One of my favourite excursions is to head down the road to London (Ontario) and check out all the thrift stores, ending up at the glorious 3 floor used bookshop downtown, Attic Books. It's a clean, well-organized, affordably priced and well-stocked place that I can spend quite a bit of time and money in!
Today's sunshine and free time led us that way, and this is the result... I held myself back, by the way, and didn't buy everything I'd looked at. This is my summer book haul from both Attic and 3 thrift shops.
Bottom to top:
An excellent book on embroidery, by Thomasina Beck
An Alan Bradley to add to my colourful series
Leslie Marmon Silko's Ceremony, something I have been looking for for a while
Gloria Naylor's The Women of Brewster Place, ditto
Two unread titles by Kyiv author Andrey Kurkov, in perfect condition
Two Viragos that I didn't yet own, Storm Jameson's Company Parade and Radclyffe Hall's The Unlit Lamp
Two Scandinavian women in translation that I've been wanting to read, Rosa Liksom (Finnish) and Therese Bohman (Swedish)
Classic SF, Asimov's Foundation
Classic Helen MacInnes, one of the only titles of hers I haven't read
And then topping it all off, a score: 6 titles by my favourite Harlequin author, Mary Burchell (originally Ida Cook). That should keep me going for a while!
It's always fun to uncover treasures and stock the home library. You can see a handful of my husband's purchases in the background of my picture as well... we really can't help ourselves!
Great finds! It sounds like you enjoyed your bookish day off!
ReplyDeleteYes we did - bookstore visits, lunch out, and well, not being at work - it was fun! ;)
DeleteLove Flavia de Luce!
ReplyDeleteNow I have all the matching hardcovers except for the latest - love that series too!
DeleteNice finds! Nothing like a book haul to cheer you up. Very jealous of the Kurkovs!
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I couldn't believe it when I saw them! So excited to find more - I read my first book of his when I was in Kyiv and have a soft spot for his weirdness ;)
DeleteOh, I used to love Attic. Do they still have their "bargain" basement: is that one of the three floors you're referring to? Also, what is it about this Harlequin author which you admire/pursue? I can still scan my bookshelves and spot the "finds" from their basement. *happy sigh*
ReplyDeleteYes indeed -- I start in the basement and work my way up (nice copy of Suzette Mayr's The Widows on the basement shelves btw.) I have so many books from Attic!
DeleteI love Mary Burchell as she's a classic Harlequin author - writing from the 30s to the 70s - and has lots and lots about opera and art and fashion in her books. Most of the plots are the same but they are so enjoyable as light reading, while having a very readable style that doesn't make my eyes bleed. And despite the times they usually have a strong and "nice" heroine who is rewarded for her virtue, without being too sexist.
If you read the little bit at the link, she's also pretty admirable in her personal life. I'm not sure why but I really do like her.
What a great bookish day off! I love when you finally find copies of books that you've been searching for; it's the best feeling, isn't it? I hope you have more days off soon in order to read all those lovely books you found and bought! Happy reading! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, if only we could be rewarded for buying books by getting days off to read them as well!! I've been enjoying dipping into them already.
DeleteSounds like a great day off work. Enjoy your new books!
ReplyDeleteBest way to spend time off, haha :)
DeleteGood haul! I love a day browsing in a bookshop!
ReplyDeleteI love browsing - the serendipity of discovery is the best part.
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