Book Splurge [24] a.k.a. The MIBF 2014 Loot + Bookmarks Galore [18]

It's (only) my fifth year of attending the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) which is now on its 35th year. I attended my first MIBF back in 2010, when I was in my sixth month of pregnancy with my daughter; I remember practically waddling among the crowd because of my near-to-bursting tummy (I am not exaggerating; I was huge). Five years later, and I am still at it, and the enjoyment of going through bargain bins and discounted book-related stuff has not waned an iota.

This year, I went local. I figured that I could always get the foreign books that I want anytime (if the local bookstores don’t have a copy, there’s always Book Depository), and there wasn’t anything that I urgently needed to get. True, there would be no 20% discount on the titles, but that’s okay. If I want a book that bad, I would gladly purchase it full price anyway.

So, without further ado, I present you my #MIBF2014 loot:

Combined mother-daughter loot.

For me:

• The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker by Gilda Cordero-Fernando - My friend Benny asked me to get him a copy - it's a collection of short stories - and because of The Short Story Station, I bought a copy for myself and for my SSS friends as well. (Tradewinds)

• Shine by Candy Gourlay - I liked Tall Story, so I got this second book. She had a book signing in the afternoon of the day I went, but because my family was waiting in the nearby mall, I had to pass it up. Maybe next time. (Anvil)

• Manila Noir compiled by Jessica Hagedorn - This is a favorite read among the members of our book club, but I wasn't really curious until it became a finalist in the 2014 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards (FRCA), which will be held this November. (Anvil)

• Abangan: The Best Philippine Komiks 2014 compiled by Rob Cham, et. al. - Another collection of local short stories. (Visprint from the Precious Pages booth)

• Alternative Alamat edited by Paolo Chikiamco - I read this a couple of years back in its digital format, and loved it (5/5 stars!). Now that it has a print copy (a gorgeous one, if I may add) I must get myself one. (Visprint from the Precious Pages booth)

• Philippine PEN Anthology of Short Stories 1962 - A collection of short stories from the 1950s, which includes stories from Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Bienvenido Reyes, and a whole slew of other big names in the local literary scene, whether living or not. (Tradewinds)

For her:

• Bully Saurus Rex and Porcupirate Plans The Day both by Robert Magnuson - My daughter loves The Great Duck and Crocodile Race, as well as his other board books with Kuting Magiting, so I got these for her. (OMFLit)

And for my bookmark-loving self, I got these from Tradewinds (I love Tradewinds!):

The beautiful Langkit.

One of my favorite finds from this year's MIBF is this handwoven bookmark called the Langkit, a band created by the Maranao people from Lanao del Sur, Mindanao. I was tempted to pick a bunch because these sell for only P50.00 apiece, but I decided to get only one for my collection. Retraint, restraint.

Ambahan poetry.

This one is the seven-syllable Ambahan poetry created by the Hanuoo-Mangyans from Mindoro. The poem is carved into a thin slat of bamboo. This one is about "Friendship" and you can read the poem above. 

Budget-wise, I think I did pretty good this year: I didn't spend more than P1,500.00 for all these goodies. I didn't get anything from the bigger stores because I knew I'd be unable to resist. Hehe. Perhaps next year? :)