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…]

Daddy’s Day

Dear Daddy,

You’re the person who I look like the most. I used to believe that I’m the female version of you. Growing up, I realized that we are pretty different from each another. We are often at the opposing ends of every argument but it really doesn’t matter. Similarities and differences–at the end of the day, they really don’t matter. You’re the still the best father to us. You spoil us to no end and show us unconditional love everyday.

Stay cute and kalog forever.

Happy Birthday and Happy Father’s Day, Daddy. I know there’s a reason why your birthday falls on/near Father’s Day.

Love,

Jane

 

Surviving Zambales: Capones Island

On our second day at Zambales, we went to Capones Island to see the lighthouse. We woke up at 5:30AM so we wouldn’t have to face such harsh sunlight when we go trekking. Even from afar, I already notice how pretty the island is. Though the boat ride only took us about 15 minutes from Pundakit, Capones is even more virgin than Anawangin (Surviving Zambales: Anawangin). There were no huts or any kind, except the lighthouse. Just an island with traces of bonfire from previous nights.

We were still witnessing a beautiful sunset when we reached the island. We discussed whether to go the long way to the lighthouse, or the short way. The short way entailed us to go swimming and no one wanted to go swimming so we opted to go the long way even if it was a lot more difficult.

capones island zambales

capones island zambales [Read more…]

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