Book: Popped Too (Guest Blogger)

Remember the Popped Too book launch I went to? Well, they gave away copies of the book for bloggers to review. Except I knew I wasn’t going to be objective with it, as I’m not a big fan of Korean pop. So I decided not to be the one to read and review the book. Instead, I asked a friend (Chikai of Flaming Tofu) to write about it, since she’s into Korean Pop.

Take it away, Chikai!

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I’ve been a fan of Korean Pop (KPop) for three years now, though I can’t say I’m a longtime fan. I still consider myself a newbie in the KPop scene, since I was pulled in during the pop Hallyu in the Philippines–though I have been a fan of their dramas since I was in grade school.

The reason why I read the first book of the Popped series were these: One, my friend bought it and lent it to me; and two, I was interested to read a story that revolved around KPop.

First, a little background: In my group of close friends, only one of us was a fan of KPop. Eventually she got me hooked, and a few months later, the remaining two also got sucked into the world of KPop. (The last one to become a fan was actually the one who bought the book.) We were good friends even before KPop, but I can say that we had more fun because of it.

Before reading Popped Too, I advise you to read the previous book, Popped, first. The author doesn’t give a lot of time or pages in reviewing the events of Popped in Popped Too.

What I like about the series is that it’s like a fangirl’s daydreams in print form. Travelling to Seoul for the second time, as well as meeting and getting remembered by your favorite idols? How can a fangirl not want that, right? But Popped Too focuses more on Korean Drama (KDrama) than KPop. It narrates Andie Bautista’s KDrama-like love life with a Korean, Mac Park. Though there are still hints of KPop references with Andie and her friends’ fangirling, and her other friend Nica’s involvement in the heart of the KPop scene.

While reading the book, there were times when I just had to stop for a moment and squeal from the kilig. Because basically Popped Too is about love and the story of her friends.

Setting the fangirl’s perspective aside, the story gives importance to friendship. That is what I identified with the most (and not the traveling to Seoul part, because I haven’t done that–yet!) KPop made them build a closer relationship and have adventures. Hopefully, my friends and I will get to experience the same thing sometime in the future.

The story does not really have a complicated plot. Andie’s first person narrations just tell it as it is with some of her own thoughts added in. Since the plot is not really complicated, the problems are not really that heavy as well.

There are also words that don’t get translated from Filipino, like kilig and some lines of conversation. And, I must say, the Filipino words make it seem like an account of events that really happened to the author. It really feels like a firsthand account of a Filipina and her experiences of the Korean culture.

I am not really sure if non-fans would relate, or enjoy the books in the series. As for myself though, being a fan, I enjoyed reading both books as light-readings. It’s the type of book that isn’t too heavy, and it makes you think what would happen next. You would enjoy reading it like you would a blog post, or something similar. It is also short enough that you can finish it in one sitting. It’s good to read it if you want to take your mind off something even just for a little while, like watching a romantic movie or drama.

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Thanks, Chikai!

Popped Too is available in all bookstores for P175. Published by Summit Books

book: para kay b

good day, reader!

if you’re wondering why the blog suddenly took an unannounced hiatus, well, i have two words for you: “work” and “deadlines.” i’m sure most of you are familiar with the two terms and how it can wreak havoc on your social lives–or total lack of one.

for my return to reading and blogging, i figured i should start with a filipino novel–one that has been recommended by many friends and colleagues over the past year: PARA KAY B by mr. ricky lee.

“ALAM mo BA ang ibig sabihin ng “CONJURE”? Isa ka bang Capital S? Me quota ang pag-ibig. Sa bawat limang umiibig ay isa lang ang magiging maligaya. Kasama ka ba sa quota?“

for my non-filipino readers, this is what the above says: “do you know the meaning of “conjure”? are you a capital s? love has a quota. for every five person who loves, only one of them will end up happy. are you part of the quota?“

to tell you the truth, i don’t know what to say about the book. is it because it’s been a while since i last wrote about a book i’ve read? maybe. then again, that didn’t stop me when i started this blog. but i’ve been staring at my screen for two days now and i still have no idea what to write.

i’d love to say that i enjoyed the book, but it took me a week to finish it. which means i didn’t. i did like the book, but the liking didn’t come until the aforementioned two days passed, after i digested everything that i’ve read. so PARA KAY B is something that grows on you. i don’t know if it’s because every single person who recommended the book to me were raving about it, or if it’s because some of the people who gave blurbs were people i highly respect… but i had expectations. and the book didn’t meet it.

i know i keep saying i shouldn’t have high expectations of books i normally wouldn’t pick up, but i can’t help myself.

and after spending two days thinking about why i didn’t like the book came to this realization: i had a hard time connecting with the book’s tone.

PARA KAY B starts of with a serious tone and then becomes conversational; or at least the first three mini love stories did. so it wasn’t until the fourth mini love story that i started to get the hang of reading the book. and by that time, the tone had become much more uniform–it wasn’t too conversational, but it wasn’t that formal either. it was somewhere in the middle. and i finally found the book engaging.

PARA KAY B has an interesting take on five different kinds of love–and how four out of five people will never find true happiness in their relationships. from my understanding, the book’s message is that sometimes a person can (figuratively) blind themselves when it comes to the person they love, and this is why only one out of five people succeeds when falling in love.

but, in my opinion, the book contradicts its claim that “for every five person who loves, only one of them will end up happy.” because out of the five mini love stories it presents, two of them end with a semblance of happiness. that is, if we don’t get into the book’s twist–because aside from completely throwing away the mentioned claim, it also spoils the book for anyone who has yet to read it.

if you want to read it, that is.

so do i recommend the book? for what my opinion is worth, yes, i do. it’s a book that forces you to think. but much like marianne villanueva’s THE LOST LANGUAGE, it’s a book that isn’t for people who just want something light to read. it’s a book you have to give time to, something you have to digest.

but that’s just my opinion. here are a few more from the vast world of the internet to help you decide: knowread/knowrite’s review, kapisanan’s take, and fellow filipino book blogger bookmarked’s reading of the book.