Readercon Filipino Friday: Week 1 & 2

I'm late in joining this meme so I'm playing catch up!  Anyway, there will be a first Filipino Reader Conference in September in the Philippines and so this meme was created as a fun way to get a jump start in getting to know each other before the event.  Although, I won't be attending the function (I live in the U.S.; financial + reasons) I want to do my part to support it.  So head on over to the Readercon website for details on the event and the links to others who are participating in this meme.

Now, here's the Q&A:
Q:  August 12 - Introduction. Tell us everything that we need to know about you as a Filipino reader. You can talk about the genres that you read, your favorite authors, your comfort reads and your best books of 2011. You can also include links of where other readers can find you online: blog, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, etc.

A:  See my August 19 answer below for the first part of this question.  ~I'm a softy so I enjoy books that touch the heart.  So generally those fall into the adult fiction genre... discovering initial favorite authors such as Mitch Albom, Richard Paul Evans, and Nicholas Sparks.  But I didn't want to limit myself so I dabbled into other genres and discovered more wonderful authors such as Lois Lowry, Haruki Murakami, and J.K. Rowling.  Reading about people who take a stand for themselves or others in the cause of humanity became a big plus in my book as well.  I discovered a love for variety!  Though lately, I am finding myself caught up in the contemporary alley and missing out on great books.  But that's alright, I generally learn something from every book I read.  ~Off the top of my head, the best books I read this year are the Harry Potter series.  However, I've also found treasure in Newbery Medal books, tearful moments reading Holocaust subject books, and awe at dystopian novels.  Even a couple or so turned into movie books made my list.  Basically, I've hit some wonderful reads and looking forward to more!  You'll find a few of my favorites in my complete profile if you're interested in a list.  ~See this blog's sidebar for links to other places you can find me.  Hope to see you there too!  :)

Q:  August 19 - How did you become a reader? What factors influenced you to take up reading as a hobby and why do you enjoy it so much?

A:  I wasn't one of the fortunate ones that grew up in books so I'm a late bookworm bloomer.  I don't recall being read to as a child.  Perhaps I was read to here and there, but not regularly enough that reading stuck.  However, I did have a good period of time during grade school that I enjoyed reading books.  There was an incentive reading program that encourage me to read and I took advantage of it.  But book reading ended there because I only read required readings during the rest of my school years.  During my young adult and adult years, I read here and there for leisure.  Then, my time finally came last year in February where I just took the plunge and challenged myself to get back to reading so as to be able to join in book conversations with my friends.  Before I knew it, I got the reading bug!  What joy filled me when that happened!!  I felt enrichment in the power of stories and through them I was able to take journeys and was broadening my horizon.  It was an exhilarating feeling and still is!!  So now you'll find me with a book or two or three and even catch me reading if my hands aren't tied. 

That's it!  Thanks for stopping by.  Have a great week! :)