Vampire Chronicles
The movie adaptation of Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire made me very much eager to read the book. Lestat’s character is truly very mysterious though a bit scary and arrogant while Louis played something akin to a woman’s role in Lestat’s life. Very gayish as most vampire movies I’ve read take on more of sensual romance rather than sexual. My interest in vampire novels and stories has more than perked up when I read Anne Rice books.
In the Interview with the Vampire, Lestat’s character was more of an antagonist, playing a ruthless vampire master who created his mate in Louis. Louis got tired of Lestat’s abusiveness and manipulations and chose a much nicer vampire master, and betrayed Lestat along the way. The book was very eerie and disturbing, giving us a glimpse of the life of night creatures.
In the book Lestat however, Anne Rice gave readers a better understanding of Lestat’s character. His lifemates, adventures and misadventures. In here, he is no longer the ruthless, manipulative and abusive vampire master. He rather became a figure for hero worship.
Sophie’s World
Sophie’s World is a novel written by Jostein Gaarder. It was originally written in Norwegian with title Sofies verden in 1991, later on translated into English in 1995.
Sophie is a fourteen year old girl living in Norway with her cat named Sherekan, a goldfish, a tortoise and her mother. Her father is a captain of a tanker and is away most of the time. The teen=aged girl becomes suddenly shaken by two letters she found in her mailbox addressed to her. The letter said “Who are you? Where does the world come from?”. Then on, she has received succeeding letters and then becomes a philosophy student of an anonymous mentor, later on identified himself as Alberto Knox.
An old friend introduced me to this book. After he finished reading, he convinced me to read it myself. But I was just a teenager then, and after reading a few pages on philosophy, I eventually got bored and never got to finish the book. After a few years, I was looking for something to keep me busy while looking after my baby boy. So, I found the book hidden in my closet and I thought of starting to read it again.
I must say that this book is very engaging (maybe it just depends on the age of the reader). It’s a comprehensive major philosophy book, and a mystery novel in one. I definitely like how the story ended and it took me some time before I could figure out how the book will end. This is something I could not just put down.
Time Traveler’s Wife
A favorite book by Audrey Niffenegger.
This is not your typical love story.The book talks about how one’s love can really stand the ultimate test of time. Claire Abshire found her soul mate in Henry DeTamble - a man he knew when she was still a child. She is an ordinary girl, and he is not; but attraction and destiny conspired to make their love story come true. Henry, the man Claire admired when she was still 6 year old and loved even more throughout her fading life, time travels. Claire fell deeply in love and managed to live with a husband who seldom lives in the now and occasionally goes back to the past and travels to the future. They shared a great love that allowed them to overcome every distress, nightmare, and sorrow in every single test of time.
Although the book generally gives the reader a heart-rending end, the excitement of love and the joy of loving are always present in almost every page. Definitely this is a book a true lover should read; and this is a story for every one who has loved, been loved, wanted to love and still loving.
This favorite love story will be on film this year according to the Internet Movie Database and will star Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana as Claire and Henry. Grab you copy of Time Traveler’s Wife and let yourself enjoy the thrill and happiness love brings.
Me of Little Faith
i’ve just stated reading this book and i’m already in love with it. i’ll write more when i’m done but for now Lewis Black remains my hero.
Because Dragons Are Real
Why travel in China is like being the protagonist in a fantasy novel… Not a comparison that leaps to mind, but here are some convincing arguments!
I’ve noticed a certain similarity between my reading matter and my life. Some of the reasons overlap with Sinoplice’s brilliant “Why China Is Like An RPG”. Travel in China, like fantasy books, offers an escape from a monotonous life. Money is counted in “pieces” and dragons are real.
1) The way is fraught with peril. There’s no quick travel, the path from point A to Point B is always full of adventures. Come on, Frodo couldn’t just hop on the next plane to Mordor!
2) Dire predictions of doom. In fantasy stories, the protagonists are constantly warned about their destination, just like in China. “I heard of a foreign traveler who tried to reach Penglai by bus. We never saw him again.” or “You seek to visit Beijing? In October? Turn back while you still can!”
Via Why Travel In China Is Like Being the Protagonist In A Fantasy Novel
Learning To Read In China
Learning to read in China… or at least trying.
“You should teach them to put their finger under each word when they chant, so the parents will know their children know English,” one of the TAs suggested yesterday. She went on to explain that this is not reading, and any further attempts by me to teach the children to read will not be appreciated.
She needed to add that, because I have already been reprimanded for starting to teach my kids to read, which is forbidden for year one. Obviously. And the whole phonics thing? Why I am making noises with my mouth when I should be having my 6-year-olds memorize for their exams? Seriously, I claim to have teaching experience and this is what I come up with?
Via The Four Humors
Dan Brown: Digital Fortress
This is the first Dan Brown book that I’ve read and I think the author really deserve that much commendation not only for his every famous Da Vinci Code (which I haven’t read yet) but also for his other books which I believe would be as good as the others.
Digital Fortress is said to be a techno thriller that tells a story about a virtual attack on the National Security Agency’s baby - the TRANSLR which aside from decoding encrypted emails from terrorist that could inevitable endanger the country. This powerful machine can also intercept emails from private citizens so this machine’s ability drove former NSA employee and brilliant programer Ensei Tanakado to paralyze its operation. The story revolved around the characters Stratmore, Susan and her fiance` David and the death of Ensei Tanakado that brought about the problems in NSA that Stratmore was so eager to solve and in the way pulled in the efforts and talents of Susan Fletcher while dispatching her linguist fiance to find the key that would solve the problem.
The book is a gripping story that would bring about suspect twist and surprises. You wouldn’t want to put it down till you’re finally done.
On the Redwall Series
I do not know what it was that had me hooked. Was it the idea of anthropomorphic furry woodland critters? The sense of adventure imbued on every page? The mouth watering descriptions of feasts?
Since I was young, I found immense enjoyment in Brian Jacques’ Redwall series. I do not remember which book I read first, but I recall that it was written by a master of description. Soon my mind was spurned to imagine the banter and banquets and battles that spread throughout the pages and throughout all the books. I would read and re-read, taking in every meticulously described detail, rejoicing with every new book added to the series.
And there I had it. What I enjoyed most was that the story went on. That every year or so, a new book was added to the series. Maybe not always in chronological order, but that did not matter. The continuity of the story reflected my own desires, to realize that one mattered. That one’s own story mattered, just as every part of the Redwall epic made a difference on the grand scale.
Even now, picking up a Redwall book, after years of abandonment, I retain the fondest memories, and feel fulfilled again as only a child could. I strongly recommend the series, even if just as a leisurely read, to readers of all ages.
Hero/Heroine Crushes
Do you get crushes for a hero or a heroine in books that you read?
I do. Authors that has this great talent for conjuring up a very likeable - meaning sensitive but masculine, sweet and caring and other characteristics makes them almost perfect. I have a weakness for them, yup them knight and shining armour kind of heroes and dainty yet strong, willful and beautiful heroines.
I have collected books of Judith McNaught since I first read her Book-Until You. I then decided that my favorite genre would be historical romances and her books are my favorites. I love and got crushes for the heroes in her book and felt that I am their heroines! haha
Aside from Judith McNaught I also love historical romances of Jude Deveraux. I had crushes on her taggert-montgomery characters. Funny I was reading from a forum that it really hard to get crushes for these fictional characters coz they’re so perfect and one might just compare and not get satisfied with what they get coz they would never measure up to these heroes’ qualities and personalities.
Komiks
Komiks, as entertaining as it is, has been a commodity, a phenomenon, an industry that caters to the taste of thousands of Filipinos nationwide. It offered the pulse of the masa. Created and distributed to and for the masses, its audience simply answers why this visual form of art, literature and entertainment has spread like wildfire like the omnipresent sari-sari store. Published once or even twice a week, the potential of an illustrated flat colored “book” with an amusing tale to tell is endless.
With the Filipino’s passion for their daily dose of hilarity or melodrama, komiks is the remedy. Komiks characters have become fitting metaphors in a filipino’s life of daydreaming, struggling and eventually defeating numerous adversaries and slaying one’s own demons. Varied interests are satisfied with the range of stories the industry offers. Moreover, prolific komiks writers get money for their works when movie companies show interest in bringing to film their stories. Local movies based on komiks are said to be considered sold since. This simply confirms how the komiks industry has influenced even the silver screen. Komiks writers, bigtime ones and illustrators alike earn a fortune with P85.00 per page. Consequently, to earn a living on this industry, one has to produce a lot. The problem with this is that satisfactory stories and fine illustrations cannot be reproduced without sacrificing quality. It is unfortunate that quality has to suffer for the sake of money-making. Along with this, the monopoly of the industry dictates the standard for fees.
From illustrated stories to educational and religious comic books, komiks has been the medium preferred to entertain and preach. In the late forties and early fifties, much brouhaha was given to this uncharted territory. Passion can be seen from the works of the pioneers of komiks. Because of its promise of numerous readership and easy reading attributes, komiks has a high potential as a medium of expression. Unfortunately, because of the growing demand from its audience, the passion has been replaced by a survival to survive. In the advent of television addiction and other various media, the komiks that was popular back then remains to be a souvenir of the past today.
National hero Jose Rizal was captivated with komiks that he drew a fable. National Artist Vicente Manansala was even caught under its spell. These two men along with thousands of komiks addicts were drawn to this entertaining but worthwhile piece of art and literature. The problem lies now on the themes that constantly appear on komiks. Considered as the Pablum of art appreciation, Filipinos and publishers alike should step forward in making komiks grow as an art. If only komiks can be developed both in content and form, we Filipinos could have an art that is distinctly ours to be proud of.