Saturday, December 14, 2013

Introducing Bookurve – A Malaysian Online Bookstore



It is that time of the year again when all you want to do is shop. However, for book lovers like me, shopping for books happens all year round unfortunately. There is no such thing as too many books. Right???

But if you are looking for something new to read or to search for that book that you could not find at your nearest bookstore or you just want to buy a book for someone this Christmas, you can do so at the newly launched Bookurve.

Bookurve is a Malaysian online bookstore that offers free delivery for the books which are sold at low prices.

I have had the opportunity to conduct an e-mail interview with one of the guys behind the startup. Here is the interview with Lian Shen:

1. How did the website's name "Bookurve" come about?
It is a combination of the words "Book" and "Curve". 

2. How is Bookurve different from other online bookstores, for example local bookstore MPHonline and international ones like Book Depository?

We want Malaysian readers to find any book they want and buy it at the lowest price. We also want to introduce more of the latest book titles to readers who would not be able to find them in MPH.

In comparison with Book Depository, we are able to deliver the books in a shorter period of time, say, two to three weeks, with a tracking code for the order.

3. How many books are there in the store? What genre of books do you offer?

Currently, we have 20,000 book titles that we can ship out within a day. As long as the book is an English title and the book is still in print, we will try our best to get the book out to our readers.

4. How did Bookurve come about?

We started this idea when we found that readers could actually have a wider selection of book titles, a feature not met by MPH and Kinokuniya. Some readers do not even realise it, including me before we started Bookurve.

The prices of the books are also quite expensive. So these were the two reasons that inspired us to create Bookurve to give greater benefits to avid readers.

5. When was Bookurve launched? Any increase in visitors and sales until now?

We launched it six months ago to get any feedback and response from readers who eventually found us via Google. We also recently launched a new layout on the Bookurve website with a message to our customers that goes like this: "Find any book you want in Bookurve".

6. Free delivery on all orders? No minimum purchase required?

We initially provided free delivery within Malaysia with no minimum purchase. Now, due to the increase of shipping costs, we only provide free delivery with a minimum order of RM25. For East Malaysia, there is a minor shipping fee.

7. Where do you get the books to sell on Bookurve?

We sourced the books from an overseas distributor as well as a local market distributor.

8. Any other information that you would like to highlight?

We found that there are many places in Malaysia that are lacking in physical bookstores and this makes it difficult for readers to find and buy books. So, we want to provide an opportunity to Malaysian readers to discover, find and buy books no matter where they are, as long as they have access to the Internet and visit Bookurve.

Thanks Lian Shen for the interview.

So that was the interview and I hope you enjoyed getting to know more about Bookurve. As it is now December and Christmas is approaching, Bookurve has a special Christmas deal for its customers.

Click this link for the Christmas deal. The promotion ends on Dec 31. Do take note that delivery is within Malaysia only.

Happy book-buying everybody!

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

10 Books from My Bookshelf that I Really Need to Read



My blog turned seven yesterday and I had the idea of going over the titles in my bookshelf to remind myself of what books I have. It is also to urge myself to get going on reading books that I should have read a long, long time ago. Here are the 10 books that I feel I should make time to read as soon as I can.

It does not snow here in Malaysia but I would love to curl up with these books before December ends. It is great weather anyway with the occasional Christmas breeze.

1. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I began reading this book in July and stopped after page 60. Not that it got boring or anything but life got in the way and I also started reading other books. It was pretty unusual for me because I always aim to finish a book before starting on a new one. But I saw that Roomies by Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando was available on Net Galley so I jumped right in to that book! Thus, I have to continue reading Beautiful Creatures now because I am so behind in this series. Love the movie though.



2. Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

My most recent purchase of a Sophie Kinsella book, bought back in May this year. She has a few new books out since then so I need to read this before getting her newer ones such as I’ve Got Your Number and Wedding Night.







3. Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

I do not remember when I bought the book but it was most probably about the time it was published. The pages have already turned brown since then and I still have not read it yet. I have read the first three books and also watched all the Twilight movies. I’m not really an ardent fan of this series but it is good if I can finish reading all the books in it.





4. The Host by Stephenie Meyer

I have watched the movie and I think Saoirse Ronan is a great actress. Loved her role in Hanna. When The Host novel came out, I was a bit skeptical about its science fiction theme but still received a copy from a Secret Santa blog event. The movie cleared my doubts and I’m looking forward to reading the book.






5. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

You can call me a fan of the Harry Potter books so anything by J.K. Rowling should be a must-read for me. Before I go out and buy The Cuckoo’s Calling, I need to read The Casual Vacancy first.








I bought this book three years ago and now I’m already 26. It is high time I began reading this book for its finance tips before it is too late!







7. Nation by Terry Pratchett

Over the seven years as a book blogger and visiting other book blogs, I came across many rave reviews on this book and also on Pratchett’s other books. I received Nation from a Secret Santa blog event as well.








I decided to buy this book in July when I became a worrywart of sorts on work and life stuff. Was hoping to delve into this book but I didn’t realise that it has been five months since the month of purchase!







9. Atonement by Ian McEwan

Again, another highly acclaimed book that I have yet to read. I enjoyed the movie even though it is all sadness and tragedy. Hope to start reading the book soon. Before the year ends, at least!







10. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

I’m wondering if there is any connection between this book and George Orwell’s 1984 but there are some online discussions on this topic. At over 1,300 pages, this book is super-thick to me. I do not mind having one or two weeks off just to lose myself in this story.






Have you read of these titles? What are your thoughts on them?

Random: A day without a perdurable is like a day without sunshine
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