The Bibliophile Confessions

I really enjoyed reading this book. This is one of my most anticipated reads of this year. A few months ago, I was able to snag off a sampler galley on Netgalley. WORST. DECISION. EVER.

After reading the sneak peek chapters, I couldn’t get it off my mind. It was so mindblowing and the world-building was amazing. So when I heard there’s going to be a book tour for this, I immediately signed up.

It’s not always that I pick up fantasy books, but when I do, I end up loving it! A Darker Shade of Magic is full of action and twists. The world-building was astonishing. The idea of having four Londons and having travelers going in and out of them is unique.

The characters are well-written. I really loved Kell and Lila’s character. They’re both strong and independent. I quite enjoyed the subtle chemistry between them. What I really loved was the fact that the romance didn’t get in the way of the story and their character developments.

I finished the book in about two days because I seriously couldn’t put it down. I just had to because of school but still, I kept on sneaking a fee pages to read. Haha!

I am very much impressed by Schwab’s writing style! The story is very refreshing and enjoyable to read. I’m definitely be convincing myself to wait until next year for the sequel so I’m most probably be just going to check out her other works.

This book was really a fast read and it's so fricking cute and nerdy and adorkable! I loved all the banter and pop references all throughout the book. The characters both have distinct voices and I loved the fact that the book was narrated in two POVs.

The book was about these two highschool students, which kind of started as the opposite of each other's personality, but it turned out that they had something more in common. Ana and Zak were both part of the quiz bowl competition for their school. Ana's brother, Clayton, goes missing and she has to team up with Zak to find her brother. They ended up in Washingcon, a sci-fi convention/geek fan fest, and almost everything goes haywire.

I really loved the hilarious banter between the two characters. They're both sassy and quirky and adorable. Ana was a bit uptight at first but as the story progressed, I understood her character more. Although, I couldn't relate to her character, it was fun to see a glimpse of her personality.

Zak was really really interesting and geeky and cool and adorable. I'm obviously running out of adjectives here. I loved his character so much. I definitely related to his character more compared to Ana. We both shared the same passion in fangirling/fanboying. I loved his enthusiasm when it comes to things like Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. He's kind of this closet geek, but he's actually pretty cool. YAY TO GEEK POWER!

The book was really interesting. It was pretty cool to read a book set in a geek convention. I've always wanted to go to one. I think the closest one I've been into was every Manila International Book Fair. Haha! However, I had a kind of minor reservation with regards to the story. The last few parts of the book was a bit weird. It felt kind of out of place. My forehead was pretty much full of creases while reading towards the end of the book.

Overall, I think this book would generally be enjoyable for readers looking for a light, fun and kind of geeky read.

And the prodigal daughter returns. Hahaha! It's been a long while since I last read a Colleen Hoover novel (Try Maybe Someday).

I definitely enjoyed reading this one! It was pretty nice to see more of Bridgette's and Warren's characters and their back story totally solidified the events from Maybe Someday.

However, I think it would be more interesting to see and read a full novel about these two. Also, I think Colleen's writing style has evolved abd became more mature. The situations became more heavy and a bit more dramatic. (Yeah... I skimmed Ugly Love and I think I'm gonna pass)

Still, I'm a big fan of her works and I'm most definitely going to catch up with Never Never and Confess. Haha

Upon reading the first few pages of this book, I was immediately hooked. I’ve been craving for books with witches in them but for this one, hekamists worked.

The book was told in four different perspectives: Ari, Markos, Kay and Win. All of whom are connected to each other. Kay and Diana are friends with Ari. Ari’s boyfriend is Win, whose bestfriend is Markos.

In a society where hekamists exists, people subjecting themselves into spells to make their lives more convenient, aren’t a big deal. In exchange of a large sum of a money, people can ask hekamists for different spells. This is another thing that connects the four characters.

Among all four, I think Markos’ POV stood out pretty well. I wasn’t really sympathizing with the other characters but they kept me pretty interested in their personalities.

I think that the book was really well-written. It did remind me of We Were Liars. The Cost of All Things kept me awake all night long. I can’t seem to put it down because I was always craving for more. Although, I think this one is one of those books that you need to read when you’re in the right mood or the “right-book-for-the-right-reader” thing. Despite that, I was really impressed by Maggie’s writing and I’m definitely be looking forward to her future works.

“OH MY GOD I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!!” were the exact words I said right after I finished reading this book. I’m not even entirely sure if this has a sequel BUT IT NEEDS TO HAVE ONE (or more than one) BECAUSE I NEED MORE!!!

Broken Skies is not like any other books I’ve read before because honestly, I don’t really read much sci-fi novels to begin with. It always takes me a lot of convincing before I give in and read a sci-fi book. I’m pretty much good at watching sci-fi shows but not so much at reading them. However, this one proved to be an exception.

As always, before reading the book, I checked it out on Goodreads first and I was overwhelmed with the positive reviews this book has received, which in turn made me more excited to read it.

The book follows Jax in her quest to save his brother, Jace, who was abducted by an Alien species called E’rikon. However, in order to save him, she must work with Lir, an E’rikon, and things got pretty complicated in the process.

The book was pretty much filled with action which was really thrilling and it gave me a great experience while reading it. I read this in a span of two days because, I kid you not, I couldn’t put it down. The world-building was great, although it took me a while to fully understand it because I wasn’t sure how to imagine it.

The characters were well-written and dynamic. Both Jax and Lir were strong characters and I felt attached to them early, which was a good thing. They also had great chemistry and I found myself smiling most of the time because of that.

I loved Jax’s character. She’s strong, intelligent and badass. I loved the way her character was written. Amidst all the badassery she’s got, she’s vulnerable at times and I liked it so much because it made her character more human and believable and it was really great to see how deeply the author delved into that. I also loved her relationship with her twin brother, Jace. They were pretty tight. It made me wish I had a brother (which I’ve always wanted by the way.)

Lir came off a bit cocky/jock-y for me at first, but as the story progressed he turned out to be the opposite. I loved his sense of humor and his sharp wit. He’s a decent guy, which is pretty cool for an alien. Actually, I even forgot that he was one because his actions turned out normal, like what a normal person would do. There were times I doubted his motives but I still believe in him.

The story was really captivating and enjoyable to read. I’m really really excited to read the next one. There has to be a next one because I need to know what happens next. The book didn’t end in a cliffhanger, don’t worry. But it sure as hell will leave you craving for more, like it did for me.

I’m also looking forward to reading Theresa Kay’s other/upcoming works. I’m very impressed by her writing style. These are the times where I wish her books are locally available because I sure need this one on my shelf.

This book is a fun read. I've been looking for some great MG reads and this caught my attention. Sadly, it didn't blow my mind like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson but I think it's more because of my age and maturity as a reader. I did enjoy the reading the book, but it felt too rushed.

The world-building was good. I think any middle-graders would enjoy this one, especially book lovers. This book is about book caretakers! How amazing is that?

Archie was an amazing character. I admire his bravery, intelligence and sense of adventure. The secondary characters had pretty good dynamics as well. I loved the wittiness of Old Zeb and Archie's cousins always make me smile!

If only the book didn't feel too rushed, I think I would have loved it more. I think I was just looking for something that would blow my mind with all it's magic and adventure like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson and I think that's pretty unfair to this book but I'm pretty sure middle-graders would love to meet Archie Greene.

Holy fricking crap! This book is totally amazing! It's not even halfway through the year but 2015 debuts are already capturing my heart. This has got to be one of the funniest, free-flowing, and refreshing books I've read so far. Although, I haven't read a lot of books that deals with LGBT but don't worry, my mind is completely open about that.

The book tells about the story of Simon, who has this email-pal that goes by the name Blue. They exchange emails almost everyday while keeping their identities a secret, until one thing happened which changed things between them.

Simon is a really great MC. His character is very funny and relatable. I love his sense of humor and he's familiar to me in a way, maybe because he reminds me of my friends who are gay as well. I like his relationship with his friends and family. Also he loves Oreos so I love hin so much because Oreos are life.

His best friends, Leah, Nick and Abby were all great characters too! They're very supportive and kind. Simon's sisters, Norah and Alice and his relationship with them kind of reminds me of my relationship with my sisters, which is very cool.

Blue is really a mystery. I love that mystery aspect of the book because it will keep you thinking who might his identity be. I had a few people in mind and I'm really happy that one of the people in my list turned out to be him.

Another thing I love about this book is that it explores gender and sexuality. I took two courses in Uni regarding these and I'm really glad that I did because it's really liberating and empowering to learn how gender and sexuality appeals to the society. I'm very well aware of the fact that the LBGT community isn't 100% accepted... yet. However, I know that there will come a time that this will change and I hope it's in the near future. The book imparts a very important lesson to everyone regarding accepting oneself and others who they are as a person.

Overall, the book was an amazing read. I still can't believe that this was a debut novel. I'm really looking forward to more of Becky Albertalli's works in the future.

I enjoyed reading this book. I'm not a big fan of a Roman-esque setting but I'm familiar with it, so some terms mentioned in the novel wasn't very alienating for me. This book has been in the spotlight for quite some time now and I think that it really deserves the hype it's getting. It's also been optioned by Paramount for a film, which makes me really excited.

The book was told in dual POVs, from Laia, a slave, and from Elias, a soldier. The world-building was good but I think that it's somehow lacking because it's kind of hard to imagine it. I think if this book is really pushed for a film, I would be able to visualize the setting clearer. Both characters have strong persona, which I really admired. Laia's strong will to find and free his brother was one of the dominant emotions throughout the book, so was Elias's search for freedom and justice. There was a bit of a romantic chemistry between the two main characters but I'm glad the book did not focus much on that.

The book contains themes of violence and implied rape, which is very sensitive. I do not like the idea of women as slaves and as property but heck, what could I do? That really happened at some point in the history. Anyways, the way those issues were presented in the book didn't really make me cringe, which is a good thing.

The book is really intense and thrilling. Every single chapter was action-packed and really enjoyable to read. It kept me on edge, but the ending... DAMN. I felt like it was kind of anti-climactic. I needed more. It was a bit of a cliffhanger. I was waiting for Laia's ending, since Elias achieved his. And the fact that this is a standalone just made things kinda worse. UGH I JUST NEED MORE...

Overall, the experience I had and the emotions I felt from reading this book overweighed my little issue with the ending. I would still recommend it to everyone, especially to readers craving for a fantasy/dystopian read.

OMG THE FEELS.

This was the second book I’ve read from Robyn Schneider, the first one being Extraordinary Means which won’t come out until May 2015, and I’m really amazed by the way she writes. When I read the ARC of Extraordinary Means last year, I told myself Robyn has to be an auto-buy author for me. This novel just solidified that fact more.

This book tells the story of Ezra Faulkner, one of the most popular boys in their school and how he fell in love with Cassidy Thorpe, the new girl.

This book hit me just right in the feels. Robyn Schneider writes amazingly realistic fiction. It’s very relatable, funny and heartwarming. It’s as if she really understand teenagers, which is really a good thing.

Ezra was a very likeable and relatable character, despite his flaws and I’m not talking about his physical flaws. He might be an asshole but he really was kind and funny most of the time. He’s got an awesome sense of humor, especially the puns. His relationships with most people were unpredictable but once he realized who his true friends were, it solidifies. I also love the fact that he has a dog, Cooper, because I love dogs. I really enjoyed it when it seemed like Cooper was communicating to him with his eyes and Ezra’s trying to voice it into his head with Cooper sounding like Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby. And no, I so did not imagine Leo DiCaprio as a dog. Okay… maybe a little…

Cassidy was the kind of girl that could easily be my best friend. I love her to pieces. She was really interesting, especially during the first parts of the book where Ezra got to meet her. She seemed weird and awkward but I think it’s pretty normal for someone who just transferred school. I love her wits and her sense of humor as well. The kind of friendship she had with Toby and the others, including Ezra, was really great.

The other characters weren’t flat. I love that they’re given enough dimension and exposure to not be considered as minor. Toby, Ezra’s best friend, was pretty funny as well. So were Austin, Phoebe and Luke. Their gang actually reminded me of my high school friends. I also love the fact that they’re on the debate team and the fact that they do love to geek out. I loved the Harry Potter and Doctor Who references, and possibly a huge Vampire Weekend one because the band was mentioned twice and the main character shares the same name as the band’s frontman. AND I DO LOVE VAMPIRE WEEKEND.

I loathed Charlotte’s character because I do HATE bitches with all my pure heart. She’s unnerving and I want to poke her eyes out with her own fingernails. Really, props to Robyn for effective writing. As for the other “jocks” most of them were just pretty much dumb assholes which I found actually pretty funny.

The story was really appealing and heartfelt. I read this one in less than 24 hours which wasn’t really surprising because I basically devoured Robyn’s other book. I have to admit though that the ending wasn’t really solid for me but the entirety of the book helped overcome that one. The book was very interesting, relatable, realistic and yes, heartbreaking. I am definitely looking forward to more of Robyn’s works.

I seem to be on a pattern lately. The last three books I’ve read, including this one all have something in common: murder. Don’t worry, I’m not going crazy or something. Hahaha! I’m just a completely normal teenager enjoying mystery novels lately.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It kind of gave me the creeps while reading it. I particulary enjoyed reading this one night last week, when I was wide awake around 1AM. Really, the time added some effect to the story. Anyway, I haven’t heard about this book before, let alone the author but I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read this because it’s been one of the most enjoyable reads for me this year.

I didn’t know if she meant the weather conditions or the world in general.
The story was told in the point of view of Aidan Flood, who lives in a small town in Ireland. Aidan has been bullied and given shit by his schoolmates and other people for months but he’s decided to keep all of it to himself. He almost decided to end his life until Slaine McAuley ended up dead. Aidan has found himself drawn into finding conclusions as to what really went down, especially after attacks happened one after the other.

Aidan was kind of the typical YA hero. I didn’t seen anything about him that may really distinguish him from the other YA heroes I’ve read from other books. This doesn’t mean that I didn’t like him though. I liked his curiosity and willingness to pursue it and find answers, even though the answers were quite peculiar and unusual, he totally kept his chill most of the time.

This book kind of reminded me of Liars, Inc. by Paula Stokes because in one part of this book, the attacks were trying to be pinned down to Aiden. It was a good thing for me because I had no idea who was behind the attacks and I doubted Aiden as well. It’s one thing I love about mystery/suspense stories, where the narrator seemed to be a bit unreliable because it adds tension to the story. At one point in the story, I was really sure who the suspect was but OH I WAS TRULY WRONG.

I love how the story expanded from reality to the supernatural. It’s not often that I read books like this one so I really appreciated it, because I love horror/thriller movies. This is the kind of the story that piques the curiosity of readers as well. This book has a bit of a romance that is very unusual but I did find it adorable.

This is the first time I've read anything from Nova Ren Suma and I am really glad because I loved this book. The Walls Around Us is captivating, breath-taking and mysterious. The way it was written was very interesting. The flowery words used in the novel didn't make it appear exaggerated, instead it solidifies the story.

The story was told in two different voices, Violet and Amber. I have to admit, I was really confused at first because they seem to exist in a parallel universe so I had no idea which of the two actually exist in the present but as the story progressed, I was enlightened and I found myself really surprised and amazed.

Violet is a ballerina, off to Juilliard. Amber is a criminal, in a juvenile detention center. These two have nothing in common except Ori, Violet's bestfriend. I love how their characters were both depicted. Although I would say that I liked Amber better than Violet, especially towards the end of the story because Violet seemed to be self-absorbing which really annoyed me.

Violet is kind of hard to interpret for me. I think her complex personality was one of the major anchors of the story. Amber is kind, smart and she loves books. I love the references to certain popular authors like Libba Bray, Sylvia Plath, and books like The Giver and The Book Thief.

The plot was driving and a bit intense. I lost my mind just as I was lost for words after reading it. It actually reminded me of the film, Black Swan. It's really mysterious and thrilling and I loved every single page of this book. It perfectly captures surrealism.

I'm looking forward to reading Nova Ren Suma's other books, especially
Imaginary Girls which is currently waiting on my shelf. Overall, The Walls Around Us was such a beautiful read. I would definitely recommend this one.

I’ve heard a lot of great things about this book so I wasn’t really surprised when I found myself liking it.I loved it, actually! It’s my first time to read Kristen Simmons’s work and I’m very glad I did.

The Glass Arrow was such an enthralling, captivating and exciting read. I was hooked upon reading the first page. The intensity of the plot was one of the major factors that drawn me closer to the book. I also love how the author created the society in this book. It really fueled up my imagination.

I admire Aya, the main character, and her personality. She’s kind, strong-willed, smart and fearless. If I was somehow thrown into the story, I’d have the same viewpoint with her with regards to women being sold as property.

I loved the chemistry between Aya and Kiran. Kiran was sort of a mysterious type but I really liked him because he’s smart and kind as well. I loved the connection between them and how they seemed to understand each other even though he was a mute. But it turns out he wasn’t actually mute and he’s got a pretty hot accent and I found it adorable.

Daphne’s character was surprising. I didn’t like her at first but she grew on me. Thanks to her amazing character arc.

Overall, I think this book would appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas, Pierce Brown and fantasy/dystopian fans in general. The story was great, the characters were amazing. The world-building was spot on! The chemistry and romance between the characters was perfect. I would totally recommend this book!

Thanks to Dianne and Pinoy Book Tours for lending me a copy of this book!

Title: Tabula Rasa
Author: Kristen Lippert-Martin
Publication Date: September 23rd 2014 by Egmont USA
Rating: ★★★★
Amazon // Book Depository // Goodreads

Synopsis

The Bourne Identity meets Divergent in this heart-pounding debut.

Sixteen-year-old Sarah has a rare chance at a new life. Or so the doctors tell her. She’s been undergoing a cutting-edge procedure that will render her a tabula rasa—a blank slate. Memory by memory her troubled past is being taken away.

But when her final surgery is interrupted and a team of elite soldiers invades the isolated hospital under cover of a massive blizzard, her fresh start could be her end.

Navigating familiar halls that have become a dangerous maze with the help of a teen computer hacker who’s trying to bring the hospital down for his own reasons, Sarah starts to piece together who she is and why someone would want her erased. And she won’t be silenced again.

A high-stakes thriller featuring a non-stop race for survival and a smart heroine who will risk everything, Tabula Rasa is, in short, unforgettable.

 

Tabula Rasa somehow reminded me of Scarlett Johansson’s recent movie, Lucy. If you’ve seen the movie, you probably know about Lucy’s ability to access her brain’s functions fully because of the drug that has been absorbed by her body. Here in the book, it’s a bit like that. The main character, Sarah, basically has advanced skills developed from a drug.

 

The book started pretty amazing. Sarah cannot recall her memories and she’s being held at a special kind of hospital. One minute she was just taking some lab tests, then few pages after she’s being chased by soldiers just because she has “green eyes”. That fact has been one of the major anchors in the story. After she managed to escape the hospital, she met Thomas and they helped each other to basically reach their goals.

 

The characters were very intriguing, in general and I love the way they were written. Sarah and Thomas’ chemistry was very adorable. I loved every single scene of them together., which means the bulk of the book. Hahaha!

 

The book was very fast-paced but it suited the story because it was action-packed and really thrilling. I really loved the way it was written because everytime you finish a chapter, you just crave for more. It’s very unique, fresh, compelling and captivating. It’s certainly a must-read for fans of action and science fiction/dystopia.

I haven’t actually read a lot of fairy tale re-tellings but I do have to admit this one is really great. I have to say the only Sleeping Beauty stories I knew were the ones from Disney (*coughs* MALEFICENT FTW) and the TV show, Once Upon A Time. She’s not even my favorite Disney Princess (It’s Mulan :P) but it’s quite enjoyable to read a novel about her especially with a twist.

Slumber tells the story of Rory, who’s been admitted into Spindle Ridge Asylum as a patient for killing her boyfriend Phillip. However, as the story goes on, she discovers about her past which changed everything.

Rory was an interesting character. I wasn’t attached to her that much but seeing her character grow gave me satisfaction. It was such an adventure for me to see her grow. I have to admit I liked her chemistry with Sawyer. A LOT. The other characters were interesting as well. Malisa/Maleficent came off to be a great villain, and Raven did as well.

I loved the fact that the story’s setting was in an asylum. I don’t know, but somehow that appealed to me. I think I really do like twisted books sometimes.

It’s my first time to read anything from Christy Sloat and I have to say I’m very impressed of her writing.

Two thumbs up for this one! Read this book for less than 24 hours because I really can't put it down! Pretty much hilarious but it's way more than that for it discusses how empowering, special and unique it is to be a fangirl.

I'd really recommend this to all of you out there. This is one of the books that you need not to miss! I learned a lot of things from this book. Really. LIKE A LOT.

I think I may have established a few times... okay, A LOT of times, how much I love How I Fall and Anne Eliot in general. I've honestly been waiting for this novel to come out. Luckily, all the built-up anticipation were worth it.

I think that Anne Eliot really works her magic when it comes to light, fluffy and not overly-dramatic contemporary romance novels. She's definitely got the right formula for it and might have more tricks up her sleeves.

How I Fly picks up several months after the events of How I Fall. A lot of things have changed for Cam and Ellen, but I know exactly one thing that hasn't changed between them. Even though how hard they try to deny it, it's very obvious how much head over heels in love they still are for each other. Yup, I could easily pick it up off the pages (in my case, phone screen) and I really found it super adorable!

The writing was simple but very spot on. The chemistry between Ellen and Cam felt like it never lost it's charisma, which was a really good thing. I love they way they make me feel what they feel towards each other. It's just so adorable! I was totally smiling like a proper idiot all throughout the book because of them. Another thing I loved about them was they really grew more mature in this one.

Patrick and Laura were funny and charming, as always, especially Laura. Irish Power!! I love her character so much. Both of them didn't seem like side-characters. Both had justice, and were given enough exposure in order to be reached and understood by the reader.

Harrison Shaw's character was very surprising! I actually didn't expect his character to turn out the way he did. I felt so deceived. *shakes head because how could I be so naive?* Props to Anne for her effective writing.

I like how the plot was simple and direct to the point. It was really interesting and enjoyable to read. I've had a great time reading this. Really looking forward to more of her works in the future! I'd definitely recommend this one if you need something to read to cheer you up!