Wasteful Tuesday #2: What Will Happen If I Throw Myself on A Book Sale

I have been always a person who loves to give herself a reward after doing something great. (And usually, the one I consider "great" is simple enough, so I can reward myself very often. But, the reward itself is simple too, so I'm being fair here.)

On last Friday, March 25, I had a job interview, which was running as good as a play. My interview was finished at about 11 a.m. Fortunately, in my way back home I motorcycled along the road where a Gramedia book store located. From a distance, I had decided that I would go there and maybe I could buy book(s) as a reward for myself since I had done quite well on my interview (at least it ran better than before). Actually, in my way there I had been remembered that before a friend of mine showed off for shopping at a book sale event held by Gramedia book store, yeah, the one that I would visit upon!


Oh Jesus, I had been very enthusiastic just by getting a glimpse of the banners inscribed with words like "book sale" or something when I entered by its main gate. I parked my motorcycle quickly and walked to the store's yard where so many books arranged on tables.

First step: the stand of Elexmedia Computindo publisher. I found some interesting Indonesian-translated novels and just picked them without thinking so much (mainly because it costed only 10,000 rupiah each). I picked The War of The Worlds by H.G. Wells (I had been wanted to read Wells' books since he was known as one of the early futurism and sci-fi-genre writers, but I ended up just kept the e-book version of The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, and even The War of The Worlds itself--I downloaded them from Gutenberg Project--without really reading them.) Then, I got Kalila and Dimna 2 by Ramsay Wood (because it's a collection of fables, which intriguing me since I love that kind of story: fairy tale, legend, bedtime stories, fable, which usually are full of wild imagination that put in mind of fantasy in my mind as a child years ago.) Maybe this book can strike fire of inspiration in my mind later when I need it for writing fiction.

Second, I wandered along the section of Gagasmedia and group. I was very attracted because this publisher was known for rarely putting its books on sale with cheap price or hugh discount. I got two books in my hand: Auguste Dupin by Edgar Allan Poe and The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux. Why? Just because the blurbs told me that both books had inspired Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write their own detective story. But later, I put back those two books since their reviews on Goodreads were not good enough for me to buy it.

Third, I found Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang, a book consisted of letters written by R.A. Kartini--a main inspirator of women emancipation movement in Indonesia. My birthday is same with Kartini's, so I feel a particular attachment with her somehow, and poor me since I haven't read her famous book until now. I bought her book, although it was the most expensive among all the books that I bought later.

You know, until I walked to the last section of the book sale, where I found a set of The Pillars of the Earth I and II (written by Ken Follett--I haven't known his name until that moment) which costed only 50,000 rupiah (despite of their big size--literary--it was so cheap!), I haven't looked for the books' rating on Goodreads. I setted teeth not to open my Goodreads app even for once. I wanted to try, just once, buying book without looking for its rating and review; I wanted to gamble with Schrodinger's cat.

Yeah, my defense was so weak, apparently. After checking the review of World Without Ends on Goodreads, I checked the reviews of each book that I had put into my shopping bag. And then, I found another box set, which was Under The Dome by Stephen King (which costed only 40,000 rupiah and got so positive reviews on Goodreads). Soon, after the checking time finished, I put back some books, and grabbed one Robyn Carr's novel, i.e. Temptation Ridge (I wanted to buy as many genre as I could found--including romance). After all, I brought home four single books and 2 box set.

So, I ended up giving myself a huge reward this time, which spent almost all the money my mom gave to me before I went back to Yogyakarta on Thursday, March 24. (Actually, it left behind nly 5,000 out of 200,000 rupiah she gave me.) Were I feeling guilty? Nope, just a guilty pleasure :-h.

At the end of this episode, I wanna correct my statement which I wrote under the title of So Many Books, So Little Time. There, I stated that there were two main reasons that I will decide to buy (a) certain book(s) if:

1. I feel that I need to own a copy of the book by myself, usually because it is spectacular, famous, or I have a special attachment to it.
2. I am participating in particular competition (usually writing one) and it required me buying a certain book.

Now, I need to add one more point:
3. I throw myself at a book sale event, and then I see the book's cheap price and/or huge discount, and above all it's a good book or a book that I want so badly. So, what am I waiting for? Just hand it to the cashier!

I do have always been so weak in the presence of any discount or cheap price *facepalm*. What about you? Are you more interested in shopping books than shopping new dress? ;)