Greetings + Winner Announcement

Hi everyone! Merry Christmas! How's the holidays going for you? In the Philippines, Christmas is pretty crazy mainly because it's the time of the year for everyone in the family to get together and celebrate. This year, our Christmas is a little quiet and hot but the important thing is it's peaceful and we get to spend quality time with each other.

This day also marks the end of my blogoversary giveaway and I've already contacted the winner. So who's the lucky one? It's... *drumrolls*

Congratulations! I've sent an email and I'm just waiting for the confirmation. Thank you for everyone who entered. You made my 1st ever blogoversary special. Thank you, thank you so much!

Now let's get back to the festivities, shall we? Ho, ho, ho. ;)

Where Have I Been?

Image from ralphtherobot.com

So here I am again. I can't believe I have neglected my blog for almost 3 weeks straight now. And I can't believe I am going to write this type of post again. I thought I am going to have time to finally blog again because our schedule is not as crazy as before. But again, I was wrong. 

Just last Wednesday to Friday, we had our retreat. Then on Sunday, we had our Grad Pic. I am graduating soon! I am so excited for that end goal, I keep forgetting about the remaining days I have at college. So I decided to take a step back yet again in blogging to try to spend more time out there. It's just that I keep my head buried in books all the time, not that it's a bad thing, but I will try to tone it down this time. 

I don't know when I'll be back. Maybe next week, after Christmas, next year. I just don't want to push myself into committing to a definite time I am fairly certain I couldn't follow. The thing about me is the more I try to schedule stuff in advance, the more I deviate from it and procrastinate. That's why I think I'll work as I go. :)

My blogoversary giveaway is still ongoing by the way and I'd post long overdue reviews soon but I can't comment or reply to comments as much as before. 

That's it, I guess. I'll be back indefinitely. But I think the more important thing is, I'll be back. Until then, folks. 

"Waiting On" Wednesday (11): The Archived

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

Book: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Publication Date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Hyperion

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption. - From Goodreads

YOU GUYS! This book is going to be so big next year. I'm telling you. I can feel it in my bones. This book is like a firework waiting to explode. I happen to read a sneak peek in Netgalley, thanks to Hyperion and it's so gooood. For full coverage, you should click here.

It feels like torture because we have to wait til' January to read this. *stares in space*

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out.

P.S. Want to WIN a pre-order of this book? Chase.......this. ;) 

Taking A Break

Well, not really. ;)
Photo taken from remoteoutposts.blogspot.com

This topic is actually kind of moot since I've been MIA since last week. I just want to make it more formal so that everyone can be assured that I'm still alive. 

Just last Sunday, my mom went ballistic and hacked my Facebook account so she could get a hold of me since by her mommy instinct I was in trouble which is not really the case. At all. I've just been asleep in my dormitory bed dreaming about something particularly important when I was still in REM sleep. Bottom line, I woke up finding everyone looking for me like I'm some kind of abducted person. 

Not that any of you care about that drama but yes, I'm really taking a break. My wide schedule was apparently not wide enough and we, graduating students, have been really busy sharping our minds these past weeks. There was no reading done but I am really going to catch up. I am going to read till I drop. Pinky swear!

I know this post has gone for far too long and I'm really eager on starting my reading marathon so I guess it's tata for now. I'll be back sometime in November to celebrate my blogoversary! I am so excited!! Can you feel it?! EEEEEP!

Also, I am praying for everyone who will be on Hurricane Sandy's path. Stay dry and safe everyone. Stack up on books, too. I promise it'll be of great help. I know. ;)

Owl Post (3)

Meme created by Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries.
Inspired by In My Mailbox by Kristi of The Story Siren.

Hi ya guys! I AM BACK! And with my return comes the long overdue Owl Post. I haven't done one since last September. *gasp* 

This month's Owl Post is pretty tame compared with the previous one since I've been on a self-implemented Book Buying Ban mostly because I'm broke although I bend it just a teeny bit. ;) But I could say my owl was still quite happy about this.

Latter-Half of September

The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna. I've preordered this even before its release but it took another month before it got here. Last Wednesday, I finally finished it. I could definitely say it's worth the wait. 

Spark by Brigid Kemmerer. I won this from a STORM blog tour before hosted by Brodie from Eleusinian Mysteries and 8 other bloggers. I also won the first one, Storm and the ebook, Elemental. Spark was published just last August and as usual, I got it super later than that. Heh.  

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzch. Got this one from the Book Sale. I managed to read a few chapters and it's gory and bloody. I love it! Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty. I really squealed over this one. This was from the Book Sale, too. Everyone I know loved this and I'm looking forward to reading this myself.

September 27

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling. This is the new book by the Queen. I begged my parents so hard to buy me a copy of this and I have to preorder it to avail the 30% off the price because if not, I don't think I'm going to afford it. I think my charm-o-meter had been reset to 0 again due to the intense sweet-talking. But none of it matter in the end. Hmp. I've been reading this slowly and honestly, it's not the book I usually read and enjoy. Was it worth all that money? Let me get back to you on that. 

Oh yeaah. The book bag was part of the promotional marketing for the book like the Queen's name is not enough for people to buy it just because. There's also a gift card and a letter coming from the local bookstore explaining about the sudden decrease in the pricing which was quite controversial but that's actually a different story for another day.

October

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I bought  these books because I haven't started yet on my Classics Reading Challenge. Now I'm prepared and ready to start anytime, I'm just waiting for the inspiration to entice me to pick them up. 

Ravens by George Dawes Green. This was pretty pricey coming from the Book Sale but when I read the blurb at the back of the book, I was sold. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I just have to read this. That is all.

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan. You have no idea how much I have anticipated for this. It actually set my final exam results on fire because instead of studying, I read this. It actually took me so long to finish it because every now and then I have to pause for awhile so I could rest my hand. It hurt from trying not to crease the spine. Being a book ninja sucks especially when you're reading a thick paperback!

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. I bought these two because they're so cheap and both sound promising! 

E-galleys

I always forget about them so I decided that instead of including all the missed ones, I'm just going to include the recent ones.

Thank you to Harlequin, Flux Books, St. Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster, Stoke Books, ABRAMS, Andrea K. Hösth, and Coscom Entertainment. Thank you of course to Netgalley as well! 

How about you guys? What books did you haul this weekend/month? 

Don't forget to leave your links on the comment section below 

with your own Book Haul posts! :)

"Waiting On" Wednesday (10): The Darkest Minds

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

Book: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

Publication Date: December 18, 2012

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living. - Goodreads

I am pretty sure I will be in for a ride when I get the chance to read this. It looks like it's full of adventure with a dash of romance, perhaps? Ruby sure has a tough life ahead of her and I am definitely excited to know more and learn the details. ;)

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out.

Owl Post (2)

Meme created by Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries.
Inspired by In My Mailbox by Kristi of The Story Siren.

It was last June since my first Owl Post. It was that long! Anyway, who of you guys love book sales? There is a lot of cheap, good books to buy in a book sale. I swear, especially to my Filipino friends and readers (winks), I knocked myself out 2 weeks ago. I was in Book Sale in SM North Edsa and me and a friend of mine was supposed to buy books in honor of the last day of the National Book Store sale but I ended up buying ONLY one book in NBS. Heh!

So here's my book haul:

All of those books minus Insurgent, I got from Book Sale. We went crazy. We swept the whole shop, literally. We restacked shelves, we rearranged them. We were there for about 4-5 hours. If you're wondering how much I spent, it's less than P1500 ($35) and yes, including Insurgent. ;)

~Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Started on this one. All I can say is I hope I could have the time to sit down and focus on this.

~Life As We Know It and The Dead and The Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Craving for an apocalyptic read?  Both of these books might satisfy you.

~Atonement by Ian McEwan. I actually watched the movie first and my heart was crushed and broken into pieces. Sigh. Even thinking about makes me sad. *sniffs* I am not big on movie tie-in covers but it's on sale and the movie was actually good so I made an exception.

~Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I've been pining for The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandana since forever. I've been stalkerish with all her interviews, too and she said Frankenstein was the inspiration of the novel. I was intrigued so I thought of reading it for myself.

~A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb. I've read this before. I liked it and the cover was so gorgeously haunting.

~Kokology by Tadahiko Nagao and Isami Saito. This one isn't novel. Click the link to find out more.

~On The Brightside, I'm Now The Girlfriend of A Sex God by Louise Rennison. Georgia Nicholson is a delight to read. If you haven't tried this series yet, you're in for a treat. Oh! That semi-rhymed!

~Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck. I squealed for this one. I'm not kidding, everybody in the shop looked at me like I'm on crack or something. I've been meaning to read this series and it's like a dream come true. My next mission is to find the first one in the series after that I can finally start.

~Insurgent by Veronica Roth. I've yet to read Divergent but I took advantage of the NBS Book Sale. So I'm all set to finally read the series before the next book comes out. Now to find the time to read them...

That's it for my Owl Post. My balloon owl is still recovering from all that. How about you guys? What books did you haul this weekend? I love to see them so don't forget to leave your links on the comment section below.

"Waiting On" Wednesday (9): Gravity

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

Book: Gravity (The Taking #1) by Melissa West

Publication Date: October 16, 2012

Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC

In the future, only one rule will matter: Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed--arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die. 

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know--especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war. - Goodreads

Never been a fan of alien stuff but I am so excited to read this one! Alien spy, military legacy, war? Come on! 

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out.

"Waiting on" Wednesday (8): Passenger

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

Book: Passenger (The Marbury Lens #2) by Andrew Smith

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Jack and Conner have a plan. 

They think it's the only reasonable way to deal with the Marbury lens. 

But the four boys - Jack, Conner, Ben, and Griffin - end up scattered in different places at different times. Jack is lost in a Marbury that isn't Marbury, a Glenbrook that isn't Glenbrook, pursued through every crumbling not-world by an uncaring cop trying to solve the mystery of Freddie Horvath's murder, and a deceitful kid named Quinn Cahill who believes he is the King of Marbury. Jack's universe is collapsing in on itself. He finds his friends. He finds his home. 

There's always just one thing, and Jack knows it. 

This can't be it. - Goodreads

Read the synopsis? Let that sink in for a while.

Passenger is the next installment in The Marbury Lens series. The first book was The Marbury Lens which I believe was the most disturbing, creepiest book I've read last year. Just thinking about it made me remember how screwed I was back then. It was released on November 2010. Yup, it's been 2 years since the first book and I thought there'd be no more Marbury. But a month from now, Jack and Connor's adventure will start again.

I've still yet to decide whether I loved The Marbury Lens or not but I gave it 4 Cupids/stars. Maybe this October, I'll figure it out. It may look like I'm complaining about my reading experience but I swear, I'm super excited for the Passenger. For realz.

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out. :)

Awesome Giveaways!

These are just some exciting giveaways you should know about. All of these accept international entries.

From The Midnight Garden:

1 Hardback of The Girl of Fire and Thorns and an ARC of The Crown of Embers

From Flipping Through The Pages:

8 Awesome YA releases

From Book Probe Reviews:

2 Signed Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (1 Aus/1 Int)

So what are you waiting for? Fabulous prizes awaits. Enter now! :)

"Waiting On" Wednesday (7): The Lost Girl

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

Book: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive. - Goodreads

I've heard so many great things about The Lost Girl. They said it was heartbreaking. They said it was made of awesome. They said it was unique. And knowing me, I want all of that. The Lost Girl is coming out very soon and because I can't wait any longer, I've already pre-ordered it. Now I'm just waiting and I'm in the process of reducing my nails to nothing while doing so. Tough life! ;)

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out. :)

"Waiting On" Wednesday (6): Lucid

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

Book: Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz, Ron Bass

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Razorbill

What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?

Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.

The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

This is a dazzling debut that will steal readers' hearts. - Goodreads

I know that from the first time I saw Lucid I just have to read it. From the cover to the blurb, it just grabs your attention and screams, "Don't you dare miss me!". So yes, October can't get fast enough, in my honest opinion.

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out.

Hi guys!

This is a really quick and hurried post because I'm actually in the library right now and the internet connection is sooo slow and I still have classes later. I'd just like to apologize for the lack of reviews and updates on the blog, classes just started a week ago and before I know it, I was sucked in. Plus, it doesn't really help that my apartment has no internet connection yet.

I'm working on it though and while I'm begging and convincing my parents that it's not really a bad idea, I plowed through my TBR. I've just finished 2 books and I'm close to finishing another 2 books. I'm just trying to find some time to finally go through my draft reviews and finalize them. I think they'd be ready by the end of the week.

So yes, I'm still alive guys in case you're wondering. And don't forget to enter the ongoing giveaway! :)

"Waiting On" Wednesday (5): UnWholly

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

Book: UnWholly (Unwind Trilogy #2) by Neal Shusterman
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Shuster Books for Young Children

In a society where unwanted and troublesome teens are salvaged for their body parts, Connor, Risa and Lev continue to fight against the system that would 'unwind' them. Thanks to their high-profile revolt at the Happy Jack Harvest Camp, people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of so-called troublesome teens might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question and a new law passed. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests, not to mention the illegal 'Parts Pirates', that want to see it not only continue, but expand.


Connor, Risa and Lev each struggle to rescue as many AWOL teens as possible and offer them sanctuary. But life at the Graveyard is hard, rivalries bubble under the surface and the cracks are beginning to show.


And then there is Cam, a teen who does not exist. Made entirely out of parts from one hundred other 'unwinds', Cam is a 21st century Frankenstein, a rewound, struggling to find a true identity and meaning, and a place in society. But when a sadistic bounty hunter who takes "trophies" from all the 'unwinds' he captures starts to pursue Connor, Lev and Risa, Cam finds his own fate inextricably bound with theirs… - Goodreads

Most of us can trace our dystopian reading roots from The Hunger Games or The Giver or Divergent (?) but I can trace mine from Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I read Unwind without any idea what it was about. I haven't heard of it, I wasn't even familiar about the dystopian genre back then. Never did I know that Unwind would blew me away and would end up in my fave-books-evuh shelf. I also thought that it was a stand-alone novel.

But look now, after 5 years, the next installment will be born! I couldn't be any happier. So if you haven't read Unwind yet, you have at least 2 months to do so before the next book comes out. Prepare for an epic ride. ;)

What are you waiting on?

Leave your link down below so I can check yours out.

PSST. I have a giveaway going on. You might want to head there for a chance to win. I know you want to. ;)

Random Ramblings (19): What Have I Been Up To?

If you haven't noticed the last review on the blog was last May 22. That's more than a week without a review here on the blog. So what have I been doing this past week?

Well, my schedule was in fact jam-packed. I have 2 days of completion in the hospital and then I have a bit of mourning time which consisted of me moping around. I swear I just lie there in the bed,watching How I Met Your Mother. HIMYM wasn't even successful in making me laugh but still I watched cause I feel like the whole gang were my friends. I switched my internet off and you know mope and cry. 

There was one thing I found out that day, I was a champion emo. I was a moper. But really, I looked into my reading schedule and I was way behind. Now that's university is starting (actually it's starting tomorrow. heh!), I'll do what I do best. And nope it's not moping but multi-tasking.

So yes watch out for the reviews of the following books:
-BaSatai: Outside In by Suzan Battah
-Kevin's Point of View by Del Shannon
-The Glimpse by Claire Merle
-Timepiece by Myra McEntire
-Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
-Dust Girl  by Sarah Zettel
-One Moment by Kristina McBride

Since classes are starting my online presence will be very sporadic not that any of you would mind or be concern. I'll be getting back my commenting love hat on by the end of every week so I'd like to warn you all not to be frightened if I suddenly flood your blog with my comments. ;)

Over and out.

Owl Post (1)

Hello guys!  Today I'm introducing a new feature in the blog. This meme is created by Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries inspired by In My Mailbox by The Story Siren. I've been meaning to do this since forever and I just love this idea of Brodie. I am such a Potterhead and I'm beating myself up for not thinking about this so kudos to Brodie!

Before I show you guys what books I hauled, I'll tell you 3 things first.

1. I'll do this on Sundays but not every Sunday. Most likely I'm going to have this every 1st Sunday or last Sunday of the month.

2. You can link your own versions of weekly haul at the end of my every Owl Post. I'd surely visit them, I love seeing new books!

3. Since I'm going to only post occasionally, my Owl Post will most likely be massive not because I am rich ( I wish!) but because the books just accumulated throughout the weeks.

So my first Owl Post is books I've bought and received in the month of May and the last 2 weeks of April. 

Here they are:

Bought

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, and the The Hunger Games: Tribute Guide by Emily Seife - already read this titles but I like to have my own copies. 

Away Laughing in a Fast Camel by Louise Rennison - I absolutely adore the Confessions of Georgia Nicholson series so I bought this one. This hardcover was on sale. :)

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - Browse through this one and I could say I was freaked out by the images. 

Divergent by Veronica Roth - Finally bought a copy. Will read this v. v. soon.

The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan - This is the latest installment in the Kane Chronicle's series.  

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan- I scored this copy on a sale. It was so cheap, it's like 75% off the original hardcover price.

Heroes of the Valley by Jonathan Shroud - Bought this on a sale as well. A total steal, this one is.

***

Received

Won the Starter swag from Just A Girl Geek!

Bewitching by Alex Flinn (ARC) - I won this from Panda Reads.
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers - I won this from Making the  Grade.
Enclave by Ann Aguirre - I won this from The Nocturnal Library.

Thank you so much! :)

A closer look in my Grave Mercy copy:

***

E-galleys

The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin from Razorbill
The White Oak by Kim White from Story Machine Studio
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry from Harlequin Teen
Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian from Simon & Schuster
Circle of Silence by by Carol M. Tazman from Harlequin Teen

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley!

***

That's it! It was the summer and I am broke but hey we can never have too many books! :) I'll be very busy this whole year getting through all that books. My balloon owl was so exhausted I have to replaced him every now and then. 

How many owls did you get knocked out this week? C'mon share em! :D

Random Ramblings (18): My Hedwig

We all have Hedwig's in our lives. Beloved pets and home companions. It could be your goldfish, your cat, your dog, your parrot, monkey, toad, or whatever it is you keep at home well-fed and smothered with love.

Today is the saddest I've ever felt in my life. I was trying to distract myself tonight and I keep telling myself not to blog about it because it just hurts so much but I couldn't stop myself. 

Hegwig's 1st photo

Hedwig came into the family last May 12, 2012. I was so surprised to find her in the house that day because we already have 2 grown cats which made our lives very busy and it surprised me even more that mama was behind the adopting. She said we already reached our cat quota in the house. 

But here was Hedwig.  She was too adorable and charming; my mama didn't stand a chance. She was still a baby so she couldn't eat or drink anything yet besides milk. We were all up for the spoon-feeding challenge because my first cat, Miming, was spoon-fed as well. My dad and I took turns but mostly it was me who fed her because my dad's at work. 

I was rereading the Harry Potter that time and that's where I based her name, from Harry's snowy intelligent owl. I could tell she liked the name since she gets all excited and meowy whenever she's called. In the short time she was with us, I knew she already meant a lot to me, to us. She was very cute and sweet and she really liked to be cuddled.  

She loved the camera. This was
her last photo.

5 AM today, Hedwig watched me leave. She ran out of the house as I locked the gates and she just sat there outside. She didn't chase me around like she used to do, she just sat there and looked at me. It was the first time she did that. I didn't thought that was the last memory I'd ever have of her because tonight as I came home from my duty in the hospital, I was told the most devastating news ever: my little kitten, Hedwig, died. 

I thought it was a nasty joke but my mom really looked upset. My dad couldn't believe it either. She was run over by a tricycle. It was an accident but some irrational part of me still blames the driver. She was so tiny and she was just starting to learn how to handle her body, how would she be able to survive that? I wasn't there when it happened and I don't know if I should be grateful or not. 

It just wasn't fair. She was just starting to eat solid foods and bond with my other 2 cats. I just couldn't believe there'd be no Hedwig anymore. No more squeaky meow response whenever I call her. It really felt like I lost something really dear to me. 

I'd also like to  say thank you to all the thoughtful people in Twitter and my friends for all the hugs and support I got tonight. You are all so kind. 

Hedwig be safe wherever you are. You'll be missed. 

Spreading le wings

**My Razorbill version 

Hello guys! I'm over at Forever Book Lover today. Please head out there and see me spread my wings and marvel. I did ramble a lot. ;)

Thank you Kat for having me.  :D

**Photo courtesy of the world wide web.

Random Ramblings (17): Cover Limelight

ANNOUNCEMENT: These 4 books are must-haves. I repeat. These 4 books are must-haves. Surely, your bookshelves will be looking forlorn if you don't get yourself a copy of at least one of the books I'll mention today.  So today's features: 

Asunder (Newsoul #2) by Jodi Meadows

Comes out 2013

Jodi Meadows pretty much wins the book cover lottery every single time. You can learn more about why the second book is called Asunder by visiting Jodi's blog. 

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Stormdancer (The Lotus War #1) by Jay Kristoff

Comes out in September 18, 2012

Say hi to Yukiko. I guess it's clear you won't mess with someone who looks that bad-ass. I won't. I heard that tattoo comes alive too. And of course, I'm kidding.

You know what you can win an ARC of Stormdancer because Jay is awesome like that. Enter here. You might have to fight your chances through a throng of Jay's worshipers though, so good luck. 

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Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas

Comes out in August 17, 2012

If you thought the US cover was incredible, think again. C'mon, that girl wields 2 swords and I have a feeling she wouldn't hesitate to cut or to kill if it comes to it.

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Days of Blood and Starlight (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2) by Laini Taylor

Comes out in November 6, 2012

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone cover is blue now the second book is red. You just have to love the look of this series on your shelves. PS. Daughter of Smoke and Bone rocks so...

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So folks what do you think? Pretty amazing covers right? 

You're welcome. ;)