My First Bookworms Unite PH Event | PLUS a GIVEAWAY!!

Finally after three long years I can now say that I have attended Bookworms Unite PH an annual event/meet-up for Filipino readers. I have been wanting to go since its first event back in 2015 but thesis was killing me at the time, the following year I was in a bad situation and last 2017 I just started my job and have been reviewing for my licensure exam. Or maybe I was just giving myself too many excuses not to go because I’m too shy. This year though, I want to change so I bought the ticket (Php 250) even though I don’t know how to go to Rizal Library at Ateneo de Manila. I just knew that I shouldn’t let my fear of meeting new people get in the way of attending this awesome event.

The event was held at Rizal Library in Ateneo de Manila. It was 2-3 hours away from where I live so I had to wake up at 5 am to prepare. Good thing it wasn’t raining before I left.

After travelling for almost 3 hours I finally arrived at Ateneo! Inah @ The Bibliophile Confessions was the one in charge at the registration table and I fangirled a bit when she remembered me from my old blog. I felt like a legit blogger/bookstagrammer/person (lol??!) when people notice me even when they have only seen me from my social media accounts. I know some people who are attending the event but I was not really close to any of them so I was kinda ready to be a loner that day. Fortunately, I met these lovely ladies who welcomed me in their circle. <3

Ailla (IG @mionejeanpotter)
Shai (IG @themeanderingsoul)
Ella (IG @thebookishgoddess)
Joanna (IG @joannaderpina)
Mighta (IG @mightazerie)

We were given a registration kit and here are the lovely contents of it. I finally own some cute bookish stickers aaaand I was screaming internally when I saw that one of the books included in it is We Regret to Inform You by A. E. Kaplan (full review to come but I loved it anyway). I added that book on my TBR a few days before the event.

One of the challenges is “Do it for the ‘Gram” where we were tasked to go around and take selfies with people in different prompts. This is the most challenging one because I’m super shy but I think I managed to complete 15 prompts which isn’t so bad. This may be the most difficult challenge but it was also the most rewarding since the winner got to take home five freaking books. Also, I’m not showing the selfies because I looked like a potato in all of them.

The first game was “Truths and Lie:YA Edition”. Basically the hosts will tell three truths and one lie about character and we have the guess which is the lie. This was hard because I don’t read a lot of hyped YA books and some of the characters featured where from books I read years ago. Despite of that, we won!

One of the hosts, JM from Book Freak Revelations  led the talk for “#sorrynotsorry, TBR: Fall ’18 YA Preview”. I took some notes because I’m so bad at keeping up with new releases. Ms. Gail D. Villanueva also talked about her upcoming book, My Fate According to the Butterfly which sounds so awesome. There will also be a Filipina on the cover. AAAHHH, I’m so excited to see and read it!

After that, we had lunch at BonChon and came back in time for a raffle. Sadly, I didn’t win because my luck is just so bad at raffles. We watched and listened as Eliana graced us with her talent of slam poetry.

Several authors also sent lovely video messages for all of us.

My team didn’t win at “Young Adulting: A YA Trivia Game”. Seriously, these games are now making me want to read more YA just to prepare myself for next year’s games. The last game, “Guess the Cover Vol. 2” was also challenging since the hosts only gave descriptions of the cover and it was up to us to guess what those books are. My team won fourth place so we were the last one to pick a prize but it didn’t really matter as long as we get a book.

The amazing hosts, JM, Inah, Hazel from Stay Bookish (I fangirled when I saw her and I just had to hug her!!!), and Miel @ Bookish and Awesome, shared the story of how Bookworms Unite PH started. I kinda remember the first event and I was green with envy to anyone who attended it last 2015. The community has grown and I’m super excited for the things the hosts are planning for us.

Last but definitely not the last was the Book Blind Date. I bought five books for the event; three I donated for Hiraya and two for the Book Blind Date. I got another two in return and they both sound really good!

So these are the prizes I got during the event. I first won Invisible Ghosts by Robyn Schneider. I was really determined to win this one even before the event because it’s one of my anticipated reads. Next is Reign of the Fallen and I honestly don’t know much about this book. Lastly, I got My So-Called Bollywood Life, another book on my TBR. I got this one when JM said that those who did not win the raffle can grab one book from the pile. We were like tributes running to get supplies from the Cornucopia.

I also got to meet some of the members of Bookstagramers PH present at the event. Admin Yumi even gave us the official bookmark of the club. Looks so classy, right? We were also given a Pandam magnetic bookmark before heading home. This day was just full of bookish surprises!

Now on to the giveaway! One lucky reader from the Philippines will receive an ARC of Bright We Burn by Kiersten White.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Did you attend this year’s Bookworms Unite PH (link your recap below if you have one)? Or would you go next year?