[Group Events] F2F41 | Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz | May 23 2015, Saturday, 11am-2pm | Venue: Milky Way Cafe 928 Pasay Road (A. Arnaiz Ave.), Makati City

[Tina]

Throwback Thursday (on a Saturday, aka #sentisabado)

So I browsed through my pictures and realized that pre 2011, I hardly went for trips during summer. Mostly because I didn't know how to plan them and because I always thought marami tao. (Plus it was hot haha)

Anyway but the photo I picked is kind of recent because it's the most fun picture of all. I mean, look:

(view spoiler)[


Taken just this March 2015, at La Union. This trip is unforgettable because it was the first time I commuted to La Union, my second time surfing, and because of the people I was with. This has been in the making for YEARS and it only pushed through last month (view spoiler)[because things happened haha, and we all had the most complicated schedules in the woooorld (hide spoiler)]. It feels a little like an achievement, plus it was just the break we all needed, I think?

This picture was taken on the second day of the trip. I really wanted to surf again, but people didn't want to na because pain! They didn't want to swim. I had to beg them to, and it took wading in the water and bringing out the GoPro to get them out. We wanted to get a group photo with a wave behind us so we had burst shots set up while we waited for the waves. The waves that morning were crazyyyy, as in they came one after the other, and even the surfers had a hard time surfing. :)) I didn't see this photo, though, until I got it from the memory card and this is definitely the best shot in the trip. Every time I see this I laugh because look at our faces! :D Fun.

(hide spoiler)]

[Tin]

Throwback Thursday
(view spoiler)[


I decided to throwback the farthest, as in kid days. Haha. There is a ten and seven year gap between me and my sisters and I remember waving them goodbye early in the morning, almost everyday, as they went off to school. And I would be sad because nobody would be left at home with me. Even when I started school, our schedules would hardly ever be in sync. They had after school activities, and or teenagery things to attend to. But summer was when they were both around most of the time, at least the summers of my early years. And I remember this particular summer vacation, we were all in the yard. And I couldn't lift my leg straight, it's always bent and I was frustrated because I was trying to copy my sisters. And then she said, I'll take your hand to help you balance, and then one, two, three, SMILE! Memory is such a funny thing. Anyway, a lot of summer adventures happened in that yard. We saved the world, healed the sick, assumed identities, went to market, chased enemy combatants. For the most part though they would torment me and I was dubbed as "the destroyer" because I would mess up their game. They had the yaya warn them if I was about to wake up from my nap. So they can keep their toys before I could Godzilla the hell out of them.

But tormenting aside, I always want them around the house. :) And I so love this photo because this is one of those rare times when I am the least dorky! Look at my sister's mullet! Look at my other sister who looks like a gangly dude! Guffaw! This was their Annie phase, and they wanted to have curly hair like the famous redhreaded orphan. Alas, on their heads, it leaves much to be desired. Hahaha! Sorry!

Alt Pic:



This was like nine years ago, roughly. I haven't been to the beach since. Haha. I've been to a lake naman pala after that. Haha. But not a beach. I am not very much fond of swimming or summer or adventures. LOL. This was taken before (view spoiler)[ the Terror. LOL. (hide spoiler)] Guess which one I am? Yung naka bikini. LOL. I hope these ladies aren't here on Goodreads! Hahaha! (hide spoiler)]

[Marie]

Throwback Thursday
Late entry, but what the heck...
(view spoiler)[


People keep asking me if I every get lonely backpacking alone. My answer to that is always, why do you assume I will be alone? Travelling is a great way to meet people. Take as an example my Bangkok adventures, exactly one year ago this month. I went there for the Songkran Festival, where people dump water and put some white substance on your face (sorta like the San Juan Fiesta, except for the white paste). I met Maria from Spain there, who became my traveling companion in Thailand. We keep in constant touch nowadays via FB, but who knows? We might travel again in the future, di ba? :-)
(hide spoiler)]

[Ranee]

[image error]
This picture was taken May 14, 2010. I think this is the last Summer Getaway I had with my family. Years after this, it was always with friends/barkadas. Not that we do not go out as a family, we still do, but it is limited to the mall, quick trips to the town plaza or just recently to our town's peryahan

[Maria]

Top Ten Tuesdays

Today's feature:
April 28: Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read (Yes, any genre is okay)

RULES: Same as before. (view spoiler)[*Post your Top Ten Tuesdays "blog" post in this thread.

*Entries will be judged based on how many books in your list you can convince the anonymous judges to try. (hide spoiler)]

*DEADLINE of entries: Thursday, 9pm.

Questions? Ask away!

[Ingrid]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

I can't know for certain which books are counted as hyped. I just put in books which I think are popular but I haven't gotten arounnd to reading just yet, but I will (hopefully)

1. Harry Potter series (view spoiler)[ Kill me. Kill me now. This is one, if not, the most loved book by millenials and I think not reading it and spoiling myself by just watching the movies is doing JK Rowling'S writing a disservice. (hide spoiler)]

2. A Song of Ice and Fire Series (view spoiler)[ WINTER IS COMING. I've read a few chapters of the first book and I could say it's a pageturner (and a heartbreaker, and a makesyouwannathrowthebook kind of book). (hide spoiler)]

3. The Fault in Our Stars (view spoiler)[ I've watched the movie too, but y'know what readers (usually) say: the book is better than the movie. And well, while I can't say that just yet, I hope I will when I get to read this book. (hide spoiler)]

4. The Hobbit (view spoiler)[ I haven't watched the movies yet so yay no spoilers (well, not much). I think this tome is also a pageturner, and I think that it wouldn't be turned into a movie if the original work wasn't good. (hide spoiler)]

5. Gone Girl (view spoiler)[ I am thisclose to watching the movie, but I put it on hold because I want to read the book and see for myself what that kind of twist astonished the moviegoers. (hide spoiler)]

6. To Kill a Mockingbird (view spoiler)[ I'd like to meet this Atticus Finch and discover why this book is a classic (hide spoiler)]

7. A Walk to Remember (view spoiler)[ A lot of people said the movie was a tearjerker, so maybe the book is too. I've never cried over a book, not even over a movie actually and well, this book just might do it (I'll let you know if it does) (hide spoiler)]

8. Eleanor and Park (view spoiler)[ I should have read this by now, considering I am more of a YA reader. I think having been "banned" in some schools in the US gives this book intrigue (and hype, of course) enough to bump up up up my reading pile. (hide spoiler)]

9. Les Miserables (view spoiler)[ The unabridged version clocks in at more than a thousand pages. That alone scares me. But I think that this book is getting the raves it deserves and I'd like to experience some French history through Victor Hugo's words. (hide spoiler)]

10. Sandman series (view spoiler)[ GRAPHIC. NOVEL. I've seen a few samples (I've actually read the first 2 issues of Sandman Overture and find it very visually enticing, though quite confusing) and I'd like to embark on a journey with Neil Gaiman, the master of all written things imaginable. (hide spoiler)]

[Monique]

Hello, sis. I'm confused. (view spoiler)[Are we supposed to put in books that we've never read yet, or we've read eventually? I ask because, hehe, Mommy L's answers. :D Also, by "same rules," it means we will also convince an anonymous judge to read these books... that we've never read? Hehe. Sorry. Coffee has no effect yet. (hide spoiler)]

[Elaine]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

Updated my entry because I got confused. Hehe
Anyway, here's mine.
(view spoiler)[
1. 1984 - Considered a classic sci-fi novel bordering into dystopian. I have put this in my to-read list to find out why it fares well with other readers. Maybe this is the front runner of contemporary dystopian novels?

2. Les Miserables - This book has been done in numerous stage plays/musicals since, ever. And has been recently adapted into a movie. If a book is consistently loved through other forms other than the written work, it's something I think is worth reading.

3. Life of Pi - I watched the movie and loved it. I loved how the book was weaved into something magical (thanks to special effects and technology) and I think it shows how magical the book would also be inside your own imagination. I think both the movie and the book justifies each other.

4. The Catcher in the Rye - A classic American literature that has been on my to-read shelf. It's a young adult novel about Holden Caulfield chronicling his life as a sixteen year old. This book has been on numerous banned books lists and there is something about banned books that makes people want to read it more.

5. Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy - It's porn translated into a book. If I had wanted some steamy sex scenes, I'd rather just watch porn or have sex - it's more creative. Hahaha. Well this is definitely only for curious readers. I think. BUT I WILL NEVER READ THIS.

6. Tuesdays with Morrie - This book has been on my to-read shelf for ages. I like to read something inspiring every now and then and I liked the blurbs I have read for this book. A lot of people have cried and said that this book changed their life and view on things. I want to feel the same. If seeing how reviews rated this as 5 stars consistently, who wouldn't want to read it.

7. The Book Thief - Watched the movie but haven't read the book. I liked the movie and would love to read it too.

8. Station Eleven - This is one of the most recent hyped books making the scene. A lot of people have already read this (or are currently reading it) and I'm hoping to start reading this soon too.

9. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - When bookworms and geeks unite for a love of literary work, it's something worth wasting your time on.

10. Gone Girl - I loved the movie! Maybe this is one of the instances where it is better that you watch the movie before reading the book. I was actually caught off guard with the plot twist. After watching the movie, I have been curious as to how things went in the book. What are the differences between the two? Did the movie become as good because of how well the actors played their part or how the director conceptualized? Or was the book as good as it was reflected in the movie?
(hide spoiler)]

[Maria]

Mommy L: Ung hindi pa nababasa na hype books ;)

[Maria]

Monique & Elaine: rules updated on message 106!

[Louize]

Maria wrote: "Mommy L: Ung hindi pa nababasa na hype books ;)"

*Entries will be judged based on how many books in your list you can convince the anonymous judges to try.

Sa paglilinaw, so pwedeng hindi pa nabasa ng judge, pero nabasa ko na and I have to convince her/him to read it. Because, it will false marketing kung hindi ko pa sila nabasa. Tama ba?

[Monique]

Mommy L: This is how I understand it. We list 10 hyped books we have never read YET, and then we try to convince the judge to try to read it EVEN IF we haven't read it yet. Kumbaga, pagalingan ma-convince yung judge to read a hyped book that we've never read yet ourselves. Parang ganun.

[Maria Ella]

Okay, so the power to convince is at play here guys, yea? We sell the idea even if we haven't read the book yet? *jejemon powers unleashed*

I'll post later~

[Angus]

Top Ten Tuesdays

April 28: Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

Series:
(view spoiler)[
The Hunger Games series - haven't watched.
Twilight series - watched some of the movies because I like Pattinson (I forgive him for being a sparkly vampire).
Millenium series - haven't watched.
Robert Langdon series - watched The Da Vinci Code because my friend paid for the movie tix.
Divergent series - haven't watched.
A Song of Ice and Fire series - haven't watched.
Fifty Shades series - watched the first movie and will not watch the rest.
(hide spoiler)]

Standalone:
(view spoiler)[
The Lovely Bones - haven't watched.
The Help - haven't watched.
Memoirs of a Geisha - watched the first half.
(hide spoiler)]

[Aaron Vincent]

Top Ten All Time Favorite Authors

Because the genre the books I commonly read belongs to is known for its serial format, I only consider an author a favorite when I read and liked at least 3 non-series books by them. It could be 3 books in one series plus another one or two outside a series.

Ranking is based on read-count and average rating.

1. Guy Gavriel Kay - 6
2. Brandon Sanderson - 8
3. John Green - 8
4. Neil Gaiman - 10
5. Orson Scott Card - 6
6. Patrick Ness - 4
7. Patrick Rothfuss - 2 (+ countless blogposts)
8. Joe Abercrombie - 4
9. Jasper Fforde - 6
10. Stephen King - 5

Broke my own rule on 7. He's a special case. I've been religiously following his blog since I read The Name of The Wind. I even browse through the archives. So I guess that counts.

[Aaron Vincent]

Top Ten Hyped Books That I've Never Read
But have every intention of reading soon.

1. The Way of the Kings - Brandon Sanderson
2. City of Stairs - Robert Jackson Bennett
3. Station Eleven - Emily St. John
4. Boneshaker - Cherie Priest
5. Old Man's War - John Scalzi
6. The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
7. Norweigian Wood - Haruki Murakami
8. The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
9. The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi
10. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

[Meliza]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read
(but I'm planning to read someday)

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. Will read it this year. (hide spoiler)]
2. Paper Towns by John Green - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. Will try to read before the movie release. (hide spoiler)]
3. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. I'm okay with just watching the movie. (hide spoiler)]
4. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. Will probably watch the movie first. (hide spoiler)]
5. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. I like the movie. I read The Hobbit but will probably finish the series next year. (hide spoiler)]
6. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. (hide spoiler)]
7. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. (hide spoiler)]
8. Animal Farm by George Orwell - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. (hide spoiler)]
9. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. I read the first 4 but I dunno why I'm not in the mood yet to finish the series. (hide spoiler)]
10. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - (view spoiler)[So many books, so little time. Need to explore Neil Gaiman more. (hide spoiler)]

[Monique]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

(view spoiler)[
Series and standalones combined. Classified into "Will Never Read" and "Will Read Soon"

(1) The Fifty Shades Trilogy - Will never read.
(2) The Divergent Series - Will never read.
(3) Inferno by Dan Brown - Will never read.
(4) The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks - Will never read.
(5) By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept (and other Paulo Coelho books (view spoiler)[except The Alchemist (hide spoiler)]) - Will never read.
(6) Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - Will never read.
(7) For One More Day by Mitch Albom - Will never read.
(8) The Secret by Rhona Byrne - Will never read.
(9) The Vampire Academy series - Will never read.
(10) Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - Will read soon! YAY!
(hide spoiler)]

[Gwaxa]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

(view spoiler)[

To Kill a Mockingbird - It's a classic so will definitely read someday.

Jane Eyre - A classic that I think should be read by every romance novel loving girl like me.

The Girl on the Train - This year's current "It" book. This has been compared to Gone Girl (which I loved) so will definitely read in the near future.

All the Light We Cannot See - This was a winner in last year's Goodreads Choice Awards. After checking the blurb, I shelved it immediately due to the interesting premise.

The Graveyard Book - I've been meaning to read more of Gaiman after loving the 2 books I've read of him. Better to start in this award winning book of his.

The Princess Bride - Also haven't seen the movie. #sorrynotsorry
Buuuuuut I will read this. :)

The Lord of the Rings Series - I think I need more maturity (read:patience) to read this so again, someday...maybe. :)

Chaos Walking Series - Been seeing this in so many lists of awesome YA series and after last week's reco storm, I finally shelved the first book as to-read.

Gentlemen Bastard Series - Another series that's been recommended over and over again. I've read part of the first book but decided to stop and wait for the last book in the series to be released.

Lumatere Chronicles Series - I love Marchetta so it goes without saying that I would want to read this highly talked about series of hers.

(hide spoiler)]

[Louize]

Hi. Okay, switched to a laptop to read everything properly. (view spoiler)[ *Note to self: Kasi naman, hindi nagbabasa ng maiigi itong matandang ito! hahaha (hide spoiler)]

Top Ten Tuesdays

April 28: Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read
I have every intention of reading this lot!

(view spoiler)[
1. How to be both - This is one of the conundrums raised by the book - what comes first if a painting has been painted over - the one you see first, before the top layer is stripped away, or the one originally painted? There are no neat ends ties up for you and leaves you with more questions than answers. Not a book for everyone but if you like a literary workout than you will enjoy this book.

2. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - A staggering read! One of the finest books written, beautifully constructed and with such a rich use of language. The characters are flawed and heroic, pathetic yet beautiful, despicable yet believable. Very moving!

3. We Were Liars - This novel is radiantly poetic and brings to life this amazingly jaw-dropping suspense story that is nothing like anything you've read before. A perfectly plotted psychological tale that will leave you astounded. This novel is so very twisty, and so unbelievably gut-wrenching and beautiful all at the same time. The mystery and everything surrounding the mystery was done superbly.

4. All the Light We Cannot See - This historical novel is about three strangers trying to survive WWII whose lives converge at the novel's end in Saint-Malo, the walled port city in Brittany, France. This poignant novel recently won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which will result more likely with its tenure on the NYT Bestsellers to be extended. I'm sure that this novel will be made into a movie, but why wait; read this touching novel which I'm sure will become a literary classic.

5. The Girl on the Train - It's not perfect. The characters are all very unappealing for sure, but their twisted problems make for a compelling story. They all have their hidden secrets and you really don't know who is trustworthy or who to believe, but you have to get on board and see how it unfolds as new bits of information are unearthed. An entrapping book that keeps you reading to the end.

6. Eleanor and Park - This book is so simple in its conceit yet so complicated and real when you scratch the surface and deconstruct the characters. Not the usual love story. A Michael L. Printz Award 2014 Honor book.

7. Redeployment - This short story collection was the 2014 National Book Award winner for fiction. Written by an ex-Marine, he tells the stories of Marines who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and how they deal with their past. I wouldn't suggest it for the faint of heart however. It's full of profanity, violence and some hard subjects--you know, reality. Great collection!

8. Station Eleven - A worldwide pandemic has ended the world as we know it. A band of travelers, known as the Symphony, move from town to town playing music and acting out Shakespeare's plays. This was quirky, so well written and interwoven - and unsettling. Thought provoking and frightening, but not without a touch of hope. Shortlisted for fiction, National Book Award 2014.

9. The Cuckoo's Calling - J.K. Rowling has definitely made the leap from being a children's writer to being an adult writer. The protagonist, Cormoran Strike is an insightful, thoughtful detective who is striving to overcome both physical and personal situations which make him a very "human" person. It was a good, solid detective story with very likable characters.

10. Yes Please - This is not a literary masterpiece, but there are clever themes and she has worthwhile things to say on the importance of friendship and family, living in the moment, enjoying the process, appreciating what we have. Of course, she also warns us that our cell phones are trying to take over our lives. Maybe they are. The funniest memoir you’ll ever read.

(hide spoiler)]

[Aaron Vincent]

Gentlemen Bastard is not a YA series. You will be blindsided and might get whiplash if you start on it thinking it's a YA. Haha

[Alexa]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read
aka books I always plan to read in the future, even if I currently have tons of free time (but I swear I'll read these at some point!)

1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
4. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
5. Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez
7. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
8. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (view spoiler)[I just read the first T_T (hide spoiler)]
9. On the Road by Jack Kerouac
10. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

[Tin]

1. The Fault in Our Stars (view spoiler)[To melt your cold cruel hearts (hide spoiler)]
2. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell (view spoiler)[ Misfits represent (hide spoiler)]
3. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (view spoiler)[ HP is HP and can noway be compared to any Rowling book that comes after, this included. Still her writing chops cannot be discounted so TCV is worth considering (hide spoiler)]
4. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs(view spoiler)[Tim Burton is adapting this into a movie so it might be worth considering (hide spoiler)]
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (view spoiler)[ Also set to be adapted into a film, directed by Steven Spielberg (hide spoiler)]
6. All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doer (view spoiler)[So so many stellar ratings for this one. And I think the hype might be well placed. (hide spoiler)]
7. Watchmen by Alan Moore (view spoiler)[ Plastered on every graphic novel related list. Wasn't keen about the movie but hey books are almost always better than movies (hide spoiler)]
8. Station Eleven by Emily St. Jonh Mandel (view spoiler)[premise sounds right up my alley (hide spoiler)]
9. The Martian by Andy Weir (view spoiler)[ space stuff is always fun. (hide spoiler)]
10. The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer (view spoiler)[ sounds suspenseful and exciting and creepy (hide spoiler)]

[Angus]

Aaron: No spot for even one female author??

[Kristel]

TOP 10 HYPED BOOKS I'VE NEVER READ

I chose books that are hyped that I definitely want to read. My definition of "hyped" may vary from other people since I follow a lot of book publications / bookish people on Twitter. I chose more recent books instead of Classics, since those have been hyped by history, not people and publishers.

(view spoiler)[
1. Signature of All things by Elizabeth Gilbert - The novel tells the story of a precocious young girl in the turn of the century who delved into the life of science and academia. I listened to an excerpt of this novel on an episode of the Dinner Party Podcast and found it surprisingly moving. I also found it very interesting that the writer of Eat, Pray, Love chose to tackle a very literary historical novel for her next project.
2. Discworld Books by Terry Pratchett - So many of my friends have a very emotional attachment to these books, and his recent death has prompted me to consider reading him soon. I'll do my best to read at least one this year.
3. The Passage by Justin Cronin - This is a juggernaut bestseller of a book about creepy vampires in a post-apocalypse setting. What makes me want to read this is that the prose is apparently a notch above the standard zombie fare.
4. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides - Pulitzer-winner and one of the most loved books of hipsters everywhere. It's about a group of three sisters who experience a great trauma in their lives. I've loved the OST of the movie adaptation for a long time (because it's by the band Air), but I've never watched it either. :P
5. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - A retelling of the Iliad myth. I want to read this book because friends whose taste I trust tell me that I'll drown in my own sea of tears.
6. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson - A recent winner of the National Book Award, and greatly lauded by the publications I follow online. I'm intrigued by the format, which is apparently entirely in verse.
7. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple - I keep getting tempted to buy a copy of this from the stacks for sale in Fully Booked. From what I gathered this is an epistolary novel of sorts, which has a mixture of humor and disturbing stuff? Idek.
8. Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie - The winner of the Hugo Award in 2014. I'm very intrigued by the premise about an AI of a warship learning to become a person. However, I'm a little intimidated and may need to read easier military science fiction to level up.
9. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton - Written by the youngest winner of the Man Booker Prize, clocking in at 850 pages.
10. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng - Chosen by Amazon as last year's book of the year. I can't tell if this is a sort of literary crime story or a story mostly about a dysfunctional family, and I don't actually want to know more. The premise, about the expriences of first and second generation Chinese immigrants in a small Ohio town intrigues me. (hide spoiler)]

[Gwaxa]

Aaron Vincent wrote: "Gentlemen Bastard is not a YA series. You will be blindsided and might get whiplash if you start on it thinking it's a YA. Haha"

Oww. My bad. Edited na po, sir. :P

[Gwaxa]

Ingrid wrote: " Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

[spoilers removed]

1. Harry Potter series [spoilers removed]
2. A Song of Ice and Fire Series
3. Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy [spoilers removed]
4. The Fault..."

O_o

[Aaron Vincent]

Angus: I've read very few books written by female authors and from those I've read, no one has met the criteria I've set. (At least 3 non-series book.) I've read 7 from JK Rowling but those are all part of one series. This is not snobbery. I told Monique few days ago that I will try my hardest to read some of Robin Hobb's, Connie Willis', Ursula K. Le Guin's, etc., this year.

[Monique]

KRISTEL: You won't be disappointed with The Virgin Suicides and The Luminaries. (view spoiler)[I hope! (hide spoiler)]

[Louize]

Tin: Of course, The Martian!

Kristel: How did I miss Brown Girl Dreaming?

Meliza: on The Time Traveler's Wife, I strongly suggest that you read it first. (view spoiler)[Yes, pakialamera ako! :) (hide spoiler)]

Monique: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - Will never read. Very, very good decision! :D

[Mawi]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

(view spoiler)[
1. The Lord of the Rings trilogy – I know I should have read this by now, but I haven’t and I’m sorry. Someday, when I’m older and wiser and more patient, I promise I will.

2. Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy – It pains me to admit that I’ve read a few pages of the first book (e-book lang haha this must be stated). To those few minutes of my life that I’ll never get back, I miss you.

3. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Haaay, maybe someday. For now, I’m contented with watching the series. :D

4. The Book Thief – Lots of rave reviews. Will definitely read this. When? I don’t know. Soon, I hope.

5. Cloud Atlas – Again, multiple great reviews. I am absolutely intrigued and will read sometime in the near future.

6. Every Day – I see this everywhere; ok not technically everywhere, but a lot of friends, both voracious readers and not so much, have read this. I haven’t decided if I will but, who knows.

7. The Tales of Beedle the Bard – J.K. Rowling. And aren’t we all curious to know the fairy tales of the wizarding world? Will definitely read this one sooooon.

8. Gone with the Wind – The movie adaptation is one of the most celebrated films and rightfully so. This book is pretty long (or really long??) and I might read it someday when I have more time to spare.

9. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Some people like this book, some people don’t. But the hype is there. It’s supposed to be funny and I like reading funny stories. I already have a copy of the book so will definitely read this. When? That’s the question.

10. The Sandman series – Again, I am sorry for not having read these books. I will, though, before the end of time (haha, may ganon??), but seriously, I will someday… (hide spoiler)]

[Meliza]

Mommy Louize: All right, I will heed your advice. Hehe! I promise I won't watch the movie until I read it first.

[Ingrid]

Meliza: Seconding what Mommy Louize said, hehehe.

[Ranee]

top 10 hyped books I have not read
*I have a thing with "hype"books the more the book is pushed in my face the more I shove it back to the pits (Yes, I am that kind of reader). When their hype was at its craziest, I did not jump into the bandwagon but these 10 books (series count as 1) are books I consider reading.
**some of these books are already part of my bookshelf, gathering dust but I am that type of reader that stares at my bookshelf waiting for that innervoice to speak and tell me which is my next bookread.

1. The rest of the Harry Potter series- because I have read the first book, HP and the Chamber of Secrets with you guys, I have yet to muster time to read books 2-7 in the series. Plus, I told myself that if I would read this, I like to read it as a bedtime story with my child to be (view spoiler)[admittedly, this will be a very long wait (hide spoiler)]

2. Lord of the Rings trilogy - i had the mistake of watching the movie first, gotten so amazed with CGI and effects that my imagination may not be working properly if I read the series now. In 5 yrs maybe, when the images of the movie escapes my memory, only then could I read this masterpiece.

3. Hundred Years of Solitude - GGM has not called me from the bookshelf. I thought he would after reading Love in the time of Cholera but he did not. So it is still a waiting game.

4. Hunger Games- not yet, my mind tells me so I don't read it yet.

5. A wrinkle in time - I have learned about this book because a college friend pushed it stating that the "wrinkle in time" is connected to Stephen Hawking's theory of time and blackholes. This got me interested alright so I bought it but somehow, like 100 years this book has not called me yet.

6. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - I can already imagine Aaron's reaction to this, I haven't even dared to remove it from its plastic. But my current mood is not for suspense books (view spoiler)[ make that mood for more than 2 years (hide spoiler)]

7. A Purpose Driven Life - always was curious what this is about but logic (I think it was that argument I was stuck with) tells me, if I have already made a plan for my life why do I need to read this book?

8. A Song of Ice and Fire - i started reading the first book, stopped in I don't know which chapter because I thought if I wanted to be strict about it, In a completist kind of way, I need to see that GRR Martin finishes the entire series then buy the whole pack, so that a) the books are of the same height and design b) i will not get heartbroken if (i do hope not) George dies.

9. Discworld - Pratchett is a fan, some even say a friend of Douglas Adams, so an homage to a co-fan is to read his most famous series

10. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series - i like the Greek mythology, it's one of those high school required reading that I actually enjoyed so I get mixed emotions on what to feel if I do get to read this series

[Ingrid]

Doc Ranee: Ditto on your number 8!
(Which is why I haven't read HP yet, Gwaxa! Wala pa kasi akong copy pero at least matagal nang tapos, hehe)

[Alexa]

Doc Ranee: Apir for 2, 3, and 6! I always intend to read them pero I don't feel like it pa so I'm not forcing myself muna. For LoTR and Sherlock, particularly, I want to find the perfect edition (view spoiler)[when I do find it naman, I'm too broke to buy it (and someone else ends up buying it) so ugh I suppose that means I'm not meant to read these for a long long time yet (hide spoiler)]

Ingrid: I always assume that everyone else has read the HP series pero di pa pala, hehe. At least you're intending to read it!! :D

[Ingrid]

Alexa: Which is why kinulit kita about the warehouse sale, hehehe
HUHU SANA DI AKO MAUBUSAN, EVEN THE YA ONES

[Ranee]

Alexa, I sometimes spend more time staring at my bookshelf hoping to get that "feel" on which book is the next

Ingrid, really hoping he does not die before he finishes the book, unless people gather the best mediums then perform seance every night until his ghost finishes the book

[Alexa]

Doc Ranee, that's what I do too!! And then I end up getting a new book entirely and reading /that/ -.-

Ingrid, marami pa dun! Di ka mauubusa, sure yan. Tsaka wala masyadong pumupunta kasi mainit eh, haha. Sana makakuha ka na ng copy! :D

[Ingrid]

Alexa: Sana nga! Iniisip ko kung paano iuuwi though :)))

[Jeff Briel]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

1. Harry Potter series- Napanood ko yung movie 1 at Deathly Hallows Part 2 haha. Baka kasi boring yung book, na bored nga din ako sa movie e. Favorite to ng mga pinsan ko. I'll try to read them someday (or not).

2. Twilight- napanood ko Twilight (napanood ko first half ng movie) at New Moon. Favorite din to ng pinsan ko, Harry Potter at Twilight combination. I won't be reading the books.

3. Mortal Instruments- I'll read this series.

4. Vampire Academy- babasahin ko na din to.

5. Hunger Games- meron ako book 1.

6. Percy Jackson series- napanood ko yung movies kaso yung book baka di ko magustuhan kase middle grade series.

7. The Selection series- mixed emotions.

8. A Song of Ice and Fire- I dunno, di ko pa nababasa yung Middle Earth saga ni JRR Tolkien. Pag nabasa ko yun siguro babasahin ko na din to.

9. Shatter Me series- I still don't know.

10. Delirium- tungkol kase sa love baka boring.

[Maria]

Looking at your lists, ang dami ko na palang nabasa na, na hyped books. I'm pretty sure that's unintentional, but interesting nonetheless. Ha.

Mommy Louize: sorry for the confusion on the rule! The idea is, You don't have to buy it yourself, you just have to sell it. Tricky, but being Miss Universe is not all about looks, right? Let's have wits as well! ;)

[Louize]

Maria wrote: "Mommy Louize: sorry for the confusion on the rule! The idea is, You don't have to buy it yourself, you just have to sell it. Tricky, but being Miss Universe is not all about looks, right? Let's have wits as well! ;) "

Got it! :D

[Honeypie]

Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read
(view spoiler)[
1. Harry Potter series -- I'm not a huge fan of YA e. (Is it YA nga ba?) and I haven't watched all the movies. I think I stopped at the 3rd movie or so. Hahaha! If it helps, I find Tom Felton pogi, and I follow him on Instagram. Hahaha!

2. LOTR series -- I've watched the movies (I'm not sure if I watched all though, haha!) and it was... okay. Haha! I thought the books were written in the same time as Harry Potter's; I didn't know friends pala sila CS Lewis and Tolkien. I like CS Lewis, so yeah, LOTR is definitely on my to-read list.

3. The Fault In Our Stars -- I haven't watched the movie, and have no plans of reading the book anytime soon. I kind of have this... "Ayokong makiuso" attitude at times. Haha!

4. The Little Prince -- I've started it last year. I'm not really sure why I ended up not finishing it... yet.

5. Pride And Prejudice -- I'd love to read this, I just don't know why I can't seem to start on it. It always has a lot of references in other books and movies, so I'm really curious who Mr. Darcy is.

6. The Hunger Games series -- I think I'm okay with the movie, although I don't even watch it religiously. I just wait for the showing on TV, and oftentimes, only when I come across it when switching channels and I'm really bored. Haha!

7. A Game Of Thrones -- Uhm... What is it about ba? Haha!

8. To Kill A Mockingbird -- Again, I never really researched what it is about. Or maybe I just don't have that many friends suggesting this book.

9. The Catcher In The Rye -- The title is not really that catchy to me, so I don't remember it being that much... interesting. It's a must-read though, right?

10. Tuesdays With Morrie -- The reason why I haven't read is this because I was never a fan of reading bestsellers, and reading what everyone else is reading. Hmm right now, I think I'm more open to the "world". So yeah, maybe this year. Hehe!


I could actually list a lot more hyped books that I haven't read.. (view spoiler)[The Alchemist, 1984, Gone With The Wind, Animal Farm, Lolita, Dekada 70, Gapo, Lord Of The Flies, Book Thief, Art Of War, etc, etc... (hide spoiler)]

Ang masasabi ko lang, "Don't judge me... (view spoiler)[too much (hide spoiler)]." Hahaha!
(hide spoiler)]

[Ycel]

Top Ten Hyped Books That I've Never Read
(but intend to read)

1. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
2. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
3. The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
5. The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer
6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (this or The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides) – cannot have two suicide novels, heh
7. A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
8. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
9. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
10. Cinder by Marissa Meyer

[Tina]

Top Ten Hyped Books That I've Never Read
(but intend to read)

1. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
TBR status: lounging around my TBR since 2011

Friends pre-book club have been raving about this book, but at first I didn't think it'll be something I would like. Then I bought it after I told myself that I'd explore more genres out of YA. I tried to pick it up once, but I got distracted and then it's back on the TBR pile. I didn't even watch the movie yet because I want to read it first.

2.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
TBR status: lounging around since 2011

Bought this purely because of hype, because there was a time when everyone seems to be reading it. Then I remember that I'm not fond of hype. HAHA. But I will get around to this. I think.

3. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
TBR status: living there since 2012?

Heard lots of good things about this through book blogger friends, but for some reason, I couldn't find a copy. Then I found it, and I told myself I'll read it before watching the movie, but I ended up watching the movie first anyway (which they said was different from the book). I still want to read it because Calcifer! :D

4. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin
TBR status: book 2 is in my TBR, started reading in 2014, then stopped at page 250

I didn't buy the whole set because I couldn't invest, but I have the second book. I should read it. I will read it. I will find time. And I still haven't watched a single episode. :P

5. The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
TBR status: in my TBR since December 2011

I was gifted a copy because I expressed interest, and I wanted to read chunky books. The copy I have, however, is too chunky for me to carry around. :|

6. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
TBR status: in Hannah the Kindle since 2014

2014 Dare book that I never opened. Haha. I didn't watch the movie so I have no idea what's in it. I should probably read this when I'm on a flight somewhere, noh?

7. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
TBR status: in Hannah the Kindle since 2012, read 30% then stopped

I am one of those people who read classics but still haven't read Little Women. I don't know why. I read some of it, then stopped, because I think I was reading an Austen book at the same time. Also, I was spoiled about the ending. Still reading this, though!

8. Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
TBR status: In my TBR since 2012

Because Melina Marchetta is one of my favorite authors of all time, and I think I should finally give this a go.

9. The City & the City by China Miéville
TBR status: Nonexistent, still on wish list

I missed this discussion last year because I was MIA busy, and it seems like this was one of the best books in TFG last year. Everyone's still talking about it. :P I will get around to this, as soon as I have a copy. Now where do I find one.

10. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
TBR status: Just bought today. :D

I asked some TFG friends last discussion, "Do you think I'll like House of Leaves?" This isn't one I would normally read because I'm a big chicken, but several times I went to Fully Booked and saw this, I actually considered buying it. But I didn't. Until now, where I snagged the last copy at Fully Booked, because I wanted to reward myself with something after the busy day today. Based on reviews, this is a book I have to experience...and I have no idea when I'd read this, but I want to read it soon, even if it will scare me silly. (Will it?)

[Veronica]

Top Ten Tuesdays

April 28: Top Ten Hyped Books I've Never Read

(view spoiler)[
I will probably read:

1. A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson – sequel to Life After Life which I’ve read and enjoyed.

2. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 by Francine Prose – Historical fiction inspired by a 1930’s photograph of Violet Morris, a cross-dressing French athlete who turned traitor to her country by turning in members of the Resistance.

3. Gabriel: A Poem by Edward Hirsch – the whole book is a poem about his grief on the death of his 22-year-old son.

4. Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy – because the movie’s just come out.

5. Arctic Summer by Damon Galgut – a fictionalized account of E.M. Forster’s life after Howards End and before A Passage to India

6. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay by Elena Ferrante – but I’ll need to read the earlier Neapolitan novels

Haven’t made up my mind if I’ll read:

7. God Help the Child by Toni Morrison
8. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
9. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
10. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
(hide spoiler)]

[Maria Ella]

Top Ten Hyped books I have not read
But not sure if I will read soon, or not at all - maybe because I watched the movie, or its genre is not within my realm of 'feels horizon'. So ahahahaha

In random order:
(view spoiler)[1. Talk back and you're dead - because I already encountered She's Dating the Gangster and it is a bit of a copy-paste with what I read in gangster

2. Para sa hopeless romatic - I might read it soon for me to be able to participate in a book discussion with another book club. After all, we are to (view spoiler)[bash (hide spoiler)] see the author.

3. Time Traveller's Wife - I hope I can read this without the prejudice to the movie I watched. HUHU nag-enjoy ako sa movie much.

4. The Atonement - same reason with number 3.

5. The Rest of the Harry Potter series - I've read books 1, 3 and 5. But I don't understand the links in the movies so I will read the rest of the books. Peram? :D

6. Gone Girl - haven't read the book, haven't watched the movie. Na-excite rin ako~

7. All The Light We cannot see - I've read the first fifteen chapters in an e-book. But I will start over once there is a book with a shiny Pulitzer sticker on it, HEEEEE <3

8. Station Eleven - because my weakness is scifi, but the prose in this book is wonderful, book reviews say. so yea, might try reading this too.

9. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - NO.

10. Eat, Pray, Love - DUH I'M DOING THIS FOR YEARS. Why do I have to read whatever I am doing. Better it to be done, yea? (hide spoiler)]

[Maria Ella]

Tina wrote: " Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
TBR status: lounging around my TBR since 2011"

I think you have to let go of the linger of the History of Love before appreciating the Prose of this book. Appealing to women kasi ang gawa ni Krauss, and appealing to men ang ke Foer. But in technicalities, they seemingly like a copy-paste of each other.

But the plot development is very much different. Reading it and watching the movie version got two different feels. Pero dahil babae tayo, mas appealing ang lonely mood ni Leo~ *I still want to hug Leo even long after reading his story.

[Tina]

Maria Ella wrote: "Tina wrote: " Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
TBR status: lounging around my TBR since 2011"

I think you have to let go of the linger of the History of Love before appr..."

Oooh, interesting. I read The History of Love last year so I'm pretty sure there are no more lingering effects. (I think) If I push reading this later this year, I'm pretty sure I won't be comparing anything. =)

(view spoiler)[Pero diba hiwalay na silang dalawa? (hide spoiler)]