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Sunday, August 14, 2016

WHY THIS IS THE LAST POST YOU'LL PROBABLY BE SEEING ON READING WITH LUIGI | 2016

Hi Readers!

After months of totally not blogging, drafting this post is very weird. It feels weird, all these settings and options seems to be new. Basically, I feel like an alien in my own domain, which is much weirder. It has been what? Two months? Ehh. 

Now, the title of this post is quite true, but there's a catch -- I'm not leaving blogging for good.


As the years pass by, blogging has been a big part of my life and it took pretty much a large amount of my spare time. As well as reading and writing! But as this year entered, new doors of possibilities opened for me. Doors I knew I had before but didn't actually open them. These doors were then my 'interests' besides blogging, reading, and writing. Now, they are pretty much a part of my life too (particularly my spare time). What are these doors you say? I've been more fascinated about scientific theories, I've expanded my knowledge about the DCEU and Marvel Universe, I've had weird obsessions with superhero TV shows, I've watched movies non-stop this year, and so many other more doors I can't wait to finally open. All of these are what I do besides reading this past few months. They are what makes me, 'Luigi' now. And weirdly enough, I only spend a very little amount of time for reading novels nowadays. 

Why have I not been posting on this blog of mine? While I can clearly say that it's because of school, it entirely isn't. I've been occupied by these new hobbies that I have. I've been reading comic books, watching movies on the weekend, researching about the Multiverse theory, I've listened to a whole lot more music, and so much more. So, yes. I have been busy with school and I've allowed new things to occupy my spare time.

I've started this blog two years ago, (and yes, I forgot to celebrate my blog anniversary, which sucks) and then I was mainly only 'Reading with Luigi'. Now, I am so much more! And I just feel like I don't want to limit out this blog's capacity. I want to fully express myself on all the aspects of my life. And this is not something that I just thought of yesterday. I've been actually planning to create a new blog months ago, and the original plan was to run both blogs at the same time. After months of trying to fulfill my plan, I just know I can't equally give my time to two blogs. I'm already struggling at just one blog, so why create two? Then I even thought to abandon this blog, but I clearly just can't. So, I thought of merging my new blog and this blog into just one blog. I know that's a lot of work, but yes I'm sorta rebooting this blog. And that would require changes in the header, title, everything! But i just don't want to abandon this blog, so that idea happened. Lol. I've thought of this plan months ago but I just can't do it before. I feel like this blog meant so much to me, but now, I'll accept the changes in my life and rather than abandoning I will 'improve' this blog of mine. 

What more to say? Hmm. Besides the fact that I'm weirdly emotional right now, there's nothing else really. Just expect a lot new content months from now or possible the next year (which might not involve reading).

Oh, and if you're from the future and this blog looks like a total mess, it's me testing out what suits for this blog the most. So please don't think I'm a crappy blogger (which come to think of it, I am a crappy blogger, oops) I am simply re-constructing my blog into a better one.

Thank you so much for being part of my Reading with Luigi journey, and I hope that you'll still stay when this blog's a whole lot different.

This is probably the last time you'll see my Reading with Luigi logo, read more!

Sunday, June 12, 2016

COFFEE BOOK TAG!

Hello wonderful readers!

I have something exciting to do for today! And as you probably have guessed it from reading the title, I will be doing the Coffee Book Tag! I am so excited to actually do this book tag just because coffee/hot chocolate and books are two of my favorite things in the world!



From what I know, this book tag was created by BangadyBangz and I recall watching it long ago from his channel and really wanting to do it. I also saw Katytastic, Jessethereader, and a lot of my favorite booktubers do this tag. BangadyBangz video will be attached below just so I could probably save you the time of searching for it because you may be as lazy as me and just so you could find yourself a probably new favorite booktuber!



I am also thankful to my good friend Dorothy from Not that Girl from Oz for tagging me to do this tag and for making me more determined to actually do this! Haha. Go check out her blog, it's absolutely wonderful!

Basically, there will be 8 questions that somehow relates coffee and hot beverages to books.

Without further ado, let's begin!




Sunday, June 5, 2016

MAY BOOK HAUL | 2016

Hello wonderful readers! 

For today I have a book haul for you! It's actually my May Book Haul as you can probably tell by the title of this post. I kinda skipped April just because I only got a book that month and that was during the last few days of April so I just included that book on my May book haul!

Anyway, without further ado, let's begin!



As you can probably tell, I have accumulated 4 books the past month. Now, in terms of quantity this is not one my biggest book hauls ever, but in terms of quality, this is probably one of the book hauls I am most excited about. 

This book haul contains books I am pretty much excited about. Books from famous content creators that I actually look up to and novels I've heard good things from. I am highly anticipating these books and I am so excited to finally be able to read them!




The first book from the pile is Ready Player One by Ernest Clide.

Ready Player One is a book that is loved by almost everyone. It got a goodreads' rating of 4.31 stars which pretty much means this is an amazing book. 

From what I can tell, this is a futuristic world set in which reality is messed up. It follows our main protagonist, Wade Watts into trying to solve the puzzles and mysteries in a virtual utopia called OASIS. At the end of these puzzles are fortunes and prizes that other players would kill for. And this book is basically about Wade Watts trying to survive and finish the game.

If that's not enough to make you interested, I don't know what will. All I know is that some of my favorite people in the book community including Jesse from jessethereader, Ariel Bisett, Marie Lu, and Rainbow Rowell gave this book a perfect score and I pretty much value their opinions. I am so excited to dive straight into this book! Oh, and by the way, I got this book at Fully Booked for Php 565.00 which I think is a pretty fair deal for a book highly talked about.  


The next book I got was the book I purchased during the end of April, it's The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness.

Now, Patrick Ness is an author which people seems to rave about. But upon further research after purchasing this book without looking it up online, this book is not Patrick Ness' best book according to the internet. It got an average score of 3.8 on goodreads and received mixed reviews. Nonetheless, the main reason why I picked this book up was entirely because of its synopsis and cover so I'm still pretty much excited to dive in.


Basically, this book is about those who are usually not noticed. About those who aren't the chosen one. Those who aren't the main protagonist. The normal people in a magical world. We follow Mikey, who's a teenager who just wants to graduate and go to prom with the girl she likes. This book is about finding something extraordinary in what you think is an ordinary life.

You see? That's why I am excited for this book! Because like Mikey, I am a normal teenager. But I want to do something extraordinary -- to leave something extraordinary to our wonderful world. I am just so excited about this book and I hope to read it soon! I got this book at National Book Store for Php 359.00, and that's very affordable for a YA novel nowadays!


The last two books are actually memoirs written by two of the most wonderful online content creators for me! I am so excited and I actually just received these books days ago and I bought them from Fully Booked's website!

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

BOOK REVIEW : MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES BY JASMINE WARGA!

Hello wonderful readers!

For today I have another book review! I will be reviewing My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga. It's an amazing book with wonderful topics and I just loved it!

Let's begin!




Details:

Title: My Heart and Other Black Holes

Author: Jasmine Warga

Number of Pages: 302

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Mental Health, Romance

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Published on: February 10, 2015

Format: Paperback

Price: Php 395.00 (Fully Booked), $ 10.15 (Book Depository), $ 9.99 (Amazon)
*Prices may change due to different sales/offers.



Purchase the book at:
*I am NOT getting any profit for endorse these sites.



Synopsis:


Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.
There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner. 
Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince.





About the Author:



Hi, I'm Jasmine. I live and write in a small town (technically a village, but that sounds so medieval) that is a few miles outside of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Since I find it exceedingly uncomfortable to write about myself, I will keep this short. MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES is my first novel and will be published by Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins in Winter 2015. My second novel, which is currently untitled, will most likely be published in 2016. You can read more about my books here [on my website].

Things I like: Animals (of all sorts!), especially my cat, Salvador, and my puppy, Scout. Surrealist sketches. Iced coffee. The night sky. Old swing sets. Music. Rainy mornings. (This list could get obnoxiously long so I will stop here.)


Things I do not like: Talking about things I dislike.



Reach the author at:


Wednesday, May 25, 2016

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY : THE MIDNIGHT STAR BY MARIE LU!

Hello wonderful readers!

For today, I'll be posting a Waiting on Wednesday! It's basically a bookish event/meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine! The idea behind it is you post an anticipated book every Wednesday!

As I've recently finished The Rose Society (click here for the book review), for today I'll be talking and anticipating the third and final book to The Young Elites trillogy, The Midnight Star! 

Let's begin!

Details:

Title: The Midnight Star (The Young Elites #3)

Author: Marie Lu

Number of Pages: 416

Genre: Fantasy, Science-fiction

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers 

Release Date: October 11, 2016

Format: Hardcover

Price: $18.99
*Prices may change due to different sales/offers.


Pre-order the book at:
*I am NOT paid for endorsing these sites.


Synopsis:


The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu.
There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.
Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.
Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.
Bestselling author Marie Lu concludes Adelina's story with this haunting and hypnotizing final installment to the Young Elites series. 



About the Author:




Marie Lu is the art director at Online Alchemy, a video game company, and also owns the children’s brand Fuzz Academy. She was first inspired to write Legend while watching Les Miserables one afternoon, and wondered how the relationship between a famous criminal vs. a prodigious detective might translate into a more modern story. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006 and lives in Los Angeles, California. 


Reach the author at:

Sunday, May 22, 2016

BOOK REVIEW : THE ROSE SOCIETY BY MARIE LU!

Hello wonderful readers!

I have a book review for you today, and it is of Marie Lu's wonderful second book to The Young Elites Trilogy, The Rose Society.

Let's begin!



Details:

Title: The Rose Society (The Young Elites #1)

Author: Marie Lu

Number of Pages: 395

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Dystopia, Young Adult

Publisher:  G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers 

Published on: October 13, 2015

Format: Hardcover

Price: $21.64 (BD), Php 817.00 (FB)
*Prices may change due to different sales/offers.



Purchase the book at:
*I am NOT getting any profit for endorse this site.



Synopsis:

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.
Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she flees Kenettra with her sister to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.
But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good when her very existence depends on darkness?
Bestselling author Marie Lu delivers another heart-pounding adventure in this exhilarating sequel to The Young Elites.


About the Author:



Marie Lu is the art director at Online Alchemy, a video game company, and also owns the children’s brand Fuzz Academy. She was first inspired to write Legend while watching Les Miserables one afternoon, and wondered how the relationship between a famous criminal vs. a prodigious detective might translate into a more modern story. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2006 and lives in Los Angeles, California. 


Reach the author at:







Friday, May 6, 2016

PINOY FOOD BOOK TAG W/ ECCENTRIC EVERYTHING! [ORIGINAL]

Hello wonderful readers! 

Today is a very exciting day for I have teamed up with Raffy from Eccentric Everything to bring an exclusive and an original book tag to you guys!

First and foremost, this tag will be in a collaboration way, which means there are two different sets of questions on my blog and on Raffy's. I made up seven questions with relation to popular Pinoy Snacks and Raffy made up another set of seven questions about traditional Filipino Cuisine.

You can check out Raffy's answer to my questions in this post and you can see my answer to his questions, here or on the link below.

Link: www.eccentric-everything.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-pinoy-food-book-tag-collaboration.html

Let's begin!





As I have mentioned above, here are 7 Questions about Popular Pinoy Snacks and Raffy's answers are all below! I have to say, he has a good taste in books and characters that he chose. I have made my best efforts to come up with these seven questions and I hope you guys will like how it relates and appreciates Raffy's answers as well.

And after checking my post out, go ahead to Raffy's blog, Eccentric Everything or click here to check out my answers to his question on his blog.

I hope you'll like it!




1. Pansit - A traditional Filipino noodles which is believed to lengthen someone's life. For this, name a book you wish had more sequels or an author you wish wrote more books. 


The Proxy duology by Alex London. I chose this because I was really captivated by London’s amazing (albeit terrifying) dystopian future. And of course, it’s a significant work in our society since it represents a faction that is obviously under-represented then—the LGBT community. I’m a huge fan of science-fiction myself, and upon reading Proxy, I was pretty much content. But I feel that if you’re making another book about that world, you might as wll just write an entire series about it because of the vast potential this world has.



2. Fishball - A popular street food which is literally fish molded into balls then fried. For this, pick a book you would read again and again.


I have three books that I’d like to mention. First is Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I’ve read this book twice now, and I’ve always been so captivated by how Riggs’s writing and his photographs complement each other well. Next is Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Now, I know, I’ve only finished this recently, but I feel that Celaena offers so much character for the readers that I’d want to know her for the first time over and over again. Also. Dorian. Um. Yep. Lastly, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I mean really. Rowling’s Wizarding World captured me even by the movies alone. And upon reading the first book, I wish I’d gotten my letter when I was 11 as well. *sad pug face*



    3. Taho - A popular morning food which is mainly composed of sago, soy, and a sweet syrup called arnibal. For this, pick a book you would love to see (or read) the first thing in the morning.


    Pardon me but I’ll be mentioning romance YA haha! Firstly, Burn for Burn. Not only does it revolve around a theme that was really important to be when I read it, it also depicted romance in a slightly more realistic way than others. Also, there were weird stuff that happened in that book. And those scenes made me feel warm. Next is This Is What Happy Looks Like. I’ve never doubed Smith from the beginning, but this book really spoke to me on a level that well, kinda mixed both reality and fantasy in one book. It talked about the reality behind celebrities, but at the same time, it dealt with family structures, friendship, and love.


    Saturday, April 16, 2016

    #29DAYSWITHLUIGI | THANK YOU AND RECAP!

    Hello wonderful readers! This is the first post after a long time without the "Day __ of #29DaysWithLuigi" and it kinda makes me sad.

    Nonetheless, this post if for me thanking you, plus some closing remarks, and the recap!

    Let's begin!




    First of all, I would like to thank everyone who took part of this special event of mine. 


    Thank you to all those who have read or even visited my blog and social media accounts. I am deeply amazed by your support!

    To those who joined my giveaway! I am very thankful for that! To those who shared my post and liked them (or hated them) thank you very much!

    I was expecting the worse for this event but I got pretty much good support!

    I am also sorry for the lack of enough content for this event. As I have said in my previous post, I am pretty occupied and am lacking the creativity to post something great! And I don't want to put out something just for the sake of posting something, I want it to be the best on how I imagined it. 

    But don't worry, I have lots of review on draft currently and am planning to do some tags! And some *possible* collaborations are coming your way!

    Thursday, April 14, 2016

    MARCH BOOK HAUL (BIRTHDAY BOOK HAUL PART 2) | 2016

    ~ Welcome to Day 28 of #29DaysWithLuigi ~



    Before starting this post, I have some explaining to do. I am deeply sorry for not being able to follow my schedule regarding my 29-Day event. As you can probably tell, if you're following me on snapchat (@ luigimacapagal), I have been out in the wild the past few days. I've been everywhere and just continuously exhausted the past few days. I can't even read properly. I am deeply sorry! 

    Another thing is, I am lacking the inspiration to make posts with my best. I don't really know why or what's happening with me but all I know is as much as possible, I want to give the best possible content I can. I don't want to post just for the sake of being able to post. Nope. So again, I am deeply sorry. I actually have like 4 reviews drafted about two weeks ago now. Those will still come up live but apparently, not on this event. Which kinda makes me sad but I just want to give the best as possible.

    For this day, I will be posting my March book haul, which I also consider as my Birthday Book Haul Part 2. I consider it as a part 2 since my February Book Haul pretty much included most of my gifts for myself, lol. 

    Let's begin!


    Last March, I got a total of 6 books! Yes, I know you can only see 5 books on the title of this haul but I forgot to include the last book on this picture, lol.

    March is my birthday month and I am not sure why but ever since, I rarely get a lot of books on my birthday month. It usually is because it is the same month with the Holy Week. I don't really know why. I am very happy with the books I got and excited to read (I actually have read some already) the books I got last month.




    The first book that I got last month is Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman.



    I am very excited to dive in to this book. I have heard nothing but amazing reviews from my friends and fellow book freaks. It follows Kady and Ezra as they are forced to work together after their break up to resolve, I believe, intergalactic war and problems. I have actually included this book to my Summer TBR and I am excited to dive into it!




    I actually got his book along with the next book on Fully Booked Glorietta when I attended #VictoriaAveyardinPH.


    The next book I got last month is Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes.


    This is actually an ARC I got from NBS last #VictoriaAveyardinPH. I am pumped for this books since I loved Alice in the Wonderland. It is a retelling of Alice in the Wonderland (obviously). In this book we follow Danah, the next Queen of Hearts as she encounters some problems and hindrances with her coronation day approaching. I am very excited to dive into this book and see what my thoughts are since I have been hearing a lot of mixed ratings surrounding this book.


    Wednesday, April 6, 2016

    MARCH WRAP-UP | 2016

    ~ Welcome to Day 20 of #29DaysWithLuigi ~



    For today, I'll be sharing to you my reading wrap-up for the wonderful month of March.

    Let's begin!

    I was really surprised on how much I was able to read last month considering that this month held my last quarterly exams in school and I celebrated my birthday as well. Overall, all of the books I've read was amazing and I loved them! March was a whole lot better than the 1st two months of the year.


    During the stressful and very exciting month of March, I was able to read 4 books - specifically, 3 novels and a novella.


    The first book I read last month is Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. 

    I have actually posted my full review yesterday, I'll be linking it here.

    I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I quite liked it and it surely did make me want to go on with the series.

    Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard is a great sequel, overall. It had amazing new characters and mind blowing scenes. It was not better than the 1st book partially. In terms of great plot twist and breath-taking revelations, I liked the 1st book better. In terms of characters and their abilites, the 2nd book was amazing. This was a great bridge to the series and I think and hope that the series would develop more as it goes on.



    The second book I read last month Diary of A Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.

    I know, I know. You may have been wondering 'why?'. I myself am not sure why I picked this book up. I actually think I've read this book many years back, but it was more of an childish read. I am not sure, I just read the first page then ended up finishing the book, lol. 

    It was great and cute. It was very honest and I liked it. I find myself on some of the events on the book which kinda made me continue reading it. As you may have noticed on my Summer TBR, I do have plans on continuing the series. I just loved it and thought of why not finish the whole series that I have on my possession.

    Now, I didn't much focus on the literature aspects of the book, I just rated it on how I liked it. I gave it a 4 out of 5 stars.

    Tuesday, April 5, 2016

    BOOK REVIEW : GLASS SWORD BY VICTORIA AVEYARD!

    ~ Welcome to Day 19 of #29DaysWithLuigi ~


    Hello wonderful readers! I am back with a book review of Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard. I have recently finished this book and I'm not much of a fan but I liked it and it would make me want to continue the series.I still think that the 1st book is better in some aspects. 

    Let's begin!


    Details:

    Title: Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)

    Author: Victoria Aveyard

    Number of Pages: 444

    Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-fi

    Publisher: HarperTeen

    Published on: February 9, 2016

    Format: Paperback

    Price: $19.10 (BD), Php 435.00 (FB and NBS)
    *Prices may change due to different sales/offers.

    Purchase the book at:
    *I am NOT getting any profit for endorsing these sites




    Synopsis:

              " If there’s one thing Mare Barrow knows, it’s that she’s different.
    Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 
    The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.
    Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 
    But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 
    Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?
    The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness that has grown in her soul."

    About the author:


    I’m a writer repped by Suzie Townsend at New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. I split my time between my hometown East Longmeadow, Massachusetts and Los Angeles. After graduating with a BFA in Screenwriting from the University of Southern California, I decided to try my hand at writing a novel. My debut RED QUEEN came out of the terrifying, unemployed year after college.

    Currently I’m revising the second book in the RED QUEEN series, along with pursuing other projects in literature and film. My proudest achievements are riding a horse in the mountains of Montana and navigating from London to Edinburgh without GPS.

    Reach the author at:
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