Manila International Book Fair 2025

 Books to own and collect!

By Earl D.C. Bracamonte

Interesting titles fill every book shelf at the current Manila International Book Fair in SM Mall of Asia's Convention Center. Simply dubbed "Get Lit: Stories in Every Form," the 3-day event has something for everyone from all walks of life and for every age group.

Bookstores like Fully Booked and National Book Store compete with titles offered by the school publications like UP Press, Ateneo Press, and UST Press, as well as offerings from Anvil and Vibal Publishing houses; not to mention the great finds in textbook publishers like Central and Phoenix that would satiate the cravings of both learning and leisure.

It's a treasure trove of finds. And getting hold of that precious and rare copy is every reader's lookout. But once you get engrossed and swoon with each passing shelf, you'll also realize that there are just too many books but so little time to pore over each one.

So, to the serious collector - highbrow or hobbyist - here are five titles that you could proudly display in your library.

* Beauty Spectacle (Gene Segara Navera) - This handbook could be the bible for the pageant fanatic as it talks about pageants, fan culture, and the Filipino adoration for beauty queens. This Academica Filipina book has Miss Universe 2013 3rd runner-up Ariella Arida on the cover. Aside from boxing and basketball, pageants are the Pinoys' best pasttime.

* The World of the Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Global and Human Context by Edgardo J. Angara and Dr. Carlo Madrid - This Gintong Aklat Best Book in Social Sciences winner of 2018 is a must-read for advocates of world trade and the beginnings of globalization.

* 50 Years of the Metro Manila Film Festival 

Limang Dekada: Sine Sigla sa Singkwenta (ABS-CBN Books) - During the turnover ceremonies at the SMX MoA, National Artist for Film Ricardo Lee, film directors Joel Lamangan and Jose Javier Reyes, playwrights Roy Iglesias and Lee Briones-Meily, movie producer Manet Dayrit, and the late National Artist for Film Nora Aunor were inducted to the MMFF Hall of Fame.

Judy Ann Santos was also inducted to the Best Actress Hall of Fame as the youngest honoree in the category; alongside Ericson Navarro who was honored for Production Design. Published by ABS-CBN Books, this coffee table book marks five decades of the annual year-end film festival. A collector's item!

* Abueva by Cid Reyes - This hard-bound book delves into the life and art of sculptor and National Artist for Visual Arts Napoleon Abueva. Sculpture fans and art aficionados will have a field day going through the pages.

* Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown (National Bookstore) - This work of fiction from the author of Angels & Demons follows Robert Langdon again, but his time traversing between futuristic science and mystical lore. Fans of the author will find this novel hard to put down!

The Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) runs until Sunday, September 14th, at both levels of the sprawling SMX Mall of Asia Convention Center in Pasay City.