Yesterday I was made a delightful last-minute diversion to see Savidge Reads after discovering that my trip up North for work would mean I was within spitting distance of Manchester. I was sad to have been unable to make it in time to go to John Rylands library – see how fabulous it looks:
Oh dear, I’ll suppose I’ll just have to go back and visit again!
Of course a trip to a book shop was in order, so we popped into Waterstones for a drink in the café.
Simon persuaded me that I should get the new Sophie Hannah book – Lasting Damage. I’m a bit off a devotee, having started out reading her short stories and going on to read every one of the Waterhouse & Zailer series. It was with very little difficulty that he overcame my grumbling about not having read A Room Swept White
first by pointing out that the new hardback cost less than a paperback.
I was thoroughly impressed by the Penguin Mini-Moderns, and Shirley Jackson’s writing was recommended to me after my glowing review of Ludmilla Petrushevskaya’s short stories, so I also invested a modest £3 in the The Tooth.
And… what should happen today? I fell into my local second hand book shop and lo and behold a nearly-new copy of A Room Swept White was for sale for £2.50.
Have you made any serendipitous book purchases recently?
Hurray! I love these sort of book-karma type things!
Funnily enough, I will count Sophie Hannah’s Lasting Damage as my serendipitous purchase als0, for a different reason. As you know, I had been struggling with reading anything for the last 2 months and really starting to freak out about it and then I saw Lasting Damange in Sainsbury’s for £6.49 and thought it would be rude not to so I bought it on the Saturday evening and by Monday morning I had finished! It was the book that got me out of my rut – HURRAH!!!!!!
Hope you enjoy your new loot Polly 🙂
Ooh snap! You’re making me want to read it immediately but am intent on finishing my current book and also reading A Room Swept White first (book order OCD!!)
I have, actually. Six books in the last week (books finished: nil). I love stumbling on great books by chance!
My latest purchases are here:
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com/2011/02/26/recent-purchases/
Six serendipitous books is pretty great! You did have some LOVELY purchases!
I’m amused that you “fell” into the second-hand bookshop. I find myself tripping over their doorsteps with astonishing frequency! Hope you enjoy the new purchases 🙂
Yvann, it’s all too common an occurrence these days – I just don’t know how it happens 😉
Oooh looks like you had a lovely time! Reminded me that I have two Sophie Hannah’s sitting on my shelf, patiently waiting to be read !
Ooh, they are patient aren’t they? Which ones have you got waiting?
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