A little mix of everything you need to know about books, food, music, what-nots, and my life in general.
October is my favorite month of the year because it’s my birthday month, and what better way to celebrate a birthday than giving away some things, right?
Follow my social media links (details above) and watch those spaces for GIVEAWAYS the whole month–starting tomorrow!
Happy last day of September! :)
Title: The Status of All Things
Authors: Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
What would you do if you could literally rewrite your fate—on Facebook? This heartwarming and hilarious new novel from the authors of Your Perfect Life follows a woman who discovers she can change her life through online status updates.
Kate is a thirty-five-year-old woman who is obsessed with social media. So when her fiancé, Max, breaks things off at their rehearsal dinner—to be with Kate’s close friend and coworker, no less—she goes straight to Facebook to share it with the world. But something’s changed. Suddenly, Kate’s real life starts to mirror whatever she writes in her Facebook status. With all the power at her fingertips, and heartbroken and confused over why Max left her, Kate goes back in time to rewrite their history.
Kate’s two best friends, Jules and Liam, are the only ones who know the truth. In order to convince them she’s really time traveled, Kate offers to use her Facebook status to help improve their lives. But her attempts to help them don’t go exactly as planned, and every effort to get Max back seems to only backfire, causing Kate to wonder if it’s really possible to change her fate.
In The Status of All Things, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke combine the humor and heart of Sarah Pekkanen and Jennifer Weiner while exploring the pitfalls of posting your entire life on the Internet. They raise the questions: What if you could create your picture-perfect life? Would you be happy? Would you still be you? For anyone who’s ever attempted—or failed—to be their perfect self online, this is a story of wisdom and wit that will leave you with new appreciation for the true status of your life.
***
Quick Question: Who doesn’t check Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram daily, or even in a day or two?
Well, maybe there are some others who can do that, but most of us (myself included) live lives that are anchored to social media. I actually am guilty about checking my Twitter account every few minutes or so, and there was a time (years ago) when I would tweet non-stop and would always be in Twitter Jail (hi, Twitter friends circa 2010–you know who you are!)
Social Media isn’t always bad, after all. Sometimes, it helps us market ourselves or what we have to offer. And it definitely does help us stay connected.
But connected to what, actually? To our friends? Or…are we just concerned about what others have to say? This rings true, especially on Facebook. After all, you’re trying to connect with people you’ve known from various stages in your life, right?
Sometimes, though, the problem is that you just post things to generate likes–or to show others how “cool” you are, and how amazing your life is. Sometimes, people use social media to hide how they really feel, and more often than not, they get affected by what others post on their social media accounts, too.
This is where THE STATUS OF ALL THINGS is about.
On the eve before her wedding day, Kate gets dumped by her fiance for another girl–and one of the things she first got worried with is how she was going to tell everybody else, and how she and others would react on Facebook. Instead of thinking about how she really feels, she’s more worried about what others would say–and in this day and age, that’s basically what most of us worry about, too.
And then the next morning, she wakes up with her fiance by her side–and with the power to change things via her Facebook Statuses. She then begins to control her–and others’ life with this new power of hers–and you can just think about the hilarity and craziness that ensued.
Just imagine having the power to change things based on what you post! Ha!
I liked the narrative of THE STATUS OF ALL THINGS. It has that Emily Giffin-Sophie Kinsella feel, which makes it easy to read. It’s heartbreaking, but also light and humorous, and the best part is that this is something we could all relate to. Our lives are consumed by social media now that it’s sometimes hard to separate truth from fiction. We have airbrushed our lives too much that there are days when we basically don’t know who we are anymore.
Now back to Kate. Sure, she has this new power, but it is running out–and she has to decide what she really wants to do with her life. Of course, she loves her fiance and wants them to be together–but is it right? Has she been changing things, and seeing them work according to plan?
Or, is she just basically setting herself up for another fall?
I have to admit that some things in this novel are quite predictable. But then again, it’s something I still enjoyed because it helped me think about my life, and how much social media has affected it. Maybe, not about faking things, but mostly just about how I cannot seem to live life without it. I do try, though. Maybe, just a bit. (heh!)
For me, this story progressed the right away. Because —SPOILER ALERT–although we want things to change, there are just some things in life that are meant to be what they are; we just have to learn how to manage them, and try to be better people while we’re at it.
Did Kate get the happy ending that she wanted?
I’d say she got the happy ending that she deserved–and more.
THE STATUS OF ALL THINGS was a great, easy read. Check it out and let me know what you think!
She Flies with Faeries is going to #Bloggys2015!
Good news, everyone!
Aside from being nominated for the personal/diary category, She Flies with Faeries has also made the guest list of #Bloggys2015, Philippine Blogging Awards Gala Night!
Check out the GUEST LIST HERE, and in case you want to reserve tickets, click THIS LINK! Hurry, though, because tickets are running out pretty fast!
Take note that you can still nominate your favorite blogs HERE.
To learn more about #Bloggys2015, visit http://www.bloggys.ph!
See you there!
Hi, darlings!
Welcome to #JustWritePH’s FOR LOVE stop on my blog! Today, I have for you an interview with Amae Dechavez, author of ONE SWEET NOVEMBER DAY, one of the stories you can read if you choose to buy the FOR LOVE bundle!
#JustWritePH—For Love
Authors: Beth G., Carla de Guzman, Giselle Bacalla, and AmaeDechavez
Love is never easy, but the journey to that happily ever after is what makes it worth it. Witness the struggles of these characters as they work their way through both new romances and second chances at love in this four-story bundle. Features “I Still…” by Beth G., “Sigh No More” by Carla de Guzman, “Velvet Valentine” by Giselle Bacalla, and “One Sweet November Day” by AmaeDechavez.
This bundle is available at 75% off for this week only (September 21 to 27). Regular price is at $3.99/P180. Sale price is $0.99/P45. Once this leg of the tour ends, so does the sale, and the bundle featured in the next leg will then go on sale!
ONE SWEET NOVEMBER DAY
Nagtagpong muli si Ethan at Maylie. Sinongmagaakalanapagkataposnilangmagkakilala at maging mataliknamagkaibigan noongbakasyon sa Pila, Laguna ay magkikitasilangmuli? Sa saglit napag kakalayo nilang dalawa ay lalong nilang napagtanto namahal na nganilaang isa’t-isa. Kaya sa muli nilang pagkikita sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, Los Baños ay hindi na pinalagpas pa ni Ethan ang pagkakataon niya. Sinabiniya kay Maylie ang mga katagang “Mahal kita.” “Mahal din kita” angnagingtugon ng dalaga. Girlfriend na Ethan si Maylie—first girlfriend. Ngunit magtatagal ba ang pag-iibigan nila?
**EXCERPT***
Hindi mapakali si Ethan sa klase niya. Sino ba naman ang hindi mapapa-sabi ng ‘mahal kita’ sa taong gustong-gusto mo na uling makita? Dapat nga noon ko pa nasabi ‘yon sa kaniya no’ng bakasyon sa Pila.
Pinanood niya saglit ang kanilang propesor na tutok sa pagsusulat sa pisara ng course syllabus nila.
‘So, ang ibig sabihin nito, may girlfriend na ‘ko…’ muni-muni ni Ethan. “YES!” Napalakas ang sabi niya ng ‘yes’ at nagtinginan ang lahat sa kaniya sa klase.
Tinignan siya ng masama ng propesyor at buti na lang at unang araw pa lamang ng klase kaya’t ini-dismiss pa rin sila, pati siya—nang maaga.
“Warning ha, Mr. Crisologo,” sita ng propesor niya.
—
Habang nasa koridor papunta sa kasunod niyang klase ay ini-text ni Ethan si Maylie, tinatanong kung anong oras ang bakante nito.
“Lunch break ko ng 11 am. Pero 30 minutes lang ang break ko,” text back sa kaniya ni Maylie.
“Eh hanggang anong oras ang trabaho mo sa library?” text muli ni Ethan.
“Hanggang 2.30.”
“11.30 pa ang vacant ko pero wala na rin akong klase ng 2.30 pm to 4. Susunduin kita mamaya d’yan sa library. :-D” text ni Ethan.
Excited na lumakad si Ethan patungo sa silid ng susunod niyang klase.
Hindi nagkakalayo ang gusali ng Humanities College of Arts and Sciences at ang Main Library kaya nang i-dismiss nang maaga ang klase ni Ethan sa Hum. ay agad siyang tumungo sa library.
Gaya ng inaasahan ay halos wala pang mga estudyante sa library sa unang araw ng school year. Ngunit gatambak at gabundok ang mga libro at babasahing kailangan isaayos ng mga empleyada at student assistants sa library.
Napatingin si Maylie sa may pasukan ng library dahil napansin niyang may isang lalaking huminto nang nakatayo roon, pinagmamasdan siya nang maigi.
“Ethan!”
“Shhh…” puna kay Maylie ng kasamahang estudyanteng empleyada.
Tumayo si Maylie sa kinauupuan at iniwan muna saglit ang pagsasaayos ng mga aklat base sa laki at paksa. Bago pa sila makita ng assistant head librarian ay hinila na niya si Ethan sa pagitan ng mga istante sa likuran ng silid-aklatan.
“Anong ginagawa mo dito?”
“Maaga kaming dinismis.”
“Eh bakit ka pumunta dito?”
“Eh namimiss na kita eh,” ngiti ni Ethan.
Pinigil ni Maylie ang puso niya. ‘Sana hindi ako namumula…’
“Ethan, may trabaho pa ‘ko. 11 pa ang break time ko.”
“Hindi naman ako magtatagal, gusto lang kitang makita.”
Habang patagal nang patagal, pahirap nang pahirap ata ang pagpipigil ni Maylie ng kilig at ngiti niya sa kakaibang epekto ni Ethan sa kaniya. “Mamaya na tayo magkita. 2.30, di ba?”
“O sige, susunduin kita.” Umakmang hahalik sa pisngi si Ethan ngunit pinigil siya ng hintuturo ni Maylie. Nginisian ito ng pilyong si Ethan at saka na umalis ang binata.
(One Sweet November Day is the sequel to Amae’s One Lovely Summer Day, available on Buqo! Check out my interview with Amae below)
She Flies with Faeries (SFWF): Hi, Amae! So, I really enjoyed “One Lovely Summer Day”. Since “One Sweet November Day” is the sequel to that story, what makes it different even if we still have Maylie and Ethan in there? How much have they changed, in your opinion?
Amae Dechavez (A): Hi, Cass! Thanks for hosting this interview, and thanks for reading “One Lovely Summer Day.” First of all, a lot of things have changed in the second book or sequel because the setting mainly takes place in a situation entirely new to them—college life! Aside from that, in “One Sweet November Day”, Maylie and Ethan become more aware of how relationships really work, what its many implications are, and what it usually takes to make it last—they realize it isn’t just chemistry or high-school child’s play!
The good thing though is that not everything has changed with Maylie and Ethan in “One Sweet November Day”. They’re still that same sweet-kulit couple. :) At mahilig pa rin silang kumain at mag-tour dates!
SFWF: Name a song that always reminds you of Maylie and Ethan’s story, and why?
A: I actually have a theme song for Maylie and Ethan which I used in “One Sweet November Day”—Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer. This song has been my ultimate favorite since its year of release (‘wag na natin banggitin kung kailan year ‘yon specifically, baka may mag-compute ng age ko, lol) ‘cause it’s such a sweet song with an old-school vibe to it, and that’s how Maylie and Ethan are—“old-school sweet”.
SFWF: It’s easy for you to make your readers kilig. What inspires you to write?
A: I’m kind of aware that some readers don’t find my stories especially kilig (perhaps my characters are too “young” for them?) but what I do know is that I always try my best to immerse myself in kilig before and while writing my stories, lol. What I mean is, I watch a lot of sappy old romantic movies, play match-making pics with very “bagay” celebrity pegs, and eat a lot of cake or ice cream or chocolate or anything strawberry.
SFWF: Can you share one of the sweetest and loveliest days of your life?
A: Personal na tanong ba ito? Haha, it’s okay. I think it really helps to make a story more realistic, authentic, and relatable if you, yourself, has had some first-hand experience with LOVE or some special moments you consider to be the sweetest and/or the loveliest days you’ve had your entire life. I consider myself a “nostalgic writer” wherein I get most of my hugot from my own life experiences.
One of the loveliest days of my life happened when my (late) dad commented to me “Para kang comics!” (You seem like a [funny] comics)—sabay bungisngis. I like to joke around even when I was still a kid (well, I’m still a kid—at heart!) and I think it reflects in my writing. (It also reflects how corny I am, haha.)
As for the sweetest day of my life, it has to be when I finally agreed to go out with someone that my guy friend had been urging me to date. Parang “hate-you-love-you” ang peg because at first I thought hindi ko siya type, parang ang lakas ng dating n’ya, etc. etc. (ang dami kong palusot, haha). It just so happens that sometimes, even in real life, you don’t expect LOVE at all to happen (naks.) There are rare instances in real life that are just like the books and/or the movies, and we’re lucky enough if we catch them—and maybe even write about them ;
A message to your fans.
Thank you for bearing with my ka-cheesyhan! Haha. Don’t worry, I’ll be writing more Filipino kulit-kilig stories. :) Also, please check out my upcoming English stories as well (Young Adult and Chick-Lit/New Adult, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy). I promise ALL stories I will write will have a Romance sub-genre in them. (Well, except for my children’s books, lol.) Thank you!
Thanks, Author Cassandra Javier for having me. :*
Connect with Amae through:
Website: http://ift.tt/1QA0JAl
Email: amaeauthor@gmail.com
Facebook: http://ift.tt/1iNB90q
Twitter: https://twitter.com/amaeauthor
Goodreads: http://ift.tt/1QA0LIv
Wattpad: http://ift.tt/1iNB78F
Instagram: http://ift.tt/1QA0JAp
Pinterest: http://ift.tt/1iNB78H
Ask.fm: http://ift.tt/1QA0LIx
***
About #JustWritePH
The #JustWritePH workshop, which ran from July 1 to August 8, 2015, challenged participants to write a story and prepare it for publication in a little under 6 weeks. Tips and lessons were delivered online & in person. The reward? Guaranteed distribution on Buqo, plus marketing opportunities like a bundle launch (held at Bo’s Coffee Megamall on August 22), a Facebook party, and a blog tour.
***GIVEAWAY TIME***
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Title: Pretending to be Erica
Author: Michelle Painchaud
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
We Were Liars meets Heist Society in a riveting debut!
Seventeen-year-old Violet’s entire life has revolved around one thing: becoming Erica Silverman, an heiress kidnapped at age five and never seen again.
Violet’s father, the best con man in Las Vegas, has a plan, chilling in its very specific precision. Violet shares a blood type with Erica; soon, thanks to surgery and blackmail, she has the same face, body, and DNA. She knows every detail of the Silvermans’ lives, as well as the PTSD she will have to fake around them. And then, when the time is right, she “reappears”—Erica Silverman, brought home by some kind of miracle.
But she is also Violet, and she has a job: Stay long enough to steal the Silverman Painting, an Old Master legendary in the Vegas crime world. Walking a razor’s edge, calculating every decision, not sure sometimes who she is or what she is doing it for, Violet is an unforgettable heroine, and Pretending to be Erica is a killer debut.
I gotta admit, the blurb had me sold.
I mean, I loved WE WERE LIARS, and I like scheming, crazy, mysterious protagonists. I knew, though, that stories like these could either be something I’d really like, or something I’d really hate. And well, this was something I really, absolutely loved from the get-go.
Violet is a con-artist. She has had a lot of adventures (and misadventures) all her life, and it all led to her taking the personality of Erica Silverman, a girl who was lost since she was 4. While some others faked their way to the top and failed before, she was determined not to let anyone blow her cover. It wasn’t that she just wanted to be Erica; she was on a mission.
You see, Violet grew up in a foster home and his stepfather, Sal, taught her everything she knew about disguising to be someone else, and pulling cons to get what she wants–or what Sal wants. And this time, what they want is with the Silvermans.
Sure, the story is not that believable. On the contrary, I kind of like these unbelievable, jaw-dropping stories. I don’t know about you, but I never found this book boring. It had a good narrative, plus the characters were all colorful, and they each had different personalities so you really could differentiate one from the other.
I like the chemistry between Violet and Taylor, her “frenemy”. I like how real they are to each other, and how Taylor helped Violet figure out what she really wanted. Sure, she could be a bit flaky at times, but on the times that she needed to make the best decisions, she was able to make them.
There was a long drive to the climax, but otherwise, it was able to deliver. I didn’t like the way it ended too much, but I think it was able to sustain the story, and was quite the realistic ending to an otherwise unrealistic story.
Gripping, at times, heartbreaking, PRETENDING TO BE ERICA is something that you most definitely shouldn’t miss.
So…it’s FALL TV Season again yay! Really excited for the returns of OUAT, How to Get Away with Murder, American Horror Story, New Girl, Keeping up with the Kardashians... and so many other shows! Plus, I’m also excited about Scream Queens, Heroes Reborn, Wicked City, Blood and Oil–the list goes on.
Well, there are just so many amazing shows right now, so i thought, why not share my top 10 Favorite TV Series with you? And ta-daaa, here they are:
1. The OC
This is my first love and always will be. Everything was perfect: the music, the drama, Seth and Summer, Ryan and Marissa…everything! Plus, most of your favorite stars came from this show as guest stars, too! (Lucy Hale, Chris Pratt, Natalie Reed, Paul Wesley, etc).
2. Gossip Girl
An episode or two of this show always, always makes me feel better. I like getting lost in the world of the Upper East Side. Sure, it’s exaggerated and crazy, but hey, that makes it amazing, doesn’t it? YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT!
3. Once Upon A Time
I’m a sucker for fairytales–even the twisted ones! This show is amazing! Oh, and flawless cast is flawless.
4. Glee
Oh, I’ve met a couple of friends because of this show! Also, Dianna Agron is loooove.
5. How to Get Away with Murder
VIOLA DAVIS is amazing and so is this rest of the cast! Each episode is just so full of surprises!
6. Pretty Little Liars
Yeah, fine. I still like this show. Whatever.
7. One Tree Hill
“There’s only one Tree Hill”. 
8. Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23
Ahhh this was soooo good. Def cancelled way ahead of its time.
9. Jane by Design
Why does ABC cancel the good shows, really?
10. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Well, just listen to this song…
What about you? What are your favorites? What are you excited for?
Title: Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between
Author: Jennifer E. Smith
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan only have one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they’ll retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night will lead them to friends and family, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?
This new must-read novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that must be made when life and love lead in different directions.
***
Oh, I love Jennifer E. Smith. You know, I believe she’s one of those authors who could weave words magically and really get through to you, even in the simplest way. So, when I learned she had a new novel out, I definitely read it as soon as I could.
The thing with HELLO GOODBYE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN is that it deals with a turning point in a couple’s life. Quick. Ask yourself: When was the last time you were in a relationship and you felt like…Is this it? Can we make it? Maybe, we should just stop altogether.
And that’s basically where this book revolves in. You see, Aidan and Clare are about to enter college, and for a while, they’ve been debating whether they should stay together or not–until they’ve come to the conclusion that maybe, they should just break up for good. After all, it’s not every day that you find high school couples who survive college together; they had to think logically.
This story happens during the last night of their relationship; the night they chose to break up, but had this scavenger hunt sort of thing going on. One last adventure, you may say.
My problem with this book, though, is that it was as if a mountain has been made out of a molehill. I am not saying there wasn’t any premise, but somehow, I felt like it could have been about a couple who tried to survive the odds, rather than choose to end things right away. Because it wasn’t like they had a toxic relationship–it was actually healthy, and the fact that they chose to end it somehow could just make you feel like, uh-oh, why?
But then…why not?
They’re in high school, after all. And in high school, you make decisions that when you look back on years later, you’d basically wonder why you made them at all.
This novel was still quite enjoyable. It had those cheesy moments, and it also had its fair share of heartbreaking ones. I personally thought that although some parts near the ending of the book felt “odd”, they’re pretty realistic.
HELLO GOODBYE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN is poignant, and would get you thinking. Maybe, you’d look back on that old love. Maybe, you’d think about who you have now–but remember, it is the in between that counts. It’s what you have now that counts, and that’s one of those things you’d learn in this book.
