ArmchairBEA Day Three: Let's Talk Networking...say what?!

For Day 3, we want you to share your positive experiences of using your blog to get involved in your community.  This can involve partnerships with the local literary scene, attending author events and signings, or getting together with bloggers in your area.  We want to hear it all!

I was really surprised with today's topic since this is only my third month of blogging, there's really little I can say. But because I have the tendency to tell everything, I'm gonna say my part, on or off topic. xD Now hold onto your seats, my lovely damsels, we're onto a very long and bumpy ride!

Blogging led me to meet awesome people. And I already mentioned one  in my Armchair BEA Day One post. This certain lady who is also a Filipina lives in Australia and I met her while I was flooding the Twitterverse with my constant swearing. I was reading Obsidian  that time. My tweet that said, "Asshole!!!" caught her attention and she asked me who was it. I told her it was Daemon Black, the hot guy of the book and then I started gushing out these phrases, urging her to read the book like immediately. Ate Lalaine then obliged, I don't know whether she was scared or just persuaded by my barely readable fangirl talk and then everything else was history. Twitter is my main magic medium of Networking followed by Blogger.

                                  My first author encounter

Our country, the Philippines, was seldom visited by authors from the US and if they do visit, they were only ushered in Manila. SO when I heard that Lauren Kate, the author of Fallen, was visiting my city, I beat all the odds and went to the signing. I collected her books, drawn by the gorgeous cover and I do believe it was the beginning of the elegant lady dresses cover era of the Young Adult genre. I brought my two books, (one missing because it was borrowed by my classmate) and my reluctant father to the mall and wore my "angelic" clothes. The wait was so suspenseful. I was constantly shifting in my seat. Then she walked in and it was poetry in motion. I was enamored by the statuesque woman walking towards the stage like a dream. And so was my father until I glared and threatened to call my mother, he stopped drooling staring.Hahaha. When it was the time for the audience to ask her questions, they froze entirely. See, we, people are really awkward. Until I braced myself, stood up and smiled at the organizer who thanked me. I was the first one to ask her a question. Can you believe that? I actually had the face to talk to her considering my anti-social skills. The question I asked was this, "Who inspired you to write Daniel?" OMG! It was lame, I know but my mind totally went blank and that was the only one I could utter. Lauren answered it charmingly and one by one, the others joined in to question her. I was so proud, my father was so proud and my invisible angel was so proud too. Fast forward to the signing, I boldly told her that I was the one she retweeted in Twitter. Now that was the lamest ever. She laughed and when I asked her if she's enjoying her stay, she answered me that she was loving the Philippines. *insert a silly grin* But of course, pictures!!! Who can forget them? Heh. 

              *My signed books* 

[Image removed due to the blogger's notoriety as an infamous criminal in hiding XD]

*Can somebody shout "awkward" at the top of their lungs please? :D*

There you have it! My boring and utterly awful  Armchair BEA entry for the topic Let's Talk Networking...(say what?!), what are yours? Link me up and I'll check em out!

PS. Needing followers to be my lovely damsels. I'll be sure to follow back. Just inform me in the comments section. Love and peace out, guys! 

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hello my pretty damsels! This is my very first entry of this awesome meme. Today, I'll introduce two of the books I've been anticipating and if it's even possible, I would sacrifice my ovaries to snag an earlier copies of these babies. xD They all belonged to my  most favorite author of all time aside from Edgar Allan Poe, THE JULIE KAGAWA.So here they are...

The Iron Legends(The Iron Fey #1.5, 3.5, 4.5)by Julie Kagawa

Summer, Winter, Iron.Together at last.
Dangerous faeries. Heartbreaking romance. Thrilling action and limitless adventure. The world of the fey has never been so powerful. This collection includes three novellas set in the world of The Iron Fey plus the expanded Guide to the Nevernever and exclusive information about Julie Kagawa's unforgettable world of Faery.

Everyone, let's admit it. Anything by JULIE KAGAWA is worth fighting for. Now that right up there is the main reason why sometimes I find myself rocking in my emo corner, pining for the date that EPICNESS up there will be published. Or will hit the shelves. Considering in our country, it takes months for Julie's books to come, the emo rocking is pretty reasonable, don't you think?  The final book that will finish up the first Iron Fey Series will surely cause an uproar in the YA blogging community. In a very good way. The expected publication will be on August 28th 2012 by Harlequin. People, start counting!


 The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten)

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.
That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he's dare to fall for.
Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.
My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday. 

DO I NEED TO SAY MORE? DO I REALLY NEED TO SAY MORE? No way. What's the use of the very warm reception over there at Goodreads for Ethan then? If you want to know my reactions, click the picture and scroll down to be transported in the battlefields different views of the majority of the masses using the deadly power of gifs and all kinds of freaking out at Ethan Chase's coming. Now that sounded very dirtyyy..bad Johanna, bad. *wipes drool*
Now because I love you guys, I decided to grab the back cover and inner flap of THE LOST PRINCE from Julie's blog.  The same summary from up there, anyways. I just wanna trouble myself because I'm crazy  for Ethan. <== weak attempt of covering her sudden fangirling upon seeing the shirtless in all his glory. Y'all, I already marked my calendars and set my phone's alarm for the expected publication date on October 23rd 2012 by Harlequin Teen. Oh the horror and the agony of waiting! 
  
Now there you have it, my two most anticipated books this Wednesday. What are yours? Link me up in the comments section and I'll check it out!


PS. Johanna: A Damsel in Book-stress is in need of more followers. Show your love my lovely damsels. I will follow back just let me know in the comments area. Be nice. Be friendly because this is a human and a pony friendly blog. Love and peace out! 

   

ArmchairBEA Day Two: Best of 2012

Today I will be highlighting the books I've read in 2012 that made an impression to me in the Young Adult genre. Like for example, it hit me in the gut because of its dark sorrow or sent me flying to paradise because of the hot guy in it.  It is in order and as for my highly anticipated books, I'll be featuring it tomorrow for my very first Waiting on Wednesday entry. So you can come back *puppy dog's eyes* and take a look at it. : )

  

       NUMBER ONE NUMBER ONE NUMBER ONE NUMBER ONE NUMBER ONE

                                               

   Need I say more? I spent half of my life fangirling over Daemon Black and Katy Swartz's steamy relationship. I officially became a rabid fangirl. And yes, the author gained another stalker. Check out my review of this phenomenon here. You can't miss this.                                                                                                     

NUMBER TWO NUMBER TWO NUMBER TWO NUMBER TWO NUMBER TWO 

                                             

Yes, damsels and knights, Under the Never Sky grabbed the second spot of my Best of 2012 because this fresh and futuristic dystopian novel rocks. Like seriously, everything in my world. My teddy, my pony, my socks, my fish and etc. Breathtaking. I know this is no excuse but unfortunately I didn't make a review of this  awesome yet. But you can clicky the picky for Goodreads. *grins*

 

Why oh why did I forget about Storm? Anyways, Storm bagged the second spot tied with Under the Never Sky.Because it was paradise. Specifically boy paradise. Again no review because I was probably too busy wiping my drool and nosebleeding to even write one. xD

NUMBER THREE NUMBER THREE NUMBER THREE NUMBER THREE 

 This powerful novel bagged the third spot as it brought me to experience  how a runaway lives. And the suffocation brought by a sickness, emotionally and physically. Very moving and compelling, Don't Breathe A Word will take you to an unavoidable reality where security and over-protectiveness varies differently. No review again. *waves NO TO VIOLENCE! banner*

 NUMBER FOUR NUMBER FOUR NUMBER FOUR NUMBER FOUR NUMBER FOUR

Dark and stunningly engrossing, The Masque of the Red Death, got an award for worldbuilding. Plus it's a retelling of Poe's book so, nuff said. Diseases as potent as fear and desperation were highlighted in this bleak and artistically gloomy book. A must read for Poe fans out there. My complete review here 

NUMBER FIVE NUMBER FIVE NUMBERFIVE NUMBER FIVE NUMBER FIVE

 

The last but certainly not the least, Hemlock, is one of the book in the werewolf genre worth reading. Filled with suspense and built with a surprisingly unique plot, Hemlock will make you howl. xD No just kidding! Please read it. Even when it's angst-ridden, it will get better when you venture farther. Read my complete review here. If you dare. Mwahahaha!

Eherm...that laugh was certainly creepy. There you have it, my Top 5 Best of 2012 for the day two of #ArmchairBEA. Unfortunately, I can't hold a giveaway because I'm totally broke. Body, money and soul.

Thank you for reading through this torture post and for celebrating Day Two with me. Link me up and I'll be sure to check out your Best of 2012 too! Happy Armchair BEA to each and everyone!
Photo credits to Goodreads for the book covers and NinaReads for the Armchair BEA banner.
PS. Apologies for the super long spaces. I now know that blogger was my arch-nemesis in my past life. Don't worry, if it's any consolation, I'm still swearing here. ; ) 
PSS. I need more followers, my lovely damsels! I follow back, just mention in the comments area. Don't be rude. A damsel is not rude. They're nice. And cute. And..okayy..okayy. I'll stop now! xD

ArmchairBEA Day One: Interview

This is the first time I joined #ArmchairBEA because my blog is still a baby. And I’m too far from NY and apparently not in the right age too. Meaning, I’m still below 18. Obviously. Sorry for boring you, guys! By the way, this baby blog is tackling mostly Young Adult books. Oh, here’s the linky to Armchair BEA Central, the blog which started it all .So let’s start the self interview without further ado.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: Who are you? How long have you been blogging? Why did you get into blogging?

I am Johanna, a teenager from the Republic of the Philippines and I’ve been blogging since April 2012. I got into blogging because of THE Julie Kagawa and her Iron Fey series. I can’t contain the awesomeness of the book so I let it all out in the reviews. And also because of a certain lady named Lalaine who pushed me to make my own blog. Not only that, she helped me prepare all the ingredients and I swear this woman has magic in persuading people. Someone’s gotta inspire you right? 

           2. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you.

I sleep with a My Little Pony named Singing Minty and a teddy bear named Jack inspired by the character in Blood Red Road. Oh, that’s still book related. *laughs*

       3. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why?  

Edgar Allan Poe. That legend of a man really inspires and pulls me in to his mysteries. And I would definitely order Crispy Chicken Steak for dinner xD

         4.    What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? Is there anything that you would like to see change in the coming years? 

Heavens! I love every part of the community. The authors, the passionate blogger with unfailing support and mutual understanding and even the occasional dramas. Being a fellow blogger myself, I would really like to see the blogging community flourish into something that can change the world. Like the motto, “Changing the world, one book at a time” or “Bookmaggedon: Postponing the end, one book at a time”. Now that’s pretty neat, eh? ;)  

         5.  Where do you see your blog in five years?

Five years is a very long time, my friend. And now, I’m not even imagining the future of my blog. Because I swear that as long as books, the physical ones, still exists, then so will my blog. Hopefully. Also, as long as I can still read and still write, then my blog will still continue its journey. I’m living in the present but with school approaching, I’m afraid it won’t be the first priority anymore but it will still be a PRIORITY nevertheless.

Thank you for the precious time you’ve allotted to read this piece of information about moi. I appreciate it. I just wanna introduce an event hosted by Eileen  called #TeenBEA. More info in her post Armchair BEA: Day 1 in the announcement area.

*There she is in all her glory and she sends her regards *

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

WARNING  Bad words and a little bit mention of Bella in New Moon. Not enough to poison anyone or is it…

 Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.
Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.
Kathleen Peacock’s thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Goodreads
Series: Hemlock #1
Published May 8th 2012 by Katherine Tegen Books

Let me start this review by saying that dear Hemlock was the very first werewolf story I approved.  It was poignant, spine-tingling and bittersweet. While I was reading the beginning of the book, it was so depressing and I had the urge to stop. Why? Because it’s in my nature to avoid novels that will choke me with angst and anguish. The double A that sometimes scares the sh*t outta me. But because all the people around my world are so hyped up about it, I indulge myself further. And guess what, damsels? I actually like it. The plot of the story was both unique and quite predictable. Predictable because…


Question: WHO IS MORE DANGEROUS, A HUMAN OR A WEREWOLF?
Audience: Definitely idiotic.
Me: Can you just answer the freaking question?
Audience: Duh!? A werewolf, of course.
*Mac comes running in holding a banner that says *
“PRO-WEREWOLF. I LOVE KYLE BECAUSE HE’S MORE DANGEROUS. “
Me:

But don’t mind me. I’m crazy. In fact, I’m Team Kyle. The greatest attribute that Hemlock can offer to its readers is the complexity of the characters’ relationships to each other. It makes the story unique. Plus the worldbuilding. And the way Kathleen Peacock conveys the voices is really stirring. I really hated the Trackers (how very original *insert dry sarcasm*) to the bones. No, make that to the bone marrow. The plot is centered on Amy Walsh, Mac’s bestfriend and Jason’s late girlfriend. It focused on her gruesome murder and the werewolves. She’s been plaguing Mac with nightmares and honestly, it scared me.  Few times I looked around the room for any signs of Amy. I was paranoid. I praise Hemlock for that. See, it sparked certain reactions and provoke my thoughts according to what I tweeted (I was flooding Twitterverse while reading). That was halfway through the book, though.

The heroine Mackenzie Catherine is a slobbering mess of guilt in the beginning a headstrong and a very loyal bestfriend. She was really devoted in finding out the culprit in Amy’s murder. What really made me respect this girl is that she views things fairly. Mac always weighs the good and the bad equally. Kudos.

Yes, a werewolf had killed Amy. But I couldn’t blame an entire group of people—even if that would have been easier. The only person to blame was the one who had killed her. One person. One werewolf.

Cringe-worthy comparison of Mac in Hemlock and Bella in New Moon that I noticed. Nothing really important but still…*shrugs*

Mackenzie:  Trey and Serena were both infected and the world I thought I had known was unraveling. Was everyone in town a werewolf and I just didn’t get the memo?

Bella: What kind of place was this? Could a world really exist where ancient legends went wandering around the borders of tiny, insignificant towns, facing down mythical monsters?

*Kidding! xD*

Now my most favorite part: The boys.  Jason is the tortured rich boy here who is arrogant.  And an ASSHOLE.  He joined the ASSHOLE Trackers to avenge Amy’s death. This by the way, turned into a complete disaster. *evil laughter in the background*

Kyle is the hot and sexy werewolf whose shifting scenes always makes me erupt like a freaking Mt. Krakatoa. I’m so biased *covers face* He is the sole reason why I rated Hemlock 3.5 stars in Goodreads. The romance is there alright and it was just the right dosage to not obscure the original intent of the characters. But it did serve a pretty important role in the story. 

*I thought he got over this already *wails* Why, oh, why?*

The ending voiced out my greatest fears.  And I definitely flew into a rage upon knowing what HE did. I shred one hanky in the process. Using my teeth. Now it’ll be one of those books again. I thought it was different. I thought Mac finally chose the One.  How wrong I am. 

*me before the hanky shredding*

To wrap it up, Hemlock is a real page-turner full of the realistic views of humanity mixed with the escapism provided by the werewolf lore. (WTH am I babbling?)Definitely one of those books in the werewolf trend worth reading. Since I stayed at 12 AM to finish it up, I do believe it’s enough to prove that this book will probably rock more of the readers out there.

“You can't lose what you never had.”              

 Jason straightened his shirt. “What’s ‘chauvinistic’ mean?”“It’s in the dictionary next to a picture of your father,” muttered Kyle.

Stacking the Shelves (1)

http://www.tyngasreviews.com/

Greetings of peace to all my lovely damsels out there. I sound too formal *pukes* Yo, hello there, guys! How's your weekend holding up? So as you can see, this is my very first meme, recommended and hammered to me by my very persuasive Ate Lalaine :") there @ficbookreviews. This is a little overview of my blog activity during this week and these are my books.

Double reviews to check out:

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Clicky the photos to add to your list via Goodreads.

 

 


Whaddya think, eh? Personally, I think they're fabulous. Hope you'll have an awesome-tastic weekend, everyone. Link me up so that I can check yours too. Which probably will activate my "forever jealous" mode but no matter!

And because I can't resist doing a little extra...
  "THE REMNANTS OF THE CHOCOLATES WHICH LASTED FOR 2 DAYS"

*The scent of the leftover chocolates is still wafting through my nostrils*

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday

Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.
Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper’s brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went... a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH’s resident body finder, I’m stuck trying to prove that Sydney’s death wasn’t suicide.I’m starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos...

Goodreads

Series: Deadly Cool #2

 Published April 24th 2012 by HarperTeen

Hartley Grace Featherstone did it again everyone. She made me laugh till my ribs hurt, made me excited till I jumped off my seat and drooled at Chase till I unwillingly stopped myself. If you haven’t read Deadly Cool yet, I STRONGLY *cracks fingers* suggest you do. Because the awesomeness of this sequel rivals the first one in any aspects possible. The elements of Social Suicide are similar to Deadly Cool namely, Hartley found the body and her life was threatened again. I guess our girl is making this a habit, hm? And this time, the oh-so-popular and addicting Twitter is involved.  I love Twitter and I do believe everyone loves it too and when this social giant is mixed with a snarky and hilarious heroine, what do we have? A very funny, thought-provoking and suspenseful book.

I would never get tired of the humor and entertainment Gemma Halliday provides with her fabulous writing. Though, I would admit I kinda get used of the style since I didn’t break a bone while laughing unlike in Deadly Cool but the magic is still there. It still managed to pull me in. I fervently hope it still would in the future. I watched Hartley grew into a more devious heroine as her detective skills were honed by the chase (and Chase, no pun intended).  And Sam? Her bestfriend? That amazing girl Hartley is super lucky to have? She just reached the top spot of my “MOST AMAZING AND DEPENDABLE BESTFRIEND” list. Sam and Kyle (her boyfriend) provide the cute romance that keeps me going. I want to meet them in person, actually XD.

And who would have thought that I was tempted to make an account in Match.com after reading about her Mom? No seriously, I visited the site and almost-ALMOST- succumb when I saw a cute guy my age. Haha. But you know what really shocked me? It was the “who” who was dating her Mom. I would bet my money on it that Hartley’s face that time was priceless.

 *But there is Geometry, right Mr. Tipkins? ; )*

The story was dashed with a little romance just enough to tell the readers that Hartley and Chase were attracted to each other and that there’s more to come. Usually, the romance is focused after the suspect is caught but I think it’s pretty understandable. So if you want purely hot, steamy love, I will not recommend this book to you. But still, you can’t miss this in your literary life. This is personified hilariousness in the form of a book.

Overall, I enjoyed this second installation and if you want a fun and light-hearted read about female detectives, Social Suicide is for you. But first, don’t you dare bypass Deadly Cool. YOU NEED TO READ THE TWO BOOKS. Like seriously. Right now. I’m being pushy but it’s worth it! I know because I just know. But please do know I’m not a know-it-all. XD

*invisible audience shouts*

“STOP FLUFFIN’ SCREWING WITH US!”

Oh, the censoring never really grows old.

The right corner of Chase’s lip curled up. “Good. I have faith you may make it as an actual reporter someday,” he said. “Now go, young grasshopper. Make me proud.”
And then he patted me on the head and walked away.
Actually patted me. Like one might pat his cocker spaniel.

I was so stupid. I was the queen of Stupidville.The Duchess of Moronland. The Empress of Misunderstandingtown.