i'm thankful for..

Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, I think we all can agree on one thing: We're thankful for something. Because it is Thanksgiving today, I just felt like saying thanks to all of you! It has almost been a year since I've been blogging, and though sometimes I may not be the best -- and up to date -- book blogger, ha ha, you still stick around and read what I have to say.

Believe it or not, blogging here has made a great impact in my life this year. Even after a not-so-good day or something, I know I can go on here or even on my Twitter account and talk to my "blogosphere friends." It's always a quick cheer me up, no matter what! So... with the fact known that I will indeed sound incredibly cheesy on this post; if you have ever read, commented, talked to me, about anything through this blog, well, I'm thankful for you. Happy Holidays!

for Harry Potter fans: Looking Back

Warning: If you have not read the books, some spoilers of course :)

I'm not usually the type to re-read books, but for some reason, it just felt like the perfect thing to do especially after having watched HP7. I was inspired to grab these books again. Though I did not read it all, I did go through some of my favorite chapters in each.

In the Sorcerer's Stone, I had to look back to the very first time Harry, Ron, and Hermione rode the Hogwarts Express. I loved that scene so much! In Prisoner of Azkaban -- which has got to be my top 2 favorite book in the series -- I went back to Harry, Sirius, Lupin, Snape, Ron, Hermione, and Wormtail's confrontation scene by the end. So well-told, that part! And then of course, for Goblet of Fire.. the Yule Ball. As for the Deathly Hallows, I pretty much read most of it! Though everything is pretty much as clear to me as when I first read it, there are so many little details I have already forgotten!

Needless to say, reading my favorite books (of all time!) was extremely nostalgic for me. Now don't even get me started on when I saw part 1 of the movie.. can I just say though?? Right when it ended, I just sat there, feeling the exact same way I did when I finished the entire series -- and told myself the exact way as well - "My childhood is over." That's how it felt to me. It was like one of my best friends moved away without even telling me or without even giving me any contact number or whatever. HA HA HA, seriously though. Did you feel like this too? I would love to know, because I'm pretty sure huge HP fans felt the same way I did, maybe even more! And also, do share your memories growing up with these beloved characters and this beloved story. Which HP book was your favorite? Who was your favorite character? Were you obsessed with the series? *don't worry, I won't tell* I would love to hear from you!

HP7.

So if you're not excited about this yet, then you better get excited now. Just a few more days.. Do you already have your tickets??

Believe it or not also, I am actually super excited how the movie will play out my most favorite 'love team' ever -- Ron and Hermione. I knew when I read the 3rd book in the series, it was going to lead up to this. Can not wait.

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Genre: Young Adult - fantasy/children's

Synopsis: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly?
Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out.
Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god.

Rating: 5 stars

Review: This review will be as simple, straight-forward, and direct as I can possibly make it. The Lost Hero is a good read; it is entertaining, fun, exciting.. and yes, it is reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series. Now if you are a fan of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, then I can almost (almost!) guarantee you will enjoy this. It almost felt like a tribute to PJ&O and Greek mythology fans. Rick Riordan brings back some old characters, and adds new interesting and promising ones -- which was something I loved and appreciated a whole lot. Having said that, yes, I highly recommend this book!

Is it better than the Percy Jackson series? Well, no, but it sure has a place on its own. It's new, different, original, fun, and a book that is most definitely worth your time. Personally, I loved it!

help a charity event

..is officially over. 7 winners will be chosen by the end of this week.. hopefully! If not, next week. Please bear with me. Thank you all so much for the support, help, and participation with this succesful project!

kind of late but..

Some Halloween pictures :)

from left to right: Lara Croft, a rockstar (not actually a costume haha), the Brawny man, ringleader, a zombie, the nerd, Snow White, Capt. America, Spiderman, Bison, Chunli, two vampires, and a sailor -- mostly homemade costumes :) How did you spend your Halloween?

i missed reading.

Yesterday, it was raining around where I live, which basically forced me to stay in the house, mostly in bed. To add to the whole relaxing mood, I had candles lit up and a cup of tea on my bedside table, while I caught up on my reading. Doing this really made me miss books so much. Sad to say I haven't been reading much lately due to 'real life getting in the way.'

I was able to finish The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (review coming up soon!) and was able to start with Fire on the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky. She is probably one of my favorite writers, as her words are simply poetic, flowing with effortless fluidity. I was able to take in as much pages and chapters as possible, and I am just in love with it so far.

So this post is mainly for me to ask, do you ever feel like real life just gets in the way of things sometimes and prevents you from doing what you actually enjoy doing -- like for instance, reading? Perhaps even blogging? I know I do, and I guess it's just nice to finally catch up on something I really love, because I really did miss it. What are you currently reading right now and how are you liking it so far?

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Bookshelf tour!

I said I was going to do this video a long time ago; finally it's here!