Where Imagination Lives

I had always wondered what it would be like to enter a bookstore and have everything I was thinking of burst into life. What if all the stories really did pop out of the pages? What if Peter Pan really did fly off, away from the words that conceived him? I know I’m not alone in thinking that during most of the times I visit a story-laden spot, whether it be a bookstore, a library, or a personal room of reading at home, I think of all the tales and truths between them. The treasures that everyone, not only bookworms appreciate.

And now, entering a Fully Booked store allows me that very pleasure: of having the books come to life, of having a character beside me, of watching the story unveil through another reality. The Fully Booked Imagine App creates an augmented reality in my smartphone (and yours too!), allowing me to see what it would be like if the dragons and cyclopes I had only read about did exist in our world! 

 Now, the dragons dance as if they were real! 

Here are some instructions so you can imagine, too!

1. Download the Fully Booked Imagine application from the iTunes store (for iPad 2, iPod Touch, and iPhone devices). You may search for “Fully Booked Imagine” or simply “Fully Booked” in the App store.
2. When visiting a Fully Booked branch, open the application, and hold it against the book covers featured in the window displays and in-store posters.
3. See the books come to life!
4. You may even snap a screenshot by holding the power button and the home button at the same time. The screenshot will appear in your camera roll.
5. Share the experience! Tweet us your photos (tag us: @_FullyBooked, #fullybookedimagine) or post them on our Facebook wall. We’d love to see what creative screen caps you can come up with. Why not try posing with the characters that come to life?

What do you think the animation will be for The Son of Neptune? :-) 

The most heartfelt of thanks go out to our friends at Bates Manila and Sindikato Productions, without whom the conception and creative execution of this project would never come to be. It was from their imagination that this was conceived, and because they shared it with me, I do the same with you.

Let’s pay the favor forward. Let your own imagination live, too!

Fully Booked Imagine App also features World War Z, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hunger Games and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Special thanks to Random House, HarperCollins, and Scholastic. :-) 

A Teaser

What do you think of when you step into a book store? Or not even a book store, but a library, or your own reading nook at home? What are the things you think of, images you see, and emotions you feel? 


For the most part, I’m excited by the possibilities of all the stories suddenly surrounding me. What new worlds a few words create by simply being written!


What do you imagine when you step into a book store? 

James Jean in Manila 2012

When I first realized I was going to meet James Jean, I first wondered about what to ask him. What images does he have locked up in his mind to come up with his art? Faceless fairies, engulfing waves, dripping fingers, floating figures, creatures I've never seen before, I thought, how does one even think of this? I expected to meet someone I couldn't understand, just as I couldn't grasp his world. Instead, I met one of the most down-to-earth, hardworking, educated, and street smart artists I've ever come to know. 

Seemingly effortless: James Jean's Sketchbook Pages

A world inside a world: James Jean's Sketchbook Pages 

James Jean explaining his work to the students to DLSU-CSB

I very much enjoyed sitting in his Artist's Talks. He not only shed light upon his work and how he conceptualized them, but also how he moves forward with progressing his art. A few points that struck a chord in me when he explained them:

When asked how he avoids repeating what he had done before, he said that it is best to develop the better part of what you've done already and translate that into something new. Just as with his work now, he translates his signature images into different objects, jewelry and scarves. 

An art show in the U.S. 

James Jean's Art on Wine Bottles 

When asked about the effect art school had on his work, he said “art school is what you put into it, not what it puts into you.” He had not started out as the top of his class nor the best at his craft, but he allowed the experience to develop his skill and his taste in aesthetics, and that, in the end, set him apart in his generation.  

James Jean signs books for the students in line. 

 This photo shows the cover of his latest work, Rebus. 

A fan asks James Jean to sketch him! 

And lastly, what I will take forever with me is what he said about goals and success. He was asked in the open forum for what his ultimate goal was in his career. When did he think he was going to consider himself successful? But he noted that success isn't in having a goal and achieving it (though of course, for some people, it is). For him, he achieved his success in having something he believed in, something to do everyday that he loved and thought was worthwhile, and he let that take him somewhere. “The success comes from the diligence,” he said. 

The Artist's Talk in Ateneo, where James explains his influences from classic art.

A sketch that he drew on the spot for an interviewer.

I can't explain what an exhilarating and inspirational three days it was: meeting students and customers who are his fans, showing his books and art to passersby, following the events, even having lunch with him! What a perfect way to begin 2012. Until now, I can't wait to experience the same kind of excitement for the rest of the year. :)


James Jean's titles, Kindling, XOXO, Fables Covers, Rift, and issues of Fables are available online at fullybookedonline.com  For more about his art and work, visit jamesjean.com.

Two More Days!

What goes through the mind of an artist? What floats in shapes and fills the clouds of thoughts that the rest of us do not see? What colors are combined and images brought out when he closes his eyes? Who are the creatures that burst in life and flavor and which ones are those that hide in the dark? These are things I only wonder. These are things I hope to ask.

In two days, I will meet James Jean, and hopefully find out what, in fact, goes through the mind of an artist?

Care to join me? :-)

James Jean Back in Manila, www.fullybookedonline.com/JamesJean. Rebus, his latest work, is also available at www.fullybookedonline.com.

Christmas Wishes

During Christmas time, I have only one wish: that no matter where you may be -- at home with your family, at work at an industry that never sleeps, at your computer to Skype with your loved ones, at a party with all of your friends, on another side of the world all alone, at the malls rushing for gifts, anywhere --  you may feel a little bit of warmth, a little bit of joy, a little bit of a love.

Have a wonderful season, and may 2012 hold more blessings  for you and your loved ones!

Gift Guide 2011 Part 10: Etc., Etc., Etc...

Our previous gift guide entries have all focused on the different personalities of our friends and loved ones and matching the respective gift suggestions to them. What happens though, when we don't really know a lot about the person we're giving a present to? When we're shopping for our mom's errands? Our last gift guide entry will suggest some gifts that anyone, at any age or range of interest! 

 

1.  Paper Tweet by Knock Knock, P199; 2. Elephant Notepag by RinaDesign; 3. Pochibii Small Pouch, P550; 4. Game Night Box Set, P1248; 5. Aesha: Kimmi Junior Phone and Bag Attachment, P295; 6. Duster & Wrist Support, P150; Wrist Support, P150; 7; Mental Floss: The Book: Only the Greatest Lists in the History of Listory, P720; 8. Geometric Origami: The Art of Modular Paper Sculpture, P899.

1. Jumbo Sushi Erasers, P170; 2. Watchover Voodoo Doll Keychain, P450; 3. Pocket Posh Christmas Sudoku 2: 100 Puzzles, P315; 4. Don’t Alligate Me: Quote ang Quote Memo Pad, P34; 5. The Book of Answers, P640; 6. Origami Page-a-Day Calendar 2012, P630.

1. The Doodle Diary, P544; 2. Rabbit Ballpen, P49; 3. Watchover Voodoo Pen, P350; 4. Peanuts 2012 Desk Calendar, P588; 5. Mini Money Origami: Make the Most of Your Dollar!, P399.

1. Dots and Jots Stationery Set by Denyse Schmidt, P399. 2. George Giraffe: Animal Bookmarks, P250; 3. The Poker Pack: The Worlds Most Popular Card Game, P699; 4. Wire Managers, P99; 5. The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm, P599; 6. Artwine Felt Pouch, P180. 

Gift Guide 2011 Parts 8 and 9: For the Adventure Advocate and the Classics

One of our last editions of the holiday gift guide will focus on the free-spirited adventurer in all of us! This is for the wondering and full of wanderlust.

This first bunch is dedicated to all those friends and loved ones you have that are yearning to experience the funkiest kind of life, one where they've seen different places, learned of different cultures, and have accomplished different feats! 

1. MESS: Manual of Accidents and Mistakes by Keri Smith, P560; 2. Hans Strand: Grand Landscapes 2012 Calendar, P748; 3. The Word Origin Calendar 2012, P588; 4. Moleskine 2012 Planner with Cover Art by the Moleskine Community, P1480; 5. Top 10 of Everything 2012, P695; 6.  Bon Voyage, Knock Knock Tablets: More Than Just a Pad, P450; 7. I love New York: The Big Apple Magnetic Pad, P225; 8. TheRecordsetter Book of World Records, P583; 9. 1000 Places to See Before You Die 2012 Calendar, P583; 10. Eiffel Tower: The Towercard Stand, P175; 11. 3D Luggage Tag, P180.

In this second bunch of gifts for the adventure advocate, we show that travel is not only a physical activity, but a hobby we can take part of in more ways than one. We can travel by taste (with Gordon Ramsey's guide to his favorite foreign cuisine and this guide to different kinds of beer in the world). We can travel by intellect with this compilation of essays from the famous and learned Christopher Hichens. And we can even travel by imagination, with this Paris wall calendar and New York skyline, and even this book about zombies!

1. Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens, P640; 2. Stargazer’s Almanac 2012: Monthly Guide to the Stars and Planets, P1049; 3. 365 Bottles of Beer 2012 Desk Calendar, P585; 4. Gordon’s Great Escape: Southeast Asia, P1099; 5. New York: A Three Dimensional Expanding Skyline, P299; 6. Paris 2012 small calendar, P648; 7. Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt, P560; 8. Design Dada Travel Tag in Pink, P400; 9. This Journal Will Actually Change Someone’s Life 2012, P775.

We have also prepared a string of interesting book editions and merchandise items for the classics lover in everyone. Just as I love Roald Dahl books and collect all possible book editions and merchandise of his characters as I can grab a hold of (a keychain, a shirt, a notebook, a pen, anything!), I recommend these bookish delights to fans of the titles we all know and love. These are different clothbound editions, artfully rendered covers, and beautifully illustrated versions of the tales we all know and love. 


1. The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, P1260; 2.  The Little Prince Extra Large Wall Calendar; 3. Mrs. Dalloway/A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Wolf, P880; 4. The Divine Comedy by Dante, P1260; 5. The Twits by Roald Dahl Keychain, P260; 6. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell, P699; 7. Women Writers Mug by Literary Luminaries, P499; 8. 2012 Antique Books teNeues Planner, P698; 9. 50 Books to Read Before You Die Etched Stainless Steel Bookmark, P299; 10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, P454; 11. Oliver Twist/A Tale of Two Cities/Hard Times by Charles Dickens, P1399.

1.  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, P419; 2. Griffin & Sabine: An Extraordinary Correspondence by Nick Bantok, P898; 3. Oscar Wilde: Complete Illustrated Works, P1699; 4. The Complete Illustrated Works of the Brothers Grimm, P389; 5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Magnetic Bookmark, P160; 6. The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition by Lewis Carroll with original illustrations by John Tenniel, P1498; 7.  Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, P454; 8. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, P454; 9. This Book Belongs to: 30 Pages of Bookplates and Labels by Grady McFerrin, P548; 10. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett; 11. Blindess/Seeing by Jose Saramago, P899.

Gift Guide 2011 Part 7: For the Style Siren

We all have an extra-stylish someone in our lives: the sister whom we always borrow clothes from, the friend whose nails are always impeccably polished and ruby red, the colleague whose office items are always of the most colorful kind! The first of this week's gift guide entries will help you choose a present for them. What else can you add to their already well-curated wardrobe but a plethora of accessories to match!

During the back-to-school season, Fully Booked is known for carrying notebooks which feature Jordi Labanda's stylish girls on their covers. To match, why not contribute a laptop skin to your friend's well-designed accessories? A few notepads and planners from local stationery designers RinaDesign, Creative Prints and DayCraft will make a cute addition to their items.

We have a new release, the make-up instructional book from NARS, and an artful adaptation of The Elves and the Shoemaker with illustrations by the shoe designer Manolo Blahnik.

To wrap up this bunch, let me also highlight a biography of the most iconic of classic designers, Coco Chanel,  Tokidoki stick-on notes, a set of Andy Warhol designed stationery, and a What to Wear notepad. A glamorous calendar can also set the tone for a sparkling 2012 ahead!

1. Jordi Labanda Miquelrius Laptop Skin, P1799; 2.  Head over Heels Notepad by Kate Follows, P350; 3. Walking in the Rain Medium Notebook by rinadesign, P119; 4. Glamour 2012 small calendar, P698; 5. NARS, P2025; 6. Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves and the Shoemaker, P899; 7. Tokdoki Sticky Notes Set, P450; 8. Vogue teNeues Magnetic Notebook, P399; 9. Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life by Lisa Chaney, P1140; 10. Andy Warhol Stationery Set, P430; 11. Birds design notebook by Creative Prints, P280; 12. Daycraft 2012 Planner, P395; 13. What To Wear Notepad by Knock Knock, P299. 

For the always-stylish photographer, we have a HelloLulu purple camera bag, and a much-anticipated book from Lady Gaga and Terry Richardson. Anyone who follows both icons will surely enjoy that title this Christmas! 

We also have some accessories, notepads, notebooks and planners whose colors can complement any outfit. Lastly, what is a fashionable woman without her stylish interiors? This Fashion Decor book may be just the right dose of inspiration for her! 

1. Grey and Pink HelloLulu iPad Skin, P1490; 2. HelloLulu Purple Cow Camera Bag, P2890; 3. Andrea Tilk Compostitions 2012 teNeues Planner, P698; 4. Jordi Labanda Miquelrius 2012 Planner, P1299; 5. Lady Gaga by Terry Richardson, P1999; 6.  Ako “Charming” Kimmidoll Mini, P385; 7. Art Nouveau 2012 teNeues Mini Planner,P448; 8. Fashion Décor: New Interiors for Concept Shops, P1977; 9. Jack Vettriano 2012 Mini Calendar, P378; 10. Van Gogh 3D Pen, P99; 11. Red and black Miquelrius Mini Planner, P499; 12. Dolly Mama Memo Pad with Magnet, P350; 13. KimiJunior pouch, P395. 

Gift Guide 2011 Part 6: For the Fun Foodie

The Christmas season isn't complete without gastronomical delights! With all the Noche Buena celebrations, family lunches and get-togethers with friends, we are bound to need a cookbook and kitchen accessory or two in the next month. Plus, the taste craze is at an all-time high, with friends left and right trying their hand at baking and cooking their favorite treats. Here are some gift suggestions for the fun foodie in all of us! 

First, we recommend new arrivals from our cookery section, and for food bloggers, Food Rules: An Eater's Manual may make for good gastronomical literature, as it compiles entries from other food writers. 

We also have cute items from Joseph Joseph and Fred and Friends, and some notepads custom made for the kitchen! 

1.  Joseph Joseph Food Preparation Set, P2799; 2. Good Eats 3 by Alton Brown, P1599; 3. What to Eat Magnetic Pad by Knock Knock, P299; 4. Joseph Joseph QuickSnap Easy-Release Ice Tray, P599; 5. Avian Friends Magnetic Pad, P225; 6. Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual by Michael Pollan, P950; 7. Kitchen on Fire: Mastering the Art of Cooking in 12 Weeks (or Less), P1575; 8. Recipe Notes Stickies by Knock Knock, P150; 9. Joseph Joseph Magentic Measuring Spoon in Green, P299; 10. Small Sweet Treats, P799; 11. Pink Joseph Joseph Food Colander, P1099; 12. Skinny Bitch 2012 Desk Calendar,  P585; 13. Yellow Fred and Friends Pac-Man HotHeads Pot Holder, P799; 14. Red Fred and Friends Cold Blooded Silicone Ice Tray, P450. 

In this second bunch of gift suggestions, we want to highlight one of the year's latest releases: Bake Me a Cake by Sugarhouse proprietor Chef Ginny Roxes de Guzman. Anyone who loved that restaurant would love the tasty treats Chef Ginny teaches us how to make.

Again, more titles and kitchen accessories are all the craze for cuteness in cooking items.

1.  Joseph Joseph White Square Colander, P699; 2. Crocodile Can Opener, P699; 3. Fred and Friends Ice Kabobs, P450; 4. Reinventing Food: Ferran Adria: The Man Who Changed the Way We Eat by Coleman Andrews, P1796; 5. 1000 Recipes for Simple Family Food, P639; 6. Fred and Friends Pastasaurus, P450; 7. All Out Of Pad by Knock Knock, P299; 8. Bake Me a Cake by Ginny Roces de Guzman, P1199; 9. Joseph Joseph Chop 2 Pot: The Original Folding Chopping Board in Pink (Large), P1099; 10. Joseph Joseph Y Grinder Twin Chamber Salt and Pepper Mill (White), P2399; 11. Joseph Joseph Magnetic Measuring Spoon in Pink, P299; 12. Wine Journal: Record Your Favorites by Hugh Johnson, P940; 13. Good Housekeeping Cook’s Collection: Over 1000 Recipes for Every Occasion, P799; 14.  Pizza Shark Pizza Cutter, P699; 15. Fred and Friends Citrusaw: Bottle Opener with a Twist, P350; 16. Kitchen Collage Sticky Notes Set, P450. 

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.