I placed myself on a book buying ban at the beginning of the year. It’s laughable how I broke the ban the first month in. I kept on breaking the ban for some time until we started building our new house, then, I had no choice but to stick to the ban.
I found a loophole though. I started reading free ebooks. I didn’t spend, but I still got new stories to read. I originally started the ban with the purpose of diminishing my TBR pile. There are books that have been buried in its depths for two years now. So, in effect, the original purpose was still defeated.
But it’s November, my birth month, so I felt like I shouldn’t feel guilty buying physical books as a birthday treat. I don’t ask for much on my birthday. It’s always the same things – books, plants, and sleep.
I already have several books in my Lazada and Shopee carts, but something was stopping me from going ahead and placing the order. I suppose at the back of my mind, I was unconsciously planning a trip to a mall with a Biblio, where I could buy pre-loved books per kilo.
I usually buy secondhand because it’s sustainable, but also because I’m a lifelong cheapskate. Anyway, I had people waiting for me and I suck at gauging weight (any measurement, actually), so I ended up buying only a little over two kilos. I was prepared to buy so much more. I guess another visit is in order.
So, it’s Php150/kilo (around $2.55). I ended up paying Php371 (around $6.30) for 10 books. It’s mostly cozy books – a lot of them Christmas-oriented, but I also found a copy of Chocolat (have always loved it; never owned it before), a Sara Paretsky (next to Sue Grafton, she’s my fave contemporary mystery thriller writer), a Lisa Jewell, and an Enid Blyton. Voilà!
- Toxic Shock by Sara Paretsky
- The Girls by Lisa Jewell
- Chocolat by Joanne Harris
- The Mountain of Adventure by Enid Blyton
- Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley (I couldn’t help myself.😁)
- The Little Clock House on the Green by Eve Devon
- The Borrow a Bookshop Holiday by Kiley Dunbar
- Snowflakes over Moon Cottage by Lucy Daniels
- Dreaming of Christmas by T.A. Williams
- The Gingerbread Café by Anita Faulkner
My sister remarked that I seemed to have mostly picked books with pretty covers. But of course! I tend to do that. The only time I ignore the covers is when it’s a writer that I love or really want to read.
Again, the links are affiliate ones. If you’re inclined to give these titles a whirl, I hope you’ll purchase through these links so I can get a very small commission at no extra cost to you.💜
This Small Life 