- Aren’t we all excited for QTV? GMA7’s alterna-station. Well I am. I think it’s good for the industry and it will hopefully open the doors for wannabe TV workers slash Mass Comm graduates. There’s always a space for everyone.

- She may be a boring character, but I’m rooting for Jenny in Pinoy Big Brother. I don’t know, I just like her unassuming stance plus the fact that she gets along with both the “sosi” and “jologs” crowd. Haha.

Later!

This is my guilty pleasure. I started reading romances when I was about to enter high school. I started with my aunt’s collection of Barbara Cartland stories which was simply to entertain myself after I finished all the Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys in the collection. In high school, a friend introduced me to the thick paperbacks and soon we were passing it all around the classroom. As my friend mentioned just recently, we used it as a release for our inquisitive young minds on such a taboo topic such as sex. (It was an exclusive all-girls Catholic school.) Yet I still read and thrive on it up until now. It’s my escape from the harsh realities of my world.

1. Nora Roberts – If you take a look at my collection, you’ll find out that she occupies much of the space that I have on my bookshelf. I like the fact that she writes about families and proceeds to do stories about them. She’s a very prolific writer and I can always find a new book on the shelf from her. Her characters are always well-rounded with engaging stories. I don’t mind that she dabbles in mysticism at times especially in her Irish stories. The ones that I like best are the ones that deal with real situations. Titles that I recommend are The McGregors (Brides, Grooms and the others) and The Quinns (Rising Tides, Sea Swept, Inner Harbor, Chesapeake Bay).

2. Jayne Ann Krentz – She’s quirky with a lot of new age stuff going on. What I like the most about her is that she writes about unlikely heroes. The men are not the gorgeous knight-in-shining-armor of other autors. They are almost always ordinary men put in extraordinary situations. Her men are also not afraid to say “I love you” first. Dialogue in her books also take witty turns that make me envy such crafty use of words. I recommend Perfect Partners and Trust Me. I have read and re-read these books and they never fail to pick me up!

3. Julia Quinn – I have recently discovered this author and got hooked. Her setting is London in the 1800’s, the time when the ton reigned and there was nothing to do but get married. Her heroines are ahead of the time. They are strong and opinionated. The characters are fleshed out nicely in each book. What delights me the most is that the books regardless of their connection always has something familiar. I just love her Lady Danbury and Lady Whistledown characters. She writes mostly about the Bridgertons and the book that I love them most is Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.

I have a lot more authors on my shelves. The likes of Judith McNaught and Julie Garwood probably round out the top 5.

I saw Spider-Man 2 and I love it!  Definitely better than the first movie.  Tobey Maguire seems to be more comfortable in the role now.  Kirsten Dunst wasn’t as annoying as well.

It’s the summer box office season in the US. This means all the big, action-packed movies with big stars will be coming out. Here are just some of the movies that I am waiting for:

1. Garfield the Movie – Everybody’s favorite fat cat, even bigger! The CGI Garfield does not really appeal to me as much as the one in the comics but it’s Garfield nonetheless. Casting Academy Award nominee Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield is genius! Bad news is that the scheduled showing in the Philippines is August 4. Boo!

2. The Stepford Wives – The remake of the 1975 suspense movie, this version seems to be much more comical than the dark, creepy original. Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Bette Midler, Matthew Broderick and Christoper Walken star in this movie. Need I say more?

3. The Notebook – This is the movie adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel. I read the novel through the encouragement of some friends and I have to admit that I cried like a baby. I’m hoping that the movie does justice to this poignant and dramatic story. Everyone needs a good cry every now and then.

4. The Terminal – When I saw the movie trailer, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. If anyone can carry a film, it has to be Tom Hanks. There is something charming about this naive immigrant trapped in the airport terminal. Another Hanks-Spielberg collaboration.

5. Farenheit 9/11 – Contoversial film maker Michael Moore’s take on the aftermath of 9/11 specifically how Dubya’s administration has handled it all. Moore has always been issue-oriented and I want to see how he handles this one.

6. Saved -Not your typical teen movie. The topic of intolerance treated in a wickedly funny, tongue-in-cheek manner.

7. The Bourne Supremacy – The sequel to 2002’s The Bourne Identity from the books by Robert Ludlum. I like reading Ludlum novels but I never got started on the Bourne series. I enjoyed the film translation of The Bourne Identity and I’m hoping that this one is satisfying as well.

8. The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement – I like Garry Marshall’s films for its fairytale feel. Anne Hathaway is a very engaging actress and this should prove to be fun.

9. The Manchurian Candidate – This is an update of the 1962 film by John Frankenheimer and starred ol’ blue eyes. This time around, Denzel Washington pits thespic talents with Merryl Streep, Liev Schrieber and Jon Voight. Powerful storyline with a powerhouse cast. Should be exciting.

10. Not really a summer movie… Super Size Me – Documentary on Morgan Spurlock’s experiment on going on a McDonald’s diet for 30 days. Maybe I could do one that is Jollibee instead? ^_^

And that’s the end of my list…

What? No Spider-Man 2, no I, Robot? They don’t really appeal to me. Sure, I’ll probably see them but I’m not looking forward to it as much as I am to the ones listed above.