52 Books: September Books

This post is long overdue and I won’t make any apologies. Heh. I started reading a book series (let’s just call it ASOIAF) last September and I decided to have an entirely separate post dedicate to that series. I am exciteeeeeed.

I had a lot of free time last month but I’m afraid that most of that free time didn’t really go to reading. I saw a lot of Alex (which is really good), and I’ve been busy with my other blog (which is also good). For some reason, I feel better when I get to do a lot of things. Reading books make me happy but there are other things that make me happy. Like Asian movies, drama series and reality cooking shows. That only proves how boring I am. Heh.

Last month, I only read two books that’s not part of ASOIAF. That means I’ll only be writing two book rants. WAHA. Gah, I’m such a lazy blogger.

The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman creates this simple male characters and turns them into a someone. Wait, that probably doesn’t make sense. What I mean is that I have noticed how most of his male protagonists are quiet, simple, and under-achievers. They don’t really stick out in a crowd but Gaiman puts them in a situation where they rise from the occasion and proves that they are worth their adventures.

Anansi Boys isn’t one of his best book, in my opinion anyway. This is a sequel to American Gods but I still prefer AG. The humor that made me love American Gods is still here, though. I love Fat Charlie. I love it when Fat Charlie gets infuriated, I think it’s adorable. I love how he seems so disoriented all the time because of his brother, Spider. I found myself laughing out loud because of the silly situations Fat Charlie finds himself in.

It’s quite amazing how Fat Charlie starts to be more at ease with himself when he finds something he’s good at, something that he actually likes. (I got a little jealous because I know what I like but I’m not exactly good at it. Moving on…) He eventually conquers all his inhibitions and lives a life that actually makes sense to him.

I cannot really point out what’s missing with Anansi Boys.  Gaiman established the story rather well, and most of the characters are likable. I guess I just can’t stop comparing it to American Gods. American Gods is one of my favorite books, and I guess Anansi Boys just didn’t live up to my expectations. It’s still a really good book, though. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy with a touch of humor.

This is a Crazy Planets by Lourd de Veyra

I occasionally read Lourd’s blog in Spot.ph but I wasn’t as big a fan as Ayessa. I only planned to borrow her copy but I ended up buying my own when I decided to go to his book signing. I am so glad I did.

Lourd de Veyra is one of the very few writers I know who can write so well in Filipino. I’ve always admired writers who can write well in Filipino. I have my favorite Filipino writers but Lourd de Veyra is one of the few whose writings in Filipino that I really like. His English pieces are really good, too, but it’s is his Filipino articles that really made me a fan. I’m swept away, lulz.

His essays are timeless, too. I’ve already read some of his works in Spot.ph but I do not mind reading it again. His essays make him seem so likable, I don’t know. He seems so simple but he has this depth to him that allows him to write insightful pieces. His social commentary is so spot on that I end up thinking over and over again that he’s so smart.

I need to write more books by Filipino writers. I seriously have to.

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So that wraps up my September Book Month. Heh. I am excited to write about ASOIAF, though! I’m on my fourth book and it’s as amazing as ever.

52 Books: February Books

Another late 52 Books post but this time, I tried to input more into my reviews. February was a really good reading month.  Also, I read two classics. That’s quite something considering I rarely read classics. Thank heavens for book sales!

1. Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk

Rant is a book I randomly bought simply because I wanted to read the works of Chuck  Palahniuk. I read some reviews of this book before actually reading it.. The reviews were disheartening so I postponed reading this for about five months. It was a lucky day, though, when I finally peeled off the plastic cover and started reading. I immensely enjoyed Rant even though Palahniuk used an unconventional format. Maybe it’s even because of this format that drew me quickly to the book. The shift of POVs were quick and sudden so I got confused at first. But after about two chapters, I got used to the format.

The story line is quite confusing but any story line involving time travel can surely confuse me.  But there’s something so consistent about his writing. What I also like is how he managed to make each character different from one another. There are so many POVs but each one has a distinct quality. Rant, though his POV isn’t included in the story, comes alive through the tales shared by the other characters.

I am eager to read another Palahniuk book. I already have Pygmy but I don’t think I am ready for that. But I really, really want to read Invisible Monsters.

52 Books: January Books

I intended to post this about two weeks ago but time didn’t allow me (obviously). I also intended to write down my thoughts for each book after reading it but I’m afraid I forgot about it, too. Or I got too lazy to do it. I intended to do a lot of things, actually, but I didn’t really put in much effort. The good thing, however, is that I managed to read five books last month. I’m keeping track of my progress in Goodreads. It’s kind of nice to see how I’ve been doing. It’s also nice that I have a goal because I usually don’t have one. Heh.

I’m just not sure if January was a good month for reading. I read some good books, but none stirred me enough. I am not really a book critic, and sometimes most of the time, I feel like I don’t really understand what I’m reading. So I just usually base my judgment on the level of enjoyment I felt when reading and how much I was affected in a good way.

1. Stardust by Neil Gaiman

I’ve watched the movie a long time ago so I pretty much forgot what happened already. It’s good that I had forgotten, though. I liked the book. Not loved it because I think it’s too short. But Neil Gaiman is Neil Gaiman and I like how it feels as if I’m just reading a fairytale. His book has this “magical tone”. I don’t really know what to call it.

I just think the book’s a little rushed. Maybe it’s because I love details and though there are details, it’s not enough (for me, anyway). A lot has happened but everything just seemed to happen too quickly. I still like it, though. I should definitely rewatch the movie.

December Haul

December is the month of wasting money and crying over the wasted money. I don’t know what’s with this month that made me spend much more than usual. It’s the little finds accumulated over time that made me realize that I won’t be buying a Christmas gift for myself this year. Heh. I guess these things are enough. I don’t regret any of these. I am totally in love with everything I bought.

I wouldn’t post everything. It would be too much, and it would showcase my shopping impulsiveness. In my defense, I only buy cheap things. It may be a lot but it’s all cheap. So.