If walls could talk, they’d whisper stories from Lost Books.
We all have at least one hibernating activity to retreat from life’s daily troubles. Some resort to media consumption, others find comfort in the distinct flavors of a meal. But sometimes, as cliché as it may get, the best way to do it is to get blissfully lost.
For those seeking such an escape, an indie bookshop sitting along the roads of Cebu Capitol creates the perfect atmosphere to be lost in. At Lost Books, we get the ultimate amalgamation for solitude—coffee and books.
Stories Waiting To Be Found
Outside the bookshop hangs its name, Lost Books, in green fabric. Shortened to Lost Bookstores, this alludes to the city’s limited access to books, especially those locally published.
The co-owners, D and Rachel, saw this as an opportunity to transform an ATM vestibule into a bookshop that now houses over 200 titles within sundry genres. The curation of these copies also includes local and international publications, award-winning works such as Nobel Prize and National Book Award winners, and celebrated authors across the globe.
As soon as you enter the shop, a huge shelf on your right greets you with pride. It displays a selection from local authors—one of Lost Books’ inspirations to open its doors and keep these stories alive.
The collection ranges from representations of what it means to be a true Cebuano or Filipino, to short story and essay collections exploring the experience of being a woman. Even out-of-print copies are carefully preserved here. Notable works on this shelf include Romancing with Words: The Life and Works of Greg M. Mercado (1919-1967), Damgo ug Alimungaw by Vicente Vivencio “Butch” Bandillo, and Disaster: Creative Non-Fiction by Women written by the members of Women in Literary Arts – Cebu, Inc. (WILA).
Classics, contemporary fiction, memoirs, poetry, and art books are just a few of the titles you can browse as you go further into the narrow interior. You might come across the books you read on summer nights as a teenager, or the stories that made you imagine being caught in a sudden love triangle with a brooding vampire and a werewolf. Either way, there’s much more for you to discover.
These titles have come together through donations, consignments, and collections, some even from past centuries. One of their oldest and most precious pieces is a pocket-sized, 200-year-old copy of The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith.
If you have books scattered around the house collecting dust, you might want to visit their shop and give them a new home. As the co-owners believe, books carry a natural spirit that needs to be shared.
Additionally, Lost Books also hosts book donation drives for My Bonita Home for Young Girls, local learning centers, and even for children with a penchant for reading.
A Taste of Literature
Apart from reading, you can also fill your cravings in this little space. Their menu is a breath of options with witty names inspired by book titles. Of Mice and Beverage features their hot and cold coffee and juices. They also offer a pastry selection under Gulliver’s Pastry Travels, sandwiches under The Little Sandwich Prince, and more.
Prices range from Php 80 to Php 190, making it easy to enjoy this anti-hustle space without straining your budget.
Tangible Treasures
If you’re also a firm believer that prints and physical forms of writing shouldn’t die down with the rise of everything digital, you can find handbound journals, notebooks, planners, and postcards on one of their shelves.
Help celebrate these stories by visiting Lost Books. Store hours are from 10 AM to 7 PM everyday.
