APRIL BOOK HAUL (aka can't stop buying haul)

The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy | The Secret Language of Sisters by Luanne Rice | Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse | The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner | Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit | The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie | Querna Dose by C.C. Gaño | Unbound by Neal Shusterman | A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Hello

April marks the official start of my vacation. This also means more time to read and more active in blogging! This also means not much money for books. So yeah... But that's completely fine. I still have more books to read for the span of my possibly 3 months of vacation. Enough physical books and ebooks to read :)

25 Booking Facts About Me

random photo. this is The Last of the Firedrakes by Farah Oomerbhoy, btw
Hello,

This is perhaps the first time I'm actually posting a tagged post. For those who previously tagged me, I'm sorry but I'll try to look for them and try to accomplish them (no promises made though). Raffy from Eccentric Everything tagged me to post 25 Bookish Facts About Me. Thanks Rafyy!

So let's do this!

1. I read multiple books at once. Not reading two books at the same time, that's weird and impossible. Well you know what I mean. I usually read one physical book and one ebook. And they have to be of entirely different genres just so I don't get confused when I read. I actually read the same genre like two times now and I hated myself for it. I got confused!!

2. My all time favorite author is Neal Shusterman. I read Unwind years ago (a year or two before Unwholly was actually a book). I have a few more Shusterman books in my TBR shelf and I will practically read anything he writes.

3. I read anytime and anywhere. I read when I commute to and from school. I read while I wait in lines or in between classes. I even read during classes. I read before I sleep. I read the moment I wake up. (I'm a slow reading machine)

4. My fave book genres are: YA dystopian science fiction, historical fiction, crime fiction (doesn't matter if suspense-thriller, cozy mystery, or YA). Recommend me any good books you can think of :)

5. I didn't enjoy Shadow & Bone and Young Elites as much as everyone else did. Sorry. But I'll try to read it again. I promise :)

[WEEKLY MUSING] Querna Dose Release Event!

Hello,

Last, LAST, Saturday (April 16), my sister, Gelleesh, and I went to the release event party of C.C. Gaño's Querna Dose. It's my first release event. I was able to meet Celine Gaño and have my copy signed :) She's really nice and would like to treat her readers as friends. Let me give a rundown of my experience:

[REVIEW] Lost Girls

Series: D.I. Kim Stone #3
Author:
 Angela Marsons
Genre:
 adult, crime fiction, mystery, thriller
Published:
 November 6, 2015
Publisher: Bookouture
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Two girls go missing. Only one will return.  
The couple that offers the highest amount will see their daughter again. The losing couple will not. Make no mistake. One child will die.  
When nine-year-old best friends Charlie and Amy disappear, two families are plunged into a living nightmare. A text message confirms the unthinkable; that the girls are the victims of a terrifying kidnapping.  
And when a second text message pits the two families against each other for the life of their children, the clock starts ticking for D.I. Kim Stone and the squad.  
Seemingly outwitted at every turn, as they uncover a trail of bodies, Stone realises that these ruthless killers might be the most deadly she has ever faced. And that their chances of bringing the girls home alive, are getting smaller by the hour…  
Untangling a dark web of secrets from the families’ past might hold the key to solving this case. But can Kim stay alive long enough to do so? Or will someone’s child pay the ultimate price?  
The latest utterly addictive thriller from the No.1 bestseller Angela Marsons.

[WEEKEND READS] Winter + Broken Angels

Hello,

It's bee a while since I last did a post like this. It's just that I've been busy and lazy. Yes, I juts have to admit it like that. I've also been reading. I'm really proud at myself for clearing out a couple of Netgalley books this past week. A couple more in this coming week :)

ANYWAY, last Saturday, I went to a release event of a Filipino indie author which I'll be sharing tomorrow. I haven't read it but I will soon and expect a review! I'd really want to get around Filipino written books especially those written in Filipino. Soon, my friends :)

Finding Hope | Colleen Nelson
While contemporary isn't my strongest genre, I still enjoy it. But Finding Hope just didn't clicked with me. I've read reviews that were realy positive but my experience with this just wasn't the same as them. I ranted about this book here in my review (while still trying my best to remain a bit objective as I pointed out what I liked about it).
Lost Girls (D.I. Kim Stone #3) | Angela Marsons
This is my fave D.I. Kim Stone novel right now. The next book will be out next month (so things might change for me). Everything I LOVE about this book are mentioned on my review which is scheduled for Monday :) Look out for that if you're interested with crime fictions.

[REVIEW] The Art of Not Breathing

Series: N/A
Author:
 Sarah Alexander
Genre:
 young adult, contemporary, mystery
Published:
 April 26, 2016
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Purchase: AmazonB&NBook Depository

Since her twin brother, Eddie, drowned five years ago, sixteen-year-old Elsie Main has tried to remember what really happened that fateful day on the beach. One minute Eddie was there, and the next he was gone. Seventeen-year-old Tay McKenzie is a cute and mysterious boy that Elsie meets in her favorite boathouse hangout. When Tay introduces Elsie to the world of freediving, she vows to find the answers she seeks at the bottom of the sea.
Five years after the drowning of her twin brother, Scottish teenager Elsie Main confronts the tempestuous sea—and her family's tragic past—in a young adult debut that will appeal to fans of the mystery of E. Lockhart's We Were Liars and the family drama of Jandy Nelson's I'll Give You the Sun.  

[REVIEW] Finding Hope

Series: N/A
Author:
 Colleen Nelson
Genre:
 young adult, contemporary
Published:
 March19, 2016
Publisher: Dundurn
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Hope leaves her small town for a fresh start, but her plans are derailed by an online romance and the appearance of her brother. 
Hope lives in a small town with nothing to do and nowhere to go. With a drug addict for a brother, she focuses on the only thing that keeps her sane, writing poetry. To escape, she jumps at the chance to attend Ravenhurst Academy as a boarding student. She’ll even put up with the clique-ish Ravens if it means making a fresh start. 
At first, Ravenhurst is better than Hope could have dreamed. She has a boyfriend and a cool roommate, and she might finally have found a place she can fit in. But can she trust her online boyfriend? And what can she do after her brother shows up at the school gates, desperate for help, and the Ravens turn on her? Trapped and unsure, Hope realizes that if she wants to save her brother, she has to save herself first.

[BOOK BLITZ] Immurement


Series: The Undergrounders #1
Author: Norma Hinkens
Genre: young adult, science fiction, post apocalyptic, dystopia

Publisher: Dunecadia Publishing
Published: December 9, 2015
Purchase: Amazon


The Sweepers are coming. They hunt the young. The only place left to hide is underground.  
When the earth’s core overheats and the sovereign leader vanishes, a young girl becomes the survivors’ only hope. 
What little land is habitable is patrolled by cutthroat gangs of escaped subversives, but that’s not the greatest threat facing sixteen-year-old Derry Connelly, her brother Owen, and a ragged band of Preppers holed up in a bunker in the Sawtooth Mountains. Mysterious hoverships operated by clones are targeting adolescents for extraction. 
Owen, is one of the first to disappear. To save him, Derry must strike a deal with the murderous subversives, and risk a daring raid to infiltrate the heart of the extraction operation. 
But will the rookie leader falter when forced to choose between her brother and a clone who ignites something inside her she didn’t know was possible? 


[REVIEW] Salt to the Sea

Series: N/A
Author:
 Ruta Sepetys
Genre:
 young adult, historical fiction, romance, adventure, survival
Published:
 February 2, 2016
Publisher: Philomel
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Winter, 1945. Lithuania, East Prussia, Germany, Poland.
Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies... and war. 
As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast seeking to escape the chaos and terror of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. 
Yet not all promises can be kept. 
Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

[REVIEW] Brooklyn on Fire

Series: A Mary Handley Mystery #2
Author:
 Lawrence H. Levy 
Genre:
 adult, historical fiction, mystery, romance, suspense
Published:
 January 19, 2016
Publisher: Broadway Books
Purchase: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Brooklyn's most witty and daring detective risks everything to solve a dangerous triple-murder case 
After closing a case with the Brooklyn Police Department, Mary Handley is determined to become an official detective in her own right. And when Emily Worsham shows up at her new office— convinced her uncle John Worsham was murdered and desperate for answers—Mary's second assignment begins.   
As she investigates the curious circumstances surrounding John's death, Mary soon finds herself entangled in a high-stakes family scandal, a series of interconnected murders, political corruption, untrustworthy sources, and an unexpected romance with a central member of New York's elite.  
Featuring historic figures like Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, and the Vanderbilt family, Brooklyn on Fire takes Mary on a wild journey from New York City to North Carolina to uncover not only the truth of one man's death, but to unravel the mystery in three murders – with links tied perilously close to her own personal world.

[MAYOIGA] Blinding Mist

Well that was plainly disappointing...

Episode one ended with some interesting things somehow intrigued me. Of course, there are still several more things that will still be uncovered throughout the series. But looking at this episode alone and not what lies ahead, this series just failed miserably. It's just the second episode and the atmosphere already vanished, the characters plainly disappointing, and the main character simply annoying and bland.

[BOOK BLITZ] Under My Skin


Series: N/A
Author: Laura Diamond
Genre: young adult, contemporary romance

Publisher: Swoon Romance
Published: April 12, 2016
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBookstore


Bookish Brit Adam Gibson is one wonky heartbeat away from a fatal arrhythmia. But staying alive requires Adam to become keenly focused on both his pulse and the many different daily medications he must take in exactly the right dosages. Adam’s torn between wanting to live and knowing that someone else must die in order for him to do so. He needs a new heart. 
The pressure is getting to him. Adam stops talking to his friends back home, refuses to meet kids at his new school, and shuts his parents out entirely. His days are spent wondering if can cope with having a dead man’s heart beating inside his chest, or if he should surrender to the thoughts of suicide swirling around in his head.

And then a donor is found… 
Outspoken artist Darby Fox rarely lets anything stand in her way of achieving her goals . Whether it’s painting, ignoring her homework (dyslexia makes a mess out of words anyway), kissing a hot boy she doesn’t even know, or taking the head cheerleader down a peg , no one has ever accused Darby of being a shy. She also happens to be the twin sister to a perfect brother with good looks, good grades, manners, and the approval of their parents – something Darby has never had. 
Darby’s always had bad timing . She picks the worst time to argue with her brother Daniel. In a car with bald tires, on an icy road in the freezing cold, the unthinkable happens. In a split-second, everything changes forever. 


[REVIEW] Everything, Everything

Series: N/A
Author:
 Nicola Yoon
Genre:
 young adult, contemporary, romance, realistic fiction
Published:
 September 1, 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

My Disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world. I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.
But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean, and wearing all black - black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. 
Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

[MAYOIGA 01] Look Before You Leap

Hello, It's been forever since I last wrote an anime episode post. It feels really new to me. Oddly new. But here goes nothing!

I picked up Mayoiga because of its really intriguing premise. It's got a really mysterious feel to it. Synopsis-wise, it really caught my attention because of the village that seems to simply exist on urban legends - something people plainly talk about but somehow unsure of its real existence.

As you know, I like mysteries which is why I immediately jumped right into Mayoiga. Mayoiga is about a group of people who set on a trip to a village called Nanakimura which apparently doesn't appear on maps and can't be found by police. The village is surrounded by mysterious stories all of which seem so interesting yet somehow unrealistic. This group of people who met online decided to go to Nanakimura in order to start anew - leave the past behind because it's too suck-y for them (LOL)!

[RELEASE DAY] The Requiem Red



Series: N/A
Author: Brynn Chapman
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Published: April 5, 2016

Publisher: Month9Books
Purchase: 
Amazon | B&N | Google Play | BAM | Chapters | Indies | Kobo | TBD | iBooks

Patient Twenty-nine. 
A monster roams the halls of Soothing Hills Asylum. Three girls dead. 29 is endowed with the curse…or gift of perception. She hears messages in music, sees lyrics in paintings. And the corn. A lifetime asylum resident, the orchestral corn music is the only constant in her life. 
Mason, a new, kind orderly, sees 29 as a woman, not a lunatic. And as his belief in her grows, so does her self- confidence. That perhaps she might escape, might see the outside world.  

But the monster has other plans. The missing girls share one common thread...each was twenty-nine's cell mate.  
Will she be next?

[BLOG TOUR] Bound

full tour schedule can be found at YA Bound Book Tours

Series: the Caelian Cycle #2
Author: Donnielle Tyner
Genre: young adult, science fiction, dystopia, fantasy, romance

Published: October 19, 2015
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Smashwords


Bound by Vengeance.
Sadie has found the resolve to fight the man who caused so much pain in her life. Her tentative alliance with the HCA underground gives her the resources to train both her body and Talent for when she comes face to face with her grandfather.  
Bound by Loss.
Being separated from her friends at St Vincent’s is harder than she could have ever realized and it doesn’t help that Kian has withdrawn from her as well. With help from a new friend, Sadie uncovers more about her past and that someone close to her has been keeping secrets from Sadie her entire life. 
Bound by Fear.
Tragedy strikes close to home, giving a longstanding enemy, one desperate and willing to do anything to have Sadie on their side, an opportunity to arise. Allies and friends come together to stand against evil, but at a terrible cost. Sadie’s history and future collide while the world is thrown into chaos. 
Sadie must overcome or forever be Bound.

[WEEKEND READS] Everything, Everything, Everything!!

Hello,

I'm a week away from vacation!! I'm done with my thesis topic defense. Now onto more difficult things! It's exciting and scary and I don't know what else. I'm just hoping to get it all done with. I'll be working on my final projects next week which are to be submitted by Friday. For now, I just want to sit back and read. I missed a lot of reading, I think, and would love to remedy that.

ICYM: I'm giving away a SIGNED COPY OF RED QUEEN by Victoria Aveyard. Just a few more days to go!!

MARCH ROUNDUP!

my April TBR
Hello,

I'm so glad to see March end. Now I'm only a week away from my summer vacation. Just how great is that? I'm so excited to have all the time in my hands - be able to read a lot, watch a lot and practice my skills :D

I'm currently reading Cruel Crown by Victoria Aveyard. Sadly, I'm reading this book far longer than I expected myself to do so. It's such a short novella compilation and it's oddly taking me so much time. In a quick note, I'm not exactly getting absorbed in it. Ugh. I'm also going through The Art of Not Breathing by Sarah Alexander. I'm still not so much into it but it's going pretty well for me.

{ BOOK REVIEWS }

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