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Recent Book Finds

Started by Boycey, May 16, 2018, 08:19:15 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Boycey

Inspired by Head Gardener's always entertaining Recent Vinyl Finds in Oscillations, I bring you a thread of strange, weird or fun books you may have picked up on the way at the second-hand, boot sale, general rummaging around, etc. I tend to feel a certain delight finding decent books as I live in Estonia, so it's nice when they're not in Russian or Estonian. There happens to be a decent second-hand shop that deals with only English books, mostly stuff seemed to have been sourced from UK charity shops. Quite why the citizens of Estonia would want Shane Ritchie's autobiography, I am not sure but there we go.

Some trips over the past few months have wielded:



This is actually a Russian edition of Paddington - Russian intro but the rest is in English. I particularly like the fact that each story has a glossary explaining unfamiliar English terms including 'Suet Pudding'

I also picked this up for 50 cents a few days ago:



I must admit I had never heard of him, but am plowing through it now. Some of the stories are impenetrable, with pastiches of Burroughs and Joyce, and others are gently funny and surreal. Some of them reminded me of yer man Morris on occasion.

I found this in the Estonian university town of Tartu a few years ago:



Normally a second hand Doctor Who annual would be nothing strange but there was always a bit of "How the hell did this turn up at a tiny second hand shop in the second largest city of a small country..."

Any interesting finds from anyone else?

Boycey

I am on a bit of a James Bond kick  - adding to my collection of books all about 007 - so I was pleased to add the following to my collection for only a few quid from Ebay:



But I have actually coveted this book since I was a youngester. I remember being on a school trip to Robin Hood's Bay when I was abotu 10 and seeing it in a second hand shop window. And it was closed. I so wanted that book but never saw it's like again. I am sure I will inevitably be disappointed but it's another childhood want that I have finally managed to get....

Keebleman

Taking the thread title literally, I found two books outside someone's house an hour ago: Solzhenitsyn's Cancer Ward and first volume of John Osborne's memoirs.  They were placed side by side on the front wall so I assume they had been left for a passer-by to pick up.  If not I am a thief, a particularly brazen one.

Boycey

If you don't want to get rid of them, don't leave them out on the street (and those are nice finds)

At one of those book swap locations, which strangely enough happened to be at Warsaw Zoo, I managed to pick up a nice Penguin edition of Animal Farm - all of which seems rather apropos....

jobotic

Great book, Cancer Ward.

Boycey

In Krakow's Massolit, at one of my favourite bookshops, I managed to pick up a few things



Never come across this before but this slim volume seems very intriguing and Herzog's writing is always fabulous - especially as you can't read it without always hearing his sonourous tones.



After getting a more up to date edition of The Biographical Dictionary of Film and Have You Seen?, I am on a bit of a David Thomson kick at the moment. He's always a perceptive writer and critic, flitting between a deep seated love of the cinema and a dose of cynicism that stays on the right side of curmudgeonly. His account of Welles looks like it will be good 'un



For my eldest boy. I must admit, I have never seen the musical Cats and am vaguely aware of what it's about. Which is some cats. By my kid loves The Gruffalo, and as this edition is illustrated by Aex Scheffer, thought it may go down a treat. A few poems in and we're both really enjoying it and even better, not a penny goes to Andrew Lloyd Webber



This has been on my list for years as a 'Oh, you really should read it' and I finally took the plunge and bought it. Now just have to find the time to read the damn thing

Boycey

I've seen a lot of Eric Ambler novels, but never picked them up as I had a notion he was a bit of a hack. Seeing that Penguin Modern Classics had published his books - yes I am snob - and it was only 50 cents decided to pick it up. Anyone read Ambler - am I in for a treat?



Yes, there are so many of them washing around the book of abandoned Xmas stockings that they have made their way across the continent. Depsite their ubiquity there is the odd funny moment (aside from the below, I also picked up Husband, Mum, Hangover and Mindfulness over the past few months) and at 50 cents it's a fun little addition to the book collection. Bonus points for being put with the kids books as well..


Boycey

Decided to resurrect the thread as one book I found seemed apropos

At a museum in Parnu (bascially the Estonian equivalent of Scarbourough) they were giving away a bunch of books for free. So, I managed to pick up



Given that it was already mentioned in this thread, and I hadn't heard of it until is was first mentioned here, it seemed proper to pick it up.  I now have it on my ever growing 'to read' pile.

This was also hanging around there



Another one which I must admit had passed by my radar, but I have touched upon Marcus' work before and it looks intriguing

Also at the local Second Hand shop for 20 cents?