Today, I want to share this cool online bookstore-slash-publication I’m partnering with for my local reads in August, and beyond: Bookshelf PH.

August is Buwan ng Wika in the Philippines. Which means that the long-anticipated #Wikathon celebrations all over the Filipino book community are now in full swing! In case you didn’t know, Buwan Ng Wika is a month-long celebration of the Filipino language in the Philippines. With that, it’s also the perfect time to show local authors and books some love, hence the Wikathon reading challenge.

As the name suggests, the initiative is all about reading books by authors of Philippine descent, may it be in the English or Filipino language. Thankfully, more and more Filipino authors are getting the recognition they deserve in publishing, distribution, and readership around the world. But something I’ve noticed is that there’s still a lack of appreciation or awareness for them in the Philippines. Especially outside the book community of bloggers, and content creators. I have to admit myself that I haven’t read a lot of Filo-authored books through the years. There’s still much to be done in that front.

That’s why I’m so happy to share my partnership with Bookshelf PH! They’re an online bookstore in the Philippines that also publishes titles by Filipino authors, for the Filipino audience. They have a growing selection of non-fiction and fiction titles on their virtual store. Majority of the books also have affordable E-book copies so you could truly read it anywhere around the world.

Spotlight on Filipino Authors

Although there’s a growing number of mainstream Filipino titles and authors in major bookstores across the country, it’s still largely more international. Or, to be frank, more Western. On Bookshelf PH, I’m happy to report that all books are written by authors from our unique Pinoy perspective. A lot of them are also independent authors looking to develop their idea more thoroughly. Bookshelf PH’s team helps them with developing that as well.

If you look around the Skimming Spines space, there’s really no sign of me reading non-fiction anywhere. That’s because I’ve never finished one in my life. 😅 And although I’m looking forward to check out Bookshelf PH’s library of non-fiction titles, the first thing I really explored in their virtual store are the fiction books.

After window shopping, I’m happy to report that Bookshelf PH’s growing library have a decent number of fiction titles. Since they’ve only launched their brand a few months ago, it’s already quite a good bunch! I’m excited to see them acquire and publish more titles in the years to come.

Books I Want to Check Out

Here’s a quick list of the e-books I’m eyeing to read from their collection:

Chroma Hearts: A Romantic Psychological Thriller

Synopsis:

Melvin and Erica are childhood sweethearts. Theirs is a love nurtured through the years. Everything is perfect. They are on the road to their happily ever after. Until their love is put to a series of tests: trials of fire.

Erica is brutally assaulted, left for dead but miraculously survives. Undeterred, they go through with their wedding. But an unwanted outcome and an unexpected memory of the assault push Erica to the edge. Her mind switches off. She becomes catatonic.

Armed with only his unwavering love for her, Melvin strives to unlock her mind and bring her back to him.

But what if the key to her brain opens up Pandora’s box, unraveling a hideous truth about the crime which they mistakenly thought was solved? Will they be able to accept it—or survive it?

Chroma Hearts is an intensely emotional psychological thriller about a love that destroys and a love that heals.

Check it out on Bookshelf PH (get 5% off with my affiliate code: SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5): https://bookshelf.com.ph/products/ebook-chroma-hearts-a-romantic-psychological-thriller

The Heart of Summer

Synopsis:

“The Heart of Summer” gathers together the selected stories and tales of Danton Remoto. They range from vivid stories of childhood to memories of a grandmother about the epic sweep of Philippine history. The tales range from magic-realist works to origin stories with two alternative endings. Some of the stories have won awards from the Philippines Free Press and Philippine Graphic short-story contests, while the others are now being taught in secondary schools, colleges and universities. Danton Remoto was educated in the Philippines, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This is his latest book after Riverrun, A Novel, published to critical acclaim by Penguin Random House South East Asia.”

Check it out on Bookshelf PH (get 5% off with my affiliate code: SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5): https://bookshelf.com.ph/products/ebook-the-heart-of-summe

Fearless Filipinas: 12 Women Who Dared to be Different

Synopsis:

Fearless Filipinas: 12 Women Who Dared to Be Different features the stories of the most successful Filipinas in the world. They span across a wide variety of fields, including business, media, science, sports, academe, entertainment, arts, and more. Collectively, these stories provide insight on how to succeed as a female leader, making this book perfect for any woman who dreams of changing the world.

Check it out on Bookshelf PH (get 5% off with my affiliate code: SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5): https://bookshelf.com.ph/products/ebook-fearless-filipinas-12-women-who-dared-to-be-different

Warm Blankets in Cold Midnights: A Compilation of One-shot Stories

Synopsis:

Warm Blankets in Cold Midnights is a compilation of 41 one-shot stories in the romantic genre. The first part, ‘Warm Blankets’ contains 23 happy love stories while the second one, ‘Cold Midnights’ consists of 18 sad one-shots. This book, as a whole, was made out of love, resembling not just the gleaming bits of it, but also the rusty parts.

Check it out on Bookshelf PH (get 5% off with my affiliate code: SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5): https://bookshelf.com.ph/collections/fiction/products/ebook-warm-blankets-in-cold-midnights

Dream of Dragons

Synopsis:

Born the heir to the Kingdom of Aldoran, Loren knew she would have to work hard to fill the place of her kind and noble parents once the time came. With the king’s hands tied with the threat of war, the queen clinging to life from an attempted assassination, and the kingdom’s staunchest ally dead, Loren finds herself the only one who can restore her mother’s health and bring peace to the region.

Meanwhile, the Red Sisters of Sagna have their sights on something more valuable than their long-standing alliance with Aldoran. Queen Haedria of Sagna seeks the secrets Aldoran keeps beneath their castle, and her sister Seraphis has her own plans for Princess Loren.

On a journey to find the cure for her mother, she meets Kae the huntress, on whom she leans on for strength, support—and something deeper.

Check it out on Bookshelf PH (get 5% off with my affiliate code: SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5): https://bookshelf.com.ph/collections/fiction/products/ebook-dream-of-dragons

How it Works

BookShelfPH ships their physical books internationally, while their e-books are freely delivered to your e-mail upon purchase. The reader they use for e-books is the Adobe Editions reader app to ensure the security of the books for our local authors. You can download it on your Mac / Windows device here.

I’m not going to lie, I do wish the platform was a lot more accessible for me, especially as I never read on my laptop. But, if this is what it takes to support more local authors, I’m game to try it out.

Adobo Digital Editions is also available on Apple and Android smart phones, but my experience with the mobile app is honestly not that great. So I’d say it’s better to check them out through your laptop or a tablet!

Verdict

I’ll be posting my reviews on these titles soon so I can share with you guys which titles are worth getting! If you’re already interested to check them out yourself, and BookShelf PH’s other titles, you can get them at 5% off with the code SKIMMINGBOOKSHELF5. ☺️