Random: Two Weeks in Hell and Still There

Last day of September. Wow! I vaguely remember saying how it was August already and how time flies so fast. I didn’t even get the chance to welcome September and then all of a sudden it’s ending. And to further prove how fast time for me is the fact that I haven’t posted anything on my blog these past weeks. Since finals are fast approaching here in our school, it’s really hard to find time for other things what with multiple projects, exams and other school activities. To sum it off, these past two weeks have been very hectic, fun, tiring, mind-boggling and productive (in a way). How so?

Third week of September is our University Week which means no class for one week!

Looks fun, right? Unfortunately for me and for my classmates as well, that entire week was spent doing practical quizzes in two of my subjects which I didn’t have much choice for since that’s the only allotted time for us to do it. One week. We are to make an amplifier which is okay but considering that there are almost 30 of us and we have to make our own design that must not be the same with everyone else as well as all the value of electrical components we should use, yeah, tough. And then we are to submit our manual calculations for the circuit and also the expected output Monday that week.  So there I am, designing, etching, drilling, mounting, soldering with endless wires, resistors, capacitors, transistors and whatever as my company. When testing day came, I was shaking my guts out worrying that it might not work. You don’t know how relieved I am when it did! I was ecstatic!

Saturday that week didn’t come free as well. The whole College of Engineering had an acquaintance party which is a lot of fun after 5 stressful days. With all the things that happened the day before, I didn’t really have the strength to get out of bed on Sunday. My whole body was protesting and my eyes are all puffy. Nevertheless, I woke up very early to prepare for yet another activity waiting for me. Since I am the head of the outreach program and a part of our college’s council I can’t actually say no, can I? That day we headed to a community mangrove tourist site, the Balaring Mangrove Sanctuary to extend our help by planting additional mangrove trees.

 

We were able to plant 1,250 trees!! It was very gratifying.

It doesn’t end there, though. Monday the following week, we have two quizzes finished in the morning and imagine our dismay when we learned later that we have a practical quiz that same day for our Assembly Language Programming class. Picture me dying when our teacher added that we have one practical quiz each day for the rest of the week and also announced that our final project will be submitted Thursday this week complete with our program codes, final working project, not to mention a defense. Talk about cramming! I wasn’t even halfway through my week but I’m totally broke. Our project is to make a digital clock run by a program using a printer port.

Thankfully, the result of our quizzes was all good. We’re not finished yet. We still have a lot to do for the project, and that’s what we’ll be working on this week. Yesterday was quite uneventful save for the seminar I attended for the Gawad Kalinga the whole morning. 

The Gawad Kalinga Mission

Ending poverty for 5 million poor families by 2024:

Land for the Landless.

Homes for the Homeless.

Food for the Hungry.

My sister and I are supposed to watch The Perks of Being a Wallflower in the evening with some friends but our damned cinemas aren’t showing them. If they still won’t this week, we might take a little road trip to watch it somewhere its.. well, showing. Anyway, to catch up a little before this all ends, I posted or plan to post 3 reviews  I managed to write from the mere minutes I can find so watch out for them. If I still have enough time, hopefully I can schedule ahead more posts for this week. 

Okay. Wow, such a long post for someone who allegedly has no time to spare. I’m sorry for all my nonsensical ramblings, I just felt the need to pour it all out or else I’m going to burst. I guess this is my way of coping for all those weeks I was absent on blogging. So bear with me. Mind you, I'm doing this post real fast so forgive me if there are a lot of repetitions or typos. :)

 

Ooh. Before I forget, Marissa of For the Love of Film and Novels nominated my blog for the One Lovely Blog Award and is featuring it today on her site. I’m soo happy it definitely made my week. I probably won't have the time to feature it here but I really hope I do. If you have time please check it out and see who else is nominated. That's it, for now. Thanks so much! 

Adios!

Review: Take This Regret by A.L. Jackson

Take This Regret

by A.L. Jackson

Published: July 21, 2011

There are some mistakes we make that we will regret for the rest of our lives. For Christian Davison, it was the day he betrayed Elizabeth Ayers. For five years, Christian has regretted the day he walked away from his family and will do anything to win them back. Can Elizabeth forgive someone who has committed the unforgiveable? Or are there some wounds that go so deep they can never heal?

Giveaway!

Nereyda at Mostly YA Book Obsessed is having a great giveaway to celebrate her blogs new look which you should definitely check out. It's pink and violet! My favorite colors! Her blog looks totally awesome! 

Here's what you can win:

For US residents

Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson (finished copy)

A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies (finished copy)

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (ARC)

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (finished copy)

Entice by Jessica Shirvington (ARC)

Promised by Caragh O’Brien (ARC)

Soulbound by Heather Brewer (ARC)

Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (ARC

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield (ARC)

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton (ARC)

League of Strays by LB Schulman (ARC)

Flirting In Italian by Lauren Henderson (finished copy)

International Entrants

$25 Gift Card from Amazon, Barnes and Nobles or The Book Depository 

Enter HERE.

Me and My Bookshelf (4)

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.

Hi, everyone! Having a nice weekend yet? Me? Definitely. It's nice to have some time to relax after  a very tiring week. Now, lets move on to the topic at hand. I didn't actually have time to go book shopping last week but since I failed to post the books I got last time, I'm posting it here today.

So, here are what's new in my shelf.

 

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2)

by Ally Carter

(Read)

Goodreads

From Page to Film: Stardust

When we hear of a favorite book being turned into a movie, we are very much anticipating at how it will turn out. In a way, there are things that we are looking for when this happens. Will it be satisfying for our taste? Will it be just as good, suspenseful and clever as it was on page? If we loved the book, our expectations for the movie are much higher and more searching. And most of the time there are things that we can’t help complaining about after like, “That was not in the book”, and “Why is this scene not included? That was supposed to be the best part!” But the reason movies are not entirely the same with the book is that those who made them wants viewers to experience a different kind of suspense we need that was for instance, not in the book. It is because we already know everything in the story that we may as well find it boring since it was just that, a word by word transformation of a book to real life.

                 

There are many movies out there from books that I’ve seen and loved just as much. One of my favorites is Stardust based on the book with the same name written by Neil Gaiman.

Review: Creepy Hollow Series by Rachel Morgan

Guardian (Creepy Hollow #1)

by Rachel Morgan

Published: March 5, 2012

1. Receive assignment.
2. Save a life.
3. Sleep.
4. Repeat.

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until one of her assignments—a human boy who shouldn’t even be able to see her—follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? But Nate and Vi are about to land themselves in even bigger trouble—and it’ll take all Vi’s training to get them out alive.

(A novelette)

 Labyrinth (Creepy Hollow #2)

by Rachel Morgan

Published: April 1, 2012

Guardian trainee Violet Fairdale has officially been suspended for bringing a human into the fae realm. No assignments, no training, and goodbye to that position at the top of the class. While this sucks, it at least allows her time to secretly keep visiting Nate, the human boy who caused her suspension in the first place. It’s not the wisest move to continue breaking Guild Law, but no one’s going to find out. And Nate is worth the risk, isn’t he?

To prevent herself from going into assignment withdrawal, Vi throws herself into investigating Nate’s real mother, Angelica, a woman who seems to be mysteriously connected to the world of the fae. Nate’s never given her much thought, but that was before an insane faerie abducted him in order to blackmail Angelica out of hiding. Now Nate wants answers, and Vi’s got the perfect ability to help him.

(A novelette)

 

Traitor (Creepy Hollow #3)

by Rachel Morgan

Published: May 25, 2012

Violet and Nate may have escaped the labyrinth, but only one of them came out unscathed. Nate is now the bearer of a mysterious eye-shaped tattoo, a mark he has no memory of receiving. While Vi is intent on discovering the meaning of the tattoo, Nate seems less interested. His experience in the labyrinth has caused recurring nightmares, and he’d prefer to pretend none of it ever happened. But Vi has never been one to let a mystery go unsolved, and she’ll do whatever she can to discover who’s behind the tattoo—even if it means leaving Nate out of her plan.

(A novelette)

 Masquerade (Creepy Hollow #4)

by Rachel Morgan

Published: July 27, 2012

Betrayed by someone she never expected, Violet deals with her anger and hurt by teaming up with her archrival Ryn to help him find his missing sister. Hanging out with Ryn isn’t high on Vi’s list of things to do, but she kind of owes him after he inconveniently saved her life recently. As the two of them struggle to put their differences aside, they find themselves drawn into a plot much greater than a single missing child. A plot with Violet herself at the center.

(A novelette)

Music and Lyrics (2)

It's Time

by Imagine Dragons

 Love, love, love it! This is one of the songs on The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie trailer. You can see it here.

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

Published: February 1, 1999

Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review: Variant by Robison Wells

Variant (Variant #1)

by Robison Wells

Published: September 26, 2011

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape--his only real hope for survival--may be impossible.

Extreme $1000 Cash Giveaway

Joys Of Life, Empowered Mommy and Pregnancy Forum have teamed up with many awesome bloggers to bring you a fabulous giveaway!

Were you lately planning anything big? Want to go shopping without worrying about the expenses? A family vacation? A trip somewhere? Throw a grand party? A baby shower if you are expecting? There are so many things to get done! You can do anything with the winning cash, enjoy and make something come true n your life that you have been waiting for.

ONE lucky winner takes home $1000 Cash by the end of the giveaway!

Cover Reveal: Reaping Me Softly

Reaping Me Softly

by Kate Evangelista

Expected Release:  October 30, 2012

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

Link to Goodreads 

Hosted by: AToMR Tours

Review: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

Published: January 10, 2012

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Giveaway!

Cool giveaways happening at Sparkles and Lightning! Be sure to check it out!

You can win a book of your choice from The Book Depository.
INTERNATIONAL
Enter HERE.

 

Win a hardcover copy of Girl of Nightmares, buttons, iPhone skins, bookmarks and a signed poster!
INTERNATIONAL
Enter HERE.

Music and Lyrics (1)

Hello! I know it's been a while since my last post but I had exams last week and I was on a one-day vacation yesterday. Anyway, this whole month was pretty eventful and there's so little time left to do some unwinding but I always manage to find some for myself even if it's for an hour or two. With regards to books, yeah, my TBR list is still piling up and I wasn't able to trim them down. I just got back to them yesterday and I am yet to finish one. So for now, let's talk about music!

Music is one of the most effective ways I can unwind. Whenever I'm reading there are times when a song reminds me of a certain part of the book I like. Or when an old song comes up, I feel very nostalgic. I love what it feels like singing at the top of my lungs and the reason behind it and how it makes me very happy. Although I find it distracting sometimes, I can't help but feel really excited when I can relate a song to a book or a particular memory.

"I'm no expert in neurology; but music must have like some direct link to the part of your brain where emotions live, because sometimes I will hear a song that I have not heard in a while, and it will literally trigger not just a memory but it will make me feel the way that I felt at a certain point in my life."

-Gayle Forman, Author of If I Stay and Where She Went

Recently, the song most played in our house is Some Nights by Fun. My sister and I can't stop singing this song! I love it and I think its beautiful.

Me and My Bookshelf (3)

This is where I feature the books I received, bought, gifted or won that are newly added in my physical shelf, which means no ebooks. This is usually scheduled on Saturdays.

Another week means new set of books! I’ve been pretty busy at school these past few weeks but I managed to visit my favorite bookstore when I found the time and yo-hoo! A sale! I haven’t expected this so I was pretty much resigned to buying one or two. But then there are all these posters and signs hanging above the ceiling which I admit, I didn’t notice the whole time since I was really focused on the display table where a copy of my favourite book I've been waiting for a long while was there, and also the only one left. It wasn’t until I was on my way to the cash register when I noticed the sign and then totally backtracked to the YA section without missing a single step. So, here’s what’s new on my shelf!

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian (Lux #1)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published: November 29, 2011



Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don't kill him first, that is. 

Giveaways!

It's time for giveaways! I love giveaways, don't you? There's so many going on right now and the prizes are amazing! Don't forget to check them all out! Goodluck!

450+ Follower Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)

at Incandescent Enchantments

You can choose one of these books for your prize:

Evernight by Claudia Gray

Gamer Girl by Mari Mancusi

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Shattered Dreams by Ellie James

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Enter HERE.

Me and My Bookshelf (2)

This is where I feature the books I received, bought, gifted or won that are newly added in my physical shelf, which means no ebooks. This is usually scheduled on Saturdays.

This may be a little late but I forgot to feature some new books on my shelf from last month. I actually got them at the last week of July. 

BOUGHT:

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (read) 

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (to-read)

WON:

Signed copy of Fated by Alyson Noel (to-read) and bookmarks.

Thanks to Mrs. ReaderPants!

Weeks after I got this, Alyson Noel actually came here in our country to do a book signing. But considering I have to travel an hour by plane to get to the venue, not to mention traffic and I have classes! So, lucky me, I got this one in advance, although I'm very sad not to meet her in person.

My sister, who is also a bookworm bought these books:

  

As much as I love taking pictures of our books, I didn't get the chance to steal a shot of this. I haven't even seen one of it since she bought them. Yeah, she loves sharing her books with everyone which probably mean it's battered now :)

I have to go get ready for school. HA! Yay, me!

Giveaway: #GroupBookTour$100GIFTCARD

Welcome to Promotional Book Tours Group Tour taking place August 3 - 24. We have teamed up with 9 Amazing Authors and several awesome bloggers to bring you a $100 Amazon Giftcard! Brought to you by these 9 books! Don’t miss out on these great reads even if you don’t have a kindle yet. You can download the kindle app for you phone, desktop, or ipad HERE. All of these books are less than a Starbucks Coffee!

July Reads

Hello everyone! I've been gone again for a few days so here I am at 4 in the morning, wide awake and writing this post. So.. it's August! Wow! Time flies so fast don't you think? Another month has come and gone but despite my busy schedule, I've managed to grab a few wonderful reads before July ended. As we all know, this has been a month full of amazing newly released books, so here's what was added on my read pile:

Tiger Lily
by Jodi Lynn Anderson



Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

A breathtakingly beautiful read. This book made me cry! Everyone should read this!

Traitor (Creepy Hollow #3)

by Rachel Morgan

Violet and Nate may have escaped the labyrinth, but only one of them came out unscathed. Nate is now the bearer of a mysterious eye-shaped tattoo, a mark he has no memory of receiving. While Vi is intent on discovering the meaning of the tattoo, Nate seems less interested. His experience in the labyrinth has caused recurring nightmares, and he’d prefer to pretend none of it ever happened. But Vi has never been one to let a mystery go unsolved, and she’ll do whatever she can to discover who’s behind the tattoo—even if it means leaving Nate out of her plan.