2014 Reading Challenge

2014 Reading Challenge
Michael has read 1 book toward his goal of 50 books.
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Sunday, March 24, 2013

Stacking The Shelves (12)

Hey Chroniclers! This week was such a good week in terms of books for me! I got so many books this week, more than I usually get and it's not even all of them. I have a few books coming in this coming week and then the week after some more. =O It feels like Christmas! Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by the amazing Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews where we share with you what we got the past week!


I got 8 books in total this week!

On Tuesday, I went to New York City with a friend to go to Barnes and Noble. It's 15 minutes away from where I live and since I have no car I'd rather take the train there and visit my second home, the city. We went there to buy Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare which I'll read in the month of April. But while I was there I couldn't leave with just one book so I bought The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Now I was content with these two books but I was showing my friend the leather bound editions of books from B&N and I turned to the side thinking it was there, which they weren't, but noticed that the hardcover copy of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo was only eight bucks. Cheaper with the membership so I HAD to get it which I did.

This week I also found out I won a giveaway over at Lindsay Cummings Blog and won a copy of Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes which I received on Friday. I was shocked though that they also sent me a copy of Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes and even more shocked that it was signed! So thank you so much for that and everyone go check out Lindsay's blog! She's also an author =O

And I just recently got back from Barnes and Noble about an hour or so ago. While I was at the Barnes and Noble on Tuesday, I saw that they had Legend by Marie Lu with the new cover as a hardcover! And I didn't mind the cover change, had I not seen the new cover as hardcover so I had to go buy it today to match!

Old Cover vs New Cover


And while I was there today, I also got Prodigy by Marie Lu and decided to get The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness.

And thus, my Stacking The Shelves is concluded with eight freaking books. My TBR pile just shot straight up! Next week I should be receiving three books and then the following week another three. I feel like I'm getting books faster than I could read them. But I'll get to them soon!

But that's all I got! What did you guys get this week? Let me know down in the comments below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Tuesday's Novel Spotlight (51)

Hey Chroniclers! It's Tuesday which means that books have been released into the world but the one that I'm most excited for today is a book that is the final in the trilogy! I'm talking about...


It is the third and final book in The Infernal Devices Trilogy and I'm currently on my way to NYC which is like 15 minutes away from here to go pick up my copy! I'm so excited for this book as you can tell by the countdown up above. I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Will you guys be reading it? Let me know down in the comments below!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Monday's Novel Talk (62)

Hey Chroniclers! It's me again! This time I'm bringing you some Novel Talk a little earlier than I have in the past few weeks. Yay for being almost on time! lol

Since last week I have finished reading Guys Read: The Sports Pages edited by Jon Scieszka. I should be writing a review for it soon, just have to sit down and get to it.

I also finished reading The Namesake by Steven Parlato. It was such a good book and I should be writing a review for it soon as well. Seriously such a good book I loved it that much.

I also started reading A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin and I'm currently on Page 19 of 924. To finish by March 31 I divided the number of days by the number of pages and came to the conclusion that I need to read 66 pages per day. If I read more than that per day, I'll finish it sooner! I've missed reading this so I can't wait to see what goes down and I can't wait for the show to come back!

That's all I've been reading! What have you guys been reading? Leave your comments down below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo


   


Stacking The Shelves (11)

Hey Chroniclers! I was supposed to put this up yesterday but the day went by so fast and before I knew it it was over. I have no idea how that even happened! But I'm here now and time to show you what I got! Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by the joyous Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews in which we show you what we bought or received during the week! This week I went bad, especially considering that tomorrow I'll be buying another book and in the next week or so I'll be getting two more. It seems like my TBR Pile will never go down! D=


 Barnes & Noble sent me a coupon for 20% off and I always said that I'd only buy a book if there was a coupon so I could limit myself and save money at that. So with the coupon I bought Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. I've heard about this book so much on YouTube and it seriously got me interested and so I'm super freaking to read this one! I'm not sure when I'll get to it though. I also love the way the cover feels. It's like rough parchment!

On Saturday I went to Walmart and I went into the movies section and looked for Game of Thrones Season 2 but they only had the DVD when I was looking for Blu-Ray. So instead I settled on a book, Rise by Andrea Cremer. My mom actually bought me it so my money has been saved. Again, I hear the prequel series are the better books so I'm pretty excited to read this as well. I'm not sure when I'll read it but hopefully soon.

So that's all I got! What did you guys get this week? Let me know in the comments below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo


 


Monday, March 11, 2013

Monday's Novel Talk (61)

Hey Chroniclers! The day flew by so quick today! Before I knew it it was already 6 PM when I thought it was 12. But it's Monday again so I get to let you guys know how my reading has been going since last week!

I finally finished A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin in the early hours of Sunday morning! I said I was going to finish it Saturday but I was supposed to go out but then something went down and I didn't read nor did I go out. Of course I loved it and I can't wait to start book 3 but I must wait!

Now I'm currently reading Guys Read: The Sports Pages edited by Jon Scieszka. I'm on page 81 of 245 and it's a collection of 10 short stories about sports. Whether there's a point to the story or not, it's all about sports. I'm enjoying it. The first story was a funny one that had no point but it was entertainment. The second one was a bit eh but had a nice meaning to it and the third one ended with an oh snap that also had a valuable lesson to it.

I'll be reviewing this one shortly after I finish it so keep your eyes out for that.

And that's all I've been reading really! Hopefully I'll finish this one soon so I can start my next review book! What have you guys been reading? Leave your comments down below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo


 


Sunday, March 10, 2013

Stacking The Shelves (10)

Hey Chroniclers! Another week has come and gone and many of us have gotten more books to add to our shelves. Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews where we showcase the books we received this week! This week it's basically a blessing that I didn't get a lot of things so that my TBR Pile doesn't go any higher.


When Cinder by Marissa Meyer first came out or I think ARCs were going around, my friend Ky from Can't Find A Bookmark read it and fell in love and just told me about it like the reader she is. I admitted it sounded good and last week I received a copy of Cinder and when I told my friend Ky, she offered to send me her ARC of Scarlet since she already had a hardcover and here we go! I finally got it and I can't wait to read both of them!

I keep hearing good things about both of these books and I'm so excited but I'm not sure when I will read them. Perhaps sometime before June but we shall see.

What did you guys get this week? Let me know in the comments down below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo


 


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Wishlist Giveaway!

Hey Chroniclers! It is time for the years first giveaway! As you might know, I've had a problem with work and all that had no money but now I have money and decided to give you guys some love!



What kind of giveaway? Basically all you have to do is have a wishlist. You can use amazon for that. Put the books that you want in your wishlist and set the priorities for the book so I know which ones you want the most. Enter the giveaway and let fate take the wheel!

This giveaway is only US! But don't fret because I will be doing an International soon as well.

Just fill out the form down below and you're done! I will check to see that everything is done. Winner will be contacted right after they're announced and have 48 hours to respond until another winner is chosen. From there on we will take care of business. Good luck!

What to do recap:
Join the Giveaway.
Tweet everyday for more points.
Create a Wishlist (can be done after joining or in the coming days)
That's that!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




The Novel's Court (4)

Hey Chroniclers! Today is such a beautiful day outside. It's a bit windy in some parts but the sun was hitting me and I felt hot with the jacket on and it smelled like Spring was getting near and I loved it! Which is perfect since a bunch of books have been released out into the world! But before they do, they must go through a process called The Novel's Court! The Novel's Court is a weekly meme hosted by me where I put a debut novel through the test to see if it's worth reading (Guilty) or not (Not Guilty). This week it is...


Spellcaster by Claudia Gray!

When Nadia's family moves to Captive's Sound, she instantly realizes there's more to the place than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia can sense that a spell has been cast over the tiny Rhode Island town-a sickness infecting everyone and everything in it. The magic at work is darker and more powerful than anything she's come across and has sunk its claws most deeply into Mateo . . . her rescuer, her friend, and the guy she yearns to get closer to even as he pushes her away. 

Mateo has lives in Captive's Sound his entire life, shadowed by small-town gossip and his family's tormented past. Every generation, the local legends say, one member of the family goes mad, claiming to know the future before descending into insanity. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl from a car accident actually come true, he knews he's doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his terrible family curse, and to prevent a coming disaster that even now threatens the entire town, including Nadia's family, her newfound friends, and her own life.

Time for Court!

The Story: I was getting all into it and it was sounding amazing until the last sentence of the first paragraph. It just ruined it for me. I'm really starting to hate how everything revolves around falling in love and such. As if that's the definition of YA. Small town, meets a mysterious guy, has to fight for their lives. It's getting a little to repetitive and that's probably why I haven't been reading a lot of the newer YA books. 

The Cover: I actually like the cover! I like the simplicity of it and the color tones. I really like the font of the title as well as the flame she's holding in her hand. If it were for the cover I'd have this in a heartbeat. 

The Verdict: Unfortunately I'm not just going to buy a book for the cover but for the story as well so this one falls under Not Guilty! I just won't invest my time in romance novels. Had it not mentioned the romance part I would've added it to my list, even if it surprise attacked me with romance in the actual story. I feel like if there's romance in the synopsis then it plays a big part and I just don't want that. 

What are your thoughts on the story and cover? Have you read it or want to read it? Thoughts on the author as well? Leave your comments down below! 

Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo





Monday, March 4, 2013

Monday's Novel Talk (60)

Hey Chroniclers! So this post is a little bit late but I've been reading and decided to post this as I watch The Biggest Loser! I've become addicted to this show and I don't know how it happened. It might be the fact that I get all teary eyed watching these people fight for their dream body and seeing the eliminated contestants with a different body. I'm such a sap lol.

I haven't posted one of these in the longest because my allergies were acting up and I couldn't exactly see that well so I won't be talking about the past weeks.

I'm currently reading A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin. I'm currently on page 327 out of 728. To finish by Saturday, I should be reading around 76 pages per day and tonight I should be on page 343 but if I pass it it'll be better for me and I might be finished earlier.

The books is going great though! I'm seeing some differences from the series but it's pretty much the same. The best thing is that reading the book is making me feel as if I'm being introduced to everything for the first time regardless of watching the show previously.

And that's basically all I've been reading! What have you guys been reading? Leave your comments down below!

Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...


Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo




Stacking The Shelves (9)

Hey Chroniclers! So this post is a day late but I wasn't exactly home yesterday so better late than never! Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful Tynga over at Tynga's Reviews where we show what we received or bought in the past week. This week I got a couple of things that I'm actually happy and excited for!


Bam! I'm so happy with what I got and I'm actually proud of the lighting in this picture! =P

All this is thanks to a wonderful person called Margie over at Bumbles and Fairy-Tales! Margie did a giveaway on Twitter where the winner would win a book off of their wishlist. I won and received a UK paperback copy of Cinder by Marissa Meyer! I keep hearing good things about this and first heard it from my friend Ky who loves the series! So I'm glad that I got that and thank you Margie!

She also asked me if I would like to review two books on her site as well as my own and I agreed because it's awesome to help fellow bloggers out which at this point we're all like family. So you can't say no =P
So she sent me a copy of Guys Read: The Sports Pages Edited by Jon Scieszka. It is a couple of short stories by various authors. She also sent an ARC of The Namesake by Steven Parlato. I'm actually really excited for this one and can't wait to read both of them though! So again thank you Margie for that!

She was also kind enough to send me a bunch of swag! I got some tattoos, an awesome sticker, as well as these small square type book things which I don't know what they're called. She also sent me a couple of bookmarks some of which are signed like the wonderful Maria V. Snyder and Gretchen McNeil! So again, thank you so much for this Margie! You made my whole week with this and I've been super excited since!

One of the best part though has to be her business card.


I have never seen a business card like this and I think it's the most creative and wonderful one out there. I seriously was cheesing so hard when I got this and I don't know why. Just the design and the way the card feels and it's just so cool. Her information is on the back side and it just looks so freaking neat and professional and just AWESOME! Everyone needs to make theirs like this one.

But that is all I got this week! What did you guys get? Let me know down below in the comments!



Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo

And don't forget to check out Margie: Bumbles and Fairy-Tales! 
And her Twitter: @TheBumbleGirl


   



Saturday, March 2, 2013

To Be Read Pile (March 2013)

Hey Chroniclers! It's already March and I was supposed to and going to put this up yesterday but I had to go take my permit test (of which I passed) and then hadn't been home since 7AM until around 1 AM. So there's that as my excuse. But I am here to show you guys my to be read pile so here is; the To Be Read Pile of March 2013!

To Be Read Pile (March 2013)
I can finally see a difference. Both good and bad. On the bottom shelf you notice how it's less empty now that two big books have gotten out of the way. Meanwhile on the top, you notice that it's more full.
1. Because I got more books
2. I had to bring the books closer together because the camera wouldn't capture the one at the far end.

But I'm still happy that you can tell a difference with the big books from last month's.

To Be Read Pile (February 2013)
Last month I had 38 books. I received/bought 6 books to add to my shelves. I finished 3 books and started on my 4th in the month of February. I am now at 41 books! While the pile has gotten bigger, it's also gotten smaller in the sense that big books have gotten out of the way.

This month I plan to read 2 YA books and start on A Storm of Swords 

Do you have pictures of your TBR Pile? Leave the link down below!


Also don't forget to check me out on other places around the web of inter...

Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Goodreads: Michael Araujo
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