books bought

Book Haul: Kindle Edition

/ Chachic / 13 Comments

bookWork has been consuming my life in the last few days but I wanted to do a quick book haul post before the weekend is completely over. I noticed that I’ve acquired quite a few ebooks in my Kindle after my last book haul post, so an update is in order. Some of these are freebies while some were bought at a promo price. In no particular order, here are the newest additions to my Kindle:

the-archived its-a-match beauty-and-the-blacksmith the-bollywood-bride the-courage-of-eli-jackson seven-days-of-friday a-fashionable-indulgence level-up prom-queen-perfect wyvern viking-warrior-rising underneath-it-all the-fifth-season

The Archived by Victoria Schwab
It’s a Match by Ana Tejano
Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare
The Bollywood Bride by Sonali Dev
The Courage of Eli Jackson by Kelly Hunter
Seven Days of Friday by Alex A. King
A Fashionable Indulgence by K.J. Charles
Level Up by Cathy Yardley
Prom Queen Perfect by Clarisse David
Wyvern by Grace Draven
Viking Warrior Rising by Asa Maria Bradley
Underneath It All by Ysa Arcangel
The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

See, this is why I don’t think I will ever finish the books in my TBR pile. I just keep getting more and more of them! And there will be more releases this month that I’ll be buying copies of. Have you read any of the books in this list, is there a title that I should bump up? πŸ™‚

In case anyone is wondering what I’m currently reading, it’s The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin which is the second book in the Inheritance Trilogy.

Fantasy Romance Book Haul

/ Chachic / 13 Comments

Last week’s book haul featured three romance titles, the last of which (A Promise of Fire Amanda Bouchet) was a fantasy romance. Ever since I finished reading that book, I have been in the mood for more fantasy romance. Which is why this week’s haul is all about that subgenre:

 

After The Winter King, I read Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan but I didn’t get a picture! Which is a shame because I enjoyed reading the latter more than the former. If I ever find the time to actually sit down and write reviews, maybe I can do short ones for these.

I then went on a Grace Draven marathon this weekend, starting with Master of Crows:

 

Which was quickly followed up by The Lightning God’s Wife:

 

Which is so short that I finished reading it in one sitting! So then I read The Light Within:

 

Also finished that one in one sitting. I think both The Lightning God’s Wife and The Light Within are bonus short stories that serve like outtakes or epilogues for Master of Crows. The next in the series is a longer novella and is set a few years after the first book. I’ve already downloaded The Brush of Black Wings on my Kindle but haven’t started it yet:

 

I think I may have to pick up some contemporary titles after this. I don’t want to get burned out on fantasy romance! Also, it hasn’t been easy looking for fantasy romance books that I’m interested enough to try, so feel free to recommend titles if you have favorites.

Even though I’ve bought a couple of ebooks the past week, I’ve tried to be a good girl by resisting temptation in the form of a Kinokuniya sale. I still have so many unread physical books in my TBR pile so I resisted going to the bookstore because I know I might end up buying something. I need to go to bed soon because ugh, Monday will be here in a few minutes! But I’m curious, have you bought or received any books recently?

Romance Book Haul

/ Chachic / 13 Comments

I acquired some books over the past week so it’s time for a book haul post! First is a package that I received from Lucy Parker, author of Act Like It, which is one of my favorite reads this year:

Snail mail from New Zealand! Act Like It by Lucy Parker is one of my favorite reads this year, so of course I jumped at the chance to get a signed copy when the author offered to send me one.πŸ’–πŸ“– with the added bonus of chocolates and a Jane Austen card. Thank you, Lucy! If you haven't read Act Like It, I highly recomment this fun romance set in West End. An actor and actress have to pretend to be in a relationship. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. I have a feeling I'll be tempted to reread Act Like It while waiting for the next one. . . . #ActLikeIt #LucyParker #CarinaPress #romance #bookstagram #instabooks #IGreads #bibliophile #booknerd #bookblogger #bookworm #bookphotograph #bookhaul #paperback #signedcopy #chocolates #snailmail #JaneAustenquote #PotterStyle #ChachicsBookNook

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Next is a debut contemporary romance from an Aussie author, I kept hearing good things about this love-hate office romance so I couldn’t resist grabbing it even though it’s more expensive that what I’d normally pay for:

Blueberry lavender chocolate tart, cucumber mint tea and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Taking a break from posting Filipino books to talk about my current read. This debut romance was first recommended by @bookthingo, followed by rave reviews from other romance readers. I normally wouldn't spend 9.99usd on an ebook of a debut author but I tried the Kindle sample and wanted to keep going. I just got to a scene where the hero makes tea for the heroine. πŸ‘Œβ˜• . . . #TheHatingGame #SallyThorne #WilliamMorrow #HarperCollins #romance #officeromance #bookstagram #instabooks #IGreads #bibliophile #booknerd #bookblogger #bookworm #bookphotograph #debutnovel #Kindle #ebook #TartBlanc #MilleniaWalk #tart #tea #teatime #cucumbermint #TeaForte #teapot #teacup #bookandtea #cafehoppingSG #SGfood #ChachicsBookNook

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Last but not the least, a debut fantasy romance that I’ve also heard positive feedback on:

 

I think it’s pretty obvious from these pictures that I like tea and desserts, right? πŸ™‚ I really should cut back on sweets but they’re just so hard to resist. Anyway, I’ve finished reading both The Hating Game by Sally Thorne and A Promise of Fire by Amanda Bouchet so I’m hoping I’ll be able to write reviews for both soon. As always, not making any promises because I’m always behind on reviews!

What about you guys, have you bought or received any books lately? Also, please feel free to share recommendations if you have titles similar to the ones I mentioned here. Would love to find similar reads.

Ten Books I HAD to Buy But Still Haven’t Read Yet

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Top Ten Tuesday2

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week is TTT Rewind and we could all pick any past topic that we’ve missed. I chose Ten Books I HAD to Buy But Still Haven’t Read Yet because this is totally applicable to me! Even though I already have a huge TBR pile, I still feel like there are books that I have to buy RIGHT AWAY for various reasons. It can be because I’m in the mood to buy books or because a book has been highly recommended by a trusted source or there’s an ongoing book sale. The funny thing is, these books just end up sitting on my bookshelf, waiting patiently to be read. I’m sure most of you will be able to relate. πŸ™‚ Here are ten books that I felt like I had to buy but still haven’t found time to read them yet:

Monstress The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl - Squirrel Power Ms. Marvel Lazarus Alex + Ada

This One Summer A Thousand Nights Black Dove White Raven - UK Roses and Rot Clean Sweep

I guess this post can work as a reminder for me to bump these up the TBR pile. Also, to TRY not to buy more books until I’ve finished reading these. Kinokuniya has 20% off today and I was able to resist! Mostly because my last book haul was just a few weeks ago. Anyway, have you guys read any of the books in my list? Feel free to encourage me to read any of them. πŸ˜€ Also, what books did you HAVE to buy but still haven’t read? What TTT topic did you choose this week?

V.E. Schwab Book Haul

/ Chachic / 5 Comments

I survived my first week at the new job! To reward myself, I went to the bookstore and bought two books from this shelf… can you guess which ones they are? πŸ™‚

Kinokuniya bookshelf - taken with Samsung S7

If you guessed A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab then you’re absolutely right! I keep hearing good things about both books from friends so I’ve been wanting to check them out. I know I keep saying I need to buy books in ebook format to save space, but the Kindle editions for these are still pretty pricey, and the UK paperback editions cost just a few more dollars so might as well get physical copies for the prettiness.

V.E. Schwab books

I hope I get to read these soon. Although I’ve heard that the second book ends on a cliffhanger. Maybe I should have waited for all three books to be released before getting the series? Oh well, too late now. πŸ˜›

As an aside, I finally switched from a Samsung S3 to an S7 Edge. The bookshelf pic above was the first one I posted on Instagram using the new phone. I got my old phone when I first moved to Singapore and had it for almost 4 years. I’m loving the upgrade, including having a way better phone camera. So expect nicer shots from me!

Book Haul: Ebooks Galore

/ Chachic / 10 Comments

I haven’t done a book haul post in months, my last one was in June. I thought it would be a good idea to put up a blog update on books that I’ve acquired since then. I’ve noticed that I’ve gotten more ebooks than physical books recently but let’s start with two packages that I’ve received:

A Corner of White package

I won a giveaway that my friend Brandy hosted on her blog. I chose A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty because I’m excited to read it. I’ve been hearing good things about this book and I like that it has a whimsical cover. I have the NetGalley edition of this but the formatting is a bit off so I would prefer reading the hardcover.

The Chocolate Touch package

I can’t get over how generous Laura Florand is, she was nice enough to send me a signed copy of The Chocolate Touch! It’s been weeks (or has it been months?) since I finished reading the galley of this and I still need to work on a review. Let me just say that I loved it – the Amour et Chocolat series really is one of my favorite discoveries this year.

Moving on to ebooks. I bought a couple of titles based on several recommendations:
Protecting Whats HisHis Risk to TakeOfficer Off LimitsConfidence Tricks
Protecting What’s His by Tessa Bailey
His Risk to Take by Tessa Bailey
Officer Off Limits by Tessa Bailey
Confidence Tricks by Tamara Morgan

Wowza, how smexy are those Tessa Bailey covers? Her Line of Duty series was recommended by both Mandi of Smexy Books and Mina V. Esguerra. I’ve read all three and I liked Officer Off Limits the best. I’m so behind on reviews so I’m not sure if I’ll ever get the chance to review these. Confidence Tricks was recommended by Laura Florand – the premise reminds me a little of Fate’s Edge.

These two titles were available for free on Amazon so I grabbed them as soon as I could:
Her Favorite TemptationThe Other Side of Us
Her Favorite Temptation by Sarah Mayberry
The Other Side of Us by Sarah Mayberry

Some galleys that I received for review / got approval on NetGalley for:
Snow-KissedWell-PlayedThe Corrupt ComteStay With MeWild ChildThe Heiress EffectLife in Outer SpaceMaking It Last
Snow-Kissed by Laura Florand
Well-Played by Katrina Ramos Atienza
The Corrupt Comte by Edie Harris
Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick
Wild Child by Molly O’Keefe
The Heiress Effect by Courtney Milan
Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil
Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

Last but not the least, even my current read is in ebook format:
The Distance Between Us
That’s a lot of ebooks! And most of them are romances. I think that says something about the kind of reading mood that I’ve been in. I do want to read more fantasy but it’s just that it’s so easy to get into contemporary romances. Anyway, Sunday is almost over in my part of the world. How was your weekend? What are the books that you’ve bought or received lately?

Book Haul: Kinokuniya Part 2

/ Chachic / 12 Comments

Kinokuniya was having a sale last weekend and since my flatmates are members, I went with them to see if I could take advantage of the 20% discount. I know I keep harping on how expensive books are here and I usually rather buy copies in Manila for UK or US editions that are also available there. So when bookstores have sales here, I usually aim for books that I can’t get back home or through Book Depository like Aussie titles. Most of the ones I wanted were out of stock but it made me happy that Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty was there.

book haul - paper chains

I’ve been wanting to read Nicola Moriarty’s books for a while now and I’m glad I will finally be able to try her writing. I got an extra copy to swap with my friend Maggie of Young Adult Anonymous, I know she’s a fan of Aussie fiction as well.

I was walking around the bookstore, trying to decide what else to get and I was just thinking that it would be great if I could find books similar to Laura Florand’s since I enjoy reading her books so much. Lo and behold, The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan pops up! I knew it was a sign that I should grab a copy. It’s rare for me to buy a book just based on the cover and synopsis because I usually rely on reviews from fellow book bloggers. Let’s see if this lives up to my expectations.

book haul - loveliest chocolate shop in paris

That’s a French-themed postcard made out of washi tape right beside the book. What about the rest of you, have you bought or borrowed any books lately?

2013 California Book Haul

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I was pretty excited by the fact that books are a lot more affordable in the States than in Singapore. Sometimes, books are even cheaper than their list prices when you order them off Amazon. I visited Barnes and Noble several times but didn’t get anything because I realized I would save more if I got them from Amazon. I had such a hard time deciding which books to get but finally narrowed it down to the following:

2013 California Book Haul

Star Crossed by Jennifer Echols
The Chocolate Thief by Laura Florand
The Chocolate Kiss by Laura Florand
House of Shadows by Rachel Neumeier
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery

I look forward to trying out Jennifer Echols’ adult novel, I hope it’s just as good as her YA books. The Laura Florand books were recommended by Michelle when we met up. I wanted to get a fantasy book in this stash and I’ve heard good things about House of Shadows so that made me curious. Eleanor & Park was a no-brainer given how much I enjoyed Attachments, I don’t have matching editions for these two but that doesn’t really matter. I’ve been looking for a copy of The Blue Castle for AGES but I was kind of disappointed when I saw that this edition isn’t a proper paperback – it looks kind of like a textbook.

These three I got during my meet ups with Maggie and Michelle:

2013 California Book Haul2

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty

Last but not the least, guess who walked into a grocery store and came out with a book? I couldn’t resist when I saw The Best Man by Kristan Higgins.

2013 California Book Haul3

I think this is a pretty good haul, I didn’t have to worry about going beyond my luggage limit. I would have loved to get more but I had to be practical about the cost and how I’ll take these back to Singapore. I’m excited to read all of these!

Book Haul: Times Book Sale

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I veered away from my usual Sunday library visit because my friend invited me to go with her to the book sale organized by Times. Since books are pricey here in Singapore, I wanted to take advantage of the availability of bargain books.

Times Book Sale

I was delighted to discover that there were several shelves of books in that place and all of them were being sold at a discounted price. So of course, we spent a few hours browsing through everything. I was pleasantly surprised to see novels written by Filipino authors available in the sale:

Filipino books in SG book sale

I was thrilled when I saw this edition of The Queen of Attolia because I don’t have a copy of it yet and one can never have enough copies of one’s favorite books:

Queen of Attolia in Times

Remember when I said that I haven’t bought books for myself ever since I moved here in Singapore? I’ve only purchased books given as gifts to friends. For my own reading, I just borrow from the library. Well, I made up for that with this stash:

Times book sale haul Dec 2012

Thunder on the Right by Mary Stewart
Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Kiss It by Erin Downing
Hangman’s Holiday by Dorothy Sayers
Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy Sayers
Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
The Chocolate Run and The Cupid Effect omnibus by Dorothy Koomson

I got all of these for only SGD 32. Not bad, right? I like seeing them all lined up on the shelf in my room. Yay for more books! What about you, what books have you bought or borrowed this week?

Book Haul: Hong Kong Edition

/ Chachic / 28 Comments

I have a Postcard Love Hong Kong edition post and now it’s time to talk about books. I kept looking for a bookstore the whole time we were there but only found one on our last day. Good thing I did because I ended up buying several items! Here’s my loot from Swindon Books in Tsim Sha Tsui:

Swindon Book shopping bag

This is what’s inside the bag:

Hong Kong book haul

UK edition of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, one my favorite reads last year
A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix
Pride and Prejudice Penguin mug
Some bookmarks

I wanted to get so many other books that I haven’t seen in local bookstores like Adorkable, Wonder and one of the Harry Potter signature editions. But I already used my credit card several times during the trip so I thought I’d grab only two books – one that I’ve read (I’ve been interested in The Scorpio Races UK edition since last year) and one that I’m interested in reading. I also saw the Penguin passport holders but they only had two designs for it: The Road and The Lost Girl and I haven’t read any of those. I thought there’d be more designs but when I searched online, it looks like it comes in only those two versions. So I got a Pride and Prejudice Penguin mug instead:

Pride and Prejudice Penguin mug

Pretty, right? I have a feeling I’d eventually end up buying one of those passport holders the next time I see it in a foreign bookstore. I also got a Starbucks Hong Kong edition tumbler to add to my collection:

Starbucks Tumblers

Got any good books recently? How about book-related items like mugs or bookmarks?