Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas

"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling 5 balls. The balls are called work, health, friends, family and integrity. And you are keeping all of them in the air; but one day, you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls, family, health, friends and integrity are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand, the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life”."

 James Patterson

I am a James Patterson fan and I love his gritty mystery thriller novel especially his Alex Cross' series and I'm really not aware that he also wrote a love story until I read about it in one of the forums so I searched for it and finally have my copy bought at Booksale (I don't buy brand new books now unless its a must).

Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas is a heartwrenching novel about family, love, lost and hope. It's about a diary written by Suzanne to his son Nicholas.  Even with a romance novel there is still that James Patterson trademark a twist in the ending of the story.  If you are a sucker for romance novels or are fond of Nicholas Sparks novels you will surely love this.

Fullybooked's Marked Down Madness Continues!

Get the greatest deals on your favorite titles from March 28 to April 8, 2011!

Sale will be at the Forum, 4th Level Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.

Fully Booked Stores:

Bonifacio High Street 858-7000, 7036-38 • EDSA Shangri-la Hotel 632-0837 • Eastwood: 709-1961

Gateway 913-4543 • Greenbelt 5 729-9985 • Greenhills 724-4057 • Mall of Asia 556-0798

North Edsa 442-0107 • Rockwell 756-5001/5004 • Trinoma 901-0016

Cebu (032) 417-1007 • Marquee (045) 304-0881 • SM Clark (045) 499-0362

Spread the news!

Kokology by Isamu Saito and Tadahiko Nagao

Kokology from the Japanese kokoro, meaning “mind” or “spirit”, is a game of self-discovery created by Japanese psychologist Isamu Saito. Kokology is composed of seemingly innocent questions that aim to reveal how you truly feel about work, love, family, sex and much more. You’ll be surprised at how your answers can accurately reflect your true personality. It is advisable to play along with your friends to make it more fun, hilarious and exciting or if you don’t want to reveal a part of yourself to others you can just answer the questions on your own.

I first discovered Kokology during PJAC days (reviewing for board exam) when one of my friends bought a copy and coax us to answer the questions with her. We had such a great time answering all the questions in the book, we’ve discovered a lot about each other’s characters and their reaction to a certain situation, and we certainly had a blast. 

I would never forget that moment and  this one question.  Here take a minute to answer the question.  Answer whatever comes first to your mind.  Do not peek at the answer key.

Deep in the Mountains

The mountains and the sea - nature has a power that draws us to her.  After all, we are all nature's children, born into her world and fed on her bounty.  No matter what marvels technology may develop, getting back to nature lets us feel truly alive.  Medical science may make advances, but the best medicine will always be nature's own healing power.

Your next journey will take you back to that green world, and what better setting for you to rediscover your natural self?

1. You have set off to climb a mountain, in search of a fabulously rare stone.  What is your impression of the mountain as you stand at its foot?

2.  After a hard search, you still haven't found the stone, and now the sun has fallen.  What will you do next?


3.  You have finally discovered the stone you were seeking.  What kind of stone is it?  Describe its size, weight, and value.


4.  Now it is time to come down from the mountain and return home.  What parting words do you have for the mountain, and what is its reply?

There are eight tips for playing Kokology by Tadahiko Nagao

1. Say the first thing that pops into your head.
2. Play with other people if you can.
3. Don't try to predict the answers.
4. Be honest with yourself.
5. Be prepared.
6. Don't read ahead.
7. Watch people's reactions (including your own).
8. Keep an open mind.

Answer Key

The mountain that looms before you represents your father, or a father figure in your life.  In psychological terms, it is a manifestation of the archetype of the "wise old man."  The stone you seek symbolizes abilities and strengths you must discover within yourself on your own journey to adult independence.

1.  Your impression of the mountain shows the image you have of your father. Was it difficult and unforgiving?  Gentle and easily conquered?  Or did you have an idealized image of a magnificent peak that somehow seemed to welcome you and encourage you in your quest?

2.  The stone you are searching for represents your as yet undiscovered talent or strength.  Your response to this question shows whether you will ever realize that untapped potential.

    People who say they'd keep searching for the stone no matter what tend to show the same persistence and determination in their own lives, never giving up even when efforts seem fruitless.

   Those who said they'd call it quits for the day but come back again to continue the search are the type who pace themselves, spreading their efforts over a long period of time.  There are probably more than a few late bloomers in this group.

     People who gave up looking for the stone altogether are in danger of never fulfilling their true potential.

3.  The way you described the stone shows your feeling of self-worth.  How big and heavy was it, and what did you think of its value?

     "Oh, about twenty dollars or so,"  Hmmm, that's not much of an appraisal, is it?

     "It turned out to be a huge diamond worth millions!"  Hold on now, let's not get carried away with ourselves.

4.  Your parting words to the mountain reveal what you have always wanted, but never been able, to say to your father.  The mountain's reply shows your idea about his feelings for you.  Do you recognize any of these patterns?

     You: "Thanks for everything."

     Mountain: "You take care of yourself."

     Did you have that kind of ideal exchange?  Or did it go more like this:

     You: "Well, it looks like I'm finally through with you."

     Mountain: "You can say that again!"

     Maybe it's time you and your father sat down for a talk.

Book Bargain Hunting : Al Capone Does My Shirts and A Trivia Book



A week would not pass without me buying a book, though I only buy books that are on sale. I’m restraining myself to buy brand new books nowadays cause I still have a lot in my TBR pile and I’m saving up for the Book Fair come September (hopefully..), that would be a major major splurge. ;)

Last Sunday I went to Booksale and my first stop is in the Hardbound section (as much as possible I want my books in hardbound, they looked nice in shelves) I only saw two books that catches my fancy Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko P70 and So You Think You're Good At Trivia by Patrick Downs and Debra Weiss (it was in PB only) but I bought it anyway for P80, I’m into the look out now for some more trivia books, did I mention that I also am a puzzle junkie? I already have a couple of puzzle books not the ordinary Sudoku type puzzle, but more of the brain bending puzzles.  I will feature them here next time.

Till next book bargain hunting!

Conscious Trance by Pi Villaraza

Join Fullybooked at the book launch of Conscious Trance: The Journey to the Dancer Within by Pi Villaraza on February 17, Thursday, 3PM at the Forum, 4th Level, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.  See you there!

RSVP to 0917-9016489 or email kai@conscious-trance.com.

The Giver by Lois Lowry



The Giver by Lois Lowry

Jonas lives in a perfect world living with his seemingly perfect family, where there is no color, hunger, pain, sufferings, crime.  Their only objective is to conform. Everyone is given a role in the community and Jonas was chosen to be the next Receiver of Memories, an honorable position held by only one person in the community.  The Giver will transfer all the memories of human experience, feeling of love, suffering, loss, human defeat, achievements, war, famine, rain, snow. Jonas must keep all these memories to himself, he is prohibited to transfer and share them to anyone, the community protects his people from the whole range of human emotions, protects them from experiencing pain.  But how can Jonas handle such range of emotions all by himself? Little by little he learns about the imperfections of the community he lives in and thought of a plan together with The Giver to change the beliefs and the ways of life of the people in their community.  

The ending of the The Giver is rather vague, it can be read in two ways, it is for the reader to determine what they want to believe in.

The Giver is an excellent and yet thought provoking book, it makes you think deeper while reading, the kind of book that will sparkle a lot of discussions, it tackles various subject such as  euthanasia or the practice of taking one's life to ease their suffering, restriction of sexuality, the utopian society, family and relationships, diversity, feelings, political activities.  All in all it is a rather hopeful novel, a recommended read for everyone.

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011!

I recently joined the 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City. I'm very excited with this challenge, I hope I can read more than 100 books for this year so I can also update my blog more often. :)

Challenge Details:

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2011 - 31 Dec 2011

• Rules - Read 100 or more books in 2011

• All books can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• Only print books and ebooks count (no audiobooks).

• You can join anytime.

• At the beginning of Jan 2011, I will add a link so you can add your reviews but this is not obligatory.

If you want to join me in this challenge you can sign up here.

Marley and Me

Marley and Me by John Grogan

With an appetite for nearly anything he can get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry, Marley is always getting into trouble. But to his family, he is a dog like no other.

My friend recommended this book to me because she knows I love dogs. And I’m glad I followed her recommendation this is now included in my list of favorite books. I got hold of a copy of this book last year at the Manila International Book Fair and I got it for justP50. I finished the book in just one sitting and it’s a really good read. I could very well relate to this story because I too have my own Marley at home. The story is funny and hilarious a tearjerker too. John Grogan did a good job in depicting what every dog owners felt towards their pet and how he seems to see through Marley, how he understands or how important Marley is to the family, how Marley grew up along with his struggling family, how he gave his unwavering loyalty and devotion and best of all how he made a difference in their lives.

This is a must read book for every dog lovers out there, it’s really worth your time.

My favorite lines from the book:

“A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."