So last week, the much awaited book sale happened in Amcorp Mall. I was thinking of going in the morning of the first day but I got a SMS from a friend who said that it was packed. I then decided to go later that night.

IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!!!

 When its maiden sale happened in May, I wrote a review here which favoured this sale. After all, reading is an expensive hobby and any great sale like this would have been great to book worms like me.

Due to that great experience I had, I was really looking forward to this year end sale. However, this was what I found.

The whole venue was extremely small. I do not see how it can accomodate 200,000 titles and all those people in it comfortably.

The entrance was jammed with people who were queuing to pay. The queues were zig zagging and my friend said she had to wait for a whole hour to pay! OMG! I had half a mind to leave the second I stepped into the place.

Then I found that the aisles were too small to fit all the bookworms there who had baskets, bags and boxes in their hands. I had to elbow my way around since that is the only way I could move forward. People who brought their babies in strollers were in for a surprise.

Although I saw some great titles on self-help, I could not really reach it cause it was just too many people around it. Business selection seems to be more limited this time round as well.

One thing which topped my annoyance was how the sales people behaved. One guy who was rearranging some of the books was practically ripping away a book which my little boy was looking at. When I asked why he did it, he simply said that my little Ryan was going to tear it apart and so, he should take it away! When I insisted that Ryan will not do that, he pointed his finger to Ryan and said that if it is torn, then I will have to pay for it! Did he have to be so rude??

Then there was this girl at the customer service table in the children’s section who gave me a non-committed look when I left my bag of unpaid books with her. Ryan wanted to poop and I was not going to hold it off while I zig zag my way through the payment queue. And so, she simply shrugged and said she cannot guarantee that my books (together with my bag) will be there when I return. I really felt like slapping her!

But, as with all things, 2 good things were the fact that the children’s books were separated from the madness and it was pretty easy to shop. But I think the choices last time were better.

The other plus point was that the prices were indeed low. The most expensive one I got was a pirate set which was RM15. The other self-help and biz books I got were RM8. Ryan’s books were mostly RM5.

I did not even bother going back the second and subsequent days. Don’t think it was worth the effort. I hope that the organizer will pick a bigger venue the next time. And for goodness sake, get more polite temps!

Did you go to this sale? What do you think about it?

Yay! Ikea sale starts tomorrow! 

I have always been a fan of Ikea ever since they first came to Malaysia and set themselves up at 1-Utama. Even if I have nothing to buy, I will still go visit their store and will usually come out with something.

I had joined their Friends network and been told that tomorrow we will have a special preview. I think you can start shopping at 7.30am. And for a grand total of 2+ hours, you will get exclusive discounts and bargains.

I had intially told my other half about this idea but was greeted with a shocked look. I guess the idea of shoppers rushing and buying did not appeal much to him. I am still thinking if I should go. It will be quite an experience I think.

I had been to their past years’ sales and you can really find good deals, if you have the leg strength for it that is. The amount of walking and squating will kill any good pair of good legs. So, wear some comfy shoes.

I am already thinking of the things I can buy and the things I should be buying, not to mention the food at the cafe. That is the only place at The Curve which sells relatively good vegetarian food for a reasonable price with just-right quantity.

So, anyone going tomorrow morning?

 *Drum roll*

And the winner of The Big Bad Wolf Books Sale is Jessica C!

Jessica guessed that I had spent RM196 and she is the closest to my RM185.40 spend. Congrats to Jessica!

Jesicca can now choose one of the books listed below:

Congratulations to Jessica, I will send her a mail shortly to finalize the logistics of getting one of these books to her.

Happy reading!

I just came back from the Big Bad Wolf books sale! I cannot believe I went half way through town to go to a book sale!

When I first came across it here, I was not sure what they were about. I have never even heard of them. But then, as usual, I always have a soft spot for books, especially if they are at a bargain.

This is their inaugural book sale and it is aiming to bring in the latest in every genre in the book industry at the lowest prices possible. The “lowest prices” part is true because their books are as low as RM2 and the most expensive one I bought is RM15! I heard the sales staff saying that the most expensive is RM20.

The book range is quite good from fiction to non-fiction, covering self-help, reflection, business books, magazines, autobiography, dictionaries, travel books, exercise related books, cook books, home improvement books, children, teens even baby books.

I carted off more books this time than the time I went to MPH’s sale, plus I did not have to pay more for it! There was a book which I recently bought from MPH – Starbucked – for RM30 and I thought it was a steal. It was selling for MR10 (or was it RM8) here!! And then there are some Positive Parenting series which are going for RM10 here but I paid 6 times more for it in Kinokuniya!!! This was just last week … I am beating myself over this.

The place is air-cond, which is such a relief on a hot and humid day. And the books are relatively well organized although there is a thin layer of dust on them. So, remember not to wear anything white.

Also, because you are actually carting off books and not just buying them, do bring your own bags, like those recycling bags. It is much easier than using boxes like I did. Plus, the boxes are very limited in supply.

Big Bad Wolf Books is brought to you by the people behind BookXcess - they aim to help people read for less. How great is that?!

So, in helping with the aim to get Malaysians read more for less, I am giving away ONE book for free. All you need to do is to guess the amount I have spent today on my books. I’ll give you a clue – I bought 29 books and I paid with an OCBC credit card which gave me 10% off the total bill.

Hurry! The contest ends on May 18, 12pm. The winner will be notified through this post and he/ she can even get to choose the book he/ she wants from a list I will provide. Watch this space!!

The Big Bad Book Sale opens today at Dataran Hamodal, Jalan Bersatu 13/4, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. It will run for five days until May 18. Opening hours are 10am to 9pm. For details, visit www.bigbadwolfbooks.com

Oh dear, I really have to stop buying any more books!

However, when I woke up this morning, I could not resist the temptation to just drive out to Section 13 in PJ to just go “look see” “look see” at the sale. Of course, one can never just “look see” “look see”  when you are a bookworm like me!

We arrived at about 10.30am and could find a decent parking under a tree – it was already quite hot. However, if you do not wish to walk far, or if you in a rush, there is a big parking space just opposite the warehouse.

The books were great this time – lots of activity books for the kids, story books, encyclopedias, comics etc. all going for a real deal. I managed to find some Charlotte Web activity books for RM3, complete with crayons, water colour or rubber stamp!

I was so taken in by the kids’ books, I almost bought the Enid Blyton “The Adventures of Wishing Chair” book! Hmm, I think I just might return there and buy it ….

I also bought some interior design books for RM30 – hard cover and glossy papers, plus good photos inside. Must buy, must buy – am preparing for my house’s reno works.

I also bought a couple more on Warren Buffet, Starbucks and a story book, all for great deals. My bill came up to be RM300+ and I got free gifts – a pair of sunglasses (ok, not so hot), some stickers, book marks, kids compass and some little note books, which are great for the kids.

But you have to get there early though, else the sun’s heat is just too much. Plus, if you have to carry all those books to the car, you will faint. We (my kid and I) had to stop halfway and sat down under a tree to enjoy our canned drinks.

Ahh …. books, and more book. Go today and have a blast. Don’t forget to keep the receipts for income tax purposes!