NOT MY CUP OF TEA BOOKS #2

NOT MY CUP OF TEA is a feature on my blog where I show the books that I did not finish reading. Shameful, I know. I hate not finishing books I started reading. I feel like I'm betraying the author, as well as the characters. I feel terrible for not being able to appreciate someone's writing especially when a lot of people raves about it. But we should not waste our time on things that don't work out well with us, right? I mean, Hello? I still dream of finishing my TBR pile!



FROST ARCH
by Kate Bloomfield
Series: The Fire Mage Trilogy #1
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Published February 28th, 2012
In a future where ignorance has destroyed the world that we know, humans are slaves and Mages - advanced beings with abilities beyond everyday reach - rule the land.

Avalon is one such Mage. Barely eighteen years of age, she wields the gift of fire yet she is unable to control it. She leaves her family in the dead of night and heads to the city of Frost Arch, her future seemingly grim. Will Avalon be able to overcome the trials that befall her? Will she be able to save the ones she loves and stay strong within herself?

Time will tell.

I have so many questions and there is a lot of confusion going on with this book. I think it has a great idea, but still, NOPE. I wanted to like it so much, plus, the cover totally bought me! But I don't think I could handle this one...

Total read: 11%



THE TRUTH ABOUT US
by Janet Gurtler
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Published April 7th, 2015 by Sourcebooks Fire
A powerful and gripping contemporary YA from the author of I'm Not Her that's "Just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult."-Booklist

The truth is that Jess knows she screwed up.
She's made mistakes, betrayed her best friend, and now she's paying for it. Her dad is making her spend the whole summer volunteering at the local soup kitchen.

The truth is she wishes she was the care-free party-girl everyone thinks she is.
She pretends it's all fine. That her "perfect" family is fine. But it's not. And no one notices the lie...until she meets Flynn. He's the only one who really sees her. The only one who listens.

The truth is that Jess is falling apart – and no one seems to care. 
But Flynn is the definition of "the wrong side of the tracks." When Jess's parents look at him they only see the differences, not how much they need each other. They don't get that the person who shouldn't fit in your world... might just be the one to make you feel like you belong.

I started reading this last year and I tried to continue but I just don't feel the story. The book did not make me feel like I'm a part of it and I grew tired of Jess and Flynn. They seemed to be just some characters I met along the road of reading, with nothing much to remember about. I feel so sorry for this one.

Total read: 40%



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STACKING THE SHELVES #19: WINTER '16 EDITION

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is a great way to showcase books you've recently added to your bookshelves. It is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and, of course, ebooks!

But for my STS, I'll be showing here only the physical copies of books I recently owned/borrowed/won. eBooks/eARCs will be showcased on my In My Mailbox posts.




Here's my first book haul this year! Special thanks to Sarah and Megan of HarperCollins International for these review copies!


I am a huge fan of Jodi Meadows! She's my writing goddess! I LOVE LOVE LOVE her Newsoul Trilogy!I started reading The Orphan Queen last year but unfortunately, it was affected by my reading slump. Thanks to my book fairy, Kazhy from My Library in the Making for the ARC! I love you!!! Hopefully, I could continue reading it sooner so I can indulge into this huge book as well!

I loved Falling Into Place so much! Amy Zhang gave me extreme kinds of feels and I can feel that this one will give me even more!

I think this book will also give me all kinds of feels this year. I'm glad I received a review copy of this because upon reading the synopsis on Goodreads, I already knew that this book will be one of those books that will get me back to my reading game. By the way, this is the first book that I'll read this year!


How about you? What's added to your haul? :)


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MY 2016 READING (AND BLOGGING) RESOLUTIONS


Ni hao, everyone! Like I told you before, I wanted to bring back the old bookworm in me this year. I thought of resolutions that may help me win her back + make reading (and blogging) a regular thing for me again. Please support me on this one! :D

1. Read at least one book every week.
That would be a total of at least 52 books by the end of the year! Bring it on!

2. Finish reading the books on my "Currently reading" shelf on Goodreads from last year.
It's not that the books are not good... the problem is me. :/

3. ALWAYS read the last book in a series.
I have love-hate relationships with series enders. Maybe because I don't think I can handle endings... (BUT I did read Ignite Me and it took me only five hours to finish it!)

4. Read at least one book written by a Filipino author every month.
Because #LoveLocal!

5. Finish reading ARCs on or before their release dates.
THIS has been one of my problems ever since --- reading ARCs months (or a year!) after their release dates. Sorry! Huhu

6. Publish, at least, two blog posts every week.
One review, one anything under the sun.


Hmmm, I think that's it! I hope I could follow this list  throughout the year and get over my reading slump! Happy reading! :)


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2016: A YEAR DEDICATED TO THE GIRL WHO LOVES BOOKS AND TEA


This year, I'll be back.

I'll bring back the old bookworm in me, who reads at least 3 books a week.

I wanted to bring back that old bookworm, that girl who cannot NOT read at least five chapters of her current read a day, and that girl who constantly tweets and updates her status on Facebook and Goodreads because of all the feels a book gives her. I miss that girl. So this year, I'll win her back.

Also, I challenged myself to read 52 books this year, which means I have to read at least one book every week. Let's see if I can pull this challenge off since 2015 has been a year of a major reading slump and bookworm bum for me.


Goodluck to everyone who joined this challenge! Happy New Year of reading! :)

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