Fully Booked Katip is a place I regularly pass by whenever I get picked up. My dad comes from the…read morenorth, so I chill at Regis Center while waiting for him. This particular branch is really fun to stay in, because it's hardly ever full. The staff are used to dealing with the "college kid" demographic, and know all the latest Young Adult or Romance hits, and are very responsive when you want to have one ordered from another branch to be picked up or to pre-order a book. It's especially nice to hole up in the back part of the branch or in the couch seat in one corner and just will the hours away. There's fancy stationary and pens available too, if you find yourself short of any. Another thing I love about it is how it's right next to a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf branch, where you can enjoy your latest book buy with some warm tea and pastries to keep you company.

Fully Booked is the heaven of book lovers! They have great selections of all sorts, and even a…read morego-to for comic books and graphic novels. The store gives a classy and comfortable vibe. Conveniently placed in Katipunan, students, teachers and even parents are the usual customers who drop by at this branch. I personally go to Fully Booked to buy quality art supplies that may not be found in other bookstores. I also find some of their items exclusive that's great for gift shopping. This particular branch may not be big enough to house the particular item(s) you're looking for, but the staff can help you find them at the other bigger branches in the metro. The downside for me is that their items can be pricey and buying from there can make your wallet cry :( However, the place for me can be a good treat-yourself once in a while. It will also help to avail their membership card if you're planning to buy books and supplies there regularly. I will surely drop by Fully Booked once in a while to update myself with cool art stuff and perhaps buy a book as well. :)

I have this problem where I cannot walk into a bookstore and then walk out empty handed. I'm a big…read morebookworm and saying goodbye to an entire store filled with books without a book for myself is just unthinkable. That's like hiring a prostitute, giving her a hug, and then sending her away. Actually, it's worse than that. EXPLOIT THE OPPORTUNITY, methinks. This is especially hard when it comes to secondhand or cheap bookstores like Bookay-Ukay. This place is amazing. It is filled from ceiling to floor with books - and not the usual crap you see in chain bookstores, either. You can tell that these titles were handpicked by whoever manages this place, and you're sure to find something you like in this hole-in-the-wall. My girlfriend had to drag me away from these books. I wanted to buy the entire building.

Finally visited the store, saw one of my fave comic books and bought it. never knew that I could…read moreget one for a such a low-cost. I'll definitely visit the store again for sure.

If you are looking for rare Filipiniana books, this is one bookstore that you can go to. Located in…read morethe 4th floor of the Silahis Center, this book shop and gift store has quite the collection of literary works, especially featuring the writings of renowned literary authors and essayists from the Philippines. Some of the books here are old and dusty, which is kinda sad because that somehow reflects most of the public's disregard for our very own authors, putting a primer on foreign and Western authors more instead. That's a little sayang, considering that the Philippines has always had this rich literary tradition that has defined the voice of different generations of Filipinos. It is sad to think that this bookshop may already be in its twilight hours, since the general state of neglect and disrepair just goes to show that this place doesn't really earn a lot of money. I think it is time to do our part in helping these businesses out the best way we can. We can start by recognizing that our local authors can produce impressive works in all genres that can compete with other foreign bestselling authors. Aside from their collection of aging and somehow tattered Filipiniana a books they also have a big collection stamps and coins that are enough to send even the most hardcore collectors atwitter with excitement.

Going into Intramuros, I can't fault you if you expect to swim in a veritable flood of Filipino…read moreculture and heritage, and this place is one of the best places to go to if you want to experience just that. Lauded as one of the oldest bookstores in the country, it also has one of the best collections of rare (and ancient) books. Aside from the old and limited-edition books, you can also browse through their art and antique collections. Bring a lot of moolah if you're into collecting - the pieces can be a bit pricey.

In the era of technology and high-tech implements, I think printed books are still relevant. I work…read morein the e-learning industry, and I honestly think that print is still very much alive, and it could be used to complement the emerging technology that is transforming the way we learn and interact with the information that we encounter everyday. I love books, and by extension, I love bookstores that sell them. While I love browsing at shelves in bookstores in malls and popular shopping establishments, I also love going to offbeat and independent bookstores like Solidaridad to do my part in helping them maintain their business. I was leafing through my cousin's Lonely Planet Philippines copy (she was born and raised in Australia) and found this bookshop on the listings. The fact that it is listed in an international guide makes it legit - a rare gem in the middle of seedy and sketchy Malate. These bookshops are slowly dying out, unfortunately, but Solidaridad still stands tall in the P. Faura area. I love going here because I usually find a lot of Filipiniana, such as short stories by F. Sionil Jose (who also owns this bookshop) and Lualhati Bautista. There are interesting books on Filipino folklore, mythology and customs. You can also find back issues of international magazines and publications such as The New Yorker and The Atlantic. The books are relatively cheap, and I love that they have rare books that you may not exactly find in other bookstores. My heart races when I am in this store and I am right at home in between the stacks of books and literature that are just waiting for me to discover.

Solidaridad is by far the most vintage book shop I've ever been to in Manila. There's that huge…read moreamount of nostalgia that you'll feel once you enter the shop. It makes you feel as if you were living during the time of Rizal and the Insulares. What's also special about this shop is that most of the books here are Filipino published. The books you'll see in here are definitely cultural gems. Not all book shops nowadays put emphasis or cater to Filipino writers. Having Solidaridad gives hope to Filipino writers and publishers because there's still a place that will sell their work. Apart from books made by Filipinos, there are also books from well-known international authors. One of them is Haruki Murakami who is also one of my favourite authors. The prices are a bit higher compared to other book shops. I guess this is reasonable because not a lot of people get to visit the place because it's a hole in the wall type of store. I've been studying for years in UP Manila which is just a few blocks away but I just found out about the place last month.

What saved us from having to scout Recto to look for references or books is Goodwill which is just…read morea few walks away from UP Manila. We were surprised at how some books were already available here and some are even way cheaper than the ones sold brand new. We were also able to purchase additional or supplemental text books that would help us in reviewing especially for neuroanatomy. They also have other books for other fields or professions such as accountancy, midwifery, nursing, etc. That's somehow surprising because you'd kind of wonder how all these books fit in such a small space. Gallifreyan technology perhaps? (If you're a Whovian you might get this reference). They also sell a few office supplies which also saves you time and effort from walking all the way from UP Manila all the way to NBS in Rob Ermita especially if you're running there just to purchase a pen or an envelope.

This is one of my favorite bookstores in the Philippines. I love the aesthetic inside and how it…read morewas laid out especially when they have photo of a woman create with books. It was also bonus that my book, Bridging the Confidence, was available at this location. Definitely a must go if you love book stores.

Bookstore -- more than books! (MANILA Philippines)…read more My two daughters would absolutely love this bookstore if we had one in the U.S. My 10-year old niece who resides in the Philippines introduced me to this store when I told her that I was looking for Sonny Angel merchandise for my adult daughter at home who loves this stuff. Not only did they have them but they had so many different kinds of Pop Mart blind box merchandise meaning you do not know which figure you will receive until you buy one and open the box. The bookstore also carries a good selection of Manga books series which my other daughter would be excited to see. For Yuko Shimizu fans... they sell the mural shirts here too. After all the searching for the Sonny Angel merch I was glad to find them in this bookstore and surprised my child with the plush. Customer service was excellent, they were very friendly and helpful. Great prices! The bookstore is located in the Mitsukoshi BGC in Taguig Metro Manila. Review #3294

Thank the book gods and goddesses for Chapters and Pages! I wish I knew of this store when I was…read morestill studying as I could have saved more money for other school expenses and food. For any bookworm who has a tight budget or who wants to buy more books, Chapters and Pages is the place to be! Instead of one book, you could buy a book or 3 for the same price. They have really inexpensive school supplies too! There's a lot of stock of pad papers and notebooks - a whole area dedicated for students. Any kind of book in a bookstore, you'd find here. I particularly love buying cook books here as in other bookstores, I'd have to shell out a thousand or more for just one cook book. Whenever I want to read something new or stock up on books for the summer or want to add to my growing collection, Chapters and Pages is one of the bookstores I never fail to visit.

As a writer, one of my passions is reading, and I've always been protective of my books. So it was…read morequite a surprise for me to find out that a man named Nanie Guanlao actually set up the entire front part of the house he grew up in along Balagtas St. in Makati as a free library. No library cards, no membership, no anything. The rules are simple: there are none. You can take a book, you can leave a book, or you can do both. You can come once and leave with 10 books, or keep/leave a book every week. Spreading from the steps to his house and leading all the way inside, over 500 books sit there waiting for new readers to explore their pages. My first time there, I ended up taking home "The World According to Garp" and "2001: A Space Odyssey." What started as Nanie's personal collection has become a repository for learning and exploration, a project for Nanie's family, and a neighborhood curiosity. As a believer in the power of words to inspire, motivate, and transform, I applaud Nanie and hope against all odds that there could be people like him in every street in every barangay in every city of the country. One can dream, after all.

Looking for affordable, educational and still efficient books? Then head on to Booksale, a bookshop…read morethat has almost everything: from recipe books to children's books, medical references, comic books, fiction and non-fiction novels, magazines, etc. Most of their books are sold for a much lower price, since they're already second-hand books (don't worry, the pages are still intact for most of them and they still look good in terms of condition). Some of their books may be outdated, but still full of information which you could use in whatever you need.

No, the store or stores here are not named Unnamed. They simply sell DVDs which are illegal, but…read morewhich the city silently tolerates because it gives employment to a lot of people. I was walking in the Quiapo area a few days ago. While there, a guy approached me and asked me if I wanted to buy "BluRay quality" DVDs. I really wasn't all that interested, but I have been wanting to watch the Netflix series Daredevil. Since Netflix is not (yet) available in the Philippines, and because I don't want to download the series, I've been looking for a copy, legal or otherwise. The guy said they may have a copy, and that I should follow him. This didn't feel right. I mean, it was broad daylight, but his asking me to enter one of the old buildings in the area didn't feel too safe, but I went anyway. I was surprised. I had known that the Muslim section of Quiapo used to be the place to buy cheap DVDs. Here, on the other side of Quezon Boulevard, was a glass door that had no number and no signage. In I went and discovered store after store selling nothing but DVDs. The place was air-conditioned and was not wanting in customers. To cut to the chase, I got my copy of Daredevil for P40. I also got a copy of The Flash as well as Agents of SHIELD. I couldn't take photos, of course. Not at the risk of bodily harm. But I was able to take a shot outside. I may or may not go back one of these days.