Going insane from speed-reading | The Modern Hidalgo

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also — talks of planning for MIBF.
THE MODERN HIDALGO: Entry_042.
Written: Monday. September 9, 2019.

My mind has somehow been in other places. That’s why I wasn’t able to write an entry last Saturday. And I would’ve forgotten to write one as well today, if I hadn’t remembered it accidentally.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been caught up on reading a whole bunch of stuff the last few days, that my brain had to remove a few contents in order to process things correctly. That meant having to remove the part of my thinking process when it came to doing a journal entry for the day.

There was a day (Thursday, I think) when I had to read the whole Noli Me Tangere by Jose Rizal, the first book of his magnum opus. I had read about 19 chapters from Thursday to Friday. And when Saturday came, I decided that I wasn’t going to push through with reading it. So I had to put it down.

I was assigned by my friend to write an outline for this full-length film that we were going to do a month from now. I feel like I’ve talked about this already on this journal. I guess I’ll just re-iterate it.

I was tasked to read the Noli book, since I never tried to read it back in high-school. Only because I wasn’t interested in it back then. I’m most definitely ready to dive deep into the novel, and also El Fili. But what made me put the book down was because I couldn’t handle reading the whole thing in such a limited time budget.


I usually read the books that I want to read in such a slow pace, but a well organized, well scheduled pace. Wherein, I would read a chapter or two per day, and then do some other stuff within the day. I would never read so much of the book I’m currently reading, just so my mind could relax from all the reading it’s been doing. And also for me to really enjoy the story. To savor it.

But with what I did for the reading of Noli, my mind didn’t take it, so I had to put it down.


I think another reason for why I had forgotten to do a journal entry last Saturday, and the reason why I had to tell my friend Kurt that I wasn’t going to push through with the project, was because I had to re-read the book Ordinary World by Jose Miguel Arguelles, the book I had chosen for my “graduation roadblock” project.

And it took some zen meditation in order for my mind to get back from insanity. I think it was a full on day before I could get back into the spring of reading again.

Imagine having to focus on reading and understanding a book so complex in such a small amount of time. That kind of thing — you don’t walk that off so easily. It takes a toll on you a bit. That’s why I had to meditate real hard in order for me to get back to my usual self.

I’m almost finished reading Ordinary World again. Just one more short story to read. I might read it after this journal entry’s been published. I dunno.
(that didn’t happen, lol.)

It’s fun to re-read Ordinary World again. I really enjoy the stories inside the book. The writing style is very nice. The way the author paints the scene, since his stories take place in the Philippines, is one of the things that I love about the whole story collection.

I’m starting to feel like I’m about to go on a praising montage again with Ordinary World, so I’m gonna stop it here.

* * *

MIBF (Manila International Book Fair) is about to start on Wednesday. My mind is focusing on that. Well, maybe 50% focused on that, cause I’m still processing how I’ll be able to vlog while I’m there.

I want to go to the event three times. First on Wednesday with my Mom. Second on Friday alone. And third on Sunday with my friend David, hopefully, if he’s free for that day. But with or without him, I’m still gonna go.

I’m still thinking about what choice do I make when deciding on what criteria of books I’m going to buy.

My strategy for last year was that I bought the books that I didn’t plan on buying that day. Meaning, I had something listed down somewhere in the back of my mind, but I decided against that, and instead went with random books that might prove to be worth my time.

And I chose books that were stand alone. None that were part of a series. Well, maybe except for Foundation by Isaac Asimov (which I have given away to David by the way, since I didn’t like it), and Detective Boys of Masangkay, since there was literally a sequel book already last year.

I might not follow any of what I did last year, actually.

I know I’m going to buy A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson if I ever find it in the event. And I also know that I’m going to buy Our Darkest Hours by Jose Miguel Arguelles (his first short story collection) as well. So those two books are already on the ethereal list of books I’m set to buy in the event. (Ethereal, because it’s not really a tangible list yet. It’s just in my mind.)

And I have nothing else in mind when it comes to what else I should be buying. One thing came to mind just now. And it’s the Hellboy Graphic Novel. Though I’ve had a bad history with buying comics already when it comes to MIBF. I didn’t really read it again afterwards. The comics just stayed in the shelves. I haven’t even finished reading the one I bought back in 2017. That should say something.

Yeah. I shouldn’t go for the Hellboy Comics. Or just comics in general.

I shouldn’t also go for Mangga then, huh.

The available categories are:
  • Sci-fi.
  • Fantasy.
  • Local.
* * *
  • Has to be stand-alone (not part of a series)
  • Should cost less than 500 pesos.
  • Preferably pocket book format.
  • Never buy Young Adult books.
What else?
* * *


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