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ail

ail

has 21 followers and is following 21 people

I'm a reluctant graduate of Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines . I can knot a cherry stem with my tongue, speak four languages, make good paper-maché beads, bake damn good brownies, hike long hours, sleep in tents, and climb mountains. I'm pure Chinese, sometimes I look it, sometimes I don't. People say I'm weird but my friends are... more »
  • MM, Philippines
  • member since August 9, 2007

Reviews

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  • The Kite Runner
    • Rated 3 stars

    "The Kite Runner" is an incredibly touching story about Amir, an Afghan boy from a wealthy family and his servant-boy Hassan. Set in the time when Afghanistan wasn't the Afghanistan we know now. When women walked freely in market, kids flew kites, and fathers weren't rare yet. When a single life mattered. None of the bombings and bodies carpeting the streets. The New York Times calls it "... a story of fierce cruelty and fierce yet redeeming love." It is both beautiful and painful at the same time, such that only Afghan culture can contain. For anyone who never knew Afghanistan, you should read this book. There is a way to be good again.

    ail wrote this review Monday, December 3, 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Small Gods
    • Rated 4 stars

    "Small Gods" is a satire on humans and their gods. It's witty and clever; if you ever wondered about gods in a chicken-or-egg sort of way, this book is for you. It talks of philosophy, politics, history, religion, and maybe even economics.

    My favorite line is, "I imagine that fish have no word for water," a reply to the tyrant Vorbis when he denied being such, saying they "have no word for slave."

    ail wrote this review Sunday, December 2, 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Oryx and Crake
    • Rated 3 stars

    This is about dystopia set in the near future. It has the whole post-apocalyptic formula that makes it a bit predictable: Human race evil, Human race self-destructive, Human race die. But the real jewel in this book is not in the plot but the characters. Atwood uses her dark wit to portray humanity at its best and worst. An enjoyable read.

    ail wrote this review Tuesday, November 27, 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Phantom Tollbooth
    • Rated 5 stars

    Read this when I was 8 and loved it ever since. :)

    ail wrote this review Friday, August 17, 2007. ( reply | permalink )