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Showing posts from October, 2014

Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi

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Summary from Goodreads : Fairy-tale romances end with a wedding. The fairy tales that don't get more complicated. In this book, celebrated writer Mr. Fox can't stop himself from killing off the heroines of his novels and neither can his wife, Daphne. It's not until Mary, his muse, comes to life and transforms him from author into subject that his story begins to unfold sifferently. Meanwhile, Daphne becomes convinced that her husband is having an affair and finds her way into Mary and Mr. Fox's game. And so Mr. Fox is offered a choice: Will it be a life with the girl of his dreams or a life with an all-too-real woman who delights him more than he cares to admit? I once expressed my difficulty in pinning down Oyeyemi's style. It's been roughly a month since I read Mr. Fox, and I still have that exact same feeling. The best I could come up with is that there is a bit of Neil Gaiman in it, with her eye for the macabre and the bizarre. And a tad of Paul Auster

2014 Filipino Fridays #2: Have You Ever Wanted To Write A Book

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Visit Filipino Readercon for more information Topic 2:  "As a reader, have you ever thought about writing a book? What kind of books/stories do you want to write? Or are you now a published author, and what compelled you to go fulfil this dream? How was your journey from reader to writer? How did you go about getting your book out there?" As a reader, have you ever thought about writing a book? I like to entertain the idea of me writing a book. Like, when I stumble upon a brilliant piece of literature, with striking metaphors, clever remarks and arresting sentences. I say: “Wow, I wish I could have written that!” But my book writing capabilities, remain questionable. I cannot seem to keep a journal for more than three days. My writings are limited to book blog posts and Letterboxd posts. But I take much pleasure in coming up with them. But I don’t know, being an author seems to be completely out of my reach, much like being a concert pianist, an impressionist paint

2014 Filipino Friday 1: Surprise, Reader!

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Hello there! I have been participating in the Filipino Friday meme from the moment of its conception, which was back in 2012. And just as this meme has become a tradition, in anticipation of Filipino Readercon , it has turned into a customary thing for me as well. Topic 1: "Surprise, Reader! Hello, it’s the first week of Filipino Fridays 2014! Whether it’s your first time to participate or not, tell us a bit about yourself. More specifically, tell us about your favorite book discoveries for this year. Any author you started reading this year that you can’t get enough of? A book you didn’t think you’d like, but you ended up liking/loving? Any book series that you just have to get your hands on? Have you discovered anything new from Filipino authors this year?" Tell us about your favorite book discoveries for this year. Any author you started reading this year that you can’t get enough of? 1. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - Fell head over heels bonkers over this ge

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

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Summary from Goodreads : Hanging over the porch of the tiny New England bookstore called Island Books is a faded sign with the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A.J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means. A.J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming him or for a determined sales rep named Amelia to see her curmudgeonl

October 2014: Required Reading

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September 2014 Required Reading Report 1. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin - (4/5 Stars) A short, quick read. It left me a bit wanting, but it was entertaining enough. 2. Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi - (4/5 Stars) I don't know how to pin down Oyeyemi's style. It's a bit Paul Austeresque with a little bit of Gaiman? Or this might seem inaccurate. Anyway, it's a tad strange and loopy, but I admired the craftsmanship. 3. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell - (4/5 Stars) Fun! I realized that this is my first YA read, and the year is almost ending! Strange. Anyway, enjoyed this a lot. The Rowell hype is well founded. 4. Against Joie de Vivre by Philip Lopate - (3/5 Stars) I was off to a good start with this essay, but towards the end, it kind of lost my interest. 5. Dr. Bird's Advice For Sad Poets by Evan Roskos - (5/5 Stars) Since I just got off reading this, I still need time to process my thoughts. But I can safely say that I love it to beets and pea