Kicking Off Another Year in Books

Six days into 2013. Seven books. And that's already interspersed with forays into Divisoria and Tagaytay. Not bad at all.

The Kindle has turned out to be one gadget that has worked waaay overtime for me. Out of the seven, six are electronic versions. The sheer convenience of carrying hundreds, even thousands, of books with you really ups the ante in favor of the Kindle.

That still doesn't diminish the allure of the printed book though -- at least for me. It's just made my physical book purchases more... streamlined, I guess, in that I only buy from the bookstores those volumes I would like as part of my bookshelves. There's no hard-and-fast rhyme nor reason, but in general, hardback reference tomes, recipe books, Filipiniana, and those volumes not readily available in electronic form -- these are the ones I physically go for nowadays.

Well, it reduces the impulse buys and the might-be-a-good-buy-but-not-sure-if-will-actually-be-a-good-read books.

On to what I've read so far this year:

1. The Christmas Cookie Club, by Ann Pearlman. I was searching for a light read, one that didn't require a lot of cerebral, philosophical musings. I wanted a feel-good book. I found it in this one. It was quite refreshing, showcasing vignettes in the lives of a dozen women who gather around Christmastime each year for their annual cookie fest, where each bakes thirteen dozen cookies to give to one another, plus an extra dozen for a charity of their choice. In this case, a hospice. Perfect for the holiday season, as it celebrates the warmth of female friendships. Oh, and the cookie recipes are a big bonus too!
2. The End of Your Life Book Club, by Will Schwalbe. It was the title that beckoned to me, at first glance. After reading a synopsis, my interest was piqued. This is a real-life account of one man's relationship with his mother who was suffering from terminal pancreatic cancer. A lot of their times together was spent dissecting books one or both had read, leading them to understand better what went on in each other's minds, and inadvertently forming a book club of two. As one who has lost a mother to breast cancer, this struck a bit close to home, albeit my mother and I didn't really have the book-based interactions that were the focus of the book.
3. I Wear the Shorts in this Family, by Charles Dowdy. The title hinted at a humorous view on family life. It was quite hilarious, really, with anecdotes that makes one think "Hmm, that one's verrrry familiar." It's like holding a mirror to one's family, seeing the quirks and sometimes-embarrassing eccentricities, and ultimately just accepting and enjoying it all.
4. Evergreen: A Christmas Tale, by Richard Taylor. Still in keeping with the just-finished holiday season, this was another take on the meaning of Christmas, of how to appreciate our blessings in the midst of difficulties. Told from the viewpoint of a man who recalled his grandfather's story of the very first Christmas tree. Short, but sweet.
5. Goodbye, Pert Breasts: The Diary of a Newborn Dad, by Ben Wakeling. Another funny title that caught my eye. However, this wasn't really an all-out laugh-fest as much as a roadmap for soon-to-be dads, like a "What to Expect When Your Wife is Expecting". Couched in humorous language, it actually is chock-full of facts, esp. for those living in the UK.
6. Why Me? by Sarah Burleton.  This was definitely not a feel-good book. It details the life of one girl at the hands of her violent mother and stepfather. While the author eventually was able to escape from her dangerous environment, the scars have remained. As a parent, it makes me ache to read the extent of her experiences with her physically abusive and emotionally distant mother who even encourages her husband (the stepdad) to take part in the punishments meted out to her. A sad story, but it eventually also celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.
7. The Children that Time Forgot, by Peter Harrison and Mary Harrison. A book about children, mostly under the age of ten, who surprise family and friends with facts about having lived before, citing specific times, places people. The authors have chronicled these accounts of reincarnation and have reportedly verified the stories of people not really being gone, but just going through a cycle of birth and death. I have to admit that after going through about a third of the book I then just skimmed through the remaining chapters. Maybe it was one too many stories of rebirth, or maybe I was just not in the mood for this at the moment.

Now excuse me while I try to make a dent at my to-read pile for the year. :)

Chortles from the Morning Rush

I couldn't help chortling by myself while leafing through the latest Morning Rush book by Chico, Delamar and Gino. Although not a regular listener of their radio show on RX 93.1, I found the first compilation of the Top 10 Morning Rush quite a hoot!

While browsing through the stacks in one of my favorite bookstores, I chanced upon book 2. Knowing the laugh trip that is sure to ensue, I grabbed one immediately and headed for the cashier.

It didn't disappoint.

From the "Messages for Haters" list:

"This Christmas, I'm going to put a mistletoe in my back pocket so all the haters can kiss my ass!"

Haha, a bitchy comment indeefd, but quite witty, if I may say so.

From the "Things You'd Tell Your Parents if They Were Your Kids" list:

"Kapag naglagay ka ng pera sa money basket 'pag offertory, huwag ka nang kumuha ng sukli, kasi mukha kang nagnanakaw ng pera."

I really burst out laughing at this one, never mind that I was alone at the time. Although I've never seen anybody actually do this, it just seems so easy to picture someone doing this -- quintessentially Filipino in its practicality and frugality. Why drop a thousand-peso bill if a hundred peso is all you were planning to give, right?

A lot of the lists are given to double entendres and are meant for more mature audiences, but here and there are little nuggets of caustic, tongue-in-cheek wisdom(?) that makes one pause to think "Oo nga naman, may point sya dun. In fairness."

Will be waiting eagerly for book three.

 

Two Weeks with the Kindle and Counting...

I've had my Kindle for slightly more than two weeks now, and it has left my side only a few times. Well, during waking hours at least. Thanks to the brains behind this wonderful device that has made it very handy for people to read.

I simply love it, love it, LOVE IT!

Although I do not see myself completely forsaking the traditionally printed books, I am really having fun reading on this nifty little gadget of mine. Since I started using it, I've managed to polish off nine books already (on top of the engaging, albeit unauthorized, paperback version of Oprah: A Biography by Kitty Kelley, that I managed to finish in between):

• Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas and Micah Sparks -- part travelogue, part memoir, I found reading this quite restful. Maybe because I appreciated their descriptions of their travels to Guatemala, Peru, Easter Island, Cook Islands, Australia, Cambodia, India, Ethiopia, Malta and Norway.  And I could relate to the obvious close ties that the authors had with their family.
• Dark Secrets of the Vatican by H. Paul Jeffers -- there have always been conspiracy theories surrounding the Vatican and its inhabitants, from shady goings-on to naughty priests, to power plays and espionage, to Opus Dei and even the Nazis. It was actually quite entertaining.
• The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi -- this gave me an insight (however small it may be) into Indian society and the pressures put on younger people in how they choose their mates. In this day and age, we tend to take for granted that not all people have the freedom to choose who they marry. I am thankful for this freedom of ours.
• My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares -- this is the haunting story about a man taking up the threads of a line of lives through the centuries, always with his memories of his past lives intact, always coming back to loving a certain person, who unfortunately does not have the same strong recollections of him. How they meet and part through the centuries becomes the central theme of this poignant book.
• High on Arrival by Mackenzie Philips & Hilary Liftin -- a controversial book by a former child star and singer, who chronicled her unchecked upbringing, her rise to fame and fortune and her descent into the dregs of a life tainted by drink, drugs, and unhealthy relationships including one with her own, rock-icon, father. One wonders how parents could actually be so self-absorbed as to not care how these things affect their kids.
• Is It Just Me? Or Is It Nuts Out There? by Whoopi Goldberg -- a tongue-in-cheek book which lays out Whoopi's pet peeves in current society, running the gamut from being crackberries, to talking on the phone in public so loudly that everyone knows their story, to elevator etiquette. And yes, I do think that it is actually nuts out there.
• Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, books 1, 2 and 3 -- these are very, very easy to read. I used to snub them, but I wanted to try book 1 out at least. I finished it in about 2 hours. The next 2 books followed in short order. The series follows the lives of the unlucky Baudelaire orphans Violet, Klaus and Sunny, and their misadventures as they try to escape the clutches of the sinister Count Olaf. I still have 10 books to go in the series though.

It's so easy on the eyes as, thankfully it is not backlit, and quite light to carry. When I had to stay at home for a day last week due to severe colds and a wracking cough, I had my Kindle with me to keep me company when the kids were occupied somewhere else.

And now I seem to have started a mini-Kindle rage in the office. After seeing my Kindle encased in its gorgeous purple casing, and me singing its praises of course, four of my colleagues decided to go and order their own units. They're now waiting breathlessly.

You really gotta love the Kindle!

Weekend Reading List

For the past two weeks I have been trying to finish the two books I started reading. Uhmm, yes, I do read books in parallel, sometimes even three or four at a time, from various genres. I then read whatever suits my mood. For one reason or another, I always put these two books aside and start (and eventually finish) other volumes.

Maybe these books don't really tickle my fancy that much, or they're a bit on the heavy reading side, but I'm just too proud to quit. And so I plod along page by page. These books? Negotiation Genius by Deepak Malhotra and Max Bazerman, and Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan.

Negotiation Genius is actually interesting, in that it offers very practical examples and applications of the concepts of negotiating. After my stint as a member of the management panel for the CBA talks in our company, I can relate to what Messrs. Malhotra and Bazerman wrote about. Concepts such as logrolling and packaging demands together, co-creation of value and BATNA -- they are all very useful, and presented in a very readable format. I wish we could've read this beforehand.

Somehow though, another book always manages to catch my eye, so I put this one aside, finish the other one, then come back to this once more. I will finish this in time though. That's my promise.

The other one, Say You're One of Them, is a collection of stories by Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian author. I had seen this book before in stores, but I always ignored it. Then I picked it up and read the blurb, browsed through it and decided that it looked interesting after all. The stories are about life in Africa, in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia -- and not just about the picturesque and idealized views of living outside the big cities. It shows the harsh and sordid realities that people do live through, such as human trafficking, prostitution, and religious conflict.

It's serious reading, and much as I want to, I just can't seem to absorb it all in one go. That's why I need to take breaks in between and pick up a book with a lighter tone. But I will go back and finish this as well. It's good writing, honest and unadorned.

On the other hand, in one sitting last night I finished Twisted 9 by Jessica Zafra. Granted, it's a thin voume, but it's eminently readable, with that sardonic tone I admire so much in her writing. From movies to pets to her passion for tennis, she writes n a way that makes one think and chortle at the same time. A very talented writer, I have almost all of Ms. Zafra's books, and a lot of books by other Filipino authors such as F. Sionil Jose, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, and Ambeth Ocampo.

I think it's a pity that books by Filipino authors or those with a Filipinianan slant are not given as much air-time or ad-space as others, and are almost always excluded from special promos. But then again, maybe it's because they are already priced way lower than other books sourced from abroad. That's not to say they are of lesser quality though. Definitely not.

And while we're on the vein of easy reading, I started on the much-awaited sequel to Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: Committed. It picks up from where Eat, Pray, Love left off: when Elizabeth met and fell in love with Felipe. Because they both came from first marriages that ended in divorce, they vowed to NOT get married ever, and which apparently made their relationship last. The complexities start when Felipe is banned from entering the US, except if they get married. The search for the meaning of marriage becomes the overarching theme of this book. I'm about a foruth of my way through, and I think I'll be able to finish it off this weekend.

While experimenting with the focusing mechanism on my camera, I was able to get this nicely blurred effect of the four books I've just written about, a photo of which is at the start of this post.

Quite interesting!

Dragoneye

Together with The Chronicles of Imaginarium Geographica (which I wrote about in a previous post), I left Powerbooks with another dragon-themed book -- Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman.

Yes, the bookshop's staff were good.

The book deals with a world governed by energy dragons ascending to power on a cycle fixed by the animal signs of the Chinese calendar, with each ascendant dragon represented in the temporal plane by an envoy, his Dragoneye, and an apprentice. Counting his time as an apprentice, each Dragoneye will actually forge and nurture a bond with his dragon for twenty-four years, years in which some of his Hua, or life-force, is drained in the process of communing with the dragon.

Becoming an apprentice takes years of grueling preparation, in swordfighting and dragon lore, in harnessing power and communing with dragons. As a Dragoneye and an apprentice, a person can gain the power to command the energies of the earth, redirecting the energies of winds and rain to benefit mankind. At least in theory. Becoming an apprentice also brings with it enormous influence in the Council, and material wealth to boot.

The protagonist is Eon, a twelve year old boy who has been training for four years to become an apprentice. His turn comes when he is given the chance to try to be the Rat Dragon apprentice. He is not seen as a serious contender though, as he has a pronounced limp, and is not able to move as nimbly as the others. What he has going is his innate ability to see and feel the energy dragons without any huge effort.

He has a dark secret as well, which could potentially spell death for him and his mentor, Heuris Brannon. Eon is actually Eona, a sixteen year old girl, rescued from the salt mines.

The story also tackles the re-appearance of the Mirror Dragon (the Dragon Dragon), who has been missing for five hundred years. Who gets to be Apprentice, who eventually becomes ensconced in the corridors of power, and the secret of the Mirror Dragon are all entwined in this beautifully crafted tale.

I hope to see the sequel, Eona, in the bookshops soon!

Where Myth and Fable Become Reality

I like reading about dragons. Mythical ones, at least.

In one of my visits to Powerbooks at the ATC, one of their staff was so engaging in trying to interest me in their new arrivals. I'm not sure if they had recognized me due to my numerous forays into their shop (proof of which is my PowerPlus card), but I really appreciate how they make an effort to connect with their customers.

I was happily browsing and immersing myself in the sight and smell of books, when this cheerful lady approached me and asked me if I had read this and that books, which I had. Then she directed my attention to their newly arrived series, The Chronicles of Imaginarium Geographica by James A. Owen. I politely had a glance, then told the lady that I wold browse a bit more.

Something made me take a second look though, and I was intrigued by the plot: an atlas of all the mythical and imaginary lands, that needed to be protected from those who sought to use it for less-than-noble purposes. I ended up getting the first three books of the series.

Three Caretakers are always chosen to protect the Imaginarium Geographica, which shows the locations of the fabled lands in the Archipelago of Dreams. In the first book, Here, There Be Dragons, the three future Caretakers (John, Charles, and Jack) are brought together by the unfortunate death of John's mentor. They are then swept into a world of Dragonships and hitherto-believed-to-be mythical characters. In the whirlwind of trying to keep the atlas safe, they encounter numerous allies and foes, as well as the Cartographer of Lost Places, who made the Imaginarium Geographica. The book ends up with a summoning of the dragons by the rightful heir and descendant of King Arthur. The Caretakers then go back to take up the mantles of their everyday lives, and their true identities are revealed to the reader -- a surprising revelation that I will not reveal here.

The Search for the Red Dragon continue nine years after the events of the first book. Peter Pan is drawn into the plot, which involves the loss of Dragonships and children of the Archipelago. The three Caretakers are again compelled to go back into the Archipelago to help out. They venture into the Underneath, beneath the waters of the Archipelago. The myths of Daedalus and Jason, the story of Peter Pan's Lost Boys, and Dante's Inferno all collide into one entertaining tale.

After five more years, the Caretakers are once again drawn into affairs of the Archipelago in The Indigo King. They have taken on an apprentice Caretaker, Hugo, who takes a key role in the events that unfold in this isntallment. An alternative timeline in which the Archipelago becomes a dark and dangerous place provides the impetus for the friends to agree to travel through time and attempt to make things right. A journey to Avalon, an introduction to the Lance of Longinus, and Arthur's resurrection -- these elements keep the reader wanting for more.

I'm so looking forward to books four and five -- The Shadow Dragons and The Dragon's Apprentice. Hope to see them soon!

Devouring The Hunger Games

I must confess that when all the hype about Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games came to a head last year, I was totally clueless. Which was quite out of character for me, not knowing what was new or what was "in" in matters concerning the printed page.

Because I frequent the major bookstores (NBS, Powerbooks, Fully Booked) and have the discount cards to prove it, I usually am quite up-to-date when it comes to bestsellers. Popularity is not my only criteria though; I have been known to pick up the random obscure title.

I'm quite proud of having bought a number of books a couple of years back that have now been made into movies, which have consequently catapulted them to the top of the charts. There's a certain smugness in me that I did not ride the popularity bandwagon, and recognized their worth long before it was fashionable to do so. As long as a volume catches my fancy, it does not matter whether it is currently in the bestseller lists or not. They are all equal in my eyes.

I tended to steer clear of young adult books because they were, well, for young ones. And I believed that they would be tackling themes that would be too shallow or juvenile for my taste. Jumping on the bandwagon of the flavors-of-the-month was not my cup of tea.

But then I tried some (the Artemis fowl series, for starters), just to prove a point. And then I got hooked.

I had been seeing The Hunger Games in bookstores for some time already, but I consistently ignored them. Snobbishness? Maybe. Or it could be that I was just not that attracted to the synopsis. The book designs weren't appealing to me as well.

Maybe all the positive feedback finally broke through my self-imposed barriers. This was one time when I jumped on the bandwagon. And I'm glad I did. I zoomed through the first volume, and was engrossed in the lives of Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark and Gale Hawthorne as they tried to survive in a world controlled by the Capitol.

Since I had a paperback edition of the first part, I waited for the paperback editions for the second and third parts as well. You know, so that they would all look nice when stacked up on the shelf. Yes, I have these idiosyncracies when it comes to books.

Thankfully Powerbooks came up with volumes two and three in paperback not too long ago. I wasted no time and grabbed them as well. I eagerly devoured the pages and was able to finish the two books in two days. Yay!

The Hunger Games introduced us to the world of Panem, with its twelve districts that currently provided two tributes each annually to the brutal survival games, all orchestrated by people from the Capitol. Strategy, skill and survival instinct differentiated who won from the other, unfortunate ones.

The concept of districts being compelled to provide "tributes" in the annual Hunger Games, and having them fight with one another to have a single victor emerge was a bit too bloodthirsty for me at first. The alternative reality presented in the book seemed to be a bit far-fetched. But when I started reading, I realized that it was much more than that.

Catching Fire brought to the fore the theme of rising up in arms against oppression, with Katniss unwittingly becoming the symbol of hope for the revolution. The Quarter Quell, which occurs every 25 years for the Games, brings new, unexpected complications to the rules. The latest pool of tributes will come from the roster of previous winners. New characters are introduced, with alliances formed on the field of battle. The story does not lack action and energy, and book closes off with a cliffhanger, which of course is designed to leave readers yearning for the third installment.

The long-awaited Mockingjay brings us all back to Panem, and follows the progression of the rebellion against the Capitol, spearheaded now by District 13, which had long been thought of to have been completely destroyed. The tributes' roles in the war are emphasized. The triangle of Katniss, Gale, and Peeta continue, with the proverbial wrench thrown in to further keep the reader on his toes. The ensuing showdown between Katniss and President Snow provides a further twist in the tale.

The story closes off with Katniss speaking from a vantage point twenty years into the future.
On top of the readability factor, I could blather on about friendship, oppression, sacrifice and survival. About familial love, desperation, betrayal and honor. The trilogy has all of these, and more. The reader will just have to discover it for himself.

I can honestly say though that the series is undeniably one of the most interesting reads I have had in a long time.

Learning from the Negotiation Masters

I've always believed that children are natural masters at negotiation and manipulation.  The statement "She had Daddy wrapped around her little finger" packs more truth than we realize.  How many times has the little one asked for another toy or book that you did not plan on buying, but after disarming you with her cuteness and other tactics, you end up capitulating anyway?

I wonder if it's a skill that is genetically hardwired into each one of us, that is then subsequently lost as one grows up due to social unacceptability of some of these behaviours.  You know, Nature vs. Nurture.

A book I read echoed this idea.  The title first caught my fancy -- How to Negotiate LIke a Child: Unleash the Little Monster Within.  It's a tongue-in-cheek take on some negotiating techniques that at first glance one would not associate with adults, but are surprisingly effective when wielded by kids.  Upon closer reflection however, it appears that we may actually be using variations of these at one time or another!

Some of the things I found striking:

• Throw a tantrum and cry.  We've all seen the toddler who screamed his head off at the toy shop when told that Daddy and Mommy would not buy him another Thomas the Tank Engine train, or the little girl who lay sprawled on the living room floor bawling because she was not allowed to watch another Sesame Street video?  After the accusatory looks in the shop and the neighbour's complaints, who do you think won?  The power of a well-placed tantrum in the workplace could swing things one's way, but it has to be planned for and timed very, very well.  One can also exploit the very human tendency to side with the underdog.  Sometimes, he who screams loudest, gets heard -- but if overused, one becomes just another troublemaker or crybaby.
• Pretend you don't hear or understand what the other is saying.  Grown-ups are primed to respond to verbal or even electronic cues, and oftentimes one is put on the spot trying to come up with a coherent answer to something one is not knowledgeable of nor ready for.  Children have no such compunction; they do not respond if they do not feel like it -- a delaying tactic that gives one the time to regroup and gather one's thoughts.
• Play your best game and change the rules.  How to tackle a situation where one is at a disadavantage?  Countless kids do this instinctively -- they just change the rules of the game to something they have greater chances of winning!  Quite logical, if you think about it.  As long as it is within the bounds of ethics and propriety, why not try to move the negotiating lines towards your benefit?
• Ask the person who is most likely to say "Yes".  A little boy wants to have his fourth chocolate cookie after dinner.  He knows that Mom will not allow him another sugar-filled treat.  But there is another person in the house who has the power to grant him his wish, one who the little boy knows will be more inclined to acquiesce.  "Dad, may I please have another cookie?"  In the end, the little boy grabs the cookie triumphantly, simply because he asked the right person with the right level of authority. 
• Play one side against the other.  "No, you are not allowed to watch another cartoon video." "But Mom said I could." "Really? Ok, then."  Knowing when to play one side against the other is a talent that is most useful, if one can find the appropriate champion.  If done properly, the desired outcome can be achieved with minimum effort. 
• Keep coming back to the same question.  In negotiations or management discussions, does a "No" the first time automatically translate to another "No" an hour, a day, a week hence?  Not necessarily!  Children are quite persistent in asking for what they want.  They can wear parents down with their relentless questions, hour after hour after hour.  In the end, the prize becomes theirs for the taking.
• Don't fear failure.  As one matures, the fear of failure seems to grow proportionally as well.  But kids don't care if they fail this time; they just try again.  And again.  And again.  No guts, no glory, right?

I quite enjoyed reading the book, which was a refreshing change from the more serious management books out there.

Maybe I can also learn to unleash the little monster within.

On Reading Jodi Picoult

With all the hype on one of Jodi Picoult's books being made into a movie, I thought it quite coincidental that this was also the first of her (many) books that I've read. The book is, of course, "My Sister's Keeper," which I first saw in a bookstore 3 years ago.

I was quite intrigued by the ethical and moral dilemmas posed by the book's premise of a girl being conceived via IVF and genetically engineered to be a match for her older sister, who had been diagnosed with leukemia. The girl, who just wants to be a "normal" kid, undergoes numerous medical procedures for her sister's sake, even donating blood and bone marrow. At 13, she is expected to donate one of her organs for her sister. She then sues for medical emancipation, or the right to decide how her own body is used. This causes an unimaginable rift within her family.

I decided to buy the book and give it a shot, even if I thought at the time that it was a tad too drama-filled for my taste.

I was hooked. True, it did have its share of poignant moments that could rival any of Pinoy TV's telenovelas. The ending was something I did not expect (there is now also a hue-and-cry about the film version's deviating from the original ending in the book -- I wonder how the movie would treat it). But it did also raise a number of difficult questions, those that would make you ask yourself if you would do the "right" thing (or whether you actually knew what "right" actually was), ones that did not have cut-and-dried answers, questions that you wish you would never have to face in your own life.

After this book I knew I would have to have her other books as well. And so the bookworm (or bibliophile?) in me scoured the bookshops for her works. All her books feature the same mix of ethical and legal issues and family drama. Heavy reading at times, but worth it in the end. I now have all of her books, except for her latest, "Handle with Care", which has yet to hit the shelves here in my part of the woods -- hopefully it makes an appearance here soon!

What can I say? I'm unabashedly a fan.