20 Pictures from a summer that won`t be forgotten- Part 10
The best bookshop in the world. "The Book Exchange" Maroochydore, QLD.
As crazy as it might sound Logan and I loved used bookstore in Australia. We loved books. We read like we hadn't in years. Our trip to Australia involved a lot of adventuring, hiking, beach walking, working, hanging out, drinking and fun. And it also involved long travel, beach sitting, hostel hanging and park chilling. One needs books for such occasions. We decided that our summer was going to be a break from our lives. A break from school and stress and computers. Thus we needed books. And we needed a lot of them. Probably too many in fact, considering that we were BACKPACKING. By the time we caught the train from Adelaide to Perth (our last trek) we had an entire bag for our books.
The love of all things literary began in Maroochydore.
Books in Aus are expensive. New soft cover books seemed to average in the 20-25 dollar range. Hard cover 35-45. Even used books were expensive but cheap in comparison. 5-10 for soft cover. 10-15 for hardcover. Thus, Australia has a wonderful collection of used book stores. They have character. They are amazing. And we spent a lot of time in them!
Books I read (in no particular order):
October Sky-Homer Hickham (brought from home left at hostel in Maroochydore)
*A Sunburnt Country- Bill Bryson (brought from home left at hostel in Maroochydore)
Small Island- Andrea Levy (brought from home trade in Maroochydore)
Her Fearful Symmetry- Audrey Neffinger (Got at hostel in Maroochydore traded in Maroochydore)
Handle With Care- Jodi Picoult (Got at hostel in Maroochydore traded in Maroochydore)
*Shipping arrivals and departures: Tasmania: Volume III: 1843-1850 -by Graeme Broxam (bought at the Maritime Museum in Hobart and brought home)Second Glance- Jodi Picoult (Bought at farmer's market in Maroochydore traded in Maroochydore)
Vanishing Acts- Jodi Picoult (bought at book exhange in Maroochydore, traded in Maroochydore)
Tenth Circle- Jodi Picoult (Bought in a three pack at Australian post office in Perth, brought home)
*The Potato Factory- Bryce Courtney (Bought in Launceston, Tas brought home)
Maus- Art Spiegelman (Bought at library in Maroochydore, brought home)
Maus II- Art Spiegelman (got out on library card maroochydore)
Cairo- G. Willow Wilson (got out on library card maroochydore)
Badlands Part 1-Susan Wright (bought at farmers market in Alice Springs, brought home)
Rendevous with Rama- Arthur C. Clarke (Picked up at hostel in Atherton Table Lands, QLD -where I wasn't even staying- and brought home)
Salem Falls- Jodi Picoult (Bought at farmers market in Alice Spring left at Hobart Hostel)
The Eyes of the Beholder- A.C Crispin (bought at Book Exhchange in Maroochydore, exchanged in Maroochydore)
Ghost Ship- Diane Duane (bought at Book Exhchange in Maroochydore, exchanged in Maroochydore)
Holy Fools- Joanne Harris (bought at Book Exhchange in Maroochydore, exchanged in Maroochydore)
*Territory- Judy Nunn (Bought at Book Exchange in Maroochydore, exchanged in Alice Springs)
The Chosen- Chaim Potok (Bought in Alice Springs, brought home)
Blackberry Wine- Joanne Harris (Bought at Oxfam store in Adelaide, brought home)
Coastliners- Joanne Harris (bought at farmer's market in Maroochydore, exchanged in maroochydore)
Space-James Michner (Bought in Hobart, brought home)
The Shipping News- Annie E. Prouloux (bought at Oxfam store in Adelaide, brought home)
*Wombat Revenge- Kenneth Cook (Bought in Alice Springs, brought home)
*Diary of a Wombat- Jackie French (Bought at Border's in Perth, brought home)
Isvk- Hammand Innes (Bought in Launceston, brought home)
Rama Returns (Picked up in Hobart, Brought home)
The Blue Castle- Lucy Maud Montgomery (Brought from home, brought home- my favorite comfort book)
Imzadi- Peter David (Bought at Maroochydore library left at Hobart Hostel)
Imzadi Forever- Peter David (Bought at Maroochydore library left at Hobart Hostel)
The Peace Keepers- Gene DeWeese (Bought at Book Exchange in Maroochydore, exchanged in Maroochydore)
Gullivers Fugitives- Keith Sharee (Bought at Farmer's market in Alice Springs, brought home)
*Books about Australia/Australian authors- I did try to soak up some culture in my reading
Yes, it's true, i'll admit it, these are not exactly fine literature. I got a little obsessed with Jodi Picoult. For the keen eye, yes, some of those are Star Trek novels. But it was fun. Fun to read, fun to comb the used bookstores and the farmer's market. Fun checking out every hostel's book exchange. Fun to chat with Logan about the books.