It’s Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino this week (July 25-31), and just the perfect time to share the second OPM playlist inspired by #romanceclass books. If you’re not sure what this project is about, here’s a brief background as well as the first playlist for you to enjoy.
Click on the Read More button for the playlist and notes from this month’s contributors. If you haven’t yet read the featured books, don’t worry–links to purchase them will be included in the post. Feel free to check them out!
Hello and welcome to the first installment of this mini blog project I’m doing–this is #RomanceClass ❤ OPM, where I ask Filipino authors and readers to send in songs they find relevant to the books they wrote or read and I curate them into playlists. The only rule: ALL the songs should be OPM.
Brief background for those of you who just stumbled upon this post:
#RomanceClass is a thriving community of Filipino authors who write romance in English and publish them (traditionally and independently). It began in 2013, when author Mina V. Esguerra facilitated a writing class wherein the objective was to complete a romance novel in a span of three months. Fast forward to 2016, the community and its body of work has grown immensely, exploring new avenues in order to weave new stories and market them. We have participated in bookish events, had writing workshops, talked about how to write more and market our work better, sold books, held live readings, and recently organized our very first standalone event in April. Just recently, a new batch of authors have typed “The End” to new #romanceclass books which may (hopefully!) come out before the end of the year.
OPM stands for Original Pilipino Music or Original Philippine Music. It was originally used to only refer to pop songs, but has since included all genres like rock, jazz, hip-hop, and so on. OPM is usually written in Filipino/Tagalog or English, but may, in some cases, also have touches of other foreign languages or local dialects.
Click on the Read More button to get to the first playlist I curated for this project, along with some notes from the authors and readers of the featured books. Links to read more about the featured books as well as buy them are included in the post. Have fun!
Curious as to which #romanceclass titles will be available on Sunday’s #AprilFeelsDay event? Here’s a partial and unofficial list of books you’ll be able to buy at the venue, so get those wallets ready!
Please be reminded that most of these books come in limited quantities, so come to the venue early to be able to buy your copies. Or you can always arrange for reservations with the authors through Facebook or Twitter.
Aren’t you glad it’s payday weekend?
Gorgeous college senior Val Fabian is a player in every sense of the word. She’s the star spiker of her university’s volleyball team, and she never runs out of dates. But it seems that this year, she has finally been bitten by the commitment bug. She sets her sights on an unexpected target–the unassuming yet ultra-cute Jake Clementia. Val is used to getting what she wants, and is sure she’ll snag him before graduation. But in the process of winning his heart, she is sideswiped by a surprise move that sends her tumbling from her pedestal.
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Volleyball! The truth of the matter is, I am a frustrated athlete. (I am frustrated with many things, but that’s another story.) I wanted to be a varsity player in highschool, first for basketball, then volleyball, but my mom won’t let me go through the tryouts and trainings because I might hurt myself. So I guess 13-year old me perked up when I saw this book at the Manila International Book Fair last year, and I decided to pick it up! Not a bad decision, I must say. ^_^
Click on the Read More button for the rest of my review. Warning: There may be spoilers.
The thing about high school is it’s never easy. Ever. Anyone who’s gone past that phase will remember how we struggled with a number of things: puberty, algebra, the whole fitting in business, being cool/uncool and suffering the consequences, and the constant bickering with our parents because they can’t seem to understand us, among others. High school is rough, and Choco Chip Hips takes us back to that time–the time when we were awkward teens trying to find our place in the world– through the eyes of Jessie, an overweight girl who decides to turn her life around one summer.
Choco Chip Hips
Agay LlaneraSixteen-year-old Jessie, a baking aficionado, is shy, overweight, and worries too much about what people think. But one summer, a family emergency makes her realize that life is too short to live it on autopilot. Taking her life by the reins, she embarks on a journey that involves ditching the apron for her tank top, as she hip-hop dances her way to new friendships, stronger family ties, and into her school’s most elite club.
BUY A COPY OF CHOCO CHIP HIPS!
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My review of Choco Chip Hips is right under the cut! Word of warning: I will try my best to be as spoiler-free as possible but THERE MAY BE SPOILERS. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
