Stacking the Shelves (6)

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

These are the books I've bought/was given to me/traded from the span of December up until today. These books are so last year. I know, I know. I've only posted them now because these past few weeks had been hell. Our examination week coincided with the book signing and our intramural practices. I imagine having to go home at 8:00 and still have to study for a test the next day, so please forgive our inactivity. So with that, here are the books I got from December to January (although I forgot to take a picture of the other books plus swag):

BOUGHT/GIFTED/TRADED:

1. The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan (Won from #DianneTurns20. Thanks Ate Dianne!)

2. Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Got it from an Event by NBS. Thank you!!)

3. The House Girl by Tara Conklin (Also got this from NBS!)

4. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

5. Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

6. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Bought this from Fully Booked.)

7. Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza (Traded from Ate Michelle of Michelle the Escapist.)

8. The Host by Stephenie Meyer (Got this beautiful baby from Book Sale!)

9. Ask Again Later (ARC) by Liz Czukas (Got this from NBS!)

10. In the Shadow of Blackbirds (ARC) by Cat Winters (Got it from the PBT Christmas Party)

11. Steadfast (ARC) by Claudia Gray (From NBS again! Seriously, I love you NBS)

12. Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate (From Celine!!)

13. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr (Got this from the PBT Christmas Party!)

14. Reckless by Cornelia Funk (From the Christmas Party as well.)

15. We Are Water by Wally Lamb (Got this from NBS!)

SIGNED:

16. Champion by Marie Lu (Harassed Fully Booked's telephone number just to get my hands on this.)

17. Just One Day by Gayle Forman

18. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

19. If I Stay by Gayle Forman 

20. Where She Went by Gayle Forman

21. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (THANK YOU SO MUCH CELINE MWA)

NON-BOOKISH:

I decided to buy a planner because i'll try (the keyword is try) to be organized. And so that I may never forget blog tours! Haha. Here's what's inside. 

Me with Louisse of The Soul Sisters! :-)

Drums. Aren't drummers hot?

Lastly, I would like to thank National Bookstore for being awesome, my parents for continually satisfying my bookish cravings, and Fully Booked. 

What do YOU think I should read next? Comment below!

(Savor Blog Tour) Review + Giveaway

Savor (Vicious Feasts #1)

by Kate Evangelista

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Paranormal

Release Date: January 17th 2014

Source: eARC was given by the author (Thank you, Meg!)

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Blog

SYNOPSIS
I’m Dakota Collins, a tough talking, eye patch wearing, workaholic photography student. Why am I important? Well, maybe because I get to spend an entire month with Vicious, only the sickest indie rock band out there.

You see, I needed a subject for my Spring Showcase introspective in order to graduate. During a chance encounter at a club I’d been sent to cover for the Daily Gossip, our ironically named college paper, the features writer I usually teamed up with introduced me to the band—by accident, I might add. It involved a run in with a scary, bald bodyguard. Anyway, long story short, I signed a contract to take pictures of Vicious. 

I should have known their handsome yet way too serious for his own good bassist, Luka Visraya, wouldn't be able to keep his hands to himself. He’s gorgeous and all, but the way he smiles spelled trouble with a capital L. I’m in for a long month with him around.

Crazy shit happens and then some. So, if you want the skinny on Vicious and the events revolving around my stay at Lunar Manor, read my story.

REVIEW

Savor was my first Kate Evangelista book and I had little knowledge about it when I started reading it. So little that I didn’t even know that this book happens in an alternate universe from Taste. I really thought that this book was a sequel, but with a different protagonist. Nonetheless, I was still impressed.

I really enjoyed reading Savor. It’s about Dakota Collins, a girl in need of something to shoot for her final project. As she was covering a club for her college’s paper, she meets Luka Visraya, the bassist of the well-known band Vicious. She watches Luka and his band perform, and she got captivated by them, so she signed a contract stating the she’ll stay in their manor for 30 days just to take their pictures. Little did she know that signing that contract not only means she’ll be taking their pictures, but also means getting involved with them. The only problem I had with the plot was that thing at the end. I feel like it should have been introduced way earlier in the story, so that the readers wouldn’t be that shocked.

From Dakota to Calixta, the characters were very likable. Having different attitudes, they’re very distinct, yet when they are together, they click! I would like to special mention the two main characters, Dakota and Luka. I really liked them. They’re probably my favorites out of the crew. Dakota with her fiery attitude and Luka with his playful, yet serious actions. I just ship them!

I, however, am not a huge of the writing style. I had this love-hate relationship with it. I loved how she described things vividly. She gave me clear pictures throughout the novel, so there weren't any problems in that department. What I had a problem with was her diction a.k.a. choice of words. It’s not that it was horrible. It just felt irk-y to me. It even felt forced, sometimes. It’s a good thing it was bearable or else that would have been an issue.

I'm still not sure what to rate this book, but I'll give it 3.5 stars (for now). I adored the plot and characters, but the writing? Not much.

RATING

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she lives in the Philippines and writes full time.

(Knowing Jack Blog Tour) Review + Giveaway

Thanks for stopping by my little stop in the Knowing Jack Blog Tour hosted by Julie of AToMR Blog Tours. Be sure to go over the post because a giveaway awaits you below.

Knowing Jack

by Rachel Curtis

Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Release Date: January 17, 2014

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Author's Website

SYNOPSIS

I am not a slut, although I’ve been called one often enough. Yeah, I spent three months screwing one of my college professors, but I was crazy about the guy. Then he broke up with me.

I am not a bitch, although people like to say I am. I kept our relationship secret. I’m not responsible for telling the university administrators about it, but a lot of students still blame me for getting their favorite professor fired.

I am not a drama queen, although everyone thinks I am now. When I got a few nasty messages, I just deleted them. When I got the threat, I assumed it was someone being stupid. I still think that’s all it was. My parents worry, though, so they hired me a bodyguard. Now Jack follows me around, intimidating everyone who approaches me and looking obnoxiously hot.

This is what I am. I’m Chloe. I’m a twenty-year-old art history major. Kind of shy, although I pretend not to be. Stubborn enough to stay here for my senior year, even though everyone hates me.

And I’m stuck with Jack.

He calls me “Princess,” but I’m not a princess either.

REVIEW

I was really intrigued upon reading Knowing Jack's synopsis thus I signed up for the book tour. Why? Because she fell for her professor and that's very... weird? It was weird as it was intriguing because I've been a fan of forbidden relationships since Twilight and Forbidden and I just can't seem to get enough of forbidden-ness.

Plot: Knowing Jack's plot is good enough, although not that much polished. I'm glad they met on the first few chapters because it's crucial—It makes the reader decide to read and finish the book or to not read it at all. The plot twists were very.. How do you say this...? Predictable? It's as though they weren't plot twists at all. Or they were just so common that I have read other books with plot twists same as the ones in this book. 

Jack: I really liked the interluding chapters written in Jack's POV because it gives me a break in reading from a bratty, bullied girl's POV. Jack's evolution all throughout the book was extraordinary. From the control freak, he went to being outrageous and loving and brave. I love how he reacts when he's Chloe. They have chemistry that makes me want to read and read and read.

Chloe: To be honest, Chloe and I didn't go off to a good start. She was like a drama queen borrowed from Mean Girls. But toward the end of the novel, she became a slightly likeable character. She decided to suck it all up and face the world. Good girl, Chloe.

To sum up, Knowing Jack was a really good read because it's a breath of fresh air. I've never seen a book where a student falls in love with her professor. AND THE ENDING, GAAAAH. I WANT MORE. MORE.

RATING

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachel is a writer, a teacher, a romance reader, and a dog-mom. She loves animals and art and hot men with soft hearts under a tough exterior. She tries to write love stories that feel real, even in unlikely circumstances.

Rachel elsewhere: Website | Facebook

Stacking the Shelves (5)

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

I'm so excited to show all of you my STS!! I've been yearning to post it since last year, but I never had the time to do so. Now that I am free, I decided it's time to show some of the books I've gotten these past few months. Just some because I wasn't able to take pictures of the other books. I'll just include them on my next STS haul. So without further ado, here are the books:

BOUGHT

I finally have Angelfall and World After, both by Susan Ee, on my bookshelf (or cabinet)! I've already read Angelfall, but I just had to buy it because it's that good and also because of my sister who kept on nagging me to buy it so that she could read it. As for World After, I read it as soon as I bought it. You can find my review of it here. 

I kept on seeing so many people talking about The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd on Goodreads (even on Facebook),  so I decided to buy it to see what the buzz is all about. Can I just say that the cover is so pretty? Hopefully the content is as pretty as its cover. I've already finished Allegiant by Veronica Roth, The Kill Order by James Dashner, The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead, and Champion by Marie Lu. And guess what? I got teary-eyed at the end of those 4 books. Coincidence? I think not. Oh, Champion is signed. Did you know I called the bookstore about 10 times and I still wasn't able to reserve a copy. Good thing there were still some signed copies left when I tweeted Lucy. 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio wasn't really part of my to-buy list. I only bought it because of my sister (again). She wants to read it, and because I'm such a nice sister, I bought it despite that it isn't really my type of book.

WON

I won The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pearce, My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick, Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown, This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith, and Maid of Secrets by Jennifer McGowan from Lyra of Defiantly Deviant's giveaway! All of them are signed, except for The Weight of Souls. She also gave me some swag, but I forgot to take a picture. I guess I'll just include them on my next STS. Again, thank you so so much, Lyra! 

GIFTED

 I got Evertrue by Brodi Ashton, Pretty Sly by Elisa Ludwig + 3 others books during a NBS event. A huge thanks to NBS for giving me these books. Seriously. Thank you! 

Thank you to Chyna of Lite-rate-ture! She was my Secret Santa and she gave me Altered by Jennifer Rush, The Story of Us by Deb Caletti, and Bared to You by Sylvia Day. She also gave me a branch (yep, a branch of a tree), but I can't find it! *cries* Anyway, thank you Chyna! 

TRADED

I got A Swift Pure Cry by Siobhan Dowd and Wildthorn by Jane Eagland during the Pinoy Book Tours Christmas Party. I have no idea who were the past owners of these books, but to whoever they are, thank you! 

So those are some the books I got during the past few months. Big thanks to my parents, FullyBooked, National Book Store, Chyna of Lite-rate-ture, and Lyra of Defiantly Deviant. I would ask you guys what should I read next, but I already have a long tbr-list which I have to finish by March. So I'll just ask what are some of the books you've received? Leave a comments and I'll be sure to check it out! 

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: Gayle Forman's signing in Manila (01/18/14)

It's an unquestionable fact that January 18th of 2014 has been a glorious day for the bookish and we all have National Bookstore to thank for the opportunity of meeting Gayle Forman, the New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay, Where She Went, Just One Day, and Just One Year! I don't know how they managed to bring the bajillion awesome authors that had been here for the past two years, seriously, the guys from NBS are awesome, we can't say thank you enough!

During the day of the signing, Celine and I, along with a couple of friends, agreed to meet up somewhere at specifically 7 o'clock. And, taking our being Filipino in mind, we got to the meeting place at around 8 and went straight to Glorietta where Gayle was set to sign books. Much to our surprise, when we got there, there were loads of other people lined up outside National Bookstore! Since we still had a lot of time, my friend and I decided to buy doughnuts from the store nearby, and while we were about to eat, the line moved so fast and I thought the experience was so funny because I was literally reaching for a doughnut when the line started moving and yeah.. LOL.

Anyway, after getting our number, we went shopping because all of the stores there were having a sale! Yay! Having said that, we got to the forum at Powerbooks (Thanks for the invite, JB!) a little late because we got lost. (I applaud myself for having such a great sense of direction). And after the forum, we went back to National for the formal signing and LOADS of people were there, sitting on the chairs, on the floor, and even on the stairs because a total of 573 people came to the event and it was fun as it was chaotic. Well, not really chaotic. I was just having fun thinking I was a tribute and the other people were tributes from other districts trying to get food (in this case: Gayle Forman's the food) Please don't judge me. LOL

Here are some of the photos from the event:

A small part of the crowd during Gayle's signing.

Our books at the signing (Mine, Celine's, and Zaira's)

Xandra Ramos of National Bookstore speaking at the forum.

Gayle sitting on the infamous "hot seat"

The trio: Louisse of The Soul Sisters and JLA Fans PH, Elyssa of Two Ends of a Bookshelf and Gayle Forman PH, and Lois of Shatter Me PH.

Celine with Hazel Ureta of Stay Bookish

Gayle Forman and I at the Bloggers' Forum.

All the bloggers with Gayle at the forum. 

*Photos are from Hazel Ureta of Stay Bookish

Fun facts about Gayle Forman:

1. Nick, her husband, is a musician and the inspiration for Adam Wilde.

2. She has a new book entitled "I Was Here" coming out in 2015.

3. She isn't good at karaoke, but I beg to differ. 

4. She was very much involved in the movie adaptation of If I Stay. She cried four times while reading If I Stay's script.

5. It's her second time here in the Philippines, the first was in 1998. She came her to write an article for a magazine.

6. While writing Just One Day, she had to revisit Paris.

7. Apparently, the hardest part of writing Just One Year wasn't its setting, but its POV. She said she found it hard to write in a Dutch's POV.

8. Gayle likes writing contemporary and plans to stick to the genre.

9. Her favorite song from Where She Went is Bridge and second is Hush.

10. The biggest misconception is that Gayle's a musician because of If I Stay and Where She Went. The catch, though, is that she's not. But we love her anyway! 

So that's it for our first ever Event Recap! We would like to thank the awesome guys at National Bookstore. Thank you for bringing such amazing authors here. We love you guys!

Review: Unspoken Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) 

by Sarah Rees Brennan 

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery

Release Date: September 11th 2012

Publisher:  Random House Books for Young Readers

Source: Bought/Own Copy

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Blog

SYNOPSIS

Kami Glass is in love with someone she’s never met – a boy the rest of the world is convinced is imaginary. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she doesn’t complain. She runs the school newspaper and keeps to herself for the most part – until disturbing events begin to happen. There has been screaming in the woods and the dark, abandoned manor on the hill overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years. The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. As Kami starts to investigate for the paper, she finds out that the town she has loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets- and a murderer- and the key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy who everyone thought was imaginary may be real…and he may be dangerous.

REVIEW

I've seen so many people rave about Unspoken so many times, so when I saw a copy on our local bookstore, I decided to buy it without even bothering to read the synopsis. Only when I was about to read the book did I read the synopsis. I wasn't really amazed by it because it reminded me Beautiful Creatures; a book which I thought was boring. But then I opened and I saw a map. I am a huge fan of maps, so I thought there was a chance that I would end up liking Unspoken. And I did. The only problem was that it only lasted for about 50 pages or so before I started getting annoyed. And from then on, the story just went downhill.

I honestly don't know why this book has been receiving a lot of hype lately. I would say it’s me, not the book, but then I would be lying because I honestly believe that it’s the book. First of all, the dialogue was just so unrealistic. I don't think there was a conversation in this book didn’t have a joke in it. Second, the protagonist, Kami, was just hard to connect to. I think the main problem I had with her is that there’s a huge difference between brave and reckless and I believe her to be the latter. It was just frustrating to see her get herself into trouble. I tried my to understand her actions, but I just can’t. Also, she tells Jared that she's always on his side, yet she suspects him as the killer. Really, Kami?  Lastly, there were no transitions. I really hate it when a POV changes without a warning and when characters transport from one place to another. This book really needs to use some transition markers or maybe a page break. I would site more reasons why I don’t think this book isn’t worth the hype, but I wouldn’t want to spoil anyone, so I’ll just leave it be.

Despite the weird dialogue, the annoying heroine, and the sudden transportations, I still enjoyed bits of Unspoken. Secondary characters—Angelica, Holly, and Rusty— were very fun to know, especially Angelica (you know what I mean if you’ve read the book!). The plot also managed to intrigue me. Well, at least the first part did where there were no corny jokes, the heroine wasn’t that self-destructive, and the mystery was still a mystery. So yes, I did enjoy BITS of Unspoken.

Unfortunately, those bits still weren’t enough. I still don’t like Unspoken. I won’t even  recommend it, but if you really want to read Unspoken, then you’re free to do so (because who am I to stop you?). But don’t say I didn’t warn you!

RATING