Manila International Book Fair (9.19.9)

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If it wasn't for the RD Humor issue father brought home I wouldn't have had known of this fair. Goody they even have a free pass so I came, though late with meeting my female officemate, I was genuinely enthusiastic. No, there wasn't that signature smell of old and new books but my eyes were so wide taking everything in. But books are everywhere, left, right and center (an HP joke) that we don't know where to start.


Officemate wanted to look for this comic series I introduced her so we scoured the halls looking for it only to find out that they sell it same priced compared to regular bookstores. She was hoping it would be priced less but it wasn't. We even missed the author himself because he came yesterday. It was also weird finding this publisher, who have been successful most of the time with their authors/comic artists to a wide range of audience, at the very back and can easily be missed. We almost didn't find it if it weren't for the map.

We almost missed lunch and the sale of the mall didn't help that it was so hard finding a spot to even eat. When we came back to look at everything in a much slower pace I find myself tired and seriously disappointed. Nursing, Management and Religious books are what my eyes constantly see. There is even a Cosplay.ph exhibit at the far end-- which I can't find the relevance of why they even have a spot of.


My last time was at World Trade back in college. If at one huge difference was this time I had the budget to buy myself books but inspite of it, this fair seemed unfriendly to a variety of book lovers, especially fiction-heavy ones (like me and an officemate I tagged along). I mean, the entire halls dedicated to educational materials?! What are they thinking?! Students are there and I'm pretty sure that majority of them went JUST because they're required! If it's indeed AN INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR as they say then why this? Why out of all the exhibitors did I got home only getting a few books? One I got (PB3) only because it's waaay cheaper than in any bookstore I go to (I'm a few books away in completing the entire PB series), and the two of them are from university presses. Where are those novels, those paperback books? And where's the variety? What they have there can be narrowed down to just two: educational and religious books, not that I have any problem with that but where's the rest? What about us?

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