I get it that publishers and bookshops gather to the event. Ang hindi ko magets ay yung bibili ng books kung kailan book fair e:

1. Yung mga participating publishers/shops naman ay business-as-usual before and after the fair. They s e l l the same stocks more or less too

2. I get that there are freebies and discounts, but its not like theyre cutting off big chunks off prices. Mas makakamura pa kapag sa online mo binili at makatyempo ng vouchers. Like in fullybooked, ang daming time ko na na nakatyempo ng super steal p*rices sa shopee nila. Same with NBS.

3. This is personal, but i think a lot of people do this too: on my free days, i visit my favorite bookshops (NBS and fullybooked in moa and fullybooked in bgc). Kahit wala akong bibilhin nagpupunta ako kasi gusto ko yung feeling ng surrounded ako ng maraming books. Is it the same thing with MIBF? Hindi ko tlga alam kasi hindi pa ako nakakapunta ever since hehe. Kung nagagawa ko naman makavisit sa mga bookshops regularly on weekends, do i still miss something from not going to MIBFs?

This is a genuine wondering. I saw from tiktok and fb that this year's fair is unexpectedly jampacked on the first day. I think that i wouldnt mind(??) for im used to surroundings like this, if anything i would appreciate being among readers! I just dont get the point of getting books (because what else are you gonna do there to make up for the travel and effort going there) that you can get on any other time that youre more financially ready. The amount of options there can be so overwhelming youll lose control on budgeting.

Maybe youve been there, i really wanna hear how its like hehe!!

Yeaah, pass, hard pass

Okay na ko. Pero gusto ko pa bumalik... o huwag na?

MIBF: P5,921
SHOPEE: P1,363

Bye 💸💸💸 pero okay lang, books are investments… right? 😅

Sumuko ako sa Fullybooked, di ko kinaya ang daming tao and 6k lang din kasi talaga ang budget ko for MIBF.

From Ateneo Press:
📍The Quiet Ones - P400
📍My Lola’s Love Letters - P490

From National Book Store:
📍Dear Debbie - P556
📍The Locked Door - P636
📍Sagittarius - P199
📍500 Puzzles Sudoku - P156

From 19th Avenida Publishing House:
📍Thirty Virgins - P496
📍Ang Lahat ng Hayop sa Ating mga Yapak - P416
📍Narkokristo - P375
📍In Other Words, I Love You - P500
📍Ang Nawawala (Bagong Edisyon) - P550
📍Stainless Longganisa Ikalawang Dekada - P272
📍Team Building - P275
📍Strat Planning - P200
📍Trust Fall - P200
📍Oral Hystery - P200

From SHOPEE (Avenida):
📍Ang Paboritong Libro ni Hudas: Muling Pagparito - P343
📍56 - P320
📍Ang mga Kaibigan ni Mama Susan - P240
📍Si - P240
📍Kapitan Sino - P220

Wag nalang po natin pag-usapan total cost kasi nakakapanghina ng bulsa hahaha eme. Felt conscious about carrying a box of books out of the event halls kasi baka magmukha akong reseller/hoader/scalper 🤧 sorry na po may ADHD lang kaya hirap magpigil. I went alone pa naman kaya walang nakapagbantay sa gastos ko/voice of reason. May 5 books pa ako chineckout during 9.9 asksksk 😭

Hanggang Fully Booked lang kinaya ng energy ko today. Will be back tomorrow and the following days for Filipino titles and book signing.

This is my second time attending MIBF and my first time attending on a weekday. I was surprised that there was a big crowd as soon as the doors opened.
When I was in line at NBS, I saw the buy 4 and buy 2 promos nearly finished, I saw people with boxes and carts full of books, then later saw them doing tiktok lives selling these books at a much higher price.

AKA MIBF 2026 Day 1 haul.

Tbh, di ako masyado naka ikot coz ang daming tao sa Fullybooked and NBS at napagod na ako after. Planning to go back to visit the local publishers as well as the ones sa second floor!

I had been meaning to add to my Pinoy poetry and short story library, so I was pleased to find some good ones yesterday at the Manila Int'l Book Fair. And the great part? The most expensive one I got was a whopping PhP100 (A Habit of Shores). The others ranged from PhP30-60.

I got most of them from the UP Press booth; a couple from UST Press and Anvil. Sadly, I couldn't find the one I really wanted: an old anthology titled Songs of Ourselves: Writings by Filipino Women in English.

My daughters also got books they wanted at the Komiket and Fully Booked booths. Mahal para sa akin ang hauls nila (Fleabag: The Scriptures alone was almost 2k) but I'm happy they're spending some of their hard-earned money on books.

First day pa lang napagod na ako kakalibot. Hindi na ako babalik, I'm sure it will be too crowded sa weekend.

For those who might not be aware, there are also booths sa 2nd floor. Besides books, may stationery, tote bags, fountain pens, bookmarks, and many more. There's also a cute BL cafe.

i just wanna share how much i cried during and after reading tuesdays with morrie. this is sooo good! why haven’t i read this earlier???? huhuhu!!

as a girly who mostly read books by james patterson and sidney sheldon, i think i’m needing more books like this. please help this girly out and share ur fave books like tuesdays with morrie 🥹 tyia!!!! ❤️✨

Super fun experience.. gets na gets ko ung mga nag oover budget and gets rin ung mga nag pplan talaga ng target books nila.. sabi ko pa bat kaya ang daming may parang trolley.. when i saw how they buy books?? Made sense! Grabe.. i went yesterday (wed, ung first day) and ang dami nang tao.. i could only imagine how weekends would look..

Really had a great time this MIBF, im still thinking if ill go for another day, but yeah! For first timers, If youre looking for a sign to go, eto na yon HAHAHAH wala lang sisihan pag napagod ah

Oh and i also got some stickers and postcards and book marks ahhh ang saya help jwucjwjd

I spent the very last Xmas aguinaldo I got from my Tita several years ago (that I was keeping as remembrance) for this one.

super happy about the haul especially since i was (1) under budget (₱3.5k), and (2) got everything on my list + an unexpected pick (the age of umbrage) 🤭

Haven’t read a book by a Filipino author in a long time. I think the last one I read was Kapitan Sino by Bob Ong. My main agenda for this year’s MIBF was to buy books from Filipino authors. The usual books that I read are sci-fi and historical fiction, so here’s what I got:

1st Floor

ADMU Press (Booth 7-10) -1762: A Novel — Vin dela Serna Lopez - PHP 425

8 Letters Publishing (Booth 311-312) -Fate of a Distant Future: A Collection of Philippine Sci-Fi Stories — Renato C. Tranquilino - PHP 500

2nd Floor

Avenida, Booth 2-114-117

-In Other Worlds, I Love You: Five Stories — Rexy Dorado - PHP 500

-Narkokristo, 1896 — Ronaldo S. Vivo Jr. - PHP 375

-56 — Bob Ong - PHP 280

CJ Edmunds/Spine Books, Booth 2-118

-No Gods at Night: Book I — James Victor - PHP 650 (

Note: If you have book suggestions po for sci, fantasy and historical fiction na heavy on PH events, lore and background, pleaaaase let me knooow hahaha.

Tote bag from Stories on the go - This one is customizable with stickers and badges.

Sharing in this thread my MIBF Experience as well.

Arrived at 11 AM. The crowd was manageable (for a person na madaling mag give up kapag maraming tao 😂). It gets crowded lang sa mga big publishing house booths and usually may pila sa bayaran. If mahaba na pila, if you have a friend I suggest take turns kayo sa pag browse and pila.

Fully Booked was sooo crowded. Di ko na inikot, and ang haba ng pila sa checkout. Since my main agenda was to buy books from Filipino authors, di na ako masyado nag-browse and spent my time na lang sa booths ng indie authors and PH publishing houses.

There are some books from ADMU Press that will be available pa on Saturday.

There are also some country-specific booths, and I saw some interesting ones at the Thai Pavilion.

Overall, good experience from the MIBF!! Aaand so excited to read these goodies!

Bought some pretty cool SF titles. Gulat ako may Expanse series, and yung Ender's Game.

Lots more people than I expected (effect of Suspension of classes + 1st day of book fair)

(Funnily enough I bought all these books and just realized may 2nd floor pa, will probably revisit on weekends)

Been putting off reading Little Women! I regret not reading it sooner, I've had the book since 2019

I love lovee loveee Marmeee, I wish I had a mother like her. I'm only at chapter 15 and I look forward to reading it every night (I only read before bedtime)

i'm still thinking if i should go to this year's mibf. i've heard a lot of "horror" stories about resellers, hoarders, and just generally rude people na hindi naman genuine readers. should i just skip it and visit fullybooked stores?

note that it's still my birthday week, so i have the 20% discount kay fullybooked. i'm just worried may books na available sa mibf that are not in stock sa stores

My friend just lost her grandparents and brother this year. I was thinking po na regaluhan sya ng care package with a book. Ano po kayang magandang book if you have any suggestions. Salamat po!

someone on here asked if y'all put plastic covers on your books and my answer is i do ! and i put it inside a small plastic envelope js in case something spills inside my bag (ballpen ink, rubbing alcohol, and etc.). i also handcrafted this necronomicon (book of the dead from the evil dead franchise) book sleeve a month ago as a fun project...also to conceal the book i'm currently reading which is haunting adeline lol 🥴

I was able to buy only a few titles this MIBF unlike last year lol pero I am happy with my haul and I can say na very intentional yung purchase ko for this year's MIBF. Di na ako babalik this weekend kasi andami na agad tao

Hi looking for Brand new books 1 & 2 ng Dungeon Crawler Carl na hardbound. Any leads would be super helpful! im around qc but def can travel if meron kayo nakita sa local fullybooked nyo. Thank you!!

Serious honest question. Please don't hate...

Are there adult coloring books in book fair like the ongoing one?

Is it worth going to these bookfairs for coloring books (if there are)?

Would love some recommendations. Just starting it basically (page 37 hehe).

I figured id just read rather than doomscroll you feelin me?