Follow Friday: December 31

What are your New Year's Book Blogging Resolutions?
I'm a new book blogger and I noticed a lot of mistake I've done. So maybe it's time to change this coming year.
1. Interact more - I always read the post from the blogs I follow but I rarely comment. Depending on my mood if I want to do so. So in the coming year, I will comment more than I do usually. 
2. Review more/Read more - I'm a slow reader, but not naturally. I'm a teen boy and I got really distracted whenever their is technology, like my computer, iPod and cellphone. That slow down my reading. So I will do my best to read more so I can do a lot more reviews for my followers.
3. Giveaways? - I'm not sure if this coming year I will be able to afford a giveaway. But we do not know, I may have the budget this coming year, and that will be my first!
4. More Interviews - I'm not interactive with author actually, bot this coming year, I will do a lot more author interviews
5. Choose what I will review - Recently, I'm receiving books/e-books to review, mostly from unpopular authors. Next year, I will try to say NO to some of them.

Tragic Theater by G.M. Coronel

Tragic Theater by G.M. Coronel

Publication Date: August 2009
Publisher: Visprint Inc.
Pages: 245
Genre: Horror
Source: bought at National Bookstores(Philippines)

In February 1999, a group of spirit communicators attempted to exorcise the then-abandoned Manila Film Center of ghosts. These supernatural beings were believed to be those of the victims from a fatal accident during its hasty construction. 

Unknown to them something had, long ago, taken sanctuary inside the building feeding on the anger and misery of the victims' souls. They learned this secret too late and walked into a horrifying encounter.

 Annie is an official in the Tourism Department. They planned to reconstruct the haunted Manila Film Center, so they can build an IMAX theater in it. First, they need to drive out all of its inhabitance before proceeding to its construction. He seeks for the help of Father Nilo, a close friend of her, to exorcise the building. But during their procedures, the unexpected happened.

The action started in the first few chapters, enough to say that the book is fast paced. One thing I don't like in the book is its unnecessary explanation of historical background of some places. One example is a lengthy description of a chapel which was not necessary. The chapel in the first place is not a major setting, it was just mentioned then the description comes. It shows that the author researched well but he put in the wrong place.

In the first few chapters, Annie is very unlikable. She is very irritating when it comes to her decisions. But you will understand why as the story go on. For me, it seems that Annie and Fr. Nilo have a mutual understand between them. Which is very unlikely with a priest. The author wrote their actions like a couple rather than close friends. Annie came to the point where she will be a round character but the plot took over pushing her back as a flat character.

The writing is also not that good. I like how the author pick his words when writing. The Tagalog dialog, for me, added an emotion to their conversation. But what I don't like is the English translation after the Tagalog sentences. He should have written the book in purely Tagalog or English instead.

The ending is a huge cliff hanger. It is very obvious that there will be a second book. It should be okay but the ending was full of questions that should be answered, which I think is not that good. But personally I want the answers to the questions, making me wait for the second book.

Rating

Plot: 4
Characters: 3
Ending: 3
Writing: 4

Overall: 3.5

Changes in 2011

2010 is coming to an end, and 2011 is now saying hello. I decided to post the changes that I will make in the blog in the coming year. 

1. Book Details - if you notice, I don't write the book details like publisher, publishing date, pages, etc. In the coming year, I will start to place them at my reviews so you can see it. Know if it is already published or any info you want.

2. Source - I will now say the source of the book in a proper manner. I just started to received review copies and started to request from Net Galley. 

Maybe also in 2011, I will try to read fast. I'm wasting my holidays surfing the net and less reading books. So in 2011, I will read faster and lessen my internet usage. 

Life is Good Award

Hi, today, I received an blog award called Life is Good Award from aobibliophile. 

here's how this award works:
1. first, thank and link back to the person that gave the award
2. answer the 10 survey questions
3. pass the award along to other bloggers whom you think are fantastic.
4. contact the bloggers you have chosen to let them know about the award.

10 survey questions:

1. If you blog anonymously, are you happy doing this?   If you are not anonymous, do you wish that you had started out anonymously, so that you could be anonymous now?

· I blog not so anonymously. I sometimes give some of my real identities but of course I took some precautions.

2. Describe an incident that shows your inner stubborn side.

·   I can't remember any :)

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?

·     I see a happy man

4. What is your favorite summer cold drink?

·    Mango juice or sometimes buko juice

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?

·       I do what ever I want

6. Is there something that you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?

·    I want to establish my own business and experienced to be called as boss.

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?

·   I am the class clown, and I'm happy that they like it.

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment in your life, what would you see?

·        I will see a moment to God talking to Him.

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?

·     I like doing it but I take precautions. It is best if your followers know something about you.

10. If you had the choice to sit down and read a book or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?

·      I would like to talk to the phone. 

Blogs I think deserve the award

Amaterasu Reads

Reading Vacation

The Slowest Bookworm

Brush up your reading

Waking the Dead by Yvette Tan

After a week of no blogging due to vacation, I will now post my review for Waking the dead which I read during my vacation in Bicol.

Waking the Dead and other Horror Stories is a collection of 10 horror stories.

Let's us talk first about the cover. I really like it especially the idea of an inverted image of a lady and the font of the title. It somehow catches my attention that is why I chose it to read first.

Let's just say I only like some stories in the book, The Bridge and Stella for Star. Those two stories, even not that scary, have a very nice plot. I also like the gross part in the Stella for Star.

Most of the stories, for me, lack the thrilling part in the ending. Sometimes, when the story begins to be interesting, it will suddenly end. If the endings will be a lot more dramatic, thrilling, I will say that I will like the book.

I also not recommend this to be read by young readers who are not educated in sexual matters. The book contains some bits of pornography. I didn't really know that it has, I'm a young reader but I know what is right and wrong so I think I'm safe:).

Rating: 4