Image: Kaboompics

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing the books added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Hey, it's my first book haul post for 2016. This week sucks for me (and maybe for many of you, too) because of David Bowie and Alan Rickman's passing. I am literally angrily shaking my fist to Death and all his friends and screaming, "Noooo, why?!" I admit I don't know these great guys personally but they somehow became a part of me through their works. At least two David Bowie songs are familiar to me: 1.) "Heroes" which was the song used for that "infinite" moment in the movie adaptation of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"; 2.) and "Under Pressure", an anthem that I blast on whenever I can't deal with life and stress. These songs have lifted me up and helped me through some tough times that it's a sad thing that world is now without the person who sung them. My sorrow for Alan Rickman is of another level for the obvious reason that for me, he was and will always be the flesh and face of Professor Severus Snape. Twenty-one gun salute to you, Sir. You made the Slytherin House proud.

My 2016 #RockMyTBR List

In my last post, I announced the various challenges that I'll be participating in for 2016, one of which is #RockMyTBR hosted by Sara of The YA Book Traveler. I already got the chance to skim over my bookshelf and came up with a list of books (mostly YA) that I intend to finish for this challenge. I will post my list here so other readers can check if we have some books in common that we could buddy read with. Also, this list will be my way of tracking my progress with the challenge. I'll update this post from time to time to cross out those ones that I've already knocked off from my TBR pile.

My 2016 Reading and Blogging Challenges

Yesterday, I made a post resolving on a lot of things related to reading and blogging. I imagine that it will be a lot of hard work and I'll need a lot of support and prodding from the reading community so I decided to join some challenges.  Here they are:

Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge Probably the reading challenge with the most number of participants. Maybe it's popular 'coz it's so easy to join. As long as you have a Goodreads account, just set a number of how many books you want to read for the whole year and you're done! Also, you can re-set the number of your reading goal anytime. You know, so when it's already in the middle of the year and you feel that you set the bar too high for yourself, just tinker down that number and you're right back on track. For 2016, I doubled up my goal from twenty in 2015 to forty books this year. Let's see if I get to the end of 2016 without tinkering down that number. How about you? Have you set your Goodreads reading goal yet? If not, I think you should do. And while you're at it, you should also add me as your Goodreads friend. Here's a link to my account.

2016 Book Blogging Resolutions

Yay, it's the first day of 2016, Happy New Year! Secretly, I wish 2015 did not come by so swiftly because of this eternal nagging feeling that I haven't read enough in the past year. So moving on, I thought that I need to improve on a lot of things and I need to write them so I can remember to do them. Stick with me for a while, here goes my book blogging resolutions for 2016, in no particular order:

Review: Shtum by Jem Lester

Shtum
by Jem Lester

Summary:

Powerful, darkly funny and heart-breaking, Shtum is a story about fathers and sons, autism, and dysfunctional relationships.

Ben Jewell has hit breaking point. His ten-year-old son Jonah has severe autism and Ben and his wife, Emma, are struggling to cope.

When Ben and Emma fake a separation - a strategic decision to further Jonah's case in an upcoming tribunal - Ben and Jonah move in with Georg, Ben's elderly father. In a small house in North London, three generations of men - one who can't talk; two who won't - are thrown together.

A powerful, emotional, but above all enjoyable read, perfect for fans of THE SHOCK OF THE FALL and THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME.

Cover Reveal: The Hometown Hazard by Dawn Lanuza

Today, I am pleased to be a part of revealing the cover of Dawn Lanuza's upcoming new title, The Hometown Hazard. Thanks to Bookish Diaries for organizing this event.

Let's check out first what the book is about, shall we?

Stacking the Shelves (STS #4)

Image: Kaboompics 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's all about sharing the books added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

It is with much thrill to tell you that aside from getting my hands on two books recently, I also have experienced two book blogging milestones with them, too. How cool is that?!

So come and join me for a while as I babble about new books and book blogging firsts.

Blog Tour: Sidekick by Natalie Whipple (Review)

Thanks for joining me on my stop for Natalie Whipple’s SIDEKICK blog tour. Follow the tour along and find out what other reviewers have to say about this book by clicking the banner above. And in case you did not know yet, there is an exclusive blog tour extract in my previous post. Plus we have an ongoing international giveaway for this book there, too.

Book Excerpt + Giveaway: Sidekick by Natalie Whipple

Today is the release of Natalie Whipple's new title, Sidekick. As a treat to your bookworm heart, you may read an extract here, plus win for yourself a Kindle copy of this greasy, delicious-looking read! Massive thank you to Dianne of Oops! I Read a Book Again for organizing this release day blast.

Review: Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne

Am I Normal Yet?
by Holly Bourne

Summary:

All Evie wants is to be normal. She’s almost off her meds and at a new college where no one knows her as the girl-who-went-crazy. She’s even going to parties and making friends. There’s only one thing left to tick off her list…

But relationships are messy – especially relationships with teenage guys. They can make any girl feel like they’re going mad. And if Evie can’t even tell her new friends Amber and Lottie the truth about herself, how will she cope when she falls in love?