Best Book Stall has another sale going on right now, at YMCA Secunderabad, and I happened to drop in about 5 days into the sale. Much astounded at the clearance sale section which occupied one side of the huge hall – you could select any 5 books for hundred rupees, ten books for one hundred and fifty. A cursory search yielded gems like hardcover editions of Robert Silverberg’s Valentine Pontifex<\/i> AND Lord Valentine’s Castle<\/i>. Volume 3 of Brian Lumley’s Necroscope, assorted parts of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, two Patricia Highsmith novels, Tim Dorsey’s Cadillac Beach<\/i>, which I am looking forward to reading – I hugely enjoyed Hammerhead Ranch Motel<\/i>. El Doctorow’s Billy Bathgate<\/i>, Gregory McDonald’s Son Of Fletch<\/i>, and I hate to say that I haven’t gotten around to reading any of the Fletch novels yet. John Berendt’s Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil<\/i> which, to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t have picked up had it not been for the price. And interestingly, found this out-of-print book called Mrs Coverlet’s Magicians<\/i> by Mary Nash. I don’t really remember where I had heard of this book – probably while amazon-surfing some day….<\/p>\n
The rest of the sale yielded some great finds too. Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish<\/i>, which I read immediately, and which, like I expected, has very little in common with Tim Burton’s movie except for the broad theme in general, and the ending. John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men<\/i>, which I also finished immediately. An illustrated 1946 hardcover of Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass<\/i>, (John Tenniel’s drawings, of course!) I had resisted buying this for quite a long time. An illustrated unabridged version of The Three Musketeers<\/i>, and the only children’s book William Faulkner ever wrote, called The Wishing Tree<\/i>. The Encyclopaedia of the Occult<\/i>, which seemed much comprehensive when I browsed it on the spot, and a book on the early Warner Brothers’ directors. Yukio Mishima’s Sound of Waves<\/i>, a love story set in Japan, which I had been hearing good things about ( seems it has been adapted to film some five times). Two Shel Silverstein hardcovers – When The Sidewalk Ends<\/i> and A Light In The Attic<\/i>. An interesting children’s book called The Philadelphia Chickens<\/i> – this came with a free CD that had songs sung by folks like Kevin Kline, Meryl Streep and Laura Linney.<\/p>\n
Also picked up quite a few random books on music criticism. Had to go there again later, because I ran out of cash.<\/p>\n
Spent the long weekend peacefully completing four volumes of Buddha<\/i>. Can’t wait to get my paws on the remaining four – and I now understand that the term “Godfather of Manga” is one not easily bestowed on a person. Do yourselves a favour and try reading Buddha<\/i> if you can. Scans are not available online, as far as I know. The storytelling alternates between cartoony goofiness and gut-wrenching realism between pages, and goddamnit, why is so less Tezuka available on eBay? <\/p>\n
Which reminds me, I won a lot of 18 comics that included a signed first edition of Craig Thompson’s Goodbye Chunky Rice<\/i>, a signed copy of Slow News Day<\/i> by Andi Watson<\/a>, and Matt Madden’s One Faraway Beach<\/i>, also signed. Loads of other stuff too, and all for 22.5$, woo hoo!<\/p>\n