(I shall write reviews that are more detailed on the books when… when it is possible erm, when I want to!)
I love the atmosphere at the open-air street market. The air. The vibe. The uncle who blares his amplifier – I have yet to check out his collection of piring hitam (LP). The auntie who asked if I want to buy her flowers. The shoppers haggling for a lower price. The durian seller with his display of artsy durian-chopping skill. I prefer to observe these while slowly making my way to the favorite bookstall.
Normally I don’t stay at the stall for too long, perhaps just a good 10, 20 minutes to pick a book before I head out to the wet market to get my breakfast and Sunday’s copy of papers.
Bound Feet & Western Dress is a little bit old by my standard. The book was cockroach-infested; judging by the holes and the stains in some pages. Nevertheless, I am always fascinated by the old Chinese bound-feet culture so I got it for one weekend reading bliss.
As for Wild Swan, I borrowed it from a library before. However, I still want to read it for a second time (I read some books for a second, or third, or numerous times). A valid reason to purchase it, eh? This one is still in a good condition – not smelly, just a little dusty (I guess due to the storage), although the edge of the cover is torn.
Have you read any books recently?