Paperback Reader

Thanks to being the youngest child and being read to by Bigsister and our doting Grampa (we all lived in the same house) I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t read.

I do remember when I realised I could read ‘inside my head’ rather than out loud and didn’t have to follow the words with my finger.

I love reading but once I open a book I’m fairly lost and nothing gets done.   

So reading is confined to holidays, weekends away with Pearl, hot summer days and, last year, sitting by a bedside in hospital.

I have far too many books so I’ve now started a one-in-one-out system.  

Most of my paperbacks come from and go to a charity shop, with the ones I’ve really enjoyed passed on to family and friends.

From Facebook Archives

2 February 2025 at 22.40

Saturday morning lie in until the boys have all gone out.

Ferretfingers gives me his 1st of the month £5 (don't ask)

Faff about on facebook and online.

Phone Middlesister who's has had a virus, is recovering slowly but not feeling great and getting bored.  I offer to send her the last four books I've read and she in return will send me a jumper that is too big for her now.

Check when FourLaneEnds Post Office shuts on a Saturday: 2.30pm.

Deal with a small domestic emergency.

Get dressed, wrap books, pick up rag-bags for St Oswalds, leave the house about quarter past two,

Outside the Post Office at 14.18 (by my watch which is a couple of minutes fast) door shut and locked, despite sign saying Saturday closing is 2.30.

Stomp around to St Oswalds Hospice shop, dump ragbags and scour bookshelves. 

Come away with four Anne Cleves (3 Veras and a Devon one) and Mel Geidroc's first novel*.

So that's 4 books almost out, 5 books in this week and 2 Ian Rankins Fester got me in a charity shop last week.

Which brings my paperbacks to read up to 20.

*The Best Things, which I thoroughly enjoyed and have passed on to Mrs Leftfoot.