The Collected Stories of Jessica Zafra is composed of short fiction from her two books: The Stories so Far (2016) and Manananggal Terrorizes Manila and Other Stories (1992). Zafra's readers admire her humour and eloquence in writing stories with dark themes. James Hamilton-Paterson described her as a "natural short story writer". She has won three Palanca Awards—two of which was under the Short Fiction category. Apart from giving writing workshops at the Writing Boot Camp, Zafra has hosted several shows on TV and radio including The Sanity Maintenance Program on Studio B.

It's hard to forget the characters you meet and learn in Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo's stories. Apart from being a pioneer of creative non-fiction in the Philippines, the multi-awarded author has produced several works in other genres including fiction. She is the author of the epistolary novel Recuerdo, a story that is told through a collection of email messages. Hidalgo also has published short story collections such as Catch A Falling Star and Collected Stories and Tales which was recently released. She has won over 10 awards and published textbooks on non-fiction, travel essays, and literary criticism to name a few.

Read more: Ask The Expert: Miguel Syjuco On Literature, Honesty, And Why We Should Read More

The Philippines' first modern crime novel, Smaller and Smaller Circles, is written by Filipino journalist and fictionist Felisa Batacan, famously known as FH Batacan. Set in the Philippines, the novel follows the investigation of two Catholic priests who are eager to uncover the mystery behind the killings. Years after the novel was released, the book was adapted into a film. The book received recognition at the Palanca Awards and Philippine National Book Awards. For a thrilling read, consider adding this novel to your list.

If you're fascinated with history and crime, look into the decorated fictionist Gina Apostol's stories. She is the author of the novels Insurrecto, Gun Dealers' Daughter, Bibliolepsy and The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata. Her historical novels provide a new perspective on significant events in the Philippines and a voice to the women characters in her stories.

Read more: Books That Changed Your Life: Trick Mirror, Kite Runner—Tatler Friends Share Their Picks

Whether you'd like to revisit your childhood or read to your little ones, consider reading Cyan Abad-Jugo's children's stories that include wonderful illustrations like Letters from Crispin, The Looking Glass Tree and Yaya Maya and the White King. Most of her works, including the novel Salingkit and the short story collection Sweet Summer and Other Stories, add an interesting and insightful twist to history and Philippine mythology. She has also published a book with her father Gémino H. Abad titled Father and Daughter: The Figures of Our Speech. Recently, she has published Leaf and Shadow: Stories About Some Friendly Creatures which won second place at the Palanca Awards.

Read more: International Women's Day 2021: 21 Filipino Women In The Food And Drink Industry To Know