I never make much sense in real life so why expect that here?
In true #BenBloopers ™️ fashion, I made a mistake with the previous post! 🤦🏽♂️
I mentioned writing down the target wordcount for each week and month of the class’ duration but in the photo it was the assignment submission deadlines! AND THEN I forgot to include photos of the wordcount target 🤦🏽♂️🤣🤣
So anyway, here it is, with stickers from, @kamoteph , @vinyliismph and @carlakdeguzman ! The “Consensual, Hot, Responsible” sticker is a direct reference from the #romanceclass textbook about writing sex scenes, (and OF COURSE I’ve already got the sex scenes outlined bec that’s how I roll. 😏 LOL.
Also can I take a moment to appreciate the holo rainbow this “Yass Henny” decal creates? ❤️ I love it so much! ❤️ I’ll buy more of it when I’m no longer bankrupt.
•
The opposite page is my Assignment #1, Story Concept that I submitted last week. I’m so happy and proud of this bec honestly, the idea has been marinating in my head for over a year but the execution is a little lopsided. I’ve created maybe three outlines for this, and well, this 4-paragraph blurb has been the most workable iteration of that idea. I don’t want to put it out for the whole world to see (bec I might jinx it, 😬) but the romanceclass community has seen it. I haven’t read the comments to it bec I’m scared. 😅 Esp now that my Act Three outline is still in shambles. 😑
•
So yeah. That’s it. I’m just rambling and distracting myself with this litany of a caption. 😂 Gotta go back to writing. ✍🏻✍🏻✍🏻 *do you think the outline will work itself out if I sleep on it??? Maybe I’ll dream of an amazing resolution? LOL
.
.
.
.
#amwriting #ParloristaRomance #writing #authorsofIG #romance #GayRomance #BekiWithTheGoodHair #journal #WashiWeekend #stickers #ArtPH #blurb
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2HMmTKASiv/?igshid=1qo3106lt5i4e
I’m supposed to be finishing the next assignment for #romanceclass2019 but ho ho ho, i’m struggling to come up with a believable conflict for Act Two. 😬
So of course I did the next best thing to writing: journaling about writing! 😂
•
I wrote down the recommended writing targets from the #romanceclass Textbook, and I plan to stick to it bec it absolutely helped me finish my novella MS the previous times I joined the class. I’ve got 700 words so far this week so I still need 1800 more to write until tomorrow. (I know, I should’ve written instead of journal but that’s time I can’t get back now so give it a rest. My journal turned Gorjess anyway, so whatevah). The title is just a placeholder bec IDK if the Queen Bey will let me use her iconic line. I’ll text her to check (char)
•
I also finally found a use for the @jvn sticker I got from Komiket earlier this year, and JVN catchphrases i got last year. All the pretty washis, i got from @chachicsbooknook , @carlakdeguzman and @lapinwolffe . Thank you, mga bes!
•
Now, to get back to writing. (Or is it time to snack? 😂🐽) How’s your weekend going? 😊 I hope we all get productive and/or restful Saturday and Sunday!
.
.
.
.
#amwriting #ParloristaRomance #writing #authorsofIG #romance #GayRomance #BekiWithTheGoodHair #journal #WashiWeekend
https://www.instagram.com/p/B2GYK_wg44h/?igshid=nz6hvuw0xfo8
📚AUGUST WRAP-UP 📚
•
I’ve unconsciously set a personal record of ‼️14 books ‼️ in a month! The caveat is: five of them were graphic novels I finished in one sitting and three were short novellas. Still, that means I’ve read six novels and whoa, that’s not my usual pace. Then again, this month wasn’t its usual level of stress so I needed to do something with my brain when I couldn’t sleep properly.
So. I’ve divided my reads into two groups, Graphic Novels & Ilona Andrews
•
Graphic Novel eARCs I got from NetGalley:
🧡 Saint Young Men
🧡 The Tea Dragon Festival
🧡 Mooncakes
🧡 The Hockey Saint
and an old favorite I briefly went back to when I felt I needed it the most: 🧡 Sailor Moon SuperS #3
•
It was That Kind of month, so I needed a different kind of comfort read from my usual contemporary romances. I glommed my IA backlist for my fantasy fix, and well, let’s be honest, I was too excited for Sapphire Flames to come and I didn’t think I’d be given the chance to to read it days earlier than the release (thank the Universe for small favors!) so I went overdrive with Kate Daniels, and reread Burn For Me a second time. LOL
✨ Magic Rises (#6)
✨ Magic Breaks (#7)
✨ Magic Tests (5.3)
✨ Magic Shifts (#8)
✨ Magic Steals (#6.5)
✨ Magic Stars (#8.5)
✨ Magic Binds (#9)
✨ Burn For Me (Hidden Legacy #1) - reread
🌟SAPPHIRE FLAMES (Hidden Legacy #4) 🌟-fr. Edelweiss
•
I’m still currently rereading Sapphire Flames (at my usual pacing this time) and it’s SO GOOD!
•
I joined a writing class for the next three months (starting tomorrow omg) so I don’t think I’ll be active, but I’ll drop by occasionally to shower your wonderful posts with likes and love and encouraging comments, when I can. 💖
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #booksofig
#bookjournal
#kindlebooks #AugustWrapUp #graphicnovels #Fantasy #Rereads #ComfortReads #IlonaAndrews #manga #wrapup #sailormoon
https://www.instagram.com/p/B10_U3bABaB/?igshid=17gso21yswos3
I’ve finally read this last summer - it’s the last Chic Manila book I haven’t read yet at that point - and I love it so much! Yeah, like there was any doubt if I’d love any Mina V. Esguerra book. LOL.
•
I’ve screamed time and again that Kimmy is my favorite Chic Manila Heroine (and she still is, I think), but I have a special place in my heart for Andrea. She’s strong and amazing and she owns her freedom and her life, and society can label her screwed up or whatever, but she’s a wonderful person and I want to be her friend! 😭
I’ve read Wedding Night Stand before and this book continues the flirty and wild chemistry between Andrea and Damon. I loved how non-committal Andrea was at the beginning - which was understandable, growing up being constantly compared to Manang Julie, and well, she has been hurt before - and I found it v entertaining and fun that the whole thing can be described as a One-Night-Stand that became two nights, then three, then whaddayaknow, they’re stuck with each other (happily! By Choice!)🥰🥰🥰
Oh, and LYF is my fave Chic Manila, but I must say, I like Damon more than Manolo. Maybe bec we’ve got more banter between the leads here than in LYF, but my memory is shit so I can’t confirm that. LOL (I probably need to reread these two books one after the other and get back to y'all if you’re interested to know my ~expert opinion on things. 😂) I just ~FEEL~ like I like Damon better. ❤️
•
This book could fit into several #romanceclassBAPbingo squares but I’ll put it in Independently Published bec i’ve got other romanceclass recs for the other prompts, haha! But What You Wanted is amazing and it’s one of my fave reads this year!
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads
#selfpublishing #indiepublishing
#romanceclass
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #diverseromance #romancetagram
#WhatYouWanted #MinaVEsguerra #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy #ChicManila
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1lJuJsAYQj/?igshid=19hd0tca3fsz4
The social relevance of this amazing graphic novel is as multi-layered as its storytelling so I’ll just mention the ones that spoke to me personally.
•
The first is obviously the queerness of it. The book is subdivided into four distinct stories, two of which revolve around non-het couples and these parts take up majority of the book’s content. We’ve got the MM couple that begins in a meet-disaster and becomes a unique friendship, and then a romantic relationship. I loved the part with a passage from the Quran, bec I rarely see gay Pinoy Muslim rep.
Then there’s the FF relationship between a collegiala activist and a blue-collar worker. I absolutely loved that the story was allowed to run longer than the rest of the stories here. We got to see Anais’s and Dylan’s stories develop from their personal struggles separately, as well as them as a couple. This is the story that really made me love the whole book.
•
Next is the non-exploitative representation of the poor an lower class. It is presented as it is in real-life, not glossed over, but also not cruel to the characters. They’re living their lives and are allowed to find happiness and joy, and a hopeful future.
•
And lastly, I loved the geographic prehistory of the country juxtaposed in the contemporary stories. The Folkloric beginnings and the modern parallels matched the comic book’s amazing artwork. I’m so glad it’s in full-color too! I’m sharing select pages in random to avoid spoilers if you haven’t read it yet. :)
•
So yeah, my rec for #romanceclassBAPbingo for Socially Relevant is Dead Balagtas Tomo 1: Sayaw ng mga Dagat at Lupa by Emiliana Kampilan
•
Thank u, bes @chachicsbooknook for letting me borrow! ❤️❤️❤️
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀
#LoveWins #ResistTogether #KomiksPH #DeadBalagtas #EmilianaKampilan #SociallyRelevant
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy #QueerLit #PrideReads #Pride #PagesofPride
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1k0okegU71/?igshid=1i5p7qpyq9kkz
High stress IRL right now so I’ll be escaping with a bookstagram! 😉
•
Today’s post crosses off “It Happened in the Philippines But NOT in Manila” from my #romanceclassBAPbingo.
I’ve read The Hometown Hazard by Dawn Lanuza quite a long while ago so please don’t ask me about plot/story details and all, bec I won’t be able to remember right away (LOL) but I do remember liking this a lot bec of the bestfriend’s brother romance, the mystery Jules and Kip had to unveil, and of course, the hometown feels of the setting that is NOT Manila (San Juan, Batangas, maybe?)
There’s a scene I couldn’t forget: Jules waking up to the sound of roosters from either their backyard or the neighbors, and her coming out of her room and being greeted “Good Morning” by the smell of local coffee. The ~probinsya -ness of it was so precious and in my review when I first read it I noted: “Jules’ annoyance of all the inconveniences she was coming back to in her hometown was so relatable. Her love for her hometown in spite of it, more so.” Pick this up when you’re missing home, maybe?
•
Some romanceclass books that would fit this category are my other favorites: Mango Summer by Agay Llanera (Zambales) and Keeping the Distance by Clarisse David (Iloilo)
•
Do you have a favorite book that reminds you of home?
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀
#selfpublishing #indiepublishing⠀
#romanceclass #TheHometownHazard #DawnLanuza
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #diverseromance
#kindlebooks #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LngSpgaVV/?igshid=nu1mbay4iy65
It’s been a while since I’ve watched anything on stage (other than my sister’s periodical recitals. I always try to be there when she’s got a show) so I was really excited to see Rak of Aegis for the first time! It was so amazing, I cried thrice, and days after I’m still hooked on the “Aileen, Aileen ko” line. @giogahol also made it extra EXTRA special when he took his romanceclass books with him while performing! Seeing Start Here up there was surreal and it really made that show super memorable for me. I’ll post a Twitter thread of my thoughts about the experience one of these days (let me just carve some breathing space from work rn, huhu)
I was also really excited to spend time with friends especially #Besfluencers @chachicsbooknook and @readbyher, and besfluencer candidates @laylatanjutco (who gifted me my ticket 💖) and @carladeguzman. A bunch of other author friends were there too and I didn’t realize how much I needed food and friends and TEA after the nerve-wracking past few weeks I’ve had. Thank you so much! •
Anyway, this is also my #romanceclassBAPbingo entry for Musical Stage Production, and at the same time, a bookstagram of one of my favorite books, Waiting in the WIngs by Tara Frejas. I learned a late that this Teatro Fic was based on the real life PETA theater where we watched Rak. And, hihi, the LI of his book, Ramon, was inspired by Gio too (was this a secret? Bawal ba to sabihin? LOL). If you’re looking for a sweet, cute romance with a love-triangle done well, be sure to check this out!
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀
#selfpublishing #indiepublishing⠀
#romanceclass #WaitingInTheWings #TeatroFic #monfigs⠀
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #TaraFrejas
#kindlebooks #Labyu #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1JeLMRgIur/?igshid=1sl1fan32em5e
I … don’t know what to say. 😶
•
I have just been tweeting this book the other day bec the latest @bookthingo podcast episode mentions it quite HEAVILY (😂) and what are the odds that this is the first thing I see in this BookSale branch!? 😍
•
But, okay, here’s the caveat: I didn’t buy it. Bec truth be told i am broke.as.fck and my shelves can’t have more print books. IDK why i even went to the bookstore to tempt myself in the first place. (That’s a lie. I would totally not eat lunch if there was an Ilona Andrews title in there 😂)
Also, the font is too small and I’ll probably just eventually end up getting the ebook when I decide to really read it. 😅 So, that’s that with that with that. Lol.
•
Have you had a similar experience recently? Like, finding a book you wanted to impulse buy, but didn’t.
*know that I’m proud of you and I’m proud of myself for resisting the urge. 😂
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #booksofig #romancetagram
#FlowersFromTheStorm #LauraKinsale #romance #classic #classicromance #booksale #bookstorefind #btpod
https://www.instagram.com/p/B07xBE3g_WR/?igshid=rzvppfeowzlg
Happy Monday! 🎉🎉🎉
•
(LOL. I’m just distracting myself bec my day wasn’t really great and I need to think of something else. Anyway,)
•
So the thing I’m doing this month is the #romanceclass X #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy Book Bingo by @romanceclassbooks! 💖
I’m not going to do the whole thing like I did previous bingos (let’s actually try to practice moderation, yes?) but I’m gonna do some, and I’m starting with my most recent romanceclass read: Chasing Mindy by Carla De Guzman! 💜
I’ve had this for a while but I’ve been saving it for a downward-spiral kind of reading mood and when I finally needed it, OMG, I’m so glad I had it on reserve! Bec it’s so heartwarming and cute and hot and It’s got a lot of the tropes I love (even though I don’t always say I love it) 😍
Like Healthy/Quirky Family Dynamics! (which is the bingo square I’m ticking with this! 😜) The theme is obvious with Mindy’s family, bec she has a lot of brothers and sisters. I loved it, the distinction of each sibling that was mentioned, and that’s saying something bec I usually get v confused when there’s more than 4 people speaking in a scene but this book nailed it for me! The other thing is Javier’s family situation, like, it’s unhealthy bec his dad is an absolute jerkwad, but Javier makes it work by being there for his mother. And his mother loves him so much he gives him time and space for himself. In Paris! So yeah, it’s great!
The romance is written so well (this is Carla De Guzman, so that’s a given) that even when I kind of expected more resistance from Mindy, it still made sense to me that she gave in to her attraction with Javier just a wee bit earlier than I thought she would. To be fair, he was annoying, but endearing, and the close proximity of being two Pinoys in a foreign country has such strong magic to resist against. And they were in Paris, after all.
So yeah. This is a highly recommended comfort read and you should get it immediately!
•
I’m posting the full bingo on my stories so you can play along too! 💖
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #romancetagram
#ChasingMindy #CarlaDeGuzman
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diverseromance (at Cafe Lyon)
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yV_ymAU-x/?igshid=14li6cw2vqd37
📚JULY WRAP-UP📚
•
Despite it being a massive birthday month (we have 6 birthdays in the family and we had at least 1 new cake every single week!🍰) July had been ~difficult for me, personally, so my reads were specifically chosen to give me comfort and ease. ❤️
•
I read 12 books last month! 🎉
- 3 were graphic novel ARCs from NetGalley (thank you so much!)
- 6 were rereads of my favorites (including 1 audiobook, and 1 Sabrina pocket book *I forgot* to write on my journal 🙃)
- And 3 were TBR books from my autobuy authors!
Some reviews are already on GR, but I’m planning to crosspost everything here, with lovely photos, so watch out for those. 😊
•
🧙🏾♂️The Black Mage - Daniel Barns & D. J. Kirkland
🔥 Burn for Me, White Hot, Wildfire and Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
🔮 Eight Spells A Week - Nell Scovell (editor)
🍑 Practical Magic - Alice Hoffman (audiobook).
🏒 Kiss and Cry - Mina V. Esguerra
✈️ Chasing Mindy - Carla De Guzman
⛩ Saint Young Men - Hikaru Nakamura
🐉 The Tea Dragon Festival - Katie O’Neill
🗡 Magic Rises - Ilona Andrews
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #booksofig #romancetagram
#bookjournal
#readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #kindlebooks #JulyWrapUp #graphicnovels #diverseromance #Fantasy #Rereads #ComfortReads
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0vmBd8AZWN/?igshid=ov9bgtnxda4v
HEY WEEKEND!
•
Hi everyone! How are all of you doing??? I miss Instagram so much! (I mean, BOOKSTAGRAM. Not work instagram bec huhu I haven’t taken a break from that in weeks! 😑)
•
The hiatus was a really good decision. I feel rested more than I thought I needed (but i still want to hoard more rest, lol, bec the past four weeks has been A Test.) and I’m actually thinking of extending it a few weeks more. But idk, i really miss posting and interacting with friends here. In fact, I’ve got my July wrap-up post ready and maybe I’ll post it later. 😊It’s been ready since Friday, but I wasn’t really feeling it so I waited a little. I also have a bingo thing I want to do this month but I’m not 100% decided so we’ll see.
•
For now I just want to check in with everyone who cares. Lol. I’m doing fine, and I’ll be back in action soon-ish. ❤️❤️❤️
•
Happy August!🎉
.
.
.
.
#bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #booksofig #kindlebooks #kindle
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0uj6AmgGOO/?igshid=wkborlk8zvnm