The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown.

I was just talking about the “so and so i forgot oh it was so long time ago” fibonacci series in my blog a month ago then I buy this novel soon afterwards and start to read. Lo and behold: one of the main clues in solving the murder in the story revolves around the fibonacci series.

Synchronicity.

1. “top ten” by alan moore

2. “watchmen” by alan moore.

3. “the last temptation” by neil gaiman

4. “the sandman, endless nights” by neil gaiman

5. “wolves in the walls” by neil gaiman

6. “animal man, book 1” by grant morrison

7. “the invisibles, say you want a revolution” by grant morrison.

just finished reading “The Fourth Hand” by John Irving. galing man, this is a great read. even more memorable dahil sinimulan kong basahin ito sa singapore, tinuloy sa america, tinuloy-tuloy sa china at tinapos dito sa flat ngayong gabi. all throughout the reading of this novel, while going around the world, maraming nangyari both professionally and personally in my life. and now, all those places and faces are forever associated with the story of this book.

idol ko itong si irving ever since nabasa ko accidentally ang aking all time favorite na “The World According to Garp”. naalala ko pa kung kailan ko ito nabili. nasa crossing ako nung 1989 at nagpapalipas ng oras. bago pa lang akong nagtatrabaho at walang kapera-pera para sa mga bagong libro. pumasok ako sa isang used book store at nag browse. naron sa isang sulok yung “garp”. binili ko siya and my world was never the same after that. hehehe.

kasalukuyang binabasa para di masyadong mainip sa train at bus…Stephen King & Peter Straub’s “Black House”. ito ang pagpapatuloy ng una nilang collaboration na pinamagatang “The Talisman” na binasa ko last year. mamamatay kaya silang lahat sa huli? tingnan natin. sobrang kapal nga ng libro pag nilagay ko sa bag ko eh ang laki ng umbok. parang binatang nakakita ng seksing naka bikini.

katulad ng ” The Prey” na natapos ko na, masarap itong basahin sa byahe dahil nakakatanggal ng inip ang pace at suspense ng kwento.

1. Y: The Last Man, Book 2

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroys every last sperm, fetus, and fully developed mammal with a Y chromosome – with the exception of amateur escape artist Yorick Brown and his surly male helper monkey Ampersand.

2. Batman, The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller

probably, the best Batman story of all time. this was done by Frank Miller in 1986 and the story is still fresh and exciting as it was when it was first published. kwento ni Batman nung matanda na siya, ravaged by age at hindi na kasing bilis nang dati. he comes back 10 years after retiring. this is a diffferent Batman story…darker, violent, twisted.

kakatapos ko lang ng Batman, Year 1, also done by Frank Miller. this is also a great comic… the storyline tells of the alternative origin of the Batman, Catwoman and Commisioner Gordon.

di ko pa nasisimulan yung Batman:Manbat. i’ve looked at the artwork done by John Bolton though and it looks like a great read. incidentally, it was also john bolton who did the artwork for neil gaiman’s “harlequin valentine”, “books of magic” at yung “sandman presents: the furies”. bolton, in my book, is probably the best artist working in comics right now.

3. “Prey, Michael Crichton”. binabasa ko ito sa bus at train. magandang pampalipas oras… fast paced at easy read. basa lang ng basa, di mo alam bababa ka na pala.

lumayo kayo! kumakain pa rin ako ng durian hanggang ngayon. hehehe.

nung umuwi ako last week, hinalungkat ko yung library namin para kumuha ng libro na babasahin ko sa eroplano pabalik dito sa singapore. pinagpipilian ko eh either of the two of my favorite science fiction novels. yung una ay yung Songs of Distant Earth ni Arthur C. Clarke at ikalawa ang Beyond the Veil of Stars ni Robert Reed. mas maganda ang storya ni arthur clarke pero pinili ko yung kay robert reed.

siguro, pang limang beses ko na itong binabasa. maganda naman kasi ang pagkagawa ng librong ito. tapos, makakalimutin pa ako. ito lang ang masarap sa medyo ulyanin: pag tagal kasi, nakakalimutan ko ang mga detalye ng istorya. pag binabalikan ko ang mga lumang libro, para ulit akong nagbabasa for the very first time. like a virgin? perhaps.

if you have time to read only one science fiction book, take a pick between these two books. di kayo magsisisi.

PS: oo nga pala, nabasa nyo na ba yung short story ni arthur clarke na “THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD”? ba’t ko ba ito nabanggit? wala lang, it’s a killer title for a story kasi (and to my great relief, it is a great story).

1. Batman: Manbat
2. Batman: Year One
3. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
4. Death: at Death’s Door
5. Preacher: Until the End of the World
6. Preacher: Proud Americans

pesensya na, ngayon ko lang na-e-enjoy. medyo kasi nahinto ang pagbasa ko sa comics nung bata ako eh. ngayon lang bumabawi.

Q: what have i finished reading?
A: really old comic books

“Ronin” by frank miller. its release (20 years ago) was a graphic novel milestone. probably where some ideas on the matrix story came from, i’m not sure.

“Preacher: Gone to Texas” by garth ennis and steve dillon. hmmm… kung tatanungin mo sa akin kung may patayan dito sa comics na ito. hehehe… mayron. marami. definitely for mature readers only. it’s gory, it’s bloody, it’s violent, it’s really good. click the links above and read the reviews, tinatamad akong mag kwento eh.

and so, last weekend, in between taking naps and sleeping, i finished these two comic books. antonia came over last sunday afternoon for lunch. but other than than that, jet (bless her), just let me rest for the whole two days. one moment i’m watching tv, the next moment, it’s already 1 AM and i missed “ocean’s 11” and “six feet under” (that’s 4 hours i spent in front of the tv without really watching. dang). tapos, in that state between waking up and sleeping, i read the comic books. this is the way to read, when you’re in dreamland but already awake (or vice versa: you’re awake but still asleep). somehow, the stories seem more vivid.

i used to do this a lot when i was watching the mangga classic “ghost in the shell” on DVD. i come home from work and am very tired, switch on the DVD and let the cartoon put me to sleep. galing. next day, i do it again, and agan… until i eventually finished the damn anime. isa pa itong movie na ito na nag influence ng matrix story.

what i’m (still) currently reading:
a cook’s tour by tony bourdain

“a cook’s tour” by tony bourdain. the travels of a new york cook around the world in search for the “perfect meal”. great book to bring on a trip.

what i’m currently watching while i’m working at home: “beatles anthology, box set of 5 dvd’s. kakalabas lang sa singapore at binili ko agad. if you want to find out how great the beatles were and how they shaped music as we know today, go and watch this 11 hour perspective of the life and times of john, paul, george and ringgo. the sound’s really really great, especially if your player has DTS.

what i’m currently watching habang nagpapaantok: “purple rose of cairo” , written and directed by woody allen. “I just met a wonderful new man. He’s fictional, but you can’t have everything”, so says mia farrow in the movie. di ko matapos tapos dahil parati akong nakakatulog. hehehe… i play the dvd and the next thing you know tapos na yung movie at umaga na. pinagpapalit palit ko yung aking other favorite na “groundhog day” at itong movie na ito para makatulog sa gabi. hirap talaga ng home alone ano?