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!

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!