission that will make or break humanity as we know it.

As Cupid teaches her the tricks of his trade, Karmina unknowingly gives him something unexpected in return— something the angel of love will find oddly familiar. This may become the one flaw in an otherwise perfect plan that destiny had in store for them.

Does love truly conquer all or are there limits to what humanity can do in the name of love? Witness as Karmina struggles to find the answers before time runs out on true love.

Question from Kristine Balwit:

'Hi, Cupid. why can't I choose who to love?"

Also, don't forget to check out the participating blogs:

Again, thank you for much Summit Media, Pop Fiction, Jhing Bautista, Blog Tour Participants and Jesselle of The Lifelong Bookworm for having me!

REVIEW: YOU COULD BE THE ONE BY ANA TEJANO.

Title: You Could Be the One
Author: Ana Tejano
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: April 2017 / Self-published
Source: Bought
Pages: 114
Genre: Romance

Synopsis:
Experience the spark of discovering something new with someone familiar in You Could Be the One, a collection of stories about friends, lovers, and friends becoming lovers. Complications abound when the line between platonic and romantic gets blurred, but they did say that friendship is the foundation of a great love story. Will you take the risk for a relationship upgrade?

It’s a Match

Cams Ronquillo is single and ready to mingle—at least, online. After finally moving on from her last breakup, she decides to try online dating thanks to the encouragement of Gabriel Evangelista, her friend, business partner, and a serial online dater. As she learns to navigate uncharted dating territory with the potential dates at her fingertips, Cams decides to break one of the online dating rules she was taught...and gets an unexpected match.

Bottleneck

Love is patient—just ask Gelo Morales, who waits for Lara Nolasco after his class every day just so he can spend time with her on their commute home. She doesn’t know that, and she also doesn’t know that he’s been in love with her since they met. He’s planning to tell her one day—he’s just waiting for the perfect moment. Will he find a way to reach Lara’s heart in time, or will be run into bumper-to-bumper traffic on his way there?

Fake It Till We Make It

Ruth Garcia is in her thirties and still hasn’t been in any relationship. She’s totally fine with that, but her family thinks otherwise. When her aunt orders her to bring a significant other to the next family event, she enlists her friend Ian Balboa to be her fake boyfriend. But when things go a little too well, she wonders just how they’ll get out of it without ruining their friendship. But does she even want to end the charade?

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ RomanceClass ▴ Author's Site

There's always this wishful thinking whenever I am reading a #RomanceClass book that they could be longer. I loved most stories I have read so far and it just pains me how much these stories leave me asking for more. The hunger for more swoony moments, sexy times or even the heartbreak phase just won't get satiated! (Which is a very good thing also because I always end up hoarding more #romanceclass books, hmmmmmm) Just like this book. There are three short stories in it and UGHHHH ANA YOU COULD WRITE THREE DIFFERENT NOVELS FOR EACH LIKE, WILL YOU PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE WRITE THEM? SEPARATELY? OR LIKE MAKE THEM LONGERRRRRR HUHUHUHU

It’s a Match
Cams and Gabriel, could you stop making my cheeks hurt from smiling too much? In between getting to know each other and being matched, there's too much swooning and you are perfect together I cannot express how much!

Bottleneck
Lara and Gelo, OMG your old school ways of courting just hit right in the feels! You bring so much happy memories and I am rooting for you!

Fake It Till We Make It
Ruth and Ian, I know you are too old for this pseudo-relationship thing but love really moves in perfect ways, doesn't it? When there's spark, there's always that chance of binding a love from unexpected situations. I am happy for both of you.

You Could Be The One is a compilation of three well-crafted short stories that are all swoon-worthy with amazingly explorable tropes! There's so much magic in the way Ana writes and every turn of the each page just keeps me pumped up with anticipation! If you haven't picked up any #RomanceBooks yet, you can definitely start with this one!

"Only when you’ve been brave will you have the license to give up."

REVIEW: BEFORE I LOSE MY NERVE BY LAYLA TANJUTCO.

Title: Before I Lose My Nerve: (This is NOT About You)
Author: Layla S. Tanjutco
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: April 29th 2017 // Self-Published
Source: Bought
Pages: 55
Genre: Poetry

Synopsis:
If you’ve ever had your heart broken you would know that it takes courage to love again. Before I Lose My Nerve is a collection of poems about heartbreak, the journey to finding the courage to love again, and realizing the kind of love that one deserves.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ RomanceClass ▴ Author's Site

Before I Lose My Nerve: (This is NOT About You) was my second #RomanceClass poetry book and I did enjoy this one. It encompasses different feelings and I can't help but face the nostalgia! It definitely lets you reminisce and express. There's this pinch in the heart that makes you feel everything. The joy of loving and being needed and the crushing pain of being left behind. How hard and maddening it is to accept the reality that the person you long for longs for someone else. Damn, feels. It's a good one but totally short. I wish it was longer, a little bit longer.

"You are a mistake I am willing to constantly make."

REVIEW: TWILIGHT: GRAPHIC NOVEL #1 BY YOUNG KIM AND STEPHENIE MEYER.

Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Vol. 1
Author: Young Kim and Stephenie Meyer
Series: Twilight: The Graphic Novel #1
Edition: Hardbound
Publication: March 16th 2010 by Yen Press
Source: Bought from Biblio
Pages: 224
Genre: Art, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:
When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

I won't make this one too long because I think I have made it clear enough how much I love Twilight! I owned the Twilight Graphic Novel Two for years and it was just last April when I stumbled upon a copy of Graphic Novel One so I devoured in one sitting. I loved how Kim gave life to the characters and made me relive the sweet feelings while I was reading! The graphic novel didn't include scene by scene but captured what I think are the essential ones. Kim is pretty good with what she does. This graphic novel is just perfection. Especially the first time I glanced at Edward!!! Ugh my heart!

I can't wait to complete the rest of the graphic novels and I wish they would finish until Breaking Dawn. I loved this so much I can't even find the words or ways how to express it. You should all pick this up!

""And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…" he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
"What a stupid lamb," I sighed.
"What a sick, masochistic lion.""

"Without the dark, we'd never see the stars."

REVIEW: WHENEVER I'M WITH YOU BY LYDIA SHARP.

Title: Whenever I'm with You
Author: Lydia Sharp
Series: Standalone
Edition: Paperback
Publication: January 3rd 2017 by Scholastic Press
Source: ARC provided by the publisher
Pages: 304
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:
A missing boy.
A road trip into the Alaskan wilderness.
A week that will change everything...

After Gabi’s parents’ divorce, she moves from California to Alaska with her dad. At first, it feels like banishment—until she meets Kai. He welcomes her into his life, sharing his family, his friends, and his warmth. But as winter approaches, Kai pulls away for seemingly no reason at all. He's quiet, withdrawn. Then one day, he disappears.

Kai’s twin brother, Hunter, believes Kai is retracing their missing father’s steps in the wilderness north of Anchorage. There’s a blizzard on the way, and Kai is alone out there. Gabi's frustration over his emotional distance quickly turns to serious concern. This is the boy who saved her from the dark. She can't lose him to it.

So Gabi and Hunter agree to head out together on a wild journey north—a trip that will challenge them physically and emotionally, as they try to convince the boy they love to return home.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

Amazon ▴ Barnes and Noble ▴ Book Depository

When I first saw Whenever I'm With You's cover, it screamed fluffy contemporary romance to me. (I wasn't familiar with this title until Scholastic sent the galley! Thank you!) I was expecting a friends-turned-lovers-on-a-roadtrip trope in here because the cover felt like a dead giveaway.

Guess what.

I was kinda right.

But also wrong.

Whenever I'm With You is a heavy type of story that revolves around twin's relationship told from a female love interest's point of view. Gabi is the daughter of a famous Hollywood actress and a well-sought lawyer in SoCal. She and her dad moved to Alaska to get away from her cheating mother and get over the divorce. She feels she didn't belong there. Her glamorous life in SoCal suddenly becomes a "normal" one because they need to lay low. The only thing that makes her sane in Alaska is her boyfried slash neighbor, Kai. When Kai sets off to find his dad without saying a proper goodbye to Gabi, she's worked up about it and seeks Kai's twin brother's help in going after him. Only to learn the truth about what Kai has been keeping from her and his real reason from leaving.

I don't want to really talk much about Gabi in this story or else I would not probably stop ranting. She's a rich kid alright and I totally get why she's angsty and bratty. She grew up with well-off parents so she's not accustomed to so many things that are normal for regular people. There was just this part where she had too use a squat toilet and she said she became an animal in Alaska. Like, girl. Calm yourself and be respectful because that's the least you could do. Off all the annoying things she's said and done, that's what really made me angry. Just because you're rich doesn't give you the right to say awful things like that. Her character eventually starts to mature (she's proud she's finally doing the dishes, I'll give her that) and I think if she's given some more time, her character would develop but I just couldn't erase her hurtful comment in my head.

But to me, the story wasn't really about Gabi's life problems but the twins'. To tell you honestly, eighty percent of the story is about Kai and Hunter. It just so happen that Gabi was narrating it. I couldn't remember the best sibling story I've read but this book would have been waaaaay better if romance wasn't the key factor in getting this book to sell. Kai and Hunter's bromance was one of those stories that leaves a mark. The feels would just keep tugging your feels. It was honestly surreal that I wanna hug my sibs right now. Their love for each other led them to make choices, choices they thought would benefit the other. But the choices also led them to lose so much time. They could have talked but they spared each other pain. This story is about them figuring out what happened to their dad, how much they shut each other out, how they messed up by keeping to thmeselves. In short, Whenever I'm with You is Kai and Hunter's relationship as brothers told by Gabi. Such a bunpy reading experience this one.

Then there's the Tlingit rep that according to an Alaska Native reader Debbie, wasn't represented correctly which is offensive. Here's the review - click me. In my opinion, the narrator sees everything from an outsider's POV. I believe that she learned to love Alaska and everything about it at the latter part.

Whenever I'm With You is likeable. But it would have been an unforgettable one if the execution isn't that of a let down. Giving it three stars for the attempt to show different sides of relationships which I appreciated and for the potential of the characters to see more of the world than just themselves.

Thank you, Scholastic Asia (Philippines) for the galley!

"Remember how it takes your breath away- remember that this is how I felt the first time I saw you, and how I've felt every day since then, whenever I'm with you. This is my version of heaven."

JUNE 2017 HOT PICKS!

I am a little bit confused if June is now the start of rainy season or if it's still summer. Climate change is legit a sucker. Years ago, it used to be all rain by June - September. But now it feels like the entire year is summer. Sigh. I couldn't even feel the cold during December anymore. I hate it.

But here are the books I love to get this month:

Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2) by Victoria Schwab
(June 13th 2017 by Greenwillow Books)

Want (Want #1) by Cindy Pon
(June 13th 2017 by Simon Pulse)

The Evaporation of Sofi Snow (The Evaporation of Sofi Snow #1) by Mary Weber
(June 6th 2017 by Thomas Nelson)

These books are super dope so I cannot wait to get my copies!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT THIS MONTH?