Charity shop books and a haul.

[SwanningOff]

I've been trying to convince myself not to buy any other books for a while but the other day I visited family and went into the charity shops in their town and one was selling books 5 for a pound so I bought 20. It included a Folio Society edition of The Warden which made my day. I also bought a nice illustrated edition of Peter Pan though that cost me £1.25. I don't know where to start but I'm looking forward to reading them.

Does anyone else buy a lot of books in charity shops?

I'm jealous because I basically am on a physical book buying ban due to space

A great haul. Well done.

I have to avoid charity shop book sales as I end up bringing loads home 🤣

Oh... I am as jealous as a rat

I have begun stockpiling classics. The attempt to edit Roald Dahl really shook me. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if, a decade from now, it's illegal to own certain books. One thing's for sure, the attempt to edit Dahl and Blyton was just the beginning. I'd advise all literature lovers to stockpile as well.

You can find some amazing deals – especially in the Oxfam shops. I have beautiful Folio editions of Middlemarch, To the Lighthouse, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Kim, Great Expectations, and Wuthering Heights, all from charity shops, and all for under £5.

Since Christmas, I have bought the following:

Jane Austen: Emma
Henry Fielding: Tom Jones
Max Beerbohm: Zuleika Dobson
Truman Capote: In Cold Blood
George Eliot: The Mill on the Floss
P. G. Wodehouse: Right Ho Jeeves (brand new)
T. S. Eliot: Selected Essays
Thomas Hardy: The Mayor of Casterbridge

I think owning classics and even owning books by Roald Dahl is most likely to remain legal. Perhaps you'd prefer to live in a US state where certain books are regularly "challenged" being in schools and on library shelves, often for reasons to do with sexuality or sex, portraying racism in a way that is critical of racism.

The same people are also pushing back on sex education and more, including delaying teaching about periods etc, at a time when many kids are experiencing puberty earlier. And there are Tory MPs pursuing similar ideas here. This might also affect early PSHE that includes teaching kids very basic info about their bodies, their rights and consent etc, potentially making them more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation than if they'd learned a little and perhaps come across a few naughty words and/or material in books which is probably over their heads. I say this as someone who read as a child with very little regard for what might be considered suitable for my age.