I’m one Friday late, but that doesn’t change how wonderful the Pinoy Book Drop was. Pinoy Book Drop? Last week, The Filipino Reader Con spearheaded a book drop project as one of the countdown activities for FilReaderCon 2013. The rules were to pick a book (or two, or more!), add a bookplate that explains that the book is free for all to grab, then leave it somewhere for someone to grab.
Pretty cool, yeah? But easier said than done. What seemed like a simple task turned out pretty monumental. First, I had to choose books from my, “I can let go of these,” shelf. I picked ones that were still in good condition (who’d want a moldy book, right?), had interesting premises, and had attractive covers. I also wanted to cover a good spectrum of genres, so I picked out something YA, something more serious, and something fun (yay, manga!).
Now the dropping part was more difficult. You’d think it’s so simple, but the fact is, even I had my own worries. If I were parting with a book, I want someone to pick it up and bring it home. What if someone brought it to the lost and found where it would languish forever, unclaimed and unowned? Or worse, what if someone brought it to the recycle bin? Separation anxiety, yes. I had to set those aside as I went off to one of my usual haunts to make my drops.
Book one, Melissa Dela Cruz’s Fresh off the Boat, made its way to an indoor bench at Alabang Town Center.
Book two, Haruki Murakami’s Hard-boiled Wonderland, was left on a booth divider at Stacker’s, a restaurant in the mall.
Book three, Rumiko Takahashi’s Maison Ikkoku v1 (in English), made itself comfortable on one of the outdoor benches around the Town Plaza.
I was left giddy with each book drop. I looked around, wanting to make sure no one notices as I did. It would’ve been a total letdown if someone chases after me to return my book, right? But I was met with success each time. I was able to check on book 1 when I had to go back to a store in the same area, and I saw someone flipping through it from the corner of my eye. I hope said person brought it home. The other two, I left to the mercy of the book gods. I’m crossing my fingers that it made its way to a reader. Perhaps even you?
All’s Fair in Blog and War will be with the rest of #romanceclass at the Filipino ReaderCon on November 9, at the Ateneo de Manila University. Hope to see you there!
This entry was posted in the book scene on November 1, 2013 by chrissie.