Reading for the Sake of Content // some honest thoughts from blogging over the years

Happy new year, again! Cue the yearly reading challenges, resolutions, and pledges to read more!

NY resolutions from january 1-30 🥳

Maybe not, though.

This year, we all seem to want the universe to please cut us a break. It appears that many people have taken the initiative to carve out some guilt-free, time for rest in the upcoming months, and for some avid readers, this means cutting down on how many books we’re aiming to read by 2022. 

Although I personally don’t plan on scaling back my reading this year—there’s only so much reading my “slow-reader” butt can cut down on before I’m not reading anything 😅—the idea of slowing down how much literature I’m consuming brings to mind a question I ask myself often: how much do I read for the sake of content for my blog and YouTube channel? 

My 2021 New Year’s Resolutions // reflecting on last year and starting a digital reading journal

Happy new year!

I haven’t done one of these posts since 2018 (three years ago!?!), so I thought I would finally do one in the spirit of 2021 being a better year than 2020 🤞.

The overarching theme that I’ve set for myself this year is: I can do difficult things. It’s pretty much the same as my 2018 theme to “push myself outside of my comfort zone”, and as it silly as it sounds, it’s actually effective having something like a saying that I can remind myself of all year. (It’s better than not having anything to guide me like last year 😅.) Although my resolutions are very general and don’t appear to fall under “I can do difficult things“, it’s all cohesive in my head 😂:

Book Review: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones // yes, you should still read the book even if you’ve seen the movie

Title: Howl’s Moving Castle

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Published: April 1986

Pages: 329

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Book Depository / Goodreads

I finally read Howl’s Moving Castle. 

—six months ago, but who’s keeping track?

This acclaimed novel was originally published in 1986, but I discovered it the way I think a good number of people did: through the 2004 animated film adaptation produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Usually, I wouldn’t bother reading a book if I’ve seen its movie already, but I had always had an exception for Howl’s Moving Castle. The movie was just so magical and beautifully-crafted, and the soundtrack (the soundtrack!) was so good that I knew I had to see where it was born from. After finally reading the book, I can say that it was completely worth my time. 

Should You Start A Booktube (Book YouTube) Channel? // why i finally made one and some pros and cons based on my first impressions

The short answer is a tentative yes, but the long answer is… longer and needlessly wordier.

*You may be able to generalize this post if you’ve had an overall interest in making a YouTube channel, bookish or not 🙂.

Book Review: You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy // listening as a response to loneliness

Title: You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters

Author: Kate Murphy

Published: January 7, 2020

Pages: 278

Genre: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help

Book Depository / Goodreads

How often during conversations do you find yourself thinking that someone isn’t listening to you? How often do you find that you’re not listening?

In You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters, journalist Kate Murphy addressed the incessant rise of loneliness in the digital age and within cultures that tout personal success and identities over collectivism. Her recommendation (which shouldn’t be taken as a conclusive solution to the assuredly more complex issues of our times 😅) was to listen more.

Books Based On My Favorite Karaoke Songs // a self-indulgent recommendation post

I can’t sing to save my life.

But, sing-screaming to a karaoke song?

Normally, I try to stay away from doing recommendation posts because I end up recommending the same five books I always mention. So, I really don’t know what to say about this post, except that I wanted to talk about music, but with a bookish spin .

Book Review: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay // my most anticipated read of 2020

Title: Patron Saints of Nothing

Author: Randy Ribay

Published: September 10, 2019

Pages: 432

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Amazon / Barnes & Nobles / Book Depository / Goodreads

July 24, 2020 | Before you read this, please take a moment to read this important blog post by the author of the book, and learn about how you can take action against the new Terror Law in the Philippines.

Growing up, I was reluctantly proud of being half-filipino.

Even though I was also half-Indian, my mom was undoubtedly more successful than my dad at ensuring that my siblings and I were connected to her homeland and Filipino culture (sorry, dude ✌️). We used Filipino honorifics like “Ate” and “Kuya” in our household, regularly went to fiestas and novenas organized by family in the area, and visited the Philippines every two or three summers.

3 Movies To Watch This May // rapid fire recommendations for asian and pacific islander heritage month

I am in no capacity a movie buff.

Truly, the only reason I can’t count the number of movies I’ve watched this month on one hand is because the number is zero 😅. But, I’m not letting that stop me from recommending a meager number of three movies that you should watch before May ends!

(They’re perfect for celebrating Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 😏!)

Book Blogs You Should Follow // blogs i love (part one/infinite)

This post has been a long time a-coming.

I’ve been meaning to start a series on here to highlight blogs I love on my long and growing list, so here she finally is, folks. Hopefully this will be a monthly feature because I’m pretty 💩 about doing tags and need another way to appreciate you all.

leslie knope’s approval, the highest honor?

Here is an incomplete list of book blogs that never fail to entertain me, make me think, or bring a smile to my face. Some I’ve been following for years, others I found recently, and while I mercilessly comment on a handful of them 🥰, I remain a timid, silent follower of the rest lol 🙈:

Do You Follow The Hype Train? // my opinion on reading hyped books

Are you a passenger on the hype train?

Train metaphors ✌️😅.

i watched this gif too many times than i’d like to admit.

Every month, Rukky from Eternity Books shares weekly bookish discussion topics for her awesome Let’s Talk Bookish feature. I always look forward to the discussions and am finally participating in today’s: The Hype Train! Rukky provided some great guide questions, so I’ll keep this intro short 💃:

Check out Rukky’s blog and the discussion topics! Her posts are always so fun and thoughtful!