COVER REVEAL + Teasers: Joni, Underway by Kelly Oram

This is a surprise. I didn't know Kelly Oram has a new book - a NEW ADULT book - that was co-written with her HUSBAND. Can you tell I'm excited? I'm a big fan of Kelly Oram. And "a journey across the ominous dark blue of the Atlantic Ocean with a small, eccentric crew, and the young Captain Reid, whose gorgeous looks are only outmatched by his talent for care and kindness"? HELLS YEAH!

Title: Joni, Underway

Authors: Kelly Oram & Jonathan Harrow

Publisher: Bluefields

Release Date: August 22, 2015

April 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

I'd say this year's progress is making me ecstatic. One of my plans is to read as many books in my physical TBR as I can before I buy more. It's not an easy feat but I'm getting there. Another is to try and pick up the books that has been in my Goodreads TBR list for years aka books 1-100 out of the 980 (currently) and I've managed to read a number of them so far.

Moving on to this month's wrap-up pile, I read a total of 12 books including a series (another yay!):

   

New Blog Look!

So... are you noticing it yet? My baby's got a new look! Honestly, this was a long time coming. I never seem to find the time to sit down and give my blog a makeover especially with school in the way. And eventhough it was on impulse, I finally did it!

Around midnight last night, I thought it's high time I do something to make my blog look presentable. I didn't have any concrete plan like what color schemes or fonts and header would look good so I decided to stick with my previous theme which are pinks and violets and proceed from there. One step at a time. Three hours later and ta da! Have a minute to appreciate all that effort. lol

I'm not an expert at this stuff but I'm pretty freaking happy with the end result. Though I have to admit that as soon as everything's in place my first thought was, "It's so fucking pink I might hurl." But that's probably the exhaustion talking. That, and I've been staring at if for hours while working on it until nearly 3AM.

Hope you guys like it!

SERIES REVIEW: Night Huntress by Jeaniene Frost

Halfway to the Grave 
(Night Huntress #1)
by Jeaniene Frost




Flirting with the Grave...
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner - are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

Me and My Bookshelf (30)

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, and recount epic book hauling stories. It is usually posted on Saturdays.

I didn't realize it's already the last Saturday of April so I don't have any pictures of the books I got. And since I'm in a bit of a hurry, we'll make do with just their book covers.

This month I only bought three books. Can I get a hurrah? They're all in hardcover and costs $2 or so each. Visiting BookSale is now a habit. I am obsessed with perusing their shelves. While 90% of their books are not YA, there are still plenty of really cheap and great finds.

Books I'm Currently Reading

I am currently reading SIX books. It's not something to worry about. I'm used to this - I once had 8 books in my currently reading pile.. But this instance is a little bit surprising because lately I've been pretty one-track in my reading and then suddenly, I started picking up all these book and read them on the spot. Is this a telltale sign of a reading slump? I really hope not.

Review: Rockoholic by C.J. Skuse

Rockoholic
by C.J. Skuse
Published: November 1, 2012




She's got it bad, and he ain't good -- he's in her garage?

"I'm your biggest fan, I'll follow you until you love me..."

Gonna have to face it: Jody's addicted to Jackson Gatlin, frontman of The Regulators, and after her best bud Mac scores tickets, she's front and center at his sold-out concert. But when she gets mashed in the moshpit and bodysurfs backstage, she's got more than a mild concussion to deal with. By the next morning, the strung-out rock star is coming down in her garage. Jody -- oops -- kind of kidnapped him. By accident. With a Curly Wurly candy bar. And now he doesn't want to leave.

It's a rock-star abduction worthy of an MTV reality series...but who got punk'd?!

April 2015 New Releases: Part 2

New Book Releases this April 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Things We Know by Heart by Jessi Kirby Published: April 21, 2015 The Book Depository _________ When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection. After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all. Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

Review: Paper or Plastic by Vivi Barnes

Paper or Plastic
by Vivi Barnes
Published: February 3, 2015




Welcome to SmartMart, where crime pays minimum wage...

Busted. Alexis Dubois just got caught shoplifting a cheap tube of lipstick at the local SmartMart. She doesn’t know what’s worse—disappointing her overbearing beauty-pageant-obsessed mother for the zillionth time…or her punishment. Because Lex is forced to spend her summer working at the store, where the only things stranger than the staff are the customers.

Now Lex is stuck in the bizarro world of big-box retail. Coupon cutters, jerk customers, and learning exactly what a “Code B” really is (ew). And for added awkwardness, her new supervisor is the totally cute—and adorably geeky—Noah Grayson. Trying to balance her out-of-control mother, her pitching position on the softball team, and her secret crush on the school geek makes for one crazy summer. But ultimately, could the worst job in the world be the best thing that ever happened to her?

[RELEASE DAY BLITZ] Teaser + Giveaway: Scion by Kelly Oram

Scion 
(Supernaturals #3)

from bestselling author Kelly Oram

NOW AVAILABLE!

Just $3.99 on AMAZON

Title: Scion

Series: Supernaturals #3

Author: Kelly Oram

Publisher: Bluefields

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Other books in the series: Chameleon, Ungifted

April 2015 New Releases: Part 1

New Book Releases this April 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle #2) by Rachel Hawkins Published: April 7, 2015 The Book Depository __________ Life is almost back to normal for Harper Price. The Ephors have been silent after their deadly attack at Cotillion months ago, and best friend Bee has returned after a mysterious disappearance. Now Harper can return her focus to the important things in life: school, canoodling with David, her nemesis-turned-ward-slash-boyfie, and even competing in the Miss Pine Grove pageant. Unfortunately, supernatural chores are never done. The Ephors have decided they’d rather train David than kill him. The catch: Harper has to come along for the ride, but she can’t stay David’s Paladin unless she undergoes an ancient trial that will either kill her . . . or connect her to David for life.

Foreign Summer Adventures

A much better way to spend the summer instead of sweating your ass off in your rooms.

1.) Bungy Jump in New Zealand

Review: The Deal by Elle Kennedy

The Deal
(Off-Campus #1)
by Elle Kennedy
Published: February 24, 2015



She’s about to make a deal with the college bad boy...

Hannah Wells has finally found someone who turns her on. But while she might be confident in every other area of her life, she’s carting around a full set of baggage when it comes to sex and seduction. If she wants to get her crush’s attention, she’ll have to step out of her comfort zone and make him take notice... even if it means tutoring the annoying, childish, cocky captain of the hockey team in exchange for a pretend date.

...and it’s going to be oh so good.

All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he’s worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he’s all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.

Book Cover Battle: US vs UK - Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

The cover for Queen of Shadows was recently released, both the US and the UK versions, and it made me want to talk about them so let's.

I've always loved the covers of the Throne of Glass series. But before the matching US cover was released for the first book, it looked like this:

SUMMER TO-DO LIST

It's finally summer! Has been for a few weeks now but I just got the time to get out of my reading nook where I refused to be disturbed and say hello to the blogging world once again. It's one of the many things I plan to do this summer.

And here are some, or all, of them:

1) Catch up on sleep - DONE

March consisted of a lot of sleepless nights. I'm pretty sure the weeks leading up to finals were fueled by only 2 or 3 hours of sleep almost everyday. The night before I had to hand over my last paper for the school year I decided to take an hour nap around midnight before I finish my research since my head was about to explode. The next thing I know my mom was in my room, freaking out, saying my laptop and pocket wifi were overcharged. I learned it was already seven in the morning. Seven! And my paper was due at noon. I resumed my work immediately even though I'm still in my school uniform I wore the previous day but I'm pretty sure seven hours of sleep can be considered as "catching up".

March 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

March was crazy. It's the end of the school year so there are deadlines and finals and late nights.. I got to read 4 books during the first half of the month but was able to read 5 more and 1 novella since school officially ended last week. FIVE BOOKS IN A WEEK! I'm not a fast reader so being able to read that many is awesome.

Book covers are linked to Goodreads!

Books I read this March:

   

Me and My Bookshelf (29): Ft. Cheap Buys

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, and recount epic book hauling stories. It is usually posted on Saturdays.

Here I am with another book haul. Most of these are used books in really good condition, some brand new, a couple of remainders, but all super cheap and that's all I really care about. The only pain is the expensive shipping fee since I bought 14 of these online and from different sellers but even so, I still spent less than $100 and since I also sold some of the books I have multiple copies of, I spent waaay less.

[BLOG TOUR] Spotlight: The Sara Chronicles by Laura Hughes

The Sara Chronicles: The Beginning, Book 1
by Laura Hughes

Publisher: Tate Publishing
Publication Date: December 18, 2012
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Book Series: Book 1 of 6
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, iBook
Print Length: 136 pages
Paperback Price: $9.98
Kindle Price: $6.99
iBook Price: $9.99

Imagine yourself in a place where not only your wildest, most imaginative dreams but also your worst nightmares are a living, breathing reality. One second, you’re a helpless, victimized child, and the next you can control ocean currents, produce rainstorms, and freeze lakes. Would you use your powers for good? Or would you give in to the part of yourself that wants revenge and control over those who caused you pain?

March 2015 New Releases: Part 2

New Book Releases this March 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay Published: March 17, 2015 The Book Depository ____________ One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore. And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back? Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck.

From Page to Film: Fifty Shades of Grey Movie Review

I finally saw the Fifty Shades movie and you know what? I ended up really enjoying it. Before I further discuss my feelings towards the movie I just want to say that I hated the book and had no intention of watching the film. It wasn't because I found the topic inappropriate or something like that. I always get into books with an open mind so, no. The main reason is I found the writing horrible and I've wanted to head kick the main character since page one.

March 2015 New Releases: Part 1

New Book Releases this March 2015

*cover image links to Goodreads*

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski Published: March 3, 2015 The Book Depository __________ Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love. The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret. As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

COVER REVEAL: Scion by Kelly Oram + Giveaway

I am so excited to reveal today a cover for another book by Kelly Oram that's coming out next month. I've read all of her other books except this series. Yeaaah.. I'll give you a minute to absorb that tidbit.

And don't ask me why because I honestly don't know. I freaking loved practically everything she's written and I have a copy of Supernaturals 1 and 2 but still, I haven't picked them up yet.

Read my reviews:

   

Cinder & Ella | A is for Abstinence | Serial Hottie | Being Jamie Baker

Now for that cover.. Here it is!

SERIES I MUST FINISH

I've started many, many series but not all of them I finished. Some I don't want to, some I lost interest, some are not complete yet, and some I badly want to but can't make myself do so. Here are some that belongs to series-I-want-to-finish-but-cant:

Divergent Trilogy:

Allegiant 
(Divergent #3)

by Veronica Roth

Published: October 22, 2013

THIS. I read Divergent that first year it came out, Insurgent as soon as I got my copy. When Allegiant came out, I refused to read it until I could buy a physical copy. I refrained from checking out the Internet at that time because I didn't want to be spoiled but even then, there was a lot of buzz. I was spoiled anyway. I was in my Electronics class, taking notes when suddenly my cousin turned to me and blurted, "I'm going to spoil you." Before I can even put a proper reaction on my face she was already at it and all I could do in the end was say "no no no" over and over again. I guess she couldn't take not talking about it anymore. And then later my sister was all, "Yeah, so [this] happened." I just looked at her blankly and she was like, "Wait, you haven't read it yet?" I've never been in the mood to pick up Allegiant since then. BUT I WILL. Someday.

From Page to Film: THE DUFF Movie Trailer

Reaction pre-trailer:

'The DUFF is going to be a movie?!' 

It wasn't long after I read the book that I heard the news. I enjoyed the book so much so I was really excited to see it on screen. Until I read a very short description of the movie and I was pretty much like, "What?"

February 2015 Reads + Monthly Recap

I'm still a little beat from last night's party so I'm gonna make this quick. I read 10 books and 2 novellas this February. Not bad, considering I had midterms. And it's been a really long time since I last read a series consecutively, from beginning to end. I'm pretty proud of myself for being able to do that this month.