Wicked Photo Diary: December 2015

Wicked Photo Diary is a feature on the blog where I recap what happened in my life, bookish and non-bookish, in the form of my Instagram photos. Do follow me on Instagram here.

Would you look at that? December is almost over. 2015 is almost over. 2016 is upon us! My, my, time...well, it's flying, alright. I hope you had an amazing time spending your holidays with your loved ones! I know I have!


December 1, 2015

The mall near our house put up this LEGO Christmas display right smack in the middle of the mall. It was pretty and crowded as everyone wanted to take a photo in front of the display.


December 2, 2015

This year is memorable for my college alma mater as the men's basketball team bagged the 20th UAAP Championship crown making us the winningest team in Men's Basketball. I watched the game at home and I was screaming my heart out while watching the game.


December 4, 2015

It was a pretty clear day, I had to take a photo.


December 11, 2015

Submission Moves - Camilla Sisco

I spent the whole month of December reading up on #SparkBooks, a series of books that were written by Filipino romance authors. This one, Submission Moves, is a sports romance, particularly in MMA. It was hot. That's all I have to say.

December 13, 2015

Welcome to Envy Park - Mina V. Esguerra

Welcome to Envy Park is such a good read. A good balance of romance and drama, perfect for the day.

December 15, 2015

Tame The Kitten - Bianca Mori

A kitten usually meows but in this book, well, the kitten went from meow to rawr~

December 16, 2015

The Kitchen When It Sizzles - Chrissie Peria

Sizzling hot read that will make you very hungry-figuratively and literally. I'm all about food but I'm hopeless in the kitchen.

December 17, 2015

The Boyfriend Backtrack - Dawn Lanuza

This book is amazing. Seriously. I mean, everything about it spoke to me. It's the kind of book that connects you with the characters.

December 18, 2015

Snow Like Ashes - Sara Raasch

Brought this book with me in the province where it's colder than the city. For a debut high fantasy novel, this one packs a punch!

December 19, 2015

This beagle belongs to one of my cousins. His name is Titan and he's very gentle and fluffy and naughty when you let him out.

December 21, 2015

I did another #BookTurnedArt and this time I did November 9 by Colleen Hoover.

December 22, 2015

Once Upon A Player - Agay Llanera

Another sports romance that loads on the drama. Beautifully written that tugs your heart.

December 23, 2015

Titan with my cousin and my grandma. He wanted another picture taken. Quite a photo lover this dog is.

December 26, 2015

Our resident cutie patootie is all grown up now. Mom is all over this kid and this kid enjoys the attention.

December 28, 2015

I did the #2015bestnine on Instagram because everyone I follow was doing it. If you want to do it, just go to www.2015bestnine.com to get your best nine photo and share it on IG! 2015 has been good to me in terms of books. Here's to hoping that 2016 will be the same.

What Else Happened On The Blog?

Wicked Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

{COVER REVEAL} The Hometown Hazard by Dawn Lanuza

Book Turned Art: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

Wicked Review: Welcome to Envy Park by Mina V. Esguerra

Wicked Review: The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza

Wicked Review: Savor by Kate Evangelista

Wicked Review: The Kitchen When It Sizzles by Chrissie Peria

See you all next year!

Wicked Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

Published: October 14, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Series: Snow Like Ashes #1

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Barnes and Noble || The Book Depository || Fullybooked

A heartbroken girl. A fierce warrior. A hero in the making.

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

For a debut novel, Sara Raasch did a fantastic job with Snow Like Ashes.

Since Winter fell into the hands of Angra, King of Spring, Meira and seven other Winterians have scaled Primoria for the other half of Winter's magical conduit in the hopes of defeating Angra and restoring Winter back.

The lore about the Royal Conduit, items that hold the magic in Primoria, is pretty confusing at first but then as the story drew on, I understood it better. There are eight kingdoms in Primoria, four Seasons and four Rhythms. I'm a fan of high fantasy novels and this one captured my attention. It was beautiful.

The storytelling was set in a moderate pace which makes this book perfect for newbie high fantasy readers out there. The characters are very unique. They can stand alone on their own, especially Meira. She was, for me, the most real out of everyone. I felt her emotion. I felt her need to save Winter, her determination to prove herself to others without having to sacrifice her identity.

I'm very excited to read the sequel, Ice Like Fire, which is out now. The preview of the second book is very, very intriguing. I can't wait.

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.

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{COVER REVEAL} The Hometown Hazard by Dawn Lanuza

Title: The Hometown Hazard

Genre: New Adult, Romance

Release Date: January 29, 2015

Jules Coronado has been away from her hometown for almost a decade but when an intruder breaks in to her childhood home, she finds herself coming back. Changes evidently took place in her small town, including her childhood best friend’s younger brother, Kip – now tall, slightly scruffed, all grown up and caught climbing into their garden wall.

Kip Villamor has a mission and despite Jules’ doubts, they team up: going on fieldtrips, tackling unsuspecting men, and trespassing offices to dig up dirt. But Jules has secrets of her own, one that might be exposed – unless she keeps her walls up. But climbing walls are Kip’s forte, remember?

Will her secrets keep her on his side, or will it force her to disappear again?

Dawn Lanuza started writing stories when she was just a kid (they weren’t good or even finished). She works for the music industry by day and writes meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. ‘The Boyfriend Backtrack’ is her first book. She currently lives with her family and an adopted dog.

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You can join the Blog Tour by clicking here. So excited for this book!

Book Turned Art: November 9 by Colleen Hoover

(c) Eccentric Everything

Book Turned Art is a feature where I showcase my so-called talents in Adobe Photoshop and make up posters inspired by the book. Feel free to do this tag on your blog, just don't forget to tag me!


IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

November 9 - Colleen Hoover

This book had this lasting impact on me. I love love love this book. I had a hard time choosing my favorites because everything was just so beautiful.

 (c) elpostcom

Ain't that right? I've heard this a thousand times though. I haven't said it to someone else though.

(c) jacindaelena

Oh, Benton James Kessler. His words are just so beautiful. I'm still hoping he's real though.

(c) evenstarss

Then there's Fallon O'Neill. My heart went out. It stopped beating. I stopped breathing. All because of this quote.

(c) deatheatcrs

When I saw the preview art on Colleen Hoover's page a few months before this was released, I was like, "Whoa!". In Tagalog, this is called a "hugot".

*dreamy sigh* November 9...I have no words as to how much I just love this book...I don't even know.

What do you think of this post? Would love to know your thoughts!

Wicked Review: Welcome To Envy Park by Mina V. Esguerra

Published: January 2015

Publisher: Anvil Publishing

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Get this for only P185 at your nearest National Bookstore (PH readers)

Moira Vasquez is a doer. A planner. A get-up-and-goer. At twenty-two, she left her hometown to work in Singapore, to satisfy a need to travel as well as give her savings account a boost. Five years later and she's back in Manila, with a shiny new apartment to her name, but no job, no career, no boyfriend. She meets Ethan Lorenzo, the quiet hunk of an IT consultant on the ninth floor of her condo building, and he's a welcome distraction during this period of having absolutely nothing going on in her life.

But she has a plan - of course she does - and this is just a short layover on the way to the next country, the next job, the next big thing. Or will she be missing out on something great that's already there?

As a twenty-one year old, I long to live independently, have a stellar career, maybe be in a relationship, ensure that my mother and my brother are doing well, travel to different places, and have the best life ever. I know I still have my whole life ahead of me.

But with Moira Vasquez, those things or at least one of those things should be a done deal already. She's twenty-seven years old. She spent five years in Singapore to work and experience life in another country. To others, that would've been the life. That was it! She was in a different country, a more progressive one at that. So imagine the surprise of Moira's family and friends when she moves back to the Philippines to look for a job.

Now, Moira has moved in her new swanky unit in an expensive place. She has no job as of the moment. But she does have a hot neighbor. In this book, I realized that uprooting yourself is hard. She spent five years in Singapore, for crying out loud, only for her to come back in Manila without a name for herself. Moira thought that when she came back, everything will be the same. Her good friend, Roxie, has a stellar career even if she stayed in the Philippines. This is where Moira struggled. She had to go through the motions again.

Mina Esguerra has introduced me to different characters who are so full of life and reading the book in Moira's perspective, I learned a lot about life. Some of them are well better off than her, some are going through some of the toughest experiences she couldn't even imagine having to go through at her young age. Welcome To Envy Park isn't really a romance novel. It really is about choices you make in life and how you live with those choices. It's very easy to read and very engaging. I learned a lot from this book.

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance and young adult novellas. She has a bachelor's degree in Communication and a master's degree in Development Communication, put to good use in her work as trainer and content management consultant. Mina lives in Metro Manila, Philippines, with her husband and daughter.

She finds inspiration in the lives and experiences of other people, so the answer to "Is this story based on you?" is always, always "No."

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Wicked Review: The Boyfriend Backtrack by Dawn Lanuza

Published: September 2015

Publisher: Spark Books

Acquired: Paperback

Amazon || Get this for only P185 in your nearest National Bookstore! (PH readers)

If they say that life flashes right before your eyes when you die, do you also get a flashback of your exes when your perfect boyfriend is proposing to you? At least that's the case for Regina Cortez. There's her dramatic high school boyfriend, her first college crush, the irresistible heart breaker, and the ever elusive one. By backtracking to her past, will Regina make it to 'I Do'? Or will she just keep running away?

There are those exes who make you question why the heck did you even date them in the first place.

There are those who are so unforgettable that they leave destruction in their wake (aka YOU)

No matter the cause, exes are a constant reminder of our past, even if we so desperately want to forget them. This is why Adele, Taylor Swfit, and Ed Sheeran exist. This is why partying till you drop exist. This is why a makeover exist. Exes. They are one of the topics you and your friends constantly talk about. Exes.

The Boyfriend Backtrack starts with a proposal. Regina is doing well. She has a stable job, a place of her own and a boyfriend. That's what most twenty-somethings wish to have. She and her boyfriend share the same love for photography. Kevin is a nice guy, really, the kind of guy you bring home to Mom and to those horrible family reunions. Sure, he travels a lot but then he would always come home and spend his time with Regina.

When Kevin popped the question, Regina said yes. Just when you think all is right in the world because she uttered that three letter word, well, hold your horses. Regina had flashbacks of her exes. ALL OF THEM. If I were Regina, it's pure torture. I mean, here you are, about to embark on the next chapter of your life and certainly, exes are the least of your concerns.

Most of Regina's exes were jerks...legit jerks. Like, there's Dirk, who wrote a song about Regina and called it "Devil Woman". I mean, really? Then there's Thomas...don't even get me started on that guy because he's such a -- the D-word -- and I swear to God, like, all of my exes are like him. Hah.

It was good fun. Reading The Boyfriend Backtrack was like reading my history of exes, not that they were many okay but the whole thing was pretty bad. It was so real and that's what I love about this book. I also love the relationship between Regina and her two friends, Leslie and Jules. Even if they don't see each other on a daily basis, they are a tight knit group of girls.

But there is one ex that Regina never had. Chase Sevilla. How do I begin to explain just how perfectly lovable Chase Sevilla is? *dreamy sigh* He's a dreamboat. I swear. I just...ugh. Why can't he be real? I have no idea. Technically, they didn't "date". But they kissed once. No, wait, twice. All of a sudden, both of them fell off of the face of the earth after that.

The Boyfriend Backtrack will make you want to rethink your relationship choices, both old and new. It will make you want to go out with your girlfriends or guy friends and have a drink and talk about how fate, love, and all those things are so fickle. I'd like to think that exes, even if thinking about them annoys us, makes us a better person, one way or another.

Dawn Lanuza started writing stories when she was just a kid (they weren’t good or even finished). She works for the music industry by day and writes meet cutes and snappy comebacks by night. ‘The Boyfriend Backtrack’ is her first book. She currently lives with her family and an adopted dog.

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