Anyone who knows me can probably attest to the fact that I have way too many books. I’m creature of habit not only when it comes to reading, but also when it comes to book shopping (another indulgence I can never get rid of, probably not ever). Bookstores always amaze me, probably because as a kid, I’ve always been a nerd and a bookstore is my idea of heaven. In this day and age, with the surge of Kindles and ebooks, I find myself still attached to good ol’ papaerbacks. Well that, and my idea of heaven now includes Christian Louboutin flagship store in Paris (I know, I just had to write that).
Anyway, I’ve been trying to catch up on my reading lately for several reasons. My unread books are calling out to me (I recently re-organized my pathetic excuse of a bookshelf, thinking the whole time how badly I need a proper one). I have the whole set of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones waaaaay before HBO even started shooting the Red Wedding episode. I know, it’s such a shame I didn’t have ‘enough’ time to really devour them. I have a lot of books bought from different airport shops (I know, it’s a weird habit) and it will be such an embarrassment if they just sit in my bookshelf after having ‘flown’ thousands of miles.
So, with this new resolution in mind (and well, a little guilt, I guess), a recent trip to the bookstore one weekend kicked off this back-to-reading mantra. I picked two easy reads: one that you might consider as chick lit and the one, the second installment of a thriller I’ve read around last year.
CHASING HARRY WINSTON (Laura Weisberger)
“He certainly seems like the perfect guy but none of that matters if he’s not the perfect guy for you.”
Anyone who’s a Gossip Girl fan certainly knows who Harry Winston is. Remember that huge engagement ring Chuck bought for Blair? Yeah, that was from Harry Winston (one of the famous jewelers in the world). The book, aptly titled, was about 3 best friends nearing their 30th (which is probably why I chose to read it in the first place, me being 4 months shy of turning 30). It revolved around the girls’ lives – corporate stuff, wedding proposal, recent heartbreak, new boyfriend – and how they managed to do something different, something new, in a span of a year.
It was a good read. There were a lot of things that I was able to relate to. At some point, it felt like I was reading about me (hah! yeah, it was that relatable). The book makes you really think about what you really want to do in life, who you really want to be, what you really want to change, and what really matters. If you’re at that point in your life when you begin to ask such questions, I suggest you give this book a try. It’s an easy read, perfect for a lazy weekend, while having coffee/cigarette, or wherever your happy place may be.
FREAK (Jennifer Hillier)
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” – Hitchcock
After I read “Creep”, Jennifer Hillier’s first book (a psychological thriller), I was an instant fan. Gahd, was that a page-turner! It’s been a while since I was able to get my hands on this second one, and now I can’t understand what took me so long.
I like thrillers. I like the adrenaline rush with every page turned – and your imagination is just out there. This book freaked me out! I honestly couldn’t sleep without the lights on after reading the first few pages. At the same time, I couldn’t put the book down. It’s about this serial killer who, while in prison, turned into a celebrity and gained followers all over the internet. (Remember that TV Series with Kevin Bacon, “The Following”? It’s somewhere along those lines, only this one didn’t really have THAT many “followers”, and the serial killer is a girl – imagine that!). Anyway, it’s really an exciting book, with unbelievable twists and a lot of cliffhangers at the end. (Book 3 is scheduled to be released next year).
Also, it’d be good to know that the author is Filipino-Canadian, visited Manila for a book signing last year (I don’t know where the hell I was at the time) and hopefully, next year when the third book comes out. Oh and the best part, we were actually tweeting each other this morning. Heeeeee. Okay, so I just had a fangirl moment, but it was totally cool and nice of her!!!
I digress.
Oh, and by the way, I’m currently reading ‘The Little Prince’. In French. But that’s for another blog post. Au revoir.
something fishy 