Last Saturday, the Flippers met up again for our monthly book discussion, this time moderated by Raissa and Joel on the theme of “Art in Fiction.”
It’s a theme I personally love — ever since I read Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring around five years ago, I was hooked on this subgenre, and I still read one every so often.
Our afternoon was packed for this discussion, we had a drawing session, a discussion, and a museum tour!
It’s been a crazy week: Monday marked the much-awaited national elections here in the Philippines. This isn’t the first time for me to vote; I’ve already voted at one national election and one senatorial election, but this is the first time the country is using automated elections and there was much anxiety about the new technology.
The family walked to the voting center just before 9am. We checked our names in the master list, where I sighed with relief at finding my name listed because I couldn’t find it on the site — it turns out they misspelled my middle name. We proceeded to our clustered precinct to find that the line was snaking down the hallway, packed with other voters.
I’ve been meaning to join the Chunkster Reading Challenge ever since my book blogger friend Jo blogged about it, and because I’ve just started a real chunkster of a book (Roberto Bolaño’s 2666, in case you’re wondering), I’ve decided to formally join the challenge.
I’m an escapist reader by nature so I like thick, meaty reads, which is perfect for joining the Chunkster Reading Challenge, a challenge for “readers who like their books fat and chunky.” The challenge defines a chunkster as “450 pages or more of ADULT literature (fiction or nonfiction).”
U.S. Embassy’s Commercial Counselor Patrick Wall, National Book Store general manager Socorro Ramos and U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Leslie A. Bassett check out the wide selection of American literature on display.
From May 1 to 8, selected branches of National Bookstore will hold an American Book Fair, mounted in partnership with the U.S. Embassy – Commercial Service to introduce new American titles to the local market.
“The book fair focuses on small and independent American publishers without local representation, that have never been exposed to the Philippine market,” states Xandra Ramos of National Book Store. “We are showcasing choice titles from 24 American publishers so they can try and test the market, and we plan to reorder the titles that do well at the fair.”
Over a hundred titles are showcased at the American Book Fair, including children’s books, health books, work books, reference books, biographies and memoirs, religion and spirituality, world events, business books, and fiction. Among the titles to be found at the fair are: Graphic Biography: Barack Obama (Saddleback Publishing); Democracy is a Good Thing (Brookings Institution Press); Balikbayan: A Filipino Homecoming (Bess Press); children’s book My Senses: Mis Sentidos (Me+Mi Publishing, Inc.), and the Essential Skills series (Teacher Created Resources).
National Book Store showcases the American Book Fair at eight branches, including Trinoma, Glorietta 5, SM Mall of Asia, Superbranch-Cubao, Power Plant Mall, Quezon Avenue and Shangri-la Plaza Mall until May 8, 2010.
Just a short plug about a fundraising project initiated by Ex-Libris Philippines, a SEC-certified, non-stock, non-profit organization of book enthusiasts. Concert for a Cause is Ex-Libris’ 3rd fundraising project; their first two fundraisers have sent deserving but financially challenged students to school at the University of the Philippines, Diliman.
Concert for a Cause features performances by soprano Gabriela Francisco (BM Voice Summa cum laude and Valedictory Address Speaker during the UP Centennial Commencement Exercises 2008), her twin sister Tata Francisco, together with faculty, alumni and gifted students of the UP College of Music. All funds to be raised will go to the Scholarship Project. The concert will be on May 21, 2010, Friday, 6 p.m. at the UP College of Music, Nicanor Abelardo Hall.
Tickets are at Php 300.00 each. For tickets, please contact Tata Francisco at 0920-9470861, or Gabi Francisco at 0920-9470835. You can also email them at teachertata[at]gmail[dot]com, or gabitwin[at]gmail[dot]com.
