I found myself going to Fully Booked when I was at the mall last Sunday. I was there to pick up a graphic novel I had reserved online a couple days prior – a graphic adaptation of Claudia’s story from Anne Rice’s Interview with a Vampire novel. Looking at it now, I’ve forgotten how I got hold of knowing that there was a book such as this out, but I quickly had a copy reserved for me the moment I did.
At the store, an on-sale table was right there by the cashier, so I decided to take a look at the books piled up. There was no order, or classification for the books, so I really had to keep my eye out for anything interesting. I spotted a lot of cookbooks that I was tempted to get, a lot of Marvel comics that I also wanted to spend on, a couple of economics/finance-related books. Among the pile, I spotted a book called Expeditions, published by Fully Booked in the mid-2000’s, in partnership with award-winning author Neil Gaiman.
Upon unwrapping the somewhat dirty plastic cover, I came to the discover that my on-sale book was more special than I thought it to be. Apparently…
Yes, it was a signed copy. My copy was signed by none other than Neil Gaiman. I had to check the hardbound cover because little old me thought it might have just been a printed signature. But no, it looked like the real deal, written in ink that was not yet dry when the book was closed because some of the ink latched on to the opposite page.
And just to be sure, I made a note on twitter.
Am I dreaming or is my copy of Expeditions signed by @neilhimself?! What a lucky find if it is!!!! pic.twitter.com/XorZHNTGJl
— Christa Uymatiao 黃綺思 (@xtauymatiao) October 5, 2014
I got a reply not long after posting my tweet.
@xtauymatiao yup. That’s one of mine.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) October 5, 2014
And of course I was beyond ecstatic. It’s not everyday that someone famous, and someone you admire, notices you among a throng of others.
Still, I feel so lucky that I got an amazing book, with stories written by Philippine writers such as myself, writers who are sad that the Philippine publishing industry could not be better. I’ve read a few of the stories inside, and they are amazing. Definitely writing about this book soon!
Books on sale, definitely hold some treasure within. You just have to have the patience to look through what’s available till you find something special.