The Grim Reader PH

30/05/2026

New blog post~

I won’t start this entry by saying that it was an “accidentally” moment but more of a spur of a moment–but a should-have-been-done-long-ago-moment. I finally wrote my first …

30/05/2026

“One of the most unpleasant books I have read.” — New Straits Times

And the rest was history. So excited to dive into this book!! The cover looks AMAZING!

22/05/2026

I’M READY.

22/05/2026

I had fun with this panorama post for Squalo and Mage~!!! Had to share the full photo here since IG is weird.

Glorious Bakunawa in all its glory.

22/05/2026

Today’s my tour stop for ✨ Squalo & Mage vs. the Rage of the Bakunawa ✨ by Kara Bodegon-Hikino and first of all…

SQUALO IS SO CUTE!? 😭💖

This graphic novel follows Mage and her best friend, Squalo, as they journey across Mundo after a devastating attack by the evil Tikbalang leaves Mage chasing her father’s final wish: find the Bakunawa, guardian of the sea. But of course, things spiral VERY quickly from there 👁️

What starts as a fun fantasy adventure slowly opens into this chaotic, monster-filled quest involving possessed minions, ancient folklore, storms, secrets, and a very angry Bakunawa that may or may not destroy everything before helping anyone HAHAHA.

Honestly, this was SUCH a fun read.

It feels like a cozy litRPG-inspired adventure mixed with Filipino folklore, humor, and chaotic bestie energy. I had so much fun spotting all the little Filipino quirks and references throughout the story—especially the blacksmith pointing with his mouth 😭 that genuinely made me laugh.

But beyond the humor and cute art style, I also really appreciated how rooted the story felt in Filipino culture and mythology. It never felt like folklore was just being used aesthetically—the world actually feels lived in and lovingly built.

ALSO. BONUS TAKE ON THE TIKBALANG?!
Like Ghost rider tikbalang??????????
Absolute peak character design.

Overall, highly recommend this for readers of all ages — especially if you love:
-RPG-style adventures
-Filipino mythology
-adorable chaotic creatures
-cozy fantasy with humor and heart

Squalo & Mage vs. the Rage of the Bakunawa releases on May 26 and is available for preorder through Fully Booked and Amazon!

Thank you so much to and for the eARC copy

18/05/2026

Last. Current. Next. 📚

where are all my fellow mood readers at because I seriously need to stop reading multiple books at the same time HAHAHA :))

Last:
Doctor Sleep — Stephen King
(SOOOOOO good. Easily one of my favorite King reads now.)

Current:
King Sorrow — Joe Hill
(yes finally!!! book 2 😭)

& The Exorcist — William Peter Blatty

Next:
Horror Movie — Paul Tremblay
(really excited for this one)

& The Black Farm — Elias Witherow
(and slightly terrified for this one 👁️)

This reading week is about to emotionally destroy me in the best way possible.

17/05/2026

Taking my time with this one, accepting that its close to impossible to finish today hahaha.

Had to revise a paper for school and review lecture slides~ but here we are!!!

LOOOOVING The Exorcist so far!
If you’ve seen the film, but haven’t read the book, youre missing out on a lot.

(Found this new drink at the convenient store today, it wasn’t that great. But still gave a happy Sunday evening buzz.)

16/05/2026

Finally got around to catching up on my tbr~

Reading The Exorcist with (yay!)
—

Life Update:

I managed to squeeze in a bit of creative writing while I was on break at grad school, just right before grad school starts at uni! (It started today huhu)
Just sent the manuscript to a couple of friends to beta read—its so scary?! How do writers keep doing this? Its nerve-wracking!

What are you guys reading this weekend? :)

11/05/2026

boozy brunch, book exchanges, and emotionally devastating literature 🥂📚

had a quick day drinking/book date with my unofficial daughter last weekend and finally passed down my copy of The Midnight Library because honestly… it felt like the right book for her at this point in life.

also decided to start a tiny travelling-book/buddy-read situation with 👻 currently reading Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay before sending it off covered in annotations, thoughts, and probably increasingly unhinged margin notes HAHAHA

loved Cabin at the End of the World, so I’m really excited (and slightly afraid) to get into this one.

happy hour exists somewhere in the world anyway.