Litany of a Bibliophile

Last night, I stared at my lap trying to decide whether I should wrap ng books with plastic or not. You see, I finally decided to use the roll of plastic that had long been idle in one corner of my mom's room. I just though to lessen the clutter, and to preserve my books I might as well do the wrapping while I have the time.

As it turns out, I have much more books on my shelves which are still unwrapped that I though I had. Some of these books were bought as early as 1997. I didn't have a problem with the hardbound books I got from National Bookstore since putting on a cover actually improves its appearance and saved its glossy cover from further damage. My dilemma is with the paperbacks whose paper color were on the ecru side. I just though that putting on a cover would through the years create a line in the inside front cover where the plastic cover ends. Oh bother, I eventually decided to wrapp all books anyway, thinking that with the plastic on, at least its another protection against spills. And while I'm at it, I decided to mark the books with my identity since many are still unlabeled. I rummaged through my stuff in search for my chop and pot of dye and stared stamping on my chop on my books.

After the entire process, I arranged my books and put away my wrapping implements and chop, glad to be able to relax and do things leisurely which I do not have much time to do.

Crash course on Narnia: Narnia 101

Yes, I've finished reading the last sentence of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and I'm ready to watch the Disney movie version on Wednesday! For those who do not know, Narnia the movie started screening in the Philippines only yesterday since there is a law which supposedly mandates that only movies participating in the Metro Manila Film Festival may be shown in the country during its duration, which in this case was from December 25 to January 7, 2005. I think it was last year when Spiderman 2 was shown and there was some brouhaha over the fact that some cinemas continued screening Spiderman 2 even during the filmfest. This year though, King Kong's reign was cut short by the filmfest so it had to return to the cinemas alongside Narnia. (Whew, good thing the Harry Potter movies are almost always shown in November.)

I must admit it was the first time I've read any of the Chronicles of Narnia. Well, actually, I think I've read The Horse and his Boy in 2002 but for some reasons, it didn't have much impact on me and I didn't find it particularly enjoyable. This time though, having the time and with less stress - I am more able to appreciate a book written for children, as Chronicles of Narnia was. My lack of interest in Narnia was probably due to the fact that I serendipitiously discovered Harry Potter first in 2000 before I ever got interested in reading children's literature and adventure. (I was a later bloomer when it comes to interest in books as I got hooked on reading only in 4th year high school with Les Miserables and other classics - I totally skipped all those Nancy Drew, Mills and Boon, Danielle Steele, and snubbed Grisham as well. Geesh, I suddenly remembered how scared I was of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, Misery and Needful Things...)

I found The Magician's Nephew thankfully short and very enjoyable. I am glad I decided to heed my friend's advice to read the books in the chronological order of Narnian history as I initially contemplated on reading based on the order of publication for the simple reason that I couldn't get hold of the books versions (before it was made into a movie) of The Magician's Nephew, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Horse and its Boy, which version has colored illustrations printed on glossy white paper. I couldn't even find a complete compilation of the books which apparently have been sold out. (Good thing my friend lent me his copy.)

Pardon me for digressing but going back to The Magician's Nephew, I've already listed it among the books which I'd want my own children to read. The best thing I liked about it is how the core of the apple grew unto a tree which later on became part of the wardrobe which led to Narnia. Moving on to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I find it reeking with parallelisms with the Christian dogma of Christ's crucifixion to die for our sins and eventual resurrection. As a child, all the questions that adult wisdom spurs did not even occur to me how and why Jesus had to die or our sins but I embraced the idea nonetheless - a child's faith, that is. As an adult, and acquiring adult wisdom, knowing too much allowed too many questions to creep-in. I am not dismissing these questions as *bad*, in fact, I find this as a necessary phase to go through. I appreciate that there are literature such as Narnia which potentially aids people, children and adults alike to appreciate the mystery of Christ's sacrifice and resurrection.

Fifty years after C.S. Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, I am thankful that his voice, or rather his pen, resonates to illustrates the penumbra between the good and the evil. Some may say that there is really a very blurred, very wide line between good and evil where the exercise of judgment which way to go depends largely on a case to case basis. Partly true, yes. Only that this reasoning has been overused and made a convenient excuse to doing what's *bad* over what's *good*. I hope we get to awaken in our hearts the judgment and wisdom of a child to guide us in our daily lives. Afterall, it is in a child's heart that God's whispers is loudly heard.

New Year's *bookish* resolution

I recently visited Fully Booked's main branch at the Rockwell Power Plant Mall, for the first time since it left its ground floor location (which now holds Zara) and moved to the third floor near the cinemas. I was entralled --- apparently, Fully Booked's claim that it has the widest selection of books, in the Philippines that is, is clearly accurate. While I didn't have the chance to look at each and every shelf of the vast store, it was evident that it has titles - and yes, sections, which I've never seen in any other bookstore in Manila. While its former ground floor store had a typical bookstore layout, the new store's maze-like layout to me is simply enchanting, an invitation to linger and not only skim, but pore over mesmerizing libros. The idea of losing your way inside a maze of books (as in fact, I did) is magical!

According to its website, every Fully Booked store is filled (to the rafters, literally!) of design, lifestyle, professional, humanities, children's books, graphic novels, and magazines. Add to that its music collection and interesting gift items. Those who are still a child at heart (I actually have lots in mind right now) who love all those superheroes in comic books will drool once they see Fully Booked's wall-full collection. One of the store's mezzanines is filled with different travel books from different publishers with a meter wide shelf with not less than 6 rows each dedicated for each publisher. The children's book section also contained titles from local publishers, an expansive selection of Roald Dahl's works, most of which could not be found in other bookstore, and a Shel Silverstein collection. The sections which I wasn't able to explore contained the lifestyle and professional sections - I will certainly save that for another visit. I also found this coffee table book about Japanese settlers and their contribution to the development of Baguio City several decades before the Second World War, a book which supposedly is only sold in Baguio City and which I have been meaning to look for in my visit there. I was particularly delighted to find this wide shelf of history books, the selection arranged by country. There were history books on European and other western countries on the right side and books on oriental history on the left side. I picked two books on China, one postulating the theory that the Chinese have circumnavigated the world even before Fernando Magallanes did, and another one, colored and glossy, on the Chinese empire and civilization. Needless to say, the two books are now sitting on top of my desk waiting to be read.

I was so inspired by my visit to Fully Booked that I have resolved to read a decent book at least once a month--- and, best of all, share my thoughts on that book with you! Truth is, I have at least a dozen books* at home which I haven't read. Nonetheless, what matters is to keep the resolve to read and read. And while Tiger Airway's latest promotional offers entice me to fly to Macau the soonest time, cathing up on my reading is actually a superior alternative.

Fully Booked will soon open another branch in Fort Bonifacio Global City which, as opposed to the maze design lay out of the Rockwell Branch, will be building type ala-Barnes and Noble. I'll surely look forward to that.

* The Ringmaster's Daughter, Last Time I Saw Mother, Eating Fire and Drinking Water, a book on the Enron scandal, China: Empire and Civilization, 1471- the year China circumnavigated the world, and a few other books from my recent splurging at the National Bookstore warehouse sale.