More than just a bookstore: It's Fully Booked

While it took a lot of gut-mustering and positive self-talk for me to make it to the Bloggers event sponsored by Fully Booked and Yehey.com at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked, I was really glad I did it. Why did it take all that effort you might ask? entered the tiny elevator of Fully Booked and made my way up and signed in for the event. Saw some familiar faces Well, for one, my so-called-uncomplicated friend was late, so I had to go in alone and for someone who has occasional bouts of xenophobia...well, you can tell how that goes! When I finally gathered up the courage, I gamely and friends from previous events, and got to meet new people as well.

plus I finally got to meet Sago! Hehehe...at long last!!!!

Anyway, as I said, I was really glad I went! Dubbed as a "recreational playground for the mind", the flagship branch of Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street does not disappoint. It truly is a haven for more than just book lovers. With five floors plus a basement to explore, one can get lost in time and space for hours on end! Not only does the store have a wide array of titles to choose from, they also carry a lot of unique titles that others do not have. I also like the fact that the staff is quite knowledgeable about titles and authors you ask for (as I have experienced in the past). They also have a lot of games, jigsaw puzzles, statues, collectibles and journals on their shelves. Truly making Fully Booked unique is their 4th floor Forum area, where book signings can be held, and the Top Shelf, the spacious roof deck where the event was held. The Top Shelf offers a spectacular view of the city and is just beautiful!!!

so many stories to explore!!!


the atrium. photo courtesy of Az of Azrael's Merryland

my favorite floor:lifestyle and children's!

We bloggers were treated to lots of fun, games, food and more! To start off the event we were given the grand tour of the entire bookstore, from the U View in the basement, which is a 62-seater theater, yup! you heard it right...a theater!!!, where film viewings can be scheduled. We also got to see each floor and talk to key people in charge of each. Trivia question: What is 2008's best-selling title? And because I heard what Vivian, one of the purchase officers, said, I got a prize!!!

thanks to Az for my picture! It was by far one of the best moments in all my blogger events!!!

My loot bag held one of the books I've always wanted!!! A book from the Shopaholic Series!!!
Plus a cool pen with a 1G USB flash drive!

By the way, the answer: undoubtedly Twilight by Stephanie Mayer. FYI: The Twilight Saga actually outsold the Harry Potter series!!! Surprise, surprise!!!

Also in the basement are comic books, a Manga section (have to admit: never knew this existed!!!), school/office supplies, jigsaw puzzles, collectibles and laptop bags. On the first floor is the Atrium, where general fiction, toys, and journals can be found. The 2nd floor is by far my favorite: it houses all the children's books ;-) Not only do they have the typical storybooks, they also have games based on these books, such as Eric Carle's books. There are also lots of cool pop-up books. The third floor holds the largest selction of books: the humanities section. Trivia: the third floor is the most often asked for floor. Why? Because it's where Starbucks is! And the bathroom too hehehe. The fourth floor is a haven for audiophiles as a wide selection of CD's and DVD's are on stock. There are also listening stations for one to check things out!

The event was catered by Hizon's catering...and anything with chocolate and yummy food is always a great thing, isn't it! I personally enjoyed the dessert bar, as there were lots and lots of stuff to choose from, my favorite being the Buco Pandan (yes, so unlike me, but I do love Buco Pandan!). I wasn't able to try the Tiramisu though huhu.

photo courtesy of Janine

I have always been a book lover, but given time constraints, what with juggling teaching preschool and undergraduate classes, as well as seeing clients as a psychologist, reading books for leisure had to take a time-out. The event, however, gave me the chance to remember how much I love reading and that no matter how busy I am, I should make the time for it. They made it a whole lot easier for me too: now I can log on to www.fullybookedonline.com and order books and have them delivered to my house!

During the event they also launched the Fully Booked Bloggers Book Club during the event. As one of the attendees, I am officially a member!!! Members of the club will receive exclusive invites to events, meet-and-greets with authors that come in to the country, and can have the chance to win prizes by offering their reviews to the Fully Booked website.

Topping off the day was a mad dash to three tables-full of books...where each of us got to take home two for free!!! Love, love, love it!!! It was so hard to choose what I wanted...but I ended up with these two hardbound books:

So, if you're looking for a fun way to spend a lazy afternoon, go to Fully Booked, with 7 branches across the metro and one in Cebu City, there's gotta be one nearby. Lounge around in one of the comfy couches while browsing a book, sip a hot cup of joe in Starbucks and lose yourself in the magic of books and more. As they said in their promotional video: it's more than just a bookstore, it's a destination!

P.S. Xenophobia = fear of strangers. Told you I knew more about phobias than you think I do...I was right about the agoraphobia thing, wasn't I!!!

Fully Booked branches are located in the following areas:
Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City
3rd Floor Rockwell Power Plant, Makati City
The Promenade, Greenhills, San Juan City
Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City
SM Mall of Asia
SM North, the Block, Quezon City
Shangri-la, Ortigas
Ayala Center Cebu
soon to open Greenbelt 5 and Trinoma