I am tracking my reading journey through Goodreads. I have an account there and I mark books as I find them (to-read) and read them. I love Goodreads because you can already read about the blurb as well as what others think about the book (reviews). It is easy for me to discern whether I’d like the book, it’s worth buying, or not.

Do you have a Goodreads account? Maybe we can be friends there.

I mostly read Young Adult and Mystery. What about you?

Over the years of acquiring one book after another, my collection of books has grown into piles of books on the floor around my work desk. Aside from books inside transparent plastic containers, I now have books in smaller boxes and two big bags. I know my dad and my siblings aren’t saying anything yet but sooner or later they will say something about my ‘mess’.

I am currently looking for a solution to this problem. I need a storage but one that will not eat too much space as I don’t have that. Preferably a single cabinet or something that can house at least 90% of my books.

Do you have a solution to this?

There are very few international bestselling authors who come to Manila. The ones that mattered to me, anyway. I don’t recall ever hearing the likes of Stephen King, Anne Rice, John Grisham, Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks, and other A-list authors ever expressing interest in coming to Manila for some book signings. I guess their publishers didn’t think the readers in this side of the world don’t really matter to them.

What their publishers should know is that these international authors would have given people in this side of the world an inspiration to read more, or start reading for some. It would have likely sent fans craving for more from the authors. Lauren Kate of the Fallen series was one of the few authors who came that I was interested in. Unfortunately for me, the day she met fans was the day I was sick!

There’s a petition going on for Becca Fitzpatrick of the Hush, Hush series to come to Manila for a brief visit. I do hope this one pushes through. I also hope that more YA authors will come to Manila and have my books signed My wishlist goes like this…

- Maureen Johnson
- Tabitha Suzuma (although this one will most likely be stopped by the Catholic church if her incest-themed book Forbidden be the one she’ll promote)
- Alyson Noel
- Carrie Jones
- Gayle Forman
- Lauren Oliver
- Lisa Schroeder
- Jodi Picoult
- Jennifer Echols
- Kami Marin Garcia
- Julia Hoban

And a lot more authors I’ve read!

Before all the brouhaha on the movies happened, I was already one of those huge fans of the Twilight Saga. I’ve read the books way before the movies started so I would like to think of myself as a die hard fan. I wasn’t a converted fan which was the case of so many people who happened to get to know the franchise because of the movie adaptation.

I must admit, though, that however much I hated the movies now, I was extremely excited when I heard that Twilight, the first book in the saga, was heading to the big screen. I wasn’t much excited over Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan but I was one of those who swooned upon seeing the actor playing Edward Cullen. Who wouldn’t be in love with Robert Pattinson, right? Perfect Edward for us die hard fans!

And then the movie was shown. Did you know that my friends and I even had tickets to a special cinema (read: expensive) extremely excited as we were? All the while we were watching the movie we were laughing our heads off! It was a big JOKE! We were horrified that Stephenie Meyer allowed such a thing to happen! Imagine our beloved book, the special and memorable scenes in it, twisted and turned into a totally different movie! Have you noticed the use of too much emphasis/exclamation points? Haha!

Case in point, Rosalie Hale‘s role. (more…)

Start early. I heard this from a local bookstore ad with regards to their campaign for reading awareness.

When I was a little kid, my parents would often buy those comic book Bible stories. I would devour those books. It progressed to trivia books and the like. When we were having problems with our budget, I resorted to reading encyclopedia owned by my cousins. Those reading done became my foundation for my love of books.

I started reading thick romance novels as well as Sweet Dreams in high school. From there I never stopped reading and have expanded the book genre I like.

I would like to give credit to my mom who really started me on being a voracious reader. If not for her desire for me to learn all those Bible stories and general information, I don’t think I’d be a bookworm right now.

I am the type of person who gets totally affected with what I’m reading. I know it’s fiction. But I still get affected like it really happened and to someone close to me.

That’s why I try to stay as far away as possible from heavy reads. I remember the novel Kaleidoscope by Danielle Steel. It was so heartbreaking I carried with it for weeks! I know, it’s too much but that’s the way I am. I remember crying over Hilary’s pains and heartaches. I always know the feeling of being the eldest and responsible for your siblings. So I empathize with characters like her.

Most recently, I read a heart wrenching family story about siblings who were locked up in an attic room by their conspiring mother and grandmother. For almost three years, the four kids were locked up and left slowly to die. I cried reading that novel. I just can’t imagine there are mothers out there who can stomach doing something as horrible as that to her very own kids. Lock them up and feed them arsenic to die…

Do you get as affected as I when you read novels that touch your heart?

I’ve been grabbing a lot of books lately. I ‘liked’ a Facebook page for reading addicts like me. Of course there are recommendations by the page admin as well as other members like me. You can bet I have been buying copies of all the books I like.

I found Lisa Schroeder, Gayle Forman and other authors through recommendations in that page.

I have started reading I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder already. Can’t wait to start on the other books I found!

Don’t you just feel sad when you are done reading a book?

I do.

I remember a series I was so excited to read. It’s the Left Behind Series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It was composed of 12 books (which later on I learned was actually 16 books because there were four more prequels and sequel written by LaHaye). I think I read it in a span of a month. I was really devouring it one book at a time. I didn’t read any other book that time. When I was finished book 12, I was really sad. It took me a week before I picked up another book again.

Of course, there’s also the Harry Potter series. But unlike the Left Behind, the Harry Potter books are easier to re-read. Left Behind books are not something you would want to digest once again because of the heaviness of the story.