J’s ma got us free tickets to Resorts World Manila’s Ultra Cinema, “with fully reclining seats, enclosed private cubicles for couples, unlimited popcorn and drinks—and even a butler service”, thanks to her Platinum Membership Card. The film? Expendables 2. Ha! Campy and noisy, it was the perfect film to watch with cheese popcorn, rootbeer, and a chair to help you sleep.
J’s too shy to call the butler (actually just some young dude who probably hates his job) himself.We should have brought a blanket.
The Youth & Beauty Brigade wants to publish your book!
We are looking towards publishing books by young, unpublished authors with brave, new, and vibrant works we are both befuddled by and believe in.
The guidelines:
The book should be about an investigation: implicit, explicit, inner or outer, about any and all – a family member’s suicide, flood control protocols, a detective novel, history of the evolution of the logo of a multinational company, etc etc – as long as something is being detected, uncovered, found, as long as the investigation is refracted through art’s lens;
The book should fit 48 pages, all in, from 9”x9” to 6”x6” to 4”x4”, counting the front and back matters, i.e., title page, copyright page, dedication, acknowledgements, endnotes, etc etc;
The book need not be pure prose or pure poetry: any multimedia and extraliterary form is welcome, as long as it can be fitted and printed within the 48 pages.
Ang libro ni Bb. Bebang Siy, na sa di maipaliwanag na dahilan ay may kasamang libreng Cream Silk.
Hindi pa ako tapos, pero ang dami ko nang tawa. Parang baliw matalik na kaibigan lang si Miss Bebang na nagki-kwento sa iyo ng mga kakaibang karanasan niya: noong naunang magka-regla sa kanya ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid (“It’s a Mens World”), noong “kinidnap” siya ng sariling ama (“Ang Lugaw, Bow”), noong akalain ng kanyang mga kamag-anak na nasugatan niya ang pekpek niya (“Hiwa”). Oo, pekpek. Diretsong magkwento si Bebang (o di ba parang close na kami). Walang hiya-hiya. Marami akong naalala habang binabasa ang mga sanaysay niya. Tulad niya, hindi rin kami mayaman. Pero hindi siya nagsusulat ng poverty porn (siguro medyo porn lang hehe). May kaunting muni-muni, kaunting hindsight, pero sa huli, gusto lang niya sabihin sa iyo ang naramdaman nya noong nangyari ang mga pangyayari. Ganun naman yun e; kapag bata ka, hindi mo naman maiisip na kawawa ka. Maiintindihan mo na mahirap kayo, oo, pero masaya ka pa rin. Na para bang lahat e laru-laro lang.
The Long Weekend by Adam David
I read this twice in one sitting. The quiet panels make the heartache and nostalgia hit harder. It’s available on Amazon; I recommend you read it.
Gotham Central
Ed Brubaker. I love him. He’s an amazing crime writer. Here, he features the detectives of Gotham City’s Major Crimes Unit, who absolutely hate the Batman because he keeps interfering with their investigations goddamn it!
The story arcs and characters are so well-written that they could have killed Batman and I wouldn’t even care.
Saw:
The Bourne Legacy
If you’re avoiding this film because you haven’t seen the three earlier Bourne films, believe me: it’s fine. I watched it for Jeremy Renner and the epic chase sequence across the streets of Manila (and Pasay and Binondo and Marikina…but let’s just say it all happens in Manila), and I was absolutely happy with the flick.
Here’s all you need to know: Jason Bourne and the CIA program that created him has been uncovered by a British journalist. There are now also video evidence in circulation on YouTube. So now the CIA has to shut down the program. Super-spies start dropping like flies. Aaron Cross (Renner), however, is still alive, snowed in and stuck in Alaska. But the enemy is closing in. And yes, from Alaska he ends up in Manila “you can’t drive there” Philippines.
I pre-registered J and I to the Filipino Readercon but when the day came we almost didn’t go. We woke up late and J has this big exam on Monday (UP decided to go ahead with their exam because it’s UP) so he needs to study a lot and there might not be enough parking and traffic might be bad etc etc. In the end, we decided to go, even just to catch the afternoon panels.
I am so glad we went. The Filipinas Heritage Library was filled yesterday with people who genuinely loved to read (and write) so much that they would punch each other to get a free copy of a sponsor’s book. Haha! It was a glorious thing to witness, and I would most definitely go again next year. And the years after that.
On to some photos and stories.
I would have gone to the 1st Readercon, except that I didn’t even know it actually happened. Oops. This year though, the organizers, headed by Flipside VP Honey de Peralta, upped the ante with regards to marketing the event, and it paid off. I don’t have the exact number of attendees, but I bet it easily numbers past 200 participants.
J and I signed up a few minutes before 1 pm to catch “Authors as Readers”. It has two panels happening simultaneously, and we decided to sign up for the panel with Dean Francis Alfar, Budjette Tan, and Bebang Siy, moderated by Carljoe Javier.
Quick note on registration: PhP150 reg fee inclusive of AM and PM snacks, a cute magnetic bookmark from OMF, and a raffle entry.
The panel under Carljoe met up in the basement Library, a cozy venue.
Helloooo from the Readercon.
Dean (Philippine Speculative Fiction), Budjette (Trese), and Bebang (It’s a Mens World), talked about their favorite books, and how reading them led them to writing their own creations.
While Budjette was setting up his presentation, Dean took out his copy of Storm Clouds and took this photo. Woohoo!
Next: book discussion panels. We signed up for Pacific Rims, but had to step out to eat lunch.
Death by milkshake! Ahhhhhh –
When we came back, it was time for the second book discussion we signed up for: Antoine Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince, moderated by the Filipino Goodreads group.
I got me a cute button for sharing my thoughts. But oh dear, I read this book probably over a decade ago haha!
Then it’s time for the much-awaited 1st Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards. A big congrats to Alternative Alamat!
The winners of the 1st Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards are:
Children’s picture book category: But That Won’t Wake Me Up! by Annie and Anelka Lumbao and Liza Flores (Adarna House) – The organizers had three judges per category, but for Children’s book, they had children as judges. It was a nice touch.
Chick lit category: Fairy Tale Fail by Mina V. Esguerra
Novel in English category: Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (Anvil)
Novel in Filipino category: Ang Huling Dalagang Bukid at ang Authobiography na Mali by Jun Cruz-Reyes (Anvil)
Comics/graphic novel category: KikoMachine Komiks Blg6 by Manix Abrera (Visprint)
Short story anthology category: Alternative Alamat edited by Paolo Chikiamco (Rocket Kapre and Flipside)
Essay anthology category: It’s A Mens World by Bebang Siy (Anvil) – “Alam niyo ho ba, muntik na akong umuwi,” said Bebang as she received her award, and went ahead and danced onstage in a fit of joy. Haha! She’s hilarious!
Poetry anthology category: Off the Beaten Track: Tulaan sa Tren 2 (Vibal)
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Before the raffle, we were served kani mango sandwiches, chicken lollipops, pesto pasta, and brownies for dessert. I loved everything.
The organizers had so many books to raffle off that I think everyone who stayed got a free book. :) I got a book from Visprint! Resty Cena’s Mga Angst Ng Isang Di-Mahapayang-Gatang, while J got the YA scifi horror novel 172 Hours by Norwegian author Johan Harstad.
A copy of my book was also raffled off, and was won by a participant named Orly. Hope you enjoy it!
Congratulations to the organizers! It was a great Con and I will see you next year!
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Off we went to Starbucks 6750 to meet up with the Bookswap girls.
And Ice, who won in my giveaway contest, finally got her signed copy. :)
ISBN: 971-0545-15-5
Filipiniana, Fiction
SRP: Php220.00
Cover design and illustrations by Karen Francisco
Award-winning author Eliza Victoria mixes magic with the mundane in this special concoction of 16 short stories. A girl meets a young man with the legs of a chicken. A boy is employed by a goddess running a pawnshop. A group of teenagers are trapped in an enchanted forest for 900 days. A man finds himself in an MRT station beyond Taft, a station that was not supposed to exist. A student claims to have seen the last few digits of pi. Someone’s sister gets abducted by mermaids.
Includes stories that have appeared in the critically acclaimed anthologies Philippine Speculative Fiction and Alternative Alamat, and stories that have won prizes in the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards and the Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Literary Contest.
Take this bottle of storm clouds and explore the worlds within.
NOW available in the following outlets, for P220.00 only:
Fully Booked – The Fort, Greenhills Promenade, Gateway Mall, SM Mall of Asia, The Block North EDSA, Rockwell, Shangri-la, Greenbelt 5, Trinoma
Bibliarch – Glorietta 3 and Waltermart Pasong Tamo
Pandayan Bookshop – Metro Manila branches
VERY SOON in National Book Store, Powerbooks Store and all other provincial branches. The books are already in transit :)
It’s the 1950’s. Therese is 19, an aspiring stage designer living in New York. But like many young women her age with lofty dreams, she finds herself in a place she believes she didn’t belong – a department store, working as a sales assistant. She rents her own place, sees a man who adores her but whom she doesn’t love. She is anxious and unhappy.
One morning, an elegant woman in her 30s walks onto the floor, and Therese is shocked by the intensity of the attraction she feels toward her. This is Carol, and later on Therese will send a Christmas card to her address, and Carol will invite her to lunch.
I first encountered Patricia Highsmith’s writing via her famous novel, The Talented Mr. Ripley. Ripley is a beguiling suspense novel. Carolreads like a thriller in the sense that, thanks to Highsmith’s mastery over plot and language, you have no idea what will happen next. You’ve read your share of gay stories, and you know how most of them end. Will they live apart and in misery, will they commit suicide together, will they find love in the arms of a “good man”? Or will something else happen? Something better? Something worse? With Highsmith, you just can’t tell.
But Carol is a love story, and in some ways, a coming-of-age story. A fiercely intelligent one. I read it continuously for two days, and the closing paragraphs took my breath away.
The finalists will be deliberated upon by select judges for each category composed of Filipino readers. They will read and discuss the books and decide which is deserving to receive the Readers’ Choice Award in that specific category. More details about the judging period and the judges will be posted soon!
Are you ready to see the finalists now?
Children’s Picture Books:
Mahabang-mahabang-mahaba by Genaro Gojo Cruz and Ghani Madueno (2010, Adarna)
Oh Mateo 13: Tree for All by Grace Chong and Beth Parrocha-Doctolero (2011, Hiyas/OMF Lit)
But That Won’t Wake Me Up by Annie and Anelka Lumbao and Liza Flores (2010, Adarna)
Chick Lit:
One Crazy Summer by Ines Bautista-Yao (2011, Summit)
Table for Two by Marla Miniano (2010, Summit)
Fairy Tale Fail by Mina V. Esguerra (2010, Self-published)
Novel in English:
Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco (2010, Anvil)
Super Panalo Sounds! by Lourd de Veyra (2011, UST Publishing House)
Tall Story by Candy Gourlay (2010, Cacho Publishing House)
Novel in Filipino:
Lumayo Ka Nga Sa Akin by Bob Ong (2011, Visprint)
Ang Huling Dalagang Bukid at ang Authobiography na Mali by Jun Cruz-Reyes (2011, Anvil)
Ang Mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan by Bob Ong (2010, Visprint)
Comics/Graphic Novels:
KikoMachine Komiks Blg 6 by Manix Abrera (2010, Visprint)
Angel Crush by Ace Vitangcol (2011, Alturia Hill)
Love is in the Bag Vol 5 by Ace Vitangcol (2011, Alturia Hill)
Short story anthology:
The Secret of the Cave and Other Stories for Young Readers edited by Ed Maranan (2011, Anvil)
Alternative Alamat edited by Paolo Chikiamco (2011, Rocket Kapre and Flipside)
Philippine Speculative Fiction 6 edited by Nikki Alfar and Kate Aton Osias (2011, Kestrel DDM)
Essay Anthology:
It’s a Mens World by Bebang Siy (2011, Anvil)
Astigirl by Tweet Sering (2011, Astigirl Publishing)
Chulalongkorn’s Elephants by Ambeth Ocampo (2011, Anvil)
Poetry
Under the Storm: An Anthology of Contemporary Philippine Poetry by Khavn de la Cruz and Joel M. Toledo (2011, Antithesis Collective)
May Tiyanak sa Loob ng Aking Bag by Eugene Evasco (2011, Anvil)
Off the Beaten Track: Tulaan sa Tren 2 (2010, Vibal)
I had fun at the PSF 7 launch on July 28, but the celebration was a bit dampened by the discovery that the anthology contained an earlier draft and not the final approved version of my story, “username: tanglaw”.
Good news, though, the corrected version is now live on Amazon. Hopefully the authors will get their compli ebook copies soon with the correct version of the story.
I’ve already begun reading PSF 7, and I think this is the strongest PSF anthology yet. The quality of the stories is just staggering. Early favorites (I need to mention that I don’t read in order): “All the Best of Dark and Bright” by Victoria Isabel Yap, “East of the Sun” by Dean Alfar, “The Changes” by Benito Vergara, “Pet” by Kristine Ong Muslim, and “The Likeness of God” by Crystal Koo.
The crowd at the launch at CBTL, Shangri-La Mall.
With Kristine, Flipside’s Acquisitions Editor. (And Alex posing for GQ, apparently. Haha.)
Friday awesomeness: I received my complimentary copies of A Bottle of Storm Clouds from Visprint! Thank you Ms Nida and the rest of the Visprint family!
The book looks so beautiful – and I’m saying that not just because my name is on the front cover.
Each story is accompanied by a unique illustration.
This story, “Siren Song”, is original to the collection. Grab a copy to read this one. :)
My honorary first reader:
Details, details:
If all goes well, the book will hit the local bookstores this weekend.
The launch will be at the Visprint WIT (Writers in Talks) event in late August or September. Stay tuned for that. We plan to have at least 3 excerpt readings. I will be inviting writer and reader friends to read for me. (I hope they’ll be free on that day!!!)
How you can support the book:
1. Buy the book. Of course! :)
2. Sharethis link and other ABOSC info on your social networking sites (Twitter, Facebook, Plurk, Tumblr, etc.).
3. Review the book. Share your thoughts. Doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative.
Thank you!
Oh, you’re still here? How sweet.
And because of that –
SURPRISE SUNGAZER BOOK GIVEAWAY!
I will be giving away one (1) signed copy of A Bottle of Storm Cloudseach to two (2) lucky winners.
All you have to do is leave a comment here in answer to the question: What is your favorite science fiction, fantasy, or horror short story, and why?Leave a link to the story, if you wish. Doesn’t matter if local, foreign, or from outside of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Make me want to read that story. Or if I’ve read it, make me want to read it again.
No, you cannot tweet, email, or FB message me with your answer. Contest winners will be chosen only from the answers left in the Comments section of this blog post. Don’t forget to leave an email address. (Well, WordPress asks for it anyway.)
The contest will run from today, Monday, to Wednesday, August 1, at 12 noon. In case WP acts up, I will extend the contest duration.
Winners will be announced Wednesday afternoon or Thursday, Aug. 2.
Open to residents living in the Philippines only.
I will get the winners’ full names and full addresses, and the books will be shipped, hopefully immediately (it depends on how busy I am) via 2Go.
Disclaimer: The copies I will be sending are from my own set of advance copies from Visprint, but Visprint is not a sponsor of this contest. Neither is 2Go. I am the only one running this shindig. Impress me!
Once again: What is your favorite science fiction, fantasy, or horror short story, and why?
Eliza Victoria 