havin' a Goodread

I've always been a bookworm. As early as my grade school days, I always have a book in tow. It was my mother dear who introduced me to it and who fueled the passion. I remember her collecting books that fill up several boxes when I was younger. Back in grade school, I remember going to the high school department's library just to borrow books (they have better selection!).

Nowadays, I still borrow books from the library, and I'm extremely lucky that the library system here is phenomenal. I'd gladly pay all the taxes because I know and can see where the money goes to. I'm like a kid in a candy store whenever I'm at the library. Too many books to read, so little time. Another awesome thing about the library is that they have an online catalog of books that they have available. If you can't find the book at the local library, you can have it requested and the other libraries who have it will send that book to your local one and they notify you if it's ready for pick-up! Cool huh?!

More often than not, I just borrow books and if I read a really really good one, I check for deals online and buy them.  Exception applies if a book is included in a series that I'm collecting, then I'm definitely getting myself a copy.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Anna and the French Kiss and Bloodlines

Take the above picture for example, I've read the Percy Jackson series a year ago, but I waited to get the paperback boxed set completed since it's cheaper! Anna and the French Kiss is a really, really good book and it was on sale, so I got that too. Bloodlines is 1st book of the Vampire Academy spin-off series, and I've already decided to complete the collection.

My current reading list is growing. The great thing about the library is they let you borrow a book for 2 or 3 weeks depending on how new the book is. You can renew again on it's due date granting that there is no other person waiting to borrow it. And also there is no limit to the number of books that you can borrow at a given time.

current reading list

With this many books at one's disposal, it's hard to choose which books are good reads. Of course, I do have my list of favorite authors which I always check if are releasing any new books. And then I discovered Goodreads from GIRLTalk. Similar to Shelfari (which I also have an account), it's a "social cataloging" website that allows you to list all the books that you have read, currently reading or planning to read. You can search by either the book's name, author or even the ISBN number. The cool thing about Goodreads is fellow bookworm friends can share, recommend a book, can view all the books in your library, read your review and many more! You can start a bookclub too. It can be open to all or by invitation only.

There is also a reading challenge that you can set for yourself. It tells you how far you are from your goal and if you're behind on your reading pace. Pretty neat! I've set myself to read 50 books this year and right now, I've already read 32 books. However, I'm 3 books behind on my current pace, if I want to reach that goal I need to read quicker!

I'm also an active member of the GIRLTalk bookclub. We nominate 2 books every month, one general fiction and one YA. There is voting schedule and whichever books won, you'd read it for that month. Discussion will be held the month after.

updates/wall page

profile page

bookshelf  (read books)

Are you a Goodreads member too? Add me up: http://www.goodreads.com/alengdelarosa. I'd love to know what you're reading!

meeting Richelle Mead

Richelle Mead's book signing for the Last Sacrifice tour starts at 7pm. We're running late. We left the house 15 minutes before 6pm but due to the horrendous traffic in I-90, we barely got there in time. The venue is at the school auditorium of Northside Preparatory High School in downtown Chicago.

She started with reading a chapter on the book. She chose one that's not too revealing, conscious of readers who haven't started on the book yet. After reading an excerpt of the book, she proceeded to Q&A. Unfortunately, she cannot disclose much information about the spin-off. Although she mentioned that she did an interview with a national magazine which will be released this weekend with more information about the spin-off, I just forgot if it is Entertainment Weekly or something else. Someone in the audience also asked about the VA movie. She said that the rights have already been bought, but there is no casting happening yet, no movement with regards to the movie production. She asked the audience to spread the word that the information online (IMDB says a movie is in the works and will be released in 2012) are untrue.

(many fans came in for the book-signing)

(answering the Qs from the audience)

She mentioned a few guidelines on the book signing and taking pictures, make it easier on everyone who are in queue for the book signing. And then she started signing books! ;)

(sneaking a picture before my turn)

I asked Topher to stay in the queue with me, so that I can have 6 books signed (3 books per person, 1 personalized and 2 autographed). Also to have him take my pictures while she's signing my books.

(Richelle Mead and me!)

Upon meeting her, she immediately said that she likes my scarf! ;) Cool huh? And then while she was signing my books, I asked if she has plans of visiting Manila. I told her that she has a huge fan base back at home. She explained that she's not the one who's in-charge of picking the places where she'll go. Usually places that are picked are those that are locally publishing the book. In the case of Manila, she said that we import the books from the US and there was no local publisher who usually takes care of the finances. I joked and told her that maybe we should sign a petition to bring her in Manila. She laughed. She mentioned that she have good friends in Seattle who are Filipino and they have been inviting her to visit the Philippines with them. I seconded that and promoted the Philippines even more. So hopefully she'll visit soon. :)

(making small talk while she's signing)

 

She noticed my books as well, commented that she knows which ones are mine since I had them covered. Also said that the uncovered ones are most probably for friends. :) She's really soooo nice and so cool. I'm extremely grateful for having the chance to meet her.

Excuse me for now, I'll start reading VA: Last Sacrifice. :)

(personalized message on my favorite VA book so far)

(personalized message on Last Sacrifice :D)

 

VA: Last Sacrifice

I'm excited! *grin*

In about 4 hours from now, I'll get to see, meet and greet Richelle Mead. So who is she? Well, she's the rock star author of the Vampire Academy. The last book on this series was just released on December 7, 2010 and I get to meet her because she's on tour. Honestly, I haven't started on the book yet. I'm delaying the gratification because just like any last book in a great series, I want it to last. Although I'm dying to know what happened to Rose and who did she choose. Wee, I'm really excited!

(3 books of Last Sacrifice. For me, Tin and Suyen; special request to have it signed)

Will post about what happened on the book signing later!

books that bite

Earlier this year, I've posted an entry about books, vampire books to be exact. More than 5 months after, I'm still hooked. Sure, I've read chic lits and other books in between but I still come back to the library for my vampire fix. Can't seem to get enough. What is it with these books that make us glued?! Maybe it's the sense of danger and the thought that they really don't exist.

These are the books that I currently have on hand. I've just started with Lover Mine (a BDB novel) and I'm done with Fade Out. 3 of these books belong to the library and only Spirit Bound's mine, which makes it the last on the list because I don't feel the pressure to finish it asap compared to the library ones.

Speaking of library, I need to visit soon since a book that I had requested is ready for pick-up (The Carrie Diaries) and I need to return two of these books that I have now. I looked back at the post that I've written before to find out that I've only read 2 of the 5 books that I've been excited about, Dead in the Family and Burned (HON series). They are both great reads but as part of a series, the ending is still bitin!

You, dear blog reader, what have you read lately?

wedding tools and influence

I often rave about US public libraries, specially in forums where I frequently visit. Thanks to them, my reading option are limitless. I have the liberty to read and discover best selling books and well loved authors for free. Being the bookworm that I am, this is one of the things I am grateful for that we're currently living here. However, I didn't anticipate the aid and help they can give me while preparing for the wedding! Current and back issues of wedding magazine are available at my disposal. I often visit just to read the current issues before I learned that I can actually borrow and take home the previous issues! Well, isn't that a treat?! :) Below are just a few of the ones that I took home for reading and inspiration.

move over Edward, Jace is here.

The Mortal Instruments. This is the series that I'm currently reading, and I find it soooo good. Everytime we visit Barnes and Noble, this series always caught my eyes. And it was for a good reason. Mind you, I'm not always fond of reading books of the fantasy genre but this series became an exception.

The series stars Clarrisa "Clary" Fray, a 16 year girl (mundane) who was living her life as she had always had but everything changed when she saw a "murder" in a bar that nobody else saw. That same night, her mother was kidnapped and demons waited for her at her house. She then learned that she was no ordinary human, that there exists a world that was beyond her wildest imagination where Shadowhunters, Downloaders and the Clave exists.

Shadowhunters are Nephilim, children of the Angel, whose main purpose in life is to protect and save the world from the Downloaders. Vampires, lycanthrope, warlocks, witches, fairies and demons are those that are considered as Downloaders. The Clave is like the goverment that sees over the whole thing.

Now let me introduce you to Jace. He's the finest Shadowhunter of his age. Jace is sarcastic, cynical, and witty but also vain, arrogant, and full of angst. He gives the impression of holding most people in disdain but is quite chivalrous toward women. His charisma, good looks and charm have made him quite the ladies' man and he is somewhat promiscuous. He never forms emotional attachments for more than a short period of time, if at all. Caring and feeling concern for someone is something that was alien to him. Although everything changed when he met Clary. He believed that he was not capable of love, those he loves ends up getting hurt. But he still takes a chance with Clary. But what will happen to these emotions when they learn that they could be siblings?!

Sound good enough? I love it when a character is always more than what they seemed. I'm just starting on the final book, City of Glass and I am itching to know how everything will end.

 

bitten

What's up with the vampire mania? It is all just a hype or it is something better? I guess we can blame it on Edward. The same Edward that everyone fell in love with in Twilight. But why the hype and all the attention? My guess is, Edward embodies all the qualities that we would want in a guy (drop DEAD gorgeous and all). Pun intended.

Now let me share my fanaticism with the vamps. I frequent NBS all the time. It always makes me happy to be around books. As far as I can remember, I love them. Their smell and the way it takes you to a different place and time. It's a sweet escape. Anyway, that time (early 2008) Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse were in heavy rotation in every entrance of NBS in preparation of Breaking Dawn's release in August 2008. They immediate captured my attention since I've heard a few good feedback about it, not to mention that they look so good. As I've mentioned on an earlier post, black and red is a great-looking and startling combination. I have some money with me, so I bought all 3 books. I haven't had the time to read them yet since I was hooked with chic lits then and I was saving the series for our long flight here in US. The paperback version of Breaking Dawn was not yet released here in the US (is still currently unreleased) so I had to ask my Nanay to send one to me so that all 4 books are in paperback. The OC-ness strikes again.

Of all 4 books, I have to say that I love Eclipse the most. Then Twilight, Breaking Dawn and New Moon. I hated don't like Bella in New Moon. The only saving grace on the book was when she "rescued" Edward in Italy. I also felt like the ending of the series was pilitIt was a good ending but it seemed like everything was forced to have a happy ending. No one even died! :p

I am fond of reading forums and it was a good thing that there are many bookworms who loves vamps as well. There was this thread under Books in Girltalk, where they recommend good vamp books. This was where I get my recos of what vamp book to read next. I found the following series almost as good as Twilight if not better:

Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris. Dead in the Family is the 10th book on the Sookie Stackhouse series. It will be released on May 4, 2010. And this is the same series where True Blood (of HBO)was based. I love that all of the books' title has the word DEAD in it. As always, the books are much much better, although I must admit that Alan Ball (of the 6 Feet Under fame) did a great job of writing the screenplay. There are many differences between the book and the TV series and I must say I look forward on how they will show the war scenes in the TV series.

 

Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward. Lover Mine is the 8th book in the series and this one is about JM (John Matthew aka reincarnated Darius). The book will be released in April 27, 2010 and I am excited! This series is not for Young Adults and not for the faint of heart. It's an erotic paranormal romance series where swearing, booze, drugs, S&M are covered. The series is basically about the brotherhood of warriors and their shellan (lady love) on how they protect the vampire world. Among all the brothers, I love Zhadist and Bella (again?)'s story. The love-hate relationship that they have for one another is something else.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. Spirit Bound is the 5th installment in this series and it's in the league of Twilight in terms of audience (YA) and content. SB will be released in May 18, 2010 and I will definitely buy this! The premise of the series is that there are 2 types of vampires, the Moroi and the Strigoi. Moroi are the good vamps who have affinity to the 5 elements (earth, fire, wind, water and spirit) while Strigoi are the bad vamps. Dhampir are offsprings of Moroi and humans, often acts as guardians of the Moroi. Vampire Academy is where the Moroi and Dhampir learns on how to use their powers and learns to guard Moroi and kill Strigoi, respectively. The story is focused on Rose (a Dhampir) and Dmitri (also a Dhampir). Recent events turned for the worst when Dmitri became the very person that he hated, he was turned to a Strogoi and Rose must kill him.

House of Night by PC and Kristin Cast. This series is like the Harry Potter for vamps. Burned is the 7th installment in the series and will be released sometime in April 2010. The premise is like this, if a person becamed Marked, he/she must go to the House of Night and learn on how to be a vampire. They are basically students and teachers who are guided by Nyx (The Goddess). I love this series since it really is like Harry Potter but the lead character is a girl named Zoey Redbird and she has the Nyx within her. For the YA genre and a true must-read!

Blood Coven by Mari Macusi. This one is a funny and short series. Bad Blood is the 4th book and this is about twins Sunshine and Raine who are different like Day and Night. Raine was into the vampire way of life and Sunny got sucked into the madness as well which she did NOT appreciate at all!

There was one series that I did NOT like at all. The first two books are ok, but as the story went on, it became dragging, complicated and boring! It's Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith. It is a really good thing that the TV series only based on the beginning part of the series. The TV series is so much better!

There are still several Vamp series that I have yet to read. Blue Bloods by Melissa Dela Cruz (yes she's a Filipina), Morganville series,  Cirque de Freak, Undead etc. I'll find the time to read them but at the meantime I'm on a break from vamp books. I guess it's safe to say that I've really been bitten. :p

5 years after

Do you remember when you were asked before, where will you be 5 years from now? Well this is kinda like that. When blogging hyped in circa 2004, I was one of the many who created one and promised myself that I'll continue this no matter what. Well, what do you know, I didn't. Haha.

Reading older posts make me sentimental, it was like reading letters back in highschool. It brings back happy and weird memories. A different time from now. The last post that I have, I have been concerned with  shoes, havs, movies, working life in Trend Micro and Borgy. Well, not much has changed, come to think of it. I still concern with most of those things.

One reason why I stopped blogging was because of social networks. Social networking got  huge. Then everyone have their Friendster account. I also created my Multiply account. Most of my pictures are still there, and I try to update as much as I can. Then Facebook came along and everyone have one! It got so huge, that even my parents have one!

As I am writing this entry, I am now 27 years old. Currently living in Westmont, IL with Borgy who is now my loving husband! (yep, that's what he is now to me!) We've been living here for more than a year now. I can say everything is pretty much well. Aside from the fact that I miss family and friends back home, things are great as they can be.

I'm a BUM/wife and I basically entertain myself by doing mundane stuff. I've come to terms with the changes of living without earning for myself. It used to be very hard for me, (honestly, at times it's still hard)  since I'm a very independent person specially when it comes to money matters. I plan ahead and I save. I'm quite proud that what we have right now is partially because of my contribution. Haha, Ok, enough about that.

To say that many things have changed is a bit of an understatement. Let's start with the easy stuff. I've posted before that I has a phase with Havaianas. Well the phase became this life-size monster that consumed me. It came to a point that I hyperventilate whenever I pass All Flip Flops. That I purchased 10 pairs at a time. It got so bad that I stopped counting them after they reached 50 pairs. It mellowed down and then it basically stopped when we left. I took with me about 20 pairs but since there are 4 seasons here in Central, I can basically just use them come spring and summer time.

All of them

I also had a phase with Converse Chucks. I have about 5 pairs now, but I think that's just that, a phase. I've been into boots now. Hahaha. See, a girl still needs her shoes. Be it a flip-flop, rubber shoes, boots or anything in between, it never fails to make one happy.

Forward to movies and books, the last Harry Potter book came out in 2007, entitled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. JK Rowling is a genius, she was able to answer every question and the ending is something that made everyone happy. I have accepted that Harry grew up and had a great life. The 6th movie installment came out last year (July 2009) and I must say, the movie is getting darker and darker. The 7th and 8th movie will come out some time this year. Why there's an 8th? Well, I think the movie people got greedy. They chopped the last book into 2 movies! I can imagine myself watching the 1st half and then after 2 hours of watching and building the anticipation, it will tell me to basically wait for another 6 months for the 2nd half. Great huh?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Scholastic)

Then there is the Twilight Saga. I was still in Manila when I got intrigued by the books. It was not that big then. They were releasing the 1st 3 books (Twilight, New Moon and Eclipse) in anticipation for the release of Breaking Dawn. What drew my to the book is not the story, it was the cover. It was so pretty. Black and red always make a stunning combination. So I bought the series and found myself daydreaming about Edward. But then the movie came out and everyone (I mean EVERYONE) wants Edward. Okay then, he's all yours. Hahaha.

Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer

As for the movies, I guess the ones worth mentioning are Transformers and Avatar. Those two were such huge blockbuster hit, Avatar toppled Titanic as the highest grossing film of all time.

As for the personal stuff, 2006 was hard for me (exeptionally hard), since Borgy left for Indonesia and we almost broke up. Being in a long-distance relationship is so hard, it almost borderline impossible. We were able to patch things up when we went back

2007 was a time for preparing his applications to work as a PT here in the US. We were able to complete most of them which was why on Jan of 2008, he left for US to take the NPTE exam. It was timing that I had to have my gall bladder removed. That was quite an experience. For as long as I can remember, I have not been confined in a hospital, then all of a sudden I have to get my gall bladder removed. Everything turned out great after the operation but I really got scared.

wedding day (June 09, 2008)

2008 was definitely our year as the most important and life-changing things in our lives happened that year. He passed the NPTE, he got picked in the H1B lottery and we got married! By Sept of 2008, we left for US and started our life in here. 2009 was pretty exciting too. We travelled to different states and we got to experience all 4 seasons. My family also visited us around May, and that was really fun. I've missed them so.

2010 is just beginning. As much as possible, I want to write everything in here, so that when time comes, I get look back and read about it. That's what this is for right?That's it for now. It's getting late and I have to write another entry!

waiting for Harry

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will hit bookstands/bookstores July 16, 2005. Can't wait for this book. Got some info on the book, read on.

Random facts about the book (from www.mugglenet.com)

We will learn a lot more about Voldemort in this book.

HBP will be an intense book, but with light-hearted moments.

Harry will leave Privet Drive early again, for a "much pleasanter" reason than in book 5.

The opening chapter of book 6 was originally planned for the early parts of book 1, perhaps we get a more in-depth story of what happened the night Harry's parents died.

Neither Harry or Voldemort (including Tom Riddle) are the Half-Blood Prince.

Arthur Weasley will not be the new Minister of Magic.

By the ends of books 6 and 7 "you'll have all the back story you'll need", says JK Rowling, and a prequel will not be necessary.

There will be a new Minister of Magic, no more Mr. Fudge.

We will find out what happened to Hagrid's half brother Grawp. He will be a bit more controllable in book 6.

The Dursleys are in the next book, but Harry's stay with them will be the shortest yet. In book 5 he stayed for 4 weeks, so we know his stay will be less than 4 weeks.

Cho Chang will not be a romantic interest of Harry in Book 6, however there will be a "little romance" for Harry says JK.

In books 6 and 7 we will find out exactly why JK killed off Sirius.

Harry becomes even more powerful in book 6.

In books 6 and 7 we will find out why Dumbledore trusts Snape.

We will find out what happened to Wormtail AKA Peter Pettigrew.

More about the animosity between Snape and Sirius will be revealed in the last 2 books.

JK has said that giving away the form of Snape's boggart and patronus says too much. We'll definitely find out what Snape's worst fear is, and it'll be important.

Hermione and Draco will NOT end up together in book 6 or 7.

We will find out what exactly Dudley saw when he looked at the dementors.

The reason Voldemort and Harry both didn't die when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, will be revealed.

We will see more of Draco's mother, Narcissa Malfoy, now that Lucius is busy.

We'll learn more about Harry's scar in the last 2 books.

Moaning Myrtle will make an appearance again, as will Tonks.

More about Voldemort's birth will be revealed, thus helping us understand why he is so evil.

Muggles begin to notice "more and more odd" occurrences in book 6, says JK.

The wizarding world is really at war in the sixth book.

Harry will tell his dearest friends about the prophesy after it sinks in to him.

We will learn more about Harry's relatives, including his grandparents (though JK says they aren't really important to the story)

We will find out what happened to Sirius's motorbike.

Book 6 will be shorter than the 5th book (or at least JK's 99% sure, but will not swear on her children's lives)

There will be no "new" nationalities of children at Hogwarts. Hogwarts is a British school, and JK says that adding foreigners for the sake of it is not in her plans.

During an interview, when JKR was asked in which Hogwarts room she'd like to be for 1 hour, she said it would be a room in which Harry has been before, but doesn't know its importance. Yet. (this could have happened in book 5, but we're unsure)

It's very important in the plot that Harry has his mother's eyes, and that her wand was very good for charms.

During an interview for Kids BBC, Victor Greensteet (reporter) asked Rowling if Harry would have a dragon for a pet. This is what she replied: "You can't tame a dragon, no matter what Hagrid thinks. It's simply impossible. So no. He has more common sense. He MAY have a different pet in the future, but for now, I won't say anything else". (This could have been buckbeak, but I'm sure we can expect more pets)

In the same interview for Kids BBC, the reporter asked J. K. if Harry had ever used the internet, and this is what she had to say: "No. They (the Dursleys) won't let him go near Dudley's computer, and Dudley is the only one who has a computer. They hit him if he gets too near to the keyboard. So the answer would be No. I use it a lot, but Harry doesn't. Wizards don't really need to go on the web. They have an even better way to find out what's happening in the outside world, which I think is a lot more fun than the Internet, but I'm going to keep quiet on this one."

The choice between what's right and what's easy will be a pillar of the plot in Harry's last 2 years at Hogwarts.

Harry's parents' profession will be a big part of the plot.

Something HUGE will be revealed about Lily Potter.

The movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will hit movie screens on Nov.2005. I just can't wait to see Victor Krum, Madame Maxine, Fluer, Barty Couch. Harry's all grown up at the pictures as well Hermione and Ron. I was checking some webistes and found some pretty production and promotional pictures. Enjoy. :) (click picture to see large pic)

Harry all grown up!

Movie pictures!