I’ll be moderating this month’s discussion for Flips Flipping Pages.
Discussion thread for the event here.
If you’re not a Flipper (yet) and would like to join us this month, just comment below! :)
See you!
Author: Sumthinblue
A rough guide to the Manila International Book Fair
Three days to go until the Manila International Book Fair! A lot of people have been asking me for tips about the Manila International Book Fair, so I decided to create this (unofficial) guide based on what I’ve seen over recent years.
I’ve been attending the MIBF for five years running now, covering events, shopping, and just generally enjoying the flurry of bookish activity around me. And every year, the exhibitors offer something new, and there is always a different lineup of special events to look forward to.
Continue reading “A rough guide to the Manila International Book Fair”
The Hunger Games
It’s been nine months into 2009 and I’ve been hard-pressed to find a book to really wow me this year, and I must say that I did not expect it to be a book I would not normally go for.
I’ve been seeing Scholastic’s The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (book #140 for 2009) at the book stores for some time now, but I’m not a big fan of dystopian themes because they’re often depressing, so I didn’t feel compelled to pick it up.
When I was given a chance to review the book, I was apprehensive, especially after learning it came highly recommended by Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris, two authors I don’t particularly care for, as I abhorred the Twilight series (no secret there) and have no intentions of reading the Sookie Stackhouse series.
So I finished The Hunger Games in three hours flat this afternoon — and even Ateneo (my university) winning the basketball game (for top seed) against FEU this afternoon couldn’t tear me away from the book except for quick glances at the screen for the score — and I still can’t get over how much this book has affected me, so here I am, writing this rough cut review (am writing another for Manila Bulletin later on when I get my thoughts organized) to pour out some raw emotion after reading the book, before I read what anyone else has to say about it, and before I forget the roller coaster experience I just went through.
Chindogu Mania
When I was in the hospital, my cousin Chickoy lent me his chindogu book, 99 More Unuseless Japanese Inventions by Kenji Kawakami (book #139 for 2009) to keep my mind off blood tests and platelet counts. And it worked, too, as the book kept me plenty entertained for a whole afternoon.
I’ve always been fascinated with Japanese ingenuity — I love going to the Japanese one price stores (here we have Saizen and Japan Home Center) to blow my money on all sorts of things, from plastic boxes with multiple compartments, gashapon display cases, nylon book cases, clip-on reading lamps, wrapping paper, pet toys, shoe racks, felt crafting materials, beanie pillows, bamboo mats, and all sorts of stuff I don’t really need but are fun to buy and convenient to have around!
Anyway, chindogu is the term for Japanese inventions for everyday gadgets to provide solutions for common problems. Chindogu has a distinctive characteristic, however, as the solution it presents causes even more problems, i.e. embarassment, unwieldiness, etc. They are not totally useless, just problematic, hence the term “unuseless.”
It’s more entertaining to look at the photos than listen to me going on and on about them, so here are some “ingenious” inventions from the book:
- Portable armrests! Now your arms can relax even when you’re outdoors.
- Carry-all apron. Have all your cooking implements within easy reach!
- The lip stencil — perfect lips every time!
- and if that lip stencil isn’t working for you, try the lip stamp!
- The hold-it helmet — for hands-free reading!
- The solution to my fear of getting dengue fever again.
Now wasn’t that fun? My nurse was wondering why I was laughing so hard.
I have to return the book to Chickoy, so will definitely keep my eyes peeled for my own copy. There are other books in the series too, I’ll definitely want those as well.
***
My copy: trade paperback, borrowed from Chickoy
My rating: 5/5 stars for sheer entertainment value
My life, in book titles
I’m not much of a meme person, but once in a while, a good meme makes for great bookish discussions. Was fascinated by this meme posted by Honey the other day, so I’m doing it too!
The instructions: Using only books you have read this year (2009), answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title.