Let’s talk about a book that ripped my skin open

and poured salt all over the wound. I am definitely not over it. This novel is Dark Academia and I am weirdly drawn to that story theme. I love Dead Poet’s Society and Kill Your Darlings. I love films about literature and academia. But, these are not the only reasons why I love this novel. I like the relationship between the characters and the drama.

Goodreads: On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it.

Ten years ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extra. But in their fourth and final year, the balance of power begins to shift, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent.

This book captivated me and had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t stop reading it and I had to know what would come next. I felt all kinds of emotions. When I finished, I collapsed on the bed and made ugly, pathetic sounds. How can fictional characters affect me so much? I was obsessed! I couldn’t sleep! Days passed and I was still very affected. I love books that bother me. This would make a good movie adaptation, but hopefully with more diversity. Representation is important. ☾

Bram Stoker’s Dracula

I do not remember when I first watched 1992 film Dracula, but I was very young. It was scary to young me. It was also captivating. To the current me, Keanu Reeves’ accent almost makes this film seem like a parody… among other things. I’m not saying I hate the film. I love the film. I LOVE it. It’s experimental and beautiful. It is definitely more exciting and genuine than the novel. Yes, I said it. The movie is better than the book. Also the book was racist and really fucking sexist. “Mina has a brain of a man.” Ew. 

I do understand (but not really) the lifestyle and thinking of these people during those days. It took me a long time to finish this book. It’s a shame. I would’ve enjoyed it more if I finished it in one sitting. It had a lot of exciting parts. It is different from the film, so that was really nice. It was nice to look at that world in a new way. I wonder what I’m going to be reading next! ☾

Children of Blood and Bone

 

I decided to read this book when I saw Tomi Adeyemi’s video of her receiving her first book and crying about it. It sparked something inside of me. I heard so many good things about Children of Blood and Bone. People were calling Tomi Adeyemi the next J.K. Rowling. That statement excited me. I couldn’t wait for the book to be released. I just finished it right now. What I can say about it is that it’s definitely not anything like Harry Potter but it will enchant you in its own magical way.

 

Fan Art by JoPainter

It reminds me so much of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra (both of which you should totally get into). The author said it herself that she was a bit inspired by the world of the Avatar. Who could blame her? Aang’s world is freakin’ beautiful. She was also inspired by the brutality that African American people face. I could very much relate with Tomi when she said in this interview that when she was writing short stories as a child she never wrote about African Americans. 

“The worst part about it is that I didn’t consciously think about it, but I subconsciously internalised it,” she says, noting that even when she wrote short stories as a young child she never made her characters black.

When I would write stories I made all of my characters white. Even when I wrote about my friends, I made them white because to me and everyone around me, being white is better. This should be taken seriously. I want children who aren’t white to feel seen as themselves. I want them to love their ethnicity. Tomi is doing good for young people who almost never see people who look like them leading powerful stories. Representation is very important.

I really respect her for the world that she created and I want to learn more about this world. I truly enjoyed reading Children of Blood and Bone. I felt that it was quite different from other fantasy novels I’ve read before. I grew to love the characters and their individuality. I have to say the epilogue really shook me. I can’t wait for the next one! ☾

a good read

Most of the things I’ve read this year are fantasy novels. My choice of genre depend on my mood at the moment. I read fantasy and science fiction when I want to escape from my emotions. So, that’s saying something. I read fourteen books this year and seven of them were of the fantasy genre. I love fantasy. It give me comfort. I need to catch up on my reading even though I’m still six books ahead of schedule. I can’t let that catch up with me. My goal is thirty books but I also want to exceed that. Right now I’m juggling two stories, the classic Dracula and a new one called Children of Blood and Bone.

I love horror and Dracula is a masterpiece. I want to take my time with it. I can’t read it for the first time twice unless I experience Amnesia which I terrible hope never happens. I heard so many good things about Children of Blood and Bone! They called Tomi Adeyemi the next J.K. Rowling. I am so excited to read it.

I feel that I will enjoy it a lot. I want to write more blog posts about the novel Dracula and all of the films made about it. I also want to write more about the films and books that I enjoy. I hope that I can do that. ☾

A Thousand Splendid Suns

About five minutes ago, I read the last words of A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. I have read plenty of novels that have made me sad but A Thousand Splendid Suns was different. I was very sad while reading. It’s not a story that gives a promise for happiness. This book is about a life that is real for so many people. It made me feel weak and powerless. I felt so many things. When you read books, you experience things. It was not a comfortable experience, I must say. I have not felt hatred this intense for a fictional character before. The character that I am specifying made me feel caged as though this was the intention of the author. I don’t know. But, let me just say that this is a great novel. I rated it five stars.

I admire Khaled Hosseini very much. He gave the world two strong characters that you can’t help but cry about. Thinking about it now, I’m going to miss these characters and I must be reminded that they aren’t real and suffering somewhere, but at the same time, they are real and suffering somewhere in this world of ours. This novel definitely made me angrier than before (and that is saying something). It made me angry for women everywhere. “We are not less than men”, I repeated so many times in my head as I engaged in arguments with fictional characters. I really need to read fluff after this. I truly recommend this book! You have to read it. You’re going to love it! ☾

Hello

It’s been a while. Hello. I’ve been spending a lot of my time reading. I have already finished four novels this year. I am three books ahead of schedule on my reading challenge this year. Something that simple makes me happy because I want to read so many books this year.

My goal for this year is higher than last year even when I couldn’t finish my 20 book reading challenge. Honestly, I blame the holidays! – and maybe other things as well. Anyway, I think I can finally win against myself this time. House of Furies was very interesting and it left me wanting more from it. I hope the author show more of it’s world in the next one. It has a bit of a uniqueness to it. The Handmaid’s Tale was a very good read. The writing style kept me reading. I really enjoyed this novel even when it lead me to darkness. After that I needed some cheering up, so I thought maybe a light read would help. The Loneliest Girl in the Universe has an irresistible title. I thought that it would be fluffy. I was wrong. It was light but it wasn’t fluffy. The story was still pretty good. I’ve been working on reading I Am Malala for months. It’s a really good book. I love how Malala tells her story. Learning about the Swat Valley and her family was really nice. I learned a lot about Pakistan too. I didn’t imagine I would be crying at the end, but I did. I cried a lot. The memoir left me with a good feeling. It inspired me to learn more and read more about stories that are similar. I have listed A Thousand Splendid Suns in my to-read list because Malala and Emma Watson have said good things about it. 

I am just so excited to read books this year and maybe earn money. I also want to learn more things. I think 2017 was the year of learning for me in a way. I want to learn in a different way this year. I hope good things happen. ☾

MAHARLIKHA

Two decades ago on May 14, my friend Rodmar was born. This year on his 21st birthday, he decided to celebrate his day with an open mic event which would be perfect for a person like Roda and his close friends. He chose to have it in Casa San Miguel. I already made a post about Casa San Miguel in the past. It was truly a great experience for me as a lover of art and beautiful things. My friends and I enjoyed our second visit. This second visit is much more special because there we have more friends involved and we were fortunate enough to hear our friends sing and share their poems. 

My friends Lyra and Momo helped Roda with organizing the event. Vince, our other friend, helped a great deal too since he works for Casa San Miguel. it was a group effort. They called it MAHARLIKA. The Tagalog word means a lot of things. It can mean greatness and that night was pretty great.

I took a lot photos of my friend Reika that day. 

You can find plenty of artworks like these when you go on a tour. 

This is what the outside of the cafe looks like. It’s beautiful in it’s own way. 

I suffered a lot that day because of the heat. I also had a bad cough. Sweat and coughing is not a good combination. I changed twice. Nobody can control the weather. 

Reika and I shared a meal together because we wanted to try different dishes. We had Pasta Marinera, Pan de Adobo, and Potato Wedges. It was good and pleasing to the eyes. 

We saw a lot of beautiful things. I wish I could have stayed there longer.

The books inside the van are available for purchase. 

My favorite wall art. 

The highlights​ of the night for me were the performance of the Pundaquit Virtuosi, Tolites’ and Journey’s duet, Tolites’ self composed songs, spoken-word poetry, and Momo’s singing. Too bad I left before Roda shared his poem. 

Casa San Miguel is a great place to stay in if you want peace and if you want to be surrounded by art. There are a lot of hidden gems in that place and I have yet to see all of it. 

Goals and dreams?

Yes! I am making one of those GOALS FOR THE YEAR post. I feel like I just need one for this year even though I’m pretty horrible with promises.I will not stop myself from trying to become the person I want to be. I’m turning 25 this year and I think my anxieties about life is getting worse. I just have to do something for myself. 

1. Wear a dress in public more often. I’ve decided to brush off society’s standards and wear a dress that will show my large legs and curves. I like dresses. They are pretty and flow-y. Everyone should just wear dresses! I will buy a dress or have it made. 
2. Drink more water. At least 4 liters a day! We seriously need to drink more water. Not just me but everyone in the world. People don’t drink 8 glasses of water a day. My siblings drink 8 glasses of soda everyday that’s for sure. I need to hydrate and help my body get rid of toxins. Water is gold.
3. Read more books. I did a reading challenge last year. My goal was 50 books in a year. That didn’t work out. I only read 10 books last year. So, I started another challenge and made it more realistic. I plan on reading 20 books or more this year. Reading helps me clear my mind of toxic reality and it helps me with my grammar and vocabulary.
4. Go to PALAWAN. I want to go to Palawan with my friends. It is so beautiful. I watched this show where they featured these beautiful places in Palawan and I was captivated. I definitely want to go with my friends.
5. Travel with my family. I want to have fun and see new places with them this year.

Can I do it? Let’s just hope I can. I need to focus this year and do better.

 

Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King

I took on a reading challenge. I have to read 100 books this year. Right now, I’ve only read one and I’m 26 books behind schedule… apparently. I can do it. Maybe, I can do it. I can…

I love Stephen King. The first Stephen King novel I read was IT. It may be one of my favorite novels. It frightened me, it made me nostalgic, and it made me extremely sad. The second novel would be Hearts in Atlantis. It was not as good as IT, but I quite enjoyed the story too. It’s not the kind of story that I would read normally, but I trusted Stephen King. But, I should definitely remember that writers are unpredictable. I would give this novel 3 stars!

 

 

Recently: Books

I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading. Honestly. I only started reading the really long thick books when I was twelve or thirteen. I wish I started earlier. But, even then I really liked reading. I read everything I could get my hands on except for the really big books. I’ve read all kinds of books. My favorite genre, of course, would have to be Fantasy. I cannot get enough of fantasy books. I fell in love with Harry Potter when I was ten or eleven years old. After that, I always had a book to read nearby.

Recently, I haven’t been reading a lot of books. Even if I started on a book, I couldn’t finish it. A lot of things have been swimming in my mind. Is this adulthood? I don’t want it. I want to live somewhere nobody can find me, even if I died right on the living floor. I want to be surrounded by greenery and a view that shows the ocean. I would have my very own library. People can visit, I guess, or even live there. But, they would have to be quiet except for days when loud music and alcohol will be involved. I think my headaches would then finally stop.

The last novel I bought was Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children which I really love! I’ve been waiting for the second book to come out on the shelves at the bookstore, but they never have it. “WHY ON EARTH DO YOU KEEP SELLING FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, WHEN YOU CAN SELL THAT?!”, I wanted to tell the manager.

These days I get my hook ups from friends. Hook ups, for me, means reading a good book all by myself with the comfort of myself. Doesn’t make sense, huh? I don’t get me either. Aside from that, I’ve been looking at designs of houses or any living spaces because it always helps me with inspiration and it really does the trick on giving me more life. I should’ve been an architect or an engineer. But, math makes my mind bleed. Anyway, I have some reading to do.