minamimusings

I've been meaning to join this, which I discovered courtesy of my friend, Meann . I just keep forgetting to post. Oh well, better late than never, right? :) Incidentally, I have a small collection of bookmarks from my childhood. I'll see if I can manage to find some of them and take photos to share here. But first, let's start with these anime bookmarks my husband brought home from Singapore. I think he managed to drop by Suntec while a convention was happening and saw these. One of them's Kagome from Inuyasha. The other is a character from Naruto. Sorry for the poor photo. We also had Inuyasha himself, which the hubby used. Then one day he checked his book and the metal bookmark was still there but the Inuyasha charm was gone. I guess that means I won't be using these any time soon.

I love buying books for my baby, but they can cost a pretty penny. Fortunately, last month, we stumbled upon the not-so-secret, veritable treasure chest that is Booksale in Festival Mall. They had a bargain bin of children's books in the front and most were in good condition, secondhand and some brand new. My cheapest find was 45PHP (Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present). I think the most expensive of the lot was only 210PHP (Treasury of Fairy Tales). That's less than the price of one board book in Fully Booked, which usually averages about 250-300PHP. Sherlock Chick's First Case and Mr Rabbit and the Lovely Present were secondhand; the latter even came from a library in the US and was marked for disposal. (Sad. But happy because it'll be given new life in our house.) And yes, that is an original copy of Darth Vader and Son  which I got for only 85PHP. :D These books seemed mostly new, although the button on It's Potty Time  doesn't make a flus...

I've been reading to my little munchlax since he was a few months old. His pediatrician recommended it (along with the admonition that he not be exposed to too much TV) and I've also read online about how it'll help his comprehension and get him used to reading. In fact, just recently, there was this article on the Smart Parenting Philippines site about the 6 Stages of Reading Development and Why You Should Read to Your Babies . It made me feel good that at least in this regard, I was on the right "mommy track". Being a lover of books --- though presently choosy with the types I add to my shelf after YEARS of poring over nothing except college manuals --- it doesn't take much effort on my part to slowly build my son's (and maybe future son's/daughter's) library. Whenever I'd pass by a bookstore, I can never resist buying him a book... or five. In fact, one of my most extravagant purchases at last year's MIBF was a set of stories that tea...

Aha! I am caught creating a Valentine's-related post! I couldn't resist as it was too tempting to answer this somewhere. Lucy of the Fully Booked twitter account  RT'ed this article from the Huffington Post  where some of today's authors share the fictional men and women who made their hearts go thump-thump. I am by no means an author. (Although, a girl can dream, right?) But I read. I spent my childhood "nose in a book" much like Belle of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. And because I'm very much a romantic, my high school years introduced me to and had a preference for the romantic novel. Gratuitous picture of Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy. Because, you know, this is a post about literary crushes. Besides, that article by the Huffington Post had one. Naturally, romance is probably the perfect genre to look for someone fictional to crush on. Famously, there's Mr. Darcy of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Admittedly, though, I only felt totally en...

Hoping I get to drop by Fully Booked Boni Hi Street today as they have a sale. I know I have a shelf full of books I haven't read yet, and I probably won't be adding titles to that, but I might be tempted to pick up more for this one. You can tell what my dream destinations are. I guess if I haven't mentioned it yet, my husband and I are expecting next month, which means that for most of this year I was grounded. (First baby and all that.) Still, doesn't stop me from dreaming. Half of those guides I bought on previous sales in various stores. I figure, there shouldn't be that big of a change when I eventually visit those places, so there's no harm in buying a book or two and reading about them now.

There's something you should know about me. When I watch movies or read books, I usually do so to be entertained. If I like it, I'll rave about it to my friends with all the cliche comments: "It's awesome." "Good." "Great." "Mind-boggling." I usually don't deviate from those superlatives. But when I highly dislike something, that's when I get specific. And really, considering my personality, it's rare for me to find something I don't like. I try to keep an open mind. I repeat, "I try ". In essence, that's how I write my commentaries on something. (I won't call them reviews, here, exactly. Okay, maybe for a teeny bit they are.) If you don't like my opinions, I'd just like to remind that yes, they are just opinions. You're welcome to make some yourself. You don't have to base them on what I think. I think that with most things in life, not just with me, that should also apply, yes? (Must...