pryngols

[pryngols]

Pages Review: Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi

A prizewinning, thrillingly subversive debut novel about a woman in Japan who avoids harassment at work by perpetuating, for nine months and beyond, the lie that she’s pregnant. When thirty-four-year-old Ms. Shibata gets a new job in Tokyo to escape sexual harassment at her old one, she finds that, as the only woman at her new workplace–a company that manufactures cardboard tubes–she is expected…

[pryngols]

My Year In Books 2021 + What's Next 2022

My Year In Books 2021 + What’s Next 2022

Farewell and Thank You 2021 The best thing about having my own blog is that I can simply ignore the fact that this post is about a month late than should be acceptable. 2021 was an awesome and productive year for me, pandemic notwithstanding, and so it would be a shame not to say goodbye to it properly. I know I haven’t been so active here in the blog last year but I was able to write while…

[pryngols]

OK to BE: A Work in Progress | "Postpartum" by Yours Truly

OK to BE: A Work in Progress | “Postpartum” by Yours Truly

“But what is tougher is the waiting — waiting for someone to ask, for someone who gets it.”KB Meniado my collection so far! OK to BE is a monthly zine project featuring everyday adventures by creators for creators. The project is headed/edited/curated by the amazing KB Meniado of heykebe, a Filipina creative and editor. She has shared that her main reason for starting the project is to give…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | "The House Plant" A Short Story by Jeremy Ray

Pages Review | “The House Plant” A Short Story by Jeremy Ray

“It would be the plant that lived.” George, a fern, doesn’t appreciate being bought by Brenda at Garden Palace. And he certainly doesn’t appreciate being trapped in her house of humans. He yearns to be with the plants outside in the garden. With time, George learns to trust Brenda and think of her as his human. Then one day, tragedy strikes and George’s life will never be the same. What happens…

[pryngols]

Book Giveaway PH | "Vacant Steppes" by Steven Sy

Book Giveaway PH | “Vacant Steppes” by Steven Sy

“Feet on the ground, eyes to the sky. Gaeon ride with us all.” As a second invasion by the Empire threatens the nomads of the Great Steppe, a new generation of leaders must mend the broken alliances of their fathers or face certain destruction. Vacant Steppes is a Mongolia-inspired epic fantasy novel about inheritance, family, and leadership in times of division and war. The book features three…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | "Black Dragonfly" by Jean Pasley

Pages Review | “Black Dragonfly” by Jean Pasley

“We have a saying here: sumeba miyako. It means, wherever you live becomes home.” The year is 1890. Western influences are flooding into Japan. A nomadic Irishman arrives to record this unique culture before it vanishes. In this richly imagined novel, late nineteenth century Japan is brought vividly to life. Based on the remarkable experiences of the Irish writer, Lafcadio Hearn, and drawing on…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | Totally Engaged (Six 32 Central #4) by Mina V. Esguerra

Pages Review | Totally Engaged (Six 32 Central #4) by Mina V. Esguerra

“…having roots wasn’t holding her back.” Rose Alban, 41, has been happily living alone and single in Manila. When her entire family moved to the US she became responsible for their house and since then she’s transformed it into her home, her sanctuary, and base for a new and more fulfilling career. She was even able to convert the garage into a studio apartment, that she’s now renting out to her…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (eARC)

Pages Review | Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon (eARC)

“All this time she’d thought death was coming for her, but perhaps it was she who was death coming for everyone else.” Vern – seven months pregnant and desperate to escape the strict religious compound where she was raised – flees for the shelter of the woods. There, she gives birth to twins, and plans to raise them far from the influence of the outside world. But even in the forest, Vern is a…

[pryngols]

Mother’s Day in Quarantine + Books About Motherhood Year 2

Mother’s Day in Quarantine + Books About Motherhood Year 2

“At every birth, two people are born: a baby and a mother.” –Unknown “Dandelion Fantasy Terrarium” If you asked me last year if I thought I’d be celebrating Mother’s Day at home again, I would have said no. I was too optimistic back then. The country has not really moved forward with any sustainable plans to deal with the pandemic on a national scale, and things are as bad as it was, maybe even…

[pryngols]

Nanay Diaries | My Son Turns 5 + How To Celebrate During A Pandemic

Nanay Diaries | My Son Turns 5 + How To Celebrate During A Pandemic

“Nanay” means Mother in Filipino. __________ A non-bookish post today! A lot of you may not know this, but outside of this blog I am 90% mom and wife and only 10% bookworm. Mother’s Day is also coming soon, so I figured I might as well start a Nanay Diaries here. Will this grow into a series of mommyhood posts? I can only hope I will find enough time and energy to do so. But to start off, I’d…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | Vulnerability is My Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection by Jackie E. Davis ARC

Pages Review | Vulnerability is My Superpower: An Underpants and Overbites Collection by Jackie E. Davis ARC

“The less I hate who I was, the more I can like who I am.” By being her anxious, honest, and just plain silly self, Jackie Davis’ egg-shaped character proves that, even though opening up to others is scary at first, vulnerability can be a superpower. A sweet, instantly relatable diary comic about self-discovery, mental health, relationships, and childhood. From bouts with anxiety and insecurity…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Pages Review | Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

“Gradually the waiting began to feel less like waiting and more like this was simply what life was: the distracting tasks undertaken while the thing you are waiting for continues not to happen.” A sharply intelligent novel about two college students and the strange, unexpected connection they forge with a married couple. Frances is twenty-one years old, cool-headed, and darkly observant. A…

[pryngols]

Pages Feature | Living With Mochi by Gemma Gene ARC

Pages Feature | Living With Mochi by Gemma Gene ARC

“The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.”― Andy Rooney Gemma Gene’s adorable comics celebrate fur-parenthood and the extreme love you experience when you look into your dog’s eyes. If you are never alone when you go to the bathroom, are forced to share your food, and find your life ruled by a sassy fur ball, Living With Mochi is the perfect book for you. When…

[pryngols]

Pages Review | The Red Kitchen (A Memoir) by Barbara Clarke ARC

Pages Review | The Red Kitchen (A Memoir) by Barbara Clarke ARC

“The trouble with abuse of any kind is that until you can claim it, it claims you.” At the age of seven, Barbara witnesses a frightening incident between her parents. She goes on to spend much of her childhood toggling between the happy family she longs for and the unhappy one she’s in but can’t repair. Disturbed by the smell of rotting leaves and an uneasy feeling about her father, she will…

[pryngols]

Pages Feature | "Off My Feet" by Rachel Tremblay

Pages Feature | “Off My Feet” by Rachel Tremblay

“All we are is intelligent dirt.” Lone wolf coffee-slinger and accidental oneironaut Edie Stacks has her life turned upside down by reality-altering lucid dreams, and space invaders! Off My Feet is a Neverwhere-meets-Inception psychedelic chronicle of female experience where trust is learned the hard way, the hard knocks of life are explored, and love and friendship are pushed to their limits.…

[pryngols]

Pages Feature | "Gudetama: Mindfulness for the Lazy" by Wook-Jin Clark eARC

Pages Feature | “Gudetama: Mindfulness for the Lazy” by Wook-Jin Clark eARC

“Live in the now. The past is the past. Tomorrow isn’t here yet.” Mindfulness takes a lot of mental energy to wrap your brain around. Gudetama is here to help you become a better person…sort of. Empathizing with others, understanding your feelings, learning to be selfless. These all sound like really hard things to do! Well fear not, come along with Gudetama who’ll guide your way to learning…

[pryngols]

#WeReadWomenPH | Women's Month Wrap-up

#WeReadWomenPH | Women’s Month Wrap-up

“It is my right to reside in my own mind.” ⁣Carmen Maria Machado, Her Body & Other Parties ⁣ Hello, April! Last month was a bit crazy for me and I couldn’t be here a lot. This long weekend is a great opportunity for me to finally get some quiet and to share what exactly I’ve been up to the past few weeks. My favorite part of last month was the fact that it was International Women’s Month, and…