Gift Guide 2011 Part 5: For the Young at Age and Young at Heart

We all know that one does not have to be 12 years or younger to appreciate a good children's or young adult book. The universal themes that run across these stories -- a search for belonging, overcoming a troubled past, an awaiting adventure -- all of these are themes we feel no matter what age or time we are in our lives. For this week's gift guide, I've chosen some titles and items that anyone with a childlike heart may appreciate, anyone whose sense of wonder and thrill never left them! 

For toddlers, I've chosen Marty Mouse's Pop-up Book, and a fresh title from Shel Silverstein, Every Thing On It, to introduce the young one to the wonderful world of drawings leading up to The Giving Tree. We also have the complete set of Thomas the Engine books!

For the curious kids, we have a variety to novelty items: LED 3D puzzles of world famous buildings like London's Big Ben and Italy's the Leaning Tower of Pisal puzzles inspired by storybooks (like the Alice in Wonderland puzzle pictured above), or inspired by art (like the Musee D'Orsay 1000-piece puzzle of Degas' painting).

SES Creative products are also good gift choices for they early do-it-yourself bloomer. We also have fabric markers and window markers!

1.  SES Creative Denim Handbag Deco, P717; 2. Every Thing On It: Poems and Drawings by Shell Silverstein, P699; 3. Musee d’Orsay Museum Collection: Degas Puzzle 1000, P1300; 4. LED 3D Puzzle: World’s Great Architecture: Big Ben, P849.75; 5. SES Creative Tools + Belt, P819; 6. Sargent Art 8 Washable Window Markers, P230; 7. Stikfas Classic Alpha Male, P200; 8. Thomas and Friends: My Thomas Story Library: The Complete Collection with 65 Books, P8999; 9. Marty Mouse’s Pop-Up Book: The Big Eared Elephant, P447; 10. Alice in Wonderland Jigsaw Puzzle, P899; 11. 10 Fabric Paints,  P100.80. 

Here, we have more creative products like face paint and markers, as well as an SES Creative set for a 4-year-old's introduction to using scissors! We also have some build-it-yourself figurines like that of a pirate ship, and educational books about skeletons, words and numbers. 

Two new releases from everyone's favorite children's authors are also the highlight of this bunch: Mr. Men by Roger Hargreaves, and The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr Seuss! 

1.  Sargent Art 10 Jumbo Changing Markers, P200; 2. SES Creative Airbrush Textile Designer, P799; 3. Disney Pixar 2012 Weekly Calendar, P598; 4. Early Learning: Words and Numbers, P452; 5. Hello Kitty 2012 small calendar, P648; 6. Explore within a Pirate Ship, P1054; 7. SES Creative I Learn to Use Scissors, P415; 8. Disney Pixar’s Cars Grand Prix Garage: Storybook and Garage; 9. Sargent Art 10 Bright Fabric Markers, P240; 10. Amazing Dinosaur Discovery, P499; 11. SES Clowny Face Paint, P519; 12. The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss, P599; 13. Mr. Men 40th Anniversary Box Set by Roger Hargreaves, P1040. 

Finally, for the young at heart and young adults at age, we recommend the best books the past year had to offer. To fulfill one's longing for adventure and mystery, we have the new releases, The Scorpio Races, Liesl & Po, and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone. And to continue one's journey with already well-loved series', we have sequels The Throne of Fire, The Son of Neptune, The Power of Six, Beautiful Chaos, The Power of Six, Goliath, Theodore Boone: The Abduction. Inheritance is also a highly recommended title, though not without the rest of The Inheritance Cycle. 

For a haunted twist, Abarat: Absolute Midnight, and my personal favorite release of the year, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. 

For younger readers, we have the latest from two famous book series, You Have to Stop This and Cabin Fever! 

Left side, from top to bottom: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl,  Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver, The Lorien Legacies: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Random Riggs, You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch, Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.  

Right side, from top to bottom: The Kane Chronicles: The Thone of Fire by Rick Riordan, The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, The Death Cure by James Dashner, Theodore Boone: The Abduction by John Grisham, The Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, Abarat: Absolute Midnight by Clive Barker. 

Gift Guide 2011 Parts 3 and 4: Presents Perfect for a Professional and a Sportsman's Special Something

This week's gift guide zeroes in on all the focused and determine folk in our lives. Whether they are putting their energy into work or into play, these are the people we remember when we see a new book about an athlete or business strategist. Here are the token titles and items I think would be a great addition to their repertoire! 

First, we recommend some of our new business titles: The End of Business as Usual by Brian Solis, provides the point of view of running a business by letting consumers help define your brand, while You, Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself  would be great help for the aspiring creative entrepreneur. One of the year's best sellers, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson is definitely one of our recommendations, especially for those who want to build their own empire. 

If you'd rather give them fun tokens they can use in the office or anywhere at work, we have a sleek, red Moleskine planner, a notepad of things to accomplish by the fun folk at Knock Knock, and a large, black Moleskine planner for those with a lot on their minds! A lot more versions of the Moleskine planners are also available in the stores.
 

1.  Everything I Know about Business I Learned from the Grateful Dead: The Ten MostInnovative Lessons from a Long, Strange Trip by Barry Barnes, PhD, P999; 2. Moleskine Red Weekly Notebook Diary/Planner 2012, P1290; 3. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, P1275; 4. Accomplish: Knock Knock Tables More Than Just a Pad, P450; 5. The End of Business As Usual: Rewire the Way Your Work to Succeed in the Consumer Revolution by Brian Solis, P1123; 6. Moleskine Large Weekly Diary/Planner 2012, P1999; 7. You ,Inc.: The Art of Selling Yourself by Harry Beckwith and Christine K. Clifford, P599. 

 Another of the year's best sellers is Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom. We also have a new, illustrated edition of The Art of War for the determined businessman who returns to this title year after year. The Zappos Experience is a new title, and one that is a must-read for anyone looking to follow in the footsteps of the online shopping powerhouse. 

Fun office items are also always a treat: a set of labelled stickies to organize files, a Pro/Con stickies list when one makes business decisions, a sleek brown Moleskine mini-planner, and a desk calendar based on the best seller Don't Sweat the Small Stuff  for anyone dealing with work stress. A pretty calendar with Edward Hopper's art can also brighten up and relax any workspace! 

1.  Brandwashed by Martin Lindstrom, P760; 2. The Art of War: The New Illustrated Edition by Sun Tzu, P940; 3. The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles to Inspire, Engage and Wow, P1199; 4. Moleskine Large Weekly Diary/Planner 2012, P1999; 5. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff 2012 Day to Day Calendar, P588; 6. Do, Note, File, Read, Send, Burn: Actions Stickies Set by Knock Knock, P650; 7. Pro/Con Stickies by Knock Knock, P150; 8. Sticky Flags by Knock Knock, P299; 9. Moleskine Brown Weekly Diary/Planner 2012, P450; 10, Edward Hopper 2012 small calendar, P648. 

For more physically active friends, we have an inspired autobiography by one of the most popular athletes today: Rafa: My Story by tennis sensation Rafael Nadal. The Men's Health Big Book of Exercises (as well as other titles in this series) isn't new, but it's one that is slowly becoming a staple in our best seller list! We also have The WWE Championship book, and a book about water and its importance to our health.  How to Watch the Olympics is also available for the sports buff that is excited for the 2012 London event. 

We also have desk and wall calendars for fans, some dedicated to a specific sport, while others about athletics in general! 

1.  Water: For Health, for Healing, for Life, P599; 2. Golf Quips, Quotes (and of course), Jokes 2012 Page-a-Day Calendar, P585; 3. Rafa: My Story, P1135; 4. The Men’s Health Big Book of Exercises, P999; 5. The WWE Championship, P640; 6. 365 Sports Facts-A-Year 2012, P585; 7. Hoops 2012 Calendar, P720; 8. How to Watch the Olympics, P699; 9. 501 Must Drive Cars, P699.

Gift Guide 2011 Part 2: For the Creative Cluster

For this week's gift guide entry, I've chosen to focus on the artist in everyone that screams to realize itself! I believe everyone has a creative side to them, whether it's in one's way of drawing or visualizing, or even in his or her way of coming up with ideas out of thin air. 

These gifts are for anyone you think has that side, too. Maybe a friend whose ideas always impress you needs some inspiration? Or your mom who never had time to be crafty around the house could use a tip or two from those who know best? I had such a hard time curating this list, with all the design and craft accessories in Fully Booked. This list is only really a scratch on the surface of an ocean of art-related books and items to ignite the creative flame in everyone!

For the handy-at-home, Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts and a silhouette-making box set would be a perfect combination of gifts. Some inspiration may also come from PUSH Stichery: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Stitched Art, and from the planners and calendars featuring work of artists Kandisky, Matisse, among others. Who wouldn't want to be surrounded by their art all year long? We also have funny post-its from Knock Knock that spice up any working space.

1.  Kandinsky 2012 large calendar, P1848; 2. Hokusai 2012 small calendar, P648; 3. Setting the Scene: The Art & Evolution of Animation Layout, P2699; 4. Will Barnet: A Book of Postcards, P299; 5. LS Lowry 2012 teNeues Planner, P698; 6. Henri Martisee 2012: Art & Silhouettes small calendar, P748; 7. More Graphic Simplicity: Cool, Natural, Sweet, Colorful, Modern, P3375; 8. Someday: Mini Sticky Notes by Knock Knock, P399; 9.  PUSH Stitchery: 30 Artists Explore the Boundaries of Stitched Art, P838; 10. Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-to-Z Guide with DetailedInstructions and Endless Inspirations, P1375; 11. Silhouettes: The Art and Craft of Papercutting, P754; 12. Deluxe Holiday Cards from Peter Pauper Press, Inc., P675.

To my delight, I found a compilation of all the paintings found in the Louvre! A bulky, but beautiful gift for anyone with an appreciation for the art classics. We also have a few design books to inspire graphic professionals.  My personal favorite is a new arrival, Menagerie by Sharon Montrose, for her simple, but striking animal photos. 

For the frustrated, but willing artist-at-heart, Sark's New Creative Companion may be a good way to help them get back on track. For the already established ones, we have quite a selection of Cretacolor artist pastels and pencils, fresh from the box for new art in the new year.

1.  Martha Stewart's Crafts 2012 Planner, P698; 2. Nifty Notes: Sweet Nothing by Knock Knock, P199; 3. Typography Sketchbooks by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico, P2475; 4. Color & Collage: Origami Art, P840; 5. Picasso 2012 small calendar, P648; 6. Cretacolor Artist Studio 12 Soft Pastels, P499; 7. The Louvre: All the Paintings, P3375; 8. Sark's New Creative Companion: Ways to Free Your Creative Spirit, P599; 9. Word as Image by Ji Lee, P560; 10. Monet 2012 small calendar, P648; 11. Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring 3D Bookmark, P80; 12. Klimt 2012 teNeues Planner, P698; 13. Van Gogh 3D Bookmark, P80; 14. Never Use More Than Two Different Typefaces: And 50 Other Ridiculous Typography Rules, P1170; 15. Menagerie by Sharon Montrose, P660.

 

New stock of The Marvel Encyclopedia has just arrived, perfect for the comic book lover brother you might have! The Disposable Skateboard Bible and Realities by Ronald Ventura might also make a good gift for him. A Bansky 2012 Calendar for any street art fan will be a jem for the new year.

We have Letraset markets for those who not only appreciate, but draw their own work. Dan Roam's Blah Blah Blah: What to Do When Words Don't Work and Keep Calm and Carry On are also my recommendations for the quirky gifts, while some difficult origami may also be a good exercise for them.  A nice, sleek, Miquelrius 2012 planner is also available, for the minimalist artist!

1.  The Marvel Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded, P1680; 2. Banksy 2012 small calendar, P698; 3. Ryan McGinnes 2012 small calendar, P698; 4. Realities by Ronald Ventura, P2450; 5. Letraset ProMarker Comic Art 2, P799; 6. Blah Blah Blah: What to Do When Words Don't Work, P1120; 7. Book & Paper Deluxe Origami Set, P950; 8. The Disposable Skateboard Book, P2299; 9. Keep Calm and Carry On, P360; 10. Miquelrius 2012 Gray Planner, P450.

 We have restocked our shelves with the Transformers Vault for fanatics who would prize the compilation. A book about the evolution of stickers into art would also be a funky addition to any shelf! A cute Spider-Man gift card set I found had to be in this roster, as well as a large-sized Miquelrius notebook with a cool scribble design. For more serious artists, we have a 24-color set of Tria markers, and more Letraset markers for inking. 

Funny post-its from Knock Knock, a Banksy 2012 planner, and The Book of Holiday Awesome wrap up this pile of artsy books for artists! 

1. Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art, P1575; 2 and 3. Transformers Vault: The Complete Transformers Universe, P1450; 4. Tria Manga and Comic 24 Marker Collection + Wallet, P3599; 5. Miquelrius Large Notebook, P550; 6. Bansky 2012 teNeues Planner, P698; 7. Status Update: Keep it Simple Stickies by Knock Knock, P150; 8. The Book of Holiday Awesome, P799; 9. Letraset Blending Set Muted, P999; 10. The Amazing Spiderman: 20 Assorted Notecards and Envelopes, P628.

Our last group for the creative cluster includes movie art books from Kung Fu Panda 2, Toy Story 3 and my personal favorite from the bunch, Up! Take any animator friend you might have behind the scenes of the best Hollywood studios with The Art of Pixar. We also have the 75-year compilation of the best of Life magazine, and a planner with cartoons from The New Yorker. These cute tote bags with Bob Dylan and Woody Allen would also be perfect for the movie maven in everyone! 

1.  Letraset ProMarker Skin Tones, P430; 2. Life: 75 Years: The Very Best of Life, P149; 3.  Bob Dylan Tote Bag, P499; 4. The Art of Toy Story 3, P1799; 5. The Art of Pixar: The Complete Colorscripts and Select Art from 25 Years of Animation, P2250; 6. Leonard Maltin's 2012 Movie Guide, P399; 7. Woody Allen Tote Bag, P499; 8. Cartoons from The New Yorker 2012 Calendar, P588; 9. The Art of Kung Fu Panda 2, P1798; 10. The Art of Up, P1799; 11.  Letraset ProMarker Brights, P399.

This gift guide implies all products are available as of Saturday, November 19, 2011. Please call 8587000 or email me at lucy@fullybookedonline.com for inquiries. You may also visit www.fullybookedonline.com for more book details.

Santa's Many Faces

We just finished setting up the windows and in-store displays for all the Metro Manila stores (nationwide very soon!), and all I can see when I walk around the store is Santa! Take a look at a few of my favorite ones in our different branches:

 Pixel Santa stays with the artist and musicians in the 4th floor of the Fort branch. 

 Black and White Santa stays with him, too!
(Spotted in the background: The faceless Santas, perfect for picture-taking!) 

Graphic-Tee Santa and Classic Santa welcome customers at the 3rd floor, 

 ...while Zombie Santa tries to scare kids away at the 2nd floor! 

 Wish List Santa watches over kids in the 2nd floor, and makes his list of who was naughty or nice this year!

 Scribble Santa is also right where the young ones are!

 Snooty Santa stays right by the calendars and planners! 

 Superman Santa is everywhere -- here he's pictured in our Trinoma branch!

Espionage Santa is practicing the skills he needs for dropping down chimneys! Here he is at our Eastwood branch. 

Round Santa, Brown-Beard Santa and the tiny Robot Santa are all fixtures that greet you as you walk down to the Fort Basement!

And almost everyone gathers to greet passers-by a happy holiday season as they walk by our stores!

 Which one is your favorite Santa? Which one is your favorite from the ones not featured in this entry? :-) I would love to hear about which ones you like, and see your pictures from our faceless Santas! :-)

Gift Guide 2011 Part 1: Book Tower Edition

It's no secret that I spend endless hours in my week walking around Fully Booked. For the first edition of my holiday gift guide this year, I decided to focus on something that everyone would be able to easily find in our store: book towers. 

Ever since I started hanging around here, I always noticed how creative the staff is in presenting the books. I think they have a lot of fun when we get a lot of stock of a particular title, making different patterns with the spine side and page side.  I, for one, love noticing how the book towers evolve as the stock lessens each week. 

So here, as the first part of many, I present the most easily found titles and for whom I think they would make appropriate gifts. Let the holiday shopping hoopla begin!

The atrium of the Fort branch is always the perfect place to find a book tower -- whether very tall from the floor, or very simple from just a table. Here, we see the different tables dedicated to the Childrens section, with The Graveyard Book, Envy, Ms. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, Beastly, Torment, and Zombies vs. Unicorns in plain sight!

For the Collector: I always find myself staring at special editions of titles, wanting to add them to my shelf, but never willing to spend as much as they cost to actually own them.  After all, they're like a nice bonus: a story you already know, but you would also love to browse through the pages of illustrations and symbols and maps that are related to it.  This special illustrated edition of The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown would be the perfect holiday gift for a loved one who you know loves mystery and adventure fiction and would enjoy the story and images this particular printing of the book offers.

 

For the Fantastical Feel: A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin has been a best seller for almost the entire year, mainly because of the release of its television counterpart. We always try to have a lot of stock of the book (and always run out, still!), and now, we also have multiple copies of the UK edition box set. Take a friend into the world of dragons and direwolves and have them experience a real winter this Christmas!

For the Fiction Fanatic: I remember when this book tower was as tall as me! Hahahaha! :-) Now, a few inches are all that is left of the mass market edition of Jonathan Franzen's Freedom. Only a few more copies left for the book-loving friend you have! 

For the Fiction Fanatic: A Moment in the Sun by John Sayles was also another book that had an intricate display before now consolidated into a mini-tower. Take a friend through the turn of the century, from World War and from different points of view of Americans, Europeans and fellow Filipinos. Were you able to catch Amigo, John Sayles' film, this year?

Haruki Murakami's 1Q84 is another of this year's hot topics in literature. For any Murakami fan that you know (if they hadn't already grabbed a copy of this), this double-cover hardbound printing of the book would be a great gift.

For the Motion Picture Maven:  Two book titles with movie adaptations and a lot of stock in our stores: World War Z by Max Brooks is a fun first person narration of a zombie apocalypse (whose movie version will star Brad Pitt), while Drive by James Sallis is a sullen story of a stunt driver turned dark knight, whose film counterpart is played with so much charm by Ryan Gosling. Both short, easy reads for the film fanatic getting ready to watch the cinema release! Drive is actually in theaters now!

 

For the Business-Minded Buddy: The 4-Hour Workweek sounds like a dream to anyone who works (at least) nine hours a day. But thankfully, here is a way to achieve that stability in one's career. For the business-minded buddy who always knew there is so much in life to work towards, this would be the perfect present to plan his future!

For the Business-Minded Buddy: Robert Kiyosaki has been a large player in the business book market since Rich Dad, Poor Dad.  In Unfair Advantage, he talks about getting on top in the financial world, and being able to reach the same success as those with experience and education in banking have.

For the Curious Cat:  Freakonomics has been around for maybe five or so years now, and it is always a mainstay in our list of top 20 business books! This pile was one of those that was as tall as me as well, and here, it now lies beside one of the shelves in our third floor. Perfect for the curious cat in all of us!

For the Music and Media Lover: Steven Tyler's all-access pass to his mind, misadventures and musings would be a great holiday addition to one's bookshelf, especially for rock fans and Aerosmith fans. Parked right beside the hilarious My Book Wook 2 by Russell Brand, these two would make a great pairing for holiday gifts!
 

For the Music and Media Lover: Two of music's most mysterious figures, Lady Gaga and Keith Richards, and their books! Give your Lady Gaga loving friend a dose of the inner-workings of her mind, or let the rock and roll fan have his share of the Rolling Stones' debauchery in Life by Keith Richards. The legendary guitarist pens his own story, and even wins a GQ Writer of the Year recognition for his effort.

Stay tuned for more of holiday gift items available at Fully Booked fullybookedonline.com!

The titles and book towers featured in this entry are all available as of Sunday, November 13, 2011. Please call 8587000 or e-mail me at lucy@fullybookedonline.com to reserve or request a transfer to your branch of choice.

A Cool Thing on a Thursday

With the crazy season of Christmas coming up, I find myself walking through Fully Booked more and more.  This time though, I look for gadgets and gift options rather than titles to browse through.  Today, I found a cute Lego-themed planner.  Its rubber covers have the texture of the early childhood toy, but it's also soft and light enough to carry around everyday.

With weekly and monthly views to match! Lovely.

My favorite feature: a Lego-themed lock!

Do I have to give it as a present? Can I keep it instead? :-)