This is the cover of my ebook

Rating:  * * * *

I wanted to give this a 5 out 5 star rating because I really enjoyed the book. Proof of that is the length of time it took me to finish the book: 2 days. That's despite of the fact that I have an 8-5 job and a total of 4 hours commute to contend with.

However, I have some reservations about the it. Yeah, it was quite funny and entertaining. The premise of the story is a bit different from the paranormal novels I've read so far. And the characters are very likeable.

Charley was snarky, witty, apparently beautiful, and a grim reaper. Yeah, kind of reminds me of, first, Bleach (you know, soul reaper), second, Grimm the TV series. But they have totally different takes on the reaper job. Me, I always thought they collect souls, in a bad kind of way (read: Grim).

Meanwhile, Reyes--I know, I know it's a funny name, add that to being Filipino where Reyes is a common surname rather than a first name--was as mysterious as they come. Nothing is known about him except for that brief encounter with Charley some 10 years ago. And he's been described as dark, tall, brooding, and super hot. In fact, I can imagine him as looking like this:

Actor Jason Behr

And if that is not proof enough that most of those who read the book are probably in love with him, how about this image that's on the Internet:


Ok, Reyes Farrow is hot. But that didn't make me like the book more. :D

I just thought that, as one review in Goodreads said, a thousand wisecracks does not make a novel. And I agree with that. It was amusing at first, but if every bit of thought and comment that pops out of Charley is a wisecrack, where is the fun in that? After a while it got a little too old. Makes you wonder if someone really can think that way EVERY FREAKIN' TIME.

And I just cringed at the almost end part when Charley was describing the universe and et al being formed. Ack. Skipped most of it. It was way too cheezy for me.

Anyway, I think it's a good first novel of the series, and I wouldn't mind grabbing the second, third, fourth...wait. Is there are 6th book already? Hmmm.

Ok, so I haven't been blogging as much as I want to, and yet, there are so many things I want to write about. There's my anime, k-pop, TV series, and book addiction. There's also my interest in discovering new places to eat or new snacks to try. There's an insane amount of material I can write about. And it should be easy enough because, heck, I'm a writer. I mean, I work as a writer. You know, the 8-5 job.


After much contemplation (yeeesss, contemplation daw), I realized that the reason I can't just go and type away is that I tend to overthink things. Instead of just simply telling it like it is. Instead of just going straight to the point, I have this penchant for being too detailed. I guess that really comes with working as an editor, as well. I have to be critical of every word, punctuation, and sentence construction. Just as I would when I edit a copy.

Now, is that a good or bad thing?

It has been a while since I was in the Ermita-Malate area in Manila. Last I remember, I was in a bar ordering Mule and Subzero (drinks that were soooo popular back when I was...nevermind).

Anyway, thanks to a complimentary overnight stay at Lotus Garden Hotel Manila, I was able to go back to one of the destination spots in Manila. And the experience was a pleasant surprise. Enhanced, perhaps, by a delightful stay at the Lotus Garden.

The Marilo Wing

Check-in was easy and fairly quick. A few necessities, such as signing a form, showing an ID, and waiting for your keycard, were in order. You'll also get your access to the hotel-wide Wi-Fi Internet here. As we--Me and Dompy--were completing all these things, the receptionist told us we've been upgraded from a Deluxe to the Grand Deluxe Room at no extra cost. Wow! Even the foreign family who checked in at the same time as us were upgraded. Talk about service.

Our room was at the new wing, Marilo Wing, which was an old establishment called the Marilou Apartment that was used by the Americans in the 1950s, according to sources online. Sadly, when we asked the staff about the building, no one knew about it.

The new wing felt old and looked "newly" old. It still had that Manila-of-yore vibe with its wooden floors and staircases, narrow hallways filled with black-and-white pictures of old Manila, and accessories that looked liked it time warped into 2014.



Anyway, our room was on the 3rd floor and was large and very nicely decorated. I love the wooden floors even though it creaks. The mini-bar was well-stocked and they had slippers and umbrellas in the closet, but these were priced to buy, so you'd need to have your own slippers. The floors are clean, though, so you can go barefoot. The bathroom was really nice, too. Very clean. The bed is firm and the pillows looked new and clean, as well. Everything is CLEAN!

Our room for the night, Grand Deluxe

The staff were friendly and greeted us whenever they saw us. The complimentary buffet breakfast was filling and there was enough variety to choose from. You can even have made-to-order eggs and pancakes. We were served coffee and asked if we wanted a refill when we finished our first cup.


After breakfast, Dompy and I explored the first floor of the Marilo Wing and discovered that this is where the spa and jacuzzi were. No one was there that morning we went investigating, so we took a lot of photos. A shame though, as my photography skills left little to be desired.


I also like the location of the hotel. It was near where I wanted to go. Turn a corner and you'll find a Jollibee, Chowking, 7-11, a Korean Mart, and a bar.

You can walk everywhere. From the LRT U.N. Avenue Station to the hotel and from the hotel to Remedios Circle. It was very accessible and there were jeeps going to as far as Monumento and Munoz passing by the hotel! I was actually amazed by that and thought about how long the travel time will be.

Bottomline, I would recommend the hotel to friends and family who will be visiting the area. The rooms were large and very clean and the rates are really affordable.

If you'd like to know more about the hotel you can visit their website, http://www.citygardenhotels.com/lotus/index.php.