Going Book Shopping

Not long ago. Sometime in the afternoon, if I’m not mistaken. Riding my extremely ‘ancient’ Dad’s Honda Cub, I headed to the Water Front and Heritage City, Kuala Terengganu. I parked the motorbike as usual, at a parking lot somewhere truly beside some contemporary-looking building whose name I myself feel unsure of. Because I couldn't care less! 

Shortly afterwards, I cautiously walked across the one-way street, past some bank (Can't recall its real name I'm afraid.) before I stepped into a huge bookstore reading ‘Pustaka Seri Intan 2’. Its location’s just next to the Kenangan Hotel – a budget hotel I assume. Truth be told, this is my favourite bookstore where I most often go book shopping at.

Walking past the main entrance, I typically take a look on an enormous quantity of for-sale magazines, very neatly arranged on a sort of flat shelf. Of household-related titles to sports, careers, hobbies, worlds of celebrities and whatnot. Allow me to name a few i.e. ‘Midi’, ‘Harmoni’, ‘Glam’ and ‘Mingguan Wanita’.

Unexpectedly, both of my chocolate-coloured eyes caught on this ‘Mingguan Wanita’ mag, serial no. 1570, dated 20-26 Dec publication, all of a sudden. On top of that, a happily married couple of Malaysia’s popular public figures’ nice family photo decorated the cover page, I guess, as ‘bait’ for bookworms. Good trick, isn't it? 

Who knows?

‘Unfortunately’, I was the 'fish' who ate the ‘bait’! Not that I’m a so-called fan of Aidid Marcello's. It’s all due to one inspiring topic titled ‘Angan-angan ke London & Paris Jadi Kenyataan.’ It got me envious as I’ve long dreamt to get there. Very funny! I wish I could get there someday, insya-Allah. I did choose the mag, anyway. Huhu.

A mag had been selected now. Outstanding choice! I then hurried my step, walking forward to another division of the bookstore, heading to the middle. Approaching one of the book shelves, a big book shelf specifically allocated for hundreds of best-selling English novels. And, ones of them must be my favourite ones whose writer's name is Madeleine Wickham a.k.a Sophie Kinsella.  

It’s been such a long time that I yearned for her other must-read novels: ‘The Wedding Girl’ as well as ‘Swimming Pool Sunday’. Both the novels cost me RM30 something respectively. Quite costly, if you ask me. Not that I can’t afford, nevertheless. 

Up till now, I’ve been reading most of her fantastic novels up. Unquestionably, it’s worth every penny! She’s such a gifted novelist and I must say. Today, she’s already attracted, randomly, millions of novel lovers worldwide with her super imaginative plots. Good job, Mrs Sophie! (Looking forward to reading your next novel, even though have yet to finish reading both the mentioned novels.)

Plus, loaded with a whole lot of slightly unpredictable humours as well as suspense, each novel of hers can make us all LOL (laugh out loud) without feeling compelled to.  FYI, both these specialities have eventually made me fall in love with this very talented British novelist’s writing.

Both novels had been chosen now. So, what else? Of course, I gotta pay! I made the payment whereupon. To my knowledge, I’d spent a hundred or so for all the magazine and novels that afternoon. Soon after that, I walked out of the bookstore with contentment. "Yes, I did it!" I cried in silence. And the next destination, naturally, was ‘home sweet home’! "Can't wait to read them up," I whispered deep in my heart. 

PS: I’ve read nearly half of all the chapters in the novel ‘The Wedding Girl’ by now. I wish I could finish my reading ASAP.