Girl about Books

Blog Tour: Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 08:16:00 +0000

Ask Me by Kimberly Pauley
Publication date: April 8th 2014
Published by: Soho Teen
Pages:
Source: Pinoy Book Tours (Thanks!!)

Summary via Goodreads:

Ask Aria Morse anything, and she must answer with the truth. Yet she rarely understands the cryptic words she‘s compelled to utter. Blessed—or cursed—with the power of an Oracle who cannot decipher her own predictions, she does her best to avoid anyone and everyone.

But Aria can no longer hide when Jade, one of the few girls at school who ever showed her any kindness, disappears. Any time Aria overhears a question about Jade, she inadvertently reveals something new, a clue or hint as to why Jade vanished. But like stray pieces from different puzzles, her words never present a clear picture.

Then there’s Alex, damaged and dangerous, but the first person other than Jade to stand up for her. And Will, who offers a bond that seems impossible for a girl who’s always been alone. Both were involved with Jade. Aria may be the only one who can find out what happened, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she becomes a target. Not everyone wants the truth to come out.

The story’s plot intrigued me the moment I read it. It seems really interesting and a bit different from other mystery stories I’ve read before and so I signed up on the blog tour hosted by Pinoy Book Tours a few weeks ago.

I quickly picked up the book and began reading it almost non-stop even though I just got off from a 12 hours shift. I was immediately hooked by the story because not only the main character was pretty interesting and rather decent, I like the writing very much as well.

The mythological element was also one of the things I really liked about the story. Aria’s powers really fascinated and terrified me at the same time. Personally, I don’t think I can live normally if I have a certain power like that :P I also think Aria as a good and unique main character. I like the way she perceives things and I also love her relationship with her grandparents which are like the coolest characters on the book!

While I enjoyed reading the book, I thought there were certain letdowns in the story. I don’t know about the others who had read this story, but I pretty much guessed early on who’s the suspect. And I have to admit that I got a little annoyed with Aria when it took her a bit too long to figure it out give her powers and, for me, I thought she was a smart girl so I don’t understand that part. I got a little disappointed with that to be honest.

Overall, Ask Me did satisfy my craving for suspense and mystery. I also liked the bit of romance here and there in the book. I’m giving this a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Thanks to Pinoy Book Tours for letting me participate on the blog tour!

Chatterbooks: PopFiction Books

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:16:00 +0000

Hello, there! Chatterbooks is a new feature here on my blog in which I will discuss and share with you interesting and various book-related topics.

For my first Chatterbooks post, I think it’s only fitting to discuss something Filipino-related. Recently, I’ve been much of a book store wanderer. Even though I only intend to go to the mall to shop for grocery, I always somehow manage to end up wandering in a bookstore. Typical.

Lately, I keep seeing these colorful graphic novel-ish books on stands (sometimes beside the counter). I have to admit that when I first saw a glimpse of them, I thought they were mangas perhaps because of the illustration. Then, I discovered that these are actually books and are published by PopFiction Books (imprint of Summit Books).

There was one book, though, which completely grabbed my attention when I accompanied my friend to a local bookstore —She’s Dating The Gangster. The title rings a familiar sound to me as well as the author’s name (or rather her username) and then I saw this line: FIRST SEEN ON CANDYMAG.COM

A couple of years ago, I was part of Candymag.com’s TeenTalk forum in which teens gather and talk and share stuff with each other online and if you’re lucky, make new friends. By the way, being part of Teentalk was my life for, like, three years. I loved that forum!

Anyway, back on topic, on TeenTalk, there’s a thread called Creative Corner in which members of the forum are free to share their original written stories and, you may have guessed it already, it was from Creative Corner thread where I first saw She’s Dating The Gangster. It was a total hit on the thread, one of most read and popular. Although, I didn’t really read it before because it wasn’t my kind of story, but it was part of the hype back then.

From what I've read, Bianca Bernardino (aka SGwannabe), the author, also posted her story on Wattpad which gathered 500,000+ reads and 9,000+ votes. Then, Summit Books contacted her and told her they want to publish her story. And now, Bianca Bernardino is a published author and became one of the best-sellers nationwide. Oh, and her book is going to be seen on the silver screen soon as well.

It's really strange but when I first discovered this news it made me really happy and for some reason proud of her (you know like a sister-proud kind of thing) even though I don't really know her personally and vice versa.

I think Bianca's journey in writing is really inspiring and motivating and it's a wonderful reminder, especially for all young aspiring Filipino writers out there, that if you persevere and work hard enough, your dreams can turn into reality.

Aside, from She’s Dating The Gangster, PopFiction Books published other several Wattpad stories written by Filipino authors such as The Bet, Operation: Break The Cassanova’s Heart, 548 Heartbeats and a whole lot more!

You can visit Summit Media website for more info or follow their Twitter: @SummitMedia_PH and like their Facebook page for more latest updates.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 05:27:00 +0000

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Publication Date: August 27, 2013
Published by: Katherine Tegen
Pages: 335 (Paperback)

Summary via Goodreads:

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.
No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.
But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Hello, there! It’s been a long time since I was here. So many things had happened over the past year, which are mostly good things, but no matter, I’m happy to say that I’m back into blogging now and I think it’s only fitting to start off by reviewing the book that reminded me of how much I love talking about books.

My first encounter with The Beginning of Everything was December of last year. I was on a local bookstore to finally grab my copy of Anna & the French Kiss (which was on my wishlist since, like, forever). Truthfully, the book title didn’t grabbed my attention as much as the cover did. I remember reading the synopsis on the back and my first thought was ‘I think know how this story will go.’ (oh man, I was sooo wrong about that).

The second time was on Twitter when a local bookstore tweeted a quote from the book which wholly grabbed my attention. The quote was: “The way I figured it, keeping quiet was safe. Words could betray you if you choose the wrong ones, or mean less if you used too many.” So when I went to bookstore again to grab a good friend of mine a birthday present, I ended up buying myself my own copy (happens all the time).

The moment I started reading The Beginning of Everything, I was instantly hooked with Ezra’s strong and unique voice. He’s a very interesting guy. I just love every single moment I spent with him and just feeling everything he has in his mind. If you think about it, the plot of the story is quite simple—the popular jock in high school loses the spotlight, his social life, even his promising athletic career, then he meets a mysterious girl. Perhaps this is the reason why, at first, I thought the story is a bit predictable. But like what I said, it’s not. It’s not predictable at all.

My favorite aspect of the story are the characters. I love all of them and it was so easy to connect with them. Ezra Faulkner, the protagonist, isn’t the typical one-dimensional popular guy we used to read or see in movies. He’s wonderful, smart, truthful and funny kind of guy, but above all, it’s the complexity of his character that makes me like him even more. I absolutely enjoyed joining him in his bittersweet discovery toward the meaning of his tragedy.

The story of Ezra and Toby’s friendship was also something I genuinely like about the story. Perhaps because at one point in our lives there’ll be this one person whom we used to do things with and then in just a snap everything changes. I thought the way they rekindled their friendship was very nice, it just feels natural and I was also glad to discover that even after everything that’s happened, there were certain things that didn’t really change between their friendship.

And then there’s Cassidy Thorpe, the elusive love interest. She’s everything Ezra hadn’t met before. She’s intelligent, speaks her mind and unconventionally beautiful and she’s a Harry Potter fan. I also love the way she perceives the world and her cleverness and the way she understands Ezra in ways some people don’t and in ways Ezra himself doesn’t. Ugh I love her.

While I love everything about this book, there’s no use denying that, for me, the best part of the story is Ezra and Cassidy’s romance. I rooted for them the second they met in that hallway. I adore every moment they spent together, every witty remarks they shared with each other. My feelings were everywhere whenever they touch. I’m so obsessed with them it’s disgusting! I used to think their relationship is kind of reverse, but now that I thought about it, Ezra and Cassidy balance each other out. They have this strong emotional connection with each other and it was simply beautiful.

The Beginning of Everything is unquestionably one of my all-time favorite books. There’s so much depth and realness in this book and it can either make your heart swell in delight or rip your heart into tragic little pieces. Every dialogue, characters and emotions are so compelling, they’re impossible to forget. I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars and I strongly recommend this to every YA Contemporary junkies, especially those who fancy character-driven ones.

Fanmix Friday: Graceling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 31 May 2013 15:07:00 +0000

Hi, there! It's been ages since I featured something on my Fanmix Friday. All apologies. But good news! I'm bringing it back and everyone can now listen to the tracks I included. Yay!

As I have mentioned on my review of Graceling (which I absolutely love) I'll be featuring the story for my Fanmix Friday this week. I'm not yet sure if I'm going to make a fanmix for each book I will be reading but we'll see. If inspiration strikes me, why not?

And with no further ado, here's my fanmix for Graceling:

Assassin from veelas on 8tracks Radio.

Tracklisting:

01. Assassin Muse

02. Fire Ingrid Michaelson
03. Breathe Me Sia
04. Megalomaniac Incubus
05. Who Am I Living For Katy Perry
06. Outside Staind
07. Winter Bones Stars
08. Soldier Ingrid Michaelson
09. Werkin' Girls Angel Haze

I chose the following songs by sticking to the aspects I really liked about the story such as Katsa's independence, her fierce and unstoppable personality.

Muse's Assassin is first on top of the playlist because this is the song I imagined being played while Katsa was rescuing Grandfather Tealiff. I thought the intense atmosphere during that moment completely fits the song! I picked out the songs which reminded me of certain characters, for instance, the songs Outside by Staind and Megalomaniac by Incubus strongly reminded me of King Randa and King Leck.

Meanwhile, Ingrid Michaelson's songs Fire and Soldier reminded me of Katsa and Po's relationship. The tracks Who Am I Living For by Katy Perry, Winter Bones by Stars and Breathe Me by Sia reminded me of Katsa's discovery of the true meaning behind her Grace and these songs reminded me of her vulnerability as well. And finally, I really, really think Angel Haze's Werkin' Girls is Katsa's jam. It sound so much like her—hardcore and plain wicked.

That's it for this week's Fanmix Friday! I hope you enjoy my mix and I would love to hear what you think about it! Feel free to share with me the songs Graceling reminded you of!

Happy Weekend everyone :)

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 30 May 2013 09:21:00 +0000

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Published by: Harcourt
Pages: 471

Summary via Goodreads:

His eyes, Katsa had never seen such eyes. One was silver, and the other, gold. They glowed in his sun-darkened face, uneven, and strange. She was surprised that they hadn't shone in the darkness of their first meeting. They didn't seem human....

Then he raised his eyebrows a hair, and his mouth shifted into the hint of a smirk. He nodded at her, just barely, and it released her from her spell.

Cocky, she thought. Cocky and arrogant, this one, and that was all there was to make of him. Whatever game he was playing, if he expected her to join him he would be disappointed.

In a world where people born with an extreme skill—called a Grace—are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of the skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him.

When she first meets Prince Po, who is Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

As far as I could remember, I’ve been dying to read Graceling ever since I saw it being reviewed on my favorite book blogs. It received so many raves and high praises which made me all the more excited to get my hands a copy. Having said that, I got a teensy bit worried as well that if I started reading the book, it wouldn’t live up to my expectations.

Fortunately, Kristin Cashore proved me that the hype on her book was worth it!

Graceling was extremely fantastic and simply engaging! The plot was fast-paced, don’t expect any dull moments at all. I always found myself eager to turn the next page for more. Another aspect I truly love about this book was the brilliant and elegant writing; it has that timeless quality to it which completely shunned my assumption of this being a high fantasy book (I think most people thought this was a high fantasy book, or is it just me?). The descriptions were detailed and neat, including the time in the story, so I never felt disoriented or lost.

For the characters, I absolutely enjoyed reading them and I connected with them instantly. They were all very well-developed. I have so much respect for Katsa, the main character of the story. I thought she’s inspiring and I love how flawed she is. I absolutely admire how she value her own principles, how she fought for her independence and how she set aside her own desire for the welfare of the common good. Katsa’s fierce and almost invincible, simply put, she’s a badass but at the same time, she’s vulnerable which I love about her! She has a sensible mind and big, warm heart especially to those people who knows her truly like Raffin, Helda and of course, Prince Po.

Katsa and Po’s relationship, on the other hand, was definitely one of my favorite aspects in the story—heck! they’re one of my all-time favorite fictional couples! I just love the natural flow of how their relationship bloomed, like they were truly meant to be together. Sigh, their moments are definitely all gushworthy!

I thought the plot twist was very interesting too! Just when I thought I figured it out, Kristin Cashore changes her mind. Ugh! I just love getting that feeling!

Graceling have everything I could ever want in a Fantasy lit. There’s action, romance and humor and the best thing about these elements were Kristin Cashore managed to successfully balance them all, thus the story was epic! This story gave me so much inspiration that I managed to make a fanmix for it. I will be posting the fanmix tomorrow for my Fanmix Friday!

I’m giving Graceling a solid 5 out of 5 stars and I HIGHLY recommend this for any Fantasy lit lovers. I swear this is a must read for y’all!

Waiting on Wednesday #45: The Vow

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:45:00 +0000

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

* * * * * * * *

The Vow by Jessica Martinez

Publication Date: October 15, 2013

Published by: Simon Pulse

Summary via Goodreads:

No one has ever believed that Mo and Annie are just friends. How can a guy and a girl really be best friends?

Then the summer before senior year, Mo’s father loses his job, and by extension his work visa. Instantly, life for Annie and Mo crumbles. Although Mo has lived in America for most of his life, he’ll be forced to move to Jordan. The prospect of leaving his home is devastating, and returning to a world where he no longer belongs terrifies him.

Desperate to save him, Annie proposes they tell a colossal lie—that they are in love. Mo agrees because marrying Annie is the only way he can stay. Annie just wants to keep her best friend, but what happens when it becomes a choice between saving Mo and her own chance at real love?

Why I chose this: I personally love Jessica Martinez's Virtuosity, it's one my favorite Contemporary stand-alones, and so I'm very pleased when I discovered The Vow! I absolutely love the thrill in this one, the idea of something forbidden always excites me. And I'm really curious on how Mo and Annie's relationship will turn out after this proposal. Plus, one of my favorite reviewers found it great so I'll definitely look forward to this!

Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:27:00 +0000

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Publication date: October 4, 2011
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 313 pages (paperback)

Summary via Goodreads:

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

I fell for Lauren Oliver after reading her dystopia novel, Delirium. After reading that book, she instantly became one of my favorite authors of all time. And so when I discovered she’s writing a middle-grade fantasy novel, I was beyond thrilled!

First of all, I like reading (selective) middle-grade novels. I love to read such books simply because they make me feel young and magical, and that’s exactly how I felt when I was reading Liesl & Po.

I had an amazing time reading Liesl & Po. I found the characters absolutely charming and entertaining. I thought Liesl was very interesting, I think she personified every kid we know. She’s very curious, brave but at the same time her vulnerability showed that she's still a young, innocent girl. I also find Will’s loyalty towards Liesl very charming as well as his special feelings toward Liesl. That's so cute! And then, there’s Po, the ghost. To be honest, he’s not exactly like Casper the Friendly Ghost, but that’s not to say he’s mean toward Liesl. He’s basically just unsure on being around human beings such as Liesl. I really enjoyed seeing his hesitant character transitioned to someone more affable throughout the story. And I may shed a tiny bit tear towards the end.

As a cover lover, I'd like to take note of the book cover. I honestly loved it! Perhaps one of my favorite covers! It certainly fit the concept of the story, if anything, it’ll give the readers hints on what’s coming for them once they started the book. Plus, it’s very eye-catching! I think kids (and kids at heart, like me) will definitely take notice of this once they enter their favorite bookstores. The illustrations inside are also wonderful!

However, I couldn’t help but take note as well a certain aspect of the book where in I found myself creasing my brows from confusion. This is written on third person point of view, omniscient point of view to be specific. I have to admit that I wasn’t really used to that kind of writing and so every time the point of view skip from Liesl to Will, or from Po to Liesl—I get little episodes of disorientation. It took me some time to get used to the changing of point of views.

But the overall take of this story was completely astonishing. I think Lauren Oliver captured that whimsical feeling we’d have when we were kids and we were creating our own special, magical world inside our heads. Furthermore, the emotions which Lauren Oliver conveyed throughout the book was very solid and I couldn’t help but feel emotionally connected with the characters.

I’m giving Liesl & Po 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend this to everyone!

The Perks of Being A Wallflower Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 03:04:00 +0000

Okay, I normally don't recommend movies, unless you ask me. But this time, I just have this strong feeling that I have to.

I was finally able to watch The Perks of Being A Wallflower which was based on Stephen Chbosky book of the same name. I love the book, it's phenomenal. One of my all-time favorites. I usually get agitated when my favorite books gets adapted into a movie, so I don't usually raise my expectations. I’m not going to mention any movie name but The Hunger Games was just… well, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

Anyway, when The Perks of Being A Wallflower movie came out, there was so much hype! There’s so much hype I got so anxious that I put off my plans of watching it altogether. First thing you should know about me: I’m allergic to hype. We’re not compatible at all. Unless of course they deserve it.But this particular movie adaptation surprised me to the core. The movie was not what I expected at all– in a good way. Yes, you’re probably thinking, “What are you talking about? You’ve already read the book, you know what’s going to happen.”

That’s true. But there was something that ticked and tugged at me when I watched it as if it was my first time getting to know the story. I found myself laughing out loud, crying, and falling in love and getting my heartbroken and depressed and having the time of my life. In other words, I was on a wild roller coaster of emotion. The exact same feeling I had the first time I read the book. Personally, I think it’s the actors. The way they portray the characters were amazing and spot on. That’s how I imagine them in my head when I was reading the book (and I don’t mean in physical appearance wise) and they made it easier for the audience to emotionally invest in them. They did an amazing job and it was breath taking.

Also, I finally realized what exactly I’m looking for when my favorite book gets adapted into a movie: I want to feel as though I’m home. Like, even if you changed the decorations or alter the design of the living room, it would still feel like I’m home. The adaptation of this book felt just like that and they added some really good furniture, too.

I’m not going to gush that this movie is THE best because it’s not. But see, that’s thing. It’s so raw, almost personal, honest and heartfelt. It’s about life and so much more. It’s about those things people choose to overlook and doesn't want to talk about, you know? I guess this is why I love this movie, it made me feel more like a human and a proud one at that.

Watch this movie, yeah? Better yet, read the book first before watching the movie. It’s worth it.

P.S. The soundtrack was just as incredible as the movie itself.

Review: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 09:59:00 +0000

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter, #3
Publication date: September 8, 1999
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Pages: 435 (Hardcover)

Summary via book jacket:

For twelve long years, the dread fortress of Azkaban held an infamous prisoner named Sirius Black. Convicted of killing thirteen people with a single curse, he was said to be the heir apparent to the Dark Lord, Voldemort.

Now he has escaped, leaving only two clues as to where he might be headed: Harry Potter's defeat of You-Know-Who was Black's downfall as well. And the Azkban guards heard Black muttering in his sleep, "He's at Hogwarts...he's at Hogwarts."

Harry Potter isn't safe, not even within the walls of his magical school, surrounded by his friends. Because on top of it all, there may well be a traitor in their midst.

The first time I read this, few years ago, I was completely blown away and the effect was still the same, if anything I was much more amazed. This is definitely one of my all-time favorite Harry Potter books.

I guess the reason is because I got to know Harry in a (little) more personal level. As far as I could remember, I’ve always been intrigued by his parents’ history at Hogwarts. I secretly wished that (hopefully) JK Rowling would give us even just a short story or novella focusing on Lily and James’ as well as the Marauders’ time at Hogwarts because....duh, they’re simply amazing!

Anyway, moving on to the book, I was very happy to reminisce the part where Ron and Hermione were constantly arguing about their pets—Scabbers and Crookshanks, respectively. I had an amazing time laughing out loud on those parts! Apart from that, new characters were introduced into this installment such as Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, they’re like one of my all-time favorite literary characters and I could swear, after re-reading this book, I might’ve developed a crush on Sirius. Ha!

The history of Whomping Willow was absolutely incredible! This is why I genuinely worship JK Rowling, her books (all of her seven books which were written separately and in certain periods of time) are connected and she managed to explain certain and important parts of the novel astonishingly. Even when I think about it right now, it’d still give me goosebumps (in a very good way). Another thing I really, really, really love was the Time Turner. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise me that there’s a time-travelling concept in this story considering this is a fantasy novel. I guess it’s the way JK Rowling successfully and effectively blended the concept into her story. Amazing.

Overall, I’m absolutely inlove with this one, positively one of the best Harry Potter books. I’m giving this 5 out of 5 stars and I’d love to recommend this to those who loved the first two books and are craving for more and also to those people who still hasn’t read this epicsauce of a series.

End of the World Book Blast Giveaway: The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 09:08:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! I've been busy the past couple of days, thus, the lack of updates and posts. But today, I'm back with a very exciting news: Today's the start of the End of the World Book Blast! All of my readers will get a chance to win two $50 Visa Gift Cards and en ebook of The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton. Check out the blurb (it sounds very promising), the trailer and don't forget to join the giveaway!

The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince…

About the Author:

A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Good luck to everyone!

Ambril's Tale Blog Tour: Author Interview with Wendy Walter

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! I have the pleasure to be part of Wendy Walter's Blog Tour! Today, I have author Wendy Walter herself to talk about her debut novel, Ambril's Tale: Return of the Dulliath. Read on and stick around to win some awesome prizes!

Without further ado, here's my interview with Wendy!

Describe Ambril's Tale in five words.

A funny, adventurous, heartwarming, fantasy mystery!

Where did you get the inspiration in writing Ambril's Tale?

When I moved from bright, smiley California to the snowy hills of Utah at the age of ten, I didn’t fit in right away, and felt like an alien for the longest time. The move forced me to see how different and yet the same we all are. I’ve thought about it ever since. When it began to annoy me, a few years back, I decided to sit down and see if Ambril could help me with them.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

When I discovered that writing a big-world story is not something they teach you in English. It’s something you must develop on your own. For the longest time I simply groped around, lost in the wilderness. Luckily I stumbled upon my writer’s voice before losing all hope. Then my characters came to life and began helping me with my scenes. And finally, I figured out how to lay a trail of breadcrumbs, and plotted my way to the end. Phew!

What books have most influenced your life most?

Emma, Jane Austen

Dark Lord of Derkholm, Dianna Wynne Jones

A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L’Engle

The Prisoner of Azkaban, JK Rowling

Did you learn anything from writing Ambril's Tale and what was it?

I learned how tough it was to stare down your flaws at eight in the morning.

Every character and event in my book has bits and pieces of me in it, including my flaws. They are impossible to avoid when you are writing a scene. You have to get down in the muck with them and wrestle. Sometimes it’s very painful, but in the end, I believe, struggling with them has made me a better person. Though I have learned not to look them in the eye early in the morning!

Can you tell a little about yourself?

I love to make stuff up. I decided to study architecture in school because of this, but found that architecture was really about making stuff work in too little time, and with too little money. When the practicalities of interior architecture got me down, I went shopping for a new career. I tried on a lot of things, such as art teaching and web design. All the while, I wrote.

When nothing seemed to quite fit, I decided to take a run at writing a fantasy world, rather than designing and drawing in this one. I still love to draw and design, but the thing that defines me are my industrial strength day dreams. When I finally figured out how to craft Ambril’s world with them, I cheered. At long last, I had found something which lets me make stuff up, non-stop. I’m in heaven!

Giveaway Info

At each blog stop on her tour, Wendy is giving away a prize, a copy of one of her books (paperback or e-book). You can also enter her 12-12-12 Grand Prize Giveaway of a sterling silver pendant of the Tree of Life, and an End-of-Tour Grand Prize Giveaway of a hand-painted gnome, hand-painted by Wendy herself! There will also be some surprise giveaways along the way! Stay tuned!

1) To win a book: leave a comment on this blog post about what you like about fantasy mysteries to be entered to win a copy of Ambril's Tale: The Return of the Dullaith in paperback or e-book format. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway ends five days after the post goes live.

2) To win one of the Grand Prizes: Click the link to go to Wendy's website and enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of the page. A winner will be selected on Dec. 12th for the 12-12-12 for the sterling silver pendant of the Tree of Life. Here's Wendy's site: http://wendydwalter.com/blog-tour/.

What are you guys waiting for? Enter the giveaway and don't forget to visit other stops of this awesome blog tour!

About The Author: Wendy D. Walter

Writing was an early passion for Wendy. As a kid, she wrote lots of stories, but being shy, they usually ended up under the mattress. When she finally set out to tell Ambril’s Tale, she decided not to write a story but a world, full with her own marvelous illustrations. She considers The Return of the Dullaith as just the curly tip of the fairy boot. Wendy lives near San Francisco with her husband, daughters, cat and border collie. More information about Wendy's book and art, check her site: http://wendydwalter.com.

Fanmix Friday: The Infernal Devices Fanmix

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Hi, there! I've been mentioning about this feature since I officially came back from my hiatus but I always put if off mostly because I keep editing the cover art and the song list. Finally, I'm satisfied with it!

Fanmix Friday is the new feature here in my blog. Personally, I love music as much as I love to read books and recently, I've been listening to amazing songs which reminds me of the books I'm reading and I thought making a playlist or fanmix for it.

I initially intended to make some sort of an "introduction" for what fanmix is, you know, for those who are new to this word or thing. According to what I've gathered around the internet, fanmix is a fan made collection of songs or an album reflecting on a TV show, movie, books, character, etc.

For my first fanmix/playlist this week, I am featuring The Infernal Devices books (at least, the first two books). I am a HUGE fan of these books and so I was inspired to create a fanmix for it. However, there might be a "Part II" of this fanmix considering Clockwork Princess is not yet published. We'll see.

The songs I included are the ones that strongly reminded me of the characters in the books. Here's the song list:

Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars
Angel (Into Your World) by EXO-M
C'est La Mort by The Civil Wars
The Hardest of Hearts by Florence + The Machine
Demons by Imagine Dragons
Everybody Lies by Jason Walker

Click here to download this fanmix

If you guys are going to ask me about my favorite songs in this fanmix, it's definitely Angel (Into Your World) by EXO-M and Poison & Wine by The Civil Wars. I swear, every time I hear these songs, The Infernal Devices instantly pops into my head! Also, take note that Angel (Into Your World) is a Chinese song. If you click here, you can read the English translation and you can hear the song as well!

You can guys can freely download my fanmix or the cover art above. If ever you did, tell me what you think about it. I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Waiting on Wednesday #44: Transparent

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 06:08:00 +0000

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Transparent by Natalie Whipple

Publication date: May 21, 2013

Published by HarperTeen

Add on your Goodreads

Summary via Goodreads:

X-Men meets The Godfather; in which an invisible girl has to stop her dad—an infamous crime lord—from ruining her life.

On the run from her mind-controlling father, the infamously invisible Fiona McClean hides in a small town, hoping to finally rid herself of the crime world she has always known. But playing at “normal life” with a mother she hates, a brother she can’t trust, and a boy she can’t stand proves more difficult than she ever imagined. Soon her father is hot on her heels, and it’s up to Fiona to protect not only her family, but the friends who’ve taught her that life doesn’t have to be as lonely and cruel as she thought.

Why I chose this: Transparent caught my attention with it's lovely book cover. I love it's vibrant and vivid colors! And then I read the synopsis, I fell for it. It sounds very intriguing, something I've never read before. And that tagline, Even An Invisible Girl Can't Hide Forever, really works for me! So excited for this!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Review: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter, #2
Publication date: July 2, 1998
Published by: Scholastic Press
Pages: 341 (Hardcover)

Summary via Goodreads:

The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.

And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girl's bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny.

But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone - or something - starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects... Harry Potter himself?

The first copy I got of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was actually given to me by my high school classmate because… well, my all of my classmates in high school knew how much a big of a fan I am of the books/movies. Back then, I always complain to my friends that I can’t find a bookstore with an available copy of this book. One of them probably felt sorry (or more like annoyed) for me so he just gave me his own copy (most likely to make me shut up)

That was some introduction for my review. As I have mentioned before, Harry Potter is already a part of my life so every book I’ve read there’s always a fragment of my life.

This is definitely a wonderful sequel to the first book—it’s riveting, hilarious and completely entertaining! The reader will get to know the characters, most especially Harry himself, more than the first book and meet new one—some of them are enjoyable while others will make you want pull your hair off *ahemLockhartahem*

One of the many things I love about J.K. Rowling was how she successfully manage to give each character a time to stand out. I totally enjoyed the supporting characters in this book especially the Weasley twins. If they managed to make me laughed out loud on the first book, they still managed to give me same experience on this book. They’re definitely one of my all-time favorite fictional characters! It was also nice to see more of Ginny on this one. The adventures for Harry, Ron and Hermione had challenged their friendship and it just proved how much they need other to function.

There were so many exciting and thrilling parts in this book. I particularly enjoy reading the Dueling Club part. I personally think that chapter was awesome (even in the movie). The occasional moments of Moaning Myrtle was also very entertaining, I think she's hilarious! And, of course, the meeting of Harry Potter and Tom Riddle, that part always managed to give me goosebumps! J.K. Rowling is just an incredible story-teller and the way she effortlessly balance and blend mystery, humor and fun adventures will always take my breath away.

I'm giving this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars and I genuinely recommended this to EVERYONE.

Waiting on Wednesday #43: Undone

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 14:41:00 +0000

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Undone by Cat Clarke

Publication date: January 31, 2013

Published by Quercus

Add on your Goodreads

Summary via Goodreads:

Jem Halliday is in love with her gay best friend. Not exactly ideal, but she's learning to live with it.

Then the unspeakable happens. Kai is outed online ... and he kills himself.

Jem knows nothing she can say or do will bring him back. But she wants to know who was responsible. And she wants to take them down.

A searing story of love, revenge and betrayal from a bestselling author.

Hello, everyone! It's been a long time since my last WoW post and since I miss doing it, I am featuring a really interesting book for this week.

My pick this week is Cat Clarke's Undone. Oh, wow. This sounds very, very promising. The premise is something I've never heard of before. I've been trying to fill my reading list for next year with engaging YA Contemporaries which is why I am so happy I stumbled upon this book. I haven't read any of Cat Clarke's previous books before, though, (nay for me) but I definitely heard amazing things about her so I'm really looking forward for this one.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:48:00 +0000

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Series: Harry Potter #1
Publication Date: April 11, 2003 (first published January 1st 1997)
Published by: Scholastic Press
Pages: 309 (Hardcover)

Summary from book's jacket:

Harry Potter has never been the star of a Quidditch team, scoring points while riding a broom far above the ground. He knows no spells, has never helped to hatch a dragon, and has never worn a cloak of invisibility.

All he knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys, his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley — a great big swollen spoiled bully. Harry's room is a closet at the foot of the stairs, and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years.

But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to an incredible place that Harry — and anyone who reads about him — will find unforgettable.

For it's there that he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic in everything from classes to meals, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him...if Harry can survive the encounter.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone—the book that started it all.

I’m so excited to finally pick up this book and read it all over again. It’s been years since I first read it which was probably the reason why I had forgotten some bits of it but the feeling I experienced the first time I flipped open this book and meet the characters years ago was still very much there—it didn’t change at all. I felt like my teenage self all over again.

I decided to re-read this book around Halloween of this year and it was just the perfect read for the occasion—witches and wizards, there’s a gentle giant, broomsticks, dragons, ghosts that roams around the castle, a singing and talking tattered hat, and there’s also Fluffy, the three-headed dog and I can go on and on! I laughed out loud so many times while reading this book, the humor in this book is seriously incomparable and distinctive from any book I’ve read. It’s so easy to read yet it will pull you in instantly with how interesting the characters are. Once you meet them, you’ll crave for more.

There are so many things in the story that I genuinely enjoyed: Quidditch, when Harry got sorted to Gryffindor, flying lessons, Ron and Hermione’s never ending bickering and I also found the Dursley’s denial about magic quite hilarious. Here’s my top three favorite parts of the story (in order):

(3) Halloween. The part where the golden trio knocked out the stinking mountain troll is quite special to me because this is the part where the golden trio became friends. They started hanging out more often after the incident so, yeah, this is definitely up on my list. Here's a quote I really love from that chapter:

But from that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.

(2) Mirror of Erised. In my opinion, the most emotional part of story (both in the book and film). I just can’t imagine and fathom how Harry must’ve been feeling being an orphan and not knowing his parents (for 11 years, he doesn’t know what his parents look like!) and for the first time, he saw his parents through Mirror of Erised. The fact that kept going back there for nights made my heart break.

(1) "Harry--yer a wizard." My most favorite part of the story is when Harry discovered he’s a wizard. He’s been through so much and his only relatives weren’t of any help at all. When he found out he’s a wizard and he can go to a place where he’ll finally feel like he’s home and belong to something, I felt extremely and genuinely happy for him.

Of course, I’m giving this a solid 5 out of 5 stars and I genuinely recommend this book for all ages. If you still haven’t picked this up thinking maybe you’re too old for a middle grade book, I’m telling you, age doesn’t matter! I’m so sure everyone will enjoy this book. It’s not too late pick it up! I’ll see you in Hogwarts :)

Eleven Years & Counting: The Book That Started It All

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 10:14:00 +0000

Hello! How’s everyone been doing? I hope you all had a great Halloween with your amily and friends. I had a good one, although, no one really tried to scare me. I always scare myself. I mean, not just in Halloween, but in my every day life. I don’t know, I’m a bit paranoid sometimes and my imagination tends to go overboard.

And I should really get to the topic of this post. This is all about The Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series is the book that started it all. It as in my passion for literature and reading and, yes, my obsession for books. This month, I want to “celebrate” my 11 years of being a Harry Potter fan here on my blog by re-reading and reviewing the seven books. I am extremely excited for this! It’s been 5 years since I read the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and I feel like going into a mini vacation and meeting my old and bestest friends again. I also want to share the story how I became a fan of Harry Potter and his world in this post, so here it goes:

My very first HP book (7 years old)

I was 12 years old when I first became a Harry Potter ~~obsessed, hysterical~~ fan. I watched the first movie the first week it came out and I fell completely in love with it. Yes, you’ve read that right. I became fan after I’ve seen the movie. Back then, I didn’t know that it was adapted from a book. I think I found out about the books a few months or probably a year later. I bought my very first copy of Harry Potter book when I was 16 years old (2005) before the movie Goblet of Fire came out. My very first Harry Potter book was Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix. Of course, I initially wanted to buy the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, but it was out of stock during those times so I settled with the fourth and fifth one. Eventually, I was able to complete them.

The first time I’ve seen the movie, I couldn’t stop talking about it. Seriously, I was so annoying. I remember watching the movie every single day (I am not exaggerating here!) up to the point where I memorized their dialogues (Until today, I still know the dialogues from the first movie up to last, mind you). Sometimes, my family would scold me because I watch it every day and they’re gonna go like, “You’ve seen that already, don’t you ever get tired from watching it?!” and I’m gonna go like, “No! Just leave me alone! I missed my favorite part! I’m gonna have to rewind it!” The typical scenario in our house during those times.

And because I was so obsessed with it, my nephew (who’s also a big HP fan now, thanks to me) and I would re-enact our favorite scenes in the movie. Even at school, my friends and I would re-enact the scene from the Order of the Phoenix where they were being chased by the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries. AWESOME. Yeah, yeah, we’re such a loser but we regret nothing. Besides, I think all HP fans re-enacts their favorite scenes in the movie, if they say they didn’t, they’re lying! I realized something, too. I was fan girling over Harry Potter even before I knew that there’s a word for what I was doing. Since then, it's been a tradition for me and my friends to wait for a Harry Potter movie and books year after year and fangirl over it after watching and reading the book. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE.

I am also very well aware that some people give me weird or funny looks (especially from cool kids or generally stiff muggles) whenever I get worked up over Harry Potter. I always stab them inside my head whenever they would give me those looks. Of course, that's a given, I mean, I know that some people don’t really get what it means to someone like me, a HP fan, what Harry Potter and his world really meant. It’s more than just the books, or the movies, how phenomenal it was—and it still is. It’s about what we learned from the characters. I’ll tell you a secret: I always channel Harry Potter whenever I am faced in a situation where I’m scared or uncertain to do something. Or sometimes, when I feel left out or a bit different than every one else, I think of Luna Lovegood or Neville Longbottom and channel their quirkiness and personal brand of courage to stand up for what I believe in. So, I guess it’s safe to say that Harry Potter is a big and personal part of me.

No words can describe how happy and grateful I am that Harry Potter was made during my time. It’s definitely one of the things why I love my life and one of the things that I love about myself. Being a Harry Potter fan is something I am extremely proud of. It’s something I can openly brag to literally anyone. Those who knows me on a personal level or not, knows how much I love Harry Potter.

And I’d love that, to be recognized as someone who loves Harry Potter.

Review: Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 10:37:00 +0000

Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes
Series: Falling Under #2
Publication date: January 3rd 2012
Publisher: NAL
Source: ARC from publisher
Pages: 322 (Paperback)

Summary via Goodreads:

She fell for him in a nighttime world. But the time for dreaming is past—and the here-and-now can be just as fragile their love…

When Theia Alderson first encountered a mysterious, handsome boy in her dreams, she never imagined how finding Haden Black—and falling in love—could change her life. To save Haden, Theia sacrificed everything. And the dangerous bargain she made could have lasting repercussions.

Now Theia has returned to Serendipity Falls, and she finds herself struggling with the same deadly hungers that have tortured Haden. When students at their high school fall prey to a mysterious illness, Theia can’t help but wonder if Haden’s control is slipping—and how much longer she’ll have a grip on her own.

And still the nightmare realm of Under won’t let them go. Someone from Haden’s past is determined to destroy Theia from the inside out, starting with those closest to her, forcing Theia to choose between family and friends and a love that may have been doomed from the start…

Dreaming Awake is the sequel to Gwen Hayes’ Paranormal Romance Falling Under. I’ve read Falling Under last year after falling in love with its captivating cover and then I read the synopsis and it piqued my interest. I kept falling in love with it when I read the story. I liked that kind of feeling where you thought you had everything figured out but then the story changes itself and shock you to the core. That’s the feeling Falling Under gave me when I read it albeit the fact that I’m not really a huge fan of “insta-love”.

After I read Falling Under, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the sequel because the cliffhanger of the first book was really something. I was extremely excited! I recently finished Dreaming Awake and I fell a bit disappointed on this one.

When it comes to sequels (especially in Paranormal Romance), I would grip my chair and pray that there would be no Break Ups or moments where “I will push you away and you will insist on getting back with me” kind of thing. I will warn you, there are moments like this in Dreaming Awake (I bet some of you had already guessed that). Honestly, because of that, I decided to put down this book which really sucked because I genuinely enjoyed the first book.

I started reading it again sometime this month and glad I was able to get through with it. I am quite hesitant because I find many things in this sequel that didn’t really appeal to me. First on the list was that break up between Theia and Haden and then that scene in Under where they lived their worst fears. I just find that part really prickly especially Gabe, I mean, I know he’s a sneetch but really? Thank God, that scene between him and Donny (where they talk about their relationship) managed to won me over. On the first book, I was really excited for Ame and Varnie to get together because I really think they’re cute. In fact, I was a lot more excited for them than Theia and Haden. Until that scene... I mean, why?? Varnie and Ame finally have the chance and then POOF! I really hope some miracle happen on the third book because I don’t know what I’ll be looking forward to if no miracle happen—concerning Varnie.

So, what’s my favorite part of the story? Gwen Hayes’s writing, of course. She’s positively a talented writer. Every detail of her world building is utterly amazing. I could see myself in Under along with those handmaidens with sewn lips (eww) and that...pulsing wall (gross). Hayes' way of delivering her story in a realistic manner swept me off my feet. Thumbs up to that! And also, I may find Theia and Haden, in some parts, annoying on this book but I have to admit that the progression of their relationship on this sequel is pretty convincing and genuine. I also liked the part.

Bottomline, I enjoyed Dreaming Awake but not as much as I enjoyed Falling Under. I'm giving this 3 out of 5 stars and if you're a solid fan of Gwen Hayes' and her Falling Under book, give this book a chance. Who knows, you might enjoy it more than I do.

Review: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:21:00 +0000

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan
Series: Heroes of Olympus #1
Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 553 (Paperback)

Summary via Goodreads:

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids”, as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea — except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

If you have been reading and following my blog since the start, you’re probably aware now that I am a huge fan of Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It’s seriously one of the best books I’ve read after Harry Potter, I instantly loved it! Naturally, when I found out that Riordan is writing a new series which takes place at Camp Half Blood, I knew need to get a copy of it one way or another.

Before I continue with my review, I want to inform everyone that this is a NON-SPOILER FREE REVIEW. I’m sorry, I can’t help it. I am going on an all out fangirling mode here so please, if you’re planning to read this book stay away from my review because I don’t want to ruin the experience for you. But if you’ve already read it, feel free to join me in fangirling over this epicsauce of a book!

Okay, so...where am I?

Right, the book.

The Lost Hero is the first book from Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series. My first impression when I saw the cover of the book was it’s going to be a wild ride of adventure which what makes me genuinely love Riordan. Speaking of the book cover, I personally think it’s awesome, it’s very striking. I think anyone who walks into a bookstore and spotted The Lost Hero on a shelf, will have the temptation to grab that book, wonder where on earth that metal dragon came from and why are there three kids on top of him, where are they going? What’s their adventure going to be about?

The synopsis of the story itself was very promising, I was instantly intrigued by the story just by reading it. And I'm going to state the obvious, Riordan is definitely one of the most engaging story-teller I’ve come across with. The writing is simple, fluid yet absolutely engrossing—that’s Riordan’s style. He has an effortless yet distinct way of story-telling which is fitting for reading junkies of all ages.

As I have mentioned, I was excited to read The Lost Hero, having said that, I will not deny that I was also a bit (just a teenie tiny bit) nervous about it either. Why? Beacause Percy Jackson is such an incredible series and I love it so much that I was scared that maybe The Lost Hero may botch it in a way considering The Lost Hero is a succeeding series after Percy Jackson. But when I finally started to get around with the story, I realized that Riordan was able to add distinctive flavors in The Lost Hero—something that will let the readers differentiate the two series and even though it was set at Camp Half Blood as well and there were some familiar characters re-entering the scene once in awhile, it was Jason, Leo and Piper’s story.

Unlike in Percy Jackson which was written in first person, The Lost Hero was written a third person point of view. I actually thought it was going to be told in a first person and it would be Jason’s but apparently I was wrong. The story was told in an alternating point of views by the three main characters which are Jason, Leo and Piper. I’m not complaining, by the way. In fact, I loved it. I was able to connect with the three main characters in a personal way, not just in one particular character, plus, the readers are also able to see the characters in another character’s point of view. I hope that make sense.

The plot of the story is absolutely thrilling, I don’t know what to expect at all. Riordan’s idea of clashing the Greeks and Romans literally took my breath away, I did not see that coming at all! Amazing! The ending of the book, in which Jason revealed that he and Percy switched places (Jason in Camp Half Blood, Percy is in Camp Jupiter) my jaw literally dropped there, too.

As for the characters, I really liked the chemistry between the three main characters. My most favorite character in this book, though, is Leo Valdez. Oh my God, this boy had me laughing since the start of the book. He’s extremely hilarious, along with Coach Hedge. They really made the story super fun to read! I have also mentioned that there are going to be familiar faces in this story like Annabeth, Rachel Dare and Thalia. Personally, I’m really happy that Thalia seemed to have a bigger part in this story (so far) because I seriously love this girl. I think I like her more than Annabeth if I’m going to be honest. And I know that she’s already part of the Hunters but I’m still hoping for Thalia and Leo to get together because I think they’re cute and I want Leo to be happy. I also totally ship Jason and Piper and I don’t care who this Reyna girl is. I was also looking forward into seeing Percy again but then I’ll probably see him on the next book, Son of Neptune. I was surprised to see Annabeth a bit exposed and lost when Percy went missing, which means she really cares about Percy which makes me love them more! Ugh, I need to get my copy of the second book (and maybe the third book as well).

I think you already know what rating I’ll give for this one. It’s definitely 5 out of 5 stars. I highly recommend this to all hardcore Percy Jackson fans, if you guys are still wary, don’t be, The Lost Hero will not disappoint!

Clockwork Angel & Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 06:58:00 +0000

Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince are the last books I've read before I went on my hiatus last January. I am a huge fan of Cassandra Clare, she's definitely one of the authors I truly look up to when it comes to plotting, characterization and writing, in general. The Mortal Instruments series completely blew me away and earned a spot on my favorite books of all time in a heartbeat.

I will never find the right words on how ineffably amazing these books are. Never.

It's definitely a one-of-a-kind experience reading The Infernal Devices and I regret nothing when I bought them around Christmas season instead of buying a pair of jeans. I love these books so much because during the time I was reading them, I've been having a really bad reading slump and it helped a lot in getting through that. Also, it's been awhile since I got emotionally attached to characters and the ones in these books nearly gave me a heart attack. I think Cassie needs to label her books "WARNING: SOBFEST AHEAD" because I did not expect to sob my heart out and blubber in the middle of night (especially in Clockwork Prince), hence, scaring the bejesus out of my mother.

I can't believe I'm going to say this but I love The Infernal Devices more than The Mortal Instruments. Something about the characters in these prequel just really stick to me. And yeah, because Will Herondale is in this book. And since City of Bones movie is already happening, can we also have a Clockwork Angel movie? I don't think that's too much to ask.

And for those who are new to these books, The Infernal Devices is the prequel for The Mortal Instruments. From what I've read on Cassie's website, it doesn't really matter if you've read the TMI series already or not for you to enjoy TID. But for those who are planning to read TID, she recommends that you read Clockwork Angel first before reading City of Fallen Angels. Check out her website for more info.

In conclusion, these books definitely magnified my unhealthy obsession on fictional characters. I swear I'm going crazy. And it's all Cassie's fault. I heard she's writing another series/trilogy about ShadowHunters. That's awesome! Keep ruining my life! And I'm not even complaining.

And I know this doesn't really seem like a book review but more like a hysterical-fangirl-babble. I think it's a usual "The Infernal Devices Effect".

Rating: 5 out of 5

My Reading Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 01:29:00 +0000

During my hiatus, I watched an indie film called Like Crazy, starring Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin, and is now one of my favorite films of all time. I loved the movie's soundtrack as well and I find myself listening to it while reading or writing. It was a bit of a surprise for me, actually, because I usually like to read in quiet environment but I find my reading experience to be more fun when I'm listening to music.

So I created a playlist for when I'm reading (or sometimes writing or doodling), it helps me a lot especially in shaping my mood and imagination. And so I thought about sharing it with my readers just in case they also like to listen to music when reading or to others who'd like to try it out.

There are 8 songs in my playlist most of which are from Like Crazy soundtrack but there are other songs as well which I find perfect for reading/writing. These are all instrumental, by the way.

Here's the song list from my playlist:

Fragile N.4 by Dustin O'Halloran
I Guess I'm Floating by M83
Opus 37 by Dustin O'Halloran
I See The Light (Instrumental) - Tangled Movie Soundtrack
The Violet Hour by The Civil Wars
We Float by Dustin O'Halloran
We Move Lightly by Dustin O'Halloran

Click here to download the playlist.

I'm also working on a playlist for my favorite books; I'm almost done with my The Infernal Devices playlist and currently searching for my Delirium playlist so please look forward to those :)

Do you enjoy listening to music while reading, too? Share with me your favorite songs!

Edit: If you downloaded the playlist, please let me know what you think :)

On Blogging, Reading and Reviewing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 09:36:00 +0000

I have mentioned from my previous post about a major change on my blog regarding my blogging/review routine. I know I said I will post this last week but something came up.

For those who haven't read my last post, I'll give you the rundown and also some things I forgot to include.

I was on a 6-month hiatus due to some personal reasons and (here's what I forgot to include) also because I feel like I needed a break from blogging and reading, you know, just to refresh my mind a little.

Blogging Reflection and Reassessing My Goals

I've been blogging about books for over two years now. When I started out last 2010, I was so immersed on this blog up until mid-2011. I was extremely excited and just completely into it which is why I think I've had recurrent "reading and blogging burnout". However, my recent hiatus helped me a lot in reflecting and reassessing my goals related to book blogging and reading. Furthermore, I find myself asking questions like 'How am I enjoying blogging so far?' and 'Why am I blogging in the first place?'

Truthfully, the last few months before I decided to go on hiatus, I was not enjoying my blog anymore. I started to feel like my book blog has been an obligation or like a job for me already which is the last thing I ever want to feel when it comes to blogging. I used to have fun in blogging but it was starting to fade and I ended up not having fun at all. I started to worry because I can feel that I'm starting to lose my genuine interest on it.

Also, another thing I noticed about me was that I was so focused on getting more followers, getting more ARCs or review requests. I admit I like getting followers but making that as my drive to and continue blogging was not a good thing at all. In addition, some of my book reviews sounded the same as well when I was re-reading them which is another reason why I needed a hiatus.

And it's my fault, really. When I was starting out, as petty as it sounds, I had this mindset that I need to get more followers, get ARCs so my blog can have its own name out there. I know I've read good blogs that told me not to put that in mind, I remember telling myself I will never be that kind of book blogger but I still turned out to be just like that. And that's my bad and I'm not proud of that.

But now, I know what I want and what will make me a truly happy blogger. I will blog for me and just because I want to have fun. No pressure.

In Accepting Review Requests

After my recent hiatus, the first thing I did was to check my email and Goodreads inbox and I was very surprised because I still receive a handful of book review requests (most of them are those from I've worked with before) which I truly feel grateful and honored to receive, receiving such emails is a privilege for all book bloggers.

But I've finally made a decision which I carefully thought about. I don't really know how to break it to my readers but here it goes: I WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING ANY REVIEW REQUESTS until further notice.

I admit that I enjoy getting review requests/ARCs because I've discovered really good books through them and because I've learned how to work with publishers/publicists and authors themselves and it's just a really cool experience for a book enthusiasts like me. But I will not be entertaining any review requests at the moment because I don't think I'll be able to balance reading/reviewing and this demanding thing called life. It's just there's too much happening lately, to be honest, my head is still a mess right now.

Aside from that, I just really want to read the books I've bought and those I genuinely want to read. I've been craving for classics recently and those which have been published already.

Small Advice For Aspiring Book Bloggers

Okay, what's up with my subheading? I know I'm not that good of a book blogger to actually make a tip or advise those who wants to start their own book blogs. But I just thought about giving some of them to think about like "why do they want to start a book blog" or something that goes along with that. And also because I don't want them to become the "old" me. I hope they sort out things carefully before joining the club.

I'm also not saying that making a book blog to get review requests shouldn't be someone's goal or shouldn't be wanted by blogger. That's okay, heck, it's totally normal! Just don't make it your motivation to blog (just like the "old" me) If you think that'll work for you then go for it. To be honest, I have huge respect for those bloggers who are able to balance it all out. It's a really, really tough thing to do, so kudos to y'all!

I guess what I'm saying is, it works differently for every book blogger, sort out yours.

P.S. Gosh! I didn't really intend for such a long post, I guess I have so many things to say than I thought! And if you're still reading this, thumbs up to you!

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:28:00 +0000

I remember hearing about The Perks Of Being A Wallflower way back (I don't remember exactly when) and when I read the book's synopsis, it didn't really seemed that special to me. But I couldn't deny the fact that it still interest me mostly because many people loves this book. And last year, the news about it being adapted into a movie went on and that Logan Lerman and Emma Watson is going to be in it (not to mention Nina Dobrev and Ezra Miller, too) I became ecstatic when I found out. What can I say, I love Emma and Logan. (Who doesn't, anyway?)

Anyway, back to the book, here's a synopsis of the story. And you should know, this 'synopsis' does not give justice to what this book truly is about:

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

'I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day... or wondering who did the heart breaking and why.'

Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a deeply affecting coming-of-age story that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up.

I borrowed my friend's copy of this book (along with other books) when I found out he's finally got one. I just realized, right this very second I'm typing these words, that I actually borrowed this book from him almost a year ago and I only read it last month! Well, I had a bad reading slump towards the end of last year and earlier this year, I was on hiatus.

I know the book's theme wasn't really special (high school, drugs and sex) and you can find it almost in any contemporary books recently. And while I find myself fond of Patrick, I can't deny that Charlie earned a space into my heart. Charlie, the way he perceive things, big and small moments in his life and how he expressed himself just simply mesmerized me. The whole book felt special to me, probably because it made me get out of my reading slump but for the most part, it made me feel more alive and inspired in a whole new way.

I just love everything about this book. I enjoyed every page when I was reading it; it was funny, honest and it just speaks to you and makes you muse for a moment or two. I'll never get tired reading this book over and over again. Thank God, I borrowed my friend's copy otherwise, I wouldn't have known what I've been missing!

I'm rating this 5 out of 5 stars for the reasons I've mentioned above and for some reasons that I can't express because I couldn't exactly find the right words to say.

In Which GAB Is Back From Long Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 06:21:00 +0000

Hi, there! It's Mia, the owner of this lonely-looking blog. First of all, I cannot express how much I've missed blogging and reading and fangirling over books. This is probably the longest I've gone and it made me realize how much reading really meant to me. It is such a big part of my life. Second of all, I don't know why but I feel like giving my audience/readers (if I still have some left) a heads up on what this post is going to be all about. Probably because it's really important for me and also because it's personal-ish. I'm going to talk about why I was on hiatus for over six months which caused me to miss so much in book blogging world. I was actually going to include some important news concerning my blog and book reviewing routine but I thought I still haven't figured things out entirely so I'll just post the details, most likely, before this week ends.

The Reason For My 6 Months Hiatus:

I actually wrote a “comeback post” last month with an intention to blog and review books again on the 2nd week of August. But I was extremely pre-occupied, no matter how much I push myself to stop thinking about it, it's no use! I know myself too well-- I know that I wouldn’t be able to focus on my blog and on reading if my head is onto something. If I probably did come back I would most likely end up having another “hiatus” and I really wouldn’t want that. Furthermore, I didn’t really feel like reading during that time because I’ve been very, very anxious.

The very reason why I was on hiatus for over six months was because I took the Philippine Nurse Licensure Exam (PNLE) last June 30th and July 1st 2012. You’re probably wondering why I didn’t make a “Hiatus Post” about this before I actually went off like a normal book blogger would do. Okay, I didn’t make one because I didn’t want to jinx it (I am such a loser. OMG.)

Anyway, I decided to be on hiatus on January 2012 because I’m generally like that. I am a very anxious person and (again) I knew I wouldn’t be able to fully concentrate on my blog and book reviews if I knew something big like that is coming up. I also needed to run some important papers before taking the NLE—like my admission papers, enrolling on a review center, etc.— I attended a review center for nearly two months. And then after I took the exam, around July, I thought about jumping into blogging and reading again. But I couldn’t. I gotta tell you, it was such a dreadful feeling to wait for the exam results. I couldn’t eat properly and my head would always wander around, plus we got affected by the 'Habagat' as well. I guess it's safe to say that I've got quite a lot on my plate thus, I figured I really wouldn’t be able to go back blogging on July so I pushed it on late August.

Last week, August 23rd to be exact, the exam results was released and I am ineffably happy to share with all of you that I passed the NLE! Yay!!

And that’s the reason why I went on hiatus. I honestly think my hiatus was so worth it. Now, I am officially back on blogging and reading. Speaking of which, I tweeted about this a few days ago, there’s going to be some major changes here on my blog and my book reviewing routine plus I am also cooking something up to spice up my blog and reading experience a little. I’m still figuring things out but I will, most likely, post details about it sometime this week. I think I've mentioned this a little while ago...

When I say “spice up my blog” I don’t mean my new blog layout—it’s a whole new thing which I am extremely excited about :) Since we're at it, what do you think of my new blog layout?

And to end this post, I really, really want to say THANK YOU to those who visited my blog and left some real comments on some posts, even though it does not look promising enough when I left it. It means a lot to me, so thank you, really!

2011 End Of Year Book Survey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:24:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! Happy New Year to all of my readers :) I hope you guys had fun on your holiday vacation!

Anyway, I was browsing on my reading list the other night and I spotted this really cool survey by Jamie from The Perpetual Page-Turner called End Of The Year Book Survey.

There are several and different questions about the books you've read through out 2011. And since I've read quite a lot last year, I thought why not reflect and reminisce on the books I've read and share everyone my favorite (and not-so favorite) reads last 2011.

1. Best Book You Read In 2011?
Whoa. I've read quite a lot of awesome books this year so it's really difficult to pick just one. Here are the books that blew my mind and are definitely on my all-time favorites list:

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Stay by Deb Caletti
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis
I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

and sooo much more...!!

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?
Hmmm, Forgotten by Cat Patrick. I just find some lacking on the credibility of the character's condition that wholly affected my total entertainment of the book. I thought maybe if it was more in-depth I could've liked it more than I did.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
I'm gonna have to pick Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres. Everything was so fresh for me and the creativity of this book is just AMAZING and the plot is full of surprises and it's just utterly unpredictable. Awesome, awesome book!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?
I'd pick Harry Potter books in a heart beat but we're talking about books I've read during 2011 so it's definitely Blood Red Road. It's a whole new read and utterly awesome read. One of my all-time favorites.

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?
Fantasy/Paranormal genre is my first love so it's definitely The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. It's fast paced, engrossing and has a lot of hot and swoon-worthy characters *ahemJaceahem*

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?
Lauren Oliver, Moira Young, Veronica Roth, Tahereh Mafi, Marianne de Pierres, Cassandra Clare, Janet Gurtler, Deb Caletti, Stephanie Burgis... there are just soo many of them! :)

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you? When I first started out my blog, I haven't read any dystopia books. I was all fantasy and mystery stories. It was Delirium by Lauren Oliver that introduced me into dystopia and I love it. After that, I got addicted and went hunting on dystopia books. Huntress by Malinda Lo is also the first LGBT book I've read and I developed an infatuation over it. It's a beautiful story.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?
Ooohh! This is difficult! Aside from the all-time favorites TMI series and THG trilogy, I would like to spotlight here the first book from Moira Young's Dustlands trilogy, Blood Red Road. I know I keep saying it but what can I say? I'm obsessed with this book.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?
I was really excited for Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton and Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton which are really great and recommendable reads.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?
Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

11. Most memorable character in 2011?
I've met a lot of interesting and unique characters last year like Katniss from The Hunger Games, Juliette from Shatter Me, Lena from Delirium, Kat Stephenson from Kat Incorrigible and Saba from Blood Red Road.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?
These are the books I find beautifully and uniquely written:

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Stay by Deb Caletti
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?
The Mortal Instruments, The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson series!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?

"It's so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it's taking forever to come. Then it happens and it's over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed." - Lauren Oliver from Delirium

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?
I will most likely reread The Hunger Games before I watch the movie on March 2012 :)

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
The ending scene in Delirium. I want to hysterically sob with someone because of that scene! SERIOUSLY!

Book Blogging/Reading Life in 2011

1. New favorite book blog you discovered in 2011? I really enjoyed reading these following book blogs: I Swim For Oceans, Hobbitsies, The Reading Fever, Mimosa Stimulus and my new favorite What's Your Story.

2. Favorite review that you wrote in 2011? Blood Red Road and City of Bones

4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog? I really enjoyed reading the blog discussions at Reading Teen and The Story Siren.

5. Best event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, memes, etc.)? I wish there is an author signing here in Philippines but so far, I guess the bookish event I only participated in is meeting my fellow Filipino bloggers Precious from Fragments of Life and Kai from Amaterasu Reads in person. (Does that count?)

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2011?
Again, meeting my fellow Filipino bloggers Precious from Fragments of Life and Kai from Amaterasu Reads in person and exchanged books with them :)

7. Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)? My giveaway post of Born At Midnight got most comments and my Inkheart review got the most pageviews (but zero comments lol)

8. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
Goodreads - I don't think I can live normally without this anymore.

9. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year? Surprisingly, I did. I managed to complete a Mini Challenge, 2011 DAC and YA Series Challenge.

2012 Here I Come!!

1. One Book You Didn't Get To In 2011 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2012? Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare just because I looove her TMI series. I also got a copy of Clockwork Prince. Yay for me!

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2012?
I'm torn between Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver and Rebel Heart (Dustlands #2) by Moira Young.

3. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2012? I want to read more books this year, I wasn't able to complete my goal of reading 100 books last year (I only managed to read like 82 or 83 books) so I really, really hope I could read a lot more this year.