My loot from the Pay Less Warehouse sale yesterday. Went with Sham and we had such fun! I hadn't expected there to be so many desirable books - and for next to nothing.
There was such a carnival atmosphere. Everyone shovelling books into huge cardboard cartons with big smiles on their faces. Me piling book after book into Sham's box: "You must read this. And this. And this. And this." And then doing the same thing to all the other people standing around looking at the fiction. Never mind that we hadn't been formally introduced.
Met Raja Ahmad Aminullah, my poet/publisher friend. Thor Kar Hoong of Skoob Books was there with arms full. A very nice young man came up to ask me "Are you Sharon?" Turns out he's one of the silent readers of this blog and enjoys the book recommenations.
I found hardback copies of some of the books I have in tatty paperback and filled in gaps in my library with books by Philip Roth, Barabara Kingsolver, Alice Walker, Carol Shields, Ann Patchett and others. 16 lovely books for RM49!!
25 comments:
Alice Walker's Possessing the Secret of Joy is an amazing read, not just for the fiction, but for the history of what African women go through.
oh dear, i thought today would be a movies day for me (and tomorrow music) but looks like it's going to be books, books, books after all.
I must say big thanks to you for letting us know about the sale before hand because even on the day of sale, there was no banner what-so-ever to mention of the sale going on. I was there at 10.30 am and expected to fill my share of loot! Bought all my favourites like Dave Barry, Peter Mayle, Anne Lamott and other travellers' tales collections.
Quite old and yellow in conditions but heck, it's the words that matter, right?
Yes, dirt cheap, rm39 for 10 books....would have gotten a van load if not for hubby who kept tapping on his watch muttering, "Time's up, time's up..."
Thanks again for sharing updates on warehouse sale and oh, by the way, love your article in the latest Quill (please grab it at MPH 1 Utama, I think other stores don't have it yet, not Mid Valley where I went y'day).
How true that we all need to squeeze, steal, snatch whatever time just to write. I'm reminding myself that everyday.
I didn't go... didn't find much at the recent international book fair, so thought I'd give this one a miss. sigh...
I went yesterday too! At about 5pm (didn't see you). Got 33 books for RM120, which means that the average price of each was something like RM3.63! :D
I think you should devour "Possessing the Secret of Joy" right away. It's a.m.a.z.i.n.g
Btw, do you know about the Troubaganger event tomorrow night?
i have been good. i stayed at work and home. urghs. no no no. cannot go....
me too! i have to stay away cos i still got books from the last sale to finish. plus some books i just bought.
allow me to show off:
In Cold Blood (bloody good book!)
The Myth Of Sysiphus (am fascinated with suicide!)
Don't You Have Time To Think? (Feynman's personality is engaging)
chet - since you and sharanya recommend it so highly shall move it higher up the to-be-read pile!
q - it has to be, dosn't it?
yvonne lee - hello! and you are most welcome - i'm equally grateful to the perosn who forwarded it on to me ... and maybe blabbring bloggers is a good form of advertising
thanks for telling me that "quill" is out - i will go pick up my copy tomorrow
the other yvonne(!) - this one is the best i've been to ...
sharanya - 33 books will certainly keep you busy for a while! tell us your best buys (i didn't put up a post about the trobaganger event did i? completely slipped my mind ... so sorry
ms d - self-control is good. i'm proud of you.
visitor - nice to know what you're reading. i just bought "in cold blood" and want to read it
Am happy with all my buys... Got poetry, some anthologies, some non-fiction, some "take a gamble on" novels (the kind you see elsewhere for RM40 and wish someone would lend to you). Cost-wise, the best buy was probably Alice Walker's "The Same River Twice" in hardback, the original price of which was RM35 (but which I got for a cool RM3.63, all tallied up). Rarity-wise, there were several great finds (but this was Payless after all), the most never-seen-anywhere-else-before one being June Jordan's autobiography "Soldier"). Hehe. Bookglee. :)
If you want to post about tomorrow's event, the flyer's on my blog. Will you be coming?
wow - that's a good haul!
bookglee - lovely expression! i had plenty of bookglee too
have put up the poster too and will try to make it tomorrow tho' it all depends on the whims and vagaries of the other half ("neglecting me again?" is his constant refrain)
I got home with 21 books for RM63.50... would have gotten more, but alas, I needed more hands :D
I was there yesterday too, what time were you there? I met Raja Ahmad though.
we must have been there at roughly the same time ... sad i missed you
so what were your best buys?
A couple of Atwoods (Cat's Eye and Alias Grace) and a book of Ogden Nash's poetry, which I've been thinking of getting for some time now. Even if I didn't get the other books I bought, those would ahve made the trip there worth it.
that's great - atwood is one of my favourite writers tho' i haven't read "cat's eye" yet ... and ogden nash is such fun
oh, and ted - you must have been there before me because i wouldn't have let that atwood get away and i looked at every title on that table!!
I have no time to talk to anyone anymore - am devouring the 25 books I bought for RM 69!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hubby is thinking whether to buy new house altogether or build new room with bookshelves or just move out and leave me behind with books ;)
The gem I missed out on are A Fine Balance, American Pastoral & Beloved as I search frantically but there do not seem to be a second copy. I "gamble" on some authors that are new to me and walk away with Orhan Pamuk, Hillary Mantel, Julia Glass, tracy chevalier, Isaac Bashevis Singer and Julian Barnes.
My best buys would be hardcover copies of 4 blondes, Trading Up and a paperback copy of A Walk in the Woods
Isaac Bashevis Singer is good.
wmsoo - wah! i'm so jealous of some of your bargains! you are really going to enjoy the ones you took a risk on
(and isn't it great that you can afford to take a risk?)
oh i only got 10 paperbacks, but i was happy! didn't have the stamina and muscle for more as i knew i was going to be on public transportation AND planning on a lot of walking after that. almost finished one book too ;-)
Friday - bought 22 books for rm79.50!
Saturday - on the pretext of accompanying friend in order to give her recommendations, went again and bought 4 more. Absolutely fantastic sale, the selection beats Times warehouse. Totally lifted up my mood; friends were asking why I was going around with a huge silly grin although exams were being held. Best buys? Gregory Maguire's Wicked, Fowles' The French Liutenant's Woman, 2 Douglas Couplands and a Milan Kundera as well! And the Payless staff was extremely helpful, the atmosphere was truly charged with bibliomania!
but even 10 good books is a blissful find ... aren't you glad it was a books day?
unfazed - yes, i was also going around with a big stupid grin all day ... bibliomania for sure is the right word
I'd missed both as I thought I might as well complete reading Tony Parson's Man and Boy and Jodi Picoult's Perfect Match. These two will sure flower my time without fail. Can't believe that Jodi's books are such a thriller! Just read a couple of pages and I thought, hey! this book is quite cool!
Visitor, glad you found In Cold Blood to be bloody good. Have been campaigning unsuccessfully to have this as a future read in our book club. Have been branded a lover of violent, gory fiction. YESSSSS!!! Somebody needs to lace the honey with a little vinegar,you dig?
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