You’re in the mood to read something strange and different
You want to read about disturbing and misanthropic characters, but still very likeable
You want something haunting and charming at the same time
QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY
It’s a story about two sisters, Merricat and Constance, living in a “castle” without adult supervision because everyone in their family is dead (hindi counted si Uncle Julian kasi may sakit sya and si Constance yung nagaalaga sa kanya). They are super anti-social and hate sila ng mga townspeople for being unusual and rich.
You want to read a story about talking farm animals
Gusto mong mas maging mulat sa mga nangyayari sa ating lipunan
Gusto mong mabilang sa milyong milyong tao na nakabasa na ng librong ‘to
QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY
The farm animals had enough! Hindi na nila kayang i-tolerate ang pagpapalakad ng amo nila na si Mr. Jones. Kaya naman gumawa sila ng paraan para mapatalsik ang amo nila at sa wakas! The animals reign supreme! Pero ngayong nasa pamumuno na sila ni Snowball (white pig) at Napoleon (fierce-looking boar), ano ang magiging kapalaran ng mga farm animals? Mas naging mabuti nga ba or worse?
📷: Katie Troy
This book is about power and how it can potentially change anyone who acquire them. At kahit animals ang main characters dito, the message is clear and strong. The author intended for it to be a reflection of the events that happened during the Russian Revolution so it’s a political satire. Pero I think pwede din syang ma-apply in the workplace somehow.
You want an okay psychological thriller involving a married couple (don’t expect Gone Girl levels)
DON’T READ IF…
You’re a loving pet owner
You have low tolerance for torture
QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY
It’s about Jack and Grace na seen by their social circles as the perfect couple. Pero ang suspicious ng pagka-perfect nila kasi magtataka ka bakit walang sariling cellphone si Grace, nung hiningan sya ng e-mail address binigay nya yung e-mail address ni Jack, at laging hindi sumisipot si Grace sa lunch invites ng mga amiga nya and kung makakasipot man sya, kabuntot nya lagi si Jack. So medyo given na dito na si Jack yung psychopath. Kaya ang tagline nung book is, “The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?”
More than a year kong binabasa ‘tong libro na ‘to. Sa wakas makaka-move on na ko sa next book. May times kasi na nasa mood akong mag-hangout sa Westeros tapos pag na-distract ako, totally makakalimutan ko sya. Kasi iniisip ko rin na alam ko nanaman yung ibang mangyayari because of the series. Pero nananaig pa din yung curiousity ko kung anong difference nung books from the series kaya kahit nakakatamad minsan, gusto ko pa din tapusin. At alam ko rin na once magsimula ako ulit, sure naman na manunumbalik yung pagka-fanatic ko.
My 6th book this month! Super duper proud of myself. Ngayon lang ‘to nangyari.
Yay tapos ko na! Kala ko hindi ko matatapos kasi first classic novel ko ‘to and super hindi ako sanay sa writing style (1813 sya na-publish). Hindi ko pa din napapanood yung movie nung sinimulan ko so nahirapan talaga ko kasi wala akong idea. Nung sinimulan ko, feeling ko hindi kaya ng comprehension ko yung mga ganito. Nakaka-intimidate. Kaya rin hindi ako mahilig magbasa ng classics.
Pero nag-attempt pa din ako kasi highly recommended sya ng mga members ng book club namin. The first 20% is a struggle. Ang hirap talaga i-absorb for me. Pero unti-unti syang nagiging interesting and na-overpower nung plot yung writing style.
QUICK AND TAMAD SUMMARY:
Merong 5 sisters at ang bida ay si Elizabeth Bennet. Ang one and only goal ng nanay nila ay maikasal ang mga anak nya sa matitinong mga lalake. Super plus points kung mayaman. And given the time period, I wouldn’t blamer her. In the process of finding suitable partners for her daughters, na-meet ni Elizabeth si Mr. Darcy. Good looking and mayaman si Mr. Darcy but Elizabeth hated his guts.
Nung around 80% na ko, pinanood ko yung movie pero hanggang dun lang sa parts na nabasa ko na.
A ship is set to sail to Amsterdam to transport a super valuable and mysterious thing called ‘The Folly’. But someone is wreaking havoc and the passengers are relying on Samuel Pipps (world’s greatest detective) and Arent Hayes (his loyal bodyguard) to uncover the culprit. Thing is, Samuel is being held prisoner, so Arent has to step up and do the investigating himself.
This book is an adventure. Na-inlove ako dun sa setting and how the author narrates the story. It’s as if I’m there as a passenger enjoying the sea breeze, watching the dolphins, and being amused and entertained by sailors fighting. Super fond of how the author describes scenes.
Dusk arrived in ribbons of purple and pink, a few stars puncturing the sky. There was no land in sight. Only water.
I also liked how the chapters were short. My Kindle is set to show how many minutes each chapter would take to read, and most of the time it would show ‘5 mins left in chapter’, sometimes even 1 minute. So whenever I see that the next chapter would only take 2-6 minutes to finish, the tendency is to read “just one more chapter”.
I can’t remember being bored reading this book. Impatient maybe. Kasi gustong gusto ko nang malaman kung sinong nag-devise ng plan to sabotage the ship! They all seemed so innocent. Sobra.
Also, this is our book club pick for November.
START OF SPOILERS
Una kong hula ay si Vos. Ang creepy nya kasi pero parang ang obvious masyado. Kaya napunta naman ako kay Sara. Kasi she seemed so kindhearted. Kaya naiisip ko na baka may surprise sa huli na masama pala sya. And sobrang hate nya din pala yung asawa nya (justifiably so) kaya hindi pa rin talaga sya lusot. Gustong gusto na nyang makawala kay Governor General. So andun yung motive. Kahit nung nasa island na sila sya pa din yung primary suspect ko 😂
Naisip ko pa na, with the urge from Sara, si Lia ang nag-plano ng lahat. Kasi nga Promil kid sya. And at one point naisip ko rin na baka related si Lia kay Samuel Pipps kase pareho silang gifted. Mali nanaman!
Yung mga gripping scenes dun sa book is yung storm and nung nagkakagulo na. Feel na feel ko yung chaos. Nung una diba parang adventure lang tapos after mangalahati, puro patayan na. Nagulat ako nung pinatay yung Captain. Napaisip tuloy ako bakit nga ba nag-deviate sa plan si Crauwel? Magtatanong pala ko sa book club Discord.
Kaya naman kase hindi ko napagkamalan si Creesjie, kasi yung pinapakita nyang character is someone who only cares about having a wealthy husband. So I only perceived her as a simple minded woman who’s a gold digger and cares too much about her looks. Tsaka diba nagpakita sya ng interest kay Vos nung nag-propose sya and promised her a comfortable life. It’s all an act pala. Kaya rin nasa baba sya ng list ko of suspects gawa dun.
Mas mataas si Pipps sa suspect list ko kesa kay Creesjie. Pero sa isip ko kasi, sobrang imposible na maging involved sya kasi nga nakakulong sya. Sobrang pa-victim pati nya. Ang hirap din maging sobrang suspicious sa kanya kasi nung binigay yung background nya sa una, akala mo yun na ‘yon. Not until nung na-reveal sa huli yung totoong family history nya. Tapos yung Saardam pala is specifically designed para makalabas sya sa kulungan nya. Tss.
Anyway, nung hindi pa nari-reveal ang lahat, nag-panic ako dun sa fake act ni Isabel. Kala ko talaga totoo! In fairness kay Sara and Arent naisip pa nila ‘yon.
RATING [4 🌟]
While I enjoyed almost everything and sobrang nakakaloko yung culprits, I feel like the ending is the weakest point in the book. Hindi ako super na-satisfy dun sa execution nung reveal. And yung ending, parang, ganun na lang ‘yon? But I must say it’s still worth reading kahit medyo let down yung ending.
Nakakaasar yung magkapatid kasi halos walang remorse. Mej nakakaasar din yung sobrang curiosity ni Sara and Lia nung ina-unfold na nung magkapatid kung pano nila na-execute yung devious plans nila. Parang may halong wonder pa nga. Mas nangibabaw yung curiousity nila kesa sa galit.
Although ang intention talaga is to kill Jan Haan, ang dami pa din nadamay na tao. Plus the animals huhu. Mapapatay pa ni Vos si Arent. So parang hindi ako ganun ka-agree na walang justice. Naging “Let’s just forgive and forget and form a star-studded group.” na lang.
QUOTES
I chuckled at this:
“What brings fine sirs like yourselves down to the arse end of the ship?” asked the constable, putting a dried piece of fish into his mouth. Far as Arent could tell, there wasn’t a single tooth waiting for it.
Power should be a burden, not a shield. It should be used to everybody’s betterment, not merely for the person who wielded it.
Sara: Courage isn’t an absence of fear. It’s the light we find when fear is all there is.
Sammy had once told him that love was the easiest thing to spot, because it didn’t look like anything else. It couldn’t hide itself, it couldn’t disguise itself, it couldn’t go unnoticed for very long.
In the beginning part of the book, the author discussed how our society, our culture, our families and relationships shape our beliefs and identities. That we didn’t have a choice when we were little. And now that we’re older, he is challenging us to question these beliefs/practices or these “agreements”.
Another thing he talked about is how sometimes people just go with the flow to gain approval in order to have a sense of belongingness. Which is a natural thing for humans. Sabi nga ni Aristotle, we are social animals. But he also challenges that. Like saying no if we want to say no. Or attempting to ask even if it meant rejection.
The fact na naisip kong basahin ‘to, ibig sabihin andun na yung desire ko na i-improve yung good habits ko and i-eliminate as much as possible yung bad. Pero the beginning part of the book still provides more encouragement to increase your desire to improve. And gusto ko yun kasi once I implement the steps, mas may conviction behind it. Mas mapapangatawanan ko kumbaga.
Madaming tips and strategies yung book para ma-cultivate yung good habits. Madami ring examples pero of course, some or most of the examples wouldn’t apply to my life. So kelangan ng extra effort para makaisip ka ng iba-ibang ways para ma-apply yung strategies na yon sa buhay mo mismo.
THINGS I LEARNED:
Link your identity to the good habits
You might start a habit because of motivation, but the only reason you’ll stick with one is that it becomes part of your identity.
I think eto yung pinakang tumatak sakin. Kase everytime na maf-frustrate ako sa sarili ko kasi hindi ko nagagawa yung mga sinasabi kong gagawin ko, yung internal monologue ko lagi is, “Wala, ganito na talaga ako. Procrastinator talaga ako. Sa una lang ako magaling.” I identified myself as lazy. When in truth, our identities are not set in stone sabi nga dun sa book. We can edit our identities. Hindi naman ‘to touch move. We can improve. Hindi pwede yung mags-settle na lang ako dun sa paulit ulit kong sinasabi na tamad ako. May choice akong baguhin yung identity ko for the better and stop making excuses like, “Ganito na kasi talaga ko.”
You may want more money, but if your identity is someone who consumes rather than creates, then you’ll continue to be pulled toward spending rather than earning. You may want better health, but if you continue to prioritize comfort over accomplishment, you’ll be drawn to relaxing rather than training.
Ang book na ‘to ay tungkol sa isang lalake (si Toru Okada) na in the beginning, hinahanap nya lang yung nawawalang pusa ng asawa nya (Kumiko), hanggang sa yung asawa na nya yung nawawala. First book ko ‘to from this author.
Nung una, sumasakay pa ko eh. Ang tolerable pa. Pero habang tumatagal, lalong lumalala. Lumalala yung pagka-boring and pagka-nonsense. Siguro nga hindi para sakin ‘tong libro na ‘to. Pero nalalamangan ng pagka-curious ko yung pagka-ayaw ko sa book. Kaya feeling ko naman matatapos ko ‘to kahit pilit na pilit.
START OF SPOILERS
Ang daming weird characters. May weird prostitute, may weird manghuhula, may weird na teenager. Pero lahat naman sila weird.
I’m currently at 41% and UGHHH. Hirap na hirap talaga kong ituloy-tuloy. Okay ako sa weird pero bakit kasi ang boringgg. Sobrang hindi pa likeable yung main protagonist and hindi ako maka-relate sa kanya. Sobrang apathetic nya. Kaya din siguro ang hirap. Wala akong makuhang connection sa kanya. And yung mga nangyayari sa book, sobrang labo. Hindi lang siguro abot ng intellect ko yung gusto nyang iparating. Pero kahit feeling ko nagsasayang lang ako ng oras, tatapusin ko ‘to. Nanghinayang na ko sa na-invest kong oras.
Siguro si May Kasahara na lang yung saving grace for me. Kung wala yung character nya, hindi ko na talaga alam. Sya lang yung character na interested ako. The rest parang mga bato. Siguro pag nagbasa ako ulit ng isa pang book ng author na ‘to, alam ko na kung anong i-eexpect.
Isingit ko na rin yung na-sad ako dun sa story ni Lt. Mamiya. Yung kahit buhay pa sya after surviving everything and getting through all those traumatic experiences, feeling nya walang meaning yung buhay nya because he already died on that well. Huhu. Eto yung mga rare moments na may na-feel ako while reading this book.
So tapos ko na.
Clearly, this book is too deep for me to fully absorb and comprehend. Parang yung buong book is isang mahaba at weird na panaginip (or bangungot). Most of the time walang sense pero yung nasagap ng brain ko is yung themes of introspection. Hanggang dun lang. Hindi ko na sya kayang i-expound.
Atat na atat na kong matapos ‘to kasi ang haba. 600 pages. Siguro 75% of the time hindi ko alam kung anong nangyayari pero weirdly, nung 95-98% na ko dun sa book, parang ayoko pa sya matapos. Parang nasa momentum pa kong magbasa ng kawirdohan.
Baka yung next ko basahin na book from this author is yung Norwegian Wood, as recommended by one of the book club members, Danielle.
My status updates on Goodreads
RATING [2.25 🌟]
Alam kong generally mataas yung review nung book na ‘to pero ayokong mag-pretend na naintindihan ko. Hindi pa abot ng brain cells ko yung ganitong klaseng books. Nagpapadala naman ako dun sa book. Wala akong expectations. May mga parts na gusto ko yung pagka-weird nya and may mga parts na nalulusaw na yung utak ko para pilitin na mag-make sense yung binabasa ko.
QUOTES
Curiosity can bring guts out of hiding at times, maybe even get them going. But curiosity usually evaporates. Guts have to go for the long haul. Curiosity’s like a fun friend you can’t really trust. It turns you on and then it leaves you to make it on your own—with whatever guts you can muster.
Toru Okada
When someone gets on my nerves, the first thing I do is transfer the object of my unpleasant feelings to another domain, one having no connection with me. Then I tell myself, Fine, I’m feeling bad, but I’ve put the source of these feelings into another zone, away from here, where I can examine it and deal with it later in my own good time. In other words, I put a freeze on my emotions. Later, when I thaw them out to perform the examination, I do occasionally find my emotions still in a distressed state, but that is rare. The passage of time will usually extract the venom from most things and render them harmless. Then, sooner or later, I forget about them.
Toru Okada
I’m not one hundred percent sure about any of this, and I don’t have any amazing solutions. All I’ve got is this feeling.
Toru Okada
If people want to lose all sense of direction, the best thing that you and I can do is let them. We have more important things to do.
Noboru Wataya
If people lived forever—if they never got any older—if they could just go on living in this world, never dying, always healthy—do you think they’d bother to think hard about things, the way we’re doing now? I mean, we think about just about everything, more or less—philosophy, psychology, logic. Religion. Literature. I kinda think, if there were no such thing as death, that complicated thoughts and ideas like that would never come into the world.
May Kasahara
I remembered laughing out loud when I read this:
May Kasahara: The women sell their hair to the wig companies. That’s how they earn their dowries in some places. The whole world’s so weird! The guy sitting next to you might actually be wearing the hair of some woman in Indonesia.
By reflex, I and the B-man looked around at the others in the car.
Nung nag-start akong basahin ‘to, ang gusto ko lang talagang mangyari is mawala yung uncontrollable urge ko to always check my phone. Pero ang dami kong nakuha sa book na ‘to.
Sobrang necessary na diniscuss muna sa book lahat. It started with identifying the addictive behaviors, the reason behind it, and pano sya dapat i-approach which is yung strategies and principles. And eto na yung time para i-introduce naman yung concrete steps on how to start. From Paleolithic brains to economics, at this point, gets na gets ko na talaga. Parang hindi ko na kelangan ng further explanation. I’m sold!
Very important na maintindihan munang mabuti yung mga diniscuss before this para kapag gagawin ko na yung ‘digital declutter’, mas strong yung reason bakit ko ‘to ginagawa. Mas may conviction behind it. Which makes it more doable and sustainable.
Gleniz da Menace 