My Back Pages

Before the snow hit London and everything came to a complete and utter standstill I took a trip down to one of my favourite independent book stores in London ‘My Back Pages’ and thought I should share the little book world gem with you. I am a huge fan of independent book shops the do have to be a bit of a jumble though. I know that’s a bit of an odd expression but when I go to an independent book store what I want when I open the door is the smell of used books to hit me straight in the face. I think what I love about these books is that you can get completely lost and immersed in them. It also seeps back to my childhood.

Growing up in Matlock in Derbyshire one of my treats used to be going to Scarthin Books in neighbouring Cromford. I was allowed to occasionally spend £5 in there and they had the most amazing children’s book selection. My Gran now knows that when I go up to Matlock for a visit that a trip to Scarthin has to be on the agenda somewhere. Anyway back to My Back Pages…

I found this store about a year or so ago completely by accident after one in Merton Abbey Mills (which is down the road in the other direction) closed down. I love book stores with character, my other favourite that I will cover when next pop and visit it is Copperfield’s in Wimbledon. My Back Pages is simply steeped in character. It’s a maze of books with avenues and dead end shoot offs of all sorts of books. The fiction section (pictured) is fabulous and though it looks a jumble, which I think, is part of its charm, and there are books behind books there is a system and fiction is actually sorted into where it originated. You have ‘American Greats’, ‘African Fiction’, ‘Latin Fiction’ frankly I could go on and on and on. Not content with that you have cubby holed shelves of horror, science fiction, crime and that’s just the fiction sections which seem never ending. If you are a Non-Fiction fan then there is a mass of delights which seems never ending. It seriously it’s a book lovers paradise.

I of course was there on a fiction hunt and after a good 45 minute rummage came away with two gems which were Fearney by James Long which I was thrilled to find after missing out on it a few weeks ago, the other was Strangers by Antonia White which I have bought unashamedly for the cover. Yes I do give in to that sometimes, does anyone else? I saw it on Stuck In A Book when he was celebrating Virago green covers of old. Which leads me onto something very special and that from reading the other book blogs I think you all might like… The Virago Shelves. I actually couldn’t fit them all in on the picture as there is a huge selection but you get the gist.

So do you all have little dens of delight for the book lover near you? If so tell me where and I will stop by on my travels… well once the snow allows life to carry on as normal that is!

When You Long To Kick Yourself

Only a short-ish blog today as have a mammoth one arriving for you all tomorrow but a promise is a promise and my promise was to blog daily, I also thought some of you might empathise with my woe’s today. The other day when I went and bought rather a few too many classics I had also seen a couple of books that I had wanted to buy as well. One was Arthur & George by Julian Barnes which I read a few years ago but lent to someone and never saw again, this also happened with Winter in Madrid by C.J. Sansom in case anyone wonders why I don’t lend books out ever! I honestly can’t remember who I lent it to which is the other problem as would ask for it back. Lesson learned though.

The other book which I picked up and looked at three times during one long perusal of the shelves was Ferney by James Long. Now I don’t know why but I just couldn’t decide if I really wanted it or not. I also couldn’t work out why I knew the name of it so well and where I had heard of it before. Bags filled to brimming anyway I went home and googled it. I was so annoyed that I hadn’t picked it up as it sounded fascinating, not just the story itself which deals with soul mates and previously lived lives from what I gather, but also the story of the book itself. The book was originally published in 1998 and won over quite a cult following. It then went out of print only to be re-published in recent months. Something about this fact only made me want to read it all the more. Then reading Cornflower Books I saw that Karen had read it and completely loved it, my mind was made up, and I would get up this morning and make my way down to the charity shop pronto.

I have just come back and it’s gone (along with Arthur & George) and I am completely gutted. I know I have a massive TBR that is slowly overtaking the house, but when a book captures you, well in my case, you want to read it now or at least have it in stock in your home so you can soon. I have learnt my lesson but am still kicking myself. Has this happened to anyone else and if so what was the book?

P.S I do know I could by it from a shop or the internet today but am slightly sulking and refusing ha, ha, ha.