Say hello to 2013! :)

I started book blogging this year without a hint of how this whole thing work or how to write reviews. I just go with the flow, writing reviews one at a time and look where it got me now. I never really thought I would come this far. So before 2012 ends, I would like to say thank you to all of you who made this year fun and memorable for me 

To all my bloggy friends who never cease to amaze me, thank you for your encouragements and blogger tips and tricks. You're all awesome! :)

To all the authors who had given me the opportunity to read their books, thank you for trusting me and respecting my opinions. Keep on writing amazing stories! 

To all my readers and followers who keeps on reading and commenting on my posts and reviews, thank you so much! I will never get used to the feeling of giddiness whenever I see new follower on my blog. I just wanted you all to know that I really appreciate each and everyone of you.

I'm looking forward to a more awesome year with lots and lots of books with y'all! :)

Have a Prosperous New Year, everyone!

Book Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hopkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Book Review: The Lover's Dictionary

Title: The Lover's Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Genre/s: Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the momentdoes pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

Book Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door 
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance

Synopsis:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Book Review: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)

Title: Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Synopsis:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Guess What's in my Mailbox #9

Guess what's in my mailbox is a weekly meme I created, inpired by Stacking the Shelves and In My Mailbox, which showcases the books and swags that I received in the mail. 

So for the 9th GWIMM, here's what I have. 

Won

What I have here is a hardback copy of Rebel Heart and a customized Dustland water bottle which  I won from Alex of Possession of Books. I nearly fainted when I received this in the mail. 

That's all I have this week. :)

Book Review: Spark(Elemental #2)

Title: Spark(Elemental #2)
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Synopsis:

EARTH. FIRE. AIR. WATER.

He could feel flames coming through the floor, looking for him. Sparks and ash rained down. He wasn't going to make it. He was going to fail. Again. Then a hand closed over his wrist and pulled, hard.

Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally. Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. So when an arsonist wreaks havoc on his town all the signs point to Gabriel.

Layne is strangely drawn to him. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let Layne know that the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

THE FUSE IS LIT…

Guess What's In My Mailbox #8

For the 8th GWIMM, this are the things that I have received in my 2 weeks of absence. Check it out!

Gift

The awesome t-shirt of The Stereotypical Freaks and guitar bookmark was given to me by, none other than, Mr. Howard Shapiro as a thank you for reviewing his graphical novel. Click here to see my review.

Won

I won a hardback copy of Velveteen from Andrea of The Busy Bibliophile in her Spooktacular Giveaway. I almost had a heart attack when I received this in the mail.

I won Shatter Me from Elizabeth of Eli to the Nth in her Dystopian Giveaway. I've been waiting to have  this book and finally, it's mine.

For Review

And last but not the list, I received The Living Room from Mr. Bill Rolfe. My older sister just finished reading it, and she told me that it was a really heartwarming story. I'm going to let you know what I think about it, soon.

That's all for now folks! 

Winner of Back to Back Celebration Giveaway!!!

Before I announced the winner of the Back to Back Celebration Giveaway, I would like to say sorry for being MIA for this past two weeks. I've been really busy at school, doing movie animations, assignments and thinking about a possible topic for my undergrad senior project. Anyway, everything is under control(for now) and I have so many new reviews to post, so stay tuned for that.

Okay, let's get back to business. Drumroll please. *drumroll*

The lucky winner of the Back to Back Celebration Giveaway who won a $15 book of choice is:

Congratulations!!!

Catherine A.

You have 48 hours to reply on the email that I sent you or otherwise I'm going to pick new winner.