IT’s a great year for Filipino writers who have been published by Penguin Random House, the biggest trade publisher in the world. Their headquarters in Southeast Asia has just released (or announced) new and forthcoming titles from the Philippines.
This is the publisher’s copy for my new book, “Landscapes of Feeling: Travel Essays,” which was released to the world market two weeks ago.
“Landscapes of Feeling stitches together Danton Remoto’s essays from the last 30 years to form a patchwork quilt dyed in the hues of déjà vu. Here is London during the time of Thatcher, and London 30 years later; the Philippines in its times of ferment; the campuses and cities of the United States; the kampung and megamalls of Kuala Lumpur.
“A memorable gallery of characters abounds: overseas Filipino workers pining for home, young men and women striding into their destinies, foreigners in another country. Written with elegance and elan, ‘Landscapes of Feeling’ explores issues of race, class and the diaspora in Remoto’s trademark style: light but not lightweight, conversational and breezy.”
I met the young writer Andrea Dee at a book event at last year’s Philippine Book Festival and encouraged her to continue writing. Her latest book is called “Happy Break-up Day.”
Aiah and Rina have always been the perfect pair. They were dorm roommates, best friends and college sweethearts. They’ve stuck with each other for better or for worse, in happiness and in sadness. Like yin and yang, they are inseparable, unshakable and set to face the world together.
But it won’t be fiction unless there is a conflict. When Rina suddenly suggests they break up, Aiah agrees, though it’s a decision that cuts deeper than she’d like to admit. Still, loving someone means letting them go even if it hurts. She’ll sacrifice anything for Rina’s happiness — even if it’s their four-year relationship. They even set a date for the breakup, because what better way to prepare for the inevitable heartbreak than by facing it head-on with a corporate-style plan?
Before the big day arrives, though, there’s still a couple’s bucket list for them to tick off. From studio photoshoots to road trips, Aiah and Rina still have a few more experiences to share, memories to be made, and painful truths to face. It’s a beguiling premise, making same-sex relationships as every day as other relationships.
Stephanie Zubiri’s novel, “The Last Mango in Paris,” asks us this query: “What do we long for when home is no longer a place but a memory?”
Zubiri won a Philippine National Book Award for her luscious book on food. In this book, she weaves together personal essays, stories and lyrical reflections into a meditation on longing, identity and belonging. Set between Paris and the Philippines, these interconnected pieces follow dreamers, lovers, exiles and wanderers searching for meaning in the spaces between who they were and who they have become.
Threaded through every story is the mango — a symbol of sweetness, loss, memory and transformation. As nostalgia collides with reinventing one’s identity, Zubiri explores the bittersweet truths of migration, family, love and self-discovery. The book shows how life’s richest moments often come from what is bruised, broken or left behind.
This is a love letter to places left behind, lives half-lived and fully felt, and the beauty of savoring something before it slips away. Think, then, of the classical image of the phoenix, shaping itself again and again from the ashes of time and memory.
The prolific writer Mica de Leon offers us a new novel in “Love Between the Lines.” Katharina Bautista — or Katha — is 37 years old. She has no money, no job and no fiancé. She’s a burden to her brother, and she’s frightened. But this might be a problem of her own making.
Meanwhile, Nick Malvar, lead vocalist of the up-and-coming indie band Word Warlords, has been in love with his best friend’s older sister since high school. He believes that she’s way out of his league (and in love with her boyfriend, a surgeon, to whom she’s engaged). However, in a shocking turn of events, a bedraggled Katha appears at his doorstep and lets him know that none of this is true anymore. She doesn’t know if she’s in love and she’s definitely not engaged.
Nick wants her, but Katha has a thousand reasons not to want him back. What she needs is a fresh start — not an exciting whirlwind romance. But what about what Katha wants? This book is another chick-lit winner from Mica de Leon.
“You’re Not As Clear As You Think: Modern Communication Secrets for Leaders Who Want to Make Sh*t Happen” is the long and arresting title of the nonfiction book by Jennifer Alejandro.
Its premise goes this way: You think you’re being clear. Your team heard the words. So why aren’t they acting?
The truth is, most leaders are talking — but not connecting. In today’s noisy, distracted and fast-moving world, clarity isn’t a “soft skill.” It’s your sharpest competitive edge. Without it, performance stalls, trust erodes and culture drifts. With it, you align people faster, inspire action and actually get things done.
In this bold and practical guide, corporate communications leader and former TV journalist Jennifer Alejandro arms you with the tools to transform how you speak, write and lead. Drawing on global case studies plus her original Alejandro Communication Impact Model framework, she shows you how to cut through the fog of vague updates, endless meetings and corporate spin.
In this book, you’ll learn the 4Ps of communicating with impact to build messages that land, resonate and move people to act. You’ll also know about the 7 keystones of modern communicators — mindset habits that make your voice trusted and effective. Also offered are the 7Cs of mastering speaking — real-time tactics to command a room, whether it’s a board meeting, livestream or team huddle. Lastly, she writes on how to run sharper meetings, deliver hard truths without collateral damage and coach your team to communicate with impact.
Welcome, then, to an open sesame of new and wonderful books from Penguin!
The books of Danton Remoto and the books mentioned here are available at (or forthcoming from) Fully Booked, National Bookstore, www.acrephils.com, Shopee and Lazada; Kinokuniya in Asia; Amazon and indie bookstores globally.