Reading something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue
I like good, strong voices in fiction. I like characters that ring true, make a distinct impression, and keep me engaged in the story.
In the past week, I read The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley. These two novels each offered a unique point of view: one from the outside looking in, and the other from inside looking out.
I hadn’t been planning on going to the Books for Less warehouse sale, because it’s quite far from my usual haunts and I had no idea how to get there. But when Flipper friend Marie asked if I wanted to go, I readily agreed — when it comes to book hunting, I really don’t need to be asked twice!
We met at another bookstore around mid-afternoon — I just had to get a copy of Suzanne Collins’ Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane, because I already finished book 1 and I had book 3 waiting at home. Then we took the MRT to EDSA Shangri-la, where fellow Flipper Jan (thanks, Jan!) would pick us up so we could all go together (Jan discovered the warehouse sale earlier this week and reported that she had gotten over 20 books, so we were all curious about it!).
I just came home from a planning meeting with Scholastic Philippines and NWA for the Mockingjay launch and was distressed by the news that someone has already gotten ahold of a bootleg copy!
Grrr. I just have to vent. HG fans all over the world are in an uproar, and I am itching to do some bodily harm to that evil schmeevil slimeball. Grrrrr. It’s bad enough that he got his paws on it, but he just had to gloat about it on the internet. Despicable! Utterly despicable! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. May a thousand trackerjackers attack you, and if you post any spoilers, may the muttations chomp on your flesh and may President Snow breathe heavily on your neck forever.
Remember a few months back when I blogged about our book club Flips Flipping Pages sending a gift to Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins?
Thanks to our friends from Scholastic, we were able to send Suzanne Collins a miniature Philippine flag and a photo from our April Hunger Games book discussion.
But wait — the story doesn’t end there! I opened my email today and found this awesome photo in my inbox:
Last Sunday, I was pushing the shopping cart to the checkout counter of the supermarket when my brother intercepts me and leads me to the toy section, where he points to a stack of boxes at the end of one row. He knows I collect book-related memorabilia (mostly toys) and spotted a great bargain for me: The Balancing Cat in the Hat for the super low price of P50 (a little over USD 1)!
I was already gleeful from my successful book-shopping expedition, and this discovery was a perfect ending to that day. We couldn’t wait to get home and try it out.
