But now and then, I'd check in on Facebook on my laptop (having deleted the app from my phone), and sometimes I'd see posts that'd intrigue me.
One such time happened not long ago, when I saw a post made by the Facebook page of my university's library. Apparently they'd be conducting an open day, and among the things they'd posted caught my attention:
BOOK DRIVE
#donate #exchange #giveaway
DONATE new and/or used books (in good condition)
Donate minimum 3 books to EXCHANGE 1 book
Come to our booth to get GIVEAWAY books
T&C apply
The thing that caught my attention the most was the 'exchange 1 book' part. Immediately, I thought of some of the books I have at home: the books that Preteen-Angah had read and enjoyed, the books that Judgmental-Angah had deemed too boring or too badly-written, and the books that Greedy-Angah had bought but hadn't even bothered to read.
Imagine swapping those books for something much more exciting!
(Never mind the fact that I already have about 11 books in my To-Read list -- "I'll make time to read all of 'em," says the tiny voice in my head.)
And so after I saw this Facebook post, I found myself planning a trip back home over the long weekend, so that I could find those unwanted books to be donated to the library.
~*~
Home, 14th September, Friday.
Somehow, my search for books to be donated turns into a full-fledged Spring Cleaning session.
The bookshelves in my room haven't been wiped clean in years. Dust has settled on the books and on the shelves, and every time I pull a book out from the shelf, I send dust flying everywhere.
This is how I find myself standing in the middle of my room with a damp kain buruk in hand, and books lying everywhere except on the shelves.
First, I wipe the empty shelves. Then, I start to pile the books according to category: to be donated, favourite series, children's series, Stephen King books, horror/thriller, Jane Austen books, classics, books on Islam, biographies, comics, etc. etc.
Some of the least-read books are going to have to be transferred out of the room and onto the bookshelves in the upstairs common area, where it can be easily accessed by anyone. I am only keeping my text books, my university notebooks, my to-read books, and my favourite books in the room.
While I wipe away the dust from the books one by one, our two family cats, Tok Merah and Grey, seem eager to help, especially the former. Ginger with white socks and weighing roughly 5 kilograms, Tok Merah prowls in and out of the room, sniffing at books and at times yowling at them as if asking why they are on the floor and not on the shelves.
Grey, on the other hand, does not appear until I start piling books out in the upstairs common area. She joins me as I climb onto the piano bench, but while I start to rearrange the books on the shelves above, she curls up comfortably and starts to snooze.
(I nearly step on her once or twice as I climb off and onto the piano bench.)
~*~
Seven hours later, all the books have been wiped clean and rearranged on the shelves.
I also now have the books that I'd be donating to the library, all piled up according to categories: children's books, preteen books, YA novels, fiction, one stray biography, classics, books on Islam, as well as some magazines.
These are the finalists, the ones that I am certain I no longer want. The pile was larger initially -- but I have gone through the titles more than once and have rescued certain books from the pile, convincing myself that those titles are too valuable to be donated away and that I could maybe one day pass them on to the next generation.
(These lucky titles include various Goosebumps books, Enid Blyton books, Siri Penyiasat Salma, the Maximum Ride series, and for some reason one unread Mary Higgins thriller book that I've bought but never bothered to read. My brother also manages to rescue one Avengers comic that neither of us remembers buying.)
The To-Be-Donated pile has a total of 39 books. Here they are sorted by categories:
Children's Books: 2
1) Septimus Heap (Book Two): Flyte
The first page of this book has the following inscribed in pencil on it: a VERY boring book, not creative at all!
It would have been nice to donate the first book as well, but that book (Magyk) has also been deemed boring and therefore has been DIY'ed into a secret book (this means gluing the pages together and then carving a secret compartment into the dried pages).
Here is the synopsis of the first book, Magyk:
Just after the apparent death of the sprawling, wizardly Heap family's newborn seventh son, they are given a baby girl, Jenna, to care fore. Ten years later they are forced to flee their home in the Castle when it turns out the girl is the daughter of the murdered queen, and the Supreme Custodian, who has taken over the city, sends an assassin to complete his destruction of the royal family.
All I have to do now is to erase the little message on the first page of the book, and it is ready to be donated!
2) The Misadventures of Benjamin Bartholomew Piff: Book 1: You Wish
The first page of this book has a stamp with my name on it, as well as several lines proclaiming that I am an IIUM-graduate audiologist working for a private hearing and balance centre. The story behind this was that I had initiated a reading corner for the hearing and balance clinic I'd worked at once, and I had brought along some of my own books for it. I'd stamped each page with my name just in case.
This is an OK book, I suppose -- but I don't recall having finished reading it at all...
The book is about an orphan, Ben, who'd wished for the most dangerous birthday wish of all: to have unlimited wishes. He later found himself having to clean up the mess he'd made in the magical realm of wishes and curses alongside the Wishworks Factory president himself.
Preteen Books: 13
3) Skinny Melon and Me
I remember this being one of my favourite books back when I was 12 years old. It tells the story of Cherry Louise Waterton, who has trouble settling in her new home environment when her mother marries her step-dad, Roland Butter. In an attempt to get to know Cherry better, the step-dad leaves creative coded messages (which I had fun decoding back then~):
Entertaining as it was for my 12-year-old self to read back then, I think it is time I pass the book on to some other 12-year-old to enjoy.
4) Fun for the Secret Seven
I'm not even sure where this one came from -- it's a part of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven series, but we did not collect these back when we were kids, so... ???
This particular volume revolves around the Secret Seven (Peter, Janet, Jack, Barbara, Pam, Colin, and George) helping out Tolly and his sick horse Brownie hide from dangerous horse thieves.
5) Mr Mystery: The Mystery of the White Tiger
6) Mr Mystery: The Mystery of the Rajah's Ruby
These were my brother's books if I recall correctly, and he's given me the green light to donate them. It's a mystery book series written by a Singaporean author -- I think it's a great series, but I didn't grow up reading them.
Anyway, here are the summaries for the two books:
The Mystery of the White Tiger:
Who helped a robber escape from prison?
Who is desperately trying to kill him?
Who will stop at nothing to keep the deadly sceret of the white tiger?
Alvin Soh and his team of young investigators are plunged into danger, mystery and intrigue. Someone is trying to kill an escaped convict. And now someone wants to silence them, too!
Is it the Black Hand gang?
Is it Benny, the mysterious circus trainer?
Or is it the criminal mastermind known only as... The Snake?
Only Mr Mystery knows!
The Mystery of the Rajah's Ruby:
What is the deadly secret of the Rajah's Ruby?
Who is really trying to steal it?
Will Alvin Soh save the ruby, or will a beautiful girl lure him into a fatal trap?
The famous Rajah's Ruby has always been surrounded by murder and violence. Now, Alvin Soh and his team of young investigators have to stop the precious ruby from being stolen.
Can they survive the web of treachery?
Can they escape a ruthless enemy?
Or will the mysterious girl lead Alvin to his death?
Only Mr Mystery knows!
And here comes a bunch of Mary-Kate and Ashley books!
Yeah, I guess I was a fan of these way back when. It's a pretty girly series, but I guess as long as it gets me reading, it's good, right? Ehehe...
7) The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Case of the Screaming Scarecrow
8) The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley: The Case of the Jingle Bell Jinx
9) Two of a Kind: The Cool Club
10) Two of a Kind: War of the Wardrobes
11) Two of a Kind: Bye-bye Boyfriend
12) So Little Time: Secret Crush
And now, a couple of books I'm convinced belonged to my sister:
13) Sweet Valley Jr. High: No More Mr. Nice Guy
14) Sweet Valley Jr. High: He's the One
Gonna have to ask her first if she's okay with me donating these books... Ah well~
15) Harry Potty and the Deathly Boring
This is a parody of the last Harry Potter book in the form of a comic. The first page also has a strongly-worded "review" by my past self, who apparently did not mind people making fun of her favourite series, but she just found this particular comic a sad excuse of a parody (*cough* butt-hurt Potterhead detected *cough*...).
Going through the pages now, I just find it highly amusing -- the over-exaggerated style of the drawing somewhat disgusts me, but other than that, it's just...well...a parody? I guess? Meh.
YA novels: 7
16) Paper Towns
Now, listen. I used to consider myself a Nerdfighter, and I used to subscribe to the Vlog Brothers' channel on YouTube.
I don't really know what happened, but I am no longer interested in them, both as YouTubers and as authors. I guess I just grew out of it? Meh. It's hard to tell. But yes, I am donating two of John Green's books, keeping only The Fault in Our Stars because that one made me cry lol.
So yes. This is what Paper Towns is about, if you're interested:
Quentin Jacobs has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life -- dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge -- he follows.
...Or you could just watch the movie adaptation too, I guess?
17) Looking for Alaska
Another John Green book -- apparently this one's been turned into a mini TV series by Hulu.com? Yeah, I didn't know that before.
Anyway, this book is also about a guy meeting an amazing girl who turns his world upside down! Take a look:
Miles "Pudge" Halter is done with his safe life at home. He heads off to the anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is the utterly fascinating Alaska Young.
18) Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Yeah, sorry -- I never did immerse myself into this series. Didn't even finish reading the first book, ehehe. The summary on the back cover did attract me enough to purchase it, though, particularly the line, "Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life."
(FYI, I bought this one before it became a movie -- I never got around to watching that, either.)
19) Does My Head Look Big In This?
One of my many impulsive purchases, the thing that attracted me to this one was the cover. I think I've read the first few chapters, but never got around to finishing it.
It's about an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian high school girl Amal, who finds herself in a dilemma about wearing the hijab full-time. She has to face her friends, classmates, teachers, and her crush, on top of dealing with her family.
(I might not donate this after all -- I'm going through the pages now, and it's got me smiling and laughing. Oh dear! This one's been previously rescued from the to-be-donated pile, but thrown into it again afterwards. I might seriously just not donate this one...seriously.)
20) The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To
Yeah...another impulsive purchase. Never got 'round to finishing this. Ahahahahaha.
When Darren Bennett meets Eric Lederer, there's an instant connection. Then Eric reveals a secret: he doesn't sleep. Ever. When word leaks out about Eric's condition, he and Darren find themselves on the run.
21) Miss Anna Dean: A Gentleman of Fortune (Book Two)
Yet another impulsive purchase, this is the second book in the Dido Kent Mystery series. A murder among the English gentility in 1806 once again challenges the inquisitive prowess of Miss Dido Kent.
(I've lost the book sleeve, so it's just... a togel book. lol)
22) Rewind, Fast Forward: An Anthology
This book contains the writings of young Malaysians from MPH Bookstore's writing contest back in 2005. Writers could choose either the year their stories were to be set in (1940 or 2030), or their age in their stories (16 or 65 years old).
...Guess what?
This was an impulsive purchase too!
Fiction: 4
23) Nineteen Minutes
This one's by Jodi Picoult. I think she's kind of famous? This is the only book of hers that I've read; it's good, I guess, but I remember skipping some very boring and very pretentious paragraphs while reading it hahaha.
It's about a school shooting, basically. And the best witness just happened to be the daughter of the judge sitting on the case. But Josie Cormier couldn't remember what happened before her very own eyes on that fateful day. As the trial progressed, fault lines began to show between the high school and the adult community, destroying the closest friendships and families.
24) jumbo
This was on sale at Aeon Big one time, it was only RM 8!
An easy read, but I thoroughly enjoyed it nonetheless. Here's a summary:
Set during a pre-Christmas heatwave in Sydney's outer suburbs, Jumbo explores the fragile world of Lisa Brand, a school-leaver unable to find work. Her inability to communicate with Verity Unicombe, a teacher haunted by bad memories, further fuels Lisa's dispair.
Driven to the edge of insanity by a society indifferent to her existence, 'Jumbo' kidnaps three young children for a final, macabre Christmas celebration. As her grip on reality slips, the children's lives become horribly endangered.
25) The Battle for Big School
This one was fun to read!
It's about a mother trying to put her son into one of the best grammar schools in Letchbury. There are only 50 places, but there are 1,000 children applying! Close friends Lily, Julie, Karen, and Paul aren't worried -- their children are smart and sociable, after all. But they later discover that the process of enrolling their kids is a little like a rigged lottery, with only the most ruthless holding the good cards.
Filled with many makcik bawang moments, this book's a really good way to pass the time~
26) Fault Lines
I umm, remember getting scared and somewhat disgusted by this book and its main character Sol, so I put it down and didn't pick it back up again, soooo I don't really know what it's about. Here's a summary!
Sol is a highly gifted but also scarily un-childlike six-year-old whose adoring mother believes he is destined for greatness. He bears the same birthmark as his father, grandmother and great-grandmother before him. When Sol and his family make an unexpected trip to Germany, terrible secrets start to emerge.
Biography: 1
27) The Lost Boy
I remember being so immersed in this one. It's a sad one. Here's a summary:
In the polygamous Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), girls can become valuable property as plural wives but boys are expendable, even a liability. Former FLDS member Brent Jeffs (nephew of Warren Jeffs, imprisoned leader of the FLDS) reveals both the terror and the love he experienced growing up on his prophet's compound -- and the harsh exile existence that so many boys face once they have been expelled by the sect.
Classics: 4
28) Pride and Prejudice
We have two copies of this at home, because my sister initially thought she'd lent the first one to someone and then lost it, so she bought another copy but then somehow managed to find the first copy. So yes, we have two copies. I kept the new one and donating the old one~
Summary? Really? Oh okay fine:
Elizabeth Bennet is one of the five Bennet sisters who must marry into rich families as his father's estate will be passed on to a male heir once he dies. Older sister Jane finds love in the form of Netherfield's new handsome tenant, Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth however, overhears Mr. Bingley's wealthy and arrogant best friend, Mr. Darcy, insulting her at a ball. What ensues is one of the most delightful courtships known to literature.
Seriously though, you can and should check out the various adaptations of this book -- the Colin Firth one, the Keira Knightley one, the one with zombies in it, and even the modern-day YouTube one. It's so much fun~
29) Mr. Darcy's Diary
This is basically a fanfiction of Pride and Prejudice -- because Jane Austen's been dead for hundreds of years, basically the copyright to her works have expired? Or something like that? So yeah. This book is Pride and Prejudice, but from Mr. Darcy's perspective.
30) Reader's Digest's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Uuuughghfghgh this is SUCH a handsome copy!!!!
But I already have the complete Sherlock Holmes series (and it's a thick volume, too!), and this one is basically a duplicate ahdgjkgshafalfjaklfjas so I'm donating it...along with...
31) The Best of Sherlock Holmes
Islamic Books: 4
32) Usrah Ini Semua Poyo!
Impulsive purchase, again~
The back cover says: Buku ini bakal menghidangkan anda tip dan kaedah yang efektif untuk diamalkan sebagai seorang murabbi dan mutarabbi yang menyengat dalam dakwah, insyaAllah.
33) Bedtime Stories Sentap
Not sure if I'm a fan of this sentap-sentap genre of dakwah, but yeah. Basically what it says on the tin.
34) The Muslim Home 40 Recommendations in the Light of the Quran and Sunnah
Because tak rasa macam nak kawen anytime soon hahahahahaha
35) Ke Arah Keberkesanan Mohon Hajat
Sebab dah ada banyak buku macam ni jugak kat rumah.
Miscellaneous: 4
36) Ilmu Pandu Puteri (Edisi Semakan)
37) Reader's Digest (October 2013)
38) Petster (October 2011)
39) Petster (May 2012)
~*~
The list could have been longer, had I not clung on to some volumes out of sheer sentimentality. Titles such as The Leap, The Book of Lies, and Anak Kembar Encik Harun have all been spared from the to-be-donated pile because I find it too hard to part with them.
But I am letting go of these 39 titles tomorrow at the library open day, and I am looking forward to finding new titles to add to the shelves at home.
(No promising when I'll actually get round to reading them, though!)
