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My Twisted Sunshine

17 April 2013
Books
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Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)
by Jamie McGuire
Ratings: ★★★★★

A few weeks before April, Nica tweeted about the release of the second installment from the Beautiful series by Jamie McGuire. The first book, Beautiful Disaster, was a sure hit (at least for me), hence when I learned that the second book will be released soon, I really got excited!

You know what they say, that there are always two sides to a story, and Walking Disaster was written in Travis Maddox’s point of view. I know I loved Beautiful Disaster with Abby Abernathy narrating her and Travis Maddox’s messed-up relationship, but reading through Travis’ point of view allowed me to understand how men think.

Who among you here has never wondered what’s in her man’s mind? I bet you, there’s none. Most of us, regardless of what kind of relationship we are in, tend to try to decipher what could be going on in a man’s head. I know women are more difficult to understand by nature, but that doesn’t make men an exception, right? No, I’m not trying to sound sexist here, but my argument is valid, one way or another.

The story was written almost exactly as in the first book, but there were several scenes that were not further discussed in Beautiful Disaster like those conversations involving Travis and his family. For some, it could be a bore because you somehow knew what to expect next (when you’ve read the first book), but trying to grasp the situation in Travis’ shoes made the difference. 

I don’t know how to justify this, but I think I understood Travis more than even after reading Walking Disaster. It all boils down to a son’s promise to his dying mother to be the best person he can be, and to fight for something he truly wants. Travis’ ways may be screwed up in so many levels, but you just do the craziest of things when you’re in love, don’t you?

***

I have mentioned in my previous post how I find Miggy and Travis alike. Reading through Travis’ words somehow made me understand what he thinks when I’m in a certain situation similar to what Abby’s. Miggy may not be deranged as Travis, but this book reminds me so much of him. How protective he can get when it comes to the people who matter to him. With that being said, I think I might read this series again in the future.

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A Bookish Weekend

4 April 2013
Books
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Why, hello there, April! Imagine we’re on the second quarter of 2013? Oh, how time flies! Anyway, what have I been up to lately? Well, I finally had time to catch up on my reading last Holy Week. Apart from giving time to reflect on my spiritual life, the holidays allowed me to recover from my reading backlog. Remember when I joined the 2013 Reading Challenge at the beginning of this year? After reading a book or two, I literally stopped altogether because my day job and other wedding-related stuff got the better of me. It was only after Miggy left for the US that I tried to pick up where I had left.

Anyway, since February, I was able to read six books from my to-read list. They are as follows:

The Valkyries
by Paulo Coelho
Ratings: ★★★★☆

I have read a couple of Paulo Coelho’s novels, and I’d say that this one’s different from them mainly because Paulo and his wife were the main characters in the story. It is Paulo’s personal account in fighting his own demons. 

Everyone has their own demons. Facing them and eventually conquering them take a lot of courage and determination. In this novel, Paulo, along with his wife, demonstrated his struggles in battling his own beasts. His wife played a significant role not only in supporting him in mission, but also in discovering her own strengths. This book may start off dull, but the story gets better as you flip through the pages.

The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

This novel is one of the all-time favorite classics, and there’s no doubt about it. I have heard and seen most Holden Caulfield’s teenage troubles in movies, so I didn’t really find anything more interesting in this book. Perhaps I’m not really much into classics, hence my judgment. Reading through its pages, I had the feeling that it was almost the same as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I noticed that when I’m not really into the book I’m reading, it would take me weeks or months to finish it, and this is the case with The Catcher in the Rye.

Despite all these, I did like how the book ended. I have always had a soft heart towards love for siblings, and I think I’ve made it pretty clear here in my blog based on previous entries, so the way Holden yielded to his baby sister’s request captured my heart. He did love Phoebe more than himself, so giving in to her plea was worth it.

Warm Bodies (Warm Bodies, #1)
by Isaac Marion
Ratings: ★★★★☆

Okay, I have to admit that I first heard about this book’s movie adaptation before I found out that it was based on a novel. Apart from novels involving vampires and werewolves, stories that have zombies as the main characters don’t appeal to me either until Warm Bodies. My friends at work kept talking about it, convincing me into giving the book a chance.

Honestly, in the first few pages, I told Nica that I find the book gruesome, but the story becomes interesting, so I got past that unpleasant feeling. For the most part, I imagined the setting as in the movie, I Am Legend, starring Will Smith. You know, abandoned city, scarcity in resources, and the likes. Injecting romance into its plot was not at all surprising, but there was something to it that didn’t stop me from putting it down. I have to warn those who haven’t read this though, do not expect too much in the end. It could have ended a lot better in my opinion.

The Silver Linings Playbook
by Matthew Quick
Ratings: ★★★★★

Much like Warm Bodies, Jennifer Lawrence’s win as Best Actress for this book’s movie adaptation made me want to read it. You know, I’m one of those who prefer reading the book first before watching the film version. I mean, I really liked J. Law in The Hunger Games, so that alone was enough reason to finally read the novel.

For this instance, I won’t speak about what’s in the story because I find the book too good to spoil. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence portraying Pat Peoples and Tiffany Maxwell, respectively was fitting. Although I haven’t seen the film, as I was reading the novel, I imagined them playing the part.

Note: I read The Silver Linings Playbook‘s synopsis in Wikipedia, and I was disappointed that they changed the story for the most part. One of which was changing Pat Peoples’ name into Pat Solatano. Boo. :(

Never Eighteen
by Megan Bostic
Ratings: Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

According to Goodreads, Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life. Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go. But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

I’m sorry, but I think it was an awful version of John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. I didn’t find anything different in its plot, but I have to say that it featured awesome songs as its official soundtrack (i.e., Brick by Ben Folds Five, Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie, and Bulls on Parade by Rage Against the Machine).

Angel Falls
by Kristin Hannah
Ratings: ★★★★★

I have never heard of Kristin Hannah as an author nor have I known of this particular book. I only knew about this when I checked my book recommendations from Goodreads based on the ones I have added on my bookshelf. Boy was this a pleasant surprise.

This novel had the vibe of Jude Deveraux’s Holly because it was set during the holidays in Seattle. Anyway, the story evolved when Mikaela Luna-Campbell had a terrible accident, putting her into a coma for a month or so. As a loving and dedicated husband, Dr. Liam Campbell did all he can, even the most absurd idea, just to wake her up. He was so sure of their relationship as husband and wife until a thing from the past made him think otherwise.

It was one thing wanting to bring his wife back from a deep sleep, but knowing the truth about her past by accident was another. I admired Dr. Liam Campbell’s unconditional love and dedication to the family he had built with his wife for more than a decade. Hands down on how he handled the situation, and made an effort to put himself together despite all the setbacks he and his family had suffered from.

I personally liked the author’s writing style because this book kept me up all night!

So, how did you spend your long weekend?

Got Time?

1 February 2013
Books
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It’s the first of February, and just like in January, I don’t know how to feel about welcoming the second month of the year. Miggy is going back to the US in ten days, and I’m feeling this weird mix of emotions as the days go by. It kind of feel depressing that his two-month vacation is almost over, but at the same time, it means that we’re two months closer to our wedding day. Miggy has noticed that I’ve been restless and temperamental lately, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why. On one occasion, he suddenly uttered:

You know, I’m going to miss you more this time because I’ve gotten used to being with you every single day, but at least I’m going to marry you in T minus ten months! Isn’t that enough reason to look forward to the next time we see each other?

You see, Miggy isn’t the type who would say random things as such, but I did feel better afterwards. All of a sudden, he’s sensitive to my feelings, and it’s overwhelming. Perhaps it’s one thing he’s learned through time, especially now that we’re planning our own wedding.

We’ve accomplished so much during his vacation leave, and it’s something we’re both really proud of. After all, it’s Miggy’s main agenda to extend whatever help he may offer that is wedding-related. My mother would always remind us to savor the moment, something she believes we’ll miss when the actual wedding is over. I must say that we both enjoyed planning together in the process.

Other than worrying about Miggy leaving, I’m concerned about going through all other wedding-related stuff by myself. I can’t help but consult my timeline every now and then to check if we’re right on track. Every day has become a so much to do, so little time affair until I read The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.

The Time Keeper
by Mitch Albom
Ratings: ★★★★★

This is a fictional account of an elderly bearded man, dressed in a robe, and carries an hourglass—what we know now as Father Time. Over a million years ago, man knows nothing about day and night, phases of the moon, seconds, minutes, and hours. They lived by without having to worry about time, until Dor became obsessed with numbers.

Dor married his childhood friend, Ali, and had their own family. Both of them did not come from a well-off family, and back in the day, the family only lives separately from their in-laws if they have enough wealth to do so. In Dor’s case, they had no choice but to live with his parents. When Dor’s obsession with measuring time—he’s invented the sundial, means to determine the moon phases, ability to tell day from night—became worse, it came to a point that they (Dor and Ali) were banished from their homeland. With that, they had to leave their children to Dor’s parents’ custody.

“Soon man will count all his days, and then smaller segments of the day, and then smaller still—until the counting consumes him, and the wonder of the world he has been given is lost.”
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

Dor and Ali lived miles away from where their family did, and their lives have been miserable since. One day, Ali caught an illness, and Dor failed to save her. Dor’s obsession with numbers cost the life of his wife, and he regretted that all his life.

Never had the need for sleep nor did he age through the years, Dor was banished to a cave by God for centuries. He was compelled to the voices of all who come after him, seeking for more time. One day, he’s succumbed to illustrating symbols and shapes in the walls of the cave, something to remind him of the things and people he’d lost. God eventually granted him his freedom, provided he must complete a mission: he must teach two earthly people the essence of God’s greatest gift.

From the pool of pleading voices he hears endlessly, he picked out two distinct ones to be his mission, Sarah and Victor. Sarah wanted kill herself from being brokenhearted, while Victor desired to fast it forward to his dying day in order to prove that man can defy old age and death. Two people. Different stories. One lesson to learn.

“There is a reason God limits man’s days.”
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

I did have realizations myself as I went through the pages of this book. As I’ve mentioned earlier, since the 365-day countdown to our wedding began, every day has been a so much to do, so little time affair. I tend to worry so much about the stuff that I failed to do even when I’ve already reminded myself of them beforehand, as well as those that are yet to happen. I have focused so much on the things I have no control of that I fall short in taking in the good that’s been happening around me.

“We all yearn for what we have lost. But sometimes, we forget what we have.”
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

I don’t intend to kill myself nor do I wish to preserve my body in order to live years beyond my normal existence, but I sometimes tend to think 24 hours a day are not enough. One can actually do so much in a day, and it’s rewarding to realize that you’ve made the most out of what you’ve given. It is a shame to have been ungrateful of God’s greatest gift, and I think it’s just about time to learn to live in the moment.

“There was always a quest for more minutes, more hours, faster progress to accomplish more in each day. The simple joy of living between summers was gone.”
― Mitch Albom, The Time Keeper

I highly recommend this book to people who tends to be like me in some ways. When you’re done reading, ask yourself this: Would you still wish for more time?

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Rise To The Challenge

12 January 2013
Books
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So I joined the 2013 Reading Challenge on Goodreads a few days ago. There were two books sitting in my currently-reading shelf for weeks now. It’s been crazy nowadays that I fail to finish what I have started. My life will be even more insane in the coming days towards our wedding, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with this.

Anyway, the first book I read to kick off my reading challenge was recommended and lent by a friend and colleague, Micah. To give you a brief background, this lady could spend an entire day at a bookshop, hollowing into piles of books she has never read. There was a time when she spent so much in secondhand books, and told her this:

I wouldn’t be surprised if one day, I’ll see you dressed in paper with all those books you’ve gotten yourself!

Would you have guessed I was half-kidding? She just laughed at my retort, perhaps because she knew I was right? Read on as I give a quick review on the book I’m telling you about.

I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere
by Anna Gavalda
Ratings: ★★★★☆

This piece is a compilation of short stories. It is originally written in French, but is well-translated for its non-French readers.

The book is packed with stories about love, family, and friendship. I would have given it five stars, but there were some stories that kind of left me hanging. Well, they are short stories, but those made me want for more. Among my favorite stories are Clic-Clac, For Years, and Junior. They either made me laugh or touched my heart in a way that is relatable.

So, will I recommend this book to a friend? Of course! It was definitely a good read. I think one can even finish this book in one sitting.

Seventeen and Coping

7 December 2012
Books
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Do you remember what it’s like when you were a teenager? How did you cope with society during these so-called awkward coming of age? Back then, did it matter to which you crowd you belong to? Today, I will share with you my thoughts on the books I’ve read under the Young Adult category. These books have one thing in common: the main characters are mostly seventeen years old.

To be fair, I will give a glimpse of my teenage years. According to my mother, I was a rebellious child back in the day. No, I wasn’t the kind who got himself into trouble involving alcohol and drugs. I never even tried to smoke, not even a single drag from a cigarette. Mom said that my kind of insurgence was in the form of doing things they won’t generally approve of at the time. One of which was the infamous situation I got myself into several years ago. My parents gave me a fair share of disciplinary actions then. The most common of which was grounding me indefinitely—confiscating my mobile phone and not allowing me to go out with friends (like I was the kind who went out with friends on a regular basis).

My parents, most especially my mother, almost gave up on me at one point when they no longer know what to do with me. There was even a time when they wrote me a heart-felt letter, pouring out their frustrations on me as if it were their only hope of getting through what’s in my head. I don’t know when this exactly happened, but I eventually came to my senses. It was only then that I realized how stupid most of choices were when all I ever thought of was myself: anything and everything to my advantage. I didn’t really care how my actions will affect the people around me, for as long as I get what I want. Sooner or later, I outgrew this phase in my life as it was getting old.

Art Geeks and Prom Queens
by Alyson Noël
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

Judging by its title (not necessarily its cover), you will have a hint of what this book is all about. The story is about how the life of main character, Rio Jones, changed the moment her family moved across the country, to a new city that’s completely foreign to her.

Rio is the only daughter of Griffin Jones and Jahne Jones (née Jones). Her father is a reputable lawyer who spends most of his days anywhere but their home because of the very demanding nature of his job. Rio’s mother, on the other hand, is a former model. Her contemporaries were Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, and Cindy Crawford to name a few.

Rio was born with a silver spoon. She came from a well-off family, thus allowing her to study at only the finest school in town. They used to live in Manhattan, New York before moving to the West Coast. Rio had a pretty decent life back then. Never did she got into trouble with best friends, Paige and Hud. She fell into the category of losers when she was everything but cool.

All this (and more) changed when she transferred to a new school in the middle of the semester. To her disbelief, her first ever violation (and detention) happened on her first day of school.

I had the impression that this book was like the Mean Girls movie, and I was right. Although everything was expected, from the conflict to the climax to the resolution, I still finished the book. I didn’t really find anything unusual in the story, so I’m giving two stars for the effort. I guess a typical teenager would have enjoyed this more than I did.

Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins
Ratings: ★★★★★

Anna Oliphant was exiled to Paris, France by her parents (her father to be exact) with the impression that sending her to the School of America in Paris will give her better education that finishing high school in Atlanta, Georgia. Anna’s father, James Ashley, was an instant best-selling author whose novels worked around two people falling in love, and then eventually one has to die from a terminal illness. His works became movie adaptations, too, thus putting him up on the spotlight. Anna’s parents were divorced, and she has antagonized his father since God-knows-when, but she loves her mother and younger brother the most.

Anna loathed the thought of being away from her family on school days, and she’s lived a slightly miserable life during her first few days in school. Foreign country, foreign school, and foreign language—they don’t make sense to her. Anna met her first friend, Meredith, on the day her parents had left her in the dormitory. She was bawling her eyes out when Meredith invited her to her room for a cup of hot chocolate. Since then, they have been inseparable until Étienne St. Clair came into the picture. The two got along well instantly, making them the best of friends eventually.

Now the conflict cropped up when Anna and Étienne developed feelings for each other, but the latter was still in a relationship with Ellie at that time. To make matters even worse, Étienne fell in a situation involving his mother that he completely has no control of. Not to mention his father who was beyond being helpful with the condition their family are suffering from. Anna, on the other hand, fell out of friendship with her long-time best friend, Bridge, who accidentally fell in love with Toph, the guy Anna had feelings for.

Okay, so what do I feel about this story? I honestly think it’s a refreshing read. I didn’t imagine I’d actually like its plot at all. It may be sound so common to most people, but it turned out otherwise when I’ve finished the book. I particularly liked how the author was able to pull of the transition from one scene to another without even getting lost. I oftentimes feel that way in most stories, so props to Stephanie Perkins on that note.

I don’t know one person who would not want to go to Paris, and experience first-hand the magnificence and the rich culture of The City of Lights. It’s amazing how the author was able to take me to Paris even in her writing. I did feel like I was in Anna’s shoes, touring around the city of France, talking in their native tongue. I would have told you more about this book, but I’d say this is a fun, light-read that will leave you gushing like a teenager towards the end. Not only did Anna’s experiences in Paris taught her independence, she also learned that home is where the heart is. You may want to take my cue because I’m putting this book in my favorites shelf.

Take A Stand

4 December 2012
Books
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Have you ever been to a court trial before? If my memory serves me right, I’ve only been to a courthouse once in my life. It was the time when my mother asked if I wanted to join her at one of the court hearings involving our family and an adjacent neighbor on a case of property encroachment. That was more than ten years ago, and we eventually won our case. I don’t remember much about what happened in there, but the experience led me to this conclusion: I abhor courthouses next to morgues.

The book I’m about to give a once-over today has something to do with the law. You see law is not just a word in the dictionary. Rules exist for men to obey; however, to some, breaking them mean more than following them.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2657.To_Kill_a_MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee
Ratings: ★★★★★

This novel by Harper Lee may be considered a one-hit wonder, but it’s one that earned the author numerous honorary degrees. To Kill a Mockingbird deals with the issues of racism that were observed by the author as a child in her hometown of Monroeville, Alabama.

How does one write a book review for a work as good as this? No wonder this novel was listed among the Best Novels of the Century. To be honest, I had to read twice (maybe even thrice) the first few pages because the story kicked off with a lot of characters at once. I had to make mental notes of their names, thinking they will be essential in the succeeding parts of the story. It did give me a headache initially, but I got the hang of it as I go on with the story.

The book was divided into two parts. I must say that as you progress with the book, you will find it even more irresistible. The first part mainly illustrates the childhood of the main characters, Jem Finch, Scout Finch, and Dill Harris. How their friendship evolved from their desire to discover the mystery behind Arthur “Boo” Radley to involving in their father’s, perhaps, most controversial trial case. The second part, however, focused mostly on the Mayella Ewell–Tom Robinson case. My favorite part of the story was the court trial scene, thus my introduction to this entry.

I particularly admired how Atticus Finch instilled worthy values to his children without compromising their desire to enjoy their childhood. In his own words, he carefully explained to his children—most especially Scout—how things are in their community. The kids’ exposure to the entire Tom Robinson case opened their eyes to the reality of racism.

In my opinion, racism does not only pertain to the difference between white and colored people. This social stratification exists in most parts of the world. It only boils down to taking a stand on what one deems right and just. We, Filipinos, can well attest to that, but I don’t feel the necessity to elaborate on that here. If you want to know why I gave this book such ratings, I highly recommend that you add this to your to-read list, too.

Simply because we were licked a hundred years before we started is no reason for us not to try to win.

—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

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A Slice of Life

25 November 2012
Books
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I come from a family of good cooks. No, they’re not chefs by profession; they just learned and perfected recipes passed on from one generation to another. My mother learned to cook from my grandmother, who had part-Chinese blood running through her veins. I remember my grandmother used to cook for no less than 50 people on holidays. She would prepare a menu with appetizers, a main course with five or so dishes, and a selection of desserts to name a few.

My mother is the boss in the kitchen. I grew up to my mother’s cooking on ordinary days and special occasions. Like my grandmother, she cooked by feel or estimation. Unless completely necessary, she would use measuring tools to aid in her cooking. To this day, she makes mean dishes. Her specialties are barbecue and pasta. She plans on taking up culinary classes when my youngest brother has graduated from college. She would like to learn more about other cuisines and develop her craft. It’s a shame I didn’t get my mother’s love for cooking when I could be following her footsteps.

The School of Essential Ingredients
by Erica Bauermeister
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

The book was divided into chapters named after the main characters, Lillian, Claire, Carl, Antonia, Tom, Chloe, Isabelle, Helen, and Ian. Every one of the character’s stories centers on a dish or an ingredient that has a profound effect upon how they see themselves or the world.

The story began with Lillian narrating on how she cooked her mother out from depression. Her mother had succumbed to this state when her father left them. Since then, Lillian’s mother lived in the world of her books, oftentimes reciting some phrases aloud as if she were in character. With the help of a good friend, Abuelita, Lillian succeeded in her mission. Little did she know that she had a greater mission of becoming an instrument in bringing other people’s lives together through her soulful dishes.

I don’t know much about cooking per se, but I did enjoy reading this book. It was amazing how the author put into writing the aromas, flavors, and textures of what the characters create as if you can actually taste them. I also believe in the author’s perception that the dishes one make depend on his mood. When a dish was made with much passion and love, the cook brings out the best in its essential ingredients.

This is not a recipe book, but the author kind of gave hints on how certain techniques can be effective, which is a good thing. I am giving this book a generous three stars, perhaps for my lack of knowledge in cooking, but overall a nice read.

P.S. Thank you, Micah, for lending me this delectable piece of work. You do have an eccentric taste in the books you read. No pun intended!

When Life Hits You Hard

23 November 2012
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As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, this book has been sitting on my currently-reading shelf for almost three months now. I began reading it in September, but I got caught up with other stuff, neglecting it altogether. Then I started reading other series, pushing it further to the bottom of my reading list.

Half-way through the book, it suddenly hit me how this compares to our personal lives. It seemed to me that we subconsciously put other things before what’s truly essential, the way we do towards faith. This book has served as an eye-opener, a medium for coming to understand what’s most significant in life. More often than not, these are the things we tend to overlook because we are too busy to even stop and reflect on our lives on a day-to-day basis. As Kahlil Gibran once said,

No matter how busy a man is, he is never too busy to stop and talk about how busy he is.

Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request
by Mitch Albom
Ratings: ★★★★★

This is based on a true story which Mitch Albom himself narrated in first person point of view. It is about how a rabbi and long-time friend, Albert Lewis, requested Mitch to deliver his eulogy at his funeral. Mitch was hesitant at first, given the fact that he’s long since gotten involved with any religious activity; if going to the synagogue once a year even contributes to that. Mitch eventually agreed under certain conditions: they have to meet every now and then to talk. Much like a thesis, he needed as much information he could get in order to justify his argument. The two did this for eight years, with Albert filling in every question Mitch throws him.

While Albert Lewis recounts his earlier days as a  Rabbi, Henry Covington reminisced his dark days. Henry was a drug addict, a dealer, and an ex-convict. Like Al, he only had one wife, a son and four daughters, and had even lost a child, but the two differed in the way they had lived their respective lives. It’s amazing how through his sermons, Al has built a community. On the other hand, Henry, who has ignored God’s calling one too many times, faltered at the foot of His mercy when he least expected it.

The thing I admired most about this book is how Albert convinced Mitch that each religion are alike, in one way or another, and that people should learn to respect each other regardless of what or who they believe in. No one is above another in the eyes of God. I liked Al’s simple approach towards true happiness, forgiveness, and marriage. He did live a wonderful life. I could cite a list of my favorite excerpts I had bookmarked and highlighted in this book, but that would be telling. I highly recommend this book, and I’m bestowing it five deserving stars.

Like most of Mitch Albom’s famous works, this was very moving. It’s a light-read that left me feeling heavy-hearted, especially when its story is packed with beautiful learnings on faith, hope, and love.

When life hits you hard, have a little faith.

Years later, I will forget the class, forget the teacher’s name, forget the girl across the room. But I will remember that story.

—Albert Lewis (Have a Little Faith: The Story of a Last Request)

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Humor Me

22 November 2012
Books
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Look who’s taking book reviews seriously? That would be me! The two books I’m going to peruse belong to the Comedy genre, thus the title of this post. My colleagues and I took turns in reading the first book in my list today. The gesture was influenced by The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, only we shared a book instead of a pair of denims.

Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin
by Bob Ong
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

Let me give you a brief background on the writer of this  book. Bob Ong or Roberto Ong is the pseudonym of a contemporary Filipino author known for using conversational Filipino to create humorous and reflective depictions of Philippine life. His actual name, however, remains unknown.

In Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin (Get Away From Me), the author talks about how stereotypical Filipino movies are. He divided the book into three parts: (1) Bala sa Bala, Kamao sa Kamao, Satsat sa Satsat (action); (2) Shake, Shaker, Shakest (horror); and (3) Asawa ni Marie (romance).

I got bored with the first 30 pages of this book. Having read two of Bob Ong’s works, ABNKKBSNPLAKo?! and Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas, I must admit that I had high expectations on this one. I did laugh at some parts, but not as much as I did with his previous bestsellers. Reading this was such a drag. It seemed to me that the author tried so hard to make the reader laugh while proving out at the same time. He did succeed in justifying his arguments, but they were awfully put in my opinion.

The reviews for this book are at opposite ends of the scale and I can see why. You will either love or hate it. With that being said, I’m giving it two stars.

Fifty Shames of Early Grey
by Fanny Merkin (a.k.a Andrew Shaffer)
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

Perhaps to my frustration with the previous book, I decided to read another book that falls under the same category. I first learned about this parody of Fifty Shades of Grey from a friend. We both have read the first three chapters of this book in Goodreads even before it hit the book stores. At the time, we thought it was hilarious since we’ve just finished reading the Fifty Shades of Grey series by E. L. James.

Yes, there was a time when I got really hooked with the very controversial series. Unlike the first book I reviewed earlier, this did make me laugh in most parts. I thought the author was witty by nature, and it was pretty evident in the way he’s written this piece. I think it’s smart to be able to make the significant scenes comical, allowing me to recall the actual settings from the series. Like most parodies (in books and movies), however, there was a tendency to exaggerate some parts to the point that I no longer find them funny at all.

Props to the author who may have read the Fifty Shades of Grey series to fairly pull something like this off. Hey, I’m giving this three stars (a notch higher than the former), so it could say something! For the record, I particularly liked the part where Earl Grey punished Anna Steal for stealing mead from The Elf Council’s supply shed. I might have burst into a hearty laughter on this bit. I think I would have enjoyed the story had I watched its film adaptation instead of reading the book. Either that or reading books from the Comedy genre is really not my thing.

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

14 November 2012
Books
13 Comments

Before anything else, I have to warn you that I’m not good at doing reviews. I’ve never pulled off a decent once-over for the blogosphere to learn from or appreciate to say the least, so please bear with me on this one.

Today I will review three books written by Emily Giffin which I’ve recently read. Emily Giffin is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. After practicing litigation at a Manhattan firm for several years, she moved to London to write full time. The author of four New York Times bestselling novels, she now lives in Atlanta with her husband and three young children.

Since all three books are co-related, belonging to the same series, let’s begin with a run-through with the main characters.

Main Characters

  • Darcy Jane Rhone — Darcy is the typical Little Miss Popular because of her physical attributes. Tall, slim, and pretty. You know the kind who will make every man turn her way as she walks into a crowded room. She may be cast as captivating, but she’s not one of those mean girls in their campus. In fact, she uses her power to protect her friends when they need it the most. All that matters to Darcy is how her spectators see her, so she invests more on her appearance than anything else. Her job as a public relations officer suits her personality best.
  • Rachel Hannah White — Rachel is Darcy’s infamous best friend. She is everything Darcy’s not. She’s a few inches short of Darcy and fuller-figured compared to her counterpart. Rachel grew up to be awkward and timid. Well, she is not entirely nerdy, but Rachel appears to be the brain of their tandem. Rachel works in a demanding law firm with an even more demanding partner, Les.
  • Dexter Thaler — Dexter and Rachel went to law school together. Rachel was quite intimidated by him when in one of their classes, Dex practically owned their professor, disproving the latter of his first impression, and eventually earning his respect. Since this outrageous encounter, Dex became famous in an instant.
  • Ethan Ainsley — Ethan is the only male best friend of Darcy, Rachel, and Annalise. Sometime in their school days, Ethan moved to where Darcy, Rachel, and Annalise were studying. He preferred to sit alone away from everyone else during their recess until the three walked right up to him one day that eventually led to Darcy hating him while Rachel adored him as their new found friend.

The Diary of Darcy Jane Rhone (Darcy & Rachel #0.5)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 12 June 2012
Ratings: ★★☆☆☆

This book is the prequel to Something Borrowed and Something Blue. It’s only a few pages long, basically introducing the main characters and their connection with each other.

Rachel gave Darcy a diary as gift to encourage her to take account of her daily activities in high school. Darcy isn’t much into this whole Dear Diary thing, but eventually got herself to write some of the highlights in her life during her teenage years. She’s written mostly shallow things like how she fantasized an exchange student and altogether stole the guy from his then girlfriend. As if it were essential, she made a summary of all the boyfriends she’s had, as well as the time she lost her virginity to someone she thought she loved.

I only gave two out of five stars for this book because I pretty much got bored with it despite its length. I know I shouldn’t expect much on an introduction as such, but thought it could have been more interesting.

Something Borrowed (Darcy & Rachel #1)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 01 June 2004
Ratings: ★★★☆☆

Something Borrowed is the first installment to the Darcy & Rachel series. The story began as Darcy and Rachel recalls how they had prepared for anticipated for their upcoming thirtieth birthday. Darcy is lucky enough to have been engaged to Dex even before she hit the much-dreaded age, thus leaving Rachel with all the frustrations of remaining unattached at 30.

Everything seemed to be going well until on the eve of Rachel’s thirtieth birthday, the one Darcy had organized and all, something bizarre and unexpected occurred. The conflict commenced when Dex hooked up with Rachel the night of her birthday party. Darcy was stupid drunk that Dex had to take her home. Dex returned to the bar shortly after to get Darcy’s purse which she had left. Rachel and Dex spent a little more time together later that evening, both ending up in the former’s bed the next morning.

You will get over this. I think of all the hearts breaking at this moment, in Manhattan, all over the world. All of the overwhelming grief. It makes me feel less alone to think that other people are getting their insides torn to tiny bits.

—Rachel, Something Borrowed

It turned out that Dex asked the wrong person’s hand in marriage. The two went on with their affair behind Darcy’s back, who was completely oblivious to the fact that her fiancé and best friend are cheating on her. While you’re at it, another twist was revealed towards the end of the story. The golden couple eventually called their wedding off, only to find out that Darcy had also cheated on Dex and much worse, she got pregnant with another Dex’s friend, Marcus.

Songs and smells will bring you back to a moment in time more than anything else. It’s amazing how much can be conjured with a few notes of a song or a solitary whiff of a room. A song you didn’t even pay attention to at the time, a place that you didn’t even know had a particular smell.

—Rachel, Something Borrowed

I granted this book three out of five stars because although there were more than one twists in the story, I still found the next scenes kind of expected. There were times when I had anticipated on what’s going to happen next.

This book has a movie adaptation starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin who played Darcy and Rachel, respectively. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve added it to my bucket list. Anyway, did you know that the original title of this book was Rolling The Dice? Well, you’ve got to read the book (or perhaps watch the film) to find out why.

Something Blue (Darcy & Rachel #2)
by Emily Giffin
Published on 21 March 2006
Ratings: ★★★★☆

Something Blue kicked off with a continuation of Something Borrowed‘s ending. This time the story was written with Darcy’s point of view. It began with Darcy still freaking out with the new relationship that had developed between her now ex-fiancé and then best friend. It never occurred to her that it was even possible to happen right under her nose. Being the diva that she usually is, she tried to convince everyone that blame’s on Dex and Rachel’s  accidental misdemeanor. She manipulated the situation with her family and close friends in order to overcast the fact that she, too, was at fault.

Love and friendship. They are what make us who we are, and what can change us, if we let them.

She literally controlled everyone at the palm of her hand to the point that Marcus, the father of her unborn child, gave up and eventually left her hanging in thin air. Even her parents almost disowned her for what-they-thought inappropriate behavior, which led her to decide to go to London to take a breather.

It was Annalise who gave Darcy the idea of visiting Ethan in London just so she can take a break and contemplate on what’s happening in her life. Darcy was ecstatic to realize this great opportunity as she prepares for motherhood, so she left abruptly, thinking of living a new life in London with Ethan. Darcy had told Ethan that’s she only going to stay for a few weeks, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she eventually extended her stay there.

You can only control your own actions. Not other people’s reactions.

—Ethan, Something Blue

To be honest, I almost stopped reading the book in its first few pages for the reason that Darcy had been alarmingly annoying. I never imagined to feel that much displeasure to a particular character, but upon finishing it, I was glad I pushed through. Compared to Something Borrowed, I consider this book to be more interesting that I found myself looking forward to subsequent chapters. It came to my senses that as the story progresses, Darcy’s true color unfolds. I liked this better than the first book, thus I gave it four golden stars.

•••

There you go, guys! I’d consider this my first ever decent book review. It felt like doing a book report in high school, only no one’s going to evaluate my observations. I hope I was able to pull this one off well enough. So what do you think of my take on this whole book review thing?

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