Book Haul [33] + A Message of Gratitude!

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My "Weekly Book Haul" is pretty much just like In My Mailbox by the Story Siren, This Week In Books by Pop Culture Junkie, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews and all the other titles with the similar concept here and there. This is a weekly post showcasing the books you received for the given week, either bought online or from a physical bookstore, borrowed from the library or from a friend, received for review or won from a giveaway, etc.

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Hello, everyone! Pardon the three-week absence of posts from my blog. One of the reasons why is that I am knee-deep in wedding preparations for most of my free time from work. I can't believe that in more or less six months from now, I am going to be married! It's exciting... and nerve-wrecking. I know I'm about to freak out or have a panic attack any moment now.

Anyway, here's my book haul, which has piled up for the weeks of not posting:

TITLES:

(from the Book Depository)
THE DESERT TALES by Melissa Marr
RENEGADE by J.A. Souders (read and reviewed)
THE IRON TRAITOR by Julie Kagawa (read and reviewed)
OUTPOST by Ann Aguirre (read and reviewed)
CREWEL by Gennifer Albin (read and reviewed)
ANTIGODDESS by Kendare Blake
MONSTROUS BEAUTY by Elizabeth Fama (read and reviewed)
ORIGIN by Jennifer L. Armentrout (read and reviewed)
 
(from Fully Booked)
A TOUCH MORTAL by Leah Clifford -Bargain Sale worth Php 100.00! roughly around $2-
CHAMPION by Marie Lu (read) -Signed Copy!-
ECLIPSE by Stephenie Meyer (read and reviewed) -Bargain Sale worth Php 50.00! roughly around $1-
SUNLIGHT AND SHADOW by Cameron Dokey

(from National Bookstore)
ALLEGIANT by Veronica Roth (read)
DECEPTION by C.J. Redwine
SERIOUSLY... I'M KIDDING by Ellen Degeneres (read and reviewed) 

The World Above: A Retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Cameron Dokey [REVIEW]

The World Above: A Retelling of
"Jack and the Beanstalk"
(Once Upon a Time)
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

“Gen and her twin brother, Jack, were raised with their mother's tales of life in the World Above. Gen is skeptical, but adventureous Jack believes the stories--and trades the family cow for magical beans. Their mother rejoices, knowing they can finally return to their royal home.When Jack plants the beans and climbs the enchanted stalk, he is captured by the tyrant who now rules the land. Gen sets off to rescue her borther, but danger awaits her in the World Above. For finding Jack may mean losing her heart...”

Rating:

When I first saw the World Above [seeing a girl on the cover], which was described as a retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk,” I thought the retelling was going to go something like this: Jack is really a girl who disguised herself as a boy then went up a beanstalk. Well, I couldn’t be more wrong; my bad. Turns out the World Above is actually a retelling in which Gen, our main character, is the twin sister of Jack. And this is supposedly the true story of “Jack and the Beanstalk.”

Now let me give a little intro on how the book started off:

"...Whose name do you see there? Just Jack's. It doesn't mention me at all. Not only that, it gives you the impression there was only one beanstalk, when in fact, there were many. I'm thinking it's time to set the record straight. To share the true story...It begins with the way all good tales do. With Once upon a time..."

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books for People Who Liked [X] Book

Top Ten Books for People Who Liked [INSERT BOOK TITLE] Book

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week they post a new Top Ten list  that bloggers are welcome to join in and answer. 

Hello fellow readers! Today's topic for Top Ten Tuesday is to pick a certain book and recommend books that have similar concepts. Here are my picks. I chose 3 books to base my recommendations on.

If you've read and liked:

Fairy Tales by the Grimm Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen

 

In My Mailbox [23]

In My Mailbox [23]

hosted by The Story Siren

...Okay so I'm a little bothered by my IMM post number. It's 23, add the fact that last friday I just turned 23 (January 27)... Rubbing it in much? Grr!  

Anyway, before I get into the books I got, let me share how I had an absolutely blissful but busy week. Here's what happened:

JAN 23 (MONDAY) - Chinese New Year: I thought the holiday was my chance for some rest and relaxation but I somehow ended up running errands since my cousin's wedding was on Wednesday. Luckily I was able to stop by a bookstore and bought a book. Yay!

JAN 24 (TUESDAY) -  Work day: Work, work, work...

JAN 25 (WEDNESDAY) - My Cousin's Wedding: Hair & Make-Up in the morning, Wedding at 3PM, then reception until 8PM. My family and I got home around 9 afterwards.

...Here's what I wore during her wedding:

JAN 26 (THURSDAY) - Work day: Work, work, work...

JAN 27 (FRIDAY) - My Birthday: Ah yes... my special day has come. By any chance can I keep my age the same every year? LOL. 

AM: Coffee treat at Starbucks

NN: One of my officemates gave me a cake for my birthday which I absolutely hate her for ruining my diet and loving her for giving me one of the best tasting chocolate cakes I ever had! 

Chocolate Cake from my officemate, Ria

PM: My boyfriend picked me up from work and off we went to celebrate! Woohoo! 

I told him that my only wish for my birthday was to visit the Fully Booked store at Bonifacio Global City and true enough, he took me there and I had a BLAST!!! so many books! and a Starbucks and Whitehat shop inside. Yummy!

So here's what I splurged on:

Unison Spark by Andy Marino
Void by Rhiannon Lassiter
The Diamond Secret: A Retelling of "Anastasia" by Suzanne Weyn
The World Above: A Retelling of "Jack and the Beanstalk" by Cameron Dokey
 Violet Eyes: A Retelling of "The Princess and the Pea" by Debbie Viguie

The Best of Chico and Delamar's The Morning Rush Top 10 by Chico Garcia & Delamar Arias
- this is a book based on the radio show I listen to every morning, Mondays to Fridays

Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst (JAN 23 Purchase)

Then off to dinner at T.G.I.Friday's!

Dinner at T.G.I.F, Bonifacio Global City

...and last but not the least, aside from the shopping spree of books above, he got me this cute book holder:

...testing how it works:

Awesome!!!

JAN 28 (SATURDAY): Well, since my dad didn't get the chance to buy me a birthday present, he gave me cash to buy myself what I want as a gift. So I went shopping for new clothes. 

So that's all for me! Sorry for such a long post. I felt I needed to make up for the fewer posts I've had the past few weeks.

Now I'd like to know... What did you guys get this week? ^_^

Wild Orchid: A Retelling of "The Ballad of Mulan" by Cameron Dokey

        

Wild Orchid: A Retelling of
"The Ballad of Mulan"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Wielding a sword as deftly as an embroidery needle, Mulan is unlike any other girl in China. When the emperor summons a great army, each family must send a male to fight. Tomboyish Mulan is determined to spare her aging father and bring her family honor, so she disguises herself and answers the call.

But Mulan never expects to find a friend, let alone a soul mate, in the commander of her division, Prince Jian. For all of Mulan's courage with a bow and arrow, is she brave enough to share her true identity and feelings with Prince Jian?"

Rating:

Not exactly a tale that I find memorable and exciting. I appreciated the first parts of this book but as the story progressed, I came to notice how shallow and uneventful it turned out to be.

I didn’t get to know the characters very well. Mulan’s character was fairly established but as for everyone else, I just got a glimpse or two of their names and not much of their personality. I also find that Mulan’s love interest, Prince Jian (…is that his name? correct me if I’m wrong.) a very unreal character. It feels forced when the author made them connect with each other, because first of all, we know Mulan pretended to be a boy so when they were having this deep conversation about their feelings, do you seriously believe guys would have that deep of a heart-to-heart talk when they’ve only met for like a couple of hours ago?

I’m really bothered by the pacing of the story. Almost half of the book talked about Mulan’s childhood, which was good but cannot really suffice for the lack of incidents that occurred with the remaining pages of the book. The events that followed was the preparation for war and the war itself which felt like a speeding car zooming across the highway, so fast that you didn’t even get the chance to see what kind of car passed by. Totally frustrating.

I also feel like there weren’t any challenging events for Mulan. Yes, they are on the verge of war and there are issues between the princes of the kingdom but there wasn’t any groundbreaking climax.

In spite all that, I do have to say that it wasn’t all bad. I love Mulan’s voice and the enriching relationship she was able to develop with her father and her stepmother. I love the idea of willing to sacrifice yourself for the happiness of your loved ones. 

In My Mailbox [6]

In My Mailbox [6]

hosted by The Story Siren

I visited the Bibliarch bookstore at Glorietta, Makati City this week and I found a lot of books I love to purchase. Unfortunately, I couldn't buy them all. *sigh*

So here's what I hauled over:  

Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey

I also got the following ebooks (epub format):

 

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer

Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

First Frost by Jennifer Estep

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Forgotten by Cat Patrick

So what did you guys get?

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" by Cameron Dokey

        

Golden:
A Retelling of "Rapunzel"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Before Rapunzel's birth, her mother made a dangerous deal with the sorceress Melisande: If she could not love newborn Rapunzel just as she appeared, she would surrender the child to Melisande. When Rapunzel was born completely bald and without hope of ever growing hair, her horrified mother sent her away with the sorceress to an uncertain future. 

After sixteen years of raising Rapunzel as her own child, Melisande reveals that she has another daughter, Rue, who was cursed by a wizard years ago and needs Rapunzel's help. Rue and Rapunzel have precisely "two nights and the day that falls between" to break the enchantment. But bitterness and envy come between the girls, and if they fail to work together, Rue will remain cursed…forever."

Rating:

I can point out a lot of good things about this book. For one, it definitely took after the original tale of Rapunzel but giving it a rather surprising twist. When we hear “Rapunzel” we immediately think EXTREMELY LONG BLONDE HAIR. But with Dokey’s Golden, we find our heroine BALD. Yup, you read it right; Rapunzel is B-A-L-D. I absolutely loved the idea. It was so fresh and the story of how she ended up with the sorceress was cunning.

Another thing I was fond of was Rapunzel herself. She’s spunky and charming. Usually, when I read about princesses or damsels in fairy tales they seem to always be mistreated and distressed. Here I find a girl who, despite having known how her past was, is a lively and strong-willed character who doesn’t have to be all nice and sweet.

I also like the idea that the person who took Rapunzel from her parents was not the villain in the story. Henry and Mr. Jones were also characters that I adored. I love Henry and Rapunzel’s bickering, I find them so entertaining.

I was really into my reading up until I reached the part where Rapunzel had to stay in the tower. It got a little TOO twisted at this part and I was just not getting what Rapunzel’s plan was on how to get out of that tower.

Another let down was the fact that when we finally reached the climax of the story, it was over by a blink of an eye. That fast? I didn’t even get how the story got there.

And then they lived happily ever after… that was it. Just when I thought this was going to be one of those books in the Once Upon A Time series that I’d come to love. *Sigh* So sad.

But I did appreciate how wise Dokey was to still incorporate how the tale we know of Rapunzel now with what she has recreated. That part of the ending was something that made me smile in spite of my displeasure.

In My Mailbox [4]

In My Mailbox [4]

hosted by The Story Siren

I'm trying to control my expenses for a few weeks now so I'm abstaining from buying any hardbound books. Also, I gave myself a certain budget for my book splurging. It's a pain that I have to endure. :(

Here's what I bought this week:

Golden: A Retelling of "Rapunzel" by Cameron Dokey

Meridian by Amber Kizer

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

So what did you guys get? 

Winter's Child: A Retelling of "The Snow Queen" by Cameron Dokey

         

Winter's Child:
A Retelling of "The Snow Queen"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Free-spirited Grace and serious Kai are the best of friends. They grew up together listening to magical tales spun by Kai's grandmother and sharing in each other's secrets. But when they turn sixteen and Kai declares his love for Grace, everything changes. Grace yearns for freedom and slowly begins to push Kai - and their friendship - away. 

Dejected Kai dreams of a dazzling Snow Queen, who entices him to leave home and wander to faraway lands. When Grace discovers Kai is gone, she learns how much she has lost and sets out on a mystical journey to find Kai...and discover herself."

Rating:

 

So where do I begin?

I find this book rather strange. Weird. I don’t know.

Usually, when I finished reading a book, I’d hear myself utter a word or two about what I felt about the book; like, “Wow” or “That was fun.” But there are moments, once in a while, that when I turn over the last page, I find myself speechless. It can mean a good thing or a bad thing, or sometimes I just don’t know what I feel.

At this point, I’m still undecided about Winter’s Child. It was interesting and definitely a new twist to the classic story of The Snow Queen, but I don’t know whether I liked it or didn’t. It’s just really strange.

This retelling started out with the introduction of the Winter Child’s life. Followed shortly by the life of Grace and Kai. Then Kai asks Grace to marry him, assuming he thought that was the best idea at the time. Grace says no, and he goes of following the Winter Child, Deirdre, back to her kingdom.

So this is where the adventure begins. Grace goes out to find Kai and apologize, and supposedly to take back her refusal to marry him. She comes across obstacles and meets new people; make new friends, as well as enemies. On particular friend she found tagged along her journey, a falcon.

So on she goes, blah blah blah… This is where it gets all strange. Also, if you’re planning to read this book, stop reading this review at this point, it gets a little spoiler-ish. She comes across a house with an old woman, this is supposedly a test but the solution to pass this test was just really weird. I don’t get it with just simply THAT (can’t say what it is, sorry), you can break a powerful curse or spell.

The other parts that followed after this event just left me puzzled. I didn’t know what to think about it. I didn’t get the idea of what it had to do with this retelling.

So overall I think this was good. I’m in neutral territory on this book though, I didn’t hate but I didn’t love it either.

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" by Cameron Dokey

              

The Storyteller's Daughter:
A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads: 

"In a faraway kingdom, a king has been betrayed. Deeply hurt and bitterly angry, he vows never to be deceived again. Unfortunately, the king's plan to protect himself will endanger all of the realm's young women, unless one of them will volunteer to marry the king -- and surrender her life. 

To everyone's relief and horror, one young woman steps forward. The daughter of a legendary storyteller, Shahrazad believes it is her destiny to accept this risk and sacrifice herself. 

On the night of her wedding to the king, Shahrazad begins to weave a tale. Fascinated, the king lets her live night after night. Just when Shahrazad dares to believe that she has found a way to keep her life -- and an unexpected love -- a treacherous plot will disrupt her plan. Now she can only hope that love is strong enough to save her."

Rating:

  

I haven’t read of the actual story of “The Arabian Nights,” but being unaware of it was not a hindrance for me to enjoy “The Storyteller’s Daughter” which is a retelling of that tale.

Cameron Dokey’s writing is quite invigorating. I was drawn to story as soon as it started. The plot was simple enough and I like the idea of having a story within a story.

This book started out with a very magical and mysterious prologue. It was such a great way to introduce this story. It was followed by a little background about Shahrayar’s family and himself. Then we move on to our main character Shahrazad, who was every bit of what her mother was before she passed away. She was wise, brave, passionate and a gifted storyteller. But every gift has its price, so Shahrazad, as her mother was as well, is blind. Still, that did not stop her from fulfilling what she believes is her destiny.

I won’t go into any more details at this point so I’ll move on to what I felt about this book.

I’d have to say that I found this story really interesting. Although I will admit, it’s not one of the most memorable tales I’ve read so far from Dokey. I didn’t see myself laugh out loud on the funny parts but rather just smiled. When there was despair I just frowned when I usually ended up crying. There was humor, romance and uniqueness, but not much of a standout.

In My Mailbox [2]

IN MY MAILBOX [2]

hosted by The Story Siren

Forgive my absence from last week's IMM. I've been busy with a lot of things that I wasn't able to grab anything new from the bookstore. So anyway, here's what I got this week. I didn't get much since I haven't finished my last pile of books 2 weeks ago. 

Winter's Child: A Retelling of "The Snow Queen" by Cameron Dokey

XVI by Julia Karr

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner

So what did you guys get this week? ^_^

In My Mailbox [1]

IN MY MAILBOX [1]

hosted by The Story Siren

My first In My Mailbox post! Yay! 

I went to one of my favorite bookstores, Fully Booked at the Gateway Mall, and found a lot of great books. Sadly I can't buy all of them. It took me about a few (okay, more like a lot!) rounds around shelves to finally pick just five(5) from those that I like most.

So, here are the books I splurged on this week. 

Snow: A Retelling of "Snow White & the Seven Dwarves" by Tracy Lynn

The Rose Bride: A Retelling of "The White Bride & the Black Bride" by Nancy Holder

The Storyteller's Daughter: A Retelling of "The Arabian Nights" by Cameron Dokey

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Beauty Sleep: A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty" by Cameron Dokey

        

Beauty Sleep: 
A Retelling of "Sleeping Beauty"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"The Princess Aurore has had an unusual childhood. Cursed at birth, Aurore is fated to prick her finger at the age of sixteen and sleep for one hundred years -- until a prince awakens her with a kiss. So, to protect her, Aurore's loving parents forbid any task requiring a needle.

Unable to sew or embroider like most little princesses, Aurore instead explores the castle grounds and beyond, where her warmth and generosity soon endear her to the townspeople. their devotion to the spirited princess grows as she does.

On her sixteenth birthday, Aurore learns that the impending curse will harm not only her, but the entire kingdom as well. Unwilling to cause suffering, she will embark on a quest to end the evil magic. The princess's bravery will be rewarded as she finds adventure, enchantment, a handsome prince, and ultimately her destiny."

Rating:

Well this is new. Most fairy tales I’ve come across, I can somehow predict the outcome even before I get halfway through the book. But with “Beauty Sleep”, I was surprised with the ending. Even though I’m a bit disturbed with whom Aurore ended up with. I guess with my upbringing, it’s kind of awkward to be with THAT person, but I guess fairy tales can be capable of those and it wouldn’t be so bilious. 

Also, since I pretty much grew with the Disney version of this tale, I was accustomed to think that the prince would battle it out to get to the tower where Sleeping Beauty lays asleep; that didn’t happen. But the twist of it was something I can condone.

With the characters at hand, I simply adored a lot of them. I love Princess Aurore, her thoughts were amusing and witty. I mostly loved Princess Aurore’s father King Philippe; a man of few words but deep and poignant. True and wise. Oswald and Ironheart are both witty and likable. 

Dokey’s writing is astonishing. I love how Dokey made the reader feel like Aurore was simply telling how her day went. It’s like talking to a friend who was just telling you a story that wasn’t such a big deal, even if it was like one of the biggest parts of her life. 

Such a remarkable story! Just truly remarkable. 

Belle: A Retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" by Cameron Dokey

       

Belle: A Retelling of 
"Beauty and the Beast"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Belle is convinced she has the wrong name, as she lacks her sisters' awe-inspiring beauty. So she withdraws from society, devoting her time to wood carving. Secretly, Belle longs to find the fabled Heartwood Tree. If carved by the right hands, the Heartwood will reveal the face of one's true love.

During a fierce storm, Belle's father stumbles upon the mysterious Heartwood — and encounters a terrifying and lonely Beast. Now Belle must carve the Heartwood to save her father, and learn to see not with the eyes of her mind, but with the eyes of her heart."

Rating:

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” has always been my favorite cartoon of all time. Seriously, up until now at my age, I still cry at the ending when I watch it. Ha! Ha!

So, when I saw this book and realized that it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, I was excited to know how this would spin around.

Well, it was really good and the story was, like, really there: Sad goodbyes to Belle’s family; Sweet moment with the Beast; Lovely new twist with that Love-Tree and its secret. I was already filled with wonder and amusement. But then there were the flat, dull moments. The anticipation of waiting for Belle to reach the Beast and her somehow naive denial over her feelings for Beast where I felt puzzled then just simply annoyed.

But even with all that, still, by the ending I cried. It was a bit tacky and too fast but a nice retelling nonetheless.

        

Before Midnight: 
A Retelling of "Cinderella"
by Cameron Dokey

Summary from Goodreads:

"Etienne de Brabant is brokenhearted. His wife has died in childbirth, leaving him alone with an infant daughter he cannot bear to name. But before he abandons her for king and court, he brings a second child to be raised alongside her, a boy whose identity he does not reveal.

The girl, La Cendrillon, and the boy, Raoul, pass sixteen years in the servants' care until one day a very fine lady arrives with her two daughters. The lady has married La Cendrillon's father, and her arrival changes their lives.

When an invitation to a great ball reaches the family, La Cendrillon's new stepmother will make a decision with far-reaching effects. Her choice will lead La Cendrillon and Raoul toward their destiny -- a choice that will challenge their understanding of family, test their loyalty and courage, and, ultimately, teach them who they are. "

Rating:

One of the things I love are retellings. 

"Before Midnight" is a retelling of "Cinderella". We all know how wicked the stepmother and stepsisters of Cinderella are and her father dearly loved his daughter. But have we ever thought of it the other way around? 
Cameron Dokey was fascinating to create such a tale. 

I love this new version of Cinderella's tale and I have to say that Cameron's writing was remarkable. Two thumbs up!