Monthly Archives: January 2012

“Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares” by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

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Title: Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares
Author: Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Read Date: 27 January 2012
Goodreads Reading Progress Status Updates: Click here.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Review Preview: Excellent premise, wonderfully written, but a little too self-conscious to be truly romantic.
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“I’ve left some clues for you.
If you want them, turn the page.
If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.”

So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favorite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

 
Like Dash, who saw the red Moleskine notebook on the shelf and was intrigued enough by it to follow the instructions and then take it home, I bought this book on a whim after reading the synopsis and loving the premise.

Well, okay, it was that, but I also felt nostalgic. I seldom talk or write about very personal things, but I’ll break that rule today. See, I used to pass a notebook back-and-forth with my significant other because we don’t see each other as often as we would like. I loved when it came back to me with new drawings and doodles. (He’s an artist. Even his cartoon doodles are awesome. I can’t even draw a decent stick-figure image ala xkcd, so I mostly just wrote on the notebook.) One of us kept it for far too long once, so the exchange stopped. From then on, we just, as Lily calls it, “lived life outside of the notebook.” Now you know, and knowing is half the battle, but in this case, the war is over. I shall now go back to enforcing The Rule, and no questions will be answered. :P

Enough about me, let’s talk about Dash.

Oh, Dash, are you for real? I found myself asking that question several times. I couldn’t help being aware that it was David Levithan talking rather than a 16-year-old boy, because Dash often sounds too mature. Or rather, his words and thoughts are mature but his actions are typical teen, so he ends up coming across as pretentious, even for someone who’s in the habit of reading J.D. Salinger and the Oxford English Dictionary.

Deep down, you see, I long to be arcane, esoteric. I’d love to confound people with their own language.

 
(Please, nobody say “he’s an old soul” or I’ll throw a tantrum and a couple of Horcruxes aimed at your head.)

In theory, Dash could easily have been the “boy inside my head, who is exactly who I want him to be,” but I still couldn’t quite fall in love with him.

And then there’s Lily. She’s more grounded than Dash, even though she’s Disney-Channel-Sitcom-Sidekick Quirky. Or Luna-Lovegood-Quirky. Lily and Luna. Lily Luna. Lily Luna Potter. Haha!

I’ve always resented Hermione, because I wanted to be her so badly and she never seemed to appreciate as much as I thought she should that she got to be her. She got to live at Hogwarts and be friends with Harry and kiss Ron, which was supposed to happen to me.

 
(See? A Harry Potter reference!)

I didn’t find Dash and Lily’s romance thrilling, sadly. In my native language: hindi ako kinilig. They don’t even come close to how I feel about Deryn and Alek from Leviathan (oh how I embarrassed myself squeeing loudly while reading Goliath) or Puck and Sean from The Scorpio Races. I’m not sure if this is because I’m privy to both Dash’s and Lily’s thoughts that there isn’t much of a mystery to keep things exciting anymore, or if it’s because they and the book itself just seem so self-conscious of this entire “epistolary flirtation.”

So what kept me reading wasn’t Dash or Lily or Dash and Lily; it was the Book of Dares–the anticipation of what audacious quest they would come up with next and how they will eventually meet in person. The dares themselves are fun, especially the ones set in The Strand, the video store, Macy’s, and FAO Schwarz.

Oh, and I also love the more interesting secondary characters, like Lily’s gay brother Langston, her grandfather, her great aunt and numerous cousins and uncles, and Dash’s bestfriend Boomer.

But the real draw of this book is Cohn and Levithan’s gift with words. There are a lot of wonderful and thoughtful passages about love, relationships, literature and language, that I used up my remaining Book Hamster sticky tabs to mark my favorites.

But isn’t this a dance? Isn’t all of this a dance? Isn’t that what we do with words? Isn’t that what we do when we talk, when we spar, when we make plans or leave it to chance? Some of it’s choreographed. Some of the steps have been done for ages. And the rest — the rest is spontaneous. The rest has to be decided on the floor, in the moment, before the music ends.

 
I admit that much of my disappointment comes from expecting too much from this book and probably from thinking too much about it. You might even say I’m doing a Dash. :P But if you want to read something light and fun and rather bookish (in a good way) and fanciful (because it’s a beautiful word), or if you want to feel like it’s Christmas any time of the year, then give Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares a try; it goes well with a plate of cookies and a cup of English Breakfast.

Title Reveal: “Days of Blood and Starlight”

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You can tell by the way I gushed about Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone that I adored the book, so yes, this title reveal deserves its own post.

Laini has revealed that Book 2 of the series is going to be called:

She also posted this teaser:

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living—one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers’ arms to take their turn in the killing and dying.

Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon’s secret temple and dreamed of a world that was like a jewel-box without a jewel—a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

This was not that world.

September 2012, woohoo! :D

Coincidentally, I start reading her illustrated anthology, Lips Touch: Three Times today!

1000 Yodas: Thanks, Tom!

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Even though I didn’t tweet to him, Tom Angleberger (author of The Strange Case of Origami Yoda) somehow found my #1000Yodas post on Twitter and tweeted some words of encouragement:
 


 
Thank you, sir!

In case you missed it, I challenged myself to fold 1000 Yodas this year. Crazy, right? Don’t ask me why I’m doing it, I just am. :P

Challenge Status Update: 7 out of 1000 Yodas folded

And now I shall go back to finishing some actual paying writing work so that I can blog afterward without any deadlines looming over my shoulder. ;)

Cover Reveal: “The Serpent’s Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3)”

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Yesterday, Rick Riordan unveiled the title and cover art for the final book in The Kane Chronicles!

He’s b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can’t seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes’ only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent’s own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent’s shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld.

Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles.

Publication Date: 1 May 2012

 
Ooh, an obelisk! Is that where the Kanes’ mom met her demise, or is that in Egypt? Hrmmm…

Riordan also gave more details about The Demigod Files (Publication Date: 14 August 2012). The story that I’m most excited to read is the one about the early adventures of Luke, Annabeth, and Thalia, which is told from Luke’s POV. I kinda miss him. :D

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Additional Information: On Rick Riordan’s blog [click!]

“Alternative Alamat” edited by Paolo Chikiamco

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Title: Alternative Alamat
Author: Paolo Chikiamco (Editor)
Read Date: 21 December 2011
Goodreads Reading Progress Status Updates: Click here.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

This book is included in my Notable Books from 2011 article on GMA News Online.
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Philippine mythology is full of images that ignite the imagination: gods of calamity and baldness, of cosmic time and lost things; the many-layered Skyworld, and weapons that fight their own battles; a ship that is pulled to paradise by a chain, and a giant crab that controls the tides… yet too few of these tales are known and read today. “Alternative Alamat” gathers stories, by contemporary authors of Philippine fantasy, which make innovative use of elements of Philippine mythology. None of these stories are straight re-tellings of the old tales: they build on those stories, or question underlying assumptions; use ancient names as catalysts, or play within the spaces where the myths are silent. What you will find in common in these eleven stories is a love for the myths, epics, and legends which reflect us, contain us, call to us–and it is our hope that, in reading our stories, you may catch a glimpse, and develop a hunger, for those venerable tales.

 
I love alternative takes on mythology (Rick Riordan fan here), so I thought “Alternative Alamat” would be a good place for me to start with my resolution to read more works written by Filipino authors.

I also love the idea of this compilation because it brings Philippine mythology closer to modern readers like no scholarly book of myths possibly could. I am not belittling the efforts of the authors who wrote the scholarly books, of course, for without them, we would know very little about our mythology. But younger readers and readers who are more exposed to foreign works wouldn’t likely pick up an academic book on Philippine myths for their leisure reading.

There are 11 engaging re-tellings in this anthology written by many familiar names in Philippine speculative fiction. Despite sometimes dealing with similar themes or mythological figures, the treatments are delightfully diverse.

“Ana’s Little Pawnshop on Makiling St.” – The pawnshop reminded me a lot of the Faerie Market in Gaiman’s “Stardust,” where the wares that are on sale are all whimsical and magical. This poignant story has its own local flavor and charm, though, and I love how Eliza Victoria intertwined the mythology with modern issues.

I didn’t have first-hand experience, obviously, but I was pretty sure a dying galaxy would be anything but dull. I believed it would be fantastic, breathtaking, heartbreaking.

 
“Harinuo’s Love Song” – It took me a while to get used to the rhythm of this story because it reads a lot like an old folktale, and I didn’t expect that kind of treatment. But this turned out to be an enjoyable read. The prose is lyrical and lush, and the plot is well-crafted.

“Last Full Show” – I’ve never read any of the Trese comics, and yes, you can throw all manner of insults and objects at me, but maybe you can throw the four volumes of those comics my way instead? :P This was so much fun to read, and I love that you didn’t need prior knowledge of the original comics to appreciate it.

‘Yes, the Tikbalang owes me three favors.’
‘Did you wish for world peace?’
‘No.’

 
“The Alipin’s Tale” – I love alternate history stories too, so this is a real hit with me. It doesn’t introduce any of the more obscure myths or personalities, but the mix of history and mythology grounds it for readers, and makes the fantasy aspect more tangible.

“Keeper of My Sky” – This story succeeds in its intention to intertwine science and mythology, this time. It’s a lovely tale, but it’s so sad and melancholic. I was thankful it wasn’t raining when I read this or I would’ve sobbed in front of my computer.

“Conquering Makiling” – This particular Maria Makiling theme is quite familiar, but the story had modern sensibilities. The conservation message is well-placed.

“The Sorceress Queen” – This one reads like a great classic fairy tale and also like those local genesis stories at the same time. I had a lot of fun imagining what this would look like if it was adapted as an animated short.

“Beneath the Acacia” – In my mind, I call this the CSI: Arayat story. :P I like the portrayal of Maria Sinukuan here because she seems more human. This is probably because the more fantastical spotlight is trained on the protagonist, Juan, but it’s a pleasant change. There was a little hiccup in the story that jarred me a little, though–when Mang Andres describes the supernatural characters, it sounds like he was explaining it to a foreign reader rather than to the other in-universe characters who already know what a kapre is.

“Offerings to Aman Sinaya” – I liked the story, although the point of view was a little unconventional, and therefore took some getting used to. The ending felt a little too abrupt.

“Balat, Buwan, Ngalan (A Myth for the 21st Century)” – I love how this incorporates the old tales into a modern world. I had a lot of fun spotting the pop culture references and nods to the old myths. My only problem was the POV. Because the narrative had a ‘meta’ feel to it like ‘Interview With The Vampire,’ I think this would’ve been more powerful had it been written from a first person POV.

Once more, you nod to yourself, then walk away from the table, dreaming with your eyes open, of love, and of chaining one’s self to the ghost of it, till the heart shrivels, and blows away on the gust of a desolate sigh.

 
“The Door Opens” – I panicked when I saw that this story had a good number of footnotes because I have a love-hate relationship with fiction that incorporates footnotes. I feel that it’s very rarely done well enough that the author doesn’t interrupt the flow of the main story. Dean Alfar did well, though. The main narrative read like a complete story in itself, so I had no compulsion to immediately check the footnotes, which would’ve been difficult because I would’ve done a lot of scrolling back and forth. Nevertheless, I found the structure of this story really interesting, and when I finally did read the footnotes, they embellished the main narrative really well. Plus points for the great alternate history concept!

As an aside, I just realized how awkward it is to read stories set in the Philippines whose characters speak in English. It can’t be helped, of course, but I find it jarring sometimes. If a story is well written, I do get over it, as was the case for all the stories I read.

Despite the diversity in treatment, I felt that there was a lot of underlying melancholy in all of the stories; they all seem so somber. I was looking for a bit of levity in some of the ones where that kind of tone would’ve been appropriate. All the old tales were already somber enough, I thought someone would actually do a much lighter alternative take. But this personal preference doesn’t take away from the quality of the stories at all.

I also wish the stories each dealt with unique deities or themes, that only one story would’ve had Maria Makiling for a subject, for example. But maybe this also reflects how much work still needs to be done in educating everyone that there exist pantheons of deities and a deep well of other Philippine legends and myths. “Alternative Alamat” is already a great first step toward that, with the interviews and appendices included in the book providing a springboard for further study. It certainly made me more interested in Philippine mythology, and I will definitely make use of the references to learn more.

I hope more authors and publishers will be proactive and think of other creative ways to bring this aspect of our culture closer to the popular consciousness. I’m proud of efforts like “Alternative Alamat,” and hope that more Filipino readers support projects like this. I have high hopes that soon we will find our own local Rick Riordan!

Fantasy is very important for personal growth. Myths, legends, and folktales provide fantastic stimuli for the imagination, and allow people to create an alternative persona.

 
One last thing: I wish they’ll publish a print copy of this book so that it will reach more readers, and because the illustrations by Mervin Malonzo deserve to be seen in print.

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Disclosure: This review is based on a review copy provided by Rocket Kapre Books.
 

“The Strange Case of Origami Yoda” by Tom Angleberger

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Title: The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Author: Tom Angleberger
Read Date: 7 January 2012
Goodreads Reading Progress Status Updates: Click here.  
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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In this funny, uncannily wise portrait of the dynamics of a sixth-grade class and of the greatness that sometimes comes in unlikely packages, Dwight, a loser, talks to his classmates via an origami finger puppet of Yoda. If that weren’t strange enough, the puppet is uncannily wise and prescient. Origami Yoda predicts the date of a pop quiz, guesses who stole the classroom Shakespeare bust, and saves a classmate from popularity-crushing embarrassment with some well-timed advice. Dwight’s classmate Tommy wonders how Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. With contributions from his puzzled classmates, he assembles the case file that forms this novel.

This was such a fun book to read, and should appeal to Star Wars fans of all ages! The stories that form the case file are typical middle school tales about crushes and bullies and embarrassing situations that kids go through, but the addition of Origami Yoda’s antics and the hilarious doodles on the pages make the ordinary stories more fun.

Click to view the text in a better resolution


 
It fascinates me how kids will readily believe the advice of a finger puppet, but will balk at following what their parents and elders tell them. Then again, there’s something compelling about a green Jedi Master who not only talks in riddles, but in riddles in jumbled-up words! And I’m sure even adults will think twice about everything that Origami Yoda says; I sure did.

Q: Origami Yoda, my hair always gets messy even if I comb it in the morning. People make fun of me and my mom rags on me about it. What should I do?

Yoda: Hairdo like Yoda you must have.

Q: You mean bald?

Yoda: Yes.

 
And now I shall attempt to fold some Yodas of my own based on the instructions in the book. I’m not an origami whiz, so May the Force be with me. o_O