Read and Currently Reading

I'm actually being pressured this week, with deadline of writing outputs nearing.

Just a quick update then on my reading list, I have finished this: 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (1989)

And started on this:

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle (1994)

Its first few chapters have already shocked and surprised me, because I wasn't expecting such an incident like that strange call to happen, it had an eerie feel to it. But then, I'm not even near a quarter of the book yet. 

What are you reading this week? Let me know down in the comment box! =p 

Mothers In Literature

Have you ever encountered that term The Mother Figure in Literature? It's actually one of the pillar characteristics of women in the feminist movement, and of course, there are other characterizations like the mother, the tramp, the goddess, the gold digger, and all other stereotypical figures that can be applied to women in literature.

But since Mother's Day is due next Sunday, here are just some inspiring reads, with strong mother characters in each. There might be mothers who will stop at nothing to protect their children, there might be selfless mothers, and there might be mothers who will murder their babies to escape a life of slavery. Read on for moving, heart-breaking mothers and if you know of which books might be added to this list, do leave a comment below by suggesting it.

Happy Mother's Day!

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

In Stockett's book, the maids Minny, Constantine and Aibileen are all mothers, stuck in their day jobs as maids, raising white people's children and being paid measly wages a dime a day while they are forced to leave their own children behind. Not until Skeeter decides and asks their stories to be told for a writing project and her ticket to the Big Apple does the whole town of Jaskson, Mississippi turn upside down. 

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

Mothers have their own pasts and stories. Before growing resentment towards your own mother, learn of LuLing's sacrifices and pains before leaving China and leading a life in San Francisco. This is the story of the shocking chain of events, of a young Chinese girl's childhood and the woman who tried her best to raise her, and the circumstances which led her to bearing and rearing her own daughter Ruth.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch

Having an artist for a mother may sound thrilling, especially if you are descendants of Vikings, with tough blood in your veins. But what happens when your mother commits murder and you are thrown in a series of foster homes, with a new set of mothers. How will you live in the present when you slowly learn of your past, and what was once believed to be love, turns out to be a protective shell of hiding the truth from you. 

 

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

A novel with monthly installments of recipes, here is a love story told with one mother who forbids it. What will you do if your very own mother prohibits the love that you so much desire? Tita takes matters into her own hands and plots and plans to get her beloved to return her affection. The question is, what will her mother do about it?

I'm currently reading Like Water for Chocolate. What will you be reading? 

Sleeping Bookworm

I've been away for a while, but still I caught this little boy sneaking upstairs and snoozing all by himself. This will be all for today's post, but I'm leaving you with a couple of photos of Rocky, our little baby. 

He gave a smile for the camera here, he must have felt kind of guilty. 

And I guess he just fell asleep after reading all those books saying:

"I've got enough knowledge already stored in this super big head of mine". 

If you love giveaways,  join Mich's giveaway and have a great summer with loads of makeup. Isn't it just awesome? =) Mich's Giveaway

The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint

I wrapped up the book in old newspaper in the absence of transparent cover. Since the book is not mine, I was extra careful with it. The owner has a good selection of reads, so I take care of the ones I borrow and try my best to return them in good condition so I could borrow again. =p

So here is The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint. I've finished this last month, but for some unnamed reason haven't gone around to writing about it.

Crow Girls. Manido Aki. The Dreamlands. Mabon. Newford. The World As It Is.

These are just some of the places Charles de Lint brings the reader to discovering. In this story set in the city of Newford's urban fantasy, we meet Jilly Coppercorn, the painter who is well-loved by her friends and Jillian May Carter, the troubled girl who overcomes her past and dares to change her life both of whom happen to be just a single person.

Jilly finds herself in an accident and is comatose, immobile and begins to retrieve into the dream lands, retracing her past and leaves her friends behind in The World As It Is. For every visit she makes to the dream lands, she leans into abandoning her physical body and chooses to live in the shifting seasons of Manido Aki.

Here, we learn about the origin of the world, its non-human inhabitants, creatures of old, and the cycle of magical beings. What goes on in the thoughts of the Broken Girl? Read. The answers might just be there.

"There's never an easy route to the things that matter."

Charles de Lint

 If I'm lucky, the next book I might grab from Charles de Lint would be Eyes Like Leaves. 

Book Window Shopping

I really don't  know what's the right term for what I'm doing lately, so it's best if I describe it instead. 

The past few days, I've been restraining myself from purchasing books from my suppliers. Since last month, all of them have posted announcements that they will be uploading new stocks on this date and that site. I still have a stack of unread books at home and promised myself not to spend on new ones unless I have read all of those waiting for me in the room. And I am so intent on saving up for this summer's getaway that I need all the bucks I can save. So I have become a little self-conscious when it comes to buying more books. So the temptation is always there whenever I open my Multiply account and all the notifications of NEW BOOK UPLOADS start screaming at me and I do permit a sneak peek for a few minutes. And then I exit. 

It's like I found myself in a mall with rows of rows of bookstores and went to look at the shelves, then I lift and touch them, look at the price tags, try to remember how much cash I have in my wallet, and retrace the nearest ATM machine, and then put back the book on the shelf without looking back and leave the store. That's just how it feels. Book Window Shopping. 

But I keep repeating my mantra: summer vacation. Summer vacation. Summer vacation. 

So if there are some book worms who do want to grab some books to read out there, or who are in the same pain as I am, here, I'm sharing the torture with you. (wink, wink)

Life Is Like A Book Page: This online bookstore is managed by Maricar, a full-time working Mom who is so accommodating and has a love for books more than storage space in her home. Contests and giveaways are available all year round. 

Mad About Books: The shop owner is also a book blogger, and her personification of a book in the home page is just fun to read!

Hi there! I'm one of the books being sold here and I'm just very happy that you found the time to drop by! It could get pretty boring without someone reading me. I've been stuck here for ages and I would just love for someone to read the beautiful words written by my wonderful author.

Aside from me, your book, I'm also sandwiched in between a variety of comics and hygienic products such as Baktolin and Sterilium.

Oh well, that's all for now! I really hope you'll check out my other friends in the catalogue! We're just dying to find a new owner to spread our good story to so many other people! :)

Mad About Books
Great Finds for Less!

Bookstore Atbp: Ems has the widest selection of fiction and non-fiction books and gives away volume discounts. She believes that reading is as important as eating and breathing.

"But I think the most important reason I read is for meaning. I believe that when an author writes a book, she or he does it because they want to say that there is something meaningful about how people live in this world. And we can learn from that. "

 Julie's Sari Sari Store: Here are some books that are second-hand but are in excellent condition and at half the price. Browse to your heart's content. There is a wishlist section and other items up for sale too. 

How My Love for Books Started

This is a guest post from a friend of mine who also shares the same love as I do: books. Here she talks about books and how the love affair blossomed.

How my love for books started

By Agnetha de Castro

I still remember the day when I started to read books. It was the fault of one Sweet Valley Kids volume that I borrowed from a classmate. I don’t know what compelled me to read that. Maybe it has something to do with the colorful cover or the way my classmate’s face shone with happiness over the written words in those pages. But I am glad that my interest for reading was triggered that day and before I knew it, I consumed the book in almost one sitting and borrowed some more from her.

When I finished reading her books, I became an active member of our library and read all their Sweet Valley collections. When there was nothing more for me to read on Sweet Valley, I explored other books like the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and even Mills and Boon series.

That was one of the clearest memories I’ve had of reading. And from that day onwards, I started to read as many books as I could possibly get my hands on.

I never knew such joy and happiness as what I have found between the pages of the books I’ve borrowed and bought. It can never be replaced by momentary bursts of glee over a new gadget or some such thing. It is ever constant and irreplaceable. Such is my love for reading books. And it is a certainty that I would have books above any other material thing.

Even if I would grow old, wrinkled and with very bad eyesight, I would never break the habit of reading books.

Such is my love and passion for it.

About me:

Guest writer for Maimai’s blog. Anime addict. Movie junkie. Faithful follower and reader of many, many books. 

Got a memorable book to share? Leave a comment below!

Kung Hei Fa Tsai

So after distributing tikoy to my non-Chinese colleagues, I had to give out a sigh and wondered what I was doing in the studio so early this Monday morning. Because it's Chinese New Year today, every body else is on holiday, (thanks to a President with Chinese roots, we now observe 3 New Years) except for our firm. Being in the media profession has its ups and downs. But there are definitely opportunities which cannot be found elsewhere.

So I'm away from my family this morning, for the second Chinese New Year in a row (last year I was out of town on assignment) and facing the computer. But 2012 promises a good year for those born in the Year of the Dragon, in all aspects (mine being 1988). But the Water Dragon has started its work already, with the city most of the time being drenched in rain. However, I'm grateful that it's not always hot here. I've learned to appreciate the rain as a heavenly blessing.

I've got tons to do so maybe I will continue blogging after I complete the script which is needed tomorrow for the morning taping. (So help me, Lord.)

One more thing, I'm halfway with my book, The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint and I might finish it this week. To everybody, Happy New Year.

Kung Hei Fa Tsai!

To Keep Reading in Check

To keep reading in check, my lola decided to be my book buddy. =)

And she is one absolutely fun book buddy! I don't call her lola, I call her Mama Lette, shortened for Loretto. Papa calls her Mamang. Grand kids call her Mama Lette, so do her nieces, nephews, and other relatives. She is mother to three sons, (Papa being the middle son) and two girls.

Mama Lette is a retired teacher who also served under the Ministry of Education, during Marcos's administration. She was in fourth year law school when she married Papa Choy, (my lolo) and took up a teaching career when she no longer pursued the bar exams.

Mama Lette and the grandkids (L-R: Jess, Mikee, Mama Lette, Kyla, Tita Bing and Jenica) taken last December during our family picnic

Perhaps the love of books run in the family, and she is very conversant when it comes to talking about books she read, her favorite characters, what she likes about the style, the plot and whatever it is that catches her attention. With good eyesight, she still reads books at night by the bedside.

I brought home a copy of The Help by Kathryn Stockett and she borrowed it, suggesting we exchange books after I read The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint. Mama Lette makes the perfect book buddy, because we can always exchange books and talk about them when I come home from work and when she has finally settled down in the evening from watching her favorite Koreanovela. =)

The book pile

Mama Lette's current occupation 

My current book for the 2012 Reading Challenge, and I'm not even close to half of it yet! 

Awaiting the arrival of Thoughts of a Blogger via Multiply

What books are you currently reading? Leave a comment below! 

=)

Idle Worship and Library Updates

So there's this link in the ads corner in FB. And curiosity leads to some crazy discovery. Lo and behold, a beta game allows a player to be god of one's own island. Play like a god and perform blessings and curses on your muddlings, and do the same to other gods' islands. It's all about enforcing the followers' beliefs for them to offer prayers which fuel gods benefits. It's also a game to show what kind of gods you wish to become, a god to be feared, a god who bestows blessings. Gain followers, create a prophet out of a muddling, convert others, establish your own religion. It's a crazy game, but it's still fun to play.

The fun art and mechanism of the game makes the player want to attend to his "religion" because of quirky, sometimes out of this world tasks to complete.

It's the right game to nourish one's sense of humor.

Idle Worship is by Idle Games 

Yesterday, my latest batch of books arrived, and I'm happy. I have another batch of books to keep me busy for a while. Yes, admittedly, this is where my money goes, but I fuel what I love, and I don't regret it. I will be depriving myself of splurges for quite a while, but I have books to keep me company in the meantime. 

Do look out for book giveaways for interested bookworms out there. =) 

The Hobbit

The Hobbit! 

This book brings back memories. Years ago, when I was a poor student who could not afford great literature to read, especially from highly acclaimed authors, I stumbled upon someone else's copy of The Hobbit and sought permission to borrow it. And yes, like any other amazing Tolkien book, this one is just simply oozing with adventure and mystique and legendary characters. 

In this book, home-loving Bilbo Baggins' story is told of how he joins a band of men to complete a quest which will allow them to win a share of the dragon's treasure. Tolkien introduces the creatures of the Wilderland and the world that is completely different from Bilbo's Shire from which he is very much attached to. The entire quest changes how the young Bilbo sees life as he reaches a higher level of maturity and appreciation for company and adventure. 

These are just some glimpses of the book

John Ronald Reuel Tokien

Some news for Tolkien fans, the movie will be coming out soon! Click here The Hobbit Trailer.

Which E-Books are Mostly Borrowed from Libraries and Why?

The link below is from paidContent.

I don't own an E-book reader, but it would be quite fun to have one someday. However, here's a look at some of the reading preferences made by avid readers lately.

Here in our city, I wonder how many visitors the City Library has, and the Zamboangueños reading habits.

Which E-Books Are Most Borrowed from Libraries and Why

Great Titles at Bargain Prices from Life Is Like a Book Page

Life Is Like A Book Page

True to its shop name, this online bookstore has loads of stuff for every book lover, for every genre. The online bookstore is being maintained by Maricar and she does her best by managing her time, work, family life and answering questions from bookworms all over the archipelago.

I have the URL bookmarked on my browser tab, and check her new arrivals every month. If only my budget were bigger and I were a tad bit richer.

Some special features of Book Page are great finds in some of the albums. Categories are for Classics, Young Readers, Memoirs/ Biographies and Children's Lit. Submit your wishlist and you might just spot the book you're looking for in the next arrival. Contests and other great deals are aplenty, and an automated order form makes the transaction effortless.

Low on cash but want to add some new arrivals on your shelf? Browse through here and you could just snatch deals, happily ever after!

If I Could Rewrite The Back Description of The Next Queen of Heaven

Contains spoilers! 

Because I am a fan of Gregory Maguire;

Because I picked up the lessons the book had to offer;

Because I believe that this work of variation is a gem and a product of the author's sweat and effort and writing and brainstorming and all the other things that come between;

Because the description of the book cover utterly fails to reflect what is in the true contents of the pages;

Because I believe that we have different perspectives when it comes to religion, Christmas, family and all that have special meaning concerning the season;

I think that the back cover description of The Next Queen of Heaven should be rewritten.

There are a few things that have to be straightened out:

1. Mrs. Leontina Scales does not speak in tongues, in fact, ommitting the beginnings of her sentences and utterances is barely speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is considered by some to be more profound and sacred.
2. Her children do not attempt to surrender her to Jesus. They abandon her in the basement of a retirement home for nuns and leave her to God's mercy on Christmas Eve.
3. The ancient Sisters of the Sorrowful Mystery adopt a gay singing group, and gain a family and socialize in the process.
4. A Christmas concert is hardly a pageant.
5. And there is nor clear illustration of which child or whose child is born (figuratively or literally). Does Tabitha really find herself pregnant?

Themes/ Lessons learned from the book:

Although the style and language is very different from Gregory Maguire's previous treasures, the lessons and themes offered in its pages still make it a keeper. Here's what I have learned from the book.

• Whether it comes sooner or later, we all have to forgive and let go. This circles Tabitha as she lets go of Caleb and for Jeremy as he gathers courage to do the same to Willem. 
• Family is still family. Family members accept you for who you are. Mommy Leontina may be the single mom, but she fights and lives for her children as she raises three teenagers all on her own. Sean Riley's parents may not come to terms with his homosexuality and having AIDS but they show up as a family just the same. And whether or not the Catholics and the Radical Radiants are on different sides of the spectrum, they do help out each other in the case of the Scales family. 

My favorite character in the book would be Sister Alice Coyne of the Our Lady of Scarcese Parish. The Nissan-riding outgoing nun is too smart for her age and reaches out to anyone belonging to her church-even those who are not. And she does not condemn nor chastise anyone.

There. Now, I will be moving to another book. 

Even after reading, I still don't know exactly who is the Next Queen of Heaven. But I'm still keeping it on the shelf between Confessions and Mirror, Mirror. 

Any thoughts? Share them below! 

The Next Queen of Heaven

The Book

Another bargain find from my online book supplier, I had this reserved immediately.

I remember seeing a copy on display at Powerbooks, at their branch in Mall of Asia. I didn't have some extra cash for the purchase, and left it there, walking away with a little regret. Reviews and pictures of the book cover kept appearing in some websites I frequent, and so, it could not completely be erased from my mind. It's another creation by Gregory Maguire, one of the authors I follow regularly-and here he has introduced a varied style in his writing.

The book just arrived by mail, along with other copies I purchased. And the moment it arrived, I had to discipline myself to finish whatever it was I was working on before I lifted a single page to read.

There it is, right on top of my messy pile of journals, papers, notebooks and lists.

The Style

Based on Maguire's past works I have read (Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister) I still have my eyes on Matchless, and have not yet read Mirror, Mirror, his style with The Next Queen of Heaven has shifted from the traditional storytelling to the hilarious, contemporary tone. The dialogue is fitting, with ample referencing, and the book is sprinkled with generous doses of stubborn teenagers, (subtly) conflicting religious congregations and eccentric characterization.

However, as a past reader and active follower of  Maguire, I have to say that this novel is quite a departure from his melancholic, dramatic tone from his previous bestsellers. He is an expert in the field of converting the antagonist to the protagonist, as in the case of Wicked (now a Broadway musical hit), where the hardships and tumultuous childhood of Elphaba has stayed with the readers even after years of its publication. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister also did its work as it stole the hearts and imaginations of its readers by way also of its attention-grabbing title.

In the author's note, Maguire apologizes for the setting and vernacular (its being quite a surprise to readers who already know his writing style) by saying "Forgive me for my trespasses", so I will take it as a fair warning.

Is this still a worthy read for the Holidays then? I would have to say yes. But I still long to go back to the magical world of Wicked and the rest.

Dedication from the book

"For those who keep singing and for those who keep silent"

The Setting

It is Year 1999 and Thebes, New York is gearing up for the New Millennium, strange things happen. Single mother and dutiful churchgoer Leontina Scales has been hit hard on the head by a statue of Our Lady (of I forgot) and the rest of the characters catch up with life the best as they could. Hidden conflicts and perspectives of different religious congregations are revealed, as you read between the lines and more silliness brings the book to light.

Here, a singing group fighter against AIDS, Tabitha has a crumbly relationship with her mother, high school girls talk about the school slut who happens to have been stalking them, a list of eccentrics can be found in the town called Thebes, and women have the right to call their ex-husbands "was-bands".

Mothers still know how to embarrass their daughters in a music store. (Thumbs up to Mommy Leontina!) 

The Author

This is Gregory Maguire, whom I have met through Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. 

Gregory Maguire is an American author, whose novels are revisionist retellings of children's stories (such as L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz into Wicked). He received his Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Tufts University, and his B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He was a professor and co-director at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature from 1979-1985. In 1987 he co-founded Children's Literature New England (a non-profit educational charity).

Maguire has served as artist-in-residence at the Blue Mountain Center, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Hambidge Center. He lives in Concord, Massachusetts.

His "wicked" signature

Other Books by Gregory Maguire

The Wicked Years

• Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
• Son of a Witch
• A Lion Among Men
• Out of Oz

Other books

• Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister
• Mirror, Mirror
• Lost
• What the Dickens: A Rogue Tooth Fairy
• Matchless: A Christmas Story

The Garden of Eden

The Book

How did I come about this book? Jason showed it to me when I was hanging out at the hammock in the hideout. It was a lazy Sunday. And there was this old book. It was donated by the National Book Development Board from the United States- and they have the pleasure of donating an old copy of a Hemingway, while us mortals exhaust all means to get our hands on one for whatever personal purposes there are. All of the Hemingways I have read are borrowed from the university library.

Ernest Hemingway's The Garden of Eden is a good one. And his genius shines through.

The dust jacket has many holes, but it is hardbound in cloth and the binding is excellent. It was published in 1981, a few years before I was born- so this copy is older than I am. And yet, it is still alive. This is the beauty of hardbound books. The pages can be felt-touched. They are still crisp but yellowed. Aged. But the book is always worth reading.

The borrowed book, quite a treasure regardless of its age and condition

The Style

How do I begin to describe Ernest Hemingway's style?

He is sensual. He knows how to describe in such a simple manner what goes on between two people, in their private moments together. He writes about the weight, the scales of a fresh fish, the taste of the wine, the sea. The life that is unwired.

The dialogue is short and simple. It's in the narration Hemingway gets back at. He does not believe in commas. And I would like to think that whatever rare commas are inserted in the dialogue is for the sake of clarification- and augmentation. The book was published years after his death, one of the unfinished manuscripts, and some parts were edited to make it in time for the release. Apart from all that, Hemingway is intriguing.

I shall pressure myself to understand more about his style.

The Setting

I've never been good with memorizing names which may sound French or Spanish. But I do get the feel of the location as how he describes it and its people. It is quaint provincial life. Simple living, and the simple pleasures of food and wine, lazy seaside life-lying awake at night and falling asleep when the day is about to start, this is the kind of routine Hemingway describes for a couple on their honeymoon. 


The Author

Ernest Hemingway, one of the beloved authors of English literature of all time 

How do you describe one of the literary geniuses of our time whose works are all literary treasures? He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Type in the name in any research engine, the answer will be there.

Other titles by Ernest Hemingway

• The Old Man and the Sea
• For Whom the Bells Toll
• A Moveable Feast
• The Sun Also Rises
• A Farewell to Arms
• In Our Time
• Islands in the Stream 

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Book

It started as one of those writing jobs I do for my freelance work on the side. I complete book guides for a company where I choose titles from a list and submit the outputs every month.

And the title caught my attention. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. At first I thought this was an Asian writer, and I have high regards for Amy Tan and Haruki Murakami. But here I was, about to discover Stieg Larsson. Years ago, I had plans of obtaining a dragon tattoo and some circumstances probably prevented me from doing so. I was born in the year of the golden dragon, according to Chinese astrology. Family and friends around me thought that this was a good sign since the dragon brings good luck.

And reading this particular book tickled my imagination. So I bought a hardbound copy, signed my name on the page and finally have the luxury or reading my very own copy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

And I took it to reading as soon as it arrived. Could not wait any second longer, I literally waited for the delivery man from the courier outside our house that Friday afternoon for my weekend reading.

The book was translated from the Swedish by Reg Keeland.

My very own hardbound copy at bargain price of Php 250 (approximately $5)

The Style 

Details and character sketches are paid enough detail in this novel. Desert Snow is carefully and reasonably explained. "Carl" Blomkvist is given an honest description, enough to show that he is human with the unusual pet peeves, coupled with an on and off relationship with Erika Berger and considers himself her "occasional lover".  So does Armansky whose observations about Lisbeth Salander provide an honest character sketch. Stieg Larsson has this gift of being "in the character", immersing in how each one thinks and acts.

Just when you think the description and enumeration of events show the plot, dialogues between characters provide the story underneath. Larsson captures nuances between professionals in the journalism, financial and security field.- Larsson has done his homework.

When the reader assumes he understands the full story, the underlying events are uncovered-and the plot takes on a new development, and becomes more interesting. This is espionage, romance and power in a very different angle and on a whole new level.

-first spotted on an online bookstore, dreamt about, lusted after, and now is absolutely mine.-

The Setting

Contemporary Sweden has defeated capitalism in its industries and have successfully promoted democratic practices in its ranks- or that's what its leaders think.

The book's setting is as relevant today, as when it was first released and published in 2004. Women are still in a position fighting for equality, even for their rights in most aspects of society. If there were a Vanger Family in Sweden today, they would be an interesting lot to observe. 

The Author

The man behind Lisbeth Salander, Stieg Larsson 

Stieg Larsson lived in Sweden and was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic right-wing extremist and Nazi organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscript for this and two subsequent novels. He passed away at the age of 50. 

Other Books by Stieg Larsson

The Millennium Trilogy include: 

1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2. The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
3. The Girl who Played with Fire