La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church ⁠— Baclayon Church

Posted on 07/01/2022 by Lenn

Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

Built in 1596, this majestic structure is the second oldest church in the Philippines. The church is built out of coral stones mixed with thousands of egg whites as cement.

One of its most interesting and intriguing feature was the famous column wall at the back of the church where locals said that an image of Padre Pio mysteriously appeared. Sadly, when Typhoon Odette hit numerous islands in the Philippines in 2021, Bohol was one of the islands where the typhoon made its landfall and Baclayon Church was badly damaged, destroying the said column wall at the same time. Today, the church has been successfully and fully restored, but the image of Padre Pio is nowhere in sight.

📷: Fujifilm X-A3, Fujinon 27mm 2.8 V2 pancake lens
🎞: Lightroom Premium

Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #23

Posted on 06/30/2022 by Lenn

BOOKS READ:

The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3) by Dan Brown
Dawwang: Mga Kababaihang Tagapagtanggol ng Kordilyera by Gantala Press
It’s Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) by Jenny Han

ONGOING:

The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman (50% progress)
The Philippines Is Not A Small Country by Gideon Lasco

BOOKS BOUGHT:

Conjugal Dictatorship by Primitivo Mijares
Dawwang by Gantala Press (Illustrated by Nina Martinez)
The Only Child by Mi-ae Seo
Genesis by Karin Slaughter
I See You by Clare Mackintosh
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
The Public Has the Right to Know by Bienvenido A. Tan Jr.
Five Hundred Years Without Love by Alex Lacson
The Philippines Is Not A Small Country by Gideon Lasco
Twice Blessed by Ninotchka Rosca
Presidential Plunder: The Quest for the Marcos Ill-Gotten Wealth by Jovito R. Salonga

Continue reading →

Book Review: It’s Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) by Jenny Han

Posted on 06/29/2022 by Lenn

Title: It’s Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2)

Author: Jenny Han

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: April 27, 2010

Number of Pages: 277

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.

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St. Joseph Cathedral Parish

Posted on 06/28/2022 by Lenn

Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines, 2022

Churches, temples, or any structure that is built for worship has piqued my interest over the short time that I was able to travel. These structures have not only been a place of worship, but a place where people get their courage and strength to push through with life. It’s amazing how our beliefs, no matter how different, lead us to the light.

Throughout my visits to various churches, temples, and mosques, I have realized that no matter how different we think our beliefs are, they are almost always the same because it all boils down to one thing: We believe in a greater and higher being; we believe in God.

Book Review: Dekada ’70 by Lualhati Bautista

Posted on 06/26/2022 by Lenn

Title: Dekada ’70

Author: Lualhati Bautista

Publication Date: 1983

Number of Pages: 227

Publisher: Anvil Publishing

Genre: Classic, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

Si Amanda Bartolome ay isang pangkaraniwang babae – asawa ni Julian at ina ng limang anak na lalaki. Sa kanilang subdibisyon, pinakamalaking problema na niya ang mga kapitbahay nilang hindi na natapos magreklamo tungkol sa mga malokong batang Bartolome.

Ngunit ang panahon ng martial law ay hindi pangkaraniwang panahon. Sa pangunguna ng panganay nilang si Jules at ang kanyang pagsabak sa madugong rebolusyon, di maiiwasang harapin ng pamilya ang karahasan ng batas militar. Habang ang kanyang mga anak ay hinuhubog ng malagim na dekada, at nahahanap ang kanya-kanyang sariling adhikain sa gitna ng kaguluhan, tinatanong at tinutuklas din ni Amanda ang sarili kung ano nga ba ang kanyang tungkulin at kakanyahan bilang ina, bilang babae, bilang Pilipino.

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Books #Bookstagram Made Me Buy

Posted on 06/24/2022 by Lenn

Bookstagram has been one of my favorite book communities in the past couple of years. It’s been alive for quite some time now, but I believe that it regained its peak during the pandemic. The book community as a whole is one of the most beloved community in the web because the people are just so kind and genuine, especially when talking about their favorite books.

With that said, I would like to dedicate a blogpost the the bookstagram community and share with you the titles that I’ve bought because of it. You may also check Fully Booked Online to find you next great read!

*Throughout this post, I’ll be including my affiliate links for each of the books in the list. Note that I earn a small commission whenever you use my affiliate links to purchase these books. Continue reading →

Book Review: The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3) by Dan Brown

Posted on 06/22/2022 by Lenn

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Title: The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3)

Author: Dan Brown

Format: Mass Market Paperback

Publication Date: September 15, 2009

Number of Pages: 639

Publisher: Anchor Books

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Adult Fiction, Crime

Synopsis:

In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon “The Da Vinci Code,” Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world’s most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling–a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object–artfully encoded with five symbols–is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon–a prominent Mason and philanthropist–is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations–all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

Continue reading →

Travel Bag: Packing My Luggage

Posted on 06/19/2022 by Lenn

As the world slowly opens up and returns to ‘normal,’ we are finally allowed to travel again! This year, we’ve scheduled domestic trips first, and this month, we’re heading to Bohol. It’s one of the most well-known destinations in the country—not just for its iconic tourist spots like the famous Chocolate Hills but also for its incredible dive sites. In recent years, more and more people have taken an interest in diving, and Bohol is definitely one of the top spots in the country to enjoy this sport.

This will be my first time visiting, so I’m really looking forward to exploring the place. One of my goals is to swim with the sardines—and, if I’m lucky, with the turtles too! I’m excited to share my experience on my blog once we get back, but for this specific post, I want to share the things I always bring with me when I travel. Think of it as a “What’s in My Bag” post—except it’s my luggage. Haha!

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Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1) by Jenny Han

Posted on 06/18/2022 by Lenn

Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Summer, #1)

Author: Jenny Han

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: May 5, 2009

Number of Pages: 276

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Genre: YA Contemporary, Romance,

Synopsis:

Some summers are just destined to be pretty.

When each summer begins, Belly leaves her school life behind and escapes to Cousins Beach, the place she has spent every summer of her life. Not only does the beach house mean home away from home, but her favorite people are there: Susannah, her mother’s best friend, and her sons, Conrad and Jeremiah.

Belly has been chasing Conrad for as long as she can remember, and more than anything, she hopes this summer will be different. Despite distractions from a new guy named Cam and lingering looks from Conrad’s brother, Jeremiah, Belly’s heart belongs to Conrad.

Will he offer his to her?

Will this be the summer that changes everything?

Continue reading →

Five-Star Predictions

Posted on 06/16/2022 by Lenn

I don’t think I’ve ever done one this kind of list before, so I decided to do one. As you all know, I have a ton of books on my physical TBR and though I have been slowly putting a dent on it, I have also been adding new titles every once in a while. Well, that’s quite the life of most bookworms, wouldn’t you agree so? Haha

So I took the time to stare at my bookcase and skimmed through the titles that I think (and badly hoping) would be a 5 star read for me. I chose these five books because I honestly have high expectations for them given that there have been quite some hype for them around the book community.

To my Filipino readers, you may check Fully Booked Online to find your next great read and avail their free shipping for orders P799 and above!

*Throughout this post, I’ll be including my affiliate links for each of the books in the list. Note that I earn a small commission whenever you use my affiliate links to purchase these books.

Continue reading →