Review: Boo

Boo by Neil Smith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So rarely do I come across a book so strange and so humbly profound. It's not my usual gore, thriller, or horror, but it held me captive. Each page begged to be read and turned. I never expected I'd enjoy this book, much less love it as much as I did. It is set in a fictional heaven called Town where Boo woke up after dying. As he grows accustomed to living his afterlife, he learns the merits of friendship, forgiveness, and healing--things that were obscure to him when he was still living.


Smith delivered an emotionally-charged book told from the perspective of an emotionally 'challenged/disabled' boy. How absolutely clever is that? Boo might as well be one of the most important books of this generation.


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Review: My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


When you read this book, expect to be bemused and derailed on most part. That's what you get from reading at the perspective of the lonely but shrewd little Elsa. The fairy tales fused within the story are often confusing, but so Delphic and lovingly constructed, it makes you want to reflect on life after reading any profound details from them. As the story progressed, it became harder to distinguish which are part of the plot and which are part of her Granny's fairy tales. Nevertheless, I think I would've enjoyed reading this story more at a younger age. And it's really easy to relate to Elsa, seeing as we both love Harry Potter and how as kids, we were both different from our peers.

I was willing to give this book a three-star rating halfway through. Like I said, the book was confusing in almost all aspects. But when I got to the end, everything fell into place, and I can't help but feel so ecstatic and undone by the sheer magic and simplicity of Granny's fairy tales and how they continue to help Elsa cope (hence, three became four). I realized, the fairy tales ARE the story. I can't help it, I'm still a sucker for happy endings. 

Few of my favorite lines:

"Maybe she was disappointed in you because you're so disappointed in yourself."
"The mightiest power of death is not that it can make people die, but that it can make the people left behind want to stop living..."
"...because the people who reach the end of their days must leave others who have to live out their days without them."



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Wildflour Cafe + Bakery: Honest Good Food

The food scene in Makati is all things including both diverse and lavish. Of course, there still exists the crowd favorites when it comes to cheap grubs, but anyone who has been to this particular restaurant can honestly say that this restaurant appeals to a more...laid-back, but upscale crowd. I admit, visiting Wildflour was very intimidating. (For me, that feeling never wanes even after a second visit.) The facade gives you this relaxed vibe designed to make you stay longer than you usually do at restaurants and just enjoy a good chat with your friends. Due to Wildflour's popularity and distinctly authentic menu, it also attracts an affluent crowd--people in suits and black ties; foreigners with bulging bellies and genuine smiles; families with uniformed yayas and gadget-savvy kids; Makati girls with their corporate outfit and high heels and; the usual celebrities and well-established bloggers. Never mind the fine-dining scenes, apparently, well-heeled people still prefer a more mellow environment.

Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

On my first visit to Wildflour, I made the unfortunate mistake of dragging Borgy there during peak hours without a reservation. So we had to settle for a table outside the walls of the cafe. Even there, all tables are close to being booked. Nevertheless, the place's lighting and exposed milieu gave an edgier vibe to our otherwise fancy dinner.

Cookie-Craving Cuckoo at CookieBar Manila

My last post talked about RUB Kapitolyo and very fleetingly, a mention of a specific bakery. Now, allow me to finally rave about CookieBar, a home-based bakery by Ms. Ivorie Acosta! :) During my endless online scavenging for delicious food, I came across this Instagram account that has been attracting followers like bees drawn to flowers. The first thing that delighted my interest was this creative item from their menu: a cookie shot glass. Yes, you read that right. It's a cookie, but it's also a shot-glass. Naturally, I wanted to try it--to gauge the taste of something so ingeniously thought out.

CookieBar Manila

Ribs at RUB's

For the past year, Kapitolyo has built a prominent name for itself when it comes to food business. Along its quiet streets are modest diners, cafes, and restaurants all with one goal: to delight and indulge your inner foodie. My first sight and taste of Kapitolyo was last year when Borgy and I decided to try out one of the area's most popular (and cheap) restaurant, Three Sisters--famous for its barbecue and Inihaw na Liempo. This year, we've set foot in this food strip again to try a similar craving: barbecue ribs.

RUB Ribs and BBQ is located just at the end of a steep road along East Capitol Drive. Identified with a simple signage, the building stands unobtrusive and can easily be missed by passers-by. (I do realize that RUB has other branches outside Pasig that are probably more accessible to us, but because I was going to pick up an order at CookieBar that day, we've decided to try RUB's branch in the area.)

East Capitol Drive, Pasig