Sumthinblue – Page 15

Royal Wedding

July’s starting to be really stressful for me, so Meg Cabot’s “Royal Wedding” was the fluffy read I was really excited for. I’ve been reading the Princess Diaries series for over a decade already (down through the horrid books 8 and 9, which were, thankfully redeemed by book 10), and I’ve been a Mia + Michael shipper forever.

I finally got my copy last Sunday, stayed up long after midnight to finish it (while bugging fellow Flipper and Meg Cabot fan Jewel about every other page, LOL), and thought it was the perfect closure for longtime Princess Diaries fans like me.

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Boy Meets Boy

Today I came from the Flips Flipping Pages book discussion for June, David Levithan’s “Boy Meets Boy,” which was chosen by this month’s moderator Orly in celebration of Pride Month, and came right on the heels of the historic decision on same-sex marriage laid down by the Supreme Court of the United States.

(I was going to say this is my first David Levithan, but a search on this blog revealed that back in 2009 I apparently read (and enjoyed) a lesser-known work of his: “Marly’s Ghost,” a clever take on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol, set around Valentine’s Day and with teen characters. )

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Leigh Bardugo in Manila (+giveaway!)

(event photo via National Book Store)

I had only started reading the Grisha trilogy a few days before I was scheduled to interview YA author Leigh Bardugo. I always try to read at least one book before an author interview (more when I get hooked) and this was one of those times when I just couldn’t stop reading — I didn’t even notice the sun had risen until I turned the very last page!

Leigh Bardugo’s New York Times Bestselling Grisha trilogy, composed of the books “Shadow and Bone,” “Siege and Storm” and “Ruin and Rising” feature an orphan girl named Alina, who discovers she is the long-awaited Sun Summoner. This elevates her status as lowly mapmaker into a revered Grisha (magical elite) on whom the fate of the nation of Ravka rests. Alina struggles with her newfound power, fitting in with the Grisha and being separated from her best friend, Mal; as well as the different forces vying for control of the kingdom.

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The Secret Story of Shy Shelly

There’s a new kid on the block: Shy Shelly!

I received a copy of OMF Lit’s new chapter book, “The Secret Story of Shy Shelly,” written by Justine Hail and illustrated by Elbert Or and I think it’s a wonderful addition to the local kidlit scene, especially for the 7-10 age group.

The titular character is Shelly, a painfully shy girl whose only wish is to have a real friend. As Shelly enters third grade at Claustro Field Academy, some girls in class reach out and befriend her, and Shelly begins to learn the true meaning of friendship: that to have a real friend, she must be a real friend, too.

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INK on Paper + Alterno

Catch children’s illustrators group Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK)’s two exhibits this month: the ongoing INK on Paper, which runs until June 30 at the Prism Gallery, Legaspi Village, Makati; and Alterno, which runs from June 26 to July 3 at Shangri-la Plaza Mall.

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