34th Manila International Bookfair 2013

Wallets empty, bags and arms lay heavy yet in my mind I've been doing some somersaults, back flips, parkour and suicide dives all at the same time. Yes, I'm talking about Manila International Book Fair on its 34th year.


Last year, I blogged about my 2-hour challenge that I accepted for myself. Believe me, those sexy, tempting books, showing off their pages and curves would make you want to extend your time browsing them, but I got to push through with it and huzzah, it is worth the giant sprint.


This year, on the other hand, I decided to challenge myself again to buy as much as P1,500 worth of books on bookfair and with flying colors, I EPICLY FAILED. This was the situation: I had enough money to buy the books I wanted and a little bit to spare but things get a little bit complicated. But before that, let me walk you through the floor of this year's MIBF. (Sorry for the lack of photos, I wasn't thinking of blogging this event, but it's too late for that.)


What's New?


Upon arriving, I got a map. A useless map, I don't know how to read maps! I cannot even navigate Need for Speed using a radar either, so there goes my direction skills. So I just decided to walk around,  basically that's how you get familiar to a place. The great thing about this challenge is I have the luxury of the time, so I could spend hours on end having to do the usual "Read and Run." I also have no particular publishing house in mind, so I could stop and smell the pages for a change. (Well, maybe one. I was hoping to find this guy who sold first edition sci-fi books and magazines last year. Since I practically turn sci-fi obsessed this year due to a little known show called Doctor Who. *sarcasm*)


Spaces: Once again National Bookstore! You bagged the most space in this bookfair. Isn't it not enough to have hundreds of branches all over the country? Let independent publishing companies take your space for next year, please. Just give em a chance. And you too Fully Booked, you are rivaling NBS for spaces and seriously, your pricey books are... still awesome. Most of my haul are from Fully Booked, maybe because they have the best selection of books and I couldn't get my hands off their very wonderful new edition pieces - with discounts, which make it even better. Well, it's not that I have a problem with them, but I'm hoping to find more rare books from independent houses which sells books below the standard costs to get my money's worth, and the reason for being such a cheapskate.



My feet went for a bee line to this little book in a little corner.
Funny thing is they were all in one place when I arrived earlier, hours later, they were scattered around Fully Booked. Hmm, sabotage hunt from fellow Whovians. I see.



One down. Hello Sexy.



I would have collected these stand alones of HHGG if not for The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book that I bought months before. Ha! Pfft.



Now, having NBS and Fully Booked eat the most space for this year, I'm happy to see Anvil Publishing extending their shelves too. Not only that, even Precious Pages, Summit and Alamat. These are the more known local publishing companies and seeing them getting bigger every year means a good sign for the publishing industry in the country. Including Visprint, to which I'm happy enough to discover their little stall at the Precious Pages booth. I also have to express my rare salute to Precious for translating the more known Young Adult fiction novels like Hunger Games and Twilight. To which in my opinion, is a great leap for a publishing company to translate international bestsellers and the ability to house them. Not only that, though I'm not a comic book fan, I totally support Filipino creations particularly graphic novels or comics. I saw this new line of comic books that are reminiscent of old Komik books back in the day, they are serialized and stand alone comics and are visually enticing. I first encountered them weeks before MIBF, being surprised that there's such a comic book serial growing. I checked them out during the fair to get to know what they are about. They are called Black Ink, written in Tagalog and English, they are a something refreshing to the heavily novelized market with genres ranging from love stories to fantasy to horror and sci-fi. So good work local publishing companies~!


Also, I made it a point to avoid uber religious publishing houses and uber educational publishing houses because their books are not my cup of tea, that or they are just too damn preachy, too damn expensive or both. Sorry but we have our own choice of books that's why kids and teens ended up buying at NBS or Fullybooked is because, other than these commercial book houses, religious books and educational publishing houses dominated the area. So needless to say, we got forced to buy at the same typical mall stores. That's why MIBF needs the independent houses, so people could buy more books for their money's worth. I mean sure, 20% discount is helpful, but not helpful like the ones I had 4 years ago where I can get 3 paper backs for the price of 100. That's a score right there. But what do I know, I'm just a convention goer who happens to be on a budget, I don't know what's happening business wise when they think of preparing for the annual bookfair. It's still a business I know but seriously, get your act together MIBF. Where are those lovely independent bookstores that sells exceptionally cheap and rare books? I want them back! I want those 3 for 100 books back! *tantrums*


Freebies: Is it just me or did MIBF forgot to print tickets? That's always been my top souvenir yearly, I just got an 'Admit One' ticket and I can't take that as a souvenir. And the bags? Where are the freebies? The free bookmarks, the free book, the flyers that are annoyingly many? Where? Why you no give us freebies anymore! Best thing I got during the fair was a nice bookmark from Fully Booked. Meh.


But despite these changes that basically 'change' every year. It was a real treat for book lovers to spend their time and money to this year's MIBF. Needless to say, the ones I mention above with regards to space is generally a marketing strategy, but there's still the quaint little charm of going to the bookfair because of these things: There has been a lot of book signing from different publishing companies per booth or per scheduled event proper, the authors are exceptionally great and handpicked. They also got really cool gimmicks, I'm talking to you, NBS, for the hourly free stuff you give out, it wasn't much but it's delightful. Discounts~! Enough said. The shopping carts at Fully Booked, finally, I got to utilized it. Also, the very very very helpful assistants who are there to really assist you and not just oversee books that could be stolen. They even recommend new best sellers or fangirl/fanboy with you and your inquiry. So... Yeah, that charm hasn't change. Also, I notice the proper storage space for each publishing houses, that's a good one. There is also the little food court that sells quite good food at a little bit above the reasonable price, but it's functional enough while you do the book shopping marathon than results to a big appetite afterwards.


Now on a more personal note, my personal challenge had gone wrong as I said before and it was the most delightful wrong I had ever made. My 4-5 hour hang out at the MIBF was all for these handful of books.


Target Book Hunt:
1. Manila Noir by Jessica Hagedorn
2. Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
3. (Optional) Any Doctor Who inspired book
(More or less, I estimate, less a little bit below 1000Php)


But I ended up calling my mum whilst shopping because I used up all my money to buy books and with that, meaning I also spent my commuting allowance, so she has to come and get me. Embarrassing but, she have gone lenient with me and my book addiction and decided she will pay for my this year's haul. I was so happy, that immediately when I got the receipt of my books, I wanted to go home and crack open the spines of the books and set them up in my little bookshelf.





 Reality/Book Acquired:
1.      Manila Noir by Jessica Hagedorn
2.      Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
3.      Doctor Who: The Complete Guide by Mark Campbell
4.      A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
5.      The Long Walk by Stephen King
6.      Assassin's Creed: The Secret Crusade by Oliver Bowden
7.      Be More Chill by Ned Vizzini
8.      Hannibal by Thomas Harris (Php35)
9.      Red Dwarf by Grant Naylor (Php35)
10.  The Kobayashi Maru of Love by Carlo Javier (Php200)
11.  Report from the Abyss by Carl de Mesa (Php200)
12.  4 books of Martha Cecilia as per request by my Aunt (Php75x4)
13.  FREE: ART Magazine (got it by just signing up)


Basically what happened was, I got lucky. So what's the lesson here? 1) Separate your commuting allowance from your bookfair budget. 2) If not, remember to have load and call your mom and be hysterical about you not being able to go home because you 'accidentally' spend it all on books. 3) Secretly stash your 'chosen' books somewhere just in case your mum pushes through so that you won't be yanked away empty handed. 4) When she comes for you, get your secret stash and head straight to the counter. 5) Prepare your victory dance. 6) Be a good boy/girl for an entire month with extensions and express how happy you are about just spending your free time cooped up inside your room reading your books. (Yeah, I think parents think ahead when they suddenly 'bought' you your self-convicting prison. Nice one mum~!) But no, seriously, Thank your mum or dad, or who happen to be your awesome person that day. Because MIBF is an emergency and in such desperate moments, we, booklovers, will not go home empty handed.