Book Shopping 10

Today is the last day of most book fairs and book sales since it's also the end of Literacy Month. Since I received the other half of my salary today, I decided to check out the books in Expressions even though I told myself that I'm not going to buy any books for now. Like I could ever stop myself from buying books. So I bought new books again to add to my never-ending stack of books to read.

left to right: More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon; Collectors by Paul Griner

These books were from the Buy One, Take One for P99.00 shelf. So this is my last book purchase this month.

It has been a fun book and literacy month this year. Wonder how many books I'll buy next year during literacy month...

Getting The Boot (Peggy Guthart Strauss)

* Studying abroad isn't at all like Kelly thought it would be. Instead of shopping for fine Italian leather and living in an elegant apartment with a view of the Colosseum, she is stuck in a stuffy dorm room with three other girls, and is sharing one shower with the entire floor! This is not the bella Roma that she'd dreamed of. But there is one part of Italy that Kelly doesn't mind - Joe, a really cute guy who's in the study-abroad program too. Joe's into staying up late and partying hard, two things that Kelly used to love doing. Bad habits are hard to break, and she soon finds herself on thin ice with the program coordinators. If Kelly's not careful, she just might get the boot....


One of my goals in life is to travel in Europe. I also want to travel the world but I'd like to spend most of my time traveling across Europe. My Dad has been to different countries in Europe and he has fascinated me with stories about his trips there. So I plan to go there and experience things for myself. Since this book is set in Italy, one of the countries in Europe, I did not think twice in buying this book. I've read books and seen movies set in Italy and I'm always amazed by what I saw. All those historical structures still standing after thousands of years. Wow.

The story revolves around this American teenager, Kelly, who went to Italy one summer to study. She's a popular cheerleader in her school, loves to party, and into fashion. However, things didn't go her way when she went to Italy. Her life there was the opposite of her life back home. So the story revolves around how Kelly was able to learn more about herself with the help of the beautiful places in Italy and her new friends.

Kelly and the rest of characters went to different places in Italy like Florence, Pompeii, and the Vatican City. Though the descriptions were not very detailed, I still saw the beauty of the places in my head. I also think that it's fine not to have detailed descriptions so as not to bore the readers. I once read a book before where lots of pages where devoted to describing a place. I somehow lost track of the story and it bored me so much I almost didn't finish reading it. If I want to know more about a place, I'm better off reading the Lonely Planet books or seeing it personally.

I am somewhat prejudiced against young adult novels these days because most of them revolved around sex, drugs, backstabbing, and how to be on top at the expense of others. This book, however, is not as shallow as I thought it would be. Kelly matured and became a responsible person while having fun. Being a teenager is hard. There are a lot of mistakes committed. But there's always a choice of rising above those mistakes and not going in the opposite direction. Kelly was able to show that it is possible. This book is a fun read for every teenage girl out there.

Rating: 4/5

Banned Books Week (September 27 - October 4, 2008)

I was checking out the latest posts from one of my Shelfari groups when I saw a discussion about banned books. Here's the link.

So it's now Banned Books Week. Among the books listed by American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), here are the banned books that I've read:

1. Forever (Judy Blume)
2. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
3. The Alice Series (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor) - I've read only one from the series
4. Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling) - I've read all!
5. The Joy Luck Club (Amy Tan)
6. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)

From the American Library Association (ALA) list of 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000, here are the books that I've read:

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain)
2. Harry Potter Series (J.K. Rowling)
3. Forever (Judy Blume)
4. Alice Series (Phyllis Reynolds Naylor)
5. Goosebumps Series (R.L. Stine) - I've read lots of books from this series
6. Blubber (Judy Blume)
7. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
8. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
9. The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)

They are banned from school libraries because the contents are inappropriate for children. Personally, I don't see anything wrong from these books that I've read. If I am a parent, I will let my child read these books. After my child reads them, I will discuss it with him or her. In my opinion, these books are a good way to start exposing the children to sensitive issues. Lessons could also be learned from these books. The children just need to be guided on the contents of the book. But the books should not be banned.

“[I]t's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.” — Judy Blume

Book Shopping 9

You are probably tired of reading about my book shopping trips. Honestly, I am getting tired, too. So I think this would be my "last" book shopping for now.

There is a book fair in TriNoma which will end tomorrow. I've been seeing the ad about it in the newspaper but I always forget to visit it whenever I am in TriNoma. So this afternoon, I went there to finally check out the book fair before it ends.

There were lots of interesting books on sale. But I didn't buy any. Why? While I was browsing through the shelves, I thought of the stack of unread books in my room. They are currently on the floor because there is no more space available in my bookshelf. So I decided to make a room first for my books before buying new ones. I left the book fair and went to Powerbooks and National Book Store.

While I was in Powerbooks, I thought of buying my younger brother a book because he won the Oral Reading Contest and Spelling Bee Contest in school. I usually give him (and most people) books as gifts. Right now, my brother likes to read Geronimo Stilton. He is a mouse who runs a newspaper. I looked for it in Powerbooks but didn't find any. So I went to National Book Store. I didn't find the book there, too. I looked for another book that will interest my brother. Finally, I saw a book about Neopets, my brother's latest craze. It is a TV show that he watches in Nickelodeon. Since the sale is still ongoing in NBS, I got a discount.

Neopets: The Ultimate Field Guide (P135.25)

My brother also got these books as prize for participating in a discussion in school:

left to right: Animorphs: The Unexpected by Katherine Applegate; Animorphs: The Mutation by Katherine Applegate

So it was my brother, not me, who got new books today. Good for him.

Book Shopping 8

I went grocery shopping with my Dad, Mom, and older sister in SM Fairview yesterday. We visited Tatay in the cemetery before going to the mall. I didn't have any plans of visiting the bookstores since I just bought new books the other day. But while my parents are paying for the things we bought at the grocery, my sister dragged me to Booksale. She also loves to read books. Well, my whole family loves to read books but I am the most voracious reader among us. Anyway, my sister was looking for books written by her favorite authors but didn't find any. As for me, I found lots of books that I like and as usual, I wasn't able to resist them so I bought them. Here they are:

left to right: The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve (P40.00); The Last Time They Met by Anita Shreve (P40.00)

left to right: Blood Hunt by Ian Rankin (hardbound, P20.00); Mirror Lake by Thomas Christopher Greene (hardbound, first edition, P20.00)

Since my sister didn't find the books that she was looking for, I somehow influenced her into buying books written by other authors. She loves to read romance novels or historical-romance novels written by Jude Deveraux, Judith McNaught, and others. I, on the other hand, stay away from books like that. She sometimes reads books that are not romantic like Harry Potter and Sidney Sheldon novels. I suggested to her books written by Sue Grafton. Totally different from Jude Deveraux. She accepted my suggestion and bought 3 books written by Sue Grafton. I also saw a book that I'm interested in, but I didn't have enough money with me that day. It was a chick lit book. My sister also reads chick lits so she didn't think twice of buying that book. My book addiction must have been rubbing off to her. So here are the books she bought:

top to bottom: S is for Silence by Sue Grafton (hardbound, P30.00); L is for Lawless (hardbound, P45.00); Q is for Quarry (hardbound, P45.00); Four Blondes by Candace Bushnell (hardbound, P45.00)

Like me, she was really happy with her book purchases. So now, I have four more books to add to my stack of books to read. Well, make that eight since I'm also interested in the books my sister bought. So many books, so little time...

Book Shopping 7

There is a book sale in Expressions near my house which I just discovered last week. The Book Fiesta (the name of the book sale) started last September 1 and will end on September 30. They have a promo wherein you could buy one book for P99.00 and get one free. The books on sale were books written by unpopular authors here in the Philippines. I call them the Indie books. There were lots of books on sale and I find most of them interesting. It also seems like I was the only one who find the books interesting because I was the only person browsing through the shelves. Maybe most people in my neighborhood prefer books written by people they know. Well, their loss. So yesterday, after work, I went there for another book shopping trip. Here are the books I bought:

top (left to right): Fleur De Leigh's Life Of Crime by Diane Leslie; Troublemaker by Brian Pera
bottom (left to right): Chinese Takeout by Arthur Nersesian; The Saskiad by Brian Hall

There are still some books on sale that I like so I will be back on September 30 to buy them. Yey!

Book Shopping 6

I was totally bored yesterday so I decided to go to SM Fairview after dinner. I met up with a friend to talk and catch up on our lives. Our chat lifted my mood. So after the meeting, I went to Booksale and National Book Store to further lift my mood. As usual, I didn't leave the mall without any purchased books. Here are they:

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank (hardbound, first edition, P30.00)

Getting The Boot by Peggy Guthart Strauss (paperback, P120.00)

I bought these books from Booksale after almost an hour of browsing. When I left Booksale, some stores were already closed. Next time, I'll try to stay there until the sales people would physically force me to leave their store. Haha.

Shopgirl (Steve Martin)

* Mirabelle is the "shopgirl" of the title, a young woman, beautiful in a wallflowerish kind of way, who works behind the glove counter at Neiman Marcus "selling things that nobody buys anymore..."
Slightly lost, slightly off-kilter, very shy, Mirabelle charms because of all that she is not: not glamorous, not aggressive, not self-aggrandizing. Still, there is something about her that is irresistible.
Mirabelle captures the attention of Ray Porter, a wealthy businessman almost twice her age. As they tentatively embark on a relationship, they both struggle to decipher the language of love - with consequences that are both comic and heartbreaking.

I didn't know that Shopgirl was first a novella before it became a movie. I came to know about the movie through the pirated DVD stall near my house a few years back. I haven't seen the movie yet and I'm not interested in seeing it. The novella was written by Steve Martin, the actor. He also starred in the movie version of it with Claire Danes as Mirabelle. So when I saw the book in Book Sale, I bought it because I was curious on what Steve Martin wrote. I'm not a fan of his. I was just merely curious.

There's nothing much I could say about this book. It's like I'm reading a science textbook where the things I read just goes inside my head and doesn't travel down to my heart. When I read books, I am usually emotionally involved. I feel the characters' pain, anger, happiness, and other emotions they show. But I didn't feel anything much when I read this book. It has no impact on me.

I'm going to give this book a second chance. It's not totally horrible. Maybe I just missed some things when I read it. Though it may take a while before I'll read it again since there are a lot of books that I still have to read. Hopefully on my second reading, I'd finally feel and get something from it.

Rating: 2/5

Book Shopping 5

My latest book shopping counts as number 5 because my book shopping 4 trip is the Manila International Book Fair.

Even if I told myself lots of times that I would not buy a book unless I finished reading all the unread books in my room, deep in my heart, I know that would never happen. I just have to accept the fact that I'm going to be financially broke one day because of my weekly book shopping. But I don't really care. Books make me happy. Reading is my passion. I wouldn't mind being hungry as long as I have books to read. At least if I die, I'd die happy with a book in my hand.

Okay. Enough of that.

Yesterday morning, I went with my parents to the cemetery to visit my grandfather. Ever since he died last November 2005, it has been my parents' weekly ritual to visit him in the cemetery. My siblings and I sometimes go with them. After visiting my grandfather, my parents would go to the grocery and other stores in the neighborhood to buy the things needed at home. So after our visit yesterday, we went to SM Fairview to buy some school supplies needed by my younger brother. My Dad was hungry so he went to Jollibee together with my younger brother, older sister, and niece to eat. Mom and I went to National Bookstore to buy the supplies needed.

I wanted to check out the books on sale but I was with my Mom. We just bought the things needed and went to Jollibee. Since I was not hungry, I decided to go to Book Sale while they were eating. I was not able to check out the other shelves because I had limited time. Luckily, when I squatted on the floor to check out the books, I saw this book. I immediately got it and paid for it.

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (paperback, P80.00)

When we went home, I ate lunch and continued reading Shopgirl by Steve Martin until I fell asleep. I woke up at around 3PM. I was not contented with my book adventure earlier that morning so I decided to go to SM North and TriNoma to visit the bookstores there.

My first stop was at Fully Booked, SM North. I haven't been there for a while so I spent an hour browsing at the books. I saw lots of books that I like but didn't buy any. I just strolled at the mall for a few minutes before going to TriNoma.

I immediately went to Powerbooks as soon as I arrived in TriNoma. Again, I saw lots of books that I like which I didn't see in Fully Booked. I made a mental note of the books I'll buy in the near future.

When I was at the Children's Section, I saw copies of Eric Carle's books. One of his books, A Very Hungry Caterpillar, is included in my list of favorite children's books. After some deliberation on whether I'll buy or not, I decided to buy this book. There's no use arguing with myself.

1, 2, 3 To The Zoo: A Coloring Book by Eric Carle (P188.10)

I also bought the latest issue of Read Magazine.

Read Magazine

As soon as I paid for my purchases, I immediately went out of the store. It was dark outside the mall. When I looked at my watch, it was already past 7PM. I was so engrossed at the bookstore that I didn't notice the time.

So there goes another weekend in my life.

Literacy Week Celebration

The Literacy Week Celebration in school/work was short and simple. A mini book fair was held and some parents were invited to facilitate the storytelling for the students. It was a fun week with the students getting excited over books. Anyway, here are some of the scenes at school during the Literacy Week:

Nursery PM Class

Kinder PM Class

Memories Of My Melancholy Whores (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)

* On the eve of his ninetieth birthday a bachelor decides to give himself a wild night of love with a virgin. As is his habit - he has purchased hundreds of women - he asks a madam for her assistance. The fourteen-year-old girl who is procured for him is enchanting, but exhausted as she is from caring for siblings and her job sewing buttons, she can do little but sleep. Yet with this sleeping beauty at his side, it is he who awakens to a romance he has never known.
Tender, knowing, and slyly comic, Memories of My Melancholy Whores is an exquisite addition to the master's work.

This is one of the books that I bought from the recent Manila International Book Fair. What made me buy this book is the fact that it was written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Another reason is the plot. I found it a bit disturbing. Very Lolita-esque.

The main character is a ninety-year-old journalist who fell in love with the whore/prostitute he hired for the night. It was the first time he fell in love. According to him, "Sex is the consolation you have when you can't have love." So he had sex with 516 whores (according to his last count when he was fifty years old) and found love from a virgin, minor, and someone who just literally slept beside him.

While reading the book, I couldn't help but pity him. How could he fall in love just when he's about to die any moment? Okay. Let's be realistic. When you're ninety years old, do you expect to live for another ten years? I don't think so. But at least he experienced the magic of love.

I am actually glad that this book is just short. I don't think I could endure more pages of an old man describing his romantic love for a child. The book's saving grace is that it was beautifully written (translated by Edith Grossman) so there were moments when I forgot about the scandalous plot.

Love is really weird. Marquez was able to point that out.

Rating: 2/5

Flush (Carl Hiaasen)

* Noah's dad has a little problem with anger control. He tried to stop the Coral Queen casino boat's illegal dumping... by sinking the boat. But his bold protest fizzles: Within days the casino is back in business, and Noah's dad is behind bars and out of action. Now Noah is determined to succeed where his father failed. But even though pumping raw sewage into the waters of the Florida Keys is both gross and against the law, turns out it's near impossible to catch the flusher - especially when he's already bamboozled the prosecutors, the local press, and even the Coast Guard. But Noah's got a few allies of his own. There's his little sister, Abbey, an unreformed childhood biter; Lice Peeking, a half-soused ex-mate of the Coral Queen who is willing to testify... for a price; and Shelly, a bighearted bartender with even bigger biceps. Okay, so the odds aren't good. But Noah has an ace up his sleeve - a plan so crazy it just might stop the polluting, save the beaches, and prove to the world that it's the owner of the Coral Queen, and not his dad, who is full of... crud.

This book by Carl Hiaasen is actually written for kids. His other novel, Hoot, is a winner of a Newberry Honor Award. So coming from an award-winning author, I didn't think twice of buying this book and adding it to my collection.

My most favorite character in the book is Noah's father, Paine. He is a very principled person. He cares for the environment so much that he would do anything to save it even if it lands him in jail. He even compares himself to Nelson Mandela. Right.

Noah is also an interesting character. He's smart and responsible. Most importantly, he saves his father and the environment.

The story is funny with quirky characters and plot. Definitely a fun read not only for kids, but for adults, as well.

Rating: 3/5

29th Manila International Book Fair Experience

I went to the Manila International Book Fair last Saturday (Sept. 13) with my sister even though I still felt sick. I had fever for three days prior to my book fair visit. But nothing will ever stop me from going to the book fair. I already planned about it weeks before so I had to be there.

My sister and I arrived at the SMX Convention Center at around 11AM. The place was not filled with people yet. I decided to check out all the booths and books first before making any purchase. After seeing all the booths, I went back to the booth of Anvil Books. These were the books I bought:

The Best Of Barfly by Butch Dalisay (P100.00)

Ang Pitong Tanga (The Seven Idiots) by Severino Reyes (P52.00)

After buying from Anvil, we went back to the booth (mini-store) of National Bookstore. I spent most of my time there because there were lots of books that I like. After some time, I finally purchased these books:

Memories Of My Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (P204.00)

The Vile Village (ASOUE 7) by Lemony Snicket (P319.25)

I then dragged my sister to the different children's booths.

The Adarna Books Booth

The booth with the colorful decorations and books on sale

National Book Store

While walking...

Outside the book fair

I was planning on staying longer but my sister is already hungry. I never go hungry whenever I'm surrounded with books. But I dragged my sister with me that day so I have to be considerate. So we went to SM Mall of Asia to have a very late lunch at Sbarro.

It was definitely a great day for me. Well, any day, as long as I'm surrounded with books is a great day.

Till the next book fair.

Book Shopping 3

I had another book shopping spree last September 4 (Thursday), my last one before I have a MAJOR book shopping spree at the Manila International Book Fair. As usual, it was not a part of my plan that day to buy new books. Here's how it happened.

I was still at work, checking my students' workbooks, when I remembered that the Bar Exam is just a few days away. I sent a text message to one of my childhood friend and classmate, Walter, who is an examinee this year. A few seconds later, my cell phone rang. It was Irene, another childhood friend and classmate of mine. I was surprised to see her name flashing on the screen because she was supposed to be in Singapore. I answered her call and found out that she is already back here in the Philippines since the last week of August. She was presently with Walter at that time in Starbucks, SM Fairview. She was at the mall to buy some thing for her sibling when she passed by Starbucks and saw Walter there, studying. So we agreed to meet that day at Starbucks.

I haven't left work yet when Irene sent me a text message telling me that she has to go home for a while to bring the food she bought for her sibling. She will just text me again as soon as she's done with the things she need to do. So I went home to leave my things then went to SM Fairview since I had nothing else to do. Walter was still reviewing for his exam in Starbucks when I arrived. We talked for about 30 minutes before I decided to stroll at the mall. I did not want to bother him that much since the exam was just a few days away. So I left Starbucks and strolled at the mall while waiting for Irene. Once again, I found myself walking towards the direction of Book Sale.

There were lots of new stocks for sale since my last visit. I felt very excited that I grabbed all the books that caught my fancy. But since I'm saving up for the book fair, I limited my purchase to these three books:

top to bottom: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (softbound, P15.00); Shopgirl by Steve Martin (hardbound, first edition, P30.00);Flush by Carl Hiaasen (hardbound, first edition, P45.00)

After I paid for my purchases, I promised myself that I would not buy any books until the book fair opens on September 12. So far, I have remained true to that promise. Just a few more days before I could go book shopping once again.

I also had a great time that night catching up with Irene and Walter - who from time to time, joined Irene and I in our conversation. Irene and I were at the table just beside Walter's so that we would not disturb him that much. But I don't think we succeeded on that. Haha. The last time I saw Irene was last year at the wake of our friend and former classmate. On the other hand, the last time I saw Walter was just a month ago when I had my eyeglasses replaced. Hopefully I would see them again before the year ends.

Till my next book purchase!

The 29th Manila International Book Fair

When: September 12 - 16, 2008 (Friday - Tuesday)
Time: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Where: Halls 1-4, SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

See you there.

http://www.manilabookfair.com/

Eating The Cheshire Cat (Helen Ellis)

* Eating the Cheshire Cat lures us into a world of perfectly planned parties and steep social ladders, where traditional rites of passage take unpredictable and horrifying turns as three girls and their overbearing mothers collide. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, beauty is as beauty does, with axes and knives and killer smiles.

Sarina Summers and her mother will stop at nothing to have it all. Nicole Hicks harbors a fierce obsession with Sarina, which repeatedly undermines Mrs. Hicks's ambitious goals. Bitty Jack Carlson, a nice girl from the wrong side of the tracks, is caught in the crossfire but struggles to succeed outside the confines of this outrageous yet eerily familiar Southern community. It's survival of the fittest. Which girl will come out on top?

Covering everything from summer camp to the University of Alabama's Homecoming game, this fast-paced and unforgettable novel will keep readers guessing until the bitter end.

Among the three characters, Nicole was the one who really got into me. She is so terribly obsessed with Sarina that she revolved her life around Sarina. She stalked her and did everything she could to please Sarina. Aside from her obsession with Sarina, she also like to cut herself. Every time she cuts herself, I close the book and think of something else for a few minutes before reading again. I just couldn't stand it. I once cut my thumb with a blade when I was 8 years old out of curiosity. It hurt like hell so I never did it again. So it somehow amazes me why some people get a kick out of cutting themselves.

Sarina, on the other hand, is the almost perfect and mean girl everyone loves to hate. I don't hate her though. I actually pity her. She does every thing she could to get what she wants but always gets hurt in the end.

Bitty Jack is the nice girl whose life is tormented by Sarina both directly and indirectly. She finally got the explosive revenge she always wanted at the end, but with a conscience that would haunt her for as long as she live.

This book is dark, funny, and crazy. A nice book to read on a lazy afternoon - that is if you don't mind reading about people cutting themselves with blades and chopping off people's fingers with an ax.

Rating: 4/5

A Different Bookstore Sale

"When it rains, it pours"... The Great 2008 Mid-Year Sale (July 11 - Sept 15, 2008)

Hurry now to your nearest A Different Bookstore branch before it ends.

Book Shopping 2

I paid my cell phone bill last Tuesday (September 2) at SM Fairview. That was my only agenda in the mall but I decided to pass by National Book Store since they were on sale. I checked out the books on sale but didn't find anything interesting. So I went to Booksale and found books (hardbound, first editions, good copies) at a really low price. They have a promo until October where hardbound books are priced for as low as P25. How's that for a great buy? Here are the books I bought:

top to bottom: Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells (softbound, P15.00); The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller (hardbound, first edition, P30.00); Hawkes Harbor by S.E. Hinton (hardbound, first edition, P45.00)

I'll be back in Booksale soon for more purchases. :)

Book Shopping 1

I had an impulsive book shopping last August 23 (Saturday) at SM Makati. Almost all my book purchases are actually on an impulse. Tee-hee. :P

I first went to Powerbooks, Greenbelt to check out the books since there were only a few days left before the sale ends. I saw a lot of books that I like but did not buy any. I had some important things to buy first so I decided that I'd come back as soon as I buy the things I needed.

I went to SM Makati to buy the things I needed. While I was walking, I saw the book sale that has been going on for weeks. I have seen that book sale in my previous visits to Makati but I never stopped to browse or buy. When I saw the giant coloring books on display, I decided to check out the books on sale. After almost an hour, I ended up with these purchases:

top (left to right): Breakfast in Babylon by Emer Martin; Like Normal People by Karen E. Bender

bottom (left to right): The Appointment by Herta Muller; Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis

The books cost P99 apiece. But there was a promo that if you buy one P99 book, you get another one for free (buy one, take one). So in total, I only paid P198 for all these books. I was really happy with my purchases that I did not go back to Powerbooks, Greenbelt anymore. Though on my way home, I passed by Powerbooks, TriNoma. I stayed there for just a few minutes before I get the chance to deplete my savings account.