All about books

THOUGH books can easily be found online, a visit to a bookshop and having a hardcopy of the book you wish to have is still a no match.

Visiting a bookshop is always a treat; it provides personal options and recommendations for bookworms and/or those who are not.

Among the available bookshops in Davao City are the following:

1. National Book Store is a bookstore and office-supplies store chain based in the Philippines. It was founded in Manila on 1930s by Socorro Cancio-Ramos and Jose Ramos, with more than 200 branches nationwide.

Hannah Mae Aliperio, a cashier of the National Book Store in a mall in the city said there are more or less 100 people who visited the bookshop on a daily basis.

She said most booklovers preferred bestselling novels, poetry and/or inspirational books, while others walk into the store just to purchase school and/or office supplies.

"It actually depends on their needs. So far, from what I have observed earlier, mabenta ang mga aklat ngayon ni Lang Leave at ni Amari Soul. Sa lokal naman, we have the Pnoy Lakompake as among the gainful books here," Aliperio said, adding that they also have books for children, professionals, businessmen and students, among others.

2. Fully Booked

Based on its website

Fretzel Bolanio, general manager of Fully Booked-Davao City, said the shop, which is known for its services, really prioritized the books. She added that they have classics; non–fictions; books for children, teenagers and adults, and professionals. She also agreed that some books written by Lang Leave and Amari Soul are marketable these days.

"Hindi kasi pareho-pareho lahat, but the books in business here are also marketable. Second, we have the children and the poetry like Lang Leave, and also the young adult. Actually, we have a lot of best-sellers. It depends on what the reader actually wants to read kasi every now and then nagbabago din yan eh," Bolanio said.

From a customer's observation, Marian Joy Castro, a teacher at Kumon Learning Center and a student at the St. John Paul II College of Davao, said aside from National Book Store and Fully Booked, the people can also rely on Velasco Bookstore—for reviewers and academic books—and Rex Bookstore—for law books.