Battle of the Bookstores
One thing you probably don’t know about me is that I majored in English Lit (and you work for a magazine? –Yeah, I don’t know how that happened either. Thanks fate!) so I really do love books. But before you think I’m all stuck up and only read Shakespeare, let me stop you right there, because I read anything. From the back of ketchup bottles (Rich in Lycopene!) to Jeepney signs (Basta drayber, great lover!), to O. Henry and Harry Potter— I read them all! I’m no snob when it comes to words. And for years, I never thought I’d have this problem, but with the celebrity of coffee comes the bane of the book (ooh alliteration!). After all, it was the green-haired sirens, with their mountains of coffee and well-lighted nooks, that brought back attention to hot drinks and books (ahh rhymes!).
Sadly in this predicament, there’s no magic mirror to help and I’m left with my own Holmes (and I don’t mean Katie) skills to determine which is the best of them all. But before I begin my once upon a time, just a little disclaimer, I, in no way represent the opinions of MEGA and I’m sure each one of us has his or her own favorite. So don’t hate and spread the love peeps!
Just to get things straight, let me say that for as long as it’s a bookstore, I love it. But in terms of service, quality and variety (which is the criteria for this battle), I must crown FULLY BOOKED, as the winner of all bookstores. (Clap! Clap! Clap!)
Don’t get me wrong. I included accessibility, friendliness and recency into the criteria as well. And although some bookstores scored a bit higher than my chosen one, I have to say I have yet to see a better and more fully equipped store as Fully Booked (or shall I say fully hooked? Ah puns!) …Ok. Enough with the geekiness.
I chose Fully Booked for several reasons, one of which is, it really is a BOOK store. It’s not a school supply stockroom masquerading as a book store. Second of all, the people who work for Fully Booked really know their books. They don’t classify Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics under Science and Technology or Tom Perotta’s Little Children under Fairy. Lastly, I love Fully Booked because it makes you remember why people invented books in the first place. It’s a place where you can take your time and get to know the characters of places you never imagined existed, to read stories of people you seldom meet in real life and shows you that little window of escape every body wants to see. Fully Booked doesn’t rush you to buy anything, in fact it’s the opposite. In every shelf and corner, the books even seem to say, “So what if there’s plastic? Go on, open it! Common, you’re a grownup, you don’t need assistance.” Fully Booked reminds you that that the thrill of turning a page is so much better than the anesthetizing press on a remote control.
So there you have it kids. I’m not here to influence you on where you should buy your books. I’m just saying, if you want the FULL experience, go to Fully Booked.
Michi 