My Reading List for February and March 2016

I usually buy books in batches and schedule to read them for certain occasions.

Here goes my reading list for February and March 2016:

1. Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono - for immediate reading
2. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (The Japanese art of decluttering and organizing) by Marie Kondo - for Chinese New Year reading
3. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - for Valentine's Day reading
4. Stylized by Liz Uy - for rereading
5. Besties by Solenn Heussaff and Georgina Wilson - for downtime reading
6. This is Me, Love Marie by Heart Evangelista-Escudero - for downtime reading
7. The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri Pardiso, A Verse Translation by Allen Mandelbaum - for Holy Week break reading

I love reading in general, regardless of the genre and the subject. Don't judge me by the books I read :) I am not them. Just give me a book and a quiet corner, and it will be bliss. 

In a nutshell, thinking is actually a skill that can be learned.

This is THE book that made be actually applaud after reading it (yes, literally clap, clap, clap), and that has never happened to me before. 

I have my OC tendencies and I thought that I am organized enough to survive in a cramped space. But this book opened me to new concepts that I was excited --- no, giddy like a child who discovered the "secrets of the universe" --- to actually apply them. What's more amazing is that this book contains NO pictures at all, like most books on organizing. And still, I breezed through reading and found it hard to put down. About 7-8 large trash bags later, I vowed that I will not be coming back to cluttered and pack-rat tendencies ever. As in most books and new concepts, take what you need and leave the rest.

On Instagram and Facebook: Didn't get to read this on V-day, thank goodness. It was kinda of a letdown 'cause my tears filled a dipper instead of buckets, 😳 Go ahead and read this if you wanna be heartbroken 💔 and all, but be prepared to question your beliefs on love and letting go. #postvalentine#bookish #heart #books

This book was already made into a movie and I gave this to a friend who felt she needed to read up before seeing the film adaptation (She informed me that there was absolutely zero stock and a long wait list in Cebu bookstores). 

My eyes were swollen after reading this, even if I already expected the "sensitive issues" that will become the plot twist. I'm sorry but whoever wrote that blurb (i.e., short promotional piece summarizing the book story, usually printed on the back or rear dust-jacket of a book) didn't do it justice. I dismissed this book as typical chick-lit (though I love this genre in a different way) several times after reading the blurb, until the book reviews convinced me that there is depth to this.

Yes, I read these, too. Don't judge me :) In my most objective lens, I think that these three are quite helpful resources for women in urban cities in Metro Manila. 

Among the three, 'This is me, Love Marie' was the easiest to read. Done in one sitting. Whoever did the layout for this book did a commendable job. 

'StyLIZed' was a breeze to read, too. Except that I felt it was too celebrity-focused and too glamorous for mortals like me who do not have a glam team at our beck and call. I also observed that majority of the celebs used as muses (I think 9 of 10?) came from the same network/management. I don't know how that is going to play with the other side of the fence though.

For me, the one with the most substance is 'Besties'. Not really easy reading. I think the layout and choice of publishing material are factors to this (i.e., small font, paper is not as glossy as the other two). It may not be fair to compare the three since they are meant to tackle different subjects. But among the three, this is the only one which discussed real issues such as body shaming, bullying and bashing in social media. There is even a short 101 on finance, explained in simple terms by Georgina, who surprise, has a double major in Accounting and Finance and graduated from the University of Sydney with honors. I may not agree with Solenn and Georgina 100%, but I admire their honesty.

The Italian language is beautiful as well as the English translation. 

I bought a highlighter to mark my favorite verses. In my case, highlights in my books mean that: I believed in those lines to actually bookmark them for future reference, or the lines were just too beautiful to forget, or that I was immersed enough in the world it created. I do not necessarily subscribe to Dante's universe. For me this is just divine comedy --- a very compelling piece of literature. But I easily fall in love with old classic poems, and this is no exception.

To all the bibliophiles out there, enjoy the break and happy reading!!!

XOXO