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Original poster

What's the last book you bought, new or secondhand?

138 replies

SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/08/2023 07:22

I'll start with The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith.

I've bought it for DFIL who is a little bit poorly and is enjoying some lighter reads. It's a lovely hardback edition and was from a great little charity shop.

What's your latest purchase? Wink

OP posts:
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Original poster
SiouxsieSiouxStiletto · 09/08/2023 21:12

mamaduckbone · 09/08/2023 20:56

How to Kill Your Family - thought it would be a fun holiday read but I was disappointed. I finished it but hated the ending, and found the whole thing quite irritating.

You're not the only one.

OP posts:
Ilovedthe70s · 09/08/2023 21:26

Yesterday I bought Killing Floor, first of the Reacher series.
Last week I bought Rosmersholme .

I can’t read second hand or library books since finding pages with bogies and dried snot looking stuff stuck to them in a library book when I was in junior school.

lljkk · 09/08/2023 21:37

From a charity shop; The Houdini Girl, Martyn Bedford.
I enjoyed it enough to finish it but not to keep it.
Also The 5 people you meet in Heaven
I'm working thru 2 cycling books (non fiction) at moment

Boodahh · 09/08/2023 21:39

Wilt in Nowhere by Tom Sharpe. Charity shop bought. Not read it yet. I fancied reading something old fashioned and hopefully funny.

Am currently reading Anne Tyler's French Braid, from the library, v enjoyable so far.

ShowOfHands · 09/08/2023 21:40

Yesterday: a Spike Milligan and a Bill Bryson for light summer reading, the history of the Victorian city and a poetry book for ds (all from the local book library in the disused phone box.

Today: (from a charity shop) history of the English Civil War and a Redwall book for ds.

Hedjwitch · 09/08/2023 21:44

A Winter Grave by Peter May.
Saving it until.I have finished Babel by RF Kuang which I am about half way through

weegiemum · 09/08/2023 21:55

The Sea Is Not Made Of Water by Adam Nicholson.

Amazing non fiction book about rock pools. Sounds dead boring but he's such an amazing writer it makes the whole thing quite inspirational.

ShelfObsessed · 09/08/2023 22:09

Thank you for recommending The Sea Is Not Made of Water, weegiemum. I love non fiction and adore rock pools and the creatures that live in them so this is one book that I definitely need to get.

tobyj · 09/08/2023 22:12

Two holiday books. The Marriage Portrait (which I liked but didn't love) and If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things (which I did love).

Bananagramflan · 09/08/2023 22:15

Yesterday in a 2nd hand book shop in Shropshire.

Every Tom Gates book unread and in perfect condition for £2.50 (for the whole lot)

And for me? I bought Wild for 50p 😁

Quinque · 09/08/2023 22:34

I've just bought The Marriage Portrait for DDil's birthday. I borrowed it from the library and loved it, I think she will enjoy it too.

Bananasplitlady · 09/08/2023 22:54

Last week I bought The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov brand new and
The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantù from a second hand book store (written by a bloke who worked on the Mexican border crossing patrol). Looking forward to both.

TwoManyKids · 09/08/2023 23:06

Yellowface loving it so far

Philandbill · 09/08/2023 23:09

Lachlan's War by Michael Cannon. Onr chapter left to read, it's superb..

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 09/08/2023 23:10

oceanskye · 09/08/2023 08:01

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. It was great, looking at getting another of her books.

I read Crow Lake along with Mary Lawson’s other books last year. Loved them all.

Enko · 09/08/2023 23:10

Love's executioner by Irvin Yalow. Used copy in good condition.

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 09/08/2023 23:12

I think the last one I bought was The story of Pa Salt by Lucinda Riley. It’s the last in the Seven Sisters series. Not read it yet as it’s the last book and I’m saving it. I don’t buy many books now I tend to get them out of the library.

Longlist · 09/08/2023 23:13

Madame Bovary. Trying to re read some classics.

Splodgerbodgerbadger · 09/08/2023 23:26

luckydaytoday · 09/08/2023 09:08

Two holiday reads, both 2nd hand:
CJ Samson - Dissolution
Lily Allen - My Thoughts Exactly

I really enjoyed the CJ Samson Shardalke books. Dissolution is the first one in the series.

Timetochangetheoil · 10/08/2023 00:17

TattiePants · 09/08/2023 20:06

I bought a few last week in the 99p Kindle sale

Goodbye to Berlin, Christopher Isherwood
Kala, Colin Walsh
Mr Mercedes, Stephen King
Good Omens,
The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Gabrielle Zevin
First Lady, Sonia Purnell

only read the first two so far and both excellent.

I had never heard of Christopher Isherwood until I saw a book of his in the library this week and now you’ve mentioned another by him that I will need to read. He is utterly fantastic. His writing is intelligent but so readable how have I just discovered him!

TattiePants · 10/08/2023 09:13

@Timetochangetheoil this is my first Isherwood too and I love his writing so will definitely be reading more of his books. Goodbye to Berlin is four linked short stories, the second of which is about Sally Bowles and is what Cabaret is based on.

GalileoHumpkins · 10/08/2023 17:16

I bought 2 this morning in the Kindle daily deals
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware
The Cloisters by Katy Hays.

Heavensalongwayaway · 10/08/2023 17:19

The mystery of mercy close by marian Keyes. Hard to get into at first but totally loved it. I was given it by a friend for my hols.

UnctuousUnicorns · 10/08/2023 22:51

The Plantagenets by Dan Jones, secondhand for £3.80 delivered from Amazon. Haven't started it yet as I'm still reading Fall On Your Knees by Anne-Marie Macdonald, which I bought at a secondhand book sale at a National Trust place we visited one holiday.

Bananaspliff · 11/08/2023 13:20

I’ve read How To Kill Your Family and Lessons in Chemistry on holiday and been disappointed by both. I thought the ending of How To Kill Your Family was so half arsed it ruined the whole book for me.
I really wanted to love Lessons in Chemistry but I just found Elizabeth completely insufferable.