Whether you were fully into the Halloween vibes with costumes and trick-or-treating yesterday, or you were following the traditional Filipino Todos los Santos celebration today, where you spend time with your departed loved ones at the cemetery and have a picnic with your extended family, we hope you're having a fantastic start to November 2023.

In today's world, we don't need to look very far to find things that give us chills and thrills. Scary stuff is all around us, from real-world conflicts to tragic incidents like mass shootings, from heated culture clashes to hate crimes, and from online bullies to political controversies and fake news. Faced with all these fear-inducing issues, the spooky creatures of our pop culture seem pretty harmless and even fun in comparison. Dive into the second edition of our Halimaween series (the first part dropped around this time last year) by cultural researcher Jean Karl Gaverza.

This week, we're also sharing a review of the newly published novel "Multo" by Filipino-American author Cindy Fazzi. It's a captivating read, but it's not about ghosts! Our regular PF contributing writer Claire Mercado-Obias introduces you to the author and her book.

Ever wondered what it's like to raise a Gen Z daughter in America? Single dad Patricio Abinales offers a front-row seat to the ongoing dance between an American-born child and a Filipino parent. It's a story many immigrant parents can relate to.

A breast cancer diagnosis followed by a serious car accident would be enough to knock the wind out of most people. But Roselle Reyes isn't your average person. She's a professional nurse who's turned her setbacks into a journey of self-expression. She's now a poet, a children's book author (she even did her own digital illustrations), and an environmental activist. Check out community leader Jon Melegrito's feature on this extraordinary Filipina.

In a unique collaboration, a Jewish bakery in a Southern California city has joined forces with a Filipino-owned bakeshop to create delectable treats featuring ube, the purple root crop that's currently all the rage. Meet Bea's Bakery in Tarzana and Sugar and Grace Bakeshop in Los Angeles, as our PF correspondent Anthony Maddela explores the delightful world of ube creations through conversations with Grace Baral and Adaeze Nwanonyiri. Get ready to crave all things ube!

Read Again: Manila Hotel: The Golden Years by Lou Gopal

Video of the Week: The Philippines: Threatened By China, The Country Is Moving Closer To The U.S.