Sugod Mga Malandi

by Dani Hernandez

Kung binabasa mo ‘to ngayon, ibig sabihin malandi ka. Oh, ‘wag ka nang mag-deny! Malandi tayong lahat dito! At anumang estado mo ngayon — may jowa, walang jowa, maraming jowa, ayaw mag-jowa, bawal mag-jowa, iniwan ng jowa — alam kong iisa lang ang gusto natin, at ‘yon ay ang magkaroon ng love story na may happily-ever-after!

Pero laging nagbabadya ang expiration date ng forever, kaya kailangan na nating magmadali.

Kailangan na nating tuklasin ang natatagong kapangyarihan ng paglalandi.

Kailangan na nating mag-aklas!

SUGOD MGA MALANDI! TAYO AY MAGSAMA-SAMA!

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2019

About the author

Dani Hernandez is an illustrator, designer, poet, and non-fiction author based in the Philippines. They are the author of Kalandian Chronicles Duology, a humorous self-help book series published by Anvil Publishing in 2015 and 2018. Their debut poetry collection, In the Wake of Our Wreckage, was first independently published in 2018 and was reworked and republished in 2022.

Dani works as a senior content designer at Canva. They are also the content creator behind various creative pages such as Dani Creatives Co., Florence Starglitter, and Indigo Featherdream, each one focusing on a specific creative niche.

Since their debut publication, Dani has already appeared in various literary events in the country such as the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival, National Book Store Forums, and once on Philippine national TV.

Dani lives for coffee and coffee shops, sunny mornings and golden afternoons, astronomy and the smell of book pages, true crime documentaries, sci-fi and fantasy, Survivor marathons, indie and country songs, soy candles, and conspiracy theories.

Connect with Dani on various streams. Visit their landing page: https://bit.ly/dani-h for essential links and other information.

Reviews

[Dexter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It. is insightful and humorous..Perfect blend.

[Yna from Books and Boybands · Rating 4 out of 5]

"After all, love is more than just a feeling. It's an important decision you make day after day."

📚 Genre: Non-fiction
* Filipino author. Written in the Filipino language.

I promised myself to jump on the chance to read more Filipino written books and support more Filipino authors. So, when the chance opened up to get to read this book, I took it!

Sugod Mga Malandi is a humorous, (slightly?) anecdotal guide to the highs and lows of the art of paglalandi (flirting).

This is a book that you can read in one sitting, not only because of its length, but because of the funny writing style of the author.

It has an enticing formatting that feels like a combination of just talking to a friend casually and some 'research-based findings'.

I love the quirky song-related chapter titles and I love the lists scattered throughout the book.

I know that my younger self would have gone crazy over this read. My present 26-year-old self kept smiling and laughing, mostly because of actual dating memories.

I would definitely head on to the bookstores to get the other books written by the author. Great job!

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌼 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Pacing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Unputdownability: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
🌼 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

☁FINAL VERDICT: 4.2/5 ☁

Much thanks to the author for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.

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[Jonathan Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A copy of the book has been provided by the author. All opinion are of my own.

You reach a point in your life where you do flirt with people for fun, for love, and for every other thing that it can be. This book [Sugod Mga Malandi] really evaluates the types of flirtatious acts out there. You'll find that you relate to one or one to many types. You'll hurt for the realization that the things you are doing might be wrong or might just be something you enjoy doing and that is fine.

The book is a heartfelt written journal shared from the author's own experience. What makes it fun and also educational is that he related Rizal's story in the book. Highly recommended.

Full review:
https://wanderwithjon.wordpress.com/2...

[Kim Faner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paano mo nga ba ipaglalaban ang kalandian? With all its negative connotations even in modern-day Filipino society, mahirap itong i-normalize sa’ting bansa. Pero sinubukan ng librong talakayin, through the author’s experiences, ang “kalandian” in a truly Filipino sense.

To defend kalandian is to qualify it, which is a feat on its own. Through humor and contemporary style of delivery, the book attempts at doing just this. Sinimulan nitong patunayan na ang paglandi ay bahagi ng pag-iibigan, which makes it ultimately a part of our human nature.

Sa kalagitnaan lang eh medyo naligaw ang libro. May mga kwento tungkol sa sawing pag-ibig, which, of course, are still (although slightly) within the realm of paglandi. Bumawi rin naman agad ang libro when it finds it center towards the end.

Sort of going at a full circle from the second chapter, the author ends the book in an unapologetic, unflinching manner, an empowering act, nagsasabing mag-aklas tayo laban sa stigma ng kalandian.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, witty, and insightful read. Dani Hernandez's writing style is like a friend telling you a story about their love life or someone giving you love advice which I absolutely enjoyed. The anthologies were insightful but also inserted with humor that just got me reading on and on.

But at the same time, it is also very insightful about looking at love in a logical standpoint. Which very much reminds me of one of my favorite books called, Essays in Love by Alain De Botton.

Thanks to Dani for a copy of the book!