Oh My Janey

The Casual Vacancy

If there’s one thing you’ll hear people say about this book, it’s that it’s far from what they expected. It’s written by J.K. Rowling, the author of the beloved Harry Potter series, and to think that it will have a touch of magic in it is normal. But to approach this book as a Harry Potter fan is probably a wrong idea.

In fact, to read this book, there’s a few things that you need to tell yourself. First, it’s an adult book, meaning, there really are some things that aren’t suitable for children. Second, it’s pointless to compare it to Harry Potter since it falls in a completely different genre and deals with completely different things. And third, if you’re expecting for any kind of fantastical element, then you’ll surely be disappointed.

Now, why am I talking about all this instead of merely talking about the book? Because I’ve read reviews and most of them are bad. And I perfectly understand why. You have to be in the mood to start reading, and to read it completely aware that you’re reading Casual Vacancy and not Harry Potter. In this aspect, Rowling tries hard to show early on that it’s an adult novel and you should expect nothing more. And when I’ve accepted that, I enjoyed the book more.

I won’t even lie. It was extremely difficult for me to immerse myself in the story. I found myself falling asleep after every two pages. I’m not proud of it, but I tried okay. 50 pages in and I was starting to find it difficult to continue. But I’m glad I did. I’m glad I wasn’t fooled by the first 100 pages, or I would have missed out on a lot.

The Casual Vacancy starts with the death of Barry Fairbrother. And with his death, his position at the Parish Council becomes vacant. And with this death, the story explores the lives of individuals and how their lives are affected by Barry’s death. From close friends, to family, to political rivals and even to random citizens of the little town called Pagford. [Read more…]

33rd Manila International Book Fair

The 33rd Manila International Book Fair took place last place at the SMX Convention Center last September 12 to 16. It was something I looked forward to since last year. I attempted to attend a couple of times last year but I always ended up being too late that they would no longer let me it. This year, I made sure to arrive early and have enough time to look around.

I went twice this year! The first time, I just wanted to look around. I was already to planning to attend a book signing on the last day but I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough time to look at all the booths. So I decided to have another night where I could just roam around without being constrained by the time and by the crowd. I even got in for free (because I’m cute, probably)!

The first night, I was shocked because I imagined astonishing discounts that would allow me to go home with dozens and dozens of books! But there were only 20% off and that’s not exactly an astonishing discount. An officemate, Kuya Abel, also said that the place was incredibly big and there would be tons of freebies but it wasn’t exactly that big and I didn’t get any freebies. So yes, I was a bit disappointed. Heh.

But one booth I loved was the University of the Philippines Press! There were so many books I love especially the anthology/mythology books but they were expensive and therefore, didn’t fit my budget. So I walked away with a heavy heart. But in one corner, I saw a “as low as P25” sign! I was so happy. I ended up buying 6 books for only P170! I was a happy banana. Hee.

It’s from Milflores Publishing and most of them are non-fiction and a compilation of works. Also, it’s all by Filipino writers! This year, I try to read as much Fil lit as possible. I’m already reading Floundering at 25, and I’m relating to everything she’s saying in the book. I’m just not sure if I like it. There’s something about the exposition of the lives of twentysomethings that throw me off. I just can’t place my finger on it.

So.

Last sunday, I went back for the Trese book signing! I have already expressed my thoughts on the set of comics by Sir Budjette Tan and Sir Kajo Baldisimo here. I have already expressed my love for Alexandra Trese and how the comics popularize Philippine myths and legends. So when I heard that there’d be a book signing, I couldn’t NOT go. I was supposed to go with Cy but she got sick so I went alone. Huhu. [Read more…]

Book Hoarding: July Edition

July edition, because I’m pretty sure I’d be hoarding again on August and September. But for this month, the Fully Booked sale urged me to hoard books as much as I did last year. For some reason, I haven’t been buying much this year. Last year, I’d frequent book sales almost every week and come home with a book or two. When it’s payday, I’d sometimes buy at least 4. When there’s a sale, well, we really shouldn’t really talk about that. Hee.

Sadly, I haven’t had much time to read this year. Maybe that’s why I’ve been avoiding bookstores and had been quite stingy in buying. But when I learned about the Fully Booked sale, I dragged myself to their branch at BGC, with a handy list of books I wanted to buy. So instead of going home on a Saturday, I went straight to Taguig and arrived too early, Fully Booked was still close. Haha.

There are nearer branches of Fully Booked but I opted to visit the one at BCG for wider selection (5 floors, yo!) and I don’t think I’d find the books I’m looking for at MOA or Greenbelt. And when I finally entered Fully Booked BCG, I was so confused because pretty much everything on my list was there! I was shocked to see tons of copies of Lamb when I couldn’t even find it anywhere. Most of Chuck Palahniuk’s books were there, too. You have no idea how confused I was. I disciplined myself to not exceed my budget so I had to let go of one too many good books. I shed a few tears.

That day, I made some pretty important decision. Haha. Also, it’s only 20% off so books were still not cheap, based on my standards anyway. I opted to buy the books that I know I wouldn’t have the heart to buy on its regular price.

In the end, here are some of the books I bought:

[Read more…]

Trese: Popularizing Filipino Folklore Through Komiks

It’s one of my goals this year to read more works by Filipino writers. Though I have yet to fully indulge myself in Filipino literary goodness, I started the year right by allotting a weekend to read Trese, a komiks created by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo. I am quite late into getting into the illustrated novels since it’s been around for a few years. I only learned about the graphic novel when they released the fourth book last year. I wanted to buy it immediately but I know that I have to read the first books before that. Sadly, the time I inquired they only had the fourth book. I had to wait for a few weeks before National Bookstore re-released copies of the first three books. But since I was a cheapskate, I only bought the first book.

The first book, Trese: Murder on Balate Drive, introduces the reader to Alexandra Trese, someone who obviously knows how to deal with supernatural crimes. She’s the one person Captain Guerrero contacts when an unusual case pops up. The first book only gives a glimpse on the true nature of her job and shows very little background of how Trese ends up with the job. There are four stories in the book, and once I finished the last one, I regretted not buying the three other books at the same. It’s so easy to read, something you can devour for an hour or so. It’s something you’d end up reading in one seating because it’s really engaging.

trese komiks book 1 and 2 [Read more…]

52 Books: September Books

This post is long overdue and I won’t make any apologies. Heh. I started reading a book series (let’s just call it ASOIAF) last September and I decided to have an entirely separate post dedicate to that series. I am exciteeeeeed.

I had a lot of free time last month but I’m afraid that most of that free time didn’t really go to reading. I saw a lot of Alex (which is really good), and I’ve been busy with my other blog (which is also good). For some reason, I feel better when I get to do a lot of things. Reading books make me happy but there are other things that make me happy. Like Asian movies, drama series and reality cooking shows. That only proves how boring I am. Heh.

Last month, I only read two books that’s not part of ASOIAF. That means I’ll only be writing two book rants. WAHA. Gah, I’m such a lazy blogger.

The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman creates this simple male characters and turns them into a someone. Wait, that probably doesn’t make sense. What I mean is that I have noticed how most of his male protagonists are quiet, simple, and under-achievers. They don’t really stick out in a crowd but Gaiman puts them in a situation where they rise from the occasion and proves that they are worth their adventures.

Anansi Boys isn’t one of his best book, in my opinion anyway. This is a sequel to American Gods but I still prefer AG. The humor that made me love American Gods is still here, though. I love Fat Charlie. I love it when Fat Charlie gets infuriated, I think it’s adorable. I love how he seems so disoriented all the time because of his brother, Spider. I found myself laughing out loud because of the silly situations Fat Charlie finds himself in.

It’s quite amazing how Fat Charlie starts to be more at ease with himself when he finds something he’s good at, something that he actually likes. (I got a little jealous because I know what I like but I’m not exactly good at it. Moving on…) He eventually conquers all his inhibitions and lives a life that actually makes sense to him.

I cannot really point out what’s missing with Anansi Boys.  Gaiman established the story rather well, and most of the characters are likable. I guess I just can’t stop comparing it to American Gods. American Gods is one of my favorite books, and I guess Anansi Boys just didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s still a really good book, though. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy with a touch of humor.

This is a Crazy Planets by Lourd de Veyra

I occasionally read Lourd’s blog in Spot.ph but I wasn’t as big a fan as Ayessa. I only planned to borrow her copy but I ended up buying my own when I decided to go to his book signing. I am so glad I did.

Lourd de Veyra is one of the very few writers I know who can write so well in Filipino. I’ve always admired writers who can write well in Filipino. I have my favorite Filipino writers but Lourd de Veyra is one of the few whose writings in Filipino that I really like. His English pieces are really good, too, but it’s is his Filipino articles that really made me a fan. I’m swept away, lulz.

His essays are timeless, too. I’ve already read some of his works in Spot.ph but I do not mind reading it again. His essays make him seem so likable, I don’t know. He seems so simple but he has this depth to him that allows him to write insightful pieces. His social commentary is so spot on that I end up thinking over and over again that he’s so smart.

I need to write more books by Filipino writers. I seriously have to.

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So that wraps up my September Book Month. Heh. I am excited to write about ASOIAF, though! I’m on my fourth book and it’s as amazing as ever.

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