Book Splurge [11]: The 2012 MIBF Loot
This is my third consecutive time to attend the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), and I am happy to say that, as in the two previous years, I went home with a very satisfied smile on my face.
I went there on Saturday with my family in tow, but they opted to stay at the nearby mall instead of literally tagging along with me everywhere I went. For my lone visit to the book fair, I gave myself a budget of P2,000.00 - if I were to choose wisely, I know I can bring home a horde of books with that amount. :)
Upon entry, I made a beeline for the Fully Booked booth at the right side. I wasn't really looking for anything specific; I was just browsing through the aisles, waiting for one or two titles to catch my attention. True enough, one did catch my eye, displayed at a rack near the cashier: Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves.
Until just a few days before the MIBF, I haven't even heard of the book. The first time I encountered it was through my bookish friends Angus and Aldrin, the latter being the owner of a copy which the former was supposed to borrow. When Angus looted the book fair on Thursday, however, (I asked and) he told me that he purchased a copy for himself, and that it was priced, um, not so cheaply.
So, when I spied the copies of House of Leaves at the Fully Booked shelf on Saturday, I decided to take a look. To say that I was beyond intrigued is an understatement. Get a load of these:
Right then and there, I decided to get myself a copy, which I bought for P799, with a 20% discount. That would be around P639. :)
I also thought it was high time I read a Bradbury, and so when I passed by the science fiction shelves, I did not hesitate to take a copy of Fahrenheit 451 with me.
Transferring to National Book Store, I spent a lot of time in the literary award-winners shelves and debated over whether I should get a new copy of David Mitchell's Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas, or choose something that I have not read yet. Guess what I finally decided on? :)
For the longest time I've been meaning to read Roland Barthes' A Lover's Discourse: Fragments, and so when I found a copy, I got one and didn't let go. Also, I saw several titles from Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, including My Name Is Red, which my bookish buddy recently reviewed, but thought of picking one of his more recent works. Hence, Snow. :)
So, did I stick to my P2,000.00 budget? These are the amounts of my purchases:
Okay, I did overshoot my original budget, but just a little! My purchases came up to a total of P2,097.65. Not bad, heehee. :D
I went there on Saturday with my family in tow, but they opted to stay at the nearby mall instead of literally tagging along with me everywhere I went. For my lone visit to the book fair, I gave myself a budget of P2,000.00 - if I were to choose wisely, I know I can bring home a horde of books with that amount. :)
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| What's in the (Fully Booked) bag? |
Upon entry, I made a beeline for the Fully Booked booth at the right side. I wasn't really looking for anything specific; I was just browsing through the aisles, waiting for one or two titles to catch my attention. True enough, one did catch my eye, displayed at a rack near the cashier: Mark Danielewski's House of Leaves.
Until just a few days before the MIBF, I haven't even heard of the book. The first time I encountered it was through my bookish friends Angus and Aldrin, the latter being the owner of a copy which the former was supposed to borrow. When Angus looted the book fair on Thursday, however, (I asked and) he told me that he purchased a copy for himself, and that it was priced, um, not so cheaply.
So, when I spied the copies of House of Leaves at the Fully Booked shelf on Saturday, I decided to take a look. To say that I was beyond intrigued is an understatement. Get a load of these:
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| Unusual formatting. This is all that's printed on this page. |
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| Reverse print? |
Right then and there, I decided to get myself a copy, which I bought for P799, with a 20% discount. That would be around P639. :)
I also thought it was high time I read a Bradbury, and so when I passed by the science fiction shelves, I did not hesitate to take a copy of Fahrenheit 451 with me.
Transferring to National Book Store, I spent a lot of time in the literary award-winners shelves and debated over whether I should get a new copy of David Mitchell's Ghostwritten and Cloud Atlas, or choose something that I have not read yet. Guess what I finally decided on? :)
 |
| The loot! |
For the longest time I've been meaning to read Roland Barthes' A Lover's Discourse: Fragments, and so when I found a copy, I got one and didn't let go. Also, I saw several titles from Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk, including My Name Is Red, which my bookish buddy recently reviewed, but thought of picking one of his more recent works. Hence, Snow. :)
So, did I stick to my P2,000.00 budget? These are the amounts of my purchases:
- House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski - originally P799, bought for P639.20
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - originally for P499, bought for P399.20
- A Lover's Discourse: Fragments by Roland Barthes - originally P695, bought for P556.00
- Snow by Orhan Pamuk - originally P629.00, bought for P503.25
Okay, I did overshoot my original budget, but just a little! My purchases came up to a total of P2,097.65. Not bad, heehee. :D
Comments
But that's okay, hehe. Just browsing through its pages makes it worth the "discounted" price. The lower edge of my copy has a very minor damage, and this is why I think it's not fair. :D
So I spent a total of Php 1907.25. Add the Keane concert tix that I bought. Add the bills that I paid. Add my two-week budget. Add ... argh! Hahaha!
PETER: I can't wait to read it! But I have a feeling it's going to be a challenge to understand the format. Haha. :)
That Danielewski really is intriguing. It made me think of this book I've read last year, My Monk by Elizabeth Dembrowski (which I couldn't google, since it's like a thesis / MFA project of some sort I bought at Booksale)... it's subtitled as a "typographical novel", if I'm not mistaken, and it looks just like that Danielewski book, Polish-sounding surnames aside.
Well, it was kind of a let-down for some of these books to bank on the typographic merit (uniqueness, among others like the intrigue when I've seen weird footnotes, etc) since, when you look at the story itself it wasn't any good at all. It's just fanfare to me, but I'll wait for your review on Danielewski.
Cheers!
Regarding the books featured on this post. Yes, buying brand-new books can truly hurt one's budget, and I do frequent Book Sale every once in a while. But when I'm desperate to get hold of a book, I tend to go first to the fancy bookstores which, more than likely, will hold a copy.
I've yet to read Danielewski, and I'm excited to read this one! :)
Am linking you up as well. Please feel free to visit again and browse. :)
:)