Thursday 21 February 2013

Buying books



Last Saturday after visiting Chester, I came home with a headache, exhaustion and a very happy mien.  After half an hour home the headache, which had developed during the afternoon, was gone again (killed by a naughty excess of tablets) and we examined the goodies the day had yielded.  As well as three items of clothing for Partner there were some books (surprise, surprise).  In fairness, one book was very slim and one was a mere pamphlet and there were only two others.   


But by weight those two others equalled our last five trips to charity shops.  They were the two volumes of the Illustrated Oxford English Dictionary.  Published in 1978 they are more like the encyclopaedias we had as children.  They should provide hours of fun and education. While were buying them I argued (weakly and knowing my guilt feelings would be assuaged by P-w-l-t) that we hadn’t really got room for them.  She laughed and picked up the pamphlet.  “We haven’t really got space this, let alone those!  But when has that ever stopped us?” she said. 

 lexicomane  (noun)  a lover of dictionaries

9 comments:

  1. How many dimensions does your personal library/house have? (I'm imagining it to be something like the one in the Unseen University)

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    1. Sadly, it only has the conventional number of dimensions. Unless you count the sagging ceilings because of the weight in the loft as being an extra dimension?

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  2. At least someone is keeping the book industry alive! They wouldn't be suriving if more people were like me, who buys a book maybe once every two years (I'm not kidding).

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  3. I have to confess to a weakness for books too. I have to weed some out and have just contributed a box to one of my favorite thrift stores. I need to do some more sorting as I have 12 book cases full of books and hubby is getting rather tired of all the books and has forbidden me from bringing one more home.

    I sympathize with you when you mention migraines, as I am a migraine sufferer too. The last time I had one full blown, however, is years ago. I learned to take Excedrin immediately at the offset and have not had a bad one since. I hate depending on otc as I prefer herbals but Fever few did not work. I am not sure about willow bark however, as it is a compound found in aspirin. Excedrin has Tylenol, aspirin and caffeine (a pain reducer enhancer). I should try willow bark alone and see if it works. I wish you luck with yours. Headaches can be debilitating.

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    1. Thanks Judy. I too tried all the herbal and alternative remedies over the years. Sadly tylenol also didn't work but sumatripan can be quite effective for me if I catch it in the very early stages.
      Many timee our weekly shopping trip includes a trip to the charity shop to take some books that haven't earned the right to a space on the shelves (or floor) but still the piles grow. I'm sure they're doing something naughty when the lights go out at night....

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  4. I am a book-addicted person too... But do not have enough space for all I want to have in paper :) The prices on books are high here too, so I read some of them on my E-ink reader. But these I can not imagine reading like this, I have in paper... It's so wonderful - to take a cup of tea, a chocolate (erm... a chocolate-addicted person too) and a book... Especially when it's cold and snowing outside...

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  5. Love these books! My sister-in-law has a set and when we do the crossword puzzle together, we have fun wandering around in them. "Oh, look -- I didn't kow that, did you?" Such a fun way to spend time.

    As a book nut myself, I feel you can never have too many books. I sometimes have visions of being the subject of a headline in the local rag, "Missing local woman found under stack of books ... "

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  6. Amazing how true book lovers get all EXCITED about acquiring a new book to add to their collection....I totally get it.
    Happy for you too...enjoy.

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  7. How many dictionaries now I wonder!

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