Top Ten Tuesday : Spring TBR

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My last TTT post was in January? Woah. How time flies. So, this week’s theme is quite simple, Ten Books on my Spring TBR. I don’t really do a monthly/seasonal TBR list so I will be sharing my top ten „priority“ reads.

spring tbr 1

A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab – The sequel of A Darker Shade of Magic series. Of course this is the first one on my priority TBR list. I’m so excited and terrified to read this one. Also, Schwab started writing the 3rd book.
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas – The third book of the Throne of Glass series. I’ll be reading this with Joyce soon. I can’t wait to meet Chaol Westfall again.
Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs – The third and final book of the Miss Peregrine’s series. I’ve watched the movie trailer of Miss Peregrine’s Home for the Peculiar Children and it looks so awesome! What to expect? It’s with Tim Burton. I have some concerns though. I’m not the only one who’ve noticed the major changes and I really hope that it’ll not affect the whole story. I’m still excited to watch the movie on September.
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer – Collection of short stories of our beloved characters of The Lunar Chronicles. I just got my copy last week and I’m trying to control myself not to leave the one I’m reading right now.
Emotions by Arnulfo Cantarero – The author provided me a copy in exchange of an honest review. The story is intriguing and I want to read this because I haven’t read a lot of sci-fi books.

Spring tbr 2

Sunday’s on the Phone to Monday by Christine Reilly – I honestly don’t know what to expect from this book because I didn’t read the synopsis. I got a review request from the author and I agree because she’s so nice. Yep. There are some authors who cannot even include a simple „Hi“ or „How are you?“ on their email when sending a review request and it’s a minus for me. This book will be released on April 5 and I’ll be posting a review before the released date.
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin – The third book from A Song of Ice and Fire series. I haven’t finished reading A Clash of Kings yet. I know! It’s been 6 months now. I’m still hoping to finish it this month. Ha!
All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr – I’ve been meaning to read this book for a while now and hopefully I’ll be able to read it this time.
Dark Places by Gillian Flynn – Gillian Flynn is one of my favorite Mystery/Thriller authors. Her stories are dark and so twisted that it will make you feel like you are also losing your mind like the characters on her books.
Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin – A historical fiction book set in 1956, Germany. I’ve just found out that this is a first book in a series. The sequel will be out later this year.

Have you read any from the books on my list? Feel free to share your TTT below. ♥

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted by Broke and Bookish.

Book Review : Even The Moon Has Scars by Steph Campbell

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Two strangers.
Two broken hearts.
One night to set each other free.

I have to admit that I bought this book because of its lovely cover, plus the title caught my attention. I didn’t know what to expect because I hadn’t read the summary and this was my first Steph Campbell read. I’m so glad that I enjoyed it.

Lena is a walking miracle. She was born with multiple heart defects and had a surgery when she was still a baby. She’s now seventeen years old but her parents are still keeping a very close eye on her. They never leave her alone even she’s just at home until an unexpected incident happened.

Gabriel (Gabe) is the opposite of Lena. He can do whatever and go wherever he wants but there are still things missing in his life. His mother is more concerned with her public image than her family. His father left after his grandfather died. He only have his grandmother but she is also starting to forget him. After an incident involving his ex-girlfriend, Gabe ended up in jail and has been „exiled“ by his mother to his grandmother’s house.

Continue reading „Book Review : Even The Moon Has Scars by Steph Campbell“ →

Friday Finds : Historical Fiction Edition

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I read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak in 2014 and it became one of my all-time favorite books. It also made me want to read more historical fiction books especially those who were set in WWII. I’ve been seeing a lot of positive reviews of Salt To The Sea after it got published. The cover of Anna and the Swallow Man reminds me of The Standover Man (an illustrated story in The Book Thief). I’ve recently added these two books on my TBR list.

28103790SALT TO THE SEA
by Ruta Sepetys
Edition: Paperback (400 pages)
Publisher: Puffin (February 2016)

It’s early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Four young people, each haunted by their own dark secret, narrate their unforgettable stories. Fans of The Book Thief or Helen Dunmore’sThe Siege will be totally absorbed.

This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the Second World War. When the German ship the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian refugees, including children, on board. Nearly all were drowned. Ruta Sepetys, acclaimed author of Between Shades of Grey, brilliantly imagines their story.

25489036ANNA AND THE SWALLOW MAN
by Gavriel Savit
Edition: Hardcover (232 pages)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 2016)

Kraków, 1939. A million marching soldiers and a thousand barking dogs. This is no place to grow up. Anna Łania is just seven years old when the Germans take her father, a linguistics professor, during their purge of intellectuals in Poland. She’s alone.

And then Anna meets the Swallow Man. He is a mystery, strange and tall, a skilled deceiver with more than a little magic up his sleeve. And when the soldiers in the streets look at him, they see what he wants them to see.

The Swallow Man is not Anna’s father—she knows that very well—but she also knows that, like her father, he’s in danger of being taken, and like her father, he has a gift for languages: Polish, Russian, German, Yiddish, even Bird. When he summons a bright, beautiful swallow down to his hand to stop her from crying, Anna is entranced. She follows him into the wilderness.

Over the course of their travels together, Anna and the Swallow Man will dodge bombs, tame soldiers, and even, despite their better judgment, make a friend. But in a world gone mad, everything can prove dangerous. Even the Swallow Man.

Have you read any of these? Can you recommend some historical fiction books aside from All The Lights We Cannot See and Between Shades of Gray. These two are on my TBR list already. Happy Friday! ♥

Friday Finds is hosted by the awesome Jenn of Books and a Beat. It showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… Whether you found them online, or in a  bookstore, or in the library – wherever! (They aren’t necessarily booky you purchased)

WWW Wednesday – March 9th

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A weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Worlds. Everyone can join. Just simply answer the three questions and share the link of your post in the comment section of Sam’s blog. This is also a great way to share your weekly reading updates.
The Three Ws are:
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

I’m currently reading…

23573418I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN BY JANDY NELSON

Jude and her twin Noah were incredibly close – until a tragedy drove them apart, and now they are barely speaking. Then Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy as well as a captivating new mentor, both of whom may just need her as much as she needs them. What the twins don’t realize is that each of them has only half the story and if they can just find their way back to one another, they have a chance to remake their world.

I’m still on page 13 but I already love the author’s use of words and his style of writing. Plus, the messy drawings/illustrations look pretty cool. I have a feeling that I’ll end up loving this book.

Continue reading „WWW Wednesday – March 9th“ →

Waiting On Wednesday : Wink Poppy Midnight

kath4 Comments

23203106WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT
BY APRIL GENEVIEVE TUCHOLKE
Expected Publication: March 22, 2016
Edition: Hardcover (352 pages)
Publisher: Dial Books

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

Why Am I Waiting For This?

I first saw this on Goodreads and it caught my attention. I haven’t read any of April Genevieve Tucholke’s books so I’m not sure if i would love this one. The synopsis is intriguing and the cover is lovely. I’ve read an exclusive excerpt online and it made me want to read more.

What books are you waiting? Feel free to comment yours below. ♥

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights
upcoming releases that we are excited for.

Daniel Wellington : A watch for every occassion.

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I was so thrilled when I got a collaboration proposal from Ms. Willing of Daniel Wellington. Who am I to say no to this great opportunity. I checked their website to see their collection and instantly found a perfect one for me. I chose the Classy Winchester Rose Gold because I personally love the combination of the blue and pink nato strap. Also, the name has Winchester on it. *ahem* Dean and Sam.

I got an email (Feb 18) that my parcel is on its way and surprisingly, I got it on the next day. Super fast delivery and lovely packaging! One of the things that I love about the watch is the simplicity of it. It doesn’t have too many features which I prefer on a wristwatch. I’m a little picky when it comes to wearing a wristwatch because most of the time I feel uncomfortable and irritated because of its weight. I’m so satisfied that this DW watch is light and very comfortable to wear.

Continue reading „Daniel Wellington : A watch for every occassion.“ →

Teaser Tuesday : March 8th

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Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat. Everyone can join. Just grab your current read and open it to a random page, choose two sentences (without spoilers!), share them on your blog together with the book title and author. Don’t forget to comment your link to MizB’s blog.

23573418I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN
by Jandy Nelson

„This boycott isn’t whimsy. To me, boys don’t smell like soap or shampoo or cut grass or sweat from soccer practice or suntan lotion or the ocean from hours spent in the green curl of  wave anymore, they smell like death.“ – p.63

What are you reading this week? Feel free to share some teasers on the comment below. Happy Reading. ♥

Waiting On Wednesday : Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge

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28448239BRIGHT SMOKE, COLD FIRE
by Rosamund Hodge
Expected Publication: September 27, 2016
EDITION : HARDCOVER (448 PAGES)
PUBLISHER : Balzer + Bray

When the mysterious fog of the Ruining crept over the world, the living died and the dead rose. Only the walled city of Viyara was left untouched.

The heirs of the city’s most powerful—and warring—families, Mahyanai Romeo and Juliet Catresou share a love deeper than duty, honor, even life itself. But the magic laid on Juliet at birth compels her to punish the enemies of her clan—and Romeo has just killed her cousin Tybalt. Which means he must die.

Paris Catresou has always wanted to serve his family by guarding Juliet. But when his ward tries to escape her fate, magic goes terribly wrong—killing her and leaving Paris bound to Romeo. If he wants to discover the truth of what happened, Paris must delve deep into the city, ally with his worst enemy . . . and perhaps turn against his own clan.

Mahyanai Runajo just wants to protect her city—but she’s the only one who believes it’s in peril. In her desperate hunt for information, she accidentally pulls Juliet from the mouth of death—and finds herself bound to the bitter, angry girl. Runajo quickly discovers Juliet might be the one person who can help her recover the secret to saving Viyara.

Both pairs will find friendship where they least expect it. Both will find that Viyara holds more secrets and dangers than anyone ever expected. And outside the walls, death is waiting.

I love Romeo and Juliet and this retelling looks interesting. Plus, the cover is gorgeous. ♥

tumblr_mx4sgvO0JC1rtxbjko1_500

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking The Spine that spotlights
upcoming releases that we are excited for.

WWW Wednesday – March 2nd

kath6 Comments

A weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Worlds. Everyone can join. Just simply answer the three questions and share the link of your post in the comment section of Sam’s blog. This is also a great way to share your weekly reading updates.

The Three Ws are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

I’M CURRENTLY READING…

THE ROSIE PROJECT by Graeme Simsion

Love isn’t exact science – but no one told Don Tillman. A handsome thirty-nine-year-old geneticist, Don’s never had a second date. So he devises The Wife Project, a scientific test to find the perfect partner. Enter Rosie – ‚the world’s most incompatible woman‘ – throwing Don’s sage, ordered life into chaos. Just what is this unsettling, alien emotion he’s feeling? x

My first read for March. This book was originally included on my #5books7days readathon but I wasn’t able to read it within the schedule. I’ve decided to join #2books7days readathon hosted by @theheavenofbooks and @someotherstories. It’s from Feb 29 to March 4.

Continue reading „WWW Wednesday – March 2nd“ →

Monthly Recap : February 2016

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Happy 1st day of March! Wow! Time flies really fast. Me and my husband spent the last day of February making flammkuchen (Tarte flambée). He asked our friends to come in our apartment to have a flammkuchen party. Everything turned out great. ♥ So, aside from sharing the books I read this month, I also want to share some of the highlights of my February.

BeFunky Collage

– My husband surprised me with a Harry Potter slash Game of Thrones quest on our 4th year anniversary. He hid his gifts and gave me a written instructions on how to find them. We did it around 12:30mn so we had to be quiet while doing it because the Dragons were already asleep. (Our neighbor’s last name is Dragon). I found Hermione’s wand (first gift) and he said that I’ll be needing it to defeat the dragons. I thought it ends there but it didn’t. We went to the dungeon (aka the basement) and there I found my second gift, a House Targaryen scarf. They look awesome, right? I’m afraid that I’ll break the scarf so I still don’t use it and it’s still inside the box.

– I collaborated with the lovely people of Daniel Welllington and they’ve sent me one of their pretty wristwatches. I chose the Classy Winchester because I love how it looks like and I wasn’t surprised that it’s more pretty and classy in person. Plus, it has Winchester on its name. *fangirling Supernatural* I’ll make a different post for this so I can show you how elegant this wristwatch is. Feel free to check out www.danielwellington.com and use the code kathDW for 15% off. Valid until Apri 15, 2016.

• I got a new ereader case from Klevercase. I chose the personalized one and it is so perfect for my kindle. Aside from it looks really like a book, it also holds perfectly my kindle. I totally recommend you to get one for your ereader/tablet./iphone covers. You’ll not regret it.

• It’s my first time joining ‚#Love-A-Thon and I had so much fun. I’m looking froward to joining again next year. I also joined #5books7days readathon hosted Lotte.

• I hit 20k on my bookstagram account. It’s so unbelievable. I’m so happy and very thankful about it. ♥

• I’ve made an account on Litsy. It’s like an ig/goodreads. You can share book reviews (but with 250 letters only), blurbs and quotes. Feel free to add me : @kath_reads

• And lastly, congratulations to my long-time crush Leonardo DiCaprio for (finally) winning the Best Actor award in Oscars. I’m really proud and happy for him.

leonardo-dicaprio-titanic

I read 4 books (a total of 1,186 pages) this month.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes // 5 out of 5 stars – This is my first perfect 5 for this year. I love this book so much. This is not your typical sad love story and probably not even a love story at all. It’s about the importance of life and understanding the choices people make. Read my full review here.

Even The Moon Has Scars by Steph Campbell // 4 out of 5 stars – It’s my first time reading a book from Campbell and I totally enjoyed it. The story is simple and the characters felt real to me. I really love their „overnight“ adventures and how perfect they are together. It’s kind of an insta-love but not in a trying hard way. I recommend this if you want a light, easy and enjoyable read. I’ll write my full review soon.

The Body In The Library by Agatha Christie // 4 out of 5 stars – This is my third read from Miss Marple series. It’s quite hard to write a long review of Agatha Christie’s books because I feel like I’ll just repeat myself for saying how beautiful her works are. The characters are fascinating, the plot twists are brilliant and the writing style is incredibly amazing. I adore Miss Marples‘ unique way of „investigating“ and for being exceptionally clever. As usual, I didn’t guess who the real suspect is. I told myself to stop guessing but I can’t help it. I also love how Christie decribes the library in this book.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman // 4 out os 5 stars – My first Neil Gaiman read. After reading the first few pages, I checked the genre of this book and it’s under Fiction, Horror, Magical Realism, and Paranormal. I thought it was contemporary but it wasn’t. This book is amazing. I instantly fell in love with his style of writing and his extraordinary story. It is weird but in a very good way. I’ll be writing my full review soon.

I didn’t buy any books this month (still doing great on my book-buying ban) but I was lucky to get a copy of Who Says You Can’t? You Do by Daniel Chidiac. Thank you so much for sending me this awesome book.

Who Says You Can’t? You Do by Daniel Chidiac
Edition : Paperback (392 pages)
Publisher : DC Group Global (March 26, 2013)

Have you ever wondered why there are few people living their dream, yet others seem to be slipping further away from theirs with every day that passes? Daniel Chidiac’s writing has touched millions of people worldwide and helps to transform thousands of lives daily. By opening Who Says You Can’t? YOU DO, we embark on a psychological and emotional journey that is certain to unlock our truest potential. This challenging yet extraordinarily rewarding book is the ultimate guide to discover the fulfilment we have been searching for our whole life. x

So, there it is. My February wrap-up. How many books have you read in February? Did you add new books on your shelf? Share your wrap-up below. I’d love to read yours. ♥