Sweet Valley Confidential

I remember reading my first Sweet Valley book - I was in second grade, stuck at home with a flu and bored out of my wits. My friends were already reading the books, and when my mom asked me if I wanted anything, I asked her to get one for me. It was Jessica and the Jumbo Fish (from SV Kids), and from then on, I was hooked. I have fond memories of rushing to the bookstore every month to buy the new releases (Kids, Twins, High, SVU, and even the Unicorn Club), staying up late at night to read, and even of sneaking the books so I could read during classes. Great memories. But sometime during high school I lost interest. I moved on to Erich Segal, Sidney Sheldon, Neil Gaiman, and other more "serious" authors and never looked back.

That is, until my friend P gave me a copy of Sweet Valley Confidential. (Thanks for that again, dearie.)

It's trashy. It's high drama. It's not really written that well.

Still, I love it.

There's a comfort in returning to characters that you grew up with. It's like reuniting with childhood friends and hearing all their sordid stories. But what I liked the most is how the readers can still relate to the characters. It's amusing how we can get so emotionally caught up in what's happening to them, as if they were real people. Yes, some parts made me cry. Some parts made me so mad. And cliched as the ending may be, it made me happy. It's a throwback to old days when we didn't have to work, when school was the biggest worry, when there were no TV shows like Jersey Shore or Gossip Girl to captivate our imaginations.

It's escapism, pure and simple. And it's glorious.

1602 by Neil Gaiman

Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis. All things change, and we change with them.

Neil Gaiman was in the country a few weeks ago, and for the first time since he started coming here for signings and whatnots, I wasn't able to (stalk him) attend because I had to WORK. GAH.

Anyway, a couple of days before the event my friend C called me up and told me that she knew someone who could get Neil to sign a book for me. I chose 1602, since this is one of my favorite graphic novels outside the Sandman universe.

What I liked about this book was that one did not need to be thoroughly familiar with the whole Marvel universe to appreciate the story. Sure, a knowledge of the different heroes and villains would help especially since the reader is just thrust into the story without any introductory remarks about the characters, but it's not necessary. After all this is a retelling of the whole Marvel universe, set in Elizabethan England.

I'm also a fan of historical fiction, and to see the likes of Doctor Strange and Peter Parquah/Parker hobnobbing with Queen Elizabeth amused me to no end. And as with all great historical fiction, there is great drama in this work, complete with political intrigues, assassination plots, hostage takings, and even some jealous lovers to spice things up even more. And not to worry, none of the characters spoke in Shakespearean English, so they were all perfectly intelligible.

As with other stories with heroes and villains in it, the plot is simple and predictable: evil villain schemes to gain more power, the world is at the brink of destruction, and the heroes band together to save the day. However this is where the genius that is Neil Gaiman comes in, as he weaves together a complex yet entertaining story that just draws the reader in, compelling him to continue reading until the end is reached.

The themes underlying the book are also far from simple, and while the story is set in the 17th century, the message is undeniably timely. We live in a continually changing world where we are all forced to change and adapt in order to survive. And true, the world is growing darker and scarier, but we as a race have always shown that it is in the darkest times that we become even greater by reaching out to others. Indeed, there is no challenge that we cannot overcome, so long as we work together. And it is truly in the darkest hours of history that people - not necessarily superheroes - emerge to give us hope and show us that not everything is lost.

Carlos Javier (Charles Xavier) was right: from those who have much to give, much is demanded.

The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle Du Jour

I first heard about Belle Du Jour last year, when I was perusing books with my then Cebu-based friend P in Powerbooks (Cebu). But they only had her other titles, and being the OC-reader that I am, I wanted to read her first book before reading the other titles. I was finally able to get a copy of The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl during my last bum date with M, but was only able to finish reading it this morning. I blame work.

I found her chronicles interesting and entertaining, although there are some banal moments for which we can't really blame her. Not everyone's life is like a soap opera where drama is a constant factor. Still, apart from those momentary musings on the weather, the work as a whole was entertaining. And given that this is a true account of her life (or at least of a year in her life), she managed to maintain a climactic suspense which led to a satisfying albeit expected closure.

The advantage of anonymity is the freedom to talk about anything and everything. Belle was surprisingly and refreshingly open about both her professional and personal life - sometimes at the point of sharing too much information already. But then again it IS her diary, and if diarists don't have the license to ramble about anything they want, then who does?

One thing amusing about her diary is her penchant for lists, which is reminiscent of Bridget Jones. Only some of her lists are not exactly for those with a prudish disposition. Still, these are quite informative. ;) But this isn't to say that there are no profound insights in her chronicles. On the contrary, Belle is quite the reader of people (which is probably an asset for working girls).

All in all, her chronicles are an enjoyable and entertaining read.