The allure of new books, with their uncracked spines and freshly printed smell, never ceases to entice me. I think this has rubbed off big time on my older daughter as well, and, to some extent, on my husband too. We now each have our own favorite genres and wish lists to fulfill.
And so the Manila International Book Fair last September was an opportunity that we did not intend to pass up. We got into the car (hubby, older daughter and I) and drove to the SMX Convention Center; we got there a few minutes before the opening time, but there were already masses of people thronging the entrance. Kindred souls.
When we got inside the hall, for a moment I stopped in my tracks and considered the very important questions: "Where do I start? How to make this as efficient as possible?" We eventually settled on an aisle-by-aisle approach, instead of meandering aimlessly along. I figured this way we could cover more ground.
Books, books, and more books! We eventually had to stop for lunch as our stomachs were protesting at our neglect, and our feet were aching for a break. After an hour and a half, we were back in the game once more.
I used to think that young adult books were only for, well... young adults and tweens (except maybe for the Harry Potter series, which had such a huge following). Then I got introduced to fantastic series such as Artemis Fowl, Percy Jackson, the Mysterious Benedict Society, Fablehaven. I got hooked.
I got the first volume of How to Train Your Dragon, as well as that of Septimus Heap. I first wanted to check whether I would be interested enough to continue on to the end of the series. I was. I am.
These books caught my fancy too: Fun FAQs is really a collection of fun facts, and the trivia addict that I am, I just snapped it up. My daughter now enjoys flicking through its pages, and asks me questions about random facts that she picked up.
Songs of Ourselves is a very readable collection of writings by Filipino women authors -- poems, short stories, essays. It heartens me to think that the issues surrounding women today were also grappled with by women a few decades far removed, and in such eloquent pieces at that -- love, raising a family, acceptance, friendship, betrayal.
With my budding interest in photography, I looked for and saw a number of Canon photography guides at big discounts in the National Book Store section (which was a huge one). I spent a couple of minutes internally debating which one to get. The one in the picture below (Magic Lantern Guide) won out. I'm having fun tinkering with my camera and applying what I've gleaned from this.
There was also a section devoted to Reader's Digest publications and books. I've always been a fan of their printed products. This, and the fact that they had a buy-one-get-one-free promotion, sealed the deal. Tomes on general knowledge are actually good buys, as the facts contained within them would normally not change over the years. A volume on how nature can sometimes turn out to be a very frightening force was particularly interesting, and so was the one on the hidden stories behind popular history. We threw in a book on supernatural and uncanny stories as well for curiosity's sake.
Of course the little girl had her own selections as well, and was quite adamant that we stop and browse through the children's sections. Being an avid reader of the Geronimo Stilton series, she was excited at finding this title among the stacks. Small volumes on the Earth and weather, as well as a Dora activity book and a storybook on fairies were also carefully considered and put in her pile.
We found a number of books featuring Fiipino folk tales and legends at the Bookmark stall, and at such mark-downs that they were practically steals. Lola Basyang stories are timeless, and we wanted her to appreciate these stories that generations of Filipino children have grown up with. The little girl had a number of folk tales already, and these two other volumes below rounded up the series.
A couple of other storybooks caught our eyes too, which we felt would provide not only a source of entertainment, but good moral values as well. They were being sold at friendly prices too -- imagine a hardback storybook for 50 pesos!
A Pokemon game book was also part of her loot. A 3-volume set of a dictionary, thesaurus, and spelling/grammar guide was going to be of use to her in school. Even in first grade they now use a dictionary!
These puzzle books would make entertaining presents to kids, and our daughter asked us if we could give them out as presents to her friends this Christmas.
Of course we did not neglect our toddler, who was left at home during this trip. A number of board books and colorful lift-the-flap volumes were sure to provide her with countless hours of entertainment. Add to that the books in Ate's shelves, and together they can flip through the pages to their hearts' delight.
We left the hall with arms filled with books, with feet sore but contented smiles wreathing our faces.
We're delighted to be able to give our children the gift of the printed page.
And I'm grateful that our parents have instilled in us a love for the same.
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