Chicklit Capers

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I discovered Lauren Willig while browsing through a bargain bin and unearthing a hardcover copy of The Masque of the Black Tulip. The story summary appealed to me, so I bought it and looked it up online, only to find that it was the sequel to The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, which meant compulsive old me could not get started with Black Tulip, as I wanted to read Pink Carnation first.

After months of unsuccessful mooching, I found a trade paperback copy of Pink Carnation in another bargain bin and thus moved both books up the TBR pile (#172-173 for 2009).

These two novels by Lauren Willig make up an interesting set of genre-bending books, combining chick lit, historical mystery, and adventure. The Pink Carnation series runs on two storylines, one featuring present-day London, where Harvard grad student Eloise Kelly is doing research on English spies in the Napoleonic wars. This leads her to uncover the second storyline in each novel: tales revolving around these swashbuckling heroes.

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Maus

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This post is dedicated to the victims of the election massacre that took place in Maguindanao.

I was supposed to read another book to wrap up my World War II Challenge, but that will probably have to wait until next month, as I found another couple of books for this Challenge, lent to me by my book club friend Mike (thank you, Mike!).

I’ve only really started venturing into graphic novels recently but the critically-acclaimed Maus by Art Spiegelman is  something I’ve always been interested in, although I haven’t seen it in the local book stores.  While I’ve been acquainted with Art Spiegelman’s work in the Little Lit series, I’ve always wanted to read his masterpiece.

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Pride and Prejudice and Flippers

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Towards the end of the year I get so bogged down with events that I end up missing a book discussion! Last year it was the Halloween discussion, and this year, it was the Pride and Prejudice discussion, which, incidentally, was also originally scheduled in October (moved to November, due to the storms).

The task was to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and read an offshoot book based on the classic for the discussion that our resident Austen fan, Honey, was moderating at the Raul Roco garden and library in Antipolo.

I made sure to finish the books (Pride and Prejudice, Darcy’s Story by Janet Aylmer and Lost in Austen, a create your own Jane Austen adventure, by Emma Campbell Webster — books 167-169 for 2009) for the discussion, and was all set to go when plans went awry. Sigh. So there, that photo on the cover (taken by Jeeves de Veyra) is from the discussion slash tea party, which looked mighty fun (waah!). I hope they post a recap soon, as I’m dying to hear about what happened.

I’m posting a review of the books I read for the discussion here, anyway, to make up for missing it (waah again!).

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Squee! James Jean rocks!

One book off my Christmas wishlist!

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I happened to pass by a bookstore today and I couldn’t resist getting one of the books on my Christmas wishlist.

I normally have more self-control (riiight), but Fables’ cover artist James Jean was in town and he was signing autographs so I was sold. I rushed to the counter get a copy and almost didn’t make it (the booth was packing up by the time I got through paying)… but James Jean was super nice and signed my book anyway! Squee!!!

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Yodelayheehoo! (The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip)

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Lane Smith (of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Hooray for Diffendoofer Day, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and many others) is one of my all-time favorite illustrators, and I’ve got a growing collection of his books (mostly the result of foraging in bargain bins!).

I’d been eyeing the book The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders (illustrated by Lane Smith) at a specialty bookstore for ages. Earlier this year, I finally scored a copy at one of the book store sales for only P59!

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