So this review is actually very long overdue. I’ve been putting it off for several reasons such as the overwhelming workload or the unavailability of my weekends. But now, I’m finally sitting down and giving this book the review it deserves. Disclaimer: I was given an ebook of Big Deal by Bookshelf PH in exchange for an honest review. Big Deal: An Anthology of Filipino Women’s Stories and Art Volume 1 by Bookshelf PH Edited by Katya Lichauco and Yanna Garcia  Big Deal: Volume I is an anthology of works from different individuals that center around the struggles of G ..read more

2021 has been a very eventful year thus far. I published my poetry booklet online (which received a ton of support from the community), found new friends and lost old ones, became infatuated and got heartbroken in the same breath, started a new romance WIP, and so on and so forth. The common denominator is that I received a lot of support from the communities I involved myself in. The only downside was that I wasn’t able to return the favor due to my emotional incapacity to do so. That’s not a great excuse of course, but a reason nonetheless. But I’m not going to talk about the heavier stuff ..read more

I’ll be honest, I have only heard one audiobook my entire life, and it’s The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. I started the book without knowing what to expect but was reduced to a sobbing mess when I neared the end. Since then, I’ve been itching for another opportunity to listen to an audiobook but just never got the chance. That is until someone from AudioPHile by Bookshelf PH reached out to me, allowing me early access to the platform. AudioPHile by Bookshelf PH is the first audiobook platform in the Philippines, focused solely on Filipino content across all genres. However ..read more

THE IKESSAR FALCON Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from the publisher and Caffeine Book Tours as part of my participation in their tour. The Bitch Queen returns in The Ikessar Falcon, the action-packed sequel to K. S. Villoso’s acclaimed fantasy debut, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro. Abandoned by her people, Queen Talyien’s quest takes a turn for the worse as she stumbles upon a plot deeper and more sinister than she could have ever imagined, one that will displace her king and see her son dead. The road home beckons, strewn with a tangled web of deceit and unimaginable h ..read more

IRON HEART An unstoppable love between two girls—one human, one Made—both set on destroying the Iron Heart. For too long the cruel, beautiful Automae have lorded over the kingdom of Rabu, oppressing the humans who live there. But the human revolution is on the rise, and at its heart is Ayla. Once handmaiden, now fugitive, Ayla escaped the palace of Lady Crier, the girl Ayla had planned to kill . . . but instead fell in love with. Now Ayla has pledged her allegiance to Queen Junn, whom she believes can accomplish the ultimate goal of the human rebellion: destroy the Ir ..read more

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart has such a fun and interesting way of immersing you into the story by introducing you to all the perspectives you really ought to consider when getting into politics. And if I’m right, this book is what it is: a very political book. While it discusses themes such as class disparity and privilege, its very interesting magic system also shows us just how power as great as that goes hand in hand in politics–and just how far it can go when your empire is crumbling amidst a growing revolution. The Bone Shard Daughter In an empire controlled by bone shard m ..read more

Mexican Gothic. Where do I even begin with Mexican Gothic? I think it’s only fair to start this review with the fact that I haven’t read any other Horror books before and that this is my first one. I have nothing to compare this book to, so how should I go about with this review? Hell, I don’t know. But I’m going to base it off from little of what I do know about about writing a compelling story and how I felt the entire time while I was reading it. So right here, right now, I’m going to tell you that this will come off as an inexperienced review especially for horror/mystery/thriller buffs ou ..read more

If you’re looking for an easy read and thought maybe The Poppy War would be a good book to try, I suggest you turn back now while you still can. This book, despite the simple language it uses, is definitely not something you’ll want to read just to “pass the time.” If you think you have the nerves to read this book, then go for it, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The Poppy War A brilliantly imaginative talent makes her exciting debut with this epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of ..read more

I’ve been mulling over this since last night but I can not, for the life of me, think of a good introduction that can break the ice. As someone who tweets her life updates rather than actually dedicate a longer, more coherent post for it, it really does take some getting used to. Still, there’s something liberating in just rambling your thoughts away without much care if you’re writing it right or if your opinions are valid. But otherwise, hello! Welcome to my blog! The main goal of this is to help me read more after literal years of a reading slump. At the same time, it also helps me become m ..read more

First of all, it’s incredibly difficult not to get political with this book. It opens a lot for discussion–the idea of grief, the romanticism of change, the hypocrisy and the contradicting ideals that forms a specific kind of culture. And most importantly, it follows a popular debate that’s been a hot topic for Filipinos: Are you for or against Duterte’s war on drugs? Honestly, this book tackles on a lot of things but let’s start there. Patron Saints of Nothing A coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin’s mu ..read more