Should I or should I not? hmmm.....
Considering the huge hype over the release of the new Harry Potter book and my previous claim of being a fan of the series (I like things which convinces me that I am still a big kiddo...ahhahaha), I surprised everyone when I declared nonchalently to my mum that I wasn't bothered to reserve the book in advance at MPH. I mean...what's the fuss....if in England, yes the book may be oversold...but what are the chances of that happening in Malaysia where easily 90% of the population does not read, let alone spend money on books?!?!? and if past track records are anything to go by....one just has to wait for a month or two before discounts are offered by bookshops who are almost too eager to free-up some shelf space for other new titles.
erhm...This supposed nonchalence, however, did not stop me from conveniently popping into bookstores to sneak a peek... oh ok, many peeks then.
Despite constant bombardment from adverts and newspaper clippings that the new release was the 6th in the series, it only dawned upon me during a detour into MPH 1 Utama that I only had the first 4 of the Harry Potter books in my collection!!!
er....you mean there was a fifth????? how come I totally like er....missed that?!??!?!
OMG!!!! I felt like I've lived in a time bubble of sorts!!! How come I totally missed the fifth??? and this was despite the fact that I have been waltzing in and out of bookshops every once in a while....have I just been totally blind?!??!?!
Rationalising, I comforted myself that last year's release probably coincided with my tax filing peak period (was attached to the tax arm of an audit firm then, so hours were crazy long!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and my ACCA finals...must have been the lack of sleep causing me to zombie in and out of shops without registering that something new and hot was out!! Furthermore, the 5th book does look very much alike the 4th one, no??
vs
Ok, to me both covers look very similar...both have something with wings poised in mid-flight, flames and are of an reddish-orangy hue....
and in case you're wondering...I readily admit that I don't fare very well in those spot-the-difference exercises you come across in some obscure magazine which assumes its readers have nothing much better to do than stare intently at a page, noting down the dissimilarities between 2 pictures which have no value-add whatsoever in their lives...anyway I digress...
So yes, how could I now buy the 6th book without having read the 5th one? and by the way, where the hell were the new books....I see posters, but try as I might I could not find the stack of goodies!!!! ha....a bemused security personnel kindly informed confused and disoriented me that MPH stashes the stock at the counter...hmmmm...i wonder why?
anyway, since I haven't read the 5th book yet, may as well just get it....oh!!! and wonder of wonders...the paperback version is now only retailing at RM40 as compared to the normal hardback price of RM99.90! Yippee...I just saved 50%....and at the rate I am going, maybe by the time I get around to the 6th book...the paperback version will be out as well....another 50% of savings.....boy!!! Am i getting good at scrimping!!!! eheheheheheh
so yes....the last few week nights, have been pouring over the 5th book....and as i went through it, i thought to myself...hmmm...this seems familar.....deja-vu!??!?! Half-way through I even had a premonition that Sirius Black wasn't going to be around for long....and I didn't even attend Professor Sybil Trelawney's divination classes....then *boing* I remembered that I HAVE READ THE BOOK ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*duh*
Aaaah.....I now remember having camped at MPH Mid-Valley after work for one whole week (hubby used to work there and we car-pooled...so while waiting for him, what else better to do eh?)...hehehehehe....reading the book for free! Don't get me wrong....I have always intended to get the book, but obviously having finished it then, I'd conveniently forgotten about actually forking money out to purchase it later! *sheepish grin*
Well....am sure am not the only one...which also explains why MPH now wisely locks up its new Harry Potter stocks behind the cashier as well!!! tee hee hee
and btw, have succumbed to temptation and bought Harry Potter the 6th today....*sucker*....can't wait to whizz off to my 6th year at Hogwarts
munsta ramblings @ 8:56 pm
2 Comments:
I used to rent from Novelhut at RM0.50 per novel (yeah the good ole dirtcheap days). Is this popular in KL? Ipoh Parade's Novelhut still does a roaring trade. But you're right about the dearth of reading habit among youths. Heck when I was working, I didn't exceed ONE book in a year **blushes purple with embarrassment** Only lately, I started being more aware of what happens outside my workworld ...
There are Novelhut equivalents in KL too...but they tend to stock up along the lines of Mills & Boon, Danielle Steele etc...after a while it just gets predictable
although you may occasionally stumble across a gem, there is generally not much choice if you're not heavily into romance
For newer books...its better to just lepak in MPH and browse.
To be fair, I do make a point to purchase books which I find are worthy buys (provided I am not in severe financial trouble at that time of the month *grin*), else the poor authors will be going out of business on account of too many free riders :)
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