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Showing posts from July, 2012

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

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Summary from Goodreads : After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is

Filipino Fridays #2: School of Reading

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Growing up, there has not been a shortage of printed material lying around in our house. There is a newspaper stand just next door, and I was told that is where everyone at home used to get their supply of Funny Komiks. I remember my sisters being nicknamed Betya, Klang Klang, and me as Pokwang (I hope I spelled them correctly). All are characters of Funny Komiks, they said. I wished I could have had a chance to read them but alas, I wasn't even walking then much less reading. By the time I was old enough to, the newspaper stand ceased to sell Funny Komiks. I started reading nursery rhymes and fairy tale books like the Lady Bird ones and other variants. We always had a few  Sweet Valleys, and Archie Comics around the house too.  We are subscribers of Reader's Digest for as long as I can remember and we always get the newspaper as well.  So, more or less I always see books and magazines and  people  reading them at home.  I have to give special mention to my eldest siste

Want Books: Pinoy Graphic Novel Edition

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Want Books? is a weekly meme hosted by Chachic’s Book Nook and features released books that you want but you can’t have for some reason. It can be because it’s not available in your country, in your library or you don’t have the money for it right now. Elmer is a window into a world where chickens have suddenly acquired the intelligence and consciousness of humans, where they can now consider themselves a race no different than browns, black, or whites. Recognizing themselves to be sentient, the inexplicably evolved chickens push to attain rights for themselves as the newest members of the human race.  ( Summary from  Goodreads ) A story of love and tragedy. Jenny fell out of love from Eric. Eric started a killing spree out of desperation for the love of his life. (Summary from Goodreads ) Jesse sees dead people, monsters, demons, and lots of other things that go bump in the night that no one else can see. No one except his ailing grandmother - a woman who used her v

ReaderCon 2012 Filipino Fridays: Introductions

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Hi! My name is Tin and I wasn't really much of a reader back then (Save for fairy tale books like the Lady Bird ones, a few Sweet Valleys, and a whole lot of Archie Comics). I read but I wasn't obsessed about books as I am now. It all started when I picked up J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series followed by my discovery of book blogs and bloggers. From all the book reviews I've been reading, I started acquiring a (still manageable) TBR pile and have been working my way through it ever since.  I read because it takes me places, allows me to meet a variety of people, and experience all sorts of experiences that I perhaps, could never feel or do in my lifetime.  Favorite Books of all Time Aw, I don't think I can limit my list of favorites to 3 (or 10). So, just click this: Favorites List . The Genres I Read Fantasy (High and/or Urban) is my absolute favorite genre. Followed by Historical, and Contemporary as well as Retellings of mostly fairy tales. But I would

Beauty by Robin Mckinley

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Summary from Goodreads : A strange imprisonment... Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in looks, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with the tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must go to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father protests that he will not let her go, but she answers, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?" Robin McKinley's beloved telling illuminates the unusual love story of a most unlikely couple, Beauty and the Beast I adore fairy tales and retellings of them are no exception. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales, if not the most. So, I have been wanting Robin Mckinley's Beauty for the longest time and thanks to Chachic of Chachic's Book Nook for sending me this book and allowing me to finally cross it off

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

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Summary from Goodreads : When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--t

Kwentillion

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Summary from Goodreads : Kwentillion Magazine is the Philippines' first publication dedicated to young adult literature and media, featuring YA-themed comics and fiction by Filipino creators. The bi-monthly, black and white magazine (with an eight-page colored spread in every issue) features reviews and previews of young adult books, interviews with creators, and articles which tackle a wide variety of topics of interest to the YA community I was very excited when I heard about Kwentillion, a magazine dedicated to YA literature, a genre that I absolutely love. And the fact that YA is given the local treatment here, is another plus. Local YA? That is something that I have been looking for for years. Finally, it's here! First, the technicalities. I love the paper quality. It's thick and the off-white color brings out the best in the black and white illustrations. The colored center fold is an absolute treat as well. Chester Ocampo's cover art is utterly breathtaking. It

In My Mailbox: Birthday Edition Part 2

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In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Story Siren . It features books you have bought or received during the week. I just received a belated birthday gift from my fellow YA fan and book blogger friend Chachic of Chachic's Book Nook ! Take a lookie! (I apologize for the bad quality of the photographs. I am very bad at taking them.) Kwentillion Magazine edited by Budjette Tan and Paolo Chikiamco, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass, and Bound by Donna Jo Napoli Beauty by Robin Mckinley (with Chip looking on approvingly :D) I'm going to get to cross out Beauty and Kwentillion from my wishlist! Yay! Initially Ch achic told me that she will be sending me just these two titles so the addition of Throne of Glass and Bound was a lovely surprise.  I also found Chachic's hand written note on the back of a lady bird postcard! I was thrilled that it features London. (Andrew Garfield for one, is from London. Ahihihi :D)     A lovely lady bird postcard of London. I t

Living On Borrowed Kindle...Sigh

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My lovely friend is kind enough to lend me her Kindle. It feels so light and small and purty! I am not completely sold on the idea of reading through an e-reader. But right now, holding this kindle, I am seriously having second thoughts. Aside from the travel friendly size, it can store what, thousands of titles? And you can highlight lines, and make notes. And I was especially thrilled that you can make the font size bigger! :)    But then again, I will miss getting to physically flip the pages, and looking at the beautiful book covers, and the smelling that "new book" smell. I am not sure of the prices of e-books over printed ones. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the latter is still cheaper?  How about you? What are your thoughts regarding an e-reader / e-books? Are you all for it, or do you prefer reading the old fashioned way?

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

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Summary from Goodreads : Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14: Debate Club. Her father’s “bunny rabbit.” A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school. Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15: A knockout figure. A sharp tongue. A chip on her shoulder. And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston. Frankie Laundau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer. Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society. Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places. Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them. When she knows Matthew’s lying to her. And when there are so many, many pranks to be done. Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16: Possibly a criminal mastermind. This is the story of how she got that way. The story goes far beyond what the blurb implies. Although one can see your usual contemporary YA elements like rich bo

In My Mailbox: Birthday Edition

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In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Story Siren . It features book you have received or bought during the week I got books as birthday gifts from my adorable 15 year of cousin. It's really sweet of her. I was surprised that she got me not one but two! But then she has the evil ulterior motive of borrowing them from me after I'm done reading them. Hee. But I don't mind. I love her still. :) So, I finally get to read some Contemporary YA and even things out a bit with Fantasy YA.  Justin Bieber's name is on the tag because my cousin is absolutely obsessed with him and  never misses an opportunity to make any sort of reference to his name. But I was too happy flipping through the books that I didn't really mind. :) Gifts from a lovely friend and my other cousins. My cousins were kind enough to write a disclaimer: "P.S. This is not a book." on the tag so as not to get my hopes up. Teehee. :)  How about you? What's in your mailbox?