Shainne Hostalero

Photo from the web I just recently finished reading To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han and it was so fancy, my eyes were totally glued to it. I first saw the film on Netflix in 2018 and after two months since its film debut, I bought the three book-installment: To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean. It was nice to see the film prior to reading because at least I have a good character imagination with Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean Covey (Noah Centineo and Lana Condor). At least, the characters had specific faces in my head while I was reading. It just brought back so much relief and relaxation that took me back to some good old days of high school and college. Hehe. It was so light but you'll get hooked in no time - it might be predictable at times, but you still have that knack of hope on what you actually expect to happen. Do you know what it's like to like someone so much you can't stand it and...

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Photo from the web It took me a week to finish Gone Girl. I intended to finish it little by little because a part of me doesn't want it to end. I've seen the movie several times before and I got curious about its printed version. I know that there is always more in the book compared to the movie.  This, I could say, is one of the most gracefully written stories as it leaves you craving for more - parts that you quite expected, but not quite. It leaves you hanging in just the right amount then you flip the pages until you realize you're done reading yet it doesn't feel like you're craving for a better ending. It just about right.  Though I couldn't remember many quotable quotes, the story really got into me like I was, for some time, part of it, and I could relate to some of the problems or issues Nick and Amy were going through. It is merely loving someone that gets you all crazy and paranoid, and as much as you want it...

It has been a year since I last posted about the books I've read. This 2020, I will attempt (yet again) to read at least 35-40 books. I used to purchase a lot of books but procrastinate reading them. Maybe, this is the best time to get back to it and perhaps make this objective a priority. There are so many things you go into when you are reading. It is the chance to learn something new and get lost in a new world. It enables you to widen your vocabulary and get a chance to know some new characters that can influence and even change you. Photo from bookcoverarchive.com Kafka on the Shore by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami  has led me to different phases of delight, sadness, confusion, and understanding. It has given me a highlight of the reality the fantasy, the combination of the two and how we can possibly intertwine them. The adventure of the 15-year old Kafka Tamura led me to the end of the book. He's searched for his origin, the reasons behind his why...

Translated from Japanese by Philip Gabriel and Ted Goosen Part of my 2018 resolutions and goals is to back to reading, especially the ones that have been stuck in my shelves for quite a long time now. I don't spend much my money buying clothes, shoes, makeup, and the like; instead, like a real adult, I spend it paying grad school tuition fees (huhuhu hahaha), insurance, business supplies, raw materials, and BOOKS. The first book I've read this 2018 was Crazy Rich Asians  by Kevin Kwan which I still have to share with you here. But, to be honest, it is already August (September) and it is just a few days ago that I've finished reading another, Men Without Women by my favorite author, Haruki Murakami. The book is also a shadow of what we all have felt inside of us, maybe once or twice. Gaining new stories, having a partner, losing one, getting our hearts broken, and moving on from there. We all have been there. Like the usual Murakami creation, it is full of many realiz...

The Power of the Other by Dr. Henry Cloud I've read a lot of books in my life; and I'm reading quite a ton in the last 2 years, which by the way, good to be shared here. Every book I read is different and creates a big impact to me as an individual in all given characters - a daughter/grand daughter, a partner, a friend, a career woman, to name a few. Words make huge sense to me as always and sometimes books can verbalize and interpret my emotions for me - especially the ones I'm having problems about. In this book, The Power of the Other by Dr. Henry Cloud, it showcased my pertinent emotions; especially the ones I don't acknowledge or even recognize. The book helped me and support me to re-shape my mind and my whole being eventually realizing good forms and notes to take in. I might have to do this in two (2) parts as I want to concentrate on the sections that really mattered to me whilst I was reading. It says... Your well-being depends on your brain, you...

Warrior of the Light by Paulo Coelho (on Inkitt) I am very thankful that THE Paulo Coelho  published his manual of the Warrior of Light on Inkitt . If you were able to read my last entry in this blog categorized in Good Reads, the last entry was The Alchemist by, again, Paulo Coelho. What I have was the 25th Anniversary edition of the said book and he gave a glimpse of the Warrior of the Light in the afterword. His idea of communicating to his readers is impeccable. He speaks for the people and what's within them, turn it into words; into characters and everything else becomes exquisite. We are all Warriors of the Light. We are all capable of understanding the miracle of life, of fighting to the last for something we believe in - and as well, hearing the bells that the waves sets ringing on the seabed. That with all these, we can distinguish between the transient and the enduring. We know that without inspiration and experience, no amount of training will help us. ...

The Good Read:      The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho When I was a kid, I had lots of goals and dreams. I wanted to be a teacher, a businesswoman, a wife and a mother living in a cute house with a flower garden, has swing and has a library of my favorite books. It sounds ordinary, I know. I was dreaming of that when I was 6 and now I'm in my 20s and those 'mini' dreams, I say, aren't starting to be visible just yet. I'm not yet a teacher. I'm not yet a businesswoman. And I'm definitely not yet a wife and a mother that lives in a cute house with a flower garden that has swing and library of my favorite books. And, this is the time I know that my dreams don't sound and seem ordinary. Despite not having the aforementioned things at hand, I'm happy. There are just so many things I am lucky to have and these are all treasures that I won't trade for anything. I've lost some along the way, of course; but I've ...

Bossypants by Tina Fey (c) Shainne Hostalero The Good Read:  Bossypants by Tina Fey Truth be told: Tina Fey is my favorite... In all her ways as a writer, an artist, an actor, a producer, a wife and a mother. I see the humor arise whenever I get to see her writings, her stints, guesting and hosting gigs (well, of course, on publications and on TV only.) When the book Bossypants was recently out, the first published of it was on a blue hard-bound book. I was then a student, third year in college to be more specific. I went to a bookstore - a bookstore where you can read books even if you don't have any intention of buying them; a bookstore where no one's going to reprimand you for being such a freeloader. Hahaha! I swear, I've finished lots of good reads there. I was just a student and the books that I was interested about were the books that cost more than my weekly allowance. In other words, I couldn't afford. So, what happened was I made it a point to swing b...

The Good Read:               Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert Photo from the web Yes, you are right! This book is really familiar because it is a hit and it is now a major motion picture (2010). I know all of you guys know that this book was about finding one's happiness, surviving the loneliness and understanding things that came after a certain relationship (or life, in general) turmoil. I, myself, came from countless of it too; and like many of you, I have experienced loneliness and the deepest of it in all possible ways it can be felt. It was indeed hard and finding happiness is kind of subtle but one thing I have learned was - happiness is a choice and though there are times you want to surrender and give up everything because it is just too heavy, there will always a part of you wanting to survive. Simply because you want to experience that certain happiness again and you want to see the bright side. There are no permanent things in...

The Good Read:                  The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (c) Shainne Hostalero This book was one of the many books I have read before. On this renovated blog of mine, I have decided to share the books and articles that made sense to me, moved me or caught me in between of this mad life. It's pretty much amazing how gloomy things and days can turn so vibrant when reading a book. It's mesmerizing. I felt like I have different worlds aside from the one I was into. I remember buying this book in Fully Booked when I was waiting for a friend. I bought it along side with Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood which I have yet to share - a power-enriched book too like a nutritious food, only it touches deeper than internal, if you know what I mean. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is about Denny Swift, a former race car driver turned Customer Service Representative, his dog, Enzo and his whole family and career mat...

The Good Read:                        The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell A gloomy Sunday approached some good read. While I was searching for things to read, I came across this one chapter of The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell, by which, it discussed Appearance and Reality as one of the distinctions that cause most trouble in Philosophy. According to Bertrand Russell (which I thought of and agreed upon as well), "As soon as we try to be more precise, our troubles begin." There was a huge point there and we all can see it, it was obvious. Most of the time, we react based on what we see and what we think we believed in. And I guess, there is an enormous influence of the mind if and when we are going to believe something. Sometimes, even we see and we feel that those things are true and certain, we try to cross the point that there is still something strange about it; and we make ourselves believe t...

The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Awesome book! :-) A perfect song for my life is required; perhaps, for me to know what I should feel in every situation or maybe I just want a background music because I don't want moments to be dull. I am not sure.. I love music, I love everything about it. Like Charlie (the character in this book), I can't stay on the sideline forever. If I want to feel 'infinite' I should take the courage to change my own songs from time to time and see life on the dance floor perspective. That I know, I should not be dancing sway when the tune is hip-hop or so. Probably, the best thing to do is to improve my unique perspective. Many individuals get to be involved at things.. and I think by these things, people should take into consideration that.. Life doesn't stop for anybody, we should keep going.. even if things are starting to devastate us.

I finally got a new book to read and explore, this Natural Causes book is all about death, lies and politics in America's Vitamin and Herbal Supplement Industry which I think could also help us, especially now that we, Filipinos are having a great deal to those herbal medicines, which we thought could really help. This book discusses those stories behind different herbal medicines but not really informing or persuading (just what i have reflected) everybody to stop using those, of course, on a majority basis it's advantageous, cheaper and more natural. Well, it's up to us if we will continue having those supplements. It's really interesting and a wow. And yeah right, nowadays we are so concern about health, that's why most of us are being so conscious about everything, we even patronize ready-to-drink tea instead of drinking softdrinks, herbal powders and medicines, natural way of curing and many other forms. To gain more knowledge and information, this Natura...