Oh My Janey

52 Books: July Books

I went a little overboard and read 8 books. It’s unplanned, I swear. I guess the fact that I’ve been reading a lot of children’s fiction contributes to the speed of my reading. Alex asked me if I could still digest everything I read, and I am happy to say that, yes, I can still digest them, thank you very much. Once I’m done with my last book for July, I promised myself to read something more for my age. Then I bought another Judy Blume this month so my resolve to read more mature books pretty much went out of the drain.

No regrets, though. I loved everything I read this month.


This book just keeps getting better. It was the first time I read this book without reading the first six books first. I just have to read DH before I watch the movie. I remember being extremely emotional during the first time I read DH but it was insane how even the non-emotional moments made me teary-eyed when I read it again. Maybe it was the mounting anxiety of the final film installation that made me extremely vulnerable when reading it but my love for the series reached profound levels. J.K. Rowling is a genius monster for making HP fans cry. But we can never hate her for writing the most amazing series that defined our childhood. She’s our queen!

I don’t even know what else to say about this book. Hedwig’s dying scene almost made me cry, and I still don’t understand why they didn’t include in the film Dudley and Harry’s goodbye. The Silver Doe is still my favorite chapter. I know a lot of people can’t forgive Ron for running out of Hermione and Harry. But I forgive him. He’s Ron Weasley, how could I not? He makes a mistake leaving the two behind but he does everything to get back in their graces, right? From then on he doesn’t back out from whatever hardship they face. I won’t go into more details about this but I really think people are too hard on him. Another chapter that I love is the Battle at Hogwarts. I’m not sure how many times I teared up because of it. It’s not even the deaths that chilled but the mere courage that everyone is showing. I swear Professor McGonnagall forced me to sniffles.

For some reason, Deathly Hallows seems to be a lot better than the first and second time I read it. (Or again, maybe it’s just my emotions speaking.) It’s just amazing how J.K. Rowling managed to weave a flawless story with really little plot holes. I still had a lot of questions when I reread it but I shrugged it off because the strengths of the books overpowered its minor faults. I also had this huge hate for the epilogue. I thought it was corny and their children’s names are really annoying. I don’t know. Maybe Harry is just too lazy to think of names. But this time, I actually like the epilogue. I guess it just needs a little getting used to. I have a lot more to say about this book but my reactions are already starting to mix with my reaction to the movie so I’ll just stop here.

Let me just say first that this will definitely won’t be the last time I’ll read Deathly Hallows. I will reread the series for the years to come until I have to pass on my love for the Harry’s world to my future children. I guess every Pothead has this silly dream of passing on to their children their love for magic. [Read more…]

The Art of Being a Cheap Bookworm

We all know that books aren’t the cheapest goods in the market. A paperback costs roughly around PHP300, and if you’re stingy like me, that’s not exactly cheap. Over the years of wanting books that are far too expensive for my budget, I learned that there are a lot of ways to acquire books on your to-do list without spending too much. I decided to share my book hoarding skills to other bookworms even though no one asked me to do so. Because I have nothing better to do, I might as well spread my love for books.

However, the following tips aren’t for people who are very particular with the condition of books. If you’re looking for really low-priced books, then you should understand that the condition of the book may not be the finest you’ll see. Expect creases and a little tear here and there. But if you look hard enough, you can see seemingly brand new copies for a really low price. Also, most of the tips here are only applicable in the Philippines. [Read more…]

52 Books: June Books

I got back my reading mojo last month. I read some pretty good books and some pretty annoying ones but it’s all good. Whenever I read a book I don’t particularly like, I just tell myself that it’s good to feel something. It’s better to be annoyed than not feel anything at all. I’m pretty I’m not making any sense. Heh.

1. Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Of all the depressing books I have read, Norwegian Wood stands out tall and proud. Every turn of the page seems to lead me into something more crushing, something more heart-wrenching. The ever-present death also seems to be the number one driving force of our two main characters. Hence, the main character’s mantra summarizes (I believe) the story: “Death is not the opposite of life but an innate part of life.

It’s really beautifully-written but I don’t think I have fully grasped what Murakami is trying to say.  This is his first book that I have read and I am excited to read more. His words have a way of taking you to the very core of the story. Toru Watanabe may be the narrator of the story but it’s not only his emotions that we see. I kind of understand why people say that this book is honest. It’s as if all the emotions of the characters are exposed in plain sight. We see their pain, we see their happiness. It’s all out in the open that it’s impossible not to feel what they’re going through. Everything feels so raw. I haven’t read other people’s reaction to Norwegian Wood. All I know is that a lot of people I respect love the book. But I really think that Naoko and Watanabe are bad for each other. They become isolated from the whole world and are often enveloped in sadness when they’re together. Kill me for saying this but I think Watanabe’s presence pushes Naoko into depression. Midori and Watanabe’s relationship, on the other hand, is what I would call healthy. It’s not clear what happened between them but I’m really hoping that it ends well for these two.

The number of suicides in the book baffles me. I have said this out loud before but it really bothers me how Murakami makes suicide as if a usual occurrence in Japanese society. I know that Japan has high suicide rates for both sexes but for it be part of a novel, it’s still unsettling. I understand what drives Naoko to do what she did. Two of the people she has loved committed suicide. She’s even the one to discover the body of her sister. What I don’t like is how she explains Kizuki’s suicide as something that is inevitable. The two of them are so happy that it’s kind of unfair for the world so Kizuki kills himself because that’s bound to happen anyway, she says. Well, to me that’s what she means. That’s just a stupid thing to say. Other than that, this is a really good story and I recommend it to anyone who wants to have his/her heart broken.
[Read more…]

52 Books: May Books

May unconsciously became a Young Adult-themed reading month. I swear it was unintentional but circumstances and whims made me choose young adult novels to read next. I have no regrets! Last month allowed me to read lighter books (except for that one), just letting me enjoy other things. I also got too busy with “life” (e.g. TV dramas, summer outings, e.t.c.) so reading wasn’t on top of my list.

I intended to reread Harry Potter last month but I always end up picking something else. I guess my stack of unread books is way too high to be ignored. But I did read one HP and I will probably skip to the last book this June.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

I’m not going to lie. Chamber of Secrets is my least favorite book in the series. A lot of my most disliked characters are introduced in this book: Ginny Weasly, Gilderoy Lockhary, Malfoy on a broomstick (git!), and Colin Creevey. I eventually changed my mind about Colin but I still do not like Ginny and Gilderoy. But of course a lot of good things are introduced, too! Any chapter in the entire series devoted to Harry’s time in the Burrow is my favorite. The Weasleys is my favorite fictional family and I don’t think anyone will ever beat them.

After reading this book so many times, I somehow think my opinion of it improved a little. I now laugh at parts I used to not find funny simply because my comprehension of the English language  the first time I read t was still not that good. But I find questionable details that I’d really rather not focus on. Once I finished Chamber, I was tempted to read Prisoner of Azkaban (my favorite!) next but I opted not to. This is the first time I will read the series without reading everything. But I will try not to think too much about it or I will get depressed.

P.S. I also realized how lame Malfoy is. I mean, he is a good wizard but he really talks too much nonsense.

[Read more…]

The Summer Heat is Killing Me

  • Hi. The bus ride home only took me an hour and a half. They were also showing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on the bus so that was fun!
  • I almost fell asleep during our Roadshow at work earlier. Basically, someone from the HR department had a presentation to discuss the new handbook. It took me a great deal of will power to stay awake.
  • I don’t want to go back to my dorm. It’s the hottest place I’ve ever been to. I swear I’d rather sunbathe all day than stay the night in my dorm room. Even when the electric fan’s pointing directly at me (my face, my body, my whole effin’ being), with less than half a meter from where I lay, I still sweat profusely. Please don’t let me go back! I beg youuuuu. [Read more…]
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