Filipino Readers Make it Social!

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Tina

My blogger friends have been posting about it since last month, so this is a late post…but you know what they say: better late than never! I christened the months of August and September as “book months” because of all the bookstores that go on sale during this month. It’s changed this year but around this time, all major bookstores in the country go on sale, and all of the sales culminate with the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), where I have been known to go crazy a couple of times because of all the books on sale in one place. :)

There’s more reason to be excited for this year’s Manila International Book Fair because of this:

It’s the first ever Filipino Reader Conference! It will be on the first day of the book fair, September 14, 1-6pm at Meeting Room 2 of SMX Mall of Asia. I know, it’s a week day, but if there was any time to use a vacation leave for work, this is a good one (other than holiday invitations, that is)! I already filed my leave! :) This is the first ever gathering of Filipino readers, bigger than all those meet-ups and book club meetings that we’ve been blogging about in the past year! There will be panel discussions on different topics like blogging and book clubs, social media and bookishness, and all sorts of fun activities made especially for Filipino readers.

And did I mention some cool prizes up for grabs? :)

My blogger friends have been making a lot of noise with this event in the past few weeks, so if you haven’t heard about it…well, now you have! I’ll be the live Twitter-er for the event, so follow @PinoyReaderCon for updates! More fun stuff and information on the official website for the conference, too :)

Ten days to go until this event, friends! Are you going? If so, I hope to see you guys there! :)

Armchair BEA 2011: Hello World!

Posted on May 23, 2011 by Tina

I’ve been trying to think of a good introduction for my first post for Armchair BEA 2011 for the past hour, but I honestly can’t think of any. Since I signed up for this at the spur-of-the-moment, I figure the most proper way to go through this post is to jump right in.

Oh, look, I have an intro. =D

So. Hello world! Welcome to One More Page! :)

No, this isn't my armchair for BEA. This is a couch at work. :) Photo was taken late last year, and I just remembered them recently.

I’m Tina, 25 years old, book blogging from the Philippines! In case you’re not sure where the Philippines is, it’s here:

If you see the distance between the Philippines and NYC, where Book Expo America is being held, you’d probably understand why I’m just participating in Armchair BEA. But it’s okay! I’ve always dreamed of going to New York City, and BEA just adds to the perks of wanting to visit the city. One day, one BEA, I’ll be there in the flesh. :)

I’ve been reading since I was a kid, ever since a classmate let me borrow one of her Sweet Valley Kids books. I try to read everything that seems interesting, but I’m very partial to contemporary YA, chick lit and just last year, fantasy. I like reading books with Christian characters/themes as well as Filipino-authored books (love your own, of course). Some favorite books from the top of my head: This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti, The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Dreaming in Black and White by Laura Jensen Walker among others. I have a favorites shelf in Goodreads, if you want to check it out. :)

I’ve been blogging since 2000, but I only started book blogging in 2010. I used to write book reviews and such in my old personal blog, but some friends complained that my book reviews are taking over the personal stuff, so I moved it. I still maintain a personal blog, and you can drop by there in case you want to read about non-book related Tina things. :) I used to write some book reviews for The Philippine Online Chronicles, and now I contribute some book lists to Female Network. I also have a fiction blog, and every November I turn into a cat-herder, cheerleader, Municipal Liaison and mad novelist for National Novel Writing Month.

When I’m not reading (what do you know, that still happens!), I like to write, hang out with friends, and travel every now and then. I’m very talkative, and it shows in my blogging, if it’s not obvious. :P Oh, and blogging/being online for a long time means I am very Google-able, but if you want to reach me, you can just follow my Twitter or Tumblr, or add me on Goodreads. I don’t bite. =D

No armchairs, but the couch is just as comfy. Oh and what do you know, I actually have a proper "reading" picture!

I’m very excited to be a part of Armchair BEA (even if I did sign up at the spur of the moment). I feel like this is a time when I can quit being too much of a lurker among the book blogging community and “meet” other bloggers all over the world. If you’re new here, consider this a formal introduction, and if you’re an old follower, then consider this as another “hello”. :) Be sure to visit the other Armchair BEA 2011 participants, too!

Want Books: Trash by Andy Mulligan

Posted on October 23, 2010 by Tina

Want Books? is a weekly meme hosted at Chachic’s Book Nook and features released books that you want but you can’t have for some reason. It can be because it’s not available in your country, in your library or you don’t have the money for it right now.

My extended weekend last week gave me a reason to surf more blogs and check out reviews, and I’m kind of surprised to see a lot of this particular book. I had this on my wishlist recently, but I didn’t feel the need to get it until I saw these reviews from Kris of Voracious YAppetite and Dwayne of Girls Without a Bookshelf.

Trash by Andy Mulligan

Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael’s world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It’s a bag of clues. It’s a bag of hope. It’s a bag that will change everything.

The setting sounds suspiciously local, and it was confirmed when I found out that Andy Mulligan spent some time in Manila (and continues to spend some time here). Books like these suddenly become a must-buy for me because I want to know how accurate the portrayal is. Trash doesn’t exactly say it is set in the Phlippines, but the reviewers I linked above say the book reminds it of the dump sites here, particularly in Smokey Mountain.

I hear it’s already available in National Bookstore (the book launch was just last week, I think). I would get it…but honestly? I like the UK cover (pictured above) more. :P I’m trying to decide my immediate need to read this so I’ll get what’s available here (pictured on the right), or wait for some UK covers to arrive here or look for someone to get me the UK cover. Hm.

What do you think? Which cover is prettier? :)

Sibling love and a little magic

Posted on July 29, 2010 by Tina

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay Tall Story by Candy Gourlay
Cacho Publishing House, 233 pages

Andi is short. And she has lots of wishes. She wishes she could play on the school basketball team, she wishes for her own bedroom, but most of all she wishes that her long lost half brother, Bernardo, could come and live in London, where he belongs. Then Andi’s biggest wish comes true and she’s minutes away from becoming someone’s little sister. As she waits anxiously for Bernardo to arrive from the Philippines, she hopes he’ll turn out to be tall and just as mad as she is about basketball. When he finally arrives, he’s tall all right. But he’s not just tall …he’s a GIANT. In a novel packed with humour and quirkiness, Gourlay explores a touching sibling relationship and the clash of two very different cultures.

My brother doesn’t know this, but I consider him to be one of my best friends. He’s four years older than me, and like every other sibling pair, we used to have our share of screaming matches when we were kids. We only started having serious conversations as we grew up, thanks to the long rides from school to our house during college, when he’d pick me up. My relationship with him gave me a soft spot for stories about brothers and sisters, so it was no surprise that I couldn’t wait to read the recently released Tall Story by Candy Gourlay.

Tall Story chronicles the tale of half-siblings Bernardo and Andi, from the day they meet for the first time. Bernardo grew up in the Philippines under the care of his aunt and uncle, after his mom, a nurse, relocated to the United Kingdom to work. Bernardo grew up waiting for his papers to get approved by UK Immigration, so that he could live in London with his family. Andi is a small girl who loves basketball and barely knows her older brother, save for a few letters and phone calls. All that Andi knows is that her brother is tall, as her mom often stresses, and she wants him in London so they can play basketball together–but when he finally arrives, Andi is in for a shock. Bernardo is not just tall–he’s an eight-foot giant! As Bernardo and Andi get to know each other, Andi is pulled into Bernardo’s “magical” world and Bernardo learns how it feels to have a family.

If I could use one word to describe this novel, it would be “heartwarming.” I was thoroughly charmed by the entire book, and not just because it’s a brother-sister story. I knew I’d like Andi from her first line: Rush hour. So many armpits, so little deodorant. What Andi lacks in height, she makes up with ferocity and her can’t-miss basketball skills. Bernardo, on the other hand, is literally a gentle giant – he’s huge but not aggressive, sometimes rash and forgetful, but always bearing good intentions. Bernardo and Andi’s voices are distinct, and they play very well off each other, giving readers a chance to understand and sympathize with both points of view. I ached for the two main characters to be friends, and rejoiced when they grew closer as the book went on. Click here to read the rest of the review.

Rating: ★★★★★

2010 Challenge Status:
* Book # 60 out of 100 for 2010
* Book # 9 out of 20 for Project 20:10

My copy: Philippine edition paperback, Php 275 from Powerbooks

Cover image: Original photo of actual book I own
Blurb: Goodreads