I Am the Messenger (Markus Zusak)

Praise for I Am the Messenger (Hango sa loob ng pabalat ng libro):

"Do you want to know a secret? It's something that many children's book reviewers believe, but don't often reveal....Children's books often make better reading than the selections on the adult bestseller list...." - BookPage

Bato-bato sa langit, ang tamaan ay ubod ng pangit!





For the first time in the history of my life, tumalab sa akin ang sikat na sikat na quote na:

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Una kong nakita ang libro sa Fully Booked sa The Block two years ago pero walang appeal sa mata ko. Mukhang boring ang cover. Siyempre, napahiya ako ngayon.

Ganun din ang kaso ng A Book Thief. Kung hindi lang dahil sa pamagat, hindi ako maeengganyang bumili last year.

Pero dude, seryoso, wala sa cover ang ikinagaganda ng isang libro. In fact, I believe that a book can only be considered good if it can bring a reader into tears. Which is almost always the case everytime I read a book. Now, I wonder if all the books I've read are good ones? If so, does this make me also a good reader? LOL. Magbuhat ba ng sariling bangko.

Balik sa libro.

Ed Kennedy, will you be my best friend? (=Papalitan ko na ba si Holden Caulfield?)



You can almost always quote a line or two in every single page of the book. Exagge ba? Obviously, it's me, speaking (thinking/typing/whatever). Always excited when reading. Hi! My name is Viola. Nice to meet you!

LOL

You don't get it, do you? Go ahead and read. See for yourself. (Page something something.)

Slam (Nick Hornby)

Muli, maaraw nang ako’y magising. Dikta ng instinct, agad kong binuklat ang librong sadyang itinabi ko sa aking pagtulog kagabi at itinuloy ang pagbabasa. May tatlumpung minuto rin siguro ang lumipas nang pasukin ako sa kwarto ng ate ko at nagsimulang makipag-usap, senyales upang ako’y bumangon at iwan muli pansamantala ang nobela.

Napakaganda ng sikat ng araw ngayong araw na ito at habang minamalas ko ang tanawin mula sa bintana ng computer room, hindi ko mapigilang makaramdam ng kakaibang kasiyahan na nagbibigay ng kapanatagan sa aking kalooban. Naroroon sa bakuran, nagpapaaraw ang ate ko kasama ang aming pamangkin.

Nang muling bumalik ang aking ulirat, saka ko naalalang kaarawan ngayon ni Supremo (Andres Bonifacio).

Mahaba ang oras subalit hindi ako nakararamdam ng pagkabugnot. Hindi pa nauubos ang kaligayahang dulot ng pagkatanggap ko ng lisensya kahapon. Kaya siguro ganito ako kasaya ngayon.

Pagkatapos maghapunan saka ko pinasyang ituloy ang pagbabasa ng nobela. Tinapos ko ito at bagamat sumagi sa isip kong isunod ang Crank, pinasya kong matulog na.

Quotable Quotes

“I knew I was being a coward, but sometimes you have to be a coward, don’t you?
There’s no point in being brave if you’re just going to get destroyed. (p.115)

“But in my world a baby, even without a machine gun, is like a terrorist with a machine gun, if you think about it, because Roof was every bit as deadly to my chances of going to college to do art and design etc. as an al-Qaida operative. And actually, Alicia was another al-Qaida, plus also her mum and dad, plus also my mum, because when she found out, she would literally kill me dead.” (pp.115-116)

Alicia looked at me. I cleared my throat. Nobody said anything.
“I’m going to have a baby,” I said.
Whatever the reason, we couldn’t have had a worse start. Because Alicia made a kind of snorting sound, which was her trying not to laugh. I’d said something stupid because I was nervous… (p.164)

“I dunno.” And after I’d said it, I did know. “Actually, I like it. I like the idea of it.”
“Why?”
“I dunno.” And after I’d said it, I did know. Maybe I should never say anything, I thought. I should just listen to the questions and answer them on text or e-mail when I got home. (pp.180-181)

“You weren’t going to tell me I’m screwed for a third time, were you?”
“So explain why you’re not.”
“I can’t explain why I’m not. Because I am.” (p.196)

“When somebody tells a kid our age that he’s screwed, he’s usually not, is he? Not really. I mean, maybe it will end up with him getting a slap. Or a bollocking from a teacher. But it isn’t going to ruin their life, is it? Something little happens and it’s over. But you becoming a father … That’s serious, isn’t it? I mean, you really are––“
“Don’t say it again. Really. Otherwise you’re screwed. Old-school. In other words, I’ll have to give you a slap.” (p.196)

“Roof.” “This one.” “Dumpling.” Why didn’t people ever call babies their real names? (Sam, p.203)

“Hello.”
“It’s Bee.”
“Oh. Hello, Bee.”
“Bee. Not Bee.”
“Bee not Bee? What does that mean?”
“It’s Alicia. And I’ve got a cold. So I’m trying to say, you know, ‘It’s Alicia,’ except I’m saying ‘It’s Bee,’ and it comes out as ‘It’s Bee.’ “
“Me.”
“Yes. Bloody hell. Have you woken up stupid?”
“Yes.” It just seemed easier to admit it. (p.205)

I was sure I wasn’t the best dad in the world, but the feeling I’d got from Alicia and Roof when I went to pick him up was that I wasn’t the worst either. Not knowing your kid’s name, though… that wasn’t good. Even the worst dad in the world knows his kid’s name, which made me worse than the worst dad in the world. (pp.210-211)

“I call him Roof,” I said.
“What does everyone else call him?”
“We all call him Roof.”
“What’s his name?“
“I think I’d better come back tomorrow,” I said.
“Yeah,” said the woman. “When you’ve got to know him a bit better. Spend a little quality time with him. Have a father-son bonding session. Ask him his name, stuff like that.”
On the way to the park, I asked Roof his name.
“Rufus,” he said.
Rufus. Of course it was. I wish I’d asked him on the way there, instead of on the way out. (p.211)

I suppose kids are always being asked stuff they already know. (p.212)

Suddenly, she made tis terrible, terrible noise. She sounded like an animal, although I couldn’t tell you which animal, because I don’t know much about wildlife and all that. The closest to it ive ever heard was a donkey, in a field next to our hotel in Spain. The watch nearly ended up in the bath again, this time because I near;y jumped out of my skin. (p.233)

“What was that?” she said.
I looked at her. She didn’t know? She thought there was someone else in the room? Or a donkey?
“It was . . . It was you,” I said. I didn’t like saying it. It sounded rude.
“Not the noise, you fucking fucking moron,” she said. I know that was me. The timing. How many minutes?”
I was relieved that I hadn’t made understood, because that meant she wasn’t going mad. On the other hand, I didn’t know how many minutes it was, and I knew she’d be angry with me.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” she said. “Why the bloody bastard hell not?”
They warned us in the classes about the bad language. The woman said that our partners might call us names and say things they didn’t mean, because of the pain and all that. I’d got the idea that she wasn’t going to start swearing until the pushing bit, though, so this wasn’t a good sign. (p.234)

And I know it sounds stupid, but one of the things im most proud of in my life is that I didn’t say, “Me too.” I felt like saying it, of course. It was already frightening and it hadn’t even started yet. I just said, “It’ll be fine,” and squeezed her hand back. It wasn’t much use, what I said. But it was better than saying “Me too” and bursting into tears and/or running away to Hastings. (pp.234-235)

I plugged the CD player in and put on my CD, which probably seems a bit selfish to you. But my thinking was that nobody would mind my music too much at the beginning, so I could get it out of the way. And as it was all loud and fast and skate music, it might give Alicia some energy. The first song was “American Idiot” by Green Day.
“Turn that off before I kill you,” she said. “I don’t want to hear about American idiots.” So that was the end of my music. I put her CD on.
“What is that shit?” she said. “It’s horrible.”
“I told you this wouldn’t be any good.” I said. I couldn’t resist it. I knew it wasn’t the right time, but I knew I’d been right to tell her.
“This isn’t mine,” said Alicia. “You must have put this on.”
“That is such a lie,” I said. I was really angry. I didn’t like Justin Timberlake (and I still don’t), so I wasn’t happy about her saying that he was my choice. But it was the unfairness that got me most of all. I’d told her it was shit! I’d told her it wouldn’t be right for her labor! And now she was telling me it was all my idea. (p.237)

“For the next however many hours we’re in here, we all do what she says, and agree with what she says, and get her what she wants, OK?”
“OK.”
“This is good practice,” she said.
“For what?”
“Having a kid. You have to let things go about fifty times a day.” (p.238)

Neither of us was sure about having Alicia’s mum at the birth. But we would have been in trouble without her. I’d have stomped off home in a rage before Roof was born, leaving Alicia with the stupid music that she chose driving her mental while she was trying to have a baby. The truth was, we needed a parent, not a kid. (pp.238-239)

She stopped sounding like a donkey and started sounding like a lion which is having one of itss eyes poked out with a stick. And it wasn’t just that she sounded angry either. She actually was angry. She called me names and her mum names and my mum names, and she called the nurse names. It sounded to me like the names she was calling me were worse than the names she was calling the others, which is why Andrea kept having to stop me from walking out the door, but to be honest I might have just been looking for an excuse to leave. (pp.241-242)

I hate time. It never does what you want it to. (p.288)

Love & Lies: Marisol's Story (Ellen Wittlinger)

A companion to the Printz Honors Book HARD LOVE

Two years ago, I've been captivated by Marisol's personality in Gio's POV (Hard Love).

Tonight, it's Marisol herself telling me the story.


To say I love this book is quite an understatement. I LOVE THE BOOK!

Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer)

Ito lang masasabi ko,

"That's it?"

I-ra-rant ko na lang next time. Kailangan ko pa ng sapat na panahon para i-internalize ang mga nangyari.

Dear Dumb Diary, The Problem With Here Is That It's Where I'm From (Jim Benton)

Ayos lang.

Medyo corny.

Pero effective pang-unwind. Di mo mararamdamang nag-skip ka ng breakfast at lunch.

I can imagine that Jamie Kelly will become just another angsty teenager when she grows up.

I like Isabelle's character better.

City of Ashes (Cassandra Clare)

They'll find out whatever it is you want most in the world and give it to you--- with a sting in the tail of the gift that will make you regret you ever wanted it in the first place. (p.180)

Pansamantala kong isinantabi si Edward Cullen dahil bukod sa napakarami nang fanatic ang nagkakandarapa sa kanya lalo pa't sa disyembre na lalabas ang pagsasapelikula ng Twilight, muli kong nakadaupangpalad ang mga Shadowhunter kung saan tampok ang aking pinakatangi-tanging si Jace Wayland (aka Jonathan Morgensten) kagabi.

Ito ang Book II sa Mortal Instruments trilogy.

At sa loob ng mahigit-kumulang 10 oras, muli kong binuhos ang aking buong atensyon at afeksyon kay Jace.

Natuwa. Nasabik. Kinilig. Nalungkot. Kinilig. Kinilig. Naluha. Kinilig. Kinilig. Kinilig. Naaliw. Kinilig.

Nasabi ko na bang kinilig?

Mas lalo pang naging makulay ang pagbabasa ko nitong Book II dahil nadagdagan ang level ng power of imagination ko sa tulong na rin ng East Coast tour ko earlier this month. Kaya mas vivid ngayon ang setting ng kwento, although it's not entirely necessary kasi magaling sa paggamit ng picture words si Binibining Cassandra.

To compare this with Twilight trilogy is uh... insane. Mas maraming characters ang involved dito. Faeries. Werewolves. Vampires. Nephilims (the Shadowhunters). And demons. Yes, lots of kinds of demons.

And the TWIST is i must say, also insane.

Sa Twilight, papatayin ni Jacob si Edward pag nagpasya itong i-convert si Bella into vampire dahil nangangahulugan ito ng paglabag sa napagkasunduan ng Cullens at werewolves ng whatsitsname reservation.

Dito sa Mortal Instruments, bagamat mayroon ding love triangle (Simon-Clare-Jace), mas praning ang lovestory. In Book I (City of Bones), Clary and Jace fell in love with each other just to learn later on that they were in fact, siblings.

INCEST alert.

It was a continuation of their implied forbidden love in Book II but they pretty much sorted out their feelings, especially Jace, who, much to my dismay, decided to put off his affection, to which Clary had been taken aback. It seemed to me that she was actually hoping they could continue this sorry love affair.

Clary: It doesn't matter how many times you say it. It'll still be true.
Jace: And it doesn't matter what you won't let me say, that'll still be true too.
(p.202)

Jace: Everytime you almost die, I almost die myself.

Aside from the cheesy lines that drove me completely hysterical, the puns/sarcasms in conversations were definitely hardcore. I love it when either Simon or Magnus is involved in conversations.

But this isn't just about Clary's forbidden affection for Jace. Clary adores her mother so much that her faith is tested when her mother fell in a coma at the latter part of Book I.

Clary: I remember you saying that growing up happens when you start having things you look back on and wish you could change. I guess that means I'm grown up now.

Again, worth the 20 bucks, And I couldn't wait any longer for the Book III!

Wabi (Joseph Bruchac)

Isang batang kuwagong naulila sa ama, nalaglag mula sa pugad isang araw, sinagip at kinupkop ng kanyang lola pagkatapos ay lumaking matalino at nainlab sa isang tao (batang babae)... *hoot-hoot*

Nag-transform into a mighty hunter (naging tao) itong si Wabi para mabihag ang puso ni Dojihla subalit si babae ay malakas mantrip kaya siya ay labis na nasaktan nang paratangan nito si Wabi na isang "monster" dahil nabunyag ang lihim nitong kuwagong-tenga.

Bago siya nag-transform into tao, may bestfriend siyang lobo (wolf).

At oo, nakakapagsalita si Wabi ng lenggwahe ng tao, gaya ng kanyang lola. At, kaya siya nakapag-transform kasi ang lolo niya pala ay dating tao (hunter) na naging kuwago at ang kanyang ina ay dati ring tao na hiniling maging kuwago.

O diba, nakaaaliw.

Sabi ni mareng Amazon, pambata ang librong 'to. Pang-elementary. Pake ko.

After the Wreck, I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away (Joyce Carol Oates)

Matagal na akong ligaw-tingin sa librong 'to tuwing madadaan ako sa NBS. Namamahalan kasi ako sa presyo ng hardbound niya. Tas isang araw, nakakita ako ng paperback, muntik na akong mapa-tumbling sa tuwa. Pero anlabo ko kasi Minister's Daughter ang binili ko.

Last week, nabalitaan kong mega sale sa NBS. Hindi na ako nag-atubili pang bilhin ang paperback.

Kaya isang gabi bago ang exam sa 121 lab, ito ang pinaglaanan ko ng oras ko.

Para siyang sequel to Freaky Green Eyes ni Miss Oates pa rin --- tatay ang kontrabida. martir ang ina. AT puno ng angst ang anak.

Pero walastik ang ending... ang ganda ng twist! Nakakamura sa galing!

Aakalain mong tuluy-tuloy na ang pagkakilig mo sa labstory nina Jenna at Crow pero feeling nyo lang pala ni Jenna yun kasi tunay na anak pala ni Crow yung sinasabi ni Trina na pamangkin nito sa ate niya. Dahil yung sinasabi ni Trina na ate nitong blondie, yun pala ang aasawahin ni Crow na 5 years older than him.

At si Crow? Si Crow ay cool. The typical cool guy in your highschool. The hot guy in black leather jacket with a snake tattooed on his wrist, riding this classic motorbike.

Aakalain mo bang magiging committed sa isang relationship, marriage in particular, ang katulad niya?

O diba ang husay ng pagwasak sa stereotyping... refreshing!

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (Sherman Alexie)

Shortly after I was done with Joyce Carol Oates, I picked up the book next in line; this time, it's hardbound.

It's weird that I get to push myself easily on buying hardbound books other than those written by popular authors (or those whom I happen to know the bestsellers...hmmm.)

Pagwasak pa rin sa tradisyon... I love this!

Half-indian boy from a "poor-ass family" went to attend an all-white private school.

The typical "bullied-who-fought-and-won-in-the-end" kind of story.

Picture this: he's skinny, big-footed, "born with water on the brain" (=hydrocephalus), and is wearing thick eyeglasses. Not surprisingly he's a regular target of the bullies in and out of the reservation.

BUT he's intelligent. And he looooves to draw.

The Minister's Daughter (Julie Hearn)

"Men and boys. Some are worthy of us. Some aren't." p.96

Distracting lang yung briton na writing style, mas komportable kasi ako sa grammar ng American English.

Nakakita ako ng rebyu. Sabi ni Alexis Egan (Silver Chips Online):

"The style of "The Minister's Daughter" is filled with so many red-herrings that the plot becomes stuffy and overwrought with pointless fluff, boring the reader. Hearn introduces simple ideas, carries them out halfway and then drops them, ignoring the original thought for the rest of the novel. Characters tend to change personalities more often than most people change their clothes. Several times in the novel the down-trodden Patience, who narrates fifty years later from Salem, seems to be liberating herself from her sister's power, only to change opinions a page later."

"By the novel's finale, the reader wonders what the point of the novel is and the most disappointing part is that there was no point. Morals, lessons or even general plot seem to have gone missing from the book, filled in loosely with English history, half-hearted memoirs and Wiccan spells. If only a spell existed that would prevent "The Minister's Daughter" from ever being written. Only then could Julie Hearn's tedious curse of mediocre style, puzzling characters and flimsy plot be lifted."

Kaya naman pala hanggang ngayon hindi ko pa matapos-tapos ang librong 'to mula nang una kong buklatin ito dalawang linggo na ang nakararaan.

Pero hindi nangangahulugang isusuko ko na ang librong 'to.

Red Queen's Daughter (Jacqueline Kolosov)

Sa halip na mag-aral para sa sunud-sunod na exam, binanatan ko ang pinakabagong hardbound na nabili ko... oops understatement ata...

Ibig kong sabihin, when it comes to hardbound, I always get to experience compulsive buying... Imadyinin mo, parang inalihan ka ng ispiritu ng mga libro... ng guardian ng partikular na librong aksidente mo lamang nasulyapan tapos hinugot mula sa shelf ng bookstore, binasa ang likod-pabalat, tapos tinitigan ang cover sa harap, at makalipas ang limang segundo ibinalik mo na uli dahil wala sa budget ang presyo... tsaka ka magpapatuloy sa bookhunting...

..para sa huli, ay muli mo rin palang babalikan at kukunin (at iiwanan ang dalawang paperback na sa una'y alternatives mo dapat) dahil habang iniisa-isa mo ang iba pang mga libro, hindi maalis sa isip mo ang hardbound na nakita mo... at pakiramdam mo mababaliw ka pag hindi mo nabili...naangkin... at naamoy (fetish!) ang libro.

BECAUSE PANSY IS A VIOLACEAE...

"Because the pansy was so fragrant that people plucked it almost to extinction. In despair, the pansy prayed it might lose its odor and no longer be sought." (p.17)

AND MY BIRTHSTONE IS RUBY...

"Because the opal contains the redness of rubies, the wearer of the opal should make herself praiseworthy." (p.23)

DOG IS MAN'S BEST FRIEND

"...a dog's loyalty was worth ten times that of any man." (p.69)

CONFRONTING THE TRUTH

"Unlike a man, who might flirt with love or passion and remain free of scandal, a woman had everything to lose - not only her good name and her standing in society, but her very life." (p.111)

MY FAVORITE QUOTE

"Good does not always triumph over evil." (p.131)

Meron lang akong ilang napuna...

Parang minadali yung libro... hindi sa nabitin ako... mabilis lang kasi yung ilang pangyayari na parang lumabas na sa depinisyon ng fantasy nang walang sapat na ebidensya...

Gaya nung encounter ni Mary at ni Vivienne. Pinuluputan si Mary ng alagang ahas ni Vivienne habang kinakagat naman siya sa iba't ibang parte ng katawan ng mahigit isandaang daga (okay, I know it sounds gross). Wala namang nabanggit na may superstrength power si Mary, pero nagawa niyang alisin yung ahas sa leeg niya at ibato sa ere. Incredible? Fictitious. Too exaggerated for a fantasy.

Next scene. Counter attack naman ni Mary. Nagawa niyang sindakin (kaya sinunggaban ng mahiwagang asong si Perseus si Vivienne at siya'y bumagsak sa sahig) at talian si Vivienne habang yung alagang ahas ni Vivienne nakapulupot sa leeg niya. Anong ginawa ng ahas? Wala. Nothing. NALA. Sana man lang kahit si Perseus hinarap niya. Ewan sa ahas na yun.

Iba pang comment:

Yung pagiging evil ni Edmund Seymour. *drool*

Sa una, swabe ang karakter niya kaya nagustuhan ko siya. Para siyang bitch kumbaga. At para makamtan niya ang ambisyon na yaman at posisyon sa palasyo, kailangan niyang akitin ang kanyang long-lost na pinsan na si Mary (oo alam ko incest, pero royal families ang involve sa kwento, at totoo naman talagang nangyayayri 'to) na siyang bida sa kwento. Kaya lang walang sabi-sabi, bigla na lang magiging makatotohanan ang pagkahulog ng kanyang loob sa dalaga. I mean, dahil lang sa isang sayaw?! Tapos mula sa pagiging evil magician (si Mary ay white magician), nagawa raw siyang baguhin ni Mary tapos ang nakakagulat pa, niligtas niya ang guardian ni Mary na si Lady Strange mula kay Vivienne na isa ring black magician at dati niyang kaalyado.

Tingin ko hindi nabigyan ng sapat na justice ang pag-transform ni Edmund.

Afterall, the theme of the story is avoiding love and all.

"I loved you Mary. I have loved you inspite of my nature."

Sana right after niyang mag-confess, naging evil uli siya (kasi magagalit siya dahil niloko siya ni Mary at pinaniwalang mahal din siya... dapat magiging impulsive siya diba, since inamin niyang evil ang nature niya), tapos nag-cast siya ng spell kay Mary. Pero hindi. Hinayaan niyang hulihin siya ng mga guard at tangayin para ikulong sa tower ng palasyo.

O kaya... dahil sabi sa end ng kwento, nakatakas si Edmund sa tower, sana binanggit sa Epilogue, na binalikan niya si Mary para maghiganti. Pero wala. Nothing. NALA.


Kung tutuusin dapat matuwa ako sa nobelang ito kasi wagi ang kababaihan. Ang sexist.

Luna (Julie Peters)

"Curiosity killed the cat."

I was murdered last night.

Buong akala ko nung tiningan ko yung likod-pabalat ng librong 'to, fantasy yung genre. Lalaki, pero pagdating ng gabi, nagtatransform into a girl. Tapos dahil "Luna" pa yung title, I presumed that the story has something to do with my lifeline ("the blood of my life"), moon.

Oh well.

So, it's about Liam-turned-Lia marie/Luna, who on his (her) 18th birthday, outed to his (her) family; actually, only to his (her) father since his/her younger sister, Regan, and his/her mom already knew.

This is the first time that I felt frustrated on reading a book with a hanging (open?) ending.

Luna / Lia Marie (formerly Liam) left for Seattle para magpa-sexchange.

"If you go out of that door, don't come back again." - Dad, Peter to Liam

I hate this kind of drama.

Perhaps, transgender is still a taboo to me. But then again, Hard Love, is one of my favorites!
It's a - lesbian - meets - a - straight guy - but - you - see - love - is - impossible - between - them - so - lesbian - runs - away - with - another - lesbo - to - NYC - kind of book, but at the same time, it's about writing-and-amateur-writers (my kind of thing) so I fell in love with it.

Coincidentally, we're talking about this kind of stuff in 132 lec.

The Saga of Darren Shan (Darren Shan)

For five nights and five days I put my usual preoccupations aside to concentrate on my agenda for the holidays. This afternoon concluded my mission. I finished the 12th novel (3rd book of the 4th trilogy) of The Saga of Darren Shan. Bwhoahahaahaaahaaaaaaa!

I didn't follow my earlier plan, though. It wasn't strictly a marathon. I had long free hours in between every book I finished. Of course, I had to eat, take a bath, watch a couple of TV shows, and get much sleep. Then again, I read at a constant pace, pausing for and repeating a paragraph or two to relish significant and/or favorite scenes. I usually start reading at night, around nine, 'til I fall asleep then continue the next morning after brunch all the way 'til afternoon.

I need to mention that I struggled at the beginning. I already read Book 1 months ago, as well as Book 3. I was tempted to skip them, proceed with Book 2 and jump to Book 4. But my conscience is strong. I aimed for a marathon. I willed for it. So be it. I sticked to starting from Book 1 upto Book 12.

Now that the "self-test" is over, I had to go back to my senses, pick up what I've put off for quite some time, and go about my business. That is, before school's back.

I almost forgot about the papers due as soon as school resumes. I was consumed by the twisted plots of Cirque Du Freak that I feel the need to start collecting Darren Shan's next series, The Demonata.

My favorites among the series are: Book 5 (Trials of Death), Book 9 (Killers of the Dawn), Book 10 (The Lake of Souls), and Book 11 (Lord of the Shadows). Except for Book 10, these books are the most *twisted* among the series. I wasn't able to predict the ending because whenever I make my hunch, the story offsets but as soon as I give up that hunch, it almost always turns out right at the end so my mind literally gets "twisted".

Wow it seemed like this is gonna turn into a flick just like some of my favorite book series. Go google it.

May Sumubok Na Bang Mag-Book Marathon?

Napansin ko lang kasi, at kahapon ko pa iniisip, may nagmamarathon ng mga asianovelang piratang dvd na mabibili sa Quiapo, sa Philcoa, o kahit saang bangketa. May nagmamarathon ng TV series, halimbawa CSI, 24, Grey's Anatomy. May nagmamarathon ng anime series, gaya ng Naruto. At ngayon ngang magpipista ng patay, madalas kong mapansing may nagmamarathon ng sari-saring pelikula, nirenta man sa Global (dating Video City) o binili, mapa-peke man o mapa-original. Kaya naisip ko, bakit hindi ko subukan mag-book marathon?

Naisip ko magandang i-marathon ang series. Dapat yung book series na kapana-panabik para sustained talaga ang interes (ko). At hindi yung napaka-imposible (para sa akin) na gawin. Kaya ang napili ko na i-marathon, mula pa rin kahapon, ay ang Cirque du Freak (Vampire Blood series) ni Darren Shan.

Mayroon itong 12 series. Manipis lang bawat libro (kumpara sa mga tipikal na pocketbook...hindi yung romance novels na pocketbook!). Tingin ko'y hindi naman ako hihigit sa tatlong araw para tapusin lahat. Kung maalala ko, binasa ko yung isang libro nang minsang umuwi ako sa probinsya. Nung matapos ko, may isang oras pang biyahe akong nailaan para umidlip. Humigit-kumulang tatlong oras siguro iyon inabot. Kung susumahin, 36 oras (isa't kalahating araw) ang igugugol ko kung imamarathon ko ang series. Pero dapat kumain din ako in-between. At imposibleng umabot talaga nang tatlong araw dahil di naman ako isa't kalahating araw katagal na kakain. Ibang usapan na kung marathon sa pagkain.

Sa kasalukuyan, dalawa pa lang ang meron ako, Book 1 (A Living Nightmare) at Book 3 (Tunnels of Blood). Ang isang libro ay nagkakahalaga ng P289 (merong mas murang version, P249). Kung susumahin, P2988-P3468 ang kabuuang halaga ng series.

Anong gusto kong palabasin?

Kung bumili lang ako agad nung mag-sale ang NBS nationwide, nakamenos na sana ako. AT kung hindi sana ako nagpatumpik-tumpik nang makita kong P100 lang ito sa NBS Robinsons Galleria, e di sana LALONG nakamenos ako.

Moral of the Story: Follow your heart's desire.

Kelan ko naman balak gawin ito?

'Yun lang. Baka magaya na naman 'to sa SEMPLANG (sembreak game plan) ko.

Ida B.

Latest book read:

Ida B.

How was it?

I love it!

Why?

Because Ida B. hated going to school. Also, she talks to apple trees (in fact, she had names for several of them--- two were called Viola and Beulah) in their orchard and sometimes, to the brook, and rarely to the old tree atop the hill. Most of all, she plans ahead (bright kid!) and she loves to read!


I haven't fulfilled my promise of getting a copy of Stefan's book. Instead, I've got Mitch Albom's and Mark Haddon's latest books and a book by Carl Hiassen (not the Flush though).

Mercy, Unbound (Kim Antieau)

I just finished reading the last of the trio I bought about two weeks ago. Mercy, Unbound is cool. I came to realize that teen fics are more than just okay. They do actually make sense, unlike those adult fics I can barely try to get myself interested into. I thought this one is just a plain story of a youngster desperately wanting or trying to be an angel. But when I restarted reading it (I actually began reading it last week, but I wasn’t ready yet so I had to withdraw) and then finally finish it after two hours, it’s more than just a story of a young girl. She knows a lot of good stuffs. I especially liked Nancy’s character, her mom. She influenced her child a lot, especially the way she thinks and the way she perceives the world. The novel has brought up issues on religion (I saved a quote on cellphone), gender (particularly, feminism), culture (especially), and life. Reading teen fics has become a favorite of mine since I read The Catcher in the Rye, my all-time favorite. And I noticed, almost all the characters went through psychological dilemmas, but then again I would always end up agreeing with their point. They are aware of what is happening in the world, of what has life turned into, and everything bullshit and crappy on culture, society, and especially on values of man. They have a unified voice and reading them makes me realize everything with conviction. Mercy became neurotic with the harsh reality presented to her by the media, i.e. television. She felt responsible to save the world because she knows what’s wrong. But the thing is she cannot do something because she’s just a girl of thirteen, barely in high school, knew nothing but to love and be loved. She doesn’t know what to do. Her grandpa died leaving her his last wish of looking after her grandmother and mom. She felt guilty because she hasn’t done anything yet. Peter, her brother, died even before he was born, and she was so sorry for that. Her mom has asthma and she occasionally suffers from breathing difficulty. All these things burden her and she feels responsible for being part of the family’s ill-fate. She was determined to make a change in the world, improve life, and help whoever is in need. An angel doesn’t eat. An angel can make a difference. An angel after all, is more than just a little girl. So she decided to become an angel. Just so she can fulfill her promise and her responsibility: her ability to respond. I didn’t in my wildest dreams imagine myself becoming an angel. But Mercy has the very same frustrated purpose as I do, ‘til now. We both have that strong feeling of being held responsible for other people’s life. But we cannot do anything because we do not know how to act. We’re clueless as to what should be done. After all, we’re just kids. And the world is so vast and there are a lot of adults living here. Perhaps to some, we could just be thought of as mere nosy teenagers. I feel a close attachment to this novel. It’s dear. I see a part of me again in this book. Just like in The Catcher in the Rye, where I almost saw the entire me, except Holden’s a he. The characters I read tend to grow up so fast. That’s what I liked about them. But that’s what I wouldn’t want for myself to happen. Growing up so fast to become an adult, then start acting and talking like an adult is one of the worst things in life. Adults are strange. I cannot understand them. They speak as though they have a different tongue. They act as though they are always right. They can never get wrong, because they would always tell us they have grown up from being confused teenagers. They are hard. They don’t know how to appreciate young ideas. Or do they? Some perhaps, but not all. I remember from The Concept of Man, Marx says “children should teach their parents.” If that’s the case, I think we’d have a cool world. Children learn so fast nowadays. I wouldn’t want to think that parents or adults in general, are being threatened by this phenomenon. It would be very selfish and humiliating of them if what I suspect is true.

Freshman (Michael Gerber)

Yeah, yeah the author of Barry Trotter and the Chronicles of Blarnia. I know.


....*new* favorite

Crooked (Tom & Laura McNeal)

...story about a girl with a crooked nose