Books I'm Reading...

 

Just finished reading this book, took me two sittings in two nights to consume its 642 pages. Ga! Nagpuyat ako (the second night, I slept at 2 am so I could finish it, FINALLY!). To be honest, it disappointed me. :( 

It started out nicely, and I like Kostova's writing style. I could really see the mountains and castles of Eastern Europe. It was like going to Bulgaria/ Romania/ Hungary vicariously.

However, it was simply TOO LONG, in my opinion. Sure, there was enough suspense (always put it at the end of the chapters, propelling the reader to forge ahead... nice) to keep me going, but somewhere in the middle of the book I kinda forgot WHY people kept dying, WHY the girl was going after this wild goose chase after Dracula. Well, not really forgot... but it was no longer REAL to me after a while.

(Call me a prude, but I was rather shocked that the sixteen-year-old heroine SLEPT with a man as the story progressed... ganun na ba ka-loose yung mga Americans even back in 1974?)

I like how one reviewer (courtesy of amazon.com) put it:

"...imagine for a second that you're at a fancy French restaurant. Money is no object, so you tell the chef to prepare the finest, greatest meal he can muster. And he's up to the challenge. From divine appetizers to wonderful entrees, the most exquisitely delicious food crosses your palate. After a delicious plate of seared lamb, you realize you're starting to get too full. You're not sure how much more you can eat. But the chef begs you to continue, for the desert he has planned will be pure ambrosia. So you sit through just a few more courses. You nibble your way through courses of soup, and veal, and a divine roasted duck. Finally, unable to stomach another bite, the chef announces desert. You sit up, wondering what exactly the chef had in mind...how it can possibly trump all the delicious food you had consumed already. And the waiter walks out of the kitchen carrying a small plate. Your desert. The promised ambrosia. He sets it down in front of you, and you stare at it in confusion.

It's a popsicle.

... The Historian flounders under it's own weight, unable to scale the mountain of even it's own windy narrative and leave me with even anything remotely close to a feeling of satisfaction upon it's close. Somehow, I think the popsicle would've been more entertaining in the long run."

Let's hope that this is better:

Some books I want for Christmas (*winks suggestively to siblings and parents*):

 

I loved Anthony Capella's previous novel, it's one of my favorites! Especially good to read while eating, yum yum!

And this one:

Hmmm... not exactly "intellectually edifying" reads, but hey! That's why I joined Ex Libris and not UP Grail (hehe half kidding).

Will be going out of town for a week, specifically to Baguio. Yay! Malamig!

Asa pa kami that we'll be able to stick to our every-day jogging plan.

Jogging in Baguio. To lose weight. During Christmas season.

Hay. Asa pa kami.