my collections

yes. i am a book worm. and here are some of my prized collections (images from left to right):

• The Hot Blood Series ed. by Jeffs Gelb and Michael Garrett - erotica and horror, what other combination can beat that?
• Laurie King's Holmes and wife Series - what attracted me to the novel is the possibility that Sherlock Holmes was indeed real and he found a match in Mary. The manuscript is a mystery itself and being a Holmes fan, I was naturally drawn to the plot. To all feminists, please indulge in this collection.
  
• Dan Brown's books on Robert Langdon - I find symbolism fascinating and although his facts are sometimes fiction, I think he was able to capture the "instant gratification" need of a good mystery for today's busy crowd.
  
• James Rollins' Sigma Force Series - From the first book I read, Map of Bones, I knew I was going to get hooked. Rollins writes an amazing combination of science and history which is both plausible and unbelievable at the same time. Think Indiana Jones and his posse.
• Travel Books - Ok so it's not really a series but more of indulging in my dream of the Ultimate European Trip- Romes, Venice and Italy.
• Alfred Hitchcock's collection of Short Stories - He deals with horror, mystery and murder. I eat horror, mystery and murder for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A perfect match.
• Ray Bradbury's stories - By now, you sense a pattern in my tastes for stories. Blood, Gore, Scary Stuff, Mystery and What if's. And he writes all the best kinds too.
• Stephen King's short stories and novels (not all though) - The master storyteller himself. I thought I didn't like him as much but when I reviewed my bookshelf, his name appeared more than anyone else. He is unapologetic and writes about our deepest, most disturbing fears. I've never been able to read Thinner again because it scared me too much. He doesn't just make you scream, he makes you squirm in your seat long after you've closed the book. He gets inside you and to me, that's the worst kind of horror there is.
  

new additions

New books, new stories to tell.
Buy them now!

another idol

• Pattern Recognition
  
• Burning Chrome
  
• The Difference Engine (with Bruce Sterling)
  
• Neuromancer

the first time i read his book, "Neuromancer", i literally had a headache. reading gibson's works require a concentration akin to aiming a warhead in murky waters. he is a futurist who wrote about it while its tendrils were just reaching out to society. he saw the norm in what others considered a fad. and he is every bit a storyteller as much as an oracle in this sci-fi genre.

2010 reading list

Worm Status: Had my fill (2010)

1. The Last Oracle by James Rollins
2. The Third Secret by Steve Berry
3. Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra
4. The World's Greatest Secrets by HAMLYN
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
7. Possible Tomorrows ed. by Groff Conklin
8. Sandstorm by James Rollins
9. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
10.The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
11. Matchmade ed. by Cel Coscolluela and Faye Ilogan
12. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
13. The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher
14. Dune by Frank Herbert
15. Hotter blood edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
16. Do androids dream of electric sheep by Philip K. Dick
==
it's a definite improvement from last year (9 books). aside from reading a lot of the classics, i was also able to sell a few of my paperbacks. i still have a lot to go through and i relish each book.

i am also hopeful that i can release my first collection of short stories by mid year. wish me luck!

10 x 5 challenge

10 stories in 5 days. 1,000 words or less for each story spread over 120 hours. so that would be 2 stories a day or 2,000 words max within 1,440 minutes.

i'm going to make my pen bleed.
let's do this!

something different

meet MIO, our baby siamese cat. i've always loved dexter, my orange tabby cat, but since he passed away 3 years ago i have felt this emptiness in my life. now that MIO is here, i have my newest inspiration.

thank you daddy for my post birthday gift. :)

Booksale!!

Horror, Fantasy, Fiction and Science Fiction Fans

Here it is: Books from my personal collection. I have scoured book sales and book fairs to build my all too original collection and now I am ready to share the stories that have delighted me so. These books are pre-loved so please forgive the yellowing pages, tattered covers and folded papers. But I guarantee that stories are intact and a wonderful read while drinking coffee, sitting on a couch or riding a bus.

Horror
Return to the Twilight Zone ed. by Carol Serling
Deathport ed. Ramsey Campbell
The Skin Trade introduced by Douglas Winter
Fantasy
Renaissance Faire ed. by Andre Norton & Jean Rabe
Reave the Just and other tales by Stephen R. Donaldson
Fiction
McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales ed. by Michael Chabon
Science Fiction
Sometimes, Never by William Golding, John Wyndham,Mervyn Peake
The 3rd OMNI book of Science Fiction
Mother's Day ed. by Isaac Asimov
Thorns by Robert Silverberg
The year's best SF7 ed. by David G. Hartwell
Space Shuttles ed. Isaac Asimov
Future on Fire ed. by Orson Scott Card
Star Trek: The New Voyages 2 ed by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath
Writers of the Future vol V ed. L. Ron Hubbard
The best science fiction of 2003 ed. Haber and Strahan

To Order: Please send me a PM FIRST!
Shipping cost will be shouldered by the Buyer
50.00-Within Metro Manila
100.00-Within the Philippines

Payment is thru deposit BPI ExpressCash, G-Cash or Smart Money
You can txt: (GLOBE) 0916-4930067 or (SMART) 0949-6440317

ONLY SERIOUS BUYERS PLEASE!

the year that was

Worm Status: Had my fill (2010)

1. The Last Oracle by James Rollins
2. The Third Secret by Steve Berry
3. Twisted 8 1/2 by Jessica Zafra
4. The World's Greatest Secrets by HAMLYN
5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
6. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
7. Possible Tomorrows ed. by Groff Conklin
8. Sandstorm by James Rollins
9. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
10.The Masada Scroll by Paul Block and Robert Vaughan
11. Matchmade ed. by Cel Coscolluela and Faye Ilogan
12. The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
13. The Sword of the Templars by Paul Christopher
14. Dune by Frank Herbert
15. Hotter blood edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
16. Do androids dream of electric sheep by Philip K. Dick

I definitely had a better year in terms of finished books so I'm very, very happy. Not only that, I was able to increase my library with 42 books and I hope to add more to that this year. I want to focus on the classics and history but it'll depend entirely on my mood.

Right now, I'm in the middle of these books:

• Altered Voices compiled by Lucy Sussex
• Paycheck and other stories by Philip K. Dick
• Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery and Fantasy ed. by Dana Stabenow
• Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
• Thou shalt not kill ed by Anne Perry

Looking forward to adding business books to that list should my application for masterals push through. I'll be attending more workshops from Writer's Block as well to improve my writing skills.

Here's to a great 2011 ahead!

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!