Bookworm Gallery: Things by the Book

I've been so busy this month that instead of opening with the Bookworm Gallery feature, I had to end with it. Still, it's never the wrong time to feature a fellow book-lover. This month, it's Niner Guiao, attorney, environmental advocate, and beach-tripper. She's also one of my closest friends. Once upon a time, she went to Geneva for a three-month research position on climate change. Now she does consultancy work for a firm that deals mostly with ecologically sustainable tourism, as well as an institution involved with international law and climate change. She is also doing consulting work on intellectual property and cyber law.

Because of her schedule, Niner usually just reads one book at a time for each 'aspect' of her life, so to speak. "I read one work-book at a time, and one leisure-book at a time, but those two often go together. Depending on my mood or the exigencies of my schedule, I shift from one book to another," she says.

1. How often do you read these days? What kind of books/genres do you often read?
Every day, for at least four to five hours a day. I can’t really avoid it, since while I love to read, I also have to read for work. A lot of my work has to do with research, so I have to read academic-type books, like law commentaries and studies on climate change and intellectual property. On my own, though, I usually prefer to read graphic novels (manga), suspense, fantasy, general fiction and a whole lot of chicklit.

2. Name three books that you feel would explain the kind of reader you are.
Persuasion by Jane Austen, Ghost Hunt vol. 8 by Shiho Inada, and Black’s Law Dictionary.

3. Who are your favorite authors? Is there anyone on your auto-buy list?
Anne Stuart, Susan Elizabeth Philips and Jennifer Crusie are definitely on my auto-buy list. I also really like the work of Neil Gaiman, Karen Rose, Sophie Kinsella, Melissa Nathan, among others. Chris Mariano is on my auto-buy list, too. (Note: See why I love Nine?)

Niner highlights passages and writes notes in the margins of her work literature but just copies great passages in her notebook for her more leisurely reads.
4. You're heading to the beach. What title/s is/are in your bag?
It varies, depending on my mood and what’s out in the market at the time (haha), but right now I’d say Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Philips, What's Your Number by Sophie Kinsella, and the latest volume of Ghost Hunt by Shino Inada.

5. What do you think is the biggest challenge when it comes to protecting IP, especially when it comes to e-books?
Personally, I think that while current laws and their implementation could be better, in the long run things won't change unless you change the way people see it. There are so many brilliant people who can work around law and technology faster than it takes to come up with laws and work on their implementation. Intellectual property is an intangible thing, and while a case could definitely be argued that illegal downloading can be considered theft, it may be difficult to convince people of that since nothing entirely tangible is being taken.

Niner also shares her opinions on a lot of things, like the popularity of legal thrillers like John Grisham novels ('In the legal profession, problems generally arise because of a human -- rather than biological or medical -– factor, and can only be resolved by the same. It’s less technical in [that] sense... Also, it may be easier for the audience to relate to the conflicts and the characters in legal dramas because they address or challenge viewers’/readers’ own views on morality and relationships.') or climate change. Through her love for books, Niner expands her world one page at a time. For her, the best thing about reading is "the escape, the artistry, and the depth in even the simplest things."