Goddess Offerings (46) / Stacking the Shelves (28)

So here's my book haul for the week! I'm so excited for the Jen E. Smith and Lissa Price signing happening today (and tomorrow!) here in Manila. Watch out for my recap soon! In the meantime, check out the pretties I got in the mail. And bought. I might've had a wee bit of a problem controlling myself and ended up buying more books. And then there's also MIBF so... watch out for my haul. :D

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

For review:

The Memory Keepers by Natasha Ngan
Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas
The 100 Society by Carla Spradbery

The Dolls (Dolls #1) by Kiki Sullivan
Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant
Feral by Holly Schindler

Bought:

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall (Kindle ebook and paperback)
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1) by Pierce Brown

* This copy had a 7 page excerpt of Golden Son (!!!!!) and my IG posts, which Pierce Brown liked. Day. Made.

(From National Bookstore's sale)

Dualed by Elsie Chapman
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jen E. Smith
Geography of You and Me by Jen E. Smith
Starters by Lissa Price

Habagat and Typhoon Mario struck the greater part of Metro Manila and nearby provinces yesterday, I hope everyone affected are staying warm and safe. Take care, guys!

And thanks very much to HarperCollins International, HotKey Books, Bloomsbury UK, Hachette UK!

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ARC Review: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

A shivery tale based on the popular legend that spawned Sadako, guaranteed to make the hairs at the back of your neck stand quite a few times, with an unlikely protagonist and an unusual style of storytelling. Strange yet not without a satisfying ending. All of the words before this just means I loved the book.

Title: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco
Release Date: August 5th 2014
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Author (Thanks Rin!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

A dead girl walks the streets.

She hunts murderers. Child killers, much like the man who threw her body down a well three hundred years ago.

And when a strange boy bearing stranger tattoos moves into the neighborhood so, she discovers, does something else. And soon both will be drawn into the world of eerie doll rituals and dark Shinto exorcisms that will take them from American suburbia to the remote valleys and shrines of Aomori, Japan.

Because the boy has a terrifying secret - one that would just kill to get out.

What to expect when you know you're reading a book that sounds frightful? Be scared, of course. But the thing is, The Girl from the Well will not bombard you at the get go with gruesome, gory scenes. Instead it introduces you to a girl who has spent hundreds of years in the dark, quietly watching, waiting for the right time to strike, making sure that the children, kidnapped and killed, will be avenged. Her name is Okiku, and she is the girl from the well.

Rin Chupeco convinced me to look closer into the story behind this infamous ghost, and Okiku convinced me to look closer into who she was before she became known as that spiteful spirit. Both combined made me enjoy the story tenfold. Okiku is a ghost unlike any other. It's fascinating to see the story unfold on her perspective, because that's what was most interesting to me: it's the thoughts of a ghost, mingling with what she sees and occasionally blending with bits and pieces of her life before she died and what happened after. Rin Chupeco has given Okiku a smart, catching voice in the story, but still managed to stay true to what she is supposed to be: a vengeful ghost.

Tarq and Callie are two other characters in the story that are worth looking at. Their dynamics as cousins are enjoyable to see, and the mystery surrounding Tarq's condition is something one would want to discover. Why the tattooes? I viewed Tarq not as a potential love interest at first, but as a child who needs protection, like Okiku does. Children are her domain after all. And the unusual fascination sustained the intrigue for me. Why this particular boy?

And then Rin Chupeco masterfully weaves in Japanese folklore and legend into the story, Shinto rituals and exorcisms, mikos, shrines and dolls, creating a dark, unsettling effect and gradually upping the creepy factor to a breaking point. There are things that are quite scary in this book, and bit by bit it turns into the chilling, horror story you expect it to be. I was gasping quite a few times, the hairs at the back of my neck stood up on quite a few scenes, but it just added fuel to my reading fire, to know what happens next. What little romance this book has was also catching in its uncommonness, and the way it ended was something you rarely expect. A tormented boy and a ghost, what a strange combination, but the author made it work.

With my love for anything Japanese quite big, my expectations for this book is high and I am quite impressed. The Girl from the Well is quite good in its unusual set-up, the charm stemming from the fact that it was a one of a kind take on a Japanese story we are all quite familiar of. Rin Chupeco's style of writing gave life to a fascinating ghost. The suspense and mystery was sustained throughout the story, and the ending will just make you feel torn and conflicted. Was it good or not?

Kai's favorite quote:

“It is not in my nature to be interested in the living.
But there are many things, I have found, that defy nature.”

Content (plot, story flow, character):

.5 off because there are Japanese terms that readers might not be familiar of and might confuse those who aren't knowledgeable with Japanese. Since I am reviewing an ARC, I'm not sure if there's a glossary of terms included in the finished copy. It should help.
.5

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
That cover should give you an idea on what to expect while reading the book.

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Signing recap: Alex London in Manila!

Days before, I didn't know what to expect for this signing, but surprisingly this is one of the most fun events I have attended this year so far. Why? Check my recap below for the reasons. But really, Alex London is just AMAZING!

I didn't arrive late! Some of my friends from NBS and a few bloggers were still teasing me because of my blunder (a.k.a my late arrival) at Steph Perkins' Q&A, so I made sure I arrived early this time around. I am proudly the second person who was there at the venue. Admittedly, I have only read Proxy because of my busy schedule at work, it was my first LGBT YA themed book in quite a while and I had no idea how to approach Alex when I ask my question. But all my fears went kapoof when I saw him! He was such a fun person! He had a lot to say and share to us and I find myself sitting there just enjoying while I listen to him speak.

Alex looking all suave and hunky before the Q&A starts.

He was all smiles and waving at us. Around 10 - 15 minutes before the event started, he was checking the shelves for books he wanted to buy. The result of his brief browsing? He carried a book towards the stage, which he jokingly said he wanted to buy. We burst out laughing when we saw the title. A very sexy paranormal romance book called How to Seduce a Vampire (Without Really Trying).

Alex holding Kerrelyn Sparks' book.

When the laughter died down (and after we got over the initial shock of faulty microphones and feedback), we got down to business and asked Alex questions about his books, his writing and his life. My question was:

"I've read in an interview that you got a Masters in Library Science. Did being a librarian help while you were writing Proxy and in what way?"

He said being a librarian helped him a lot, but he wasn't consciously using it while he was writing. Alex was a teen librarian, so he knew the literature, and he had a strong sense of what teens are reading, what books he enjoyed reading in the teen space and what wasn't there. He wanted to write a book for his teenage self, and he wanted to write a book for teens who didn't get to be heroes in the sort of books they read.

Important points of his Q&A:

- Asked if Alex has determined if there will be no middle class from the very beginning, he said that there's no need for them in the story. There's robotics, computers developing in his story, so there's no need for "middle workers", as there are no good jobs and if there are, they're being done by machines.

- A fellow blogger (who has a degree in Molecular Biotechnology) asked what kind of research he did for the biotechnology part of his books, Alex said he did almost no research, he was terrified people will read it and say "he is an idiot!". Alex started writing Proxy around 2008, and initially the characters had really advanced cellphones called "tablets" but then Apple came up with the iPod so he had to come up with new ideas. He took what existed in nano technology and bioengineering and pushed it into an imagined possible future, with the scariest version of it. It was mostly daydreaming.

- If he lived in the world Proxy is set on, what will be on his purchase history? Alex said there will be a lot of books (he spends too much of his money buying them) and take out food (he likes Thai food!). He's a curious person so there will be strange, embarrassing things from goofing around and his research for writing. He tries to make his buying history unpredictable as he hates being treated as a data point, like how Syd is in Proxy.

- Asked what made him write Proxy as a story set with a person as a "back-up", as what the word itself means, it's an idea that happened throughout history, like the "whipping boys", poor children who were sold by their own family to the Royalty and if the Prince or children of these families misbehave, the poor children were whipped in their place, or if there's a need for conscription, these kids go in place of these rich children. He took that idea and projected it to the future with debt, economics, religious references and the idea of sacrifice to repay debt all mixed in on one pot.

- He feels horrible when he kills off characters in his books. As much as it hurts his readers, it hurts him much worse, as he's like their parents and lover at the same time, he spends more time with these characters than his family. When they die, he feels hurt, and he knows it's his fault. He even tried rewriting a death scene because he didn't want it to happen, then he wrote it 3 times and it became worse so he decided to just go with the 1st version. After that, he poured himself a stiff drink of whiskey and cried. He didn't want his story to be sugar coated so he did what he did. It wasn't planned though, but Alex was setting up the story for it to happen.

- Egan is the most based on a real person. He's very much like Alex's best friend in high school, Tim. When Syd was outed to his class, it was something that had happen in Alex's life minus the technology.

- Punishment (a prequel) was written because Alex just wants to hang out with his characters more and get to know Knox more.

- Knox is based on who? Alex said it was based on a classmate. He went to a very fancy school in Baltimore and there was a kid like Knox who was rich, obnoxious and Alex, for some reason, liked him. He wondered what it would be like to be that confident, with swagger, a person who gets what he wants, so he got to live the experience through writing Knox.

- Are the characters in Proxy hinged on his teenage self? Alex said very much, as he was an angry teenager before. He was afraid and very reserved because people might find out his one big secret of him being gay and he would miss a lot in his life and he was angry because of that fact too.

- If he's Knox, would he want his Proxy to take the fall for him? Alex said no, that he's a much better person than that. But at 16, he would have behaved like the way Knox behaved but be more guilty. But with maturity, he wouldn't. He's not evil. He can't watch his Proxy suffer and he'll probably be good after the punishment, which is the idea of the system. He'd like to believe he'd be better. If he was Syd though, he wouldn't be as generous, as honorable as he was. He'll be average.

- There's a wide representation of LGBT in YA books in the US. What is it in the publishing in the US that does that and can it be replicated here? Alex said yes, and that it's a process. It started 10 years ago when brave editors and publishers stepped up. It started with Boy Meets Boy, David Levithan's book, as well as Malinda Lo. They worked hard to bring out the LGBT voice to publishers. Pop culture also goes a long way and opens up the space more to allow editors and publishers and let them know that there's a market for LGBT books. But there's still a long way to go. The Diversity conversation is still ongoing, it's an endless process.

Fun side facts:
- Alex was supposed to be in his honeymoon on his visit here. He just got married!
- Alex tried beat boxing when our mics didn't work because of too much feedback. He failed miserably.
- When asked what he's done with the Hunger Games ARC he got, he said he just gave it away. He had no idea it was going to be big at the time he'd read it. If he did, he could've hold on to it and maybe sell it on eBay.
- He buys his underwear online.
- Alex was interested in reading Sangu Mandanna's The Lost Girl as Proxy is somewhat similar to that.
- Alex dyed his hair green when he was 16.
- Alex said he will dye his hair green (again) and get a tattoo when his book becomes the #1 New York Times betseller. It was the first time he was glad he didn't sell 10,000 copies of his books at once.


A recording of the Q&A session:


As always, I got to hang out with my book blogger friends! It's always fun seeing them all and talk about books that we liked, we've read and what we would like to read in the future.

We went to the public signing as well and I was so happy that there were people who supported Alex and his signing! There were a lot of readers who hung out, excitedly waiting for him and I loved how he shared his stories with us, more than what he had already shared at the Q&A.



Alex shared this heart warming story when he was still a journalist overseas, during the public event, which I think you all need to listen to. Check out the recording I attached below. It's worth a listen, I promise.


I can honestly say, and this one comes from the bottom of my heart, that this is one of the most memorable book signings I've been to. Alex London is such a wonder to watch, and I can just listen to him speak all day. He's also a funny guy, so what can I say? He's adorable!



Thanks very much, National Bookstore, for the opportunity to meet such an amazing person!

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Goddess Offerings (45) / Stacking the Shelves (27)

Whew. Okay, I haven't done a Stacking the Shelves post in a loooooong time, so I'm just gonna list the books I got over the past few weeks. (There's supposed to be video but Youtube upload is taking forever, so I'll just photos instead.)

Which of these have you read? Are they good? Yes? No? Why?

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

For review:

The Three by Sarah Lotz (signed)
The Reckoning by Kerry Wilkinson
True Fire by Garry Meehan

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Soulmates by Holly Bourne
The Manifesto on How to be Interesting by Holly Bourne

The Only Thing to Fear by Caroline Tung Richmond
Bungee Cord Hair by Ching Yeung Russell
Hidden in Plain Sight by Su-Lin Ang
Not in the Stars by Pauline Loh

Asylum by Madeleine Roux
Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

Better than Perfect by Melissa Kantor
The Pretty App by Katie Sise
Sorceress by Claudia Gray

The Amazing Wilmer Dooley by Fowler DeWitt
Maid of Deception by Jennifer McGowan
Magnolia by Kristi Cook
Play Me Backwards by Adam Selzer

Bought (from the National Bookstore sale):

Touching the Surface by Kimberly Sabatini
Etiqueete & Espionage by Gail Carriger
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban
The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Thanks so much Penguin Teen, Pan Macmillan Australia, Usborne, Sarah Lotz, awesome publishing friends, Simon & Schuster and Scholastic!

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Waiting on Wednesday (151): An Ember in the Ashes + A Wicked Thing

I know, I know... 2014 is not yet over, but I am so very excited because we have some amazing 2015 books! I for one can't wait to read them, so I am highlighting two 2015 books that I would love to read!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Release Date: April 28th 2015
Published by: Razorbill

Want? Add to your Goodreads list! 

Summary (from Goodreads):

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

Vow your blood and body to the empire.
Keep your heart for yourself.

Why I'm waiting for An Ember in the Ashes:

Can someone just give me a copy of this book, please? Kidding aside, I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this book, especially during SDCC, where it was highlighted as one of the must read novels next year. The author was a former Washington Post editor, and thought the book hasn't even been released, the film rights has already been acquired by Paramount in a SEVEN FIGURE DEAL. But again, aside from those pieces of news, I think the main premise of the novel is nothing short of interesting, and I for one cannot wait to read this. it's an "echo of Rome", and having recently read and finished Victoria Aveyard's Red Queen, which this book somewhat reminds me of, I am so very intrigued to know if this book delivers what the summary promises.

Title: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas
Release Date: February 24th 2015
Published by: Harper Teen

Want? Add to your Goodreads list!

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Why I'm waiting for A Wicked Thing:

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty? Where have you been all my life? This is why I really love retellings, and it's not just because I get to read a re-imagining of a favorite, or a fairytale I've read growing up, but because of things like this: what happens after happily ever after? This book sounds like something that I will enjoy reading, and because hey! It's Sleeping Beauty! I like how nothing's like what it was in Aurora's world... very curious to know what will happen after she wakes up.

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

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Review: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt

I'm not too sure how to put into words what I feel for this book.

Title: We Are the Goldens by Dana Reinhardt
Release Date: May 27th 2014
Published by: Wendy Lamb Books
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ms. Jenny!)
Buy: Amazon | Book Depository

Summary:

Nell knows a secret about her perfect, beautiful sister Layla. If she tells, it could blow their world apart.

When Nell and Layla were little, Nell used to call them Nellayla. Because to Nell, there was no difference between where she started and her adored big sister ended. They're a unit; divorce made them rely on each other early on, so when one pulls away, what is the other to do? But now, Nell's a freshman in high school and Layla is changing, secretive. And then Nell discovers why. Layla is involved with one of their teachers. And even though Nell tries to support Layla, to understand that she's happy and in love, Nell struggles with her true feelings: it's wrong, and she must do something about it.

There are various reasons why I love this book, but I'm only listing two. One, obviously is because I have an older sister (and a twin brother) and I definitely know what it feels like to live in the shadow of someone who is just "more" than you think you'll ever be, and yet they're someone you virtually spend your life with. Nell grew up believing that she and Layla are the same, Nellayla. But as they grow older, Nell realized that they're not, and while Layla is the Golden sister everyone knows, and she'll always be "N. Golden", Nell still adored, looked up, idolized and believed in her older sister. But what if she's not what everyone thought she was?

As two people, Nell and Layla grow up experiencing life differently and Nell as the younger sister wanted to know everything about her sister. Nell is a complicated mix of emotions, envy, and always that nagging, lingering feeling inside her that asks 'why not her?' and 'why is it always Layla?'. I felt for her at that point, and I understand that feeling, sisterhood. You want to be there, and the way both of their feelings were portrayed were heartfelt and convincing. I was frustrated, worried, afraid and disappointed like Nell was, and surprisingly, like Layla. This was written in Nell's point of view, but I loved how I was able to also take a peek in Layla's life, see what's behind that seemingly perfect facade. It was fascinating, interesting and somewhat terrifying.

My second reason: Dana Reinhardt's masterful writing style. When I first read The Summer I Learned to Fly, it took a lot for me not to cry. The way she was able to convey what Nell feels through everything just gets to you. You're not human if you don't feel anything while reading this book. She was able to craft Nell and Layla, two sisters seemingly inseparable, as similar characters and yet different in ways that matter. Dana Reinhardt made sure both sisters navigated through teenage life the way a teenager should: they make mistakes, fall in and out of love, get confused, get hurt, get frightened, get angry, desperate. It's a painful, but amazing experience in more ways than one.

Felix deserves a special mention in this book. He's this adorable, charming guy, the perfect example of that right person you're looking for all your life, but was there in front of you all along, loving you in the way he knew how. He's funny and sarcastic and caring, a boy who's all smiles but also vulnerable and afraid of the trials life is throwing his way.

We Are the Goldens is a memorable read for me. The concept of family, sisterhood and the lengths one must go to in order to keep a secret, to preserve the fragile bonds between two people growing up, experiencing life and love and what they're willing to do to keep everything 'perfect' was written in such a simple, mysterious way, the suspense holding you off the last minute. And you wait, and wait, and wait some more until it was time to reveal everything. Until you start to wonder, what happens next? One can only guess.

That familiar pinch to the heart, that lightning quick searing pain, the bittersweet emotions welling up, gone the moment you feel it and then you find yourself saying "Ah, yes... this is how it feels when I read a Dana Reinhardt book". I loved and hated the feelings her books always make me feel right after I finish reading them. This is a good one.

Content (plot, story flow, character):

The 1 star was left off because of my frustration for Layla... she was such an idiot, blinded by love. And she was supposed to be the rational Golden, the one with the good head on her shoulders. I felt so bad for Nell because it always had to be her who lies, who keeps secrets, and what does Layla do? *sigh*

Shining: Worthy of a Goddess' Love!

Book Cover:
The expressions on their faces tells everything you need to know about the book.

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[Teaser] Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas

If you've been following the blog for quite a while, you know I've read Abigail Haas' Dangerous Girls (I reviewed it here!) and while I had mixed feelings for the books, I am terribly excited for Abigail's next book, Dangerous Boys!

And today, I am posting a teaser from the book days before its release, check it out:

How was it? Creepily intriguing, right?

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Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas
Release date: August 14, 2014
Buy the book: Amazon / iBooks

From the critically-acclaimed author of DANGEROUS GIRLS comes a new dark, twisted thriller…

"It all comes down to this: Oliver, Ethan, and I."
Three teens venture into an abandoned lake house one night. Hours later, only two emerge from the burning wreckage. Chloe drags one Reznick brother to safety, unconscious and bleeding. The other is left to burn, dead in the fire. But which brother survives? And is his death a tragic accident? Desperate self-defense?
Or murder?
Chloe is the only one with the answers. As the fire rages, and police and parents demand the truth, she struggles to piece the story together - a story of jealousy, twisted passion and the darkness that lurks behind even the most beautiful faces.

Early praise:

"Dangerous Boys is a taut, compelling thriller balanced on the razor's edge of suspense. I could not put it down, and could not stop grinning wickedly as I raced through the pages." -- Leah Raeder, USA Today bestselling author of Unteachable
"Abigail Hass is a master at her craft! This is a special book and a special author. This is the kind of storytelling and writing that stick with you no matter how much time passes." -- The Book Geek Blog
"As with Dangerous Girls, the closing left me with a huge, admittedly rather twisted smile on my face. I don't know how Haas manages to turn me into such a gleefully evil creature." -- Dahlia Adler, blogger.
"Dangerous Boys was an intense, psychological read which was full of suspense and drama,...Abigail Haas has a way of writing books which reel you in and keep you there, hooked and addicted until the very last page." -- Goodreads.com

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