Recently, I went with a friend to visit the beautiful town of Hay-On-Wye, known colloquially as the "town of books". With over 25 secondhand bookshops as well as antique shops filled with all types of odd memoriabilia, there were no dull moments there. I was thoroughly delighted and used the holiday as an excuse to indulge in book-buying.
The town itself is absolutely gorgeous. Old houses terraced next to one another, crowded with windows and doors and uneven ground. It was surreal seeing so many independent bookshops in one place, all of them surviving amongst one another with the ability of all being individual and specialised. The town did previously have over fifty bookshops, but economic troubles have led to a drop in numbers and yet it was still humbling to see the town pride itself in the traditional form of literature.
From the book-buyers perspective, the place was absolute heaven. The bookshops spanned from Children's Literature to Vintage books, to poetry and crime. Each bookshop tended to have it's own theme, making the shopping experience in every single one different. Inevitably, this meant that there was such a wide breadth of choice and it would have been hard not to be able to find a book you were looking for. However, I think Hay-On-Wye would be experienced best from aimless browsing and a willingness to explore and discover hidden gems. Not only were all the books beautifully quirky and lovingly read, but they were all at fantastic prices. Even brand new books were being sold at these independent bookshops at half the price. So not only are you buying cheap books, but you also feel like you're helping out a good cause.
So here's the haul of books I bought, including many that were spur-of-the-moment choices which I find the most exciting:
- Primal Solutions (Poetry Anthology) : Norman Jope
I found this beautiful little poetry book in the first and largest bookshop that I went to. There was a small "ephemera" section with loads of small booklets that were one of a kind. This poetry book is not a reproduction but an original with pencil markings and corrections all over. I loved how unconventional this is and the poetry itself is beautiful.
- Breakfast of Champions : Kurt Vonnegut
I've always wanted to read a Vonnegut and heard that this one was supposed to be rather light-hearted and humourous. It was also the only new book I bought but was still a great price. I really like the Vintage Classics editions so I was really pleased to pick this up.
- Bits of Paradise : F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald
I'm really excited about this one. I adore Fitzgerald and when I learnt that a lot of his inspiration derived from his wife, I was intrigued to finally be able to read her credited work as well as both of theirs alongside one another. Moreover, I've been meaning to delve into more short stories as they usually have a more intense moral and storyline within the abridged length. This seemed perfect.
- 1984 : George Orwell
I read this so long ago and felt like this classic deserved a re-read with fresh eyes. This edition as well is so gorgeous and matches my copy of Animal Farm which was next to impossible to resist.
- Mrs Dalloway : Virginia Woolf
Having borrowed this book from a library a while ago, I needed to buy a copy after really liking it. I also needed to have a copy of this book for university, so I definitely managed to kill two birds with one stone.
- The Chrysalids : John Wyndham
I already own The Midwich Cuckoos which I am guiltily yet to read although I bought it ages ago. I've heard The Chrysalids tends to be more popular so it would be a good one to start off with. The premise sounded interesting and a little creepy which sounds right up my street. Psst, I also really wanted an orange Penguin Classic and couldn't leave Hay without one, so here it is.
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