I only became a bookworm when I was in my 30s.
But there was a book in my 20s where I actually phoned in sick at work purely so I can finish the book. I was Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes and it was totally worth phoning in sick. Plus, I worked for a local newspaper at the time and I hated my job there.
I worked for a publishing house in London and my boss decided to gift everyone a Kindle. Who am I to say no?
As a commuter, my only two options were to read or sleep. I’m not going to lie, I took any opportunity for a quick nap but I thought I would check out some titles that people were talking about.
That’s where my love of reading started. Also, it helped that I worked in publishing because I was surrounded by book lovers so finding a good book was never going to be an issue.
Since then, I have purchased both physical books and e-books but I think my preference has always been physical books. There’s something special about holding a book.
The issue I had was I didn’t have space to keep all the new books that I had bought, so I had to make the difficult decision and donate my old books to charity.
I have managed to keep some books, especially when I worked in publishing where the author was invited to sign books for the staff, as those have my name in them, I would never donate them. How many Raakhee’s are out there LOL
Now that I live somewhere where I have space to house my books, I decided to buy the copies I had donated but this time, I will only buy them second hand.
So, I started doing just that. I went to charity shops and boot fairs and found books that were in good condition some were in excellent condition which made my book haul even sweeter. I’m still on the lookout for used book store, sadly, there isn’t one near me.
Benefits of buying a second hand book
Firstly, I want to say, that I have no hate towards anyone who buys brand new books. When you’ve got ever growing wish lists and you’re looking for a new title that’s just been released, the main option would be to buy brand new.
For me, I like buying second hand books and here’s why
- They’re much cheaper than buying brand new so I save quite a bit of money doing this. Personally, it’s an obvious choice that works for me.
- Second hand books have already been produced so no extra resources have been made for me to buy it second hand. It’s better for the environment.
- Buying second hand means that that book won’t end up in landfill or using energy for the recycling process.
- You may find old editions or even first editions which end up being worth more than what you paid for them. It’s a book you remember from your childhood, you may even find out-of-print editions.
What was in my second-hand books haul?
I’m glad you asked!
If you prefer watching my video on my haul, here’s the video, otherwise, keep reading
I’m currently reading the Strike series by Robert Galbraith and I found Lethal White and Troubled Blood for 50 pence each in a local fair where the local library were selling off their books. I was really happy with this purchase. I have read the odd Crime Fiction book but this series is something I am not able to put down. I need to keep an eye out for the rest of the series.
The next one was The Fifty Shades trilogy that I got for £3. They were is really good condition and I read these many times. There’s a funny story behind this one. When I was a commuter, I remember reading one of the books in this series and I was so engrossed in the book that I missed my stop in Ashford, Kent and ended up in Margate, Kent, which was the end of the line. It took me a while to get home.
I first read I See You by Clare Mackintosh when it was released because I worked for the publisher at the time. I never read a psychological thriller before and I absolutely love this book. When I’m asked for recommendations, this is the first title I mention. It’s so well written and, as a commuter at the time, I did get a little scared, I’m not going to lie, but I’ve never forgotten it. I bought this copy in a charity shop for £1. Now I’ve finally got my own copy!
After the End is another title by Clare Mackintosh which I bought for 20 pence at a boot fair, which I am really happy about. This was quite a heart-wrenching book, unlike the others I had read by the author up until then. I never expected to find a copy in hardback and especially at a low price.
Woman Who Stole Life by Marian Keyes is title I haven’t actually read but I used to love reading titles by Marian Keyes, especially about the Walsh family. This hardback copy was purchased in a charity shop for £1 and I’m really happy. It will sit on my ‘to be read’ pile. I have a feeling this pile will grow really quickly!
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. I bought this beauty for 50 pence at a boot fair and I have never moved so fast! I’m a HUUUUUUUGE Harry Potter fan and I’ve wanted this book for a long time. Many would say these are children’s books but I don’t care. I love anything to do with the wizarding world. I’m not going to lie, I had the biggest smile on my face and sits proudly with my other Harry Potter books.
All in all, this haul cost me a grand total of £6.70
Many people search book fairs and charity shops for rare books like first or old editions and some make a business from it. There have been instances of people unknowingly buying first editions of Harry Potter books and, after realising what their true value, have been sold for thousands of pounds. I’ve never really looked for books like these but you never know.
