Malaysia, November 2012

We should probably just live in bookstores.

Remember how I talked about planning (er, not planning) in my previous entry? Well, turns out fate has something in the works.

I submitted my annual leave last month fully resigned to the fact that I’ll be spending it locally here in Jeddah. But when a glitch with Omie’s visa happened and she had to re-submit her exit-entry papers, my passport fell in the hands of Bapa on the morning of her flight and things somehow just started working themselves out. Anyway, I found myself hopping on a plane with Omie bound to Kuala Lumpur. No plans, no preparations.
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So the first part of these 700 (okay, 200) entries I’m working on is Books Kinokuniya. This Japanese bookstore chain has branches all over the world and when I found out that it has one in Kuala Lumpur, right in one of its landmarks, it definitely was a stop I couldn’t miss.



Basically I just basked in the sight and smell of Japanese and English titles.



There’s a wide collection of Japanese and Chinese magazines. The magazine section dominates a huge part of the store.



There’s also a massive wall of Asian literature. Murakami has an entire shelf dedicated to his books and its many editions. At this point, I was having a hard time keeping my mouth closed.



I could spend an entire day here and it wouldn’t be enough. Lucky them who can just lounge around the store and browse to their hearts’ content.





I found Yasmin Mogahed’s book in the newly released section but it was way expensive than the copies you can order online. :(



I had to consciously stop my arms from grabbing everything in the YA section and running far, far away.



I wish there’d be better bookstores where I live. Or maybe I could just live in a city where there are bookstores such as this! That would be nice.

Anyhow, if you’re one of those creepy people who, in the presence of about five thousand books, feel like freaking out physically and mentally, something I’m totally not guilty of, then this is a must-visit if you’re in Kuala Lumpur.

Books Kinokuniya is located at Level 4 of Suria KLCC.