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What I've Read So Far: January-May, 2018

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - 4/5 Stars Now I know what all the hubub about TFIOS is about. Sure the hype is well deserved, but had I read this at a different time, I would have raved about it. But I am old AF and I think I am a little less dazzled by young love of this kind. The story is pretty basic and so are the characters.For me, it is the dialogue that stands out. John Green is a superb wordsmith. He can string a lot of quotable quotes that stirs all the right bits in your heart.    Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer - 4/5 Stars  Weird ass book, this. And I loved it. It's ooky, kooky, icky, and all other sorts of oky! It's like an Amazon Jungle Twilight Zone thing. More than the mystery, I love how the protagonist (The Biologist) is written. It is largely very character driven, and I felt all of her frustrations and sadness and grief and curiosity. I think, I'll take a bit of a breather though before taking on book 2, Authority. Because Area
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My 2017 Reading Year

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So I managed to read 20 books last year. Not too bad. 20 isn't stellar but it's not a zero. Obviously. But I am happy with it. I've had some pretty awesome reads this 2017 too. And my top ten are as follows: 1. I would say Lincoln in the Bardo   by George Saunders is my best book of 2017. Surprise, surprise. The novel is a feat in terms of style and emotionally electric in terms of content. And if you doubt my word, give a listen to an interview of George Saunders in Bullseye with Jesse Thorn, right HERE . 2. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood  was another memorable read. So much so that I now have a necklace with the mock Latin phrase: "Nolite te bastardes carborundorum". What I love about Margaret Atwood is how her writing tends to be quiet and subtle, but it pulsates. 3. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline was such a fun read, took me back to the old gaming days of blowing on cartridges, and playing straight because they didn't
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What I've Read So Far

Hi guys! Here comes the mini reviews for the books I've read so far, and also what I am currently reading.  Books Read:  1. The Sellout by Paul Beatty - 4/5 Stars  The Sellout is unlike anything I've read before. It's funny because it doesn't really have a plot, it's just mostly commentary. And it's good commentary. Funny, smart, witty and full of passion. He is a great wordsmith, Paul Beatty. His sentences are like firecrackers, they snap, cackle and pop. He can take any argument about race and turn it even more explosive than it already is. I listened to his interview on WTF, Marc Maron's podcast, and he said something about how he couldn't understand what "black pride" (or gay pride, or national pride, or any other pride) meant, and how everything about race is just so contextual. It's a really good interview. You can give it a listen HERE . 2. The Princess Saves Herself In This One by Amanda Lovelace - 3.5/5 Stars
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Rabbitin Turns 6!

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I thought this would be the perfect time to break my blog post drought! So I guess, it's been six freakin years. Although it does seem embarrassing putting up an anniversary post when there hasn't been any "actual posts" for a long time now. But who cares. My blog, my rules! Now on to business! Now let me tell you a quick story. My sister and I went to a local nursery in the city. The one with plants in them and not babies. The owner was very attentive and accommodating in helping us decide which plants to get. And in my case, very low maintenance plants. Plants have been known to die at my hands, so I need a black thumb proof plant. Okay, so she toured us around the nursery and she was marvelous. My sister got the ZZ plant. And nope the plant doesn't make snooze-y sounds. Bummer. But it has really pretty, shiny leaves. And I got an Aloe Vera plant (which I named Alouette.) My sister is counting the days before little Alouette dies. She is a monster. Now bac
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George Saunders and an Attempt at Reading More...Hopefully...Maybe

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It's been three darned months. And I know I made promises I didn't keep in terms of blog posts. But I have never stopped reading. I may not read as much as I used to, but still do. Haven't been blogging that much though. Obviously. But I managed to come up with two posts for my movie blog, and for that I am glad. So now I shall refrain from making promises I may or may not keep, and just post whenever I am up for it. What I'm reading: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders - Right now, I am reading The Filipino Goodreads Book Club's book of the month which is George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo. If you haven't heard of George Saunders, you need to re-examine your life asap. George Saunders' brain is like entering a darkened, albeit familiar room. You grope your way in, recognizing familiar objects. The lamp, the leather couch. But then you your hands feel something strange, something you can't quite place. A gooey substance, a pointed e
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I'm Still Here! Plus, A Love Letter To My Book Club

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But first things first.... To my blog readers (or what's left of em! Sob!): I know, it's been a looong while! Sob! I haven't been reading much lately. I can only manage to read one book a month, half if the book is long. Sob! It's not that I don't have time. Well, perhaps I have less time now than before. But still, I got time. But for the past months I have been burning through all six seasons of the AMC TV series called The Walking Dead, and then I managed to watch the first two episodes of the currently airing, 7th season. And it is not a very good idea to watch this show in succession on account of emotional exhaustion. After that, I finally acquired a copy of the complete fourth season of Doctor Who. It is also not a very good idea to watch this show after The Walking Dead, because this show and I, have a history. And then there's this thing called "movies." So yeah, I am double crossing books for television and film. Sob! So there's
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September 2016: Required Reading

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August 2016 - Required Reading Report: 1. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - (5/5 Stars) I got to attend the face to face discussion on this! Okay, we were late. And the long table was long so I wasn't able to truly listen to everybody's insights. But it was great! The book is great! Although a few people in our group felt lukewarm towards it. And I get why. Or at least, I think I do. It's kind of fanciful rather than grounded from life. It's a tad telenovela-ish, if you know what I mean. And one of the book club members even mentioned something about Leo Gursky being caricaturish. He's not someone you would encounter in real life, he says. And yeah, he may be right. Krauss sort of strings him along on these antics. Dropping change all over the floor, hassling the shoe sales person, posing nude for an art class. And this guy, he's 80 years old! And then there's Alma, one of the protagonists, who is also on the peculiar side. In fact, I was asked du
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