An Affair With Books

Book Review: Ordinary World by Jose Miguel Arguelles

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:51:00 +0000

Ordinary World

by Jose Miguel Arguelles

Bleak. Dark. Hopeless. These are just some of the words that might come to mind for anyone who reads this delectable collection. I say delectable because I hanker for dystopian themes and stories that depict the folly, vileness and helplessness of man. Whether the stories within the pages exacerbate or take my mind away from the current state of the world is a personal burden, but if one has the stomach and mental strength to take in these stories without sinking and to treat them as such: just stories, then I highly recommend this book. There's humor and romance sprinkled in, if it helps.

The artwork is genius: the front cover is really a "front", and the back cover shows the alternative, rather, what lurks behind the face preferred to be shown to the world.

In the afterword, the author explained how he divided the stories into two parts, with his explanation italicized. Under each part, I rate the stories and give my two cents.

Part One: Their Small Worlds deals with the narrowness of the human perspective. We see ourselves as the small gods of this world, independent of each other. We mostly believe that world events unfold in relation to us. And we use our reason - the so-called God-given light - in order to justify our actions, no matter how twisted they are. It is in this context that I arranged the shorter stories in this collection. They represent very narrow, some would even say short-sighted views in life. We live in a world of instant gratification and alternative facts. We live in a world where we do things without thinking of their consequences. But our small worlds often collide with each other, and when that happens, we either lash out at the other small worlds, or allow our own small worlds to collapse.

The New Normal - 3.5/5

At first I thought this was a prophetic story about the pandemic but it turned out to be about what happens when repression, frustration, and self-preservation run amok in the mind of an average man. The New Normal is actually about the revision or eradication of morals, brought about by the changing of the times, and in the country, as demonstrated by the seated, the uniformed, and the powerful. In a chilling statement by the otherwise harmless man, overcome by his humiliation and need for release, "Nanlaban eh."

Itch - 4/5

How did the first man and woman discover sex? A funny, quick read involving husband-wife, bird-shapeshifting Creators and a flea.

Dolorosa - 4.25/5

The title of the story is a giveaway. The theme of this short story is grief. A couple navigates life year by year after the passing of their child. Traumatic events can lead to withdrawal into one's self. The reveal at the end about the extreme measures the man must take to be worthy of his wife's comfort will surely make this story a favorite among readers.

The Lower Half - 3.5/5

A dark comedy. What happens when obsession and horror meet? Snicker-inducing and will elicit serves-you-right quips from the reader.

The Child No One Wanted - 3.75/5

Theme is how both man or monster, devoid of moral code, give weight to need, greed and baser instincts rather than indebtedness and loyalty.

Wake - 4.5/5

About The One That Got Away, and how he/she isn't anymore who he/she used to be, in the worst way conceivable. A letting go that has pragmatism overriding all remnants of romantic feelings. I especially loved the last three paragraphs. I would've rated this a 4 if those weren't the parting statements. Another nod to current events i.e. war on drugs.

The Bus Ride Home - 3.75/5

Religious hypocrisy, self-righteousness and a bus full of demons out to have fun. This is the author's Shake, Rattle and Roll entry, I must say.

The Day After - 5/5

My absolute favorite. What happens when doomsday doesn't come? Your bills unpaid, work presentation undone, with dwindling money in your bank account? The day after: when your world crumbles and rebuilds just as soon. I LOVE IT.

Part Two: Our Wide World is the other side of the equation. The stories under this division tackle greater human themes. They also show how people struggle to deal with the outside world as it intrudes into our lives. We can never be safe from the wide world, no matter how cloistered or sheltered our lives are. One way or another, it will come knocking at your door and even if you refuse to open it, it will kick it down and drag you out screaming before it fires a bullet into your head and leaves behind packets of crystal-like substances over your body. That's of course, an extreme metaphor, but it is a metaphor for the times we live in.

Part two is just so darn good. These are the lengthy ones, but the writer made good use of that length.

Homecoming - 4.9/5

The political sci-fi of the lot. The story toys at the possibility of Mindanao succeeding in separating from the rest of the Philippines and establishing itself as a country. Plus an attempt of biological warfare, with an "ally" country backing the mission. With old friends sandwiched in between. This gave me goosebumps because of how it closely resembles what is happening in the world right now, conspiracy theories included.

Out of Time - 4.5/5

Serves fantasy, thriller and horror genres in one story. It is a nod at an industry that needs a little bit of people's time. The main character hoarded time and became a slave to living forever. But is a long life spent alone worth living? The twist was predictable for me, but still a good story.

Republic - 4.8/5

A jab at how the nation is always in need of the next hero, to lift the country out of poverty, fight crime and corruption, and give hope. Only to be disappointed yet again and left wanting. *cough, cough*

The Last Defender of Earth - 4.8/5

A Japanese superhero grieves the loss of his former partner (both in duty and romantically). I felt good reading this. While sad at the beginning, the resolve the main character had at the end to answer the call of duty gave tones of hope and purpose.

Where Dreams Go To Die - 4.7/5

Supernatural serial killer. Crime meets fairytale. I hate it when almost lovers die in the middle of what could have been a happily ever after. While not my favorite, this left an impression and is a respectable closing story to the collection.

Overall: A collection worth your while. Not sure where it can still be bought as Visprint, Inc. has closed its doors. :( I'm looking for Our Darkest Hours by the same author. Anyone who knows where I can still buy... or who I can borrow it from?

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Short Film Review: Misteryo ng Hapis

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 14:12:00 +0000

Misteryo ng Hapis (Sorrowful Mystery) by Mark Dela Cruz is set during the pa-siyam (a Filipino traditional ritual of praying for the soul of the dead for nine consecutive nights) of the main character's father. On the last night, the main character Jay (Andoy Ranay), a young and gay stage performer joins his mother in praying for the soul of his dead father for the first time. For every mystery, we are given glimpses of Jay's childhood, his pain emanating from the lashes of his father's verbal assault on his sexual identity. I found his own chant (in Kapampangan) "Why are you crying? Don't weep." as the women prayed the rosary bothering. The strength of this short film is in its atmosphere, softly lit by candles, semi-darkness, theater settings and gesticulations, repeated prayers. The Catholic devotion in full display, to serve a purpose for his father's death no less, was a stark reminder to Jay of his younger years of repressed sexuality to the point that his insides exclaimed, "I cannot breathe. I cannot see. I cannot move." When his mother gave him the mask (at least I think it was a mask) that his father told her to hand over to him, it was evident that he did not come home for years. During those years, his father had learned to accept him, yet Jay's unforgiving heart prevented them to reconcile while he was still alive. The film was too dramatic/artistic for my taste, but it was able to send its message across.

Misteryo ng Hapis was screened during the 2007 (3rd) Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

Short Film Review: Putot (Small Fry)

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 10:13:00 +0000

Putot (Carl Taylan), the titular character, is a young boy who takes care of his mentally ill father while struggling to make ends meet by selling shellfish at an informal settlers colony by the sea. He meets a girl, Mayang (Karen Pilapil), a few years shy of womanhood, and forms a friendship with her. Mayang has secrets of her own that she whispers to the sea. It is implied that she is being peddled by her own mother and abused by her father figure. This short film is a simple presentation of poverty, realistic but without gore, as it wasn't necessary to make it effective.

Putot is a Visayan term for small. Putot represents the small, marginalized sector of our society, pushed further to the "laylayan" (as popularized by the current VP), even by the men hired to demolish their houses. A scene shows that the demolition was necessary to pave the way for a development project of the then president, GMA. In the end, we are not sure what happened to Putot's father, though it is implied that "he chose to be with the sea". There is also uncertainty in the direction Mayang and Putot are taking in their makeshift raft, but there is comfort and solace in their friendship to make up for that uncertainty.

Mayang's parting line was, “Putot, malapit na ba tayo (Putot, are we there yet)?” Are they going towards the place Putot heard was better to live in? Will they ever get there? The line was a brilliant metaphorical question to the modern day Filipino. Will we ever get there?

Putot won Best Director (Emmanuel “Jeck” Cogama)/Short Feature Category in the 2006 (2nd) Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

Short Film Review: Orasyon

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 09:19:00 +0000

Orasyon (Angelus) by Rommel 'Milo' Tolentino is a tale of a religious widow (Federica Figalan), whose vulnerabilities are stirred at the arrival of a nosy, meddling housemaid (Gloria Austria). Orasyon was presented as a drama-suspense with the widow's nightmares and hallucinations serving as the "horror story" within this sad story of an old woman waiting for her son to come and visit her. Weekly he promises, weekly he lets her down. Daily she goes to church, sun up to sun down she prays and prays. I was so annoyed and disgusted with the housemaid, how she, in her younger age, imposes her opinions on the poor old woman and passes them off as truth. She proves to be a pain in the arse, from rearranging the house furniture to challenging the old woman's belief in prayers and in a higher power. It was unnerving how eventually this affects the already vulnerable mind of the protagonist and I was glad when the maid was finally kicked out. Towards the end, we see that at an unknown point in time (in the past), she almost gave up all hope, in that shed. I'm not sure if this was the dark secret in the summary that I've read from where I watched this, or there was something more that the shed represents, that the son refuses to come home. If not, then this is simply a very sad story of loneliness and abandonment. A good eye opener for all children, especially those with parents who are nearing their twilight years.

Orasyon won as Best Short Feature in the 2nd Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival (2006).

Short Film Review: Labada, No Passport Needed

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 06:54:00 +0000

Just my two cents on these two funny-in-their-own-way short stories:

Labada by Raz dela Torre

Mylene (Skyzx Labastilla), a part-time helper to Dr. De Jesus, a bachelor, joyfully lives out her roles as wife, mother and helper everyday until her tricycle driver-husband Edong started to act like he's nurturing a double life when he decided to do his rounds at night. Influenced by her friend Susie's (Thess Antonio) stories, (seeing Olga the ihaw-ihaw vendor give Edong free isaw; Susie's mother's never-ending wait for her "husband" which we later find out to be lies to save face; Showbiz' two-timing and bisexual nature brought about by need, a nod at the hush-hush, open secret ways of entering/obtaining projects/maintaining status in show business) Mylene plays Nancy Drew to catch her husband in the act.

Labada is a light-hearted look at infidelity, implied, assumed or realized. While not really gut-bustingly funny and sometimes bordering on silly, the short film proved its point and the heroine at the end decided that this was a battle she chooses not to fight. I was entertained.

Rating: 4 stars

No Passport Needed by Pepe Diokno

Dexter (Bodjie Pascua) is a fugitive. He pays a businessman to sneak him out of the country, "no passport needed". There was a catch that was easy to predict (or maybe easier these days versus 10 years ago), yet still has shock value. In this dark comedy, the businessman wins it all. I'd try to dissect the metaphor, but I shall stop here.

Rating: 3 stars

Both films were screened and competed during the 2nd Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2006.

Short Film Review: Mansyon

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 06:54:00 +0000

Mansyon (directed by Joel Ruiz and produced by Cinemalaya and Arkeomedia) depicts the experiences of a middle-aged couple, housemaid Dolores (Roselyn Perez) and her gardener husband Ambo (Jess Evardone) during their three-month stint as caretakers of a large, plush mansion while the owners are away on vacation. The first few weeks went by with the couple dutifully carrying out their chores, seemingly oblivious to the affluence covered by white sheets. A few accidental drops of perfume opened long-hidden aspirations quieted by their awareness of their place and role in society, and as it was in the beginning, Eve took the bite/bait. Adam was tempted and eventually gave in as well. For the following weeks, fantasy became reality if only for a while. Years were subtracted from their ages, and love was rekindled between them. However, their bliss was cut short by the unexpected return of the mansion's owners (could be deliberate to test the faithfulness of the caretakers). The film stirs the audience's emotions, and one can sympathize with the couple, as this was the closest they could get to living out their dreams. I loved the way the film ended, with the couple smiling at each other. This experience will be tucked away, to be brought out every now and then in their future conversations of "Remember when...". An inside joke, privy only to them. Overall, a great film with impressive visuals, music, flow, and the right length and pace.

Mansyon won Best Short Film in the 1st Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2005, nominated as Best Short Film in Gawad Urian, and was an official selection in several festivals and screenings: Cinemanila, Fribourg (Sweden), Singapore, New York Asian-American, Pesaro (Italy), Hawaii, and Mumbai Third Eye Film Festivals.

Short Film Review: Blood Bank

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 04:58:00 +0000

Blood Bank tells the story of a trio whose realities intertwine, conflicted and lonely as they are, smack dab in the city. Des (Rose de Leon), the central character, suffers from aplastic anemia and requires weekly blood transfusion. Her thoughts, mostly bleak and tired, give the audience a peek at how she had been living her life. She ran away from family and loved ones, preferring to extend her life as long as she could in solitude, hanging onto her jewelry that she pawns for her sustenance. That bit in which she compared herself to garbage moved me:

"Isang taon na ako sa mala-ermitanyo kong buhay. Ewan. Siguro likas na sa akin ang magpaalis ng mga taong malapit sa akin. Talent ko yun eh. Para akong isang tumpok ng basura na umaalingasaw. Lahat ng napapalapit sa akin, napapaalis ko dahil hindi nila makayanan ang amoy. Palagay ko, ang naaamoy nila ay ang nabubulok kong kaluluwa. Siguro nga, dahil katawan ko na lang itong nabubuhay. Wala na akong nararamdaman o hinahangad. Kailan kaya ako mamamatay?"

Emma (Ian Victor/Ian Galliguez), Des' only friend, is a medical technician at a blood bank whose love for her family pushed her to make a choice for (her and) their benefit. Cleto (Marvel Julian), a mugger whose latest victim was Des, visits the clinic to donate his blood (surprise, surprise, they match. Oh fate.) to atone for his sins. Des' recurring dreams of vampires calling out to the trio, persuading them to join the rest of the world, served as symbolic parallel/omen to subsequent events.

The black and white medium was effective in enabling us to focus on the characters. It also gave the vibe that this was how the trio viewed their lives: colorless, bleak. At least it was for them all, until the second character did what she did, putting finality over one's fate, and uncertainty on another's. This brief snippet of present-day realities demonstrate that we are either/neither sinner or/nor saint and that our lives are a series of the choices that we make, the aftereffects of which we have to live with and take responsibility for.

Pam Miras’ Blood Bank won as Best Screenplay during the 1st Cinemalaya Film Festival in 2005 under the Short Film category and as Best Philippine Short Film at the .MOV Digital Film Festival. It was also screened in Singapore and Italy, competed at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in France, and was part of the official selection at the Emirates Film Festival, New York Filipino Film Festival, Indie Halo Halo in Kuala Lumpur and at the Cinemanila International Film Festival in Manila.

Book Review: Blue Is The Warmest Color by Julie Maroh

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 06:32:00 +0000

Blue Is The Warmest Color

by Julie Maroh

"Oh that graphic novel that the movie with the extensive lesbian sex scene was based on?"

I haven't watched the French film yet, but this graphic novel deserves accolades of its own.

Does it depict romance between two women? Yes.

Does it include lesbian sex in its pages? Yes.

Does the story revolve around these two topics? No.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

"What if, irrespective of gender, our souls find each other, recognize one another, come to love each other?"

- own musing

Blue Is The Warmest Color is a fast, engaging and bittersweet ride. It's also quite short that I was able to finish it in an hour. One could take less time to read it but I would stop every once in a while and let my brain pick at the words and dwell in the emotional pool that the story drew me into.

The novel is posthumously told in Clementine's (fight the urge to sing... "Oh my darling... Oh my darling... Oh my darling... Clementine) point of view, first through a letter to her lover Emma, and subsequently narrating with flashbacks from her journal dating back to her high school days, the prime of her self-discovery. Emma, per Clementine's dying wish for her parents to allow her to gain ownership of her diaries, reads them and we're able to peek into the mind of Clementine as she experiences the pain, alienation, and confusion regarding her identity and developing feelings towards another woman. The words were Clementine's, but it was Emma's imagination and recollection that makes up the novel, I believe.

The heart of this book is not about homosexual love per se, but about a girl entering womanhood with fear of being alienated as she struggles with her identity. Clementine's voice is that of a wide-eyed, excitable, curious, haphazard teenager, which might remind the majority a little of their younger selves. As a young adult still shedding off some juvenile and idealistic tendencies (and having an INFP personality helps as well), I can still tap into Clem's emotional monologue and thinking patterns. Her internal turmoil (homosexual feelings and desires are wrong, wrong, WRONG but it feels so right and within her arms I am home. My parents are homophobic, my friends will mock me and hate me.) is relatable to "newborns" of today.

It's important to note that blue-haired Emma knew Clementine was not strictly homosexual (she could've been an unaware bisexual which she explored quite late into the novel) and that she chose to love her who just happened to be a woman. In part, Clementine reminded me of the protagonist in Every Day by David Levithan, though much less self-aware and self-accepting. Her reading of Clementine's diary is her most intimate reconnection with her after her death, as she has probably learned about who the Emma of those days was in Clem's eyes and heart for the first time.

Emma on the other hand, had her own dilemma in the beginning. She was caught in between what could be true love and her indebtedness to her first love, Sabine. It was Sabine who helped her through her own identity crisis and her social life started with her butch partner's group. She was afraid to dive into the uncertain, initially preferring the safer choice despite her growing unhappiness over her lover's emotional blackmail and infidelity.

Towards the end, the drama escalated. Part one of the climax was when Clem's parents found out about them. The absence of dialogue and reliance on facial expressions and frenzied bodily movement were effective. To a reader that could relate, they could easily fill in with words their own loved ones have said that hurt them. Part two of the climax was Clementine's irreversible mistake. Unable to deal with stark reality (abandonment by her parents, growing distance/misunderstanding/miscommunication with Emma) and still being unable to reconcile her love for Emma and her sexual identity, Clementine commits infidelity. Whether it was an experiment/attempt to change her preference or to divert her feelings (for social/parental acceptance), an act of rebellion against Emma's prodding for her to finally embrace who she has become (Emma was still a passionate participant in sociopolitical activism of the LGBTQ community while in contrast, Clementine treats her sexual identity as a private matter), or a momentary escape from the reality that her choice led her to, we can only speculate.

Present and most recent events in the graphic novel were in color, while past events were in sepia, black and white peppered with blue to denote the most important details/turning points of Clementine's life. Also, the change from blue to a life full of yellow (Emma's hair included. Ironically, yellow is the warmer color) symbolized the estrangement that was slowly creeping up to the lovers' bed. And using blue over any other color made the best possible title. Blue is commonly thought of as a cool color, creating a good oxymoron in the title. Blue is also associated with sadness, thus it meshes well with the melancholic tone of the novel. It was her love for the blue-haired girl that led to her isolation, and it was the same blue-haired girl's love that kept her warm.

When they were reunited at the beach (care of the awesome best friend Valentin [aptly named] who was Clem's anchor and sounding board), Clem seemingly had a hallucination of a phantom child while Emma was making a sandcastle. Could it represent her aspirations of creating a family with Emma?

While the ending is tragic, allow me to romanticize Clementine's death as the means to finding her peace. At the age of 30, she was stuck in limbo and unaccepting of her own self, resulting to a life in which she cannot fully appreciate Emma anymore. It was hinted that death was by slow suicide (addiction to prescription pills which lead to arterial pulmonary hypertension). While I didn't actually cry, I felt for both women's loss.

All in all, the graphic novel is a good social commentary to a lukewarm acceptance ("tolerance", selectivity and veiled repulsion included) of the LGBTQ community (or to any assumed social deviant) by the current supposedly radical/liberal/modern generation. It's a powerful telling of youth's sexual awakening, a mix of teenage fear and courage to love against discrimination, and how hard reality can bite in the butt.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Some of the best quotes in the graphic novel:

“If I had been a guy, Clem would have fallen in love with me anyway.” - Emma

"Only love will save the world. Why would I be ashamed to love?" - Emma

"And little by little, I understood that there were many types of love. We do not choose the one we fall in love with, and our perception of happiness is our own and is determined by what we experience…" - Emma

"What would you do?"- Clementine
"I would follow my heart." - Valentin

"Maybe this is eternal love, this mixture of peace and fire." - Emma

"Emma... you asked me if i believed in eternal love. Love is something way too abstract and indefinable. It depends on what we perceive and what we experience. If we don’t exist, it doesn’t exist. And we change so much; love must change as well. Love catches fire, it trespasses, it breaks, we break, it comes back to life… we come back to life. Love may not be eternal, but it can make us eternal. Beyond death, the love that we shared continues to live.” - Clementine

Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 10:14:00 +0000

Me Before You

by Jojo Moyes

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

My Thoughts:

Writing about a taboo topic is a big challenge. These days, many young/new and seasoned writers alike have been tackling difficult issues in their novels. Coming of age novels have taken on a dark tone, discussing suicide, juvenile delinquency, mental health issues, dealing with death of loved ones, rape, abuse and the like. Me Before You is one of such books, though mixing in the romance lightened the overall tone of the story. I found myself more appreciative of the slow-burning romance approach in books lately than the unrealistic love-at-first-sight that used to thrill me in my early teens. And that is what we have between Louisa Clark and Will Traynor. The ending is something that many can debate on over and over again and still not come up with a winner. Which was the more compassionate route? Has one broken a moral code or God's law by granting someone's wish if he thinks that his choice is the best for him? Personally, I wouldn't know what to choose if it were to happen to me. Irreversible choices can be the biggest mistake, relief or blessing that we can make and have. Will made his choice. His parents chose to support him. In the end, Louisa did that as well, even if it meant that her heart would die too. The journey in the book was definitely more pleasant and had cutesy, heartwarming moments (bumblebee tights, concert date in a red cleavage-bearing dress, Mauritius, and for goodness' sake: shaving and a haircut). Yes, even Will's mother's internal struggles with letting her son go or making him stay makes a mark.

The title itself is a giveaway. To me it could be interpreted in several ways.

Me Before You as Louisa standing before Will; their meeting, her choice to stay with him, convince him to change his mind, and be there beside him until the end. (This is me before you.)

Me Before You as Louisa and Will showing each other who they were prior to the changes they've undergone as they spent more and more time with each other. (This was me, before you.)

Me Before You is Will's putting his choice before the love he had found in Louisa. Was he selfish? Yet he wanted the best life for Louisa, always egging her on to go outside of the shell she has chosen to dwell in. (Me. Before you.)

Heartwarming, tearjerker, heartbreaking, thought-provoking. Me Before You is all that and more.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

P.S. Anyone who will watch the movie when it comes out in June? I think Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin are perfect for the title roles.☺

P.P.S. Out of love for the book, I ate a Mars chocolate bar and drank Pinot Grigio (After You reference, which is part of my currently reading pile) about a month ago.

P.P.P.S. I want my own bumblebee tights so bad.

Book Review: Everything Leads To You by Nina LaCour

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Wed, 18 Nov 2015 17:16:00 +0000

Everything Leads To You
By Nina LaCour

A wunderkind young set designer, Emi has already started to find her way in the competitive Hollywood film world.

Emi is a film buff and a true romantic, but her real-life relationships are a mess. She has desperately gone back to the same girl too many times to mention. But then a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend leads Emi to Ava. Ava is unlike anyone Emi has ever met. She has a tumultuous, not-so-glamorous past, and lives an unconventional life. She’s enigmatic…. She’s beautiful. And she is about to expand Emi’s understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

My Thoughts:

Everything Leads To You gives a glimpse of life behind the camera, through the eyes of Emi, an intern (high school student, and soon enough, graduate) as set designer of a production team for a big movie. The team brings movies to life by giving color, lighting, props, texture, sound and the right ambiance to every scene. These people work hard, dodging deadlines, pulling strings, committing locations, scoring deals for props, the whole shebang, so that the viewer could have the best visual and auditory experience while watching the film.

Eherm, Back to Emi. She was in charge of the female protagonist's room, in which a pivotal scene would take place. She has a keen eye for detail, and she believes that surroundings help in defining a character by even the subtlest details that hint at interests/personality/living situation. Her passion and dedication to her craft is evident in the novel. Too evident that she loses herself and comes to a point of disillusionment and frustration when her naive sense of ownership of her contributed work was shattered by her boss' decision to replace the most important piece that she swallowed her pride for to acquire. I love that the main character is driven and passionate, fully aware of what she wants to do with her life. I love that when the opportunity presented itself (indie film), she dove into it, unsure at first, but eventually trusting herself, building confidence that she could make things happen. I love that while her family members' careers are interconnected, the paths she and her brother Toby (location scout) were taking were not forced on them. Still, we can imagine the heavy influence that their parents and living smack dab in Hollywood gave them while they were growing up.

This is not a coming out story. There are some novels out there that tackle just that if you're looking for such. From the start of the novel, everyone knows Emi's preference and the 'rents, bruh, and BFF are cool with it. However, let me just say that while I approve of Emi's drive and ambition, I kenet. I repeat. I kenet take her stupidity when it came to her love life. The saying "Matalino, pero bobo sa pag-ibig" rang so true for her character. But who the hell are we kidding right? Some of us had been in her shoes, once or twice in our youth (Sadly, this can definitely carry over to our "developed, emotionally stable" adult years).

Fate is laid thick and heavy in this novel (duh, please see title), involving a deceased cowboy actor, a letter, an apartment, a baby, an aspiring actress' best friend, and a shitload of money. Read it if you want to know how that all worked out.

I actually liked how the author (warning: spoilers begin from here) did not give us a rushed romance. The characters were well-fleshed out, and with each discovery and experience, we see their growth in how they responded to each new situation. Emi, being the romantic movie nut that she was, saw Ava first as a mystery to be solved, a project to put it bluntly, coated with the illusion of happiness promised by the glamour and wealth of Hollywood. There's this passage (Emi: I want to apologize for not realizing sooner that what I felt in Clyde’s study was not the beginning of a mystery or a project. She was never something waiting to be solved. All she is– all she’s ever been– is a person trying to live a life.) that reminded me quite a bit about John Green's Paper Towns (Quentin: Margo was not a miracle. She was not an adventure. She was not a fine and precious thing. She was a girl.). I wonder if that was a nod or just a coincidence, or a common theme on breaking down the manic pixie dream girl trope.

Ava, oh Ava. I cannot describe how much my heart bled for this girl. She represented atonement and hope in this novel.

Charlotte, Emi's BFF and future sis-in-law, is that awesome, frank, and truly caring best friend who looks out for Emi in dealing with matters of the heart and in keeping her sane whenever shit hit the fan. I loved how she would act only half-civil around Morgan and couldn't help dissing her. *glee*

Morgan, while sucking at even trying to love Emi, has to be given credit for helping Emi out best she could, and for believing in our main protagonist's talent. Emi acknowledged at the latter part of the novel that as a coworker/collaborator, she knew she could depend on Morgan. I admire how this nod on the complexity of relationships was tackled in the novel. I'm pretty sure Emi knew she'll have Morgan in her heart forever, though not romantically, and that was okay.

Going back to the romance between Emi and Ava, it wasn't rushed and it felt authentic. Friendship was allowed to grow, with just a hint of flirtation and tension brought about by their reservations (1. at first not knowing if the other liked girls, 2. trust issues from former relationships and 3. Ava's familial identity crisis), leading to... what? The ending was not a period. It was an ellipsis. It was a promise of a great love story waiting to happen.

For me, this was a vivid, poetically-written novel, light and funny, moderately heavy and heart-tugging at the right pace and places. It's about chasing after your dreams, good family relations, friendship, forgiveness and reconciliation, self-discovery, hope, realization of self-worth in relationships, love, and fate. Fate, definitely.

Favorite Quotes:

“Because in the conversation beneath this one, what we're really saying is I am an imperfect person. Here are my failures. Do you want me anyway?” - Em

"When you love someone, you are sure. You don’t need time to decide. You don’t say stop and start over and over, like you’re playing some kind of sport. You know the immensity of what you have and you protect it.” - Emi

“There are no scenes in life, there are only minutes. And none are skipped over and they all lead to the next.” - Emi

"When you really want to find someone, it isn't that hard. I should have known all along that she wasn't looking. I feel so stupid." - Ava; "There's nothing stupid about wanting to be loved." - Emi

"As much as I wanted a love story out of a movie, I know now that movies can only hope to capture this kind of love.” - Emi

“We love films because they make us feel something. They speak to our desires, which are never small. They allow us to escape and to dream and to gaze into eyes that are impossibly beautiful and huge. They fill us with longing. But also. They tell us to remember; they remind us of life. Remember, they say, how much it hurts to have your heart broken. Remember about death and suffering and the complexities of living. Remember what it is like to love someone. Remember how it is to be loved. Remember what you feel in this moment. Remember this. Remember this.” - Em

"Her hair is straight, falling over her shoulders. Her eyes are lined with shimmery brown eyeliner and her lips are shining. I will be able to make toast for her in the mornings. I will do my best to get it right." - Emi

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Movie Review: Ruby Sparks

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 11:18:00 +0000

Photo Credit: rottentomatoes.com

I have mixed feelings about this movie. No I won't discuss the underlying feminist/anti-feminist themes the movie may or may not have. Just the shallower points heehee. Of course it started cutesy. What's it about? Phenomenal author of a great American novel lives a lonely life while experiencing major writer's block then gets inspired by a woman who visits him in a dream. Basically the movie started off with Calvin's (Paul Dano) reaction to seeing Ruby (Zoe Kazan) in the flesh and "out of his mind", his brother's initial disbelief and fascination upon meeting her, the start of their relationship.

Photo Credit: rottentomatoes.com

Upon coming into terms that she was "real", Calvin stopped writing about Ruby. After the visit to Calvin's mother and stepfather, the movie started to unravel the problems that arise in a normal relationship. Ruby's character fleshed out into something that Calvin had not written about, someone more real and herself, and without the use of his typewriter, Calvin did not have control over how she was feeling, what she was thinking, what her next decision would be. She began to move out of the persona Calvin had set in his mind for her to be his ideal girl. Then things started to get ugly. At first, when Calvin wrote about her again to make her revert back to his girlfriend preferences, it's presented in a light and funny manner. I do hope that when he decided to let her be, he had her welfare in mind and not because she was becoming a source of his discomfort (First attempt: he wanted her to need him so she became clingy to the point of depression at the slightest hint of his neglect. Second attempt: he wanted her to be cheerful, and she became happy and silly all the time to the point of his annoyance). I was disturbed and uncomfortable with the idea of a person having control over another's will and emotions.

I almost cried in the scene in which he showed her how he was the one creating and controlling everything that she is, everything about her. Kazan as Ruby did a great job eliciting sympathy from me. In a twisted way I pitied Calvin as well. As he was feverishly typing I could feel him being driven into madness by his own genius and his desperation to not be lonely again. That part was heavy!

He decided to set her free, and Ruby did leave. He wrote all about her in his next novel, without giving any personal information (as if there was much to give). In an attempt to make a happy ending Hollywood-style, Calvin, rather Scotty (his dog, named after F. Scott Fitzgerald), ran into, surprise...Ruby, who happened to have a copy of his latest novel. This girl he met didn't seem to have an idea who they were to each other not so long ago (I believe the time they were apart would only be a year or two at most), so I don't know if she's Ruby who had no inkling of the past and had created a new persona or if she's a real person who had just met him for the first time. I am inclined to believe it's the former. Suspension of disbelief, check. It seemed that Calvin had learned his lesson if I base it on his decision to let Ruby go and the romantic reflections he wrote in his book. So I guess all's well that ends well.

I like the movie because it touched on the nature of relationships (acceptance of a partner's flaws and thinking about his/her happiness and welfare) and the experiences writers undergo (triumph from a successful novel, suffering from writer's block, anxieties of coming up with another book to prove that he/she isn't a one-hit wonder, bursts of inspiration, sleepless nights of continuous writing). Despite the dark themes and the audience-pleasing conclusion, I enjoyed watching it.

As the credits rolled, I couldn't help thinking how true it is that before one can love another person, he must love himself first. Also, that love should not be imposed or forced to serve one's selfish ends. And that the perfect partner does not exist, only one who is willing to compromise, to share his/her life with you, and to make you happy.

Ruby Sparks on Rotten Tomatoes

Rating: ★★★★★

An Affair With Books... and Movies too!

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 09:28:00 +0000

Hey there to anyone who happens to read this blog! I decided to add movie reviews! I think that would work just fine since books do make crossovers to the silver screen.

I do want to tell you as early as now that I'm not a movie critic, and I would most likely not discuss the technical aspect such as if so and so had great acting chops or if the script and delivery were flawless, so please don't take my posts seriously. I would most likely be telling you how I felt and what I thought about the (characters/plot of the) movie. And also, I would most likely be peppering the movie reviews with lots of spoilers, so my apologies.

I think I would be blogging about the movies I've watched so I would remember how they made me feel, and the things I realized after watching them. I guess I'm sort of making a memory bank with this blog. I hope you don't take it against me.

On the literary front, I have read a few books in 2012, some of which are from the dystopian YA genre (I am getting so into it that I almost believed and prepared for the Mayan calendar end of the world hoax). I hope I will find the time to review them in the summer after my board exams. I do want to keep this blog alive.

And oh yeah, Happy New Year everyone!

First movie review in the next post!

Super quick update

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Sat, 14 Jul 2012 10:10:00 +0000

This blog is still alive! I've read a couple of books this year but I can't find the time to review them. #frustration

Hope I could do a review or two at least once a month. *crosses fingers*

Have a great day/evening, wherever you are in the world! ☺

I'm Selling Books(etc.)! ☺

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 16:34:00 +0000

I have made an online shop for the books and other reading materials I'm selling. I had set up one in Multiply late last year, but I guess I wouldn't be able to draw as much attention to it as my blog would (hopefully). Also, registering as a Multiply seller requires a bank account etc. and I don't want such complications. :P

The stuff I'm selling ranges from English novels to Archie comic books to Precious Hearts Romances pocketbooks (yeah I read those. Guilty pleasure. Hahaha! My favorite author is Belle Feliz. Next is Princess Faye. But I'm selling titles by other writers.). Please do check it out! Just click on the photo. If you're interested to buy anything, you can email me at shopmonsterpretty@gmail.com and I'll reply as soon as I can. ☺

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 13:45:00 +0000

Me, as a reader: I can read a book in a day or in a matter of hours if the story is very riveting, while it takes me days or even months to read something when I am bored to tears by the plot (yeah I have the patience to finish a book I started reading, however long it takes me to do so). However, when I read love stories and inspirational fiction (e.g. Sparks, Coelho), I tend to drink all that literary sweetness in, reflecting on the narration and the dialogue, causing a supposed quick read to extend to 2 or 3 days. :P

Moving on to the review...

First, I want to say thank you to Christy. I won this book from her second summer giveaway in the blog she and her friend Erica owns.☺ It arrived in the mail yesterday, and I was surprised to find a beautiful hardbound book from The Book Depository (I really hope shipping would still be free after being acquired by Amazon).

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Author: Beth Revis

Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Razorbill/Penguin Group

Release Date: January 1, 2011

Source: Book Depository, won from a giveaway

Blurb:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Alternate Blurb:

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends and planet behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship.
Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed’s scheduled landing, cryo-chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now Amy is caught inside a tiny world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed’s 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Eldest’s rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship’s cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets before whoever woke her tried to kill again.

Opening Line:

Daddy said, “Let Mom go first.” Mom wanted me to go first.

The cover:

I am a sucker for anything with a magical and dreamy feel. The stars, plus the colors, the couple in the middle... I like it very much. It gives you the feel of how vast the universe is and how two persons are brought together by whatever (impressions prior to reading. :P).

The plot:

What would it feel like to wake up in a place where people looked the same, thought the same, felt the same (which is, nothing)? A place where people do not know and do not have love, compassion, free will, and all the other things that make us human? An enclosed ship where a society changed by time and necessity lives?

Feeling alone in a time and environment light years away from the things she's ever known, Amy struggles to keep herself together as she, with the help of Elder, unveils the truth behind the organized and blindly obedient society run by Eldest while trying to find a murderer. Amy feels claustrophobic in Godspeed (ironically, people do not recognize God nor practice religion in the ship) and having experienced living on Earth, she knows that everything in the present is just a cheap imitation of the life she left. Another irony is that "normal" people are labeled as "insane" in Godspeed. I don't want to give any more spoilers. Read the book to find out! :P

This is the first dystopian YA novel I've ever read. A mixture of sci-fi, suspense, and romance, this book is unputdownable. The story is told from two points of view, those of the male and female protagonists. Contrary to most people who found the book dragging, I found the pace quite okay. Maybe I've become more patient over the years. I was excited for Amy to wake up already, though. :P I found myself wanting to write my own version of some parts of the story, but I'm good with the plot overall. There were times I overthought what would happen next when the answers were actually predictable, but there were also moments that I was surprised by the twists.

The setting:

Time: 250 years into the future, from whatever year Amy was frozen.

Place: Let the photo speak for itself.

The characters:

Amy swings back and forth between being a strong-willed character to a crying mess. I couldn't blame her entirely given the weirdness of all she's witnessing. If I were her, I would've gone mad already. Though I haven't noted the exact time frame in the story from the moment she woke up, I think it took place in less than a week. However, I am neutral about her character. I don't hate her, but I don't like her that much either. I just find it hard to empathize with her. I hope her character develops in the next book enough for me to like her. Towards the end, the reader is given hints that Amy has reached a better understanding of her situation, that there was no going back, that she is somehow close to accepting her fate no matter how painful, and that she wants to take part in the changes that the civilization in the ship will undergo.

Elder started to question Eldest's credibility when he knew that lie behind the stars. He became more observant and less trusting of the current leader with every lie he discovered. He has the potential of being a just and effective leader (in Earth's standards) but with his youth (16 years old) and the heavy influence of all the things he's ever known to work, he questions his ability to rule. There were times that he was so distracted with Amy that he could forget about Godspeed! I am imagining how he looks like in my mind's eye. :P

Harley was kind-hearted, emo, a romantic, gifted, and a very good friend. I almost cried when "he chose to be among the stars".

Eldest - I just included him here because I want to stress that I pity him. He did what he thought was best for everyone, lying to the people, removing their freedom to choose, using science to control and manipulate them, giving them false hopes, emulating Hitler. He wanted to pass this ideology on to Elder, but he was also power-hungry and did not want to let go of his position until his death. But you got to give him props for having that kind of conscience. Also, because of him, you would question yourself if you would make the same decisions he made. The situation in the ship also blurs the definition of right (necessity vs. being morally correct).

Writing:

Beth Revis writes awesome sauce, given that this is her debut novel (2011). She writes in a refreshing manner, refusing to be cliche and overly romantic early on in the first book. She wrote a page-turner, and I really couldn't stop reading until I finished the book.

Overall:

I love the cover, I like the plot, I wasn't bored reading it.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ (I would've given it 5 if the characters were more loveable. :P)

P.S.

At first I thought that the novel felt open-ended. I was okay with it being open-ended, but I was relieved when I learned that this was the first story in a trilogy! So, that's why the romantic scenes were that few! So, that's why Elder is still torn and undecided on how to lead the people.

Will Elder turn out to be righteous? Will Amy still see her parents? Ultimately, will Godspeed ever reach its destination? I definitely want to find out.

Extras:

Watch this book trailer! ☺

Read the first chapter here.

So excited for A Million Suns! ♥

Movie Trailers: One Day

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:26:00 +0000

A book that I have been wanting to read for a long time is now a movie! One Day by David Nicholls is one of the much raved about books by book bloggers, and I would like to read it for myself. I won a $15 credit in Book Depository via a giveaway (yey!) and I immediately thought of this book. ☺

The movie adaptation stars Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess and will be released August 2011. From the trailer alone, I'm guessing I would love this movie. I've made early plans with some friends, and I hope that would push through! I've heard that this involves themes of friends-with-benefits (oops, not very wholesome) and unrequited love, so it's not advisable to watch this with your best friend you have feelings for! :P

Here are two trailers (official and UK) that I got from Youtube.

So will you watch it, wait for it on DVD, or skip it?

And if you happen to have read the book, please give me your thoughts on it, without giving spoilers of course! Thanks in advance! ☺

Book Review: Every Girl's Guide to Flings

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:32:00 +0000

Every Girl's Guide to Flings by Marla Miniano

Because bad girls fall in love too.

In her high heels, short skirts, and purple eyeliner, Rickie is known as the wayward friend of good girls Anna and Chrissy. Her string of meaningless flings, happening parties, and more boys lining up to ask her out make her the envy of every teenage girl—till she sets her sights on a very bad idea: Anna's ex. Is Rickie headed for disaster? Or will she finally fall in love and get her very own happy ending?

Rule number 1: Know where to start.

Rule number 2: Trust your instincts.

Rule number 3: Don't take things too seriously.

Rule number 4: Mistakes do not make up for other mistakes.

Rule number 5: Learn to take risks.

Rule number 6: All's fair in love and war.

Rule number 7: Know where it all ends.

Rule number 8: Be open to finding yourself.

Rule number 9: Change is inevitable.

Rule number 10: Sometimes, a fling can lead to The Real Thing.

My thoughts:

Okay. I admit. I am in love with this character. Rickie is the party girl of the trio, the one who never gets serious with a guy, the one with flings you need all of your fingers and toes to count. She's the intruder to Anna and Chrissy's longtime friendship. She's the daughter who is not as talented, pretty, and ma-PR as her older sister, Lexie. She stays out late at night to party with her gay friend Bryan and to hook up with boys. Eventually, she chose to be with Jaime, Anna's ex, much to the chagrin of her friends. It didn't last though, because of Rickie's commitment issues. Rickie turned out to sincerely like Jaime and in a confrontation-for-closure scene she acknowledged the fact that she could have chosen to be with him but she chose to walk away. One weekend changed her perspective on life and love when she learned how her sister Lexie chose not to pursue a relationship with Timmy (Anna's brother), even if they liked each other because it was the right thing to do. I like the fact that Rickie realized that she shouldn't be looking elsewhere for affection, because she had the right people (family and friends) with her to give her the love that she needs if only she chooses to let them in and have a sincere relationship with them. She learned to value herself, respect herself, and see herself as a person who deserves something serious and who is capable of something serious. I sort of related to her character in this vein. I loved that the author was able to let her character speak in this candid, unpretentious voice. Rickie seems to be the type to tell it like it is. Gah, I just love her. I'm confident she and Diego ended up happily as a couple. Rickie, no longer lonely. ☺

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ ☺

Quotable quotes:

I think maybe if you become accustomed to not caring, it becomes your default solution to every problem and your default reaction to every situation. And maybe if people become accustomed to you not caring, they think you can just breeze through life and let things like these roll off your back. (pages 16-17)

Friendships with girls will always be tinged with rivalry, no matter what. There will always be someone who is prettier and sexier and more popular with the boys, and this will always be a cause of resentment for whoever's not as pretty and sexy and popular. Nobody will readily admit to this, but this unspoken rivalry is always lurking in the background, a race towards scoring the most stylish clothes and the most expensive shoes and the best-looking boyfriends first. (pages 20-21)

So yes, I am used to hearing this from guys. What I'm not used to, however, is not being in control enough to be flattered by their affection, or thrilled with their attention. What I'm not used to is feeling ashamed knowing I intentionally made a guy feel this way, knowing I expertly executed all my tricks in order to bring him to this point. I don't want commitment. I don't want a meaningful relationship, I don't want patience and compromise and a constant effort to make things work. I want a mindless fling, a whirlwind romance devoid of responsibilities and obligations. I want to start something with someone, but I want to make sure I don't stay in it long enough to ruin it. I want someone who plans to enjoy it, but has no plans of making it last either. I want someone who wants the same things I do, someone who gets it. (pages 52-53)

Quite a few guys have done this to me, stammering their way through an explanation that things just aren't working out anymore before hanging up, and I can't really blame them for not wanting to look straight into my eyes as they tell me they want nothing more to do with me. I know how much courage it takes to let someone down in person, to endure the dumper-dumpee awkwardness in the flesh. I also know that courage would have been easier to summon if I were fighting for a meaningful relationship, because courage is often fueled by the need to do the right, noble thing. (pages 59-60)

When people say they don't want to get into a relationship, it should never be taken at face value because it is never really the whole truth. It is usually a vast collection of issues and fears and complications, forced to the surface to conceal one tiny hope lurking underneath it all: that someday, somebody will come along to discover and accept and strengthen that feeble hope. (page 94)

Because there is always a choice. We make hundreds of choices every single day; every moment is a choice---wake up or sleep for five more minutes, sit down for breakfast or skip it, slow down or speed up, listen in class or daydream, study or procrastinate, take an active risk or leave it all to fate. (page 101)

I find myself smiling, and I realize how much I admire her for doing the right thing, for knowing better than I did. There are no bright stage lights, no beautiful gowns, no handsome prince, no applauding audience. But I am proud of her now, in the exact same way I was all those years ago. And maybe all is lost---maybe we have always respected and loved each other all this time, but have just been too caught up in our own lives to make room for one another. We look at each other and I find myself wanting to bridge the distance, wanting to someday make her proud of me, too. (page 118)

Most of the time, change is something you have to work on, something that does not happen overnight. It is a conscious effort, and your life will not change unless you allow it to. (page 123)

I learned to accept that for years, my relationships with my family and friends have been nothing more than flings---selfish and fleeting and devoid of any real meaning or commitment. I learned to make the most of the relationships I already share with the people who matter, instead of always searching for something more with people who will never treat me the way I deserve to be treated. I learned to live, and I learned to love. (pages 124-125)

What I love about Miguel is that he does all these things for Anna for no special reason at all---I think that's what makes a relationship work, the quiet, everyday efforts rather than the loud, grand gestures. (page 128)

I am fascinated by the curious mix of betrayal and attraction and desperation and revenge and forgiveness, and I wonder how you can ever know for sure that something was a mistake---some mistakes, when given time, turn out to be blessings in disguise. (page 130)

And it was true: I don't regret any of it. It was a wake-up call, and it was a good thing it happened sooner rather than later. Right now, I am just basking in the promise of starting over, building myself up to be the best person I can be. And when someone else does come along, I will be ready. (pages 130-131)

I wonder if he misses me, because now that I am over him enough, I can admit that sometimes, yes, I do miss him. I think missing someone you liked in the past is normal, as long as it doesn't interfere with your present. I think anybody who says they don't miss their exes and pseudo-exes at all is a big fat liar. (page 136)

Let's end by saying that the way I feel for Diego is something I guess I have been feeling for a while now, and that it is strong and scary enough to make me want to run away, but also real and wonderful enough to make me want to stay. (page 143)

Let's begin with this: He jumps down from the ladder and holds his hand out to me. I take it, and take the leap. (page 143)

Book Review: Every Girl's Guide to Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:49:00 +0000

Every Girl's Guide to Boys by Marla Miniano

Because two boys wanting you isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Chrissy thinks her life is problem free (she even sets up an online advice column to make use of all her good girl talent) till her best friend, the boy she's been in love with since she was maybe five, comes back from the US. Now this would be a good thing if she wasn't already in an unofficial, sort-of relationship with her long-time crush Nathan. Is it finally time for Chrissy to trash her good girl image and follow her gut? Or is she making the biggest mistake of her life?

Because I am so passionate about this "trilogy", I shall write as much spoilers as I can. I really am sorry about this Ms. Marla Miniano, but you are one heck of a talented writer.

Rule number 1: Not having (boy) problems is A Good Thing

The story opens with Chrissy describing how other people see her as a girl who has no problems at all which is probably due to her being a responsible, well-adjusted, level-headed, and mature-for-her-age teenager. She chooses to spend time with family than partying with friends on weekends. She has good grades and she has no record of ever being in trouble. Sounds like one of your girl friends right? Or maybe it sounds a bit like you, reader of this blog post. ☺

Rule number 2: Gather Information

Where the cutesy begins. ☺ Chrissy and friend-bordering-on-romantic-territory Nathan were in the car with the latter giving her the cold treatment. I found it funny 'cause I used to do that fake texting-a-cute-guy-and-letting-kilig-show-on-my-face when a crush was around. Well I grew out of it eventually. Heck, I was doing it in college. Not in high school. College. It was time to grow out of it! Hay, us females and our schemes. Back to the story, we learn that Chrissy owns a week-old online advice column/blog, which I so wanted to have for a long time now (as an anonymous writer of course), helping other teens with their problems about school, family, friends, and of course, love. We learn that Chrissy is a generous soul with a lot of good insight (chalk it up to her being mature for her age). Then mystery commenter "N" comes shaking everything up when it's revealed that he's Nico, a guy significant to our little protagonist's life.

Rule number 3: Know their strengths and weaknesses.

Nico was the first guy to break her heart. Her first best friend. A dinner date with Nico made Chrissy throw caution to the wind, pushing to the farthest corner of her mind the good things about Nathan, thinking that nothing else mattered but being with the love of her life. But he's back now. Here. With me. Chrissy is torn between an unresolved past and an unresolved present, utterly confused about which guy to choose.

A funny line from this chapter:

"At that time, I did not have a concrete concept of crushes yet, but I knew I didn't like it when he spent Friday afternoons with Rebecca, a girl in his class who had shoulder-length silky locks, eyelashes that would automatically bat themselves at anything male that moved, and the longest legs I had ever seen on a fourteen-year-old." Friday. Rebecca. Get it? Get it? Haha. And no, this book was published way before Rebecca Black's Youtube fame.

Rule number 4: When in doubt, procastinate.

Chrissy tries to do everything she could to put off making a decision. But after a surprise late night visit, Chrissy appears to be leaning towards choosing Nico. Notable in this chapter is her relationship with her Dad, whose face lights up every time he sees her. Ah, parents' unconditional love. I love that it was mentioned here that she doesn't always say "po" and "opo" to her parents because sometimes it feels funny and forced. Well, I could relate. For me, it's not a sign of disrespect. I think it shows the closeness between child and parent.

Rule number 5: Follow instructions.

Nico tells Chrissy that they should take things slow. Anna and Rickie (Chrissy's friends) are obviously siding with Nathan. Nathan is in bad shape yet never forgets to be nice to Chrissy. Nico's bad traits are slowly creeping their way up to the surface.

Rule number 6: Learn to listen.

A touching opening to the chapter is Chrissy being a sweet older sister to Justin who was crying because Gio, his playmate, has left for Cebu for good. Chrissy and friends make up. Justin, in his tender age, asks Chrissy why she stopped loving Nathan and if they are friends. Chrissy confronts Nico about not having commitment and ends up having her first kiss.

Rule number 7: Be honest with yourself.

Chrissy tells her friends about The Kiss. She learns from Miguel that Nathan is going out with Queenie Cooper. Fans bombard her blog with sympathetic comments. Chrissy replies coolly but between the lines, readers will see jealousy silently and secretly simmering.

Rule number 8: Pay attention to technicalities.

Enzo, Nico's cousin is in town. In a mini dress and killer heels, Chrissy learns that what she wants doesn't always mean what she needs. She gets drunk and who comes to the rescue? Nathan. The next day, she suffers from a hangover, and Nico's there to pick her up to take Enzo to the beach. Nico weaved a little tale to get her parents to agree to an overnight trip. What a very good influence, this guy.

Rule number 9: Know your boundaries.

Chrissy counts the pluses and minuses of the trip and gets hit in the face when Nico said he was glad she's his friend. They were found out by Chrissy's parents and she accepts the consequences. She lets go of Nico.

Rule number 10: Open your eyes to the infinite possibilities.

Chrissy spends her time being grounded wisely by making it up to her parents and her little brother. She sees sketches of her drawn by Nathan.

My thoughts:

Nathan did not have a lot of exposure in the story but it was understandable for me. The focus here is on Chrissy and her realizations about life and love. Even a girl with a good head on her shoulders would experience some bumps in the road (yes life doesn't play favorites) that would cause her to act differently. Ultimately, the experience made her realize the things that truly matter to her, making her humble to admit her mistakes and poor choices (she's a teenager, so give her a break). We see the development of her character where in some parts she becomes a bit selfish and heartless while trying to sound very practical about it. Still, she speaks in a voice of someone who is truthful enough to admit that she doesn't exactly know what she's doing. I really liked the parting statement. I'm quite embarrassed to say that I'm turning 21 but it feels like I haven't learned anything about life yet and that I'd like to borrow the words of a sixteen-year-old girl. But I will borrow them. "I am still learning."

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Quotable Quotes (Homaygas, Ms. Miniano's way with words!):

I've had my heart broken by the occasional guy who won't like me back, but have never harbored a grudge and have always believed that true love is worth the wait. (page 9)

Nico never promised to return, and I have never taken this against him. But I think deep down, I have always been waiting. (page 28)

The ride home was quick and quiet. He took my hand without the slightest tinge of hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like it was something he had always been meaning to do. Like he had never been gone. I didn't have to lean forward and stare at my painted fingernails for him to get the hint. I didn't even have to wait. He knew. I guess he always had. (page 33)

But at this moment, I do not know that I want . I cannot even make a list of the pros and cons of being with Nathan versus being with Nico, because who they are and what they mean to me are already starting to blend into each other, the edges and boundaries blurring into a massive wad of indecision that I will never fully grasp. (pages 34-35)

Because it is easy and logical enough to decide between what is right or wrong, or what your mind is saying versus what your heart is feeling---but how do you decide between two things you value in a similar manner and an almost equal amount? It is simple enough to let go of the past in favor of the present, but now that Nico is back and I realize that I'm genuinely thrilled about it, I don't know where that leaves Nathan. I don't know where that leaves me. (page 35)

If it was imperative for him to blame somebody, I wanted him to blame Nico---because based on the twisted logic of teenage romance, blaming the third party meant you are willing to put up a fight to save the relationship, or whatever was left of it. Because ultimately, it meant you were willing to forgive, to forget. To stay. (page 36)

It hits me now that I am actually part of a real live love triangle, and to think I have never even believed in love triangles. For me, it goes like this: You are attracted to one person, period. If you're lucky, he ends up being into you, too. And if someone else on the outside likes you, then that's his problem because he is not even part of the equation. There are only two points, and they can either intersect (it works out and you live happily ever after) or remain parallel to one another (it doesn't work out and you go your separate ways, blaming one another for your miserable existence). There is no third point, and there are no three sides. There is no freakin' triangle formed. (page 41)

Now something that hit me. Chrissy's answer in her advice to a certain Romeo.

But this is what I think: the reason she's trying to rebuild the friendship is that she has finally moved on. Hasn't it occurred to you that perhaps she just misses being your friend, and you are turning it into this whole telenovela scenario where she's the villain trying to waltz back into the picture and you're the poor guy who just wants to be left alone? You don't deal with the pain that keeps following you around---you just let go of it. (pages 46-47)

I wonder if he's still mad at me, and I understand why people tend to force friendships immediately after things don't work out between them romantically---it's to dilute the guilt and dissolve the weight of all the things that were left unsolved, to prove that they don't completely hate each other, that they're not completely cruel, that they're not completely shutting each other out. (page 58)

Friends judge each other all the time, and judgment doesn't hurt any less when it comes from people who actually have the right to pass it. (page 62)

Judgment, when it comes from friends, feels like a betrayal not just because friends aren't supposed to judge each other, but because it is often more accurate than we would want to admit. (pages 62-63)

But he's the one who asks, "How are you?" and the way he says it makes it sound like a valid question. His genuine concern for me is peeking out from underneath all the layers of hurt, and I want to push it back down and tell it to stay put. I want him to go from careful to cautious to cold to cruel. (page 65)

I wonder how some couples can do that---be together for an entire lifetime and not get bored with each other. I wonder how you keep track of the bigger picture, your marriage, above the errands and deadlines and all the little things that stress you out every day. (page 69)

And then he pulls his arm tighter around me and starts kissing me, and I am a bundle of nerves but I find myself actually kissing him back. I always thought my first kiss would be weird and honestly kind of gross, but this is incredibly romantic and overwhelming in a good way and...well, exactly how a first kiss should be. (pages 89-90)

Funny how we spend most days of our lives avoiding the complex truths we don't want to hear, and yet they always come so simple and solid once they're said out loud. The truth becomes irrevocable once it's brought out in the open---and maybe that's why we're constantly concealing it in the shadows. (page 127)

But no matter how much two people change, I think they have to believe that underneath all the layers, they are still fundamentally one and the same. I think that's a requirement for friendship, and for love, because otherwise, there just won't be enough common ground to build anything upon. (page 127)

And you realize that the girl looks familiar because she looks a lot like...you. A happy you, a sad you, an annoyed you, a bored you---all captured fondly by hands belonging to someone who obviously appreciates all these various aspects and facets of yourself. Draw what you love, he said. And he chose to draw YOU. (page 136)

And then you can wait for him to squeeze your hand and smile at you like you are the only person in the world for him. You can wait for him to tell you, "It has always been just you. And it will always be just you," before putting an arm around you and offering to walk you to your car. You can wait for him to do this. Because he will. (page 138)

Forgiveness---I guess that's what this past month has truly been about. People hurt you, and lie to you, and take you for granted, and treat you badly, but eventually you learn to forgive. You learn to forgive because you have your own shortcomings and imperfections. You learn to forgive because life is too short to be bitter and angry. You learn to forgive because it is the only way you can move forward. (page 139)

But right now, I have my own problems to find solutions for, my own mistakes to make, my own dreams to chase, and ultimately, my own happiness to create. Because, much like you, I am still learning. (page 139)

Book Review: Prom Nights From Hell

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:29:00 +0000

Worried that prom is gonna bite?

In this exciting collection, bestselling authors Meg Cabot (How to Be Popular), Michele Jaffe (Bad Kitty), Kim Harrison (A Fistful of Charms), Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), and Lauren Myracle (ttyl) take bad prom dates to a whole new level - a paranormally bad level. Wardrobe malfunctions and two left feet are nothing compared to discovering you're dancing with the grim reaper - and he isn't here to tell you how hot you look.

From vampire exterminations to angels fighting demons, these five stories will entertain better than any DJ in a bad tux can. No corsage or limo rental necessary. Just good, scary fun.

The Exterminator's Daughter by Meg Cabot: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle: ♥♥♥♥♥

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper by Kim Harrison: ♥♥♥♥♥

Kiss and Tell by Michelle Jaffe: ♥♥♥♥♥

Hell on Earth by Stephenie Meyer: ♥♥♥♥♥

My Php0.20:

I have not much to say except that the second story was spooky as it was inspired by "The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs" and that I loved Hell on Earth! Who else can make the story of a demoness falling in love with a half-human, half-angel so romantic? I could really melt while reading the denouement. If you get to read it, use your imagination. Whoa, I'm getting goosebumps just typing this review now.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Sinister Shorts by Perri O'Shaughnessy

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:53:00 +0000

The New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Nina Reilly thrillers brings her prodigious storytelling gifts to this first-ever collection of short crime fiction. From desperate housewives to hard-boiled PIs to an appearance by Nina Reilly herself, these chilling short mysteries-many appearing in print for the very first time-set the mood and ratchet up the suspense as only Perri O'Shaughnessy can.

Here are tales of love and betrayal, rage and revenge-nineteen sizzling stories that run the gamut from classic whodunits to winding thrillers to an unusual cozy that casts Gertrude Stein as an unlikely Miss Marple. And here Perri O'Shaughnessy has created some of her most sinister and compelling characters yet: a college student who devises an ingenious method for getting her sexy teacher's attention . . . a haunted ex—homicide cop who takes a long walk into his blood-shadowed past in a twisting tale of brutal murder and escalating violence . . . a model wife who surprises both herself and a bothersome furnace man when she is confronted with an unacceptable ultimatum . . . a lemon tree that plays a pivotal role in the tale of a woman who at long last asserts her independence. . . .

From a blood-soaked scheme that's born at a slot machine in Vegas to the violence that ensues when the fat lady stops singing, Sinister Shorts shows us life at its most menacing, murderous, and unbearably suspenseful. And it proves once again the unique and captivating genius of Perri O'Shaughnessy.

My Php0.20:

I love, love story compilations/anthologies! I read this in November while visiting Dad's grave in the cemetery. It was rainy, the air cold, the sky a dull gray. And me, reading stories this sinister. I liked the plot of the nineteen short stories and enjoyed the twists. How the bad guys turn out to be good, how seemingly good guys have skeletons in their closets (or murderous tendencies). My faves in this collection are Dead Money, House Afire, The Furnace Man, Chocolate Milkshake, The Young Lady, The Couple Behind the Curtain, Sandstorm, To Still the Beating of Her Heart, and Lemons.

Find a copy and get to reading!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: A Bride Most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:23:00 +0000

Do you believe in love at first fight?

Any ship arriving from England means good news for Virginia colony farmers. The "tobacco brides" would be on board—eligible women seeking a better life in America, bartered for with barrels of tobacco from the fields.

Drew O Connor isn't stirred by news of a ship full of brides. Still broken-hearted from the loss of his beloved, he only wants a maid to tend his house and care for his young sister.

What he ends up with is a wife—a feisty redhead who claims she is Lady Constance Morrow, daughter of an Earl, brought to America against her will. And she want to go straight back to England as soon as she possibly can. She hasn't the foggiest notion how to cook, she dares to argue with her poor husband, and spends more time working on mathematical equations than housework. What kind of a wife is that? Drew's Christian forbearance is in for some testing.

Headstrong and intelligent, deeply moral but incredibly enticing, Constance turns what was supposed to be a marriage of convenience into something most inconvenient, indeed.

My Php0.20:

I loved reading this historical romance (apparently with slight Christian themes. However, it also has slight application of sexual themes. It won't be a romance if it didn't. It's still quite conservative anyway. THAT is a good thing. :D)

The book is set in a time when women were treated as commodity, and sold off in exchange for tobacco. Here, we have Constance, daughter of an Earl who was won by a farmer, Drew O' Connor. The man didn't want a wife and was afraid to be attached to another woman because of a painful past. Read it to know what it is. I found their constant bickering very entertaining and couldn't help wishing they'd act on all the romantic tension already! :)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Playing House by Patricia Pearson

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:53:00 +0000

Even in a tiny apartment, there were enough rooms for Frannie to get into trouble...

First, there was the bedroom...where it all began in such a casually romantic way.

Next, the bathroom...where things took a suspicious turn.

Finally, the living room...where she picked up the phone and prepared to break the news to the boyfriend she barely knew...

When Frannie Mackenzie got sick all over the sweater section of a major urban retailer, she couldn't quite believe that this was a reaction to gray being this year's black. So she went back to her postage-stamp-sized apartment and took inventory. Jeans tighter? Yes. Boobs bigger? Yes. And the absolute proof-positive...the stick had turned blue.

Frannie decides to give up cocktails, late nights, and anything else fun that the big city has to offer. But one thing -- or rather person -- she's not sure she's going to get to keep is the surprised father in the situation -- an experimental jazz musician with the improbable name of Calvin, who'd taken off to Europe before Frannie figured out parenthood had awkwardly united them. Falling in love was the last thing that Frannie expected, and the happiest surprise of all.

My Php0.20:

Wonder how it feels like to get pregnant by a man you barely know? This book is about that and more. It is a funny and warm novel that touches on the changes unexpected pregnancies bring to a couple. With no original plans of starting a family, Calvin and Frannie bravely treads the slippery road to parenthood, making sacrifices and compromises along the way.

I quite like the spunky main protagonist, Frannie. Playing House is a notch better than your average chick lit.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Aphrodite's Tale: Fatal Attraction by Alicia Fields

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:23:00 +0000

Aphrodite is the most beautiful goddess of all, a mighty magnet for men. They fall in love with her on sight, and she reciprocates--come what may...

Aphordite has been trouble ever since Zeus claimed he found her in the surf. Most think she is another of his illegitimate children, an accusation he repeatedly denies. But she behaves like a female version of Zeus. She's way too beautiful and can't resist romance--whatever the consequences. Plus she is responsible for her friend Helen's elopement with Prince Paris, starting the Trojan War.

Some think Aphrodite should marry someone who can control her, and the artistic Hephaestus would make a steady husband. But it's Ares--Hephaestus' hotheaded, quarrelsome brother--whom Aphrodite loves. However, Ares has rushed off to the Trojan War, leaving Aphrodite with a series of troublesome lovers.

No wonder legend cast her as a goddess. What man or mortal could contend with anyone who loves so many, causes so much chaos--and is beautiful enought to die for?

My Php0.20:

Wow, Aphrodite is that wanton. 'Nuff said. :) Kidding aside, it is an enjoyable read.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Female Intelligence by Jane Heller

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 13:05:00 +0000

BEWARE...

Lynn Wyman has a wildly successful practice in sensitivity training, teaching men how to communicate better with the women in their lives. Little does she know that her sensitive husband has been "communicating" with another woman--in the bedroom...

OF THE SMART WOMAN...

With a marriage on the rocks and a career in nose-dive, Lynn is in desperate need of a life make-over. She finds it in Brandon Brock, the macho CEO on the cover of Fortune magazine's "America's Toughest Bosses" issue. To restore her reputation, all she has to do is snag the notorious chauvinist as her new client, take a cue from My Fair Lady, and turn this pig into her own Pygmalion...

WITH A SCORE TO SETTLE...

The perfect plan? Not so fast. Somebody has been out to sabotage Lynn's happiness, and before she can reclaim her career--and her heart--she'd better figure out who it is...

My Php0.20:

A good enough read. Fairly funny but I don't quite like the female protagonist. Themes of backstabbing friends, unfaithful lovers, and "taming the lion" are evident. I'm not quite convinced of the "Wyman method" though. If you're in for a light read, you can grab this book. :D

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Book Review: Runaway & Heart-Core Metal

noreply@blogger.com (Janine M.) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 23:01:00 +0000

Taglines:

Runaway by Karla Maquiling

When the going gets tough, pack your things up and move!

Heart-Core Metal by Nikki Domingo

If you're in love with a ROCK God, will you ROLL with the punches?

My Php0.20:

I enjoyed reading both stories! The first story is about a woman who seeks a fresh start after every breakup, making large changes such as finding a new job, packing her bags and moving into a new city, and anything that could majorly cut her off from her old life. The latter is about a girl who "fell in love" with a rock star, not knowing that the "right one" was beside her all along. The authors were able to squeeze believable stories into 60 pages. Though the first story is somewhat open-ended, I am optimistic that the pair would end up together. In the second story, I found myself pitying the guy friend a lot. He was making way for the girl and the rock star to be together because he wanted her to be happy! The girl was just so stubborn and dense! Hahaha!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥