Obscure Manila Bookstores for Thrifty Bibliophiles

Because summer's the best time for obscure hunts.
by 8List | May 03, 2016

Bibliophile (noun) – A person who loves books. It’s as simple as that. If you’re the type who doesn’t just go to chain bookstores, but actually rummage through small shops regardless of how seedy it may be, then this list of 8 obscure bookstores around the metro is for you.

Comic Odyssey is rightfully a haven for comic book geeks–carrying the widest variety of comics, cards, toys and collectibles. Since 1997, their shops stock new releases from all major publishers to the independent ones, local and international. The shop offers assorted graphic novels, paperbacks, and hardcovers to choose from.

Open from Monday to Friday at 10:00 am-9:00 pm and Saturday to Sunday at 10:00 am-10:00 pm. Visit their website, comic-odyssey.com, for store locations but there’s one Comic Odyssey that’s hidden at the second floor of the Fully Booked in BGC.

This book store may remind you of the ones in movies wherein you can window-shop. Owned by the National Artist for This book store may remind you of the ones in movies wherein you can window-shop.

Owned by the National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, this shop boasts the widest range of Filipiniana titles in the country and humanities titles in Southeast Asia. It also has international works, Eastern and Western nonfiction collections, and international magazines such as The New Yorker.

Located in Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila, Solidaridad truly has been putting Philippine literature in the spotlight since 1965. They’re open from Monday to Saturday at 9:00 am-6:00 pm.

Cubao Expo in well, Cubao, houses an art gallery and a gift shop. The shop includes rare books and magazines. If you’re interested in arts and culture, then this place is for you. You can easily find yourself spending hours here browsing through their extensive collection of books.

They’re open from Monday to Sunday at 9:00 am-7:00 pm.

Remnants, also known as Ms. Remy’s Thrift Shop, is located right by the Cubao X exit. Remy Cabaltera’s quaint shop includes antique furniture, vintage cameras, pre-loved vinyl records, and books covering a wide array of genres: Filipiniana, history, sci-fi, etc.

Prices start as low as PHP2!

They’re open from Monday to Sunday at 9:30 am-9:30 pm.

Bangkal Thrift Shop along the stretch of Gen. M. Hizon, Makati City features an eclectic mix of antique furniture shops and even spots for good reads, though it can be quite hard to move around in the thrift shop since it is packed to the brim with books. But hey, that just means more choices, right? The staff are also really friendly, so you can haggle for the prices.

They’re open from Monday to Saturday at 9:00 am-6:00 pm.

Yes, books that are being sold on the sidewalk. This book spot can be found along Padre Faura Street in Ermita, Manila. A traveling book man sets up this makeshift bookstand and lays out the books like how shoes, bracelets, and belts sidewalk vendors do. You can find here books from Dan Brown, John Grisham, and Haruki Murakami, to name a few. Surprisingly, the books are in very good condition. Prices may go up to P200.

There are actually plenty of spots like this around Manila. There’s one near the City Hall (pictured above) and few more in the underpasses in the area.

Setup is from Monday to Friday at 8:00 am-4:00 pm.

Reminiscent of a yard sale, this tented UP Diliman Bookshop near UP Shopping Center is unlike your usual book store. Loyalists also refer to it as Ate Weena’s. The shop offers titles from popular authors like Paulo Coelho, Stephen King, and Anne Rice. You can buy three books for PHP100 and even as low as PHP20. The bookshop also shares a space with a trinkets seller and photocopying services.

They’re open from Monday to Friday at 9:00 am-7:30 pm.

Ukay-ukay, or thrift store, doesn’t just apply to clothes anymore. Bookay-Ukay is a second-hand book shop located in Maginhawa Street, UP Teacher’s Village. The shop has been known, since 2008, to sell cheap books and has been frequented by celebrities like Saab Magalona and Mercedes Cabral.

The quirky interiors of this bookshop are similar to what you would expect from hole-in-the-wall restaurants and record stores. Its green walls are artsy–filled with random doodles, graffiti, stickers, and posters. The shop also offers a decent array of magazines, CDs, wall clocks, bags, and clothing.

Otherwise, all you can see in this shop are books: rested against the walls, packed in the shelves, laid on tables, and even just piled up on the floor. From local and international novels to textbooks, Bookay-Ukay has something for everyone.

Open from Tuesday to Sunday at 4:00 pm-12:00 pm (unusual store hours, huh?). You can also check out their Facebook page, facebook.com/bookayukay, where you can request for titles that their shop may have.

Do you have secret spots? Share them—you must!—in the comments. This article was originally published on 8List.ph.