Boracay Island, Philippines, 2022
Tales of Summer
1
Book Review: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
Title: The Woman in Cabin 10
Author: Ruth Ware
Format: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Number of Pages: 341
Publisher: Scout Press
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime
Synopsis:
Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea.
At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard.
The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.
Silhouettes of Tomorrow
San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, 2022
Here I capture both the different faces of the sea and hues of the sky. It is a glorious feeling, being able to witness such beauty and calmness — a testimony from the universe that even when everything around us may appear to be in shambles, there is always hope.
Book List: #AAPIVoices
I can’t believe the first half of the year is almost over, it seems like it was only February yesterday and now May has already begun! As April came to a close, May opens up new opportunities and hope to each and everyone of us and in light with this, as a side note, I would just like to mention to all my Filipino readers to please practice your right to vote and vote wisely on May 9! ♡
Aside from the national elections coming up in the Philippines this month, May is also a time to celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. In the book community, we heavily read books written by AAPI authors during this time but regardless of the time or month, I wish that more people would support AAPI voices. Continue reading
Echoes of the Deep
San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, 2022
In this series of photographs, I’ve captured a couple of sea creatures; some are familiarly dangerous and some are mysteriously unknown to my naked eye.
Summer Getaway: Laiya, Batangas
My most favorite sport to do is swimming as I used to compete for swimming competitions in our school when I was in grade school, when I started having monthly periods, I withdrew from the swim class but that doesn’t mean I also let go of my love for the sport. I think that, like reading, it will always be a big part of my life and ever since I got married and have had the freedom to do whatever I want and go wherever I want, I’ve rekindled my love for swimming and, not only that, it has come back with an even stronger passion. Continue reading
Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #21
BOOKS READ:
- Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
- The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
- Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
- The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky
ONGOING:
- The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman (50% progress)
- The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan (42% progress)
BOOKS BOUGHT:
- Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide
- How We Fall Apart by Katie Zhao
- Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare
- Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
- The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
- The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
- A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
BOOKS RECEIVED:
- The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman
- Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
- The Twelve (The Twelve, #1) by Cindy Lin
- What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
- Shadow of the Batgirl by Sarah Kuhn, Illustrated by Nicole Goux
- Six Crimson Cranes (Six Crimson Cranes, #1) by Elizabeth Lim
Freediving Session at Bubblemaker Dive & Beach Resort
I just wanted to share with you our quick yet very fun trip to Batangas for a freediving session with one of the best freedivers, Gen Abanillo. I’ve always watched my then-boyfriend (now-husband) dive deep under water whenever we go to the beach and I’ve always envied it. If you don’t know yet, I used to be a swimmer at school when I was in elementary. So I kind of feel frustrated that I can’t go that deep under the sea. Well, of course, pool swimming and laps are different than swimming in open water, so that answers that. Continue reading
Most Anticipated Releases in April
Happy hump day! ♡ I haven’t updated this section of my blog in a while because of all the wedding preparations last year and, now, adjusting and finding my own rhythm in my new environment. There’s so many new and incredible things I’ve done during the first quarter of this year that I never thought I’d be able to do, but that’s for a different post. I’m happy that I finally had the chance to catch up with all things bookish which resulted in collating these new book titles coming out this month! With that, here’s a list of my most anticipated books for the month of April: Continue reading
Golden Year: 28 on the 28th
Today, I turn the same age as my birthdate which makes this year as my golden year. I never knew about this until my cousin told me a couple of days ago that that’s what it’s called and it all just clicked — this year has been really good to me so far. I know the first quarter of 2022 is only about to end, but I really feel that 2022 is going to be a year of redemption for me! I know that whatever it is that’s happening in my life right now, my successes and happiness is a result of everything I’ve worked hard for in the past years, but it’s still nice to think that the universe is conspiring enough for me to be as happy as I can be. Continue reading
Lenn of Spades ♠ 