Thursday, October 14, 2010

My Funniest Reads


Marley And Me by John Grogan.


This book is not really a funny book. It's actually very inspirational and has a few dramatic twists. However, I find it very hilarious on how Mr Grogan narrates the adventures of Marley. Basically, this book is about the world' worst dog. He destroys an entire garage in just a matter of hours. He swallows jewelry and rips undergarments. He doesn't respond very well to simple commands, by choice. He gets expelled from obedience school. He gets banned at the dog beach. He had a chance to become a movie star but he blew it. No doubt, Marley is a bad, bad dog. Yet, he still is a very lovable and adorable Labrador.

In this book, John Grogan takes us along as he and Marley take on life's craziest adventures and misadventures. Maybe you're thinking, "I don't have a dog.. Why would I even read this book?" Well, most of my friends who don't happen to own a dog, were thinking the exact same thing. And I was like, "Nah! That reason is not good enough.. This book if for dog-owners and non-dog-owners alike. You should read this. You'd thank me for this.". And thank me, they did. This book is so amazingly heart-warming and funny, at the same time, that I just have to share it with somebody. And now, I'm telling you, you should read this, too.

There is really a lot to gain in reading this book, even if you're not a dog person. You'd totally laugh at the crazy antics of this very lovable pup. The story of Marley being thrown out of obedience school was hilarious. Also, the part where Marley ate the necklace that John had given his wife, Jenny. And the part where Marley was being cast in a local film production as the "typical family dog". But then, he ended up destroying the production set, chewing through his leash and blew his chance of becoming a Hollywood star. Haha! Remembering these stories in the book can still make me smile, giggle and even laugh. John Grogan did a wonderful job of portaying and showing the human-animal bond. Bravo.

I'm a dog person. And I really can relate to this book. I recently had a post about my dog, Fall. It's a sad story. Uhm, anyway.. As I read the book, there are several times when I said, "Wait! hahaha! I remember when my dog did that, too!".. Or "Hahaha! That's so funny. Maybe I should try that one on my dog.". Of course, there is also a bit of drama, especially on the last part. I can't really tell you the details. You just have to read it for yourself.

I really recommend that one should read Marley and Me. It's really fantastic. If you've seen the movie, then you'd know what I'm talking about. However, you'd really appreciate it more if you've read the book. And it was way funnier, too. The story of a very mischeivous Labrador pup, who shows unconditional love to his family. John and Jenny's life may be a whirlwind of disaster when Marley came into view, but just as his energy and destructive power seems endless, so is his love and loyalty. This books points that out, with a little twist of comedy. Hehe. ☺

Marley and Me is a must-read for dog-lovers and non-dog-lovers alike. This story will have you laughing out loud and then wiping a tear the next.

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Pugad Baboy (Swine's Nest) by Pol Medina.


This is a comic strip created by a Filipino cartoonist Apolonio "Pol" Medina Jr. It is about a small comunity of obese people in the heart of Manila, and focuses on relevant topics like families, politics, corruption and Pinoy culture. These are everyday topics, yes.. but Pol Medina really has a way with words and "cartoons". It is one of Philippine's most famous and longest-running comic strip on the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

There are four families on the comic, namely the Sungcals, the Sabaybunots, the Lamouns and the Tangere. Of course, there are still many others but let me introduce to you the four main families.

  • The Sungcals - They reflect the traditional and stereotypical Filipino family. The chef Mang Dagul and his wife Debbie (calls each other Sweet Ham and Honeycured), their children named Hercules (the eldest son who works as an engineer in Saudi Arabia), Cristina or Tiny (the college daughter who asserts herself as sexy and thin, despite her huge body size) and Utoy (the intelligent and musically talented youngest son who already claims to have a girlfriend). Of course, there's also the very funny Ambrosia or Brosia (the thin housemaid who always seem to have witty comebacks to insults and pranks, and is also a pranskter, herself) and Polgas (the antrhopomorphic family dog who speaks, uses clothes and is Chef Dagul's drinking buddy). 
  • The Sabaybunots - They reflect the characteristics of a very violent (but still okay) household. Tomas (a master sergeant in the PPhilippines Air Force who is fearless and enjoys to hang out in disco bars, but can be controlled by his very dominant wife) and Barbie (Tomas's wife who orders him around and is often seen holding an Uzi) and a son named Paltik (the mischievous son who loves to bribe and blackmail his very own father). 
  • The Lamouns - They reflect the characteristics of an easy-go-lucky family, mostly because of Bab Lamoun. Roberto or Bab is the eldest (a true-blue hippie who is lazy, a bum, is unemployed and repeatedly woos Tiny for her love) and Jolen is the younger sister (who happens to be Utoy's girlfreind). Their mother, Tita Cel is often seen showing disgust towards her son, Bab. 
  • The Tangere - Ka Noli is the resident communist and is a member of the NPA or the New People's Army. Though he has conflicting political and sometimes, personal ideas with Tomas, these two are the best of friends and are drinking buddies. HIs son, Joma, is friends with Utoy and Paltik and also attends the same school. 

The first compilation of the Pugad Baboy comic strip was only a part of a thesis. But the compilation became so popular that Pol MEdina decided to make some more. There are currently 22 Pugad Baboy compilation books. Oh, and I had a post about Pugad Baboy, just this August. If you wanna check it out, click here.

These are stress relivers and will surely make your worries disappear. Guarenteed, you'd burst into fits of laughter. Trust me.





* Images from Google



38 comments:

  1. I only saw the movie of Marley & Me... But it's a very touching story...

    With regards to Pugad Baboy, I'M A FAN SINCE I WAS IN THE 4TH GRADE!!!!!! :D
    gahhhhhhh! DEFINITELY HEAVY-DUTY STRESS RELIEVERS! :D

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  2. i love, love Pugad Baboy!!

    I watched Marley & me on in-flight entertainment. I really enjoyed it as well...

    my GT is here http://kcelebration.blogspot.com/2010/10/funnny-entertaining-books.html

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  3. Ako lang ata ang walang alamag when it it comes to tagalog stories. Nice blog lay-out sis.

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  4. thanks for sharing Marley and Me. Pugad Baboy is funny but it is political that is why i don't love it that much.

    my entry is here, sis. have a great day!

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  5. hahapin ko po this movie sa torrent... nakakaengganyo ka kasi po eh :)

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  6. one of my fave pinoy comic ang Pugad Baboy!! :D

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  7. Watched the movie, now ko lang nalaman na it came from a book pala. My entry for GT
    http://www.iamraine.info/2010/10/girls-talk-funniest-book-ive-read/

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  8. I haven't read or watched "Marley and Me". It never appealed to me, maybe it's because I'm not a dog person. :)

    But I LOVE the Pugad Baboy series. I don't know how many volumes I've already read, but Pol Medina's humor ever grows old.

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  9. Never read the Marley & Me but I do enjoy reading Pugad Baboy. :)

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  10. whew!! quiet long Sis ^_^ but i enjoyed reading it!! Now I can say that you are one of thoses writers I considered reading cover to cover!! hihi

    >> welcome to Girls talk meme, enjoy!!

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  11. napanood ko yan. ofcourse pag tunkol sa mga dogs. love ko to

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  12. mahilig din ako sa mga dogs. ehehe. favorite ko yan kaya mukhang masarap basahin. tnx leah for sharing ^_^

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  13. wow... nice blog ;-)

    i like also pugad baboy... but i have only one copy the no. 6 series...

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  14. `i only saw the movie of M&M . i'll try to read it soon .. :))
    i do love pugad baboy ..

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  15. hi leah! At last thursday na din! I know how excited you are for this day because of the GT day! hihi..

    nice post! sana makahanap ako ng book na 'to.. Marley and Me.. lam mo na I'm a dog lover! hihi..

    Welcome to GT! :)

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  16. Mas gusto yang pugad baboy sistahh kesa marley and me ... heheh thanks for dropping by...

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  17. i like pugad baboy too- i remember parang nagkaroon pa yan ng TV show di ba.
    Super ko din like Marley & Me, although i know its a compilation of his daily article in the newspaper, parang blog din ang format niya di ba.

    Here's my GT entry, hope you'd visit too:
    http://ddarlys26.blogspot.com/2010/10/gt-laugh-out-loud-books.html

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  18. Yeah I saw the movie Marley and Me.. and its a nice and funny movie, though I haven't read the book. When it comes to book I love reading the books of paulo coelho or Bob Ong for Local and also suspense-thirller like theme books..

    Nice one Leah!!!

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  19. whew :) pugad baboy is the funniest! promise ahaha

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  20. maybe i am more of the "serious" side kya i missed out reading funny stories/books. besides, hubby is one hell of a funny person....i had enough, haha.
    i saw marley and me, cried a river over it...i thought it was not a dog movie after all:)teaches many stories.

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  21. @Traveliztera: it really is a very touching story. Nakakaiyak rin. But andami ring mga funny moments. Lalo na kapag sa libro.. Mas nakakatawa.

    Oohh!! Ako rin.. since grade school. Hehe. Paborito ko rin yun. One time nga, nakita ako ng teacher namin. Ayun, knuha ang komiks ko. Hehe.. Salamat sa pagkomento, Stephie. =)

    @Kero: For me, Pugad Baboy is the BEST!!! Ahh.. inflight movie? Okay lang yun, at least napanood mo diba. At libre pa. Hehehe... Salamat sa pagdalaw. =)

    @Mel: Aysus.. Then I think its about time na humanap/magbasa ka rin ng mga Tagalog books or articles or kahit na komiks. Try Pugad Baboy.. or mga gawa ni Bob Ong. Those were highly recommended by our GT friends. Thanks for appreciating my blog, Mel. =)

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  22. @Rossel: Pugad Baboy really is funny, pero tama ka. Mostly, it's about politics, corruption and just about anything rotten in the society. Pero ang maganda lang dun, behind that kinda bitter humor, may magandang mensahe si Pol Medina. And well.. it's a fun read. Lalung-lalo na yung sa kay Brosia at Mang Dagul. Hehe..

    @Tong: Hahaha! Ganown ba kalakas ang convincing prowess ko? Haha.. Sige, hanapuin mo sa torrent, download at panoorin. Maiiyak ka at matatawa. Pramis!! Salamat sa dalaw, Tong. =)

    @Axl: Mine too, Axl. Definitely one of my best reads. Thanks for dropping by. =)

    @Thess: Well now you know that it originally came from a book. It's just a movie adaptation. Mas maganda kapag libro.. mas detalyado. Mas nakakaiyak. Mas nakakatawa. Salamat sa pagdalaw, GT friend. =)

    @Miranda: Ay, panoorin mo kahit na hindi ka dog person. The story is about a dog, pero it's more than that. It teaches the value of love, loyalty, trust and friendship.. with a little bit of drama and humor. Ang ganda nito. Promise..

    And about Pugad Baboy, you're absolutely right. Pol Medina's humor never grows old. Salamat sa dalaw. =)

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  23. @Willa: You've never read it? Ahh.. you should. You really should. Everybody simply loves Pugad Baboy. Hehehe... Salamat sa dalaw at komento. =)

    @Ferryjhoi: Awww... Really? Touched naman ako. Mahilig lang talaga akong gumawa ng mahahabang poste. Hehe.. Sana naman hindi kayo nainip sa pagbabasa nito. Hekhke.. Salamat sa pag welcome, sis. Thank you na rin sa pagdalaw at pagkomento. =)

    @DiamondR: Ahh... Pareho po tayo. Hihi. But I really recommend na basahin niyo rin ang libro. Kasi mas maganda talaga siya. Honest. Salamat po sa komento. =)

    @Kikilabotz: Oi! Really? Dog lover ka rin? Ows?? Parang di halata eh. Hehe.. joke! So pareho pala tayong mahilig sa aso. Apir, Marvin. Yes, maganda talaga ang book.. masarap basahin. Nakakaiyak. Nakakatawa. Aww, you're welcome. Salamat rin sa dalaw. =)

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  24. @Gilay: Ay okay lang yan, kahit isang copy lang.. At least, meron. Hehe.. Pero recommend ko pa rin na basahin mo yung lahat.. all 22. Kasi masaya talaga siya. salamat sa dalaw, GT sistuh. =)

    @Mitchie: Yes, you should definitely read it. Mas maganda talaga siya kesa sa movie (i meant no offense).. Mas detalyado kasi. Salamat sa komento, Mitchie. =)

    @Mhay: Hahaha!!! Oo nga, andito nako at sumali na rin. Hihihi. Exciting pala nito. Madaling araw palang, inabangan ko talaga yung blog ni Ms K. Na-aadik na yata ako. Kasalanan mo to, Princess. Hahaha.. Jowk.

    Anyway, sana mabasa mo nga to. Nire-recommend ko talaga. It's a touching story, yet with a little bit of family humor. Maganda. =)

    Salamat sa dalaw, Mhay.. at salamat rin sa mainit na pag welcome sa akin sa mundo ng GT. =)

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  25. my friend has Marley & Me, i guess i'll have to borrow her book so i can share with all the fun :)

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  26. @Vernz: Kung sa komiks kasi, maganda talaga ang Pugad Baboy. Pero sa story, touching yet very funny naman tong Marley And Me. hehe.. Salamat rin po sa pagdaan. =)

    @Darly: Ay.. I can vaguely remember the TV show. Sa komiks talaga ako nakatuon kapag Pugad Baboy eh. And about Marley And Me, you're wuite correct. Parang blog rin lang siya ni John Grogan. A compilation of stories about his family and his dog. A touching and funny story. Salamat po sa pagdalaw at pagkomento. =)

    @Xander: Ay, you should read the book Xander. Mas maaprecite mo siya kapag nabasa mo ang libro. Mas detalyado kasi eh, as compared to the movie. I also love Bob Ong's books. Kaso, isa lang ang nabasa ko dun.. his very first. ABNKKBSNPLAko.. It was also very funny. Salamat sa komento, Xander. =)

    @Zoan: Definitely the funniest. hehe. No questions. Thanks for the drop, Zoan. Happy GT Thursday! =)

    @Imriz: Hahaha. Natawa naman ako sa comment mo, Ms Imriz. You've had enough comedy sa bahay nyo ha. Hekhek.. Opo, Marley and Me is a very touching story. Nakakaiyak talaga. Pero nakakatawa rin. Andaming mga kalokohan kasi itong si Marley. Nabasa nyo po ba ang book? Kung wala pa po, I suggest you do. Kasi mas maganda talaga ang book. It is way WAY WAy funnier than the movie.. and of course, more touching. Basta.. read nyo na lang po. hehe..

    Salamat sa dalaw, Ms Imriz! =)

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  27. @Claire: Ay! You should. Definitely! It really is a very fun read. Nakakaiyak rin siya, but nakakatawa rin. Hehehe.. Basta, read it na lang po. You'd know what I mean. Hihi.. Salamat sa dalaw, Ms Claire. Happy GT Thursday! =D

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  28. parang gusto ko basahin tong nobelang to, maganda kasi yung pelikula, tagos sa puso.

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  29. hi leah! parang mas gusto ko rin ang pugad baboy hehehe... pero gusto ko rin basahin c marley..:)

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  30. At nabuhay pa s'ya. XD

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  31. I have a little Marley of my own which I named Maximus. He just turned a year old today. Yay!

    I loved this book, too, and cried buckets over the movie. Every time I watch it I cry like a baby.

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  32. Gusto ko rin yang Pugad Baboy. Pamatay ang mga banat ni Pol Medina d'yan eh.

    But aside from Pugad Baboy, I also like Manix Abrera's "Kiko Machine" comics.

    Asteeeg kasi yung Kiko Machine eh.

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  33. @Will: You should. Maganda nga ang movie, Tagos sa puso.. nakakaiyak. Pero nakakatuwa rin.. Go, Will. You should read this. Mas maganda sa libro. Mas detalyado kasi. Salamat sa dalaw. =)

    @January: Hehe.. Maganda talaga ang Pugad Baboy. Pol Medina's humor never gets old. Walang kakupas-kupas. And you should really read Marley And Me. Maiiyak ka, then matatawa ka rin. Promise. Hehe.. Salamat sa pagdaan, GT sistuh! =)

    @Led: Unang basa ko ng comment mo, parang di ko magets and ibig mong sabihin, Idol. Hehe.. Oo nga, kahit na andami niyang napagdaan (extreme fear of thunder and lightning, embarassment in the obedience school, left alone with a dog nanny for weeks, etc). Marley still faces life with a smile. Hehehe.. =) And so did John and Jenny. Maganda talaga ang book, ano Idol? Salamat po sa pagdaan. =)

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  34. @Angel: Ay yes, I read your post about Max. Tell him I said "Happy BIrthday!".. Hihihi.. Yeah, the movie really is very very touching, most especially in the end. But the book kinda focuses more on the funny parts. Hehe.. So I guess, it's really better if you've read the book and watched the movie, too.. Hehehe.. Thanks for the visit! =)

    @Ishmael: Pamatay talaga. Hehehe.. Ibang klase ang humor ng Pugad Baboy.. medyo political nga lang.. medyo.. pero nakakatawa pa rin. Most especially with Brosia and Mang Dagul. Hilarious. Hehehe!

    Ay Kiko Machine? Hmm... parang narinig ko na yan, pero di pako nakakabasa nyan. Wait, matanong ko nga muna si Mister Google. Salamat po sa dalaw at komento. =))

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  35. wow! the first book sounds really good.. i think i need to check it out, lol!

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  36. i've seen the marley and me movie and laughed and cried while watching it. i haven't read the book yet but will find time to in the next few days when i get the chance.

    i LOVE pugad baboy! when i read the inquirer, it's the first thing i look for in the comics section! pol medina is really hilarious!

    sorry for the late visit (bad host! LOL). thanks for joining GT!

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  37. i cried buckets when i watched the movie... :(

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  38. When Marley was becoming weak, I knew death was bound to come. It was such a great movie. I didn't know it was derived from a book. But now I know, thanks to Ate Leah ^_^ Hehe

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