PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Dear Friend,

You might think it weird that I am writing this letter to you.  In fact, you'll be quite surprised considering that we do not know each other.  It's just that I finally finished reading "The Perks of being a Wallflower" last night after hearing about it for so long.  You see, I only got around to have a copy of it yesterday and read it in one sitting (well, actually in one lying since I was in bed the whole time last night until the early morning hours when I got to the end).   What can I say but it certainly was all I've heard and read about it to be... a story of a teenager as he relates a year of his life to someone anonymous through letters he sends, detailing his life as he grows up.  Its all about being able to blend with everyone else as things change within one's self, to be able to belong in a family, a circle of friends, a crowd and to finally be someone who knows one's self.  It is a story of finding meaning to everything and knowing what lies behind everyone including ourselves.

Charlie, the boy in the story is perhaps the personification of each and everyone of us.  Through his freshman year, we are given flashbacks and glimpses of when we were kids; unsure and full of questions.  His, was a year when he learned about life.  When he got to know himself through lessons that would include sex, girls, drugs, homosexuality, abuse, suicide, pride, family and love.

Reading through his life, I can help but take a few moments and reminisce about things that though painful at times were certainly no longer private jokes between me and those who were there but more like memories to be taken out once in awhile to be reminisced upon like the life-lessons they were.

In the end, this is a coming of age story, but one that pushes into our hearts and minds with not only guides to our memories but prods for us to examine what the meaning of growing up really means.

And to quote Charlie, "I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons.  And maybe we'll never know most of them.  But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.  We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them."

*Wallflower - means a person who usually stays in the background but observes people for who they are...

**The Perks of being a Wallflower was made into a movie to be shown in theatres 2012.  It stars Logan Lerman, Emma Watson as Charlie and Sam respectively.

Logan Lerman (of Percy Jackson) as CHARLIE

Emma Watson (of Harry Potter) as SAM

Ezra Miller as PATRICK (Sam's brother)

Nina Dobrev (of the Vampire Diaries) as CANDACE (Charlie's sister)

Mae Whitman as MARY ELIZABETH (Charlie's first girlfriend)

HAYAHAY

Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental is not a foreign place to me.  In fact, this is the place I used to frequent back in college with a few chosen friends and is also where I learned to speak the Bisaya dialect like a native.  Those years ago, I had been an on and off visitor and consider myself knowledgeable of the ins and outs of what Dumaguete was all about.  That was more than a decade ago.

Through the years, I have been back but never really considered the changes and the new things that this dynamic city had to offer.  The visits were few and far apart.

Today, after the pre-oral defense of a friend, we decided to hit the night spots which honestly I have not been familiar with for years.  We took a ride and found ourselves in a strip of bars along one part of the popular Boulevard; several drinking places that were filled with people from all ages and who at first glance seemed to have come as they were when they decided to go and have fun.  And fun was the agenda of the night.

Along this strip we found a quaint bar that is situated beneath a good sized tree house.  Hayahay Treehouse Bar and Viewdeck offered a view of the boulevard and much of the strip that was teeming with hundreds of locals and visitors; both local and foreign.  The ambiance was just what I wanted.

Wednesday night was reggae night and as we sipped on the mixed drink specialty of the house; Reggae Madness, a green tinted concoction of gin and pineapple, and Zombie, we were treated to the sounds of local bands playing the best of reggae.  The crown was ecstatic in Hayahay. 

We also decided to try some of the items in their menu.  Their own take on Sisig, Calamares were delectable.  I could not find fault on the classic Grilled Pork as well.  Hayahay is not only music and drinks but food as well.


For sure, I'll be seeing myself within the company of these reggae loving people sometime soon. Join in the music that induces the state of well being, well known and ready to be shared by those who frequent Hayahay Treehouse Bar and Viewdeck; worthy to be known as one of the new landmarks of Dumaguete City.

CATCHING FIRE

There have been a great number of books that have given me sleepless nights.  The very first that I can remember was way back in high school when I first read the Amityville book; and that because of the horror that my vivid imagination gave me.  After that, there have been an innumerable string of titles that I can barely remember the titles of, simply because I could not put them down as soon as I started reading.  But then, I can remember reading something that I had to pause in between chapters and think about what I have just read - that is, not until the second book in the Hunger Games series; Catching Fire.

After i virtually devoured the first of the series, I was totally prepared to be taken into the whirlwind of Panem after Katniss' and Peeta's victory.  As expected, the book delivered the twists and turns that though some have been forming at the back of my mind while reading the first book, others have totally unnerved me, but, totally in a good way.  If I though I was addicted in the first book, i'm totally much worst here in the second staging of the Hunger Games.

Katniss as always is the girl on fire.  The other cast of characters have been totally hard to hate and its hard to root for the main characters when some of the other tributes are equally as appealing.  Finnick, Johanna and the rest have given me stunned minutes as I imagine how they might look like.  The ending is as always a bomb!

I still can't wait to see the first of the titles on screen as Hunger Games open in theaters March 23, 2012 but now I have something else to watch out for, Catching Fire, out in theaters November of 2013.

Now I'm on fire as I am immersed in the third and final installment.

HUNGER GAMES

I have heard a lot of good things about the HUNGER GAMES trilogy by Suzanne Collins but for some reason, I did not have the push to read the book when I started by YA bookfest late last year.  It was only when I had nothing else to read that I finally got down to haphazardly read the first book of the post apocalyptic series.

And boy was I blown away.

The Hunger Games series is set in the future where the continent of North America, or what is left of it has been taken over by what is known as the Capitol; a pseudo-communistic government that is led by the snake and rose smelling President Snow.  The center, Capitol, is home to the rich and privileged while the rest has been divided into Districts.

In "celebration" of Capitol's win over the people, the districts are made to "sacrifice" two of its teens every year in a reality-television game of survival where the lone winner must kill each and every other tribute in the arena.  In its 74th year, the Hunger Games pits 24 youth whose cunning, skill and sometimes luck will eventually decide the victor.  It is a story of Katniss, of Peeta, of Gale and the rest of the cast who though some are silent in the book have made what could only be one of the most exciting premise I have ever read.

I was so immersed on Hunger Games that I lost tract of time and am currently devouring the next book.  Sad, I may be as the pages I have yet to read gets thinner, I hunger for the third book and am eagerly awaiting the movie coming out next year.

For those who wish to see the movie and is excited on how they look, here are the main cast of HUNGER GAMES coming out March of 2012.

KATNISS EVERDEEN

PEETA

GALE

PRIMROSE

CINNA

THRESH

RUE

GALE during the District 12 reaping

Katniss and Gale at the forest near District 12

Katniss as District 12 tribute

Peeta at his family's Pastry Shop

TEEN WOLF the series

Watch out vampire lovers but lycanthropy is about to go viral!

These past several years, we have been witness to a resurgence of the blood suckers much like the hype that happened during the eighties when Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt gained followers the world over. The glamorous vamps is reintroduced to the public eye through Stephanie Meyer's Twilight Saga making the otherwise frightening fanged creatures of the night into day walkers in the silver screen.  Since then, the Vampire Diaries have made a killing on television and that does not only count the number of fans earned by the delectable cast. (Damon's eyes are to die for).  Not to mention, True Blood. Now, countless book series have joined in the band wagon and introduced new vampire mythology, bite in you neck characters and we lowly mortals have been totally taken in. While indeed, Twilight introduced werewolves with the uber pumped up Jacob Black, lets all face it, its still Edward's turf. But then, MTV is about to change all that with the just begun TEEN WOLF the series.

TEEN WOLF is loosely based on the 80s teen flick of the same title that starred Michael J. Fox, the teen wannabe jock that became a werewolf because of genes.  The remix (the call it a remix rather than a remake), TEEN WOLF stars Tyler Posey as the teen lacrosse player wannabe that became a werewolf after being bit by one while lost in the forest one night.  His condition, known only to his best friend, Dylan O'Brien soon makes him a jock to be reckoned with to the distress of the lacrosse team captain played by actor/model Colton Haynes.  Not only that but our lupine star also gets the new girl in town played by brunette Crystal Reed.  Now that's one series that starts off with a howl.

The series debuted on MTV the first monday of June and has new episodes every Monday. It started with solid ratings and has since then climbed as it begins to gain a fan base, most of which are the exact same fans that catapulted vampires to the daylight; well, maybe its time to let go of the fans and start growing the fur, well see as the series is still on its 5th episode. But as early as now, a lot of skin has been bared and the cast are very vocal that the screen will only get steamier as the story unfolds.  In fact, they promise that there will probably be no other teen series with more sex than TEEN WOLF the series.

So lets all keep our claws on this promising new show.  As early as now, I am addicted and cant wait for it to be shown on Philippine shores via AXN this coming July 17th.  And if this does not convince you, maybe these will:

TYLER POSEY - TEEN WOLF

COLTON HAYNES - THE JOCK

TYLER HOECHLIN - THE MYSTERIOUS BAD GUY or not?

DYLAN O'BRIAN - THE BEST FRIEND

CRYSTAL REED - THE NEW GIRL

HOLLAND RODEN - THE HOTTIE

Now, doesn't that just make you want to howl?

state or church on reproduction

Palace to Church: Cool it 

Tension over reproductive health bill escalates

By Christine O. Avendaño

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 01:21:00 05/16/2011

MANILA, Philippines---Appealing for sobriety, Malacañang on Sunday sought to heal a widening rift between Church and State over the controversial parenthood bill that last week saw prelates threatening civil disobedience and President Benigno Aquino III warning he would jail them. 

(from http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20110516-336732/Palace-to-Church-Cool-it)  

philippine history has always shown us that the church has a major grip on the people.  since the spanish time, the church has been very vocal about their say on how and why should the people act and decide on matters of importance.  sometimes i cant help thinking if the church realizes that we, the filipinos are not stupid and have our own capacities to decide on things that concern us.  all they should do is make sure that we are GUIDED with the HAND OF GUIDANCE and not force upon us what they deem is right.

or maybe they should first clean up their own acts and ranks before doing us the favor of thinking ahead about what is good and what is bad for our souls.

tsk tsk tsk

callcenters and embarassment

i have been connected with the call center industry for a total of 6-7 years.  i can honestly say that i am proud of the filipino worker who has done a marvelous job not only in helping his/her family by working the graveyard hours to put comfort and a semblance of growth in each and every household but also in making the Filipinos known to be one of the most patient and world class in customer service.  in fact, we are the voice behind almost all major companies the world over.

that is indeed something to be proud of.

but have we realized that our own local call centers are one of the worst there are?

i called a prepaid phone provider today, Globe to be specific but I have experienced the same problem with Smart and Sun with prior calls.   Now I had to wait at least 75 minutes before being able to talk to someone.  that is an hour and 15 minutes of hearing the monotonous jingle that is still running inside my head.  tsk tsk tsk, to those in the call center industry, we all know that having to wait on cue for even 10 minutes is not acceptable.  if we can do it for our foreign clients why cant we do it for our own people?

being in the call center industry is a job. we all know that, but if we are lacking agents to help our own people does that not paint a picture of a people that is only after bigger profit rather than the helping voices that we are known for the world over?

customer service has been made into an art by the filipinos; maybe its about time that we deliver the service to our fellowmen and not just be voices to people that sometimes dont even realize that we are from the other side of earth.

just my thoughts!

yummy!

finally im back to the province after a year of living in the highly stressful metropolis of manila.  and what better way of spending the summer months in negros than in attending a fiesta.  the calendar of negros, specifically negros occidental's cultural schedule is filled year round with festivals and fiestas, most of which are conveniently happening during the months of april and may.  and fortunately for me, pasalamat festival of la carlota city happened two days right after i landed in my hometown.

so off i went to my aunt's place in la carlota, my mind filled with all the activities that i would surely join in.  ice cold beer with friends at the beer alley which encloses the plaza every night, bonding with cousins that never fail to be in attendance every year, watch the beauty pageant, watch the street dance parade, etc etc etc and the food. yummy...

now i totally love food and the only thing that will excite me better is cooking the food.  i may not be a professional chef but then my love for cooking has given me years and years of practice that i consider myself a very good cook.  so far, those that has tried my concoctions have given me the thumbs up sign.  and this year, during the fiesta, i outdid myself.

i asked my aunt if i can do the cooking, she was pleased and these are some of my fiesta creations:

SNAKEY'S CHICKEN PORK ADOBO

adobo is staple in any fiesta table.  this distinctly filipino dish is fairly easy to do and here is how i do it.

you will need:

pork chunks

chicken cut into serving size

pineapple chunks

pineapple juice

vinegar

crushed garlic

sliced onions

soy sauce

pepper corn

laurel leaf

salt/magic sarap granules

here's how you do it:

marinate chicken and pork separately with a dash of salt or magic sarap granules, soy sauce and pineapple juice for about 20-30 minutes. heat oil in a sauce pan and saute crushed garlic, when brown add in sliced onions until translucent.  put in pork and simmer for a little bit until the juices from the pork comes out.  add in a little water and let boil until pork is halfway tender.  add the chicken and allow to boil.  when both are very tender add vinegar and a little more soy sauce. put in laurel leaf and pepper corns. when the sauce in the mixture thickens season with salt and/or magic sarap granules according to taste, add a dash of sugar and add     in pineapple chunks.  simmer of 2-3 more minutes.  remove from fire and serve.

SNAKEY'S WHITE KIDNEY BEANS AND PORK

i totally love pork and beans whether straight from the can or home cooked.  i like it better when i cook it.  here is my pork and beans version as my grandmother taught me.

i used:

white kidney beans
pork sliced about an inch thick and 2 inches long - use 1 kilo of pork to 1 kilo of beans
potato cut in 1 - cm cubes
red bell pepper sliced lenghwise
laurel leaf
crushed garlic
sliced onions
salt/magic sarap
brown sugar

here's how you do it:

soak the white kidney beans overnight to make sure they are tender.  prepare all ingredients for cooking.  in a pot heat oil and saute garlic and onions.  saute in pork and allow to simmer in its juices.  add in water and boil pork until tender.  drain kidney beans and add to boiling pork mixture.  allow to boil until kidney beans are very tender - you will known this when you can crush the beans on the sides of the pot with your mixing material.  put in laurel leaf and potatoes and continue to simmer for 15-25 minutes until dish thickens - no need to add thickening material since the tender kidney beans will thicken the sauce.  add bell pepper and season with salt/magic sarap granules and brown sugar.  while some want to add tomato sauce i personally want it naturally white without the slightly sour taste of the tomato sauce. remove from heat and serve. 

SNAKEY'S STUFFED BELLPEPPERS

i was not a fan of bell peppers as a kid until my grandma took home gigantic bellpeppers and taught me to great this dish way back in highschool.  i believe this is a spanish dish but ive only seen it when we cook it at home.

ingredients:

big and fresh red and green bell peppers with the stem on top intact
ground beef
chopped garlic
chopped onions
sweet peas
carrots cubed finely
seedless raisins
canned mushrooms sliced thinly
snowpeas sliced thinly
salt/magic sarap
oyster sauce
butter
oil
lightly beaten eggs

to cook:

wash the bellpeppers whole and intact.  prepare all ingredients.  grill bellpeppers on charcoal until slightly blackened and carefully peel the thin skin while under running water.  make a small lengthwise incision on the side and with your finger and the running water reach inside and take out the seeds.  put aside.  on a skillet, saute garlic, onions and ground beef in butter.  allow to simmer until all the juice have been absorbed.  put in cubed carrots and sweet peas.  after a while add in raisins and snow peas.  moisten a little with oyster sauce and season according to taste with salt/magic sarap.  take out of fire and allow to slightly cool.  take the bellpeppers and carefully stuff it with ground beef mixture.  soak in beaten eggs and deep fry in very hot oil.  serve on top of remaining stuffing.

these are but 3 of the seven dishes i was able to prepare for the fiesta guest.  with the appreciation i got from them, and for the empty dishes after everyone has gone i believe my cooking was a success.  hope you can try these dishes that i am sure you will like.  now my uncle's birthday is coming up this 13th...hehehe...im now preparing my menu so i can again be the master of the kitchen - if only our own.  yummy...anybody needing a cook out there? hehehe

a series begins

about a year ago a friend lend me a copy of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time book 4, The Shadow Rising.  i have seen copies of this particular series for years now but since the book is really thick, i was not all that interested to follow the titles one after the other.  in fact, a cousin who is an avid fan of the series had been telling me to go and read since according to him its a really cool read.  well, having nothing else to read at that time, i read my friend's copy.  and i only read until about a quarter of the thick book.

i did not finish the book not because i did not like it but simply because i liked the world that it introduced to me so much that i never wanted to experience it like a stranger suddenly thrust in an unknown world that would only confuse me and not allow me to get the most of my visit.

at this time, there are already 13 books in the series if we include the prequel, Robert Jordan wrote.  so what i   did is begin my quest for all the titles and promised myself not to read a single one until i have all available titles.  

it took me 6 months to complete the first thirteen books and as soon as i was able to purchase the last one i started my journey to the land of Aes Sedais and the Dragon Reborn.

so far, i have finished the prequel and is halfway through the first title.

in the Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan has created a whole history of intrigue, suspense, adventure and magic that has captured my fancy since the very first time i read a part of that fourth book.  not only will you feel the tension of each of the seemingly real characters but you get to understand all that pushes them to do the mounting action upon action that propels the reader to move on from one page to the next.

after finishing New Spring, i feel the magic of Jordan's world grip me.  immediately, i grabbed the first official book of the series and continue my journey this time in the company of the main characters that will show me why we need to at least in our lifetime share in the intricately interwoven tale that could have been reflection of our very own.

summer and blisters

when i was so much younger, everyone in our household had chicken pox; my two siblings, my cousins even my mom.  at the time i thought myself lucky that i did not catch the disease.  now, years and years after i finally caught the virus.  living alone in manila with nobody to even talk to, i felt it was the end of the world.

chicken pox, is a self limiting disease that is caused by a herpes virus.  thankfully it only strikes ones and usually after contacting it, one's body creates antibodies that it will be immune to another attack.  in cases, the blisters that appears stay for 2 weeks.  tsk tsk tsk

here are some tips for those who unfortunately will catch chicken pox which is very common this summer:

1.    the blisters will be very itchy, to take away the itch have an oatmeal bath.  put raw oatmeal inside socks and tie the ends.  soak it in your bath water for about 30 minutes, the water will become milky in appearance. use this in your bath and it will soothe the itchiness.

2.   to make sure you dont have scars, use an antiviral cream specifically formulated for chicken pox.  zovirax is a good choice.  since its very costly, use it on your face if your budget does not allow for you to use it all over.

3.   avoid foods that will worsen the blisters.  chicken, eggs and other food that would worsen rashes or allergies would worsen chicken pox itch as well.

4.   avoid strong breeze, since the virus is airborne direct air on your skin will give you more blisters.

5.   sleep and rest, sometimes when you feel aches which can be common take paracetamol.

6.   drink plenty of liquid.

7.   and importantly, do not scratch since it will scar.

hope these tips can help those who will catch the dreaded virus and now i can honestly say, I survived chicken pox..... yehey!

eh fries lang naman ang gusto ko eh...

CBCP pleased with pullout of fast food dating kids ad 

By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:14:00 04/12/2011

Filed Under: Churches (organisations), Children, Consumer Issues

MANILA, Philippines—The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is pleased that a McDonald's ad showing two children wooing each other has heeded its call to stop airing at once.

The 30-second ad of the giant fast food chain has been pulled out since Tuesday night from airing on major television networks following appeals from some officials of the Catholic Church who said the ad conveyed a wrong message on relationships to viewers. ...(continued) http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110412-330770/CBCP-pleased-with-pullout-of-fast-food-dating-kids-ad

Dyu think this is right? I suddenly remember the stories I learned in history. During the Spanish times, we were strangled by those people who instilled in us the fear of what is good and bad. Now centuries passed, and are we still under the shadow of their hold on us; what is right for us and what is wrong. 

Like the RH bill, don't they realize that we are but like them, we THINK too and are not just silent morons who wait for them to tell us what is right and what it is they think is wrong.  

That commercial was CUTE.  

It spoke to me of childhood innocence, of the naivete of the children as they realize that there is something out there in the way their parents love each other, how they need to give and show love.  Never in my wildest thoughts did I think about anything malicious about that commercial. What I thought was, those two kids are just symbols of the love that we need to have, the innocence that we need to use to view the world.

HUSH

when i say hush, i mean one of its synonyms and that is "quiet";  to shut you mouth and not utter a single word about what i am about to say.  so shhhhhh...

hush, hush is a novel written by becca fritzpatrick and deals with a girl and the absurdity of everything that started to happen when she first got to know a new lab partner.  things spiral towards an ending that is though exciting is somewhat cliche.

from the cover, we know it is a story of an angel or a fallen angel and that somewhere along the story we get to meet one or a few of these divine creature.

now after reading the book, let say this; and its going to be a little hard so brace yourself.

the books started like stephanie meyer's twilight; mysterious new student, school setting and a little creepy dash of something eerie thrown in the way.  after a little bit, it started to remind me of NANCY DREW, honestly it did.  Sleuthing girls, going off to find clues, looking into school records etc. etc.  Then right at end it becomes SCREAM.  Yes the movie!

now, for those who has not read the book, I'm not saying its a bad read. In fact, I enjoyed all 400+ pages of it.  What Im saying is, it just takes getting used to.  

all in all, though I might not have the nudge to read this book again well lets just say my curiosity was a little piqued to try my hand at the second book.

lets see if that PATCHes it up!

*HUSH HUSH is book 24

City of Fallen Angels

L’amor che move ill sole e l’altre stel e...

My will and my desire were turned
by love, the love that moves the sun and the other
stars... PARADISO (Dante)

Have you ever had that feeling of doom that you know will eventually happen but just keeps building up until you feel ready to explode?  When you are expecting something bad and you know it is not just a thought but is really about to happen and you cant do anything about it but wait for it to be there?  Well thats how I felt reading the newest installment of the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

After reading the third book, City of Glass a few months back, I never really thought that there would be another book in the series.  In fact, I thought the ending was one of the best on any series or trilogies I have read.  The conflict was fixed, loose ends tied up, it was over and done with.  The end.  Then I read on the author's website (which I read from time to time much is my fascination on the characters within the Shadowhunter books) that there would be another book. I thought, hell, what now?  Will it eventually be one of those series that goes on and on without any ending whatsoever?  With complexities that will eventually devour everything into incomprehensible nonsense.  But still I waited for the fourth book.  And now I'm really glad I did.

City of Fallen Angels begins a few weeks after the third book ended.  And while the first conflict was resolved, this new book tells us that it was but the beginning of a whole new adventure and this time with more at stake than just the Shadowhunters. 

I thought with the third book, the end of the trilogy that i know everything there is to know about their world,,,only to find out that i have only touched the surface of something that is so deep that it would take the rest of the upcoming books to scratch it, probably more.

I also only just realized that though Simon was one of my liked characters in the first three books, it is only now in City of Fallen Angels that I become to realize that he is as real as Jace or Clary. Also, new characters are introduced with subtlety that you sort of grow into liking them bit by bit and not suddenly thrust into your presence.

In the end, this is a whole new different ball game.  A story of love, salvation, forgiveness, hate, and self sacrifice.  The feeling of the angst of someone in love but filled with the confusion of it all emanates from Jace like a throbbing presence, add to this the questions that plague Clary's mind creates a jumble of emotions clearly evident in young lovers feeling the enormity of the emotion in all its splendor.  The characters have  all grown up and has become more real with depths and emotions not entirely different from ours.

The antagonist, when finally revealed is someone/something you would expect but then again someone/something that you would never have thought in a million years (curious? read the book).

Reading through the pages, I realized the the way the novels were written makes them perfect to be transformed to films without much changes to the premise. as a script writer, the sequences of how it was written is perfect. I cant wait for the first movie.

All in all, read the book.  Immerse yourself once more to a world that might not be our own but shouts with the goodness that makes us who we are.

*City of Fallen Angels is book 23 of the 100 challenge

twenty two

lately, i have been on a reading rampage.  not only have i devoured several books in the last days but  have been to enraptured by them that i forgot to post them here.

here are the books i have finished from cover to cover to another cover to cover.

20. Krondor: Tear of the Gods by Raymond E. Feist
21. Magic's Promise by Mercedes Lackey
22. Dragons of a Fallen Sun of the Dragonlance Series

currently finishing up on City of Fallen Angels, Book Four of the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.  And this ill write a review about tomorrow!

love is for the living

Nobody ever gets to see what could have been.

Oftentimes, we strive to hang on to the memories of a loved one who dies.  If the ties in living has been too strong, we can barely let go of the person's existence that more often than now we will ourselves to believe that they are still with us.  But, even if we make ourselves believe, there will always come a time that we have to let go and learn to live the rest of our lives with only memories. 

i never really wanted to watch CHARLIE ST. CLOUD.  not for anything else but for the presence of zac efron.  i was not really a fan much was my irritation to his character in high school musical.  i was never into cloyingly sweet and teeny booper films with saccharine love themes.  


i knew it was a novel but still i was not attracted enough for me to be interested in watching.  much do i regret it now.


charlie st. cloud is a miracle of a movie.  not only are the shots a seemingly parade of stunning still shots but i truly admire the maturity that zac efron has given the character of charlie.  for sure, my bias on him has gone into the light with his prowess in this film.  

the film is a story of love, of brotherhood, of faith, of life, of death and the overwhelming power of belief and the lessons that we need to learn as we grow older and how we need to let go to be able to move forward.


*now, i think id like the book...

19

nineteen

the number does not describe my age but counts the number of books i have read so far this 2011.  This is in my quest for 100.  I recently finished the last two books, one the ending of a trilogy and the other the second book of one of Raymond E. Feist's numerous series.

the Amber Spyglass ends Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, a story of Lyra Belacroix, a young girl on the verse of adolescence as she moves from world to world in an adventure that will ultimately save the world.

this third book for me is the most thought provoking.  No wonder it was questioned by the Catholic church in some countries as a book not fit for young readers (as it rightfully is).  It presents the story of paradise lost in an entirely new vision.  Not only that, but it also questions the very basis of the catholic faith.

but remember that this is fiction and along with the premise and the superb writing of Pullman, I truly believe that this book is a must read.  Adventure, magic, suspense and the ultimate sacrifice that will always mean that good will always prevail.

lately, i have noticed that i have been reading a lot of Feist.  and with this title, the second in the Serpentwar Saga, i again realized why.  Raymond E. Feist presents young out of the way characters as the main personalities of his adventures.  what started with Pug and Tomas in the Riftwar Series, this story now has a different cast of characters in a setting that to me is almost more familiar than my own.

rise of a merchant prince is truly the story of Roo, an ambitious criminal turned soldier turned merchant as he rises from non-existence to that of being an important figure in Krondor, set of the story. with equal amount of wit, adventure, danger, and sexuality this is one novel that is truly Feisty (pun totally intended).