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Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Constant Reader in Bohol

     I am sharing with you a picture of myself at Amorita Resort in Bohol, Philippines taken last November 2012.  I was rereading Justin Cronin's The Passage then.  I plan to commemorate each new destination I visit by having a picture of myself reading in those places.



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

My 2012 Christmas Book Wish List


It's Christmas time again! Oh, how fun it is to make book wish lists!

1.  Modern Calligraphy and Hand Lettering: A Mark Making Workbook for Crafters, Cardmakers and Journal Artists by Lisa Engelbrecht.  Ever since I took a calligraphy workshop under Fozzy Castro-Dayrit, I've learned to love my handwriting!   I try to practice everyday by writing down my favorite quotes and decorating the page with my other fave, washi tape!


2. Script and Cursive Alphabets: 100 Complete Fonts - selected and arranged by Dan X. Solo.  I need a book of script alphabets so that I can practice writing in my favorite fonts.



3.  Lettering 101 for Scrapbooks and Cards by Suzanne McNeill.  I have always been fond of lettering.  I actually bought and returned this and the following lettering book from Michael's when I was in the States in 2006.



4.  Letter Better by Cyndi Hansen.    Now, I am blaming the cheapskate in me.



5.  Joy of Zentangle: Drawing Your Way to Increased Creativity, Focus and Well Being - Suzanne McNeill, Sandy Steen Bartholomew,  and Marie Browning.  I have no talent in drawing realistic things so doodling is the next best thing.


6.  Zentangle Untangled: Inspiration and Prompts for Meditative Drawing by Kass Hall.  Zentangle, a fancy word for doodles.  Hehe!


7.  Artist's Journal Workshop: Creating your Life in Words and Pictures by Cathy Johnson.  It is my dream to regularly go outdoors with an art journal in my hand and a Sakura Koi Watercolors Field Sketch Set in the other to paint the beautiful things in nature. 

8.  The Usborne Introduction to Art by Rosie Dickens, Mari Griffith, and Jane Chisholm.  Teaching the famous Art and Artist unit to Grade One students in Beacon has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of Art.   I was not only the teacher then but the student, too.


9.  The Usborne Book of Drawing, Doodling and Coloring: Fashion  by Fiona Watt. I love fashion illustration!



These are all available online.  I haven't seen any of these books in the Philippines yet.  

Merry Christmas!

*note: all photo credits go to amazon.com



Wednesday, December 5, 2012

A Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday

The first book I ever read to L was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.    I have read it to him so many times I have memorized it.  He loves poking his finger through the holes and 'choosing' his favorite food (cherry pie!).

L at 5 months
Still reading it at 10 months!

L celebrated his first birthday last month.  It was only fitting that he had A Very Hungry Caterpillar cake.  I ordered it from Michelle Teves of Cococakes.

fondant banana chocolate cake
 
L and the constant reader






Thursday, November 22, 2012

National Bookstore Christmas Book Bazaar



     In case you missed National Bookstore's recent warehouse sale in Quezon City (too far kasi!), you'll be glad to know that the yearly book bazaar in Market! Market!, Taguig is set next week.  I have never been to this book bazaar but most book bloggers have good words for it.  Hope I can make time to go there (paging driver A!).  See you there!

photo from national bookstore's facebook page

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Camilla the Cupcake Fairy

     A day at the mall is never complete without me passing through National Bookstore.  On one of my recent visits, I came home with this ... a Camilla the Cupcake Fairy Colouring Book.  It was just too cute to resist!


  

I started coloring right away!

  



 



I remember that I used to spend my childhood summers coloring with my sisters. 




      Camilla the Cupcake Fairy is a character in a book by Tim Bugbird.  Other characters are Daisy the Donut Fairy and Lola the Lollipop Fairy.  Too cute!

photo from Amazon.com


photo from Amazon.com
 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver


     It has been a while since I have found  a hard-to-put-down book.  Before I Fall  is  Lauren Oliver's first novel and it's very addicting.   Popular high schooler Samantha Kingston dies in a car crash but it's a mystery why she keeps reliving the last day of her life.    Her impending death makes an impact on her and she begins to see things from a different perspective.  She learns more about her friends, family, schoolmates and herself in ways she did not see before. 

photo from amazon.com
      It felt nice to relive high school over again, this time through the eyes of a popular girl.  I was kind of a wallflower then and I have never known high school to be like that ...  bullying, sex, cutting class, drinking.    Reading about it makes me afraid of what my high school son, M, could be going through.  Yikes!
      The book made me reflect about death; knowing you are about to die changes things.  It makes you think about what kind of memory you would leave behind, what things you'd miss.  It reminded me to savor the moment and appreciate being alive.
       


Rating:
5 stars!


Thursday, October 4, 2012

My Yummy Magazine Collection


My whole yummy collection!


     I started reading Yummy Magazine in 2008, when I chanced upon a three-magazine bargain at SM.  I fell in love with the pictures and the layout of the magazine.  The recipes are worded simply, very encouraging for newbie cooks and non-cooks/eaters (like me!).  The ingredients in each dish are readily available in the supermarket.

March 2007 - December 2007

      Because I loved the magazine so much, I had to find the earlier issues.  I was lucky enough that my sister gifted me with one of the old issues she had.   Through Booksale and Ebay, I was able to complete my collection.

January 2008 - December 2008
      You might think that I like cooking because I collect Yummy.  I don't cook.  I don't like handling raw meat.  I also hate smelling like onions and oil.  But  I like baking... I can only make chocolate chip cookies, brownies and muffins.  Someday, I hope to bake bread and make cute cakes.


January 2009 - December 2009
 
      My most favorite section in Yummy is Hey, Homebaker!, the column of Aileen Anastacio.  Everything she has posted in her column looks delicious.  I am inspired to learn more about baking because of her.


January 2010 - December 2010

     The January issue is usually devoted to light, healthy recipes.  August is for Asian dishes and September for Filipino cuisine.  I love the November issue because it's all about desserts.  So yummy!

   
January 2011 - December 2011

     Last year, we needed to reinvent our household menu.  I couldn't stand eating torta or giniling na may pasas anymore.  So I turned to Yummy for new recipes.  A year after, we have a household recipe book filled with our favorite recipes from Yummy!


January 2012 - September 2012

     Our Yummy favorites: Fish in Tomato Cream Sauce,  Creamy Salmon and Dill Sauce Pasta, Beefsteak Tagalog,  Creamy Garlic Pasta, Asparagus Wrapped in Bacon,  Country Fried Chicken with Gravy and many more!


Special Release

     My collection would have been complete if I had not sold my Filipino Favorites Yummy Book on Ebay.  I am not a fan of Filipino food!
    

Yummy Books

     Try picking up Yummy Magazine.  You don't even have to like cooking just to love it.  Just don't browse through it when you're on a diet. You'll surely feel hungry after.


Guess what! I've been published in Yummy Jan/Feb 2012!


  






Saturday, September 29, 2012

Seriously ... I'm Kidding - Ellen DeGeneres


     Months ago, I browsed through Seriously... I'm Kidding just because the book blurb made me laugh.  I was able to read this ebook last month and I just loved it!  It was a refreshing break from all the fiction I have been reading.



Photo from bookdepository.com.au

      I think it's harder to make a person laugh through writing than in person so Ellen really did a great job. The book reads as if Ellen is talking to you.   Lots of times I must have looked silly reading with a big grin on my face.    Still, there were a lot of life lessons to be gotten from this book.   I particularly enjoyed reading her entries on her stint in American Idol, social skills, the secret of life and many more.

     I don't normally pick books like this but I was intrigued by Ellen after I read her entry from my sister's book,  The Best Advice I Ever Got by Katie Couric.  Ellen had written about her experience of coming out and how she learned the importance of being true to oneself.  And that really struck me...I really should just do as I please and not care about what others think.   I had been keeping this blog since March and I had reservations about going public with it for fear of rejection, fear of ridicule.  But I realized that this is something that I enjoy doing, so I will keep writing in my book blog, even if my only followers are my sister and my husband, hehe.

photo from pinterest.com


Rating: 4 stars!





Sunday, September 23, 2012

My Kindle

    This post is long overdue.  To date, my Kindle Touch has now become obsolete with the coming of the new Kindle Paper White

Unboxing my Kindle Touch, hehe

What I love about it:
1.  You can carry your whole library with you (up to 3000-4000 books!).  My room will now be mess and dust-free from books.
2.  It's small, fits inside your bag, not bulky at all.
3.  Revolutionary e-ink means no eye strain unlike if you read from devices that use backlights.  You can read in broad daylight because there's no glare.  But you will need a lamp if you're in a dark place.  It reads just like a real book.
4.  Kindle Touch with Ads is a cheaper and better choice over the no Ads and 3G versions.  The ads are not bothersome; they don't interrupt reading and some ad screensavers are actually cute.
5.  Aside from Amazon.com, you can always get books from multiple sources. (hehe!)
6.  It comes with a built in dictionary so you can easily look up words while reading.
7.  You can highlight passages or add notes on your ebook.
8.   You can adjust text sizes and fonts to your liking.
9.  The touch is a wifi device.  You can surf the internet but don't expect much.
10.  It comes with audio, so you can listen to your mp3s while reading.
11.  If you're lazy to read, most kindle books have a text to speech function so you have an instant audiobook.
12.  No one can tell you're reading Fifty Shades of Grey 'cause they don't see the cover.

Chapter 1 from Fifty Shades of Grey
13.  It has an X-ray function where you can 'see the bones of the book'.  I have yet to find out what that is.
14. And a whole lot more!


What I don't love about it:
1.  You can't buy ebooks from Amazon.com unless your credit card is registered in the U.S.
2.  Kindle cases and covers are not available in malls.  You can only buy online.
3.  Don't expect the Kindle Touch to respond like an Ipad.  It can be slooowww!
4.  Your books are displayed as a list.  Unlike on an Ipad, you have icons/covers on a bookshelf.
kindle interface
ibooks interface
5.  The menu interface can be hard to manage especially if you have lots of books that you want to sort into collections or genres.
6.  There is no Amazon created software that can help you manage your books.  Calibre is a free software you can use for your Kindle  but it's not as superb as what itunes does for Apple.
7.  I wish there was a hold button so that the Kindle will not automatically turn on when jostled in my bag.
8.  Although you can bookmark your spot, it can be time consuming to find a specific location in the book.
9.  Some books are just not meant to be ebooks like craft books, cookbooks and children's books.
You can read comics on it, but I wouldn't recommend it.
10.  It's more fun to shop for books at the bookstore.

   I  got mine for a good price at NelsonKRX's online store.  You may visit their store here.  It was a fast and very pleasant transaction.  With your purchase, they allow you access to an online folder with thousands of ebooks.
    If you are a bookworm like me, consider getting a Kindle, it's a worthy investment that will give you pleasant reading experiences!
   




Monday, September 17, 2012

At the Bookfair

     We  arrived a little after lunch on the second day of the book fair.  We were able to avoid much of the crowd that usually comes on a weekend.  This year's exhibitors and book selections were so much better than from years before.  Unfortunately, by the time I got here, some schools have already chosen boxes full of books from the shelves!  Still, I was happy I came.

L and I at the book fair
   
A and L at the Scholastic Booth

Teacher education books at Scholastic

trade books

Learning Tools for Kids

Cookbooks from Goodwill Bookstore

Art Books from Goodwill


Books from Philmont - my favorite booth

      Fully Booked and National Bookstore were on sale!

National Bookstore, my favorite bookstore
Travel Books

Fully Booked

Cookbook Aisle of Fully Booked
Bestseller Fiction from FullyBooked

     Here are some interesting books I found:
Yummy cover!

I used to read Archie comics

A small but very thick baking book for Php 150 only

Art Book

Places to dream about
Very Cute Cover

Very nice pictures inside ... but I hate Gwyneth
Cupcakes!  Just because I love the pictures
I love Martha Stewart!
 
     This year, I did not go home empty handed.


Happier at Home - (National Bookstore - Php 695) -  Php 556
Creative Scribbles - (Philmont)  - Php 495
DK Baby Touch and Feel:  Pets - (Fully Booked - Php 239) - Php 191.20

See you next year!