Trippin' KL: The Only Way to Shop

"I find that my expectation of life low enough to find joy and escape between the covers of a good paperback. Yet sometimes, I find this expectation to be too high as well, realising that life will not imitate the worlds I read about."

Me

I love to read.
I find that it's terribly convenient for me to carry around a paperback at all times about my person.
Whenever conversations turn sour or present company becomes disagreeable, I'll just pull a book out of my pocket and leave the awkwardness behind.
A good novel is like door where I can just walk right out and close it behind me.
A bad one however, is just a window with a view of an unpleasant scenery.
Fantasy novels are like these funny shaped doors that you can't help but wonder at the world behind it.
You can't help but to open it and see what's on the other side.
Good fantasy novels are those that change you after you return from that doorway.
Great fantasy novels are those that change the world you come back to.
I take walks daily through these doors and visit a different lifetime.
I can't help thinking that it's a terribly good idea to live many lifetimes in the period of one.
Someday, I'll walk out of one of these doors and never return.
Won't that be nice?

What I bought from Kinokuniya, KLCC.

Prior to my visit to IMU, I went to KLCC to visit one of my favourite places; the Kinokuniya Bookstore there. Even when I went on these day trips to KL last time with my Dad, I'd request to be dropped off at this place for the day while he and my sister can go muck around the city to their hearts' content. I'd have no desire to join them at all. I'm the proverbial black sheep of the family.

Now that I am allowed to do as I please, have full reins of the car, and my Mom's credit card in my wallet, I am still only thinking of just one place. I'm pretty sure many other kids would have entirely different ideas about how they should spend their unlimited freedom and virtually inexhaustible funds.

My purchases are as follow;

• The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke. Needless to say, I'm hopelessly addicted to her style of writing ever since I my bewitchment by the supremely superb Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Anyone apprehensive about starting on the JS&MN brick can get a taste first from this neat collection of her best short stories. I've read the first two short stories but I mean to make this book last as long as I can.
  
• The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie. Yes, that same devilishly talented Mr. Laurie that starred in House MD. Critics raved that this is a good example of "sophisticated entertainment". I don't rightly know what that means but after reading through the first chapter, I find Mr. Laurie to be a rather humorous author. He made me laughed out loud - and it takes a decidedly large amount of talent to do that.
• Dune by Frank Herbert. It's one of those "classics of the genre" that fantasy/sci-fi geeks holler endlessly about. I suppose that I'd never earn my geekmanship if I put off reading this any longer.
• Hannibal by Thomas Harris. I've read Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and (recently) Hannibal Rising. I am not a big fan of Mr. Harris's writing skills but as I've said countless times before; psychopathic serial killers are oh-so-fascinating to me.
• His Majesty's Dragon, Throne of Jade, and Black Powder War from the Temeraire Series by the newcomer Naomi Novik. I've been itching to read them ever since Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings directorial fame) squealed about just how great these books are. In fact, he liked it so much that he bought the movie rights to it. I've barged through the first half of the first book and I am compelled to agree with Mr. Jackson. The trilogy now ranked 4th on my personal best reads list.
• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. Yes, I am aware that this is strictly chick lit material. Keep an open mind, will you?
• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. I bought this book immediately after watching the movie (I'll review that later). The flick was very touching to me for many, many personal reasons. After I finished this book that day lying on Fei Lee's sofa, I found that I liked the flick better. The book isn't bad, but if you're watching the movie, don't bother with it.
• The Crystal Shard, Streams of Silver and The Halfling's Gem from the Icewind Dale Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore. These are the books that made R. A. Salvatore famous. Frankly, I confess that after reading his The Hunter's Blades Trilogy I am largely unimpressed with his literary skill. I'm just giving him a second chance here.
  

What I bought from MPH, Mahkota Parade.

And on the night before the trip, I bought these three books from MPH in Malacca;

• Days of Magic, Nights of War from the Abarat Series by Clive Barker. I enjoyed the fresh ideas in the first book of the series but Mr. Barker's writing voice was rather weak. Hopefully, he's do better this second time around. And by the way, in case you're interested, Disney (i think) has the film rights to these books.
• Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Ms. Susanna Clarke actually wrote a story based on a fictional place described by Mr. Gaiman in this book. Since, I sort of enjoyed Gaiman's American Gods, I thought I should give this a try as well.
• Going Postal by Terry Prachett. I didn't like his attempt at children writing (The Wee Free Men) so I'm checking out his other efforts.

The total amount of moolah kachings spent on them is [drumroll]: RM 540.84

I was actually suppose to shop for New Year threads-and-togs on my trip to KL. I bought nothing in that department. I'm going to get a stiff talking-to when my Mom gets the credit card statement.


As happy as a pig in mud,
k0k s3n w4i