Tag Archives: BTT

Booked

BTT: Fantasy and Sci Fi — say whut?

I’ve been planning to answer the past two weeks worth of Booking Through Thursday but I keep on missing it (I know I could answer it on another day but I forget that too). Eeep. Anyway, I finally caught up with this week and so here it is! This week’s question is:

One of my favorite sci-fi authors (Sharon Lee) has declared June 23rd Fantasy and Science Fiction Writers Day.

As she puts it:

So! In my Official Capacity as a writer of science fiction and fantasy, I hereby proclaim June 23 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Day! A day of celebration and wonder! A day for all of us readers of science fiction and fantasy to reach out and say thank you to our favorite writers. A day, perhaps, to blog about our favorite sf/f writers. A day to reflect upon how written science fiction and fantasy has changed your life.

So … what might you do on the 23rd to celebrate? Do you even read fantasy/sci-fi? Why? Why not?

Honestly…I think the 23rd will just be a normal day for me. I never got into the fantasy/sci fi genre, even as I was growing up. Sure, I liked fairy tales just as much as the next person, but as I was growing up, I was more inclined to read Sweet Valley or anything that does not involve magic. Or long names. Or maps and different worlds. I’d really rather read a fluffy book than read about a Plano Dentist with magic powers or travels to outer space or something like that. No offense to those who like them, of course…

Animorphs # 2: The Visitor - my first Animorph book
Animorphs # 2: The Visitor - my first Animorph book

…oh, but wait. One of the book series I really loved during late elementary school and high school: Animorphs. It was introduced to me by my best friend (Hi Toni!). At first I thought it was a fluffy kind of book where the kids involved were a part of some kind of fantasy power type of thing, but lo and behold, it was about aliens! And war! And surprisingly, I was hooked on this sci-fi series. I waited for this book series month after month and collected up to…about Book # 36, and then stopped and now I’m trying to complete my collection. I have about 10 books left or something. Hm, maybe I should write a completely separate post on that. :P

But after that, I stopped and went to pick up books about real life (or at least, as close as it can to real life). I hardly wander through the fantasy section of the bookstore and the sci-fi covers make me feel dizzy because they’re all so busy. I haven’t even read any of the LOTR books, and once I dreamt of reading Eragon but I never got around to it. The Chronicles of Narnia is still waiting to be read on my shelf (for a year now). I have no aversion to the movies, but when it comes to books, I’m really just more of the realistic type of fiction — YA, Chick lit, women’s fiction, general fiction…although I kind of draw the line on historical fiction. I think the only fantasy novels I’ve managed to finish are the Mortal Instruments series (which I totally loved :p) and Harry Potter, of course. Oh, and Neil Gaiman’s Stardust. And my brain stops counting there. :P

I’m still looking to work on this genre just like how I’m working on my classics reading. Hm, so maybe I do have something to do on the 23rd now. Any Fantasy/sci-fi books you can suggest? :D

Booked, Randomnities

BTT: Gluttony

In the light of The Great Book Blockade of 2009, I thought I’d answer this week’s Booking Through Thursday, since it’s highly appropriate (plus it’s actually quite easy to answer).

This week we have:

Book Gluttony! Are your eyes bigger than your book belly? Do you have a habit of buying up books far quicker than you could possibly read them? Have you had to curb your book buying habits until you can catch up with yourself? Or are you a controlled buyer, only purchasing books when you have run out of things to read?

YES!

Yes, I am guilty of book gluttony! I still have about 20 or so books in my to-be-read list, and that’s not stopping me from buying new books. It started on the first time I went to MV Doulos, where I got so many books which I haven’t even started reading yet. I think I only read 1/2 of the books on the list there. Then I went to the Manila International Book Fair and bought more books and then I got a new job and got more books…and more books…and more books. Eeeh. One of my simple joys is visiting the bookstore near my office and I almost always get something there, especially if it’s payday (which is today!) or if I am past my credit card cut-off.

Not only that, but I acquire ebooks in a flash too. My ebook collection isn’t as enough to fill in compact flash cards but it’s enough to have a reading backlog. I have about 12 or so in my iPod Touch that I have yet to read.

Yes, I’m a book glutton. Once I declared a book ban — where I told myself not to buy books for at least five months at least until after I made a dent in my reading list. I…didn’t exactly fail miserably, but I didn’t make a huge dent in my reading list. Hee. One thing I found effective to stop myself from buying books is actually hiding my credit card from myself. I only buy books using my credit card because of convenience, so that stopped me. I also made conditions for myself, like I can only buy this book I’ve been wanting to buy if and only if I finish reading this other book that I have been planning to read in ages.

But I can’t help it. I love books.

Putting import duties on them might ruin my buying though, since it’s going to be more expensive soon. :|

I haven’t bought anything in the past few weeks though, because there’s really nothing that I have been wanting to buy for so long, but then visiting the new Fully Booked in our area might change my mind. Let’s see. ;)

Booked, Randomnities

BTT: Collectibles

Today’s Booking Through Thursday (done on a Friday :P) is all about Collectibles. :D

  • Hardcover? Or paperback?
  • Illustrations? Or just text?
  • First editions? Or you don’t care?
  • Signed by the author? Or not?

One of my “dream collections” is to have a vast collection of books. Kind of like a library or a bookstore, which is why I dream of having my own library in my dream home, or owning my own bookstore (nothing like earning from something you love, right? :P And no need to invest on Anoretix!). But those dreams are still in the works, so while my room is still a mess with all my books…that will wait. Haha.

Anyway, I’ve mentioned a couple of times before that I love paperbacks. Hardbound books never really had its appeal to me, and I only buy them whenever it’s the only copy left, or when I couldn’t wait for the paperback version to arrive (usually I can wait, though, except for the case of Harry Potter 7, Eclipse and Love, Stargirl). I just find hardbound books so hard to carry, plus I get all paranoid about their dust jackets. Paperbacks are the way to go for me, and I’m always careful with my books, so it’s not really a problem for me.

I don’t really mind about illustrations, or what edition or publisher the book is (although having the same editions/publishers for a series of books would look really pretty in a shelf, haha!) either. I hardly get my books signed because all the authors I love don’t really go here, but owning signed copies are nice (the last signed book I got is from Camy Tang), but it’s not such a big deal. Basically, the only thing I look at my book collection is if it’s paperback. I don’t event care if it’s Trade or Mass Market (what is the difference, anyway?) — as long as the story’s inside, that’s really fine with me. :)

Booked, Randomnities

BTT: Storage

Here I am, taking a break from all the work stuff that I have to finish, so I could answer this week’s Booking Through Thursday, the one that has a special mention on me, too (thanks Kat!):

How do you arrange your books on your shelves? Is it by author, by genre, or you just put it where it falls on?

Since I’m still waiting for The One Bookshelf, I haven’t really found a way to store all the books in one place. Then again, I don’t think I’ll be able to store them all in one place. Haha. Anyway, I have three…wait, four…okay, five places in my room where I store my books:

  1. My favorite books sit in this small shelf on my desk. I have one of those classic study tables, where there’s a small shelf space inside, so I have them there. It can only carry a few of my favorite books though, and it really doesn’t fit. :P I have it arranged by author.
  2. The next storage space is inside my headboard. They carry the books that I haven’t really read. No specific order there though.
  3. The next one is a small make-shift shelf space beside my desk. That stores some of my Harry Potter books and then a small cute striped Keds shoe box that stores all my inspirational/Christian non-fiction.
  4. The biggest space I have is above my dresser, where there’s two rows of books (one on top of the other) and there’s more above. I know it’s hard to visualize, so I’ll just have to take a photo later when I get home. Anyway, that place stores all my old and miscellaneous book collections, mostly series — Sweet Valley, Baby-sitters Club, Animorphs. I hardly touch them now, since it’s a hassle to bring them out. Below that is a smaller shelf with the books I haven’t read yet, which I bought about two years ago.
  5. Finally, there’s this small bag I got from the book sale that stores all the new books I’ve bought/acquired. No order, except that there’s still books I haven’t read. :P

Imagine the mess that is my room! Haha. I can’t wait to finally have a shelf so I can put them into a proper home! When that happens, I’ll probably be storing it alphabetically by author since I’m really particular about that. It’s so much easier to look for the books when you know the authors, right? :-)

Now please, give me my book shelf. :( I hope it arrives before my birthday. *cross fingers*

Randomnities

BTT: Songs and Lyrics

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I’ve been reading about Booking Through Thursday for a long time already, and I thought I’d join this now since I like books, and well, I like books! (Lame explanation, I know.) Anyway, here’s my first BTT ever. :D

  • What songs … either specific songs, or songs in general by a specific group or writer … have words that you love?
  • Why?
  • And … do the tunes that go with the fantastic lyrics live up to them?

Back when I was still writing music reviews for FiSH (a short writing stint; I moved to writing reflections afterwards), a friend always has to edit my article so it would contain actual reviews of the music. See, as much as I love music, I’m really more of a lyrics person. I can’t really describe music, you know, the way music critics do. Like, know what this song sounds like and how their composition is and the riffs and the arrangement — see I can’t even find the words to do it now. :P I’m really more focused on the lyrics, the content of the song.

There are several artists I know right now that has awesome lyrics to their songs: Brooke Fraser, Dave Barnes, Mae, Anberlin,  Paramore and Jason Mraz. :D Let me give some examples:

Brooke Fraser, Saving the World:

But while we’re waiting we could try saving the world
Or are we storing that up for a raining day?
I’m anticipating the time when it’ll be my turn
It could be fun to try
I think that I’ll save the world as a fun afternoon activity

Seventy thousand things to ponder today
Most significant are bottom of the list
Forty five million recipes and ways
To exaggerate and compound the stress

Dave Barnes, Butterflies:

And I can’t tell you what it is but
It’s the best thing that I’ve found
The butterflies in my stomach
And my feet off the ground
So for now I’m just saying, let’s just call this love
Let’s just call this love

Mae, Soundtrack for Our Movie:

Well I’m a wreck.
I really can’t explain it but I,
I hear the music when I look at you.
Orchestrating the song to accommodate the moment.
Well, I’m so in love with you.

Anberlin, Symphony of a Blase:

God if you can hear me out alright
Please take these feelings for her inside
My chest hurts when I breathe tonight
It’s wasting me away

Paramore, Let This Go:

Maybe if my heart stops beating
It won’t hurt this much
And never will I have to answer
Again to anyone

Jason Mraz, No Stopping Us:

Would it take a bakers dozen to get my point to you?
Would it take a half a pound to roll a joint for you
Would it take some hailing mary’s so full of grace to get my sound to you
Will you help me break it down and get on thru

See? This is why I am often on a Last Song Syndrome. :D

Killer lyrics like these make me love the song, and the music just becomes a bonus. And yes that goes for the songs and artists I mentioned above. :D