This is a wonderful thread. I had no idea there were so many of us out there...yes, St. Cirq, I, too read seven or eight books at once, usually three novels and the rest non-fiction. <BR>(Your vacum hose analogy is hilarious!) <BR> <BR>I, too, buy an extra bag to take books home from my travels. Last year, having promised my husband, I investigated having Hatchards and Foyles send my purchases home to me, but couldn't decide which ones to let out of my fingers for a week, and ended up carting them all home in carry-on. <BR> <BR>Ann, I loved your mention of the Waterstones in Winchester! I once went into that very shop at lunchtime, browsed for a few minutes, and looked up, alarmed, to find it had gone dark outside. No, not an eclipse of the sun -- I'd been there four hours. <BR>

Oh yes! The Omigod it's dark! syndrome. Been there. In Cambridge and Oxford, I got so lost in time in the bookstores my family had to come and make special pleas for me to leave so we could make dinner with friends. Fortunately, the friends in both places were bibliophiles, too. <BR>Cookbooks are one of my favorites - even though I've never followed a recipe in my life,I love them and collect them in many languages. I think I must be the only American I know to own a copy of Les Meilleures Recettes Occitanes, direct from the Bournat in Le Eyzies. Not that you'd really want to cook any of this stuff, but there's a few good basic ideas for Dordogne cookery and a bunch of stuff requiring you to debone a pigeon.....

This thread is the story of my life. I will have to print it out and show copies to me husband. <BR> <BR>When Waterstone's opened its first shop in Scotland in Edinburgh just over 20 years ago, I went with 2 friends. I'd just finished University. I spent over £25- a frightening sum in those days. Waterstones has been my $100 store ever since <BR> <BR>The "sucking in" thing happens to me too. If I'm with my husband and he sees a shop ahead, he move to walk between me and the door, to sort of head me off at the pass. <BR> <BR>A couple of years ago we sat down and set a monthly budget. the non-negotiable was the book money. I spend well over $100/month on books, and (frighteningly) I keep most of them. <BR> <BR>We just had a huge row in this house. We have 2 studies- 1 each. Mine had a wall of bookshelves and-they were full! There ensued 6 months of "well, what do want me to do with them then?" to which the standard response was "throw them out!". <BR> <BR>Guess what? I got another wall of shelves. They're just finished and I've loaded them up, creating a full 4 shelf section for travel. Travelogues on one, guuide books and maps on two, and language books and tapes on another. I've also had to extend the Scottish section so I deal with this Forum- tho for some 2 1/2 years I've kept my guide books beside the PC. <BR> <BR>I too noticed the link between the regulars and this thread. I have sometimes thought that this Fodors stuff was a bit overwhelming, but it now becomes clear that it is just another pastime and resource. Isn't it? <BR> <BR>BC-thanks for what? What did I do now?

Linda, <BR>don't get Readers D., but the Old Farmers Almanac lives in il bagno, and so do a few favortite italy guides :-) <BR> <BR>but, these are hard to find in the pile of books and mags that my children leave in there! <BR>We have breed the next generation of voracious readers! <BR> <BR>I use amazon.com to get an idea of what books are even out there. <BR>And no, it isn't cheating, anymore than browsing the web , looking at hotels, and different places to visit next. <BR>I view it as an electronic Sears "Wishbook" <BR> <BR>I prefer independent bookstores, but that maybe because the nearest mega bookstore is an hr drive from here. <BR> <BR>Here's to good reading! <BR>

Jody, <BR>What a pleasure and a relief to see the thread you started. Dictionaries, maps, geographies, and histories are most of my souvenirs, and raw material. <BR>I don't like to lug them around so when I get about ten pounds worth I go to a post office and mail them home. Most of the PTTs in Europe have a special bargain rate for books and printed matter packaged up to 5 kg (11 lbs) per box, and they sell the boxes in the post office. It takes three weeks to three months depending on which country you are mailing from. <BR>You may be amazed at the quantity, quality, and variety of English books available in the Netherlands - philosophy to children's. Great "boekhandelen" in Amsterdam are Scheltema, Athenaeum, and a used book store whose name escapes me even though it is my favorite. The former WH Smith on Kalverstraat is now Waterstone, and I found a petite English bookstore on a back street in A'dam one day. There are scores more that will drive you nuts, plus book fairs held somewhere in Holland just about every weekend and outdoor "flea market" type sales held regularly in most cites at least once a month, often once a week. Not too impressive but maybe worth a visit depending on your taste are the American Discount Bookstore and the Slegte. <BR>John Bermont <BR>www.enjoy-europe.com <BR>

Great thread! I don't walk and read a book, but do cook and read. When we were first married, my husband was amazed to see me stirring pots and reading at the same time! Several books at once-yes. One for the purse, (just in case I'm stuck in traffic) one in the kitchen (of course!) one in the front room and absolutely one in the bathroom. Thanks to everyone for the laughs!

ttt

I would never have discovered my favorite author, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, if I hadn't picked up one of her books in a bookstore in Ireland 20 years ago as I was waiting for the ferry to England. I went to Foyles in London afterwards and bought four other titles before I went home. I don't believe she was as popular in the States and wouldn't have seen her books here. <BR>

What a hoot, for most of my life I've been thinking I was different, but I'm not, I now know I've got a lot of soul mates. Books are one of my passions. (My other passion is painting). My one wish throughout my life has been that someone would lock me in a bookstore or a library overnight so I could be left alone to browse at my leisure. I too often have several books on the go. If I don't visit the local library at leaste once a fortnight I get withdrawal symptoms! I used to have a bad habit of reading at the stoplights while I was driving my car (I didn't want to waste any precious time). I even occasionally peaked down at the book as the traffic was slowing. I did that once too often - as I glanced up from the book I saw the lights were green and put my foot down and slammed into the car in front which had been forced to stop because of a hold-up further ahead. That little mishap cost me several thousands of dollars in damages - imagine the books I could have bought. I'm planning a trip to London and Europe next August and bookstores are high on the list of must visits.

Oh, the public library - for that, Benjamin Franklin should be made a saint. I practically grew up in our public library (even worked there after school for two years). Our library has a used book area where we can buy books for $.50-$1 (I've capped out at $25 per expedition, otherwise I can't get them all home). The Loons share books; on trips, we bring 3 or 4 paperbacks each, then swap. My sister saw a mother and daughter in an airport; when Mom was done with the first half, she tore the paperback in half and gave the first half to her daughter. <BR> <BR>On your trips, do you leave books behind? In the airplane seat pockets? Nightstands? On the kitchen table in the rented farmhouse? <BR> <BR>I, too, usually have 3 to 5 books going at the same time, a couple of mysteries, a girl book, an historical novel... <BR> <BR>Who else buys guidebooks and maps from the bargain table, especially to places you'll probably never go?

BookChick, I'm glad I'm not the only one who reads in the WC. I even have a combination Tp holder and book/magizine rack for my pleasure. Of course, I call it my Library. <BR>Cheers, <BR>Art <BR>

Hello All, does anyone remember the "Twilight Zone" episode, with the book obscessed man? He was in a bank vault during a nuclear blast, and was saved and left blessedly alone. Thought he was in heaven, to be a able to read his books whenever, and then he BREAKS his reading glasses!!!!! That was always my nightmare too. I could relate to that. <BR> This thread tweeked my memory of that Twilight Zone(I adored the TZ, by the way). Judy :-)

I consider bookstore browsing part of a successful trip..to anywhere. I even make it part of every business trip, since I'm usually trying to kill time alone. I was excited to be able to buy some of Kafka's works from a bookstore in his home in Prague. The used bookstores with shelves piled high are the best!

OK, all. You'll either thank me profusely or want to kill me, but here are my favorite places to get bargain, remaindered, and out of print books. Both have catalogs as well as websites, and both sites are fully searchable. <BR> <BR>www.edwardrhamilton.com <BR>www.salebooks.com <BR> <BR>Now we'll see how book budgets stack up against travel budgets! <BR> <BR>PS to Elvira: that phrase, "places you'll probably never go"...you mean there *are* places we'll probably never go? I am *horrified*!

Judy, <BR>I do remember the episode. The book maven was portrayed by the late, great Burgess Meredith. <BR>BC

Ah. <BR>Books. sigh. the smell of the paper, the rustle of the pages, the endpapers of old books.. <BR> <BR>An aunt always gave be a BIG bundle of books for Christmas; used treasures wrapped up in brown paper bags and twine..classics and mysteries... <BR> <BR>I used to work in our local public library. I always had at least 40 books checked out at any given time..granted some of these were for my kids but I returned/replenished with regularity. <BR>I would buy donated books from the Friends of the Library; got some great bargains..leather bound classics for my kids' collections, and a huge old family bible..( I still haunt thrift shops and antique stores for nifty books).. <BR>Infected my kids; we used to read at the dinner table, drove their dad crazy but we had some of the BEST conversations about what we'd read.. <BR> Lived in Spain for a year when I was in college.. can get teary-eyed thinking about the stuff I couldn't bring back.I dumped most of my clothes so I could bring - more books!! <BR> Books bring smiles..I'm so enjoying reading everyone else's memories and thoughts!!! <BR> <BR>

Escritora, I bought a book on Indonesian for Travelers. I doubt I'll ever get there, unless this immortality thing I'm working on pans out. <BR> <BR>crissy, another library book addict! Geez, I come home with 20 books at a time...have done so since I was a kid. Bad habit I learned from my parents. <BR> <BR>To add to the topic: Guilty Pleasures. Is there a book (or books) you just love, re-read again and again, that aren't quite - er - on the 100 books everyone should read? I confess, mine is Shibumi by Trevanian.

Elvira, you've achieved immortality here--you're a goddess, and therefore not mortal! Besides, the way things are going in Jakarta these days, we may all survive it. But An Indonesia/Borneo trip definitely is on my list. <BR> <BR>To your question: My most-read book is To Kill A Mockingbird.

Sorry Escritora, your URL's didn't work. Could not find "Flatland" in either one. <BR>Cheeers, <BR>Art <BR>

My "re-reads" are by the master, Gabriel Garcia Marquez: 100 Years of Solitude and another book that I read during a very emotional period in my life, Love in the Time of Cholera. <BR> <BR>BC

I LOVE this thread (thanks, Jody!). Elvira, I also buy travel books to places I never expect to go--can't get past the bins outside of Borders without picking up a few! I also pick up guides to places I've been (or will go) that are a buck because they're a year or too old (the Eiffel Tower or St. Peters doesn't move, after all). That's also where my hubby gets his golf books--they move to the cheap bins pretty quickly! I wish Barnes & Nobles would do the same, I spend hours in there--especially on Friday nights when they have a string quartet playing near the Starbucks. They don't, however, discount deeply anough, in my opinion. <BR>I'm also a "multiple" reader. James Joyce is on my bedside table, Harry Potter is in the coffee table and Eleanor & Franklin: The War Years is collecting dust somewhere (It's good, but plodding... I can't get back to it during the summer!) <BR>I DO leave books behind when I travel. Since I carry paperbacks, I leave the one I read on the plane going over in my hotel room and the next one I read in the lounge.

"...too deeply" "...anough." I swear to God, I MUST start looking over my responses before hitting "post." I really CAN spell!!!

<BR>There are books sales twice a year in my local library system too(C$.50 per pound. The travel section is always the first gone.

My house is again overrun with books. I do clear them out periodically so I can have room to buy more. I just gave a lot of the juvenile books away as my kids are grown. Now I have more room to put my books. <BR> <BR>I went through the entire house and organized books I had bought but not read. I have been making some headway, but keep buying more. I always check out the remainder tables in the chains as you can find a lot of good books there. <BR> <BR>When abroad, if I spend a bit in a bookstore, I always ask them for a carton and the location of the nearest post office. Then I ask them to tape the box shut and mail the box at the post office. I have never had a problem and it is a lot easier than trying to carry books. <BR> <BR>In fact, you know all the brochures and souvenir books from museums, castles, etc., you collect when you are overseas? I always ship them back--and sometimes several times. European post offices sell envelopes, tape, etc., to make it easier.

okay, <BR> <BR>i am going to hurt myself i am sure with this one. I read everything...from travel books, to biographies, all kinds of fiction. depends on my mood and what i am interested in at that time of day. i read books everywhere but work. I read at stop lights, i read in the john, i read at all hours of the day! <BR> <BR>i collect all types of books also, but my forte is........finding and reselling out of print hard to find romance novels. yes! elvira, girl books! I once sold an extra copy of a 75 cent series romance on ebay for $110 dollars. no kidding! it was a jayne bentley. <BR> <BR>i love all types of fiction but enjoy romantic suspense and mysteries the best. in london, i am gonna go nuts! i can feel it! i love reading sweeping historical epics, romantic or not. edward rutherfurd's sarum was wonderful and i am currently reading london. <BR> <BR>when in london and paris, i will be looking for everything. I am trying to decide if i should bring an extra suitcase or simply ship them home. <BR> <BR>does anyone know the best way? <BR> <BR>and JOdy did you figure this post would last forever or what? <BR> <BR>sandy c

Art--Sorry if I wasn't clear. Both places sell used, remaindered, and out of print books but very little in the way of current titles. You use them to find what you would not be able to find at the local bookstore. My favorite bargain was a 7-volume hardcover set of the complete works of Aphra Behn, published at several hundreds of dollars, for $80.

Escritora, to my knowledge Flatland has been out of print for sometime. I've been searching everywhere for it. I used to have a copy but it disapeared somewhere along the way. I have its partner "Spaceland" but no longer "Flatland". It is a great small book about looking at a 2 dimensional world from a 3 dimensional world. In other words, differences in culture etc. <BR>I did a search on both sites with no results. If anyone else out there ever runs across it, I would dearly love to get a replacement for the one I lost. <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR>

Art--Amazon has it. <BR> <BR>Flatland: The Classic Speculation On Life In Four Dimensions/Sphereland: A Continuing Speculation On An Expanding Universe <BR> <BR>Price for the 2-in-1 volume is $12. Enjoy!

Thank you so much Escritora. I just ordered it. I thought that I had searched there before but I guess I'd missed that one. <BR>Regards, <BR>Art <BR>

to good not to top.

My kids, sister and I spent 3 weeks in Britain last summer and of course allocated a 3-day stay to Hay-on-Wye. Even the two teens were thrilled; my son found complete un-Americanized works of Douglas Adams (he was still in mourning). Just a word to the wise: The cock tower in the center of town stikes every quarter-hour 24/7, you don't want to stay in a B&B right under it, no matter how cute it is.<BR><BR>I knew the kids were OK a couple of years ago when we were camping in Amish country (to get in the right no-electricity frame of mind, you see) and the highlight of our trip was the gigantic book fair at the Mennonite community. When we were done, we could hardly fit in the car! Imagine our frustration at having a carload of new books and no light at night, yikes, we had to go to Sears and stock up on batteries.

hi JOdy,<BR><BR>I know the name and location of just about every used book store between NC and PA(no further north than that), between NC and FL, and as far west as kentucky and ohio. all 20-30 towns i have flown to, the names of the bookstores are the 1st thing i look up in the yellow pages when i check into a hotel room.<BR><BR>i know where all the salvation army stores are and the goodwill in just about every town in NC and most in SC.<BR>I know when all the local libraries in 3 states are having their annual friends of the library sales.<BR><BR>I knew that maybe it was time to get a grip when I saw in the publication, an ad for a big 20 family yardsale that occurs every year and I called them up to ask if they were including any of the books they had bought at the library sale last year.....no lie. <BR><BR>I hung up the phone and laid my head on the table and told myself it was time.....for the little men and the white coat...why you ask...the yard sale was in knoxville tn and i live in coastal nc.<BR><BR>it's my one obsession. i allow it free reign...my family hates it...my friends just shake their heads and say "there she goes again" and has learned to let me know where they will be in about 2 hours.<BR><BR>my frustration on my trip last year in london had one name on it...i couldn't find enough bookstores. I mean used not new. there were enough new ones and had i had no problem with that...but it seemed that they have closed most of the ones on charing cross road.(i did find 4 or 5 small ones).<BR><BR>any ideas for flea markets or used bookstores in london? I am even willing to visit suburbs or day trips to surrounding cities for a really good UBS. I will be back there in october again and will be making my way via train to inverness. i will be in york, stirling, edinburgh, inverness and returning to london.<BR><BR>sandy c

Sandy, clearly you must revise your itinerary to include Hay-on-Wye.