Book lovers were thrilled when news that a book fair was coming to Cebu City. The Big Bad Wolf, a fair that originated in Malaysia opened its doors to Cebuanos on July 12, 2018, delivering about a million books for lower prices. I personally chose to come back to Cebu on the said date to take part in the event. Along with fellow book nerds, I scoured the huge exhibit for titles that I like. I looked for ones that were highly recommended to me by friends and BookTubers. The prices varied, but most of the books were either Php190 or Php230. I was told by friends who had been to the preview that the line was crazy, so I did not risk it and chose my purchases in less than an hour. There was still no line when we got to the cashier and were able to get out quickly. The doors opened at 9 AM, and we had completed our purchase before 10.
I bought five books in the morning and went back with my sister in the afternoon and bought five more. Personally, I don’t think the selection of books was that great because a lot of the titles I was expecting were not there. However, it could be that they were sold out from the day before. I did see some Facebook posts of people purchasing books on preview day that I was not able to find the next day. People were hauling books by dozens, filling their carts with as many great reads as they could find. I bet a lot of them saved up for the event and, like a lot of bibliophiles on a budget, promise not to buy any more books for the end of the year. (Bless our souls for believing that we could actually do this.)
Shopping at the fair was comfortable enough. Although there were a lot of people walking around with carts, there was still enough room to move around. If you do bring a book with you to the event, it has to be stamped at the entrance. So if you don’t want a big red Big Bad Wolf stamp on your book, it’s better to leave it at home. There are also no drinks or food allowed inside. People had to leave their tumblers and water bottles at the entrance.
If you’re looking for a particular book, don’t expect the assistants to know where they are. They are just going to ask you what the genre of the book is and point you to the right table. I asked them if they had any Mary Beard books available, but no one could say for sure. In terms of book availability, I recommend hurrying up because they sell out so fast. When I got there in the morning, there was a big pile of Paulo Coelho boxed set, and I bought one for my friend. When we returned in the afternoon, they were all gone. My friend even had to purchase a sample book because it was the only one left. And she had a guy approach her, asking if she was willing to give up the book because it was the only title he came to the fair for. And even though we were one of the first ones to get in, when a friend asked where the Percy Jackson set was located, he was told they were all sold out from the day before. I don’t know if they restock at the end of the day. I hope they do.
The books are sealed with one sample book that’s already opened. However, this is not true for all books. Maybe some of them got misplaced, but for a lot of the selections, there was no sample book we could look through to help us decide on the purchase.
These are just a couple of things to keep in mind when going to the book fair. Overall, it was an enjoyable experience and definitely a haven for all bibliophiles.
Excuse me while I start saving money for next year’s BBW. Does anybody know when that will be?
It's a Ping Thing 