Kneel or Bleed: Glass Sword

Read Red Queen last May 21, 2015 (yes I remember the date) saying it was better than the Hunger Games. But because it really was. The ending was sooooo bitin. Kept asking myself, "what the hell happens to Mare and Cal now?" But I know only the next book can answer me, which will not be available after more than a year. So I had no choice but to wait.

Comes February 9 2016, the release day of Glass Sword, sequel to the Red Queen. Right after class, I went straight to NBS to grab a copy. Couldn't read it right away due to the obvious med school reading, studying and papers I have to attend to first. I had to postpone reading (which is against my will but I have no choice, priorities come first)

Here comes our we-are-so-lucky-we-have-a-month-of-summer-break-before-clerkship summer vacation. Took the time to read Glass Sword. And I was in big awe while reading it. I got to finish it earlier this evening while at Veranda Cafe. Had to blog about it right after going home. Don't want to miss my giddiness writing about it while it's still fresh!

I would read at night fighting the urge to sleep because it was so damn good. Chapter one is already action-packed! Just the continuation of how the Red Queen ended. It answered my hanging question right away. Mare and Cal survived Norta, Shade is really alive and Maven is in the hunt for Mar and Cal.

I was a bit lost when it comes to the Houses and their special Silver abilities. I forgot about them already since they were mentioned and described in Red Queen. I can only remember a few like Cal has fire, strongarms, magnetron, banshee, Queen Elara's abilities, Maven the traitor and a few more. It will be difficult to read Glass Sword without reading Red Queen. One will be in shocked because of the "terms" used.

I don't know how not to spoil you but I'll try my best and please read at your own risks. :))

This isn't a love story. This is action. When Farley and the Scarlet Guard rescued Mare and Cal from the hands of Maven and Queen Elara, Mare began her journey to recruit her fellow newbloods, meaning those like her, born Red with special Silver abilities no other Silvers have.

I can't believe Shade died! That part almost made me cry. Shade was such a loving brother to Mare, even in his death he did it to keep Mare alive. And as I've expected, he and Farley has something going on. Shade was my favorite character in this book. He was so brave, loyal and true to his words. I love him so much that it aches to know that he has to die. Why Victoria? Why him? Could've been Farley, then Colonel would be the one weeping and the ending would be different for sure.

Maven could have won in the ending having Mare kneel down before him but I'm sure in the next book, the newbloods will seek vengeance for their fallen brother and sister.

So happy Queen Elara died! A huge V for the newbloods! Can't wait to see how Maven dies now. Ugh. We hate self-imposed kings who are traitors.

I'm so glad Julian and Sara are alive. Out right Silvers added to Mare's troops. I love the newbloods' special abilities. Would love to see those on screen (ehem movie soon pls?)

As how all book series ends, always so bitin (nothing new). Now I wait.

I remember posting, "If I could play only 1 fictional character in a movie in my entire life, I would be Mare Barrow." I'd like to be a lightning girl somehow.

Remember, anyone can betray anyone. x

Kneel or Bleed

Kristine xx

The Selection Trilogy: The One

Hi hi hi! I'm so excited to share with you my The Selection series experience. It has been a great adventure with America and Prince Maxon, from The Selection to The Elite until to The One. *curtsy*

Before I even begin with The One, I blogged about the first two books here, The Selection and The Elite, last year when I got to read it. I read it during my sembreak on my first year in med school. Actually, I spent my entire sembreak that time reading tons of books. Haha. :P

So I read the first two books last October 2013 and got soooooo bitin kasi March 2014 pa raw irerelease ang third book. Why you let us hanging Kiera Cass? Huhu. So anyway, wala naman akong magagawa but to wait. Until March 2014 they announced that they'll release the 3rd book on May 2014. Whhhyyyyy you prolong my agony? So I had to wait again. All I do is wait. #hugot

And then the time comes! A month before the release date, photos of trade paperback books of The One are trending in the bookworm world in the internet and that got me more excited. I. Can't. Wait. To read it!

Last wednesday night, I started reading it. I don't know why I waited weeks after the release before I read it. Stupid me. I don't know, I'm just really weird. And I got to finish it last night! Aaaaaand here's goes nothing.

Prince Maxon is just the sweetest! Gaaaah! I know princes are supposed to be sweet since they are "the prince", but Prince Maxon is just plain different.

From 35 girls down to 4 with Lady America on the top, who will Prince Maxon choose to be The One? One way to find out! Read the book :)

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT HERE. If you don't want to be spoiled, then skip this part.

After what happened in the Report, King Clarkson is definitely voting America out for the crown. But Prince Maxon won't let her go just like that and obviously, he fought for her and made her stay. But despite all the fighting, America and Prince Maxon seems to still have problems. They obviously both love each other pero they're denying pa eh. Kasi ba namaaan! Hahaha. Ramdam ko eh noh. :))

You gotta pour hate on King Clarkson here. So much for a king. Ugh. And more more love on Queen Amberly. Especially that time when Lady America teased her for calling her Mom and Queen Amberly said that she can't wait to hear her say that everytime. Awwww. <3

How about the other Elites, Celeste, Kriss and Elise? I'm glad Celeste came into her senses and became one of America's best bud. But I'm very sad that their friendship had to end so soon. I wish I could see more of Celeste as this new girl. One horrible fiction death I will never get over with, again.

Why did Kiera Cass have to kill America's father? This is the part where I started crying! Huhuhu. Just like America, I'm so attached to my father and just like my father, her dad died because of a heart failure. Our stars are aligned, now where's my Prince Maxon? Hahaha. Another fiction death I'll never get over with. Here is a screencap of her father's last words to America which made me broke down in tears. I miss my Dad soooo muuuuuch. T__T

To cut the story short, you'll definitely love the ending. Ang cheesy lang ni Prince Maxon! Hahaha. Ang cute niyaaaa, so sweeeeet <3 Just read it and be kilig! Sobrang kinilig ako to the point na while he was proposing to America, I was crying. Yes! I cried on his proposal, and that's the first propsal ever na napaiyak ako. T___T So much feels right thur.

Can't wait to buy the boxed set once they're out. This series must have a space on my future library. They definitely deserve a spot there. Gotta love royalty romance.

Now I'm having a hard time coping with reality again. Fiction does this to me everytime and I think I'll never get used to it.

Thank you Kiera Cass for writing one of the best books I've ever read. <3


Kristine xx

Holiday reads part 1

Haven't been really on the "read mood" lately because of all the christmas buzz and rush. But at least I was able to read 2 since my christmas vacation started!

Bought 6 books from the #romanceclass bundle that my favorite Filipino author, Ms. Mina Esguerra, is organizing last november. I was so stoked to read them but can't squeeze it in my busy medschool sched. So I took the chance once my vacation started.

The first book I got to read was Save the Cake by Stella Torres. Cakes and cupcakes are becoming a huge business nowadays. Well this book goes out to all the bakers out there! But bakers or not, every reader will surely love this book.

I'm not into cakes and cupcakes myself but I loved this book! It has a sweet story about family, relatives, sweets and love. It's quite funny when I found myself relating to what happened to Eloisa and Gino. Hahaha. Let's not focus on that side of the story by the way. Haha. Anyway, Sean Alvarez looks so handsome by the looks of his description in the book. Plus he's very family oriented which I think every girl is looking for from a manly man, if you know I mean.

In the end, my rate for this book in goodreads is 4/5. :)

Book 2: The Real Score by Kesh Tanglao

I love this book! Huhu. I got teary eyed towards the ending. T_T

If you are my follower on twitter, you'll notice that I tweet a lot about this book the time I was reading it. Mainly because I see Marcus and Caitlin as me and Harry Styles! OMYGOD! Hahaha. This book is a reflection of me and my Harry! I know I sound stupid and hilarious at the same time but I'm serious. Haha. I can see myself and Harry in this book, and One Direction too, of course.

There's this band name Gezellig who's the biggest band in the world right now who came from London which sounded like One Direction who is currently the biggest boy band in the world who also came from England, but not particularly London because they came from different parts of England plus Niall from Ireland, yes I'm a big big big fan of One Direction, deal with that. Then here's Caitlin who didn't like Gezellig at the beginning who took the risk and listened to them and learned to love them, especially Marcus.

Marcus took Caitlin to London which I wish Harry would do to me too. Hahaha! In my dreams! Marcus has green eyes just like Harry. Marcus has tats everywhere in his body just like Harry. In short, Marcus Wayans = Harry Styles. :))

This may sound really shallow but this book made me teary eyed towards the end. Love will really make you do things you don't know you could and would make you take risks you never thought you'd take.

I recommend this book to every huge fangirls out there. You. Must. Read. This. Book. I'm definitely getting a trade paperback copy of this once it's out in the market. Definitely one of my favorites contemporary novels.

Goodreads rate: 5/5 <3


Current-read: Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo
(Thank you Charli for this book!)



Happy holidays everyone! <3
-Tinay xx

Sembreak book reads

Hiiiiiiii! It's been so long since I posted anything in this boring blog of mine. I know I've said that I'll update my blog a hundred times and I wasn't able to but this time I'm really doing it!

To tell you the truth I'm actually in my pajamas already while blogging this because I really am ready to sleep but I know I just have to blog this before I go to sleep. I won't be able to sleep without the thought that I was able to publish this, okay? :p

My last blog post was last August 30 pa and to think that I didn't post anything in the month of September. Was I that too busy to not to update? So please forgive me if my side bar (look to the right) is not updated yet. I'm not 21 for all I hope I am. Haha. Anywaaaaaaay.

I know I got too caught up with medschool for the past months and I haven't got time to read any book, but I think I managed to finish 3 books while in medschool. Horay but not quite.

To make it up from my lost of time to read, I promised myself that this sembreak I will read myself to the fullest. I am going to read myself until my eyes can't take it anymore. I'm going to spend my entire sembreak reading books. Yup that's me.

So far, 2 weeks since the sembreak started, I got to finish 6 books already, which I think is cool enough. I'm not a fast reader to begin with so 6 books in 2 weeks is pretty fine with me.

Here are the books I got to finish so far. Took this screenshot from my goodreads account.

Starters was good. Almost the same as Stephenie Meyer's The Host. Can't wait to read its sequel Enders. Maybe soon.

Operation: Break the Casanova's Heart is funny and romantic. Love how the book has a lot of song excerpts mostly from Taylor Swift plus Paramore's Misery Business. Do you know how much I love that band?

South Beach Sizzle is plain cool and very light read. It's full of music too that was basically reggae and cool that we mostly hear from the south beach.

Now we begin with one of the best series, ever, The Selection by Kiera Cass. I think she's briliiant! Thank you so much for these books.

The Selection, book 1. If you want to know the plot, go read it from goodreads because I don't want to narrate it here just so. I didn't expect myself to like this book so much.

Here's America who entered The Selection competing with 34 other girls to win over Prince Maxon's heart.

Who'd have thought! Who'd have thought America would get this far! Prince Maxon's the sweetest prince I've ever met (as if I really met him though), okay I've ever encountered in a book. Have you ever been in love with a fictional character that it hurts you because you know it's just a fictional character and it's very impossible? I know just how you feel my dear.

Then here's Aspen who happens to have America's heart before she entered The Selection but chose to break it even before The Selection starts. He then shows up in the palace as a guard just as when America and Prince Maxon are closely getting into each other. I loooove all the thrill this book is giving me.

From 35 girls, Prince Maxon had to cut them down to only 6, which are now called The Elite.

The Elite, book 2. Now with only 6 girls left, Prince Maxon has to choose only 1 girl to be his princess and the love of his life.

If my head and heart could scream, they would definitely scream Lady America's name, obviously. Celeste's such a btch, Natalie's boring, Elise is a user, Kriss is sweet but not as America's, and Marlee is, well, she has Carter already.

Let's talk about Prince Maxon. I just said that he's the sweetest, right? Well, he really is. He is willing to do everything, anything for America, but America right here can't get herself right. She's having second thoughts between Prince Maxon and Aspen. Oh please girl, please let Prince Maxon win your heart.

The book almost had me crying. T_T It's just so sad how everything is falling apart between America and Prince Maxon just because America can't get her feelings straight. If I were her, I'd definitely, no second thoughts, in no doubt, choose Prince Maxon over Aspen. I know Aspen's her first love and her first of many things, but he chose to let that all go when she entered The Selection and let his head win over his heart. Prince Maxon has my vote now and he deserves someone like America. He deserves someone who would reciprocate the effort and love he always offer. Why not pick me instead Prince Maxon? Mehehe.

The Elite ended so bitin!!! Why Kiera! Whyyy!!! Tapos the third book, The One, is to be released on March 2014 pa. I'm so bitiiiiin! I want to know what will happen among America, Prince Maxon, Aspen, the king and the 3 other girls in the palace already. I can't wait for that day to come, the day that I will start reading The One already.

By the way, I only got to read the ebook versions of the book. I'll wait for a boxset series of the trilogy before I buy the set. Don't worry, I am definitely buying these books even if I was finished already. They do deserve a spot on my library. :)

And about the 5th book, The Prince, it's a short book about the prince, Prince Maxon. It's cool to get to know how the prince was before The Selection. There's another one about Aspen though, The Guard I think, but I haven't read that one yet. It isn't available I guess. But, if you're wondering, yes, I'm buying those two too when they're in the market already.

There's so much more I wanted to say about America, Prince Maxon and Aspen but I don't want to spoil anyone else. You just have to read them yourselves if you want to find out.

But I'm warning you, prepare your hearts, because it's going to be a battle between love and crown.

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A quick detour here. As some of you may now my 2013 Reading Challenge, to update you guys, I know I'm going to fail this one, I didn't expect medschool to be this demanding haha. I was aiming to read 50 books this year and so far my progress is only 17 books. I know I know I know don't scold me there hey.

I still hope I get to finish until 25 though. Atleast half will do the justice.

My next read would be Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. It's a re-read by the way. I've read it some time last summer 2012. I just want to read it again to supplement myself for its upcoming movie this November which I can't wait to see! :)

That's it I guess! Have to go to bed already! Good night! And thank you soooo muuuuch for reading this long blog post of mine. Thank you thank you.



Mwaaaa,
Lady Kristine xx

10/50

Before anything else, I want to inform you, as the one reading this, that I am blogging through my iPad which I think is so cool! Hahaha. I think this is the first time I ever used my iPad to blog using the Blogger app. Coz you see, it's been 2 months since my laptop was under repair. I'm really having a hard time updating my blog without any laptop to use. I find it also very hard to study without my laptop with me. But nevertheless, kung ayaw may dahilan, kung gusto may paraan. So here I am! Hoping that this post looks normal in the windows view.

If you've been a constant reader of my blog, you must know that I looooooove reading and that I have a 50-book goal for this year, according to my Goodreads. Sad to say, as of today, I only got to finish 10 books. Awwwww. Which obviously declares a huge failure on my goal. Another awwwww.

Less than 5 months before the year ends again and I'm 40 books behind my goal. If I am decided  to accomplish this goal, I should finish 8 books in a month, which I think will never happen. I have medschool to attend to and medschool is no joke at all.

To update my current reads, here's a cropped screen shot from my Goodreads of the 10 books I got to finish this year so far, from January 2013 to August 2013.

And I've decided to change my goal from 50 books to 15-20 books. 50 is very impossible for me right now. There are more other things I should prioritize besides reading books. But I will never in a million years stop reading. :)

Current read: Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

What are you reading right now?

-Tinay xx

Book #1: From this Day Forward

Happy 2013 readers! :)

As soon as the clock hits 12 am of 2013, I started reading this book by one of my favorite Pinay writers, who wrote one of my favorite trilogies, Marla Miniano. I've been a huge fan of hers since my first year in college. She never fails to amaze me with her unique sense of "kilig." <3

And this page smacked me right in front of my face! Talk about getting personal! Hahaha! Why do I have to read a book that exactly describes me??? Whyyyyyy. It is very timely! Reading this exact page exactly on New Year's Eve! Just one of those days when I feel so sorry about myself. Haha. :P

So anyways, here's the first book for my 2013-50-books-goal, From this Day Forward by Marla Miniano.

When a couple gets married, it isn't just their lives that are thrown into chaos.

For Nicholas and Nala's wedding, there's the mother of the bride who is forced to face her failed marriage; the mother of the groom, who revisits the past - and an old love; the bride's best friend who has lost the only boy she thinks she will ever love and with him, all her happiness; the bride's cousin who fooled around with her boyfriend's best friend (who inconveniently turns out to be the groom); and the groom's sister who cannot understand her brother's choice of a future wife.

Surrounding the bride and groom's happiness are the heartache, joys, hopes, dreams and realizations of the people who care about them. It makes you think: does everybody get a chance at happily ever after?

I kinda had a hard time relating myself to the book though because it was all about getting married and I'm not even in a relationship to get into marriage. But I sorta like it too, you know. The book is not really that of a one-plot story. There were different stories from different people and they somehow relate to each other. Each story has its own set of characters and unique plot but are interrelated. It's like within Nicholas and Nala's relationship, there were a LOT of people involved. But they ended up getting married anyway despite all the people involved in their relationship.

The ending is quite cute and sweet. I was imagining the scenario of the ending thoroughly. And I find it really cute. :)

It didn't have that huge "kilig" factor but it was good.

Rate: 4/5


Remember my Goodreads goal? I am aiming to read 50 books for the year 2013 and this is the first book I got to finish this year. So far I have finished 4 books exactly, and will be starting on my 5th pretty soon. Hope you all can keep updated and interested! :)


Tin xx

I've been MIA since what

Exactly 12 days ago! Since my last blogpost. Almost two weeks. I feel such a loser for not updating my baby.

Won't explain further why because I know that you know that I was busy with my preliminary exams that 2 weeks and school is still my priority but I'm 100% willing to make up for it.

To top it off, here's a blog post dedicated to all my book lovers readers out here.

Have you heard of Goodreads? It's a social networking site, well not actually networking, but it functions like an online library. Got that right! An online library! How cool is that, right?

I forgot where and when I first heard it but I have my own Goodreads account since last year, around June. It is very helpful and useful to people who are wide readers like me.

Here are some of the things you can do with a Goodreads account:

• Keep a record of the books you already read.
• Track on what's new on the book-world.
• Keep a list of the books you want to read in the future.
• Follow your favorite authors and see what they're currently reading.
• Add friends/people and see what they're currently reading.
• You can create different bookshelves like, read, currently reading, like-to-read and the like.
• You can set a goal on how many books you want to read in a year too!

And so much more! You can just come up with anything you want with books on Goodreads. The only thing you can't do is read an entire book on Goodreads. They only have the title, author, summary and reviews about the book. But not the book itself. It's to prevent piracy too.

So head over to Goodreads right now. Make an account. And start reading! :)

Regarding Goodreads' reading challenge, my goal for 2013 is to read 50 books. And according to my Goodreads account, I already read 3 books so far and the book I'm currently reading is my 4th book of the year. Cool! But I'm still 46 short from my goal. Well hey it's just the first month of the year. I may be able to do this goal with no worries!

I want to share the 3 books I read this year. But that'll be in 3 separate blog posts too. That will be soon and this is all for now. I still need to read for my biology class tomorrow.

Good night bookworms! :)

What book are you currently reading?

Tinay xx