I've just learned to accept this about myself. So when I visit Fully Booked or Powerbooks, off I go to the non-fiction area. I have my choice of purchasing Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, craft books, or those inspirational books with a short story in equally short chapters! ;-) In my recent visit to the book store, I found that there's a LOT of interesting new reads for people like me. I haven't purchased any of these books yet so I haven't read any of them from beginning to end. But I did get a chance to browse them all -- enough to be convinced that the book is indeed, a great find! Let me share my list with you. Books always make excellent gifts and maybe you have a friend or relative who will appreciate these too. Here you go, Nina's Top 5 Book Finds: ;-)
God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life's Little Detours / Regina BrettGenre: Inspirational
Price: 560 pesos
My take on it: The book has 50 little chapters where each chapter details the lesson learned and accompanies it with heartwarming stories and anecdotes. The author -- Regina Brett, is a woman who has gone through so much in life. She was an alcoholic at age 16, was a single mother at 21, single and unhappy for 19 years, and finally, battled Cancer when she was 41. For so many years, she felt like God overlooked her and 'blinked' as she experienced all these hardships in her life. Gaining wisdom from all these challenges and experiences, with this book, she attests how God NEVER blinks and is always there. It's our attitude and outlook that needs to be changed. It's really serious stuff. But Regina Brett excellently shares her experiences with complete honesty, wisdom, and lots of humour. Here are some of the chapter titles that caught my eye:
- "Frame every so-called disasters with these words: 'In five years, will all these matter?' "
- "Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now"
- "Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple"
- "Don't take yourself seriously. No one else does"
- "Life isn't tied in a bow. But it's still a gift"
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts / Martha StewartGenre: Arts and Crafts
Price: 1,375 pesos
My take on it: Inspired. That's the best adjective there is to describe how I felt after browsing this book. The pictures were amazing and everything was just so pretty! When I did a quick stop at BGC's Fully Booked, my intention was just to take a break from Christmas shopping. But after I came across that book, so many ideas just came to me! Now, I've decided to create half of the presents that I'll be giving this year! Not only will I save a few pesos on the gifts, but making them will be so much fun too!
Sure, you might be saying how you don't have that creative streak. But Martha here (we're on a first name basis now! ;-), makes everything so easy! From learning how to write calligraphy to painting glass, creating scrapbooks, etch glass, make greeting cards -- the topics cover everything 'crafts-y!' It's the true bible of crafts. Now the question would be: If you were to only buy one copy of this book, would you really give it as a present or keep it for yourself?!?? ;-)
The Little Black Book of Style / Nina GarciaGenre: Fashion
Price: 640 pesos
My take on it: Nina Garcia has other books on fashion. They all seem very informative and straightforward. But if I were to only get one of her books, "The Little Black Book of Style" would be the one. First off, I really like the fact that this book is not like a rule book of any sort. In fact, there's a chapter devoted to figuring out your style and style icon. The book seems to encourage you to find who you are first before refining your style choices. Nina Garcia will talk you through editing your wardrobe, simplifying, and dressing with class and confidence. I like that. The other books that she published follow a similar thread but I found them a bit 'rigid' in topic. One is about the 100 pieces that every girl should own and another called Look Book -- a guide to dressing for every occasion. I think The Little Black Book of Style is more comprehensive. Not only do I want this book, but I NEED it for when I do my annual closet editing for the new year. This book ought to guide me on figuring out which clothes to get rid of and give away...
The Eco Lifestyle Handbook: Over 2000 Tips for the Home and Garden / Sarah CallardGenre: Health and Well Being
Price: Shouldn't be more than 800 pesos (Sorry, I forgot the exact price!)
My take on it: There are so many books on eco living that fill bookstores right now. I guess it just emphasizes the need for all of us to go green NOW. I've always wanted to get a book on eco living that shows a number of practical tips that I can apply in my life. I've browsed a lot of these books but sadly, not a lot of them give new information. The tips they have in those books are tips that I already know about and have been implementing. What else is there that I can do?
After browsing through "The Eco Lifestyle Handbook," I came across a lot of information that made me go "Ohhhhh...I didn't know that!" Like for instance, the book lists the ingredients in toiletries and cleaning supplies that you can do without. Which ones are bad for your health and which ones take longer to process and manufacture -- therefore are harmful for the environment? The tips are indeed practical and the changes they talk about there are not so major that it will make it hard to commit to them. The actions are small-scale but when done repeatedly and over a number of years, will really make a huge difference. Honestly, I think every household should have this book. If you have the budget, why not give this book to everyone you know?
The Woodrose Family Cookbook / VariousGenre: Cooking
Price: 400 pesos
My take on it: A lot of other schools have come up with their own recipe books. It's mostly the alumnis' way of commemorating their alma mater's 25th, 40th, 50th or whatever length of time their school has been around. Out of the other recipe books out there, this one really caught my eye. First off, the recipes seem very simple. They don't use fancy ingredients that will be hard to find in any random grocery store here in Manila. Apart from that, you can tell from the combination of ingredients and flavors that the recipes will truly suit the Filipino palate. The recipes seem tried and tested. In fact, most of them were recipes passed on from their mothers or grandparents or aunt, etc. There are some recipes too from the school cafeteria. Like for instance, their "mass produced" spaghetti or what-have-you. Just from browsing the book, I can sense that there's a certain value in all of the recipes. It seemed that if you went to Woodrose, making a certain recipe and eating it would conjure pleasant memories of childhood, friends, and family. Now, I didn't go to Woodrose School. But I'm intrigued and would really love to try some of the recipes. I'll let you know once I get my hands on that recipe book! ;-)
*Note: The image above is not the actual book cover for the Woodrose Family Recipe Book. I couldn't find a picture of it so I just put in the Woodrose school logo instead.
Well, I hope this list gave you a few ideas. If you plan to get the book for yourself, enjoy reading! And if you plan to buy it for someone else, happy shopping!!! ;-) Just a reminder. We have 58 more days to go before Christmas! ;-)
Well, I hope this list gave you a few ideas. If you plan to get the book for yourself, enjoy reading! And if you plan to buy it for someone else, happy shopping!!! ;-) Just a reminder. We have 58 more days to go before Christmas! ;-)
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