Staircase Wit

Read six volumes so far. I am a very casual comic book reader and I must say, this fascinating epic space opera is a good place to start. Think Star Wars, but with characters a hundred times more interesting. Rating: 5/5

Aziz Ansari's 279-page advertisement slash field guide to Tinder. Reading this book, and taking into consideration the recent controversy concerning Ansari, I therefore conclude that he just didn't care that much about that girl to act like the dating guru he passes himself to be. P.S. Not his funniest work, but the food references were okay. His TV series Master of None, on the other hand, is hilarious. Rating: 3/5

Ian McEwan’s Atonement is beautifully written, vivid, and psychologically penetrating. Truly a great work of fiction. And what a staggering and heartbreaking plot twist/surprise ending! Re-reading the earlier chapters, I realized that clues were sprinkled all over this gorgeously written novel. Rating: 5/5

Haul from last night’s trip to the Big Bad Wolf Book sale. I just spent around 20 minutes at the Literature section and skipped the rest. I initially picked up a dozen books, then cut my choices by half after checking book reviews on the Goodreads app. Imagine if I gave myself an entire day to browse…

The life-size Gundam Mobile Suit in Odaiba is astonishing! I used to watch the anime (Mobile Suit Gundam Wing) when I was a teenager. If you told me back then that in the future, I will see an actual-size Gundam Mobile Suit in real life, I would definitely have not believed you.  

Finally finished watching Stranger Things Season 2. My notes: 1. The Hawkins kids have more acting prowess in them than, say, 100 local adult actors combined. 2. S02E07 is totally skippable. Pat Benatar, tho. 3. And maybe this episode is a prelude to Season 3? 3. The Billy Hargrove character is absolutely sexy, absolutely douchey, and absolutely unnecessary. 4. The sole purpose of Bob's existence is to prove to us that if you find a nice, decent, loving, and caring man, he will most definitely die. Rating: 5/5

1. I cannot get over how wonderfully written their dialogue/conversations are. Jesse and Celine’s afternoon-to-sunrise “walk” together is the perfect first date you may or may never get to experience: walking around a picturesque city, talking about everything and nothing at the same time, complaining about having no money, and endlessly debating about the most trivial topics. 2. That record store scene will make you want to go to a record store with the person you love, but where are the record stores now? Well, you can listen to Spotify together, but…nah. 3. People say that That Thing Called Tadhana is based on Before Sunrise. However, it must pointed out that in Tadhana, Mace mainly whined to Anthony about her ex. We cannot tell if those two actually enjoyed being together, or if they are compatible at all, because Mace was just whining about her ex. Celine and Jess, on the other hand, are all electric chemistry. Rating: 4/5 stars.

1. While Tyrion is good with politics and diplomacy, he knows little about warfare. Jorah, Jon, and Grey Worm are great soldiers, but they are not military strategists. With Jamie joining them in the North, Dany is finally getting a good military general by her side. 2. I like how Cersei addressed Jon as "Ned Stark's son", and considers him as a Stark. Considering that seven seasons ago, Catelyn didn't even see Jon as fit to even be seen by the Queen, Cersei now respects him enough and doesn't refer to him as illegitimate at all. 3. Nothing says "That's my girl!" like the proud grin the Hound had on his face when Brienne updated him about how Arya can now do.. 4. I wonder how many times the Hound and Jon practiced their grand white walker presentation. Great theatrics, guys. 5. Superb acting by Aiden Gillen. The range of emotions his face can make in less than five minutes of screen time is incredible. 6. Jon Snow, why wear ten laye...

1. The girl who can't even spare a second to flirt: OA ha! Lots of law students, nay, lawyers, have happy and healthy relationships, so I'm sure a first year student has thirty minutes to spare for flirting. 2. The most accurate thing about the movie: The 1000 pages of required reading. For the first meeting of Constitutional Law 1. 3. These boys may seem so full of themselves and so self-important, but yes, it's a pretty fair depiction of how a lot of law students think and act. 4. Everyone hates and openly (sometimes jokingly, sometimes not jokingly) mocks the curve breaker. It's a title you have to toil for but you can never brag about. 5. WHAT. A. CHEESY. AND. CRINGE-WORTHY. ENDING. Rating: 4/5. (I'm biased because, hey, I miss law school.)

Met Kevin Kwan today! I devour his books the moment they are out; they are so fun to read that you can finish each book in hours. His books are the perfect escape from reality, taking you to the world of the obscenely wealthy jet-setting crowd in a way no other book can.

It took me several years to finish reading this Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. It is a delicate coming-of-age novel, a delirious ode to nihilism, and a beautifully written love letter to art, all at the same time. Rating: 5/5

Imagine 35,000 people screaming, dancing, singing, and jumping, all at the same time. What an experience!

This book has a Gone Girl feel to it, but sadder. Still on the first few chapters, but enjoying it so far.

Book haul from Powerbooks’ closing out sale!

What an exciting place! Tokyo's ihawan and inuman alley, bursting with color and flavor.