Bookbed reviews ‘The Mythology Class’ by Arnold Arre

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by Cake Evangelista While reading Arnold Arre’s 1999 debut graphic novel The Mythology Class (2000 National Book Award Winner), I couldn’t help but reminisce about the fantastical and magical stories my mom, aunts, uncles and late grandmother used to tell me, my siblings and cousins when we were growing up. Those bedtime and naptime stories about all sorts of creatures from Philippine folklore sparked my love for reading and literature. And I do wonder if parents nowadays are still telling these tales to their kids, passing on this literary and cultural wealth to future generations. (I hope they do.) THE…

Shelfwalking: The Beast’s Library in the Making (I Wish)

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by Cake Evangelista Call me weird, but what I’m most excited to see in the live-action “Beauty and the Beast” (starring St. Hermione Granger Emma Watson) is the Beast’s bookgasmic bibliophile paradise. Four stories of shelves, spiral staircases, overstuffed couches, giant globes, a grand fireplace, and GAZILLIONS AND GAZILLIONS OF BOOKS(!). I mean, just LOOK AT IT. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. My collection of books, unfortunately, is so tiny, so minute, so insignificant compared to even 0.1 % of the Beast’s monstrous library. I remember replaying that library reveal scene repeatedly, going greener and greener with envy after each replay. (How to…

Happy Birthday, Harry! Love, From A Certified Potter Nerd

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by Cake Evangelista If this were some kind of “Bookaholics Anonymous,” where we would take turns in standing up, introducing ourselves and admitting our book addiction, I’m pretty sure my intro would be something like this: “Hello, my name is Cake. And I’m a Harry Potter addict.” It feels like it was only yesterday when my mom gave me a paperback copy of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. My mom fetched me from a classmate’s house. It was early Friday evening. The glow from a lamppost illuminated the darkened street outside my classmate’s house where my mom was…

Bookbed’s 6 Foolproof Book-Shopping Tips

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by Cake Evangelista The Manila International Book Fair has come and gone. And we’re sure you were one of hundreds of book geeks and lovers who trekked along with us to the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City for the annual book event. If you’re like me and have a tendency to become overwhelmed by mountains and mountains of glorious, glossy paperbacks, then you probably need a little guidance for your next foray into the book wonderland that is the book sale/fair. So before you let your inner rabid hoarder go wild, heed these few pieces of advice: 1. Arm yourself…

Bookbed recommends: ‘A Lover’s Discourse’ by Roland Barthes

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by Cake Evangelista ­ “I knew no end to desiring you.” That is the one quote in Roland Barthes’ A Lover’s Discourse that has been imprinted in my mind ever since I came across this brilliant and thought-provoking—yet admittedly difficult to read—masterpiece of a book. The thing is, I first read that line not in Barthes’ book, but—and this I admit without any ounce of shame—in this 150-peso chick lit, Mr. Write by M.D. Balangue, published by Cosmo Philippines. That quote intrigued me and I promised myself I would find its source and read it. I often tell people that reading…

Meet the Goddess of Love Stories: An Interview with Romance Author Mina V. Esguerra

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by Allana Luta and Cake Evangelista; art by Hazel Ureta Here at Bookbed, almost everyone is gaga over young adult and romance novels. (If it weren’t obvious yet.) So when we were talking about who we could feature as our first Filipino author, Mina V. Esguerra, one of today’s most popular Filipino authors of romance lit, definitely came on top of the list! We are huge fans of Mina’s work so it was exciting to get to know more about her. Plus, it’s International Literacy Day today so talking about one of our favorite writers talking about her favorite books is hitting two birds in…

The Art of Rereading

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by Cake Evangelista I was rummaging through the shelves of National Book Store Cubao—a book Mecca, and arguably the best branch of the Philippines’ leading bookstore chain—when I chanced upon a book with a pretty cover. It was a sepia-toned photo of a glamorous woman lying on a fainting couch, smiling at a man wearing a suit and with a cocktail in his hand. I don’t know about you, but I have judged a lot of books by their covers (call me shallow), and this one was really pretty. Then I realized that I have read this novel—twice! It was The…