My “Wikathon 3: Readerakas” TBR

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Wikathon first started on 2020 which was created by Kate of yourtitakate.com along with other booktubers (Gerald, Julienne, Trish, and Kat). It is a way for Filipino readers around the world to celebrate August or Buwan Ng Mga Wika.

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Stuff I’ve Been Reading Lately #23

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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

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

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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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Book Review: Dekada ’70 by Lualhati Bautista

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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

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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

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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.

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

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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?

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Five-Star Predictions

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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.

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Book Reivew: Dawwang by Gantala Press

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Title: Dawwang 

Author: Gantala Press, Illustrated by Nina Martinez

Format: Paperback

Publication Date: 2021

Number of Pages: 48

Publisher: Gantala Press

Genre: Comics, Non-fiction, Philippine Literature, Historical

 

Synopsis:

Si Leticia ‘Tining’ Bula-at ay mula sa grupong Naneng sa probinsiya ng Kalinga. Noong dekada ‘70, may bantang lunurin ng proyektong Chico River Dam ni Presidente Ferdinand Marcos at ng World Bank ang ili ng mga Naneng at iba pang ili sa Kordilyera. Dalawampu’t walong anyos si ‘Nay Tining nang dumating ang National Power Corporation at Philippine Constabulary sa kanilang bayan para simulan ang pagtatayo ng dam. Linabanan ito ng mga umili: nagtayo sila ng mga barikada, binaklas nila ang mga kampo, at direkta nilang hinarap ang mga sundalo. Sa kabila ng pisikal at sikolohikal na karahasan, nagpatuloy ang kilos-protesta ng pamayanan, at nakansela ang dam ni Marcos. Sa kasalukuyan, patuloy ang pakikibaka nina ‘Nay Tining at iba pang kababaihang tagapagtanggol ng Kordilyera laban sa mga korporasyon at mapanirang mga proyekto ng gobyerno sa Ilog Chico at mga karatig-lugar.

Ang DAWWANG (salita ng mga Naneng para sa “ilog”) ay bersiyon sa Filipino ng komiks na ito na nilathala bilang LET THE RIVER FLOW FREE (Ingles) at LASST DEN FLUSS FLIESSEN (Aleman) sa ilalim ng proyektong Movements and Moments: Feminist Generations ng Goethe Institut-Indonesien.

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10 Queer Books I Want to Read

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Howdy! And I’m back with another list for you. This time, I’m sharing with you some queer books that I would like to read. In recent years, the number of books relating to and/or about LGBTQ+ have grown and it’s something that we must all be proud of. I must admit, I haven’t read a lot of LGBTQ+ books and I promised myself to work on that this year and the succeeding years. With that said, I picked the top 10 queer books on my Goodreads TBR to create this list.

To my Filipino readers, you may check Fully Booked Online for their Pride Collection! Throughout this post, I’ll be including my affiliate links for each of the books I’ll be mentioning. Note that I earn a small commission whenever you use my affiliate links to purchase these books.

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