Literary overdose
Popping out to the shops this lunchtime, I stuck my head into the local charity shop, mainly to see if they had any nice summer frocks. The book section in there is normally a haphazard mix of dime store romances, airport blockbusters and those jokey 'History of the World According to Alan Titchmarsh' type books.
But not today.
Someone with impeccable and varied tastes had obviously had a massive clearout of their bookshelves. Highbrow SF, Booker prize winners, acclaimed first novels, all sorts of things. And as keenly priced as you could like - 3 paperbacks for £1 and hardbacks £1 each.
I got:
Ken McLeod - The Star Fraction (I've been meaning to read more Ken McLeod for ages - Trots innnnnnn spaaaaaaace!
Glen David Gold - Sunnyside (I loved Carter Beats The Devil)
Christos Tsiolkas - The Slap (everyone's been reading it on the Tube and I got curious)
James Morrow - The Philosopher's Apprentice (I liked The Last Witchfinder)
Steven Sherrill - The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break (don't know much about but the title rang a bell, and it's magical realism)
Hal Duncan - Ink (don't know anything about but the back cover copy grabbed me. Sadly it's the second in a series so I may have to track down the first!)
China Mieville - The City & The City (I already have this but I wanted a lending copy, plus this is a hardback, and signed.)
Ken McLeod - The Cassini Division (hardback, signed)
Christopher Priest - The Extremes (because I liked The Prestige)
Sum total - five pounds. The girl on the checkout tried to give me a discount because I'd bought so much, but I gave her the fiver anyway.
I'm now resisting the urge to go back and buy even more - I could easily have walked away with twice as much, and that's not counting the awesome books that I already own but would like lending copies of!
But not today.
Someone with impeccable and varied tastes had obviously had a massive clearout of their bookshelves. Highbrow SF, Booker prize winners, acclaimed first novels, all sorts of things. And as keenly priced as you could like - 3 paperbacks for £1 and hardbacks £1 each.
I got:
Ken McLeod - The Star Fraction (I've been meaning to read more Ken McLeod for ages - Trots innnnnnn spaaaaaaace!
Glen David Gold - Sunnyside (I loved Carter Beats The Devil)
Christos Tsiolkas - The Slap (everyone's been reading it on the Tube and I got curious)
James Morrow - The Philosopher's Apprentice (I liked The Last Witchfinder)
Steven Sherrill - The Minotaur Takes A Cigarette Break (don't know much about but the title rang a bell, and it's magical realism)
Hal Duncan - Ink (don't know anything about but the back cover copy grabbed me. Sadly it's the second in a series so I may have to track down the first!)
China Mieville - The City & The City (I already have this but I wanted a lending copy, plus this is a hardback, and signed.)
Ken McLeod - The Cassini Division (hardback, signed)
Christopher Priest - The Extremes (because I liked The Prestige)
Sum total - five pounds. The girl on the checkout tried to give me a discount because I'd bought so much, but I gave her the fiver anyway.
I'm now resisting the urge to go back and buy even more - I could easily have walked away with twice as much, and that's not counting the awesome books that I already own but would like lending copies of!