Where'd August go?

And just like that, it's September! -BER months in the Philippines herald the Christmas season, a tradition I remember from when I was still a kid. (I can still hear my dad's voice explaining to me "kapag -ber na, Pasko na!") The pandemic is still raging though with no end in sight, so it's kind of difficult to be in a Christmasy mood right now especially since this is the second Christmas we'll be spending in lockdown. (Lockdown seems to be a perpetual one so yeah.) Anywayyyy. 

Two books for August! May I say, not bad, self. The Murakami one was a loooong read, thankfully it was very engaging so I managed to finish in time for the book club discussion of it. 

"Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami - 4/5

• This is my second Murakami novel. I read "Norwegian Wood" many years ago and found it "weird" then, not really appreciating the genre called "magical realism." I'm not going to reread it for the sake of newfound appreciation but instead took a different tack when I read "Kafka on the Shore." 
• I like how the fates of Kafka and Nakata were so intertwined, it transcends the physical world. They were tied together metaphysically, and I enjoyed their adventures to the hilt. I had so many questions after reading this and looked forward to the book club discussion. Someone made a comment about not over-analyzing Murakami, a key to enjoying his novels. Some analysis may be called for at particular points but sure, I'll take it as it is. 
• There were references to mythology, particularly Oedipus, which somehow made the storyline predictable but only up to a certain point.  Overall, I really liked this novel and would recommend it to anyone who'd be interested to dabble with Murakami. 

"Broken Islands" by Criselda Yabes - 3/5

• For personal reasons I got curious about the writing of this author and couldn't wait to read her fiction. "Broken Islands" is set against the backdrop of the Yolanda ("Haiyan") aftermath several years ago, which affected Leyte and Samar in the Visayas. 
• It was brilliant to create fiction against such a tragic backdrop -- it's something that Filipinos can definitely relate to. We haven't forgotten this tragedy, and I don't think it will be forgotten for many decades to come. 
• The story is about Luna, a law graduate/underbar who returns to her hometown to deal with the ghosts of her past, and Alba, the helper in the house of Luna's uncle, Manoy. Both characters were well-fleshed out, and I even appreciated how their chapters were identified by distinct tones and manners of speaking: Luna's chapters were fluent and articulate while Alba's were basic -- at times even barok -- English. 
• My only beef was there were too many story arcs, it seemed that there were too many loose ends to tie up together. Some characters weren't even necessary, in my opinion, because they contributed nothing to the storyline. Take for instance Bina, the mayora. Sure, she played a role in Manoy's past but I didn't fully grasp Luna's suspicions about her at the present time. Also, the plays that Luna has been staging for New Year's seems a tad too childish, I also didn't get that at all. 
• Still, I enjoyed the prose a lot: it was simple, straightforward, and with just the right amount of florid. Written not to impress, but to express. Will probably pick up another work albeit not in the near future. 
• P.S. Did Criselda Yabes take up law at some point in her life? Curious about the many legal and jurisprudential references.