TBR Intervention Challenge (8)

TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge hosted by 

Dani@RefractedLight , Ayanami@Whatever you Can Still Betray,

 and April@Books4Juliet 

The goal of this challenge is to help each other (fellow readers and bloggers) manage our enormous and constantly growing TBR (To-Be-Read) List. The rules are simple and everyone is encouraged to participate. It does not force you to commit to more than what you can manage to read in a week or so, but participants are encouraged to read at least one book within a week. You are free to choose the book you want to read and commit to this challenge. You may post your entry every Saturday, at the frequency of your choice--EVERY WEEK or EVERY TWO WEEKS. However, we will sponsor this event regularly every Saturday. 

Here are the rules:

1. Post the book(s) you committed to read in your last TBR Intervention post and tell us something about it. Did you finish it? Did you enjoy it or not? Post the link to your review (if you have one). 

2. Post a book that you want to read and already own. Pick something that has been sitting on your shelf for too long now (6 months or longer). Commit to read the book in the next couple of days or week.

3. Grab the TBR Intervention Button and post it on your blog sidebar so you will be constantly reminded of the challenge, making it easier for you to commit. This will also encourage other readers/bloggers/visitors to join the challenge.

4. Add the link to your post in the Linky below and make sure to visit the other blogs. Comment, encourage, and spread the love to our fellow readers. 

MY LAST WEEK'S TBRIC:

Wanderlove
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Published Date: March 13th 2012
Published By: Delacorte Books
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary 

Hello everyone! So, yeah, FINALLY... AT LONG LAST, I finished my TBRIC! Yay for me! Not just because I'm done with it but because I LOVED the book! It was expectedly (based on other reviews) good. It maybe took me almost two weeks to finish it (due to some personal reasons, which you know already), but when I finally and seriously dive into the story, it swallowed me! I really enjoyed it. The pacing of the story might be slow but it will carefully grow in you and you'll end up loving it in the process. It touched me in a way I cant explain literally... It was a fun read but deep inside, I felt the sadness in it. Maybe the leaving-your-home part makes me sentimental and a bit nostalgic, that's why I felt sad when I read it. It's really good and I recommend it. You can read my full review here: Book Review: Wanderlove. I also finished and reviewed Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater and if you like to see it, you can find it here: Book Review: Scorpio Races.

THIS WEEK'S TBRIC: Ok, so I'm choosing between the two books below. I can't commit both since I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to read the two in one week time... then you'll have the reason to kick me out of the challenge (kidding! I know you wouldn't do that, right?)

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2)
By: Richelle Mead

On My Shelf Since: August 21, 2011

I know that it's only been less than 4 months since I bought this book, but it has been on my TBR for so long already. Besides, I already got the first 5 books in the series and they are starting to gather dust on my shelf... I only need the last book (The Last Sacrifice) to complete my collection, and I want them out of my TBR Shelf and place them on my regular bookshelf. Besides, those dusts are getting bored, they need new books to lie into :P hehe.

Silence (Hush, Hush #3)

By: Becca Fitzpatrick

On My Shelf Since: September 13, 2011

Another book I need to read is Silence. Every time I see Hush, Hush and Crescendo on my bookshelf, I become so anxious to read it. I think it's about time.

How's your TBRIC book(s) last week? Did you finish it?

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop!

The Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop will run from December 2-6, 2011. This Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Kid Lit Frenzy.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year and this is also the reason why I chose to participate in this event. I started my blog last May 2011, and this is the first time I post a giveaway. I want to thank my awesome followers (via GFC, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon and Shelfari) for your continuous support and love for me. Since Christmas is a time for giving and loving, I think it's the best time for me to give back.

You don't have to be a follower to enter the giveaway, but of course (and as always) it will be deeply appreciated =) To my followers, seldom and frequent visitors, commenters, authors, fellow bloggers, and to those who became my constant companions and friends here in the book blogging community (you know who you are!), thank you so much!

And now for the giveaway, you can pick any BOOK(s) OF YOUR CHOICE up to $15 from The Book Depository. This is open Internationally, as long as The Book Depository ships in your country.

To enter, just leave a comment and fill in the form below. Make sure that you enter a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. Please respond within 48 hours or I will pick another winner for this giveaway. I will also announce it on December 7th or 8th (EST) here at Books4Juliet.

There are other amazing blogs who are participating in this event, so be sure to check and visit as many blogs as you can. Have fun and enjoy the giveaway hop! Good luck!

>> I want to thank Kathy of I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Alyson of Kid Lit Frenzy for hosting this wonderful event. 

Advance Happy Holidays everyone! Merry Christmas! XO!

Book Review: Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Published Date: October 28th 2011
Published By: Scholastic Press
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Summary from Goodreads:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

My Thoughts:

"I have my own reasons for riding," I snap. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't make those reasons any less." - Puck

The Scorpio Races is a good book. I liked it even though it was slow and there are boring parts. But the story is beautiful, crafted with really strong and likable characters. I admired Puck and Sean, and I loved their horses. I loved Puck's little brother, Finn. He's adorable. The setting and the place is beautiful, though Thisby Island is also a very dangerous place to live in. Dangerous because of the capaill uisce - water horses who live in the ocean and who come out especially every season of the Scorpio Races. They eat flesh and they always smell like blood. Among all these water horses, Corr is the one I love. The fastest and probably the strongest in the race. Sean was his rider. And then there's Kate Connely--"Puck" might be a girl, the only girl who ever joined the race, but she's determined to win, even though it means she had to compete with the four time winner--Sean Kendrick.

"When the races are about proving something about yourself to others, people you beat are as important as the horse you ride." - Sean

"I want to know who's afraid of the water. I want to know who can track straight. I want to know who will tear Corr apart as soon as overtake him. I want to know who can't hold their horses. I want to know how they like to run. I wan t to know who's lame in the left rear. I want to know how the beach has worn this year. I want to know what the race will look like before it's run." - Sean

Maggie said that it's her most favorite book of all the books she'd written. Though I didn't loved it as much as I loved her Wolves of Mercy Falls series, I think she did a very good job on this one. Her writing is undeniably beautiful and captivating. The narration is lyrical and poetic, and the use of alternating POV makes it even more effective to understand the characters. The story is very unique, deep and emotional. It  might be slow and it didn't grow on me immediately, but when I finished it, it stayed on my mind for a while. It was unforgettable.

I wanted to give this book a much higher rating but due to some weak points, I've decided to give it a 4/5. One reason is the slow pacing of the story. You really need to be patient so you can finish the book. Second, the story is more about the horses and the race, and there's too little romance in it. I'm a sucker for romance and love stories and this book didn't gave me much of that. But despite it's weak points, I still enjoyed the book and probably those people who love horses will love it too.

I'm quite happy for the smile, because Dad told me once you should be grateful for the gifts that are the rarest. -Puck

My Rating: