Scholastic Warehouse Sale Experience

Last November 30, after reading a post that Scolastic Pub is having another warehouse sale, I wasted no time and straight from shift I went to Pasig together with my two not so bookworm friends to experience yet again this very exciting event. 🙂

We arrived at the warehouse at around 10am. By that time there are no queue at the cashier.

The entrance to the warehouse.

If you have experienced last summer’s sale, you’ll notice that they used a different storage house and I think last time’s set up was better because now is somehow not so organized.

 

There’s a tent outside where you’ll find mostly children’s books.

Entering the warehouse we were welcomed by Katniss! The Hunger Games trilogy available in both PB (box set) and HB formats. And it being the first trilogy I’ve read, I bought a set for each format. Also it’s very tempting because of the huge discount.

NOTE: Complete breakdown of prices of the books I bought at the bottom of this blog 🙂

On the racks to the left, you’ll find Harry Potter books also in HB and PB but not the complete series. The prices are not that discounted. I think one HB book costs Php900 and it is discounted at 20%. But compared to bookstore prices, it’s not bad at all.

 

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On the table to the right, other must buys are Divergent and Insurgent (PB). Though I haven’t bought them because they’re not the same size. Haha. I think they’re around 50% off. On that same table are Throne of Fire, The Search for Wondla, and Marvel Books.

What might tempt you is the Taylor Swift inspired journal. But checking the pages, there’s nothing special in it. I think it’s not worth the price. Not because Taylor’s got a song called Blank Space you’re making us a journal with blank pages. No.

If you are a certified Twilight fan though (esp the movie) you shouldn’t miss the Twilight complete movie archive. My friend which is a super fan (bc up to now she still watches the series and Robert Pattinson is still her phone wallpaper) was so happy with the contents.

It costs around Php2000 and is 50% off

It has photos, and a lot of inserts like the wedding invite of Edward and Bella, a poster and everything Twilight! 

I also bought A storm of Swords and Clash of Kings which are best finds for me esp now that Season 7 is still months away. 😦

In the middle of the warehouse are the books included in the book buffet.

They are mostly Nancy Drew books and other for children title. I think this will be a fun experience for kids 🙂

Other books I found interesting are the 39 Clues, The Horrible Science: Bulging box of books, and reference books.

My Haul Includes:

————————————   ——–        PRICES in PHP

 —————————————–          UNIT                              DISCOUNTED

Eldest by Paolini                                    365                                             109.50

A Storm of Swords                                 315                                             157.50

Clash of Kings                                         315                                             157.50

Horrible Science (20 books)              1,995                                           1,197

Hunger Games HB                                760                                              228

Catching Fire HB                                    760                                             228

Mockingjay HB                                        530                                              159

Search for Wondla HB                          620                                              310

Young artists draw Manga                  845                                             422.50

The Power of Six                                   475.50                                          190

Under Dogs by Zusak                           715                                              357.50

THG (boxed PB)                                     995                                             497.50

 

I finished looking for books at around 11am, that time the queue on the cashier was terribly long and whats making the wait longer is that there are only 2 lines and the transaction is not that fast.

 

Tip 1: Don’t go on a holiday

Tip 2: Go with a book buddy and take turns. One of you should already be waiting in line for the cashier while the other is book hunting. When s/he finishes do it the other way around.

Tip 3: Once you finished, every now and then check the warehouse for new releases, I think huge stocks are released in the afternoon.

Talking with one of the staff, I found out that installment of some of the series like HP and GOT will be released from warehouse on different dates so if you guys really want to complete your series you got to be patient in checking.

Overall I will rate this experience 5/5 because even though it took me a while to finish and there are not that much great titles on sale, the discount and experience are all worth the effort.

Sale is still on going up to the 22nd so don’t miss this chance. 🙂

Bookworms hands full, pockets empty, HEARTS filled with joy ❤

Thanks for reading! 🙂

(If you have questions just comment them down ↓)

 

 

 

Recommendations?

What books do you recommend? I’ve been reading chick-lits and YA’s. I’d like to read different genres so I’m asking for your help, if you could recommend a good read. I like something that is mind blowing or tear jerking or just something unpredictable. Please, please comment down your thoughts 🙂 Million thanks

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

Summary:

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

(I’ve organized how I think I’ll review books from now on and I’ve ended up with the following bullets. Hope this one’s better 🙂)

• Book Title– I think the title is catchy. It gave me the feeling that this book is gonna make me cry.
• Book Cover– The cover is very cute. Very girly. Makes me want to add it on my shelf.
• Characters–
  • Lara Jean~ She BELONGS TO her family and longs to BELONG WITH someone. I like it when she saves things. We’ll get along very well especially with the scrapbooking thing. I like her idea of  writing not love letters but goodbye-love letters.
  • Margot- Lara Jean’s elder sister, in controls of almost everything and handles them smoothly.
  • Kitty- Youngest among the Song sisters, she’s adorable and I like her character because as little as she is, she plays a huge part in this story.
  • Dr. Covey- A very cool dad of 3 girls. I fell in love with his character as a father because he knows how to handle his children very much.
  • Josh- Margot’s boyfriend. one who receives a letter from Lara Jean.
  • Peter- I’m quite hesitant until the end, he makes me flush then he makes me doubt until the end.
  • ( My fave character is PETER)
• Story– The story is so simple that you’ll end up loving it. So simple that you’ll be amazed how fast you’ll be able to read it. So simple at some point it becomes predictable. My most fave thing is that at first I was Team Josh. Then in the middle I was convinced that I am Team Peter all the way, then as the book comes to its end, I realized I’m losing both teams.
• Way It Is Written– It is very easy to understand. And that’s a good thing because it’s like having a story told to you by a close friend. And when a close friend tells a story, there is no stopping. You can just imagine how fast I finished reading this book. Fast in a good way. Not that I wanted it to end already. Fast because I badly want to know what happens next.
• Fave Moment– All of Lara Jean ❤ Peter moments. HAHA!
• Good Points– It’s a good read. Light and cute. It made me smile, giggle and I guess Lara Jean reminding me of myself is a good point because I get to know myself through another person.I like the characters’ lines. Most specifically those during confrontations and difficult moments. Another good point is how it focuses on family. That’s always a good point for me.
  

  Love is scary: it changes; it can go away. That’s part of the risk. I don’t want to be scared anymore. I want to be brave…

• Bad Points– I think it’s predictability and somehow lack of depth. Not that the story isn’t enough but let’s say months passed and I remembered reading it, I won’t be able to tell what it’s about or what I liked about it the most.
• Lesson–
  • Sisters may fight but they always get back together stronger.
  • Love is not what others told us it was, love is for us to find out.
  • Always keep your most valuable things and most cherished possession to a place where no one sees them.

Recommendations:

~To sisters 🙂

~To girls having a hard time telling their crush about their feelings

~To those looking for a quick and light read

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So that’s it! End of my review on TATBILB by Jenny Han. If you’ve read the book and you feel like I forgot something or I was wrong with stuffs or you just wanted to ask me something, feel free to leave your thoughts on the comment box. I’d really love to hear what other readers have to say with my review or with the books I’ve reviewed. Thanks a lot! ❤

One plus One

Summary:

One single mom. One chaotic family. One quirky stranger. One irresistible love story from the New York Times bestselling author of Me Before You
Suppose your life sucks. A lot. Your husband has done a vanishing act, your teenage stepson is being bullied and your math whiz daughter has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can’t afford to pay for. That’s Jess’s life in a nutshell—until an unexpected knight-in-shining-armor offers to rescue them. Only Jess’s knight turns out to be Geeky Ed, the obnoxious tech millionaire whose vacation home she happens to clean. But Ed has big problems of his own, and driving the dysfunctional family to the Math Olympiad feels like his first unselfish act in ages… maybe ever.

-Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have good points and bad points for this book. I’m gonna start with the good ones.

I ultimately love the characters! As in each one. Jojo Moyes gave all of the characters their own ‘moment’ and made sure readers will remember them individually. My fave character is Nicky. The way his character grew throughout the story. I like his being introvert at first and then there’s the him finding an outlet thru social media and finally knowing that somehow that’s where he’ll be accepted. I also have to add how cute Tanzie is. Like how she knows her family very well and how somewhat matured she thinks. I envy her though because of her talent in Maths. But hey let’s not forget NORMAN! I’m not going to spoil you about this lovely one you got to know him yourself. He made me cry!

Another good point is the humor. The way it is written made reading it light though events are not so good. I think that part is half positive half negative.

Next is the point of views. That’s a plus for me though I’ve read other reviews and found out that there are those who find it hard to follow. I absolutely love it! We don’t want to be one sided right? For example how are we going to weigh things between Jess and Ed if we only know Jess’s thoughts? And it’s a great addition that we know how the children are affected. I mean this could help parents to further understand their kids.

Now let’s move on to the not so good points. First on the list is the very common poor girl rich boy scenario. Oh my goodness! No need to explain further.

Next is how the love story happened in a matter of days and the fact that it took place in a car. Well I was expecting something deeper. Though while writing this it came to me that somehow it’s a good thing. Just points out that love knows no place and timing.

Another is how I expected too much and found myself asking if it is what I’m expecting to be. I’m expecting there’ll be too much feels and depth but don’t get me wrong I like how realistic the story is. How true the events are. The family oriented single parent cleaner with equally weird children and the career oriented tech savvy lad is good but I was just looking for more.

But all in all it’s a good read! I got life lessons from reading it. That’s what’s important right? Like how important it is to have good relationship with your family. The value of money. The journey of finding your mates in life. The things you’ll do and the risks you’ll take for the sake of loved ones. The pride you’ll have to swallow to keep the family going. And of course forgiveness. No matter what the person did to you you’d rather forgive because it’s easier to do than imagining yourself living without them.

Just don’t compare it with Me Before You. But honestly if we look into the two books we’ll easily get the resemblance.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book to those wanting a light read.

Also to those believing in unexpected love.

Also to parents having a hard time understanding teenage kids.

To children having difficulties in finding their friends or their circle.

And to the single parents out there.

So that’s about it. Thanks for reading!

 

MT. BALAGBAG CLIMB

“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity”
― John Muir, Our National Parks

So here’s my attempt to share my technically second but myself counts it as my first climb. As a beginner I chose the one that I think would be less difficult 🙂

This blog would be most helpful to those who wants a detailed (info’s and pics) article of a beginner’s climb. I will also include tips that made my climb less tiring.

The mountain is located at Rodriguez, Rizal. Our goal is to witness the breath-taking sunset at the summit. We arrived at the foot of it at around 2:00pm so obviously we are sort of running out of time so we decided to ride a tricycle from the foot of the mountain to the barangay where we are supposed to register.

The Barangay. Registration fee is Php10 per person.

The people in the barangay are very accommodating and friendly. So after the registration is the climb proper. The trail, though flat and wide is very muddy due to the frequent rains but the weather is great for a climb, the not too hot vibe gave us less hassle. The start of the climb is quite easy because as I said earlier it is flat, BUT don’t underestimate this mountain, though flat,the trail is steep! You’ll find yourself catching your breath eventually.

This is my best friend, falling last in line after 20 minutes of walking. She gets tired easily.

As I was saying the climb is very tiring. I guess it is partly because of the mud getting all over my shoes and my growling stomach.

TIP#1: Eat a full meal before starting a climb.

Good thing is all throughout the climb there are huts intended for resting and after about 45 minutes we decided to stop by one to eat our late lunch.

TIP#2: Bring your own food. Though there are carinderias (eateries) in the place, it is much more convenient, time saving, and money saving.

The day we climbed is the day before my birthday. Makmak gave me this as a gift. HAHA!

As we continue on our climb, we feel more tired but seeing the beautiful view and feeling the touch of the cold wind on our faces are enough reasons to continue. Since most of us are first-time hikers, we are going on a very slow pace, so the intended 1 and a half hour climb wouldn’t be possible. At around 4 in the afternoon, I guess we’re halfway through. And the sceneries are getting awesome that gives us more motivation.

Photo taken just a few more minutes from the second station. We didn’t get the chance to take photos here because we are getting late for the sunset. 

At this moment I remember myself wanting to stop because I can feel my heartbeat racing and my legs shaking. Fitness problems HAHA!

TIP#3: Make sure to warm up before starting a climb. Jog the day before at least. 

WOOHOO! That roof over there is the second station, that calls for a groufie!

As we reach the second station and after we quenched our thirst, we registered (Php20) for the summit. I fell in love with the view here (photos below) perfect place for screaming your pain out 😀

This is Rio. I personally love this photo because it has a message in it. Like he’s waiting for that someone to follow him. 😀

Mak, Janpol, and Rio (left to right) with our new dog friend

Very relaxing and peaceful. 

It feels like we’ve recharged and all so we wasted no time and start for the summit. The trail is less steep this time.

Mak, on his jumpshot just a few walks down from the 2nd station. 

After about 30 minutes of non-stop walking we’re starting to get a little panicky because the sun starts to set, to calm ourselves and to ease all the pain in the muscles we started to sing random songs.

TIP#4: Bring bluetooth speakers with you, the climb is much better with music playing and with your squad singing along. 

A few minutes more and we bumped into a group of locals and asked them how far more to the summit, then they told us that we are going the wrong direction, we passed through the cross (summit) and that it is quite far from where we are. But thankfully they offered to accompany us back to the right trail. Though we speak no more of the wrong path we’ve taken it is quite evident that the squad grew more tired but I’m very happy that nobody dared to stop. We learnt that the path we first took is going to the falls of Maranat. For adventure seekers, you can climb both Balagbag and Maranat at the same day. And the trail is much more challenging than Balagbag alone. 

TIP#5: Hire a guide if you aren’t sure of the trail. Safety comes first. 

 

This is our guide, Heidi 🙂 This dog is so cute, he goes before us during our climb, sadly he wasn’t able to inform us that we went the wrong direction. 

At the time when we spotted the cross we hurried towards it but as we tried to go faster the climb gets harder because of the combined steepness and muddiness of the trail. That doesn’t stop us, we pulled ourselves towards the top and alas! We reached the summit, The Cross 🙂 ❤

We savored the moment, took time to pray, and took some photos of our first climb together.

My friends sitting in front of the beautiful view. Taking the wonderful sight in.

The climb, I can say is all worth it. Tiring, yes, but what makes a victory is all the effort, pain and energy exerted in it.

This is me, at the foot of the cross, obviously very happy and fulfilled. More than that, very blessed 🙂

HOW TO GET TO MT. BALAGBAG FROM NOVALICHES:

1. Ride a jeep from Novaliches Bayan, Simbahan to Tungko
2. From Jollibee Tungko, ride another jeep to Licao-Licao (you have to walk a little further, better ask the locals where the terminal is)
3. From there you will have to decide whether to ride a tricycle or walk.

BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES:

• Jeep from Bayan to Tungko-Php17
• Jeep from Tungko to Licao-Licao-Php27
• (OPTIONAL) Tricycle to barangay-Php30
• Reg Fee Barangay-Php10
• Reg Fee 2nd Station-Php20

PAHABOL TIPS:

• Make sure to wear appropriate clothes to make you feel comfortable. I’d say invest in a hiking shoe.

  

  I am a certified shoefie addict. This made my climb a lot easier 🙂

• Bring lots of water
• Bring extra cash just in case you miss the last ride from the Licao-Licao to Tungko. Because we ended up late, we have to pay Php40 each instead of Php27 for the jeepney driver to drive us back to Tungko.
• Start early. The last ride of the jeep is around 6pm so unless you’re planning to stay overnight stick to your time frame.
• Bring only those of your closest friends. Though it’s fun to meet new people, for a beginner I advise stick with your mates first, they will never leave you and will wait for you even when you are causing the delay 😀 

So, that’s about it. Thank you for reading and I hope this helps you out on your climb 🙂 If you have any questions feel free to leave them on the comment box. 

 

 

 

 

Isla and the Happily Ever After

Summary:

Love ignites in the City That Never Sleeps, but can it last?

Hopeless romantic Isla has had a crush on introspective cartoonist Josh since their first year at the School of America in Paris. And after a chance encounter in Manhattan over the summer, romance might be closer than Isla imagined. But as they begin their senior year back in France, Isla and Josh are forced to confront the challenges every young couple must face, including family drama, uncertainty about their college futures, and the very real possibility of being apart.

©Goodreads

My Thoughts:

I have to say that this is my favorite among the three. At first I thought of not reading it anymore because I was so obsessed with Étienne and because Josh has a really boring name compared to the first two. I mean, Étienne then Cricket and there goes Josh. Yes I love Étienne and I like Cricket, but Josh is just so real! This story is a roller coaster of emotions. Perkins really knows how to touch the readers soft spots.

The beginning made me a little uncomfortable because I am team Josh-Rashmi. Like I was hoping that because of their break up, Josh will push himself harder to do better at school so that he could follow Rashmi to college. But no, none of that happened. I thought that their story would be the typical–the simple smart girl has a long time crush on this cool guy and this cool guy later on fell in love with the simple smart girl. But then again, I was wrong! (you have to read it for you to know 🙂 ) I like how fast things changed for the both of them. How they can easily show their feelings, how quickly they fit for each other. I think the timing was just right. I like how Josh shows his love, his artworks speaks for him. And every woman (I think) loves an artistic man. I like how Isla grabbed the opportunity of knowing Josh more. They’re really perfect! And perfect includes the beauty and the ugly parts.  I like the simple things that made the story more beautiful. Because those simple things made it more realistic.

Lastly, I like that special part about Étienne and Anna 🙂

Isla is such a perfect way of ending this beautiful series 🙂

Recommendations:

I highly recommend this book most specially now that it’s love month. It will surely play with your emotions. It will make you giggle and wiggle, laugh and cry and cry. It made me cry a lot! To those people who is lacking courage to confess their feelings to someone, this might inspire you. To those who are very hard on themselves and who think they don’t deserve someone so beautiful (inside and out), this one’s for you too. To those  who are currently in a relationship and is doubting their love and their partner’s love, you must read this. Lastly, to those who are so obsessed with beautiful stories of love, you wouldn’t want to miss this

After reading this story, I am so positive about love. I so love this series I think it will take several months for me to get over it. We all have our own stories, and we decide what happens next. Like an artwork, it takes time, effort, focus and understanding to make a relationship last. Be Isla, take risks. Go get that compass and find the Right Way to your mon petit chou 🙂 

Lola and The Boy Next Door

Summary:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My Thoughts:

So I’ve just finished reading Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins and I’m sharing my thoughts on this book 🙂

What to expect in this book? It is another love story. Lola is quite a different character because at her age she’d already established her identity. A teenage girl who never wears the same thing, and she’s known for that. Also, her parents are two dads. But you’ll know about her biological mom in the book. What I like in this story is how realistic it is. It happens for real. Another thing I like about this is how it gives importance to having that one person you can run to whenever you want to run :). Whether you’re happy, lonely, or you just need someone to hang out with. Lola can always count on Lindsey- her best friend.

You’re gonna love this story because  it will take you back to that moment you realized you had a crush on your childhood friend. We all have that childhood sweetheart, right? But Lola had it much difficult because that one person happened to be living next door. And by the time she thought she’s moved on, she’s okay, she have a boyfriend and she thinks he’s cool, that childhood crush reappears and redeems his rightful place. So what’s intriguing is how Cricket (childhood crush) will regain Lola’s trust.

(I also have to add, for those Anna and the French kiss fans. You have to read Lola because there’s quite a lot of Éttiene in here :D)

Recommendations:

Why read Lola? Because not only it has great characters and quite a great story too but also I believe it gave me that one special lesson in life. That is not only to be confident of who you are but to be proud to be yourself too. Lola is a very adventurous girl when it comes to dressing up to the point that people thinks she’s weird, but wearing costumes is what Lola loves, and that’s what makes her Lola. We sometimes forget who we really are just to conform to the world.

I recommend this book to the ones who are very afraid to get out of that wrong relationship. That person who knows better but still chooses to be blinded by that wrong love. This book will teach you to take courage and face the truth. That person you are with might be cool, and good but there’s this person who is much cooler and better. Just like Lola, we all have that Cricket.

After reading this book, I got so excited with my life, with my goals and dreams. I get the chance to appreciate all those people who loves me. And also, I started talking to the moon 🙂