Books, books, books

BTT: Replay

2011-09-15T21:23:00.001+08:00

This week's Booking Through Thursday question is:

Have you ever finished a book and loved it so much you went right back and started re-reading it again?

Oh definitely! When I find a book that I particularly enjoyed reading, I'd read that book again and again. Sometimes to a point where I unwittingly memorized passages, or if someone asks something about the book, I'd say that it can be found in chapter so and so.

Here are some of the books I've read and reread:

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts
The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
All of the Harry Potter books, particularly The Half-Blood Prince and The Deathly Hallows. I've even memorized the opening paragraphs of chapter six of the Deathly Hallows because I listened to it when trying to go to sleep.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I realize my books seem a bit pedestrian, but hey, I don't judge a book by its cover. :) What are your replays?

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer

2011-04-28T20:12:00.000+08:00

In the news today: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 trailer is released. Fans (myself included) are going crazy with excitement.

I got chills watching this. I'm all excited for July 15, but I'm also sad that it's going to end. It's one thing for the books to end, which didn't really feel like it because you had the movies to look forward to. But with this final installment coming closer, it truly feels like it's the end.

The Harry Potter series is not the best I've read. But it's epic. Truly, truly epic. While I was no longer a child when I read it, I was still young enough to love it. Thank you Jo. Thank you Dan, Rupert, Emma and everyone who made the movie possible. It was an amazing ride.

BTT: Visual

2011-04-07T21:41:00.000+08:00

This week's question from Booking Through Thursday:

So … the books that you own (however many there may be) … do you display them proudly right there in plain sight for all the world to see? (At least the world that comes into your living room.)

Or do you keep them tucked away in your office or bedroom or library or closet or someplace less “public?”

I intentionally keep my book in my room. Mostly because there isn't any space outside of it where I can put them. Plus, I'm a bit possessive about them. I rarely let people borrow my books because I have this feeling they won't take care of it as well as I do. I guess that's a factor why my books are usually in my room.

Rest in peace, Diana Wynne Jones

2011-03-26T22:49:00.000+08:00

Diana Wynne Jones, author of "Howl's Moving Castle", The Chrestomanci Chronicles and the Dark Lord of Derkholm, has passed away today, March 26, 2011. She was 76 years old.

Jones was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer of 2009. She underwent surgery in July and told her friends that it had been successful. In June 2010 she stopped chemotherapy saying that it only made her feel "very ill".

Jones, aside from the books mentioned earlier, has penned several stories that have become favorites all over the world. "Howl's Moving Castle" was adapted into an animated film by acclaimed Japanese director, Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. She enjoys a friendship with popular author, Neil Gaiman, to whom she dedicated her book "Hexwood" to.

Our prayers and thoughts go out to Ms. Jones' family and friends. Even though we haven't met her, we feel a kinship to her through her books. Your words and worlds will live on. Rest in peace.

Dana Marie Bell: Paranormal romance author

2011-01-08T11:42:00.001+08:00

I recently discovered Dana Marie Bell, a paranormal erotic romance writer. I'm not much a fan of paranormal books, even though I read Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nora Roberts. However, I liked the premise of "Cat of a Different Color" when I first read it, so I decided to give the book a try.

After reading it, I got interested in the other books of the series and decided to get them as well. I didn't expect to like the Halle Puma series, but I did.

The Halle Puma series is about the Pride of a town called Halle. Half of it's residents are weres, or shifters. In this world, weres live alongside humans, much as wizards and witches live alongside humans like in Harry Potter. And like in HP, their existence is not known to humans.

It's also interesting to see an established hierarchy within the Pride, as it is with the other groups --- the wolves, coyotes, foxes and the bears, although the foxes and bears are mostly by groups of families rather than community.

Big communities are headed by the Alpha. The second-in-command is the Beta. In charge of the physical well-being of the group is the Marshall and his second. Last of the hierarchy is the Omega, who connects emotionally with the members of the community. Shifters mate, and while it the mate for a lifetime, some shifters can have two mates. With the Puma, the Alpha's mate is called "Curana", while wolves call her "Luna".

I'm a fan of series. I like reading books that have connections, especially if I meet a character in one book that catches my interest. The Halle Puma series is just that, running five books and even having a spin-off of another series. I love the dynamics of the group, how they treat each other with respect and can joke around without offending one another. Dana Marie Bell's writing is also fluid and realistic, it's not hard to imagine how the characters would be in real life. I do get overwhelmed by the dialogue sometimes, like I'm not sure who's talking and what they are talking about, but that's pretty few in between scenes, as they're mostly fast paced.

I just finished the first of her Heart's Desire series, "Shadow of the Wolf". I hope she continues with the series. I can't wait to read more about the Beckett brothers. I'm also looking forward to the rest of the Halle Shifters series. For more information about her books, you can check out her website and her blog.

Once Upon A Time series

2010-06-14T14:38:00.000+08:00

One of my more recent trips to the used bookstore chain I often go to netted me a several short novels that are targeted to teens and young adults and is published by Simon Pulse, the teen imprint of Simon & Schuster.

It belongs to a series called "Once Upon A Time" and it features adaptations of well-loved and known fairy tale classics.

The books I got are the following: Scarlet Moon by Debbie Viguié, Golden by Cameron Dokey (Rapunzel), Water Song by Suzanne Weyn, (The Frog Prince) and The Night Dance by Suzanne Weyn (The Twelve Dancing Princesses).

I've enjoyed all of them so far. The way the authors take on these fairy tales and make them their own makes for a delightful read.

Neil Gaiman in Manila

2010-03-24T14:09:00.000+08:00

Neil Gaiman, award-winning and best selling author of "Sandman," "Coraline," "The Graveyard Book" and "Stardust," was in Manila last March 17 and 18 for the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. Fans flocked to Rockwell Tent for the awarding ceremonies, then again the next day for an autograph signing event.

Neil himself writes about his experience in his blog. It's his third trip to Manila since 2005, and it seems that he enjoyed it as much as he did the first time.

Congratulations to the winners of the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards, as well as to the winners of the Revelations art contest and the various raffle draws.

Here are some pictures and videos (to follow) of those two days from fans.

Contest: Win prizes worth hundreds of dollars from Mukhang Pera

2010-02-17T15:10:00.001+08:00

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Read the Terms and Conditions before you enter the contest. Your participation in the contest implies that you have read and agreed to the terms and conditions of the sponsors regarding this contest.
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Post this review along with sponsors' ad banners, rules, and prizes. Care should be taken that the hyperlinks in the review are "dofollow" links and are live.
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Manga: Saint Young Men

2010-02-14T09:02:00.000+08:00

Originally posted at Mangabullet

I had heard of the manga "Saint Young Men" from my friend Yvie, as well as via the feeds of Anime News Network. I normally don't read or watch stuff that has something to do with religion (mostly because I find it boring) but I decided to give this a go.

"Saint Young Men" is about Jesus and Buddha taking a vacation from their "jobs" and decided to spend it in Japan. They share an apartment and go about their days living like ordinary young men (though in many cases, they retain their powers).

The manga doesn't tackle religious issues (which would definitely spark some controversy), nor does it try to say anything about either religion. If you remember Joan Osborne's song "What if God was one of us?" this manga goes along that line.

It's full of one liners, funny quips and random moments that you can't help but laugh out loud at. Think of this: Jesus is a popular blogger who reviews TV dramas, Buddha wants to be a mangaka, and both of them wish that people would depict them a little more positively than how they do now.

I take this with a grain of salt and just enjoy it.

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-26T00:30:00.001+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

I got two new books to read: "Wicked" by Gregory McGuire and "Odd and the Frost Giants" by Neil Gaiman. Hope you have a fresh stack of "to-be-read" books too!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows screen caps

2009-12-03T07:31:00.000+08:00

Two images from the upcoming "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" has been released over at Yahoo! UK.

My guess is that both scenes are from the part where the trio escapes the Death Eaters during Bill and Fleur's wedding, then flee to Grimmuald Place.

I'm obviously a big fan of the series. I can't wait for this!

Updated book list

2009-10-12T22:21:00.000+08:00

Hi folks. I have a stack of books that I had finished reading the past few weeks. I haven't had time to write about them yet, mostly because writing about a book I've read aside from the "It was good" or "It was bad" is something that I rarely do.

Anyway, here's a list of the books I've finished. Hopefully I could post at least once a week about these.

By Diana Wynne Jones
The Merlin Conspiracy
Conrad's Fate
The House of Many Ways

By Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

By Dan Brown
The Lost Symbol

My thoughts: After Dark by Haruki Murakami

2009-08-25T10:28:00.000+08:00

Though a popular writer, this is the first time I have read Murakami's work. When it comes to Japanese literature, my education is limited to manga adaptations. I am often of the impression that many such writing is lost in translation, especially given the nuances of each language.

Reading "After Dark" was, for me, similar to reading a manga that's a bit dark and melodramatic (a story from George Asakura's "A Perfect Day for Love Letters" comes to mind), or watching an anime like "Perfect Blue."

The story occurs at times between night and dawn, from sometime before midnight to just before 5 am. In between those times, so many things happen, intertwining the lives of the various characters of the story. Due to the "real time" treatment of the story (think of something like 24), where the events happen in a specific time, the reader becomes a part of the story, even if just as an observer.

Though I am far from impressed, I am intrigued. "After Dark" may not be a favorite of mine, but it's enough for me to want to pick up Murakami's other works.