[Release Day Blitz] Autumn and Summer by Danielle Allen

It is always awesome to have another author to love. In my case, I have fallen in love with Danielle Allen's since her first book Back To Life. I just couldn't wait for more! Previous reviews on 2 of her books:

Back to Life
Back to Reality

Earlier this month, her fans are greeted with another good news; new book release.
Here it goes, AUTUMN & SUMMER!

~ Synopsis ~

Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved at all?

Sexy, successful and stylish, Autumn Jones believes in love. She believes in the all-consuming, mind blowing enormity of love. She believes in the euphoric state of loving and being loved. She believes in it because she’s had it once. And when it was lost, she was devastated, but she never stopped believing in the existence of love. Unwilling to settle, she learned from the past and moved on with the expectation that she’ll love again. 

Beautiful, talented, and slightly jaded, Summer Wilson believes in sex. She believes in the all-consuming, mind blowing enormity of good sex. She believes that love exists, but Prince Charming does not. At least not for her. She’s seen the downside of love—insanity, heartbreak, infidelity, divorce—and she dates with the expectation that she won’t ever subject herself to that type of vulnerability. Instead, she chooses to love her family, her friends, and her work. And although she enjoys the company of men, her heart is hers and hers alone. 

Best friends since elementary school, Autumn and Summer kick off the summer by embarking on a dating experiment. Unfortunately, expecting the unexpected doesn’t prepare them for what the dating world has in store.

~ Teasers ~

~ Dreamcast ~

~ Autumn and Summer Playlist ~

“Back to Black”

Amy Winehouse

“Light Years Away”

Mozella

“Ready For Love”

India.Aire

“We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow”

Soko

“Everything Has Changed”

Taylor Swift

“Can’t Be Love”

Laura Izibor

“Hometown Glory”

Adele

“The Worst”

Jhene Aiko

“Turning Tables”

Adele

“Sweet Thing”

Mary J. Blige

“Take Away”

Missy Elliott

“Sunday Afternoon”

Rachael Yamagata

“My Heart Still Beats For You”

Anna Ternheim

“The Love We Had (Stays On My Mind)”

Joss Stone

“Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready)”

Alicia Keys

“I Shall Believe”

Sheryl Crow

“The Words”

Christina Perri

“I Will Be There”

Odessa

“For Real”

Amel Larrieux

  ~ Author Bio ~

Life is good! 

I am a married event planner and life coach. My awesome friends and family and my amazing husband make my life sweet. I love to have fun and enjoy the life I’ve been blessed with. I love shopping and football with equal fervor. I’m an amateur movie critic (i.e. my husband and I watch and critique a lot of movies for fun). I love to read and I enjoy sharing my love of books with anyone who will listen. I love music. A good lyric with a good melody can paint a vivid picture and invoke such a range of emotions. I have a soft spot for most mediums of creative, artistic expression.

With degrees in psychology, human services, and marriage and family counseling, I have a unique perspective on life, love and the pursuit of happiness. As an author, I combine an active imagination and life experiences to create stories that are easily relatable and intentionally intriguing. I want to offer you a peek into someone else’s life and for you to get lost in their story, their trials, their triumphs. My ultimate goal is to create a character or a story that stays with you long after you’ve put the book down.
So in a nutshell: I plan. I teach. I read. I write. I watch. I critique. I shop. I play. I love.
To know me is to love me.

XOXO

~ Social Media Links ~

Website: www.authordanielleallen.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/XOXO_DAllen

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DanielleAllenAuthor

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/XOXO_DAllen

Click here for Giveaway!!

Watersong Series

Gah! Just when I thought it will be just a trilogy, it turned out to be a quartet!

I have kept the first two books on hold until the third book is out. I have finished reading 2. Bought the third book and now contemplating to read the third book. Guess I'll just wait until the final book is out; Fourth!

Nothing big going on in book two; Lullaby. Can August come quickly? ;)




p/s: Will post a lil something on the author one of these days. Yes, I'm in love with this new genre!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sophie Kinsella's Wedding Night

Here I am with Kinsella's latest book which I am currently reading but yet to move from page 88 since 2 weeks ago!!!Booooo




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50 Books in a Year 2012 Challenge

This post has been procrastinated for too long(again....). I've participated in the 50 Books in a Year 2011 Challenge last year but was short of 16 to 50! To justifiy a little, I picked up cross-stitch :)For thos who are also interested, do drop by my Craft Blog at http://ruzcraft.blogspot.com. Hope I make it to 50 this year!!!

If 50 Books in A Year 2012 Challenge is foreign to you, click here to find out more about it. The organizer has been organizing this since 2009! In my opinion, it is simply awesome as I believe it is achievable by everyone!

To following are the rules of the challenge adapted from the challenge announcement.

1. The goal of this challenge is to read 50
books within 365 days. Very reasonable, no?

2. Anyone can join in. Host has screwed up
Mister Linky this year, so participants will be added manually. Please leave your
name (or your blog name; however you wish for it to appear) and your URL. If
you prefer, you can just RSVP on GoodReads anytime.

3. Everything counts: any genre, eBooks,
AudioBooks, re-reads, textbooks, books read for other challenges.... As long as
it exists and you read it, it works! (Essays, single short stories, etc. do not
count, obviously.)

4. Challenge begins on January 1st, 2012 and
ends on December 31st. Books read before or after do not count.

5. You do not have to make a list of books and
stick to it. Go ahead and make a list if you like, of course, but you don't have
to stick to it.

6. Please link back to this post in your challenge posts
or anywhere on your blog.

Books I've Read

1. Craft Inc. by Mateo Ilasco
2. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
3. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen
4. Please Look After Mother by Kyung-Sook Shin
5. Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad
6. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
7. Rodrick Rules by Jeff Kinney
8. The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney
9. Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
10. The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney
11. When I Was A Kid by Boey
12. Mistress on Loan by Sara Craven
13. Whining by Joy Berry
14. Soal Jawab Remeh Temah Tentang Solat by Ustaz Mohammad Nidzam Abdul Kadir
15. Money Work Life by Carol Yip
16. Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
17. Switched by Amanda Hocking
18. Torn by Amanda Hocking
19. Ascend by Amanda Hocking
20. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
21. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 6 by Konami Kanata
22. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 7 by Konami Kanata
23. Between The Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha van Deer
24. Chinese Business Strategies by Jiang Wei
25. Unlocking The Social Media Code by SenZe
26. The Vow by Kim Carpenter
27. Everybody Has Those Thoughts by Christian YoungMiller
28. Marlow and The Monster by Sharon Cramer
29. Ledakan Facebook : Antara Dosa dan Pahala 
30. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
31. Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James
32. Chi's Sweet Home Volume 8 by Konami Kanata
33. Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
34. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 8 by Konami Kanata
35. WTF? 23 Properties by 30 by Faizul Ridzuan
36. Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern
37. The Cubicle Manifesto by Mainak Dhar
38. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
39. Bah, Humbug (A Christmas Street #1) by Heather Harrocks
40. Love Me by Bella Andre

50 Books in a Year 2011 Challenge

Here I am in March! This post has been procrastinated for too long. I've participated in the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge last year but failed as work has caught up with me. And on top of that, I had my wedding to plan for. ;) This year, I'm going to participate in a challenge which is more achievable. Still a challenge as work is still WORK. We are now only in March so I should have suffient time!

If 50 Books in A Year 2011 Challenge is foreign to you, click here to find out more about it. The organizer has been organizing this since 2009! In my opinion, it is simply awesome as I believe it is achievable by everyone!

To following are the rules of the challenge adapted from the challenge announcement.

1. The goal of this challenge is to read 50 books within 365 days. Very reasonable, no?

2. Anyone can join in. You can enter your name in Mister Linky below or leave a comment-- whatever you like.
3. Everything counts: any genre, eBooks, AudioBooks, re-reads, textbooks, books read for other challenges.... As long as it exists and you read it, it works! (Essays, single short stories, etc. do not count, obviously.)
4. Challenge begins on January 1st, 2011 and ends on December 31st. Books read before or after do not count.
5. You do not have to make a list and stick to it. Go ahead and make a list if you like, of course, but you don't have to stick to it.

Books I've Read

1. Rules for a Perfect Life by Niamh Greene
2. Extra Confessions of a Working Girl by Miss S
3. The Tiny Miracle by Carol Marinelli
4. The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
5. The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wicham
6. Catch Us If You Can by Catherine MacPhail
7. Room by Emma Donoghue
8. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott
9. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 1 by Konami Kanata
10. Scott Pilgrim Vol.1 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
11. Girl In The Mirror by Cecelia Ahern
12. Scott Pilgrim Vol.2 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
13. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 2 by Konami Kanata
14. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 3 by Konami Kanata
15. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 4 by Konami Kanata
16. Scott Pilgrim Vol.3 by Bryan Lee O'Malley 
17. Scott Pilgrim Vol.4 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
18. Scott Pilgrim Vol.5 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
19. Scott Pilgrim Vol.6 by Bryan Lee O'Malley
20. Chi's Sweet Home Volumn 5 by Konami Kanata
21. Such A Pretty Girl by Laura Wiess
22. Leftovers by Laura Wiess
23. Temporary Arrangement by Roxanne Runstand
24. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
25. Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
26. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
27. Cross Stitch by Charlotte Gerlings
28. Not Simple by Natsume Ono
29. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
    
30. L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad
31. Sugar and Spice by Lauren Conrad
32. Garden Spell by Sarah Addison Allen
33. Time of Your Life by Cecelia Ahern
34. The Last Mall Rat by Erik Esckilsen

2010 Reading Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge

Stumbled upon this challenge while I was browsing through some other book blogs.
Decided to take up the challenge eventhough it is almost July. I've been reading so....let'z see how it goes!
Interested? Sign up at J-Kaye's. Let me know if you're already in and wants to be linked from my post. ;)

100 or more books read in 2010.

Revamped!

Feels good to have this space revamped!

One thing off my bucket list! *Phew!*

Last view before it was revamped.

Means quite a lot to me as I started of with it a lil over a year ago.

I've been trying to get some time to sit down and select a new template but failed. I've been browsing for the right template too but no luck. *Yeah, I can be very fussy. Won't settle for second best until the best is proven unreachable.* Anyhow, here it is. New look! 3 columns like how I've always wanted. Added more widgets and of coz links (refer to the left pane; Other Bookaholicz!)

Side note:

It feels like I just moved to a new house. The widgets are like furnitures and they are super duper awesome because they are FREE! Whhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!! =)

Books from my childhood days

Saw this post on Books Love Me! and I simply know I have to have one on mine too! Thanks Josette for the wonderful post!

I started reading when I was four. Late? I don't know but I don't think so but some days I wonder if I would have read more if I started at 3.

Greedy Bookaholic on the loose AGAIN

Let me share you something about the hunger to read.
If you are feeling greedy when it comes to reading, you may starting reading all unlike other items in the world such as eating, buying clothes and et cetera. More often than not, when I finished reading a book, I will have trouble deciding which book to read next.

Having more than 40 new books to be read SERIOUSLY doesn't help. LOL!

The following is a sample of what happens when I get too greedy despite knowing I can barely read 5 chapter per week.(Thank you to Mr.Work).

Roald Dahl Complete Collection

Part of my wish list this year is to have the complete set of Roald Dahl's. I got lucky; Puffin Books came out with "Roald Dahl Complete Collection - 15 Books in a Box Set". Simply awesome and of course irrisistable. I've bought 2 books before this came out but anyhow, I bought it! Thanks to my friends who has sponsored a little; told 'em I'll take it as an early birthday present. ;) I got even luckier that when I stepped into Kinokuniya, only one set left. There must be a gazillion other people eyeing on it!

Sophie Kinsella next book; Mini Shopaholic

Wake me up when September comes.
That is also when the new book by Sophie Kinsella will be out. *Soooo can't wait!*

According to MPHOnline, it will be out on the 2nd of September this year.

Though so, the book can be pre-ordered online namely on MPHOnline

The book cover has been revealed on the 19th of April at http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk/news/2010/apr/mini-shopaholic-uk-jacket/
CHECK IT OUT! =)

Excerpt from the back book:
Becky Brandon thought motherhood would be a breeze -- but it's trickier than she thought. Two year-old Minnie has created havoc everywhere from Harrods to her own christening. She hires taxis at random, her favorite word is "mine", and she already has a penchant for Balenciaga bags. Becky is at her wits' end. On top of this, she and Luke are still living with her mom and dad, there's a big financial crisis so everyone's having to cut back -- including all her personal shopping clients -- and her husband Luke is feeling low after the death of his beloved stepmother. To cheer him up, Becky decides to throw Luke a surprise birthday party -- on a budget -- and that's when things become really complicated. Becky tries to keep the arrangements secret and soon she's told so many fibs she can't keep track of them... Will Becky pull off the surprise? Will Minnie give everything away? And what will happen when Becky discovers Luke is keeping a big secret, too?

Catch her on YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf4L2wA1VdE

p/s: Feels gewddd to finally get to update my blog and yeah..share the sweet news. Was tempted to order online...as in pre-order but maybe I should coz going to bookstore and pick my own copy is the greatest! ;)

January Books

I know I musn't spend too much this year especially on books coz I've got more than 50 unread books. Anyhow,I only bought 3 books this month! =)

I don't know how I got into buying recipe books but I can't resist the great simple delicious ones! Now I better clear up the magazines section on the shelves so that I can accommodate more recipe books. ^_^

Note to self:

Dig time to read and finish up more bookz!

Don't keep buying.Well can keep on buying but don't exceed RM1k ;)

Welcome, 2010!

Finally, I'm in the year I've been waiting for. =)
I believe there will be lots happening this year; be it career-wise or relationship-wise. *hihihi* I still do hope I can read a lot more books than 2009. Will see how work treats me this year.

I still see reading as the shortest escape from the hectic world I'm living in now. It would be great to be in a different place with a different setting once in awhile. However, due to lack of personal time and energy, I barely finish a book after May last year. *ouchhhh!!!*

Anyhow,this year started quite OK (books-wise).
1. Got Kinokuniya RM10 voucher from my bro.
2. Bought a Roald Dahl book. :)

I'm not going to drain anyone with new year's resolution like everyone else but this year, I'd love to collect ALL Roald Dahl's books! One book per month sounds good. :)
Still pretty hard to tell; books are forever irresistable!

A preview of what will rest on my bookshelves this year. ;) Roald Dahl is for ALL! *Else, you won't be watching Charlie and The Chocolate Factory =p *

Lastly, keep on reading you guys!!!! Hope I can update this heaven with posts atleast twice a month. :)

More New Bookz in 2009

Gooshh! Work has definitely drained me....now I've got lots to catch up on.

Only today I managed to check out if there are any new books to be released by my favourite authors and guess what??? There are!

Every month, there will be a new book to look forward to.

End of July/Early August

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

(It was scheduled to be released in Aug/Sept 09 but there it is..on the bookshelves end of July 09...and I see it as my August book! =p)

September 2009

Have a Little Faith: The True Story of a Last Request by Mitch Albom

October 2009

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

What these two books are all about?

Click yourself to a brief review on each book mentioned above by clicking on the title. ;)

What's to be released in November and December by the superb authors? I'm yet to know but I do not foresee any because Sophie, Cecelia and Mitch is considered done. Would take a little bit more time until their next book. ;)

Sophie Kinsella's New Book; Twenties Girl

It has been awhile since I last had the chance to update my blog. Last time I read a book? Well, maybe last night. (Barely satisfied. Only got to read 2 pages :( ) Work is eating me up. = LOL.

There is barely anytime to look up for anything except those which falls onto my lap right away.

I'm not going to babble too much and get right to the details of this post.

The moment I've been waiting for is coming verrryyyyyy soon. Sophie Kinsella's new book will be released on the 21st of July this year! =) I'm so glad there is already a date because when I checked it earlier this year, it stated somewhere in July,August or September.

Anyway, for those of you who are clueless about the author, she is the author of the best selling Shopaholic Series. :)

To get more information, go to Sophie Kinsella - Official Site on Random House.

p/s:Be her fan on Facebook by clicking here. This is sooooo gonna be by July vook. =)

Q'reazant Literary Rental Store

Fellow book lovers, check this out!!!

Q'reazant Literary Rental Store

What is it?

It is a book rental store.

Where is it located?

Bandar Baru Bangi.

Too far? U're not in Klang Valley? No worries.

Why they are great?

You do not need to be at their store to rent a book; YOU CAN RENT VIA MAIL!

How does it work?

Register yourself. Make the payment required. Select a book you'd like to rent. Confirm with them. Book(s) will be mailed to you. When you're done reading, mail it back to them. =) Awesome rite? No need to buy a bookshelve.

Who will benefit from this?

You.

1. You do not need to buy a bookshelf. =p

2. You don't have to keep the books you don't like as you are only renting them.

3. You can read a gazillion of books without buying them!

4.

For more info, do log onto their website by clicking the colourful link above. :)

If you've rented from them and would like to share your experience here, feel free to.

:( I wish I Could:

This post is not-so related to books but I've got to write it out anyway...Just to let out how I feel about my reading lately. I can't say it is non-existent as I read everyday. I read work-related stuff. New site. New role. New set of responsibilities and I was extremely clueless so that is when reading comes in.

Reading techy stuff can be quite confusing especially when your head is not with it eventhough your heart knows you have to read it in order to get things done. Gosh! Now I'm starting to sound like a student. LOL!

Anyway, what I'm pretty upset with is....I don't seem to have enough time to read what I'm currently reading. :( Why?

1. I reach home pretty late everyday and the only thing I could do before I sleep is eat my dinner, clean up myself and hit the sack. No time for a single paragraph in a book.

2. I have to get up early...no I do not sleep more than 5 hours per day. :/ If I do, I'd end up being late to work. Thanks to the jam.

3. I can't laze on my bed with a book. Why? No time.O.K. This line sounds like a working adult. *phew!*LOL.

4. Weekends? I foresee that I will work more over the weekends in the next future. Hihi. :) Happy coz I get to work Not too happy coz I might have some personal stuff I wanna get done...and IF I do have my weekends, there'll be lots going on.

What do I do now to satisfy my hunger for reading? Read a lil while having dinner! LOL Progress might be slow but I still get to read. The lust for books can always be satisfied anytime! Why? I can shop online IF I'm so desperate for a new one but as of now, I only see one book purchase this month. (Hint : Remember Daruma? ;) ) Plus, I still have lotsa books on my bookshelves piling up waiting for me to read them.

So...as you can see, there is only 1 or 2 updates on my blog lately. No worries. I will continue blogging and talking more and more about book-related stuff you might miss out. ;) Reviews? It will come in right after I'm done with the book I'm reading.

If you happen to have tips on how I could squeeze in reading in my daily routine, do inform. Do not suggest me to read on the road, I'll get headaches. :(

Note : I will continue reading no matter what! Nobody and nothing could ever stop my love for reading and lust for books! =p As for the techy stuff I'm supposed to read, I hope I can release some brain cells for it to reside in. Hahaha! Oh! I soooooo can't wait for the next Sophie Kinsella book!!!!! =)

eBooks vs Physical Books

I read both types of books. eBooks are FREE and easily found. You can practically download any book you want provided someone shares it. ;) My favourite source has got to be the Gigiapedia.org :) Many would say they prefer reading the real book rather than reading an ebook. I prefer reading a real book too.

Here are some reasons why ebooks are lovely.
1. FREE
2. Can be read inbetween windows...would be very lovely when you have to wait for some batch programs to finish executing.
3. Comes in various formats; .pdf, .doc, .lit, .html and maybe many more...so you can pick which formats you're comfortable with. Anyhow, it still depends on availability.
4. Others won't know you're actually happily reading a book...unless they read ebooks too coz it will look like just another document. ;)
5. You can "window shop" have whatever book u want!!!! Could eat up your disk space though.

I still read ebooks from time to time. Think the best is when the book has >200pages. If you need a technical book, ebook is the best too!!!! If you happen to wanna copy some lines of codes, you can just copy and paste it....and then ammend to your prog. Ez-pz. :) LOVELY.

On the other hand, the physical books are still the best coz you can bring it anywhere you go without needing a laptop and power supply. You can lay down with it and read it in any positions you're comfortable in while reading. It doesn't occupy any disk spaces but it occupies the space in your room/house...and of course the bookshelves. Well, itz a beautiful sight. *recalling Rainbow Bookshelf* This may sound odd but the smell of books are also nice...hihihi

Too Many Books

How many books are too many? Many a time I've been told to not buy anymore books, throw my books away, give 'em away or ..... No way I'll ever throw them away. I BOUGHT them! Plus, I will never ever throw away my reference books. You'll never know when you need 'em. Give them away? Depends. I gave away quite a number of books to the orphanage. Stop buying books??? You gotta be kidding me!

Well, some will tell me its a waste of money. I can't believe anyone would ever say that. How can reading waste your time? They should see themselves watching the idiot box and compare with reading. =p I know there are ebooks now. I read them from time to time but the feel is different. SERIOUSLY. Can borrow 'em from the library? Funny. The libraries don't seem to have new books. If you wanna focus on your history project, that might be the best place to look for info. What's best? Income tax reduction people. Well, for those who are making alot of bucks won't care but those who are like me, 1 thousand bucks is something! ;)

What triggered this topic? I've recently rearranged my books...thanks to the Rainbow Bookshelf. No. I DO NOT HAVE A RAINBOW BOOKSHELF. It doesn't seem to turn out like a rainbow. :( Need more books. =p

Back to the first question, how many books are too many? Too many books will never occur. Seriously. The one thing which is lacking is a nice big bookshelf to accommodate the books. :)

I bumped into a wiki which shares how to stop accommodating books. Some of the given tips are make a "to buy" list, give away books which are not worth keeping and et cetera. If you'd like to view the list,click here.

What have I done to cut down the number of books I've got?
1. Sold them online.
2. Gave 'em away to the less privileged.
3. Pass it on to my brothers.
4. Keep it elsewhere. =p
(Hope this list could grow til I could have a nice BIG bookshelf.)

A member of BooksterHub on Facebook shared some links to the event hosted by Scholastic last year where they encouraged kids to read and give away books to the less privileged. I hope I will not be too busy when the next one is held so that I could gather the storybooks my brothers do not want anymore and donate them. :) IF anybody happens to want to collect books for this cause, do inform me. Thanks. :)

Rainbow Bookshelf

What's a rainbow bookshelf? I fell in love with it the moment I saw it!!! It is just soooo b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l. See the picture below. It was taken from chotda.


I first saw a rainbow bookshelf in a movie but I can't recall which so I googled and found the beautiful pic above. :) Quite a number of people has attempted to have a rainbow bookshelf too. Some turned out quite well.

Namesis 79

Apartmenttherapy

Sundrybuzz

Not enough? Wanna see more rainbows?? Click here to get to the collection.
Wanna see other creative bookshelves? Check it out here.

I wanna have one too but I'd need a bigger bookshelf and of coz more BOOKS. I don't have too many books with bight-coloured spine and I have too many white ones. Will I shop for books according to colours? No!!! =p