Jill and the Books Talk

The old adage says, don't judge the book by its cover. And I did just that when I saw this hardbound, glossy and intriguing book. I thought that I was in for a treat on the explicit details of a Geisha's colorful yet secretive world. I was wrong. Instead, I found myself quickly flipping through the pages of a coffee table book with amazing photos documenting an ordinary girl's obsession to become a Geisha. I struggled with the minute font narrating the shallow details of Komomo's journey with much left to be revealed. This book left my curiosity unsated.  It is worth buying for the photos but don't expect to get any information beyond what was already written in the novel and portrayed in the film, Memoirs of Geisha. They have more substance than this book.

Sometime in January this year, I saw beautiful flowers as I passed by a flower shop which prompted me to say a silly prayer: "God gusto ko ng flowers. Yung nice. (God I want nice flowers). But it should not come from a guy who has romantic illusions in mind."  Fast forward to a couple of weeks later, I received a dozen luxurious Ecuadorian roses from my female patient with a thank you note. You see, we have been through a lot the past two years and saw how the hand of God works!   That's one silly prayer answered but it didn't end there. On the same day, I said another silly prayer while attending an event at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. I asked God to give me another surprise. Lo and behold, the hotel's GM called my name and handed me a gift certificate for an overnight stay with spa treatments!  Isn't Jesus romantic? He knows how to make my heart go lub dub. In June of 2010, I was exhausted after coming home from my Ateneo school trip in Vie

Poignant. Horrifying. This book is all about political upheaval and detailed historical events that led to the murder of the Romanovs. The author ensured that her readers will get to know each of the family members, as well as, their murderers by providing unbiased truths. She wrote in a way that will evoke strong emotions as the reader unconsciously empathizes with the characters. Beware! This book is absorbing, words will come alive as you flip through the pages. Allow your imagination to take you back to that tragic, bitter cold day in Ekaterinburg, Russia.

Interesting facts this book has. Spanning five hundred years of adultery, power, rivalry and revenge. Yet the author failed to captivate me with her writing style. Thoughts were disorganized. She jumped from one mistress to another. I could hardly keep track of who was who. I found myself having to flip pages backwards in order to recall roles, characters and events. If you have great patience to overlook the way this book was written, you will find yourself a wealth of intriguing facts.