The first shopping mall I went to was the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur or simply known as the Pavilion. It is a high-end designer mall stocked with world-wide fashion and luxury brand names and a gourmet emporium on the ground floor where you can put on more calories than you can burn in a session. This year alone, it won the "Outstanding Achievement Award" in the Shopping Mall Category at the Kuala Lumpur Mayor's Tourism Awards 2011 as well as the "2011 VIVA Best-of-the-Best Award Honoree" in the Design and Development category.
It so happened that on that particular day when I woke up in my five-star two-bedroom residence, I had already decided I would spend the whole day in a bookshop or any bookshop that I could find. I had no desire to do anything else. The bookshop was the only place I wanted to go.
I found the Times bookstore. (Other branches of this bookstore throughout Malaysia can be found on this page if you happen to find yourself outside KL.) As you can see from the photos below, the two sections I was particularly interested in were 1) Crime/Mystery and Thriller and 2) Asian Literature.
What I like about this bookstore is that there is a cafe tucked cosily to one side very appealingly called The Huckleberry Cafe. It is rather small but cosy, homely, alluringly decorated. Everything is well-placed.
There is a big wide sofa with cushions where you can sink into with a favourite book or you can sit on a chair-table combination with a brew and read.
Delectable food such as macaroons, whoopie pies, a variety of cakes and quiches, as well as thirst-quenching hot and cold drinks are sold here.
You can get free wi-fi too and the connection is pretty good.
What's more charming was I caught the man behind the counter reading when I walked up!
If you are not into snacks and a drink, then you can snuggle up in the reading area, also tastefully decorated like Huckleberry, around the corner from the paying counter. Standing against a wall of this area is a long low bookshelf sparsely filled with books where you can pick one of your choice, make yourself comfortable and start reading or better yet, bring your own book in to read.
A brief chat with one of the staff brought me to understand that you have to sign up for the Times Privilege card, where members can get discounts and other benefits, to sit in that area. Since I was a visitor to Malaysia and had no fixed address to speak of, I could not sign up for the card but while I was making myself at home in that area, nobody shooed me away.
I did not buy any books here since I had my Kindle and a whole pile of books with me back at the hotel, and also feared that there would be no space in my luggage for anymore purchases, although, needless to say, I had marked out a few books to buy next time, particularly those I could not find back in England.
To finish off, I must say that of all the bookshops I have been to around the world, I would award this as the most inviting, welcoming and tranquil enough to get a good chunk of reading done.
I think it is the perfect place to spend my day and I have enjoyed every moment.
Be back.
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