Restraint

I've been going to the Manila International Book Fair since 1994. Ayayay! Almost 20 years! Is my age showing? Anyway, it feels like yesterday since my first MIBF. I've seen it "grow" through the years, and I've mostly viewed the event as an opportunity to exercise my powers of restraint.

It's always a challenge not to indiscriminately buy all the books on display at the event though. There's always the temptation to empty one's wallet. Who cares about food, or clothes, or bus fares when you can get that beautiful hardback you've had your eyes on, yes?

This year, I bought just 2 books! Woot woot! Well, I did also buy a few knick knacks though, as I couldn't resist their witty designs. Photos of my purchases below; click on them to enlarge.

Well, technically, I bought just 1 of these 2 books, and that's the Tigana.
R. gave me the Vonnegut, something to add to my collection.
Tigana is a bit hard to come by, so buying it was a no-brainer.

I just had to get these cards from Tahanan Books.
They cost just Php 19.00 each! Roughly $ 0.40.
The front quotes are just too funny. Misheard, misused, and misunderstood!

These notepads, also from Tahanan Books, have Filipino gay lingo expressions on them.
They're appropriate called Chorva Pads!
Campy and cute!

And the only other book that I purchased.
It cost just Php 500 ( ~$11)! Down from the original price of Php 2,500!
I've always wanted a Larousse.
I don't think I would ever want to remove the shrink wrap.

I can't wait for MIBF 2014! It always feels like Christmas if you're a bibliophile.

Book hunting in Bangkok

Last week, I found myself in Bangkok for the 2nd time this year for work-related stuff, and I thought the trip would be a good opportunity for me to finally get a copy of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. Hey, if I can't get a copy in Manila, I might as well try somewhere else, right? So off I go.

During my 2nd day, I had some free time off in the early evening, so I decided to head to the nearest mall, which is the humongous Central World. I checked out two bookstores. The first, Asia Books, seem to carry only new fiction titles.

The Kinokuniya bookstore looked promising, but it didn't have the Mitchell. They did have lots of erotica, apparently riding on the Fifty Shades bandwagon. Kinokuniya is one of my favorite book haunts. I can spend an entire day in a Kinokuniya.

Erotic fiction at the Kinokuniya Central World branch 

On my 3rd day, I checked out another Kinokuniya branch in Siam Paragon. Again, no luck. Good thing I asked the customer service department to find out if they do have Mitchell in other branches. Just my luck, they have it in Prom Phong, which is 6 train stations away from Siam Paragon. They'll hold the book for me for 3 days. I did buy two books: Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence, George Eliot's Middlemarch, and E. M. Foster's Howard's End. They came in Penguin editions. I couldn't resist.

When I get back at the hotel, I received an email from the Fully Booked bookstore in Manila, telling me that they finally have it in stock. Great! I figured I can it cheaper back home. And they told me that they also have it in their book fair booth, which was until Sunday. Perfect! I'll be back in Manila by Sunday, just in time to finally get my hands on a copy.

On my 4th day, I hopped on the train and went to Prom Phong, just to check out their Kinokuniya branch. They did have it in stock, and it's in the cover that I want! Thinking, thinking. Should I get it? It costs almost double the price. Nah, I'll just get the book in Manila, I said to myself. I did get 4 more books: John Wyndham's The Kraken Wakes, Diana Wynne Jones's Castle in the Air, Paul Buckley's Penguin 75, and a book about useless Japanese inventions.

 The Kinokuniya Prom Phong branch

My flight on my 5th and final day in Bangkok was at 11.35 pm, and the last order of business ended at noon. Yay! Free time! And where else will I kill free time? Why, at a bookstore of course! But it dawned on me that I have no reading material while waiting for boarding later! You see, all my stuff have been packed. Packing for me is a science, requiring proper positioning of the items to maximize space. I don't want to bother anymore unpacking just to get a book to read for later. So I bought Jo Nesbo's The Leopard, which was my last book purchase in this city (or so I hope).

So yesterday, I dropped by the Manila International Book Fair to help out with manning our booth. (I work for a book publishing house.) Then I went to the Fully Booked booth to get a copy of Cloud Atlas. But they ran out! Can you effing believe it?! Oh well, I've always wanted a copy of Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, so I just bought that to console myself.

My book loot last week

Heavy on the classics, no?

Addendum:
I emailed my contact at Fully Booked about what happened and she told me that they probably have some stocks left and they'll reserve one for me. Thank goodness!