I’m engaged!

To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how to write this post without ugly-crying in front of my laptop! But I would like to start by saying that our story would never be complete without the whirlwind romance of how it all started. This post is pretty much the sequel to all of my previous attempts of writing the story of us. Jeez, it still feels surreal calling him my fiancé — we’ve openly talked about marriage and our future plans, but being here in this moment, I still couldn’t believe it. It’s been days, yet I still couldn’t believe it despite having started with the wedding preparation.

Our relationship may not be as long as others, but we sure have gone through so much together. I remember that a lot of people didn’t approve of our being together, some even said that what we have won’t last long. Looking back now, it feels like it’s been a lifetime ago, yet I can still remember it clear as day. My past self would feel so good knowing that they were wrong about us and knowing that she made the right choice.

I’ve always felt like I’m constantly making wrong decision after wrong decision my whole life because that’s what everyone around me made me feel, but with you, it just instantly felt right. You pushed me to be a better person and made me realize that taking risks is not always as scary as it seems.

Here, on the first chapter of the sequel of our book, I am both ecstatic and afraid. And that’s okay, because one thing that I learned from our relationship is that the most worthwhile moments are the ones that scare the hell out of me. You’ve proven that, time and time again. Continue reading

Book Tag: ‘Goodreads Was Wrong’ Tag

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I’ve been a Goodreads member since 2011 and through the years, it has been my #1 source of book recommendations and new releases. I also use it to track my annual reading goals and number of read books in my lifetime. Aside from that, I also use it to organize titles by genre, author, etc. I know Goodreads may sometimes feel like a “temptation” when it comes to adding new titles to our TBRs, but it has really been helpful when it comes to organizing my books, both virtually and physically.

I’ve been tagged by Angele and Rovie to do the ‘Goodreads Was Wrong’ book tag! It’s been a while since I did a tag on my blog and I’m so hyped to answer these questions. Click here to check Rovie’s post, here to check Angele’s post, and here to watch the video of the tag creator, GrabsAboutBooks. Continue reading

12 Most Anticipated Releases in May

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There are a lot of really good novels being released this month and most of my most anticipated ones are AAPI authors and I’m really excited to get my hands on them! I always get excited about new releases, even when most often than not, I don’t get to read them immediately. I’m a weird person, I know. 🤪 But I’ve been enjoying making these lists recently, so here are my 12 most anticipated May releases:
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Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #19

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BOOKS READ:

  • Frankly in Love by David Yoon
  • Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, #1) by Cassandra Clare
  • Monsoon Mansion by Cinelle Barnes

BOOKS BOUGHT:

  • Chain of Iron (The Last Hours, #2) by Cassandra Clare
  • Convenient Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
  • The Ravens (Ravens, #1) by Kass Morgan & Danielle Paige
  • The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec

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7 Most Anticipated Dark Academia Books

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Dark academia is a sub-genre that have rapidly grown in the past couple of years. Looking at my Goodreads shelf, I realized that I haven’t read a lot of books under this genre which is such a surprise for me because I really enjoy reading books in school settings! That being said, I plan to remedy that by listing some of my most anticipated dark academia books coming out this year.

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Book Review: Frankly in Love by David Yoon

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Title: Frankly in Love

Author: David Yoon

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: September 10, 2019

Number of Pages: 406

Publisher: Putnam

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?

Frank Li has two names. There’s Frank Li, his American name. Then there’s Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl–which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.

As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he’s forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he’s left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.

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Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #18

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BOOKS READ:

  • Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
  • The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

BOOKS RECEIVED:

  • Becoming by Michelle Obama
  • The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami

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Book Review: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

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Title: The Bride Test

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: May 7, 2019

Number of Pages: 296

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

 

Synopsis:

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

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27 Years

I just turned 27 yesterday! If you would ask me 10 years ago what I envisioned my life to be at 27, I’m not sure what I would have told you, but I’m sure that I wouldn’t have envisioned my life to be the way it is right now. I could have told that I envision myself practicing whatever it is that I’ve learned in those four years in college. I would have never, in a million years, envisioned myself becoming a writer in any form or field. I have always loved writing and it was a dream to work as a writer, but I was never given the chance to study any course related to it as my parents thought I would never get to earn enough as one. Ten years ago seems so far away, my 17-year-old self would have been shocked to know who and what I’ve become, but I hope she’s proud of me. Continue reading

Book Review: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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Title: The Kiss Quotient

Author: Helen Hoang

Format: Trade Paperback

Publication Date: June 5, 2018

Number of Pages: 314

Publisher: Berkley

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance, New Adult

 

Synopsis:

A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there’s not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.

Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases–a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.

It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice–with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan–from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…

Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but crave all of the other things he’s making her feel. Their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic.

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