Only 3 Books in 2010

Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra and Puppy Love by F. Sionil Jose

I was quite a failure in 2010 for not reading as much as I should.  I finished reading only three books.  The three I finished are Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra and Puppy Love and Thirteen Love Stories by F. Sionil Jose.

The other books I started reading but haven't finished yet are the following:

• Amarillo Slim's Biography In a World Full of Fat People
• CS Lewis' The Silver Chair (The Chronicles of Narnia, Full-Color Collector's Edition), the only book in the series that I haven't finished reading yet
• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. 

A New Way to Read: Asus Eee Pads and Tablets

For all you bibliophiles, here are new ways to enjoy your books:

Currently Reading: Amarillo Slim: In a World Full of Fat People

I have recently received a new book: Amarillo Slim's Biography entitled In a World Full of Fat People.  I received it from Sir Gilbert Yap - Tan.

Amarillo Slim is one of the earliest's champions of the World Series of Poker and he lived most of his life gambling nd hustling.  Smartly.

Looking Forward to Eat, Pray, Love

People have been raving about Eat, Pray, Love and I have been initially turned off by the word "pray" in the title, but there is just sooo much buzz about the book, that I must read it. I asked some people and they say I won't be turned off by the "pray" part.

I usually buy a book, read it, and watch the movie adapted from the book. In this case, I watched the movie's trailer and got even more interested in the book.

Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Official Trailer

The time has come for the Harry Potter movie series to come to a close.  It's both exciting and sad.  Just like the way we felt when the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released.  The final movie of the same title, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released in two parts. The first part will be shown on November 2010, while the final part will be shown on July 2011.

Here's the official trailer of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (in HD):

Get Help from Philosopher's Notes

PhilosophersNotes - philosophersnotes.com

Helpful notes, summaries, and insights on self-help and new age books. :)

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Currently Reading: F. Sionil Jose and Jessica Zafra

Beside my pillow are books by two of my favorite Filipino writers: the nosebleed- inducing F. Sionil Jose and the sarcastic Jessica Zafra.

I am reading a compilation of Jose's short stories entitled "Puppy Love and Thirteen Short Stories." The stories are hardly romantic and never cheesy. Rather, they provide a raw and sometimes grim picture of love and the lives of the people who love. The first story, Puppy Love, is my favorite one so far.

Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential

Given my current obsession with cooking and all things kitchen, I thought it necessary to read the Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. And I wasn't wrong at all.

It is a good read. Definitely very entertaining. Not thought-provoking but eye-opening. A lot of people think being a chef is a fabulous, glamorous job. After all, Giada, Emeril, and Bobby seem to be living the life. But the hardcore truth is... it's a dirty, demanding job that requires talent, really strong back and legs, and the capacity to take everything in stride.

My Christmas Books Wish List 2009

While waiting for my cousins at the National Bookstore at the Gaisano Mall of Davao, I fell in love... with certain books I'd like to have. Almost every year, I make a books wish list for Christmas. And this year I am doing the same thing again.

Here's my wishlist for 2009...

Since I am now engrossed with cooking and baking, here are some culinary books I'd like to have...

Larousse Gastronomique edited by Prosper Montagné, the greatest and biggest culinary encyclopedia.

My Life in France by Julia Child, a chronicle of her life and culinary adventures in France.

Coming Soon: A New Dan Brown Novel

Come September, Dan Brown will release his newest novel "The Solomon Key." What's even better is that the central character is once again the Robert Langdon of the Da Vinci Code and the Angels and Demons fame.

Formerly rumored to be entitled "The Solomon Key," there are yet no details as to the setting or topic that will be explored on "The Lost Symbol." Needless to say, it will be another interesting read. I hope. ;)

Meantime, the Angels and Demons film will be out really soon.

Fully Booked Rockwell Sale

Fully Booked Rockwell will have a sale from October 17 - 19, 2008. All regular items will be sold with a 20% discount.

Local and consigned items are not included in the sale though.

Davao Reader's Circle

Raine, a Davao blogger has spearheaded the creation of the Davao Readers' Circle (DRC). DRC is a group of book lovers who meet twice a month. During meetings, members bring books that they lend to each other. They, of course, also discuss these books, the authors, and other literary stuff.

Here's a short presentation that Raine prepared...

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Poetry and Politics

Poetry... politics... can the two go together?

National artist Bienvenido Lumbera says yes. Tomorrow, Saturday, May 17, from 3 to 5PM at Ateneo de Davao University he will be delivering a lecture on "Poetry and Politics." The lecture will be at the Roxas Room, F513-G, at the College Campus of AdDU.

Everybody is invited to attend. See you there!

Thanks to Dom for the heads up.

Florante at Laura: Mga Tauhan

Florante - tagapagtanggol ng Albanya

Laura - anak ni Haring Linceus ng Albanya; iniibig ni Florante

Aladdin - anak ni Sultan Ali-Adab ng Persya

Flerida - magandang dalaga na taga-Persya; iniibig ni Aladdin

GoodReads.com's Best of 2007

GoodReads.com has released their Best of 2007 Lists and here they are...

Goodreads 2007 Most-Read Fiction Books
1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
2. The Kite Runner
3. A Thousand Splendid Suns
4. To Kill a Mockingbird
5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
6. The Catcher in the Rye
7. Middlesex
8. The Da Vinci Code
9. Water for Elephants
10. The Great Gatsby

Goodreads 2007 most-read non-fiction books
1. Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia
2. The Glass Castle: A Memoir
3. Me Talk Pretty One Day
4. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
5. Running with Scissors: A Memoir
6. Freakonomics Rev Ed: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
7. Into the Wild
8. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
9. The Omnivore's Dilemma
10. The Year of Magical Thinking

Florante at Laura: Sa Babasa Nito

Salamat sa iyo, O nnasang irog,
kung halagahan mo itong aking pagod,
ang tula ma'y bukal ng abit na kapos,
pakikinabangan ng ibig tumarok.

Kung sa bigalng tingi'y bubot at masaklap
palibhasa'y hilaw at mura ang balat,
ngunit kung namnamin ang sa lamang lasap
masasarapan din ang babasang pantas.

TaleCraft Story-Creation Contest in Davao City

TaleCraft, a unique card game invented by Davaoeña Ria Lu, is holdingStory-Creation Contest in Davao City on Saturday, January 12, 2008 at the Gaisano Mall of Davao.

There are two competition categories:
(A)For players 12-16 years old
(B)For players 17 and up

Exciting prizes await the competition winners.

See you this Saturday! :)

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Florante at Laura: Kay Celia

Kay Celia

Kung pagsaulan kong basahin sa isip
ang nakaraan araw ng pag-ibig,
may mahahagilap kayang natititik
liban na kay Celian namugad sa dibdib?

Yaong Celiang laging pinanganganibang
baka makalimot sa pag-iibigan,
ang ikinalubog niring kapalaran
sa lubhang malalim na karalitaan.

Florante at Laura

Florante at Laura (Florante and Laura) is one of the most popular pieces of Filipino literature written by Francisco Balagtas (Baltazar)i the 1830s. It is a lyrical poem with 399 categorized as an "awit" in Philippine Literature.

This is the first post in Pinoy Reader's Florante at Laura series.