2024 in Books
What a surprising year 2024 was! 0 books written for the first time since I started writing, but it’s also been my biggest year in terms of things that happened!
My goal for this year was that I just wanted to be more helpful to romanceclass as a whole—if there was anything I can do for the community, even if it was just to show up, I would be happy. It helped greatly that a lot of the things happened in Magdamag, aka my backyard haha.
So just to sort of end everything on a good note, I thought I would share some of the highlights of my 2024 author life (and what’s next!)
January: The Last Guy You Kiss
Started the year off with finishing my draft of the book that would become The Last Guy You Kiss! This was on my birthday weekend, so I took time off of work to be a Makati girl for a weekend, and pretend I could afford that life. Writing was done!
February: Romanceclass2024 Intro + AILAP
Went back to my roots (my roots?!) to attend a Romanceclass intro lecture in Ateneo! Romanceclass started our collaboration with the Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices (AILAP) this year, so it was fun to be saling kit for the lecture. I love hearing Mina makes this talk and how it’s evolved in the last ten (ten?!) years of being part of the community.
March: Manila Takes Manhattan is Released!
I have SO MANY feelings about this book. Given the way everything turned out, I still do! But in that moment I was happy it was out in the world, and that people could get it from anywhere, just like the rest of my books.
April: April Feels Day at Magdamag! + DLS Lipa Conversation
Why is this my only photo from April Feels Day?! Too many emotions I guess. I also did a little virtual conversation about being an author at De La Salle Lipa, chatting with students and fellow author Gianne Rabena about writing. I think I…like being in talks like this? It’s fun to tell kids to write what they want.
May/June: Magdamag Mondays and New Book
Attended a CNBLUE concert in May that cemented my idea for the thing I’m currently writing (and not writing!!). A thing that also happened was Magdamag Mondays, when a small group of romanceclass friends decide to hang out and not work, hehe.
July: Comfortable and Familiar Launch!
One of the things that happened at Magdamag Mondays was that I got to help H.Bentham finally launch a book! Comfortable and Familiar was the result of a lot of love, coercion and grilled cheese sandwiches.
August: Komiket at Galleria and Duty Ka Ba?
I started therapy in August, and my therapist encouraged me to be a little less hesitant about going out by myself—and Komiket was a great place to start, because I was not by myself HAHA. But this was also the month that I did work on the English translation of Duty Ka Ba? Volume 1, which was a bigger job than I thought, but I still really enjoyed it.
September: Manila International Book Fair + Writing and Publishing in the Philippines
Big events in this half of the year—went to MIBF to sign some books at the NBS stand, which was made way more fun because of friends, readers and the giant worm next to me. Haha. There was also the Blush Books launch, which was great! At the end of the month, I was invited by the Goethe-Institut Manila to join a panel called Writing and Publishing in the Philippines. I talked about happy endings for Pinoys, and how fellow writers can do it anywhere! Also I was in Melbourne at the time haha.
October: Frankfurt Buchmesse + Movie Deal?
Probably the biggest month of the year, for German reasons! Attended the Frankfurt Buchmesse and realized what it meant to be a part of a delegation, and got to talk with readers from Germany. That and the news that Sweet on You was adapted into a movie finally came out!
November: Feels Fest + FEU Career Fair
Feels Fest at Magdamag was fun, because we did a presentation party! I talked about my Frankfurt experience, what to expect and how to feel a little less overwhelmed by it all. Then I got to join Alapa-Up, FEU Senior High’s career fair, which was a thing I told myself in high school I wanted to do. I loved talking to the kids and telling them its ok—not to pressure themselves so much and just enjoy what they enjoy.
December: The Last Guy You Kiss (guys im tired na)
This is how we’re ending the year! Again, more and more feelings about this release (for April next year) but it’s always good to have things happening. I’m still writing my CNBLUE book, but I really do need/want to slow down a little, at least for the holidays. Which is maybe an oxymoron, but here we are.
I’m really excited for what the next year has to bring, so I hope to see you there. :)