The great book giveaway (but not really)

Music: "Screaming Infidelities" by Dashboard Confessional

I was doing my annual bookshelf cleanup this morning when I realized that the books I've sorted out for "donation" were still there, sitting prettily in the second lowest shelf. And because I am in no mood to look for the list I typed up months ago (which I suspect I forgot to post), I took a page from Ron Lim's blog and took pictures of the concerned books instead.

The books aren't really for sale, but if you want to "donate" any amount in exchange of the merchandise (or just pay for my transportation during the meetup), or swap them with your old books, I'll be more than willing to accept them (well, depending on the book/s, actually).

E-mail me at kittenkyd@gmail.com if you're interested in any of the titles so we can arrange the meetup.

Partial "Read" List (as of October 19, 2012)

Music: "Wonders of the Deep" by The Chemical Brothers

After drafting my partial book list for 2012, I realize that I've read A LOT of YA books this year. And that I didn't finish reading anything last July. Perhaps I overdid it last June and decided to let my brain cells recuperate? I cannot remember. 

Anyway.

January:
A Lion Among Men (Gregory Maguire) **
100 Cupboards (N.D. Wilson) ***

February:
Maniac Magee (Jerry Spinelli) ***

March:
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (R.L. Stevenson) **

April:
Cirque du Freak: Vampire Mountain (Darren Shan) *
Cirque du Freak: Trials of Death (Darren Shan) **

May:
Freak the Mighty (Rodman Philbrick) **
Kit's Wilderness (David Almond) *
Fish-Hair Woman (Merlinda Bobis) **

June:
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Mark Haddon) *
Holes (Louis Sachar) - second reading ***
Dandelion Fire (N.D. Wilson) ***
Odd is On Our Side (Dean Koontz) **
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Jeff Kinney) *
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Jeff Kinney) **
Salingkit (Cyan Abad-Jugo) ***

July:
OMGWTFBBQ. I didn't read anything?!

August:
Bell Prater's Boy (Ruth White) **

September:
The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss) ***

October:
Joey Pigza Loses Control (Jack Gantos) *
The Chestnut King (N.D. Wilson) **

So that's 14 YA novels, 5 "regular" novels (because calling them "adult novels" sounds wrong), and 1 graphic novel, so far. I wonder how many more I can add to the list before the year ends?

Legends:
* Hmm, okay, I guess :-/
** Liked it :-)
*** Loved it! Definitely a great read! :-D

Experimental Reads: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, The Hunger Games, A Wrinkle in Time, and (gasp!) Twilight

Music: "Maskara" by Eraserheads

To cap off the year, I’m planning to do a marathon of YA reads—one title per week for four weeks, starting December 1. And not just any YA title, but four of the most popular books written by female authors, just so I can compare them with each other.

(I have no idea why I'm posting this now.)

So yes, it goes without saying that I’m including the first book of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and (gasp!) Twilight series in the list. The Hunger Games I’ve already read (twice?), but I don’t mind reading it again because I enjoyed it very much. I only read the second book in the HP collection, waaaaaay back in college, and Ginny pissed me off so much I decided not to continue with the series anymore after that. But I’m willing to give it another shot, because a lot of people have told me that the second book is the worst volume in the series. And while my brief encounter with Eclipse (about three to five pages, where Jacob delivered his infamous “Let’s face it. I am hotter than you.” line) changed my perception of vampires and werewolves forever, I figured it would only be logical to include Twilight in the list, and see how many pages it will take before I throw the book against a wall. Literally.

Last but not the least in the list (what?) is A Wrinkle in Time, which is a little different from the first three titles, but famous in its own right. I can’t even remember when I first read the book—three years ago, maybe? But I do remember enjoying it a lot, so I really don’t mind reading it again.

Now I just need someone to lend me his or her copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Twilight. Because I don’t want to invest on an HP book until I’m sure I will finish the series, and I definitely do not want to waste money on a Stephanie Meyer title.

Books, books, books!

Music: "This is the Moment" from the Jekyll & Hyde OST

Last night, I found myself standing in front of my bookshelf for a whole two minutes, the pile of newly acquired books from the Manila International Book Fair in my arms, only to realize that I have barely any space left to put my newest babies.

I also realized I need to reorganize my shelf again . . . and soon. I have a feeling I'll discover books I've purchased a long time ago, hidden behind newer books, long forgotten. See those thick books in the third level and the not-so-thick books in the second? Yep, there are stacks of other books behind them. And I haven't even taken a picture of my other bookshelf yet (that one's way too disorganized for public viewing).

/coughs

Anyway, I think I overdid it with the children's books this year. Usually I buy three to six titles, most of them new releases from Adarna and OMF, but this year, I bought picture books from other publishers as well--Tahanan, Lampara, and, gasp!, yes, Vibal.

(And before anyone accuses me of being a traitor for not patronizing Anvil's books, let me just say that I do buy children's books from Anvil, but I usually buy them using my employee's discount because, err, well, it's bigger than the usual discount we offer during MIBF.)

And now, a show of titles. Cue in drum roll, please.

From Adarna House. 

A select few who know about my not-so-hidden obsession with a certain illustrator will notice that I bought one of his books again. Tee hee.

From Lampara. 

Yes, the he-who-must-not-be-named illustrator has a book here too.

From Vibal. 

I don't usually buy books from them, but there are three reasons for this purchase:

Lina Diaz de Rivera. Frances Alcaraz (a.k.a. favorite college teacher). Cats.

'nuff said.

From Hiyas.

Because I love Jason Moss books, and Tito Dok's titles are always fun to read.

(Speaking of which, a little shameless plugging on my part--Tito Dok recently, well, not so recently, released a picture book with us.

Props to Ray Sunga for the beautiful illustrations.

I really, really enjoyed working on this project, and no, I'm not just saying this in an attempt to encourage people to grab a copy, though of course I will shamelessly promote it to anyone who would care to listen.

But seriously, the story is heartwarming, the illustrations are lovely, and I promise it will be worth the money you spend on it. Scout's honor.)

I also bought a new series, without checking first what the story is about. (I rarely do this, but . . . what? It was on sale!) Here's hoping I'll have a new addiction soon (if I actually find time to read them in the near future).

One book from Ateneo Press (I was looking for Dean's Salamanca about two years back, but must have totally missed it when I passed the Ateneo booth both times), and one from UP Press (collection of YA short stories? sold!)

But my absolute favorite is the picture book I bought from Tahanan. Not only because I love Serj Bumatay's artwork (his illustrations for Anvil's Ang Prinsipeng Kuba still give me chills whenever I look at them), but because the story is so simple yet so engaging.

Plus, the kid's name is Botbot.

That is all I'm going to say about that.

So, yes, I think I overdid it with the children's books this year, but I don't really feel bad about it. Hey, if my dream of setting up a children's library is bound to come true, might as well start early with collecting materials for it, right?

And yes, I still need to figure out a way to make more room in my shelf. Or just buy a new one altogether.

Yosh.

meet Dexter Morgan, polite wolf in sheep’s clothing

Music: I'll Be by Edwin McCain

This is my Darkly Dreaming Dexter review from way back March 2010. Here's hoping I can start writing the one for Dearly Devoted Dexter soon.

***

Finally finished Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.

The back cover gives us a brief synopsis of the book:

He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likeable: he only kills bad people.

His job as a blood splatter expert for the Miami police department puts him in the perfect position to identify his victims. But when a series of brutal murders bearing a striking similarity to his own style start turning up, Dexter is caught between being flattered and being frightened -- of himself or some other fiend.

Praises for the book includes:

"Demonology has a dastardly new darling." – The New York Times

"With chills like these, you can skip the air-conditioning." – Time

"Entertaining… Dexter is a fascinating character, though he’s not the kind of guy you’d like to invite to dinner." – Chicago Sun-Times

Personally, I’d invite him to dinner. I have nothing to worry about, I think. I mean, I’m not perfect and I sometimes border between meanness and insanity (wait, aren’t they from the same side of the fence?), but I highly doubt Dexter would care two cents about me. One: I don’t kill little kids. And as fans of the first book might notice (and I surely hope they did), Dexter is very fond of children (which is ironic, since he’s supposed to be void of human emotions). But he is, and most of his targets (Father Donovan, Jamie Jaworski) are kid-nappers and killers. So as long as I keep my kid-bullying to a minimum (not that I bully kids, I swear I don’t!), I think I’ll be safe. Two: Aside from the usual whacks and punches (and kicks and bites too, sometimes) I give my close friends, I dislike hurting people. No one has ever filed a complaint about me hitting them so badly they had to be sent to a hospital for a CT scan, and I haven’t pushed anyone, not even those people who irritate me, down the stairs. (Well, I threw a marble at a kid when I was in grade school, but I blame him and his constant stalking for that.) So I really doubt if Dexter will be interested in me. I’d be as boring to him as a sack of rotting potatoes… or something like that.

Now.

I guess one of the things I really like about our hero is his ability to engage in witty banter with other characters, even when the situation does not call for it. During breakfast with his foster sister Deborah, this conversation took place:

"How was your date last night?"

"A lot of fun," I said. "You should try it sometime."

"Feh," said Deborah.

"You can’t spend all your nights standing on Tamiami Train in your underwear, Deb. You need a life."

"I need a transfer," she snarled at me. "To Homicide Bureau. Then we’ll see about a life."

"I understand," I said. "It would certainly sound better for the kids to say Mommie’s in homicide."

"Dexter, for Christ’s sake," she said.

"It’s a natural thought, Deborah. Nephews and nieces. More little Morgans. Why not?"

She blew out a long breath. "I thought Mom was dead," she said.

"I’m channeling her," I said. "Through the cherry Danish."

"Well, change the channel. What do you know about cell crystalization?"

I blinked. "Wow," I said. "You just blew away all the competition in the Subject Changing Tournament." (pp.83-84, 2004 paperback edition)

Note that the date they were talking about didn’t exactly end well. But I’ll let you guys read the book to find out why.

Dexter also likes entertaining his readers by way of narration coated with dark/dry humor. During one of his killing escapades (with Jamie Jaworski, this time):

"Let’s talk," we said in the Dark Passenger’s gentle, cold voice.

He didn’t know if he was allowed to speak, and the duct tape would have made it difficult in any case, so he stayed silent.

"Let’s talk about runaways," we said, ripping the duct tape from his mouth.

"Yaaaooww--Whu--whataya mean?" he said. But he was not very convincing.

"I think you know what I mean," we told him.

"Nuh-no," he said.

"Yuh-yes," we said.

Probably one word too clever. My timing was off, the whole evening was off. But he got brave. He looked up at me in my shiny face. "What are you, a cop or something?" he asked.

"No," we said, and sliced off his left ear. (pp.172-173)

In normal circumstances, it is not supposed to be funny. I mean, slicing off another person’s ear was nothing to laugh about. But by that point in the book, readers have already established the fact that Dexter is an unfeeling monster whose only delight is slicing up monsters worse than him. I guess this reason shouldn’t justify chuckling at his jokes or attempts at witty exclamations, but somehow it does.

My personal favorite line from the book is found in page 284. Dexter was having a long soliloquy about the possibility (or impossibility) of sleep murder and his involvement in it. And as such:

"Weren’t we all crazy in our sleep? What was sleep, after all, but the process by which we dumped our insanity into a dark subconscious pit and came out on the other side ready to eat cereal instead of the neighbor’s children?"

Lovely, lovely. Good writing, is it not?

Darkly Dreaming Dexter is not your typical good-cop-bad-cop story, and it introduces a wide array of characters that you will either love or hate with utmost fervor (and I’m not talking about the children killers here). There’s even an interesting twist in the end as bonus. For people who are interested in crime/thriller/suspense/slasher fiction, I would like to recommend this book. For those who still believes in fairy tales and all that, I suggest you grab a copy of Snow White (Disney version) instead. Unless you want to be converted. Dexter just might show you the way.

Oh, and did I mention that this book inspired the hit Showtime series Dexter in TV? No? Well, there you go. Another reason to try it out then.

bibliophiles, unite! (lit out loud: a literary festival)

Music: Mayroong Nagmamahal by Ogie Cayabyab

I'm going to take a quick break from all the EMO-ness that is my barkada to talk about something I love: books.

More specifically, panel discussions that have something to do with books.

I was fortunate enough to attend the second day of National Book Development Board's Lit Out Loud, the Manila International Literary Festival. What's exciting about the festival is that the organizers "gathered eminent authors and literary agents from around the world as the best writers in the country to talk about books, reading, the writing craft and the business of publishing (Pasion-Flores)."

The first breakout session I attended was about Genre Fiction, and panelists Dean Alfar, Karl de Mesa and Yvette Tan talked about speculative fiction, fantasy, and even horror. Which got me really excited, because I'm a horror chic, I love dystopian novels, and I've been trying to expand my reading list to accommodate titles from the fantasy and spec fic genre (George R.R. Martin, Gregory Maguire, etc.). That, and I'm currently trying to figure out a way to write down a story concept that's been brewing in my head for quite a while now, a dystopian-ish alternate universe which may or may not contain aliens (I haven't quite decided yet). Anywho, the session really encouraged me to continue with what I'm planning to write, especially now I'm reassured that there is an audience for that kind of story.

Then the panelists pointed out that tagalog romance novels sell way more than literary novels, but then, sales does not always automatically translate to success. It all a matter of perspective, they say.

I'm trying not to be discouraged.

The second session I attended was about online writing. Although I didn't enjoy it as much as the Genre Fiction session, I did get to listen to Marne Kilates and Luis Katigbak talk something they're passionate about. Carljoe Javier was also part of the panel, but I haven't really heard about him, not until then. Turns out he's rather popular in the online blogging scene.

*cough*

I suck, I know.

The Graphic Novel session was fun, mostly because Elber Or admitted to having ADHD. That, and Carlo Vergara, of the Zsa Zsa Zaturnnah fame, was an excellent moderator. Throw Marvel inker Gerry Alanguilan into the mix, and BAM! Definitely a fun(ny) session.

But I think I enjoyed the last session the most. It's a "How to Make Book Trailers" session, and I thought it will be all technical (mostly it is, since we were taught how to use the Keynote and Garageband programs, both of which I don't have), but Christopher Cheng read two of his storybooks to us (One Child and the yet-to-be-released-come-2011 Sounds Spooky), and the children's books enthusiast in me just wanted to squeal in delight. I definitely need to get a hold of those books.

I swear, I will write something worth publishing soon. That is, uh, I hope sooner than later. But. Anyway.

Although I wasn't able to attend the Children's Literature and Young Adult Novel sessions, I'm pretty happy with how the day turned out. I learned a lot of things, got to listen to a bunch of great writers, and picked up a few pointers I can use when I finally decide to stop being lazy and actually write something.

Plus, I was able to finish most of Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, during the breaks in between.

A wonderful day indeed.

'tis the season to be generous...so gimme some books!

Music: Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap

Because I wasn't able to do this for my birthday, I'm doing this for Christmas instead. Although I am not under the delusion that people are going to give me gifts for the holidays, I'll still make this list in the event that people might actually remember me come Christmas day.

Here's a list of books I'd love to receive for Christmas. They are not in any particular order (I think):

1. A Series of Unfortunate Events Books 7-12 by Lemony Snicket (hardbound edition, if possible, since they're more of a collector's items now, because I've already read the e-books)

2. The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein (actually, any Shel Silverstein book will be much appreciated, but this title is my favorite)

3. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson

4. Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeffrey Lindsay (the entire series would be ideal, but I'd settle for the second book for now) - removed from list (see entry #11 for replacement)

5. A Wind in the Door by Madeleine L'Engle

6. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

7. Mirror, Mirror by Gregory Maguire

8. A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

9. The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

10. In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz (this is a graphic novel, but I'm cheating, because I really want a copy of this)

11. A Wolf at the Door (and other retold fairy tales) by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

I've been trying to search for titles by Filipino authors to add to the list, but I think a "disadvantage" of working for the local publishing industry is that I get a sort of VIP access to books that are not off the press yet. I will certainly not mind getting copies of the books I've actually worked on, although they're not really a priority. I do want some new speculative fiction books though. Or horror books. Or crime and mystery, like Smaller and Smaller Circles. Any recommendations?

Aaaaaand I think it's a given that books given after the holidays will still be accepted. Cue in signal bells to all of my friends. Coughs included if less subtlety is permissible.

EDIT: About an hour after I posted this, my best friend sent me this text message:

please remove #4 from the list ... for obvious (bday) reasons :))

And because that will benefit me more than anyone else, I'll be more than happy to oblige. *runs off to scratch #4 from the list and change it with a new one*

sense overload

Music: random background noise from the TV

I just realized something:

Just last week I'm still reading Blindness, which, from the title itself, touches on the issue of the sense of sight (or the lack thereof), and now, I've moved on to Perfume, which tells the story of a serial killer looking for the perfect scent, since he has no scent of his own.

I think I am currently in the "five senses theme" mood. Or "six senses," if I add "sixth sense" to the list.

Anyone can suggest books that focuses on either the sense of hearing, taste, or touch? And yes, the sixth sense, maybe?

post-book fair fever

Music: Sick Cycle Carousel by Lifehouse

I'm officially broke until the end of September . . . and maybe a week or two after that. But I don't care, because I am now the proud owner of not one, not two, but five fiction, one non-fiction, and ten children's books, all bought during the Manila International Book Fair held at the SMEX Convention Center in MOA.

I think I deserve some bragging rights for having the guts to go without allowance for two weeks (or more) in exchange for these wonderful titles:

Fiction:

1. Son of a Witch (Gregory Maguire)

2. Perfume (Patrick Suskind)

3. I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak) - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

4. The Last Jihad (Joel Rosenberg)

5. The Last Days (Joel Rosenberg)

Non-fiction:

1. Epicenter: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future (Joel Rosenberg)

Children's Books:

1-5. Batang Historyador series (I already have the complete set way back in college, but Augie Rivera was at the Adarna booth that day and I just couldn't resist . . . I had to have him sign a new set for me.)

6. Just Add Dirt (Becky Bravo / Jason Moss)

7. Tiger on the Wall (Annette Flores Garcia / Joanne de Leon)

8. Naku, Nakuu, Nakuuu! (Nanoy Rafael / Serge Bumatay)

9. Xilef (Augie Rivera / Beth Parrocha-Doctolero)

10. The Book That Eats People (John Perry / Mark Fearing) - LOVE THIS!

Now I don't want to sound like a total nerd or geek or whatever, but I'm considering taking an "Internet break" so I can focus more on my to-read list, which, quite frankly, had gotten longer and longer over the years. So if you don't hear anything from me via the world wide web in the next, say, three months, do not fear. I am not dead (well, hopefully not). I am simply too busy reading something to go online.

Uh. Right.

Good luck on that.

patronizing "Filipino" books

Music: The More You Ruv Someone from the Avenue Q soundtrack

This is unedited version of the article I submitted to Alerto Filipino, which came out last August. I am still miffed at the idea of having my complete name published for everyone to see, but I guess I should be thankful that my article actually saw print.

I'm choosing to look at the brighter side of things :)

(Is it working?)

---

Patronizing "Filipino" Books

I have a confession to make: I’ve been partial to books by foreign authors for the better portion of my life.

I think this stems from the fact that I haven’t really been exposed much to Filipino authors and their works during my childhood, and what little exposure I have in high school—Francisco Baltazar’s Florante at Laura, Amado V. Hernandez’s Ibong Mandaragit and Luha ng Buwaya, Lualhati Bautista’s Dekada ’70 and Bata, Bata, Pa’no Ka Ginawa—were made uninteresting by boring group reports and long quarter exams. I do remember enjoying Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, but that’s about as far as my love for Filipino writing went. Come college I was introduced to the likes of Nick Joaquin, NVM Gonzalez, and Carlos Bulosan, but by then my hands were full with thick volumes of Shakespeare, Homer and Aristotle, that I had little time to indulge in side-readings of Butch Dalisay and Ninotchka Rosca.

Up until I graduated from college, I never made much of an effort to familiarize myself with works by Filipino writers, maybe except for children’s books, which caught my interest since I took an elective about writing for children back in third year college. I’d splurge on books every year at the Manila International Book Fair, a yearly event for book lovers in the Philippines, but I’d always buy fiction books by popular and not-so-popular American and English authors, very rarely by Filipino ones. My reasoning was the epitome of colonial mentality: surely works of American authors are better than their Filipino counterparts.

How wrong I was.

It is only later, when I started working with a publishing company, that I started to really appreciate the beauty of books written by Filipino authors. It is only when I was forced to read them (because I was required to write press releases and feature essays) that I understood why Severino Reyes and Sarge Lacuesta deserve the same amount of love that I give to C.S. Lewis and Dean Koontz. And it’s not simply because of the sudden need to be patriotic that I began to pay attention to books by the “locals,” if that’s one way of calling them. It simply occurred to me that Filipinos have what it takes to write well, sometimes even better than their foreign counterparts.

Take Smaller and Smaller Circles by F.H. Batacan as an example. More often than not, book lovers are familiar with the crime novels of Thomas Harris of the Hannibal fame. But in a craftily written 155-page book, Batacan took the commonly-used serial killer plot and turned it into a thrilling story about a Filipino priest caught in the middle of a series of brutal killings of teenage boys in the slums of Quezon City. Suddenly, the story hits closer to home. The places become familiar, the faces recognizable. The Filipino reading community is presented with the idea that serial killers could exist in the Philippines, that it is not merely a phenomenon that happens in episodes of the popular TV show CSI. Batacan won several prestigious awards for her work, and she mostly deserved to do so.

Books by Filipino writers are engaging not only because they can measure up against New York bestsellers, but also because the Filipino audience can relate to them better. Renowned historian Ambeth Ocampo, for one, has released volumes of entertaining but factual pieces about our beloved heroes—Andres Bonifacio, Emilio Aguinaldo, Antonio Luna—compilation of essays that we will never see in our high school textbooks. He has demythisized National Hero Jose Rizal, and presented funny and interesting trivia about historical events and places in our country. What makes his books so interesting is the flavor he adds to his essays—that distinct Filipino-ness that distinguishes them from other works written about the same subject.

The list of authors is far from being a short one. Names like Danton Remoto and RJ Ledesma may sound familiar to the non-reading community, but not as authors of gender-bender literature and dating essays, respectively, but because of their semi-celebrity status. The more popular Bob Ong and Jessica Zafra have large followings, and thus are less prone to anonymity. Others, such as Vince Simbulan and Yvette Tan, are excellent writers, but are only beginning to make waves for themselves in the literati community. The list goes on—aspiring writers who believe that they can make a difference, who aspire to make a name for themselves or share something they think is worth sharing, not recognized simply because the Philippines is not so much of a book-reading nation, more so a Filipino-books-reading one.

As penitence for my former “snobbishness,” I took it upon myself to invest more in books by Filipino writers. As such, I now buy works ranging from National Artists for Literature F. Sionil Jose and Bienvenido Santos, to the more contemporary ones like Benjamin Pimentel, Katrina Tuvera, and Dean Alfar. It is my hope that in time, I will be able to fill my already brimming-with-books shelf with as much volumes by Filipino authors as books written by foreign ones.