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Astigirl
Far from the grownup she thought she would be, Tweet Sering, 30-plus and tormented by a raging discontent with stale notions of how one must live, strips herself of the trappings of adulthood—no job, no savings, no insurance, and not even a credit card—and resolves to begin growing up again.
In this memoir that is by turns sharply funny, intelligent, outspoken, but also pained and bewildered, Tweet shows her readers how being astray can turn into being astig (tough). Her essays remind us of long, late-night chats with our favorite friend, so that the substance of the go-for-broke account of her journey is not muddled by easy sentiment, but shines with a desire to cheer us on into our own journeys of being a tough girl. An Astigirl.
*BONUS CONTENT INCLUDED: A synopsis and excerpt of the upcoming ebook edition of “Wander Girl”, Tweet Sering’s chicklit novel of a wannabe journalist and self-declared loser who sets out on a journey to find her true calling, her true self, and her true love.
In this memoir that is by turns sharply funny, intelligent, outspoken, but also pained and bewildered, Tweet shows her readers how being astray can turn into being astig (tough). Her essays remind us of long, late-night chats with our favorite friend, so that the substance of the go-for-broke account of her journey is not muddled by easy sentiment, but shines with a desire to cheer us on into our own journeys of being a tough girl. An Astigirl.
*BONUS CONTENT INCLUDED: A synopsis and excerpt of the upcoming ebook edition of “Wander Girl”, Tweet Sering’s chicklit novel of a wannabe journalist and self-declared loser who sets out on a journey to find her true calling, her true self, and her true love.
- GenresEssaysNonfiction
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 31, 2017
This book lost to Bebang Siy's "It's a Mens World" in Philippine ReaderCon 2012. I was in the audience with Bebang Siy accepted the award for the best in essay category. This year, five years later, Bebang Siy's husband, Ronald Verzo recommended this book to me as a possible book for the month by a woman author. We have been reading books by mostly male authors in Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books this past 5 years. For 2018, we'd like to interview and interact more female local authors. Thus, I had to look for my copy of this book by Tweet Sering despite the fact that this lost to Bebang Siy's bestseller book.
From reading this book, I learned that Tweet Sering spent 3 years writing the essays (creative non-fiction) in this book while living with her parents. During these three years, when she was 38-40 years old, she did not contribute financially to the household and tried living like a teenager. This was in line with what she missed as teenager trying to please everyone around her. She did not mention whether she had the income but she just chose not to give money to her parents specifically to her mom. I have a 22 year old daughter who is graduating from college in the next 12 months. If at the age of 38 and she comes back or if she is still living with us (my wife and I) and chooses not to contribute, that's fine especially if I have enough money to support them. No big deal.
I also reckoned that Tweet Sering espouses feminism. In particular, as a woman, she wants to be able to pursue her art despite being in a relationship with a man she loves. In her past relationships, this did not work. I am not against this. However, most of the women around me (my wife, my mom, my mom-in-law, my sister, my sisters-in-law) are non-artists. When I met my wife, she claimed to be a painter but it turned out that she loves painting walls and windows so it is more of a household chore rather than art. I know Bebang Siy is good at her art which is writing and she is being encouraged to continue by Ronald Verzo. So, I guess that instead of writing a long essay entitled "The Girl of the Guy with the Camera," I think what Tweet Sering has to look for a man like Bebang Siy did to find Ronald Verzo who is also into writing and, like what Tweet Sering dreams about, film making.
Tweet Sering's writing reminded me of Jessica Zafra's. Middle-class articulate woman. Graduated from good schools. Has passion for traveling, reading and writing. Sering's problems are far and above those of my female friends: how to be accepted to New York University (NYU) Film School. At 38 (when the book came out), she even included a list of what she truly wants in a partner. It includes 42 characteristics that her ideal man must have. I asked myself if I have those in me. I guess I lack a couple of them. If I were still a bachelor, now 53 (to her 45), would I court Tweet Sering? My candid answer is no because Tweet Sering seems to be too smart for me. I have many smart female friends who are still single or by now have chosen to be single. Jessica Zafra is still single, right?
Easy read. Interesting read. Well-written. I am not surprised if this self-published book is a hit to 20's, 30's or 40's single female especially those who are into some arts. Especially those who adore Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love." I'll see if I can "sell" the idea of this book to my female book friends.
Thank you, Tweet Sering for pouring out yourself to us through this book. This is my last book read in 2017 and I chose this because I knew I would learn a thing or two and bring them with me in 2018.
Next time that I pass by Uno Morato, I will surely look for more books written by you.
From reading this book, I learned that Tweet Sering spent 3 years writing the essays (creative non-fiction) in this book while living with her parents. During these three years, when she was 38-40 years old, she did not contribute financially to the household and tried living like a teenager. This was in line with what she missed as teenager trying to please everyone around her. She did not mention whether she had the income but she just chose not to give money to her parents specifically to her mom. I have a 22 year old daughter who is graduating from college in the next 12 months. If at the age of 38 and she comes back or if she is still living with us (my wife and I) and chooses not to contribute, that's fine especially if I have enough money to support them. No big deal.
I also reckoned that Tweet Sering espouses feminism. In particular, as a woman, she wants to be able to pursue her art despite being in a relationship with a man she loves. In her past relationships, this did not work. I am not against this. However, most of the women around me (my wife, my mom, my mom-in-law, my sister, my sisters-in-law) are non-artists. When I met my wife, she claimed to be a painter but it turned out that she loves painting walls and windows so it is more of a household chore rather than art. I know Bebang Siy is good at her art which is writing and she is being encouraged to continue by Ronald Verzo. So, I guess that instead of writing a long essay entitled "The Girl of the Guy with the Camera," I think what Tweet Sering has to look for a man like Bebang Siy did to find Ronald Verzo who is also into writing and, like what Tweet Sering dreams about, film making.
Tweet Sering's writing reminded me of Jessica Zafra's. Middle-class articulate woman. Graduated from good schools. Has passion for traveling, reading and writing. Sering's problems are far and above those of my female friends: how to be accepted to New York University (NYU) Film School. At 38 (when the book came out), she even included a list of what she truly wants in a partner. It includes 42 characteristics that her ideal man must have. I asked myself if I have those in me. I guess I lack a couple of them. If I were still a bachelor, now 53 (to her 45), would I court Tweet Sering? My candid answer is no because Tweet Sering seems to be too smart for me. I have many smart female friends who are still single or by now have chosen to be single. Jessica Zafra is still single, right?
Easy read. Interesting read. Well-written. I am not surprised if this self-published book is a hit to 20's, 30's or 40's single female especially those who are into some arts. Especially those who adore Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love." I'll see if I can "sell" the idea of this book to my female book friends.
Thank you, Tweet Sering for pouring out yourself to us through this book. This is my last book read in 2017 and I chose this because I knew I would learn a thing or two and bring them with me in 2018.
Next time that I pass by Uno Morato, I will surely look for more books written by you.
January 10, 2012
Original post at One More Page
When the new year rolled around, I was more than ready to start a new book, eager to start filling my 2012 shelf. However, it felt like the books I was starting weren't really making the cut. I couldn't really get into it. It may have been just some kind of New Year blues or something -- I don't know. I received Astigirl as a review copy from Flipside on the first day of work and was all set to read it later in the month. Until decided to take a peek at it after work...and I could not put it down.
Astigirl: A Grown Girl Living On Her Own Terms is Tweet Sering's account of how she turned into her own kind of tough girl. Tweet talks about a range of things: from a fan letter to Angelina Jolie, to a family discussion on whether Manny Pacquiao's politics, to how she let go of her finances, to how she decided to drop everything to follow her dream. She talks about serious things about a man she loves and her art, and how she was asked to write her grandmother's biography to seemingly not-so-serious things such as how she wants to strangle Bella and kick Edward as she read New Moon. With a warm, personal tone akin to a friend sharing her experiences to another, Tweet Sering makes her readers feel that if she can do it, then we can, too.
Ah. That almost slump I had was instantly gone after I read the first entry in this book. Astigirl is the perfect book to read for the new year. It's got all this freshness and honesty that no other fiction book can offer. I thought it would be all about the kind of toughness that I wouldn't be able to appreciate or relate to, but I was wrong. Think of this as sort of a Filipino version of Eat Pray Love, but less of the annoying over-privileged "I have money to travel all over the world" feel. In fact, Tweet talked about how she didn't really feel a strong attachment to money, something I know I had to learn.
I was kind of glad I read this on my Kindle because it makes it easy to highlight quotes. Believe me, when I got to the middle, I realized I was highlighting almost every other page. Maybe it was because of the new year, or maybe it was because Tweet Sering talks about things that every young Filipino woman is thinking but is too confused or too afraid to set out for: to do something meaningful. I would share with you my favorite quotes but they're too many of them, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. :)
Being nonfiction meant not everyone will agree with this, but it also means that it can be read again and deliver a different message altogether. Astigirl is a great book to start the year with, and I think it would also make the perfect gift for girlfriends and girl friends. I don't necessarily agree with everything and I thought some of the entries were a bit long, but I really enjoyed the book and I would definitely browse through it again.
So, if you're a Filipino woman in your 20's or 30's and if you're feeling a little beat from life or you need a little inspiration, get Astigirl by Tweet Sering. It will do you a lot of good, and hopefully, it will also give you that push you need to go after what you need to do to be your own Astigirl.
When the new year rolled around, I was more than ready to start a new book, eager to start filling my 2012 shelf. However, it felt like the books I was starting weren't really making the cut. I couldn't really get into it. It may have been just some kind of New Year blues or something -- I don't know. I received Astigirl as a review copy from Flipside on the first day of work and was all set to read it later in the month. Until decided to take a peek at it after work...and I could not put it down.
Astigirl: A Grown Girl Living On Her Own Terms is Tweet Sering's account of how she turned into her own kind of tough girl. Tweet talks about a range of things: from a fan letter to Angelina Jolie, to a family discussion on whether Manny Pacquiao's politics, to how she let go of her finances, to how she decided to drop everything to follow her dream. She talks about serious things about a man she loves and her art, and how she was asked to write her grandmother's biography to seemingly not-so-serious things such as how she wants to strangle Bella and kick Edward as she read New Moon. With a warm, personal tone akin to a friend sharing her experiences to another, Tweet Sering makes her readers feel that if she can do it, then we can, too.
Ah. That almost slump I had was instantly gone after I read the first entry in this book. Astigirl is the perfect book to read for the new year. It's got all this freshness and honesty that no other fiction book can offer. I thought it would be all about the kind of toughness that I wouldn't be able to appreciate or relate to, but I was wrong. Think of this as sort of a Filipino version of Eat Pray Love, but less of the annoying over-privileged "I have money to travel all over the world" feel. In fact, Tweet talked about how she didn't really feel a strong attachment to money, something I know I had to learn.
I was kind of glad I read this on my Kindle because it makes it easy to highlight quotes. Believe me, when I got to the middle, I realized I was highlighting almost every other page. Maybe it was because of the new year, or maybe it was because Tweet Sering talks about things that every young Filipino woman is thinking but is too confused or too afraid to set out for: to do something meaningful. I would share with you my favorite quotes but they're too many of them, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. :)
Being nonfiction meant not everyone will agree with this, but it also means that it can be read again and deliver a different message altogether. Astigirl is a great book to start the year with, and I think it would also make the perfect gift for girlfriends and girl friends. I don't necessarily agree with everything and I thought some of the entries were a bit long, but I really enjoyed the book and I would definitely browse through it again.
So, if you're a Filipino woman in your 20's or 30's and if you're feeling a little beat from life or you need a little inspiration, get Astigirl by Tweet Sering. It will do you a lot of good, and hopefully, it will also give you that push you need to go after what you need to do to be your own Astigirl.
March 22, 2013
Original post here.
I am not a very big fan of non-fiction for one simple reason: books from this genre tend to bore me. Save for memoirs or biographies of people whose lives I find remarkable or extraordinary (which are quite few), or accounts of specific periods in history (e.g. Holocaust period) that interest me, or self-help/advice books that I could learn from at any given period (e.g. the What to Expect series, starting from when I was pregnant), I generally stay away from non-fiction.
Astigirl is non-fiction; it is a collection of blog posts from years of writing and publishing via Blogger by its author, Tweet Sering, whose fiction novel, Wander Girl , I enjoyed immensely. In fact, I enjoyed Wander Girl so much that I decided to read Astigirl – Tweet’s only other work – notwithstanding its being non-fiction, and I wasn’t disappointed.
There is something about Tweet’s writing that makes me feel comfortable. I love her style, how she injects her wit and humor in it, and how the ideas and concepts just flow from one into the next. The first few chapters of Astigirl didn’t immediately capture my attention, but it didn't take long for me to get into the groove of it. Later, I found myself sneaking reading a chapter or two during break or down times in the office.
Tweet’s blog entries/essays are very substantial and enlightening, and while I don’t agree with everything that she’s written – I still think Eddie Villanueva has no business running for president – I respect her views anyway and understand where she’s coming from. She didn’t even need to justify those choices. While I also wouldn’t dare say that I could completely relate to her life experiences, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them, anyway – it felt like I was reading a letter that a friend has written me, sharing her story. And for those entries to which I could relate – entries that felt like they were lifted from my very own journal, they were that familiar – I could only hide a small smile. Are you sure you’re writing about yourself, Tweet? Because it seems you’re actually talking about me, right there.
Among my favorites are the entries about her father, with whom her relationship improved because she learned how to be not like him despite the fact she is like him; the entry about being in a love triangle with her partner and her art, and; the entry about the girl of the guy with the camera. There were some that sounded preachy or too feminist for my taste, but I didn’t mind. All of the writings were intelligent, mature, and honest – the last adjective being the best thing about Astigirl, I think. Gathering one's thoughts, heartaches and reflections and translating them into words like that is a herculean task, more so if one were to write about something that is much too personal to be shared - but somehow, Tweet did it. It is like baring her heart and soul to a complete stranger - uh, me? - and at the same time, keeping the stranger entertained with anecdotes and imparting lessons learned from those experiences. I admire the lack of inhibitions and the candor with which the entries were written, and for this reason, I am deeply endeared to this book.
There were many passages from the book that I truly liked and believed in, but I will choose just this one to share with you because it had the most impact on me.
Whatever we imbue with attention and honesty and consideration is valid and precious and worthwhile, no matter how short or seemingly small it may be. People, relationships, events are fine, are perfectly valid and legitimate, just as they are.
I don’t know if Tweet will come up with a new book, or when, but I hope she does. I am certain to read it right away.
I just wanna be an Astigirl!
Book Details: My own, paperback, a Christmas gift from Tina (thank you!), signed copy (yay!)
April 25, 2013
Disclaimer -- I was tasked to judge 3 books for the Essay Category for the 1st Filipino Reader's Choice Award and here's my short review of Astigirl, one of the finalists:
For some reason, I enjoyed reading this book. While It’s a Mens World by Bebang Siy felt like its more grounded containing mostly personal narrative of life snippets, Astigirl by Tweet Sering is less earth-bound, unashamedly pulling the reader upwards into the clouds with life lessons and empowering reflections. Actually, I didn’t mind this. It offered an interesting contrast to the 2 other books. It has less of the personal touch that endeared me to It’s a Mens World, but I also felt the mantra like content of each piece contributing and sustaining the overall idea of being an Individual in our society.
I recognize the high and overarching message as quite relevant and illuminating, especially for women readers. Heck, even I found myself uplifted. I just borrowed a Kindle copy from a friend, and already I’ve highlighted a few passages. I’m thinking of buying my own copy.
For some reason, I enjoyed reading this book. While It’s a Mens World by Bebang Siy felt like its more grounded containing mostly personal narrative of life snippets, Astigirl by Tweet Sering is less earth-bound, unashamedly pulling the reader upwards into the clouds with life lessons and empowering reflections. Actually, I didn’t mind this. It offered an interesting contrast to the 2 other books. It has less of the personal touch that endeared me to It’s a Mens World, but I also felt the mantra like content of each piece contributing and sustaining the overall idea of being an Individual in our society.
I recognize the high and overarching message as quite relevant and illuminating, especially for women readers. Heck, even I found myself uplifted. I just borrowed a Kindle copy from a friend, and already I’ve highlighted a few passages. I’m thinking of buying my own copy.
January 10, 2016
I know this is an award winning essay anthology and the author has written books before this but I guess this wasn't just the best first Tweet Sering read for me. I am always on the fence about reading short story collections and essay anthologies because I rarely like them. There's just something about the fragmented way of storytelling that puts me off. And again, nonfiction is really difficult for me to like because I am always used to fiction where 'the way' something is written is as important as the content. With nonfiction, I think it's easy to get lost on what you are saying and sometimes thinks that's enough for the readers to understand you. I have nothing against Tweet Sering and her experiences. I am all for her 'go-girl' and 'pave-your-own-path' attitude, I did get that from her essays but there wasn't so much of 'a hold' that could've given me an a-ha moment or a message that I'll remember. There was truth and bare honesty in what she is saying but I guess, not something that I can relate to...yet or not something that I heard/read the way I wanted to. I still thank you Twee Sering for sharing your stories to women. There might be a time that I could go back to a particular thing that she said and realise: "Wow, so it 'is' true what she was saying about this." But not for now.
February 18, 2012
Astigirl is a collection of blog entries by Tweet Sering, author of Wander Girl. It documents her growth from the girl she was before to the girl she is today.
There's a lot of stories including in the book that a lot of us can relate to; reading this seemed as if I was reading my own journals, really. What's great about this book is that Sering was able to truly capture what it's like when one wanders off the beaten path and explores the world on their own. It's smart, funny, honest and really hits the spot.
It was very easy to breeze through the entire book, it being a slim volume. However I would recommend taking your time when you pick this one up; it's bound to elicit some musings afterwards. I certainly had mine.xK
There's a lot of stories including in the book that a lot of us can relate to; reading this seemed as if I was reading my own journals, really. What's great about this book is that Sering was able to truly capture what it's like when one wanders off the beaten path and explores the world on their own. It's smart, funny, honest and really hits the spot.
It was very easy to breeze through the entire book, it being a slim volume. However I would recommend taking your time when you pick this one up; it's bound to elicit some musings afterwards. I certainly had mine.xK
December 5, 2011
I love how random Filipino words makes it to her prose, making it really authentic. Nice insights on the dogmas of being a woman and a man, and how that affects girls settling down and getting married rather than chasing their dreams.
August 28, 2019
Tweet Sering gave this book to my mom as a gift but, unfortunately, the date wasn't written on the dedication. If I am not mistaken, it was the time the author apparently started working with Fr. Rocky at Tuloy sa Don Bosco of whom I personally have written a Personality Profile Article in CDC-UPLB way back 2007 or 2008, I think. My mom said Tweet Sering was also working on Fr. Rocky's book at that time. Anyhow, reading the context of the book, my mom suggested that I read the book, which I was actually hesitant to do at first. Years later, January 2019, when I had my reserve month (meaning more free time), I managed to read this book and I was totally amazed and inspired, and realized I read what I need to know as an adulting woman just at the right time. If I read this book earlier, maybe, I wouldn't have appreciated it as much as I do now. Thank you, Tweet Sering for sharing your thoughts with us!
August 1, 2020
The book relates to my current self undergoing an existential crisis. We all reach that point where we question who we are. I'm glad this book exists. It makes me realize that my problems are not that worrisome. Thank you soul sister.
November 14, 2012
Every astigirl should read this book! :)
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