WRAPPED UP IN BOOKS (2013 EDITION)
Jul. 23rd, 2013 11:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defrogThe annual Hong Kong Book Fair – where every publisher/book retailer in Greater China opens a huge discount bookstore in Hong Kong for one week a year and charges you money to shop there – has just wrapped up in Wan Chai.
It looked like this.
The Bride and I were there, yes.
If you want to know what it was like, you can check out last year’s post, because there wasn’t all that much different this year.
In fact, the only differences I noticed were:
1. A bigger e-book presence, with a number of online retailers and e-book manufacturers on hand.
2. The English-language books were relatively cheaper this year – though, as I’ve said before, this is mainly good news if yr a big fan of Stieg Larsson, Sophie Kinsella, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Sidney Sheldon, James Patterson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Mitch Albom, Malcolm Gladwell, George RR Martin, JRR Tolkien, Stephanie Meyer, The Hunger Games, 50 Shades Of Whatever or Donald Trump, or if you tend to limit yr book-buying selections to titles that have already been made into Hollywood blockbuster films or HBO TV shows in the last five years.
That said, they did seem to have a lot more classic lit this year. Also, if you ever wanted to read Erica Jong, you would have been spoiled for choice this year, for some reason (I assume a number of her books have just gotten new printings.)
Anyway, as I say, there were a lot of good deals this year, though the fact that we went on the last day was decidedly a factor.
3. I was hoping to score some more Richard Stark/Parker novels from the university-press bookstore (which had been carrying the University Of Chicago reprints the last two years) to add to my collection, but unfortunately this year they didn’t have any. So that was disappointing.
That said, I came away with a pretty good haul for 2013 – one of the biggest ever, actually.
You may admire it now.
A few of those are worth explaining.
1. I read Fahrenheit 451 when I was in high school, and I remember liking it a lot. But having recently re-engaged with Bradbury and being subsequently floored by how good he was, I decided it was time to re-read it. Especially at 40% off.
3. The same goes for Casino Royale – at least in terms of reading in whilst in high school. I remember liking it okay but not getting really into the series because it was obvious the books were nothing like the films. But as I needed a third book for the Buy Two Get One Free offer at one of the booths, I figured now was as good a time as any to read Fleming as a jaded grown-up and see what I make of Original Source Bond.
3. I’ve never read Ken Follett before. But some people have recommended him, and I needed a third book for the 3 for HK$130 (around US$16.00) offer at another booth, so why not?
4. That book Theories Of International Politics And Zombies? It’s a thought exercise by a university professor about how international relations and foreign policies would be affected by a global zombie outbreak. It’s a gimmick, but it’s a gimmick with zombies, so I’ll take a chance.
And so much for the 2013 HKBF.
Same time next year,
This is dF
It looked like this.
The Bride and I were there, yes.
If you want to know what it was like, you can check out last year’s post, because there wasn’t all that much different this year.
In fact, the only differences I noticed were:
1. A bigger e-book presence, with a number of online retailers and e-book manufacturers on hand.
2. The English-language books were relatively cheaper this year – though, as I’ve said before, this is mainly good news if yr a big fan of Stieg Larsson, Sophie Kinsella, Stephen King, Jodi Picoult, Sidney Sheldon, James Patterson, Elizabeth Gilbert, Mitch Albom, Malcolm Gladwell, George RR Martin, JRR Tolkien, Stephanie Meyer, The Hunger Games, 50 Shades Of Whatever or Donald Trump, or if you tend to limit yr book-buying selections to titles that have already been made into Hollywood blockbuster films or HBO TV shows in the last five years.
That said, they did seem to have a lot more classic lit this year. Also, if you ever wanted to read Erica Jong, you would have been spoiled for choice this year, for some reason (I assume a number of her books have just gotten new printings.)
Anyway, as I say, there were a lot of good deals this year, though the fact that we went on the last day was decidedly a factor.
3. I was hoping to score some more Richard Stark/Parker novels from the university-press bookstore (which had been carrying the University Of Chicago reprints the last two years) to add to my collection, but unfortunately this year they didn’t have any. So that was disappointing.
That said, I came away with a pretty good haul for 2013 – one of the biggest ever, actually.
You may admire it now.
A few of those are worth explaining.
1. I read Fahrenheit 451 when I was in high school, and I remember liking it a lot. But having recently re-engaged with Bradbury and being subsequently floored by how good he was, I decided it was time to re-read it. Especially at 40% off.
3. The same goes for Casino Royale – at least in terms of reading in whilst in high school. I remember liking it okay but not getting really into the series because it was obvious the books were nothing like the films. But as I needed a third book for the Buy Two Get One Free offer at one of the booths, I figured now was as good a time as any to read Fleming as a jaded grown-up and see what I make of Original Source Bond.
3. I’ve never read Ken Follett before. But some people have recommended him, and I needed a third book for the 3 for HK$130 (around US$16.00) offer at another booth, so why not?
4. That book Theories Of International Politics And Zombies? It’s a thought exercise by a university professor about how international relations and foreign policies would be affected by a global zombie outbreak. It’s a gimmick, but it’s a gimmick with zombies, so I’ll take a chance.
And so much for the 2013 HKBF.
Same time next year,
This is dF
