Filipino Fridays #4: Books and Friends


Books and Friends. Two of my favorite things in the world. So far, I am a member of three online book-related community. The Filipino Goodreads Group, Filipino Book Bloggers, and Read Philippines. I participate from time to time via comments and poll votes but I haven't really been in a book club face to face meeting because I don't live in Manila. And there aren't any book clubs in our community here in my province, not that I know of at least.

I would love to be in an actual meet-up. I do see posts of book club meetings TFG's meetings and they all look like fun, with games and food and books! But I have to be content with online ranting and raving with fellow readers and bloggers and the face to face ranting and raving with the few bookish friends that I have here at home, which I would be introducing to you.

1. My eldest sister - She has had a hand in my being a reader and we have fairly similar tastes in books. It could be because of the fact that she is a perpetual book moocher. She never buys her own books nowadays but happily feeds off of my library...like a leech. She loves YA now because that's the genre that occupies most of my book shelf. Well, she has no choice but to love it. (But she really does love it)

2. My cousin - He is my LOTR guru and was the one who introduced me to Tokien's world. He knows absolutely everything there is to know (well, almost anything) about LOTR. I used to throw a couple of LOTR trivia questions whenever I get to see him, and he always gets them right. Up until a friend of mine gave me an idea of a quite difficult LOTR trivia. What is the name of Aragorn's horse? And the answer to which, my cousin didn't know. (Yes, we are absolute nerds.) But lately he's been in an online gaming bubble and reads mostly the game-related / tie-ins. We hardly read anything in common anymore.
 
3. Friend #1 - a fellow Harry Potter and LOTR fan, who introduced me to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. But then she began her romance genre phase and started to introduce me to it as well but after a couple or romance reads, I don't think it was for me. So I was very glad when she recently came back into the fantasy fold and picked up a Game of Thrones. But she still read romance novels on the side. She is always my book to movie adaptation buddy too. And I will never forget it when she gifted me with a Hunger Games hardcover for my birthday.

4.Friend #2 - She adores Paranormal and Dystopian YA with the absolute condition that they have to have romance in the story. She is a Twihard and Mortal Instruments fan. She also adores historical thrillers like those of Steve Berry's and Dan Brown's. She has the most passion and enthusiasm of the stories that she reads, which is absolutely contagious. I always smile whenever she rants and raves like a madwoman over the book that she read because I know that I am like that too, only more toned down. I will never forget it when she told me that when it comes to books, she tells her kids that they can buy as many as they want, no holds barred. A privilege not extended to them for toys and clothes.

I am glad that I made the decision to put up a book blog because through it, I got to meet more book loving people, both readers and bloggers (aside from the ones I mentioned above), a few of whom I now consider as friends. I really do hope I get to meet them and be able to finally attend a face to face discussion someday. :D     
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Comments

  1. Hello, Tin! Too bad that the Filipino Book Bloggers isn't an active group anymore. I think I attended 2 meetups (the 2nd and the 3rd, if I recall correctly). I certainly hope that you get to attend a face-to-face event soon, and hopefully blog about it! And I wish that you'd be able to participate in ReaderCon in the next few years!

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    1. Hi Peter! Oh yeah, now that you mentioned it, I don't see any more posts about meet ups in the FBB site. Was the last one held last year pa?

      I really really do wish I could be physically present in a meetup of some sort. It would be great to finally meet everybody in person. Although I might be extremely scared and nervous if that event comes. :D

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  2. Yay for Friend #2! I hope her kids picked up the reading habit!

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    1. Hi Mina! She's always reading so there is a huge chance of her kids being readers too. I think her kids love the Geronimo Stilton books. :)

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  3. Hi Tin! Hurray for reading siblings! I'm the eldest so I guess my reading habits influenced my sister and brother. And I am the indulging kind because I love buying/lending books to them. Sometimes, I even push a book to them (i.e. The Hunger Games).

    I was a bit scared and wary the first time I attended the Filipino Group anniversary in 2010 but I was sure glad I braved my fears and went. I hope to see you personally in one of the meet ups! :)

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    1. Oh you are such a good big sister. Do your siblings love reading much as you do? :)

      Now that I think of it, I raid my big sister's closet all the time while she raids my library so I guess we are even.

      Wow, that's been about 2 years already and you've been coming to the meet ups since then? Oh I'd really love to meet you guys too Lynai! :D

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    2. My brother is into Dean Koontz and my sister now fancies YA. It's always nice to talk about books with them. :)

      I was only able to go to the the first anniversary meet up but since I live in the province, I can't always attend the other face-to-face discussions. Maybe, sometime soon! :)

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  4. Ah, you know what, I think the Filipino Book Bloggers administration falls on me now that Chachic is out of the country. One day, perhaps after ReaderCon, we'll get back to it again. And then I'll find someone who's willing to take over the group other than me. I have too many "children" to handle in my groups! Haha.

    Oh but if you happen to visit Manila one time, we can have a meet-up just for you! And don't forget to join us for a TFG meetup if you happen to catch it on the same weekend. We'd love to have you there. :)

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    1. LOL! at "children" :D

      One of the things I love about the TFG is that you guys post schedules of meet-ups with tentative dates and places in advance, so it's easier for members to fit them into their own schedule. :)

      I'd love that Tina! It would be really cool to meet you guys more so if it's during a TFG meet-up. The games, the books, the food, the company....someday, I hope. :D

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  5. Love how you highlighted some fam/friends ..wow, cool mom to let kids go on a book shopping spree! Don't have the budget for that so we go to the library and they can go crazy there! --Would like to do a face-to-face as well ..someday. :)

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    1. Hi Jinky! I know right? I want her to adopt me! Haha! I wish we had a library as great as the one you guys have there.

      Me too, a face-to-face would really be fun. :)

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  6. Haha. Friend no. 2 is awesome. I had a colleague like that and I remember him giving me and a couple of friends a detailed lecture on Tolkien's The Silmarillon way back in college.

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    1. Friend no. 2 is the one who lent me her Kindle Touch! I love her. Haha! Oh, my cousin and friend no. 1 used to talk non stop about LOTR (which almost felt like a lecture too) when they were fresh off reading it. In the car, in restaurants, everywhere! It didn't matter that not all of us who were with them were LOTR fans or readers or even remotely interested. :D

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