Reading for pleasure

The last fiction I read was the Fifty Shades of Grey series. I asked my best friend Dawn to buy it for me as a Christmas present.

I had set a moratorium on myself from buying books until I would finish the books on my bookshelves. And that would spell F-O-R-E-V-E-R. Of course, I’ve violated my self-imposed rule when I got a Kindle. But because you can download samples of the e-books for free, I have somewhat tempered my hoarding instincts quite a bit. 

Basically, I read mostly non-fiction. I like sociology, psychology, economics, spirituality, health and fitness. I like Malcolm Gladwell’s books, especially the Tipping Point. The reason I was interested in the Fifty Shades books of E.L. James because of the bandwagon. I attempted reading Harry Potter and the Midnight series but they didn’t really appeal to me. I liked Fifty Shades of Grey because it’s chic lit. With fiction, I really just like mababaw. 

Light reading was what I needed after my coverages in Zamboanga and Bohol. Bianca Gonzales with her wide range of interests — from fashion to rap to social issues — was raving about the book Ang Diary ng Panget.

Ang Diary ng Panget 3 by Haveyouseenthisgirl was on the No. 1 spot of the National Bookstore’s list and that prompted her to get a copy. 

I needed something light. Good thing, Bianca was already done reading Book 1. Ang Diary ng Panget is about a girl, Eya, who thinks she is ugly. Despite this, she manages to get the attention of the handsome and rich guys in campus. Eya has spunk, and could not care less about her appearance. I agree with Bianca that the book has the Koreanovela flavor to it. The dialogues are very witty and humorous. 

What impresses me is that Ang Diary ng Panget was written by a 17-year-old on WattPad. It has become such a hit that a publisher approached her for a book project. At 19, she has three books published. I heard there were seven in the series, but I’m not so sure because there are only three in National. Thanks for that cliffhanger that haveyouseenthisgirl left on Book 3! I’m officially wanting more of Ang Diary ng Panget. Too bad, I don’t have any idea how to use WattPad, and so I’d have to until the next books become available. Sigh. 

Or maybe I’d just catch the movie. From WattPad to book to film — something to look forward to. Not exclusive to the Kim Chiu and Kathryn Bernardo generation, but also to the 30-somethings. 

At a time when people are so consumed with Internet and gadgets, it’s refreshing to find new authors, with a solid following for their work. Perhaps, the observation that there are less Pinoys reading literature and classics nowadays is accurate, but on the other hand, I don’t recall reading books by young Filipino authors when I was in my teens. I had a collection of Sweet Dreams books. I only read books by Filipino authors because it was required reading in school. To see that there are several Filipino titles in the bestsellers list is also a revelation of emerging talents. Other authors on the bestsellers list include Ramon Bautista. I’ve read Bob Ong years ago, and I like his books, too. I appreciate the approach to writing — palatable and entertaining. Perhaps, this is the kind of reading that has to be introduced — reading for pleasure that makes you want to read more. 

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