#romanceclassbapbingo

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I've finally read this last summer - it's the last Chic Manila book I haven't read yet at that point - and I love it so much! Yeah, like there was any doubt if I'd love any Mina V. Esguerra book. LOL. ⁣ •⁣ I've screamed time and again that Kimmy is my favorite Chic Manila Heroine (and she still is, I think), but I have a special place in my heart for Andrea. She's strong and amazing and she owns her freedom and her life, and society can label her screwed up or whatever, but she's a wonderful person and I want to be her friend! 😭⁣ ⁣ I've read Wedding Night Stand before and this book continues the flirty and wild chemistry between Andrea and Damon. I loved how non-committal Andrea was at the beginning - which was understandable, growing up being constantly compared to Manang Julie, and well, she has been hurt before - and I found it v entertaining and fun that the whole thing can be described as a One-Night-Stand that became two nights, then three, then whaddayaknow, they're stuck with each other (happily! By Choice!)🥰🥰🥰⁣ ⁣ Oh, and LYF is my fave Chic Manila, but I must say, I like Damon more than Manolo. Maybe bec we've got more banter between the leads here than in LYF, but my memory is shit so I can't confirm that. LOL (I probably need to reread these two books one after the other and get back to y'all if you're interested to know my ~expert opinion on things. 😂) I just ~FEEL~ like I like Damon better. ❤️⁣ •⁣ This book could fit into several #romanceclassBAPbingo squares but I'll put it in Independently Published bec i've got other romanceclass recs for the other prompts, haha! But What You Wanted is amazing and it's one of my fave reads this year! ⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ . ⁣ #bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads ⁣ #selfpublishing #indiepublishing⁣ #romanceclass ⁣ #readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #diverseromance #romancetagram⁣ #WhatYouWanted #MinaVEsguerra #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy #ChicManila https://www.instagram.com/p/B1lJuJsAYQj/?igshid=19hd0tca3fsz4

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The social relevance of this amazing graphic novel is as multi-layered as its storytelling so I'll just mention the ones that spoke to me personally.⁣ •⁣ The first is obviously the queerness of it. The book is subdivided into four distinct stories, two of which revolve around non-het couples and these parts take up majority of the book's content. We've got the MM couple that begins in a meet-disaster and becomes a unique friendship, and then a romantic relationship. I loved the part with a passage from the Quran, bec I rarely see gay Pinoy Muslim rep. ⁣ ⁣ Then there's the FF relationship between a collegiala activist and a blue-collar worker. I absolutely loved that the story was allowed to run longer than the rest of the stories here. We got to see Anais's and Dylan's stories develop from their personal struggles separately, as well as them as a couple. This is the story that really made me love the whole book. ⁣ •⁣ Next is the non-exploitative representation of the poor an lower class. It is presented as it is in real-life, not glossed over, but also not cruel to the characters. They're living their lives and are allowed to find happiness and joy, and a hopeful future.⁣ •⁣ And lastly, I loved the geographic prehistory of the country juxtaposed in the contemporary stories. The Folkloric beginnings and the modern parallels matched the comic book's amazing artwork. I'm so glad it's in full-color too! I'm sharing select pages in random to avoid spoilers if you haven't read it yet. :)⁣ •⁣ So yeah, my rec for #romanceclassBAPbingo for Socially Relevant is Dead Balagtas Tomo 1: Sayaw ng mga Dagat at Lupa by Emiliana Kampilan⁣⁣ • Thank u, bes @chachicsbooknook for letting me borrow! ❤️❤️❤️ .⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣ .⁣⁣⁣ #bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀⁣⁣⁣ #LoveWins #ResistTogether ⁣ #KomiksPH #DeadBalagtas #EmilianaKampilan⁣ #SociallyRelevant⁣ #readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy⁣ #QueerLit #PrideReads #Pride #PagesofPride⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/B1k0okegU71/?igshid=1i5p7qpyq9kkz

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High stress IRL right now so I'll be escaping with a bookstagram! 😉⁣ •⁣ Today's post crosses off "It Happened in the Philippines But NOT in Manila" from my #romanceclassBAPbingo. ⁣ ⁣ I've read The Hometown Hazard by Dawn Lanuza quite a long while ago so please don't ask me about plot/story details and all, bec I won't be able to remember right away (LOL) but I do remember liking this a lot bec of the bestfriend's brother romance, the mystery Jules and Kip had to unveil, and of course, the hometown feels of the setting that is NOT Manila (San Juan, Batangas, maybe?) ⁣ ⁣ There's a scene I couldn't forget: Jules waking up to the sound of roosters from either their backyard or the neighbors, and her coming out of her room and being greeted "Good Morning" by the smell of local coffee. The ~probinsya -ness of it was so precious and in my review when I first read it I noted: "Jules’ annoyance of all the inconveniences she was coming back to in her hometown was so relatable. Her love for her hometown in spite of it, more so." Pick this up when you're missing home, maybe? ⁣ •⁣ Some romanceclass books that would fit this category are my other favorites: Mango Summer by Agay Llanera (Zambales) and Keeping the Distance by Clarisse David (Iloilo)⁣ •⁣ Do you have a favorite book that reminds you of home?⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀⁣ #selfpublishing #indiepublishing⠀⁣ #romanceclass #TheHometownHazard #DawnLanuza⁣ #readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #diverseromance⁣ #kindlebooks #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy⁣ https://www.instagram.com/p/B1LngSpgaVV/?igshid=nu1mbay4iy65

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It's been a while since I've watched anything on stage (other than my sister's periodical recitals. I always try to be there when she's got a show) so I was really excited to see Rak of Aegis for the first time! It was so amazing, I cried thrice, and days after I'm still hooked on the "Aileen, Aileen ko" line. @giogahol also made it extra EXTRA special when he took his romanceclass books with him while performing! Seeing Start Here up there was surreal and it really made that show super memorable for me. I'll post a Twitter thread of my thoughts about the experience one of these days (let me just carve some breathing space from work rn, huhu) I was also really excited to spend time with friends especially #Besfluencers @chachicsbooknook and @readbyher, and besfluencer candidates @laylatanjutco (who gifted me my ticket 💖) and @carladeguzman. A bunch of other author friends were there too and I didn't realize how much I needed food and friends and TEA after the nerve-wracking past few weeks I've had. Thank you so much! • Anyway, this is also my #romanceclassBAPbingo entry for Musical Stage Production, and at the same time, a bookstagram of one of my favorite books, Waiting in the WIngs by Tara Frejas. I learned a late that this Teatro Fic was based on the real life PETA theater where we watched Rak. And, hihi, the LI of his book, Ramon, was inspired by Gio too (was this a secret? Bawal ba to sabihin? LOL). If you're looking for a sweet, cute romance with a love-triangle done well, be sure to check this out! . . . . #bookstagram #bibliophile #booknerdPH #bookworm #instabooks #bookish #bookishfeature #bookcommunity #alwaysreading #bookstagramersPH #IGreads #books⠀ #selfpublishing #indiepublishing⠀ #romanceclass #WaitingInTheWings #TeatroFic #monfigs⠀ #readlocalPH #diversebooks #diversereads #TaraFrejas #kindlebooks #Labyu #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy https://www.instagram.com/p/B1JeLMRgIur/?igshid=1sl1fan32em5e