New Happy Place and New Coffee Love

Fully Booked finally opened its first branch about a week or two ago at the Terraces the newly renovated part of Ayala Center Cebu, which used to be an outdoor lagoon with gazebos and a place for just strolling into something very elegant and amazing. A garden in the center complete with two fountains surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops. Fully Booked is located near Starbucks and I think it is one of or not the only one that is not a restaurant. It's my sister April's favorite bookstore and she can't stop talking and recommending to me about the books that you'll find and she was right! Good thing is I guess I don't have much of a reason anymore to brave the Manila traffic, pollution, MRT stampede and unforeseen chaos because pretty much Cebu is catching up to Manila in terms of luxury shopping a.k.a. famous brands and fine dining a.k.a expensive restaurants and franchises from international cuisine. Don't forget the best kept secrets!

I've been there a couple of times since the last two weeks and I've been proud of myself for being able to control my impulses to get a book there considering there are a lot of choices that National Bookstore (my ever reliable store) doesn't have. I love the many and oh so diverse choices. Ranging from typical fiction flair - they practically have every book of Paolo Coehlo to literary geniuses from Murakami to McEwan and to personal favorites like Palahnuik, Ellis and Sparks! They also have a unique array of classics with very different covers. So not generic. The major letdown is the price. Cheapest are the Coehlo books at 250 pesos and the rest are between 400 - 700! Very expensive indeed. But I promised myself before the year ends or at Christmas I'll buy a book there just to satisfy the urge and to mark their presence here in Cebu! I have my sights set on Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger or a compilation of all the Narnia Books, all seven!, only for 880! That's like almost half the box set price! Others in the list include Blindness by Jose Saramago and the new book by Nick Hornby.

I consider it my new happy place because I feel relaxed and chill just browsing around books and just looking at covers. The sight of the books in bookshelves alone is enough to cap a perfect Sunday lunch and weekend! National Bookstore and BookSale are still my favorite places for ultimate bargain book buying and impulsive feel good shopping.

I am addicted to Starbucks' Dark Cherry Mocha one of their holiday special coffees. I love the perfect blend of chocolate, coffee and cherry together! Perfect blend to sip while the weathers getting a little cold. But I prefer it in iced. The Frappucino makes me bloat! I'll savor this holiday treat while it lasts!

Can't wait to go Christmas shopping next week and just having a stress free Saturday and a complete 8 hour sleep or more on Sunday night! Yes, finally all of this will be over after the masquerade ball - I just so want it to be over so I could enjoy the rest of the Yuletide season in peace!