It’s easy to feel at home inside bookstores and libraries. There are comfortable corners for those who might spend an afternoon browsing through familiar titles or new discoveries—friends that you will want to take home with you. These five corners in Metro Manila are almost like pockets of sunshine for the voracious reader or the learned tambay.
READING CLUB, MAKATI
In 2000, in Barangay La Paz in Makati, private citizen Nanie Guanlao filled a few shelves with his own books, put it out in front of his house and opened it to everyone. People were free to borrow, take home, or even donate their books. They were free to hang out, and read or browse or just kill time around books. “It’s a free library, and it’s open 24 hours everyday. Kahit wala ako dito, bukas to,” he says. While the books aren’t in the best conditions, and the space itself is tight, 14 years later, the books have multiplied to occupy his entire garage and are currently creeping into his house, nobody has tried to steal from Mr. Guanlao, and generosity flows all throughout. “Ang one book borrowed here, ten books ang balik.” 1454 Balagtas St, Bgy La Paz, Makati. Daily 24/7.
BOOKSALE AT MAKATI CINEMA SQUARE
Bookworms know that Booksale is not the same in all its locations; unfortunately some are better than others. That said, hardly will you ever leave Booksale at the Makati Cinema Square empty-handed. A visit to requires some sort of readiness to part with a few thousand pesos and physical strength—and bag space!—to carry a heavy load. PS: Booksale at Shoppesville in Greenhills Shopping Center, in Cubao, and on the basement of SM Mega Mall are awesome locations, too. G/L Makati Cinema Square, Chino Roces Ave, Makati. Daily 10am-8pm.
READ: Mall guide: Makati Cinema Square is a trippy throwback
BOOKAY UKAY
Maginhawa Street’s favorite second-hand bookstore is on a charm offensive. It’s comfortably small, and squeezed full to the brim with titles from a wide-range of subjects. “It’s not an annoyingly high-brow place, but the selection isn’t just random either—there is a definite sensibility, sharp and voracious, behind the selections. It’s a used bookstore run by real readers for real readers,” says Luis Katigback, Esquire Philippines’ associate editor, who is also a published book author and bookstore habitué. 78 Maginhawa St, UP Teachers Village, QC; +63 905 4283125. Daily 10am-11pm.
NATIONAL LIBRARY
The facilities itself is kind of meh, with certain sections of the library jokingly called “The Sauna” by the staff because it gets pretty damn hot, but we have high hopes for the National Library. It’s in the middle of a much-needed renovation and has just finished phase one. The friendly librarians tell us that the NCAA is taking a more active role in the library, which was once purely under the Department of Education. The National Library also has a cool print-disabled section—yep, there is a library for the blind, which is headed by a blind librarian, too—their Chinese reading room, and a rare books section. TM Kalaw Street, Ermita, Manila; www, +63 2 3105032. Mon-Sat 8am-7pm.
FULLY BOOKED
Fully Booked’s spacious new wing at its BGC High Street location houses an extended and expounded design section. The well-lit floor is perfect for an afternoon of browsing beautiful and hard-to-find coffee table books on architecture, interior design, art, and so much more. 3/F Fully Booked, B6 902 Bonifacio High Street, Taguig. Daily 11am-11pm.
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