The John Wayne Cleaver Series of Dan Wells

I finally completed the John Wayne Cleaver series of Dan Wells. And wow, what a fantastic and brilliantly written series it is! Very highly recommended!

I wrote about reading the second trilogy last year before realizing that there was a first trilogy and a novella that came before it. I ordered those books on Amazon last year but I only got around to reading them this year. I read the first book, I Am Not a Serial Killer, back in February but it was only last month that I got to read Mr. Monster and I Don't Want to Kill You. Then this month, I finally read the novella Next of Kin.

I am really happy that I chanced upon this series because I absolutely love it. I am such a fan of how it combines psychological and criminal profiling with the supernatural. I love how the protagonist, John Wayne Cleaver, struggles with inner demons while battling actual demons. John is flawed and imperfect, probably even more than most people, and yet he is written so exceptionally well that you somehow understand him and can't help but root for him.

One of my friends asked me what I felt the best book of the series is and I was unsure how to answer it because each book would probably good on its own but being part of a heptalogy just makes the value of each part even more significant. This is certainly a case where the whole is much greater than the sum of its individual parts. That said, I think the series is best read by starting logically with the first book, I Am Not A Serial Killer. I think The Devil's Only Friend is the most action-packed and Mr. Monster is the darkest.  I also love how we get to see a different perspective of storytelling in Next of Kin. I did find I Don't Want to Kill You to be the most emotional and maybe the most surprising. I remember reading the last few paragraphs and feeling this incredible sadness along with a whole host of rich and powerful emotions. (Now that I think about my friend's question again, maybe I Don't Want to Kill You is my favorite.)

If you have access to Dan Wells' John Wayne Cleaver series, whether via paperback or through e-books, I recommend that you read it. It is a bit of an investment time-wise since there are seven books but it is definitely worth it.

Quarantine Stories Part 6

Metro Manila continues to be on GCQ and based on the most recent announcement, this quarantine will run until at least the end of November. In the last month, the Philippines was getting about two thousand new cases a day, making it still pretty risky to head out. As such, I always have a face mask and a face shield when I leave the safety of my home. I'm not sure if a face shield is required or if it is just encouraged, but  I know that some places require people to wear a face shield and it does add a layer of protection so I use one each time I head out. I also started using a bandana as a headband, kinda like a tennis player or an 80s rock star haha. It may not be the most fashionable thing to put on, but my hair is getting pretty long now so I need something to keep it away from my face. The bandana also catches a lot of sweat and prevents perspiration from dripping into my eyes. This is especially helpful now because wearing a face shield can make it quite hot.

I haven't had a haircut for almost 7 months now. While many people I know have gotten a haircut, I decided not to get one just yet  not only for safety purposes but also because I've always sported the same hairstyle my entire life and I've never had long hair before. I figured that now was as good a time as any to grow my hair out. I mentioned in a previous post that I started using conditioner again after decades of not using it. More recently, I bought a hairbrush from the supermarket and I also bought some hairbands from Lazada during their 9.9 sale last month.

Hairbands weren't the only items I purchased from Lazada recently. I also bought an extension cord, curtains, gifts that I plan to give my brothers for Christmas, and a ring light. There was a big scare though when I purchased expensive sunglasses at 25% off but I instead got sanitary napkins and lotion delivered to me! I was told by customer service that they could not replace the item but they would give me my money back. This sucked because the item I wanted to buy was no longer on sale. To make things worse, it took a couple of weeks for Lazada to pick up the wrong items. And when they did, I got a notification that my item return request was cancelled! Shortly after that, Lazada corrected the situation and reopened my return request and after some time, I got a notification saying that it had been processed and the amount I paid would be credited back to the card I used for my purchase. I finally breathed a big sigh of relief when the amount was finally credited back to my account. Whew!

Over the last several weeks, I also got to try a few new things. My normal decaf was not available at the supermarket but I spotted this Lavazza decaf. It's pretty expensive but I needed my decaf - my doctor told me I had to reduce my caffeine intake - so I decided to buy it. Thankfully, it turned out to be really good. Decaf coffee often tastes less robust than normal coffee but this one has a pretty strong coffee flavor so it doesn't feel like I'm drinking weak coffee.

I also tried Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich because I've heard some really positive reviews from people who tried it, including my friend. I gotta say, it really is good!

I haven't been able to exercise as much as I did a few months ago and I started gaining weight so one time, I decided to try Keto ice cream which has very little sugar content. While it is definitely healthier than normal ice cream, it doesn't taste as good haha.. I guess it's okay to have it if you really want to reduce your sugar intake but still want something that tastes a bit sweet. That said, I haven't repurchased it since haha.

Finally, a friend of mine sent me sushi bake a few weeks ago. Sushi bake became popular in Metro Manila during quarantine but up until my friend sent me some, I hadn't tried it. Now that I've had it, I understand the hype. It's really very good! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a photo because my friend had it sent to our house and it arrived while I was out. By the time I got home, it was already partially eaten. I think I will order this again next time (and I will make sure I take a picture then).

Rafa Nadal, The Undisputed King Of Clay

 It's not like there was any doubt. Rafa Nadal has achieved so much on clay courts in his career that the King of Clay title had been firmly his for many years now. What is mind-blowing is how he continues to add on to the records that are already his.

Slam No. 2️⃣0️⃣@RafaelNadal #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/HDb5wVqoTn

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

Yesterday, Rafa Nadal won the French Open, which was played in September-October instead of the usual May-June because of the global Covid pandemic. In the final, he played against Novak Djokovic, the world #1 who has been Rafa's nemesis over the last decade. Novak had in fact beaten Rafa in 14 of their last 18 matches. A win for Novak would have been extraordinarily significant, because he would have remained undefeated in 2020, he would have won his 18th Grand Slam title, and he would have been the only player in the Open era to have won each major at least twice.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆@RafaelNadal conquers Novak Djokovic 6-0 6-2 7-5 to remain perfect in Paris finals and earn title 1️⃣3️⃣ at #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/lzOz5dmoqQ

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

Unfortunately, Rafa reminded the world yet again why Roland Garros is his house. He defeated Novak  6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in the final. How significant was this?

• It is his 13th French Open title. No one else in the Open era has won a single tournament that many times.
• It is his 20th Grand Slam title, tying him with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam singles titles won by a man.
• It is his 100th match win at Roland Garros. He only has two losses so far in his entire career.
• He didn't drop a set the entire tournament. This is the fourth time he has achieved this at the French Open.
• He has now won at least four consecutive titles in Roland Garros three times: 2005-2008, 2010-2014 (this was five in a row), and now 2017-2020
• He has not lost in a final at the French Open. In fact, he has not lost in a semifinal here either.
  

These records are just absolutely astounding. Winning 13 titles is most likely a record that will never be broken (or at least not in my lifetime).

1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Roland-Garros match wins.
1️⃣3️⃣ Roland-Garros titles.
2️⃣0️⃣ Grand Slam titles.
1️⃣ @RafaelNadal.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/Lgu38j5F4C

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 11, 2020

On the women's side, we have a new star in Iga Swiatek, who announced her arrival by sweeping past all her opponents en route to the French Open title. Not only did she do so without dropping a set, she didn't lost more than five games in any of her matches. Iga was unseeded but she did win the Wimbledon Juniors event in 2018 so it's not like she came out of nowhere. Also, her road to the championship was definitely not easy since she had to get through top seed Simona Halep in the fourth round and she faced fourth seed Sofia Kenin in the final. Congrats Iga!

Etched in the history books forever.@iga_swiatek #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/sv5kQpECNj

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 10, 2020

2020 has not been a good year by any stretch of the imagination but I'm just happy that we still got some Grand Slam tennis. I think I may have become a bit of a fan of Iga Swiatek after seeing her inspiring run to the title but it was really Rafa Nadal's sheer and utter dominance of Roland Garros that brought me the greatest joy this last weekend. Vamos Rafa! All hail the king!