Year: 2010

Summer Reading

I haven’t read any local chick lit in years now, so when Summit Books offered some review copies of their latest releases, I quickly jumped on the chance.

I’m no stranger to Summit Books; I’ve read them since they first came out when I was back in college, although I haven’t been able to keep track of the later releases. They’re quick, well-written reads, with contemporary characters in realistic situations. My favorites include Drama Queen by Abi Aquino (the first one I ever read!) and Have Baby, Will Date by Andrea Pasion.

I got a whole new bunch sent to me by Ro Manalo of Summit Books (thanks!), and they provided much relief in this stressful summer filled with work-related travel:  My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra; 12 Steps to Quitting AJ by Faye Ilogon; and the two later installments of Vince’s Life by Vince O. Teves: Getting Over Andrea and The Wedding.

Continue reading “Summer Reading”

Life, according to Nancy Drew


In fifth grade, after I’d exhausted the library’s supply of Three Investigators titles, I discovered Nancy Drew a couple of aisles away, and then proceeded to exhaust the titles on that shelf. Most of the Nancy Drews I’ve read are the 90’s paperbacks, though, and I’ve only steadily made my way through the yellow-spined hardcover classics (1-56) in the past few years.

Last Christmas I got myself a nifty Nancy Drew book from Book Sale for only P140 (under $3!) — Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew, which goes well with the Nancy Drew Address Book I found on sale at another bookstore.

Continue reading “Life, according to Nancy Drew”

The Prince of Mist

Finally, I have a new review to post!

Since last February, I’ve been counting the days until I could get my hands on a copy of Carlos Ruiz Zaf0n’s young adult novel The Prince of Mist. I got a copy as soon as it hit the bookstores — the first week of May, I think, and read it the very same night. I’ve been meaning to review it for some time now, but work has piled up (again) and I haven’t had the luxury of time for blogging.

Anyway, if you don’t know Carlos Ruiz Zafon, he fast became one of my favorite authors after reading The Shadow of The Wind, the bestselling novel that catapulted him into fame, and earned him the post of Spain’s most widely read contemporary author after Miguel de Cervantes — and Cervantes has had a good five centuries to build up his readership.

Continue reading “The Prince of Mist”

BookMoochers Pilipinas Summer Mixer

Last night was the much awaited summer mixer for BookMoochers Pilipinas, the local group for members of book trading site BookMooch. It was one of the muggiest days in this infernally hot summer, but even the heat couldn’t stop us from heading over to Triccie’s house for our get-together.

Present last night were me, Triccie, Patti, Gege, Czar, Marie, Cecille, Shy, Paolo, Patrick, and JoelG. We haven’t gotten together as a group since last November, and since a lot of members were celebrating their birthdays in April and May (Triccie, Marie, Czar, Cecille, and Fran) we decided a summer party was in order!

Continue reading “BookMoochers Pilipinas Summer Mixer”

Free Comic Book Day

Saturday was Free Comic Book Day at Fully Booked, and I couldn’t resist going. I meant to go last year but  it coincided with one of my book club meetings so I really wanted to make it this year, not so much for the free comic book but for the 20% discount on comics and graphic novels at the store.

I planned to go early but I woke up late and there was some commotion in the house because the results were in for the April 2010 Licensure Exam for Teachers and we learned my brother Enzo passed (way to go, bro!) and is now a professional teacher. Then I had to drop by the hospital on the other side of town to visit a friend.

It was 5:30 by the time I got to the store on Bonifacio High Street, and I figured they’d have run out of free comic books by then, but there were still some short stacks at the giveaway table and I quickly got in line for a free copy. Although I’ve gradually assimilated graphic novels as regular reading in recent time, I’m still not really into the whole spandex superhero thing and the only choices on the table were either Iron Man or Green Hornet, so after an eenie-meenie-miney-mo I settled on Iron Man and got my hand stamped at the booth.

Continue reading “Free Comic Book Day”