Monthly Recap : July | Farewell, Summer Holiday!

july is my last holiday month before going to college in early august, and i'm pleased to say that it's been a pretty good month! as you guys probably know, in the beginning of july, i went to hong kong and macao, and it was really fun (recap coming soon!). it's my first time going there, and i got a lot of new experiences there. here's some pics that i took while in there :

Blog Tour : The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell (Interview + Giveaways)

Welcome to my stop for The Last Magician blog tour! This book was released a few days ago, and I'm super excited to read it. Below, you'll find my interview with the author herself, Lisa Maxwell, as well as giveaways (yes, plural). But first thing first, here's some info about the book :

Title : The Last Magician

Author : Lisa Maxwell

Genre : YA fantasy

Release Date : July 18th, 2017

Publisher : Simon Pulse

GOODREADS | BOOK DEPOSITORY | AMAZON

Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.

In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she’s been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

ARC Review : Lucky in Love by Kasie West

Title : Lucky in Love
Author : Kasie West
Genre : YA contemporary
Release Date : July 25th, 2017
Publisher : Scholastic Point

GOODREADS | PURCHASE

In this new contemporary from YA star Kasie West, a girl who wins the lottery learns that money can cause more problems than it solves, especially when love comes into the picture. 

Maddie doesn't believe in luck. She's all about hard work and planning ahead. But one night, on a whim, she buys a lottery ticket. And then, to her astonishment --

She wins!

In a flash, Maddie's life is unrecognizable. No more stressing about college scholarships. Suddenly, she's talking about renting a yacht. And being in the spotlight at school is fun... until rumors start flying, and random people ask her for loans. Now, Maddie isn't sure who she can trust.

Except for Seth Nguyen, her funny, charming coworker at the local zoo. Seth doesn't seem aware of Maddie's big news. And, for some reason, she doesn't want to tell him. But what will happen if he learns her secret?

With tons of humor and heart, Kasie West delivers a million-dollar tale of winning, losing, and falling in love.

Blog Tour : Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn

to see the rest of the tour, check here 

Title : Wesley James Ruined My Life
Author : Jennifer Honeybourn
Genre : YA contemporary
Release Date : July 18th, 2017
Publisher : Swoon Reads

GOODREADS | B&N | AMAZON | KOBO

Sixteen-year-old Quinn Hardwick’s having a rough summer. Her beloved grandmother has been put into a home, her dad’s gambling addiction has flared back up and now her worst enemy is back in town: Wesley James, former childhood friend—until he ruined her life, that is.

So when Wesley is hired to work with her at Tudor Tymes, a medieval England themed restaurant, the last thing Quinn’s going to do is forgive and forget. She’s determined to remove him from her life and even the score all at once—by getting him fired.

But getting rid of Wesley isn’t as easy as she’d hoped. When Quinn finds herself falling for him, she has to decide what she wants more: to get even, or to just get over it.

Review : The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

Title : The Winner's Kiss
Author : Marie Rutkoski
Genre : YA fantasy
Series : The Winner's Curse #3
Publisher : Bloomsbury
Release Date : March 29th, 2016

GOODREADS | PURCHASE

Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Movie Nights? You Need These Things

image from creative market

the idea for this movie night essential post was sparked by Pure Flix, who are now offering a 1-month free subscription. i love movie nights (or movie days?). whenever i'm not reading, you could find me in front of my laptop, watching movies. anyway, without further ado, here's my movie night essentials!