My Favorite Place -- Booksale

It's the end of the month. It's payday. It's the time for me to go to a second-hand book shop called Booksale. I told myself a month ago that I should limit my book buying to once a month to control my budget and to have proper organization of my books. I usually go over budget when I'm in a secondhand book shop. In book stores where prices are astounding, I rarely go overboard, maybe buying one or two, at the most, books. But in a secondhand bookshops, I can go gaga!

I was excited as I left the office and walked my way to the nearest mall. No rain can prevent me from going to Booksale. I tried to give myself a maximum budget to splurge in my book hoarding, I mean, hunting, but failed. I reasoned that I only go once a month, might as well buy all the books that I want. Yes, it's bad for my wallet and I have to re-train myself to mind my purchases.

My feet felt giddy. If I could run to the mall, I would but that won't look so nice. I even hummed as I walk the mall's pavement. Imagine me, humming! Just because of a trip to the book shop. I must be losing it.

There were a few customers at Booksale, mostly guys. Maybe the ladies will be here a little later.

I went to the Bestseller section and immediately saw a familiar book cover. It's a Sidney Sheldon novel entitled "Nothing Lasts Forever"! (swoon) I haven't read this before in my history of Sheldon reading. I picked it up, checked the price, it's P130. Good!

I browsed the other shelves and did not find anything that I might like to read. I thought that I should look more intently to the titles so I can pick up another book. Then, I saw "Mosaic" by Soheir Khashoggi. I saw this book in a bookstore and thought of adding it to my Book Wish List. Now, I have to delete it from the list. Mosaic is priced at P80.

Founding "Mosaic" seemed to open my eyes in finding other interesting books. I saw "Tara Road" by Maeve Binchy which costs P80. I thought I should look for other Tara Road books since at Booksale, they have different pricing for the same book, depending on its newness and the quality of the paper (sometimes there are books with warped pages, this costs less).

Behind me, two girlfriends are talking about the books they have. One said she has "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett for P35. Thirty-five pesos?!

The game of Finders Keepers is on! When they left, I quickly looked at the table/shelf where I assumed they got the 35-peso book. I want to have a cheap book also. :) I thought I have honed my bargain hunting of books but I was wrong.

There, at the bottom shelf, was another copy of Tara Road...for P45. I also saw "The Pilot's Wife" by Aniita Shreve for P45, which I bought for P80 last month. Bummer. See how patiently looking for books would give you much savings?

My buy of the day would be "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle for P60. I've been meaning to buy this book years ago but haven't got the chance. Now I have it.

At the end of my book hunting, I was able to purchase 5 books for P345. Five books at the cost of one fiction novel in bookstores! Weeee!