Filipino Friday 2014 - Surprise, Reader!

Filipino ReaderCon 2014 is just around the corner so it's time for Filipino Friday. I forgot to write a blog post last week, so I'll be posting two entries today.

Here is last week's topic:

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, Hi! My name is Verne. I work as a writer and researcher for the Ayala Museum. This year is a big one for me. I recently submitted by MBA thesis, hence the lack of blog posts over the past few months. To celebrate this accomplishment--and finally get some writing done--I'm joining National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) this November. But more on that in my next blog entry.

First, let me share some of my reading discoveries for this year:

"Gone Girl" and "Sharp Objects" by Gillian Flynn were terrifying reads. I've watched the "Gone Girl" movie and think it's an awesome book-to-movie adaptation. I like "Sharp Objects" more through, so I hope they make it into a movie as well.

"The Ways of Kings" is a fantasy novel by Brandon Sanderson, who is now one of my favorite authors. His fantasy world in this story is something I would love to get lost in any day.

I also love "Elantris" by Brandon Sanderson, I found it too short because I wanted so much more. Hopefully, they really do publish a sequel this year.

This year, I read "Ender's Shadow" by Orson Scott Card. The book tells the story of Bean, one of Ender's closest allies in the battle against the Formics. It is a great book on its own and a must read for anyone  who loved reading "Ender's Game."

Authors I started reading this year that I can't get enough of:

Gillian Flynn, Brandon Sanderson, and Joe Abercrombie. 

A book I didn't think I would like, but I ended up liking/loving:

I finally read the whole "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien this year and I loved it! I used to say it was the most boring book in the world, especially because of Tom Bombadil's poems. 

Book series I just have to get my hands on:

I've been buying a lot of fantasy novels this year, including "The Eye of the World"; "Wizard's First Rule" by Terry Goodkind; "The Lies of Locke Lamora" by Scott Lynch," and "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon (I guess it's a fantasy-romance)--which are firsts in a series of books.

"The First Law" trilogy of Joe Abercrombie! Actually, I've read the first book already, and I'm already reading the second one.

I also just bought a copy of "Legend" by Marie Lu. I have a feeling this will be an awesome read like "The Hunger Games" trilogy.

Discoveries from Filipino authors this year:

"Kids These Days: Stories from the Luna East Arts Academy vol. 1" by various authors was a really fun read. I really miss my college days. :( I helped make their book launch happen at the Ayala Museum. :)

"She's Dating the Gangster" by Bianca Bernardino. I read the novella once, and I think that's enough. I watched the movie twice, on consecutive nights. KathNiel!!!