I love reading; I grew up with my father buying me more books than toys. Now that I'm a mom, I…read morewant to share my love for reading to my daughters. I put up a mini library for my girls on their area of our room and I'm constantly trying to grow that, but children's books, especially the more popular titles are quite pricey. I know books are investments, but my two-year old daughter is in the stage where she's not yet careful in flipping the pages so I'd rather not buy expensive books at this moment (my heart jumps every time she accidentally tears a page and I salvage it as best as I can). Good thing there's Booksale where we can get nice books at a quarter of the original price. I got most of my daughter's board books there for less than a hundred pesos. Her Dr. Seuss hard-cover books we got for 150. Most of the books are still in good condition. There are also a lot of good titles for adults. Booksale really is the best bargain place for books. You just need the patience to stand the faint smell of old books and to leaf through the hundreds of books available for sale.

Unpopular opinion, but...I love e-books! They're so handy! You can bring your entire library with…read moreyou everywhere and read on your phone or on your laptop or on your tablet, and you can highlight and make notes without completely ruining your book! After I discovered the wonderful world of e-reading, I rarely ventured into PowerBooks or Fully Booked for the latest novels, because who needs to go to those places when you can just search for books on the internet? Though my love for those bookstores have waned, inexplicably, my love for Booksale has not. I love the smell of books - especially the smell of pre-loved books, and Booksale smells exactly like that. Also, there are some great finds in there! My friend isn't much of an e-book lover, and I remember finding a Daniel Handler book he really wanted in Booksale for P150, when it was still relatively new and cost around P550 in Fully Booked. What a great steal! I also love Booksale because, as much as I love e-reading, there are some obscure books out there that you just can't find on the internet. I remember finding Susan Sontag's collection of essays in Booksale for P100! Definitely the best thing I ever found in there. They also have a variety of dictionaries available for cheap, and all of my Spanish - English dictionaries from there have been a huge help to my goal of achieving my Spanish minor! It might not seem like the greatest bookstore at first, but Booksale definitely has some hidden treasures in its shelves - all it takes is a bit of looking!

Tyrion Lannister once had a conversation with John Snow who asked him why he read so many books, to…read morewhich Tyrion replies, "A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge." Our country can use more of book stores like Books for Less. Books for Less has an earnest appeal to it. It doesn't make any pretension to be anything more than what it says on the tin. It has books for less. The books are all old or second hand, but in all honesty, does that even really matter? What matters is that you have a copy and that you can pass it on. What matters is that they're making books accessible to people. Were I a government official I would've given the person who came up with this business a medal for making books more accessible to the public.

I grew up reading books. Story books, comic books, history books which my dad happily supplied when…read moreI was a child. When I grew up, I was buying them myself and it didn't matter where. Local stores, garage sales, book fairs- I was always there. I never felt guilty for buying books; I could buy 20 at a time and feel no remorse. So imagine my happiness when Fully Booked finally opened its doors to the public. It felt like having access to something so grand and I knew there and then that finally, I could get the books I want anytime I please. Fully Booked always has the latest and the greatest literature around and it's been my constant source of supply ever since it opened. Tips: 1. Be ready to spend when you're here! 2. Check out the Tin Tin exhibition when you have time.

There is no bookstore in Metro Manila which for me rivals this particular Fully Booked. Sure there…read moreare other Fully Booked bookstores out there, but I don't any of them rival this one in terms of size, and even if they do, none of them can probably compare to the ambiance of this place. The fact that it's located in the south means that it doesn't draw as large of a crowd as the Fully Booked in BGC. It has around four floors if memory serves me right and each floor is full of the kind of books that can satisfy almost any person's needs. There are books on speculative fiction, different kinds of hobbies, history, and so much more. I love this place because they keep most of the book marks, posters, and other trinkets and baubles that they sell down stairs. Once you get to the second floor and beyond, it's all books from there. It's also very quiet. I actually have half the mind not to talk about this particular Fully Booked out of fear that more and more people might want to go here.

Call me old-fashioned even with the increasing popularity of e-books and Kindle or Kobo, I still…read moreprefer reading paperbacks. There is something about the experience of holding a physical book and smelling the pulp that e-books cannot replicate or replace. This place is my haven when I need something to read and my budget is not enough for brand new books. I mean, you can purchase new books for around PhP300. Bring your PhP300 to Booksale and you can end up going home with at least two of their pre-owned books. You just need to be patient in searching the stacks of books in their stores. It adds a bit of adventure in your experience. The more popular authors like Stephen King or John Grisham gets to have their books displayed in just one area so you won't have any problem searching for them. But unfortunately, there are customers who can't be bothered to return books to their proper places after looking at them. You have to be ready to bend over or sit on the floor for long periods of time but you sometimes get lucky and score a rare find that got stuck under a pile. If you are looking for a title that is not in their current inventory, you can tell the staff and if you leave them your contact information then they will inform you if they already have a copy in their branch.

Booksale always rewards its patient, determined customers with a good steal. As a cheapskate and a…read morebookworm, Booksale is just a happy place to be. I can get lost here for an hour or two, carefully browsing each shelf for good finds. SM MOA's branch is the last Booksale I visited from which I was able to get awesome selections at cheap prices. A lot of people think that this place is only for those people who read pocket books/romance novels and those sci-fi paperbacks, but actually, you can get a LOT of great resources here. I'm a graphic designer, and I did purchase some of my design and art books here at Booksale (Well, let's be honest, this is the ONLY place I can afford to get art books, anyway. They can get sooo pricey at leading bookstores). Depending on the branch (and your luck), you can get great, hard-to-find art and design books that are great as reference materials and look BEAUTIFUL as a coffee table book (that will make your house guests think you're so cultured.. Haha). I even found a gigantic, super-oversized poster book of James Jean's illustrations for only Php 400! If you're quite the cook, this place also has a wide selection of cookbooks in all types of cuisines, dietary restrictions/preferences, etc. Sometimes, if you're really lucky, you can also get hardbound editions of good autobiographies here! I recently picked up John Peel's Margrove of the Marshes an Russell Brand's My Booky Wook here, for only Php 120 each. So, if you want to go restore hope in mankind, do pick up a book. But, don't pick up one just anywhere, get it at Booksale so you can buy some coffee with the money you saved and park your butt in a coffee shop where you can remind people glued to their laptops and tablets that BOOKS. STILL. EXIST! TIP: They'll give you a 5% discount for a minimum purchase of Php 1000 for a single receipt.

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.

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

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.

I stumbled into the Lagusnilad underpass one rainy afternoon last month, dodging puddles and trying…read moreto cut through from Taft to City Hall. Wasn't even looking for books--just wanted dry feet--but there it was, this cozy little chaos of shelves tucked between the clothing stalls. The smell hit me first: old paper, a bit of dust, and that unmistakable comfort of a real secondhand bookstore. The guy behind the counter (think his name was Aj?) looked up, smiled like he'd been expecting me, and asked what I was in the mood for. No pressure, just genuine curiosity. I ended up spending almost an hour there, flipping through worn paperbacks and hardcovers that felt like they'd lived interesting lives. Found a beat-up but complete set of Garcia Marquez short stories for P250 and a pristine copy of "The Shadow of the Wind" that I'd been hunting forever. Prices were ridiculously fair--nothing over P400--and the selection is surprisingly deep for such a small space: classics, Filipino lit, sci-fi, even some niche non-fiction. They've got everything neatly sorted by genre now (huge improvement from the early days I've heard about), and if something's buried in the back, they'll dig it out without making you feel like you're inconveniencing them. What really sealed it for me was the conversation. We chatted about favorite authors, he recommended a couple of newer Filipino titles I hadn't heard of, and even held a book I wanted for a few days when I realized I didn't have enough cash. Super chill, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about books--not just selling them. I've been back twice since, and every time it feels like visiting an old friend who happens to run the best hidden bookstore in Manila. If you're anywhere near Intramuros or Taft, duck in--you won't regret it. Absolute gem. Five bright, dusty, book-scented stars.

I was commuting alone, on my way to San Agustin Church (Intramuros) to attend my very first school…read moresanctioned rally. From the LRT Central Terminal Station, I needed to cross Padre Burgos Avenue, so I instinctively followed the foot traffic that led me to the Lagusnilad underpass. Inside were a number of stalls selling clothes and other knickknacks. But something else caught my attention as I was passing by - a small secondhand bookstore! As a certified bookworm, I was pleasantly surprised. The makeshift shelves added character to the store. Some books were arranged by genre, while some were just randomly piled up one over the other. I imagined that getting one from the bottom would be like playing a game of Jenga. They have a wide selection of novels, textbooks and even some magazines that won't burn a hole in your pocket. I saw works by Oscar Wilde, Dan Brown, George R.R. Martin. Since I was in a middle of a commute and it wasn't practical to carry a heavy bag of books, I couldn't buy all the stuff I wanted. I settled for a Dual-language Book of French Stories (by the likes of Voltaire, Camus, etc.) for only P100. I later found out that this humble store had a Facebook page. They post their new acquisitions and even accept reservations. How neat is that? For me, I discovered a real hidden treasure when I literally found "Books from Underground" (that's the name of the book store).

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.