Just Taking A Break (I'll be back!)

(PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE WEB)

It's been a while since I've been active on my blog. I'm sorry if I wasn't able to drop by, post a review, or participate in any of the memes. I didn't post anything for a couple of weeks now, and to tell you honestly, I really missed blogging so much. The reason I stopped blogging for a while is because I got pregnant with my second child, with my new son (yes it's a boy!). I am 18 weeks pregnant today, happy and excited and overwhelmed. We've been praying for another child since last year and God is so good that He gave us another one this year. Our first child turned four last September and by that time I was already two months pregnant. We're expecting our baby on April 2013 and I am so excited! But along with my pregnancy my priorities changed, my routines got affected, and my moods aren't the same as before. Since I got pregnant with my second child, my mood affects my interest to read books and much more to write reviews. It's been a while since I last visited the bookstore and buy books. It's been months! I miss it. I miss reading. I miss sleeping late at night just to finish a favorite book. I miss writing reviews afterwards. I miss finding new books to read on Goodreads. I miss talking to fellow bloggers. I miss having the chance to talk to different authors and do some guest posts and interviews and blog tours. I miss the whole book blogging community and I miss Books4Juliet. It's just that, I am always tired and sleepy and all I wanna do is lay down in bed or in the sofa, thinking... playing games on my phone or ipad. I've been busy with my son's schooling too--doing his costumes for school and accompanying him in their school activities, plus assignments and exams. All these got all my time and I hardly had enough energy to read during the night. I got sick and my allergies are in full force now that I got pregnant. It was irritating, actually. But over all these things, I'm happy and enjoying my journey. I love being a mom and nothing in the world could ever replace the fulfillment and happiness I get for being a wife to my hubby and a mother to my children. Slowly, I feel like I'm getting back the mood to read and write reviews again but I can't promise anything. For the last couple of weeks I only read a few books. I know I'm waaay behind my Reading Challenge this year, but I'm not losing hope that I will get through it by the end of December. I don't know but I will try.

By the way, here are the books I managed to squeezed in my schedule and moody days but wasn't able to write the reviews (sorry!):

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (2 Coffee Cups)

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry (5 Coffee Cups)

Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer Armentrout (5 Coffee Cups)

The Perfect Game by J. Sterling (5 Coffee Cups)

I started The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, but I'm not finished with it yet. It was slow for me. I still want to finish it but I don't know when.

Anyway, I finished Rebel Heart by Moira Young and posted my review here (yes, I wrote a review!) I'm not sure if I'm ready to return and blog again, but I will try to post a review (or maybe two) every once in a while. 

Until then, I wanna wish all of you in advance, a very Merry Christmas and I hope that you won't get tired of visiting my blog every now and then. I'll be back! Thank you for all your support and love and understanding. Keep reading. Keep dreaming. I miss you all. Xoxoxo.

P.S. Here's a picture of me and my son taken last week on my 17th week :)

Book Review: REBEL HEART by Moira Young

Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

Author: Moira Young

Published: October 30th 2012

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Genre: YA, Dystopian

Summary | Add to TBR

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise.

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

My Thoughts:

You couldn't find nobody more pig-headed if you tried. An she's always thinkin she knows best, even when she don't, especially when she don't. She's prickly an stubborn an everythin you'd put at the bottom of a list if you was makin a ... a list of that kind. Which I ain't. I didn't. but ohmigawd... she shines so bright. The fire of life burns strong in her. I never realized till I met her... I bin cold my whole life... - Jack

I couldn't even say any other word that would fit Saba's personality other than Jack's description of her. She's fierce, she's intense, she burns, she's Saba. I liked her more in this book than in Blood Red Road. I appreciate how Saba grow as a woman from being the immature Saba I met in the first book. She didn't irritate me like in Blood Red Road, and I loved how determined she was in proving that Jack  didn't betrayed them. She believed in him and even if it means hurting his brother and and her friends feelings, she knows what she needs to do and she's doing it no matter what.

Keys ain't her style. She kicked the door down. - Jack

I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved Blood Red Road so much that it became one of my most favorite books. Rebel Heart is good but I don't think it's as good as the first book. BRR is more action-packed, more thrilling, more exciting, more touching and romantic than RH. I only had Jack at the beginning and at the end, that's it. I wanted more of him, more of him and Saba together and I wanted romance too. So much had happened in this sequel but it felt like something is missing. And once again I was heartbroken and torn apart because one of my favorite characters just died. I got annoyed with Lugh more than anybody else in this book but I'm glad that Saba isn't as irritating as she was in BRR. Many characters died, but there are new ones that will touch your heart. I wanted to see the Free Hawks soar high again, I wanted them alive not dead. I don't want to give away anything but believe me, this book knows how to tear up a heart. It's not a light read and definitely not a happy one. It's for those who wants adventure in Dust Lands, a journey to fight for peace and for what is left of the world. It's a story full of losses, deaths, pains and harshness. But more than that, there's the story of friendship, family, companionship, love and survival.

There are some people... not many, who have within them the power to change things. The courage to act in the service of somethin greater than themselves. - Auriel

Emmi. When everybody seems down, she's the one left standing... for Saba.

Maev. What more can you ask for in a friend? You need her, she's there.

Lugh. The one I want to strangle from the very beginning. Tie him and throw him into the lake! Reeeeaaaaally!

Jack. I don't need a heartstone to find him. Loved this guy.

De Malo. Oh. My. Shocking. Goodness. I smell a love triangle brewing. (Or as my friend Jenny calls it, A LOVE SQUARE brewing.)

Molly, Tommo, Slim, Bram, Ash, Creed, Nero and Tracker. These amazing characters deserve more than a pat in the back. 

I still loved this book even though I didn't get exactly what I really hoped and wanted. It's worth reading and I will certainly read the next book or books to come no matter what.

What happens to you changes you. Fer good or ill, yer changed forever. There ain't no goin back. No matter how many tears you cry. - Saba

Blog Tour | Review & Giveaway: Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

Welcome to Reaping Me Softly Official Blog Tour hosted by AToMR Tours. Special thanks to the lovely author Kate Evangelista for letting me participate in this tour. Once again, I got the awesome opportunity to join. Thanks to ATOMR Tours for including me in the stop even in the last minute. Thanks to everyone of you for being here today and joining me in this tour stop. If you are all looking for a good read this Halloween Season, Reaping Me Softly, published by Omnific Publishing will be a perfect choice! It's available now, October 30th! 

About the Book:

REAPING ME SOFTLY by Kate Evangelista

Publisher: Omnific Publishing

Published Date: October 30, 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Add to TBR

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

About the Author:

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn't going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master's courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she has four completed Young Adult novels. (Find her in the following sites: Website | Goodreads | Twitter)

MY REVIEW:

The first word that came to my mind when I first heard about this book was "reaper". I was intrigued and I was hoping that I'd be able to get a copy as soon as possible. This book did not disappoint. From the time I started to read it, I was hooked. It wasn't something I'd expected either and I appreciate a bit of surprise. I enjoyed it and I'm happy that I got the chance to be one of the first people to read this book.

Arianne can hear and see the ghosts of the dead eversince her traumatic experience inside the operating room. This wasn't fun at all and seeing them naked doesn't help either. Crushing on the gorgeous boy in school, Arianne doesn't know that Nikolas is a reaper of Georgia. Actually one of the best reapers Death has in his care and command. Learning about Nico and his world doesn't help things about her ill sister either. Not when Nico is the reaper assigned to reap her sister's soul when she die. 

Reaping Me Softly is a fast read that is exciting and gripping. A good start for an interesting paranormal romance series. The pacing is good, not boring and it doesn't drag. The characters, though I can't say that I loved then just the same as I loved Phoenix and the gang in Taste, Arianne and Nikolas are both likable enough. Plus, the story has some unexpected twists that made me appreciate it more. I can't say that it's particularly a unique story but this book is actually good, and I know that those of you who likes to read paranormal romance will likely enjoy this one too. I also liked the ending of this book because it didn't feel like I was left hanging. But there was a sudden turn of event that makes me anxious to see what will happen to the characters. I loved how the author pulled everything together to create such memorable ending. It was touching, heartbreaking yet beautiful. The next book will surely be something to look forward to.

THE GIVEAWAY (International):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here's the list of the other blogs who are participating in the tour or you can also visit AToMR Tours.