Filipino Fridays 2014: Surprise, Reader!

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Brushing off the cobwebs on my blog to join in the yearly Filipino Friday series of posts, which signal the run-up to the Filipino ReaderCon.

The Filipino ReaderCon will be held on Nov. 14 this year, on a Friday, a departure from our usual Saturday schedule. But, there will be book discussions held on Nov. 15, Saturday, in conjunction with the November Komikon.



The other difference this year is that the ReaderCon will be part of the Philippine International Literary Festival (PILF), organized by the National Book Development Board. The PILF is going to be on Nov. 12-14 at the Bayanihan Center, Mandaluyong, and the ReaderCon is going to be the third day of the LitFest. So, we've become official, baby. Let's see how things turn out this year so that we can find out if we're going to do the same thing next year.

Anyway, back to Filipino Fridays! I'm two days late, as you can see, but one does what one can.:)

The prompt this week is the following:
Surprise, Reader! Hello, it’s the first week of Filipino Fridays 2014! Whether it’s your first time to participate or not, tell us a bit about yourself. More specifically, tell us about your favorite book discoveries for this year. Any author you started reading this year that you can’t get enough of? A book you didn’t think you’d like, but you ended up liking/loving? Any book series that you just have to get your hands on? Have you discovered anything new from Filipino authors this year?
So, about myself...
  • Actually, stuff about me is boring. I am an erratic book blogger, but a constant reader. And I organize the Filipino ReaderCon every year with volunteers and friends.

Favorite book discoveries of the year & new authors:
  • Comics. Specifically Locke & Key by Joe Hill (which is done), and the Attack on Titan manga (which is not yet done, thank God). Actually, I've read quite a few books by Joe Hill this year. I find he's a more consistent writer than his dad. 
  • Then there's Scott Lynch (I seriously have to go back and read the 2nd book of Gentlemen Bastards); oh, oh! and George Saunders (Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful short stories).
  • And then of course there's Tessa Bailey and her ultra-smexy Line of Duty series. I thank Mina and Chachic for their Twitter conversations about her on which I eavesdropped.

Books that I'd like to get my hands on...
  • The next two books after Annihilation. First time to read Jeff Vandermeer and, wow. 

New things from Filipino authors...
  • As always, I highly recommend Eliza Victoria, because she's smart and prolific and a damn good writer. I read Dwellers, which is my favorite novel of hers to date. 
  • I'm also in the middle of reading two YA novels: Janus Silang at Ang Tiyanak ng Tabon by Egay Samar and Moymoy Lulumboy, Ang Batang Aswang by Segundo Matias and illustrated by Jomike Tejido. Given where I am in both books, I can't say much about the story yet. But I'm excited about the seeming growth of Filipino YA. I can only hope there's more. 
So, that's it. Do join Filipino Fridays, if you haven't yet. Catch you next week!

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