As 2010 comes to a close, SPOT.ph asked Andrea Pasion-Flores, executive director of the National Book Development Board and herself an author and fictionist, to pick the most noteworthy Pinoy reads released this year that were penned by some of the most creative and controversial storytellers of our time. Check out the page-turners that deserve a place on your bookshelf--or under the Christmas tree.
Ilustrado
By Miguel Syjuco (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux)
The reward in reading this ambitious novel is in the ending, so plough through the multiple narratives, and the disconcertion of reading the author portraying himself as the protagonist who weaves together novels, poetry, and essays of Crispin Salvador to solve the mystery of his death. While some might consider this award-winning novel difficult to read (nosebleed!), there is no doubt that it deserves all the recognition it has garnered.
Tall Story
By Candy Gourlay (Cacho Publishing House)
The heartbreak of leaving family members behind to work abroad and enduring years of separation may be an all too familiar scenario for Pinoys. While it might be considered too heavy for young readers, this is the art of Candy Gourlay. The author tells the story of basketball fan Andi, a young English girl whose 8- foot-tall Filipino stepbrother Bernardo was separated from her and their mom for 16 years while waiting for his papers to come through. Then one day, it finally happens--Andi and her stepbrother both find themselves in London. Things don't turn out as expected, and two siblings discover that sometimes, the unforeseen may be conquered with the power of shared wishes.
