Monday, March 20, 2006

CARLOS RECOMMENDS!

THE BEST LITTLE BOOKHOUSE...
Some of you may know of this place, but then again, some of you may not. Tucked away in the shadows of the monolithic Robinson's Place Mall Ermita lies La Solidaridad bookstore, perhaps the best little boutique bookseller in the Philippines - or even Asia for that matter. Owned and operated by National Artist for Literature/Ramon Magsaysay awardee F. Sionil Jose, the unassuming La Soli has been vending hard-to-find books to the Philippine intellegentsia for some 35 odd years or so. Specializing in Filipiniana, Filipino/International Fiction, Poetry, and other smarty subjects like Philosophy, Sociology, and Political theory, La Soli is really an oasis of intelligence and gentility in this fast declining neigborhood (thanks to government neglect and the dust, congestion, and traffic caused by Robinson's Place Mall). And as one of the last street level mom-and-pop establishments on the Padre Faura/Adriatico street area, ir is imperative that you rush out now and support this little treasure trove of culture and heritage before it goes by the way of it's shuttered neighbor, Alda's Pizza Kitchen.

531 Padre Faura, Ermita, Manila