Scholastic Warehouse Sale: Book Haul 😊❤📚

One, two, three, sing! 'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la la la la! Calling all the bookworms out there, fa la la la la la la la! Book buffet, discounted books, fa la la fa la la la la la! 'Tis the season to be bookish, fa la la la la la la la la!

Hello there, blogger / reader / friend! I'm so ecstatic (Isn't it obvious?) to share with you what made me feel this way last December 10th. Well, that day, a friend of mine (bookworm, too) and I decided to travel a very long way just to land this warehouse of Scholastic. We've been hearing news and seeing photos posted on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter about this sale and eventually got a little envious to those who experienced the fun in doing this book haul.

When the big day came, I couldn't believe my eyes seeing a lot of books and a lot of people getting, choosing, and putting books in their boxes (as if they're saying, "These books are mine!). Speaking of boxes, they're for the book buffet that Scholastic offered. 

My friend and I didn't miss the chance to do the book buffet (of course). Aside from having to get a variety of books, we got the books in affordable price! As a matter of fact,the total amount we should pay for 38 books was around Php8,000 but we just paid around Php1,600! Isn't it amazing?

Another thing is that, books there were of quality. Well known authors' books such as Paulo Coelho's, Jerry Spinelli's, Sarah Dessen's, Neil Gaiman's, Leo Tolstoy's, Alexander Dumas's, and more were there!

Will there be next time? Yes! It's actually twice a year that Scholastic Warehouse opens it door for those who want to buy discounted books and do the book buffet. It's every March and December. December 22nd is the last day of the sale. What are you waiting for? Prepare yourselves and follow this map.

Thanks for visiting! Happy reading day to all of you! Some of my books and my bed buddy want to say, Hi! 😊❤📚

Two Books with One Purpose

       

Two books which don't deserve to be forever stuck in a shelf are Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and Robin Sharma's The Monk who Sold his Ferrari. 

With the lessons that these books can give, a reader would have had the biggest regret if he couldn't even get the chance to experience reading such wonderful and life changing stories. 

People always say, "We are hitting two birds with one stone." I say, "I'm reading two books with one purpose - to turn an ordinary life to extraordinary one."

Reading books like these is like talking to two friends who have a lot of thoughts to share - thoughts that allow me to realize, learn, and reflect.

Here are some of the quotes that they've shared with me which are worth cogitating:

(Allow me to use acronyms for the two titles and share my thoughts, too)

-start of a dream conversation- 

TWM: "What if today were my last day on earth?" - Mitch Albom

TMWSHF: "What would I do today if it was my last?" - Robin Sharma

Jadis: Starting your day right and spending it with worthwhile activities make your life free from the past and the future. Stop worrying about what happened and what will happen. Live in the present meaningfully.

TWM: "Be compassionate. And take responsibility for each other. If we only learned those lessons, this world would be so much better a place." - Mitch Albom

TMWSHF: "Compassion and daily acts of kindness make life far richer. Take the time to meditate every morning on the good you will do for others during your day. The sincere words of praise to those who least expect it, the gestures of warmth offered to friends in need, the small tokens of affection to members of your family for no reason at all, all add up to a much more wonderful way to live." - Robin Sharma

Jadis: It takes a compassionate mind and heart to fully understand others. Stop questioning why sad people cry; cheer them up. Stop showing an obvious pity to those who are confused; enlighten them. Stop blaming the wrong; encourage them to do right and be right. 

TWM: "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-sleep, even when they're busy doing things that they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning." - Mitch Albom

TMWSHF: "The most noble thing you can do is to give to others. Start focusing on your higher purpose. The quality of your life ultimately comes down to the quality of your contribution." - Robin Sharma

Jadis: Start living out of the box. With the millions or billions of people out there, you get billions of chances to serve others. Helping others in your own little ways means elevating your life's purpose.

-end of conversation-

I would like to thank Mr.Albom and Mr.Sharma for this (dream) conversation. 

I hope that as you read this, you'll get the chance to visit your shelf and find these two inspirational books. If you don't have any of these, don't you dare think twice and visit the nearest bookstores out there! 😊❤📚

After You : A Sequel to Remember

          Have you experienced doing empathetic reading? From the word empathy, it's like you're putting yourself in the shoes of the characters or stepping IN the story.

                   If you got any chance to read Jojo Moyes's After You, a sequel to her very own Me Before You, please grab it and do the way of reading I've asked you about a while ago.

            When reading, you could be anything or anyone you want to be. You could be...

LOUISA CLARK
She lost the one she loved the most. She joined the Moving On Circle, a support group for those who need to move on, to move forward. She met the daughter of the man (he didn't know) she (she didn't know before,too) loved. She turned down some opportunities for this daugther of her past.

She didn't know what she would exactly do to move on until she  met a man called...

AMBULANCE SAM
He's the paramedic who brought Louisa to the hospital when she fell off the roof. He's the uncle of Jack, Louisa's co member in Moving On Circle. He's a kind of man who's always willing to listen to Louisa's stories either hilarious or melodramatic. He's THE ONE whom Louisa needs in her life. He who is ready for a long distance relationship just to see his loved one pursue her career.

He who is deserving to be presented as Louisa's man to her parents...

JOSIE AND BERNARD CLARK
Josie. A wife (of Bernard's), a daughter (of Granddad's), a mother (of Treena and Louisa's), and a grandmother (of Thom's) whose world revolved around her rambunctious family doing all the household chores until she realized that there's something out of her box to experience.

Bernard. A husband (of Josie's), a son-in-law (of Granddad's), a father (of Treena and Louisa's), and a grandfather (of Thom's) who's in charge of working for the family and who's used to be served at home until one day Josie decided to pursue further studies which made him feel confused of what's going on with them.

Every couple (like Josie and Bernard) may have a lot of differences indeed. However, given in-depth understanding and love for each other, they still managed to be together again not because of the ones they love but because of each other.

Being together again with family is also one of the dreams of...

LILY
She may be a notorious child. She may be a demanding daughter. She may be a clumsy roommate. She may be described using all the negative words but I guarantee you, this girl has an optimistic heart. She's not a showy type of person but deep inside her, she cares for those who care for her. One instance was when Louisa thought that Lily had no chance to change at all; she would just drink and smoke whenever she liked. Unfortunately, Louisa realized that she's wrong. Up the flat (the roof, particularly), Lily took care of the plants which would beautify the place and would motivate Louisa to visit it fearlessly (she had an accident here, remember?).

Lily's passion in gardening probably came from her grandmother...

MRS.TRAYNOR
She is a mother who grieved for a long time since her son's death. She is a woman who chose to be distant from all the things and people in the past. She is a grandmother who did not feel in despair to be with her granddaughter, Lily, who became the reason for restoring her once-a-not-so-perfect-but-a- hopeful life.

                   I hope you could say, "Nice meeting you, guys!" Imagine what empathetic reading can do for you. It will introduce you to different people and their stories.

                      Since After You is about moving on, let me leave you this line of Louisa's... THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID BEING LEFT BEHIND WAS TO START MOVING.

              

         

Every Reader Knows This Well

Aside from your family, is there someone who is very close to you - someone who knows everything about you?

Here comes another page-turner young adult novel by Ms.Nina LaCour and Mr.David Levithan (so formal, eh? Every author deserves this, anyway).

You Know Me Well is a story told in the perspective of a gay named Mark and a lesbian named Katie (she prefers Kate than Katie). Mark is in love with his best friend, Ryan but he can't even admit it to anyone but Kate who is, on the other hand, in love with Violet (Kate's best friend's cousin). From being just seatmates in Calculus class to being friends, Mark and Kate become part of each other's life.

To be honest (not to boast), I read this book for only two days which means that I was totally hooked by the story. I could say that the story is IN nowadays. With the quite sensitive issue these days about same gender relationship, this book shows that when it comes to love, there's no boundary; there's no gender requirement.

As I read the synopsis of this book, I thought that Mark and Kate would be more than just friends. Yes, I'm wrong. However, their love for Ryan and Violet leads them to know each other well.

Remember my question? Mark knows Kate. Kate knows Mark - as simple as that but their friendship is incomparable that they can set aside their personal happiness to be with each other in times of trouble.

This book changes my expectations and leads me to discover what really is happening.Every page is a wonder. Ms.LaCour and Mr.Levithan nailed it!

Widen Your Imagination with Anne of Green Gables

          Every individual is a creator. He or she can make things out of his or her curiosity and creativity. Whether the result is good or not so good, an individual can create something. An artist has eminent masterpieces. A composer has wonderfully written songs. An author has best-selling novels.

         One particular character whom I met a few weeks ago is also a creator. She is a creator of endless imagination, incomparable optimism, and unbelievable shortcoming. She is Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables.

          AnnE Shirley (she likes to emphasize that she has an E in her first name) is an orphan who happens to be adopted by Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (aged siblings who live at Green Gables in Avonlea and who wish to adopt a boy but because of misunderstanding, they get Anne Shirley instead). She is a talkative, imaginative, clumsy, unconsciously sarcastic, vain, caring, likable (it depends on the situation), and red-haired girl. 

           Albeit Anne has either good or not so good (again, based on the situation) description, you can't stop but fall in love with her. I do love her. I love her because of her personality. She may be talkative but every word she speaks shows genuineness. She may be imaginative but she makes you believe that what you see is only the small portion of what you really want to see. She may be clumsy but she teaches you to get up and learn from your mistakes. 

            Anne creates never ending dreams, goals, and imagination. How about you? What's your creation?

          

37th MIBF Experience

      Birthday. Anniversary. Holiday. There are a lot of days or events which we consider special and memorable for us. Saturday, September 17, 2016 became one of the memorable days in my life. It might be an ordinary day for you. But for me, it's extraordinary!

       I would have had regrets if I didn't make it to go to SMX Convention Center for the 37th Manila International Book Fair. Why? Let me enumerate.

         1. A VARIETY OF BOOKS WERE PRESENT! Fiction. Non Fiction. Classics. You choose. Books of any kind were there. (Hurray!)

          2. 20% (and up) OFF DISCOUNT

Books were cheaper than their original prices. No doubt why people brought eco bags and plastic bags with them. (I'm one of them.)

         3. SOME AUTHORS AND EMINENT PERSONALITIES? PRESENT!

It's fun to know that in this kind of event, you get to see people who are behind those inspirational pages you read and known actors whom you discovered as wide readers, too.

         4. PATIENCE = HAPPINESS

Carrying heavy books, check! Being surrounded with a lot of bookworms, check! Walking on a narrow aisle, because of the crowd, check! Being in a long queue for the payment, check! In spite of all these experiences, I never failed to be mettlesome. At the end of the day, I felt happy and gay! Every bookworm, I believe, felt the same.

           

Does thickness matter?

FIRST IMPRESSION, WRONG NOTION

Do you easily get intimidated with thick books? Do you feel anxious or doubtful if you can finish reading a certain story in a thick book? Well, I understand where you're coming from. I, myself feel that; or should I say, FELT that. When someone sees a thick book, he / she normally says, "It's impossible for me to finish reading that" or worse, "Is there a shorter version of that?" If I were you, I would do metacognition (thinking about thinking). Think about what that book can give you and or share with you. Think about why the authors spend their lifetime in order to create such thick books.

WHAT I DO WHEN READING THICK BOOKS

1. Place a bookmark every chapter

Whenever I read a novel, I put a bookmark in the last page of a certain chapter (example: Chapter 1 is from page 1 to 5; I'll put the bookmark on the 5th page then, I'll remove the bookmark on the 5th page to transfer it to the next chapter, and so on). It's like you're giving yourself a quota of what to read each day.

2. Treat the book as a close friend

When you have a close friend, it's fine with you hanging around with him or her at all times despite of his / her shortcoming. Thickness is not a big deal if you want to hang out with the book (I bet you, you'll be closer).

3. Read like you're watching your favorite tv series

Watching tv series makes you feel excited about the next episode. Just like in reading, when you finish a chapter, you can't help but turn the page to the next.
I started reading C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia last August 4th. It is a 767-page book (it includes the seven magnificent stories). Reading this book doesn't budge me at all for I know that it will be worth it.

BE ENLIGHTENED (please)
I hope these tips will be of great help for your thick book reading journey. Remember, thickness doesn't matter. Be patient. Good luck, bookworm! :-)