I had a great time last night. We had dinner in Acha Pizzeria instead and then afterwards we went to the Breakfast Club in I.T. Park since Acha was a bit crowded and noisy.
We talked about a lot of things - of course, mainly about love, and many more naughty things besides hehehe...
I'm really thankful this club was realized, because it gave me the opportunity to meet a lot of very nice people.
For next month we will be reading The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus and A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. The first one is an essay and the second one is a short non-fiction book, so I guess we will be able to discuss them together next month.
Sisyphus... that's heavy existential stuff. Probably will make for a lot of interesting discussion. Our facilitator is a teacher of Literature and Philosophy, so I've heard, so this should be great! Eckhart Tolle... that will be my first book from the guy. Don't know what its genre is exactly (spirituality?). Whatever it is, I hope it's not New Age stuff...
I hereby congratulate myself for finally having read at least one Marquez novel!
Later today we leave for San Remegio for some beach and fishing, and, of course, reading.
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Book Discussion: Love in the Time of Cholera
WHAT: Dinner + Discussion for "Love in the Time of Cholera"
WHEN: Feb 23, Saturday
PICK-UP: Dimsum Break area, BTC @ 6:15PM
VENUE: Ananda Marga Wellness Center, Pagsabungan, Mandaue City
DINNER: Vegetarian Buffet (with a Caribbean flair) @ 90.00/person only
OTHERS: Yoga demo, brief orientation on the center's services
Friends who might be interested to try the vegetarian buffet are welcome to join the dinner. Just sign them up.
Hapit na amo book discussion for this month. Actually, ugma na hehe. This gathering is open to the public, provided you have read the book; but you can come just for the dinner (if you want to try a vegetarian buffet).
Haven't finished the book yet; I'm down to the last few pages already.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Book for February: Love in the Time of Cholera
Love is in the air! Can you smell it?
Our book for the month of February, the month of love, joy and broken hearts, is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Want to join our book discussion next month? Read the book and drop me a line for further info.
Our book for the month of February, the month of love, joy and broken hearts, is Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Want to join our book discussion next month? Read the book and drop me a line for further info.
Some books
I went to Booksale in SM today. Bought two books: Possession by A. S. Byatt and Atonement by Ian McEwan. I was delighted when I saw a copy of the latter.
I also spotted a copy of People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck. I placed it back in the shelf and continued to browse for more books, thinking I'll just pick it up later. Big mistake. Another guy got it while I was away. Of the tons of books in the store, he had to take my book. Yes, it was mine! It became mine the moment I laid eyes on it!
I stalked him for a while and hoped he'd change his mind, that he'd put it down. He never did.
I also spotted a copy of People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck. I placed it back in the shelf and continued to browse for more books, thinking I'll just pick it up later. Big mistake. Another guy got it while I was away. Of the tons of books in the store, he had to take my book. Yes, it was mine! It became mine the moment I laid eyes on it!
I stalked him for a while and hoped he'd change his mind, that he'd put it down. He never did.
Monday, January 28, 2008
First Book Fellas book discussion, a success
Our first ever book club discussion last Saturday was a success! I'm so glad it went well. There were nine of us in attendance, four of whom I met for the first time that night.
We talked about a lot of things. The protagonist of the story, the setting, the plot, the author's purpose for writing the novel, the ending, and everything in between. It really was a stimulating discussion.
Only one thing got my goat, though, and it's the level of noise from the restaurant's other customers. The place was very quiet earlier in the evening. It was later when the place started to buzz with people.
But Turtle's Nest is really a lovely place. It was my first time in the place. The books in the shelves made a perfect backdrop for our discussion.
I'm happy we're done with our first book. We don't have a second book yet. We're thinking that since it's February we'll read something.... um, "romantic".
We talked about a lot of things. The protagonist of the story, the setting, the plot, the author's purpose for writing the novel, the ending, and everything in between. It really was a stimulating discussion.
Only one thing got my goat, though, and it's the level of noise from the restaurant's other customers. The place was very quiet earlier in the evening. It was later when the place started to buzz with people.
But Turtle's Nest is really a lovely place. It was my first time in the place. The books in the shelves made a perfect backdrop for our discussion.
I'm happy we're done with our first book. We don't have a second book yet. We're thinking that since it's February we'll read something.... um, "romantic".
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Book discussion: I Am Legend
We will be having our first book discussion tonight. The venue is at Turtle's Nest in Lahug. There will be dinner before the discussion. Time: 6:30.
Those who wish to join must have read the book. :-)
Those who wish to join must have read the book. :-)
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Book for January: I Am Legend
Our book club is underway. We will be having our first book discussion next month. Our first book is I Am Legend by Richard Matheson.
It's not very challenging. I mean I was looking for something more deep, more intellectually stimulating, more poignant, something that will get you emotionally involved in and make you think deep thoughts even after reading it, a pleasure to read, etc. But we chose it in the hope that it will attract more potential members knowing that it's a 'popular' book.
I'm already half-way through the novel and all I can say is that the story is just so-so. I wonder how I'm going to facilitate our discussion next month, since our reading is not very interesting hehehe... (The way we structured it is that each month we will have a three-man committee, composed of the host, the facilitator and the secretary. The host takes care of the book discussion venue, the facilitator takes charge of the discussion itself -- he or she prepares the guide questions, maintains orders, etc., and the secretary is the contact person, records the book list and suggestions for the coming months, the minutes of the meeting and etc. This way the other members can just focus on the reading.)
Still this is all very exciting. I've always wanted to join or start a book club.
But, you may wonder, why join/ start a book club?
Well, a book club will help you grow as a person, too, you know, just like any other club. It provides a place where you can socialize with other people who have similar interests as you. And since this is a book club, it will help you grow intellectually and emotionally as well.
Mr. J asked me the other day, half in jest, why he should join the club (I encouraged him but he's hesitant). He doesn't see the point of reading fiction. What's the point of reading stories that are not real, events that never took place? I told him that fiction is important, too. The stories may just be the author's invention, but they can still be relevant to our personal lives. Our existence as individuals are very limited. We only get to live one single life, after all. Yet by reading, we get to live the lives of others; the scope of our existence is widened. We get to live the emotions and thoughts of countless authors in all their variety. We plunge into the richness of human experience, and in the process we gain wisdom and knowledge, and our lives improve for the better, in a way.
If you're interested in joining our club, let me know. Btw, our club's name is Book Fellas.
It's not very challenging. I mean I was looking for something more deep, more intellectually stimulating, more poignant, something that will get you emotionally involved in and make you think deep thoughts even after reading it, a pleasure to read, etc. But we chose it in the hope that it will attract more potential members knowing that it's a 'popular' book.
I'm already half-way through the novel and all I can say is that the story is just so-so. I wonder how I'm going to facilitate our discussion next month, since our reading is not very interesting hehehe... (The way we structured it is that each month we will have a three-man committee, composed of the host, the facilitator and the secretary. The host takes care of the book discussion venue, the facilitator takes charge of the discussion itself -- he or she prepares the guide questions, maintains orders, etc., and the secretary is the contact person, records the book list and suggestions for the coming months, the minutes of the meeting and etc. This way the other members can just focus on the reading.)
Still this is all very exciting. I've always wanted to join or start a book club.
But, you may wonder, why join/ start a book club?
Well, a book club will help you grow as a person, too, you know, just like any other club. It provides a place where you can socialize with other people who have similar interests as you. And since this is a book club, it will help you grow intellectually and emotionally as well.
Mr. J asked me the other day, half in jest, why he should join the club (I encouraged him but he's hesitant). He doesn't see the point of reading fiction. What's the point of reading stories that are not real, events that never took place? I told him that fiction is important, too. The stories may just be the author's invention, but they can still be relevant to our personal lives. Our existence as individuals are very limited. We only get to live one single life, after all. Yet by reading, we get to live the lives of others; the scope of our existence is widened. We get to live the emotions and thoughts of countless authors in all their variety. We plunge into the richness of human experience, and in the process we gain wisdom and knowledge, and our lives improve for the better, in a way.
If you're interested in joining our club, let me know. Btw, our club's name is Book Fellas.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Book club! Book club! Book club!
Nahuman na among Prelim exam ganiha sa Nursing Management so I can now rest a little... And it's the start of our Christmas break already... Merry Christmas to you, dear imaginary reader!
There might be some folks out there who might be interested about this. A week ago I posted a message at Istorya.net inviting people to start a book club. Naay uban ni-express og interest, and a few days later I met up with two ladies to discuss this proposed book club. They were very excited about it, as am I. I've wanted to start or join a book club for the longest time and at last that dream has now been realized.
Tulo pa mi kabuok but I bet managhan pa mi.
So this coming Saturday, December 22, we will be holding our second meeting, to discuss some titles which some people have suggested for our first gathering in January. Sabotan sa group kung unsa ang basahun og i-discuss next month and the coming months pa jud (yup, dapat optimistic jud ta!). Meeting place is at Bo's Cafe in Ayala, at 4pm.
So kinsa to'ng ganahan muapil, adto mo!
One more time:
Book club meeting
When: December 22, 2007, Saturday, at 4PM
Where: Bo's Cafe, Ayala
See you there!
There might be some folks out there who might be interested about this. A week ago I posted a message at Istorya.net inviting people to start a book club. Naay uban ni-express og interest, and a few days later I met up with two ladies to discuss this proposed book club. They were very excited about it, as am I. I've wanted to start or join a book club for the longest time and at last that dream has now been realized.
Tulo pa mi kabuok but I bet managhan pa mi.
So this coming Saturday, December 22, we will be holding our second meeting, to discuss some titles which some people have suggested for our first gathering in January. Sabotan sa group kung unsa ang basahun og i-discuss next month and the coming months pa jud (yup, dapat optimistic jud ta!). Meeting place is at Bo's Cafe in Ayala, at 4pm.
So kinsa to'ng ganahan muapil, adto mo!
One more time:
Book club meeting
When: December 22, 2007, Saturday, at 4PM
Where: Bo's Cafe, Ayala
See you there!
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Powerbooks is in Cebu!
Have you already been to Powerbooks in SM? Wow! I didn't even know they were opening a branch here in Cebu. Another wow! I was totally blown away.
I've been there this afternoon and, oh my... book lover's heaven... Well, um, I'm not even really a book lover, but I became very excited when I went inside the store. The whole place is filled with books! Books were just everywhere, and the whole place is actually huge! The ambiance is also very lovely, the area is very wide and there is much room for you to do your browsing.
They have plenty of titles not found in National Bookstore. Finally we have an alternative to National. The prices, though, are quite high.
I found a few volumes of Neil Gaiman's series of graphic novels Sandman. I found plenty of biographies. Plenty of contemporary fiction. But, sadly, only a negligible display of Filipiniana.
The new Northwing annex is really, really huge. I didn't expect it would look that way. I had imagined it differently. You'll feel like you're in a totally new mall, not in SM, or at least another SM branch somewhere outside Cebu (I haven't visited the other SM branches besides SM Davao). In fact, I felt like I was malling someplace else, not in Cebu.
Only a few shops are open so far. Aside from Powerbooks, there's Pizza Hut, a Thai restaurant (I think), a photoshop, a dental spa (Whoa! I haven't heard of this before!), a general clinic, a sewing service shop, and a few others.
But I felt more at home with the old part of SM. And I missed National Bookstore. For me, at least for now, I like to browse for books at National more than in Powerbooks. Mas at home ko sa National kay it's not that huge and, well, na-anad na ko didto. But the sheer number of titles in Powerbooks is dazzling!
I've been there this afternoon and, oh my... book lover's heaven... Well, um, I'm not even really a book lover, but I became very excited when I went inside the store. The whole place is filled with books! Books were just everywhere, and the whole place is actually huge! The ambiance is also very lovely, the area is very wide and there is much room for you to do your browsing.
They have plenty of titles not found in National Bookstore. Finally we have an alternative to National. The prices, though, are quite high.
I found a few volumes of Neil Gaiman's series of graphic novels Sandman. I found plenty of biographies. Plenty of contemporary fiction. But, sadly, only a negligible display of Filipiniana.
The new Northwing annex is really, really huge. I didn't expect it would look that way. I had imagined it differently. You'll feel like you're in a totally new mall, not in SM, or at least another SM branch somewhere outside Cebu (I haven't visited the other SM branches besides SM Davao). In fact, I felt like I was malling someplace else, not in Cebu.
Only a few shops are open so far. Aside from Powerbooks, there's Pizza Hut, a Thai restaurant (I think), a photoshop, a dental spa (Whoa! I haven't heard of this before!), a general clinic, a sewing service shop, and a few others.
But I felt more at home with the old part of SM. And I missed National Bookstore. For me, at least for now, I like to browse for books at National more than in Powerbooks. Mas at home ko sa National kay it's not that huge and, well, na-anad na ko didto. But the sheer number of titles in Powerbooks is dazzling!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
A Man For All Seasons
I really love and enjoyed this book. I read it a long time ago, but I just listened to a BBC radio adaptation of it. Brilliant!
I think it's required reading for all the politicos out there who are running for office. Rare na lang kaayo these days ang mga taw nga nag-hold og some sort of political power nga unshakable ug integrity og faithful sa iyang conscience (and therefore to God's law). Thomas More is one man all politicians, statesmen, lawyers, civil servants, etc., can emulate. In fact, he is someone all of us should look up to as our role model. A man of great intellect, morality and character!
I think it's required reading for all the politicos out there who are running for office. Rare na lang kaayo these days ang mga taw nga nag-hold og some sort of political power nga unshakable ug integrity og faithful sa iyang conscience (and therefore to God's law). Thomas More is one man all politicians, statesmen, lawyers, civil servants, etc., can emulate. In fact, he is someone all of us should look up to as our role model. A man of great intellect, morality and character!
Monday, February 26, 2007
Norweigan Wood
I just finished Norweigan Wood. I feel so depressed. It's such a sad novel. I also find disturbing the, um, sex scenes. How can I say it? Lahi ra kaayo'g morality si Murakami with regards to sex. There's plenty of those in this novel. Probably why I've felt and continue to feel so sad... because the characters are so lost in their own brand of morality... Oh, if they can only discover/ realize that there's such a thing as objective truth or natural law, and that the Truth is actually a person...
I can't really say I like Murakami. Maybe my opinion of him will change after I listen to his other novels. Or probably not.
I can't really say I like Murakami. Maybe my opinion of him will change after I listen to his other novels. Or probably not.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
MV Doulos
I saw the MV Doulos just as it was leaving Pier 1 this afternoon. I saw it as I entered the SRP from the Plaza Independencia entrance. Seen from a distance, it's not a very big ship at all. Pare-pareho lang kadak-a siguro sa Superferry or Cebu Ferries. But it's amazing, to think that it's one of the oldest, if not the oldest, ship in the world, being younger than the Titanic by only two years. It is indeed a historic ship. Or put another way, it indeed belongs to the pages of history.
And I was very fortunate to visit it at the very last minute last night. I forced myself to go, despite the sheer fatigue that I felt from lack of sleep, because it was to be the ship's last day here in Cebu (At last I finally found the time to come!). I heard that the ship's present tour is actually its last. Its owners have determined that it has served enough (it has indeed lived up to its name, which means "servant"). Its time has come.
The ship was still packed with people last night. My eyes delighted at the sight of the books! My brother and friends warned me days ago that the books are not really that good, or interesting. Most of them are "religious" books, the rest are children's books. But I wasn't disappointed, really. I like to read "religious" books. I was hoping to find books by C. S. Lewis, his Christian apologetics. But I only found one of his Narnia series. There were also books by Jane Austen and William Shakespeare. But I ended up buying a compilation of all of Oscar Wilde's works. Lipay na kaayo ko ana. For Php 300, I think that's already a bargain! My brother bought a hardbound book on painting and a Special Air Service (SAS) pocket guidebook on surviving life-threatening situations or something. I didn't know what he wanted it for. I told him that such a guide will only be useful in doomsday scenarios, like if we were attacked by terrorists or if we were struck by some sort of catastrophe, but he went ahead and bought it anyway. He didn't find books on architecture. My mother bought a cookbook.
We shelled out about Php 1500 at the counter. It's nice because we've never spent that much money for books before. At least once in a while we spend money on things that matter.
Siguro nindut kaayo ang mga books the first few days the fair opened. Sayang kaayo last minute nami naka-adto.
What explains MV Doulos' popularity? Is it because it is such a historic ship? Or is it simply because we Filipinos are actually book lovers and it's just not that obvious? Hmmm... I think the latter is true... :)
On our way out the ship a black woman, one of the ship's crew, asked me if I was studying to be a doctor, because I was dressed in all white. I said I was studying to become a nurse, and she was surprised. "No kidding!" "But in Africa," she added, "we also have male nurses." I just smiled.
And I was very fortunate to visit it at the very last minute last night. I forced myself to go, despite the sheer fatigue that I felt from lack of sleep, because it was to be the ship's last day here in Cebu (At last I finally found the time to come!). I heard that the ship's present tour is actually its last. Its owners have determined that it has served enough (it has indeed lived up to its name, which means "servant"). Its time has come.
The ship was still packed with people last night. My eyes delighted at the sight of the books! My brother and friends warned me days ago that the books are not really that good, or interesting. Most of them are "religious" books, the rest are children's books. But I wasn't disappointed, really. I like to read "religious" books. I was hoping to find books by C. S. Lewis, his Christian apologetics. But I only found one of his Narnia series. There were also books by Jane Austen and William Shakespeare. But I ended up buying a compilation of all of Oscar Wilde's works. Lipay na kaayo ko ana. For Php 300, I think that's already a bargain! My brother bought a hardbound book on painting and a Special Air Service (SAS) pocket guidebook on surviving life-threatening situations or something. I didn't know what he wanted it for. I told him that such a guide will only be useful in doomsday scenarios, like if we were attacked by terrorists or if we were struck by some sort of catastrophe, but he went ahead and bought it anyway. He didn't find books on architecture. My mother bought a cookbook.
We shelled out about Php 1500 at the counter. It's nice because we've never spent that much money for books before. At least once in a while we spend money on things that matter.
Siguro nindut kaayo ang mga books the first few days the fair opened. Sayang kaayo last minute nami naka-adto.
What explains MV Doulos' popularity? Is it because it is such a historic ship? Or is it simply because we Filipinos are actually book lovers and it's just not that obvious? Hmmm... I think the latter is true... :)
On our way out the ship a black woman, one of the ship's crew, asked me if I was studying to be a doctor, because I was dressed in all white. I said I was studying to become a nurse, and she was surprised. "No kidding!" "But in Africa," she added, "we also have male nurses." I just smiled.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
My mini-library
This is my mini-library...
But I'm not really much of a reader. I just got addicted to buying books a long time ago...
Faith/ Christianity/ Catholicism:
Fiction:
Filipiniana:
Education:
Philosophy:
Psychology/ self-help:
And of course, the (dreaded) nursing books:
I also have a kind of "virtual library" (ebooks, audiobooks, BBC radio dramas and audio lectures) in CDs and in our PC... There's just so much stuff I've already collected that it overwhelms me... I don't know if I can ever find the time to listen to all of them...
But I'm not really much of a reader. I just got addicted to buying books a long time ago...
Faith/ Christianity/ Catholicism:
Fiction:
Filipiniana:
Education:
Philosophy:
Psychology/ self-help:
And of course, the (dreaded) nursing books:
I also have a kind of "virtual library" (ebooks, audiobooks, BBC radio dramas and audio lectures) in CDs and in our PC... There's just so much stuff I've already collected that it overwhelms me... I don't know if I can ever find the time to listen to all of them...
Sunday, January 28, 2007
The largest collection of Filipiniana online
This site has probably the largest collection of Filipiniana on the internet: The United States and Its Territories, 1870 - 1925: The Age of Imperialism.
What an awesome collection! I've browsed the site and saw a lot of interesting titles, some even from Cebuano authors. The images gallery contains tons of photos of the country during the latter period of the Spanish colonial era and early American period.
The United States and its Territories, drawn from the University of Michigan Library's Southeast Asia collection, comprises the full text of monographs and government documents published in the United States, Spain, and the Philippines between 1870 and 1925. The primary focus of the material is the Spanish-American war and subsequent American governance (approximately 1898-1910). The text collection is complemented by digitized images from key photograph collections drawn from the Special Collections Library.
What an awesome collection! I've browsed the site and saw a lot of interesting titles, some even from Cebuano authors. The images gallery contains tons of photos of the country during the latter period of the Spanish colonial era and early American period.
Details for the MV Doulos book fair
This is MV Doulos' schedule for Cebu:
From January 26 – February 19, 2007 the ship’s book fair will open daily to the public. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, Sunday and Monday from 2:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The entrance fee is 10 Pesos. Children under 16 are free to visit, but must be accompanied by parents or guardians.
Doulos is berthed at Aduana Pier - Berth 28 (Domestic Berth)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Remember MV Doulus?
Remember MV Doulos? They're back!
I was very young the last time they docked in Cebu. But it's not really the books I remember most of that experience. It's the ice cream! They sold a very delicious sort of ice cream.
They will be opening tomorrow at 2PM and close at 10PM. I'll go there this week end. Daghan siguro kaayo nindut nga mga books didto! Ako lang dad-on ako papa para naa koy back-up budget hehehe...
I was very young the last time they docked in Cebu. But it's not really the books I remember most of that experience. It's the ice cream! They sold a very delicious sort of ice cream.
They will be opening tomorrow at 2PM and close at 10PM. I'll go there this week end. Daghan siguro kaayo nindut nga mga books didto! Ako lang dad-on ako papa para naa koy back-up budget hehehe...
Friday, January 05, 2007
Cataloguing books
One of these days I'm going to catalogue all of my books. Ian Casocot did that for his enormous collection of over 800 books!
My own collection is relatively very small. I'll show you a picture of my book shelf later.
It grew years ago when I was obsessed with buying books. I bought a lot and read very little. I don't do that anymore. Now I only buy books that I really want to read (if I have spare money).
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
BBC 7 radio dramas
How many of you have been following the programs over at BBC 7 recently? Some of the current productions are really amazing:
What you missed, hehe (these were aired a few weeks ago):
- Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie
- Tarka the Otter by Henry Williamson
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silverchair and Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis
- Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
What you missed, hehe (these were aired a few weeks ago):
- The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton
- The Mortal Immortal by Mary Shelley
- Tomb by H. P. Lovecraft
- The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
- The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Horse and His Boy, and Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis.
- Emma by Jane Austen
- Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
Imagine, all these great works in only a short span of time! I wonder what they have in store for us for a whole year!
It's sort of a crash course in Western literature. I mean, because of these productions, I'm introduced to works I haven't heard of before (like Daniel Deronda). This is the reason why I love what BBC 7 is doing. They introduce us to these great works. They attract us to them because they bring to life these literature. I mean, if I encountered them as books, I would think twice about reading them because they're written ages ago and in a language that is not easy to understand. Like Charles Dickens, I find him a bit difficult to read. But having listened to the radio production, I am more encouraged to read and appreciate his books. And they're not all radio dramatisations. Their Best Sellers segment features readings by actors of "the finest fiction and non-fiction."
So start listening to BBC 7! They also offer comedy shows (classic and modern). Plus, a whole lot more!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Rizal joins Dickens and Austen
Here's some really good news for Philippine literature: Penguin Classics publishes Rizal's 'Noli Me Tangere' (Touch Me Not).
PDI: Rizal joins ranks of Dickens, Austen
Very exciting indeed.
About a week ago I also got excited by the idea of reading Rizal's books into a podcast (after I found out Project Gutenberg actually has them as etexts, including his essays). No one's doing it, as far as I know. Librivox reads all sorts of books from the public domain, most of which, if not all, are great works of literature. But no one's doing classic Philippine literature. No one's doing Rizal's books.
I still have much, much, much to improve on my reading, particularly my fluency and pronounciation of the English words. But with practice, I believe I can eventually arrive at a reading that is at least understandable hehehe.
What I really want to see in the future is people 'converting' Filipino literature into audiobooks. Librivox is doing an awesome job with Western Literature, why not do the same with our own literature? We have a wealth of books, essays and poems, I believe, and they would add to the richness of the audiobooks available in the public domain.
PDI: Rizal joins ranks of Dickens, Austen
JOSE Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” has been published in a new English translation and released worldwide by Penguin Books, one of the major publishing houses of the English-speaking world, under the Penguin Classics imprint. The publication effectively canonizes the novel as one of the classics of world literature.
Augenbraum said he stumbled upon Rizal’s novel in 1992 while compiling a bibliography of North American Latino fiction writers. He said he came across the name of National Artist N.V.M. Gonzalez whom he thought to be Latino. He went on to read Gonzalez and “loved it” and thereby got “introduced to a whole world of Filipino and Filipino-American literature, which I began to seek out here in the US.”
“The name of Rizal came up several times, so I read the ‘Noli,’ which fascinated me,” he said. “Then I read the ‘Fili,’ which also fascinated me. Then I read the Austin Coates biography, and Rizal himself became one of my heroes.”
Augenbraum said the “Noli” should be required reading in Asian-American courses in US universities “because it is the foundational novel of the nation, with large implications for the diaspora and its influence on other writers.”
Very exciting indeed.
About a week ago I also got excited by the idea of reading Rizal's books into a podcast (after I found out Project Gutenberg actually has them as etexts, including his essays). No one's doing it, as far as I know. Librivox reads all sorts of books from the public domain, most of which, if not all, are great works of literature. But no one's doing classic Philippine literature. No one's doing Rizal's books.
I still have much, much, much to improve on my reading, particularly my fluency and pronounciation of the English words. But with practice, I believe I can eventually arrive at a reading that is at least understandable hehehe.
What I really want to see in the future is people 'converting' Filipino literature into audiobooks. Librivox is doing an awesome job with Western Literature, why not do the same with our own literature? We have a wealth of books, essays and poems, I believe, and they would add to the richness of the audiobooks available in the public domain.
Saturday, August 19, 2006
I've been tagged!
Thanks to Kendi. It's my pleasure for I love books! :)
One book that changed your life.
I think probably The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck. It taught me to look at life more realistically and to discipline my vices.
One book that I read more than once.
Pilipino, Isa Kang Alipin! by (I forgot his first name) Garcia
One book you would want on a desert island.
The Bible. :)
One book that made you laugh.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, many times.
One book that made you cry.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck siguro...
One book that you wish had been written.
Wala ko'y mahuna-hunaan...
One book that you wish had never been written.
Wala pud ko'y mahuna-hunaan...
One book you are currently reading.
Daghan man... The Enduring Questions by Fr. Michael Moga, The Examined Life by Dennis Helming, and The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I'm about to begin Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
One book you have been meaning to read.
Daghan kaayo ko'g daghan basahun... kung pwede palang dunganun nako basa tanan... These are mostly audiobooks... Mere Christianity and all the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and other books by Douglas Adams, Saint Augustine's Confessions, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and then The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Meisel...
I don't know who to tag... anyone who reads this is welcome!
One book that changed your life.
I think probably The Road Less Travelled by M. Scott Peck. It taught me to look at life more realistically and to discipline my vices.
One book that I read more than once.
Pilipino, Isa Kang Alipin! by (I forgot his first name) Garcia
One book you would want on a desert island.
The Bible. :)
One book that made you laugh.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, many times.
One book that made you cry.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck siguro...
One book that you wish had been written.
Wala ko'y mahuna-hunaan...
One book that you wish had never been written.
Wala pud ko'y mahuna-hunaan...
One book you are currently reading.
Daghan man... The Enduring Questions by Fr. Michael Moga, The Examined Life by Dennis Helming, and The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis. I'm about to begin Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen.
One book you have been meaning to read.
Daghan kaayo ko'g daghan basahun... kung pwede palang dunganun nako basa tanan... These are mostly audiobooks... Mere Christianity and all the Narnia series by C. S. Lewis, The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and other books by Douglas Adams, Saint Augustine's Confessions, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown and then The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Meisel...
I don't know who to tag... anyone who reads this is welcome!
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