[READING CHALLENGE] Beat the Backlist 2019

Hi,

I've been seeing this challenge around and I thought that it really won't hurt to join in the fun. I've been hoping to get through books that have been sitting on my shelf for YEARS now and this is, obviously, the perfect challenge for me.

For my tentative to-read-list, I decided to go with 10 physical books and 10 eARCs I have. The physical books are divided by adult and YA fiction. And the eARCs are divided by those I received in 2018 and those I received 2017 and earlier.

Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge is hosted by NovelKnight. I will try and participate on other challenges such as the weekly photo challenge. However, I will surly join the Hogwarts Mini Challenge under team Hufflepuff :)

Bookish Naughty Or Nice Tag

Hi,

I told myself that I won't be posting anything other than wrap-ups because life gets in the way. (although recently I'm being such a timely organized kid that all time is well spent?) But I went back to bloghopping and saw this really fun Christmas Tag by Jenniely @ A Page of Jenniely. I wasn't tagged, of course, I just thought that it's such a fun thing to do.

I'm going to do this with only 2018 in mind 😏

Received an ARC and not reviewed it ✓
Very guilty of this especially since I'm a very inconsistent reader, blogger, and reviewer. Although I do hope to review every single book I receive. Here's to being an active reviewer and blogger on 2019.

NOVEMBER WRAP UP (aka the month of book slump all over again)

Hi,

Unfortunately, blogging has dropped to the bottom of my to-do list as I'm doing a personal art project for practice. Thus, the lack of time for blogging and actually the scheduling posts I drafted in the past month.

Below are some of the letterings I made for practice, please tell me what you guys think about them. I've been thinking of setting up a paypal account and accepting commissions at some point. I want to do something I like outside of my work thus this came to mind.

  

I've also had a pretty dead-ish month in reading. I only realized it right now as I'm drafting this post. I was only able to read two books this November! TWO BOOKS! What is wrong with me? And here I thought I'm in a roll right after that fab read-a-thon month in October. I hope to pick up my pace soon. I've been picking up and not enjoying books.

In my attempt to read as much books as before, I'm joining Bekka @ Pretty Deadly Reviews's Bookish Bingo Winter 2018-2019 which runs from December 2018 to February 2019. I like that the prompts are petty vague so I can pick from a good list of books. This will also be my first Bookish Bingo ever :)

As for my work update, everything is good. Nothing special happening aside from getting some actual work and getting that feeling of importance after all these months.

books read

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1) by Agatha Christie | Red Dragon (Hannibal Lecter #1) by Thomas Harris

OCTOBER WRAPUP (aka the month of read-a-thons)

Hi,

October was good (?). I think. I don't know. It didn't feel like a special month for me, to be honest. Reading-wise, it's been good. My reading pace is back 😊 I participated in two read-a-thons. It was supposed to be three but life happened.

Also, this post is also extremely late. But who cares? 😅

Work update: it's been good. It's not as bad as before but it also doesn't mean that I'm all good with my co-workers. Honestly, I'm still not very comfortable with them but at the very best, it's not as awkward as before (with the exception of certain people, of course). It's too difficult to be socially awkward. I honestly have NO IDEA how to talk to people like 80% of the time, I HAVE NO IDEA what to say to them or how to react to things they say (especially when I don't find the things they say funny or at the very least amusing. it's difficult to smile when you're not feeling it, yeah?).

On other news, I'm trying to get back to my blogging mood. I'm drafting reviews and other posts at the moment. I'll have everything scheduled by December 😉

books read

Perfect Blue: the Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Nathan A. Collins (Translator) | The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo (Millennium #1) by Stieg Larsson | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) by J.K. Rowling | Red Rising: Sons of Ares by Pierce Brown, Rik Hoskin (Writer), Eli Powell (Illustrator) | A Pack of Blood and Lies (the Boulder Wolves #1) by Olivia Wildenstein | Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

SEPTEMBER WRAPUP (aka the month of #mibf2018)

books read + currently reading

Hi,

I have no idea if anyone is still reading my blog because I only do wrap-ups recently.

September was a very hectic month for me at work. There was so much stress mentally and I was not enjoying the company of my co-workers as much as my previous work place. They poke fun of my awkwardness, natural silence, and inability to make a decent conversation with them (because we absolutely have NOTHING in common). There are other things I'd love to rant about work but that will be annoying and already rant them all out to my best friend and my sister. So somehow I'm all good.

ANYWAY, I went to the 39th Manila International Book Fair for two days. I went on Friday, September 14, with my best friend. We went straight to Fully Booked which was fun with the two of us actually looking through classics together to grab new Wuthering Heights editions to add to our collections THEN going on separate ways as he looks through scifi books and thrillers while I go through generally everywhere, from YA to adult fiction to manga THEN meeting up later to pay for the said books together. We had late lunch and he ordered cakes because he knows I like them 😊

[WEEKEND READS] Hyped for #MIBF2018

currently reading

Hello,

It's September. Christmas season officially starts here in my place 🎄🎅

But what's really exciting this month is the Manila International Book Fair (#MIBF2018) which is the annual Book Fair held here in the Philippines. A fab event where book sellers, book publishers, and book readers come together to celebrate books and just grab all the books we've all been holding off. Also, some publishers and bookstores have 20% off!!!

#MIBF2018 is a 5-day event and I'll be attending on 2 of those days. I'm going on Friday with my book bestfriend because buying all the books on a weekday is the best choice for #MIBF because less people. lol. Also, we need reasons to hang out, okay? I'm also going on Saturday with my college friend just so we can hang because we need to catch up. I don't know about photos but I'll try to have them. Especially for Friday 💖

recent reads

Platinum End, vol 6 | Tsugumi Ohba (author); Takeshi Obata (illustrator)
This series is basically going downhill for me. I LOVE this duo but what the heck is happening to this story even. I honestly thought that it's going to be a psychological read like Death Note which is their first work together but then it started featuring more battles lately. And with all these heroes and villains look is not working out for me 😔

AUGUST WRAPUP (aka my birthday month which went by unnoticed)

we're back to this kind of bookish shots!

Hi,

As I mentioned before, I'm on a blogging slump. I'm not the most active reviewer/blogger out there but at this point, I'm never motivated to actually schedule reviews and generally post anything. at all. But I try to get these update posts every now and then 😅

Little life update corner right here, August was my Birthday Month. I didn't have any big birthday party or anything, as usual. Neither did I receive any books for my birthday which is sad af because usually I get a book or two. BUT I did get to spend my day on an out of town vacation with my family and the last Saturday of the month with my best friend and while I'm weirdly awkward, I still had a fantastic time. Also, we're seeing each other again on #MIBF (Manila International Book Fair) which is the biggest book fair in the Philippines. Super excited for it!

books read

How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry | The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters | The Queen of the Tearling (the Queen of the Tearling #1) by Erika Johansen

I read How to Find Love in a Bookshop the moment I got it. It was a cute story although it wasn't something I was expecting. I was kind of hoping to read something cheesier maybe? But I do LOVE how it shows the impact of bookstores and booksellers to its customers 💖 The Cure for Dreaming, on the other hand was a really quick read for me. I LOVE Cat Winters' writing! I like the historical aspect of the novel as well as how it isn't doused with too much romance just enough to make me smile 😊 I finished The Queen of the Tearling last night. I started it a month or so ago. It had a rough and slow start for me. It's how fantasies go with me. I don't know why. I probably suck at getting into new worlds. However, around 60% or 70% of the book, things started picking up and I easily breezed through it.