april 2018 playlist

3:15 // bazzi
miss you // cashmere cat x major lazer x tory lanez
everybody hates me // the chainsmokers
friends // marshmello x anne-marie
2002 // anne-marie
wanna be missed // hayley kiyoko
call out my name // the weeknd
freaky friday // lil dicky
be careful // cardi b
92 explorer // post malone
wasted times // the weeknd
better with you // jesse mccartney
cloud nine // owl city
on the low // tove styrke
queendom // aurora
miracle // chvrches
stay the night // the shires
hard rain // lykke li

march 2018 playlist

magic // rudy mancuso x maia mitchell
what i need // hayley kiyoko x kehlani
no excuses // meghan trainor
dura // daddy yankee
alone (remix) // halsey x big sean x stefflon don
the middle // zedd x maren morris x grey
put me back together // cheat codes x kiiara
getting over you (r3hab remix) // lauv x r3hab
my enemy // chvrches x matt berninger
let it be // hayley kiyoko
one thing (grant remix) // san holo x grant
jumping stairsets (demo) // pvmnts
like that // bea miller
on my own // 3lau x nevve
nostalgia // mo
chasing fire // lauv
dust // annalia

{Story Diary} That Kind of Guy by Mina V. Esguerra

That Kind of Guy by Mina V. Esguerra
Contemporary Romance, Filipino Lit
March 8, 2017

Yes, it’s true: "Good girl” Julie Crisostomo dated that guy Anton Santos for almost a year.

Julie is everyone’s loyal and concerned friend, but she has no experience being someone’s girlfriend. Then Anton, a “player” she never thought would be interested in her, swoops into her life and doesn’t seem to want to leave it.

Anton has dated a lot of women and is everyone's "delicious distraction." But he seems to have fallen hard for Julie—if only she believed him.

Setting + Places

TriNoma (Triangle North of Manila) Mall, Quezon City, Philippines

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Tagaytay, Philippines

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With a beautiful view of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano in the background.
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Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

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Where my family is from! Makes me want to go back.
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Muntinlupa, Philippines

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Coron, Palawan, Philippines

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Filipino food

Tagalog

Manang = older woman; a term of respect for older female relative
Merienda = light meal or snack
Beso = cheek to cheek kiss
Simbang Gabi = "night mass"; a 9-day catholic mass tradition
Lola = grandma
Bagay (there's two meanings depending on topic) = "things"; or "it suits you"
Quezo de bola ensaymadas = ball of cheese and bread
Ligawin = having many suitors
Dalandan = (sweet or sour) orange

Favorite Quotes

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"All food is comfort food to me."

--Mina V. Esguerra, That Kind of Guy (pg. 24)

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This was how a manang self-destructed, probably. Not with drugs or alcohol, but cholesterol.

--Mina V. Esguerra, That Kind of Guy (pg. 54)

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"[S]he has played different roles in my life since I met her. And vice versa. But I still love her, always have. And based on our track record, I think I always will," Charlie admitted.

--Mina V. Esguerra, That Kind of Guy (pg. 111)

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Pretty much awwed at this secondary characters confession of their dear friend.

Meet Mina V. Esguerra

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance novels. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in publishing.

When not writing romance, she is president of communications firm Bronze Age Media, development communication consultant, publisher, and publishing mentor. She created the workshop series “Author at Once” for writers and publishers, and #romanceclass for aspiring romance writers.

Her young adult/fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is a college love story featuring gods from Philippine mythology. Her contemporary romance novellas won the Filipino Readers’ Choice awards for Chick Lit in 2012 (Fairy Tale Fail) and 2013 (That Kind of Guy).

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Wattpad | Ko-fi | #RomanceClass | Goodreads

Purchase That Kind of Guy

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Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

february 2018 | a look back

february was rough for many of us in a number of ways that left us feeling various things.

highlights

• my lola (grandma) came home after a year in the philippines!
• BLACK PANTHER. the best mcu movie out there (so far). don't @ me. it's up to par with thor: ragnarok in my opinion and i recommend everyone to go watch it if/when you can.
• sent out valentine's day cards to immigrants via toimmigrantswithlove.com ♥
• watched LOVE, SIMON again at another advanced screening. it was even better the second time. (thanks again to the studio for the invite!)
• attended the very last love and fifty author signing event here in sacramento. it was bittersweet, but made such fun memories and met some new-to-me authors. thanks to the organizers who hosted this event for the past 3 years.
• requested a handful of #ownvoices diverse books at our local district community/public libraries. i see a couple of them as 'ordered' so fingers crossed.
• attended the aclu sac county's 'meet your da' program meeting, where we discussed da candidate debates for the upcoming election in june, and more. never underestimate you state da. if yours is up for re-election this year, make sure to do research and vote responsibly.
• i only had two submissions to read over and report this month for my internship. i needed this little break, so thank you, entangled! 

lowlights

• the florida high school shooting was as devastating as every mass shooting we've had here, so this brought even more of a heavy heart. however, these kids are not letting this go quietly as other shootings have. they are our future, and they are going to lead and fix our mess. their strength and resilience is absolutely inspiring. people attacking them -- both during and after the shooting -- messed with the wrong school.
• on the topic of the school shootings, my little brother wants to be homeschooled. i'm pitching in to buy my little brother a bulletproof backpack and practice active shooting drills to finish off the school year before considering private or homeschooling.
• my eyesight has significantly gotten worse in the last two months, i'm hoping it's not anything serious. fingers crossed it's nothing worse than a change of prescription.

what i read

total books read: 36

poetry: 11

novelette/novella: 2

nonfic: 8

kidlit: 3

ya: 12

what i listened to

for you // liam payne x rita ora

big spender // kiana lede x prince charlez

getting over you // lauv

god's plan (rock cover) // fame on fire

love lies // khalid x normani

new world // krewella x yellow claw x vava

[my full february playlist here]

adventures

san francisco

Bay Bridge

inspiration/motivation of the month

the survivors of the parkland shooting calling our politicians and adult voters out. these kids are not holding back. they are our future and i am ready to vote for them. (please run for a public office once you're eligible!) in the meantime, make sure to register to vote, and then go out an vote, vote, vote! it's one way to bring about change and to show we are serious. let them know that they need to step up or step out.

posts this month

february 2018 playlist

the bedtime tag

looking forward to in march

• the national school walkout. i'll be volunteering and marching with my little brother and parents. we are marching for my little brother and sister, their school peers and every kid out there. don't care who this upsets. die mad about it.

♥ how was your february? did you do anything fun?

comment your links to your feb recap below! ♥

february 2018 playlist

i was mostly into the fifty shades freed and black panther inspired soundtracks this month.

big spender // kiana ledes x prince charlez
for you // liam payne x rita ora

high // whethan x dua lipa

heaven // julia michaels

getting over you // lauv

love lies // khalid x normani

god's plan (cover) // fame on fire

pray for me // the weeknd x kendrick lamar

x // schoolboy q  x 2 chainz x saudi

king's dead // jay rock x kendrick lamar x future x james blake

mine // bazzi

faded love // tinashe x future

new world // krewella x yellow claw x vava

heart to break // kim petras

alibi // krewella

♥ what were you listening

to this month? ♥