Bookish Weekend: #PLF2015 (+ giveaway!)

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I had a blast this weekend geeking out on books, author and illustrator encounters, and more at National Book Store’s Philippine Literary Festival in Raffles Makati.

I was determined to attend the LitFest this year because I missed the 2014 LitFest (which featured Amy Tan and Chang-Rae Lee) while I was in China. I still missed Day 1 this year (mainly because I’ve filed too many book-related leaves this year already and it’s peak season at work), so by Saturday I was raring to go — I was there bright and early, in time for the first session.

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Behind the scenes: All About the Philippines

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Dummy layout for All About the Philippines

I knew I’d be out of town for the launch of “All About the Philippines” (2 pm, Aug 15 at National Book Store Glorietta), so I took the opportunity of talking to the author and illustrator — Gidget Jimenez and Kora Dandan Albano to learn more about the

It’s always interesting to find out the story behind a book, and this was no exception — many thanks to Kora Dandan Albano for her email correspondence, and Gidget for a lovely first meeting!

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All About the Philippines

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One of the most exciting releases this year is Tuttle Publishing’s “All About the Philippines” by Gidget Roceles Jimenez and Corazon Dandan-Albano.

Tuttle Publishing is the world’s leading publisher of Asian books, and “All About the Philippines” is the latest volume in its “All About Asia” series for children. The series, which includes (so far) volumes on Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and China, showcases the rich culture and history of Asian countries.

Here’s why this book is worth checking out.

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Harry Birthday 2015! (updated)

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July 31 marks the birthdays of both Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling, and it has always been a significant date for my cousin Dianne and I because the Harry Potter books have been such a huge part of our lives. This year, on July 31st, we celebrated over fifteen years of fandom with a redux of Harry Birthday!

We had gone back and forth on the idea of another Harry Birthday party for months now. For one, in the past decade and a half, I think we’ve already done at least half a dozen Harry Potter parties, among other crazy things for the love of Harry Potter. Also, for a while the party didn’t even seem like a possibility. July had been an incredibly busy month, with my involvement in the NCBD activities, and my cousin had just moved across the country (read: separation anxiety like I’d never known before). But because it’s Harry’s 35th birthday and JKR’s 50th, we thought the time was ripe for another Harry Birthday.

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