Feeding the Addiction

Just as I start panicking when reserve supplies of Tabasco sauce in the kitchen cupboard are down to one bottle, so I get nervous if I haven’t added to my small pile of unread second-hand books in more than a few days. Which is a roundabout way of saying I can feel a trawl coming on. I always try to keep an open mind when looking in second-hand book shops. That way, the books find me, and not vice-versa. I always pull out volumes whose titles aren’t on the spine or cover. Most of the time they disappoint, but just occasionally they pleasantly surprise. The test I apply, if a book is within my price range, is to ask myself if I will regret not buying it when I get home. Sometimes I say no, and kick myself later. The only thing then is to go back a.s.a.p. and hope it’s still there…