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.

A treasure trove for bookworms, Booksale sits on the first floor of Makati Cinema Square, a mall…read morethat has seen better days but still remains a hub for one-of-a-kind finds. Stocked with mostly second-hand and dog-eared books, Booksale is a bargain heaven for the bibliophile. You really never know what you might stumble upon while combing through the shelves of the store. Art books for the fraction of the price in high-end bookstores sit on the shelves, waiting to be discovered by the keen treasure hunter. There's also a sizeable collection of hardbound books, science fiction titles, graphic novels, comic books, cook books, gardening how-to's, novelty and humor reads and so much more. If you're on the hunt for past issues of both local and international magazines, you are in for a treat. There are hundreds of titles to scour and they never cost more than an arm and a leg.

If you're a book lover, but you are on a budget (And when I say "on a budget", I mean flat broke),…read moreBook Sale is the answer to your needs. I've been in and out of various Book Sales all over Manila, and it's a fantastic place to look for pre-loved books at a fraction of the cost. Personally, I love going here to buy coffee tables books. There are a couple of good finds to be had here. You just have to be diligent when you do dig around. The branch at Makati Square is typical of most of their branches, but it does have a bit more elbow room than the others. They also have an inordinate number of kiddle books, so that's a plus for parents.

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.

I am a very regular customer at SM Hypermarket and one of my most frequently visited establishments…read morewould hands down have to be Books for Less. Few things make me happier than sticking my nose in a book so when I found out that the store was no longer as big as it used to be, it made me sad. However, BFS continues to provide a decent selection of fiction and nonfiction books that one can peruse and purchase from. I've found many a gem here, and I'm glad that places like this exist as where would society be without the written word.

If you've happened to pass by Buendia on a weekday, near the Makati Med/Mercury drug/Tropical Hut…read morearea around late afternoon, you may have spotted books for sale on the sidewalk. This is Hemingway Bookshop. They've gained quite the following firstly for being a badass for selling books on the sidewalk, guerilla style. To be honest, I actually really like this whole, spontaneous "latag" set up as it makes books so much more accessible to everyone, and encourages folks who would never step inside a bookstore and pick up a book to actually start reading. And, they actually have good titles in stock. Naturally there'll be the popular Coelho/Nicholas Sparks/Dan Brown type of stuff that appeals to most people, but I have found some great gems here--JD Salinger, Tolkien, Neruda, Jeffrey Eugenides, Milan Kundera, and a lot of classic names. Prices are relatively cheaper than bookstore prices of course, but don't expect it to be as cheap as Booksale either, as these books are mostly new and are in great condition. It really makes me happy seeing a LOT of people stop and check out the titles. It's like a ray of hope! Reading isn't dead in our society!

UVLA is one of my favorite stores to visit in Cubao Expo. It is one of the many antique shops in…read morethe compound but it has a bit more of a quirky twist to it compared to the rest of the antique shops in Cubao Ex. It is where i bought my skeleton pipe made out of resin. It's got a lot of old toys and collectibles that would make a great addition to your home or the perfect gift to give a special friend. Some items you will find here are collector's items from Disney like music boxes or cartoon figures from their iconic films. Band merchandise can also be found here like Beatles posters, lunchboxes, mugs, and much more. You can also find merchandise with iconic actresses like Marilyn Monroe. The rest of the store features home furniture that will take you to another era and perhaps leave you nostalgic which will make you buy something. Maybe it becomes harder to let go of the thinga here because they are all waiting for someone to take them home and treat them with the proper care they deserve.

The owners call it a "nostalgia store from Cubao X". True to their words, UVLA Store sells…read morepre-loved vintage items; but not exclusively though. The whole shop is an air-conditioned treasure trove of all things old and lovely, and some local artworks and prints thrown in. That's where I got my sticker set designed by Yas Doctor, one of my favorite artists. I like that they put a jar of candy near the entrance so you have something to munch on while spazzing over all the finds you can... well, find. If you're a lover of toy figures from the previous century, you can go there. If you're an avid matchbox collector, they got you covered. The prices, though, depend. They got postcards that you can get for as low as Php 40, or maybe even lower, and then the newer art stuff they offer are priced around Php 100. The sticker set I got was around Php 150, which was well worth it.

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.

MSM Surplus should be one of the first places you go to if you've just moved into a new place just…read morebecause of the random stuff you find there. And that they have in abundance. From cutlery to china, appliances (beware the 110v though) to furniture, to clothes, toys and electronics. Lawnmowers. Telescopes. Old medical equipment like crutches and walkers and canes. Golf clubs. Luggage. Books. I can go on. Although some of their stuff looks broken beyond repair, there a still a lot of useful things that can be found there. Like power tools. Fishing rods. Gaming consoles. Gaming console adapters. Gaming console controllers. Gaming console games. The only dangerous time to go there is when you're looking for something you don't know what. Because you might end up buying old board games. Or betamax players. Or VHS players. Or laser disc players. Or playing cards. Or trading cards. Every corner has something interesting to see. So go there when you're looking for coffee makers. Or when you just want to look at old stuff and find somethinf neat.

MSM Surplus is one of those kinds of places you pass by on your commute by southbound bus or train…read moreand you wonder what it is and if their business is thriving and if they're even actually open. Then when you realize that they're the same place of a secondhand store you used to frequent in Cubao which closed, you finally do a search on them, discover that they have an updated Facebook page, and go for a visit and are treated to the wonders therein. It's a huge warehouse of secondhand everything from furniture to books to electronics to toys to clothes (the only category they don't have much of--they're not that kind of an ukay). You name it and you'll probably find it there in some shape and/or form. I'm a sucker for rummaging through a melange of stuff to get at good books (a still beautifully covered "Valley of the Dolls" or a "Marcel the Shell" hardcover) for fifty pesos each, or a childhood board game, which though incomplete, was still pretty worth it for a hundred bucks. (I'll be waiting for them to dredge up another copy and hopefully be able to actually play it.) If you're the kind of person who's still happy covered in dust having scrounged some great finds, then have at it.

Many of my fantastic second-hand book finds, I found in this particular Book Sale…read more I am admittedly an ebook person - sorry to the hardcore paper book guys out there - but I have to manage the limited space in my life, and the shallow pit that is my pocket. So I choose the books I buy carefully. In particular, I have temporarily decided to buy only the hard copy books if it is a picture book. And I've found hardbound coffee table book gems, like The World on Sunday by Joseph Pulitzer. Literature and their original illustrators. Etc. Etc. For a fraction of its original price. I could live in a Book Sale and never come out.