Ordering from TBD

The are very few bookstores in the Philippines. It's the first thing you need to know if you're a reader and you visit the country. We only have like 2 (seriously, yes, just two) well-known bookstore all throughout the place. How antagonizing can that be right? There're only just 2 and sometimes they are not even on schedule on book release dates. National Bookstore and Fullybooked. The bookstore here on our place (NBS) releases books after 2, 3 weeks or 2 months after the official release date! It's so annoying, that I need to resort to ebooks to read the books first before I can buy the physical copy. So, chances are I would buy the physical copy but I won't read them anymore unless I want to reread it.

They also don't have some books I am dying to buy, I go to the bookstore every time to just get disappointed they don't have the book and or they don't have the books yet. It get's to my nerves every time. They also have unsatisfactory salesladies that doesn't even know about the books they are selling. I remember one time when I ask a saleslady about this particular book and she just waved me off and told me she doesn't know about it. I hate this bookstore in our place to be honest. So, if you guys from Fullybooked are reading this, please we need a branch of your bookstore here far north of the country. (we beg you)

Good thing there are online bookshops, we could buy the books that are available for sale (Preloved or Secondhand) for a cheaper price but the hard thing is the shipping costs, you have to buy in bulk to have the shipping free or have a discount. So, there's this online bookstore, The Book Depository that I'm pretty sure book-bloggers are all aware of. (Even if I'm not a book-blogger, I am aware) From UK. They sale books for a price but the shipping fee worldwide is free. If you're from UK or US, delivery is just 1 to 2 weeks but to other parts of the world it'll take 3 weeks to 2 months for the books to arrive, depending on where you are. 

Since, I didn't find anywhere to buy these books I wanted to buy, I tried buying from TBD. First thing you need to have if you order is that you need to have a credit card or visa so you can pay for your order. I had trouble in paying at first but I finally did, with the help of Paypal. And then I printed out the receipt, and waited. So I ordered on March 21^st and after 1 week they shipped the items. I was always checking for the books every time in the post office but some of those old hags are so old-fashioned they don't even know a thing about online shopping. Anyway it took about a month for the books to arrive. I mean for a book to arrive (it arrived just this Wednesday), my orders I think are dispatched separately. So now, I'm still waiting for the other one, hopefully it'll get here soon.

So you guys should try buying from TBD too, it's great (because free shipping). But if you're not patient enough to wait, well I advice you just stick to the crappy bookstore near your place. 

STACKING THE SHELVES #2

STACKING THE SHELVES #2

So I got again all these books for the last quarter of April, and guess what? I haven't read a fourth of all these books I have. (I posted this a day earlier because I might be out tomorrow).

Paperbacks

Source: The Book Depository

Clockwork Prince Manga (The Infernal Devices 2)

Ebooks

Source : Kobo & Itunes

The Return to Paradise – Pittacus Lore

The Geography of You and Me – Jennifer E. Smith

Don't Look Back – Jennifer Armentrout

What I Thought Was True – Huntley Fitzpatrick

Sweet Reckoning – Wendy Higgins

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo (but I want the audiobook so)

Seige and Storm – Leigh Bardugo

Side Effects May Vary – Julie Murphy

Fire and Flood – Victoria Scott

Audiobooks

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Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top 10 Books if you like Disney Films (or read fairy tales as a kid)

We all love fairy tales slash bed time stories as a kid right? Who doesn't? And Disney films? Who doesn't adore them? Those who doesn't perhaps are ugly sadistic hussies. Anyway here are my top ten books if you want the magical and enchanted feeling fairy tales gave you with all the modern twists and turns.

1. The Selection (The Selection Series) ~ Kiera Cass

It's not the typical story about Prince and Princesses. Well, as Kiera Cass (the author) said, the story is more like the Biblical story of Queen Esther. A prince choosing his princess from girls of different castes. This story will capture you're heart and make you swoon and sigh like all fairy tales did. The majestic and regal feels. (It may or may not remind you of Barbie and her movies and well you know all the others)

2. The Iron King (The Iron Fey Series) ~ Julie Kagawa

All about fae and faeries with a modern twist of technology. Beautiful friendship and swoon-worthy star-crossed romance. Magical setting and dangerous adventures. Butterflies and a beautiful fey Prince with silver hair and eyes. The Puck and an intelligent talking cat. A not so typical girl who's changed the fate of Nevernever. You know, the beautiful wild, I know you can picture it now.

3. Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy) ~ Anna Banks

I'll give you a hint. Okay, “Ocean”. Oh I know you know it already. You're right, Mermaids. (not the Little Mermaid though) But in this book, they are not called mermaids, they are called Syrenas. With violet eyes. And yep, a Syrena prince and a mortal pretty girl-well, a not really mortal girl actually. Lots of laugh and lots of swooning. And a gorgeous kingdom in the ocean.

4. Splintered ~ Anita Grace Howard

Well, who doesn't want to go to Wonderland? We all know Alice when we we're kids. If you'd like to meet her again and read what truly happened after the story we've all been told, this book would be perfect. It's not some kind of retelling, it may or may not be a story of Alice after a hundred generations had passed. Do you remember who smells like licorice? You'll fall in love with his beauty and viciousness in this book. And a love triangle, well I don't think it's a love triangle though more like an angle love story that is.

5. Throne of Glass ~ Sarah J. Maas

A fierce assassin an all her quests. A wild-card romance with a prince and a guard. A combination of royal things and faerie magic. It's the tragic story of an assassin girl who's doing her best and everything to keep herself alive for the next day and the next. It's like a bad-ass fairy tale, with a bad-ass protagonist, instead of the common graceful princesses. 

6. See Me ~ Wendy Higgins

Leprechauns. Little people. (Not goblins, not elves, not dwarfs okay just little people) Refreshing Irish setting. Beautiful sibling relationship. And a very swoon worthy love story of a leprechaun and a human. Faerie magic, fae, pixies. And an arranged marriage. Oh and wait, this book kinda reminded me of Frozen by Disney (You know, Anna and Elsa and Olaf?) It reminded me of the scene with Anna, Kristoff and the trolls, really. It's cute.

7. Frozen ~ Melissa Dela Cruz

Not the Frozen movie okay? I once mentioned it to a friend and we got confused, I was talking about the book and she was taking about the movie. Anyway it's about dragons and fae and sifts and magic. Ice apocalypse. Also pirates and ships and voyages. And unexpected sweet romances and strong friendship.

8. Dorothy Must Die ~ Danielle Paige

Remember Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz? Yes, you do? Well it might just change your perception about it. Dorothy is the antagonist. Yes she is. We don't stop where the story ended to us as a kid, we don't know what happened next and Danielle wrote it. Villains nowadays a the good ones and the nice one's are the evil ones. I now, I don't make sense. Just read the book.

9. Cinder (Lunar Chronicles)

Well, who doesn't even know about Cinderella? But this is a very modern Cinderella, a cyborg Cinderella actually. Yes, a part-robot/machine Cinderella. (I haven't read it) Though it's on my TBR pile since forever. I'll read it soon if I feel like it, and tell me if I should read it as soon as possible.

10. Steelheart (The Reckoners Series)

I'm not so sure if I should include this but I can't think of anything to put as number 10. Is there a film about superheroes by Disney? I'm not sure lol. Anyway this is the story of people who has evolved to be Epics-people with specific different super strengths and a striking story and lots of explosive plot twist. Adventure, fun and love and friendship. Isn't that what Disney theme is like tho? This book is a must read by the way. (If you haven't read it yet run along the bookstore and go buy one a lot of copies are seating there unread I know it)

So, if you were (still are) fond of Disney movies, it's never too late for you to read these.

Book Withdrawal

     I don't know what is happening to me and reading right now, I can't seem to finish any book. When I read, I always get tired and stop reading. I only seem to finish a few pages of a book and move on to another. I get tired (not bored okay?) easily. I have like 15 to 20 partly unfinished books. I'm now even 10 books behind schedule because of this book withdrawal I'm having, how am I supposed to catch up?! Especially now, I only have one month until classes resume and I'm pretty sure I won't be here for a long time again and I won't be reading as frequent. I think we could call it book withdrawal.

    Who of you guys have experienced the same, that moment when you're not even halfway of a book and you just let it alone and start reading a new one? And then moving on to another and then another and then another until you already have a pile of unfinished unread books that's even taller than you? How do you guys fight this off? How do you recover from this book sickness? I need help, I need your own experiences on how you deal with this and how you should deal with it, if you haven't experienced it yet. I need to get this book withdrawal out of my system as soon as possible. So please I'd appreciate it so much if you can help.

Top Ten Tuesday #2

Top Ten Characters Who Everyone Loves (But Not Me)

We all have different tastes and perceptions of fictional characters. Not because I love a certain character doesn't mean you have to love them too. Not because you love them, doesn't mean I have to love them too. Not because everybody likes them, it doesn't mean I like them too. Especially me, I'm not particularly the kind of person who likes being mainstream. I don't know but sometimes I feel the immediate need to oppose everyone's opinions.

So don't hate me for this I'm just trying to be honest here. Please don't get offended, it's my opinion but we have different opinions so it's up to you if you'll take this seriously or not. But if I don't like a character, it doesn't mean I don't like the book. Nope, the book and the character are two different things we have to deal with. And it doesn't mean If I don't like the character, I don't like the author either. That's wrong. And I think, you people sometimes are so illogical and irrational to like these characters. But we have our opinions so, you like who you like, I like who I like, okay?

Need I remind you, you cannot change the way I feel about these characters no matter what you do and what you say. So don't try to persuade me because you're just wasting your time. By they way they're all guys. Contrary to popular belief, I don't like them. (Me and my unpopular opinions)

1. He's the famous demigod kid who everyone thinks he's a hero. Saved the world from falling apart, saved Mount Olympus. Poseidon's kid and Seaweed brain. I really don't like him to be honest. I don't think he's a hero. I don't think he deserves all the praise kids are giving him because I think that Luke Castellan was the hero (And he deserves all the praise) and not him. Remember when Luke stabbed himself and died, that's when the battle was finished, he sacrificed himself. I don't get why they give him (the guy I'm talking about here) so much credit about it. It's not like he was the one who killed Kronos right? And I don't like guys who take girls for themselves when they know they're made for someone before they even came. I don't know if (supplant) is the right word for it. But we have a word in Filipino for it : it's (Mang-aagaw). Annabeth should have been with Luke, if he wasn't there to confuse Annabeth. Annabeth could have gone with Luke, and that would mean no Kronos, end of story. And I really cant get the logic why Annabeth would love him? I mean she says she's Seaweed brain right? So tell me, how come does a daughter of Athena (Greek goddess of knowledge) -Knowledge, emphasis on that- would like someone not really that smart (seaweed brain)? I think that act should've been credited for a daughter of Aphrodite, loving a seaweed brain. I really really (x infinity) can't figure this. Help me out?

- Percy Jackson (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus)

2. The shadowhunter who's done nothing but hurt everyone who tried to love him. It isn't fair for the one's he's hurting. His reasons are not even logical. He has this stupid, unprobable belief he hasn't even proved to push away people from him. He continued to dance with the idea that he doesn't love anyone and always pushed them away for his own selfish-reasoning without fact-checking his dark past. I don't know about you, but I want someone who is straight forward with their feelings. He always needs to be in the spot-light – he's brash, an egoist, says things without thinking about other's feelings and tends to upset the world around him with his over-the-place attitude and his pretend-to-be-drunken and gambling ways. He never let's people see him for who he really is and he's beyond complicated. It's hard to fix someone like that – ultimately change for the better.

Blue eyes and black hair? I also think that's already mainstream and overrated. I don't think he's respectful too. When he told Tessa those hurtful words in the rooftop, then soon after, acting pathetic for all he did and insists he loves her? No. I don't like guys who has a history of hurting a girl so very much, I hate them with a passion of a billion burning suns. And I don't like guys who take chances on girls just because they can. It seems to me that they want the girl for lust and never love (the cave scene). And why would he take someone that's his best-friend's. I can't believe he's Jem's real friend of what he did. I never liked him, I won't ever like him. But I do like all the Herondales in the family except him (Jamie, Stephen, Jace). I'm sorry but I don't think he is good enough to even like.

- William Herondale (The Infernal Devices)

3. The rebel boy, and the criminal and the heart-breaker. I was never a fond of rebels. Not the kind of rebels that does fight for the good of their country, but the rebels who rebel against the current regime just because they can, just because they want to, just because they have their personal reasons. I don't even understand why people listens to the rebel more than the ruler who could do everything to them if he wants to (kill, imprison, punish them.) Why would the people side with the pathetic little boy who's done nothing but destroying government property for who knows what his reasons are? (Illogical isn't it?) Revenge for his family you say? What would it do? Could it bring his dead parents back? No. And when the El Primo (Anden) offered him help about his younger brother, how dare and stupid that he refused. He's just too egotistic and proud to accept help is that it? And he broke Tess's heart just for June? How dare him? I mean he deserved Tess and not June, we all know it. Let's be honest, Anden deserves June here. June should've been with Anden not him. She's too high and too beautiful for him. He doesn't deserve June. He's just this street kid and June is the polaris too high for him to even reach. He should've not broken Tess's heart, he gave her hope and then break her heart like that. Again, (I don't like guys who has a history of hurting a girl so very much, I hate them with a passion of a billion burning suns.) I also again think he's taken a chance on June, like they're still too young. He didn't even think June was still Sixteen, almost Seventeen. He's no hero for me, he's a criminal, he's selfish and he's a heart-breaker still.

- Daniel 'Day' Wing (Legend Series)

4. He's the savage, wild, uncivilized, unhandsome guy. Again a heart-breaker. He broke Booke's heart, just like that because he saw someone prettier and gentler than her. You say he didn't love her in the first place? Then why did she have to take Brooke's virginity? He just did that because he can, is that what you mean? Why would you even give a relationship (something) a try if you know it'll not work out eventually? No one does that but the selfish people. And this is the most unbelievable of all. He did the do with Aria (IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE TRILOGY). I just, they just knew each other for like 3 days, less than a week tops and they already did it?! In the first book! Like couldn't he even wait til the 3^rd book? (super duper) INSTA-LOVE geez (shakes head) Usually, in YA books it's the 3^rd book where the couple had to make love. It's not that I judge a character by their looks but I don't understand how Aria liked him, I mean she described him a guy with a broken nose and scars in his whole body and face-I just, I mean Aria is perfect without any blemishes-imperfections-kind-of-perfect but she liked him anyway, not to mention how he treated her in the first two days of their journey. I prefer Aria for Roar actually, It should've been better if it's Roar and not him.

- Peregrine 'Perry' (Under The Never Sky Trilogy)

5. A Captain of the Guard, yes. And sadistic and brash and egoist. He's nothing but a guard that does what his King say even if it's obviously and immorally wrong. I can't see the logical reason why Celeana would like him. He's the reason why her best-friend Nehemia died, she went for him in vain and left her friend in the palace that lead to her death instead. I can never forgive him for that, I don't know how Celeana can, I don't understand. He did nothing but hurt her physically and push her to her limits. He's not a gentleman! He took Celeana for himself when he knows that his Prince love the girl? (Mang-aagaw again, okay) Rationally she'd be better off with the Prince because obviously she's a princess and what is he? Just a guard? What could he even give her? He's just a guard, he can't give her a nice future. Why can't he realize he doesn't deserve her? For me, it should still be Dorian with the princess. Because who ever chooses the guard over the prince, I think, has lost her mind.

- Chaol Westfall (Throne of Glass Series)

6. Another guard. (It seems that I developed a hate for guards don't you think?) I don't think a lot of people like him either but after reading The Guard the said they're confused already? Not sure if they hate him or not? Who says he loves a girl and send her off to marry someone? Is not that the stupidest oxymoron ever? Who would sneak out just to make out with the girl in secret leaving off his duties at the palace? No one but a lustful guy just like him. So ungentlemanly. (eww) And double gross. Why would he let the girl go in the first place, even if she's fighting for them both then comes back to her like nothing's happened? Only this stupid guard. He knows that the girl deserves the prince yet he's trying to destroy this something by just his presence. A lot of things are really not his. My love is one of them. And America's. Again who chooses the guard over the prince? No one!

- Aspen Ledger (The Selection Series)

7. I hate him the most, this guy. I know there are still girls who are still on his team even if they have read all the books in this series. There's this saying I made up, “Don't judge a character in the first book.” Don't love and hate a character in the first book, read on before you judge. He was stupidly sweet in the first book but really he's nothing but an unbelievably selfish person and a great pretender. (I swear to the stars I never liked this guy anyway, even in the first book, I've always known there's something fishy (so fishy) about him.) To be honest I don't like the girls who blabbed that they we're on his team on the first book. I was all like “you'll eat all you said and regret it”. AND PLS IF YOU DECIDE YOU'RE ON SOMEONE'S TEAM STICK TO IT. DON'T SHIFT SHIPS! You're Team him? Then don't ever tell me you'll change teams a little later because I just might loathe you for it. So you better be sure not to mention in my face that you're on his team if you haven't read the whole series. Back to the guy, he did nothing but to make the girl cry and let him plant to her mind that she's weak and that she needed his protection, when in reality she doesn't. He tried to tame her, make her to be suitable for his needs, not thinking about her really, what she wants and everything. He'd also taken a good chance physically on her, which when I reread those scenes I want to do nothing but barf. I still think he's the most selfish guy I've ever read. I'm beyond glad Juliette didn't end up with the default.

- Adam Kent (Shatter Me Series/ Juliette Chronicles)

8. It's not that I don't like him all. It's just that I can't decide if I should like him or not. I'm like, I don't feel anything for him. (It's possible to feel nothing for someone, because I feel it lol). I just didn't like the way he handled all the situation he's faced. And he killed my love (He killed my Newt). He killed his best-friend, out of mercy and love I understand but it still hurts. And what hurts the most that he did is not forgiving Teresa and leaving her behind to die and choosing another girl. I mean how could he? Teresa had done everything for him and he's like, “who cares?” The wound is still fresh. It re-opens every time I remember. And I still hate him for those that he did.

- Thomas (The Maze Runner Series)

9. He's the hot alien here. He's the hot guy, he has the trinity of characteristic that makes up bad boys but he's still not my taste. I just don't like guys who knows the effect they have on girls and use it for their own benefit. It's not that I hate him though, I just like his twin better. What I mean is I like him, but I like the gentle, sweet and caring him-which his twin is who fits my taste so I'm on his brother's side rather than his.

- Daemon Black (Lux Series)

10. He's a mortal who's given everything for her muse but still I can't make myself like him. Yes, he's an artist and he has dimples and a hot labret, it's a plus on his side yes but it seems he really can't make me like him. He already even bled for the one the girl he loves, but I still think it's not enough. (I don't know what is wrong with me about him) Maybe it's that he had broken another girl's heart for the girl he loves (you already know I hate that) or maybe it's his stupidity to sacrifice everything for the girl he loves when it's obvious she isn't for him. They can't be ever together, she's a netherling so she belongs with a netherling not a mortal like him.

- Jebediah 'Jeb' Holt (Splintered Series)

As for girls-I don't have anyone I don't like so far. But no offense to you guys who likes these characters but we have the right to like who we want to like and loathe who we like to loathe right? There's no need to argue, we have our opinions. And nothing should matter than our very own opinion right? It is what it is.

Book Adaptation Review #1

Divergent Movie Review

“I am Divergent. And I cannot be controlled.”

Let me start this with how much we'd sacrificed for this movie. So we'd got up early in the morning (me and my initiate friends) just to be ready to go to the next province just to watch the film. We rode a bus for three (antagonizingly long) hours and we'd arrived at the mall by noon already and then we'd waited for another hour. When we we're waiting we kind of went to the movie poster and gaped at it, but then the guard came and shooed us away and I almost (really almost) showed him how I was came to be called Dauntless.

But anyway, let's start with the real thing here. The introduction of the movie where the factions are being explained was a good thing. But soon afterwards I noticed all these (massive) differences and got silent (You know that with a good film I should be squealing and screeching and fangirling) while watching it, contemplating why the book is always better than the movie. I don't understand why a lot of people are saying it's a very very good film when really it's the complete opposite. Let me enumerate the reasons why.

Okay but first, I'm not being oh-so-erudite here (but I'm pretty sure Erudite is my faction because I won't survive the Dauntless Initiation). As a reader it's my responsibility (yeah, I think it's my responsibility really) to examine and inspect the movie if it was really faithful to the book. Unfortunately, Divergent movie has not reached my expectations. And here are the reasons why. First was the incompleteness of the characters, why would they remove a necessary character in the plot? (I can't fathom the reason why). Why did they left out Uriah when his name was in the initiate scoreboard? No, I don't want to hear their reasons. Secondly, they left out again one of the most essential parts of the book-The Dauntless Cake and Erudite Soda. I mean I traveled like hundred miles just to go watch even a single minute scene about the cake but WHERE THE PANSYCAKE WAS IT? Nowhere. The ending was the one that made me specially disappointed. THAT WASN'T THE WAY HOW THE BOOK ENDED. Let me repeat : THE MOVIE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME ENDING OR CLIMAX OF THE BOOK. (Please reread the book if you don't believe me) Only those that has been very faithful to the book knows what I mean and the ones that has a sharp memory of the scenes of the book even if they haven't reread the book before they went to watch the movie has an idea of what I'm saying. I was just there sitting on my seat in the cinema thinking “that wasn't how it was supposed to be... that wasn't how it was supposed to be “ They changed a lot of scenes, they left out a lot of things, they messed up the characters. As for the actors they we're good enough at least, Shailene did a great job being Tris-if only for her make-up (Abnegation wasn't supposed to be vain). As for Theo James (who they think is oozing manliness blah blah) I don't know, I still think he's too old for the role and a little bit overstated for the role, I imagined Tobias-and oh, I almost forgot I didn't like the Toh-buy-us pronunciation of the name it's a little bit glary to the ears but the Er-you-dite, I always know that I just didn't pay attention to it when Veronica mentioned it so long ago-I imagined Tobias as the hurt, broken, locked away boy not a man who doesn't convey much about the real him.

And here are some links where you can find the differences of the book vs the movie (Someone even found out that there 56 differences, maybe even more if you want to check them out) :

56 Differences between ‘Divergent’ book vs. movie

Divergent book vs movie biggest differences

Divergent book to film differences

My family watched it with me for my second time to watch the movie and I swear I really had a hard time explaining to them that what was on the big screen wasn't what really happened in the book. I explained The Hunger Games back then and I didn't need to explain Catching Fire but Divergent—I don't want to ever do it again, please.

Overall, what I'm basically trying to say here is I'm sorry but I think the movie wasn't faithful enough for me to like and it wasn't really that good. For those who haven't read the book, they might say it's good, but for me, (honestly and really) it's not. The only thing good about this film was watching a favorite book come to life, and that's just it nothing more. So, I'm giving Divergent Movie a rate of 6/10. I think I've answered here if all that we did to go watch the movie was worth it or not. But still.. I'm giving Insurgent Movie a second chance.

“I am selfish. I am brave” (posting this review )

A Series Review : Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Titles: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Days of blood and starlight, (Night of Cake and Puppets), Dreams of God's and Monsters

Author: Laini Taylor

Release date of last book: April 8th, 2014

Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.

All stories starts with 'once upon upon a time'.

Once upon a time there was a blue-haired girl, who collected teeth from all over the world. Her name is hope, and she lives in the beautiful city of Prague. Angels. Chimaera. Magus. Sirithar. Eretz. Cataclysm. I wasn't familiar with these words except for the first and second one (which was different from what I really believe. e.g. Angels-holy) when I read the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series. The books are so thick I wondered at first how many days will it take me to read them. 3? 4? or maybe a week? But I finished all those books in just less than 3 days for each one of them.

Once upon a time, an angel tried to kill the girl or the girl had tried to kill the angel before but neither did. Hope remembered she was a devil and that she loved the angel. How many times did we have to witness star-crossed lovers all throughout history? From Romeo and Juliet to Katniss and Peeta, and the most epic one so far for me had been Karou and Akiva. Karou, the chimaera and Akiva, the Misbegotten/Seraph. Their love is just to complicated I don't even know how to start explaining. Like how could someone from another race love someone from a different complicated race even if they are of the same universe? And how could you love someone who was the one you love in a different era and in a different world but just in a different body? I know, it's hard to explain and understand if you haven't read it but is once you do, you will. I have never read a couple so sexually frustrated than these two, no kidding. The intimacy frustration is too much it affected me too like so much as well. But I respect them for having that self-control and abstinence and for putting first their responsibilities to their races before their self-interest. I hope all book couples we're like them. “The two of them we're stoic and stone-faced and ten feet apart, currently not even looking at each other, but Zuzana had the impression of a pair of magnets pretending not to be magnets. Which of course, you know, only works until it doesn't.”

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil pressed their hands to their hearts and started the apocalypse.”

This series started with lots of Papilio Stomachus and ended with a lot of Papilio Stomachus as well. Yes, there we're so many deaths that lead to loneliness to me. Like Haz, I will never forget that in a sigle book I have loved you so much but was fortunately I got redeemed from the pain. These books have been magical, enthusiastic and very different. No of them never failed to enthrall me, from the first one to the last.

But let's not forget, without a badass character a book would be boring. So here was Liraz, the dangerous beautiful Liraz. (I wish I could steal her name.) “Hot, perpetually pissed-off angel seeks living pincushion for scowl practice and general stabbiness. No kissing.” Who would have thought that my favorite character would soften with all that bravado in the last book. It was so adorable I almost cried. Who would have thought (not me because I thought he died I even mourned for him already) sweet, innocent, beautiful Ziri would be lucky as soon at last. “It was already hers. And clearly, judging by the state of her laugh-sobbing in Karou's arms, her's was his too.”

“Once upon a time, a girl went to see a monsters menagerie where all the exhibits are dead.”

Who would have thought that Eliza Jones (who was just introduced in the last book who had gone cray-cray) will be such a beautiful creature and even be the key to a lock that no one could open, even to a new world, maybe. Who would have thought, who would have thought.

“Once upon a time there was only darkness. And there was monsters vast as worlds who swam in it.”

“Be a samurai. Because you just never know what's behind the freaking sky.”

I couldn't care less about the darkness when there' are characters like Mik and Zuze in all the books. Without them this series would just be intense and just dull. Mikolas Vavra, the violin boy and Zuzana Novakova, the rabid fairy-is the life thread of this book, they kept me hanging just to get to their part and read and laugh and feel light and forget all the stress and tension and creepiness in the books. They we're just humans, but they are fearless and full of love and I can't just see anything so unadorable and unbeautiful in them. I think you have already guessed they are my most favorite characters in the books already and you're right. “Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.-Roald Dahl”

“It was not a happy ending, but a happy middle at last, after so many fraught beginnings.”

Favorite book of the series: Night of Cakes and Puppets

3 books, 3 sentences, 3 words.

Beautifully written. Perfect story plot and pacing. Starcross romance.

Read the series.

PS: Thank you, Laini Taylor~

Book Swags I got this year and the past

   Being a reader is one of the biggest blessing ever. I'm glad I was born a reader and fangirl, If I wasn't I would not have these books and bookmarks and fandom items and the like. So what more can a reader-fangirl ask for if she has lots of books already? Well of course, we need bookmarks and book swags. What are book swags? They are book related stuff which is given to the readers by the authors themselves and other bloggers as giveaways.

Some are bookmarks, booklets, posters, cards, charms, jewelries and others. Some are signed by the author, some are not. You see I have now a lot of bookmarks but I'm not using them all. Or I'm not using any of them or giving them away either. I keep them as a collection and consider them as a treasure (I even hide them lol) but anyway here are the list of bookmarks I have now, thanks to these wonderful and generous authors and bloggers who had given me these beautiful pretties.

Signed Of Poseidon, Of Triton, Degrees of Wrong bookmarks from Anna Banks

Degrees of Wrong booklets from Anna Banks and Lis Les Livres 

Signed Sweet Evil and Sweet Peril Bookmarks from Wendy Higgins

Author autograph tabs from Wendy Higgins

Signed Sweet Evil Poster from Jennifer Muswani

Divergent Bookmark from Krystal Angela

Hunger Games Bookmark from Krystal Angela

TMI and TID bookmarks from Krystal Angela

Dimitri Kozlovsky bookmark from Krystal Angela

and reader-fangirl-booknerd bookmarks from Krystal Angela

   You won't be blessed if you don't share what you receive right? So of all these (precious) bookmarks I think I've given at most 10 to 15 of all of the book swags I received to friends, family and others. But I thank God, he's been replacing those of another pretties to come, like right now I'm waiting for my Of Neptune bookmarks from Fierce Reads. (I can't wait okay, my Syrena legacy bookmarks will be completed.)

   Some people are so kind and generous in giving away items to us readers without asking for anything in return. Like Ms. Krystal Angela from Australia, I mean can you imagine she sent me my bookmarks here in the Philippines, without asking for anything in return? How much did it cost her to print these bookmarks not to mention the postage the cost her a few dollars. She's just so kind. I'd like to thank her very much. So, to you readers out there who are in need of bookmarks kindly, check her blog (krystalangela.blogspot.com/‎) and check her freebies and email her about what you'd want. Good luck and hopefully she can still send you some.

   

   I also thank Wendy and Anna. They are I think the most generous author that ever lived. So everybody please read their beautiful books and get the chance to be able to interact and talk to them even just in social sites. (I really want to meet them personally) and it's really an honor to be an admin of their PH street teams.

  Oh and by the way, I really dunno how to send these SASE's (Self addressed stamped envelopes) internationally where you get to pay all the cost and the author would put in some swags and send it back. (I don't know how to do it internationally) so I'd be very happy if you can help me. I'd be having more book swags if I really know how to send those.

Dealing with heartbreak: How to

   I never thought I could ever be heartbroken. (Really heartbroken. Not mentally, not fictionally heartbroken.) Funny metaphor right? That last word. “Heart-broken” like it implies that the heart is some kind of precious,expensive and fragile porcelain placed in the middle of our hollow chests, when in reality it's actually flesh pumping muscle that involuntary beats and does what it wants because we can't control it.

   Why do we have feelings? Sometimes they are just too illogical to even understand and feel. They can't explain any right thing at all. They have no right to control us like this and make us feel this way. Make us feel pathetic and desperate. “Her favorite feeling was the absence of feeling” should be it.

   Is it really God's plan to break couples who we thought are “a match-made-in-heaven”, “soul-mates”, “til-end-of-the-world-lovers”? I don't think so. He did not let two individuals meet and experience everything, and feel everything together just to hurt them in the end, just to break them in the end, just to keep them away from each other and forget and set aside everything that they felt and did and everything-. It's so cosmically wrong.

   Love conquers all right? But why does one lover have to give up? Why can't they just fight for the one they love until the end? Love is the only one worth fighting for in this pathetic, sad and tragic planet of ours, is it not? It doesn't make any sense. I don't understand. I can't understand why one has to give up something worth more than diamonds for just those simple irrelevant things? How could two just give up like that? Isn't love not enough?

   They say we mend each other. But how can they mend each other when they we're the one who broke each other? How can they mend each other if they're both broken? They can't.

   There's this post by an anon facebook friend (by Ian Kenneth Manding)

"One day, you'll realize that breaking up just because you don't "have time for each other" is the stupidest thing. More stupid than the Crocs you're wearing. More stupid than Rebecca Black's Friday.

You'll realize that your relationship could have been bigger than telling sweet nothings, holding hands and cuddling but you reduced it to those forms. 

You'll think of the nice things you would have done together given that one day you'll both settle down into one single roof. You could have been going on roadtrips together, kissing everytime you get the chance.

You'll think of the unborn babies whose laughter would have been music to you; whose kisses would have meant the world to you; whose smiles would have been the reason for your smiles, too.

And you'll regret it. You'll regret that you did not fight for your partner. You'll regret that you weren't strong enough - both of you weren't strong enough. You'll find yourself in the corner answering your own bitter 'what ifs.'"

   Regret's will surely come rushing to you as the surf rushes to the shore if you didn't do everything to fix what's broken. Even if it's beyond fixable, a little love and faith in God can do the trick to restore back together what's beautifully broken and make a better art out of it. Deal with those heartaches, and erase them with the love you have for each other. Please don't make yourself regret this, just think of those unborn babies.

   PS: Romeo and Juliet, please, please and please get back together.

Top Ten Tuesday #1

Top Ten Summer TBR list

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   Weee it's SUMMER!!! You feel the summer heat? Not me, I smell the summer scent of books. *sniffs* Don't tell me you don't smell that. Anyway it's my first time to participate in this book blog stuff um.. (meme? So called?) so yeah.

   This is (I think) my last summer that I will be free as a student so might as well make the most out of it. You know, I struggled to read and keep up when school was still on resume, I didn't read-finish a single book in a week, it was almost heart-shattering, but now I have all the freedom! *ignites fireworks* Ha. Okay, these are the books that I will so definitely read this summer because *sings* I have died everyday waiting for them, I have loved them for a thousand years, I'll love them for a thousand more~

1. Love Lettes to the dead by Ava Delaira

Release Date: April 1, 2014

What made me want to read this book is Emma Watson (our very own Hemione Granger) because she tweeted and praised Ava about it, even before the book was out. And they say it's kind of like The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky so it means it's sad, tragic and heart-breaking and you know they are my favorite kinds of books to read, so you figured.

2. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Oh sweet baby aliens, and gargoyles. Every JLA YA books are so worth (SO WORTH) the read. (If you haven't read any of them. READ NOW. As in right this second you run to a bookstore and buy WHITE HOT KISS. If you don't have money, just steal it. I'm kidding.) But don't even start on me about Roth and Dawson. I swear. So, I've read some reviews about this book and based on my observation, they say it's an OK book but let's see.

3. What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Everything about Huntley's books are just so adorbs you just wanna sit there and hug them. Every word and every phrase and every paragraph are so adorable it'll make you euphoric. Contemporary perfect, is the way to describe it.

4. The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Was this the one about dragons? Or was it the vampires? Well, either or I still want to read it. Julie's writing is so magical, you feel the real story turning vivid before your eyes, it feels like watching a movie you directed yourself. And I read a review which said “it made me believe in vampires again” Vampires and blood, so be it.

5. The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: April 15, 2014

After I've read “This Is What Happy Looks Like”, I've been wanting to read this book. I want to feel the love that Jen can make me feel again. The love that Graham and Ellie is just so pure, I want to feel it all over again through reading TGoY&M.

6. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The book has been waiting for me in the bookshelf for a long time. Aww, my precious little baby. I've been wanting to read this since forever. I am a fan of stallions and horses, I'd really love to ride on one and have one as my own (It's true. I'll choose a horse over a car, even a limousine.) When I read the summary of the book for the first time, I knew in my heart, no matter what, I'm going to read it and love it too.

7. Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins (Sweet Series #3)

Release Date: April 29, 2014

Please. I want to cry right now if Anna and Kai won't be together. After all that I've been through. I mean, after all they've been through-they deserve a very happy ending. And yeah, after all that I've been through waiting for the book to be released. It's no joke, it feels like I've waited for a decade! I deserve a sweet read and a sweet ending, Wendy!

8. The One by Kiera Cass (The Selection #3)

Release Date: May 6, 2014

America is THE ONE for Maxon. (Period. Period. Period. That's three periods. It means you have no right to add deduct to that sentence.) There's no Aspen here! Just King Maxon Calix Schreave and Queen America Schreave. Kiera please, don't disappoint me on this. Don't disappoint me like what Sarah J. Maas did. BECAUSE WHOEVER CHOOSES THE GUARD OVER THE PERFECT PRINCE? No one. “I choose the guard over the prince.” - said by no one ever.

9. Of Neptune by Anna Banks (Syrena Legacy #3)

Release Date: May 13, 2014

Until now, I still don't have a ship name for Galen and Emma as well as Toraf and Rayna. I still don't have a ship name for them, imagine that. (Because Poseidon's beard how could you even conjure one, it's hard) I just missed the laughs Toraf and Emma gives me, I feel sad. But yay just a few more days and the long wait is over. And PS: I can't wait to meet this new character named Reed! I can't also wait for my OF NEPTUNE bookmarks from Fierce Reads!

10. City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)

Release Date: May 27, 2014

I'm both elated and dreadful for the release of this book. Cassie will torture us like John Green, Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth did. I mean, duh 700+ pages of pain and tears and tragedy just wow if we can survive it. At least 6 people will be dead, love and lives would be sacrificed. Have some mercy? Sad things aside, I'm looking forward to Jem and Tessa here and of course the weddings and DSES as Cassie had mentioned. I wish it was May 27 already!

Summer would be so fulfilling if I finish all these books.