COZY AND COMFORTABLE — Readers are free to stay and browse at Libreria -- for hours on end.

MANILA, Philippines — In a corner of Cubao X, in the midst of the strong rock and roll beat coming from places like Mogwai and Future, there lies is a bookstore that is frequented not just by the conventional bespectacled bibliophiles, but even by the tattooed and pierced kind!

The bookstore is called Libreria, and with its hard-to-find selection of fiction and art and design books, coupled with its homey ambience and delicious coffee, it's not surprising that it has become a cozy and quirky haven for book lovers of every stripe.

Libreria is the brainchild of freelance writer and editor Triccie Cantero, whose overflowing book collection threatened to oust her out of her own home.

“I hoard books. If it looks interesting, I buy it. Every room in my house has books,” she reveals with a laugh. “Nagrereklamo na 'yung anak ko na wala nang space sa bahay na walang libro. Ang gulo na daw ng bahay.”

But even more than just freeing up some shelf space in her home, Cantero says that the biggest reason for opening Libreria was her desire to bring together Filipino bibliophiles who may not find the books that they want on the shelves of the country's bigger bookstores.

“I really like books and I like being able to find books that people want to read or have. I want people to read, and I want to be able to offer people choices,” she says. “Short of inviting people to my house, which is not possible, I want to have a place where people could meet.”

For the love of books

The Libreria at Cubao X would not be Cantero's first attempt at making her dream come true. The very first iteration of Libreria was opened along Tomas Morato in 2004, sporting a very different look and feel.

“The first one was three times the space, the rent was ten times more. The location was not good because there were no other retail places beside it, so talagang pupuntahan mo siya. It was a bookstore and a coffee shop,” recalls Cantero.

Inspired by the patio of her own home, Cantero used dark wood furnishings and Batibot chairs for the old Libreria coffee shop, attracting professionals who could afford to visit its out-of-the-way location. People just came mostly on weekends.

At that time, Cantero admits to being a less than welcoming hostess. “In Morato, if you don't buy a book, I'll make you feel uncomfortable. There used to be med students studying there because the room was really cold, but they would sit there and just order one cup of coffee,” she says with a laugh.

But even with the challenges, Cantero says that running the Libreria at Morato for two years never felt like an unwanted imposition on her time.

“It was not a job. Everyday, kahit nalulugi na, it was just I loved books. The first time the first shipment arrived, it was a very private opening of the boxes, pero iba-iba ang amoy ng bagong libro eh. It was just that we were in the wrong location,” she shares.

When the Libreria at Morato closed down in 2006, Cantero says she already knew that it wouldn't be too long before she started it again in an entirely different location.

“When you think about retiring and what you want to do for the rest of your life, for me it was anything to do with books, whether selling them or publishing books. That's what I grew up with,” she says. “I want to have something to do once I retire, and I really, really like books. When I closed the old one, I had a feeling that I would open again.”

That opportunity to start Libreria again would come to her in 2010, when her daughter brought up Cubao X's call for a bookstore to join its lineup of artsy stores and restaurants.

“My daughter hangs out here and she said that they're looking for a bookstore in Cubao X. When I came here, it has a certain character which I can relate to, which I felt the bookstore would be able to live up to, and that it would welcome the quirkiness of my bookstore,” she says.

By October, Libreria was once again up and running. With its cozy couches and homey set-up, this new bookstore ended up sporting a much more intimate feel than its predecessor.

“This one in Cubao X, I wanted it to be light and bright. The shelves here are patterned after the shelves in my house. You can read and sit here,” she says. “Ilang beses na may papasok rito, magtatanong kung puwede magbasa, at kung magkano.

Normally, I would react and shoo them away, but then I realized that's why they're here. Hindi nila kailangan magbayad, puwede sila umupo.”

Book bloggers' favorite

The Libreria at Cubao X also had one important difference from its predecessor in Cubao — its books were priced a lot less — at least 30 to 40 percent less compared with prices in other bookstores.

These changes caught the eye of the country's book bloggers, who were quick to spread the word among fellow book loving Netizens.

“We're very low key at nakikilala siya because of the bloggers. They have been the one spreading the word about Libreria,” she says. “A friend of mine brought a blogger friend of hers and she was the first one who wrote about it. And then my other friends started blogging about it.”

Achieving the word-of-mouth success that Libreria has among the country's bloggers is usually not achieved without a huge advertising campaign behind it, and Cantero says it is Libreria's personal touch that has given her this advantage.

“I own the place, and when people talk to me, so there's a conversation right away. Not like in some bookstores, where there is somebody who is paid to talk to you, and who will ask somebody else about whether a book is available. Here, you talk to me, you tell me what you want,” she says.

Libreria has also become the darling of book groups like Flips Flipping Pages and the Filipino Book Bloggers, who often hold activities inside the store. And this association with these book groups has proved not beneficial to Cantero not just economically, but in a personal way as well.

“The nice thing about the book clubs that come here is you hear about other books. They stretch your reading list because they don't just focus on what the majority likes. They tackle as many subjects as possible,” she says. “Because of this store I've also been able to read new kinds of books. I finally read 'Pride and Prejudice'!

I had a copy that was annotated, and I was able to understand the book because of the annotations.”

Cantero says that she plans to keep Libreria open for as long as possible, not just for herself, but for all the book lovers she has met and is yet to meet through her store.

“A lot of the regulars here have become my friends. I consider my clientele my friends. Anyone who loves books is a friend here. If you're a book lover, you will love it here,” she ends.