Book 'em Dan-O!

I have a soft spot for Booker International, the little bookstore that supplied my reading habit from when I was a teen. In the early 80s Booker was at Batu Satu, below Arkitek Ibrahim at the building behing Metro. You used to be able to place an order for your favourite magazine, and that nice lady with short tight curls would telephone you as soon as it arrives. She used to call me for Smash Hits, and I fear, Tiger Beat. I used to buy my Sweet Valley High there too. Seriously I was cool. I go less these days because I have a chance to visit the bookstores overseas. But whenever the need arise to buy a book at home, for a birthday or an interest, I would head over to the same building as Thien Thien and Pizza Hut in Gadong, where Booker International currently resides. Because they still have the best choice of books available, although they could think a little bit more out-of-the-box with their choice of books perhaps.

A self-serving wish I know, but I wish that spending time in Booker The Bookstore could be a little bit more how I imagine spending time browsing a swell bookstore to be. A quiet place with large couches you can sink into, or plush carpets you can sit cross-legged on, pleasant staff who, as Bobby puts it, share a love of reading and smiles at you as you happily decide which book or magazine to buy. And please, no "No Casual Reading" signs. These days most would know their limits, wouldn't you say. I fear we may be lacking in a good solid all-rounder bookstore in Brunei. But to be fair, we do have a good specialised Islamic one in Solitude at The Mall, and Best Eastern is good if you're a girlie teen, looking for magazines or love trashy romance novels, Bismi and your reliable indian bookstores for schoolbooks and Malay books, Paul & Elizabeth in Yayasan for a weird mix of reading materials and that filled-to-the-brim chinese comic bookstore at Halimatul Saadiah building in Gadong.

Perhaps business may be hard in a small market with unpredictable censorship, so beggars can't be choosers. And while we're at cliches, people who work in bookstores should be happy. If there isn't a cliche about that somewhere, something should be done about it. The Shopgirl at Booker has worked for the bookstore for a good number of years. You know, I don't think I have ever seen her smile, so it feels like forever sometimes, when I go to the cashier to pay for my books or magazines. I do miss that sunny lady with the short tight curls of my teens. Today I went in and bought a magazine and Shopgirl registered no familiarity, even though me and the store, we go way back.

So what would I say if I had the ear of my favourite bookstore in Brunei? A little warmth to the place would not go amiss, I'd say.

Comments

[Hazirah]

Oh wait, I'm sorry for multiple comments, but if Zippy reads this again: I actually ran into Andrew the first time I visited the new Rent-A-Book, but he didn't seem to recognize either me or my sister and I was far too shy to say anything. I think he might have remembered if I dragged my mother along though. Oh well. Never ran into him again, I might add.

[Hazirah]

Hi =) I was actually referring to Titi & Drew's Rent-A-Book. The one at Yayasan was called something else I think. 'Zippy' ;P I was tempted myself to not return Vladimir Nobokov's "Lolita" last summer, I was absolutely amazed to find they had the book there, but I wanted others to enjoy the book, if they could handle it. XD

[EmmaGoodEgg]

Hazirah, oh my goodness Rent-a-Book! I rented a couple a few years back, from that small basement bookshop at Yayasan (next to Guardian). They used to do rentals. Zippy, come to think of it, I got my copy of Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil there. And thanks for the heads-up on T & D, will check out the pickings soon. xx

[Nings]

You're right about that lady in Booker..never smiles..and is always grumpy. The worst is that it seems she's always scolding that male assistant in front of customers. Another thing which annoys me is that they never want to reserve books or magazines for you. Even when you religiously buy every monthly issue. The variety of books are fantastic..price somewhat ok lah.
A little warmth? Me thinks a roaring fire would be better!

[Zippy]

Have you tried going into [the new] Titi & Drew's? It's situated in the same building as the now tak-berapa-laku JustToys; I went in there once with my sister so I could meet our old friend Drew, but to no avail... however, the book choices are much much better as compared to the other so-called bookstores, although still a bit too limited for my liking.

However, the borrowing rule is different now; instead of paying the rental price as you used to, you'd have to pay the total stated price of each book, only to be given the remainder upon return within a time limit. So if the book is $8, and the rental is $2, then you'd get $6 back once you return it. To prevent book-hoarders I suppose, which was probably the reason why they closed the first time around.

And the other perk about this is, if you don't return it within the stated time period, they won't charge you penalty; instead, you get to keep the book!!! (:

Again, there's not that many book choices at T&D's, but I'm sure you'll find some to your liking. I was amazed to find John Berendt's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and had to get it. But since I totally forgot to return it, it is now legally mine, with a little T&D memento (:

So go check it out and let us know what you think (:

[Hazirah]

Ah Booker. I still do like how you can quietly lean against the shelves and browse through the books there, spending maybe half an hour uninterrupted. In The Mall's Best Eastern there just seem to be too many people around you, half of them only having come in because they wanted to get out through the other door.

Did you ever get a chance to enjoy Rent-A-Book? It's back, though the last I was in Brunei to experience it, I missed the coziness from the old Rent-A-Book from my preteen days.