rare books and maps at the lumina pandit exhibit

Only a Saturday with the Flips Flipping Pages can be this illuminating. A week ago, eight Flippers paid the Lumina Pandit Exhibit at the University of Santo Tomas a visit. Organized by Professor GnP, it was a very memorable activity.

Here is my recap:

The exhibition commemorates the survival of a 400-year-old institution, the UST Library. Showcased are the original academic records of Jose Rizal, documents with baybayin script, 100-year-old newspapers, and rare tomes. My favorite is a book of maps. Maps tell much about how people saw the world; back then, the Philippines was a land of legends.

The oldest book is an incunabula by a Jewish historian and translated into Spanish. Josefo Flavio’s La Guerra Judaica was printed in 1492 and recounted the Jewish wars with the Romans. Other books in the collection include a 16th-century, first edition tome penned by Nicholas Copernicus and 400-year-old Plantin Polyglot Bible.

The Bible is quite famous and possibly the most valuable of UST’s treasures. It is in Hebrew, Syrian, Aramaic, Greek and Latin. I can easily imagine a Dan Brown story taking form in the University Halls. The books when not on exhibit are kept at the archives, where only librarians and scholars may enter.

Easily the highlight of our tour was a demonstration of a xylographic printing. I applied ink on a carved wooden board called a woodcut template. By means of a replica of a primitive printing press I then transferred the design onto paper (actually the guides did; I just loved the sound of my first thought better.) My souvenir imprint was coveted by the others. I’ll give it to Kwesi because he’s the youngest and sweetest Flipper.

Lumina Pandit is Latin for “to spread the light.” The university seeks to illustrate through the exhibit how across four centuries it has spread the light of civilization to the Orient. Divided into six sections signifying eras of enlightenment in the Orient, the exhibit hall is surprisingly compact but holds a wealth of relics. I suggest that other Flippers take a guided tour (No entrance fee. Donations are welcome) and return to the beginning of the exhibit for a lingering appreciation of our cultural treasures.

More guards should have tailed us. Didn’t they know we were a book club? And they let us loose among rare books!

Exhibit is open until January 30, 2011 at the ground floor of the Miguel de Benavides Library. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 8am-5pm. Call (632) 731 3034 or email library@mnl.ust.edu.ph for details.

Not satisfied with the oldest library, we segued into the oldest museum before lunch at a Thai restaurant near UST. At the Museum of Science and the Arts we got an eyeful of stuffed animals, animal fossils, religious artifacts, coins, medals, and school memorabilia. Mike proudly pointed out at a goblet used by senior wizards to vote for wizardry apprentices into becoming full-fledged wizards… Wait, I segued into something else entirely.

Next: Recap of the Discussion of the End of the Affair by Graham Greene

Thanks to Gege and Rhett for the photos.

Stories by other Lumina Pandit explorers: Blooey & Fredda

 

Libreria is The Filipino Book Bloggers’ headquarters!

 

My book haul from Libreria: The Ring by Jorge Molist P100; The Bitterbynde Books 2 & 3 by Cecilia Dart-Thornton - The Lady of the Sorrows P320 & The Battle of Evernight P320; and The Buried Circle by Jenni Mills P380. Kenneth gave copies of the Philippine Genre Stories’s 2009 Christmas issue. Thanks Kenneth! I can’t wait to hang out at Libreria again!

The Filipino Book Bloggers met again last Saturday for books, nice company and conversation, and lovely coffee! Libreria at Cubao Expo was the best venue for book geeks. The place had charm and coffee galore! The book selection was fabulous, and Triccie the owner was the most gracious ever. Even if you’re not really into books, drop by and relax on the couch with a cup of coffee for a relaxing late afternoon or evening. Just destress, you know.

Libreria is located at Cubao Expo, a collection of shops on Gen. Romulo St, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City. Look for it behind the Old Rustan’s building (beside Ali Mall), which is behind Shopwise in front of the entrance of the Araneta Coliseum. The entrance gate leading to Cubao Expo is closed to traffic starting 10pm. Refer to map for directions.

I quite enjoyed myself , and was very sorry I was late and missed much of the conversation. I’ll just share a short recap of the topics covered by the group. I have shamelessly referred to the recap of the other bloggers just so I can post something.

• How blogging affects real life, and vice versa
• Blogs we liked; blogging idol
• Addiction to monitoring blog statistics
• Negative reviews
• Personal review policies
• Plagiarism
• Dilemma of reviewing books written by people we know

Apparently, there was an outcry in Twiter by authors who get tagged in

A treasure Chest. There were not that many elements in Libreria yet all combined to create a cozy ambiance. The place was not cluttered. Triccie, the owner, knew how many books are enough to place in the shelves, replenishing the shelves in a controlled pace that would get customers to come back again and again. I for one shall return.

negative reviews. ‘It is hurtful and there is no need to tag them’ was the sentiment. Most of the other bloggers agreed with this, saying the authors can always do a google search of negative reviews if they feel like it. The authors have a point, I know. But is it not a given that not all readers will like their books? When I write about a book, I basically just say whether I liked it or not. I don’t want to be accused of bad manners by an author for writing honestly in my blog.

Tina of One More Page recently had a brush with this issue, she told me later.

I like the solution of Tarie of Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind. She uses different ways to feature books: through reviews, memes, or author interviews. That way if she doesn’t like a book but does not want to post a negative review she can still choose to present the book in a positive light.

Another hot issue was plagiarism. Our own supreme court was guilty of this, whether intentionally or not is yet to be confirmed — click links here and here for the story. Kenneth said he felt strongly about plagiarism, and shared with the group another recent example where a cooking magazine editor used without permission an article written by a food writer. When asked for compensation by the writer, the editor allegedly said that the web is public domain and the writer should thank the magazine for editing her work!

Kenneth will host the next Filipino Friday discussion, which will be about plagiarism.

I’d like to commend Chachic for being such a fantastic moderator. She kept the conversation going and effortlessly stepped in with observations and questions when there was danger of dead air. To the other bloggers – Will, Aaron, Jason, Peter, and Rhett - great to see you! Honey, we should continue reading that Choose-your-own-romance-adventure. Blooey, terrific ghost story you shared–made me want to do another gothic tour.

Photos from Chachic’s Book Nook

start of something big by the Filipino Book Bloggers

The Filipino Book Bloggers (FBB) Meetup last Saturday was certainly the start of something big, to most of the participants’ surprise. FBB is a group as well as an online directory at http://filipinobookboggers.wordpress.com created by Chachic.

It was her initiative to organize the bloggers meetup. Thanks, Chachic!

When I arrived at Starbucks – Shangrila, there were already over a dozen attendees; four tables had to be commandeered to accommodate everyone. Said Jason, for a first meeting it was rather serious with all the talk about local publishing. But he did also say it was still fun to meet other book bloggers in person.

I also had fun, but I understood that concern. We went right ahead to working out an agenda instead of, rightly, getting to know each other first. I know I’d have liked to know more about the blogs of the others, why they blog, and what they do beside reading and blogging.

I think the momentum created by the Future of the Book conference, Gege’s presentation about online communities by bookish people shaking the worldview of the old-school publishers, and Honey’s insightful recap of that event was simply at work.

People were on fire, I guess.

Get Gege Sugue’s slideshow of her presentation about social media for the bookish, where she mentions what readers would want publishers to do. Gege is also islandhopper, Flips Flipping Pages founder and food and book blogger.

Read Honey Peralta’s  reflections on the future of the book, where she proposes more discourse between publishers and readers. We also know Honey as Fantaghiro23.

I was at the other end of the table with Honey, Gege, Paolo Chikiamco, Shaps Chikiamco, Kenneth Yu , and Tarie Sabido. The topic of conversation was the future of the book and how publishers can reach out to readers. There was a lot of insider information being passed around. Chachic and I were all big eyes and ears because it was fascinating to hear about the intrigues and hardheadedness going on inside our local publishing houses affecting consumers’ reading options.

The best quote I heard so far was “the books will promote themselves.” A top publishing name actually believes this, which is another sign of the great divide between local publishers and readers.

Thanks Paolo for lending these books by Filipino authors. I'm reading the collection of short stories, Waking the Dead by Yvette Tan. Very good. I wonder why I never noticed her books, and other local books, before? I'm thinking, maybe because of the covers--they look like the dreaded assigned reading copies from way back in high school and college. Here's an interesting article about Judging a Book by the cover - http://mb.com.ph/articles/269699/judging-a-book-cover.

Kenneth gave very practical suggestions on how book bloggers can maximize their influence on the local publishing scene.

• Centralize comments or discussion threads so publishers can easily find out reader concerns and wants. Gege said she will open a thread on the online community Shelfari.com, “What you want our publishers to know.” I can post links of related book club threads on the FBB Site, already a hub for readers who blog especially on Filipino Fridays posts.

Kenneth also requested that we post links to important Filipino book bloggers and readers groups on his site. I got the impression he was particularly surprised at how big and active the Flips Flipping Pages was.

• Blog about Filipino books and authors once in a while. Chachic said that if bloggers send her links of Filipino book reviews she can post a roundup during Filipino Fridays.

No specific target number, as most book bloggers blog for the pleasure of blogging. I can’t speak for the others but I know having to meet a demand is a big turn-off. I trust though that if we combine our desire to read and blog about Filipino books we can create a loud enough buzz, which could influence local publishers to turn out books readers want. Honey observed that publishers and writers are caught in a circle: they write for each other, they read each other’s work.

How can Philippine publishing prosper this way? I observed silently.

from left: Tarie, Shaps, Paolo, and Chachic

Another observation that got passionately discussed was how the big names in Philippine publishing belittle the power of marketing via traditional or new media methods. If it were not impolite, the bloggers and independent publishers at the table, I imagined, would have snorted at the pinaligpasan-nang-panahon mindset.

*Hello! Twilight.*

from left: Tina, Tina's friend, Aaron, Ace, and Rezel

The nice turnout was unexpected. Starbucks was too noisy for the group to be able to engage well as a whole, leading to compartmentalized conversations. Every now and then, I looked wistfully towards the other end of the table, wondering what other bookish talk was taking place. I look forward to reading the recap of the other bloggers.

Gege suggested Fully Booked to Chachic for the next venue. Or some other quieter place. Chachic said she’s planning another get-together this year. With the serious stuff thrashed out in this first meeting, we can just hang out with other book bloggers then.

Relaxed, and less shy, the Filipino Book Bloggers can get serious then on making something big out of book blogging in the Philippines–simply by doing what we enjoy doing: reading, blogging, talking, and eating.

The book bloggers love to eat, too, apparently.

Seen at the Filipino Book Bloggers Meetup (September 25, 2010), book bloggers to watch out for:

1. Chachic of Chachic’s Book Nook – http://chachic.wordpress.com
2. Ariel of I am Pinoy Peter Pan – http://pinoypeterpan.wordpress.com
3. Aaron of Guy Gone Geek – http://guygonegeek.wordpress.com
4. Ace of Ace of Books – http://aceofbooks.wordpress.com
5. Tina of One Page at a Time – http://onemorepage.tinamats.com
6. Jason of Taking a Break – http://blurredlights.wordpress.com
7. Honey of Coffeespoons – http://www.fantaghiro23.blogspot.com
8. Gege of I Flip Pages – http://gegeflipspages.blogspot.com
9. Paolo & Shaps of RocketKapre – http://www.rocketkapre.com **
10. Kenneth of Philippine Genre Stories – http://philippinegenrestories.blogspot.com **
11. Tarie of Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind – http://asiaintheheart.blogspot.com.
12. ArtSeblis/MayD of ArtSeblis – http://artseblis.wordpress.com
13. Aldrin of The Pollysyllabic Spree- http://aldr.in
14. Rezel of The Seeker – http://theseekergirl.blogspot.com
15. Celina of  Celina’s Books and Magazines – http://booksandmagazines.multiply.com (Husband and Ipad genius baby showed up later)***
16. Jansen  of  Walking Paradox – http://walkingparadox.tumblr.com

Dropped by:

1. Jasper of Avalon.ph – http://www.avalon.ph ***
2. Peter Sandico of KyusiReader – http://Kyusireader.blogspot.com
3. Rhett de Jesus, photographer of bookish events – http://bit.ly/aMpe5Q
4. Carljoe Javier, author of Kobayashi Maru of Love – http://lumpenculturati.wordpress.com

I love reading their blogs. Many of the bloggers love YA and speculative fiction. Maybe in the Philippines, YA is the way to go, to get the kids and kids at heart more interested to read books by local authors.

Other accounts of the event:

Jason of Taking a Break
Aldrin of The Polysyllabic Spree
Kenneth of Philippine Genre Stories
Chachic of Chachic’s Book Nook
Tina of One More Page
Aaron of GuyGoneGeek

Ariel of Pinoy Peter Pan

Honey of Coffeespoons

*Honey also has a Filipino Book Bloggers Directory that I believe inspired FBB. Check out the list on her site. ** Also an indie publisher***Also an online bookseller. Photos courtesy of Chachic’s Book Nook and Kenneth

a good year by peter mayle and the Flips Flipping Pages

A Good Year happens if the climate was consistent throughout, warm, offering the ripening grapes little surprises. If I understood Kathy’s explanations correctly, this plus good soil, careful supervision, and tender loving care were almost always sufficient for a good harvest. And the wine will flow.

During the Flips Flipping Pages book discussion last September 18, the wine did flow: red wine, light and exuberant; white wine, well balanced, crisp with the flavors of citrus and spicy ginger. Uncomplicated wine enjoyed with a variety of foods, from cold cuts to Gege’s divine cheesy churvas.

The reason for meeting was Peter Mayle’s bestselling novel, A Good Year. Published in 2004, it was adapted into a movie starring Russell Crowe in 2006.

The story follows Max Skinner, a London stockbroker, who loses his job before finding out that he inherited a vineyard in France from his late uncle Henry. In Provence he falls in love with wine, the people, and the simple life. Through the book readers get a glimpse of the highly competitive wine business.

The movie deviated on a few but very emphatic points in the story. It stressed romance and comedy, chose to combine feisty and alluring into one love interest instead of sticking to the lesbian lawyer and flirty café owner of the book, and completely did away with the fumbling Hardy Boy attempts of Max and company.

The uncle-nephew relationship was also prioritized, presented through flashbacks and wistful reminiscences. Said many of the Flippers during the discussion, they preferred movie over book–a rare event among booklovers. The book had exuberance but the movie had direction.

With Gege (IslandHopper) moderating, the book discussion transformed into another amazing eat, talk, eat, swap, and learn gathering. Sheila (aka Shy) had arranged to hold it at the Cyrano Wine Shop on Palanca St of Legaspi Village, Makati. Cyrano owner, Alex Sawit, presided over the bar, demonstrating at one point the Cyrano cut, kung fu technique of opening a wine bottle (Flippers, don’t try this at home).

Gege and Sheila (with Jeeve’s help) had invited Miss Katherine Yao Santos to give some pointers on wine appreciation. Kathy is the marketing director for Happy Living Philippines, importer of the Beringer wine from Napa Valley in California. She grew up loving wine, she said. As a child she learned how to tell good wine from bad, how to properly store wine, and how wine was produced. To enter the wine business, one must be passionate about wine or else the business will not prosper.

In the book, Max’s friend Charlie demonstrated the ritual of wine tasting. To truly appreciate wine, I feared one has to have en extensive vocabulary of flowery words. Kathy’s lesson in wine appreciation killed that fear–and initiated my palate to the wonders of wine!

White Zinfandel, very friendly, eased the Flippers into the first sip. Said Kathy, the  blush wine is good for those just learning to appreciate wine. It has a bit of sweetness, an attractive clarity, and nice with different food. “Bagay sa tapsilog,” she agreed.

Hold the wine glass at the stem (to avoid warming the wine with our hand), check the clarity (reject wine if there are particles), swirl (to make the wine come alive), breathe in the bouquet (dip the nose into the glass), and sip (don’t swallow right away, let the wine coat all your taste buds, savor the lingering taste).

“You want wine to still be there, so you get the combination of wine with food,” said Kathy. Wine primes the tongue for food. For Filipino food with lots of sauce, lighter wine is better. Color coding can even be applied: white wine for white sauce; red for red sauce. Heavier wine is good for heavier food like steak.

Kathy discussed other important points about wine, summarized below:

Glass and stemware are very important. Shape and thickness of glass affect wine appreciation. Use thin glass for wine.

Alex helped explain the mechanics of using the right glass for wine. With tapering glass, the wine hits the sweet center of the tongue first. For fruity wine, wider glass is better so the sweetness is diffused.

If not stored properly, wine will oxidize. If exposed to heat, wine starts cooking. Best use a wine chiller or store where temperature is stable.

Bottle-opening involves the right gadget and technique. In proper society, we’re not supposed to pop the cork, Kathy said (so Hollywood is not proper society?).

Choose quality wine. Price is a good indication. Wine priced at below 400 pesos are usually mass produced. Wine is expensive because of the extreme care given to the growing of grapes, making sure all the right conditions are met. Note the well manicured vineyards that produce good wine, said Kathy.

When ordering wine at restaurants, inspect the cork. “If you see wine stains on side of cork, the wine was leaking and not properly stored. Reject wine as the flavor might have been compromised.”

In wine tasting, spitting after tasting is the norm. This is done so the wine doesn’t get to you explained Kathy. Focus is important. To evaluate quality, tasting is enough.

Alex shed light on the heavy vs light bottle debate. Apparently, many people think that heavy bottles are better for wine. “Lighter is environment friendly. But consumer perception for red wine is for heavy bottles.” Heavy or light probably does not make a difference to the quality of wine.

Given all the elements of wine–taste, texture, clarity, fragrance, body, etc. appreciating wine can be a tricky business. But Kathy reassured the Flippers: Never let anyone dictate your wine. We enjoy wine differently.

No shame then if you enjoy Strawberry wine or some other very fruity wine. As long as you can appreciate it.

Said Gege, “I usually drink wine for the buzz.” So Kathy’s wine appreciation talk was an eye-opener.

Time was short after the wine appreciation session: another red and a white, the Beringer California Zinfandel and Chenin Blanc, were also appreciated. The Flippers had been so engrossed that they almost forgot to discuss the book! Gege routed everyone and asked several to describe Peter Mayle’s A Good Year in wine terms.

Welski wrote a very good recap of this part of the discussion. The book swap followed. Wine flowed some more. The grapes, cheesy churvas, pizza, cold cuts, pasta, and chips disappeared from the plates. Flippers brought home laminated coasters and glass-shaped bookmarks Gege made. The message, [name of Flipper] is having a good year, was repeated all over the place.

Of course the Flippers are having a good year. But maybe the Flippers needed the positive reinforcement. Unlike with wine, hot and cold, wet and dry, rocky and sandy help make the Flippers. What is a year without surprises? Boring? Clueless? Flat?

Unlike wine, Flippers mature well with all sorts of challenges. The book discussion proves it.

To find out more about the wine mentioned in this post, visit http://www.hlpcwines.com.ph and http://cyranofriends.wordpress.com.

For more interesting recap of A Good Year by the Flips Flipping Pages, drop by at Bookmarked and Musings_and_Writings .

The photos of good people, good books, good wine and good food are courtesy of Rhett de Jesus and Dianne Singson.

in the zen of a lazy blogger’s list

I’m Artseblis and I’m a lazy blogger but here is a list to keep my blog not so Zen.

The spirit is willing but the list is long. And Zen can only take us so far if there is nothing to work with. So I’m resorting to lists. As of 18 August 2010 I am a lazy book blogger and I am behind 12 books in my TBR challenge with eight books in my blogging backlog.

Have books, Need blogs

• Weddings from Hell by Maggie Shayne, Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey & Kathryn Smith – four short stories where the bride meets the groom from hell, and a monster may just be the man to the rescue
• Soulless by Gail Carriger – Victorian steampunk; fantasy romance; funny
• If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl – very intelligent and dark paranormal romance/thiller
• Private Demon by Lynn Viehl – sequel to If Angels Burn
• Cemetery Dance by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child – Zombies ran rings around FBI special agent Pendergast. The weakest link in the series. Or maybe I’m just being unfair because my favorite character is killed off.
• The Physick Book of Deliverance by Katherine Howe – Historical mystery centers on the Salem witches. Riveting.
• Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen – Magic realism or just the ordinary world filled with extraordinary miracles? five stars!
• The Ninth Stone by Kylie Fitzpatrick – relatively obscure historical mystery set in Victorian England. Features a girl-urchin who grows up to be a journalist. I loved it. five stars!

Cobwebs on my blog, but no spiders

Notice the cobwebs by the upper left-corner of the site near the blurb? I’m afraid I’m very behind in my TBR challenge and book blogging, and this site is looking more abandoned by the day.

I am tempted to say that real life gets in the way of my book life, but I review that thought and I realize how inaccurate it is, and how unworthy. Reading and all the bookish activities such as book hunting, participating in online and face-to-face discussions, book swaps, and blogging that have taken up much of my time these recent years have enriched my life and made it more interesting.

From all the cool people I met, I got all these cool ideas, from where the best food is to where the best book discounts are. Best of all, in my off days and stressed moments, I never despaired because I knew that whatever happened I have my books and I have this, a community of readers, a gathering of like-minded souls, and I know we’re making a difference.

Here’s a list of online communities. I like them, maybe you will, too.

Flips Flipping Pages – A community of people who love to read, collect, swap, mooch, talk about, sell, touch, smell, look at, give away books. A support group for book addicts. Though most support groups help addicts quit, this group enables them, encourage them to get more, buy more, read more, learn more!

On Shelfari.com – main site, talk boards
On Multiply- blog
On Facebook- announcement of events

Bookmooch – Give books away. Get books you want. BookMooch is a community for exchanging used books. It lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want.

On Shelfari.com – forum for BookMoochers Pilipinas
On Facebook- announcement of events and bookswap

The blogroll on this site, with links to Filipino book bloggers. Or check out the directory at Filipino Book Bloggers. Click on the links to pay them a visit. Leave a comment or two. Wait for the excited, Welcome!

There, I hope I swept some of the dust and cobwebs away. Hatsoo!

Not quite.

book blogging? add your site here

Breaking up the angst, The Filipino Book Bloggers is a wonderful blog  for all bookworms and book bloggers. If you’re reading and blogging, why not pay this site a visit? Add your blog if you’re a Pinoy book blogger, wherever in the world you are currently.

Let’s join together to help spread the love of reading. Enlightened minds are less likely to eat dogs, our sweet and loyal best friends (segway in connection with my current mood–read post on other blog).

Kamusta?
Welcome to Filipino Book Bloggers! This is a directory of Filipino book bloggers from all over the world. It doesn’t matter what genre you blog about or where you’re located, as long as you’re a Filipino, you’re welcome to have your blog listed.

*This book blog directory is managed by Chachic,reading and writing about YAs and fantasy fiction.

To be listed, send an email to filipinobookbloggers@gmail.com with the following details:

• Blog Name
• Blog URL
• Location
• Brief Description
• Favorite Authors
• tags for what genre your blog caters to

Also send an image if you want it to be included in the post dedicated to you.

is it too late to win the 2010 TBR challenge?

Will I succeed, when I’m so behind on my reading and blogging? Though not one for joining book challenges or memes I do like to set goals and stay true to resolutions. At the beginning of the year I declared that I would read 75 books this year (which would hardly make a dent on my 700+ TBR). I also noted the chunkster (or was it chunky?) and TBR challenges on some book blogs. I have to read four thick books (over 500 pages?) and 12 books from my TBR pile this year. For the TBR challenge, I can list 12 other titles if for some reason I can’t read a book  from the original TBR list.

2010 TBR
1.The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (done)
2.The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
3.The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Sotterfielf
4.The Sixteenth Pleasures by Robert Hellenga
5.Booked to Die by John Dunning
6.The Last Cato by Matilde Asansi
7.The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
8.The Nonesuch Lure by Mary Luke
9.Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
10.Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
11.The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke
12.Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

or

1.Vicky Bliss Mystery: Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters (done)
2.Vicky Bliss Mystery: Street of the Five Moons by Elizabeth Peters
3.Vicky Bliss Mystery: Silhouette in Scarlet by Elizabeth Peters
4.Vicky Bliss Mystery: Trojan Gold by Elizabeth Peters
5.Vicky Bliss Mystery: Night Train to Memphis by Elizabeth Peters
6.Vicky Bliss Mystery: The Laughter of Dead Kings by Elizabeth Peters
7.Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
8.Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
9.Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke
10.The Secret Country: The Hidden Land by Pamela Dean
11.The Secret Country: The Whim of the Dragon by Pamela Dean
12.The Fire by Katherine Neville

Chunky / Chunkster
1.Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
2.Sepulchre by Kate Mosse

3.Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
4.The Talisman by Stephen King

By writing this down, did I hit on The Secret to reading challenges?

In the lists are books given or recommended by friends. I have delayed reading them long enough, and I am embarrassed at disappointing expectations of hearing my opinions on the books.

I also want to read 12 nonfiction books this year. So far, I’ve finished one, and on my way to finish three. I’m eyeing books related to work (content development and social media), grammar books, and travel lists. I’m not neglecting ang sariling atin as I also intend to read 6 by Filipino authors this year. On my shelves are titles by Robert Alejandro, GM Coronel, Carlos Malvar, Josefina Manahan, David Hontiveros, and LookslikeRein.

If putting down on paper, or blogging it, can help transform desire into reality, then maybe I will yet end 2010 winning these challenges.

2009 Reads: Best High, Worst Fix

I attend an addiction support group meeting every month, only the group supports the addiction not quitting. First in the 12-step program is to pick our best and worst reads for 2009, which we are then supposed to share with the group in a praise and bash fest, scheduled on January 23 at (venue TBA.

I’ve prepared my list of 2009 reads. Last year, I aimed to push 60 to myself, and succeeded at 65. Now all I have to do is decide which gave me the best high and the worst fix.

Which two do you think will win the honors?

2009: Pushing 60

January
1. The Book of the Dead – Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child
2. The Wheel of Darkness – Douglas Preston / Lincoln Child
3. Grave Sight – Charlaine Harris
4. Grave Surprise – Charlaine Harris
5. An Ice-Cold Grave – Charlaine Harris

February
6.Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
7. Dark Prince – Christine Feehan
8. Never Confuse a Memo with Reality – Richard A Moran
9. Love Story – Erich Segal
10. New Moon – Stephenie Meyer
11. The Ghost and the Femme Fatale - Alice Kimberly
12. Journal: The Short Life and Mysterious Death of Amy Zoe Mason – Joyce Atkinson, Kristine Atkinson

March
13. An Artist of the Floating World – Kazuo Ishiguro
14. Ghosts in the Snow - Tamara Siler Jones

April
15. Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers – Jane Jensen
16. Akibakada - Lyndon Gregorio
17. Para kay B – Ricky Lee

May
18. A Great and Terrible Beauty – Libba Bray
19. Code Name: High Pockets – Edna Bautista Binkowski

June
20. Defending Angels – Mary Stanton
21. Jim Henson’s Return to Labyrinth – Jake T Forbes, Chris Lie, Kouyu Shurei
22. Labyrinth II The Lands Beyond – Judith Agrathea
23. Sins & Shadows – Lyn Benedict
24. Wraith - Phaedra Weldon
25. Solstice Wood – Patricia A. Mckillip
25. Met by Moonlight – Rosemary Edgehill
27. Darkfever - Karen Moning (reread)
28. Bloodfever - Karen Marie Moning
29. Jim Henson’s Return to Labyrinth vol2 – Jake T Forbes, Chris Lie, Kouyu Shurei
30. Jim Henson’s Return to Labyrinth vol3 – Jake T Forbes, Chris Lie, Kouyu Shurei

July
31. General Winston’s Daughter – Sharon Shinn
32. Mystic and Rider – Sharon Shinn
33. Magic Bites – Ilona Andrews (reread)
34. Magic Burns – Ilona Andrews (reread)
35. Magic Strikes – Ilona Andrews
36. A Flash of Hex – Jess Battis
37. Vicious Circle – Linda Robertson
38. Dead Until Dark – Charlaine Harris
39. Creepers - David Morrell

August
40. Greywalker - Kat Richardson
41. Poltergeist - Kat Richardson
42. Skinny Bitch – Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

September
43. Underground - Kat Richardson
44. The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
45. Unclean Spirits – MLN Hanover
46. Must Love Hellhounds – Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, and Meljean Brook
47. Perfume - Patrick Suskind
48. And Then He Kissed Her – Laura Lee Ghurke
49. The Scent of Shadows: The First Sign of the Zodiac - Vicki Pettersson
50. Trese: Murder on Balete Drive – Budjette Tan and KaJo Kajo Baldisimo
51. Trese: Unreported Murders – Budjette Tan and KaJo Kajo Baldisimo

October
52. Highlander’s Touch – Karen Marie Moning
53. Tapestry - Lynn Kurland, Karen Marie Moning, Madeline Hunter, Sherrilyn Kenyon
54. Callwork - Hazel Manzano
55.  Touched by Light – Catherine Spangler
56. 284 Common Mistakes in English made by Pinoys – Elizabeth P Ong

November
57. Like a Charm – Candace Havens
58. B2B: How to Build a Profitable E Commerce Strategy – Michael J. Cunningham
59. House of Dark Delights – Louisa Burton
60. Bound in Moonlight – Louisa Burton

December
61. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
62. Prospero’s Children – Jan Siegel
63. Trese Mass Murders – Budjette Tan and KaJo Baldisimo
64. Sign of the Four – Arthur Conan Doyle
65. Glass Books of the Dream Stealers – Gordon Dahlquist

pride and prejudice by jane austen

In a Jane Austen Universe, the Flippers met one Saturday, 21 November 2009 for tea and scones at Raul Roco Garden. Pride and Prejudice was the subject of their gossip.

I hoped for a Pride and Prejudice discussion to rival the ones of the Jane Austen Book Club movie. My expectations were met and then some. Although the book the movie was adapted from was trashed by Ihop, Jan, and Fantaghiro23, the movie was entertaining enough that surpassing it meant the Flips Flipping Pages (FFP) just had one of the liveliest and engaging face-to-face discussions since we started doing these two years ago.

To make any such get-together a success, characters are important—those discussing and being discussed. From the talk boards, one can already get a feel that Flippers are no insipid characters afraid to voice opinions and ask provocative questions. In Pride and Prejudice, we found a wealth of interesting characters, whose strict rules of engagement made for a fun puzzle for us book club members. Jane Austen herself was an enigma: attractive, smart, fun-loving, with and extremely astute understanding of human nature and behavior, yet strangely aloof from the attentions of the gentlemen of her time. Her works dwelt much—critically, lovingly, cynically… you decide—on the pursuit of wives and husbands, yet Austen remained single until her death at age 41.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife… Is it romantic or otherwise?” – Mod Fantaghiro23 begins the discussion.

But I am getting ahead of the narrative. From start to finish, the FFP Jane Austen Day bore all the elements of a Regency social outing. I arrived at a little past 12 at the Petron gas station next to La Vista gate along Katipunan and met with Fantaghiro, Marie, Ajie, Don Tads, Czar, Fredda, and GnP. Minus Don Tads and GnP (who had to beg off from attending the discussion because of family affairs—though GnP made sure to share with us how he found Pride and Prejuidce a trial to read. There was all that talking, I think I heard him say. “They never get to the point!” was more or less his sentiment, I recall.) we made our way to Antipolo in Czar’s and Fantaghiro’s cars.

At the Raul Roco Garden in Maogmanglugar, Antipolo, Lizzie Bennet welcomed us and offered us refreshments in a shady spot… Ah, wait, it was just Marie in a full Regency regalia. She had on a white empire-waist summer dress, and her hair was held up by a wide headband. I was so envious!

Islandhopper also had a touch of Regency, a flamboyant one, on her. She was wearing this black flowery clip, the kind that ladies wore to balls. She was at the garden an hour earlier so she can have time to lay out a sumptuous Regency table (think tea, scones, tea sandwiches, fish croquettes, and stuffed tomatoes, all arranged on dainty cups, china, and silverware) in readiness for our not-so Regency appetite.

Sabin Figaro and Psaz-lady had also arrived before us. Soon, Jan and Oel joined us (Jan also sported a feathery hair accent piece). Islandhopper introduced us to Jeeves: our fly in the wall with a camera, he said. We walked deeper into an almost-English Garden towards a Japanese-inspired pavilion. Imagine this setting: flowers and greenery, bamboo fountains, fresh air, the sound of books fluttering, the air of eager minds getting ready to confide, clash, and compromise.

Before us was a sunken table. On the table were our copies of Pride and Prejudice and, of course, our plates of food. At almost 3pm, Fantaghiro officially began the book club’s Pride and Prejudice discussion.

Highlights

• Many thought P&P was a sarcastic commentary of the marriage mart culture of the Georgian and Regency eras. Marriages were little more than business transactions.
• According to Fantaghiro, the first line throws into light the idea that P&P is more than a romance.
• Mrs Bennet is like Anabelle Rama, palengkera, tacky, but focused on securing a good future for her daughters.
• Depth of book was called into question. Comments were that the story was fluffy and that it revolved around only a few people in a very little part of England. Politics and world affairs were completely ignored. But how does one define depth? Is it only the ability to articulate the big picture? On the other hand, Austen had an uncanny ability to see right through human behavior of the people of her class.
• Ihop found the book dry, when she wanted very much to enjoy the book. “Depth? Kebs. Juicy details… Where?!”
• Sabin was surprised that he liked P&P, when he realized that it was not just a romance novel. His favorite character was Mr Bennet.
• Fredda theorized that Mr Bennet was Jane Austen’s model of herself within the book. Someone who is perfectly aware of what’s going on…
• To the question of who is more practical, Darcy or Elizabeth, the answers were divided. Ajie said it was Elizabeth, who was gutsy and outspoken even when in love. Psaz and I felt it was Darcy (though I can’t now remember why. I think I confused the ability to save the day with practicality.) Fantaghiro, agreeing with Ajie, said she suspected that Elizabeth may not be as in love with Darcy as he is to her and that her decision to marry him was greatly influenced by his station in life.
• To the question of whether Elizabeth truly loved Darcy, some Flippers said that from the start there was stirring of the heart in Elizabeth. Were it not for her hurt pride from Darcy’s tactless comments about her beauty, she may have admitted readily na type nya rin si kuya. That he is well-educated and rich gave Darcy additional pogi points in Elizabeth’s eyes.
• Marie asked, If Elizabeth was so practical, why was she so turned off by Charlotte’s choice? I believe that up to now none has satisfactorily answered this.
• Ihop had this to say about Elizabeth’s character: Elizabeth is a bitch. We like her. But she’s a bitch.
• Conduct over morals – The upper class people of the Regency time seemed more ashamed over inappropriate behavior than over immoral behavior. Fantaghiro wondered why. Is the strict code of conduct their way of keeping the violence of their times in check? Because contrary to impression we may have formed from reading P&P, the regency years were turmultuous and characterized by wars between England and France.
• To the question of why Jane Austen is a hit now, the answers were far out: It’s a Penguin conspiracy! Kasi wala na silang (readers, writers, publishers) magawa sa buhay nila. Nanghahalungkat na naman (ng bagong i-bibida). Popularity of Chicklits, of which some say Jane Austen is the grandmother. Because Darcy is obviously more in love with Elizabeth—and girls DIG that. Ang gwapo ni Colin Firth!

For me, whether we now live in a Jane Austen Universe or not is immaterial. For that Saturday, we Flippers were in a world of our own, thinking, talking, eating Jane Austen. Whether Pride and Prejudice is a social satire, not a romance, girls still swoon at just the thought of Colin Firth as Mr Darcy. Much juicy dialogue may have been left out and Lizzie and Darcy may be the model of restraint and civilized conduct on the outside, but behind closed doors…? Oh my, my imagination is working overtime. That’s romance enough for me =P.

By the way, the Raul Roco Garden was a heavenly place, perfect for weddings, parties, corporate activities… Kulang lang ng lights sa gabi.