The Elisean Plains

Ang tanging nais ni May ay mahanap ang kanyang Prince Charming and fulfill her own fairy tale. May tatlong katangian siyang hinahanap sa kanyang prinsipe—magandang lalaki, mabuting tao at higit sa lahat, kailangang mayaman.

Noon niya nakilala si Shin Rui Shimamura—super rich at super handsome pero bagsak sa isang kategoryang hinahanap niya. Sa mga kuwento pa lang, mukhang hindi na ito mabait na tao. At napatunayan niya iyon nang magkaharap sila. Sinira nito ang fairy tale niya!

Pero bigla ba naman siyang hinalikan nito—at nagustuhan niya iyon...

Nung Sunday, nagpunta ako sa NBS para hanapin ang A Wish of Love ni Aira Felicity. Nakahanap na kasi si mama ng book ni LD pero wala pa daw yung kay Aira. Nahanap ko yung A Wish of Love, at nahanap ko din itong May's Fairy Tale. Gusto ko mang mag-react sa mga ito, isa-isa lang, Victoria. Huwag ka mamihasa. Kaya itong May's Fairy Tale na lang ni Victoria Amor ang ikukwento ko dahil kanda-gulong ako sa mga scenes nitong bruhang writer na ito. Didn't help na ka-text ko pa siya habang nagbabasa. Ginagatungan pa.

Para kang nanood ng anime kapag binasa mo itong book na ito ni Vic. You know those scenes in a manga when the faces of the characters become cartoonish? Ganun ang naiimagine ko sa mukha ni May at ni Shin. Didn't help na Hapon pa yung bida. Para akong nanood ng cartoons!

Nung unang nagkita si Shin at si May, nabangga si May sa corridor at nasira yung cellphone niya. Since Hapon si Shin, akala niya isa sa mga agents ng APAC support ng call center nila kaya tinagalog niya at tinawag na tsonggo at tinreathen ng kulam kung hindi babayaran hahaha pala laking Pilipinas ang mokong at marunong mag-Tagalog!

"You know [what's] 'kulam'? Hindi mo na kailangan ng mahabang paliwanag, loko ka! Basta, kulam can kill you! Yes. Insects - cockroaches, worms, through black magic-"

Tapos nung inabutan siya ng pera, sabi ba naman ni May.

"Kulam is cancelled. You're safe."

Ay, sos! Hindi pwedeng basahin ito habang umiinom hehe Loka kang Victoria ka.

Interesting ang character ni Shin dito. Para siyang little, lost boy na lumaking naniniwalang masama siya, na magaspang ang ugali niya at hindi na niya pwede baguhin iyon, pero siya rin yung tutulong sa biktima ng hit-and-run, at yung nagmahal sa lalaking di niya tunay na ama at nangakong aalagaan nito yung naiwang pamilya nung lalaki na iyon. So in short, nagpapanggap lang siyang evil siya dahil yun na ang nakagisnan ng mga tao sa kanya. Parang "tell a child enough that he's bad, he'll eventually believe it". Ganun. So he's really vulnerable. Gusto mo siyang i-cuddle... pero magdasal ka na huwag ka niya sapakin.

This is a really fun book. Kahit hindi ka fan ng anime ;) I really, really enjoyed it. Saka gusto mo bilin yung iba pa niyang libro para mabasa mo yung mga kwento nung secondary characters kasi nakakatuwa rin sila hehe

Galing, Vic! As usual, enjoyable na naman ang book mo. Can't wait for Adrian though. Buti na lang next month na yun lalabas *talon sa tuwa*

He never wanted to play hero. Alam kasi ni Jad na kabaligtaran siya niyon. He was the bad guy who just decided to go on sabbatical for a while. Pero nang makita niya si Grace at ang lolo nito na tinutukan ng patalim ng dalawang hold-uppers, he came to their rescue.

Gustuhin man niyang ilayo ang sarili and get on with his lone-wolf ways, hindi niya magawa. Hindi man niya aminin, unti-unting ginigiba ng maglolo—lalo na ni Grace— ang mga pader na ipinalibot niya sa kanyang puso. She was like an angel in disguise of a SPED teacher… and being with her gave him glimpses of heaven.

Pero sa madilim niyang nakaraan at di-malinaw na bukas, sa tingin ni Jad, he was not cut out for something like love. Kabaligtaran naman ang opinyon ni Grace. And it looked like she was making it her mission to teach Jad lessons in love and life…

Ang alam ko kay Louise Dane, lahat ng characters niyang lalaki ay sexy. May mga characters kasi na maglalaway ka, meron namang gusto mong kurutin sa cheeks, merong lovable talaga, pero si Louise... sexy talaga ang boys niya. Basahin niyo yung diaper-changing scene ;)

Jad and Grace are probably the least unlikely characters to end up together. She's a SPED teacher who also teaches Sunday school kasama ni Lolo Kiel (Legaspi); and he's an assassin. His being an assassin will explain why he's all-male and all-yummy dahil naman dapat assassin na lampa... or wala pa akong nababasang assassin na lampa. Tamang tama naman na nananakam ako sa mga ganitong tipong guy characters ngayon (yung marunong humawak ng baril).

I'm going to categorize this book as sweet because it IS sweet. Jad knows how precious Grace is for him to go all macho on her and drag her by the hair into his cave so he's taking it slow, especially since he knows that she's too "good" for him. Kaya sobrang kakilig ang mga scenes lalo na pag naiisip mong malamang hindi sanay si Jad sa mga babaeng katulad ni Grace. Nakakailig in a very sweet, innocent way. Yung walang maslisya. Sa part ni Grace... sa'kin meron.

Nakaka-antig rin ng damdamin ang isang scene na parang death scene ni Crisostomo Ibarra sa El Fili hihi

Bawing-bawi ni Jad ang lahat ng mga kasalanan niya, LD. Sino ba ang susunod mong character at ang dibdib ba niya ay tulad nung kay Nash, Robin at Jad? Ahehe Ampopogi talaga! Siguro kahit nagkukulot sa scene ang characters nitong si LD, kaya pa din niyang gawing sexy.

PHOTO CREDIT: Leira Carlos

Walong taon na ang nakaraan nang iwan ni Tricia si Rafael nang walang paliwanag para manirahan sa Amerika. At ngayong nagbalik siya, ang tanging gusto niya ay mahalin uli ito. Pero sabi nga ng kaibigan niya, masyadong maraming mali sa fairy tale niya para magkaroon ng katapusang happy ever after. Siya—hindi si Rafael—ang Princess Charming na nang-iwan sa kanyang Cinderella.

“He will never willingly fit your glass slippers,” naalala pa niyang sabi ng kaibigan niya.

Oo nga naman, mataas ang pride ni Rafael. And she needed to be more creative if she wanted to win his heart back. Lalo na at may isang sekreto ang kanyang paglisan na maaaring maging dahilan ng tuluyang pagkasuklam nito sa kanya.

Aba'y ang ganda naman ang apelido ni Raffy... Enriquez :D Parang pamangkin lang ni Mike ahehe

I've had this book since early August I think, but because I was too busy with work and my own manuscripts, I haven't had to time to wade through my TBR pile.

This is one of those second-time-around love stories. Kung baga ay part two na ng kwento nila Raffy at Tricia. They fell in love in college (when she was a student and he was one of those young, new teachers you drool over), but they had to break up because of circumstances na hindi biro. Makes you think of what you'd do and how far you'd go for the person you love.

Ang ganda ng character development, I swear. Pulido at walang butas. You really get to know the characters and the reasons and motivations behind the characters' actions, and you can't say na mali yung ginawa nung isang character kasi alam mo kung bakit niya nagawa yun. Hindi mo sila mapagalitan sa choices nila kasi alam mo kung bakit nila pinili iyon o bakit nila naisip yun. Saka malalim yung kwento. Hindi surface kilig yung mararamdaman mo pag binasa mo. Tagos sa laman.

At damang-dama mo rin yung mga emotions nila. Sobrang maga pa yung mga mata ko ngayon because I just finished the book at talagang tulo sipon ko. I cried every time Tricia would see Raffy after he finally met Gabriel, tapos kahit alam ko kung bakit ganoon na lang ang trato niya kay Tricia, gusto ko pa din siya iuntog sa pader at sabihing "shunga!"

At the end of the book, pakiramdam ko Judith McNaught na din ang nabasa ko. Ano pa nga ba ang masasabi ko tungkol sa librong sinulat ni Angel Bautista? Wala. Wala akong masabi kundi sana ganoon din ako magsulat.

EDIT: Tapos sasabihin sa'kin ni Angel na hindi pa siya natuwa sa lagay na 'to sa pag-sulat niya ha? Gusto ko tuloy magtago sa ilalim ng bato... Imbes na writer, mag-hermit crab na lang kaya ako?

Because I only got the .doc file, I don't have the blurb for the story (and I suck at making blurbs [teasers]).

Let me just start with how the book lifted me off the bed and carried me to Baguio with Mon and Kat. Para akong naka-amoy ng pine tree at nangailangan ng kumot nung binasa ko ito. That was how good Edith is with imagery.

Kat planned to go to Baguio to lick her wounds after breaking up with who she thought was the love of her life after a six-year realationship. The guy, Raffy, decided to enter the seminary despite his love for Kat, because his family was pressuring him to. She meets Mon (na parang ang bangu-bango) on the bus who was on his way to Baguio as well. She wanted to heal; he made a nuisance of himself (in a nice way) by offering his friendship, and the rest is history.

It was a very easy relationship, like it was a friendship only waiting to blossom into love. May stressful pa ang work life ni Kat dito kesa sa relationship nila ni Mon. And they slid into a rhythm that's perfectly happy, like something you would want to have for your own.

Tapos ayan namang lumabas si Father Raffy sa seminaryo. 'Di na lang natuwa at sinamahan si Santino ron. Kung ako si Kat, binigyan ko na lang siya ng Bible para makapag-reflect siya sa mga pagkakasala niya.

Character-wise naman. Parang classmate ko lang si Kat (well, totoo namang classmate ko si Kat... best friend ko pa nga eh) nung college. She's incredibly strong, and incredibly sweet at the same time.

Pero bakit wala akong makasabay na Mon pag pupunta ako ng Baguio? Laging lola na nag-aalok ng mani o tupig ang kasabay ko pag bumyahe akong mag-isa. Sa'kin, Mon is a dependable, sturdy guy. Para siya yung lalaking kahit binagyo niya, kung kailangan mo siya, tatayo lang siya sa likuran mo para hindi ka hanginin.

Saka sana si Kat na din ako. May gwapo na ngang Mon, ipinagpalit pa ng isa pang papa ang simabahan para sa kanya. Ang haba ng hair ko nun.

Plus Edith has a cache of amusing secondary characters. Si Hazel, Erwin and the barkada. Para talagang ibinalik lang niya ako sa Baguio. Obvious bang super naka-relate ako sa mga tao dito?

So, Edith... ang galeng. Parang sobrang dali lang magsulat nung binasa ko itong book mo. Para kasing effortless lang yung story, yung parang chicken na chicken lang sa'yo gawin pero astig!

Di mo kailangang manginig because I laveeet :D Buti na lang meron pa akong Mad Proposal at One-Sided Love mo. Plus! Lalabas na rin si Kyle! Yahoo! :)

Favorite line:
"I’ve been in and out of relationships but honestly, I’ve never been really serious with anyone. Can’t we just get scared together?"

"Nagpanggap si Juliet bilang Aurora De Guerrero, anak ng pinakamayamang pamilya sa lugar na iyon. Karma siguro sa ginawang panloloko, nakidnap siya.

Inihanda niya ang maaanghang na salita para sa pangahas na abductor niya. pero natulala siya nang bumukas ang pinto at sumungaw ang isang guwapong mukha.

"Hi," bati ng lalaki na ang mga mata ay linya na sa pagkakangiti. "i'm Wayne Bermudez."

Muntik nang malaglag ang panga niya. May kidnapper bang nagpapakilala? ganoon ka-cute ngumiti? At... ganoon ka-macho?

Imbis tuloy na matakot, parang na-excite pa siya!"

When I saw the book in the stack that Apple handed over to me, I asked her if she was really Orange, and she laughed and told me the story of how "Orange" came to be. Napagalitan daw si Apple because Bookware didn't want single name-pseudonyms for the authors.

Anyhow, when I read the teaser, I was immediately curious. Oo nga naman. May kidnapper bang nag-papakilala? So, I settled down to read, incidentally, with a glass of Coke and Piatos (no joke, LD).

I thought it was going to be a heavy drama sort of story because at the start, there was talk of poverty and having to pretend to be someone else for money, and all, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started laughing... at yun ay nung unang lumabas si Wayne. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The story starts with Etta saying good bye to the people whom she was "taking advantage of" by pretending to be their lost daughter. Because of guilt, she decides to leave them and start a new in spite of the fact that she had fallen for the life she was living as one of the rich. She leaves the hacienda with the guy whom she had to pretend was her kuya, but she was deeply attracted to him. While in the midst of trial seduction in the car, they get attacked by her 'kuya's' mortal enemy, our hero, Wayne, who also mistook her for Aurora, and kidnaps her.

I found myself laughing when Wayne was waiting for Arthur's car and he was talking to himself. He was just so... non-threatening for a would-be kidnapper, he was endearing. "Matitikman mo ngayon ang pag-hihiganti ng gwapong si Wayne." Tapos ay nagpa-cute pa sa sariling repleksyon. I don't know, but I thought of him making kissy faces and just burst out laughing.

Etta is a feisty female. Biro mo, gumamit ka ba naman ng baseball bat sa tatlong kidnappers so that the guy you like can escape them? Which brings me to the mga-gusto-ko-sabunutan-list in the book. Number One, Arthur. Ang damuhong 'kuya' who hates Wayne's guts.

I know that if people disliked the kontrabida, then the author was successful in writing that character. But then, Orange was also able to redeem some of the characters in my mga-gusto-ko-sabunutan-list (like the Wina Bratinella, who, in the end, I even felt sorry for).

What I really loved about this book, apart from the entertaining story, is the snappy internal monologue. The characters' thoughts are as fast and witty, and just darn funny.

Example:

Wayne: "Si Kuya Kent mahilig talaga sa hayop. Actually, hanggang ngayon. Kaya nga ang syota n'on ngayon mukhang tarsier." - this line made me spray the book with a mouthful of Piatos the first time.

Yung pangalawa nung nag-nenok si Etta ng Piatos kay Wayne and there was an argument.

Wayne: "Oy! Meron ka naman ah!"
Etta: "Tinitikman ko lang kung masarap 'yang sa'yo."
Wayne: "Masarap talaga 'yong akin."

On that note, I think I squished the bag of Piatos while I was laughing my lungs out.

Then came the "bra" bit. Okay, this review is turning into an R-rated thing...

But what I'm trying to say is that I really enjoyed it from start to end. Great job, LD! It's a fun, enjoyable read with entertaining characters and kilig moments that sustained me while reading the book. There was no dull moment, and you were able to touch a wide variety of emotions in one book.

Antay ko na si Adam :)

"Bad trip si Mandy nang mga nakakaraang araw. Napapansin kasi niya, mula nang makipisan sa bahay nila ang pinsan niyang si Carla, ito na ang bukambibig ng best friend niyang si Stephen. Parang gusto na niyang magselos. Kung bakit, iyon ang gumugulo sa isip niya. Mga bata pa lang ay magkaibigan na sila ng lalaki, pero ni minsan ay hindi niya nilagyan ng ibang kulay ang friendship nila.

Everything seemed clearer nang hagkan siya ng kinaiinisan niyang si Zacharias Mendrano. It outraged her. Bakit siya nito hinalikan? At bakit siya pumayag?

The answers surprised her. She learned that love was not as simple as she thought it was…"

This book has a special place in my heart. Mas Carla ako, not because I'm good at things but because I'm a little more reserved than the explosive firecracker that Mandy is. Anyway, it's special because I consider myself one of the promoters of this book. Ninenok ko lahat ng kopya from Apple with the intention of giving everyone (or at least four other people) a copy. I was probably as excited as Yumi when this book came out. And it was well worth it.

Love 101 is the story of the strong-willed and independent Mandy, a person whom, I can say, I'd definitely love to be my best friend, or at least, at my back in a street brawl. She's loud and sometimes obnoxious, and you love to kiss her and kick her at the same time, but she's totally endearing. As a matter of fact, in my opinion, Mandy carried the whole book. Oh, Stephen and Carla make a great secondary couple, but it's Mandy's story.

Here she deals with her jealousy for a seemingly perfect cousin who looks like she was stealing away her (Mandy's) best friend; her possessiveness towards that best friend; and her mixed feelings for the clumsy giant who keeps on bumping into her.

When the book started with a Stephen-Mandy scene, I wasn't sure which guy I'm going to be rooting for, the best friend or the new guy. While I love "best friends who end up together" stories, I kept an open mind and waited for Zach to make an appearance. Malay ko ba kung mas fafable si Zach.

Zach reminded me of guys I used to like when I was younger, with the patay-ang-butiki hairstyle and charming personality. At first I thought Mandy's too much of an independent woman for him, but then Zach was able to handle himself. I was suddenly all for Zach and Mandy.

Aside from the main relationships (Zach and Mandy's, Stephen and Carla's), I also loved Mandy's relationship with her mom. It was obvious that they were close. At kahit pa nilalaglag siya ng mommy niya at madalas yurakan nito ang pagkatao niya, Mandy's mom loves her. Mandy's friendship with Carla also made me smile. What made Mandy more likable was the fact that she was rough around the edges, but she was fiercely protective of the people she loves, evidenced by her relationship with Carla when she finally got over her jealousy and insecurity and gave them a chance to become friends. This is where I started thinking that Mandy was one heck of a friend (or back-up fighter sa isang no-holds barred street fight).

Isa pa, I love Zach. He's really sweet, and not only to Mandy but to the girls, and to his family. He's such a boy-next-door, crushable kind of guy, it was harder to root for Stephen hehe

Although I'd love to read Stephen and Carla's side of the story. They make a really interesting side story and I'd like for them to be able to tell their own tale. What will happen to Stephen's dad? Will Michael Faustino get what he deserves? Like castration? Or a secondary circumcision... without anesthesia? Those things I'd like to know. They deserve their HEA too.

Si Mandy naman. Well, mahirap siya i-dislike lalo na kapag nakilala niyo na siya haha although when I met Yumi, hindi pa niya nilalabas masyado yung Mandy tendencies niya. Demure-demure pa siya noon at hindi pa niya ako binabalahura. Ngayon, hindi na niya ako ginagalang! LOL Just kidding. Yumi, I do appreciate your being Mandy to my Carla. Which is why this book is really special to me too.

Here's to more of your books!

Click here for Love 101 trivia.

"Ayon sa kanyang tiyahin, sa bisperas ng birthday niya, kailangan niyang maglagay ng three red roses sa ilalim ng kanyang unan. Mapapanaginipan niya daw ang lalaking nakatadhana para sa kanya.

Out of curiosity ay sinunod ito ni Lorraine. Ayon pa sa tita niya, ginawa iyon ng ginang noon kaya masaya ang married life nito. Ngunit limang taon niya na iyong ginagawa, pero lagi na lang ay nakakalimutan niya ang mukha ng lalaking napapaginipan sa tuwing nagigising siya.

Pero papaano kung matuklasan niyang ang lalaki sa panaginip tuwing sasapit ang birthday niya, ay fiance na pala ng ate niya?"

When I went back to Bookware to get a check for one of my last accepted manuscripts, our assitant editor, Apple gave me a few books that my friends had emailed her to give to me. One book that she had to scour the office for was Jean Mae Oryza's Roses and Dreams. With a personal approval from Apple, I knew that it was a going to be a good read. That same day, I also bought Jean Mae's book that was released by another publisher, PHR called Destined to Be Mine *sakal si Harrieth. Antayin mong yun ang i-review ko*.

The blurb at the back of Roses and Dreams was really interesting so I settled into my favorite reading position (lying in bed with big pillows to hug and squeeze at the "kilig" parts) and started to read.

The story revolved around Lorraine whose aunt taught to put three red roses beneath her pillow on the day before her birthday so that she would dream about the guy destiny has chosen for her. And while she dreamt about her future Prince Charming, she never rememberd his face or found out his name... until Lorraine's Ate Laiza brought him to the Philippines and introduced him as her fiance. Arouch.

Gustong gusto ko yung idea nung "roses and dreams". Hindi natin alam kung totoo yung mga ganung kasabihan, syempre, pero there are times when we wish that they are. I was particularly interested especially when Jean Mae mentioned she had dreamed Lorraine's dream scene in the book. (O-ha? Stephenie Meyer, is that you?) I think we can all say that one time or another we have dreamed of a guy whom we feel will be our HEA (happily-ever-after) but can't remember their faces when we wake up. Or even if we do remember their faces (napanaginipan ko minsan si Travis, at kahit nakatalikod, kilala ko siya!), we can't really tell who they are. After ko mabasa yung book, gusto ko mag-lagay ng roses sa ilalim ng unan ko, kaya lang 1) walang roses dito, and 2) matagal pa birthday ko... kaya yung book na lang ang nilagay ko sa ilalim ng unan ko!

I found the characters likable. Lorraine loves her ate so she's willing to give up that love for her ate's happiness. Clark is one of the sweetest guys to take responsibility like that, and also, he's close to his family, which is a major plus point for a guy if you ask me. Syempre, pogi ito! Pangalan pa lang mukha nang mabango.

Also, I find a book successful if I smile, laugh out loud, cry and hurt while reading it because the author was able to make me feel exactly what the characters are feeling. Success naman si Jean Mae dito. Every time I read about how Lorraine feels, sumasakit ang solar plexus ko! She was in love with someone who already belonged to someone else... her ate pa of all people kung 'di ba naman?

Of course, as expected, there are a lot of kilig scenes.
FAVORITE KILIG SCENE: Yung dancefloor scene which made me play N'Sync's "Falling" over and over and over again, and I could just see Clark and Lorraine dancing in my head everytime I play the song (LSS).

MADE ME WONDER: Anong nangyari kay Adrian? Bakit kawawa ang mga characters na Adrian ang pangalan?

You have to read to know the twists, and they're pretty good twists, too. I can't say what happened next, siempre, but I can guarantee that there's an HEA ending. You won't be disapponted.

Isa pa, 'pag walang roses, pwede bang santan na lang? O kaya bougainvillea?