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Showing posts from January, 2016

"Nothing is better than even a hard life. I wanted to live."

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"The old world is dying, but a new world is being born. It generates inspiration from the chaos that beats upon us all. The false grandeur and security, the unfulfilled promises and illusory power, the number of the dead and those about to die, will charge the forces of our courage and determination. The old world will die so that the new world [will have] less sacrifice and agony on the living." Carlos Bulosan is a Filipino author who is considered both a socialist writer and a labor organizer. His writings have a lot of impact for many Asian immigrants who can relate to his chronicles of hardship, sickness and despair as he tried to make a living in America. This work of non-fiction is semi-autobiographical, depicting his early childhood steeped in poverty back in his hometown Pangasinan, which then carried on to discuss about his misadventures during his immigration to the United States (particularly in Seattle and California). Here in this places is where he e

The Man Without Fear Book 1 by Brian Michael Bendis

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This may be my second Daredevil book of this month but it's exactly the tone of narrative and kinds of storyline that strongly appeal to me. Writer Brian Michael Bendis and I have an enjoyable relationship so far in comics. I often do get invested in his X-Men titles particularly the first twenty-nine issues of All-New X-Men  and his entire The Uncanny X-Men  run, as well as that groundbreaking piece House of M . I only read Frank Miller's work before this one so I don't have anything else to compare it to, but I can say that this first book of Bendis' run for Daredevil  has astonishing potentials, rife with insightful characterization, believable dialogue and very atmospheric plots which are only enhanced by the four artists who gave life to each scene, all with their distinct visual styles. Hailed to be "one of the greatest creative tenures in Marvel history" by IGN, Bendis' Daredevil: The Man Without Fear truly lived to that praise with its fi

" E M M A " by Jane Austen

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A conversation about Jane Austen between myself and a second party would usually go like this: Second party: Have you read any Jane Austen books?    Me: I read Pride and Prejudice  and Sense and Sensibility  way back.   Second party: Aren't they awesome? Which P&P movie did you like?   Me: The one with Keira Knightley. I like her and the actor who played Mr. Darcy.   Second party: I agree! So what other Austen novels do you plan on reading?   Me: None, really. I, uh, don't really like her books.   Second party: Why not?   Me: *shrugs shoulders* Just not my cup of tea, I guess. I would like to disclose in this review once and for all that I could never consider myself a Jane Austen fan. I know that she's an amazing, influential classical female writer whose works have been adapted on screen and translated worldwide. I also always nod in amicable agreement whenever someone mentions her as their favorite author because I can acknowledge her con

DAREDEVIL: The Man Without Fear by Frank Miller

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My only connection to the Marvelverse comics for the longest time was with their X-Men. It was only recently--thanks to the movies--that I began to enjoy what other Marvel heroes could offer I go insane for Captain America LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE.  Now, like most people in the early 2000's, I barely remember the film adaptation of Daredevil  starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner but everyone agrees it sucked major balls. All I can remember is that I did like its soundtrack sung by The Calling--and that was it. Years later, I binge-watched the Netflix adaptation for three days every morning before I went to work--and I was absolutely enthralled!  I knew I had to experience Daredevil in his original medium so I ventured on to look for the most recommended comic books from his line-up. I came across three that I will be reading for this year and I start with a Frank Miller work for January because this was was a collaboration between writer Frank Miller and artist

B L U E by Kiriko Nananan

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As enjoyable and exciting as I find shounen ai/yaoi no matter how ridiculous the lack of real character development or plot are just to make way of what I deem 'sexy times' between pretty boys, my views are a lot more critical when it comes to its counterpart, shoujo ai/yuri. I think it stems from the fact that I have been in relationships with women, both romantic and sexual. In fact, it was only two years ago that I came out as bisexual (and it's been grueling to even admit it). For the longest time, I've identified as a lesbian but my sexual preference for partners is not something I consider as a social or political statement. I'm also not easily offended. That being said, I'm slightly uncomfortable with how pop culture in shows (and porn, but then again, it is porn ) tend to 'fetishize' sexual/romantic relationships between women, mostly when it's geared towards the male gaze. Shoujo ai/yuri's readership and demographic are mostly men too

A Blessing On Your House by Kotetsuko Yamamoto

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Listen: two men going at it is HOT, okay? It sizzles. It pops. It makes me salivate and get a lady boner. DEAL. WITH. IT. Now I've only been a ' fujoshi ' for a short while (since 2014, if you can believe it), and my sudden emotional investment on queer relationships or slash pairings in fandoms (anime, manga or otherwise) is all thanks to Charles and Erik of X-Men: First Class . Since I started rabidly shipping those gorgeous idiots both in film and in real life as the actors themselves, I also did a critical examination of other male friendships that I admired in the past in fiction and a few of them did stand out as ship-worthy. I'm not going to tell you specifically which are these but rest assured that I have been more or less converted to the fujoshi lifestyle. I'm not exactly ashamed of it but I won't advertise it in public during a random conversation with a new acquaintance. OR MAYBE I WILL. Actually, I ALREADY DID. I was hanging out with some guys

JANUARY List of Readables

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And now it starts again. Find me in their passages

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