It’s September, and there is one event that stands out in my bookish calendar: the Manila International Book Fair, happening on Sept. 16-20 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. I’m literally counting down to opening day tomorrow (ack!) and looking forward to five days of pure bookish bliss.
Tag: Visprint
Maktan 1521
It’s the eve of Independence Day, and I thought it was a fitting occasion to read and review “Maktan 1521” by Tepai Pascual.
I spotted it on a bookstore shelf a few months back and thought the cover was kick-ass (yes, I judge books by the cover). I enjoy reading historical fiction, and the Battle of Mactan is a memorable chapter in history for me — back in college, historian Ambeth Ocampo gave us an exam wherein we had to tell the story of the Battle of Mactan from the point of view of a fish!) — and I thought I’d enjoy this graphic novel.
The first of the flash reviews
I’ve been meaning to catch up on some reviewing backlog, because the to-be-reviewed pile doesn’t seem to be going down. I was saving some books for thematic reviews but the stacks have been driving me crazy, and I’m way off my target for this year, hence I’ve decided to write some flash reviews for the quick reads.
Here’s how it works: I give a summary of the book, my take on it, plus a rating.
Deep breath. Here goes:
Trese
I’m not really into action comics or graphic novels, but I have to admit I was really intrigued when I spotted these Trese comics at the Visprint booth at the Manila International Book Fair last September.
I’d already heard about it on some discussion threads over at FFP, so the first book was on my list for the book fair and I bought a copy on the first day. On the 4th day of the book fair, I dropped by the booth again and spotted the author Budgette Tan and artist Kajo Baldisimo signing autographs, so I couldn’t resist getting a signed copy of the second book.
I read both books during the read-a-thon (books 152-153 of 2009, but I’m backlogged with reviews for around 20 books — aieee!) just in time for Halloween, even if the review is a few days late.
A rough guide to the Manila International Book Fair
Three days to go until the Manila International Book Fair! A lot of people have been asking me for tips about the Manila International Book Fair, so I decided to create this (unofficial) guide based on what I’ve seen over recent years.
I’ve been attending the MIBF for five years running now, covering events, shopping, and just generally enjoying the flurry of bookish activity around me. And every year, the exhibitors offer something new, and there is always a different lineup of special events to look forward to.
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