In This Life: Book Review and More!

 

*No. of pages: 382

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 4/5

*Date of Publish: January 22, 2016 by Christine Brae

*Format: eARC (Provided by Christine Brae for the blog tour)

Via Goodreads

 SYNOPSIS:

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere,

They’re in each other all along.”

Rumi

 

They say that life is full of choices. When you’re young and idealistic, you believe that the path you choose is the road that will lead you to your destiny.

But what if, along the way, fate decides to step in, and no amount of logic or rationality or even prayers can save you from your fortune? When the sacrifices you make, the love that you find, and the bright promise of the future are all snatched away from you, you’re left alone to pick up the pieces of your life.

This is a story about love, found in a faraway place by two very unlikely people. It is also a story about friendship and loyalty and fighting for what you have despite the illogical mystery of fate. It is a story of faith and acceptance, and learning that even the best-laid plans are powerless against the alignment of the universe.

From the beaches of Thailand to the streets of New York, three friends, Anna, Dante, and Jude will learn the hard way that once providence steps in, there is nothing in the world that can change what is truly meant to be.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

 

Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Christine is the author of The Light in the Wound, His Wounded Light and Insipid. Her new book, In This Life, is set to release in January 2016.

 

When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.

 

Christine’s Social Media Sites

Website || Goodreads || Twitter || Facebook || Instagram

Here are some amazing quote edits by Sayyeda of Christine Brae Philippines!!!

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Review:

 

Have you ever looked forward into a huge plan of yours? Where everything is set and you are working hard day by day to make it all come true? Have you ever had that plan and you were just waiting for everything to fall into place when all of a sudden, it all crumbles down instead? If this happened to you just like most of the people in this world, then this is a book that you should really grab and read.

In This Life is a story about three protagonists, each having their goals and dreams that they are determined to reach. But when life gets in the way, they realize that fate and destiny are stronger than all these perfectly laid-out plans.

This is one among my tons of favorite quotes in Christine Brae’s In This Life:

“We were burglars in the night, stealing someone else’s laughter for our own and replacing it with tears.”

While reading this book, you will see the beauty of life, and of course with it, is all of its nasty, disgusting, and filthy parts. Yet despite its entire flaw, life maintains all of its glorious. However, each person, just like what the characters in the story symbolizes is that we are nothing but mere pawns in this chess game in the so-called life. We struggle to be happy and there are times in which others must suffer for us to get that joy. One being hurt for another’s happiness is inevitable—the art of life in its oddest form.

Anna is a woman who is running away from a problem bigger than hers; little did she know that running away would only cause her more trouble and more pain. She was bold, has so much passion in her yet at the same time she is filled with anger and guilt resulting to her need of something grand and spontaneous. Yet as the story develops, she turns into a woman who is no longer running away from the past, but holding on to it. She cannot settle down in her life and keeps yearning for something that she could not grasp. Dante is fierce and wild; he is a true friend and a great man who would give anything for the one he loves unconditionally. Jude is a passionate man who has his plans laid out perfectly for him, little did he know that it would only take a perfect and irresistible woman to sway his unwavering faith.

These three characters are helpless against time and love—so little time yet so much love to give. In the end, they must decide what is best for their lives, what would make them truly happy. I must say, dear readers, that this book has shocked me to no end! Every turn of the event was unpredictable, just like life itself. You’ll never know what’s coming for you.

Christine Brae’s new novel is her best so far, her writing has not only improved together with her technique, but she made a story that anyone could relate to—because we are all experiencing or have experienced what is happening on the pages of this book one way or another. For this novel tells a lot that is so beyond the story of the three protagonists: it shows life’s cruelty, of time’s way of giving us so much and taking it, of losses, of dealing with grief, and how it seems so hard for joy to find us. And love, life is full of so much love.

If you want a book that will teach you a lot of lessons about life, how to deal with a loss, how to accept life’s many challenges, or a book that teaches you to voice out what you feel before it’s too late—or if you simply just want to cry, then this book is highly recommended.

 

“In this Life, it is only through sadness that one could truly experience joy.”

 

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BUT WAIT, THERE’S SO MUCH MORE IN STORE!!!

Excited for In This Life yet? Wait until you read below what is in store for all the fans and readers out there on the release date of In This Life which is set on January 22, 2016!!!

PLANNING FOR BOOK RELEASE:

PRE RELEASE DAY:

Christine Brae PH Only:

1. Trivia Questions – Gift of 3 books a day from January 11 to January 21 – total 33 books to be gifted on Release Day
2. January 20 – Grand Trivia or Contest – Win a T Shirt
3. January 21 – Grand Trivia or Contest – Win Book Marks and 3 signed copies
4. January 22 – RELEASE DAY – Grand Prize (Trip)

 

BLOG TOUR PRIZES:  RELEASE DAY

 Christine Brae PH Blog Tour

1. 3 Signed Copies of In This Life
2. GRAND PRIZE:

Trip for 2 to Cebu from anywhere in the Philippine – up to a P10,000 value

Two (2) night stay at any resort in CEBU – up to a P15,000 value

• Philippine Residents Only
• Dates to be Chosen by Winner

 

LOGISTICS: GRAND PRIZE

• Copy and paste your gift links and purchase links on Googledoc with number of books
• Enter your name in Rafflecopter – a tweet will be required that says – “@christinebrae I have your book!”
• Entries will be checked against purchase links

 

Rafflecopter Link:

<a class=”rcptr” href=”http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2ebcda956/&#8221; rel=”nofollow” data-raflid=”2ebcda956″ data-theme=”classic” data-template=”” id=”rcwidget_dryy2v0d”>a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

 

 

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Pre-order Christine Brae’s In This Life to get a chance to win these amazing giveaways from Christine Brae herself!!! Do not forget to read the wonderful novel entitled In This Life set to to be released two days from now!

Xoxo,

Bookstore Bug

 

 

 

Giveaway Winner!!!

Hi everyone!!!

I have the winner for the signed copy of His Wounded Light by Christine Brae!!!

And the winner is… *drum roll*

Dohn Meñale!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations!!! 🙂

Win a signed copy of His Wounded Light by Christine Brae!

Hi everyone! Win a signed copy of His Wounded Light by Christine Brae!!! Giveaway ends on October 3, 2015. Check out the link below to find out how to get entries! 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/bookstorebug/app_228910107186452

His Wounded Light (The Light in the Wound #2)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

The perfect life.

The perfect marriage.

The jilted lover.

Their worlds collide.

Fate intervenes twelve years later and their paths intersect once again. All three will question whether the heart is truly capable of dividing and being divided; each will decide whether it matters who you loved first or who you love last.

Together they will learn that in the end, there can always only be one.

Ratings via Goodreads:

Average Rating (Goodreads): 4.41

My Rating: 5

About the Author via Goodreads:

Christine Brae

Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. She is currently working on her third book which she hopes to release in June,2014.

When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago.

A Talk with Bryant A. Loney: Author of To Hear The Ocean Sigh

Hey guys! Just this Sunday (August 9), I had the utmost privilege of getting to interview Bryant A. Loney, the author of To Hear The Ocean Sigh. Verona Booksellers published the said young adult novel just April 21^st of this year. I had the honor of being asked by the publisher to conduct a book review to promote Bryant Loney’s new novel and I was amazed by how amazing and deep the book was especially for the fact that Bryant is only 22 days older than me! He just turned 18 years old last July 4 and he had already contributed a great literary piece that is up for everyone to read, to enjoy, and to learn a lot from. That’s why I did not let the opportunity of having this small interview with Bryant pass me by. Thank you so much, Bryant, for entrusting me with this!

The interview is spoiler-free as per request by the author. 🙂

 

 

Bookstore Bug: Hi Bryant! I’m Feather, going under the name Bookstore Bug for my blog 🙂 Thank you for having this chat with me! I’m going to ask you some questions regarding your novel, To Hear The Ocean Sigh. Would that be all right? 🙂

Bryant Loney: But of course. Ask away!

BB: When did you start writing To Hear The Ocean Sigh?

Bryant: I started writing the novel on a sleepless night while on vacation in June of 2012. My family and I had visited Myrtle Beach in South Carolina that day, but it was raining, and the water was ridiculously cold. Despite this, we got out of the car and ran around in those waves. We probably looked like a bunch of crazy people to the lifeguard on duty! Anyway, we had a lot of fun, which made me think of how perspective shapes the way we value experiences. And so the story was born!

BB: What an inspiration! So I’m curious, why revolve this type of story to young adults?

Bryant: I think the easiest answer is because I was fourteen at the time, and writing guides and websites always tell you to write what you know. YA is one of my favorite genres, but because technology is changing so rapidly, I’ve noticed authors struggling to keep up. I wanted to revolve this story around the impact technology has on teenage friendships because we (the teens of the 2010s) are essentially the guinea pigs of any new apps, phones, and social media sites. And because I was a young adult, I felt I could tell that kind of story honestly.

BB: Yeah, I agree. I’m majoring in Literature and it was easier for me when my subject course was Young Adult Literature because that’s what I know most about. 🙂 How about any other stories or works that you’ve written? Are those young adult novels too? I would love to hear about it!

Bryant: In between drafts of To Hear The Ocean Sigh, I wrote a novella titled Exodus in Confluence, which is available exclusively on Amazon and is essentially a zombie story. In reality, it was me working out my feelings toward senseless school shootings and gun control regulation in the United States (the zombies, referred to as “hollows” in the narrative, are a metaphor, you see). That was in late 2013. It, too, is YA!

BB: Wow, you do love metaphors, don’t you? And scenarios and people that symbolizes deeper values about life!

Bryant: I like to write about what bothers me, so I guess you could say that. (That was such an author answer, haha!)

BB: Hahaha oh you are an author! So… authors usually insert bits and pieces of themselves in the characters that they are creating, right? Can you say the same for yourself besides that you write about the things that bothers you?

Bryant: Bits of myself definitely do slip in. Anecdotes, too. I once had a conversation with my cousin Natalie—she loves this—about baseball, which I know very little about, and basically, I ended up asking how Mickey Mantle was doing that year. She stared at me for a while, then informed me that Mantle had died in 1995. Somehow, that ended up in THTOS (To Hear The Ocean Sigh). Speaking of baseball, I did play t-ball when I was younger, which becomes a joke about a character in the novel, as well. So like I said, pieces of me are in there, yes, but Jay Murchison (the protagonist in THTOS) is largely separate from myself. Like, I was actually popular in high school! People liked me, I swear!

BB: That scene about Mickey Mantle was hilarious by the way! Haha! I’m sure you were popular, don’t worry!!! But if you are not Jay, are you more of like the other characters in To Hear The Ocean Sigh?

Bryant: My favorite character is probably Megan, who plays a minor but important role in the story. I see her as sort of Jay’s female counterpart in that she’s in the main friend group, but still occasionally out of the loop. I know I felt that way sometimes in high school. Megan also says my favorite line in the book: “God, where did freshman year go?” I think that’s so raw and honest in the sense that she’s thinking about an earlier time when things were simpler, and she’s wondering how everything changed so suddenly. We’re both out of high school; we know the friends we start out with in ninth grade aren’t always the ones we end up with senior year. So I guess I have a similar mindset as Megan, if that makes sense. Saphnie, too. All of the characters, probably, in some form or another. I think that’s important in creating a story. You as the writer have to put parts of yourself in your characters to make them genuine. If not, what’s the point?

BB: I agree. And you have to put real occurrences that really happened to make the scene truer, right? Like what you did with the Mickey Mantle scene. So how about the “wrong sent message/wrong number” scheme? Was it purely based on your imagination or was it inspired by something that really happened?

Bryant: I would say that stemmed from those times in real life when you get a new phone and suddenly receive texts from strangers meant for the previous owner of that phone number. In middle school, I would every now and then get texts from someone saying they were in town and wanted to catch up or that so-and-so was getting married—”Can you believe it?!” And then you check the timestamp, and it’s, like, “3:23 A.M.” So those experiences may have subconsciously fueled the start of the story, but other than that, it’s fictional.

BB: Okay so now let’s talk about I think, was my favorite part of the book. The Rudderless at Sea—where did that story came from? Tell me all about it!

Bryant: Rudderless at Sea! By my alter ego! I’m a firm believer that the discussion of good writing can bring people together, and not just because my career as a novelist depends on readers. Rudderless was my attempt at a tale-within-a-tale, but while it needed to be predominantly in the background, I also wanted it to share common thematic elements with the story of THTOS. There are a lot of parallels between the characters and events of both Rudderless and THTOS, and I thought it would be interesting to have certain characters’ opinions over Rudderless reflect their own views on the very same situations Jay faces… As for where the story came from, I think high schoolers are a lot like island castaways, struggling to coexist in a territory unfamiliar to them. Plus I thought it’d be cool, but that’s not a very author answer, is it?

BB: Oh no, it is a very author answer. And I really am amazed by the ideas in Rudderless at Sea. Especially the theories! A lot of it popped out along the story, coming from different characters with such different personalities. And I cannot help but wonder, which character’s theory do you agree the most and why?

Bryant: Oh, it doesn’t matter what I think! ‘Cept that might defeat the purpose of this interview. I’ll say that when the characters are talking about Rudderless and their views on guilt, redemption, and lost hope, a lot of that is probably my own thinking. When writers create stories with realistic topics in mind, I think it’s only natural for them to use the novel to work out their own views on the matter, as well. Saphnie teaches us to view people as complicated individuals rather than whatever we might initially assume about them, and I find myself constantly thinking back to that whenever I come across a politician, Hollywood star, or even a peer I don’t like. It’s important, you know? So I’m glad that even after months of not touching the story, her advice still helps me along in my daily life, even if she’s only a character in a novel I wrote. I just hope readers feel the same!

BB: I actually do feel the same!

“Even if all someone ever reads is fanfiction, any form of writing is a beautiful thing, and we must not waste precious time trying to understand the intentions of the author. Rather, we should decide what the story means to us.”

So this is one of my favorite lines from To Hear The Ocean Sigh and from our talk, this is one of the loads of things you want to put an emphasis on as an author, right?

Bryant: Totally! I love talking with readers and hearing their own interpretations of events in the novel—it’s their way of viewing the words I’ve provided, and who am I to say otherwise? That’s so special. I love it!

BB: Yeah, and hearing their own perspectives and theories really do prove that the readers have given so much thought on what you’ve worked so hard on 🙂 So Bryant, any chance for a sequel? 😉

Bryant: I spent a lot of summer days and weeknights with those characters. Now that the novel’s out there and people are enjoying it, I’m ready to move on. But who knows! I’ve always said that I’m just a storyteller, and if there’s a new one, I’ll be sure to pass it along to my readers.

BB: I’ll be one of the first to read it, I promise!

Bryant: I appreciate it!

BB: For my last question… What tips or message can you give to the people out there who want to write their own novel?

Bryant: Start now while you’re young. I always knew I wanted to be an author, and I figured, you know, why wait until after x when I can do it now? I think this is especially true with YA in the sense that I wanted to write my story while I was still just that, a young adult, to at the very least ensure the voices of my characters were authentic for the time (it’s a contemporary, after all). So begin the writing process today, and make sure to treat your manuscript with respect. Write and edit each day until you’re satisfied. Then go back and edit some more.

BB: Thank you so much for the lovely advice and surely you have set such an amazing example since you already have an amazing book published months before you even turned 18! Congratulations to that and I know you deserve it and more. 🙂

Bryant: You’re too kind. Thanks for the interview. It’s been fun!

BB: Thank you so so much for your time and for giving me such wonderful answers! I wish all the best for you and your amazing novel. I look forward to more chats with you and I most certainly look forward to reading more of your novels! Have a great night, I had fun as well! 🙂

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Get to know more about Bryant Loney!

Follow him on Twitter: @BALoney

Follow him on Instagram: @bryantloney

Visit his site: BryantLoney.com

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About To Hear The Ocean Sigh

 *No. of pages: 276

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.82/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 4/5

*Date of Published: April 21^st, 2015 by Verona Booksellers

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.

In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief, and understanding, readers will ask themselves what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities

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Check out my Book Review of To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney!

To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney: Book Review

To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney: Book Review

 *No. of pages: 276

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.82/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 4/5

*Date of Published: April 21^st, 2015 by Verona Booksellers

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SYNOPSIS Via Goodreads:

Jay Murchison believes he is a nobody at his high school in Oklahoma. Coming from a conservative family of affordable luxury, Jay has an overwhelming desire to become something great. After a mysterious girl named Saphnie in North Carolina mistakenly texts him, an unlikely relationship develops that affects Jay’s self-perception and influences the rest of his sophomore year. This correspondence leads him to a group of thrill-seekers who provide a grand departure from the quiet life Jay is familiar with and eye-opening experiences to witness first-hand the truth behind the loose morals his fellow classmates have come to know.

In a story filled with injustice, hope, hatred, love, grief, and understanding, readers will ask themselves what it truly means to hear the ocean sigh and learn of the dire consequences that come with its responsibilities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Via Goodreads:

 

Bryant A. Loney is an 18-year-old growing up in the U.S. Heartland. You can follow him on Twitter (@BALoney) and visit his website at BryantLoney.com. He was born on the 4^th of July, year 1997 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Notes:

This is a spoiler-free review to encourage my blog readers to fully enjoy the pages of To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney. Verona Booksellers, the publisher of the book from Tulsa, Oklahoma, contacted me to write a book review of this young adult novel—and I certainly do not regret accepting the offer!

Review:

To Hear The Ocean Sigh by Bryant A. Loney really is befitting for the young adults of this generation who suffer from teenage dramas and conflicts. In this book, you would learn more about the injustice of life, of misunderstandings, peer pressure, depression and of course—you would learn more about the grand schemes of life, of serendipity, of friendship, and of love.

The protagonist, Jay Murchison lived his sixteen years of existence being a nobody. His life was all about going to school and going home, nothing more and nothing less. But everything changed when Saphnie, a popular girl with an adventurous and outgoing personality that lives miles away from Jay, accidentally texted him despite them not knowing each other. With just a wrong sent message that Jay has received, everything changes in his life. He finally has someone to talk to and even though it was not intended, Saphnie became a bridge for Jay to finally make friends and to experience things he never thought he would do.

Jay Murchison is a character that a lot can relate to. A lot of teenagers nowadays suffer anxiety, depression and feels isolated from everyone due to the feeling of being an outsider, an outcast, or even a loner. And although this may be a negative thing, most (if not all), loves an underdog—and Jay might just be one. Yet getting to exchange text messages with Saphnie brought new changes into his life. Saphnie suggested a book for Jay to read, which served as a bridge for him to be friends with Lily, while Lily served as a bridge for Jay to have more new friends and new experiences to add to his boring life.

Truth be told, the story was a bit slow and unprogressive, causing the first few chapters to be a drag. But all of that transformed into something exciting and exhilarating as obstacles and unexpected turn of events happens in Jay’s life. With that obstacle is finding out how his newfound friends admitted that they saw him as what statistics online have been talking about: that in a class, one is bound to commit or attempt suicide—and they saw that one person as him. Then, an opportunity showed up to which he could finally show that he is not what everyone thinks he is. That even though he is quiet, alone, and seen as an outsider, he definitely is not suicidal just because of those.

Everyone misinterprets and misunderstood one another, just how it really goes. Sometimes, just because a person is always alone and has no friends does not automatically mean that he is suicidal and does not see his life as something wonderful and important. Because sometimes, those who appear with huge grins plastered on their faces and has everyone wave at them as they are entering a house party just because they have numerous likes on social networking sites… are actually the ones who are suffering and are the ones who hides behind a façade to which underneath lies the dire need to end what they see as their worthless and fake life.

Saphnie and all of Jay’s new friends teaches him to savor life and every step of it; even to overcome insecurities and to come to an understanding to all of the theories and questions there are about life even though those thoughts started to dwell in your mind due to a newly released book in the first place.

I bet some of you may have heard (if not read!) of All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, and this book struck me the way it did. I am very much not comparing it due to the fact that they are SOOO different from each other but because of implicating the heavy problem of prominent suicidal issues of teenagers nowadays. All The Bright Places may have been obvious of its theme, yet in To Hear The Ocean Sigh, everything that came out small turned out to be actually something big as the story progresses.

After reading To Hear The Ocean Sigh, it reminded me of how Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider, Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns by John Green made me feel as I close the book. That was how much the book pulled at my heartstrings and made me rethink and reanalyze my life and the people around me. So if you read any of the said books, you may now have an idea as to what the ending seemed like!

This book is all about:

-Stepping out of your comfort zone and discovering how much it could teach you;

-Having real friends no matter how few is more important than being popular and with a lot of fake ones;

-There is always more to what we see and what we know of a person and of a situation;

-Strict parents create sneaky kids, but no matter what, an individual should always know his/her limits. Because at the end of the day, the choices we make is always ours;

-And of course, a whole lot more!

I encourage you guys to start looking for a copy of Bryant A. Loney’s amazing novel! For I assure you that is jampacked with lessons about life, friendship, and love, and of course, with characters that has such colorful personalities and beautiful thoughts. So join me, read To Hear The Ocean Sigh to find out how does the ocean sigh, and wonder after that if you would ever have the privilege to hear it. 🙂

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Stay tuned for my next blog post: My chat with Bryant A. Loney, the author of To Hear The Ocean Sigh himself!

Follow him on Twitter: @BALoney

And check out his website on: BryantLoney.com

GIRL ONLINE BY ZOE SUGG– QUICK REACTION: Anyone can be a writer (But not everyone can be a great writer)

 *No. of pages: 344

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.97/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 5/5

 

SYNOPSIS via Goodreads:

I had no idea GirlOnline would take off the way it has – I can’t believe I now have 5432 followers, thanks so much! – and the thought of opening up to you all about this is terrifying, but here goes…

Penny has a secret.

Under the alias GirlOnline, she blogs about school dramas, boys, her mad, whirlwind family – and the panic attacks she’s suffered from lately. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets the gorgeous, guitar-strumming Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love – and capturing every moment of it on her blog.

But Noah has a secret too. One that threatens to ruin Penny’s cover – and her closest friendship – forever

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Quick Reaction:

Before I begun reading Girl Online by Zoe Sugg, I did what I always do before reading a book: scroll for reviews and reactions on Goodreads. What I saw was not really pleasing to the eyes. I saw at least 60% of reviews that contains only a one-star rating! But of course, I did not read their reasons for the risk of seeing spoilers. To be honest, I had this hesitation and doubt if I would really choose Girl Online as my new read, yet seeing 40% of the reviews that actually has five-star (highest rating on Goodreads) ratings, I decided to give it a shot.

I did not regret my decision! As I was reading and wondering why on Earth did I saw such poor ratings, I thought that, “Okay, so maybe the ending is bad??” Yet as I do some progress with reading the book, I doubt that the poor ratings I saw was even accurate. Now having finished the book, I’m more than ever curious. Without the spoilers being a threat any longer, I read the reasons of those people and got really annoyed as to why… Because Zoe Sugg/Zoella is an English fashion and beauty vlogger that got famous over the internet, and is now an Internet personality; she is best known for her Zoella channel in Youtube that has millions of subscribers. Which, interpreted by some—if not most, as a valid excuse that she has no right to publish a book that became so famous and was able to land a great spot at the bestseller charts. Here’s what I have to say to that…

ANYONE can be a writer but not EVERYONE can be a great writer. Whether they took up a course for writing or they write as a form hobby, what matters at the end is the quality of their work, the lessons it contain and how effective the stories are. Even though not everyone can really be a great writer, it is safe to say that Zoe Sugg is a great one. She was able to use her vlogger side to create a unique personality out of the female protagonist and she was able to use her Zoella channel on Youtube to form a realist character in the male protagonist.

So as a message to everyone: Do not judge based on such poor reasons and lame excuse for a judgment. R-E-A-D. Read before you give a verdict. We all have the right to do what we want and do what we love.

And here’s a message to those who judged Girl Online because of Zoe Sugg being a vlogger and for being famous on Youtube: I saw most of those who gave the poor rating admitting that they have not read the book. All I have to say to you is this: READ.

Invaded (Alienated #2) by Melissa Landers: Book Review

 *No. of pages: 356

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.07/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 5/5

 

SYNOPSIS via Goodreads:

The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe…until a threat to both their worlds reunites them.

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

—–

Review:

If you were able to read my book review of the first book by Melissa Landers, Alienated, you would know how much I adored her novel. That’s why I cannot help but have high expectations for the sequel, Invaded. However, the second book is rather different than the first.

Now, instead of Aelyx and Cara helping each other in Earth, they both have to help rebuild the alliance of their worlds in such a long distance manner—with Cara alone in L’eihr and Alexy alone in Earth. Whoever says that long distance relationship does not work just because two people are living in different sides of the globe, well, I would gladly watch them go face-to-face with Alexy and Cara. Not only are they countries apart, but they have to travel through time and space to be together. However, that would not happen until a strong alliance is formed for Earth and L’eihr, but the odds are getting weak as Aelyx’ life continues to be in danger as he stays on Earth due to the patriots’ persistent determination to destroy any bonds of friendship that may form for the two worlds.

Cara, on the other hand, is having a hard time fitting in L’eihr as she becomes the representative of Earth and an exchange student at the same time. In Invaded, we see more of the culture, practices, and the uniqueness of Aelyx’ world and Melissa Landers’ creative imagination. We discover new theories and new stories of the planet L’eihr and as well as discovering linkage of their planet and the planet Earth.

What I have truly loved most in Alienated was how Melissa Landers showcased human nature as I have discussed in my book review of the first novel—humans’ fear of the unknown, how humans act on defense when something enters in their lives that are unfamiliar to them, that humans may be the inferior race and how humans cannot accept it, and that most humans believe that they arenthe center of the universe. As you have noticed, these are the negative and irrational side of humans. In the second book, Melissa made a comeback for humans. She also showed the irrational side of this so-called “superior” planet and race. Most L’eihrs cannot accept Cara into their world, because for one obvious reason: they think too highly of themselves and sees humans to be nothing but a race who is moving backwards instead of forward in terms of advancement and a race that destroys their own planet. Just like humans, the people of L’eihr have a lot of imperfections.

As I have mentioned so as the synopsis, unlike in the first book, Aelyx and Cara are not together for at least 80% of the novel. The sweet feels and love scenes have made a major drop compared to Alienated. But not to worry, for there are a lot of adventures, actions, and mysteries in this sequel! And not to mention, a new love team has blossomed in Invaded that I promise, would make you ship it hard and root that it would sail! It would make you all giddy and might just possibly break your heart.

However, if there is that one thing that I did not like in this sequel, the answer would be the ending or the part where everything falls into place. Everything for the last 100 pages of the book seemed to happen very fast and all in a rush that some parts were not justified. But I am in the hopes of believing that Melissa Landers made the ending as it is for she has more plans and adventures for us in what again I hope would be for the third book.

Alliance, saving Earth, hidden motives, secrets, an impossible romance, and a whole new universe—can love really withstand all trials?

All in all, my genuine affection for the Alienated Series by Melissa Landers did not falter! Hands downs to Melissa once again!

Comments? Suggestions? Requests? Or do you simply want to have an “Alien talk” with me? Then please do leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you! 🙂

***

Alienated (#1) by Melissa Landers Book Review:

https://bookstorebug.wordpress.com/2014/07/05/alienated-1-by-melissa-landers-book-review/

 

Until Midnight (Alienated 1.5) by Melissa Landers Synopsis and Excerpt:

https://bookstorebug.wordpress.com/2014/12/29/until-midnight-alienated-1-5-by-melissa-landers/

Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider: Book Review

*No. of pages: 336

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.03/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 5/5

 

SYNOPSIS via Goodreads:

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it’s easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down.

Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.

—–

Review:

*MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS*

They say that Robyn Schneider’s Extraordinary Means is John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars meets Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor and Park but I beg to disagree. Extraordinary Means is its own captivating story about life as art, pain, beauty, change, magic, possibilities, chances and “what ifs”. Robyn Schneider managed to form a story about a tragic love story as two young persons finds love in the most unexpected place where love is nothing but a lost cause. Mixed with romance, humor, and inspiration—Extraordinary Means would teach us that life goes on until it doesn’t.

Life, for the characters in this book, is undoubtedly unfair. They are young and they are supposed to be enjoying their youth, not protected in Latham House where their meals are monitored, where teachers are afraid to give them French homework in fear they would die because of it, and where med sensors are bracelets. That’s why over-achiever Lane, was determined to be well enough to leave Latham House as soon as possible because stacks of AP tasks and applications for Stanford University awaits him. Little did he know that he would meet someone from the past—Sadie. And little did he know that Sadie feels strong resentment for him over an occurrence during their time back in summer camp when she was 13 years old.

Before entering the walls of Latham House, Sadie was a nobody in the outside world. But being in Latham House with her newfound friends, she was cool. She was a rebel, she was confident—a girl she would have never been out in the real world. And the same goes for Lane. Before, he lived a predictable life, too keen to achieve his goals but when he got close to Sadie and her friends, he realized that he was missing out on life, only realizing it now when death can come knocking on his door and to anyone in Latham House anytime.

The characters in Extraordinary Means are unique and amazing. Witty, funny, and their personalities mold in such a beautiful way that you can never expect from someone who had been neglected of the chance to live a normal life. But they are living, and they are surely making the most out of it together. They are extraordinary, fun, and marvelous. It pulled a lot of heartstrings, that they changed for the best even if Tuberculosis took a lot from them, creating such harsh and drastic changes that are way out of anyone’s control. However, they were still able to start having good stories even in the most unexpected place—they still had magic in a place where everything seemed to be composed of nothing but false hope.

Relationships in Latham are absurd. Because an individual either goes home or leaves the face of the Earth, bottom-line is: someone always gets left behind. That’s why even though falling in love is not an option, Lane and Sadie did. Every experience they’ve had, every extraordinary and fun moments they shared, was supposed to begun years ago back in summer camp. It was just how it should’ve been four years ago if only one of them had the courage to say hello, a lot of what ifs crossed their minds because now that it is happening, they both know in the back of their minds that it is not meant to last no matter how beautiful it may seem. But, despite the tragedy of the story, Robyn has this creative way of making her readers forget about the tragic part and just make your toes tingle due to it being so romantic!

Latham House promised miracles just like any facility of some sort—but Sadie, on the other hand, who gave up on miracles long ago and saw Latham as a place for waiting instead of miracles. Yet Lane came in and she realized that Lane might be the miracle that Latham House has long promised.

However, the magic of their group subsides when the miracle Latham House promised really arrived—a cure. Everyone rejoiced over the too good to be true fact that they are finally going to be healed and can rejoin everyone outside. Everyone rejoiced but Sadie, who can no longer see the outside world as her life. She was afraid. Whilst everyone including Lane talked about possibilities, plan, and ideas for the future—she mourned over another change yet again and the fear that their group would cease to exist once they no longer share that one thing that brought them together—sickness. Sadie was terrified on where her relationship with Lane may end up, seeing that he is eager to live his old life again while Sadie does not know how to take a step forward for the future she thought she would never have again.

That’s when things came tumbling down and the flow of the story is unbelievably exciting and inspiring. I felt myself clutching my chest as everything gets ruined. They were supposed to be invincible, their group was supposed to stay.

Robyn Schneider did not disappoint with the ending, which I admit was the opposite of what I felt with the The Beginning of Everything. I loved everything about Extraordinary Means even though it broke my heart to tiny pieces. Inspiring, captivating, realistic, painful—it would make you rethink of your life, of your past and future, and make you take a second look on how you are working on your present. Extraordinary Means by Robyn Schneider is a highly recommended book that would teach us how to love and how to live even if life might no longer go on.

Upcoming Book Signing Events + Book Synopses

Upcoming Book Signings Events—Get ready!

            National Bookstore usually holds book signing events every month, but what raised some eyebrows for avid book signing event goers are the absence of any announcements of upcoming international best-selling authors for the month of April and May. It was quite odd to have a two-month silence of the plannings for camp-outs, book hauls for signings, lining-up, posters and signs and cosplays. Then on the month of April, National Bookstore released three teaser photos! Here is the first one:

After all the guesses from the readers, National Bookstore finally revealed that Leigh Bardugo, author of the The Grisha Trilogy, is set to arrive in the Philippines on June to have a book signing event!

But of course, National Bookstore did not stop there! After giving out a huge announcement that they are bringing a well-known author to the country, they released another teaser that does not only pertain to one author but three—yes, three authors!!!

Three authors are set to meet their Filipino fans this July. Namely; Katie Cotugno, Melissa Kantor, and Robyn Schneider.

Katie Cotugno is known for her novels How to Love and 99 Days. On the other hand, Melissa Kantor is known for her works entitled Maybe One Day and Better Than Perfect. Robyn Schneider got well-known for her book called The Beginning of Everything, and now her new novel entitled Extraordinary Means.

            There is still no announcement if there will be a book signing event for the month of August, but rest-assured that the month of September will be jam-packed. Not only one event is to be held—but two!

            The first event for September that was announced months ago by the authors (yes, that’s author with the letter S), but there haven’t been any concrete and official announcement of the details yet from National Bookstore.

            This event is going to have three authors: Christine Brae, Tarryn Fisher, and the one and only Colleen Hoover. Christine Brae is known for her books entitled The Light in the Wound and its sequel, His Wounded Light. She also wrote Insipid, and her latest book—In This Life. Tarryn Fisher wrote a lot of novels, including Mud Vein, Love Me with Lies Trilogy and Never, Never  that she co-wrote with Colleen Hoover. Colleen Hoover is known for making her readers cry and laugh and blush with her romance novels, which are a lot! Some of her novels are Ugly Love, which is to be seen in the big screen by next year; her latest novel entitled Confess; Slammed Trilogy, and more.

            It is said that the event for the three authors would be during the Manila International Book Fair that is held every September at the SMX Convention in SM Mall of Asia, but there is still no updates regarding this event. Also note that since Colleen Hoover has at least 11 novels, there is no guarantee that there will be no limit of how many books are allowed to the signing.

            Oh but do you think National Bookstore is done? Of course not! National Bookstore released this teaser yet again before the month of April came to an end.

But what National Bookstore has not mentioned is that this author who will also be arriving on September has already visited the Philippines last year for a book signing event. So for those who were not able to meet this Queen author like I haven’t, this is our chance to see and meet her!

Yes everyone, our Queen Kiera is arriving this September for a book signing event in Shangri-La Plaza. She will also have a book signing event in the Manila International Book Fair but this event would only accommodate 200 persons on a first come, first served basis. Kiera Cass got famous for The Selections Series that also has novellas also known as The Selection Stories, and an extension of the story that was released only this May entitled The Heir.

            Oh no and oh yes! We are only halfway through the year but we are swarming with a lot of great authors! But, start saving up and ready your books because the number of books to be signed is no joke—they really are a lot!

            I hope to see you in these events, do not let such a great opportunity go to waste! It is not everyday that you meet the author who wrote a whole new world and a form of escape for you.

            For any questions, feel free to contact me, you know how!

            Below are the synopses of the books that are going to be signed by the authors coming here to the Philippines.

***

Synopsis via Goodreads:

1. Leigh Bardugo (June):

• Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)

Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, she is sure of only one thing: her best friend, Mal–and her inconvenient crush on him. Until the day their army regiment enters the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. When their convoy is attacked and Mal is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power not even she knew existed.

Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina’s extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart–and her country–in two.

• Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

• Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, #3)

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

2. Katie Cotugno (July):

• How to Love

Before:

Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he’s never seemed to notice that Reena even exists until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated—and pregnant—Reena behind.

After:

Almost three years have passed, and there’s a new love in Reena’s life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena’s gotten used to being without Sawyer, and she’s finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn’t want anything to do with him, though she’d be lying if she said Sawyer’s being back wasn’t stirring something in her. After everything that’s happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love—twice.

• 99 Days

Day 1: Julia Donnelly eggs my house my first night back in Star Lake, and that’s how I know everyone still remembers everything—how I destroyed my relationship with Patrick the night everything happened with his brother, Gabe. How I wrecked their whole family. Now I’m serving out my summer like a jail sentence: Just ninety-nine days till I can leave for college, and be done.

Day 4: A nasty note on my windshield makes it clear Julia isn’t finished. I’m expecting a fight when someone taps me on the shoulder, but it’s just Gabe, home from college and actually happy to see me. “For what it’s worth, Molly Barlow,” he says, “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Day 12: Gabe got me to come to this party, and I’m actually having fun. I think he’s about to kiss me—and that’s when I see Patrick. My Patrick, who’s supposed to be clear across the country. My Patrick, who’s never going to forgive me.

3. Melissa Kantor (July):

• Maybe One Day

Zoe and her best friend, Olivia, have always had big plans for the future, none of which included Olivia getting sick. Still, Zoe is determined to put on a brave face and be positive for her friend.

Even when she isn’t sure what to say.

Even when Olivia misses months of school.

Even when Zoe starts falling for Calvin, Olivia’s crush.

The one thing that keeps Zoe moving forward is knowing that Olivia will beat this, and everything will go back to the way it was before. It has to. Because the alternative is too terrifying for her to even imagine.

In this incandescent page-turner, which follows in the tradition of The Fault in Our Stars, Melissa Kantor artfully explores the idea that the worst thing to happen to you might not be something that is actually happening to you. Raw, irreverent, and honest, Zoe’s unforgettable voice and story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned.

• Better Than Perfect

Juliet Newman has it all. A picture-perfect family; a handsome, loving boyfriend; and a foolproof life plan: ace her SATs, get accepted into Harvard early decision, and live happily ever after.

But when her dad moves out and her mom loses it, Juliet begins questioning the rules she’s always lived by. And to make everything even more complicated there’s Declan, the gorgeous boy who makes her feel alive and spontaneous—and who’s totally off-limits. Torn between the life she always thought she wanted and one she never knew was possible, Juliet begins to wonder: What if perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be?

Melissa Kantor once again delivers a tale that is equal parts surprising, humorous, heartbreaking, and romantic. Powerful and honest, Juliet’s story brilliantly portrays the highs and lows of life in high school and will resonate with any reader who has experienced either.

 

4. Robyn Schenider (July):

• The Beginning of Everything

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

• Extraordinary Means

From the author of The Beginning of Everything: two teens with a deadly disease fall in love on the brink of a cure.

At seventeen, overachieving Lane finds himself at Latham House, a sanatorium for teens suffering from an incurable strain of tuberculosis. Part hospital and part boarding school, Latham is a place of endless rules and confusing rituals, where it’s easier to fail breakfast than it is to flunk French.

There, Lane encounters a girl he knew years ago. Instead of the shy loner he remembers, Sadie has transformed. At Latham, she is sarcastic, fearless, and utterly compelling. Her friends, a group of eccentric troublemakers, fascinate Lane, who has never stepped out of bounds his whole life. And as he gradually becomes one of them, Sadie shows him their secrets: how to steal internet, how to sneak into town, and how to disable the med sensors they must wear at all times.

But there are consequences to having secrets, particularly at Latham House. And as Lane and Sadie begin to fall in love and their group begins to fall sicker, their insular world threatens to come crashing down.

Told in alternating points of view, Extraordinary Means is a darkly funny story about doomed friendships, first love, and the rare miracle of second chances.

5. Christine Brae (September):

• The Light in the Wound (The Light in the Wound, #1)

Affected by her parents’ highly publicized divorce, Isabel grows up isolated and alone, with a resolve to never fall in love and repeat their mistakes.

When Jesse Cain enters her life, she falls hopelessly in love with him, and every sadness she’s ever felt is washed away by his intensity and passion. But people change as they grow up. Things can never stay the same forever.

Jesse and Isabel fight to stay together, determined to hold on to what they once had. Isabel wonders if a second love can ever be enough to make her forget her first.

• His Wounded Light (The Light in the Wound, #2)

The perfect life.

The perfect marriage.

The jilted lover.

Their worlds collide.

Fate intervenes twelve years later and their paths intersect once again. All three will question whether the heart is truly capable of dividing and being divided; each will decide whether it matters who you loved first or who you love last.

Together they will learn that in the end, there can always only be one.

• Insipid

Banal. Lifeless and Colorless. These are the words that describe my life. I’ve made the right choices, done all the right things. I’m strong, intelligent and highly successful.

I’ve lived scrupulously, loved greatly, and shared my blessings equitably.

But life hasn’t been fair with me.

Now I’m drowning in the middle of the ocean, desperately searching for the shore, surrendering to the fact that I will never be happy.

Then he came along.

Life is unpredictable. You can play it safe and resist change for fear of the unknown. Or you can close your eyes and take the leap with the knowledge that your life will change forever.

Which one will I choose?

My name is Jade Richmond and this is my story.

• In this Life

“Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere,

They’re in each other all along.”

Rumi

They say that life is full of choices. When you’re young and idealistic, you believe that the path you choose is the road that will lead you to your destiny.

But what if, along the way, fate decides to step in, and no amount of logic or rationality or even prayers can save you from your fortune? When the sacrifices you make, the love that you find, and the bright promise of the future are all snatched away from you, you’re left alone to pick up the pieces of your life.

This is a story about love, found in a faraway place by two very unlikely people. It is also a story about friendship and loyalty and fighting for what you have despite the illogical mystery of fate. It is a story of faith and acceptance, and learning that even the best-laid plans are powerless against the alignment of the universe.

From the beaches of Thailand to the streets of New York, three friends, Anna, Dante, and Jude will learn the hard way that once providence steps in, there is nothing in the world that can change what is truly meant to be.

6. Tarryn Fisher (September):

• The Opportunist (Love Me With Lies, #1)

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex-boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

• Dirty Red (Love Me With Lies, #2)

Dear Opportunist,

You thought you could take him from me, but you lost. Now, that he’s mine I’ll do anything to keep him. Do you doubt me? I have everything that was supposed to be yours. In case you were wondering; he doesn’t ever think about you anymore. I won’t let him go….ever.

Dirty Red

Leah Smith finally has everything she has ever wanted. Except she doesn’t. Her marriage feels more like a loan than a lifelong commitment, and the image she has worked so hard to build is fraying before her eyes. With a new role and a past full of secrets, Leah must decide how far she is willing to go to keep what she has stolen.

• Thief (Love Me With Lies, #3)

Note to Self

Love is patient; love is kind.

Love doesn’t boast or brag.

There’s no arrogance in love;

it’s never rude, crude, or indecent-it’s not self absorbed.

Love isn’t easily upset.

Love doesn’t tally wrongs.

Love trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what.

Love will never become obsolete.

I’ll fight for her.

 

Thief

Caleb Drake never got over his first love. Not when he got married. Not when she got married. When life suddenly comes full circle Caleb must decide how how far he is willing to go to get the aloof and alluring Olivia Kaspen back. But for every action in life there is a consequence, and soon Caleb finds out that sometimes love comes at an unbearably high price.

• Mud Vein

When reclusive novelist Senna Richards wakes up on her thirty-third birthday, everything has changed. Caged behind an electrical fence, locked in a house in the middle of the snow, Senna is left to decode the clues to find out why she was taken. If she wants her freedom, she has to take a close look at her past. But, her past has a heartbeat… and her kidnapper is nowhere to be found. With her survival hanging by a thread, Senna soon realizes this is a game. A dangerous one. Only the truth can set her free.

• Marrow

In the Bone there is a house.

In the house there is a girl.

In the girl there is a darkness.

Margo is not like other girls. She lives in a derelict neighborhood called the Bone, in a cursed house, with her cursed mother, who hasn’t spoken to her in over two years. She lives her days feeling invisible. It’s not until she develops a friendship with her wheelchair-bound neighbor, Judah Grant, that things begin to change. When a neighborhood girl, seven-year-old Neveah Anthony, goes missing, Judah sets out to help Margo uncover what happened to her.

What Margo finds changes her, and with a new perspective on life, she’s determined to find evil and punish it–targeting rapists and child molesters, one by one.

But hunting evil is dangerous, and Margo risks losing everything, including her own soul.

• Never Never (Never Never, #1) with Colleen Hoover

Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of fourteen.

Complete strangers since this morning.

He’ll do anything to remember. She’ll do anything to forget.

7. Colleen Hoover (September):

• Hopeless (Hopeless, #1)

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

• Losing Hope (Hopeless, #2)

In the follow-up to Colleen Hoover’s #1 New York Times bestseller Hopeless, the charming and irresistible Dean Holder tells the passionate story that has melted thousands of hearts.

In Hopeless, Sky left no secret unearthed, no feeling unshared, and no memory forgotten, but Holder’s past remained a mystery

Still haunted by the little girl he let walk away, Holder has spent his entire life searching for her in an attempt to finally rid himself of the crushing guilt he has felt for years. But he could not have anticipated that the moment they reconnect, even greater remorse would overwhelm him…

Sometimes in life, if we wish to move forward, we must first dig deep into our past and make amends. In Losing Hope, bestselling author Colleen Hoover reveals what was going on inside Holder’s head during all those hopeless moments—and whether he can gain the peace he desperately needs.

• Finding Cinderella (Hopeless, #2.5)

This novella is a companion novel to the Hopeless series, but can be read as a standalone.

A chance encounter in the dark leads eighteen-year-old Daniel and the girl who stumbles across him to profess their love for each other. But this love comes with conditions: they agree it will only last one hour and it will only be make-believe.

When their hour is up and the girl rushes off like Cinderella, Daniel tries to convince himself that what happened between them only seemed perfect because they were pretending it was perfect. Moments like that with girls like her don’t happen outside of fairytales.

One year and one bad relationship later, his disbelief in insta-love is stripped away the day he meets Six: a girl with a strange name and an even stranger personality. Daniel soon realizes the way he pretended to feel about Cinderella and the way he really feels about Six may not be so different after all. Especially when the two loves of his life end up being one in the same.

Unfortunately for Daniel, finding Cinderella doesn’t guarantee their happily ever after…it only further threatens it.

• Slammed (Slammed, #1)

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she’s losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.

• Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2)

Hardships and heartache brought them together… now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

• This Girl (Slammed, #3)

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache.

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

• Maybe Someday (Maybe, #1)

At twenty-two years old, Sydney is enjoying a great life: She’s in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers that Hunter is cheating on her—and she’s forced to decide what her next move should be.

Soon, Sydney finds herself captivated by her mysterious and attractive neighbor, Ridge. She can’t take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there’s something about Sydney that Ridge can’t ignore, either. They soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one.

A passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance, Maybe Someday will immerse readers in Sydney’s tumultuous world from the very first page.

• Maybe Not (Maybe, #1.5)

Colleen Hoover, the New York Times bestselling author of Maybe Someday brilliantly brings to life the story of the wonderfully hilarious and charismatic Warren in a new novella, Maybe Not.

When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change.

Or maybe not.

Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.

Will Bridgette find it in herself to warm her heart to Warren and finally learn to love?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

• Ugly Love

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.

Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.

Promises get broken.

Rules get shattered.

Love gets ugly.

• Confess

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a new novel about risking everything for love—and finding your heart somewhere between the truth and lies.

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

8. Kiera Cass (September):

The Selection Series

• The Selection (The Selection, #1)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself—and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

• The Elite (The Selection, #2)

The Selection began with thirty-five girls.

Now with the group narrowed down to the six Elite, the competition to win Prince Maxon’s heart is fiercer than ever—and America is still struggling to decide where her heart truly lies. Is it with Maxon, who could make her life a fairy tale? Or with her first love, Aspen?

America is desperate for more time. But the rest of the Elite know exactly what they want—and America’s chance to choose is about to slip away.

• The One (The Selection, #3)

The time has come for one winner to be crowned.

When she was chosen to compete in the Selection, America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown—or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the end of the competition approaches, and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realizes just how much she stands to lose—and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

 The Selection Installment

• The Heir (The Selection, #4)

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

 The Selection Stories

• The Prince (The Selection, #0.5)

Before thirty-five girls were chosen to compete in the Selection…

Before Aspen broke America’s heart…

There was another girl in Prince Maxon’s life…

Don’t miss this thrilling 64-page original novella set in the world of the New York Times bestselling novel The Selection. Also features a teaser to The Elite, Kiera Cass’s hotly anticipated sequel to The Selection.

• The Guard (The Selection, #2.5)

Before America Singer met Prince Maxon . . .

Before she entered the Selection . . .

She was in love with a boy named Aspen Leger.

Don’t miss this digital original novella set in the captivating world of Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection trilogy. This brand new 64-page story begins just after the group of Selected girls is narrowed down to the Elite and is told from Aspen’s point of view. The Guard also features a teaser to The One, the thrilling conclusion to The Selection trilogy.

***

Notes:

If you have any question, feel free to contact me!

Below are the links to my book review of The Light in the Wound (#1) and His Wounded Light by Christine Brae:

–The Light in the Wound:

https://bookstorebug.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/the-light-in-the-wound-book-review-excerpt-giveaway/https://bookstorebug.wordpress.com/2014/12/17/the-light-in-the-wound-book-review-excerpt-giveaway/

-His Wounded Light:

His Wounded Light: Book Review + Excerpt

Below are other book signing events-related posts:

– Stephanie Perkins’ Book Signing Event:

Stephanie Perkins’ Book Signing Event: Such a great experience!

– Book Signing Events:

Book Signing Events

– August-December 2014 Book Signing Events:

August-December 2014 Book Signing Events

His Wounded Light: Book Review + Excerpt

This blog tour is organized by the Bookish Diaries Book Tours managed by Amanda of Fandomly Bookish and Jothee of The Bookwhore Diaries!

An epub material was provided for free by the author, Christine Brae, for review purposes in helping her promote her book, The Light in the Wound, here in the Philippines. Christine Brae is set to visit the country on September 2015 along with two other authors, Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher.

His Wounded Light (#2) by Christine Brae: Book Review

*Warning: May contain spoilers*

 

  *No. of pages: 344

 *Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.44/5

 *My Rating on Goodreads: 5/5

 

SYNOPSIS via Goodreads:

The perfect life.

The perfect marriage.

The jilted lover.

Their worlds collide.

Fate intervenes twelve years later and their paths intersect once again. All three will question whether the heart is truly capable of dividing and being divided; each will decide whether it matters who you loved first or who you love last.

Together they will learn that in the end, there can always only be one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. She is currently working on her third book which she hopes to release in June, 2014.

When not listening to the voices in her head or spending late nights at the office, Christine can be seen shopping for shoes and purses, running a half marathon or spending time with her husband and three children in Chicago

—–

Review:

The first book, entitled The Light in the Wound, started off with an intense prologue that bothers you all throughout the story. It makes you grip the book as you turn every page, waiting to see if the hypothesis you’ve thought about would be true. And yet every possibility that you have guessed comes across wrong. In His Wounded Light, we already know who the characters are, we know their personality, their principles, their story. Some readers may have been hurt with the ending of the first book, but we must admit that it was indeed, a happy ending. But a happy ending followed by a sequel screams: “The happy ending is not meant to last!” and the fear accompanied with it as you read on, praying that the story of the characters won’t be a tragedy. And with Christine Brae’s prologue, she already confirmed our fears, building the tension even more.

What I loved the most about the book following The Light in the Wound is that we seem to be meeting the new characters in a different light. They are older, much more mature and their experiences mold them into a completely different person. I, on the other hand, loved what I saw with the characters on this book more than I loved them on the first book. In The Light in the Wound, readers got to know them, and with a fully understanding on how each characters think and act the way they do, you can’t help but feel as if every happiness and every struggle they’re going through is happening to someone close to you. But you see, no matter how challenging the characters lives are already in the first book, don’t forget that their lives are just beginning. The challenges get harder, the road gets bumpier and now more than ever, they have more to lose.

Christine Brae proves to us once more how effective her writings are and how it can affect you no matter what you’re going through—whether your life is carefree or rough at the moment, you’ll feel the heaviness of life. Christine once again teaches us a lot of life lessons and it is very inspirational, a good and wise read for teenagers and adults alike.

The characters are stronger; characters who you would aspire to be—and while you’re at it, you would aspire to be as an amazing writer as Christine Brae is.

EXCERPT

“I don’t want him to regret. I want him to get better so he can move on and be happy. It hurts to accept that I wasn’t enough for him. Just like I wasn’t enough for you.”

“No, Issy. I’ve spent twenty years of my life loving you. You were always enough. I took you for granted and lost sight of what we had. When I lost you, I lost my focus. My sole purpose was to get you back and I lost so much time. I should have realized that you chose him because you wanted to. Because you belong to him.”

TEASERS