Stephanie Perkins is coming to Manila!

Join Stephanie Perkins, the international bestselling author of “Anna and the French Kiss” and “Lola and the Boy Next Door” for book signing events on July 5 at 1 pm in National Book Store, SM Cebu, and on July 6 at 2 pm in National Book Store, Glorietta 1. Registration starts at 10 am for both events. These events are made possible in partnership with Raffles Makati, Metro magazine and Chalk magazine. Follow National Book Store on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram (@nbsalert), and tag #StephaniePerkinsPH for more details.

ABOUT ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS

Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend.

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

ABOUT LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR 

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn't believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better.

But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Stephanie Perkins has always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. On weekdays, she can be found at her desk, typing away, downing cups of coffee and tea. On the weekend, she is at the movies, waiting for the actors to kiss. She believes all novels and films should have more kissing.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Stephanie Perkins Book Signing Tour 

When and where are the book signings? 
July 5, 1:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu 
July 6, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1

When will the registration be? 
Registration opens at 10:00 am on July 5 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area) and 10:00 am on July 6 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1. Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served. 

Is there a registration fee? 
No. There is no registration fee. 

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed? 
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people. 

However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served. 

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books? 
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks. 

Do I need to buy on-site? 
No. You can buy books before or during the event. 

Can I have other items signed? 
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors. 

Can we have our photo taken with the author? 
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only. 

How much are the books? 
Anna and the French Kiss (Trade Paperback – P349) 
Lola and the Boy Next Door (Trade Paperback – P349) 
Isla and the Happily Ever After (will be released in August 14) 

See you there, booknerds! Don't miss out this chance to meet another lovely author. Especially the one who gave us Etienne St. Clair! Also, use the official hashtag, #StephaniePerkinsinPH to keep track of the event!

{Book Blast + Giveaway} PRIMORDIAL DUST by Sarah Daltry

Primordial Dust
by Sarah Daltry
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / iTunes / Kobo / Smashwords / All Romance

A princess, trained to behave. An assassin, betrothed to her. A thief, whose eyes she dreams of at night. A kingdom at war, torn apart by the suppression of magic and truth, as well as family secrets that threaten to destroy decades of peace.

Questions of loyalty, of morality, and of free will culminate in a fantasy novel about forging one’s own path and choosing one’s own destiny.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sarah Daltry

Sarah Daltry writes about the regular people who populate our lives. She’s written works in various genres – romance, erotica, fantasy, horror. Genre isn’t as important as telling a story about people and how their lives unfold. Sarah tends to focus on YA/NA characters but she’s been known to shake it up. Most of her stories are about relationships – romantic, familial, friendly – because love and empathy are the foundation of life. It doesn’t matter if the story is set in contemporary NY, historical Britain, or a fantasy world in the future – human beings are most interesting in the ways they interact with others. This is the principle behind all of Sarah’s stories.

Sarah has spent most of her life in school, from her BA and MA in English and writing to teaching both at the high school and college level. She also loves studying art history and really anything because learning is fun.

When Sarah isn’t writing, she tends to waste a lot of time checking Facebook for pictures of cats, shooting virtual zombies, and simply staring out the window.

GIVEAWAY

Giveaway is open Internationally | Must be 13+ to Enter

3 Winners will receive an E-Copy of Primordial Dust by Sarah Daltry

1 Winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card and Swag pack by Sarah Daltry

1 Winner will receive a Swag Pack by Sarah Daltry

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jenny Han in Manila Book Signing Event Recap

Jenny Han during the bloggers forum

I was very giddy to get my hands on the book To All The Boys I've Loved Before. So when I heard that the author, Jenny Han, is coming to for a book signing event here in Manila, I knew I had to come. A week before the event, I asked my friend Kai of Amaterasu Reads to wake me up in the morning because I don't want to be late again. Again, because I was late during Veronica Rossi, Tahereh Mafi, and Ransom Riggs' visit last April. Thanks, Kai for being my alarm clock last Saturday. I owe you.

The forum started on time and I was number 7 baby! Oh yeah! :D

Here are some fun facts we learned during the forum:

*I'm sorry I figured I'm not really good at transcribing recordings from my phone. I'm planning to buy a real recorder for the next events.*

• Jenny and Siobhan Vivian met in graduate school and ended up becoming best friends when they met in David Levithan's class. Thus, they ended up writing the series Burn for Burn.
• Jenny has a tumblr account for her nail arts. Visit http://justanothermanimonday.tumblr.com/
• When asked if she ever considered writing a spin-off for Jeremiah, Jenny's answer is: NO. Jeremiah's left in a good place in the story and he's upbeat and he bounces back. The difference between Conrad and Jeremiah is Conrad is more sensitive. Jenny was more worried about Conrad if things hadn't gone the way it did in the story, he might be in a dark place for a while.
• She has 3 novels she wants to write right now. It's a matter of having the time to write the stories she want to write. She hopes to keep being inspired.
• If she were Lara Jean, her Top Five celebrity crushes would be:
• Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood
• Daryl from Walking Dead
• The cop from The Killing
• Jaime Lannister from GoT (even without the hand)
• Jo In Sung
• Seo In Guk in Reply 1997
• Who Peter is for her: a young James Marsden
• Her first book, Shug, will always be special since it's like the first child in her family. It's the first and the last that she feels like the most special in her heart.

Of course, here's a photo dump!

With Nicole and Michelle of The Twins Read!

With Sab of Sab the Book Eater, Dianne of Oops! I Read a Book Again and Nina of The Bookish Confections

Plus, there's a big surprise for us from National Book Store and Jenny Han!

ARCs of Ashes to Ashes! Aaaaaaah!!!!

PBT bloggers and JennyHanPH representatives with Jenny Han

We also visited the public signing and oh my what a huge crowd! Jenny Han didn't expect the number of people who came that she had to rest for a few times during the signing. Also, I interviewed some girls that I spotted reading To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Go check out my post on what they has to say to the boys of their past!

Tahdaaaaah! Here's a photo of me with the sweet Jenny Han!

Thank you so much National Book Store for another amazing and successful event!

Tea-rrific Post #3: To All the Boys I've Loved Before...

Jenny Han's latest book, To All The Boys I've Loved Before, is probably the bestselling book for the ladies this past few weeks. It's literally sold out in almost all of our local bookstores nationwide! So during Jenny Han's visit here in Manila, Philippines, I grabbed the opportunity to ask some ladies to finish the phrase:

While waiting for their turn to have their books signed, I interviewed these four beautiful ladies and asked their permission if I can take a photo of them showing off their copy of To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han and post it here on my blog, along with their message. Let's see what they want to say to all those boys they've loved before!

To all the boys I've loved before...

"...thank you for coming into my life and I hope you go through the same sh*t you've put me through. Goodluck to your lives."

-M.C. (@emceeyy)

To all the boys I've loved before...

"...thank you for teaching me lessons about life and love. BUT SCREW YOU."

-Alex (@ughlexandrugh)

To all the boys I've loved before...

..."thank you for everything we've been through. Thank you for the memories even if they weren't so great. Even though things didn't go the way I wanted to, you'll always have a special place in my heart."

-Mika (@MIKAtniss)

To all the boys I've loved before...

"...may you be happy with your life and go for what makes you happy."

-Bea (@beamarciales)

I want to give these pretty ladies a huge hug and thank you for their cooperation and being so nice to let me ask them this favor! Thank you very much M.C., Alex, Mika, and Bea! It's nice to meet you! You can read my review of To All The Boys I've Loved Before here and see what my thoughts about the book are. And of course, I also have a message to all the boys that came in my life...

Cover Reveal: BEGIN WITH GOODBYE by Kelly Walker

Begin With Goodbye

by Kelly Walker

Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Expected Publication July 3rd 2014 by Kelly Walker

REVENGE is best served cold, but their passion burns as hot as ever.

Home for her sister's funeral, Samantha knows the truth: for all intents, her sister died three years ago on the night of her senior prom and Julian Ashburn--her sister's husband and Samantha's former lover--is to blame.

He took her virginity, and he took her sister. Will he at least let her escape with her heart?

(Please note – Begin With Goodbye was previous released as a serial under the pseudonym Lilly Wright. It has been edited and reformatted as a complete novel.)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kelly Walker

Kelly Walker is a YA and NA author of several romantic titles, including the Souls of the Stones series. She has an unhealthy appreciation for chocolate, and a soft spot for rescued animals. Her best lessons on writing came from a lifetime of reading. She loves the fantastical, and the magical, and believes a captivating romance can be the most realistic magic of all. Kelly, her husband and her two children share their Virginia home with three dogs who walk her, and two cats who permit her to occasionally share their couch.

Author Links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Review: TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han

To All The Boys I've Loved Before
by Jenny Han
Series: To All The Boys #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Published April 15th 2014 by Simon and Schuster
Format Acquired: Paperback
Source: bought from National Book Store
Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Fully Booked / Kobo / National Book Store / The Book Depository

Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them... all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved—five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

MY REVIEW

"I think I see the difference now, between loving someone from afar and loving someone up close. When you see them up close, you see the real them, but they also get to see the real you."

The after state of my TATBILB. I just love tabbing my books!

I was so excited to buy my own copy of this book when it first came out here in the Philippines. The title plus the cover itself caught my attention right away. As much as I appreciate receiving love letters more than text messages, I have always loved writing letters (I wrote my exes some) because I believe writing is the true form of expressing yourself. You can feel the emotions of the writer through his/her words, and the way his/her handwriting looks like.

“When I write, I hold nothing back. I write like he'll never read it. Because he never will. Every secret thought, every careful observation, everything I've saved up inside me, I put it all in the letter. When I'm done, I seal it, I address it, and then I put it in my teal hatbox.” 

Lara Jean wrote letters for the boys she loved before not to give it to each one of them, but for heart to move on. The letters were for her eyes only and she kept them in a hatbox her mother gave her. She kept it safely hidden until one day she discovered that her love letters were accidentally sent and she have no idea as to how and who sent them.

If I were in Lara Jean's shoes, I wouldn't exactly know what to do. I'd rather lock myself in my room, or just disappear like a bubble. Especially if these guys didn't know that I fell inlove with them and then one day, after those years of not having a clue about how I felt for them, they'd know everything in just a piece of paper. I didn't like what Kitty did (Oops! Spoiler!) Because no matter how much I hate my sister for something she did, I would spill out her deepest secrets. That would be too much.

“I delete the picture of him from my phone; I delete his number. I think that if I just delete him enough, it will be like none of it ever happened and my heart won't hurt so badly” 

Well, I guess I don't have anything much to say about this book because it didn't really live up with my expectations. I expected longer and more meaningful letters. It lacks a few things and for me, the title doesn't fit the whole story. I just wished that the five boys were emphasized more. And what happened after they received the letters? I also wish it didn't focus on just one boy. But I like boys like Peter Kavinsky.  Anyway, the ending... I still need the second book ASAP!

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jenny Han

Jenny Han is the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series;Shug; the Burn for Burn trilogy, cowritten with Siobhan Vivian; and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You. She is also the author of the chapter book Clara Lee and The Apple Pie Dream. A former children’s bookseller, she earned her MFA in creative writing at the New School. Visit her at DearJennyHan.com.

Author Links:

Facebook / Twitter / Website

"This is the moment I realize I don't love him, that I haven't for a while. That maybe I never did. Because he's right there for the taking: I could kiss him again; I could make him mine. But I don't want him. I want someone else. It feels strange to have spent so much time wishing for something, for someone, and then one day, suddenly, to just stop."

Review: AMERICAN GIRL ON SATURN by Nikki Godwin

American Girl On Saturn
by Nikki Godwin
Series: Saturn #1
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Romance
Published August 29th 2013 by Smashwords
Format Acquired: Digital Copy
Source: Smashwords
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | The Book Depository

The summer after graduation is supposed to be that first real taste of freedom - but not for eighteen-year-old Chloe Branson. Just as that breeze of freedom is making its way into her galaxy, her secret-service-agent dad drops a meteor-sized bomb of bad news on her and her sisters. An attempt has been made on the lives of Canadian boyband, Spaceships Around Saturn, during their USA tour, and the guys have to go into hiding ASAP. The only problem? In the midst of the crisis and media frenzy, their dad volunteered to hide the guys...in their house.

Six-year-old Emery is as ecstatic as any self-proclaimed Saturnite would be, but Chloe and her seventeen-year-old sister Aralie watch their summer plans crash and burn like a falling star. The SAS guys aren't happy with the situation, either. Bad boy Jules picks fights with Aralie about everything from his Twitter followers to his laundry, and heart-throb Benji can't escape Emery's fangirlisms for more than three minutes.

But after the super-cute Milo kisses Chloe during a game of hide-and-seek, she finally understands what Emery means when she talks about SAS being "out of this world." If this is what Saturn feels like, Chloe doesn't want to come back to Earth.

MY REVIEW

This book gave me so many fangirl feels!!! So please forgive me for some spoilers! \(^o^)/

The famous boyband Spaceships Around Saturn was attacked during one of their concerts and was needed to be put on some sort of witness protection. A summer on lockdown: Away from the stage, away from their fans, away from the media, away from their family and friends. Because of this, the Bransen sisters' summer plans will be ruined, well, atleast for Chloe.

Chloe's father is a government security agent and he volunteered their house as the safe house of the boys while they follow the leads. Chloe has two youger sisters, Aralie and Emery. Emery, five years old, is the biggest fan of SAS. She's an ultimate Saturnite (that's what SAS fans are called) and they knew that the kid couldn't keep her mouth shut about this so they too were on a lockdown.

"You think Emery will actually keep her mouth when Benji Bikini is in the house? The world will know in three minutes with her mouth."

I didn't expect to love Amrerican Girl On Saturn this much so let me tell you some of the things I love most about Spaceships Around Saturn:

1.  Emery. Seriously, at the age of five?! She's THAT obssessed with a boyband. I love how she clings to Benji like she's an extra limb of him. Of course, I also love how Benji tolerates the little girl.

2. Aralie. She's my kind of sister. She's always there for Chloe and she'll do everything she can to comfort and protect her when someone made her cry or pisses her off. She's a sister-plus-bestfriend-combo for Chloe.

3. Milo Grayson -- the sweet, serious-type boy with the caramel eyes. I can't say anything else. I just want to smell him and his body wash.

"This boy is so beautiful that I'd take him to a five-star formal restaurant in swim trunks and flip flops. He's modest, though, which makes him even more likable. Damn him."

4. The Oreos and milk private party Milo and Chloe shared. Eeeep!! I don't even know how I would feel if a cute boy joins me and my cookies in the middle of the night. It'd be too awkward to start a conversation. I'd be speechless.

"It's after midnight, and I'm alone with a pretty girl and Oreos. That's definitely a party," he says. "The only thing I'm missing is a glass of milk, so if you'd point me in the right direction, we can get this party underway."

5. The fireflies moment. Please, please, please READ this book! Especially this scene!!! It'll give you butterflies on your stomach! Much more than you can imagine!

“My wish is for you to be my firefly. After lockdown ends, we'll only see each other in moments, for short flickers of time.” 

GUYS. This is a book every boyband fangirl needs! IT'S A MUST READ. I can't believe I didn't read it before! This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me toss and turn to every romantic scene. It gave me all the feels a fangirl can feel if her favorite boyband is in the house! I recommend this to EVERYBODY. I LOVE YOU, NIKKI GODWIN. 

PLEASE CHECK OUT FABERDRIVE AND ALL TIME LOW'S MUSIC. PLUS, THEY'RE CUTE. AND HANDSOME. AND THEIR VOICE. OH. MY. SATURN.

MY RATING

THE ULTIMATE PANDA LOVE!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nikki Godwin

Nikki Godwin is a YA/NA/LGBT author. She can't live without Mountain Dew, black eyeliner, and music by Hawthorne Heights. When not writing, she internet-stalks her favorite bands and keeps tabs on surf competitions. She adores pro surfer John John Florence and has made it her life goal to meet David Desrosiers of Simple Plan.

Author Links:

Blog | Twitter

(ARC) Review: DON'T CALL ME BABY by Gwendolyn Heasley

Don't Call Me Baby
by Gwendolyn Heasley
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Published April 22nd 2014 by Harper Teen
Format Acquired: ARC
Source: received from Publisher (Thanks, Sarah and Megan!)

All her life, Imogene has been known as the girl on THAT blog.

Imogene's mother has been writing an incredibly embarrassing, and incredibly popular, blog about her since before she was born. Hundreds of thousands of perfect strangers knew when Imogene had her first period. Imogene's crush saw her "before and after" orthodontia photos. But Imogene is fifteen now, and her mother is still blogging about her, in gruesome detail, against her will.

When a mandatory school project compels Imogene to start her own blog, Imogene is reluctant to expose even more of her life online...until she realizes that the project is the opportunity she's been waiting for to tell the truth about her life under the virtual microscope and to define herself for the first time.

Don't Call Me Baby is a sharply observed and irrepressibly charming story about mothers and daughters, best friends and first crushes, and the surface-level identities we show the world online and the truth you can see only in real life.

MY REVIEW

(Thanks to HarperCollins International for sending me an ARC of this book for review! You guys rock! Please take note that this in no way affects my review.)

Imogene's life has been exposed over the internet even before she was born. Nope, she's not a hollywood actress or what. But yes, she's a celebrity on her mother's famous blog, Mommylicious, which is all about parenting and her, Babylicious. She didn't mind being the subject of her mom's blog at first, but as she grew up, she realized that it's time to have her privacy and to let people know the real her; not the girl on that blog.

"All my life my mom has put words in my mouth and tried to make me into someone I'm not. But today, I've finally had enough."

My mom doesn't have a blog or any other social networking account (except Facebook) but I can say that it's quite irritating when someone posted something about me online without my consent. Especially if I look stupid on the photo, or if the statement about me is embarassing! And I can think of nothing but revenge and get back to that someone, just like what Imogene did when they were required to create their own blog for their English class. Well, she's not alone in this because her bestfriend, Sage is experiencing the same. She's called VeggieBaby, since her mom is a food blogger. A Vegan food blogger, VeggieMommy.

Imogene and Sage thought they could finally speak out what they wanted to tell their moms for a long time through their blogs. But they were wrong. It didn't do anything good, and things just got worse. Luckily for Imogene, she still have her Grandma Hope. I just love her words of wisdom! She's probably one of the coolest fictional grandmas ever.

"This isn't about golf today. This is about frustration. There are certain times when it's good to just come out here and hit the dickens out of some balls. It loosens up something in you."

It's a nice thing to have a blog. I had a personal blog before and treated it as my online diary. While it's indeed very exciting to come up with something to post online, to share photos of what a great weekend you had, to talk about your problems, you don't have to expose all of them to the public. We still need to keep somethings for ourselves only. Especially to parents out there, please understand that we, your kids, don't reallt approve everything your share about us online. We may be quiet, but there are times that deep inside, we're dying of shame. Hehe (My mom read this book before I did! And I don't know, but it's kinda awkward. LOL)

Don't Call Me Baby is a fun and light read about family and friendship. It talks about the things that may keep the distance between the parents and their kids, and involves how to make it up with your bestfriend when you had a misunderstanding. This book made me laugh, it made me laugh, and it also made me blush. ^^,

I recommend this to all mothers (even fathers!) and daughters out there who wants to improve their relationship to one another. To those who wants to prove theirselves to other people who they really are, not the person they see online, and to best friends who want to strengthen their friendship together.

MY RATING

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwendolyn Heasley

Gwendolyn Heasley is a graduate of Davidson College and the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her master’s degree in journalism. When she was a little girl, she desperately wanted to be the next Ann M. Martin- the author of the beloved The Baby-Sitter’s Club series. She’s incredibly grateful that the recession rendered her unemployed and made her chase her nearly forgotten dream. Her third novel Don't Call Me Baby comes out in April and her digital e-novella The Art of Goodbye (the sequel to Where I Belong) comes out in March.

She loves hearing from readers. Please email her at gwendolyn.heasley@gmail.com 

She now lives in Florida with her husband and baby girl.

Author Links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter