Bookstore now open!
My good friends from college and I have decided to open an online shop to sell our pre-loved books. Some of them are ones we’ve had for years, while others are new and have been read only once. We’re gearing up for new releases from our favorite authors in the coming months, and we’re also in desperate need for shelf space.

You can check out our stock over at Books and Baubles. For now, we’re limiting our selling and shipping to the Philippines, mostly because we don’t have any means to accept payments from abroad just yet. I do hope you can drop by and see if any of the books catch your interest. We’ll be updating it every now and then, so keep coming back!

Book buying spree
Warning to all: browsing eBay.ph is addicting! I went there initially to compare book prices, but I spotted a book that I wanted and it was cheap. I purchased it, browsed for me and the next thing I knew I had purchased more than a thousand bucks worth of books. In two weeks, mind you.

One thousand pesos for ten books isn’t bad, considering that they are all in great condition and that they’re all quite brand new. Good thing that the money I used was some extra, and not the one I put aside from daily expenses. But my golly, I have to stop this or at least go on a hiatus for two months! Still, it was fun though. Hehe.

I promise that this latest batch will be the last one I’ll buy. Really. Because my financial resources are totally drained.

Reviews
I’m not so very good at writing reviews, but I’ll try to do some. I’ve gotten some pretty interesting books recently, and I just want to share them. So look out for some book reviews in the near future!

In high school I was a sort of misfit because I read manga and watched anime. Of course, we don’t have bullies in school since my classmates and I knew each other from pre-school. I just get teased a lot, though I’m thankful that my close friends were all anime-freaks like me.

I used to get Animerica magazine from the then small shop Comic Alley. However, I usually had to save up to get the latest one or go for a back issue. Still, it was fun to read up on what’s new with anime.

Nowadays, you can pretty much get all the information you need off the Internet, but it’s still fun to grab a magazine and read up. Animerica is now a free magazine, but you can only get it at a specific bookstore in the U.S. Probably the premiere anime magazine nowadays is Anime Insider, with monthly manga magazines like Shojo Beat and Shonen Jump for your manga fixes. I can’t get these magazines here unless I pay for a subscription (which is too expensive). Though sometimes I get lucky and find back issues in Booksale. Nice.

A word of caution though. I noticed that sometimes the prices of magazines and books are different per branch. I got an issue of Shojo Jump for Php130, but in another branch it costs Php250. Big difference.

Of course, if I do want to read manga there are *stops and decides to shut up*. Fans would know what I mean.

“Royal Treatment” tells the story of Christina, who loses her job after complaining she was being sexually harassed by her boss, meets the “disguised” King of Alaska, and gets an offer to stay with the royal family. The king wants Christina to marry his son, David. David doesn’t seem to mind, but Christina doesn’t seem to want to.

I mentioned before that I am not a fan of Mary Janice Davidson’s writing style. Normally, when I finish a book, I feel a twinge of regret because, man, it’s over too soon. When I finished “Royal Treatment,” I was regretful because I feel like there wasn’t any rapport between me and the characters.

I didn’t feel like I knew David at all, aside from the fact that he has a Phd. in Marine Biology, likes penguins and for some reason designs jewelry. I feel like I know his father and their major domo, Eduard, more, which in my opinion, doesn’t say much for characterization considering he is supposed to be the main character alongside Christina.

I can’t say this was a fast paced book, but more of hurried. Fast paced stories may be quick and action packed, but well written for the reader to become acquainted with the characters: who they are, what their personalities and quirks are, how they think. Sure, David is odd with his love for penguins, and Christina is rather brash.

Think of it this way. As a reader, you somehow feel that the characters you’re reading are people. They become your friends as the story goes along, right? When the story ends, you want to read it again because you want to hang out with them, and as you read, you are assured that their story does end with a happy ever after. With “Royal Treatment”, I feel like Christina and David are more into a fling than anything else.

Which is rather disappointing since the plot is interesting. Imagine, Alaska is an independent country and is ruled by royalty? Other writers would create new countries or situate their characters in places that already have established royalties, but this is unique. That’s why I wish there was more meat to the story.

I can’t really say that I’m a fan of Ms. Davidson’s work. As much as I like the plot of her stories, I personally do not enjoy her writing style. Blame it on being spoiled with the rather poetic and artistic writing style of Nora Roberts.

I was trying to pinpoint the reason why I am so dissatisfied with Ms. Davidson’s work. Going through “Royal Treatment” I finally realized why.

First off, the rapidfire conversations that confuse me. I know it’s a normal practice in writing conversation not to include the “he said, she said” parts,

“I don’t think I can make it,” he said.
She replied, “Yes you can! You can do it!”

especially if there’s only two people in the conversation. But then, the conversations in many of MJD’s work is like a real life conversation where two people talking and can’t seem to follow a coherent train of thought. That’s the second point, which is so closely tied up to the first that it’s hard to separate them. Many of the words in the conversation are unnecessary. It does establish a relationship, or rapport if you will, between the two characters, but I find it confusing at times. Often, I skim through the conversation and finish the story and I don’t feel like I missed anything.

I’m still finishing the story. Like I said, I like the plot of MJD’s stories, but writing style-wise, I’m still not sold. Then again, I’m not much of a writer myself, but as I reader, I do know what I like.

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set, Books 1-7

I’d love to get my hands on one, but I’ll probably need to save up before I can purchase it. Given that I don’t live in the U.S. and I don’t have Paypal or credit cards, I might be doubly difficult.

Anyway, Book 7 is set to be released in July! E-books claiming to be the original are scattered all over the Internet, but of course, we won’t know until we actually get a copy of the printed one. The movie of “The Order of the Phoenix” will also be out this year, so that’s a few things fans will have to look out for.

Just leave a note on the comments, letting me know which book you want and your email address (I suggest you put it as to prevent spam on your account) so can discuss the pick-up or delivery details. For pick-up, I can meet you in any of the LRT 2 stations. If you choose to have the book delivered, I’ll have to add the price of delivery to the total cost. I’ll be using 2GO, and you make check their prices at their website (look for the Quickpack document option)

I’ll also be adding books to this list as I clean up my place, so keep coming back for updates!

Title: So you want to be a Wizard
Author: Diane Duane
ISBN: 0-15-201239-7
Publisher: Magic Carpet Books
Summary: 13 year old Nita, tormented by a gang of bullies because she won’t fight back, find the help she needs in a library book on wizardry which guides her into another dimension. (From the book itself)
Comments: Cover has creases, already present when book was purchased from Booksale
Category: Young adult fantasy/adventure
Price: Php 60

Title: Persuading Annie
Author: Melissa Nathan
ISBN: 0-7499-3222-8
Publisher: Piatkus
Summary: Please refer to Amazon.com
Comments: Purchased from National Bookstore; very good condition; cover is different from Amazon
Category: Chick Lit
Price: P200

Title: A College of Magics
Author: Caroline Stevermer
ISBN: 0-765-34245-6
Publisher: Starscape
Summary: Faris Nallaneen, duchess of Galazon, has been packed away to finishing school at Greenlaw College by her usurping uncle Brinker. Greenlaw is unusual in that magic is a mandatory part of the curriculum; unlike Latin and deportment, its practice is forbidden to students, but a graduate is entitled to be called a scholar of Greenlaw to her face and a witch of Greenlaw behind her back. Faris vacillates between periods of immersing herself in her studies and ignoring her schoolwork in favor of trashy three-volume novels. Christina Schulman.
Comments: Cover has creases, already present when book was purchased from Booksale
Category: Young adult fantasy
Price: P100

Title: A Woman’s Heart
Author: Joann Ross
ISBN: 1-55166-849-1
Publisher: Mira
Summary: Quinn Gallagher arrives in Castlelough for the filming of his book. He didn’t expect to be captivated by the place, nor did he expect to be captivated by his landlady, widow Nora Fitzpatrick.
Comments: If you like Nora Roberts, you might find Joan Ross’ works as captivating. This book is part of the Castlelough Irish trilogy (I’m still looking for the other two). A very simple and enjoyable read, with a mystical feel to it. Book was purchased in Booksale, already has some creases on the spine but is otherwise in very good condition.
Category: Contemporary Romance
Price: P100

Title: Bad Boy
Author: Olivia Goldsmith
ISBN: 0-00-651437-5
Publisher: Harper Collins
Summary: Jonathan Delano is geeky, sweet and clumsy… and tired of it. He never gets any girls, and he wonders why his best friend Tracie Higgins keeps falling for bad boys. So he enlists her help in becoming one himself, and girls start coming on him, one after the other. Tracie is proud of what she’s done, until she realized that she’s fallen for him and has probably created a monster. (Additional information at Amazon.com)
Comments: Olivia Goldsmith is the author of “The First Wives Club.” Book was purchased from National Bookstore and is in excellent condition.
Category: Chick Lit
Price: P150

Title: Good, Bad, Better
Author: Cindi Myers
ISBN: 0-733-55906-9
Publisher: Blaze/Harlequin Mills & Boon
Summary: Jen Truitt is tired of being a good girl, always following her father’s orders. When he prohibits her from going to Chicago and joining a well known dance group, she decides to go on a rebellious streak. First, get a tattoo, then get a bad boy. Artist Zach Jacobs is by all means a bad boy, and has no intention of getting together with Jen. But they can’t fight the attraction that sizzles between the two of them…
Comments: Book is in good condition
Category: Contemporary Romance
Price: P50

Title: Brought Together by Baby
Author: Carolyne Aarsen
ISBN: 0-373-81226-4
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Summary:

TO: Anne, Meg, Pilar
FROM: Rachel
RE: Updates on Mom, baby Gracie, and the hunky doc!
Well, Mom is making great strides in physical therapy, and taking care of Gracie is an unexpected joy. Because my adopted little sister was a preemie, she’s had lots of checkups … and her green-eyed pediatrician is gorgeous! Each time we visit Eli Cavanaugh, he makes me want to embrace life, finally let my hair out of its almost-daily bun and dream a little. I have to tell you, being temporary mommy is making me long for a family of my own … with Eli! (From the book’s blurb)
Comments: Purchased from Booksale, good condition; inspirational romance
Category: Contemporary Romance
Price: P50

Title: Solitary Man
Author: Carly Phillips (writing as Karen Drogin)
ISBN: 0-7582-0662-3
Publisher: Kensington (reprint)
Summary: Boston cop Kevin Manning promises his mortally wounded partner he’ll look out for his family. He didn’t think that comforting his partner’s grieving sister Nikki would lead to a night of blazing passion. Convinced he has nothing to offer her, he leaves, only to return months later to find her struggling to make ends meet—and carrying his child. From the official website of Carly Phillips
Comments: Purchased from Booksale, has a very small tear on the cover but book is in otherwise good condition
Category: Contemporary Romance
Price: P60

Title: Hand Me Down
Author: Lee Nichols
ISBN: 0-733-56284-1
Publisher: Red Dress Ink
Summary: Anne Olsen has never found it easy to be the youngest of three sisters. Her eldest sister, Charlotte, is a former swimsuit model with a rich husband and three perfect children. Her middle sister, Emily, is an academic who published a revolutionary dissertation on pornography and feminism. Anne has never quite found what she wants to do, and has drifted from retail jobs to secretarial positions. At 29, she’s working for a realty company and dating the owner, Rip Parsons. Usually unable to commit, Anne is making a genuine effort to give her relationship with Rip a chance, despite her crush on Charlotte’s high-school boyfriend, Ian, who has recently come back into her life. But it’s Ian, not Rip, who is inspiring Anne to make something of herself and actually find something–anything–she feels passionate about. Nichols’ second novel is a delightful tale about a young woman coming into her own and finding love in the process.Kristine Huntley, Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved (taken from Amazon.com)
Comments: Purchased from Booksale, excellent condition
Category: Chick Lit
Price: P150

Recently, I’ve gotten into Sherrilyn Kenyon’s work, specifically the Dark Hunter, Dream Hunter and Were Hunter series, thanks to my good friend Denise. It’s such an addicitng and captivating series. I was never much of a fan of darkly themed books, romance or otherwise, but this series is such a fun read, I can’t stop. I’m not even half way through!

I also started reading Vicky Lewis Thompson’s Nerd series. I’ve only read two (Nerds Gone Wild and Nerds Like It Hot), but so far I’m enjoying it.

Other than that, I go back and re-read old favorites, like Nora Robert’s Red Lily. Oh, and watch NBC’s Heroes. Now that is something worth going off topic for!

I’ll write about the books in detail at a later post.  

 

I’m a huge fan of romance and fantasy. If both elements can be found in one book, I’m happy. If I can find them in three books, then I’m in heaven. With The Circle Trilogy, I am definitely flying.

We start the story with Hoyt Mac Cionaoith (read as "McKenna") facing the vampyre Lilith, after the latter has killed his twin brother Cian and turned him into a vampyre. Barely alive, Hoyt meets the goddess Morrigan, who tells him that he has to bring together six people (him included) from various times and worlds, in order to defeat Lilith and her minions. Hoyt then travels to present time New York City, and meets the witch Glenna. They then team up with Cian, two people from the world Geall — Moira the scholar and Larkin the shapeshifter, and a Mac Cionaoith descendant, Blair, the warrior.

As with her other trilogies that have magic or the supernatural, the Circle cast is brought together by fate, often with the need to finish a task set to them by a higher, usually powerful being; or the need to immediately vanquish the evil threatening mankind. The circle plays a role here. First, bringing together six people of different beliefs, different worlds and the need to maintain a solid kinship in order to effectively fulfill their quest, completing the circle. Secondly, there is the actual Dance of the Gods, or a stongehenge, which acts as a portal in between worlds. It also serves as the only place that the vampyres cannot enter, being creatures of impure intent. The only exception to this rule is Cian, giving us the idea that somehow he’s not really that changed as he thought he was.

Ms. Roberts has already done the demon hunter and time/world travelling bit with one of her shorter stories ("Worlds Apart"), and uses the same technique here. It effectively brings together the characters, and acts as a major role in the story itself.

I feel that this trilogy is different as it doesn’t seem to concentrate much on the relationships. With the other trilogies, each book concentrates on the story of each pair: overcoming personal struggles, gaining each other’s trust and building a future together while fulfilling the task that has been set for them. With the Circle Trilogy, specifically with the first book Morrigan’s Cross, the focus mainly on the battle, with the story of Hoyt and Glenna acting as sort of a side dish. The first book gives almost equal "screen time" to all the characters, thus making the story of the pair feel a bit hurried. Books 2 (Dance of the Gods) and 3 (Valley of Silence) gives more room for the other pairs to establish their characters and their relationship with each other.

Despite that, I greatly enjoyed this trilogy. First and foremost, it’s a romance story. The characters — despite what I said earlier about development — like most of Ms. Roberts’ characters, are real and memorable. Their pairings are good, and each character is charming. Cian, for all his years as a vampyre, retains a huge part of his human-ness. Hoyt cares deeply for his brother and carries the guilt of not being there for his brother when he was turned to a vampyre. Larkin’s a happy go lucky shape-shifter with a sense of humor and a huge appetite. Blair is a tough, independent chick with a soft heart, as with Moira and Glenna.

Second, it’s fantasy. Magic, time travel and world hopping, mythical beasts and creatures, far off lands — the Circle Trilogy has all that. And Ms. Roberts makes it all work effectively. It’s amusing to see Blair and Glenna try to explain the modern world to Larkin and Hoyt (Moira learned it mostly by reading, taking a shine to the Internet while Larkin getting the taste for Coca-Cola), and it’s also interesting to see Blair’s reaction to Larkin’s changing into a dragon. There’s a heavy reference to Irish mythology, as Ms. Roberts is famous for. But it works, and gives us a delightful tale of adventure, with a bit of the macabre thrown in.

I wouldn’t say that The Circle Trilogy is my favorite from one reading. I’ll probably take me two or three more times before I would love it. It is definitely an enjoyable read, and even those who don’t really read romance would find these stories entertaining.

The Ruby Knight by David Eddings
The second book of the Elenium Trilogy. Why do I get the feeling that I already have a copy of this book?

Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
The 6th book of the Bedwyn series, featuring the story of Wulfric Bedwyn, Lord Bewcastle

More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh
First of the two books featuring the Dudley brothers

Rules of Surrender by Christina Dodd
First book of the Governess School trilogy

Check Mate
Part of the "Family Secrets" series, this features the story of Jake

:)

Günter von Christ as Wulfric Bedwyn
In the anime, Günter isn’t the oldest, but the way he looks reminds me Wulfric, especially when Wulf does his "peering into the quizzing glass" thing.

Conrad Weller as Aidan Bedwyn
Conrad looks like a soldier, so I thought he fits Aidan’s role well.

Gwendal von Voltaire as Rannulf Bedwyn
Gwendal may be the eldest of the Demon brothers, but I think he fits the description of Rannulf well.

Wolfram von Bielefelt as Alleyne Bedwyn
They’re both the youngest. Nuff said.