Library

Creepiest book Ive read so far. Part ng creep factor yung feeling ng being on your own, nasa isolated na lugar, parang wala ka pang ibang pwedeng puntahan at pwedeng hingian ng tulong for fears na, baka yung hingian mo ng tulong is one of them, tapos may pasanin at alalahanin ka pa.

Isa pa sa mga reasons kung bakit creep'd out ako with this book, is my childhood fear of religious statues. As a kid dreaded ko noon ang isama ako ng lola ko papuntang Quiapo Church. Takot na takot kasi ako sa mga rebulto ni Jisas dun. Yung Nazareno, yung nakalatag dun sa parang coffin at yung nakapako dooon sa loob.

Seriously, sinong hindi matatakot sa isang corpse, taong nakapako na kitang kita mo ang suffering sa mukha, at version ng isang kinikilalang diyos, in Black? At dahil pa written sya na style diary, nae-envision mo talaga yung scene, you see it in a first person perspective, thats why it is soo creepy to read.

Pinahiram ko to sa isang friend, nag text pa saken, hindi daw sya makatulog dahil sa binasa nya daw yung book. Ganun talaga sya ka creepy. A word of advise, tingnan mo na lang yung back cover ng book, kapag tapos mo na sya basahin...

Never Have I Ever has been on my TBR for some time, principally because of its stunning cover. Many of Isabel Yap's imaginative and evocative short stories draw from Filipino folklore.

There's dark here - from her take on the manananggal myth in 'Good Girls' to her brilliant evocation of the kind of urban legends that circulate in a girls' school in 'Have You Heard The One About Anamaria Marquez' and 'A Canticle For Lost Girls'.

But there's also a surprisingly joyful, queer short story, 'A Spell for Foolish Hearts', which I adored, despite my usual problems with cozy fantasy (see above).

Yap is obviously a versatile writer, and here she also moves between stories that feel like pretty faithful folklore retellings ('How To Swallow The Moon') to stories inspired by contemporary superhero movies ('Hurricane Heels (We Go Down Dancing)').

There were two kinds of story in this collection that worked less well for me. The two stories that engage with SF tropes ('Syringe' and 'Milagroso') felt a bit hackneyed. On the other end of the scale, there were a couple that drift into magical realism, becoming too mystical and vague for my liking ('Only Unclench Your Hand', 'All The Best Of Dark and Bright').

But overall, this is such an impressive collection, and I loved the way that Yap used the language of her Manila girlhood, bits of Tagalog and Spanish slang, without feeling the need to explain it to the reader - when a term is crucial to the story, we're given enough clues to work it out on her own.

This is published by Small Beer Press, who also published one of my favourite short story collections of last year, Zen Cho's Spirits Abroad, so I'll need to watch out for more from them.

I really like Serialsleeper's endings kahit pansin kong overly reliant siya sa unreliable narrator. Kahit na-predict ko na 'yung major plot twist around halfway through the story and may mga ridiculous parts ( someone's lolo died because of heart attack pero sinisi niya sarili niya kasi kinonnect niya sa pagtago ng lolo niya ng pustiso? HAHAHAHAHA ) mas important pa rin sa akin ang enjoyment and emotional payoff, hence the score.

By the way, I read this through the audiobook version from Precious Heart's YT channel. Pumitik slight ang tenga ko sa basa ng "creature" ... intended ba 'yun? Huhu.

10-9-8...A circle is formed in the middle of the ground. Those found outside are dead. Ravaged by unknown beings in the darkness. Those that remain in the circle lives.
7-6-5… But the circle grows small. More and more people fall off the edge and is smothered by the dark flames.
Makes you want to think, "Is this hell?" But the silence in the darkness just covers your voice. You squeak now, and then you realize, all that remains is you, alone. The circle continues to shrink below your feet until I does not even fit your own shadow.

You wanted to seek your own corner and hide there for eternity. But the curves tell you other wise.
4-3...The circle suffocates you now. Heaving, large drops of sweat falls. Heaving.
2-1… SCREAM!
Zero. Wake up now! It was a dream after all. You sigh in relief. A relaxed smile forms, the corner of your eyes blurs with tears readying to fall. You may laugh now, you tell yourself. It was only a dream, you comfort yourself. But your laughter is drawn in by an unexplainable thing. You see, a circle is forming in the ground.
You can't run away.
The circle has no end.

Napatanong na lang talaga ako kung bakit after all the kademonyohang nangyari sa librong 'to dahil sa martial law, nagawa pa rin ng karamihan sa mga pinoy magluklok ng isa na namang Marcos. Putangina talaga!

Anyway, hindi lang tungkol sa Martial Law ang librong 'to, actually parang settings nga lang ang Martial Law at hindi ang main focus ng libro, dahil ang bida talaga dito ay si Amanda Bartolome at ang pamumukadkad nga isip niya sa kung ano nga ba ang gampanin at pagkatao niya bilang babae, ina, at asawa.

Nagustuhan ko kung paanong hindi in-your-face ang pagbibigay ng impormasyon about sa mga ganaps ng dekada 70, at kung paanong ang natural ng atake nito pagdating sa narration at dialogues!!!

Sabi ko habang nagbabasa, parang ito 'yung type ng libro na gaganapan ni Vilma Santos, and guess what, pag-search ko ng movie nito... SI VILMA NGA ANG BUMIDA!

Nagustuhan ko 'to. Gusto ko magsulat si Lualhati Bautista, at babasahin ko pa ang ibang mga libro niya. Sana ikaw rin. Hehe.

Imagine Stranger Things Season 4—only way deadlier, gorier, and without a telekinetic girl to save the day. That’s how terrifying Head by the Ceiling by Anthony Shieh is!

I loved how the book plunges straight into the action. I’m so used to horror novels that slowly build intrigue, teasing you bit by bit before finally unveiling their horrors. But this one? No slow-burn. Head by the Ceiling throws you into shocking, gory scenes from the get-go, one after another, and still manages to keep you on the edge. And wow, what an ending! If I had to sum it up in one word: chaos.

My only issue was the lack of a clear character to root for. Every time a new name popped up, I found myself wondering, “Is this the one I should be rooting for? Oh. Dead. Never mind.” The kill pattern also became a bit predictable midway. Once a name was mentioned, you could already guess what was coming next.

Still, Head by the Ceiling kept me thoroughly entertained. It's descriptive, direct, and gripping—a thrilling addition to the growing collection of horror gems in Philippine literature!

With very mixed reviews, I wasn't sure I was going to opt in when this book was chosen for Wall St Journal Bookclub, but I read the Kindle sample and was hooked. Manila in the not too distant past; a cast of thousands (ok, dozens); poverty and privilege; vice, corruption, violence, pop culture, innocence, religion, family and friendships. Dogeaters has it all!

With its huge ensemble cast of characters, each chapter of Dogeaters presents the point of view of a particular character. This was a common criticism amongst the negative reviews, but for me it kept the story dynamic and interesting.

My favourite chapters were those focused on Rio (the observant young, wise-beyond-her-years daughter of a well-off, multi-ethnic family) and Joey (basically a handsome, coke-head, hustler DJ). With plenty of nods to real people and events in the Philippines during the 70s and 80s, Dogeaters paints a fascinating, unexpected picture of a complex society.

How this book managed to slip under everyone’s radar despite being the best fantasy of the year is a mystery to me.

Part epic folk tale, part meta-narrative exploration of family and identity, The Spear Cuts Through Water is a work of fiction so perfectly conceived and executed that I will be personally offended if it doesn’t swoop up all the awards next season.

Jimenez creates a puzzle of intersecting storylines that fit together like Russian dolls, cleverly employing different perspectives, tenses, and settings to obfuscate his intentions before finally revealing his cards to the reader at the most climactic moment.

Nothing is left to chance; from beginning to end, the narrator presents you with the exact amount of information you need to follow the story, without ever revealing too much or too little.

The author trusts you to trust him and let yourself be carried away into an ancestral world where the narrative is out of your control. I can’t remember the last time I felt such a sense of wonder while reading a book: the atmospheric writing is reminiscent of Erin Morgenstern and Neil Gaiman, but Jimenez keeps a tight grip on the plot, never allowing the story to meander or the descriptions to veer into self-indulgence.

This book is an ode to storytelling. It’s a tale told by a grandmother to her favorite grandson, in a kitchen filled with smoke and the smells of a country lost to memory. It’s a foundational myth on the value of love and compassion, a family history, and a play re-enacted by ghosts in a dream theater.

Above all, it is a love story stronger than gods and time.

This was my first time reading a cozy mystery!!

For one... I am obsessed with the cover. I absolutely loved the town of Shady Palms and Miss Lila Macapagal. This was quite the cozy mystery that stands out for the importance of family, full of heart, and tons of delicious food that I wanted to eat right out of the book.

What I absolutely loved? The Filipino culture!! And the cast of characters just absolutely loved. But, I have to say my most favorite is the dachschund Longganisa. Gahhh soooo cute!!!

Mia Manansala has a fresh voice exploring Filipino-American culture and food through a cozy mystery that made me laugh out loud so many times.

I don’t normally read cozy mysteries but I am making an exception for this series. Homicide and Halo-Halo is book 2 in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series, and I absolutely loved it. In this book we are focused around a resurrected teen beauty pageant and the competition is fierce.

So much so that the head judge is murdered and the killer might not be done. As a result, Lila has to put aside her differences with her cousin / rival Bernadette and work together to figure out who is behind everything.

I enjoyed reading along while Lila tried to figure out who was the killer while also trying to sort out her personal life. There was a perfect amount of suspense balanced against family and friends and so this really worked well for me.

Note that this one can be read on its own, you don’t need the first book but you really should read it as it is just as good.

Actually, matagal ko nang gustong basahin ang librong 'to. Laking tuwa ko at nahanap ko na din ang kopya neto nung nakaraang linggo. Maski nang maubos ang pera ko para lang mabili 'to, keri lang. Tapos isa 'to sa limited na nabasa kong mga written works na Tagalog, aside sa Bob Ong at mga komiks tulad ng Pugad Baboy at Kiko Machine.

Anyway, sa kwento naman...Natawa ako sa ending. Pinapakita kung gaano kadiverse ang personalities ng limang bida, pati na rin yung extras. Di lang ako masyado naniniwala sa teorya na me quota ang pag-ibig. Depende lang kase 'yan. Pero I'm getting off track here again. Basta yun, light read siya.

Pinakagusto ko yung kay Bessie, yung ikalimang kwento. 'Yon. Nakakabitin lang pa rin sa huli. Pero magaling ang pagfabricate sa bawat na tauhan. Tsaka hindi ganon ka commonplace ang kwento ng bawat isa. Mas nainspire na tuloy akong magbasa ng mga nobelang Tagalog na kasingganda nito.

"Hindi porke ina na 'ko'y huminto na 'ko sa paglaki. Hindi porke babae 'ko'y maiiwan ako sa labanan. Para sa kaligtasan ng lipunan at kinabukasan ng anak ko, sa digmaan ng mga uri't prinsipyo, sa mapayapa man o madugong pagbabago, magtiwala kayo...sasama ako!"

Mahirap maging isang ina. Aalagaan mo ang iyong anak mula sa iyong sinapupunan hanggang sa marating na niya ang kanyang pangarap. Walang day-off. Walang time-out. Wala ring expiration date. Kung ina ka na ngayon, habambuhay kang ina.

Totoo...bali-baliktarin man ang mundo, ina ka pa rin at anak mo pa rin siya. Hindi rin pwedeng materyal lang ang kaya mong ibigay kundi mula sa kaalaman hanggang sa moralidad ay dapay mong suplayan. Kailangan buong pagkatao mo ang ialay mo bilang isang ina.

Hindi porke babae ako ay ganito na ang pananaw ko: na mas matatag ang mga babae dahil mas mabigat ang kanilang dinadala. Sa pagiging ina, pagiging maybahay, pagiging empleyado, pagiging miyembro ng ating lipunan. Kailangan niyang hatiin ang kanyang oras at sarili upang magampanan ang lahat ng tungkulin niya.

Ano nga ba ang katayuan ng babae sa lipunan? Maski ang babae ay may mga pangangailangan rin. Materyal, emosyonal, aminin na natin pero pati sekswal, at ang paglago nito bilang isang tao. Applicable pa rin ba ang linyang "It's a man's world" ?

Dinala ako ni Lualhati Bautista sa panahong hindi ko kinamulatan. Panahon kung saan ang kalayaan ay wala sa mga kamay ng mga Pilipino, ang mga bibig ay tikom, at ang araw-araw ay puno ng walang-kasiguraduhan.

May vibe ng pelikulang buy bust pero mas may puso, may humor, at pait ng realidad.

Kapag sinabing crime thriller tagalog book, itong ganitong libro ang tinutukoy ko. Ganitong libro ang hinahanap ko!

Walang preno at kung anumang pagpipigil sa mga gamit ng salita, sa pagpapakita ng katotohanan, sa pagbibigay sa akin ng mga kaganapang magpapabaligtad ng sikmura pero swak na swak sa kinakailangang emosyon ng eksena.

Ang solid ng storytelling!
Ang galing ng mga tauhan, hulmado at hindi nagkulang. Parang mga taong makaka-encounter mo sa totoong buhay. Para akong nanonood ng pelikula habang nagbabasa. Gagsti, ang saya!

Totoo nga ang sinabi nila. Kakaibang Bob Ong ang matutunghayan mo sa nobelang to. Sa totoo lang, ilang buwan na ‘tong nasa tukador ko pero ngayon ko lang nabasa. Sinumulan ko ito mula sa unang pahina. Grabe! Ang galing. Ibat-ibang emosyon ang mararamdaman mo sa nobelang ito, pero nangingibabaw ang pagmamahal. Pagmamahal na walang pag-iimbot at matapang na humarap sa pagsubok ng buhay. Habang binabasa ko ‘to, naniwala ako.

Naramdaman ko ang pag-ibig na iyon. Masarap sya sa pakiramdam, at literal na nakaramdam ako ng nakakakiliting sensasyon sa aking sikmura. Kaya naniwala ako. Nakaramdam rin ako ng kirot sa puso para sa mga kabanata kung saan nasusukat ang hangganan ng pag-ibig nang bida. Kaya naniwala ulit ako. Paulit-ulit akong naniwala at nahulog sa nobelang ito.

Siguro kung di mo pa nararanasan ang magmahal, may malaking tsansa na hindi ka tatablan o iisipin mong nakakabagot lang ito basahin. Pero sa tulad kong nasaktan na at patuloy na nagmamahal, napakalaking bagay nito para maapektuhan, sapat ‘yun para titigan ko ang aking minamahal habang himbing sa pagkakatulog at isipin na kakayanin rin namin ang lahat ng dadating na dagok sa aming buhay, nang magkasama.

The reviews were right; this really was fun to read. I especially loved the stories in the second half (particularly Her Room Was Her Temple and the titular Seek Ye Whore) not just because of their interesting premise, but also because of their social commentary on misogyny and the objectification of women.

I think out of all of the books I bought at the PBF, this has got to be my favorite so far. Even though I liked some stories more than others, each story managed to hold my attention and truly draw me in with their dark but intriguing premise. I also loved how each story takes place at a different setting so you get to explore different places and characters all in one book. This anthology made me appreciate the horror genre a whole lot more and I look forward to reading Yvette Tan’s other works in the future.

The only reason I didn’t give this a perfect rating was because some of the stories seemed repetitive, such as The Club, Her Room Was Her Temple, and Seek Ye Whore, which had a similar structure. There were also some stories I liked less than others (ex. The Last Moon) but overall, this was a really solid collection.

so so so beautifully written. makes me want to run in a field and swim in a stream and pick fruits from trees. i also really enjoyed that the writing was not overly adult but also not childish either. madeline miller has her demographic downnnn

What a wonderful book! Had to cry during the let few chapters. A deeply romantic tragedy with themes of honour, war and destiny. Beautifully written. And I really enjoyed how this ancient retelling didn’t glorify the war. Doubting that one’s legacy should be reduced to one of murder and brutality. Loved it!!!!❤️ und enchanting from the very beginning. The tail of the underdog ✨

‘I am made of memories’
"this and this and this"
let the gays live, laugh and love for once dear god

Syempre hindi matatapos ang Buwan ng Wika nang walang binabasang Filipiniana. Natapos ko ang nobelang ito nang isang upuan, hindi lang dahil sa iksi nito pero dahil din sa paghila ng kwento sa akin sa isang mundo kung saan ang isang bahay ay may kakayanang magkuwento, at ang piping bata ay bida sa kwento ng ibang tao.

Nakatago sa kwento nina Marta, Tomas, Badong, Joaquin, ng bahay, at ng batang tabingi ang mukha, ang mabigat na responsbilidad nating magkwento lalo na sa panahon ng inhustisya.
Lagi kong tataandaan ang paalala ng bahay na saksi sa buhay ni Marta: "Di ko mapipigilan. Kailangan kong magkuwento kagaya ng kailangang umawit ng ibon, o manggamot ng manggagamot. Nabubuhay lang ako dahil sa pagkukwento, at mamamatay din ako dahil sa pagkukwento. Di ba kadalasan naman, ang dahilan kung bakit tayo nabubuhay ay siya ring dahilan kung bakit tayo mamamatay?"

This dream diary transports you into a world that is enigmatic yet relatable. The illustrations were perfectly crafted, depicting each dream in such vivid accuracy. I would like to call it Lucid Dreaming, the ability of the book to transcend from the pages to one’s imagination is incomparable. Loved it!

THE ART AND WORDS ARE COMPLETELY STUNNING I LOVE IT

LUCIA DREAMING RANKING:
1. The Frog Curse
2. Action
3. Candles
4. Travel
5. New Morning
6. Eyes
7. Cult of the Two Moons

Grabee!! Una ko nang nabasa ang Bangin, first book ko ng dreamland trilogy na nalaman ko lang din kay Gerald the Bookworm. Sobrang nagustuhan ko. Sakto, nag sale ang Avenida, hindi ko na sinayang ang pagkakataon na makabili ng Ang Kapangyarihang Higit sa Ating Lahat. All I can say is sobrang grabe!!

Grabe ang internals ng libro, grabe ang language, sobrang aksesibol, sumasalamin talaga sa reyalidad. Nung nagbabasa ako ng Bangin, na realize kong dating mananahi ng damit itong si Ronaldo Vivo Jr. Sa mga unang pahina, bibigyan ka niya ng gutay gutay na tela, itim, puti, dilaw, ibat ibang perspektib ng mundo.

Pag dating ng tamang oras at pahina, paglalaruan na niya yung damdamin mo, iisa-isahin na niyang tahiin yung kwento, yung mga plot twist, unti unting lilitaw. Matutulala ka nalang. Matutulala ka at iisipin mong, paano mo iku kwento yung ganitong feeling sa taong hindi nagbabasa ng libro.

Grabee!! Habang binabasa ko yung Kapangyarihan, sinasaksak ako ng plot twist, sinasaksak ako ng dayalogo, ng naratibo. Sana dumami pa ang ganitong klase ng libro, may laman.

this book is one of a kind and definitely isa sa mga books na i'll recommend to everyone. aside sa pag-tackle sa iba't ibang isyu na nararanasan ng mga part ng lgbtqia+ sa pinas, it also showed ang interconnectedness natin sa bawat isa.

love ko yung dynamics ng bawat character and yung flow ng story. mahal na mahal ko yung story ni jim and sam, as well as kay sally & joshua, and mikee 🥹 (parang nilahat ko na). and despite some heavy topics, able pa rin na ipagpatuloy na basahin siya kasi talagang maaattach ka sa characters.

minsan, parang kasama ka na rin sa kuwento. makikita mo yung sarili mo sa mga tauhan. ricky lee is unparalleled, hindi talaga nagpapabigo ang pagsulat niya.

i'll hold this book close to my heart as someone who's a proud bading kahit na minsa'y mabigat sa loob ang pagiging isa sa mundong pinaparamdam ka na hindi ka kabilang

Headtrip. Sabi ko sa sarili, dalawang upuan lang dapat kagaya ng mga naunang nobela. Pero dito lang ako talaga tumagal, maraming beses ko itinigil, dadampot muna ng ibang babasahin o kaya mag fb scroll o mag soundtrip muna tapos bira uli. At heto, sa wakas natapos ko rin basahin. Wasak pa rin.

Habang binabasa 'to at sa pagtatapos ng nobela, hindi ko maiwasang hindi maisip yung insidente nung nakaraang linggo sa kabilang street namin, may binaril na babae ang tsismis asset daw iyon ng pulis, may tsismis din na binaril iyon ng amo ng mga tulak. Sa mga nasaksihan ko sa nobela, nakakatakot na isipin na hindi nalalayo ang mundo ng nobelang Suklam sa totoong nangyayari sa totoong buhay.

This was so interesting! The illustrations are beautiful. Lots of pages appeal to my eyes. As to the story, I felt that it was short but meaningful. So far, I’ve read like 3 books from Eliza Victoria and all did not disappoint. I really like her genre of incorporating PH mythology or folklore.

I need more stories about Ignacio and Conrad, and what happened to Lambana! A sequel or another story would be nice.

my favorite part of this graphic novel is how the setup of the intrigue and the way the mystery was revealed were super well done. I did want more from the conclusion though, but I really loved the slow burn and the way the suspense was built.

Lots of showing just parts or glimpses of events and then later revealing the full picture. Sooo good. I also appreciated how the Filipino myths and folklore are just there without over explaining them. Very IYKYK. Which actually adds to the mystery too. And of course, the art style is so pretty. More stories in this universe, please!

Did not enjoy the first half of the book. I think most of the fiction I've read/watched about the Martial Law era is just "Martial Law was bad" with not much further insight. I found the political analysis chapter to be quite annoying -- very emotional with little in the way of evidence to back it up. Nothing I hadn't seen before.

The second half got much more interesting. We delve deeper into the character's moral dilemmas as they justify their decisions. This is a book of characters with very strong opposing convictions, and the contrast between them really piqued my interest.

Like a tapestry of the different ways people view the NPA and armed conflict during Martial Law.

Unfortunately the book then decides to rush to neatly resolve all of its conflicts and becomes boring again. It was at its most compelling when it left the morality of its characters ambiguous and refused to satisfy its characters, leaving them grasping for answers...

Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas' whimsy rate of coded five stars portrays my strong recommendation for its entirety. This must be read by every Filipino - reader or non-reader.

Its relevant usage of the seven deadly sins in association with some daily situations that every Filipino is experiencing will completely resonate. My high recommendation is for the youth and students for they are still in the molding progress of their own values.

The strengths of the book are its easy and convenient writing approach making it such a splendid companion for a short read, impressive usage of humor to balance the critical effects that the reader will gain from the roots of the seven deadly sins, accomplished referencing of known Filipino icons from Cardinal Sin to Marvin Agustin, and lastly, is its overall relevance to today's generation.

The weakness I found is the union of ideas that can overwhelm the reader due to its lacking centrality.

This book is a collection of four short stories written in Filipino.

I've read one of Ricky Lee's older books (Para Kay B) and I have also once attended one of his writing workshops. Ricky Lee is one Filipino author whom I really admire, so when I saw this book in an online comic book store I decided to add it on my shopping cart.

The book is marketed as stories for kids for those who are no longer kids. So it might not really be intended for very young readers. The themes of the stories are quite deeper than what most kids would read, but I think it's also okay for children to read on these topics given that adults can explain things to them and guide them.

The four stories can be read in one sitting but I decided to read one story at a time.

Some of the stories made me feel uncomfortable, while some other made me cringe a bit. I guess I just don't like some of the cliches presented or even very old ways of thinking. Despite that, it's a good read and it made me feel like wanting to explore more of Filipino short stories about the Filipino people in a Filipino setting.

The prose is well-written, although there's one naming mistake on the fourth story. The name Carlo appeared, whereas there weren't any Carlo character in the story. It should have been Monty. Unless his name was actually Monty Carlo.