10 interesting things about Marianne Villanueva

Last Saturday, I was holed up at Libreria again with fellow Flippers and book bloggers for a meetup with author Marianne Villanueva, arranged by Rocket Kapre. The Flippers were supposed to have a breakfast meeting, but I went home well past midnight from the previous night’s office party, got an hour’s sleep before dragging myself out of bed for the dawn mass, and then went back to sleep. I was alarmed when Gege’s text woke me up at 10am, when we were designated to meet! I threw on a shirt, shorts and flipflops (and I forgot my camera, too!) and hightailed it to Cubao, just in time for lunch at Ali Mall.

I was still bleary eyed by the time we went back to Libreria, but the discussion was well underway, and I think I was barely coherent while I was nursing a couple cups coffee. Unfortunately I had to hightail it again back home to Makati for a change of clothes for a girls’ night out with my high school friends, but I did get my copy of The Lost Language: Stories signed, and enough interesting factoids about the author to make me want to read the book!

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Flips Flipping Pages Bloody Prom Night 2010

When we were brainstorming for the Flips Flipping Pages 2010 Christmas party, we couldn’t help but look back at last year’s heinous murder mystery Christmas party, and we were thinking about how we could top that. Not easy, when we had a Flippers “dying,” a full-blown investigation, an orchestrated blackout, and some more casualties last year.

I don’t remember how we got to the concept of prom, but let me just say, I wasn’t thrilled — prom was an unpleasant experience and so was the grad ball that followed the year after.

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BookMoochers Saturday

After my interview with Lauren Kate, I spent the rest of the Saturday with friends from BookMoochers Pilipinas (the group for Filipino BookMoochers) at the Libreria Bookstore in Cubao X for our year-end get-together.

Traditionally, BookMoochers Pilipinas gatherings were held at Triccie’s house, but since Triccie opened her bookstore, we’ve been hanging out at Libreria. And you know what? It’s just as homey!

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Daniela meets Lauren Kate

When I found out I was interviewing Lauren Kate (author of Fallen and Torment), I had one person in my mind — my friend Gege‘s 12 year old niece, Daniela. Earlier that week, I had seen Gege post the link to the announcement of Lauren Kate’s arrival in Manila (for the National Book Store Fallen event) on Daniela’s mom’s Facebook wall, and I deduced Daniela must be a Lauren Kate fan.

A few phone calls later, it was final — I was taking Daniela to meet Lauren Kate.

Gege later told me Daniela screamed when she found out she was going to meet one of her favorite authors!

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Last day loot!

I couldn’t help it; I had to go back!

I already made off with a pretty hefty loot from the last couple of times I visited the National Book Store Christmas Book Bazaar, but I wanted to catch the last day of the bargain sale so I wouldn’t have any regrets (yes, you can see how seriously I take book sales) afterwards, and I am so glad I went.

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