How To Navigate Your Way Through The ‘Big Bad Wolf’ Book Sale

By Ameera Rosli  •  11 Dec 2019 in Features

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It can be incredibly daunting to enter a massive room brimming with books and crowded with people whose mission are the same as yours: to find their next best read. At the Big Bad Wolf book sale, happening now until 16 December 2019 at The Mines, this task is made even more difficult because Malaysians love books but more than that, they love a great sale.

 

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That is why you need a game plan. In order to navigate your way through the sea of novels in-front of you without getting trampled or worse, spending too much money, JUICE is here to provide a few tips that will allow you to come home in one piece with at least a few extra bucks in your wallet.

1. Prepare a checklist

Like my mom (and every other mom) always says, you can never be too prepared. Similar to heading to the grocery store, a checklist ensures that you know exactly which aisle to go to so you don’t find yourself aimlessly wandering around, missing your chance to grab your favourite book.

A checklist should include a list of all your favourite authors, preferably arranged by the genres they write in. This is because Big Bad Wolf arranges their books based on whether they are Horror, Non-Fiction, Romance etc.. With a checklist, you’ll make sure you won’t forget looking for that book you’ve been wanting but could never afford. Speaking of which, that’s what makes Big Bad Wolf so fun, it’s variety and it’s prices.

Here are some authors and their respective genres you might want to check out:

1. Markus Zusak (Historical Fiction)
2. Leah Raeder/Elliot Wake (Romance/Thriller)
3. Victoria (a.k.a V.E) Schwab (Fantasy)
4. Benjamin Alire Saenz (Contemporary)
5. Taylor Jenkins Reid (Contemporary/Historical Fiction)
6. A. S King (Contemporary/Magical Realism)
7. Shaun David Hutchinson (Contemporary/Sci-fi)
8. Khaled Hosseini (Contemporary/Historical Fiction)

Here some fabulous Malaysian authors for flavour:

1. Hanna Alkaf (Contemporary/Historical Fiction)
2. Yangsze Choo (Magical Realism/Historical Fiction)

2. Get there early

You know when your flight takes off at 3pm but your parents insist you leave the house at the crack of dawn, it’s the same thing with the Big Bad Wolf sale, although not as dramatic. Despite it being open 24 hours, it’s always best to pick a time where the rest of the world is still drowsy from sleep. That way, you can be the only sleep-deprived zombie there, scouring for books.

The best time to be there is from 6am-11am, kinda like a McDonald’s breakfast menu, but if you’re a night owl, midnight and onwards is appropriate too. At peak hours, people are packed liked sardines and it’s hard to make your way through the hurdle, so to get your best book buying experience, it’s better to head there when the crowd is dying down.

3. Don’t get a basket

Since the economy is not doing so hot these days, it’s maybe best to cut down our spending even on educational purchases such as books. The most efficient way of doing this is to not carry a basket. I know it’s tough to resist, but think about all the times you opted for a trolley instead of a basket at grocery stores and ended up buying way too much stuff that you didn’t even want in the first place. The same strategy goes for Big Bad Wolf. Yes, the prices are tempting but just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean you have to buy it. Refer to your checklist and only buy the books you truly want.

In addition to saving some cash, you also get a good arm-day workout. You’re welcome!

4. Think ahead

It’s holiday season, and what’s better for your wallet than a massive sale? From 75%-95% discounts, this is the optimal time to get presents for the book lovers in your life. As mentioned before, Big Bad Wolf has a wide range of selections, not just for adolescents and adults. There are also children’s books for the little ones in your life alongside toys as well. My frugal ass will think of all the possible occasions where a book can be given as a gift and I’ll buy them during the sale.

Don’t worry, you can always up the ante by buying a boxset or a corresponding poster to match. To garnish, add a heartwarming, home-made card expressing your adoration and your loved ones will be instantly tricked into thinking you care a lot more than you actually do. Boom! Affordable, quirky, simple yet effective.

5. Bring your friends

This isn’t really a tip for your wallet but moreso a tip for your experience. It’s always fun to go shopping with friends, especially those who share the same interests as you. While perusing, you can strike-up conversations about the books you’re looking for, the books you’ve already read and it can become a great bonding experience. I always go to Big Bad Wolf with someone who will indulge me when I rant on-and-on about novels because if I were to go alone and talk to myself, I might scare some patrons away.

Not only that, if you get tired of carrying your books, you can always ask them to carry it for you. It’s called true friendship!

 

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There you have it, a guide to navigating your way through the annual Big Bad Wolf sale.

It’s truly amazing that this sale is available to Malaysians because the price of books in mainstream book stores are usually too expensive to justify buying more than one. With such great yearly releases, it’s hard to keep up when the only things in your wallet are receipts and expired fro-yo coupons. That’s why Big Bad Wolf is so important to us. You can get hardcover books that usually range from RM100-RM300 at a fraction of the price.

Big Bad Wolf is making reading accessible to everyone and that is why we must support it.

For more articles, choose JUICE.