September 2014 Bookshelf Bucket List: Technoliterature! + Event Alert: Marie Lu Book Signing Event

How's it going? It's that time of the month again! Time to list down yet another set of books that our bookshelves ought to have before it breaks. This month's theme is all about technology! I figured that since this month is the month of the release of the iPhone 6 (which apparently is also a flip phone lol), it would only be appropriate. This month's BBL features books in which technology plays a huge part. So with all that said, let us begin!

1. The Eye of Minds

• Title: The Eye of Minds
• Author: James Dashner
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, adventure
• Pages: 308 pages (hardcover)
• Published: 8 October 2013
• Series:  The Mortality Doctrine #1

"An all-new, edge-of-your seat adventure from James Dashner, the author of the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series, The Eye of Mindsis the first book in The Mortality Doctrine, a series set in a world of hyperadvanced technology, cyberterrorists, and gaming beyond your wildest dreams . . . and your worst nightmares.

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and it’s addictive. Thanks to technology, anyone with enough money can experience fantasy worlds, risk their life without the chance of death, or just hang around with Virt-friends. And the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway?

But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And recent reports claim that one gamer is going beyond what any gamer has done before: he’s holding players hostage inside the VirtNet. The effects are horrific—the hostages have all been declared brain-dead. Yet the gamer’s motives are a mystery.

The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker.
And they’ve been watching Michael. They want him on their team.
But the risk is enormous. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid. There are back alleys and corners in the system human eyes have never seen and predators he can’t even fathom—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever."

This selection is somewhat influenced by my reading experience with the Maze Runner series. I thought that since I had an epic read with the same author, why not try this one? And sci fi happens to be one of my favorite genres, so I think that this book could be interesting. And I just thought of this right now but this pick somehow celebrates the premier of the Maze Runner movie as well (which I have not seen yet *sobs*).

2. Feed

• Title: Feed
• Author: M. T. Anderson
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, fantasy
• Pages: 308 pages (paperback)
• Published: 23 February 2004
• Series:  none

"For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon - a chance to party during spring break and play with some stupid low-grav at the Ricochet Lounge. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its omnipresent ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. Following in the footsteps of George Orwell, Anthony Burgess, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr., M. T. Anderson has created a not-so-brave new world — and a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now."

Now this next book I have heard from during Alex London's book signing event. He was talking about how he admires this book and how it somehow influenced his two books Proxy and Guardian. Just thought I'd check it out and here it is now on our September 2014 BBL! I also would like to read this because it is not a part of a series. I mean I do love reading books from series but there's just this magical feeling of finishing a book with no sequel. I can't describe it in detail but it just leaves you longing but at the same time feeling contented. 

3. Legend

• Title: Legend
• Author: Marie Lu
• Genre: young adult, sci fi, dystopia, fantasy
• Pages: 305 pages (paperback)
• Published: 16 April 2013
• Series:  Legend #1

"From different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths...

Until June's brother is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect.

In a shocking turn of events, the two uncover what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets."

Now this is exciting! I figured it would be a great way to end our BBL with this book since Marie Lu is actually going to have a book signing this November! But here's the deal: I'm super undecided if I should go to this event or not, primarily because I haven't read her books yet. Hahaha. That is why this is on this month's BBL. Alex London and Marie Lu are great friends, so maybe I'll like this series as well? Who knows? But sure enough, this book caught my interest, and I can't wait to read it. And maybe I'll make up my mind about the event after I'm done with this.

So that's it for this month's Bookshelf Bucket List! Have these books caught your interest as well? Or do you have books to recommend to me that might fall down this month's theme? Let me know in a comment! Until then, this has been your on-duty bookworm Jude, sharing with you every month three books that our bookshelves ought to have before it breaks. Oh yeah, time to wake up that guy from Green Day. Happy October everyone! Peace!

Event Recap: 35th Manila International Book Fair

How's it going, peeps! I know, I know. It has been a very LONG time since my last post. I do apologize for that. College is starting to slowly take effect into my system (side effects include but are not limited to: eyebags, pimples, stress, less time to do what you want, sleepless nights). However, I do still have some free time left. That is why I had the chance to visit last week's 35th Manila International Book Fair! Yippee! The MIBF is known for being the country's largest gathering of all things book. If you have read my last post, you would get the idea (if not, click HERE) and now I am writing to share with you my very own MIBF experience! So without further ado, let's get it started. 

The event started at 10 AM although we arrived near noon. And as I expected, since it was the last day of the 5-day event, the MIBF was ultra-packed! A long line for the entrance was awaiting us outside but luckily it moved quickly. When we got inside, there was people EVERYWHERE. 

The next thing to do was to get tickets. Tickets were priced PHP 15.00 for students and PHP 20.00 for adults. I thought they were going to have their own tickets, which I figured would be a great remembrance but sadly (maybe since it's the last day and they ran out), I got this instead *sigh*:

And now my phone decides to focus. Great timing, phone. -_-

So much for my remembrance. Anyway, after purchasing the tickets we were allowed to go inside! The first shop that welcomed me was an old friend and school buddy...

Of course, the next move was almost instinctual. I went inside and strolled around! There was a line surrounding the National Book Store booth and I think that it was for the Jennifer E. Smith and Lissa Price double book signing event. I don't think I could stand in line for so long if I was in their place, though, with all the books surrounding the area. Haha. NBS' booth was HUGE by the way. It was almost like a quarter of the whole venue. Aside from books (which were all on sale), stationery was also available in their booth. After looking around for a while I decided to go to the other book store that all PH bookworms know: Fully Booked!

By the way, you remember Kevin Dones, right (blogger of Tomebound whom I met on Instagram and then met face-to-face during the Alex London event)? Little did I know that I would see him once again in that booth! He's not hard to miss since he has that thing that I had given up on trying to have a long time ago: height. #HUGOT Hahaha. Anyway, I approached him again to say hi and we chit-chatted for a short while. {To Kevin: I always forget to get a photo with you lol. Anyway, see you again soon!} After a quick chat {To Kevin again: we've got to start lengthening our conversations more haha}, we finally parted ways (but don't worry, we still ran into each other a couple of times after that meet-up). After that, I decided to roam around and look at what every booth has to offer.

I ran into this book "museum" by Rex Book Store which I thought was absolutely awesome at first, but turned out to have, like, only a couple of exhibits. Still cool though. 

Sorry! My phone was being moody during the event. Anyway, it says "The Biggest Book".

After taking pictures with my phone which obviously did not want to cooperate with me (hence the blurred pics), I roamed the entire venue to see what's up. As it turned out, majority of the booths left were either Bible/inspirational book stores or textbook stores or children's book stores so I decided to return to the two big bookstores I love once again to look for books to buy. And while looking around at the NBS booth...

It was Geronimo Stilton and his sister Thea Stilton! The Geronimo Stilton! I know. It's a mascot for crying out loud but still! You probably don't know why I'm freaking out about this so let me tell you why. You see, the first book (or at least what I really felt was a real book, not the 0.00001 micrometer thick children's books with pictures) I ever read was a Geronimo Stilton one! I was in Grade 2 back then. And that was what sparked my passion for reading. My school when I was in elementary always had Scholastic book fairs, and I always made sure I got at least 1 Geronimo Stilton book from that fair every year. That small tradition of mine lasted for 5 years! So you could only imagine the nostalgia I felt when I saw them. They were there to do a book signing, which was odd considering they were only mascots (but the kids would buy it though lol). After this I met up with my bookworm high school friend and we both looked for books to buy. 

I figured since it was the last day of the fair, competition between buyers is at its peak and shelves are starting to be empty. I decided it was time to turn on my game face. But alas! I wasn't able to look for anything to buy at the NBS booth (Sorry NBS!) so I decided to go to the Fully Booked booth instead. I ended up buying three books from Fully Booked. All were priced 20% off! Woohoo! I also got to ask for an MIBF Fully Booked ticket from the counter. Brace yourselves since this ticket (which is now a bookmark) is totally powerful!

I was just too stupid to accidentally fold the top part but it still looks cool! And this was my book haul from the MIBF!

Hooray for my bookshelf! As of now I have already finished Wonder and all I could say about it is WOW! Book review coming soon! 

And that was my 35th Manila International Book Fair experience! All in all I can say that I enjoyed the experience, although I am pretty sure that I would have enjoyed it more if I had more money hahaha. Also, I bet it would be better if I went earlier and not on the last day. But I still had a great time despite the given circumstances. Did you attend the event as well? What are your thoughts about it? Let me know in a comment. Once again, I apologize for the lack of activity but I assure you there's going to be more content coming soon! ;) Keep on reading!

Event Alert: 35th Manila International Book Fair and What to Expect!

Photo from the Manila International Book Fair Facebook account.

How's it going, everyone? Just thought I'd share this bit of news with y'all. Wednesday next week is the start of the annual Manila International Book Fair! Now on its 35th year, the event (called MIBF for short) is expected to be a bookworm's paradise! I've been wanting to go since the previous event last year although I was not able to but this year my calendar has been marked! 

I would be attending this event for the first time and with all "first times" come these curious questions: What happens? What's in it? Why would I go? What would I expect? But fear not, my friend, for I have retrieved the answers from the magical portal of knowledge known by its mighty name: the internet. So with all that said, here are the top 3 things to expect from this year's MIBF!

1. Books (and other bookish stuff) as far as the eye can see.

Obviously. This event is a celebration of all things book, and of course the event wouldn't even exist without it. The event features a wide array of bookstores, distributors, publishers, etc., all under one roof! And they wouldn't be there just for show. They're going to be featuring what's hip and happening in their businesses. Aside from that, the MIBF features a (to quote Rappler.com) "literary labyrinth" of all kinds of bookish shtuff, from books themselves (ranging from textbooks to novels to e-books, etc., with the BEST DEALS) to stationery and bookish accessories, making it a bookworm's haven (if you have the money to actually buy something, that is).

2. A literary red carpet!

One of the more appreciated reasons for going to the MIBF is for the opportunity to meet the people behind the books; book authors, illustrators, and publishers alike! And the "International" in "Manila International Book Fair" isn't there for just some flair. (Oooooh, I made a rhyme!) Joining our local authors are some international authors as well, making the MIBF the best time to know your favorite authors from around the world more. (and to get their signatures, too, while your'e at it)


3. Book releases and other literary events.


Being the largest book fair in the Philippines also means grouping the largest number of bookworms from across the country. And with that much of an audience, there is bound to be some events happening. Book signings are just the tip of the iceberg! Walk a few steps away from where you are currently at and you might find yourself joining a giveaway! Walk a few steps farther and you might find yourself chit-chatting with your fandom! (Ah... the feeling of being home!) The MIBF is home to various literary events that aim to enhance the way we read while making sure our MIBF experience is one we would not forget.

So those are the top 3 things to expect from this year's Manila International Book Fair. Have I subliminally hypnotized convinced you into going this year? I sure hope so! I have a feeling that it would be a blast! I'll be going on the last day, which is on September 21 (Sunday), so if you happen to be around, don't be afraid to say "Hi!". The details of the event are on the picture above. I'll make sure to document the event. So with all that said, see you around! Peace!

P.S. Posting about the event was my own idea and in no way am I affiliated with the MIBF committee while posting this. Also, check out the event's website for more details! Here's the post where I got the info, too! :)

Event Recap: Alex London Book Signing Event #AlexLondoninPH

Good morning world and all who inhabit it! It is with great pleasure that I share with you my very first book signing experience! And it was AMAZING! I got to meet a lot of bookworms and book bloggers, and I got to meet Alex London himself! t was a BLAST. I was so hyped from the experience that I made a short video of it! 

Bear with me while I blabber about some minor details before we head on to the juicy parts. I was with my mom during the event and we left the house at about 7:30. We are very near the venue, although it took us a good five minutes to hop on to an FX. Luckily, we were able to arrive at 8 AM and the line was still mindblowingly short! The early bird does catch the worm, and this experience proved that to me. Hahahaha! Ever since this event was announced I have been preparing for the worst since I saw what happened during the previous events (full malls, lines encircling the mall at 6 AM, utter chaos) but I was surprised (and relieved!) that this event was organized and not too crowded.

Taken from National Book Store's Twitter account.

We waited outside for about an hour and a half before being allowed to go inside the mall and register. And I am proud to present to you (*drumroll*)... my signing pass number!

After registering, we were then able to pick our seats and I picked an aisle seat so that I could watch better. We were seated on those chairs from 9:30 AM up to the event itself! We survived by taking turns when going to the rest room and buying take-out so that we could eat on our spots. I didn't mind though. For me it was all worth it. You could see our spots below!

Taken from National Book Store's Twitter account.

And now let's delve into the details of the interview. Our host for the event was the charming Miss Yvette Fernandez and she asked a lot of good questions to Alex London. Good thing I managed to take videos and record audio of the event so I sort of transcribed the interview and got these info. Well, here they are! The juicy parts! (I don't actually know yet how to formally "quote", but the "italicized words in quotation marks" are his own words)

Some News about Alex London:

• He is going to be the newest writer of one of the 39 Clues! The series is called Double Cross but he hasn't come up with a title for his book as of now. 
• He just got married last Saturday! 
• He just finished writing his 15th novel prior to his arrival here in Manila. It is a novel for 8 to 12 year-olds about talking animals. 

Some facts about Alex London:

• His first book is a non-fiction book about children in war, with topics about child soldiers and refugee children.
• After writing 2 non-fiction books for adults, he started the Accidental Adventures series; a series for 8 to 12 year-olds, with rather silly titles like We Are Not Eaten by Yaks, We Dine With Cannibals and We Give a Squid a Wedgie. 
• After writing the Accidental Adventures series, he wanted to write something “more dark, more intense and more action-packed” and thus, Proxy was born! Proxy is his 10th book, and Guardian is the 11th. 
• He goes by different names with his different novels. He used Charles London for his first book (“Charles” is his first name) although he “didn't want a 10 year-old to Google Charles London and find this depressing heavy frightening book” so he followed J.K Rowling’s footsteps and used his initial “C.” combined with his middle name “Alexander” to form the name C. Alexander London for his books for 8 to 12 year-olds. 
• When it came to Proxy, his publishers wanted to “differentiate a brand” and no longer want C. Alexander London (as people would associate C. Alexander London with his “silly books and funny adventures”) so they came up with a shortened version of his name, Alex London, which he pertained to as his “action-packed sexy name” (LOL!).
• He worked as a journalist and researcher in Africa a few years back, and it gave him the world view that “humans can survive horrible things” and that “humans survive by finding the humanity in each other” , which became a recurring theme in Proxy.
• On becoming a writer, he was always fond of making stories since he was 8 years old. He became a journalist because he figured it would teach him how to write, and it did. And after a rather long yet touching story about a boy he met at a refugee camp in the Congo, he decided that it was time that he "stopped writing about these children and instead start writing for them"; and that was how he started writing novels.

Some facts about Proxy and Guardian:

• In the first draft, Marie had a different name and the book itself had a different ending.
• After receiving great advice for Proxy and Guardian from Legend Trilogy author Marie Lu, London changed the name of the character to “Marie” in her honor.
• Syd’s skin color “brown” was deliberately vague in order to create a hero who was not white, since London thinks this was very common in YA books nowadays, and he “wanted every teen to be able to imagine themselves as a hero in this book”.
• On the other hand, Knox was concretely white to show how wealthy he is with the idea that Proxy was set in a world with no ozone layer left and only the rich could have the luxury to have protection from the sun.
• Syd wasn’t actually planned to be gay, but as London was writing Proxy, he sort of “came out of the closet” to him.
• Upon being asked if Proxy could become a movie, he told us to keep our fingers crossed for the next two weeks!!!
• He is currently not planning on writing a third book although he assured us that he is not done with the characters yet. He may write some things in the future like novellas or short stories.

On His Writing:

• He follows this philosophy: “If I’m surprised, the reader will be surprised.” He tries to put the characters in situations of which he himself doesn't know how to get out of and see if they can get out of it. 
• Another philosophy of his: “When in doubt, just blow something up”. If he doesn't know what to do yet, he produces action to make the plot move. Although, it’s not always just action. He compares the plot to music. Both have rhythm, and pauses are just as important as the action because it gives the readers time to catch their breath.
• On killing characters off, he, along with his other YA author friends figured out that they are actually “fueled by drinking the tears of teenagers”. But kidding aside, as much as it breaks his heart to do something bad to the characters, he had to it in order to show that although they hurt, they can also heal and they can heal each other.

Tips for aspiring authors: 

• “Read. A lot. Read everything because that’s fuel for your imagination.”
• “Write a lot. Write every day and it doesn’t have to be good. You are allowed to suck at this because you are just starting out.”
• “Practice. The more you do it the better it gets.”
• "The most important piece of advice (and by far the coolest advice I have ever heard in my life!): Write your book. Don’t write a book for someone else. Don’t write a book for fame or fortune. Don’t write a book to chase a trend. Write the book that you mean to write and in an honest way that you can write it. There is no book that is too silly or too weird or too action-packed or too boring or too sad or too happy or too funny or too strange. There will always be a reader if you have written your honest book. There will always be a reader who can take that book up and say “Whoa. You too? I thought I was the only one.” And that is the power of books. But it only works when the writer is honest. And you might get a lot of rejection from that but just write the book that you mean to write. You can only improve your craft, but you can’t improve your honesty. Find that author’s voice and say it out as loud as you can for as long as it lives." (and that was the part where I gave a full standing ovation in my brain)

After that awesome and inspiring interview, it was finally time for the book signing! When my turn came, I was speechless for a few seconds that felt like minutes! Also, I gave him a card with some things I wanted to say to him. I told him that I knew I'd be too startsruck so I just wrote everything on the card.

 Also, a random girl named Ima asked if I could give Alex her card, too, since she forgot to give it to him during her turn. So I gave it to Alex and I explained it to him and I never thought that he'd appreciate what I did for that random girl! XD So I think that's why this was the dedication in the first book...

While he was signing my Guardian, I just kinda blurted out that with all the Team Knox and Team Liam hype going on, I'm Team Marie! I just had to. Hahaha. I just thought she was so cool and all but she turned out to be the most underrated character among the four, so I wanted Alex to know that at least there is someone rooting for Marie. And Alex agreed with what I said and gave me a high five!!! #TEAMMARIE! My mom managed to take a very not-good picture of the high five, but at least she got one! That high five was the coolest!

And last but not least, a picture with him!

Alex London is definitely the coolest! His books are amazing and what I personally loved were his words of advice. They really changed the way I think about writing and I hope to apply them when I start my writing career someday! I hope to meet him again someday and I hope to attend more events like this one! I also got to meet a fellow book blogger I met on Instagram a while back. His name is Kevin and his blog handle is Tomebound. You should check it out! Thanks to National Book Store once again for hosting this marvelous event! There were many firsts during this event; my first book signing, my first time meeting an author, and my first time meeting fellow book bloggers! This event is certainly one for the books and I can't wait to attend more!