MAY ROUNDUP! (my NEET month)

current read :)

Hello,

My NEET (not in education, employment, or training) month has finally come to an end. I'm going back to uni in the next few weeks. A bit excited and a bit nervous and a bit of everything! It's my thesis semester and I'm excited and scared and whatnot.

{ BOOK REVIEWS }

REVIEW | Every Exquisite Thing

Series: N/A
Author: Matthew Quick
Genre: young adult, contemporary
Publish: May 31, 2016
Publisher: Headline
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

From Matthew Quick, bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook, comes a heartfelt, unconventional and moving novel for readers who love John Green and Annabel Pitcher.

Nanette O'Hare is an unassuming teen who has played the role of dutiful daughter, hard-working student, and star athlete for as long as she can remember. But when a beloved teacher gives her his worn copy of The Bubblegum Reaper - the mysterious, out-of-print cult-classic - the rebel within Nanette awakens.

As she befriends the reclusive author, falls in love with a young but troubled poet, and attempts to insert her true self into the world with wild abandon, Nanette learns the hard way that sometimes rebellion comes at a high price.

A celebration of the self and the formidable power of story, Every Exquisite Thing is Matthew Quick at his finest.

MAY BOOK HAUL (aka almost bought nothing haul)

Alternative Press 333.2 State Champs Cover + Golden Son by Pierce Brown at the back. lol.

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters | Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

Hello,

It's not every month I'll have the ability to stop myself from visiting a bookstore and practically grab everything. I'm really proud of myself this month. May had sooooo many good releases and I really want to grab a book each time a visit. Luckily, I only grabbed one (really just need to get this one because this isn't something I always see in local bookstores). It's Dead Wake by Erik Larson. It's a non-fiction novel about the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. I've come to really LOVE history which is why I am more than willing to read even non-fictions just to learn more. Don't you ever get that feeling?

Anyway, I got The Cure for Dreaming through a twitter giveaway hosted by Renu from The Page Turner (Thanks again, Renu!!). I've only read one book by Cat Winters - In the Shadow of Blackbirds and I really liked it. Here's hoping I'll enjoy this one as well :)

REVIEW | Time to Die

Series: Detective Jennifer Knight #2
Author: Caroline Mitchell
Genre: adult, crime fiction, mystery, thriller, paranormal
Published: September 24, 2015
Publisher: Bookouture
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

He will predict your life… and your death. 

Don’t ever cross his palm with silver.
He will reveal your most shameful secrets.
He will predict your death.
He is hiding a secret.
He is hiding a monster. 

And all his predictions come true. 

Investigating a series of chilling murders, Detective Jennifer Knight finds herself tracking a mysterious tarot card reader known only as The Raven. 

As the death toll rises, Jennifer and her team build a picture of a serial killer on the edge of sanity, driven by dark forces. But these are not random killings. And the method behind the madness could be the most terrifying thing of all … 

Especially when it seems the death of one of their own is on the cards. 

Time to Die is an absolutely gripping serial killer thriller with a breath-taking supernatural twist.

REVIEW | The Last of the Firedrakes

Series: The Avalonia Chronicles #1
Author: Farah Oomerbhoy
Genre: young adult, fantasy, romance, adventure, magic, 
Published: August 15, 2015
Publisher: Wise Ink Creative Publishing
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

16-year-old Aurora Darlington is an orphan. Mistreated by her adopted family and bullied at school, she dreams of running away and being free. But when she is kidnapped and dragged through a portal into a magical world, suddenly her old life doesn't seem so bad. 

AVALONIA is a dangerous land ruled by powerful mages and a cruel, selfish queen who will do anything to control all seven kingdoms - including killing anyone who stands in her way. 

Thrust headlong into this new, magical world, Aurora's arrival sets plans in motion that threaten to destroy all she holds dead. 

With the help of a young fae, a magical pegasus, and a handsome mage, Aurora journeys across Avalonia to learn the truth about her past and unleash the power within herself. Kingdoms collide as a complicated web of political intrigue and ancient magic lead Aurora to unravel a shocking secret that will change her life forever.

WEEKEND READS | Fateful + Time to Die

recent.

Hello,

Even though it's my summer vacation, I'm still a bit on-again-off-again here. I'm just really lazy and tend to procrastinate a lot. But I've been reading. A lot. I actually found myself reading my ebooks a lot faster lately (which is really, really good). My physical ones, I go through one book a week but I plan to change that. I'm trying to get around 2 books a week :)

Anyway, I (finally) started rereading Golden Son by Pierce Brown to prepare myself for Morning Star which I will most likely pick up next week (or the week after, as the latest). For now, I decided to read Golden Son with another book (since it's a reread).

ICYM: I have a giveaway sponsored by Sourcebooks Landmark and it's a physical copy of A Front Page Affair by Radha Vatsal. It's a great historical mystery reads with a well explored setting, good mystery, and a strong and well-developed heroine. A really recommended read! It ends Friday 12AM PHT (GMT +8). US/CAN only. CLICK HERE!

Under My Skin | Zoe Markham

I posted my review the couple of days ago. This was a book I find difficult to talk about. It's suspenseful and has a good story as a whole yet at times it gets a bit draggy. Chloe's thoughts give me that repetitive feel. But all in all, Under My Skin is a really good read. 

The Manifesto on How to be Interesting | Holly Bourne

This is instantly a fave for me. I LOVE Bourne's writing, Bree's voice, how she tries to infiltrate the popular clique, how it just wrapped up in the end, how it kind of moved me. I'll have my review soon!