Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward To in 2014

Hosted by Fiktshun, Two Chicks On Books and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

Last topic.. the top 10 books I am looking forward to in 2014. This also means that my list should also consist of books that are released only in 2014.

Top 10 of 2013: Best Book Boyfriends

Hosted by Fiktshun, Two Chicks on Books and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

Now, to the hardest top 10 list to make.. BEST BOOK BOYFRIENDS OF 2013! It MUST be from a book released in 2013 and from a book I’ve READ in 2013.

Top 10 of 2013: Best Couples

Hosted by Fiktshun, Two Chicks on Books and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

For this post it's blogger's choice of the best of 2013. Choices: Villains, Contemporaries, Dual POVs, Novellas, Adult titles, New Adult titles, Love Triangles, Couples, Bad Boys, Debuts and I chose COUPLES from books I read this 2013. Without further ado..

Top 10 of 2013: Best Book Covers

Hosted by Fiktshun, Two Chicks on Books and Magical Urban Fantasy Reads

Merry Christmas! Day 2 is for the best book covers I've seen this year. The book MUST be released in 2013 and since there are a lot of gorgeous covers I've seen around this year, I chose my top 10 from the books I've also read this year to narrow down my choices. By the end of this post, you'll know that I love book covers that actually tells me something about the story.

Top 10 of 2013: Best Books I've Read

Hosted by Fiktshun and Two Chicks On Books

It's kind of tough to think about picking my Top 10 this 2013 out of more than 100 books I've read this year. And it has been a wonderful reading year for me. Looking back, it's actually not as hard as I imagined to pinpoint the books that have left a huge mark in me. There are a lot of them. Now the problem is to choose 10 that tops it all. And I have mine here now! These book are the ones that made an impression that even though hundreds of books and days have passed since I last read it, just hearing about it again makes me travel back to that time when I am actually reading it.

So here they are:

December New Releases: Part 1

Newly Released Books this December 2013

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgan Rhodes, Michelle Rowen Published: December 3, 2013 The Book Depository ______ Love, power, and magic collide with war in the second book of the Falling Kingdoms series. Auranos has fallen and the three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now united as one country called Mytica. But still, magic beckons, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the world... When the evil King Gaius announces that a road is to be built into the Forbidden Mountains, formally linking all of Mytica together, he sets off a chain of events that will forever change the face of this land, forcing Cleo the dethroned princess, Magnus the reluctant heir, Lucia the haunted sorceress, and Jonas the desperate rebel to take steps they never could have imagined.

Release Day Blitz + Excerpt: Savor by Kate Evangelista

Savor (Vicious Feast #1)

by Kate Evangelista

Add Savor to Goodreads

Amazon | B&N | The Book Depository | Crescent Moon Press

Mature and explicit content. Not recommended for readers below 18-years-old. Yup, you’ve got to be that old to read my story. Consider yourself warned.

I’m Dakota Collins, a tough talking, eye patch wearing, workaholic photography student. Why am I important? Well, maybe because I get to spend an entire month with Vicious, only the sickest indie rock band out there.

You see, I needed a subject for my Spring Showcase introspective in order to graduate. During a chance encounter at a club I’d been sent to cover for the Daily Gossip, our ironically named college paper, the features writer I usually teamed up with introduced me to the band—by accident, I might add. It involved a run in with a scary, bald bodyguard. Anyway, long story short, I signed a contract to take pictures of Vicious.

I should have known their handsome yet way too serious for his own good bassist, Luka Visraya, wouldn’t be able to keep his hands to himself. He’s gorgeous and all, but the way he smiles spelled trouble with a capital L. I’m in for a long month with him around.

Crazy shit happens and then some. So, if you want the skinny on Vicious and the events revolving around my stay at Lunar Manor, read my story.

Again, refer to the warning above.

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge

I am very happy with how my 2013 TBR Pile RC turned out. My goal was to read and review 11 - 20 books that are in my 2012 and below TBR and so far I've read 32 and reviewed 25 of them. Cheers! I won't stop until I've dusted off all the books I managed to put aside for so long they developed molds so I'm joining next year's challenge. Same guidelines apply though there are additional information regarding wrap-ups, giveaways and updates.

Go HERE to sign-up.

Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Published: September 24, 2013




Free from bonds, but not each other

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

November Reads + Monthly Recap

Hello and happy December! I know I haven't been a very productive reviewer lately but I have other things to be happy about like reading 16 books this November!

For the reviews, I'll make it up this December. That's not a promise. However, THIS is: I'm going to kill that-review-pile this coming January 2014, the kickoff for the 2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun and Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads. Check out the challenge button on my right sidebar for more info.

Me and My Bookshelf (17): October + November Book Haul

This is where I feature the books I received, bought, gifted or won that are newly added in my physical shelf, which means no e-books and the like. It is usually posted on Saturdays.

Well hello, you guys! I recently joined Instagram which I wasn't very interested in doing before but hey, I am now so I might as well tell you. You can visit me here for more bookish pictures in the future.

So. I made a book haul post. Hurrah! It's been a while but since I got so many books last September I limited myself to book buying. Kind of useless though since two of the books I got are currently the most expensive in my shelf. But I did get pretty good deals on some of them so.. here you go.

November New Releases: Part 2

Newly Released books this November

*cover image links to Goodreads*

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead Published: November 19, 2013 The Book Depository _____ In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . . But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever. Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.

Reading Multiple Books at a Time

What do you do when you're in a reading slump? Me? I either pause reading for a couple of days, or read 1 to 2 chapters of a certain book per day, or read the first chapter of every book I have until I find the one that would get me out of my reading slump. Right now, I'm in the craziest kind of coping slightly similar to situation number 3. The difference is, I don't plan on abandoning or not finishing those books I started.

I was really ecstatic with my reading pace this November. So far, I've read 13 books and 1 novella. These past weeks though, I can't seem to stick to one title. Reading multiple books at time is not unusual for me. I do it regularly. But I noticed the amount of books I am currently reading this month alone is kind of uhh.. too many.

Book Cover Battle: US vs UK - Gallagher Girls by Ally Carter

I learned about this series randomly. I saw one of the books at my local bookstore and it initially wasn't the cover that made me interested. It's the word SPIES and yep, I just had to read it. It turned out I'm a liar. The only book I can find then was the second in the series, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy and since I don't have the first one, I kind of forgot about it after a while. My sister found my copy though, read it even though it's already the sequel, told me it was really, really good and that I HAVE TO GET HER THE FIRST BOOK. Man, I remembered marathon-ing the first four in three days. Everytime I finish reading my hands would immediately grab for the next. It was THAT good. So good that I remember my heart breaking when I learned that the fifth book wouldn't come out for a year. But get this: the series is finished now but I have yet to read Out of Sight, Out of Time (yes, that's book 5).

Review: Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram

Being Jamie Baker (Jamie Baker #1)
by Kelly Oram
Published: June 14, 2010



An accident that should end in tragedy instead gives seventeen-year-old Jamie Baker a slew of uncontrollable superhuman abilities. To keep her secret safe Jamie socially exiles herself, earning the title of Rocklin High's resident ice queen. But during a supercharged encounter with star quarterback Ryan Miller she literally kisses anonymity goodbye. Now the annoyingly irresistible Ryan will stop at nothing to melt the heart of the ice queen and find out what makes her so special. Unfortunately, Ryan is not the only person on to her secret. Will Jamie learn to contain her unstable powers before being discovered by the media or turned into a government lab rat? More importantly, can she throw Ryan Miller off her trail before falling in love with him?

UPDATES: 2013 Reading Challenges

One month and 9 days left before 2014! 

Since we’re that close to ending this year I figured it’s time I do an update of my 2013 Reading Challenges which I haven’t done like, I don’t know, ever? I’ve joined seven this year and I’ve already completed five of them! You can head over HERE to check all my entries but if you want a shorter and less detailed version then keep reading. You know, it’s not too late to join if you’re still interested. Sign-ups and RC deets can also be found if you visit my 2013 Reading Challenges page.

November New Releases: Part 1

Newly Released books this November

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Champion (Legend #3) by Marie Lu Published: November 5, 2013 The Book Depository _____ The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT! He is a Legend. She is a Prodigy. Who will be Champion? June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.

Another Reading Update: Tangled by Emma Chase

Ah, well see, I should be in class right now but our teacher blew us off. Funny. Isn't it the other way around? Anyway, while waiting for him to show up I decided to continue reading Tangled by Emma Chase until it became apparent there will be no class in Socio. Now that I finished the book but have little time left to write - or type - a long review.. I'll just post a.. what do you call this? An update? A mini review? Whatever.

Tangled (Tangled #1)
by Emma Chase
Published: August 2, 2013



Drew Evans is a winner. Handsome and arrogant, he makes multimillion dollar business deals and seduces New York’s most beautiful women with just a smile. He has loyal friends and an indulgent family. So why has he been shuttered in his apartment for seven days, miserable and depressed?

He’ll tell you he has the flu.

But we all know that’s not really true.

Katherine Brooks is brilliant, beautiful and ambitious. She refuses to let anything - or anyone - derail her path to success. When Kate is hired as the new associate at Drew’s father’s investment banking firm, every aspect of the dashing playboy’s life is thrown into a tailspin. The professional competition she brings is unnerving, his attraction to her is distracting, his failure to entice her into his bed is exasperating.

Then, just when Drew is on the cusp of having everything he wants, his overblown confidence threatens to ruin it all. Will he be able untangle his feelings of lust and tenderness, frustration and fulfillment? Will he rise to the most important challenge of his life?

Can Drew Evans win at love?

Tangled is not your mother’s romance novel. It is an outrageous, passionate, witty narrative about a man who knows a lot about women…just not as much as he thinks he knows. As he tells his story, Drew learns the one thing he never wanted in life, is the only thing he can’t live without.

2014 Review Pile Reading Challenge

Hosted by Rachel @ Fiktshun and Reanna @ Phantasmic Reads

It's all about review books so uhhhh... GUILTY! There are a couple of boxes at home to remind me of that so this reading challenge is a brilliant idea. I'm definitely in. Those books better watch out!

Reading Updates

Hello! Since I am not feeling very well and can't concentrate much to write a review, I'm doing updates instead. First on that list.. second semester started this week! Can't be too surprised how short that break was since I was in and out of campus those times anyway. But I did go back to my hometown on Halloween to take care of my grandma since she wasn't feeling well. It was supposed to be just an overnight stay but it turned out to be almost 4 days.

Since school opened in the middle of the week, first day back wasn't very eventful. Most of the students are still on the process of enrollment (like me) because of the holidays so no classes to the majority, yet. I skipped class the following day because of the bad weather but it was announced later that afternoon that classes were suspended for the rest of the day until Friday. Storm signal #4. Since power was out and I don't have anywhere to go, I was in bed the whole day like a dying person, reading. I finished two books:

Review: Don't Look Now by Michelle Gagnon

Don't Look Now
(PERSEFoNE #2)
by Michelle Gagnon
Published: August 27, 2013




Noa Torsen is on the run. Having outsmarted the sinister corporation Pike & Dolan, Noa and her friend Zeke now move stealthily across the country, protecting runaways before they become test subjects for P&D's horrific experiments. Noa knows all too well what that feels like: Whatever they did to her has left her exhausted and scared.

Back in Boston, Peter anxiously follows Noa's movements from his computer, using his hacker skills to feed her the information she needs to stay alive. But he's desperate to do something more, especially when he learns what P&D has done to his ex-girlfriend Amanda.

Then, in an explosive confrontation, Noa and her team are trapped in the one place they thought was safe. It will take everything Noa and Peter have to bring down the corporation before it gets them first. And with no one to trust and enemies hiding at every turn, they may be the only people alive who can.

This stunning second book in the critically acclaimed Don't Turn Around trilogy raises the stakes to their absolute limit and will leave readers begging for the exciting conclusion, Don't Let Go.

YA Contemporary Books I Would Recommend

There are only few contemporary books that appeal to me. Mostly it's because the genre has repetitive storyline (like NA, only this one is recommended to older teens) but of course there are those that will surprise you eventhough you might think "Oh, please. I've heard all of that before." The number of contemporary books I've read might not be half as many as my paranormal, sci-fi and fantasy reads but I do pick up a lot of them still. It may not be my favorite genre but despite all that same plot of high-school romance and blah, blah, blah, wouldn't you find it amazing to find that one book that could compete with your most favorite book under your most favorite genre?

Well, if you ask me, my most favorite contemporary last year was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and If I Stay and  Where She Went by Gayle Forman. TFiOS wasn't very popular yet when I read it so there was no hype and high expectations. Just pure amazing-ness. And If I Stay was an impulse buy/read. I just saw it at a bookstore and thought "I HAVE to buy this" then later that day our trip back home was delayed so I read it at the terminal while waiting. That's where I found one of the "love of my life"-s. So yes, I would love to recommend these YA Contemporaries I've read so far THIS YEAR.

October Reads + Monthly Recap

Happy Holloween! Well, we're done with October and there are only two months left before 2014! Woah. Anyway, October has been a very good reading month. The first two-and-a-half weeks was really hectic because of finals but it was all better after that. I heard my aunt ask my mom a few days before where I was and my mom said: Where else? She's burying herself in her books while she's on break. Don't I just love my mom? She knows me so well. So this month I read 15 books! *victory dance a la Sam Henry* LOL.

Technically, I started three of them last month but I wasn't able to finish them on time. Still.

Review: Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Hunting Lila (Lila #1)
by Sarah Alderson
Published: August 5, 2011




17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust—her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organization called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them.

In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realizes that she is not alone—there are others out there just like her—people with special powers—and her mother’s killer is one of them…

October New Releases

Newly released books this October

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Endless Knight (The Arcana Chronicles #2) by Kresley Cole Published: October 1, 2013 The Book Depository _____ In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles. Shocking Secrets Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who've been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It's kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance. Unexpected Allies With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals. Gut-Wrenching Treachery When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she's drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can't remember—but Death can't forget.

Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Traitor
(The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)
by Julie Kagawa
Published: October 29, 2013




In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all.

Music and Lyrics (13): True Love

Ah, well. I love P!NK. Aside from the wonderful beat and music of her songs, they're also very meaningful. One of her songs I am in love with at the moment is True Love. It reminds me of a lot of love and hate relationships I read in books (most of them annoying) but this is a great song so it should also be associated with one of my favorite hate relationships. Ryn and Vi of the Creepy Hollow series. It actually wasn't the I-hate-him-but-at-the-same-time-I-love-him kind but these two started as childhood friends but because of one tragedy they ended up hating each other and as competitions. I'm talking about pure hate (without any hidden desires or something like that, pffft!) that makes you regret losing what you had before everything was ruined. But when they finally were given this chance to sort their hate and bring back that lost friendship one little step at a time, I saw how deep that friendship goes and how much they genuinely care for each other. So you know, I'm not just talking about love on a romantic level.

Review: Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Don't Turn Around
(PERSEF0NE #1)
by Michelle Gagnon
Published: August 28, 2012




In Michelle Gagnon’s debut YA thriller, Don’t Turn Around, computer hacker Noa Torson is as smart, tough, and complex as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander.

The first in a trilogy, Don’t Turn Around’s intricate plot and heart-pounding action will leave readers desperate for book two.

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.

Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.

Book Cover Battle: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Well if you ask me which cover I'd choose between these two:

[BLOG TOUR] Review + Giveaway: The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan

The Faerie War
(Creepy Hollow #3)
by Rachel Morgan
Published: October 21, 2013



The fate of the fae world is in her hands ...

Violet Fairdale is in big trouble. Her home is gone, her beloved forest lies in ruins, the guy she gave her heart to has deserted her—and she doesn’t remember any of it. The powerful Lord Draven is taking over, brainwashing guardians into fighting for him. No one is safe from the evil spreading throughout the fae world.

As alliances are forged between the remaining free fae, Vi struggles to reclaim her identity and figure out where she belongs in this new world. When someone from her past shows up, life gets even more complicated. He brings with him a long-forgotten weapon and an ancient prophecy that places Vi at the center of the fight against Draven. With the future of the fae world at stake, can Vi carry out the prophecy’s instructions before it’s too late?

Release Day Blitz: The Faerie War by Rachel Morgan + Giveaway

SemBreak TBR

Hello! So if you've read my previous post you'd know that I'm on semestral break. I don't care how short it will be. I'm going to make the most out of it by catching up on reviews and my TBR pile. For these 2 weeks that I'm free, I'm going to take this chance to read the 'BIG BOOKS' I have on my shelf. Now this won't mean that whatever I include in this list will be all I'm going to read. I have review books to read after all and my mood might change but the majority of my reads will be these.

So for my semestral break TBR I'm going to read:
*cover image links to Goodreads*

Semestral Break. FINALLY.

Yes. So I'm back. For real this time. I don't even know how to sum up the happenings this week but the most important thing is that SCHOOL's OVER! Technically, it should have been over by Thursday since that was the end of our final exams but we have to return to school on Friday for Industrial Tour biddings and submission of our remaining projects. It was still a crazy day so I didn't count that as part of our very short break. And yes, what a very short break it will be but I'd take what I could get. There will be days when we would be required to go back to school thus lessening our supposed vacation time but at least there'd be no more classes and projects and studying. That's heaven.

What's up?

Hello. HELLO. HELLO! Gosh. You don’t know how much I miss blogging! Even if it was barely a week since I last posted, looking back at my blogging activity these past weeks was enough to make me say that I really am behind especially with book reviews.

It’s a huge feat. Every day I face my computer and will only limit myself to visiting social networking sites for a few minutes of fun but I really have to avoid getting sucked into time-consuming net activities like blogging. My hands are always itching to make something, even nonsensical posts just so my blog won’t be so lonely. But choosing it over school is not an option right now especially with finals.

And this week was considered THE hell week. Nope. School’s not over yet. And yep, we haven’t even had our exams; that’s next week. Most of the worst this semester is over now, though. I only have one more project to do, one last lab report to submit, few last quizzes to take, 10 speech exercises to finish, have my clearance signed and finally.. finally, EXAMS!

*Speaking of quizzes, I nearly fell asleep while taking one this afternoon.*

I’m so glad to be posting something right now however random this is. It’s a relief from all the frenzy this week had gotten me into. Wednesday was the most awful and also probably the best. One of my projects was submitted that day and we had some last minute complications but it came out all good in the end. We also had to take one of our exams in advance and I was cramming because I haven’t studied but our prof surprised us before it started, saying the names of those who are exempted to take the test including me. Then there was the ‘dreaded-quiz-in-signals’ which, by the way, was not all that good. A few other classes I was really tempted to ditch. And finally, our final exam that evening in business comm in the form of a job interview (I got hired – yay!). So yeah, basically, I was running around all day.

Funny thing, when I got home after the interview at around 9PM, instead of resting I sat down and opened a book. Since I already had my dinner earlier at school, mom told me: "Go to rest. You had a crazy day." She checked on me later, saw me with a book and said: “Aren’t you tired?!” I told her, “Not yet. I’m not sleepy. That’s why I’m reading in bed because it will make me fall asleep soon.” Mom: “Yeah, right.” But then I did. I didn’t even realize it until I heard my mom yelling at me to “WAKE UP!! IT’S ALREADY 10. DON’T YOU HAVE CLASS AT 10?” And I was like “Yeaaaah, moooom. THANKS FOR REMINDING ME!” Really, it was only 9AM. She sometimes exaggerates time when it comes to waking us up – key word: SOMETIMES. But my only reaction was: “OHMYGOD. I just slept for 12 hours straight. On a school day. Hallelujah!”

But get this. I went to bed at 5AM this morning and woke up at 6 for my 7.30AM class. Good thing I had that 12 hours of stored energy, or else. Now here I am, rambling my head off with a chapter of my life you probably don’t care about, but oh so ready to catch up with sleep as soon as I post this. I’m just so happy to be here. Though I can’t promise that this means I will be posting more reviews now. There's still the exams after all. Only eleven days into October and I’m already wishing for it to end. I know I make it sound like I’m super busy (which I am, because students are ALWAYS busy – it’s part of the job description) but I would never forget to indulge myself with at least a few chapters of reading every day. Or else my head would explode. Even with all these madness I managed to finish three books. Good ones at that. Right now, I’m just begging for semestral break to come sooner. One more week. Woooh-hooh!

September Reads + Monthly Recap

I'm a little disoriented today. I actually had a funny start this morning but I blame that on my major class that starts way too early (7.20AM). Anyway, time for the monthly recap! There's only one word that can sum up my September. CRAZY. Let me count the ways.

1. First week of September was our midterm exams. You know the drill: deadlines, late night studying, etc..

2. The weekend of our exam, even though we're still running low on sleep, was spent on a resort for one of our club's biggest activity this semester. It was fun but exhausting since the few of us who stayed there since Friday night for preparations only got, like, 45 minutes of sleep.

3. The following week was dedicated to meetings and preparations for the University Week.

4. Next was University Week! In another world, this news should be amazeballs since it meant classes are suspended for a week. Lots of fun time for freshmen but not for upperclassmen like me. Besides the fact that it's endterm and most of us takes this free time to work on all our projects, now it's topped with organizing and attending seminars, working on extra-curricular projects for club exhibit.. I got sick on the last day of the event and for a few days after that.

5. The weather was crazy, as well.

Me and My Bookshelf (16): Last of my September Book Haul

This is where I feature the books I received, bought, gifted or won that are newly added in my physical shelf, which means no e-books and the like. It is usually posted on Saturdays.

I attended DevFest Bacolod 2013 yesterday and I got home pretty late so I wasn't able to post my last book haul for this month. Also, power's acting crappy since Thursday night; my laptop and both my phone's actually drained by Friday morning so I bought them to school to charge. It's good now though so here I am!

Cover Revealed: The One by Kiera Cass

OH.MY.GOD. That's all. THANK YOU. I'll save my rambling for later. Hurry and look at the cover!

2013 TBR Pile September Mini Challenge: Character Mini-Bio

THE CHALLENGE: Create a character mini-bio.

Head over at Fiktshun for further instructions.

Name: Lila Loveday

Age: 17

Eyes: dark green with thick black lashes

Hair color: long, honey blonde

Skin color: pale

Sibling/s: one older brother, Lieutenant Jack Loveday

Love interest: brother’s bestfriend, Lieutenant Alex Wakeman

Special abilities: Telekinesis

Hunting Lila (Lila #1)
by Sarah Alderson
Goodreads

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust—her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organization called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them.

In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realizes that she is not alone—there are others out there just like her—people with special powers—and her mother’s killer is one of them…

Other books in the series: