This is very timely as early this month, I [dorkly much] printed a list of Pulitzer and Man Booker awardees and manually checked which ones I own.  Now, I can do the next step after marking the titles — read them [well, the ones I haven't, and believe me, I still have a lot!].

Guidelines for participation in this reading challenge are as follows:

• The Award-Winning-Books Reading Challenge would run from 1 January 2012 to 30 December 2012.
• There are four levels of participation:
  • Level 1 (10 books or less) – Bronze Medal
  • Level 2 (11-25 books) – Silver Medal
  • Level 3 (26-35 Books) - Gold Medal
  • Level 4 (over 35 books) - Platinum Award
• Picture books, YA lit, adult literature – are all welcome as long as they have received an award or recognition – it does not matter what year they won the award.
• We know that you must be participating in a number of reading challenges, so you’re more than welcome to have your reviewed books overlap with other reading challenges you will be joining for 2012 (we’d probably do the same thing).
• You would have to write your reviews of what you have read for the challenge. We would be creating a page where you can put the links up for your reviews (watch out for this). While we appreciate your linking reviews for anything written before 2012, they would not be eligible for prizes.
• No, you do not need a blog to participate. Goodreads, Shelfari members are welcome to join – a weblink that leads us to your post should be enough.
• Monthly book prizes await!
• How do you sign up? Sign up here if you wish to join in our challenge and theurl of your post (not your website) which announces your intention to join in this Reading Challenge – and the level you are aiming for.

They also provided a comprehensive list of literature winners through the years so if you intend to join as well, there’s a lot of list to browse. There are also book giveaways all throughout the duration of the challenge.

I am joining Level 2 (Silver Medal) which would require me to read 11 to 25 books from my pile. I checked the lists available and discovered I have quite a few of them. I am sharing them below, not only for this challenge, but also as a guide of sorts for yours truly. From the list, I can already spot standouts from bagging multiple awards (see titles in bold).  I guess, apart from reading 11-25 books, the other challenge for me is writing reviews for the ones I finished reading.

Man Booker Prize

• 1981 – Midnight’s Children (Salman Rushdie)
• 1993 – Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha (Roddy Doyle)
• 2000 – The Blind Assassin (Margaret Atwood)
• 2004 – The Line of Beauty (Alan Hollinghurst)
• 2009 – Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel)
• 2011 – The Sense of an Ending (Julian Barnes)

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

• 1921 – The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton)
• 1961 – To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee) >> Yes, I haven’t read it! Hahaha
• 1988 – Beloved (Toni Morrison)
• 1995 – The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
• 2001 – The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (Michael Chabon)
• 2002 – Empire Falls (Richard Russo)
• 2005 – Gilead (Marilynne Robinson)
• 2008 – The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz)

National Book Awards

• 1974 – Gravity’s Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon)
• 1980 – The World According to Garp (John Irving)
• 1984 – Victory Over Japan and Other Stories (Ellen Gilchrist)
• 1994 – A Frolic of His Own (William Gaddis)
• 2000 – In America (Susan Sontag)
• 2001 – The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)
• 2005 – The Year of Magical Thinking (Joan Didion) [non-fiction]
• 2007 – Tree of Smoke (Denis Johnson)

National Book Critics Circle

• 1994 – The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)  
• 2004 – Gilead (Marilynne Robinson)
• 2007 – The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz)
• 2009 – Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel)
• 2011 – A Visit From the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan)

Arthur C. Clarke Awards

• 2001 – Perdido Street Station (China Mieville)
• 2005 – Iron Council (China Mieville)
• 2010 – The City and the City (China Mieville)

Nebula Awards

• 1984 – Neuromancer (William Gibson)
• 1992 – Doomsday Book (Connie Willis)
• 2007 – The Yiddish Policemen’s Union (Michael Chabon)

Man Asian Literary Prize

• 2007 – Wolf Totem (Jiang Rong)

PEN/Faulkner Award [Fiction]

• 1990 – Billy Bathgate (E.L. Doctorow)

***********

There you go.  Here’s to a year of reading award winning books!

Look who’s back joining reading challenges!

In line with my pledge to read 100 books this year, I spiced up my reading plans by participating in online challenges.  Note that I’m still on a book-buying ban and joining challenges like this would help me get over my TBR pile.

You may want to know I was into zombies last year, what with The Walking Dead, my George Romero movie nights (alone!), and many reading materials about our not-so friendly shambling friends.  I decided that I want them to stay so I joined Book Chick City’s Zombie Challenge for 2012.

The rules for this challenge are very simple.

Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 – 31 Dec 2012

• Rules: There are FOUR (4) LEVELS to choose from:- One Chomp: Read 6 Zombie books in 2012 - Two Chomps: Read 12 Zombie books in 2012- Three Chomps: Read 18 Zombie books in 2012- Four Chomps: Read 24 Zombie books in 2012

For more information about the challenge, please visit this site.

I will make this a sticky post every time I need to update it with my zombie books read.  Let’s chomp away!

The last one I finished was Unpacking My Library: Writers and their Books.  I borrowed it from Gabi during our last book session.  It has always been a hobby, a guilty pleasure if you may, to look at bookshelves, whether of other people, bookshops, or libraries.  For this edition, thirteen novelists gladly shared their bookshelves to us.  It’s good to know that most of them are like us, regular people, in managing their shelves and piles of books.

Most of my reads at the end of 2011 were re-reads.  Goosebumps was a staple when I was in grade school but most of those I read were borrowed from friends, so I took the chance to re-read the ones that stood out to me.  One of them was a book I wasn’t able to read before but always wanted to: Be Careful What You Wish For – only because the antagonist’s name is Judith.

Overall, it’s a good reading year for me.

For 2012, my reading goals are the following:

~ Read 100 books.

~ Participate in online reading challenges.

~ Participate in a 24-hour read-a-thon.

~ Try to maintain my book blog.

~ Make it to all book sessions of Ex Libris Philippines (and diligently document each session!)

~ Be more active on GoodReads and reach out to more fellow book lovers.

~ DO NOT BUY A SINGLE BOOK FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2012.  My book acquisitions for this period could only come in form of gifts from friends, either as a physical book or a gift certificate.  I guess, my goal is not to shell out money for books seeing that I still have hundreds (not exaggerating) in my TBR pile.  However, I can only pledge to do it for 6 months.  I might die if I stretch it to a whole year.

Here’s to a great year of reading!

Suffice to say, I still watch [H]ouse even with the abrupt departure of Lisa Cuddy (Lisa Edelstein made a controversial exit last May).  The Big Bang Theory is still my staple comedy show although I need to catch up with Community.  I have warmed up well to Body of Proof, and waiting for FBI Agent Derek Ames to come back.

I still love The Walking Dead.  The last scene of the mid-season finale left me in shivers – I’ve always been vocal about the search for Sophia after she disappeared in the forest, so when she went out shambling from the barn, it was an OMG moment, until Rick shot her in the head.

Two new shows got me hooked – American Horror Story and Once Upon A Time.  The former is just pure mindfuck.  Veteran actors Jessica Lange and Frances Conroy kill it everytime.  The latter is pure enjoyment and a little mystery.  It’s the child in me, the lover of fairy tales, that got me hooked.  It’s also nice to see Jennifer Morrison on the tube again after her departure from [H]ouse.

Currently, I’m enjoying Homeland, and aside from the plot (relevant tags include FBI, CIA, Iraq, Afghanistan, terrorist, traitor, conspiracy, you get the drift), I also said it that exposition-wise, you have wider ground to play on when you’re on cable (the show is on Showtime).

My latest craze probably is Castle.  I’m almost done with season 3, although I left season 1 for later.  I got curious with the barrage of tweets from my friends so I gave it a try.  It’s fun with your typical crime procedural formula.  I even saw a hint of The Mentalist; Kate Beckett=Teresa Lisbon, Richard Castle=Patrick Jane, Kevin Ryan=Wayne Rigsby, Javier Esposito=Kimball Cho, and probably a little of Lanie Parrish=Jane Van Pelt.  It’s just a formulaic pattern and I hope the fans won’t stone me; the similarities really end there.  For now, I can recite the show’s intro by heart:  There are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people: psychopaths and mystery writers. I’m the kind that pays better.

There are still a lot I would like to either try or go back to soon (Suits, Revenge, Game of Thrones, etc).  I cannot help it, I’m a TV junkie. I’m highly anticipating Aaron Sorkin’s show on HBO called More As This Story Develops.  I might also start following a local soap titled Walang Hanggan.  The options are endless.  So little time, really.

Credit for Tigger's image goes to www.tiggerman.com. Text and modifications are mine.

This year tested my strength and patience in many different ways.  The homefront is good as we speak but let’s just say there are “adult” issues that we have to go through at some point.  I handled it the way I knew how so I guess I’m ready for whatever curve balls will be thrown my way again.  I can’t say I’m totally strong and unbeatable but you know, I’m always ready.

Perhaps one outstanding memory of 2011 is my experience with Typhoon Pedring.  Flooding isn’t strange to me having lived in the Philippines my entire life.  However, I don’t wish to go through it again, in the same vein that I wish the devastation caused by flooding don’t happen in Milenyo/Ondoy/Pedring/Sendong magnitudes again.   Mahirap.

Speaking of hardship, is it just me or is 2011 a hard year, financial-wise?  I don’t know what happened.  However, above it all, I’m thankful that I’m still employed.  I receive a modest salary that pays my bills, takes care of my debts, puts food on the table, and allows me to enjoy little forms of luxuries.  I’m hoping that 2012 will be breezier!

A little of my money this year went to tuition fees for my Spanish classes.  I stopped at level 9 this month and I don’t know if i’m going back soon.  It’s been fun and even if I am not as sobre saliente as anyone in my course level is expected to be, I learned a lot already.  I have new friends beyond the halls of Instituto Cervantes.  And yeah, I think I can survive in Spain already if I go there.  IF.

Lastly, I got to say that I’m always thankful for new things I learned and dabbled into, and for 2011, it’s football.  I started totally clueless and yes, I will admit that for the most part, it’s boy-watching and getting dragged by hype.  However, games after games, I can say  that it is something that I love to watch and follow; play, maybe not anymore.  I may not be as hardcore as the others (many of whom are my friends now!), I may not dissect games as thoroughly as they do, but I understand it now.  They say it’s easy to be a backseat coach and more than 10 games later, more than half of which I’ve seen live, I can already give my two-cents’.  The most important of all is how it ignited more my pride for the Philippines.  I won’t go into “defending” the Philippine Azkals because it’s futile – haters will be haters, and I choose to stay in that sphere where the team is appreciated and just respect those who do not like what has happened to football in the Philippines.  Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that, homegrown or foreign-bred, when they play for the flag, whatever the outcome, it makes me very proud.

I can still vividly remember how amazing it was when Stephan Schrock scored our lone goal versus Kuwait in the World Cup qualifiers.  Or when Joshua Beloya scored 2 goals at the tailend of the game versus Laos in the SEA Games.  Our national team is still very young so it needs all the support it can get.  Of course I say the same for all sports.  As for me, when it’s game time, it’s not anymore personality-driven.  It’s the Philippine team.  What I mean is, (and I’m speaking as a terrible near-sighted person) when they go to the pitch, I no longer recognize who’s doing what.  I just see “follow” the color of the jersey and squeal and jump in delight when they play well, and react the same way when they don’t.   That’s just for the national team!  When we break them down, we get our professional football league , and that’s where more raw action can be found.  Most recent highlights I could think of were the UFL championships.  I was lucky enough to be there when Meralco Sparks rose from a 3-0 disadvantage to advance to the finals by snatching the win from Kaya FC with 3-5.  It was heartbreaking for Kaya fans and supporters (like me) but I couldn’t deny it was a fantastic game.  The championship game was notches higher in intensity with the win of Air Force Raiders versus Meralco Sparks.  They were both amazing teams but you got to hand it to the Air Force (all homegrown, mostly Ilonggos), their goal-keeper Tats Mercado, and perhaps, a stroke of good luck.  Each goal intercepted, each play formed, amazing.  We can only look at each other in awe.  My friend Christian was even teary towards the end and I couldn’t blame him for it.

I could go on and on about this.  I really might do this again for a new UFL season is kicking off in a few weeks.  For now, I can say it’s been a great year.  I wouldn’t trade my football-related experiences for anything (I mean, meeting LA Galaxy team captain Landon Donovan up close, for one, is something already).

Overall, 2011 has been a great one.  Is it the same with you?

Next: Year in Review: TV and Movies / Books / Races / Travels / My Lovelife (whether you like it or not ) <– Kidding on this one.

The 10K race was only a side event to the half-marathon. It was both challenging and fulfilling on my part; the race route was how exactly I imagined it would be: it was a challenging combo of uphills, downhills, mud-drenched forest trails, and curved roads.  It was the most exciting race route of my 2-year running career.  When I crossed the finish line, I really felt so happy.  There wasn’t any feeling of discomfort nor stress which only told me I was super fine!

By the way, I intended to accompany this post with more pictures but unfortunately I lost my camera in Rizal Memorial Stadium on the afternoon of December 10, right after I came back to Manila from Corregidor.

Anyway, along with my friends Aldrin and TJ, we traveled to Corregidor on a rainy Friday morning (December 9), because both of them were running 21K, so they didn’t want to travel at the wee hours of December 10, then run the half marathon right after.  We were supposed to stay in Sea Calm Inn, a last-minute addition of Sun Cruises to the accommodation options, even though it was initially disapproved by the race organizers.  I had qualms about it after reading a not-so-good blog post about it in 2010′s CIHM.  By a stroke of good luck, on Wednesday afternoon, I got a message from Lhen of Sun Cruises, asking me if we want to transfer to Corregidor Inn (the “only” hotel on the island) because someone cancelled their reservation.  We gladly took it, of course!

One rainy afternoon aboard MV Sun Cruises II. Photo credit goes to KB of KB Photography.

We arrived on the island around 2:30 p.m. and were so hungry.  Now I want to tell you how we were kind of ripped off.

We checked in and ate lunch at the hotel’s restaurant.  We did not avail of the P550 plated lunch and breakfast offer because we didn’t want to be tied to a set plate.  When we got to the restaurant, the waiters told us that they were not offering anything from the menu that day; all they had was the plated lunch which costs P270.  However, a cashier told us that they were actually accepting orders off the menu.  Well, the waiters prevailed and stood by their set plates, and we were stuck with it.  The food wasn’t bad and the serving size was okay.  But here’s a small annoying part: when we paid the bill, we still had around 60 pesos of change, and that’s already less the tip even though they already had service charge.  We waited for the change and the receipt which never came.  We decided to walk around so I approached the cashier, and they were not aware of what I was saying.  Long story short, they reprinted my receipt, and I saw the one of the guys who waited on us take the money out of his pocket and gave it to me.  What was that?!  The waiter’s name is Oscar.  I don’t want to put him under a bad light but sir, it’s not just about the 60 bucks but what it represented; that’s not proper!

To make matters worse, when we walked to the South Beach/Lorcha Dock area, we saw McArthur’s Cafe and Inn which had relatively CHEAPER food than the hotel!  Sure, it was your carinderia type, but no wonder most runners and guests flocked there!  They also had more food selections!  We really felt cheated but we just shrugged and considered it a lesson learned.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking and taking pictures then by nighttime we headed to the South Dock covered area again for the carbo-loading dinner.  The cost of our dinner was included in the registration fee.  The food was fine; we had carbonara pasta, rice, fish, pork, and puto.  There was a short program hosted by May, a current contender in Survivor: Philippines.  After that, they had the official torch-lighting ceremony headed by PNP’s Dandelion Bumahit, CIHM 2011′s top finisher.

Race Day

We were up early and were at the starting line, still at the South Dock, by 7:00 a.m.  Despite the gloomy weather the day before, we were thankful the sun came out.  I felt that this race event was intimate in that no more than 500 runners were participating.  After chit-chats, picture-taking, a little warm up exercises, runners started arriving from Manila.  Less than an hour after, it’s race time!

Waiting for the other runners to arrive from Manila. Thanks to KB for the photo.

For my part, the first 500 meters got me asking, “Why did I join this again?” already.  I was aware of the hilly routes but you’ll never really feel it until you’re there traipsing it.  Anyway, I got through them well, save for a few walking and hydration stops, and deliberate slowing down efforts because it was slippery.  I can say we took most of the areas we covered in the adventure activity we did last September for our team-building, minus the underground tunnels.  It was difficult but it was amazing.

There's one happy runner! Thanks to Leo for the photo.

I love this photo. This was taken a little past the Pacific War Memorial. Thanks to LeStSky Runner for taking this photo.

By the 8th kilometer, when the route was mostly downhill as we were going back to where we started, I felt my thigh muscles cramping.  It was the first time I felt it because the road was really steep, unlike the ones in McKinley Hill.  On my last kilometer, I ran across Mr. Bumahit who already finished his 21K!  He encouraged us to hang on as the finish line was so near.  A little more than an hour and a half later from the gun start, there I was, crossing the finish line.  I high-fived everyone I passed because I was so happy!  Aside from the finisher’s medal, they gave female finishers a rose each, so that’s very sweet.  I lingered a little and waited for my friends to finish their 21K.  I didn’t really realize I was waiting for them under the sun, so a big part of my skin tone now was from that exposure, not necessarily the race.  Anyway, it was really fun.

Thanks to my colleague Dean for snapping this funny picture! I was under the sun waiting for TJ and Aldrin. I did not know a race marshal was behind me. With a rose in my hand, can you supply a caption for this photo?

When my two boys were done, we claimed our race freebies, ate lunch (way waaay better than the previous night’s, just saying), cleaned ourselves up, then prepared to head back to Manila.  I just had to say that those who chose to setup their tents were so cool.  I would like to try that some time.

Overall, my Corregidor race experience was great.  It was well organized – not perfect, but great – and I am looking forward to joining again in 2012!  Hopefully I have had the guts to level up!  It would be cool to conquer Corregidor again.

I always tell myself what else could be worse than the very basic premise of it all– not feeling the same way towards you?  Nothing. Nothing else.  Everything else is either a lame excuse or a desperate justification.  I knew that from the get-go.  I just wallow in them because, well, there’s not much to do and it makes a good topic of conversation over girly dinners.

When British actor Hugh Laurie won an acting award for playing an American doctor on TV, he said he wasn’t thankful for having that acting job, but rather, at the chance, at the opportunity, to do that job.  I have always kept that at the back of my head.  What I’m arriving at here is the tiny ray of hope to be given a chance. To present my case, so to speak.  I feel I kind of did but I’m not yet done.  Then again, when is enough enough? More importantly, if I’m to be reciprocated, I didn’t have to do much.

I’m thankful for a colorful and busy life that enables me to rise above it all when I think of that thing I’ve always wanted is about to go far far away.  My hands are still full — overwhelmingly so — but there are moments when I think of it and I graciously allow myself to be sad. I even cry. A lot.  It is pathetic to act tough when it’s not true.  I guess the fact that I have accepted that this is a lost cause, that this is a no-win situation, makes my dilemma less threatening.

Months or years down the line I’d probably laugh at all this.  Indeed, when I’m old and gray, I will regret the things I didn’t do more than the ones I did. So the monthly gestures, the little notes, they will count as nothing in my regret box. I was happy when I did them and I didn’t give a damn, and that’s more important. And I know they were appreciated. 

For now though, I will not pretend that it’s peachy and fine because it’s not.  It happened to me again and this time towards that one person whom I will blindly follow to the ends of the earth when he asks me to. Kaya lang wala talaga e. C’est la vie.  Buti na lang I’m still awesome so that’s a huge consolation. Hahaha! Hay Steve, as I said in my past ramblings, until you try you’ll never know; it’s such a waste you stopped taking chances.

Last November 13, we were stuck in Buendia around 5:00 a.m. because the 32K and 21K categories started already. We got to the starting line almost 9 minutes after the gun start for 10K. The first 5K was still an effort to do 5-2 Galloway until I hit the turning point near Pedro Gil-Roxas. From there, it’s walking and more walking, running only on the very last turn where you can already see the finish line. I took the finisher’s kit, took a picture, ate, and promptly left.

I cannot say that I completely lost interest in running because I didn’t. Maybe I wasn’t as committed to it and the hype has worn itself out on me. For one, races can be very expensive. Second, frankly, the appeal to wake up at an ungodly hour to tire yourself out isn’t as appealing to me anymore. I once told myself, if I want to run 10 kilometers, I could and I would; just on my own time, at my own pace. I totally understand how obsessive this activity can be and long ago, it bit me hard, too. Kudos to those who feel extremely happy running and participating in organized runs. I really think highly of this group of committed people.

Anyway, I wasn’t done yet with running this year. I registered for the Corregidor International Half-Marathon this December 10. But no, I’m so not joining 21K. I joined the 10K side event.  It’s my most expensive run so far and it did hurt my purse as it’s P2,750. Yeah, I know. But it’s in Corregidor and it already includes the ferry fare to and from the island plus the recommended carbo-loading dinner the night before the race. There’s added cost for other race amenities but I won’t bore you with the details - just visit the site. I’m interested in this event because it’s in Corregidor and save for a surprise team-building event in September, I thought it would be my first time there. I’d be glad to come back over and over though. There’s something about old, rundown, history-filled places that fascinates me.

I may have slowed down this year but one thing’s still sure: running will have a soft place in my heart. I will just do it in ways more suitable for my lifestyle. And age.

p.s.  After my post earlier this year, I added four races I participated in.  Sad but true.  They’re the following:

1. Mizuno Infinity Run 2011  - June 11, 2011 (BGC)
2. NBA Fit Run – August 7, 2011 (BGC)
3. Run United 2 (Unilab/Kaspersky) – August 21, 2011 (BGC)
4. Run United 3 (Unilab) – November 13, 2011 (MOA/Roxas Boulevard)

The big gap between races three and four can actually be explained by my fascination with the Philippine Azkals and the United Football League (UFL) Philippines.  Remind me to tell you all about that phase later.