Book Comment: The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbrath

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Title: The Cuckoo's Calling

Author: Robert Galbraith
No. of pages:455
Published: 30th April, 2013
Read: October 24, 2014
★★★

A brilliant debut mystery in a classic vein: Detective Cormoran Strike investigates a supermodel's suicide.

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office.

Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man.

You may think you know detectives, but you've never met one quite like Strike. You may think you know about the wealthy and famous, but you've never seen them under an investigation like this. 

Introducing Cormoran Strike, this is the acclaimed first crime novel J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

As I began reading it I already had the idea who the real antagonist is and DISAPPOINTEDLY found out at the end of the book that I WAS RIGHT! It was a good feeling but I was looking for a real twist making me comment that the plot is somehow predictable. It is a book that made me interested on how the author would expound on the plot but it did not really have me hooked. There were parts that were dragging and I feel like there were loopholes. I was hoping for more gravity on the different characters of the book. I was expecting a better ending – one that has more impact. I didn’t even feel the climax of the book but I must say this will again be one of those that would be adapted in movies or TV series.

Bought this upon reading the back of the book review. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that it was J.K Rowling in pseudonym who wrote this. Her writing is still commendable coming from children to young adult genre. This book series, Cormoran Strike, looks promising. BUT Rowling has a really long way to go in this category.

Overall, it was still a good read. It is worth buying because it is still J.K Rowling and who knows when she will also be able to penetrate this genre, with this novel as her starting point.

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Fashion Friday: The LAST Oscar Dela Renta Spring RTW

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Funny how I was thinking of posting my favorites of his latest runway show and then I read the sad news. I like Oscar Dela Renta for his dainty and feminine, polished and youthful designs. It is just saddening that this world lost another creative soul.  

 

His Spring 2015 RTW collection is to my liking because of the simple silhouettes and yet combined with the right pop of colors and patterns, they were joyous to the eyes. Below are some of the pieces and my favorites.

I'll miss his works definitely. :(

 

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SAVED Festival 2014

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October 11, 2014

Smart Araneta Coliseum

My third time to attend Saved Festival and finally with my churchmates!! :) 

Booked our tix as early as its first day of release! And not to be dismayed it was an awesome worship night!!! It's the only Christian event I've been to that noone screamed "mooore moooore" towards the end, not because people are bored or bitin but because this event gave us a glimpse of how worshipping in heaven would be like - non-stop!! Victory Worship and Esterlyn bands lead the first part of the worship. A short message was delivered by Francis Chan. Finally, Israel Houghton lead the worship for the rest of the night. Waaahhhh gave me the same feeling of hearing them on my player. Such an anointed band! Blessed to have experienced this night.

With this pretty bunch! Wasn't able to see the rest of my churchmates!

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September Lunch and Coffee Dates

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Okay so I ran out of excuses for all the backlogs in my blog hahaha! Sometimes I still wish I could have the luxury of time I used to have on those active blogging days. Oh those were the days indeed. Moving on to what this post is about...

A compilation of my eat-out's with the people that matter last September! Ever since I started working in Alabang, spontaneous coffee and lunch dates declined significantly and so each time I had the chance to meet and eat with people I feel giddied. Haha!

September 20 - Cafe Adriatico and CBTL date after Manila Book Fair slash client meet-up with Arianne and Sy (who is not in the picture). It's an in-between book club session! We had fun (of course) at the MIBF2014 and the catching up too! 

 

September 26 - Yabu with the parents, my Fridates that night. It was their first time and they enjoyed it!! I like it when they enjoy restaurants other than those that offer Filipino dishes. My parents are typical. They especially enjoyed the unli cabbage and fruits hahaha! That night I felt like an only child! Hihihi. 

September 28 - The night prior to this, I already had steak but still craved for something meaty and so ta-daaaa! Racks!!! Happy tummy!! And the Coldstone dessert right after. Made sweeter having it with boss amo Luke. :)

September 30 - What a way to end September --  with my lovelies. A night of catching up as it's been a while. Hmmmm we should plan our next travel already. We tried Teddy's Bigger Burgers at Greenbelt, and we all got disappointed. Too pricey for a burger that was not really that big, too salty patty and dry buns. To compensate our dismayed taste buds, we had Gelatissimo gelato!  So blessed with this bunch of ladies. I will forever be grateful for having them.

And there goes some eat-outs, as I may have missed some eat-out, for September. 

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Fashion Friday: Some Picks on Spring 2015 RTW

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With the fashion calendar just beginning, and the just ended series of fashion weeks (NY, London, Milan, Paris) it was so hard to catch up on them all. Ya know stuck up in my corporate workstation for eight hours a day Haha! Anyways, here are my top picks on just a few collections. Ah not really top as I always find it hard to trim down my choices to a few. Haha! Starting from the latest fashion shows. Hayyyy I wish I have an extra 24 hours just to catch up, something like October 3.5 but it still has 24 hours in it, an invisible day between Friday and Saturday sort of. 

Hermes

Paul & Joe

Paule Ka

Valentina Yudashkin

Chanel

Alexander McQueen

Valentino

Emanuel Ungaro

Leonard

Elie Saab

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Thankful Thursday: September Edition

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01 Thank you, Lord, for allowing this day to happen. A lot of lack on my part and still you gave me a chance. Thank You for allowing me to have no regrets at the very least. Thank You for paving way to meet new people who I know would be justifications of Your sovereignty.

02 A surprise visit from an architect and friend. What a night of catching up. So blessed with this young lady who never forgets.

03 My kit has arrived. Almost a month of design and layout approval and delays it’s nice to see how good it turned out to be. Thankful for patient contacts and generous feedback. Praying for these that it would lead back more clients.

04 As a Filipino, I feel thankful for this milestone of a win. The Philippines is blessed with talented and skilled people who pour their hearts out on whatever craft they have. Just like Gilas Pilipinas, a very good representation of our nation. Blessed that the whole world recognizes such talents.

05 The time of the month I am reminded of being blessed by a man like my boyfriend. I love him more every month. Days have been busy for the both of us and I feel thankful for his usual understanding.

06 What a Saturday. Thankful for today’s overall productivity - meeting my dressmakers, breakfast with my family, teambuilding and dinner, and a date with my boss amo, chilling catching up at my favorite coffee shop, played in Game Zoo and sang our hearts out. Saturdays like this may be tiring but worth it.

07 Sunday was comprised of another set of random events. Blessed to have spent more time with boss amo, see good family relationships, squeezed in a collab meeting, and this book haul. It’s my guilty pleasure to shop and spend for books and I like it even more when it’s on a cover not published here locally.

08 Monday’s productivity. The day started to be unkind at work, but thank God for I know He made me feel better. Prayers are really helpful.

09 Stayed until midnight at work. Crazy working on 2015-2017 budget. Crazy system shutting down during the time it was most needed. Thankful for this Hansel Premium which seriously helped me survive having no lunch and dinner full meals. Crazy day.

10 To again surprise a colleague on his special day, one of the things I feel really happy and grateful doing.

11 Putok-batok birthday treat! I enjoyed eating liempo!!!

12 Orders.

13 Finally my hair’s much needed treatment and trim and recolor. Salon bonding with my Mom, too!

14 Cheap staycation and another opportunity that lead to this.

15 Today, I wanna thank the Lord for guiding me past the exam and job interview and acing them, amidst my really under the weather feeling. Whatever the result of the upcoming interview will be I would not regret anything. Also, I thank whoever is behind this Amber’s pichi-pichi recipe. It’s been my favorite ever since and today’s comfort food for the sick lady.

16 Felt a little bit better. Also blessed for some “investment talk” with my uncle, dinner and coffee night with the family, despite feeling sick, was able to go by today.

17 It’s that time of the year!!! Book haul during day one of Manila International Book Fair 2014!! More books the merrier haha!

18 Three-month lag recognition! Haha! Funny how I wasn’t expecting anything at all.

19 Mini gathering with my aunts and uncles. Thankful for moments like this. My relatives are my treasures too! Thankful for my uncle who finally will give the support I need!! Thankful for my aunts who also provided support in another way!! So blessed, thank You Lord!!

20 Saturday spent well and productively: bonding with relatives before they fly home. Bonding with my parents. Fabric sourcing. Client meeting. And book fair again! Catch-up date with fellow book club members. Quality time with boss amo. Fun long day!

21 Things that God definitely purposed to light up people’s moods. Just noticed these daisies in bloom as I enter our little garden. Simple joys.

22 Monday and I read a book at work. My report won’t allow me to multitask on the background. It’s a blessing in disguise!

23 Grateful for my father and an additional knot to his rope.

24 Seeing just this katya make my heart skip with joy! I can’t explain the feeling. Praying for the final outcome!

25 Two days ago I started reading this book and now finished it. I feel blessed with the lives and testimonies of the people mentioned in and with the fullness of this book. I learned a lot and I feel more motivated now.

26 Date on a Friday night with my parents. Took them to Yabu, a not so familiar restaurant to them and glad that they liked it. Oh the simple joys of unli-cabbage and fruits made our night haha! I love it that I was able to spend time with them!

27 I feel so glad and excited seeing my first ever bride fit the wedding gown in katya form. I still pray for the success of the final outcome of the whole wedding entourage dresses.

28 Glad that I was able to attend church service today, meeting for the collab and spend time with my boss amo over Racks dinner and Coldstone!!

29 House tripping with my boss amo today and lots of quality time with him! Praying and excited but of course let His will be done.

30 What a way to endmy September - date night with my lovelies. How I missed them. Glad and blessed to know that I have them always.
 

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September-ender

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And a few hours from now we will say hello to the final quarter of 2014. I pray that my last quarter won’t be like most of the games of Gilas Pilipinas. I don’t want this year to be heartbreaking towards the end. As I enter the last phase of 2014, I want to dedicate October to getting things done and making more things happen. Just like the previous years, I still feel pressured to end a year with something I would be happy to look back to, and as much as possible with no regrets. Let’s all make this last three months count. I am both excited and nervous so I am praying for the remaining months of the current year, that I may have wisdom, knowledge and the right resources, the strength, wholeheartedness to push myself to my budding, all according to His will and with His loving grace.

I have a lot of things on my shoulders as I face October and I need a lot of courage as I wake up the coming sunrises. Yes, I am nervous! But I feel blessed with the wisdom imparted through the books that I have recently read, somehow further reassuring me that regardless of what happens right away, it will be alright. And I am excited. I can’t wait to share what I am all giddy about. Nothing really grand, just some little projects that I believe will lead to the reality of my dreams. But for now I will need a lot of prayers, encouragement and more words of wisdom. I feel blessed by all the support and may this carry on.

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Book Comments: "Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki" and "Stumbling on Happiness"

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Title: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage

Author: Haruki Murakami
No. of pages:387
Published: 12th August, 2014
Read: August 26, 2014
★★★

My review in my Goodreads account is a one-liner, "enough to get me hooked, but not enough to satisfy a craving". I had a pile of books to read and yet I made it sure to squeeze this newly released Murakami book in. I got engrossed once more that I was able to finish reading it in two days (it usually takes me four days or more to read one book).   Murakami has this certain calmness and inviting vibe and is always successful in making me  absorbed with his material. Sadly though that no matter how inviting this book was written,  it did not fully captivate me until its very end. Murakami can be anything but thrilling or suspense but this book is like eating some really yummy ramen but sipping on unusually short noodles. Parang ganon basta bitin pero expected mo na na hanggang dun lang talaga. I feel like Murakami purposed it to be like this and it's what causes my love-hate relationship with this book.

My sister sms-ed me as soon as she read this book:

"Alam mo yung feeling na manipis na yung natitirang pages at nafifeel mo na hindi na siya enough para tapusin yung kwento, tapos naconfirm mo na tama ka. Di nasagot lahat ng tanong ng author, eh siya ang may kasalanan nun, parang sinadya. Pero maganda siya."

I like getting random texts on good and need-not-be-totally-positive reviews on materials I recommend. Haha! Now read it! 

Title: Stumbling on Happiness

Author: Daniel Gilbert
No. of pages: 263
Published: 20th March, 2007
Read: September 22, 2014
★★★

If one thinks of purchasing this because it's yet another self-help book on happiness, I will disappoint you by telling you that it's NOT. This read is far from disappointment though as I have learned fairly enough and still got some "help" out of this book. It is a book on cognitive psychology or exploring on how our brains process, how our brains perceive, think, remember, smell, speak, hear and solve problems. As someone who lacks exposure on psychological matter and matters of the brain, it was really an interesting read which was made even more interesting by the author's witty way of relaying his points. This book also fairly involves the reader with the experiments referenced to. I had a lot of "aaaahhhh" and "cool" and "so that's the reason why" moments going through this book.

This book successfully informed me on the brain's "systematic failure" in helping us reach the maximum potential of our happiness. Despite, in my opinion the round about's of the brain and its psychology, finishing this book still lead me to think that still, happiness is a familiar critical issue, not easily answered, not even our trusty brain can help us with. I would get bashed by telling this, that there would always be a hole like the blind spot of our eyes and brain that science would not be able to fully answer, and is one reason why people turn to spirituality means of trying to attain it.

I had my fair share of nonfiction materials lately and I quite dig on those that are referenced well that I start to think that I might venture on reading studies and journals soon haha!

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WIW: Mind Museum Day

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Freeway top | H&M skirt | white shoes from Korea | Abby Jocson bag

Nothing essentially special with this post’s outfit – not even a Miss Merie post haha but still thought of posting this because back on the day this photo was taken, I told myself that I would post this hahaha! Labo diba, laki ng problema ko.

 I like this shot, I feel cheery, maybe because it was really a fun day! This is what I wore when Luke, Andrea, Luke’s pretty niece, and I went to Mind Museum and strolled around High Street and also around Glorietta. It was also a day of shopping!! Oooh, I guess that previous sentence’s the cause of the cheery vibe haha! This photo also makes me miss my short hair. It’s been four months!!

 

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Bataan Teambuilding 2014 Video

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May 25, 2014
Morong, Bataan

Yay!!! After four months, I was able to finish compiling the videos I took during my first ever team building with FP&A in AIG, in Bataan!! It was a short stay but fun and of course anything that takes me to the beach even for a short while is an automatic yes and an automatic fun and an automatic sentimental moment. Haha! Two months with the team and there's a sense of belongingness. I could have taken more videos of the team building activities themselves but I am a participant so let these videos suffice hahaha! The video gets better towards the end. :)

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Fashion Friday: NYFW2014 BCBG Max Azria

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Allow me to start raving on this year's New York Fashion Week through the BCBG Max Azria collection. The fact that this was the first collection that I saw while browsing online and instantly got my attention. I noticed that I'm inclined to "flowy", simple and dainty pieces. My favourites are the white pieces.

Source: Style.com

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Weeknight Catch Up

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Thursday night? Working in Alabang? Who says I live a boring life?? Well NO!! Hahaha! Just because of this one night with Kat and Jose! Ang totoo I have some stuff to return to them hence this another spontaneous catch-up. Mas spontaneous mas natutuloy talaga alam niyo yan. It was a night of steak and ice cream at Mad Mark's and what a catch-up. We are growing up!!! Oh no!!!! Thankful for this night! 

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A Night with Grace

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Say hello to my AP (accountability partner), Grace! But long before we were AP’s we were already super close back in our college days! Wow parang kailan lang!! We would usually meet up before or after our school schedules then just chat the hours away with chocolates and McDonald’s fries. She would also sleepover our house and we would randomly talk about everything inside my room. We love it when classes get suspended because we will have more time to be together. We were like soul sisters. But our lives have been busy in our own ways, I for my part drifted away from our “usualness”.

Last night was like a reunion of the both of us. I initially contacted her to work on my tiny workplace some weeks ago. Grace is an architect and soon to be licensed. Since she needed additional measurements of my place she just showed up in our house without notice. She has always been welcome anyway. But we all know how spontaneous meet-ups turn out to be the bests. Last night was not an exception. We talked like we don’t have a job to attend to the next day. Four long hours!! Incidentally, my mom took home McDonald’s large fries and so our reunion was complete. It was a nice feeling being able to talk to her, like really talk - of personal matters and whatnots. I really appreciated the night that had happened like our closeness never faded through the years.

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Here We Go Again and Again

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Here I go again up to another challenge, braver than I was before. I failed. I was successful. And now I go on with the cycle. As I mentioned last time, it won’t hurt if I try (maybe a little for this thing called ego). And the best part of this, I lift it up to Him. I was amazed how up to the last minute, I know God has been working on this. Through this course, it’s startling how He allowed me to meet people and align circumstances. Whatever the result is, I believe in His sovereignty; all for His glory.

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Book Comment: Quiet by Susan Cain

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Title: Quiet

Author: Susan Cain
No. of pages: 352
Published: 24th January, 2012
Read: August 22, 2014
★★★★★

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. 

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Taking the reader on a journey from Dale Carnegie’s birthplace to Harvard Business School, from a Tony Robbins seminar to an evangelical megachurch, Susan Cain charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects. She talks to Asian-American students who feel alienated from the brash, backslapping atmosphere of American schools. She questions the dominant values of American business culture, where forced collaboration can stand in the way of innovation, and where the leadership potential of introverts is often overlooked. And she draws on cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience to reveal the surprising differences between extroverts and introverts.

Perhaps most inspiring, she introduces us to successful introverts--from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions. Finally, she offers invaluable advice on everything from how to better negotiate differences in introvert-extrovert relationships to how to empower an introverted child to when it makes sense to be a "pretend extrovert."

This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how introverts see themselves.

Some weeks ago I posted this, an entry on Ted featuring Susan Cain. This book comment is highly related to it. I am talking about Cain's Quiet - the book that made it on top of my 2014 reads so far. The book that is an instant favourite. The book that best describes me. I know quite a number of people who would react "weeehh si Merie quiet hahaha!" Anyway, this book is more than just the one-word adjective as title. It's a whole lot more. 

I like how this book captured me. It made me understand myself more -- that I am not alone on those things I thought I was just being weird, on the way I think through things, on how I view events and scenes, on my restorative niche, on my preferred workstation and working habits and a lot more. This book convinced me that I am indeed an introvert, no more confusion, I just am and this book somehow contributed to the fact that I don't need to shy away from being one. It's a book of affirmation!! A book that will surely cheer out the introverts and will help people understand the people mistaken as just "Quiet". 

This book presents more than just the author's opinion. Substantial information, facts, previous researches are generously referenced to, making the author's points strong. It even has Bible references which is plus points for me. I highly recommend it to people who feel like they're introverts, who enjoy their self as company, who loves being alone, and to all other people who belong to the other side who tend to wonder on why this certain type of people exist. 

I don't want to spoil the essence and the pure enjoyment and entertainment with information absorption I received from this book by telling a lot of things belonging to the chapters of this well-written non-fiction.  Thank you so much Susan Cain. What a great read. 

READ THIS BOOK!!!

Some quotes from the book but these are just some of my favourite parts, just really few:

"We don't ask why God chose as his prophet a stutterer with a public speaking phobia. But we should. The book of Exodus is short on explication, but its stories suggest that introversion plays yin to the yang of extroversion; that the medium is not always the message; and that people followed Moses because his words were thoughtful, not because he spoke them well."

“Introverts, in contrast, may have strong social skills and enjoy parties and business meetings, but after a while wish they were home in their pajamas. They prefer to devote their social energies to close friends, colleagues, and family. They listen more than they talk, think before they speak, and often feel as if they express themselves better in writing than in conversation. They tend to dislike conflict. Many have a horror of small talk, but enjoy deep discussions.”

“There's zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.”

“Spend your free time the way you like, not the way you think you're supposed to.”

“The highly sensitive [introverted] tend to be philosophical or spiritual in their orientation, rather than materialistic or hedonistic. They dislike small talk. They often describe themselves as creative or intuitive. They dream vividly, and can often recall their dreams the next day. They love music, nature, art, physical beauty. They feel exceptionally strong emotions--sometimes acute bouts of joy, but also sorrow, melancholy, and fear. Highly sensitive people also process information about their environments--both physical and emotional--unusually deeply. They tend to notice subtleties that others miss--another person's shift in mood, say, or a lightbulb burning a touch too brightly.”

“Don't think of introversion as something that needs to be cured.”

“Everyone shines, given the right lighting.”

“We know from myths and fairy tales that there are many different kinds of powers in this world. One child is given a light saber, another a wizard's education. The trick is not to amass all the different kinds of power, but to use well the kind you've been granted.”

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