Read & Meet, part 2!

Yesterday I went to the second READ & MEET: A Read Together Session, organized by the lovely Alexx Majam of Drafts Gift Shop & Studio in Quezon City. 

Essentially, Read & Meet is a silent reading/book lover socializing session, the brainchild of Alexx and Ilia (I think! Correct me if I’m wrong, Ilia!). It’s held in the workshop area of Alexx’s flower shop, Dratfts, which isn’t a huge space, so there’s only room for 10 people, making for a cozy reading session. 

I’d been to the first one as well, as I do know both Ilia and Alexx professionally. On occasion, I even try to convince them to do some other reading-related events for both work and fun. I didn’t think I’d make it to this second one, because of scheduling conflicts and because when Alexx announced the sign-ups, I think the slots filled up very quickly. But fortuitously, my schedule cleared up and someone canceled, so I got the last slot.

This was the table, from my POV, artfully cluttered with flowers and books, and this month’s readers deep into their reading material. 

And because it’s Filipino Literature Month, Ilia suggested we bring locally-published titles, so I did! I brought three, ambitious as I am, but I read Angeli Lacson’s UNBECOMING, which was published by small press publisher, Paper Trails Projects. 

We had an hour of silent reading (less for me because I woke up late, having binged the last season of Demon Hunter and started Apothecary Diaries till the wee hours, sigh). I started reading UNBECOMING in the Grab and I immediately understood why this seemed to be Paper Trails’ lead title when they did a book launch a couple of years ago. And why this is the only title they chose to reprint in a small batch now. 

UNBECOMING is a prose poetry/essay title that talks about how the author occupies spaces within her institutions and within Philippine society as a PWD. All of the entries are “Notes"—something in the margins—though many of her notes also have notes in the margins. And the notes range from personal experiences (such as being told by her university that she—a wheelchair bound person—could not have her class moved from the fourth floor of a building with no elevator to the first floor; instead, someone would carry her wheelchair up. That any sort of PWD-friendly ramp that needed to be build to accommodate her would have to be paid for by her family, because the university simply did not have the budget for it) to excoriations of capitalist society putting primacy on an individual’s productivity and “value” to society, thereby limiting a PWD’s mobility, voice, and humanity. 

I haven’t finished it yet, but it is a very intelligent book with wonderfully lucid prose that makes it a joy to read, despite the topic possibly inducing anger.

I do like books like that.

It was also kind of funny explaining that no, you will not find Paper Trails Project titles in the large chain stores nor will you find it at MIBF. They are an independent small press—emphasis on independent—so you’ll only find their titles either on their site or at BLTX, the small press expo. Or the other small businesses they prefer to work with. That said, their books are fantastic: good quality all around, writing-wise, POV-wise, and production-wise. 

A very nice matcha drink and chocolate sea salt cookie that I ordered from Drafts! Did I mention that they sell coffee and cookies, too?

After the hour of silent reading, everyone had the chance to talk about the book they read. Now, in this group, I only really know Alexx and Ilia. Two or three (?) others I met in the first Read & Meet. And the rest are first timers. Having said this, I’d say I’m ahead of the rest, because most everyone who came in both the first and second sessions did not know anyone else in the room. It was a group of strangers who just wanted the time and the space, preferably in Quezon City, to read and meet other readers. 

And their own stories, not to mention their reading material, were so varied.

This is actually why, despite being a serial book clubber (Alexx asked me how many book clubs I went to/are part of online/know of/watch, and I attempted to list them, lol), I still like finding new ones and new readers. I am intensely interested in people’s reading journeys and thoughts about books. 

There was a pre-service teacher and activist who was reading Amanda Echanis’s book, who did not buy the book but used the network of activists who lend each other books. There was an anime fan who was looking for a new hobby and then because of BookTok, recently picked up reading. There was a former attendee who reported that they didn’t finish the book they talked about last month, but had picked up THIS IS HOW TO LOSE THE TIME WAR. There was a huge James Baldwin fan, who, because James Baldwin is of course dead, was sad that she only had limited opportunities to read any of his works for the first time. There was an aspiring writer, a mystery reader, and a lifestyle content creator who was tandem-reading books 5 & 6 of Maas’s THRONE OF GLASS series after a long hiatus. 

Also! Some of the attendees were actually following Alexx’s other music account where they post gig schedules, but they found their way to the Read & Greet because Alexx figured: there must be readers among the indie music fans. So she posted this event announcement on the music account, and yep, there are indeed readers among the music fans! I love this pipeline.

I did not know any of these people, but this is what they were reading, and I had the privilege of listening to their thoughts as a reader. I mean, I could’ve spent my Saturday afternoon in bed catching up on much-needed rest, but this was actually both restful and invigorating.

And this is Ilia, betraying me by reading Sally Rooney! Lol.

Alexx, reading an ARC of Elaine Hsieh Chou’s upcoming short story collection, WHERE ARE YOU REALLY FROM.

BINHI NG PAGLAYA by Amanda Echanis

Our James Baldwin fan!

Jessy, who had a very big bag to go with the two thick hardcovers that she was tandem reading.

By the way! I also spoke about another Paper Trails book that is frankly my favorite poetry collection by a local creator ever. It’s called EL BIMBO VARIATIONS, and the link will take you to the downloadable files of the print book, which were made available by the author. 

When we were done with the sharing, the room exploded into even more noise, because in my experience, you put a group of readers together, even virtual strangers, they’re going to latch on to each other and talk about books they’ve read or other art they’ve consumed. It’s reader joy.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it to Alexx’s next Read & Meet, given my usual weekend schedule. But I hope to! That said, even if I can’t, you totally should try.