TABLAY - Katrina F. Olan {Review}

"Zeros and ones. I think of the monitors. In life, there is only death and survival. Today, I refuse to be a zero."

I'm going to start this off by saying that mech (and scifi in general) is not my usual cup of tea but for some reason, I got really hooked when I first learned of Tablay during Komiket (which I wasn't able to attend huhu)

Bulk of it may be because of my natural inclination towards mythology - especially that of the Philippines. Plus, it's always refreshing to discover new local writers! Particularly someone who is so hands-on (I mean, have you seen the marketing for this book?! More on that later!)

That's why when I discovered the online purchase form of Tablay (you can check it here and order yours today!), I ordered mine immediately.

And boy, reading it during #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy - specifically for #Wikathon and #RCReadathon2020 Pinoy Creators Edition Bingo - was such a good decision! Word vomit Thoughts below :)

*Spoilers ahead! Will be hidden (drag-select to view) but proceed with caution!

BREAK-UP ANNIVERSARY - Dawn Lanuza {Filipino Friday Review}

#FilipinoFriday [10]

Break-Up Anniversary
- Dawn Lanuza

TITLE: Break-Up Anniversary
AUTHOR/s: Dawn Lanuza
PUBLICATION DATE: 8th of April, 2016

*this is actually a late-post. I've written this review a day before we came back from the Holy Week break but I was easily swept in with class activities and I never really got the chance to post it in between tours and reviews. But here it is now! :) *

April 18, 2017

So last day of the Holy Week break and I did not do anything quite productive over the vacation. What I did though, is to make my heart so happy before returning back to reality which I can already foresee as something full of stress – last two weeks of undergraduate school yaaas! 

How did I make my heart happy, you ask? Well I got caught up with my series (iZOMBiE’s back, you guys! And I finally got to see the Supergirl x The Flash episodes I’ve missed, aaaand finally went through Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. I’ll get back to you on that one though, still reeling from it) Also, got to catch up with a couple of reads (yay!)

Anyway, instead of readying my stuff for the coming week, I lie in bed procrastinating and scrolling through my files (do not do this kids. Procrastinating is not good for you) As I go through some of my books, I saw Dawn Lanuza’s Break-Up Anniversary sitting there, waiting to be read. I remember getting a copy of it through instafreebie (yay thanks Miss Dawn) and getting quite excited because the plot was actually intriguing but I never really quite got into it.

A while ago, though, I impulsively opened it and read the first few pages. Before I knew it, I’m through! It was actually a very short read but a good one, I can say! Should’ve read it sooner lol Here are some of my thoughts!

ALL THAT GLITTERS - Ines Bautista Yao {Filipino Friday Review}

#FilipinoFriday [8]

All That Glitters
- Ines Bautista-Yao

TITLE: All That Glitters
AUTHOR/s: Ines Bautista Yao
PUBLICATION DATE: 2017

AVAILABLE AT:  PRINT COPIES (from the author)

AMAZON!

Happy e-book birthday All that Glitters! In celebration of it, I want to share my thoughts with you guys (even though I've first read it in a physical copy - available with other Sparks Book on bookstores nationwide!) 

WAITING IN THE WINGS - Tara Frejas {Filipino Friday Review + Excerpt + Giveaway}

#FilipinoFriday [7]

Waiting in the Wings
- Tara Frejas

TITLE: Waiting in the Wings
AUTHOR/s: Tara Frejas
PUBLICATION DATE: 21st  of February, 2017

AVAILABLE AT: AMAZON

A week back, I've shared with you guys the cover for Tara Frejas' latest work - Waiting in the Wings! And now, for the second part of the tour, I'm so excited to share my thoughts AND a sneak peek on what you can expect in this beauty!

Without further ado, here's my review! (Thank you so much, Miss Tara Frejas for this opportunity!)

*curtain rises*

Do go around and check out others' tour stop of Tara Frejas' Waiting in the Wings!

KEEP THE FAITH - Ana Tejano {Filipino Friday Review + Excerpt + Giveaway}

#FilipinoFriday [6]

Keep the Faith
- Ana Tejano

TITLE: Keep the Faith
AUTHOR/s: Ana Tejano
PUBLICATION DATE: 31st  of July, 2016

AVAILABLE AT: AMAZON | SMASHWORDS 
BARNES & NOBLES | KOBO | IBOOKS

Important note: It's already Saturday but I originally scheduled this post to go up yesterday for my tour stop (+ as part of Filipino Friday.) Unfortunately, blogspot's been glitch-y lately and a couple of tech problems came up *cries* but better late than never, eh? :) 

______________________________________________________

I first saw the title while browsing through the online #romanceclass catalogue. Upon reading its blurb, I knew that I'll like it and immediately added it in my continuously growing TBR pile. Then, as if the Universe had planned it all along, Miss Ana Tejano wanted to put up her own blog tour for this one and I was more then eager to join! 

Keep the Faith was a quick read for me and I finished it within a day (I may or may not have been munching on fries while reading haha!) It may have been my first Ana Tejano read but it will most definitely not be the last (especially since her first work that I knew of, Fall Like Rain ft. of course, Rain, is also stuck on my TBR for a while now. Sadlyf.) I may be ~dense~ but typing that up just made me realize how the author actually incorporates her MC's names on her titles. Cool!

Would definitely try to start on the other one soon but for now, here are some of my thoughts for Keep the Faith! :)

Do go around and check out others' review of Ana Tejano's Keep the Faith!

WHEN SPARKS FLY - Ines Bautista Yao {Review}

TITLE: When Sparks Fly
AUTHOR/s: Ines Bautista Yao
PUBLICATION DATE: 15th of August, 2016

AVAILABLE AT:  AMAZON

Happy book birthday, When Sparks Fly! (*cough* and advanced happy birthday to me *cough* hahaha!)

Anyway, I first learned of this story a couple of months ago from Miss Ines Bautista Yao herself when I first met her personally (check it out HERE!) I was so thrilled to know that she was working on another full length piece since it's been a while since she released a book (not considering the shorts she published occasionally) and I was even happier when I learned that it's the story of Ben and Regina which I first saw - and liked - in her last work Only A Kiss.

Fast forward to a few weeks later, I saw that she was looking for a street team to help promote and announce the release of her latest book. Of course, I wouldn't dare miss the chance to help out :)

So if you still haven't hit that purchase button yet, allow me to show what you've been missing ;)

Bookish Babble [2] - Post-Internship Book Haul!

Post-Internship Book Haul!
('cause Summit Books are the best!)

~~~

Classes are about to start again (for us Thomasians, anyway) but I haven't really felt the "vacation vibes." Not complaining though! Because I just spent the best break ever - interning at my dream company: Summit Media! Being at Summit is one of my biggest #careergoals ever since my aunt introduced me to it and I've always wanted to go there (even just for an internship haha!) The experience was pretty amazing especially seeing how things work "behind the scenes" and actually being part of it. Another thing I liked about interning here was that I was able to meet people! Celebs, writers, journalists, editors, fashion icons, DJs and so many more that I never would've thought I'd see in the flesh! I even met some people I look up to whom I just talk with in social media (which I talked about HERE!) 

Last day of "work" :(

Of course, my last but definitely not the least favorite of all: books! During my last bookish babble post, I mentioned getting my Ines Bautista-Yao books signed (yay!) But aside from those, I also had a last-minute mini haul before my last day of internship. So thrilled to share it with you guys! :)

THE RIGHT WRONG NUMBER - Barbara Delinsky {Review}

TITLE: The Right Wrong Number
AUTHOR/s: Barbara Delinsky
PUBLICATION DATE: 2nd of April, 2013

AVAILABLE AT: AMAZON (Get it while it's free!)

Months ago, I saw someone live tweet while she was reading Barbara Delinsky's The Right Wrong Number and I found myself heavily curious (Thank you Miss Dawn Lanuza!) So, a few clicks later, the short story ended up downloading in my kindle.

However, because *life* happened, I wasn't able to go through it until recently. Rant Thoughts ahead! :)

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES - Jennifer Niven {Review}

TITLE: All the Bright Places
AUTHOR/s: Jennifer Niven
PUBLICATION DATE: 6th of January, 2015

AVAILABLE AT: AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Recently, best selling author Jennifer Niven popped into the Philippines. Unfortunately, (1) I haven't been able to attend her signing and (2) I still haven't read her book *cries*

Fast forward to a few weeks later, I finally had the chance to get my hands on this beauty! It's one of the titles that I've patiently waited for ever since I learned about it. Just by its plot, I knew All the Bright Places would be a book for me. And I definitely was NOT mistaken! :)

THE BYE BYE BOUQUET - Chi Yu Rodriguez {Filipino Friday Review}

#FilipinoFriday [3]

The Bye Bye Bouquet

- Chi Yu Rodriguez

TITLE: The Bye Bye Bouquet
AUTHOR/s: Chi Yu Rodriguez
PUBLICATION DATE: 14th of February, 2016

AVAILABLE AT:  AMAZON | PRINT

Yay for another dose of some Filipino luvin' <3 And for today, we have here on the blog Chi Yu Rodriguez' The Bye Bye Bouquet!

For those who don't know: Most local authors and readers (including myself) have 'pledged' to boost their support of Filipino-authored books this 2016 and thus, the burst of little projects that could help Filipino writers get their works out there (click the Share The Love banner to know more!)

One of them is #FilipinoFriday which I learned from Miss April. The experiment is quite simple: You- yes, you- can have the opportunity to read works of Filipino authors under the romance class catalog (http://romanceclassbooks.com/) in exchange of an honest review and a little social media blast. Click the #FilipinoFriday banner to know more!

*Thanks to Miss April (@iambinibini) for providing a review copy! Receiving one did not affect my views on the book.

UNA & MIGUEL - Lilledeshan Bose {Filipino Friday Review}

#FilipinoFriday [2]

Una & Miguel 
- Lilledeshan Bose

TITLE: Una & Miguel
AUTHOR/s: Lilledeshan Bose
PUBLICATION DATE: 2012

AVAILABLE AT:  Amazon

A couple of months ago, I received an advanced Valentines' Day gift from a friend (shoutout to my fab bookish friend, @WalkinLibrary!) It was a book he's been recommending to me because he knows how much I support locally published works (and he said that the lead character reminds him of me lol) Since it fits the theme of the annual celebration (and it was a gift for that event), I decided to spend Valentines reading this beauty :)

So today, although it seems waaaay overdue, I'm sharing my thoughts about my Feb. 14 read: Lilledeshan Bose's Una & Miguel :)

OVERBOARD [Book Tour Stop]: Review + Excerpt :)

TITLE: Overboard
AUTHOR/s: Elizabeth Fama
PUBLICATION DATE: 9th of June, 2015
(First published: 1st of January, 2002)AVAILABLE AT: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

To be honest, Overboard isn't in the genres I usually read. However, I decided to explore something out of my comfort zone and join the tour organized by Dianne at Oops I Read A Book Again. I was enticed because of its diverse characters and its very realistic plot (considering it was based on a true story.) 

Follow the tour here!

EXTRAORDINARY MEANS: A Review :)

"Life goes on until it doesn't"

TITLE: Extraordinary Means
AUTHOR/s: Robyn Schneider
PUBLICATION DATE: 26th of May, 2015

AVAILABLE AT: AMAZON | BOOK DEPOSITORY

Ahh! The much hyped Robyn Schneider book, Extraordinary Means. I haven't really read anything from the author (The Beginning of Everything has been stuck on my TBR for as long as I could remember) but since she recently came here in PH (#KMRinPH ?) I thought maybe I should finally give her a try.

My friends, both in the blogosphere and in real life, have been raving about how awesomesauce Extraordinary Means was. This made me excited and nervous at the same time. I'm not sure the book would live up to my expectations. I usually try to not get with the hype but the reviews of some of my trusted bloggers are so enthusiastic that I just couldn't help but be swept with it. 

I've been delaying writing this review for a couple of days now because I don't exactly know what to write. I feel so conflicted but nevertheless, I'll try my best haha :)

Fangirling on FANGIRL: A Review

"I'm rooting for you."

(Spoilers! Proceed with caution)

TITLE: Fangirl
AUTHOR/s: Rainbow Rowell
PUBLICATION DATE: 10th of September, 2013
AVAILABLE AT: Amazon | The Book Depository

After Reading Eleanor & Park (Go read my review!), I've eagerly got a hold of Rowell's other books namely Fangirl and Attachments. Seeing the former as something that is more interesting, I plunged in head on to the world of Fangirl.

Being a self proclaimed Fangirl, the title was really catchy. Also, based on some reviews I've read, it showed how the fandom functions, describes attributes of fangirls/fanboys etc. But aside from that, it's also a coming-of-age story. 

Enough of these yada yada's and on with the review! :)

Pressing Play: A TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY Review

"In the end...everything matters."

(Minimal Spoilers ahead!)

TITLE: Th1rteen R3asons Why
AUTHOR/s: Jay Asher
PUBLICATION DATE: 18th of October, 2007
AVAILABLE AT: Amazon | The Book Depository

I've already read 13RW before but not the whole book. Via shmoop, I've read each chapter but only their summaries. Make sense? Anyway, fast forward to a few months later, I got a copy of it and since I've been wanting to read it for REAL, like the whole of it, I gave it a shot and it was definitely a good decision so I'm making a review. Hoorah! :)

ELEANOR & PARK: A quick review

"She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

-Park

(Minimal to no spoilers at all so go read!)

TITLE: Eleanor & Park
AUTHOR/s: Rainbow Rowell
PUBLICATION DATE: 12th of April, 2012
AVAILABLE AT: Amazon | The Book Depository

The introductory quote above was something I stumbled upon months ago and it instantly become a fave(orite). Fast forward to some time later, after reading Eleanor & Park, I discovered that it actually came from the book.

Hearing tons about it from all over the internet (and not to mention lots of recommendations from my friends), I was a bit skeptical about reading it. Sure, I was curious about it since it has made quite the splash in the bookworms' lairs but when I searched about it, I wasn't really that enticed to read it (and I thought it was too mainstream to read at that time)

Anyway, just a few days ago, I did actually give it a shot and wow, I'm definitely glad I did! And now, after completely digesting (but still not getting over) all my feels, I'll be doing a quick review! Yay :)