March Bookstagram Reviews

Here’s a round up of bookstagram reviews I did for March. You can see my round up posts from previous months here: January and February.

The Queen’s Game by Carla de Guzman

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The Queen's Game by Carla de Guzman is a #romanceclass title set in the fictional kingdoms of Cincamarre and Concordia, located north of the Philippines. They're based on Batanes, a province that has long been in my list of aspirational travel destinations. I hear it's gorgeous, and the descriptions in this book strengthens that knowledge. I can't say that I'm a big royal romance reader but I was fascinated by the idea that hey, we can have one set here! This was such a fun and cute romance with a feisty heroine and a soft boy of a hero. I wanted it to be longer, probably because the fantasy reader in me wants Cincamarre and Concordia to be explored further. But I'd be happy to read companion novels set in the same world. Please write more, @carlakdeguzman! If she releases more titles, you first heard the request here. Recommended for readers of royal romance, especially the ones who have loved A Princess in Theory by @alyssacolelit (*whispers* Alyssa herself recommends this title). . . . 📸 @milestan.author #TheQueensGame #CarladeGuzman #Filipinoauthor #Filipinobooks #readlocalPH #diverseromance #royalromance #romancereads #Kindlebooks #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 4, 2018 at 5:34am PST

Palaso by Marianie

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Palaso by Marianie is a standalone Filipino comics about Dark Cupid, the being in charge of pulling out the arrows from individuals who were mistakenly shot by Cupid (they fall in love but it doesn't work out). With one catch, they have to be ready to move on before he can pull out an arrow. . . This was such an interesting concept and premise for me! But given the nature of Dark Cupid's work, the whole story had a bittersweet tone to it. As we say in Filipino, hugot kung hugot. I know a lot of readers will be able to relate but I didn't love the whole thing as much as I wanted to, I'm chalking it up to me not being the target audience for this. The art is lovely, and I found the vibrant coloring enjoyable. This is Marianie's first work and I look forward to seeing more from her. I'm just waiting for her Nagmamahal, Maria Clara series to be finished before I buy it. That might be more my thing. . . In full color, written in Filipino. I bought my copy at Komiket but you can probably contact Marianie or Komiks Sundays if you're interesting in getting a copy. I picked it up based on @komikninja's recommendation, and you can read her review for an additional take on this. . . . #Palaso #Marianie #Pinoykomiks #diversecomics #comics #graphicnovel #artPH #readlocalPH #Komiket #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH #bookphotography #bookandcoffee #coffeetime #coffee #cafehopping

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 4, 2018 at 7:26am PST

The Last Namsara by Kristen Ciccarelli

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I really wanted to love The Last Namsara but unfortunately, this was a debut YA fantasy that didn't really work for me. It had a promising start, I really liked the theme of old stories having so much power. And that dragons craved storytelling. Also, yay dragons! But I just wasn't invested in any of the characters. I felt like Asha being a dragon slayer was supposed to be a strong female character, and yet she just keeps doing what others tell her to do without questioning why. It also got on my nerves that Asha kept believing that she was wicked, because that's what she's been told. This is one of those times when a book just wasn't a good fit for me. I'm glad I gave it a try because I was curious about it. Go and look up the summary and read this if you find it interesting, I know a lot of readers enjoyed this much more than I did. . . . #TheLastNamsara #KristenCiccarelli #HarperTeen #fantasyreads #YAfantasy #Kindlebooks #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH #booknerd #bookphotography #bookreview

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 6, 2018 at 9:26am PST

Tabi Po by Mervin Malonzo

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Tabi Po by Mervin Malonzo is a comics series steeped in Filipino folklore and set during the Spanish colonial period. It features the aswang, a supernatural creature that hungers for flesh and blood. I've heard of Tabi Po before but probably wouldn't have picked it up if it hadn't been highly recommended by friends @fantaghiro23 and @komikninja. Tabi Po Isyu 1 is an intriguing start to the series, where we are introduced to main characters Elias, Tasyo and Sabel. They are all aswang, but have their own distinct personalities. Given the nature of the characters, the artwork shows violent scenes, full of blood and gore. It is not gratuitous violence though, and is necessary to the story. I'm mentioning it only because I'm not sure this is something that everyone would enjoy reading. If you've read Monstress, Saga and The Wicked and the Divine, then you'd have no issues with this series. Maybe check a browsing copy first to see if this is something you'd be interested in. Personally, I found it a refreshing palate cleanser in between my Kindle reads. Smooth storytelling with beautiful artwork and interesting worldbuilding, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more in Isyu 2 and Isyu 3, which I already own. But I'm pacing them because I'm going to admit that I can't take that much violence in one go. Written in Filipino and in full color, I bought my copy at Komiket and had it signed by the author, which you can also ask for if you order from his website. Also available in local bookstores. Hopefully as ebook editions soon! . . . 📸 @readbyher #TabiPo #MervinMalonzo #Visprint #Pinoykomiks #comics #diversecomics #graphicnovels #artPH #readlocalPH #Komiket #Filipinoauthor #diversebooks #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH #booknerd #bibliophile #bookphotography #cafehopping #cafe

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 9, 2018 at 8:46am PST

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi is a debut YA fantasy novel that has been getting a lot of hype all over the online book community. It's an epic fantasy that has a rich culture inspired by West Africa. I can see why so many readers loved this book, it's a well-written and action-packed adventure story that features strong chatacters. It moves at a fast pace that keeps readers engaged and entertained. At its core, Children of Blood and Bone is a story of how people capable of magic rise up against the oppression they have endured under a tyrant of a king. I recognize the relevance of this kind of writing, and that it's a story that deserves to be told. However on a personal level, I can't say that I loved this book. Purely because there's only so much pain and suffering that I can read before I distance myself from what's happening in the story. I keep reading just to find out what happens but I'm not as involved with the characters, and that stops me from loving them. I'm willing to see characters go through difficult situations but I need the darkness to be balanced with enough hope and light for me to keep going. Sadly, I didn't feel that was the case with this one. Still, look up the premise to see if it's something you'll enjoy. I know mine is an unpopular opinion about this book. You might love it a lot more than I did. . . . #ChildrenofBloodandBone #TomiAdeyemi #Macmillan #bookreview #YAfantasy #youngadultlit #diversebooks #Kindlebooks #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH #bookworm #bibliophile #booknerd #bookphotography #bookandcoffee #coffee #coffeelover #coffeetime #cafehopping #cappuccino

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 17, 2018 at 10:32am PDT

Kabuwanan anthology by Haliya Publishing

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I loved the concept behind @haliyapublishing's Kabuwanan anthology: seven stories from various female comics creators. I'm always happy to support Filipino authors and artists and I'm glad Haliya shined the spotlight on women in this anthology. . Each story has its own distinct artistic style and way of storytelling. In full color, which I'm always a fan of. They're all interesting in their own way, but as with any anthology, not all stories worked for me. Even though I could appreciate the art, I wasn't able to connect with some of the stories. I chalk it up to me not being the target reader for them. I did love two stories though: the ones from @hulyen and @deadbalagtas. Hulyen's was hilarious and so relatable, and I've shared snapshots of her story because it resonates with other readers as well. Emiliana Kampilan's was a gorgeously drawn short story about a babaylan character. I loved the rich detail and history that she included in this tale. Would definitely love to read more from these two comics creators. . Kabuwanan is a title that I'd still recommend overall because out of seven stories, you're bound to love at least one or two of them. Kudos to Haliya, and I hope they publish more books like this. . . . #bookreview #GGSSG #artPH #Kabuwanan #HaliyaPublishing #Hulyen #EmilianaKampilan #Filipinoauthors #Filipinobooks #Pinoykomiks #readlocalPH #diversebooks #ownvoices #comics #graphicnovel #IGreads #readersofIG #instabooks #bookstagram #bookstagramPH #bookworm #bibliophile #booknerd #bookphotography

A post shared by Chachic (@chachicsbooknook) on Mar 31, 2018 at 8:23am PDT

What books have you read in March and what did you think of them? Any stand out reads?

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