My Christmas book haul

What would Christmas be without a big pile of new books to read! I was very lucky this year and I found a lovely pile of books under the tree, so I thought that I'd share them here. 

The first selection of books are all second hand books from Wob, my favourite place to buy pre-loved books. They came from my sister and my husband. Well, the books from my husband are actually books that I chose myself and ordered with a code that I was sent on Black Friday. It's much easier that way, he has no clue what books I like to read!

They are mostly books that I haven't read by my favourite authors. I picked out Beloved after a recent book I enjoyed called The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. It was a very sweet story about friendship and libraries, linked by a reading list of nine books, all of which were among my favourite reads apart from Beloved which I had never heard of! So based on the fact that I loved all the other books on the list I thought I probably can't go wrong with that one.

There are a few older Margaret Atwood's in there as well as some Lionel Shriver. I enjoyed Sophie's World as a teenager and fancied re-reading it, also I think that my children might like it. I'm also always looking for Booker Prize winning or shortlisted books as I usually seem to get on well with them, so that's why I chose The Sea. Wob even has a Booker Prize section to make them easier to find!

 I'm so looking forward to getting started on these.

I also received two shiny new books. I love Marie Kondo so was pleased to see that she had a new book out - Kurashi at Home. It's a large hardback with plenty of photographs and it's all about creating a home that sparks joy. Kurashi roughly means 'way of life' or 'the ideal way of spending our time' and there are some lovely tips about organising your home and your surroundings, and really making the most of the things that you choose to keep in your life.

Burning Questions is a series of essays by Margaret Atwood, a selection of material from mid-2004 to mid-2021. I've not started it properly yet although I've dipped into a few of the essays and have very much enjoyed what I've read so far!

 

Did you get any books for Christmas? I'd love to hear about them!

Why I like to buy second hand books

Recently I've found myself buying quite a few second hand books. I buy from various places - mainly from charity shops but also from the library and online from World of Books or Wob as it is now known. Charity shops are good for browsing, and I find Wob good if I am looking for a specific book, especially a book that is older or out of print. 

There are so many reasons that I love buying second hand books!

The main one has to be the price. The going rate around here in a charity shop is £1 to £1.50 which I think is very reasonable. From the library it's even cheaper, about 40p, although sometimes the books can be a bit battered. 

If the book is a bit battered then I don't need to worry too much about it if I want to take it on holiday or read it by a pool or in the bath.

It's a good feeling buying in a charity shop because I'm making a donation to the charity, or in the library because I'm contributing to a service which I really apprecite.

Because of the low cost it doesn't matter so much if I don't like the book because I can easily pass it on again without having made a big investment.

It's also a good way to fill in the gaps in my book collection without spending a fortune - many of the books I buy are ones that I either used to own and now regret passed on, or that I have borrowed from the library and know that I will want to re-read. 

Although I do love a new book I also enjoy the feeling of picking up a book which has already been read. The pages are softer and open easily and it just feels more comfortable to read.

I also like the feeling of rescuing a book, I'm saving it from being left unread and unloved on someone's shelf, or even worse being thrown away. 

I would love to hear about your second hand book bargains!