A Bookish Day: The Disreputable History of Liars

It's the first bookish event of the year - well, for me, that is! XD I was absent for the past couple of events and I missed a whole lot of incredible authors, but I'm trying to change that this year and I sure as hell wasn't going to miss E. Lockhart! She wrote two of the most intelligently-written books I've ever read (and I read them one after the other, which was double awesome) so I really looked forward to meeting her, even though I had to rush from the office for a quick shower and then leave again after twenty-four hours of no sleep. Plenty of time for sleep when I'm dead lol.

Stacking the Shelves {28}

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share recently bought, borrowed, won, and gifted books (print or ebooks)!

 

It's time for my second catch-up-on-book-hauls post! God I need to read faster -_-

Q&A A Day: A 3-Year Journal by Betsy Franco

The Edge of Never (The Edge of Never #1) by J.A. Redmerski (review)

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

The Gathering Dark (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo (signed!)

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

World War Z by Max Brooks

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Ashes to Ashes (Burn for Burn #3) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian (signed ARC!)

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen

Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

Empire of Shadows (Bhinian Empire #2) by Miriam Forster

Messenger of Fear (Messenger of Fear #1) by Michael Grant

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Legend (Legend #1) by Marie Lu (signed!)

 

- I knew I had to have Q&A A Day the moment I read about it, and so I went hunting for it in my local bookstores as soon as I could; unfortunately, the last entry I got to answer was back in January lol. I should find time to catch up soon. The Edge of Never, on the other hand, is probably my best bargain buy to date. I wandered into the bookstore near my office one day and I had to stop myself from jumping up and down in glee when I spotted this for, like, 60% off.

- The Grisha books are a product of my rare luck when I won a contest ran by the UK publisher. I had to get them sent to my sister so I got them months after, but good lord are they worth the wait. I'm currently reading Shadow and Bone (again, because when I first picked it up, I got so overwhelmed by how good it was that I put it down and never read it again until now), and I plan to read the trilogy alternatingly with the Throne of Glass series.

- World War Z is very different from the movie, as I found out when I read the first fifty pages in the bookstore before I actually bought it. I haven't finished it yet, as you can tell from the bookmark hanging out of it, but it's something I've decided to read only when I feel like it. 

- Along for the Ride was something I bought on a whim, because I had a very long wait time and I was stupid enough to not bring a book with me. It kept me occupied for hours and I sure felt like I had a friend with me <3 I got this Ashes to Ashes ARC during Jenny Han's signing here in Manila, but until now I haven't read it. Because I suck.

- Keeping the Moon was another brilliant bargain buy, but I haven't read it yet, just like the ARCs of Lies I Told and Empire of Shadows (which I've decided to give away since I don't have the first book anyway). Messenger of Fear, though, I have tried to read. Let's just say I was bored out of my mind and never got around to finishing it.

- I swear I'll read this gorgeous copy of Fangirl soon. As in very soon. It's ridiculous how long it's been in my shelf, neglected and gathering dust. I'll also be getting a boxset of the Legend trilogy even though I already own the first and third books because I need that damn novella.

 

- And also from the contest I mentioned earlier, I got these gorgeous Grisha posters that I'll surely be hanging up one day! I specifically told my sister not to fold them because folded posters are the death of me.

Next week's catch-up haul will be the last, I think, although my friend did just tell me about a book sale happening right now until tomorrow, so who knows~

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: Signs of Life - Selene Castrovilla

For the first cover reveal here on the blog this year, I'm beyond glad to be sharing the cover to a sequel that I only just learned is actually happening - which is good because I need to prepare my heart for this book.

Stacking the Shelves {27}

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews, where bloggers share recently bought, borrowed, won, and gifted books (print or ebooks)!

Early this morning as I was having breakfast, I thought I'd be productive and do some blog work. And then I remembered it's a Saturday which means it's time for a book haul! I'd been meaning to catch up on hauls - the last one was posted on July of last year so even I have lost track of how many books I've yet to share. I've decided to post fifteen books (although I kind of cheated this week lol) every Saturday until I catch up, so here's a start!

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern

The Iron Traitor (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2) by Julie Kagawa

The Summer Trilogy by Jenny Han

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Royally Lost by Angie Stanton

Wings (Black City #3) by Elizabeth Richards (Review)

Twinmaker (Twinmaker #1) by Sean Williams (Review)

The Murder Complex (The Murder Complex #1) by Lindsay Cummings

After the End (After the End #1) by Amy Plum

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1) by Anne Blankman

Guy in Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

Wicked Games (Wicked Games #1) by Sean Olin

Vivian Divine Is Dead by Lauren Sabel

The Vanishing Season by Jodi Lynn Anderson

The Cabinet of Curiosities sampler

- I remember buying The Book of Tomorrow because I failed to find a copy of Love, Rosie (the movie of which was totes romantic <3), and then I got The Iron Traitor since it was there sitting pretty and I figured I'd need it anyway when I finally decide to start the spin-off series to The Iron Fey. Book-buying is something I don't procrastinate on.

- The Jenny Han books I got for her signing so they're all, well, signed. I've only read To All the Boys and holy cheeseballs was it amazing. I'll surely be picking up the sequel as soon as it's available!

- Royally Lost was an impulse buy because I can't be not broke and not leave the bookstore without a book. It's just impossible. Wings, on the other hand, I got from the lovely author for the blog tour we did last year. It's signed, which is perfect because it's the last book in one of my most favorite series ever. And then there's Twinmaker which is also signed because I got it from The Book Depository's book review program. 

- All the other books in that stack are from HarperCollins. Aren't they kind? I've only picked up Wicked Games and I'm still disappointed that I didn't like it enough to even finish it. And since I hate being buried under unread ARCs and review copies, I've resolved to not request them anymore. Now to get to reading the ones I have here...

That's it for this week! Have you read any of these books? Tell me about it in the comments below ;D

Book Review: Legend - Marie Lu

Title: Legend (Legend #1)

Author: Marie Lu

Release Date: November 29th 2011

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Age Group: Young Adult

Goodreads | The Book Depository

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors.

Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles.

Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect.

Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Legend had long been in my TBR list, what with all the confessions of love I kept seeing online, but I put it off because who needed another ongoing series to crush their heart with the wait times? Definitely not me. But last year, Marie Lu visited my country for a book signing, and although I missed it, my good friend got me a signed copy, and I knew the waiting was over.

This story is basically a battle between two bests. June is the country's number one military prodigy; Day is the country's number one criminal. One can imagine that their paths should have crossed later rather than sooner, but the opposite happens when Day is suspected of killing June's older brother. Now armed not just with in-born talent but charged with the desire for revenge, June is assigned to go on a hunt for the infamous outlaw, but instead she finds reasons to doubt the side she's fighting for.

One thing I love most about Legend is how we get to be inside June's and Day's heads. We see just how different yet similar they are, not just in actions but also in thoughts, and we know exactly why they are worthy opponents and partners. And I especially love how they were pitted against one another - it's like WWE SmackDown.

I will hunt you down. I will scour the streets of Los Angeles for you. Search every street in the Republic if I have to. I will trick you and deceive you, lie, cheat and steal to find you, tempt you out of your hiding place, and chase you until you have nowhere else to run. I make you this promise: your life is mine.

But of course, we all know how this goes: girl falls for boy, boy falls for girl, and then they go on to do badass things and fight the bad guys together. Quite predictable as that part may be, I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't beat faster as I watched the romance between them grow. And that development is actually another on the long list of things that the author did well in this book; it wasn't too fast that it would've made me roll my eyes, but it wasn't too slow that I'd have been bored out of my mind, either.

In the end, Legend is nothing if not gripping, fast-paced, and exhilarating. It exceeded all of the expectations I'd had about it for years - although it did kind of lack a special something that I can't quite put my finger on - and now I actually kind of regret waiting so long before finally picking it up (and adding Daniel to my overflowing list of book boyfriends). Also, why the heck did I finish reading this without having a copy of the sequel at the ready?! Regrets, regrets.

MY FAVORITE PART was

"What a joke! Poor little rich girl's fallen in love with the Republic's most famous criminal."

They could've put that part alone on the back of the book and I would've still read it.

RATING: