Books became the best friend of every individual who sought comfort from the harsh reality we had. Thus, collecting books has been the hobby of some because they find solace whenever they flip through the pages and engage in the magic that books offer.
To all the ardent lovers of literature and anyone who has a growing desire to try and venture into the magic of reading as a hobby—lo and behold, the Manila International Book Fair is officially starting this month from September 14 to September 17 at the SMX Convention Center Manila.
With that, we present to you the list of books that you were always meant to find and love, perfectly curated for your mood and interests.
Being a reader is such an interesting identity. Reading is sometimes a distraction, a release, and something that can take your worries away from you. Sometimes, though, reading feels like opening your heart and finding the words that you didn’t know existed. If your intention is one of the two or both, please join us as we unravel the books that will surely make or break you.
A reminder, however, that this recommendation list is more geared to the adult audience, with books discussing some concepts and themes in depth.
If you feel nostalgic and want to visit the past, we suggest:
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
One of the most acclaimed authors of the 21st century, Elena Ferrante, penned the most intricate and vulnerable portrayal of female friendship, spanning from their childhood years to old age. Ferrante provided a nuanced and complex approach in writing about the lives of Lila and Lenu in the town of Naples, Italy. This is the kind of book that is meant to be re-read multiple times to discover different meanings that cannot be covered by reading once.
On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong’s ability to capture vulnerability in lyrical prose is one of the main features of this book. This is an exploration of love and grief, with history being unearthed as you go along in the story, showing just how much it has affected their present lives. The consequences of war for a Vietnamese family in America as told by Little Dog, the main narrator of the book.
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson
Open Water, one of the best debut novels of 2021, is the type of book that is meant to make you feel certain emotions at the same time, making you reflect and gaze at the glaring light of your ceiling. This is a love story of two people wanting to belong, yet despite this strong desire, they both have complex histories that sort of prevent this from happening—but like any story of love, they still orbit around each other. The writing is phenomenal, and you will surely savor every bit of it.
If you are more interested in fantasy and science fiction, we recommend:
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amalr El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
With a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award under its belt for the best novella of 2019 and 2020, This is How You Lose the Time War checks everything in the box for a past-faced yet full of longing reading experience that you will not want to miss. If you are a lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope, time travel stories, and writing letters as a means of communication, this. is. the. book. Time War may be an intimidating read at first, but this is a book that creatively explores the concept of time, and it feels like a love story dedicated to it.
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Gods of Jade and Shadow offers a different take on fantasy romance. It’s not just about the idea of falling in love and the usual portrayal of immortality; it also displays exploring identity—almost like a coming-of-age story navigating a different path in life. It’s a kind of love story that is filled with yearning and understanding, and even when fate has other plans, the experience has already marked them for the entirety of their lives.
Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution by RF Kuang
Babel is an ambitious take on languages and how colonizing powers have used them to wield violence in marginalized countries. The act of translation in this book lets the reader see the nuance of languages and just how they contain the heart of a particular culture. As scholars of the country, Babel speaks familiarly to our struggles to conform to a society that maligns and violates.
If your eyes are no longer interested in long paragraphs and are looking for impactful short-form and anthologies, we suggest:
In the Country by Mia Alvar
In the Country contains nine different but fulfilling and well-written short stories that will make you encounter familiar stories as a Filipino. The short stories provide subtle imagery of Filipino culture while also being so beautifully explicit. This is a genius piece of work that, even if you are not an avid reader, you will surely and truly love.
Shoko’s Smile by Eunyoung Choi
Shoko’s Smile is written by one of South Korea’s promising young writers, Eunyoung Choi. The book explores the concepts of being a woman in a patriarchal society, loneliness and grief, and finding oneself. Every short story has something else to offer. This is the type of book that will make you feel that you are not really reading the book because the writing is just solid; the writing reels you in, enabling you to finish it in one sitting.
If you want tear-jerking stories about different forms of love, you might be interested in:
For One More Day by Mitch Albom
This book is evidence that we, as people, only know the value of someone or something when it has already slipped through our fingers or when they are gone from our lives. It is the story of Chick, who grew up with divorced parents and woke up one day to find out that he had already died without saying a proper goodbye to his mother, and is asking and begging for one more day.
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna West
This book serves as a slap to you as a reader and will help you look at things from different perspectives. It is like a compilation of your thoughts, your perceptions, and how life moves mysteriously. This tells you that the bad circumstances in our lives aren't to blame when we feel down; rather, it is our thoughts and perceptions. If you are too hard on yourself, this book is perfect for you to tug at your heart.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillio
This may appear as a children’s book at first, but its message and impact after you read every phrase and paragraph are something that has the power to influence you. It is a story of love in all forms and from different people we encounter, the importance of kindness and compassion for people, and it could also help you recover yourself.
As young adults, we are currently pondering our ambitions, dreams, and hopes for the future. Alongside that is the desire to be understood, to explore other facets of our personalities, and to try something new. Reading is one of the ways in which we can see a reflection of ourselves and not run away from it. Reading is a way to look at these pieces of fiction and encounter some stories that have happened to us in real life.
We hope that with this recommendation list for MIBF 2023, you were able to find a book or books that were always meant to find you.
Article: Cyril Dela Cruz
Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya
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