For my first WoW post, a meme started and hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine...

I'm featuring Philippines' very own, Kate Evangelista


Sometimes, even the best-laid plans can unravel.

It's spring break, and Tamara Winters would rather stay on campus and read romance novels than flaunt her size-fourteen body on a beach. But her best friend, Ronni, has other ideas. Against her wishes, Tamara is whisked away to picturesque Maverick Bay, where she's wrangled into waiting tables with Ronni at the Shore Shack for its busy week leading to Maverick's Surf Invitational. There she meets fellow schoolmate Xavier Solomon, the Invitational's organizer and campus womanizer by reputation. From the moment Tamara sees him emerging from the waves like a hero in of one of her romance novels, all she wants to do is run away from the feelings he inspires in her.

Little does she know Xavier has been watching her for weeks now. In fact, after failed attempts at asking her out on campus, he's concocted a crazy plan: fabricating romantic situations straight out of her favorite books. Xavier quickly realizes that if Tamara gets a whiff of his designs, he might as well spell CREEPER across his forehead. Yet as they grow closer, he's convinced it's a risk worth taking. What he hasn't planned on, of course, is his drug-addicted, alcoholic stepbrother, who decides to join the fun and put a wrench in Xavier’s scheme.

Spring break is proving hotter than Tamara expected. Will her romance novels be able to compete?

Labels: Bibliophilia, book, bookworm, breakthespine, filipiniana, kate evangelista, waiting on wednesday, wow

Exported this review from Goodreads to my blog because it caught the author's attention.

"Hi! Thank you po sa mga reviews niyo tungkol sa book ko. Haha :) thanks din kay sir KD at kay Biena. At least, ngayon alam ko na yung mga reaksyon ng ibang tao sa libro ko. Haha. Perstaymer kasi ako. Pero sa susunod kong libro, sana mejo ok na yung reviewa niyo haha at sana magustuhan niyo na :) "Para sa Broken Hearted" naman yung susunod na libro ko. Naks! May susunod agad :) pasensiya na rin sa mga "mas better" at "nakacivilian" like words sa book ko, ganun po kasi ako magsalita. Para natural. :) mas better diba? Haha."

- Marcelo Santos III

Para sa Hopeless Romantic by Marcelo Santos III
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Don't judge. I'm a Marcelo Santos virgin.

I think the storyline is quite okay. I just kind of hate it sometimes, because you can feel that the author is kind of trying to be funny, whilst attempting to state something profound. Channeling Bob Ong, eh? Hmmm. Meh. At some point, I think the author is actually aiming for a Ricky Lee. I just don't know. Maybe, it's just me.

I won't say I didn't like it, over all, I think, Marcelo captures the heart of his audience and his stories are really targeted to his readers and this novel is his answer to the 'strike while the iron is hot' cliche. My very close friend Boado would like this, love this book even. (I recommended it to him and he just bought a copy, one book down, Marcelo!) I just know it.

Unfortunately and sadly, I don't belong to the teenage circle clamoring for this kind of storytelling anymore, let's just say, I already grew up and matured. (Caveat, this doesn't mean, I'm calling Marcelo's fans young and immature.) For an instance, I don't use very cute and colloquial student terms like: nakacivilian and magvandal anymore.


P.S.

Here are some lines that sort of ticked me off:

"Hindi ako nanonood ng telenovela, yung nanay ko at mga kapatid ko yun. No choice lang ako."

-- Really now, Marcelo, really now, why'd you have to quip such thing? I have nothing against people not watching telenovelas, albeit, I think it's kind of strange and poseurish not to watch even one, I actually am acquainted with someone who doesn't really pay much attention to these things, it's just that... hmm, how can I put this? Okay, let's be honest, this line is kind of pretentious, there, I said it.

"Hindi mo deserve ang tulad ko."

-- Okay lang ang Taglish, I actually like Taglish. But, the truth is... ang FAIL lang nito.


"Nakamoved on"

"Napublished"

"Mas better"


-- I'm not a grammar nazi (I'm no expert, hey), but I think this is grammatically incorrect. Grammarians, where art thou?


At ang daming typos. Grr. Joke lang, di ako galit. :D

View all my reviews

Labels: Bibliophilia, book, book review, book worm, bookworm, filipiniana, hopeless romantic, marcelo, marcelo santos, para sa hopeless, para sa hopeless romantic, pshr

“My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water.”

― Mark Twain, Notebook

Last Summer, I was able to use one of the facilities I'm paying for in the condominium I'm living in.

Labels: Bibliophilia, book club, book worm, condo living, filipiniana, summer, swimming

“So many books, so little time.” 

― Frank Zappa

Here are the books I'm planning to read this month. Hope I finish them (on time)!

I'm now shying away from ebooks because I still have too many unread physical books not to mention the pre-loved books I just ordered (16 of them - my poor, poor wallet. Why I never had the discipline to DIET, I don't know...)



1. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë


2. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

3. Death by Garrote by Ambeth Ocampo

I love reading history-related things, back when I was in elementary, I'd pick a random volume in any of our Encyclopedias and will just read anything history. I've lost that drive nowadays, so I just hope that with this little newsprint book (which I got on sale, if I may add!), the history buff in me will resurface.


4. Walong Diwata ng Pagkahulog by Edgar Calabia Samar


This is Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books, my beloved book club's book of the month/s. Our discussion leader is Berto so, it actually is kind of exciting (knowing how crazy Berto can sometimes be). We will culminate the online discussion with a field trip to San Pablo, the setting of the book. Join the book discussion here.


5. Girl Meets World by Claire Betita de Guzman

Maybe, by now, you already know that I'm an ardent supporter of Filipino books. I've had this copy with me since God knows when, my office mate  even borrowed this from me, but I don't know why I never had the time to read it. (Blame it to Phoebe's review ha ha) Now, I hope I'd finish this. ♥

Labels: ambeth ocampo, Bibliophilia, book club, book haul, bookworm. book bunch, classic. buddy read, edgar samar, filipiniana, june, laguna, rainbow rowell, summit books, wuthering heights, young adult books