August is a special month for Filipinos for we celebrate Buwan ng Wika (National Language Month). Aside from our rich culture and history, we are also blessed with diverse languages and every year different institutions have their own way of celebrating this.

Books, as a form of self-expression and an outlet to inform, played an important role in discovering and preserving our history. To celebrate Buwan ng Wika and to pay tribute to our Filipino authors, feel free to participate in the Wikathon – a month-long readathon that is dedicated to our Filipino Authors!

If you are unfamiliar with it, readathon or a reading marathon is an event that usually happens within a certain period of time where you set a reading goal you would like to reach.

What is Wikathon?

 In a nutshell, Wikathon is a readathon that will take place this August and the whole idea is to read as many books as you can, written by Filipino Authors. It’s a project created by Ate Kate of Yourtitakate, and it will be co-hosted by a bunch of Filipino booktubers.

It will be a great time to support our local authors while discovering new titles to expand your reading “zone”. I myself is a bit guilty of not reading more local books, so this is the perfect time for me to be more exposed and aware.

As usual, there are no strict rules and you can read as freely as you can. But to make it more fun and challenging, there are 8 reading prompts that you can follow when arranging your TBR (to-be-read) list.

Wikathon Prompts

1. Filipino SFF: Read a book in the Science Fiction or Fantasy genre written by Filipino Author.
2. Filipino LGBTQPIA: Read a book written by any Filipino author that is queer or identifies as part of the LGBTQPIA community.
3. New to Me: Read a book by a Filipino author that you’ve never read before.
4. Modern Pinoy: Read a book by a Filipino Author that is set in the modern-day Philippines (the year 2000 and up)
5. Filipino Diaspora: Read a book written by Filipino Diaspora authors, or authors who were born/raised/migrated abroad.
6. S2PID Love: Read any Filipino romance book.
7. Sariling Wika: Read a book in a Filipino language (Tagalog, Bisaya, Hiligaynon, etc.)
8. Host’s Choice: Any book recommended by any of the hosts. (Find their social media links below!)

My Wikathon TBR

It’s a shame to admit that I had a hard time working on my TBR. There are well-known Filipino authors such as Bob Ong, Ricky Lee, and Lualhati Bautista, and there are also tons of self and locally published books in Wattpad. However, I really want to pick books that would best fit each prompt, and I would most likely to enjoy it.

Just in case you are looking for some recommendations, here’s my list:

1. Tablay by Katrina Olan

If you are a fan of mecha and other war machines (and a lot better since this is inspired by Filipino Mythology),  then this book is something you would enjoy. Tablay is a sci-fi book set in the futuristic Intramuros Manila. I had the privilege to be part of this Book Blog Tour, and I received the most exciting book package ever! I got it earlier this July, but I am holding back into reading it until August 1st. Katrina Olan is based in Manila.

2. Bagay Tayo by Jerry Gracio

Bagay Tayo has been recommended a few times in the Discord Channel and the author shared a PDF version of this book in his twitter account. Most people who have read this are claiming that this is an underrated read, so I am really curious to check it out.

3. Janus Silang at ang Tiyanak ng Tabon by Edgar Samar.

I’ve been seeing this series in the bookstagram community for a long time, and I think this is the perfect opportunity for me to start reading it. I have never read a book from Edgar Samar before, but it sounds interesting! He is a multi-awarded poet and novelist.

4. Janus Silang at ang Labanang Manananggal-Mambabarang by Edgar Samar

This is the second book in the Janus Silang series! I really want to get into the hype and see what happens so I ordered the first two books! Based on the blurb, the story will take place here in the Philippines in the present time.

5. Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly

Erin was born and raised in the States, but her mom is a Cebuana. Lalani of the Distant Sea is her first fantasy book inspired by Filipino folklore. She is the author of some award-winning books such as Hello, Universe and The Land of Forgotten Girls. This book is also highly recommended and it caught my interest in an instant.

6. Stay a Little Longer by Dawn Lanuza

There a lot of stories that could work well for the S2PID Love prompt (a bunch of Wattpad stories to begin with) but I’ve always been curious about this book from Dawn Lanuza. I always see it on bookstore stands, so it’s time to end the curiosity and finally read it. Based on the blurb, it’s about two strangers brought together by some fortunate scenario. The reviews on Goodreads are also good, so let’s go!

7. 56 by Bob Ong

I was born and raised in Metro Manila, hence my native language is Tagalog. I know that Janus Silang’s books can already be counted for this prompt, but I am trying to read as much as I can, so what better book to pick but a classic Bob Ong. I have read some of his books when I was in high school and college, so I am really interested to know what his latest book is all about.

8. The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

This is the second book in The Bone Witch Series and Ate Kate has been recommending this series! I read The Bone Witch last month, and I love it so much. It’s a fantasy book about dark witches or Asha, and Rin’s writing is somehow hypnotizing (in a good way!). It has been creating a hype in the community as well, and I was amazed when I found out that Rin is a Filipina-Chinese. Hopefully, my copy will arrive just in time for August.

For more information about Wikathon, follow, and join these social media accounts to be part of the online discussions!

You can read any Filipino-authored book you want, but you can also try following our TBR prompts below!

Need recommendations? Follow us here on Twitter or join our Discord server at https://t.co/qTEBprtjHA pic.twitter.com/jWxFaqky17

— wikathon // #JUNKTERRORLAW (@wikathon) July 11, 2020

Also, you may check out Wikathon's Discord Channel 

Subscribe and follow the channels of the co-hosts to show support and to watch for their announcements too:

1. Your Tita Kate: YouTube| Instagram | Twitter
2. Gerald The Bookworm: YouTube| Instagram | Twitter
3. Her Bookish Side: YouTube| Instagram | Twitter
4. Alex on the Block: YouTube| Instagram | Twitter
5. Love, Julienne:YouTube | Instagram | Twitter

Everyone is invited to join this amazing readathon. Participate, as long as you read books written by Filipino authors! I know this is going to be a different reading month for me, but I am excited! I do not know what to expect especially on the books that are totally new to me. I am thankful that we have this kind of readathon because #SupportLocal ❤