Miscellany – Page 21

The Harry Potter Obsession… er, Collection

Finally, this is the much-awaited post about my growing Harry Potter book collection, the second blog entry in this year’s HP Series, in celebration of Harry Potter’s birthday.

I’ve always been fascinated with the different editions of Harry Potter, but I only started collecting them last year. Today I have over 80 books already, and a bunch more on the way. Most of the books were acquired through BookMooch, thanks to the kindness of people from all over the world.

I’ve been wanting to do this post for a long time, but it required me to rearrange my Harry Potter shelf (top shelf of one of my bookcases, now nearly reaching the ceiling — see cover photo) and take photos of the books (took me three hours!).

So here it is. I hope you enjoy the collection, and I hope I get more HP books to share with you in the future!

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What’s on your desk Wednesday

I’ve been tagged twice for What’s on your desk Wednesday — once by Vanessa last month and by Peter last week so I am finally doing it tonight, because I’m really swamped and don’t have the luxury of time to finish the next review I am in the middle of composing (or the twelve more I have to write)…

So here goes!

What’s on your desk Wednesday? is a weekly book blog meme hosted by Sassy Brit of Alternative-Read.com, involving taking a photo of your desk or where you stack your books/TBR pile as it is (and swear no tidying!) and then blogging about it (click on the link to Sassy Brit for full mechanics).

I’ve been hedging because my desk is a mess, especially right now because I’m working on some book illustrations and have virtually no time to tidy up or to write as many reviews as I normally do and read on top of all that too.

(Warning to those viewing from the home page: The photo is behind the cut because it’s kind of scary, haha.

Sure you’re up to it? Well then take a deep breath, and click on the MORE button, but don’t blame me — the instructions say no tidying!)

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The Adobo Book

I must admit that I am one of the few people who are not fond of the Filipino dish adobo. I do eat it, but I don’t really enjoy it, and I think I know why — it’s one of the most recyclable dishes in Filipino cuisine because it keeps so well, and I am a person whose taste buds have a very short attention span. I don’t like repeating viands in subsequent meals, and when there’s adobo at home it does tend to be appear frequently on the table for so many days. Adobo was also a mainstay in our family excursions – whether it’s a day at the beach, or the times we rode a Superferry (16 hours) to Bacolod or Iloilo when I was young). It was also standard baon (lunchbox) fare, and I specifically remember that I had a packed lunch of adobo during all the college entrance exams I took.

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Comfort Food

In a few hours, Flips Flipping Pages will be discussing books around the theme of Filipino food.

ffp-foodie-invitation

I’ve been looking forward to this book discussion, because I think among the Flippers’ core group we’ve already proven our foodie status ages ago! A lot of the memorable foodie experiences I’ve had in recent time are with my Flipper friends: a weekend spent snacking in Tagaytay; Mike’s hummus; our British tea party; devilishly delish dinner at Wicked Kitchen; lunch at Casa Rap; Japanese buffet at Islandhopper’s farm; the humongous Al’s Rice; a French baker’s bread, and breakfast at Yogurt House in Sagada; and French dinner buffet at Log Cabin, also in Sagada. Practically every single monthly book discussion — or just about any time we’re all together — turns into a food trip.

For this discussion, I chose to read Anvil Publishing’s Comfort Food, edited by Erlinda Enriquez Panilio, which, incidentally, also happens to be book #100 of 2009! Comfort Food is a compilation of essays by notable Filipino writers and society figures. I actually got this back in 2006 for P40 from the Anvil bargain bin at the Manila International Book Fair, and I got as far as around two essays but I was only able to finish it for the book discussion.
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Of weird wills and dangerously witty quotes

endpaper

The trivia freak in me always finds it hard to resist novelty books, because I get my fix of perfectly useless information, and enjoy some eye candy at the same time.

Last year, as I was browsing through the bargain bins (as usual), I discovered Michelle Lovric, who’s created over a hundred illustrated novelty books! I actually recognized the author because I like novels set in Venice, and I have her novel, The Remedy, in my TBR. I bought her book, Weird Wills, for P45, and decided to search for more of her books on BookMooch, which has yielded another: Deadlier than the Male, which I mooched from abroad. Both are beautiful hardbound books that showcase Regency and Victorian etchings like the ones in the oracle I reviewed last April.

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