When you step into a secondhand bookstore, you simply don’t know what you’ll find inside. Their shelves are lined with preloved books, works that have been sitting on mainstream bookstores beforehand, and the occasional hard-to-find read. Bibliophiles everywhere can agree: secondhand bookstores are a treasure trove and there is surely something for everyone willing to look through its shelves.
Today, booksellers all over the country are taking the experience of stepping into a secondhand bookstore to social media, where they set up shop and bring readers closer to their next read with a few clicks of a button. Here are some of them:
Librodega
With the hope of nurturing and celebrating the love for reading, Librodega brings a wide variety of preloved classic and contemporary titles closer to their readers. Their selection of books are based on the reading lists of a team of book lovers, and the books they sell are mostly in good or acceptable conditions. If you’re on a budget, no worries! Their prices rarely go beyond P300.
Books in Librodega are available on hand, and reservations are done through the comments section of their posts. Readers can settle payments through private message.
Aklatan
facebook.com/aklatanbookstore
aklatanreaders.com
Another indie bookstore from Facebook, Aklatan hopes to promote the love of books by providing an affordable selection of novels and literary works to everyone. The bookstore offers a wide range of contemporary reads, which are made available to readers on their Facebook page on Sundays at 8 p.m. Their selection of books are mostly unread or remaindered (books that are returned to the publishers after being displayed for awhile).
Reservations in Aklatan are done through the comments section of the photos of their posts, and updates on available books are posted on Sundays at 8 p.m. Readers can settle payments through private message.
Roel’s Bookshop
176 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
facebook.com/roelsbookshop
Readers looking for books that are hard-to-find or out-of-print will find a place at Roel’s Bookshop. Initially based in Davao, the online bookstore gained a massive following due to their selection of works by Marcel Proust, Sylvia Plath, and Oscar Wilde (to name a few) at reasonable prices. In 2018, Roel’s Bookshop opened a physical store, located in Maginhawa.
Reservations at Roel’s Bookshop are done through the comments section of their posts, and updates on available books are regularly posted on their Facebook page. Readers can settle payments through private message or through their store in Maginhawa.
Bookstore in the Rye
facebook.com/bookstoreintherye
Formerly known as Literati Heaven, Bookstore in the Rye is another source of hard to find reads. The bookstore carries a wide selection of works that literature enthusiasts will surely enjoy: from award-winning contemporary reads like Randy Ribay’s “Patron Saints of Nothing” to out-of-print editions of works by Haruki Murakami and more that are in good and acceptable condition.
Reservations at Bookstore in the Rye are done through the comments section of their posts, and updates on available books are posted by batch on their Facebook page. Readers can settle payments through private message.
Books, Brains, Bombs
If you’re looking for philosophical reads, Books, Brains, Bombs has got you covered. Their bookstore’s name refers to their readership: they’re followed by readers who are on the lookout for works that keep them thinking; as well as the shop’s penchant for placing a massive amount of books on sale by surprise. Books, Brains, Bombs is a treasure trove for people on the lookout for works by Italo Calvino, Jorge Borges, Anne Sexton, Kurt Vonnegut, and more at affordable prices.
Reservations at Books, Brains, Bombs are done through the comments section of their posts, and updates on available books are posted by batch on their Facebook page. Readers can settle payments through private message.
Porch Reader Philippines
43 Unit E, Marcelo H. Del Pilar St., Poblacion, Polo, Valenzuela City
porchreader.com
instagram.com/porchreaders
Driven by the belief that books can change people’s lives for the better, Porch Reader Philippines is a haven for people who are on the lookout for more contemporary works by Thomas Harris, Haruki Murakami, and Rick Riordan to name a few. Aside from helping you add a few more books to your library, Porch Reader Philippines strives to bring the magic of reading to the less fortunate by helping establish libraries around the country.
Reservations at Porch Reader Philippines are done through the comments section of their posts, and updates on available books are posted by batch on their Facebook page. Readers can settle payments through private message.
The Book Snoop
Established in 2016, The Book Snoop is the place for people looking for carefully curated reads on science, poetry, or history. Though they mostly specialize in the aforementioned genres, the bookstore is also home to a wide range of preloved coffee table books, as well as rare reads about literature, crime, and more. The Book Snoop brings its readers to all kinds of titles twice a month, uploading about 500 titles for their readers to look through and find something for themselves.
Reservations at The Book Snoop are done through the comments section of their posts, and updates on available books are posted by batch on their Facebook page. Readers can settle payments through private message.