I rounded the corner in the mall and I saw … a bookstore ?! Yes, a real bookstore !!
Where many many moons ago, I would spend any free hours I had, slowly walking from aisle to the next aisle, scanning each shelf for a name or a title that might catch my eye, opening the book and smelling that book smell as I fan the pages and coming to a stop on any page and start reading …
I was glad to see that real books are still being sold. Yes, the e-versions are so much more lighter to carry around 😉 But I still look for the smell of the paper and the weight of a real book in my hands.
We were cooling off in the mall, and came across a big Amazon sign up on the wall … a real Amazon bookstore?? Yes, I vaguely remembered reading something about it somewhere … So, of course I had to go in and browse!
This generation’s comics have really come a long way, hasn’t it? I remembered thin 20-30 page comics – not a book, more like a magazine. These ones now are hard-cover and bigger! I almost bought one, just to see what reading a comic book is like now, until I saw the price, and got sticker shock!
Journals … I was pleasantly surprised when I found this on the shelf. They still make 5-year diaries? Really? Well, they call it a memory book, and one line a day only, so I guess only the most memorable event is going to be noted down.
I actually found my 5-yr diary recently, and spent an hour flipping through it to read about my days as a high-schooler in Nigeria … Was I really like that? Did I really think like that? I feel so old now, speciallly after I found the graduation day entry (which coincided with Tin’s recent grad date, but was moved to an earlier date, can’t remember why now).
List … hmmm, we all know who we are. Making a list of lists, of whatever. I was tempted to get this, but didn’t. But maybe I should, so I can make lists of something else other than groceries and back-to-school supplies and bills …
Self-discovery … I looked through some of the questions, and it does make you stop and think for a moment on how or what to answer. These days, I find that we’re quick to come up with a generic answer, but if we’re really honest with ourselves, our answers to some of the questions asked will be outside the norm. At least for me – I find that my answers are more often than not a bit odd for others, and I get some odd looks, like a ‘She’s weird’ look 🙂
The trip is not complete if I didn’t walk out of the store with a new book, or at least found another book to add to the TBR list and pile.
This bookcover caught my eye … and the author’s name too. And yes, she is Nigerian, and the setting is in Nigeria. No, I didn’t buy this one … but I did buy the audible version, and currently listening to it. It’s ok, so far. I was expecting more, and only realized after that this is a YA book. I guess I was expecting some heavier reading, given the content of magic powers and struggles.
And look! A book about wool ! Well, not exactly. The chapter titles have a reference to wool and knitting. Perhaps the story has some reference to the fiber arts and crafts. From the bits I read, this seems to be a little on the dark side. Will have to look into this a bit more …
The boys were outside, calling. Time to go. And that’s my 40-minute walk around a real bookstore.
I should do this more often …
