Bookworm

I'm now in Facebook where I installed an application called Books iRead. In the application you can tag all the books that you've read, the ones that you want to read, and your favorites.

Guess what came out as my favorites...

1. Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
I saw the movie first and felt as if I was Jo March. She's a woman, a writer and a romantic. I woke on the morning of my 13th birthday to find out that Uncle Ben bought me a copy of my first ever novel.



2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - JK Rowling
My favorite Harry Potter book. I like how all the pieces were put into place at the end of the story. I love well-crafted stories.


3. A Midsummer Night's Dream - William Shakespeare
This comedy is close to my heart because Elex 01 performed it on our last year in Pisay. And I daresay that we gave a spanking good performance. Three different stories and groups of people were woven expertly into an entertaining play. For that and for numerous other things, Shakespeare will never be forgotten.


4. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
A light read. Mitch Albom is very imaginative and daring on crossing the unknown. I loved his version of heaven where life and death is all about touching other people's lives.



5. Tuesdays with Morrie - Mitch Albom
A book about death, which taught me more about life. Very inspiring.



6. The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
This was given to me by Pats on my 18th birthday. Coelho always writes very inspiring novels. And at that point of my life, this booked helped me realize all the possibilities that were open to me. Reach for your biggest dreams and never give up!


7. The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks
Second year high school, Dexter told me to read this book with a worn cover. Little did I know that I was being introduced to one of my favorite novelists -- Nicholas Sparks. I love the book and the movie. And I wish there really are Noahs, Garretts, and Landons out there.


8. Message in a Bottle - Nicholas Sparks
I remember one morning I was reading this book and I was crying so hard my sister was laughing at me. A heart-wrenching novel about destiny and love. Sparks says readers never forgave him for killing Garrett at the end of the novel. Well, I didn't as well.


9. A Walk to Remember - Nicholas Sparks
Mandy Moore starred in the film. I think that was when I started to like her acting and singing. I have a hardbound copy -- a Christmas gift from my sister. What I didn't like about the movie is why it didn't explain the title "A Walk to Remember." Read the book to find out.

10. My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult
A family story with courtroom drama. I like the concept of the story and how it was told --  interspacing between past and present. What I didn't like was how it ended. It was a big dramatic ending that I felt was there to salvage the story -- but there really wasn't anything to save. Net, I really liked the book, but I'd like it more if it had a "normal" ending.

11. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Books 1-3 - Ann Brashares
Super girly books. Reminds me of me and my girl friends. I like how the author gave life and personality to each of the girls and of course, the pants. Til now I still believe that magical things happen when the girls wear the pants.


12. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd
A coming of age tale. This is not an ordinary story, but overall, it was such a refreshing read. I'd gladly read it again and buy the author's other titles.



13. The Iliad - Homer
Thank you to Ma'am Oble for teaching us to read the classics. I love mythology -- the gods, Hektor (I love!) and Andromakhe, Akhilleus, and the Muon play that was very enjoyable.



14. The Secret - Rhonda Byrne
The secret to success, positive thinking and a great life! Now I'm convinced that I'm leading and will continue to lead the best life there is.


15. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
As a said before, I love well-crafted stories. I don't notice subtle hints in books, stories or movies (like Hanna does), so I become pleasantly surprised at a good ending. Very very well-crafted and written. Neil Gaiman is indeed one of my favorite writers -- from Sandman to Neverwhere to M is for Magic. He has the best imagination there is.

16. Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Another classic. Back in high school, we loved Marius and Eponine, and thought Cossette's character was too shallow. I loved how this was written. I even wrote my favorite parts of the book in my diary. I loved the songs in the play too. Cursor: Do you hear the people sing?



17. Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder
Uncle Ben made me read this book. It was textbook-ish. But I never ran out of oohs and aahs with the great philosophical minds. It was a great way of learning.


18. The da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
A very popular book. It was a race around with Europe brimming with art and untold secrets. I remember reading this during Christmas break of my last college year. It turned out that I didn't get any work done because I just wanted to finish the book.



19. Angels and Demons - Dan Brown
Rich with history and art, I like Dan Brown's way of writing. He intertwines real life with fiction. This is one of his novels that I couldn't put down when I started reading it.


I could never imagine my life without books. I know I still have a lot to read. Just browsing through a book store brings such satisfaction to me. I want to be able to buy all the books that I want and read all of them. I love good books and being in different worlds. And I'm so glad I picked up this hobby.

Writers have touched my life in so many ways and their books have kept me company on rainy days. I just wish that someday, I could touch more and more lives through writing. Again, I am reminded that the reader and the writer in me will always be alive.


*All images from http://www.facebook.com

Old Photos

I came across these old photos last week. Awitan '03 was a blast.

And I miss choral singing, super.

October in the Chair

"October in the Chair" is one of the short stories in Neil Gaiman's compilation, M is for Magic. It's a coincidence that I'm reading the short story in October -- my most favorite month of the year, my birthday month.

Whether you enjoy it or not, birthdays are always good. However ordinary your day may be, birthdays will always be extraordinary. For the mere fact that you were born years before -- on an equally extraordinary day.

You know how you envision yourself spending a perfect day on what's supposed to be your perfect day? Well, I do. And let's just say that this year, it was far from perfect. My sister got sick and developed a rash, so we were in the hospital on my birthday night. She was admitted the day after. And here I was trying to save my special day, so I was all selfish and bratty at home. See? Definitely a birthday I would not soon forget.

But after the chaos, I'm just thankful for all the blessings. It has been a very good year of developing friendships and touching lives. And at the end of the day, I'm just happy that I got to celebrate life with the people that I love. So to everyone, thank you for the greetings, the gifts, and most importantly, for making me feel loved.













Happy Birthday to the other Octoberbabies!!! Qwerty, Dotty, Jakob Zion, Carlo, Miki, Robert, Ivan, Jade, Hanna, Auds, Hani, Majel, Aren, and our 1 year old boy, Sean Matthew!

Sydney is Love :x

When I first saw the Sydney Opera House up close, I was trying to remember the last time I fell in love with a place. With the opera house's superb architecture and its pristine white tiles glinting even with the tiniest bit of sunlight, it was hard not to fall in love.

It was a sight to see -- like a postcard coming to life. Something you've seen so many times on TV or in pictures is now right there in front of you. I, for one, couldn't think of anything but "We're herrrreeee..." like I could just end my journey right in front of the architectural marvel.

Our trip to Sydney was a string of these wow moments. Starting with Rolan and Krizel getting engaged(!) and oh-my-Greek-god in the office. In the Blue Mountains at Katoomba, we had photo opportunities with the Three Sisters, giggled at Tanya's socks and havianas, saw stunning views of the valley, and burned off a week's worth of steaks by climbing steep steps.

After a day in the mountains, we were off to Bondi beach. The sun was up, the waves were gigantic, the water was ice cold, and there was a cool spring breeze - a day to relax, lounge in the sand and get a tan. I would have loved to stay by the beach but again, we were off to see the city. Harbour Bridge, St. Mary's Cathedral, Hyde Park, Paddy's Markets, Darling Harbour -- it's amazing where two feet and painful calves can take you.



It's a challenge to see sights that are larger than life -- things and places that you'd rather be left alone to look at for hours. A part of you just wants to take it all in -- to take mental pictures and make sure you retain the memory in your head. And another part of you just wants to take too many pictures and convert the experience into something tangible. I can't remember how I dealt with all the things, places, and people I saw in Sydney. But what I do know is that whenever I think of Sydney I remember a beautiful city. And I remember love.