So I visited the Big Bad Wolf book fair for the second time today.
Bought a couple of trolley-loads worth of books, and called it a day. Will go back to second hand book shop treasure hunting in a couple of weeks – I have to seriously start cataloguing my books now, and that takes time. Will find an app for it though:)
Just a couple of thoughts on the book fair. It had great prices, and for this factor itself, it is a must-visit. Having said that, a few things that stood out.
- Prices of children’s books – There were the standard toddler-intro book types at 2 dirhams a piece, which was a steal. Not so lucky with the elder ones though. I usually gauge books by their price vs book weight ratio ( I know, not logical at all) and most failed the test. Nevertheless, bought quite a few of the ones that had good prices on them.
- Technology – grossly under-represented – was just one table, actually 3/4th of a table, maybe 1-2% of the overall title list. Not good in today’s day and age.
- Self-help books – grossly overstocked. Just too many books claiming to change your life in under 200 pages. This is not how the world works and it’s time people understood that most of these self-help books don’t end up changing anyone’s fortunes except the authors. And titles that should crazy aggressive with cuss words (f**k, s**t etc) end up being pathetic attempts to sound like that no-nonsense coach who everybody wants but nobody loves.
That’s it really. Not a long list, and I cannot usually complain about such occasions that crop up right next to my door, practically begging me to make a visit. Overall, a great place to buy a book )(or 150+, as in some cases), and indulge in some knowledge-building potential.
And now, it’s time to read!