dreaming again

this is the quaint bookstore i found, without meaning to, in the island of boracay aptly called, "boracay books." i see my personal library to be somewhat like this except there will be a corner for my laptop/pc, a writing desk and a day bed. i also require a window seat so i won't feel closed in.

i realized something while weeding out my shelves for books to giveaway/sell. i am a big sci-fi, fantasy, horror and historical mystery fan. i have books upon books of anthologies, essays and collected works of these genres.

sad part is i feel there are only a few out there who share my passion. i'm starting to wonder if i'll ever be able to sell my books after all.

still, my wishlist includes:

• the harry potter collection book 1-7
• the neil gaiman comic book volumes
• the series, "His Dark Materials" by philip pullman
• collected shoort stories by roald dahl
• and an EBOOK reader!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

what a treasure!

One thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. it is often known in English as "Arabian Nights" from the first English Language edition (1706), which rendered the title as The Arabian Night's Entertainment.

Yes. I found a copy of the first English Language edition! Such a treasure. The cover is badly scratched and the binding is a bit loose but there's no missing pages and the art is as rendered as on the picture on the side.

I am quickly building my library of collected works. My two other fairy tale collections include:

• The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales
• Brothers Grimm "The Complete Fairy Tales

I wonder if my child will ever appreciate these books when I am gone. Or at least my nephew who has shown some inkling to becoming a future bookworm.

of desert sands and lost scrolls

• The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan


• The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown


• The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher
  

three books based on historical mysteries in one month! i really think that if my fortune was different, i would have been an academic. maybe an archaelogist like the heroes in these fictional works. i've always loved indiana jones when i was a kid and until now i have a deep fascination for history.

so far Lewis Perdue, James Rollins and Dan Brown are still my favorite authors of this genre. their writing styles are different- Dan Brown is more of a suspense/thriller writer although he does weave history quite well in the storyline. the event happens in 1-2 days so it's perfect for today's generation of instant gratification. James Rollins melds science and history perfectly like a grilled cheese sandwich. he goes back and forth between the characters' arc that you'll never be bored expect when the author gets too technical. Lewis Perdue marries history and the human condition in his novels that you can't help but empathize with his heroes. for me, he's the one who gives more emphasis on the historical aspect of the story giving it plausibility.

my next books are Reliquary and The Ice limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. i've heard great things about these authors from my officemate. i am looking forward to discovering wonderful things from the past and how to save the world from peril.

my latest pick

Do androids dream of electric sheep?
Second Variety
Paycheck and other stories
Minority Report and other stories
==

Will start reading these books in my collection for the next few months. I enjoyed his stories "Minority Report" and "Second Variety" that I had to buy his books. I'll be getting into the mind of a genius very soon.

I can't wait!

book matching

i am a known bookworm. okay maybe a little bit of a book hoarder too. have you seen my room? my booksehelf is bursting with paperbacks, my top bunker has thick books lined on top of it and every corner of my little "house" has some book scattered with a marker half way within its yellowing pages. and yet i continue to buy them from book sales to promotional "month long" extravaganzas. it gives me pleasure to know that i will be reading another wonderful story and discover something beautiful.

but i've gotten tired of reading some of my books and i have long planned to hold a sale of my own. time, however, is not a friend of mine and i keep putting it off another day. when i finally gave 2 of my books away last week, i felt happy knowing that another will take part in the discovery of stories. "The World's Greatest Mysteries and The World's Greatest Serial Killers by HAMLYN" had a new home through my officemate, Jaz.

i also want to lend copies of my books to friends. i find it endearing when friends ask my opinion about what kind of book i would recommend for them to read. i just lent my book"Lies my yaya should have told me by RJ Ledesma" and she has been laughing her ass off. i am happy knowing that i've made another person happy that way.

and so...do any of you need my help with book matching? i think i'm getting good at it.

feeling guilty

Neil Gaiman was here last 3/17 and i missed it. i just want to kick myself for not paying attention. it still haunts me to know that i could have stood in front of "the master" once more. i hate myself.

as penance, i will go on a Gaiman binge this month of May. i will read and re-read books of his that i have collected. i will be writing new stories and essays based on his imaginings.

-=my Gaiman booklist=-
Season's of Mist

Smoke and Mirrors

Fragile

American Gods

The Sandman Papers ed. by Joe Sanders


i also plan to attend a creativity workshop based on his characters called , "the Endless.."

let the flagellation begin!

james rollins rule!

i have a new idol. JAMES ROLLINS

he's an amazing writer able to blend action thriller, science and historical mystery with plausibility in our modern age. i especially like his Sigma stories. Gray Pierce, Painter Crowe and Monk Kokkalis are alive to me as my next door neighbors.

it started with Map of Bones. then The Black Order, The Judas Strain and most recently, The Last Oracle. i cried when they found Monk alive again in Russia. their friendship struck a cord in me.

so far my favorite is still Map of Bones but then again we always have a special place in our hearts for "firsts."

i look forward to joining them in their next adventure.

book list 2009

Worm Status: Had my fill (2009)

1. The Reel Stuff ed. by Brian Thomsen and Martin Greenberg

2. Map of Bones by James Rollins

3. Gallery of Horror ed. by Charles Grant

4. Stephen King goes to the movies

5. PB 21 by PM. Junior

6. Black Order by James Rollins

7. Work: Making a living and making a life by Joshua Halberstam, Ph.D.

8. The Judas Strain by James Rollins

9. Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legandary Lovers ed. Mitzi Szereto

==

I know it's a pathetic list. I've read more books last 2008 and it sucks. So much drama has happened in my life last year that I took to comforting myself with food. Yes, I ballooned! My transfer to a new process in HSBC, helping in the wedding preparations for my cousin, broke up with my 8+ year relationship and finding a new job and moving to a new location has got me winded.

But I'm back to my old self. Depression has it's own reward. I'm in my fighting weight and focusing on improving my skills at work. I plan to finish most of my books first before buying new sets. It's hard work but it's bearable to say no to temptation since my goal is to pay off my debts first. Wish me luck!

I'm writing more in my journal which is really great. Just need to find a sturdier bag since I carry so much already.

-==

My birthday is coming but I'm bummed about it because I'm broke. Hopefully I have enough to even just buy myself a cake. Que sera sera!

my favorite book

If there ever was a book that changed my view of life then it is "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand. Some say that his story was a tragedy because he lived as a pauper and never took the courage to claim his happily ever after with Roxanne. But I find myself admiring his zest for life, his integrity and eloquence. In today's world, where beauty and fame is overrated, it's comforting to know that people with real talents, knowledge and inner strength can make their mark. So everyday I strive to live with integrity and belief in myself because I know in my heart that I am making Monsieur De Bergerac proud.

it's been a long time since i've read a great story. one that really made me say, "Wow! that's really good." or made me pause and exclaim, "Why didn't I think of that?"

small servings. that's what i call my love for short stories. i enjoy getting just a taste of a writer's work. a novel for me is an entire meal that requires commitment, time and attention to digest the work properly. unless i trust the author to fill me up or if the novel's subject is truly delectable enough then i'm not going to invest in reading it, which is why anthologies are the best version of "tapas" for short stories.

i love anthologies the best because i get to be introduced to new writers and different writing styles. if not for "best SF writings", i would not have know fritz lieber, ray bradbury, robert heinlen, william gibson, and orson scott card. if not for "alfred hitchcock presents", i would have never met john lutz, roald dahl, robert bloch, hal ellson and their fellow writers. my literary world would have been confined to neil gaiman, stephen king, anne rice, edgar allan poe and conan arthur doyle.
--

so what's that one great story i've read lately? it's orson scott card's "ender's game" from the book, "Novel ideas: Science Fiction ed. by Brian M Thomsen". the story was where the entire novel sprang up and i found the concept of training children for interplanetary warfare in the guise of games absolutely fascinating. although the story was able to stand on its own, it left enough "what if's" to allow the writer to expound on the story into a full novel. now i am quite interested in getting a copy of the novel itself to see how it turned out.

the good thing about anthologies is the range of topics that writers can explore without boring the reader. i suppose that's my problem - i bore easily. so far i've read portions of The Ultimate Frankenstein ed. by Byron Preiss, More Twisted: Collected Stories vol. 11 by Jeffery Deaver, Return to the Twilight Zone ed. by Carol Serling, The Twisters ed. by Jean Rabe & Martin H. Greenberg and Murder on the Menu ed. by Waugh, Greenberg & Asimov. i hope to finish these books while i devour The Judas Strain by James Rollins, Misery by Stephen King and The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry at the same time. whew! my nose must be bleeding from too much information.

and yet i am loving every minute of it!

look mama! i'm writing

here i am writing my coffeeshop stories in a, well...coffeshop! location is a big factor in setting the mood for me to write. ambiance dictates the tone of my works so i try hard to set everything up. as Goldilocks would say, "Not too hot, not too cold. Just right!"

book crazy!

ok. i admit it.
i am a bookaholic.

i bought 13 books this month! 70% from book sales and at discounted prices (from P325 to P30!). i just couldn't stop myself. i thought, "i might never find them again at such low prices." and so i buy them, my precious little babies...

this adds to my long list of book reads. i'm already stretched thin being in between 6 to 7 books (meaning i've started on it and my bookmark is halfway in its pages). what sucks is i've got books way in the back of my bookshelf and i'm unable to see them so sometimes i forget. really wish i could build my personal library already.

no more bookstores or bookshops for me until the next quarter. i'll have to resort to drastic measures. will employ my buddy system. wish me luck!

1. Murder on the Menu ed. Waugh, Greenberg & Asimov
2. The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
3. Burning Chrome by William Gibson
4. Novel Ideas: Science Fiction ed. by Brian Thomsen
5. Wicked: Sexy Tales of Legandary Lovers ed. by Mitzi Szereto
6. Brothers Grimm "The Complete Fairy Tales"
7. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
8. Minority Report by Philip K. Dick
9. The Flip Reader ed. by Jessica Zafra
10. First Love ed. by Faye Ilogon
11. A walk on the Darkside: Visions of Horror ed. by John Pelan
12. Black Order by James Rollins
13. The Ultimate Frakenstein ed. by Byron Preiss

==

but i honestly love reading my books!

my dream personal library

i'm salivating already...

reading again

had a great year when it came to my reading list. for 2008:

1. The Skin Trade introduced by Douglas Winter
2. The World’s Greatest Serial Killers
3. The Best of Frederick Pohl
4. The Whisperer and other voices by Brian Lumley
5. The Best of Fritz Leiber (Del Rey)
6. Ships to the Stars by Fritz Leiber
7. Between dinner and the morning after by Tara FT Sering
8. Wandergirl by Tweet Sering
9. Twisted 8: The night of the living twisted by Jessica Zafra
10. Daughter of God by Lewis Perdue
11. Crimes of Passion edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
12. Citadels of Mystery by de camp and de Camp
13. True Phil. Ghost Stories 23 by PSICOM publishing
14. After Midnight ed. by Charles L. Grant
15. Fragile by Neil Gaiman
16. The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra
17. PB 20 by PM Junior
18. Life's work by Francis J. Kong
19. Follow your heart by Andrew Matthews
20. The Vintage anthology of Science Fantasy ed. Christopher Cerf
21. True Philippine Ghost Stories 24
22. David Copperfield's Tales of the Impossible ed. by David Copperfield and Janet Berliner
    

was able to read a lot of new authors and explored new writing style especially with historical mystery. it inspired me to write something similar from our culture. unfortunately, when i did my preliminary research, it looks like it's going to take me years to complete it.

for 2009, i've started reading these:

1. The Reel Stuff ed. by Brian Thomsen and Martin Greenberg
2. Map of Bones by James Rollins
3. Gallery of Horror ed. by Charles Grant
   

still have a long way to go since i bought a lot of books. but i am not worried one bit. also i'm highly enjoying the use of my laptop. so the great news is...i'm writing again and loving every minute of it!!!

newest love

let's write great literature.

...or just create something accidentally wonderful!

start sharpening those pencils!

3RD PHILIPPINE GRAPHIC FICTION AWARDS NEIL GAIMAN and FULLY BOOKED presents

The 3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards

After two successful years of exploring Filipino Unrealism through prose fiction and comics, the Philippine Graphic Fiction Awards opens its third with a new category: short film.

All Filipino citizens may send their original entries in the prose fiction, comics, and short film categories to any Fully Booked branch.

The winning prose and comics entries will be compiled and published by Fully Booked, with a foreword by Neil Gaiman. All winning short films will be screened on awarding day.

==

I have 14 days left to submit my work.

Start that coffeemaker!!!

==

humdrum

been doing a lot of partying to escape my sadness. the only writing i've been doing lately is the PMA (positive mental attitude) articles for my team at work and short blogs. been buying too many books and watching movies so that i don't have to deal with real life. it's seems surreal to find myself living a blurry existence and then snap out of it... only to wonder, "where did the time go?"

but i'm back and getting my writing legs ready. it's good to feel passionate about something again. i'm going to take it all in stride, to relearn everything that i have to and educate myself on new things as well. study is the key and i will put it into practice.

all i have to do now is manage my time.

wish me luck!!

alone time

where's my alone time? it's inside the van on the way to and from work, inside the toilet, in my room (when my mom's watching tv) and during my breakfast/lunch time. it's the time when i read my books, drink my coffee, stare off into space, dream my dreams, write my stories and contemplate on life situations. it's the time when i talk to myself, the time when i weigh the pros and cons of my life's decisions and of the bleary future.

my alone time is really inside my head where i can shut everyone else out and just be at one with my thoughts (no matter how sugary light or gritty dark they may be).

ahh...how i cherish my alone time.

on books and sad stories

I finally found the book!! After so many months I found Lewis Perdue's masterpiece. I absolutely loved it. Read it!!

==

To read through my stack of books, I've started my Book of the Month project. Basically, it takes me through my book list, choosing one and committing to finish it by month's end. The object is to read everything and find new treasures. I will not allow myself to buy a new book unless I am able to read 2-3 more by the 30th or 31st. For this month, I've read through Daughter of God, Twisted 13, Between dinners and the morning after, Wandergirl and World's Greatest Serial Killers. I'm reading Patter Recognition by William Gibson right now. Yes, the man who in 1982, coined the term cyberspace and popularized the concept in his debut novel, Neuromancer (read that one too! It gave me a psychedelic headache!). This time he travels the present under the premise that nothing is ever new, only patterns emerge. I'm excited!

What I'm really looking for are the Alfred Hitchcock anthologies. It's so hard to find one at Booksale. I wonder how I can start scrouging for it online. Any ideas?

==

So my birthday has come and gone. Indeed it is a sad month because one, I was broke and two, my beloved cat Dexter passed away this afternoon. I was with him till the end. He gave one last stretch and then his chest no longer moved. I'm just so distraught! My familiar, my baby, my bestfriend..

To my pretty kitty, hunny baby pretty baby...I love you so much! I'm sure you are in cat heaven right now having the time of your life and watching over me. Forgive me if I wallow in sadness because of your passing. Let my eyes swell to nothing but slits as I cry a river. Rest assured that I will be strong for you again.

marking the end of another year

How time flies when you have so much to do and think about! Another year has ended and I am still writing my novel. Haven't quite ironed out the kinks (and there are a few) but I will get it out first quarter of this new year. I hope you like it boss!

As for my personal literary endeavours, I believe after this major project I'm humbly going back to my roots. That means short stories, essays and maybe one novel again. But I wouldn't hold my breath. At this point, I'm writing a series of short shorts tentatively titled, "Coffeeshop Love." Here's an excerpt:

"...And so I sit and watch him go through his routine every single day. Always a hot mug of cappuccino with extra cinnamon powder on top of the white froth, always two donuts and always by that lone table at the far end corner of the coffeeshop. The way he blows the steaming hot coffee to cool the searing liquid for a sip somehow excites me. And how the white froth clings to his upper lip forming a moustache! I fight hard to suppress a giggle. His lovely amber eyes, two orbs holding the secrets of unknown universes pierce through my soul as if he knew everything about me and is challenging me to say that he's wrong. But I can't tell him anything because that meant actually meeting him and being in his presence.

No. I dare not break his spell over me.."

Good stuff, huh? And I'm just getting started.

As for reading, well I've accumulated a lot of books this past year and here's what I've already devoured (2006-2007):

1. Dark Masques ed. J.N. Wiliamson
2. Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King
3. The Changed Man by Orson Scott Card
4. Immortality, Inc. by Robert Sheckley
5. The Orange Girl by Josh Gardner
6. Prime Evil ed. Douglas E. Winter
7. Shadows ed. by Charles L. Grant
8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
9. Virgin by Mary Elizabeth Murphy
10. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Stevenson
11. Long after midnight by Ray Bradbury
12. Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
13. Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
14. Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
15. Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe (1-5)
16. The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty by Ann Rice
17. The Rule of Four by Iam Caldwelland Dustin Thomason
18. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: I am curious (Bloody)
19. Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Witch’s Brew
20. Stranger by Night ed. by Jeffs Gelb and Michael Garrett
21. Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
22. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
23. Dangerous Women ed. Otto Penzler
24. The DaVinci Legacy by Lewis Perdue
25. The Moor by Laurie King
26. Twisted Travels by Jessica Zafra
27. Pugad Baboy 19 by PM Junior
28. True Phil. Ghost Stories 19 by Psicom Publishing
29. Deadly After Dark edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
30. Pugar Baboy 18 by PM Junior
31. The Nine Billion Names of God-The best short Stories of Arthur Clarke (Signet)
32. Violin by Anne Rice
33. Heartbreak ed. by Cel Coscolluela
34. Phil. True Ghost Stories vol. 2
35. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bardbury
36. Expanded Universe by Robert Heinlin

I still have quite a few books to read but with my appetite for knowledge and stories I have no doubt that I will be reading through them in no time. I still have a couple of projects to finish but I am looking forward to submitting them so I can more on to more wonderful assignments!

Here's to a great year ahead!!