Reading something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue
I have a confession to make: books are not my only vice.
Novelty candy, slurpees, microwavpe popcorn, best and worst dressed lists, foodie reality shows, Merrie Melodies, Disney Channel, rom-com movies, ABBA, Madonna, pop-art shirts — the list goes on and on.
This is why I was instantly drawn to this delightful book: The Encyclopedia of Guilty Pleasures: 1001 Things You Hate to Love by Sam Stall, Lou Harry, and Julia Spalding, sent by a kind moocher from abroad.
I got a new book for my growing pop-up collection — I just couldn’t resist a mashup of two guilty pleasures: Disney and Robert Sabuda (and you can see I couldn’t resist the Happy Meal either; that’s my talking Gingy figure guarding the book!).
It’s a pop-up alphabet book featuring stylized Disney characters and Robert Sabuda’s fabulous paper engineering. But enough said — I will let the photos do the talking.
I haven’t read any local chick lit in years now, so when Summit Books offered some review copies of their latest releases, I quickly jumped on the chance.
I’m no stranger to Summit Books; I’ve read them since they first came out when I was back in college, although I haven’t been able to keep track of the later releases. They’re quick, well-written reads, with contemporary characters in realistic situations. My favorites include Drama Queen by Abi Aquino (the first one I ever read!) and Have Baby, Will Date by Andrea Pasion.
I got a whole new bunch sent to me by Ro Manalo of Summit Books (thanks!), and they provided much relief in this stressful summer filled with work-related travel: My Imaginary Ex by Mina V. Esguerra; 12 Steps to Quitting AJ by Faye Ilogon; and the two later installments of Vince’s Life by Vince O. Teves: Getting Over Andrea and The Wedding.
In fifth grade, after I’d exhausted the library’s supply of Three Investigators titles, I discovered Nancy Drew a couple of aisles away, and then proceeded to exhaust the titles on that shelf. Most of the Nancy Drews I’ve read are the 90’s paperbacks, though, and I’ve only steadily made my way through the yellow-spined hardcover classics (1-56) in the past few years.
Last Christmas I got myself a nifty Nancy Drew book from Book Sale for only P140 (under $3!) — Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew, which goes well with the Nancy Drew Address Book I found on sale at another bookstore.
Finally, I have a new review to post!
Since last February, I’ve been counting the days until I could get my hands on a copy of Carlos Ruiz Zaf0n’s young adult novel The Prince of Mist. I got a copy as soon as it hit the bookstores — the first week of May, I think, and read it the very same night. I’ve been meaning to review it for some time now, but work has piled up (again) and I haven’t had the luxury of time for blogging.
Anyway, if you don’t know Carlos Ruiz Zafon, he fast became one of my favorite authors after reading The Shadow of The Wind, the bestselling novel that catapulted him into fame, and earned him the post of Spain’s most widely read contemporary author after Miguel de Cervantes — and Cervantes has had a good five centuries to build up his readership.