Don’t Drink And Write
By Vernon B. Sarne
If you’re one of those who feel suffocated in the age of social media, you must be cheering every time you detect even the faintest sign of life in the arts, particularly literature. In a time when hardbound tomes have given way to inane memes, and discerning essays to click-bait garbage, just the feel of physical paper is enough to give some of us an orgasm.
If, at this point, it still isn’t clear to you that I’m talking about books, you may go back to your Facebook page now. I understand and will not judge you.
If, on the other hand, you salivate at the mere mention of published writing, let me tell you that the Woodstock (Coachella for those who share OOTD pics on Instagram) of bookworms is in town. Now, there’s a possibility you haven’t heard of this, as news about the event has gone viral online. Like I said, many of those who will greatly appreciate what I’m about to share wisely stay away from the Internet, so there’s little to no chance you will have gotten wind of this.
I’m referring to the Big Bad Wolf book fair from Malaysia, which opened its doors in the Philippines — World Trade Center in Pasay City, to be exact — on Feb. 16 and will be here until the midnight of Feb. 25. I say “midnight” to underscore the fact that this massive book sale is open 24 hours a day. I went at 2 a.m. last Sunday and the place was packed with people who presumably detest social-media influencers.
I’m sure you’ve been to a book sale. Heck, we even have a store called Booksale. But Big Bad Wolf is another kind altogether. For one, the items are really cheap, discounted at 60-80% of their original selling prices. Many of the books you’ve been eyeing at Fully Booked or on Amazon may be had here for just half or even a third of the price.
For another, the venue is vast. As in car-show-hall vast. If you’re visiting and you only have an hour to spare, forget it. Just go another time. You can easily kill three hours here and not notice it at all.
Because the location is huge, there are enough sections to confuse and infuriate a benighted Internet troll. You have kids? Bring them. They’ll get lost in the Children section. For the corporate executive? There’s the Business and Leadership section. For the homemaker? There’s the Cooking and Baking section.
Ah, of course there’s a two-table Transportation section for car enthusiasts. Most of the books here are from British publishers, and many are admittedly old, but quite a number of them are still worth a place on your motoring bookshelf. There are dozens of car- or motorbike-related titles that are so affordable you’ll immediately regret not bringing enough cash.
But to spare you the agony of having to decide which books to take and which ones to leave, below are my top 10 picks from the motoring titles. There are many more. I have no doubt you can come up with your own favorite list.
Just a tip: Please avoid taking selfies. It’s irritating to those who are there to actually buy books.
1. How To Drive: The Ultimate Guide, From The Man Who Was The Stig (P480);
2. 50 Cars That Changed The World (P290);
3. Car Design Asia: Myths, Brands, People (P1,150);
4. The Limit: Life And Death In Formula 1’s Most Dangerous Era (P230);
5. The Encyclopedia Of Formula 1 (P390);
6. Car Emblems: The Ultimate Guide To Automotive Logos Worldwide (P230);
7. Art Of The Classic Car (P780);
8. Custom Painting: Cars, Trucks, Motorcycles (P160);
9. The Total Motorcycling Manual: 291 Essential Skills (P480); and
10. The Bike Deconstructed: A Grand Tour Of The Road Bicycle (P580).
