35 books to add to your reading list

Run out of books to read? Here are some recommendations from award-winning local authors:

YVETTE Don NATALIE Carlos Palanca U. TAN Memorial is a twotime Awardee for her works Sidhi and Kulog. She has also written two other books, Walking the Dead and Kaba.

1. Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente Aliens + Eurovision + Washed Out Rock Star = Fate of Earth. What's not to love?

2. Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch This series follows the adventures of Peter Grant of the London Police as he stumbles into a secret world where ghosts and elementals exist.

3. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey Once in real history, there were plans to import hippos to the US, but they fell through. This novel takes place in a time where the plans pushed through. Basically a Western, but with hippos.

4. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett What if the Queen of England acquired a sudden interest in reading? Quite a lot of mayhem, apparently.

5. Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger The book hinges on the premise of bartending as a magical system, and bartenders as the magicians that wield it to keep humanity safe.

DANTON REMOTO is a journalist and multi-awarded writer known for his radio show Remoto Control, and his poetry, essays, and books.

1. Poems and Prose by Nick Joaquin This book contains the brilliant fiction and poetry of Joaquin shot through with history and luminescence.

2. The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston These are the memoirs of brave Chinese women down history lane, and can be read as both fiction — or fact.

3. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce An intense and illustrative novel that shows the growth of an artist's mind.

4. The Scent of Apples and Other Stories by Bienvenido N. Santos Shows fiction about the Filipinos abroad yearning to return to the old homeland.

5. Story Collection by Gilda Cordero Fernando A book of fiction written with substance and with style.

CHUCKBERRY J. PASCUAL is the author of Ang Nawawala. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Literature and Humanities at the University of Santo Tomas.

1. The Quiet Ones by Glenn Diaz It has crime, history, sex, romance, humor — and if those are not enough to hook you, it is also a radical critique on imperialism.

2. Bagay Tayo by Jerry Gracio This collection of creative nonfiction is by turns funny, affecting, and intensely personal.

3. An Orosipon Kan Bikolnon: Interrupting the Philippine Nation by Raniela Barbaza The writing of excellent literary history is not confined to imperial Manila, and Barbaza’s groundbreaking study of fiction and nonfiction from Bikol does a good job of proving it.

4. Finding Teo/Tulambuhay by Joselito delos Reyes This is biography of poet Teo Antonio. Delos Reyes, an academic who has a considerable fan base, is often credited for disseminating to the wider public ideas and topics that are usually confined to academic circles.

5. Sa mga Pagitan ng Buhay at iba pang Pagtutulay by Ralph Semino Galan Galan ferries across the linguistic meaning of the poems in his translation as well as his undeniable affection for the works he has chosen to translate.

MICHAEL CHARLESTON “XIAO” CHUA is a Fil-Chi historian and professor who has co-authored numerous books about Philippine history.

1. The Beatles Anthology by the Beatles Not only is it a narrative from the members of the greatest rock and roll band of all time, it is also a wonderfully designed and colorful book.

2. Pasyon and Revolution by Reynaldo Clemeña Ileto This focuses on the perspective of those in the margins about the revolution, which is not always emphasized in Philippine History.

3. The Light of Liberty by Jim Richardson It collects and transcribes all important Katipunan documents including the ones that are in the Military Archives Spain.

4. Testament from a Prison Cell by Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Even in prison, the pen (or typewriter) of Ninoy is sharp, informative and inspiring. This is an eyewitness view of contemporary history.

5. The Conjugal Dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos by Primitivo Mijares We owe a lot of what we know about the regime with this insider's view from a favorite journalist of the president.

BEVERLY books and translator SIY is a of writer two others. of six She a government is also a mother, employee, an editor, and a copyright

1. Lola advocate. Ora ni Princess Erika Solitario Ang librong ito ay binubuo ng limang creative non-fiction na nagtatampok sa mga babae sa buhay ng may akda.

2. Mga Sugat ng Naligaw sa Gubat ni Emmanuel Velasco Ito ay isang guidebook kung paanong harapin ang kirot, hilakbot, kamatayan at lalong-lalo na ang katotohanan.

3. Toto O. ni Charmaine Lasar Mahusay na ipinakita ng manunulat na isang uri din ng pagtitimpi ang pagiging ordinaryo. Dahil dito, naging kayanig-yanig ang mensahe ng Toto O. pagsalpok nito sa mukha ng tulad kong mambabasang Filipino.

4. Ani 40: Katutubo Paano natin malulutas ang mga problemang panlipunan kung tatanggapin nating lahat na mas marami tayong pagkakatulad kaysa pagkakaiba, tayong mga urban dweller, sa ating mga kapatid na nasa kabundukan, kabukiran at karagatan.

5. From Barrio to Senado: An Autobiography ni Juan M. Flavier Tadtad ng insight, light ang dating, may humor pero maraming mapupulot na life skills and lessons tungkol sa leadership, government, public service, management skills, being a doctor, buhay sa baryo, public speaking at Philippine politics.

DR. JOSELITO D. DE LOS REYES is currently the Chairperson of Literature Department in the University of Santo Tomas. He teaches literature, research, and pop culture.

1. Taga sa Bato: Mga Piling Tula ni Teo T. Antonio Sa aklat na ito, hindi man ako naging maayos na makata, natuto naman akong magbasa higit sa sinasabi ng salita.

2. Sa Aking Panahon: 13 Katha at iba pa ni Edgardo M. Reyes Maraming epekto ang kalipunan ng kuwento. Multi-layered. Maiikling kuwento itong kinukuwentuhan ka pa sa pagi-pagitan. May kuwento ang bawat kuwento.

3. Personal: Mga Sanaysay sa Lupalop ng Gunita ni Rene O. Villanueva Nakakatakot ang pagsisiwalat ng sarili sa mambabasa. Ang tapang, ang saklap, parang may bahagi ng aking sarili na isinawalat ng isang manunulat na bahagya ko nang nakilala.

4. Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe ni Bill Bryson May mga aklat na magde-define ng pagkatao mo. Well, sige, exaggerated. Magde-define kung paano mo gugustuhing sumulat pa o magkuwento. Masaya, seryosong masaya. Bibigyan ka ng direksyon, literal at figurative.

5. Noli Me Tangere ni Jose Rizal Gaya ng karamihan, hindi ko ito sineryoso nung high school at college. Nang makatapos at ikinihiya ang sariling hindi ko sineryoso ang Noli, binasa kong muli. Mabagal, masinop, komprehensibo. Ang lumabas ay muling pagsaludo kay Rizal hindi bilang bayani kung hindi manunulat at, seriously, humorist.

FERDINAND P. JARIN is a professor of Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines. He is a three-time Palanca Awardee.

1. Kataga 1 and 2 Literary Anthology Mas mababasa dito na may mga writers pa rin in Filipino na ang panulat ay nakikisangkot sa lipunan.

2. Lagalag ng Paglaya ni Rommel Rodriguez Kung versatility ng style sa pagkukuwento, at pagpapabisa ng basic storytelling, nandito pareho. Saka anchored din ito sa social conditions.

3. GAPO ni Lualhati Bautista Mas malakas ang drama dito at concretization ng racism, neo-colonization lalo na ipinakita sa mga particular na buhay ng mga main characters. Hindi didactic.

4. Mga books ni Mitch Albom Evocative at affective writing at reading.

5. John Grisham novels Kung mahilig sa legal drama, superb ang pace at description ng narratives ni Grisham.