Great Reads for the Halloween

It’s another important event for the last quarter of the year. Yep, it’s Halloween.

Halloween is not actually just a time for costumes and parties. It is also a time to remember the departed loved-ones and to value those that we still have. So, in case you are just stuck at home and can’t go to the province to visit cemeteries due to bad weather, why not read?

I have here some recommended books that would really fit the season. A thriller type and a humorous ghost story. Well, don’t underestimate them for they are written by Best-Selling authors: Dan Brown and Sophie Kinsella. Now, allow me to give you the titles and a short summary.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, the famous Harvard symbologist has received an invitation from his friend Peter Solomon to deliver a lecture in the National Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. Since Peter is his friend and mentor, he went to Washington D.C. without any idea that his trip is not just an ordinary visit. When he arrived, he was more than shocked by what greeted him. There were no audience at all for the lecture and the severed right hand of Peter is there at the place, tattooed and transformed as the Hand of Mysteries. From there, a series of events took place and a lot of puzzles surfaced. Will Robert Langdon be able to solve the mysteries and save his friend? And who is this tattooed man who kidnapped Peter?

Know more on The Lost Symbol here >>

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Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Lara has been undergoing the gloomy days in her life. Everything has been going beyond her control from her relationship with her boyfriend to her newly-launched head-hunting business. So she thought that because of these stress, she has been starting to see things like a ghost. But, she’s wrong. Sadie, her great-aunt has come to seek her help. They have to find a necklace who has been in Sadie’s posession for more than seventy-five years. Sadie said that she couldn’t rest without it. And so, the hunting and haunting began. As they go into the journey in finding the necklace, they started to discover things about love, about each other and most important, about their family.

Know more on Twenties Girl here >>

Have a great weekend. Enjoy reading!

Archie chooses Veronica! Oh well…

After almost seven decades, it seems that Archie Comics will finally end. Why? Well because Archie Andrews has made up his mind and will already be proposing to Veronica.

Yeah. Ronnie it is and not Betty. You might as well check the cover of Part 1 of the upcoming Archie marries Veronica series.

So why didn’t he choose Betty? What will happen now…?

As you could see in the cover (and like many of Betty’s supporters out there), Betty is teary-eyed and we assume that it would be difficult for her to accept her defeat.

But I guess, this is what would really happen anyway. That Archie would really choose Ronnie over Betty. And maybe Betty would end up in Jughead’s arms.

One should have observed that it was really Ronnie that made Archie crazy in love during their years in Riverdale High. And, Archie would only date Betty whenever Ronnie is not around or if he needs a favor.

Perhaps Betty is too good for Archie. She deserves someone better. But is Jughead a good choice?

Ok. Enough. I’ll just buy my copy and read what will happen to the love triangle.

The Missing Piece: A Great Find

“I am not your missing piece.
I am nobody’s piece.
I am my own piece.
and even if I was
somebody’s missing piece,
I don’t think I’d be yours!”

With those lines above, who would have thought that they actually came from a children’s book?

 

Well, yup they truly are. Shel Silverstein’s “The Missing Piece” was created for the young readers. In fact, you could already tell since the book is well illustrated. However, though it was really intended for the young ones, it is still able to convey a message to readers of all ages.

Although classified as a Children’s Book, this is one creation perfect not only for kids, kids at heart, but actually for everyone. The illustrations are deceiving but if you read carefully your heart, you’ll realize, “Hey, this book is cool. I think I’ll keep it coz I’m also looking for a missing piece of me”
Some people who have read this book already said that the story is all about love and finding your match in this world. It’s true. But not 100 percent true.

Read entire review here >>

Stainless Longganisa: Kakaibang Lasa ng Longganisa

(Also published in The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the University of Santo Tomas -Vol. LXXVII, No. 10; March 15, 2006 )

 

NARANASAN mo na bang makipagkwentuhan sa libro?

 

Kung dati-rati ay iniiwasan ng mga mag-aaral ang pagbabasa ng libro, ngayon, mayroon nang mga libro na tila

Bob Ong's "Stainless Longganisa"

mga kaibigang handang makipagsabayan sa lahat ng ‘trip’ mo sa buhay, gaya na lang ng Stainless Longganisa.

 

Panlima sa nailathalang aklat ni Bob Ong, naglalaman ang Stainless Longganisa ng mga kwento, anekdota, at sanaysay na may kaugnayan sa mga napapanahong isyu at mga suliranin sa paligid. ‘Di gaya ng mga ibang lokal na aklat, taliwas sa tradisyunal na pagsusulat ang istilo ng pagkukuwento sa Stainless Longganisa. May halo itong pagpapatawa na para bang nakikipag-usap lang ang mga mambabasa sa isang tambay sa kanto.

 

Hindi nakapagtataka kung makabago ang aklat na Stainless Longganisa sapagkat kakaiba rin ang mismong sumulat nito. Nakagawian na ni Ong na hindi magbigay ng mga pangunahing detalye tungkol sa kanya at ipinaliwanag niya sa kanyang libro na parte ito ng kanyang pagkatao bilang manunulat.

Nahahati ang aklat sa mga kabanata na kada simula mayroong natatanging pahayag mula sa iba’t ibang maimpluwensiyang tao, libro, at pagtatanghal. Kapansin-pansin na hindi rin ubod nang lalim ang mga salita at hindi rin pormal na wika ang ginamit.

Read the entire review here >>

Where Your Dreams Come True: Kwentong Pag-ibig ng Bagong Henerasyon

Where Your dreams Come True ni Anna Ishikawa

Bihira akong magbasa ng mga Tagalog romance novels. Dati nagagawa kong sikmurahin ang kabaduyan ng mga librong ito na nagkakahalagang limang piso lamang. Kunsabagay, ano nga naman ang aasahan mong kwento sa isang mumurahing nobela. Malamang, wala talaga. Gayunpaman, nabihag ng isang Tagalog romance novel ang aking atensyon kamakailan lamang.

Where your dreams come true, isang pamagat na parang passe na pakinggan ngunit tiyak na pag nabasa mo ang kabuuan ng kwento ay maiintindihan mo kung bakit ito ganito. Isinulat ni Anna Ishikawa, nagtuturo  ng English at Creative Writing sa U.P. Diliman, ang nobelang ito ay tungkol sa isang dalagang nagngangalang Emily at sa kanyang paghahanap ng pag-ibig.

Hindi gaya ng ibang baduy na Tagalog romance novels, makaka-relate ka dito sapagkat napapanahon ang mga eksena at Taglish ang lingwaheng ginamit ng may-akda. Mayroon din itong mga simbolismo na bagaman simple ay talaga namang makabuluhan. Isang halimbawa na lamang ay ang nabiling bracelet ni Emily na nasira agad bago pa man niya magamit.

back cover

Ang medyo hindi ko nga lang gaanong nagustuhan sa nobela ay ang cover at mga guhit dito. No offense sa artist na si Kristian Teves, pero hindi talaga kasi bumagay ang mga guhit sa kwento. Hindi dahil sa hindi nagawang ipakita ng mga larawan ang mga eksena kundi dahil nagmukhang pambata ang libro. Marahil sanay lang talaga ako sa mga nobelang walang drawing. My apologies.

Kaya kung gusto ninyo magbasa ng Tagalog romance novel, subukan n’yo ito. Baka sakaling gaya ko, mapawi nito ang impresyon ninyo na baduy ang mga Tagalog romance.