Graceling by Kristin Cashore: Book Review

Title: Graceling

Author: Kristin Cashore

Series: Graceling Realm #1

Publication Details: September 7th 2009 by Graphia (first published October 1st 2008)

Genre: Fantasy, young adult

A deadly grace. Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight- she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graces as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.

She never expects to become Po's friend.

She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...

(from Goodreads)

A gripping, adventurous story about identity and embracing one's strengths and weaknesses.

Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan: Book Review

Title: Daughter of Deep Silence

Author: Carrie Ryan

Publication Details: July 12th 2016 by Speak (first published May 26th 2015)

Genre: Young adult, contemporary, thriller, mystery

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel: Book Review

Title: The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

Author: Lee Strobel

Publication Details: August 30th 1998 by Zondervan (first published 1988)

Genre: Non-fiction, Christian

What Happened: April and May 2017

Uhmmm, hi folks! I'm still here! Still alive. 😁

I was not able to post my wrap-up for April because (let's say it together) I've been busy. *applause*

I had a good reading month in April. I read 3 books! However, May was a total bleh. I tried reading a couple of books but I just couldn't get into it. Thus, I was not able to read in May. I did attend a bookish event though- Dia Del Libro 2017.

Here's a quick recap:

Books Read:

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

By The River Piedra, I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho- a reread, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Read this three during my April Holy Week Read-a-thon.

Blog Posts:

Books That Made Me Cry: Book Recommendations

Dia Del Libro 2017: Photo Diary

Book Stop Project: A Pop-up Library

Stacking the Shelves #25: Book Stop Project Haul

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I think that's all for my April and May! Haha! I know, reading-wise, I was not able to accomplish much. But I've had 3 out-of-town trips and did museum-hopping w/ friends in those two months! I will post photo diaries on my personal blog- Protected and Loved.

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Have a nice day folks! 😁

Book Haul #20: Book Stop Project Haul

Finally folks! Here's another book haul from The Book Stop Project, plus two other books I bought in April.

As per my previous post, The Book Stop Project is a pop-up library where you can borrow or exchange books. I got the following: 😁

Book Stop Project: A Pop-up Library

Hi folks!

Whew! Long time no post eh?

Today I want to share with you guys an interesting library we have here in the Philippines- The Book Stop Project.

The Book Stop Project is a pop-up library by WTA Architecture and Design Studio, which aims to promote reading and sharing of ideas among people, especially in today's generation where technology competes with the traditional way of interacting and reading.

While a pop-up library is not really a unique concept, it is quite unheard of in the PH. Kudos to WTA for introducing it here! It will surely change the way Filipinos commonly perceive libraries.

For more information, you can visit The Book Stop Philippines page here.

Dia Del Libro 2017: Photo Diary

April 23 is World Book Day! To celebrate here in the Philippines, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, together with other partner organizations, publishers and bookstores, held a one-day book fair. The event was held yesterday, April 22, in Ayala Triangle, Makati.

This was my second World Book Day book fair! And it felt good to see fellow book lovers meet for such an event.

Books That Made Me Cry: Book Recommendations

Hi folks!

I have another book recommendations for you, and this time they are those books that made me cry- from shedding a tear or two to the ugly kind of cry. Haha!

I am only going to list 10 books (because I cannot really remember all of them), and add a little description, keywords/quotes below so as to give you ideas why it made me cry without spoiling the plot. I will also include a rating, with 5 crying emojis being the ugliest cry I ever had.

Let's begin, shall we? In no particular order...

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

What Happened: March 2017

Hi folks!

My birthday month was quite rough. I had been busy. Plus, I had some personal (emotional) issues. But with God's help, I know I will make it through. I'll be 100% fine eventually. 😀 I did learn a lot though, and I was reminded of some things. 😀

But this is my book blog, so let's talk about my month in books and blog. 😉

For the month of March, I was able to read 3 books! Yey!

Books Read:

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei

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

Book Reviews:

The Last Star (The 5th Wave #3) by Rick Yancey

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei

Other Posts:

Gift Guide for Book Lovers

Birthday Month Book Haul

Aside from the two books in my haul post, I actually bought another book: Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann. When I saw this on the shelves, I immediately grabbed it (I may or may not have gasped aloud. Haha!). I've been wanting to re-read this book! And I will very soon! 😀

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That's all folks for my March wrap-up. I know my April will be another busy month, but I'll be okay. 😊 As for my 'personal issue', I know I will be okay in that area too. ☝

-o-

How was your March folks?

Pile Be Gone #8: Holy Week Reads

Hi folks!

Happy April! The Holy Week is on April 10-16. I don't know in your part of the world but here in the Philippines, that week is a declared holiday, usually starting Maundy Thursday.

And since it's the commemoration of the passion of Jesus Christ on the Cross (and I will just be at home), I'm planning to have a reading marathon. 

I'll be reading the following books:

Yep folks, I'll have some serious reading.☺

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

The Passion of Jesus Christ by John Piper (I've already started reading this one.)

Now for these two, I've been wanting to reread them for a while now. So I better get on with it.☺

Random Acts of Heroic Love by Danny Scheinmann

By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

-o-

Hmmm. That's all folks. I'm not really sure if I will be able to finish all of them by Easter Sunday. Haha! But I will do my best.

-o-

What are your to-read this April?

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei: Book Review

Title: Zero Day

Author: Jan Gangsei

Publication Details: January 12th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Genre: Young adult, mystery, thriller, contemporary

GOODREADS

Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping of the decade. Addie vanished—and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.

Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the Oval Office after a tumultuous first term. Then, the unthinkable happens: the president’s daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family’s fold…but who is this sixteen-year-old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the administration who find her timely return suspicious.

When a national security advisor approaches Darrow Fergusson, Addie’s childhood best friend and the son of the president’s chief of staff, he doesn’t know what to think. How could the girl he’s missed for all these years be a threat to the United States? Still, at the risk of having his own secrets exposed, Darrow agrees to spy on Addie.

He soon realizes that his old friend is much more than the traumatized victim of a political fringe group. Addie has come with a mission… but will she choose to complete it?

A short yet thrilling read.

One bookstore-browsing day, I came across Zero Day, read its synopsis and found it really intriguing. I had been wanting a short, thriller, contemporary read so I bought this stand-alone.