A Day, A Fair, and Far Too Many Books

After the post where my bookshelf practically took over the blog, I was under the impression that there would be a few more posts from my dear bookshelf. But apparently, it had other plans! So, here I am, back to writing posts for the writing challenge.

A couple of months ago, our city hosted its annual book fair. As always, I was eager to go, and this time, luckily, the kids were able to join me too. We were so excited that we decided to go on the second day itself.

The previous year, we had gone on the last day, which happened to be a Sunday, and it was packed! So many people moving from one stall to another was almost an achievement in itself. I guess we weren't the only ones who had thought, "If I haven't been able to go on the other days, Sunday must be the best day!" Clearly, everyone had the same idea!

So this time, we decided not to take any chances.

And off we went!

There were programmes happening on the side; the book fair was already buzzing with activity, and our hearts were racing with excitement as we entered the complex.

Just like previous years, we came prepared. We had a couple of extra bags with us to bring back our bookish goodies, bottles of water to keep us going, and, most importantly, a heart full of excitement to see what the fair had in store for us.

And, of course, once we started browsing, we wanted to buy everything!

There were books from our ever-growing TBR lists, books that had been making the rounds on social media, books recommended by fellow readers, books with gorgeous covers, books we had been looking for, books we had never heard of, and books that were simply too good a bargain to leave behind.

Tamil Books...

Books with beautiful covers...

And some more Tamil Books...

Caught up with nostalgia here...

I wanted to take this whole shelf home!

And then, some more books...

Something other than books..

The sale sections were especially tempting. We picked up quite a few books there, along with a good number of pre-loved books. 

There were even deals where ten books were being sold for ₹500. Some of the books were completely new to me, but they were in such pristine condition, and the deal was so good that walking away was almost impossible. We were too busy picking out the books that we forgot to click pics in that stall!

So, naturally, we went around again looking for books that would fit our budget. Because, really, can there ever be too many books? The answer, at least in a bibliophile's world, is a resounding no!

In fact, I even managed to pick up a book that I already owned. I didn't realise it was the same book because this edition had a completely different cover. I happily added it to my pile, only to realise later that I had already read and owned it!

Well, technically, I had bought a different-looking copy, so does it really count? I think every book lover will understand my logic!

The kids and I were like children in a candy store, except our candy came with pages, covers, and bookmarks. Only a fellow bibliophile can truly understand the joy that books can bring.

I also kept looking around to see if I could spot anyone I knew from the bookish community, but unfortunately, I didn't manage to recognise anyone.

By the time we realised it, it was well past lunchtime and our excitement had been replaced by hunger. So, we headed towards the food court, which was, unsurprisingly, just as crowded as the book stalls.

Finding a place to sit was another adventure altogether!

We placed our orders and had to wait for a while before we could get our food. The self-service counters were doing their best to cater to the crowds as quickly as possible, but with so many hungry book lovers around, there was only so much they could do.

The chapathi and kurma and the piping-hot paniyaram with the lip-smacking chutneys were absolutely delicious. And how could we possibly leave without coffee?

That coffee was just what we needed. A little more energy, and we were ready to go back and explore the remaining stalls.

We also bumped into some students from our school who were absolutely delighted to see me. After a quick chat and a promise to visit their stall, we resumed our browsing from where we had left off before lunch.

There was much more than just books at the fair. We came across stalls selling bookmarks and book accessories, philately and numismatics, astronomy-related items, handmade gifts, and several other interesting things.

Of course, the extra bags we had carried were nowhere near enough.

So, what did we do?

We bought two more bags!

Because apparently, we had underestimated our book-buying capabilities.

We came back with a whole load of books.

The daughter picked up a few books of her choice, including a book for entrance-exam preparation and a book by Stephen King, which caught her attention almost immediately. She had her own list and, naturally, was quite happy exploring the stalls herself.

Sonny boy, meanwhile, picked up quite a few non-fiction books and a couple of fiction. I sometimes wonder why he prefers non-fiction to fiction, but then again, to each his own! As long as they are reading, I am happy.

And then, of course, came my choices.

These are the books that came home with me.

Looking at the pile now, I think we did quite well. Or perhaps I should say we did too well! 

We were exhausted by the end of the day, but it was the kind of exhaustion that leaves you happy. We had spent more than five hours at the book fair, walking from stall to stall, browsing, discovering, discussing and, of course, buying books.

We had browsed to almost our heart's content and were already thinking about going back for another round. Unfortunately, we had other commitments for the rest of the week, and before we knew it, the book fair was over.

But the memories remain.

Even now, we talk about the books we found, the bargains we spotted, the food we ate, the stalls we explored, and the sheer joy of spending several hours surrounded by books.

And that, perhaps, is the best thing about a book fair. You may walk in thinking you will buy just a few books, but you never really know what will catch your eye. You discover unexpected titles, find old favourites, stumble upon bargains, and sometimes even buy a book you already own because the cover managed to fool you!

But would I do it all over again?

Absolutely!!!

Because when it comes to books, there can never be too many. There can only be too little space!

Around ₹4,000 for a whole lot of books, a couple of extra bags, and some bookish goodies? I’d say that was a pretty good deal! And now, of course, we are already eagerly waiting for next year’s book fair.

I am sure some of you are thinking, “Surely, they will finish reading all these books before the next book fair!”

You are highly mistaken, my friend! 

Collecting books and reading books are two completely different hobbies!

One does not necessarily have anything to do with the other. There is always room for more books, even when the TBR pile is already threatening to take over the house!

This is a really late post, but I am finally getting around to sharing it as the second post as part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon 2026 – Version 2.0, where I will be sharing seven posts between September 15th and September 30th.

Until the next post…