P145 or $3, bought from Booksale Robinsons Imus
My last purchase for 2014, book 2 of The Gentleman Bastard Sequence. Happy to have found a copy that matches the format of my Lies of Locke Lamora, the book 1 of the series. Now all I need is book 3 which is The Republic of Thieves and then I can finally marathon them! Yey to book bargains! I wish everyone a Happy New Year may your 2015 be filled with books you want! Let’s celebrate 2015!
Whoa few hours from now and it will be 2015! 2014 flew by so fast! In 2014 I was able to read 54 books. I had set my goal to 50, since I now I wouldn’t have the time to read much book not until November because I reviewed for the bar exams and took it last October. So despite that, I am happy to have completed my reading goal. Honestly I do not know how much books I will be challenging myself to read by 2015, maybe to 75 or yet to 50 again. We’ll see, that would depend what awaits me for 2015 (insert bar exams result, this is seriously giving me anxiety haha). So for the last day of 2014, I am going to share with you my 2015 Bookish New Year Resolution.
Discover a New Author
…and possibly love his/her works. Last 2014 I was able to read works from different authors I have not heard of before. This 2015, I will challenge myself to read more works of authors I’ve been meaning to read or discover new ones, not of specific genre, but I want my choice to be as diverse as possible. Who knows, I might find a new favorite author! In 2014, my total favorites were Neal Shusterman, Mary E.Pearson, Susan Ee, Lang Leav, Lindy Zart, RS Grey Chuck Palahniuk,and Andrew Smith to name a few.
Read more from a Genre I have not explored
I think I will read more historical fiction and science fiction and oh more nonfiction!
Less YA
Oh! Don’t stone me! I just wanted to give focus on other genres, but who am I kidding I am always drawn to YA! hahah.
Read More Classics
Yes, it is about damn time to read more of the Bronte sisters, Ernest Hemingway…I’ll get there so fret not!
Read more poetry
So much yes to this, this December I’ve been purchasing poetry books over at book depository it will all be here by January and I cannot wait. I have loved poetry since highschool so collecting them would be a no brainer. This year I immensely enjoyed the works of Lang Leav – Love and Misadventure and Lullabies
Less Book Buying even lesser TBR
Who on earth am I kidding, I can see this is so not going to happen, but Ill try my best! ha! More like. more book buying and more TBR – insane.
Buy the ones I really like
…this is more true, I should stop buying books that isn’t on my top list – well book sale and warehouse sale will be an exception.
Take more beautiful bookish photos
Before I was a blogger (if I can even consider myself one) I am a bookstagrammer, I share my current reads, recent purchase and whatnot on Instagram, I started bookstagram May 2014, it was originally just an escape from review, a break from reading law provisions, I did know it will grow, by the end of 2014 I have gained 5.8k followers and I am really thankful for them. It makes me happy to know that I have influenced some to read a certain book, and the most amazing part of being a bookstagrammer is I get to meet amazing people, like my bookish sisters over at Bookish Pinoys.
So yes, I want to take more beautiful photos, I wanted to do some variations, since I think my photos are becoming bland, heheh I shall remedy that soon.
Read more underrated books
I have always been influenced by all the hype surrounding a specific series or a specific book, that I end up buying it, but most of the time I end up disappointed. But whenever I read underrated books, it will shock me that it turned out so good, and wonder why it hasn’t received much hype. So for 2015, I am looking forward to reading underrated books, they also deserve to be read and to receive the rave it deserves.
So this is my 2015 Bookish New Year Resolution, what about you? Have you made any?
Synopsis: After her mother died, Glory retreated into herself and her music. Her single father raised her as a piano prodigy, with a rigid schedule and the goal of playing sold-out shows across the globe. Now, as a teenager, Glory has disappeared. As we flash back to the events leading up to her disappearance, we see a girl on the precipice of disaster. Brilliant and lonely, Glory is drawn to an artistic new boy, Frank, who moves in next door. The farther she falls, the deeper she spirals into madness. Before long, Glory is unable to play anything but the song “Chopsticks.”
But nothing is what it seems, and Glory’s reality is not reality at all. In this stunningly moving novel told in photographs, pictures, and words, it’s up to the reader to decide what is real, what is imagined, and what has been madness all along….
Date Published: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
No. of Pages: 272
Date Read: December 2014
Source: I bought it.
REVIEW
Whoa! Too unique for words.
Did I miss out on anything? It feels like there was something I missed out on. I tried to get back to the last few pages and I was baffled even more. Maybe the book wanted to leave it at that, and I wouldn’t want to sound pretentious, nope I am not being pretentious here, I just simply loved the whole of it. No sugarcoating or anything, just the pure truth. I specifically liked that it was a novel narrated thru pictures and snippets and cutesy letters passed between two individuals. It is like you are witnessing a love story unfold your very eyes, a love story with of course down sides and struggles. But what got me was the last part, was Frank even real? That has been bothering me, was he all made up by Glory? The fact that the book puzzles its reader is really something wonderful, it is like you are told a beautiful story and you get to choose the ending, you may make it tragic or turn it into a happy one. The pictures set a haunting and riveting feel to it, it was melodramatic and poignant, but satisfying at the same time, there is just too much uniqueness surrounding this book. It is truly beautiful, that too much words were not necessary, the whole book speaks for itself. It was mysterious and baffling, but within its mystery I found myself coming up with different conclusion, and each of these conclusions paved way to more questions and new theories, it will be a never- ending cycle, but I am more than okay with that. I love that when in the future I decide to reread it, I will then again be bombarded with a different theory, it is like reading it for the first time, and not all books can do that, offering an alternative ending to a one solid story. Ahh, I feel like I am not making sense, I just can’t put into proper words about how enthralling this book was. I also specifically loved the use of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Twenty Love Poems and A Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda in one of the photos. I think I have found a new favorite!
Rating: 
All we need is the slightest kiss of the wind…
Synopsis: Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives. The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child “unwound,” whereby all of the child’s organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn’t technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.
“Characters live and breathe; they are fully realized and complex, sometimes making wrenching difficult decisions. This is a thought-provoking, well-paced read that will appeal widely.” School Library Journal, starred review
“[A] gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller…could hardly be more engrossing or better aimed to teens.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
“[A] nail-biting, character-driven thriller.” Horn Book magazine
No. of Pages:335 ]
Publisher:\Simon & Schuster
Date Published: June 2, 2009
Date Read:December 2014
Source:I bought it
REVIEW
Holy Smokes! This book is really good! Caps-lock GOOD!
When I first saw this on booktube I got really intrigued by the plot, as you may know, I am not really accustomed to reading sci-fi and dystopian novels, it is the genre I felt was not my cup of tea or to put it mildly it is a genre I only was able to scratch the surface, to cut the long story short, I was hesitant starting this one. I wanted to end my year with something out of my comfort zone, and so I picked this one up and let it take me to yet another reading experience.
Shusterman built a world so utterly terrifying, a world a reader needs some getting used to. It is a plot so different yet so captivating, it is the kind of plot that will constantly send you at the edge of your seat. It was twisted at it was dark, it was fucked-up as it was engaging, it was gripping as it was suspenseful. And i wouldn’t have it any other way. It is the kind of book that will leave you uncomfortable most of the time and will leave you saying “what the hell” “oh no” “that’s nuts” among other things. It was action packed since page one up to the end! I love how everything progresses and how everything is necessary, not one bit of the book wasted. Each chapter is connected making a unison of different point of views. I love the writing style too. The whole story was well thought out. I also would like to point out the difference of the characters and how they gradually develop, everything they do adds up to the beauty of the whole book. The fact that the characters can toy the readers emotions, is a huge deal for me. For an instance Lev, I was so sure the first few chapters that I am going to hate the boy, but towards the end I found myself cheering for him. I love the fact that the characters were not who you think they are, solid example is the Admiral. The fact that each chapter posits yet another twist and yet another surprise was the icing on top of this wicked cake. I also love that there was tiny romance going on, which made the book even more exciting than it already is.
There was this one chapter that made me squirm, it was so unsettling, I cannot for the life of me take it off of my head. It is as if I was the one experiencing it, pretty sure I will be having nightmares about it, It was sad and terrifying all at the same time. I had to stop reading right after that chapter. Just, ugh, it was insane!
And yes, Humphrey Dunfee’s story seriously creeped the hell out of me!
Oh Neal Shusterman, you are one hell of a wicked man, I loved how fearless the whole book was, totally out of the box, refusing to be caged into one definite thing, and it was nothing short of amazing!
Now I understand all the rave about it ,the hype was so real. It is definitely not one to miss. To say it was disturbing would then be an understatement. I hope every dystopian novel I come across with will be at least be paralleled to this or even greater, because I could not think of a better plot than this.I don’t want to say much because I wanted to leave you with enough curiosity to make you want to buy it and read it. I highly recommend it to anyone, even the adult ones.
Rating:
““Stupid dreams. Even the good ones are bad, because they remind you how poorly reality measures up.”
I got this book from BookSale for only P145 or $3 bought from SM Lipa
Hi! I have not posted for a while, as I am currently undergoing too much holidays stuff and whatnot. I’ve been always out, doing some last minute Christmas shopping, running some errands, attending christmas parties and family reunions, I swear it wore me out. Thus the reason of my huge reading slump, whenever I have a few spare time, I don’t spend it on reading, I rather lie down, or laze around or watch tv, or whenever I bring myself to read a few pages, it feels like I am forcing myself, and I hate having that feeling, I read because I want to, not because for the sake of finishing the book, I don’t want to rush it, I want to give it justice.
Last Friday, we dropped by a mall before we head to our relatives, I of course went to booksale, I wanted to find something to read while we are at our relatives’ place. I’m not one to mingle with adults and hold adult conversations, I seriously suck at that. So as I was browsing the stacks of books, I chanced upon Unwind by Neal Shusterman,I have been wanting to read this book for the longest time as I am very intrigued by its plot, so when I saw the first book of the series, I did not think twice, I immediately bought it. This book got me out of my reading slump, so yay for that! I am half way through and I am really loving the story, I love stories that make you think, make you predict what will happen next! Oh I so love the uniqueness of this book, I now understand all the hype about it!!
So that pretty sums up my holiday haha! How about you guys, how’s your holiday going so far?
curled up in bed with these uhmazing book with my favorite socks 🙂
100+ Books I Love
Updated: January 18, 2017
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl for only P130 or almost 3$ and Baby’s In Black for P170 or almost 4$
I went to the mall today to buy a gift for a friend, so a trip to the mall is never complete if I will not be visiting BookSale (a local used book store here in the Philippines) I noticed they had new stocks, it wasn’t really my intention to buy anything but then these babies flaunted their pretty covers to me. And they are in the best condition, like new! I first saw Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, I have heard mixed reviews about it, and one of my friends whom I have the same taste when it comes to books didn’t like it, but I still bought it, I would like to give it a try, it’s cheap and in hard cover so it wouldn’t be a major guilt trip if i end up hating the book, plus the cover is pretty (haha sue me, i love pretty covers) it couldn’t be that bad.
And so I was determined to leave the book store with only one book, but ugh!! this book is just soo beautiful to pass up. It is a Graphic Novel about the fifth member of The Beatles, he was not able to make it big because he fell in love! So being the hopeless romantic that I am and I because wanted more graphic novels added to my collection,I bought it! Yay! I am so pumped to read this one!!!
Details!
It had me at The True Love Story of the Lost Beatle! oh yeah! Today is a good day for books, ( well any given day is a good day for books!) So have you been to a used book store near you? What did you get? Come on, show me!
P.S I posted this on my instagram and asked few times which branch of Book Sale I got them from – It is BookSale SM Dasmarinas 🙂
I went out today to buy a gift for a friend, sadly I wasn’t able to find the ones she listed on her wishlist. Well I figured out something instead. So before heading home I dropped by BookSale, a popular second hand bookstore here in the Philippines. You have no idea how I literally gasped when I saw the spine of The Bronze Horseman amongst the many piles of books, though I am not a fan of the cover and I don’t usually buy used books with cracked spine his one would be an exception. I just simply could not pass this one up.I know I will be able to find a better copy, but for now this will do. And The Lies of Locke Lamora is another book I have been dying to read. I heard a lot of good things about it, actually about both of these books! So I am so pumped to finally start them!
How about you? Have you been to a used book store lately?
Synopsis: Power is pornographic
Can love sustain light when the forces of evil close in?
Paris, 1939-1942. A fallen angel is trapped in the web of German Occupation. The deadly noose of Nazi control grows ever tighter, ensnaring her and two of her lovers, a bullfighter and a musician working in the fledgling Resistance. Can she save them and the Jewish widow and her child that she has come to love, or will betrayal take them all?
Date Published: September 5, 2014
Publisher: Parvati Press
Source: Net Galley
Date Read: December 2014
REVIEW:
I received an advance reader’s copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Historical fiction, I have to admit is an uncharted territory, I can not go on claiming I am adept at it, I was only able to scratch the surface, and so because of this, I took a challenge to read this book, see if my young love for historical fiction will bloom, did it? Absolutely yes, this book made me want to read tons of historical fiction.
I was engrossed by the fact that it involved fallen angels, to me it was something out of the ordinary. The first few pages engulfed me and got me hooked, not by the premise alone, but because of the majestic way of how it was so well-written, I kid you not, the chosen words were flawless, the description of the scenes were vivid, You will fall in love with how each sentences were written.
The story started off with Alia, a fallen angel who found refuge into the body of a beautiful woman. Using the body for whatever pleasure she wanted and same pleasure she then returns to another. She lived through fornication, bedding different men – and yes sometimes women. At this point I should have stopped reading. It’s not that I am a sensitive reader, it is just that books with themes like it, are not really my cup of tea, but then there is also this part of me that is eager to learn how will the story progress and I am glad I was able to get past that stage where I was contemplating on continuing or not. I have learned that yes it contains explicit scenes, but the story did not mainly revolve around it. There was far more beautiful story that was brewing, that was the when the Germans took over Paris and Alia is now presented with the predicament on how to protect all the people she values and loves.
As the story progresses, I noticed that there were quite a few scenes that the book can do without. I was a little undecided if I am liking or hating the fact that i had the barest of idea to where the story is taking me, I guess it felt like the story has been dragging on and I could not find the resolution of it all. Also I badly wanted to see where Alia – being a fallen angel comes into play, well aside from the fact the she can see visions and all that, and she could warn them of the impending harm, I guess this fact that she was once an angel can be dispensed with, I mean the book would have been the same if Alia had been just a normal woman. I just thought the fantasy part of the story did not mix well with the story, if for anything – it was put there to make everything seemed convenient. It was not until the last part that the fact that she was a fallen angel played an important part, however again that ending lacked something I cannot quite put my finger into. It felt like the ending was rushed. \
All in all, I still enjoyed the book and it would not be the last book by the author that I will be reading.
RATING: 
Human beings are complex creatures, caught up in great arcs of cause and effect and poised at the very center of a battle between love and separation.
Synopsis: “I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”
16-year-old Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on her favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. Dash, in a bad mood during the holidays, happens to be the first guy to pick up the notebook and rise to its challenges.
What follows is a whirlwind romance as Dash and Lily trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations all across New York City. But can their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions, or will their scavenger hunt end in a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?
Publication Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Random House
No. of Pages: 260
Date Read: December 2014
REVIEW
It will leave you with a stupid smile on your face.
I could not have picked up a better time to read it than Christmas season. It is the perfect Christmas read. I enjoyed their other novel Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares took cuteness and feel-goodness (if there such a word) to a whole new level. I loved how the story started inside Strand Bookstore (which by the way in my Bookish Bucket List) and started with a dare. I loved how bookish both Dash and Lily were, characters I could actually relate to. And boy did I highlight too many passages in the book.
Dash and Lily’s story is very relatable. Dash and Lily’s voice are fun to read, their story – fanciful. I particularly liked Dash’s voice over that of Lily’s, I found Lily to be a little uptight and a little immature for a 16 year old but it matches her character so it wasn’t a big pet peeve, Dash on the other hand is a very good narrator, the reference of different books clearly won me over. I expected their story to be just pure cuteness, I wasn’t expecting something so deep. But this book was able to put up a very decent story, not life-altering but enough to make you ponder. I love how witty and unique it was. It was the book I wish was a little longer, for I was left wanting more. I loved how unconventional their love story began, I love the theme of taking chances. (I’ve been using a lot of I loves) The storyline and the subplots were perfectly played out. One thing though, I was expecting more from the ending, like something magical or a little out of the ordinary, but I liked the realness of it all. Also it is solely categorized as Young Adult and does not cater a wide range of readers, that because of this some may find it too cutesy for their own liking. I love Young Adult (despite the fact that I am almost 26, whatever I can read whatever I want) thus maybe the reason I really enjoyed this one, but I get that it is not for everyone, and it’s okay. Read and let read, right! So yes I am giving this book 5/5 stars – just because I loved it and it made me happy.
Rating:
I want to believe, that despite all evidence to the contrary, it is possible for anyone to find that one special person. … Somebody who wouldn’t judge another for the prepositions they dangle, or their run-on sentences, and who in turn wouldn’t be judged for snobbery of their language etymology inclinations.
Nerdy Talks 