“Bookshops are places of magical discoveries and the rediscovery of past pleasures. My bookshop, in fact any bookshop, makes me very happy.”
– Australian author, Liane Moriarty
I VISITED a famous bookstore at the BDC Commercial Centre in Kuching recently and was surprised to see many good books – those which appealed to me – there.
First, I was attracted by the cookbooks near the entrance. Tired of thinking what to bring to work for dinner every day, I was happy to see a cookery book entitled ‘Thrifty Weekly Work Boxed Lunch’ by Ng Kam Siew.
Among the recipes is ‘Savoury Minced Chicken Tossed Noodle’. The dish is decorated with a sunny side up egg, fresh cucumber and carrot.
“Yes,” I told myself, “This will be a refreshing change from my usual Fried Bee Hoon with Egg and Green Vegetables. Why didn’t I think of decorating my Bee Hoon with a sunny side up egg, fresh cucumber and carrot before?”
Another recipe that I found interesting was the ‘Tri-coloured Chicken Rice’. The dish consists of Stir-fried Chicken sprinkled with white sesame seeds, Scrambled Egg and Blanched Spinach which are laid next to a bed of cooked rice. I thought Blanched Spinach was a refreshing change from my usual Fried Spinach or Spinach Soup.
Another interesting recipe was ‘Steamed Bean Curd and Lady’s Fingers with Minced Pork and Preserved Radish’.
Stir-fried Minced Pork with Preserved Radish is put on top of a piece of bean curd which has been steamed first. All these are then put in a lunch box.
Another lunch box holds some cooked rice and Stir-fried Minced Pork with Preserved Radish which has been drizzled over steamed Lady’s Fingers.
Lately, I have been harvesting Lady’s Fingers from my small garden. I certainly welcome the new way of eating them. I love steamed bean curd and cannot wait to try this latest recipe from the cookbook.
I bought the cookbook, published by Seashore Publishing (M) Sdn Bhd, at a discounted price of RM28.50.
Besides ‘Thrifty Weekly Work Boxed Lunch’, I bought another cookbook, also published by Seashore Publishing (M) Sdn Bhd, entitled ‘Sup Pemanas Perut’ (Heart-warming Soups).
I paid only RM5 for the small cookbook which featured recipes by celebrity chef Marina Mustafa. Needless to say, I look forward to trying out the recipes recommended by Marina.
I think both cookbooks are good buys because they are from a reputable publisher and feature simple recipes that have been tested and refined. Now, I am happy I don’t have to crack my head thinking what to cook for my dinners.
Moving away from the cookbooks, I saw on a table in the bookstore many fiction and non-fiction books which were being sold at discounted prices.
Among them were popular classics, ‘Persuasion’ by Jane Austen, ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley, ‘Oliver Twist’ by Charles Dickens, ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ by Jonathan Swift, and even ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by William Shakespeare.
“Wow! So many classic books in one place,” I told myself.
Initially, I was tempted to buy ‘Persuasion’ because I loved happy love stories, and a few ‘Persuasion’ movies had also been made. I had also visited Bath, England, where Austen lived from 1801 to 1806.
‘Persuasion’ is Jane Austen’s final completed novel. It tells the story of Anne Elliot, a woman in her late twenties who, eight years ago, was persuaded to break off her engagement to a poor naval officer, Frederick Wentworth.
When Wentworth returns as a successful and wealthy captain, Anne must confront her lingering feelings and the possibility of a second chance of love, while navigating societal expectations and family pressures.
At the bookstore, I stared at the cover of ‘Persuasion’ for a long time. In the end, however, I opted not to buy the book because I had many books I had not read at home. Maybe, I will return to buy ‘Persuasion’ someday just to learn one or two writing tricks from Austen.
On offer was also a special edition of three books by American writer and teacher, Dale Carnegie. The three books were ‘How to Stop Worrying & Start Living’, ‘How to Enjoy Your Life & Your Job’ and ‘The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking’. Yes, the special edition was a good bargain.
There was also a special edition of American author Napoleon Hill’s three books, ‘Think and Grow Rich’, ‘Success Through a Positive Mental Attitude’ and ‘The Law of Success’.
Although they were cheap, I decided to skip the books. Nowadays, I find live talks more motivating than books. Besides that, I had read some of the Dale Carnegie’s and Napoleon Hill’s books ages ago.
I was immensely surprised to find ‘Spare’, the memoir by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, also on the table. Ghostwritten by J.R. Moehringer and published by Penguin Random House, it was first released on January 10, 2023. I had no interest in the book because I was not a fan of Prince Harry.
Other surprising treasures I discovered that day at the bookstore included one on famous American author, Helen Keller, one on famous theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, and one on famous Indian lawyer, Mahatma Gandhi. But alas, I was not a fan of any of them.
Also available at discounted prices were ‘Speeches That Changed the World’ with pictures of famous world leaders like Winston Churchill and Mao Zedong on the cover, plus ‘Elon Musk’ by Walter Isaacson. Elon is a businessman and former senior adviser to the President of the United States.
Nearer home, there was ‘Anwar Ibrahim: Tenacious in Dissent, Hopeful in Power’ by Khoo Boo Teik.
These were among the unexpected titles and authors I came across when I decided to visit the bookstore out of the blue that day.
If my dogs and cat had not been waiting for their lunches at home, I would have flipped through the book on Anwar Ibrahim or Elon Musk and spent my whole afternoon in that bookstore.
But duty called, so I had to excuse myself. “Another visit soon,” I promised myself as I made my way down the escalator.
The views expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at adelinel888@gmail.com.
