Spring 2023 - Republic of the Philippines - Reading Culture - Libraries at Houston Community College

Spring 2023 Book Selections

This semester, in honor of our focus on the Republic of the Philippines, participants will have a choice of 2 different texts to read. See more information about these selections below.

Alternative Alamat: an Anthology by Paolo Chikiamco; Mervin Malonzo (Illustrator)
Dip into the rich treasure trove of Filipino alamat (legends) with this new collection of contemporary short stories. This anthology includes works by a dozen talented and award-winning Filipino writers including Budjette Tan (Trese) and Eliza Victoria (Dwellers). Explore richly imagined realms where powerful gods and magical creatures are responsible for the twists and turns of fate in the lives of ordinary people. The 13 amazing stories in this collection include: The fate of the lingering Sky Maiden The diwata Maria Makiling seeking romantic partners in the human world Depictions of Philippine deities, including Balitok, Bangunbangun, Dagau, Haliya, Hukloban and Melu Encounters with celestial power beneath the sea, at the movies and in a pawnshop And many more! Each tale is reimagined for a modern sensibility and reinvented for the current generation of fantasy fiction fans. This gripping collection is essential reading for anyone interested in magical realism and contemporary Filipino fiction.
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
A powerful coming-of-age story about grief, guilt, and the risks a Filipino-American teenager takes to uncover the truth about his cousin's murder. Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story. Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it. As gripping as it is lyrical, Patron Saints of Nothing is a page-turning portrayal of the struggle to reconcile faith, family, and immigrant identity.

How to get a copy of one of the books:

We are currently working to secure copies of both "Alternative Alamat" and "Patron Saints of Nothing." Once copies are in-hand, they will be offered first to individuals who have signed up to participate this semester via the Canvas Sign-Up Form. This form is a new form every semester, so previous participants will need to sign up again each semester. When copies become available, we will reach out via Canvas messaging to eligible students.

Additional copies will be made available at various in-person events throughout the semester, while supplies last.

HCC Library provides access to a ebook versions of both texts, however, online access is limited to one user at a time for Patron Saints of Nothing. The license for Alternative Alamat is unlimited and will always be available. The log-in for these books will be your HCC username and password.

Physical copies of the book this semester, scholarships, and event funding for Spring 2023, have been made available due to the generosity of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Association.

Start of Semester Flier

Reading Culture Spring 2023 - Flier

For a Full Calendar with details - Click Here

Essays or Projects due Monday, April 24th, 2023 at 11:59PM CT in the Canvas course for this program.

Reading Culture: Spring 2023 - Republic of the Philippines

Spring 2023 Book Selections

Start of Semester Flier

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