I’m a book raider. My father, bastard that he was, managed to accomplish something significant in his lifetime – to pass on his book-worming gene to me. I’m one of those bookworms who can spend an hour or more searching for books and magazines, patiently going through selection after selection among the crowded, sometimes dusty shelves, hoping to score a bargain find. Zealous book raiders like me will go to the farthest corners of the store and search book after book. We practically squat and sit on the floor just to reach the lowest shelves and rummage through the piles of forgotten books sitting there, like orphans waiting for foster parents to come and get them. I’ve unearthed quite a lot of treasures from the endless sea of books that I’ve perused.
Now, Booksale’s ongoing sale triggered my book maniac tendencies. The fact that I pass by a Booksale branch inside Makati Cinema Square everyday before and after work doesn’t help at all – it made considerable dent in my budget already, and I’m acting like a junkie of Amy Winehouse-proportions.
I started my book-buying spree last, last week. I remember the first day perfectly; I went inside the store, took in the sight of bargain books galore with that addicting book smell, and went berserk. Now I’ve already scoured three branches – Makati Cinema Square, Pedro Gil and Harrison Plaza. The result is a pile of 10 old-new books on my white plastic desk, waiting for me to read them (as of today, I’ve already finished two). Sale started earlier this month, and will go on until October 24.
God have mercy on me and my aching wallet.
I love the smell of books. I’m addicted to it, a tad more than to the smell of newly photocopied pages. I had a ball spending unimaginable number of hours in the humongous UST library, not only because I actually read the books and do my research there (and yes, to snooze when I cut classes), but also because of the potent smell of old books wafting in the air-conditioned floors. Some people find this nerdy, but those who love books as much as I do share the same appreciation for the smell of books, both old and new. When you get a new book, there is the smell of newness, a totally virgin book waiting for you to devour and possess its pages. When you get an old book, there is this smell of oldness that is even more appealing. Whenever I took an old book out of the library shelves, I would spend a couple of minutes sniffing the book, inhaling the majestic aroma of pages that stood the test of time.
I’m starting to sound like a major nerd, am I not? But wait, there’s more!
Aside from the regular bookstores, I also buy my precious babies from those books and magazines stands that line the stretch of Recto and University Belt. I started looking for books there when I was still in college. I’ve bought quite a lot of gems there (one is Mistral’s Daughter, for only 20 bucks!) and my brother got his fix of Heavy Metal and Playboy magazines.
One of the most delightful experiences that I’ve had is to discover a great book that cost me practically nothing at the most unexpected places. One time, I was walking the streets of Paco in my street urchin getup to go to the grocery and passed by an old barbershop with a cigarette stand in front. I stopped dead on my tracks when I noticed the pile of books that the vendor was selling. Manang, ano yan, tinitinda nyo? I asked. Oo, ne, bargain lang ito, kunin mo na, she replied. With the word bargain egging me on, I started rummaging through the dusty little pile and found Twisted, Jessica Zafra’s first book. Sampung piso na lang yan, ne, the vendor told me. 10 pesos?!?! I practically hyperventilated. Needless to say, I got the book and a couple of others, and walked away a happy girl. Since then, I started buying Jessica Z’s books (at full prices, I might add).
Here are some of the babies that I bought, with their corresponding prices.
- Bling by Erica Kennedy (PHP40)
- The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos (PHP10)
- The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve (PHP15)
- Lady Moses by Lucinda Roy (PHP10)
- Midnight Champagne by A. Manette Ansay (PHP15)
- The Delilah Complex by M.J. Rose (PHP15)
- Dress Code by Noelle Howey (PHP10)
- The Secrets of the Flesh: A Life by Collette by Judith Thurman (PHP40)
- The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem (PHP15)
All books are in great condition, luckily, none of the copies that I bought have those irritating scribblings that previous book owners sometimes put in their copies. If you’ve already read some of the selections, feel free to dish if they’re great or if they suck.
