Want free Mockingjay bookmarks to go with your Mockingjay movie tie-in book?

If, like me, you're a huge fan of The Hunger Games trilogy, then I have something for you! I know, I know. I've yet to watch the movie, but I've read the book, which gave me such a massive hangover for days.

Now if you're the type to collect all versions of THG, even the movie tie-in ones, then this is your chance! Scholastic Philippines, together with National Book Store and Powerbooks has a very interesting promo for all Hunger Games fans. If you grab a copy of Mockingjay (Movie Tie-in Edition), you can get a free limited edition Mockingjay Part 1 bookmark for every purchase at any participating NBS and Powerbooks branch in Metro Manila!

Check the poster below for more details!

Now, fellow bookworms, the promo is only until December 22, 2014 so get your copies now while the odds are still in your favor.

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Waiting on Wednesday (153): The Grace of Kings + Mind Games

This week's WoW picks made me go "Okay Kai, what were you thinking? It's like you're in this place one second, and then on another the next.". Yes, they're vastly different books, but they currently tickle my fancy, so I chose them.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: The Grace of Kings (The Dandelion Dynasty #1) by Ken Liu
Release Date: April 7th 2015
Published by: Simon & Schuster

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary:

Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, soaring battle kites, conspiring goddesses, underwater boats, magical books, as a streetfighter-cum-general who takes her place as the greatest tactitian of the age. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.

Why I'm waiting for The Grace of Kings:

Aside from that awesome title? I'm currently reading Pierce Brown's Golden Son (*gasp* IKR?) and there's just something in my current reading experience that made so attracted to this novel. They're not even in the same genre, but there's something oddly magnetic in the way this story is set up. Two people who became friends, brought together by war and when it ended, found themselves standing on opposite sides instead of being together. Conflict! Danger! Feelings! Something tells me this is going to be epic.

(Also, for some reason that cover makes me think of Gladiator.)

Title: Mind Games by Teri Terry
Release Date: March 5th 2015
Published by: Orchard Books

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary:

Luna is a no-hoper with a secret: in a world of illusion, she can see what is real. But can she see the truth before it is too late?

Luna has always been able to exist in virtual and real worlds at the same time, a secret she is warned to keep. She hides her ability by being a Refuser: excluded by choice from the virtual spheres others inhabit. But when she is singled out for testing, she can’t hide any longer.

The safest thing to do would be to fail, to go back to a dead-end life, no future. But Luna is starting to hope for something better, and hope is a dangerous thing...

Why I'm waiting for Mind Games:

It's no secret that I love Teri Terry. Slated is one of my favorites and I was so happy and excited when I found out she has a new book coming out and then I read the summary and I just love her even more. Mind Games sounds amazingly intriguing with that sci-fi vibe from the get go. It's got that Divergent + Glaze feel to it and the combination just makes me more eager to read her book!

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So what are you waiting for this week? Share your links below!

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Signing recap: Marie Lu PH Book signing! #MarieLuinPH

And just like that, the day passed by in a blur.

There's a buzz still thrumming through my veins because of the experience, and I can wholeheartedly tell you one thing: I had absolute fun today.

Another amazing author visited the Philippines for a signing, and this time it's New York Times Bestselling author Marie Lu, author of the highly popular Legend trilogy (Legend, Prodigy and Champion) and her latest novel, The Young Elites. Marie has never been to the Philippines, but I'm pretty sure this isn't the last time she'll be here! Her husband is Filipino after all, so she might visit us again soon!

Photo grabbed from Kate @ The Bookaholic Blurbs' FB album!

Admittedly, Marie's signing was one of my most anticipated signing for the year. And that says something when we already had powerhouse signings scheduled all year long. My lack of sleep will always be a constant during signings, but what doesn't get old for me is while we wait for Marie to arrive, I had ample time to catch up with my blogger friends. And then of course, Marie arrived.

An amazing author, staring off into the distance... :)

*cue internal fangirling* The Q&A started, and Marie Lu went ahead and answered all the questions we threw her way. I loved all of her answers, and she passionately discussed the way she writes, her quirks, etc. Some quick points below:

- When Marie first submitted her manuscript for Legend, she didn't know she'd be writing books for Young Adult. Legend was pitched just as a science fiction, but her agent said her story fits in the YA category.
- She grew up reading Fantasy and Science Fiction and she plans on writing within those two genres.
- If Marie was to choose where she wants to live: The Republic or The Colonies? Neither, since they both suck in some ways. She'd gladly be in New Antarctica instead.
- Marie can only write while listening to music, but it has to be songs that are either soundtracks, ambient noise (the sound of rain!) or in a language she can't understand because if it's something she can understand, it distracts her.
- Yes, she has tried writing while on a train, and she definitely gets why J.K. Rowling likes to write while riding on one. She wants to do it again in the future.
- A quirk of hers: she has to draw her characters first before she writes her books. She has to get a "visual" of them first.
- If someone was to ask her who she's most like, she'll say she's like Day (this was before Legend came out) but if you asked her after Champion was released, she'd say June, because she can see parts of herself in her.
- It was hard for Marie to write a really smart character, as she thinks she's not as smart as June. One time when June went off about paperclips, she had to research for an hour about it just so she can write a part of June's dialogue.
- The first draft of The Young Elites is nothing like what was published. When Marie submitted the first 100 pages to her agent, she didn't like it (the character was very bland, good hearted, totally normal guy, like Clark Kent) but then her agent asked about Adelina, the villain, and then Marie described her, and so she tried writing from the point of view of the villain, so TYE was born.
- The difference between writing Day and June and Adelina: Day and June came from good families, and they were loved. Adelina's situation isn't like that, so it's pretty hard writing from her point of view. She had to stop after writing a chapter and go pet her dogs and remind herself that she's a normal human being who doesn't think like Adelina. But it was a very interesting challenge to explore that sort of head space.

You can listen to the whole recording below:


Also, because we had time to kill, aside from chatting with each other, exchanging book recommendations and just hanging out with each other before and during the Q&A, we of course had to take some photos.

And of course, while Marie was signing the books, some of us had the chance to ask her to doodle on some of them. And so we witnessed firsthand, the awesomeness of Marie Lu's drawing skills. Not only is she a great writer, she's definitely talented and you can see why she was an art director in Disney before!

Gorgeous, right? I wasn't able to attend the public signing, but I know a lot of people who had a great time there! (If you want to listen to a recording of Marie's interview, it's here.) When I arrived early in the morning, I was so shocked when I saw that the last person on queue is right in front of Glorietta 4. You can see my tweet here. WOAH. Amazing bookworms are amazing!

I cannot say thank you enough to the generous and awesome people over at National Bookstore for another once in a lifetime chance to meet the person responsible for the books we love to read.

This signing marks the last of the phenomenal slew of Young Adult authors who visited the country and shared our love of books. But of course there's more in store next year! I am definitely looking forward to seeing what's in store for YA book lovers and bookworms in general this coming 2015. Keep em coming!

And as a bonus, here is a recording of Marie Lu's message to Filipino readers:


See you soon, you amazing readers!

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Waiting on Wednesday (152): Crimson Bound + Becoming Jinn

Wow, it's been so long since I last made a WoW post! I miss it terribly!

These books will not be released until after a good 5 to 6 months have passed, but still I am very excited to read them! Wanna know what these books are? Check out my post below!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge
Release Date: May 5th 2015
Published by: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

Why I'm waiting for Crimson Bound:

Even though Cruel Beauty was a wee bit underwhelming for me, I became a fan of Rosamund Hodge's writing because of the e-novella Gilded Ashes, which made me realize how good of a writer she is and that made me so excited for Crimson Bound. It's inspired by the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and it just sounds dark and sinister, intriguing and fascinating all at the same time, which I think is amazing. Oh the anticipation!

I can't believe I still need to wait half a year to read this book. *sigh*

Title: Becoming Jinn (Becoming Jinn #1) by Lori Goldstein
Release Date: April 21st 2015
Published by: Feiwel & Friends

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Forget everything you thought you knew about genies!

Azra has just turned sixteen, and overnight her body lengthens, her olive skin deepens, and her eyes glisten gold thanks to the brand-new silver bangle that locks around her wrist. As she always knew it would, her Jinn ancestry brings not just magical powers but the reality of a life of servitude, as her wish granting is controlled by a remote ruling class of Jinn known as the Afrit.

To the humans she lives among, she’s just the girl working at the snack bar at the beach, navigating the fryer and her first crush. But behind closed doors, she’s learning how to harness her powers and fulfill the obligations of her destiny.

Mentored by her mother and her Zar “sisters,” Azra discovers she may not be quite like the rest of her circle of female Jinn . . . and that her powers could endanger them all. As Azra uncovers the darker world of becoming Jinn, she realizes when genies and wishes are involved, there’s always a trick.

Why I'm waiting for Becoming Jinn:

After Exquisite Captive, here's another tale of genies/djinns that sounds like something I'd like to read. Don't you just love it how imaginative and creative people can be and manage to reinvent, rewrite and reimagine ideas and give birth to something like this one?

Being a genie who can't grant wishes to just anyone and is instead being controlled by a class of people as their servants? Done. Sign me up for this book.

Also, how gorgeous is that cover?

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What are your Waiting on Wednesday picks this week? Do share them with me!

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[Happy Release Day!] Jenna Black's Revolution Excerpt + Giveaway!

If you are as excited as I am for the last book in the Replica trilogy, then wait no more! Today I will share with you the first chapter of Revolution, which hopefully (like me) will whet your appetite as we wait for the book to hit the shelves.

Scroll down below for a chance to win a finished copy too!

Title: Revolution (Replica Trilogy #3) by Jenna Black
Release Date: November 11th 2014
Published by: Tor Teen
Summary:

Nadia Lake and Nate Hayes find themselves at the center of a horrifying conspiracy in this action-packed finale of Jenna Black’s SF romance series that began with Replica
From the author of the Faeriewalker series comes the stunning conclusion to the young adult science fiction thriller series that began with Replica and continued in Resistance.

At the conclusion of Resistance, Nadia Lake and the Replica of her best friend, Nate Hayes, found themselves at the center of a horrifying conspiracy. Framed for murder and wanted by the government, they have no choice but to go underground and seek refuge in the dangerous, gang-ridden slums of the Basement.

Jenna Black brings readers an action-packed final installment that will have them racing to the finish.

BUY A COPY: Amazon | Book Depository

And for the excerpt:



About the author:

Jenna Black is your typical writer. Which means she's an "experience junkie." She got her BA in physical anthropology and French from Duke University.

Once upon a time, she dreamed she would be the next Jane Goodall, camping in the bush making fabulous discoveries about primate behavior. Then, during her senior year at Duke, she did some actual research in the field and made this shocking discovery: primates spend something like 80% of their time doing such exciting things as sleeping and eating.

Too short, right? Now here's your chance to win your own copy of Jenna Black's Revolution! Details below.

Rules:

Open to US residents only (Sorry international peeps! If you know someone from the US, you can join.)
Ends November 20
Must be 13 years old and above

GIVEAWAY TIME!
WIN A FINISHED COPY OF JENNA BLACK'S REVOLUTION!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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Goddess Offerings (48) / Stacking the Shelves (30)

So how is everyone? I am neck deep in planning for and helping out in various bookish events until the end of the year (Marie Lu signing, Filipino Reader Conference, Lang Leav signing, Bloggers Christmas party) so I might be neglecting my blog a bit, but I promise to be back once the craziness is over! In the meantime, here are the books that I got the past few weeks.

Stacking the Shelves hosted is by Tynga's reviews! So leave a comment below and share your own haul!

For review:

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (ARC)
A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas (ARC)
Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley
A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan
State of Grace by Hilary Badger
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC) (not in picture)

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas *

If you notice, this is my second copy of Crown of Midnight. Postal services in my country's really driving us people who order books online crazy. (It's always like this whenever Christmas season is near!) This is a duplicate, as my first copy of Crown of Midnight got resent. Somewhere, someone made a mistake and this got sent to me instead. Not complaining though.

Thanks very much HarperCollins International, MIRA Ink, Hachette UK, Scholastic Philippines, Penguin Teen Australia and Hardie Grant Egmont!

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[Blog Tour] Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano Excerpt + Giveaway!

It's the 2nd day of the FLR blog tour, and I'm the 3rd stop today! Now it's my turn to share with you an excerpt that will make you all the more curious and interested in Ana's book!

But first, if you're curious to know what the book is all about:

Fall Like Rain by Ana Tejano
Release Date: September 29th 2014

Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary:

Rain De Castro has been in love with her best friend, Mark Velasco, for almost the entire time she has known him, but she’s clearly in the friend zone because he’s happily in a relationship. Or so she thought, until the news of his break-up reaches her. Now that Mark’s single again, she decides that it’s time to get out of the zone. But when her cousin Lissa comes into the picture and sets her eyes on Mark, Rain feels troubled when he gets a little too friendly with her. Rain is determined to fight for what she feels this time, but is it worth the effort if it's a losing battle from the start? Will she back off to give way for her best friend's happiness, even if it means losing him to someone else again?

Buy the book: Amazon | Smashwords

You can also pre-order a paperback copy of the book by filling out the form here: http://bit.ly/FLRPrint

And now, for the excerpt!

“So I heard you almost didn’t invite Mark. Why?”

I groaned. Of course, they would have done a tag-team on me. “Why does it matter? He’s probably with his girlfriend,” I replied. I wish I could say I didn’t cringe at the last word.

They exchanged looks. Meah nodded at Faith, who shook her head slightly but was rewarded with a pointed look. Faith sighed. They knew something I didn’t know, obviously, and I waited for one of them to break down and just tell me, even if a part of me was itching to ask.

“Are you mad at Mark, Rain?” Faith finally asked, her brow furrowed with concern. “I mean, are you still mad at him?”

“I was never really mad,” I said, shaking my head. “And why are we having this conversation again?”

“But did you guys have a fight recently or something?” Faith insisted.

“No. Come on guys. Mark? We never even argued. I mean, remember we called him smiley-faced boy in college? I don’t think he’s capable of being sad or angry, ever.” I laughed at the last bit, despite the weirdness of the conversation.

“But...have you talked to him recently? Like...early this year or something?” Meah asked.

This time, I felt a teeny, tiny stab of worry. “Well...” I said slowly, trying to recall the last time Mark said hi. “I saw him on my birthday, but I wasn’t able to talk to him for too long. But guys, I’ve been very busy with work and the wedding for the past few months.”

They exchanged looks again. Frustration bubbled up in me, as well as this urge to tear my hair out from all their cryptic looks. They were friends with Mark, too, so I understood the curiosity, but why the sudden interrogation?

“So...did he tell you...I mean, did you talk about...” Faith stammered, giving Meah a helpless look.

“Oh girls, will you cut it out? What is it? Is there something wrong with Mark?” For a moment, I wondered if he got into an accident and I didn’t know about it, but I waved it off. If that had happened, I was pretty sure I would have heard of it.

There was a moment of silence, which felt like it stretched on forever, until Meah finally blurted it out.

“Rain. Mark is single again.”

Dundundundun. And the plot thickens. If the excerpt tickles your fancy, you can buy the ebook or print version through the links I posted above! Or you can always join the giveaway to win the following:

1 of 3 ebook copies of Fall Like Rain (Open Internationally!)

1 signed paperback copy of Fall Like Rain (PH Only!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Ana Tejano has been in love with words and writing ever since she met Elizabeth Wakefield when she was in Grade 3. She has contributed several non-fiction pieces in print and online publications, and has been blogging for years. When she’s not writing, she works as a marketing lead for a multinational company by day, manages a book club, and serves in her church community in every other time that she doesn’t spend reading or sleeping. She lives in Metro Manila and is also known by another name in her other circles (but it’s not a secret identity, really).

You can follow Ana on Twitter, Facebook and Wattpad.

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