Book Review : The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

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This is the book of @wethebookdragons for the month of October and I really want to join the readalong because I love horror/scary stories. My highschool term paper was about ghost hunting and I was collecting True Philippine Ghost Stories books when I was in college. Horror asian films are my favorites and some of them are Shutter, Ju-On, One Missed Call, and The Ring. I also love American Horror Story.

I didn’t know what to expect because it was the first book I’ve read from Katie Alender. All i know is that the cover and title are both creepy and intriguing. I’m happy that I ended up liking this book even though I expected it to be much creepier/scarier.

Continue reading „Book Review : The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender“

Book Review : A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie

This is the fifth book in the Miss Marple series and my second read from Agatha Christie. I totally enjoyed And Then There Were None (ATTWN) so I’ve decided to read more of Christie’s novels and luckily, three of my favorite bookstagramers are hosting #QueenofCrimeReadalong, an Agatha Christie-themed readalong.

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„A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 p.m. Friends accept this, the only intimation.“

Just like the residents of Chipping Cleghorn, I bet you’ll also get nosy once you’ve read this announcement. You will also think that this must be a „murder game“.

Continue reading „Book Review : A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie“

#QueenofCrimeReadalong : October 5 – 11, 2015

Guys, today is the first day of the #QueenofCrimeReadalong hosted by Lotte (@lottelikestoread), Abeer (@lookingforabura) and Paula (@booksfordessert). The goal of this read-along isto spread the love for Agatha Christie’s works and to get some more people to read her books.“

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We will be reading A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple #5) as a group and we will choose the rest by ourselves. I’m planning to read Murder on the Orient Express and The Clocks.

I’m excited for this read-along because some of my favorite bookstagrammers are the hosts and I want to read more of the Queen of Crime’s works. Feel free to join and don’t forget to use the hashtag. ♥

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Monthly Recap : September 2015

Hi guys! It’s the 5th of October and I think it’s never too late for a wrap-up. So, here are the books I’ve read for the month of September.Processed with VSCOcam with a6 preset

Continue reading „Monthly Recap : September 2015“

09/18/2015 : Bike Tour to Marienburg Castle

Few weeks ago, me and my husband went biking and it’s not our usual „biking day“. We started around 12 noon and reached the castle around 2:30 in the afternoon. It’s not easy especially for me because I am not used to bike a lot and I hate it if the road is going up. I know my husband was annoyed of me because I was complaining a lot. (Sorry B!) It’s just really really tiring and I even said that I don’t want to do it again. But I know I will still do.

The castle (which reminds me of Hogwarts) is magnificent and the view from the top is stunning. We weren’t able to get a castle tour because we didn’t make an appointment for it but it’s okay because we enjoyed the view. I also enjoyed biking our way home. It was more easy and fast.

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Marienburg Castle, embedded into the hills of the Calenburger Land, rises up on the south-western slope of the „Marienberg“ Hill, some 20 km south of Hanover and 15 km north-west of Hildesheim. The original 19th-century summer residence of the Guelph family, one of Europe’s oldest royal houses, is one of Germany’s most significant monuments built in  neogothic style. x

It was a fun experience and even though it was tiring, I would still do it. Especially if it’s with the person I love. ♥

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Trashy Crafter Recycled Book Jewelry : „Don’t Just Read It, Wear It!“

Hi everyone! You might be wondering what this post is all about. Well, this is not a book review or a weekly meme but still book related. I want to share you guys how awesome Trashy Crafter is. Yes, that’s the name of their jewelry shop.

Miss Kimberly, the owner/crafter and a book-lover, emailed me and asked if I would like to review one of their products and as a person who loves books and accessories, who am I to say no, right?

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After a few days, I received a very cool two-piece bracelet set made out of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling.  Aside from this is so far my favorite book from the series, I chose this because Harry Potter books make me feel young. Reading these books makes me believe in magic and it’s a great experience.

One of the things I like about this shop is its uniqueness. From the packaging (all envelopes are handmade from old maps/atlases) to the product itself. The idea is so clever. Used beads together with pages of a damaged book turned into beads . How cool is that? Plus, I was shocked with how fast the package came in our mail. To think that I’m here in Germany.

I personally love the bracelet because it’s easy for me to pair it with any of my outfit. It’s comfortable to wear because it’s light and I can also wear it in any occassions because it looks classy.

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This is a perfect gift for all occassions! Aside from bracelets, Trashy Crafter also have necklaces, earrings and lanyards. There is a wide variety of themes you can choose from. Either you love novels, children books, comics, maps or music.

– also, YOU GUYS CAN GET „15% OFF“ ANYTHING IN THE SHOP.
JUST USE THE COUPON CODE : BOOKLOVER
(SEPT 24 – OCT 24)


 So, let’s get to know the shop and the team.

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How It ALL Began

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„Books are magical, they give you the ability to go on a jungle safari one minute and a deep see dive with mermaids the next, but what happens when books has gotten lots of love from years of use? The pages get creased, dog-eared and ripped, the bend or even start to fall off. That’s where my Mom Helen and I come in, and this is where the story of Trashy Crafter begins.

One day while I was in my senior year of college and my Mom and I went to the local thrift store. While there we noticed they had these auction bins out front of the store full of damaged and outdated books. We found out that when books would not sell at the thrift store because of being damaged or outdated, they auctioned them off, and if the folks sifting through the auction bin thought could not sell the book or it was too damaged it was just thrown away. Needless to say my Mom and I were heartbroken that all those beautifully illustrated children’s books were just thrown away… so we grabbed about 25 books each in our arms and took them home.

I was very lucky to have a 3rd grade teacher that was very crafty, her name was Mrs. Bryant. She had taught us how to roll magazines pages into paper beads (I’m sure many of you have done this in girl scouts or grade school). I made my first few beads and knew from then I was hooked, the most magical part about it to me is that you not only create beautiful, colorful unique beads made from something that was going to be thrown into a landfill, but you know what book or item it was made from!“ – Ms. Kim

The Process

Trashy-Crafter-Recycled-Paper-Bead-Jewelry.jpg-1024x1024„My Mom Helen and I gather the books from a lot of different places, sometimes we find them in cardboard boxes outside of library’s, in thrift stores on the clearance shelf or in the bins, and even get books, maps or sheet music donated from folks that love and support our mission. Once we gather all of the books we measure and hand cut the book pages into long narrow triangle strips and roll them one at a time onto lollipop sticks. Once they are on there we coat each bead 3-5 times depending on the thickness of the paper. Once that is done we spray them with a matte finish and then we start to make them into the finished jewelry.

We purchase damaged necklaces and bracelets from the local thrift store and strip them apart to repurpose the beads. We create the jewelry with a mixture of the paper book page beads we made along with the repurposed beads. Once that is finished, we hand cut recycled cardboard bracelet holders and place the book labeling on to each set so folks know what book their bracelets were made from.“ – Ms. Kim

the Reason behind all of these

„Everyone has stories, and connects with them so well, the reason we continue to create recycled book beads, map beads and sheet music beads is that when people purchase a set at a local craft show or online they have a story behind what they wear…. Perhaps they went on a road trip across the country, and that map bead bracelet they wear reminds them of the fun they had, or they had a band teacher that taught them to play an instrument, so they give them a sheet music bracelet as a token of appreciation… or even a gift for a mom or teacher that read you a book as a child that connected with you and stayed in your memory to this day. As humans we all connect universally with stories, and it’s a beautiful thing to throw away, so my Mom and I plan on fighting the good fight and continuing to turn old books into beautiful, wearable works of art.“ – Ms. Kim

How much do you love books/reading?

„I grew up on Dr. Seuss that was what I read with my Grandma every day before and after school, Hop on Pop was my favorite, but I loved many others too. Pretty much from a young adult to now I love non fiction books, I am an audio book fanatic, I like to be doing something while I listen to books. My favorite books are self help books, motivational books and business books. It’s such a treat to get home from my day job and listen to a book by Napoleon hill, Daren Hardy or Seth Godin among others. I have always been the nerdy kid that loved the boring non fiction books haha :)“ – Ms. Kim

Check out :
TRASHY CRAFTER’S ETSY SHOP
WEBSITE • INSTAGRAM • FACEBOOK


I would like to thank Ms. Kim and the team for being so generous and for giving me this opportunity. You guys are amazing! ♥

Book Review : The Last Summer Of Us by Maggie Harcourt

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After reading two fantasy books in a row, I’ve decided to get some light contemporary book and I picked up The Last Summer Of Us. The story starts with the funeral of Limpet’s mother and I was like „Okay? Should I continue reading this or not?“. And I guess the answer is obvious.

Limpet, Steffan and Jared. Three best friends crammed into a clapped-out rust bucket of a car on a whirlwind road trip to forget their troubles and see out the end of the summer. But no matter how far they drive, they can’t escape the hidden secrets and slow-burning romance that could upset the balance of their friendship – perhaps forever.

Limpet (a nickname), Steffan and Jared are best friends and each of them are dealing with their own family problems. So when the idea of a road trip came up, they’ve packed their things and jump in Steffan’s car. The journey brought up some important revelations that made this trip (and summer) their last.

I am glad that this book was written on Limpet’s POV because it’s interesting to know how she sees her two best friends and how she feels being always the middle person. Jared and Steffan have their own unique personalities but together, they make me want to become a part of their friendship. I adore the relationship of the three. How they are supporting each other even they have their own problems. Sure they have their flaws but these made them more relatable.

Continue reading „Book Review : The Last Summer Of Us by Maggie Harcourt“

The Creative Blogger Award

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Hi guys! How are you all doing? I hope you are having a great day. The lovely Nagina of OhBookish nominated me for The Creative Blogger Award. Thank you so much!

The Rules

  • Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media or blogs
  • Thank the blogger who nominated you and post the link of said blog
  • Share five facts about yourself to your readers

Five Facts About Me

  1. I cannot read in a moving car. It’s not totally a motion sickness because I can read in a moving train, bus or tram. I also love rollercoasters.
  2. I love visiting museums and graveyards.
  3. I got married in July this year.
  4. I love wearing black clothes.
  5. I just started reading the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin this year .

I Am nominating

I will not be nominating 15 – 20 bloggers because I feel like most of the blogs I’m following here got nominated already. The following are some of my favorite bloggers.

Don’t forget to check out their blogs. Have a great week!

Currently Reading : Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

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There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess – their daring – their powers of deduction – and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.

The TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT is to be held at Hogwarts. Only wizards who are over seventeen are allowed to enter – but that doesn’t stop Harry DREAMING that he will WIN the competition. Then at Hallowe’en, when the Goblet of Fire makes its selection, Harry is AMAZED to find his name is one of those that the MAGICAL cup picks out. He will face death-defying tasks, DRAGONS and Dark wizards, but with the help of his best friends, Ron and Hermione, he might just make it through – ALIVE!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is our second read for this month. I’ve read the first three books earlier this year and we all know that September is the perfect month to continue the magical journey. I totally enjoyed the series and my favorite so far is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I am a late bloomer when it comes to Harry Potter and I have to say that I am happy because reading the books makes me feel younger.

The first two chapters, The Riddle House and The Scar, show us how Harry Potter and You-Know-Who are connected with each other. The Riddle House gave me chills and once again, I feel the dark magic of You-Know-Who. Even though I know the story of the whole series, I am still excited to read all of them.

Book Review : A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

 

I bought this book because of its cover. Can you blame me? I love the style of the unknown woman’s dress (or whatever it is) and the ink on her arm. Plus the simple font style of the title. The cover is stunning.

I seriously had no idea that this is a fairy tale re-telling of Beauty and the Beast until I saw some fan arts on Tumblr. This is also the first Sarah J. Maas book that I’ve read and I am now a fan of her. No wonder why a lot of readers love this book and the Throne of Glass series.

synopsis

Feyre is a Huntress.

She thinks nothing of slaughtering a wolf to capture its prey. But, like all mortals, she fears what lingers mercilessly beyond the forest. And she will learn that taking the life of a magical creature comes at a high price…

Imprisoned in an enchanted court in her enemy’s kingdom, Feyre is free to roam but forbidden to escape. Her captor’s body bears the scars of fighting, and his face is always masked – but his piercing stare draws her ever closer. As Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin begin to burn through every warning she’s been told about his kind, an ancient, wicked shadows grows.

Feyre must find a way to break a spell, or lose her heart forever.

my thoughts

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Feyre is a very strong protagonist. I admire her determination and love for her family. She will do anything just to keep her loved ones safe even if it means sacrificing her own life. She is a huntress and a painter. Wow! Tamlin is Feyre’s love interest. At first, I wasn’t sure with him but it changed. He is sweet, passionate and incredibly hot. Together with Lucien and his great sense of humour, the three of them make a great team. Now let’s talk about Rhysand. I admit that I also like him. There is something intriguing with his personality that makes me want to know him more. Amarantha is the female version of Lord Voldemort. Enough said. I adore all the characters in this book and how they’ve developed throughout the story.

The story is captivating. It is well-written, and gripping. I can’t imagine how Ms. Maas does it. This book will get your attention and will bring you to Phrytian together with Feyre and the other characters. The story of Beauty and the Beast is familiar to most of us but Ms. Maas made her recreation more interesting by adding mystical creatures and unexpected twists. I also love the world-building in this book.

At first, I thought;„What would be the second book all about? It seems like everything turned out good.“ But then there was a scene towards the end that convinced me that a second book is indeed a must. I don’t want to be specific with this one because I might spoil you. I just know that this is a part of a trilogy when I finished reading the book. It’s actually written at the back under the synopsis. Now I have to wait until next year for the sequel.

It is so hard to write a long review of this book without giving spoilers. So better grab a copy of A Court of Thorns and Roses before I say some things that will spoil you. You will not regret it!

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Series : A Court of Thorns and Roses #1
Edition : Paperback (416 pages)
Publisher : Bloomsbury Children’s (May 5th 2015)
Genre : Fantasy, Young Adult, Retelling
Date Read : September 2015