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.

 

 

Love You Forever

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

Are they familiar? Well, these lines are taken from a children’s book titled “Love You Forever” which was published way back in 1986.

This book is very popular but do you know that the story is rooted from a very sad episode of the writer’s life?

Robert Munsch, the author of the book first created a song with the lines above as lyrics. The song was made for his two babies who were born dead. The lines lingered in his head but he can’t sing it until he came in this certain university to tell stories. An idea flashed across his mind. Perhaps, he could develop a story with the song.

And so “Love You Forever” was born. It is a story of the evolving relationship between a boy and his mother. The book started when the mother gave birth to the boy. She carried him in her arms, rocked him back and forth while singing…

“I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

Munsch’s regular publisher thought that the book is not actually for children thus the author ended up doing the book with another publisher. Then one day, this publisher called him and reported that the book is selling very well in retirement communities in Arizona. At that time, kids are illegal in those retirement communities which means that old people are buying the books for old people! In fact it became a big hit worldwide that it was listed fourth in the 2001 Publishers Weekly All-Time Bestselling Children’s Books list for paperbacks.

Actually, it’s not a big wonder why the book has become so famous across the globe. Although the story is so simple, it was able to capture the hearts of its readers children and adults alike.

This is one book that every child will really treasure till he has become old.

Tuesdays with Morrie: Living Every Dying Hour

Have you ever heard of a “living funeral”?

Quite weird isn’t it? But you know what. There’s actually one that happened a few years ago. One initiated by a Sociology professor Morrie Schwartz. Actually, it was mentioned in a book about him.

“Tuesdays with Morrie” is about a man named Mitch who is at the peak of his career when suddenly, his world seemed to froze when he saw his old professor in television.

A true-to-life story, Morrie Schwartz, the writer’s ‘coach’,  captured the heart of the readers in his journey to death. In each lesson he has in the ’syllabus’, he shared to us the hidden treasures that life has to offer. His sincere words of wisdom about values and the keys to happiness make us believe that death is such a sweet pain. That sometimes you only realize the true worth of a certain thing when it’s already too late.

As you’ll read in the book, you might get carried away as Morrie’s disease was eating him slowly while he gives Mitch their last lessons on life. Although Morrie has become dependent and weak, he was able to manage the pains of his illness gracefully. He struggled everyday and continued to reach out and touch others’ lives as best as he could.

This first hand account of Mitch Albom on Morrie’s last days on earth gives us ideas on how are we performing lately on our lives. The book will somehow transport you in a retreat or a recollection and make you reflect on your past actions and words to others and to yourself. Morrie’s syllabus shall be your enlightenment as you travel through his words about life while he battle with his disease. This book might even be able to give you the answers you have long been searching for.

 Here are some of Morrie’s inspiring statements recorded in the book…

* “Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn’t. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted.”

* “The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.”

Truly, this is a perfect read for this Lenten Season. If you can’t afford a retreat, grab a copy of this book. If you don’t want to read this, watch it. I know there’s a movie of this already. Also, prepare some tissues too, ok? 

Shanghai Baby: Creating a paper trail to self-discovery

A book that was banned in China in April 2000,”Shanghai Baby”captured my interest right then and there when I learned that fact from a friend. In the book, it was stated that an estimate of 40, 000 copies were even publicly burned. What triggered this reaction of the Chinese government? Well, allow me to tell you and give you some sort of a preview to the book.

A very aggressive writer, Wei Hui narrates the story of a woman who struggles to find fulfillment in her life.  In fact, this book is kind of a semi-autobiography of the author too. The novel revolves around Nikki also known as Coco, a 25-year-old cafe waitress who later on decided to pursue her writing when she met a young artist named TianTian. She fell in love with him and even lived with him but amidst the relationship, there is this emptiness that lurks in her heart.

Then she met Mark, an adventurous, wealthy man who became her German lover. She found that passion and sexual satisfaction in him that her live-in boyfriend cannot give. With all the twists of her two relationships, she struggled to finish a novel that would reflect the ‘real world’. And thus, it is through her novel too (and with a bit help from her live-in boyfriend) when Coco begins to know who she really is.

“Shanghai Baby” truly has that aggressive voice of today’s generation. The views on life, love and sex have never been so realistic. The language is both poetic, sensual and full of sincerity. This novel suits not only the youth but all ages who are still at the crossroads of their life.

A journey to one’s own life and dreams is never really easy and the book served like a map or rather a guide. There was no doubt that it became a bestseller. And also, became very controversial.

Well, let me give you some of the great lines from the book…

* “Death is the expression of exhaustion, a solution arrived at rationally once one has known the deepest depths of tiredness.” -TianTian (Coco’s boyfriend).

* “Life is like a chronic illness, and finding something interesting to do is a kind of long term cure.” -Coco

This novel is truly a must-read. Though I must say, that you must watch out for the ending of the story since it might leave you craving for more of it. Anyway, the sequel of this novel is “Marrying Buddha”. I think I should read it soon too.