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Showing posts from August, 2019

Book review: Doppelganger by David Stahler Jr. and the discovery of one’s self

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This book heavily reminded me of David Levithan’s Everyday series. Stahler actually released this book in 2009 and I wonder if A’s story is based on the heganger . What is it about? We all know what a doppelganger is, but this book has a far more morbid idea of what a doppelganger is all about. The book is about a teenager who refers to himself as a monster–he is a doppelganger, a shapeshifter that kills humans and takes the physical appearance of their victim. But this teenage heganger is totally different from the ruthless, heartless monster that he is supposed to be. As he assumes the body and the life of a teenage boy, he is suddenly confronted with complex human emotions and caught himself dealing with them like a normal human being does. He doesn’t have anything else but himself He doesn’t have a name, his mom said their likes don’t need or even deserve one. So he calls himself just that, a heganger. I could understand how he could probably handle mingling with other hu...

Getting cozy at Zoo Coffee

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Here’s to a not-so-cozy cozy coffeeshop I’ve been to, in the middle of a crowded mall, Zoo Coffee. Welcome to Zoo Coffee No, it’s not the first time I went here, and heaven knows (along with my plot bunny vault) how many stories Nicole and I have formulated in this place, just like what we did in Lucca. Or how many copies of my books I’ve sold and handed to my friends over cups of coffee on its wooden tables. Or how many lonely afternoons I’ve spent here thinking about my life and my long term plans even though I totally suck at planning, just like what I was probably doing the evening I went there. It was a Thursday night, and as much as I wanted to go home and call it a day, I went there in hopes of clearing out my clouded head. I was supposed to get one of their pastas, but I wasn’t feeling the salted egg spaghetti which was the only thing left on the menu, so I settled for dessert. I remember just how overwhelming their waffles were, both it terms of serving and inexpensi...

I Swear by Lane Davis book review: Bullying is a social crime

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The moment I closed this book, I want to strangle Macie Merrik and all the likes of her. It was in 2015 when I got absorbed in reading YA books about bullying that resulted to self-harm and suicide. I read every Goodreads recommendation that I could find and tried to imagine what sort of self-satisfaction these bullies get in bringing their poor target over the edge. How come they’re getting away with this? How come this is not okay but it’s happening every day? I Swear is one of the books that made my TBR list some 4 years ago. At the time, it felt like a classic – a teenager (Leslie Gaitlin) killed herself because of the unrelenting bullying she received the past 3 years of her school girl life. Parents are pressing charges so who’s to blame when the bullying goes too far? Written in four POVs The book is written in alternating POVs of Beth, Katherine, Jillian, and Jake. Too bad we won’t be able to see what’s in the ringleader, Macie Merrik’s mind, which I think would be fu...

Books to read during the long, rainy weekends

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I love rainy days, and if the word pluviophile is legit, then I’ve found a new word to describe myself. The white sound that is the raindrops on my roof at night, the cold breeze that makes me pull the covers tighter around me, and the smell of the morning after when I open the window mixed with the aroma of coffee are some of my life’s greatest pleasure, I kid you not. And it’s going to be a lot better if there’s a good book I could curl up with and a cup of coffee in front of me. You may have read these books too, but if not, this is definitely an entry for you. I still have a box of books I haven’t read yet, brought about by the number of book sale hauls I did the past years (MIBF 2017, Book Binge Bazaar 2018, Power Books Supersale 2019, etc.). While I find the time to sort them by genre and maybe arrange them using the Dewey Decimal System, let me tell you about some of my recommended books perfect for a cozy, rainy day in bed. Ang Bahay Ni Marta. I've always wondered what ...

The EX files: What do I call the feelings you gave me?

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Source He was smart and nice. He’s one of the better people to talk to simply because he has that depth, something you’ve learned to expect from people you spend most of your free time with. Plus, you could use some company. The past few months have been cruel and heartbreaking and a new friend is a breath of fresh air. He was definitely a welcome change to the gut-wrenching truth you’re learned about some people who you treated as friends, that not all of them would stand by your side when everything else fails. His place in your life quickly elevated. You told your friends he’s just one of them—a friend, but you perfectly know that deep within you, he wasn’t. He was that guy you know you’d want to spend more time with, maybe share a dream or two, a thought or two. Still, you tried to guard your heart. It wasn’t so long ago when it was broken and mended, and you understand that you can’t give your still-bruised-though-slightly heart to this person. At least not yet. He deserves ...