One day because I wanted to be part of the bandwagon, I borrowed the first book of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter from my cousin once-removed Theresa. After reading it, nothing got in to my mind.

Honestly, I realized I am not a fiction reader. I used to read some Caroline Keen’s Nancy Drew books during my teenage years when other kids were addicted to “pocket books”, but everything seemed to be like a cotton candy that lasts in the throat and does not reach the stomach.



As a Communications practitioner, it is my obligation to read a huge amount of materials every day. I do that, not as obliged but as part of my passion, but I tune in to non-fiction.

And because I want to be part of the latest bandwagon- people list 10 of the books they love, I want to share the books that will stay in my heart forever:

1. Aztec Blood


A fiction classic, it is the most page-turner book that I have encountered. The story revolves around an Aztec descendant in his journey to know who he is. Gary Jennings died before completing this book so his friends gathered to continue the story.

2. The Little Prince


Every person should read this to become more intellectual than Miriam Defensor- Santiago. Antoine de Saint Exupery just wrote a kiddie story that all adults should read and understand. I consider it as the simplest work of satire. My favorite part of the book is when it was mentioned that it is bad for engineers to be drunk while they are going on a survey because drunk people tend to see two objects even if it is just one object in front of them. Agree?

3. The Books of Rachel



Joel Gross captured the wonders of a gemstone worn by a Jewish family through decades of time. The book gives a blow-by-blow account of what happened to people who wore the Cohen diamond- from torture, family feuds, to prostitution. What I love about the book is that it presents how a family name evolves to different names and that the bearer of the names will be unaware that they come from the same tree.

4. The Portrait of the Artist of a Filipino



Nick Joaquin, as one of the most celebrated writers in the Philippines, gave a very honest analysis as to why conservative people do not make it through time while open-minded people live happily ever after. While reading the book, I kept on counting people who keep on referring to their generation and their spoiled taste as the superior one while contemporary line of styles is inferior and nothing but a "bad" preference.

5. Streisand The Woman the Legend



Undeniably, Barbra Streisand is the greatest entertainer in the world. However, only the old people agree with that. The younger generation only knows Lady Gaga and Britney Spears. James Spada gathered important details about the humble beginnings of the Jewish superstar and the unending, unsuccessful quest to transform her crooked nose into something the public erroneously knows to be right. Barbra is the first celebrity that I became obsessed with. Her songs including People, Somewhere, Papa Can You Hear Me, Memory, Miss Marmelstein, All I Ask Of You and With One Look were my teenager favorites. She is one of my biggest inspiration.

6. Public Relations on the Net


I was trained in the academe with traditional PR strategies. Thus when I entered my first PR job, I had tough time grasping new tools that make PR tasks easier. I needed PR books that explain how digital PR should work together with digital PR to deliver results. Shel Holtz made a remarkable book that helped me understand the current trends in the trade. I consider this my PR Bible.

7. From Gathering Firewood to Managing Energy Resources


A local from Besao, Mountain Province, Engr. Rufino Bomas-ang is a hero to every Cordilleran. He became the Undersecretary of the Department of Energy- the highest position an Igorot has achieved in the government. He wrote an autobiography that explains how he was able to break through the barriers of being a mountaineer to becoming a national brand of excellence. If you are an Igorot dream chaser, you need to read this book. I got this book from Engr. Bomas-ang himself so it is one of the most precious books I have ever touched.

8. The Authentic Career



Maggie Craddock loves to guide everyone with how we see our life as a career-driven blessing from the Creator. I learned from this book that we base our beliefs about money on what we see in our parents. That's true! The book contains some formula that I literally considered in making tough decisions. The book gives real-life scenarios and unlike other self-help books, this book is all about practicality. It is the most genuine personal care book that I have placed my eyes on.

9. The Public Relations Book


This book from Ashley Wirthlin is one of the books that I recently went through to update me with the latest effective PR strategies. From time to time, I read PR blogs and case studies (both Filipino and non-Filipino reasources) to give me a better view of corporate problems that lead to PR disasters and the set of wise solutions that we can perform to maintain a reputable name. This books lists classic and new approaches to creating better and lon-lasting impressions.

10. The Bible


I may sound like an Atheist most of the time but that is just my way of curbing the horns of people who think that everyone is a a Catholic. Yes, I read the Bible and when I was a young pea, I would go through Bible pages not to get "words of God" but to read interesting stories. The Bible is a roll of lullabye stories that gives us meaningful stories sealing the night with wisdom.

How about you, what are the 10 books that will remain in your heart with forever?