good reads and flicks
i am on a quest to read more books, watch more movies, and listen to music more often. these are things which i enjoy so much and i feel nourishes my soul, but have not been able to allot much time for when i became a mom and around the same time took on a 9-5 job for the first time in my life. chores, errands, deadlines, and other 'important' matters usually ended up eating most of my time.
but it's been different this year. i'm happy to share that i've read more books halfway through 2013 than i have in the past two years. among my recent, memorable reads are the following:
gone girl by gillian flynn. i read this while i was in singapore, borrowed from my friend caps's stash of books. tlak about a marriage gone wrong. really, really wrong! thrillers are not usually my thing, but it was certainly 'unputdownable' and i would read it every chance i get - while on the train, waiting at the bus stop, and even while waiting for the light to turn green so i can cross the street! i read that the movie rights for the book have been bought and i am definitely interested to see how the story will be presented on the big screen.
it was also interesting to read about how the author's success as a novelist came just after a setback - specifically, being fired from her job as a writer for entertainment weekly. life truly reveals itself at its most brilliant after a crisis occurs, just like coelho said.
eleanor and park by rainbow rowell. it's a young adult novel, and while i'm nowhere near the young adult category, i enjoyed this one immensely. it mentioned comic books and music that i am familiar with, but more than that, it reminded me of being young, insecure, in love, and wanting to do "everything" for love. haha! i loved the subtle ending too.
the descendants by kaui hart hemmings. this was a gem of a find. i found this while browsing at booksale in mall of asia. it was only P115 (not P150 as i earlier tweeted) and was in very good condition. for a story that tackles issues like death and infidelity, it was quite a 'light' read. there are tear-jerking moments and more than once i've had to stop myself from bawling inside a coffee shop; but there are also a lot of heartwarming parts. highly recommended.
moving on to movies... i'm having a hard time trying to remember all the movies i've seen so far this year - which is funny because i've only seen a few! this is because mike and i are rarely able to go on movie dates. but one i must say i truly enjoyed was before midnight.
i am a fan of the 'series' starring ethan hawke and julie delpy and it was lovely to see how they were able to maintain the characters and the story realistic yet still charming. the movie showed the couple past the 'kilig' stage and facing bigger issues such as raising kids, dealing with exes, and trying to keep the love alive in their relationship. it was deeper than 'before sunrise' and 'before sunset,' but the treatment was still simple and heartfelt just like the first two.
it was definitely a good break from all the fantasy/sci-fi movies that hollywood has been churning a lot of lately, and i definitely enjoyed the setting which was greece.
another movie that deserves props is tuhog, a production of skylight films, which in star cinema's 'indie' arm.
directed by veronica velasco, the movie is about three characters who literally get skewered when the bus they are on gets into an accident. i had been expecting exactly that, based on the title; and i had also been expecting a 'we're all connected' kind of story. but the movie was still a pleasant surprise, thanks to the brilliant performances of the actors, especially leo martinez and his pusoy-dos mates.
the editing was also excellent and they were able to clearly show how the characters crossed paths in different situations even before the accident occurred. more pinoy films like this, please! oh, and props also for the awesome obb.
now when it comes to listening to music... this is one thing i haven't been able to do a lot of lately, no thanks to the fact that i lost my ipod bailey while i was en route to singapore last april. this was such a heartbreak because it had been with me for a long time - ang dami na naming pinagdaanan! plus it contained so many wonderful albums - some i uploaded myself and are favorites of mine; others uploaded by mike who diligently introduces me to amazing artists. i haven't been able to get a new one yet, but i will very soon.
do you have a book, movie, or song recommendation? do let me know :)
but it's been different this year. i'm happy to share that i've read more books halfway through 2013 than i have in the past two years. among my recent, memorable reads are the following:
gone girl by gillian flynn. i read this while i was in singapore, borrowed from my friend caps's stash of books. tlak about a marriage gone wrong. really, really wrong! thrillers are not usually my thing, but it was certainly 'unputdownable' and i would read it every chance i get - while on the train, waiting at the bus stop, and even while waiting for the light to turn green so i can cross the street! i read that the movie rights for the book have been bought and i am definitely interested to see how the story will be presented on the big screen.
it was also interesting to read about how the author's success as a novelist came just after a setback - specifically, being fired from her job as a writer for entertainment weekly. life truly reveals itself at its most brilliant after a crisis occurs, just like coelho said.
eleanor and park by rainbow rowell. it's a young adult novel, and while i'm nowhere near the young adult category, i enjoyed this one immensely. it mentioned comic books and music that i am familiar with, but more than that, it reminded me of being young, insecure, in love, and wanting to do "everything" for love. haha! i loved the subtle ending too.
the descendants by kaui hart hemmings. this was a gem of a find. i found this while browsing at booksale in mall of asia. it was only P115 (not P150 as i earlier tweeted) and was in very good condition. for a story that tackles issues like death and infidelity, it was quite a 'light' read. there are tear-jerking moments and more than once i've had to stop myself from bawling inside a coffee shop; but there are also a lot of heartwarming parts. highly recommended.
moving on to movies... i'm having a hard time trying to remember all the movies i've seen so far this year - which is funny because i've only seen a few! this is because mike and i are rarely able to go on movie dates. but one i must say i truly enjoyed was before midnight.
i am a fan of the 'series' starring ethan hawke and julie delpy and it was lovely to see how they were able to maintain the characters and the story realistic yet still charming. the movie showed the couple past the 'kilig' stage and facing bigger issues such as raising kids, dealing with exes, and trying to keep the love alive in their relationship. it was deeper than 'before sunrise' and 'before sunset,' but the treatment was still simple and heartfelt just like the first two.
it was definitely a good break from all the fantasy/sci-fi movies that hollywood has been churning a lot of lately, and i definitely enjoyed the setting which was greece.
another movie that deserves props is tuhog, a production of skylight films, which in star cinema's 'indie' arm.
directed by veronica velasco, the movie is about three characters who literally get skewered when the bus they are on gets into an accident. i had been expecting exactly that, based on the title; and i had also been expecting a 'we're all connected' kind of story. but the movie was still a pleasant surprise, thanks to the brilliant performances of the actors, especially leo martinez and his pusoy-dos mates.
the editing was also excellent and they were able to clearly show how the characters crossed paths in different situations even before the accident occurred. more pinoy films like this, please! oh, and props also for the awesome obb.
now when it comes to listening to music... this is one thing i haven't been able to do a lot of lately, no thanks to the fact that i lost my ipod bailey while i was en route to singapore last april. this was such a heartbreak because it had been with me for a long time - ang dami na naming pinagdaanan! plus it contained so many wonderful albums - some i uploaded myself and are favorites of mine; others uploaded by mike who diligently introduces me to amazing artists. i haven't been able to get a new one yet, but i will very soon.
do you have a book, movie, or song recommendation? do let me know :)
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