What are the contents of Some Days You Can’t Save Them All?
Some Days You Can’t Save Them All is my first collection of creative nonfiction, published by The University of the Philippines Press. The thirty essays go as far back as 2002, and the most recent piece was written in 2018.
I divided the book into three parts. Part One: In Which I Pass or Fail includes essays on family and medical school, Part Two: In Which They Live or Die consists mainly of patient narratives that I wrote when I was a neurosurgery resident at the Philippine General Hospital, and Part Three: In Which You Leave or Stay has the stories and opinion pieces where I tackle the issues that plague the Philippine health care system.
Does the book include your essay that won a Palanca award in 2018?
Yes. The title essay of the book won Second Prize at the 2018 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for literature. I have not published this essay anywhere else, whether online or offline, although some fragments of the work were taken from my old blog posts here in Ronibats.PH.
Where can I buy a copy of Some Days You Can’t Save Them All?
The book is available from UP Press in its UP Diliman bookstore and at UPper Shelf in UP Town Center, Quezon City (2nd floor, near Rodic’s). Savage Mind, an independent bookstore in Naga, also carries the title.
The book may also be purchased from Fully Booked. You may request any branch to get the title for you. Some Days You Can’t Save Them All is not available at National Bookstore.
If you wish to order a signed copy, fill out this order form and follow the payment instructions. You can also order the book online from Shopee, Lazada, and the UP Press online store.
Is there an e-book or PDF of Some Days You Can’t Save Them All that I can download?
The book is available in print only.
How much is Some Days You Can’t Save Them All?
The book retails for Php 400 in bookstores. It is trade paperback with cream pages, 6 x 9 inches, 192 pages in all.
I live overseas. Does UP Press ship to an international address?
We’re sorry to say that this service is not yet available.
I’ve read your blog posts before. Should I still buy the book?
If you enjoyed reading my blog posts, yes. I’ve edited all of the essays and stories, given them more depth, and arranged them in a manner that provides a more satisfying reader experience. You can read the book one essay at a time, in no particular order, but you can also read it from beginning to end, for (what I hope would be) meaningful insight on the journey to becoming a Filipino doctor.
I am neither a doctor nor a medical student. Will I be able to understand the essays?
Definitely. It’s just like watching a medical series on TV. Also, a list of medical abbreviations with explanations is included at the end of the book.
Where can I rate and/or review your book?
Some Days You Can’t Save Them All is on Goodreads. You can post your rating and review on this page, or search for the book on the Goodreads app on your mobile device.
Who made the cover art?
The amazing Vin Quilop. Visit his Instagram account to see more of his work.