Sunday 11 January 2015

Oxfam Bookshop

Charity or second hand bookshops are the perfect places to find absolute gems. Whilst visiting my friend Ruth in Manchester last weekend, we popped into the local Oxfam shop. They had one room for clothes and things and another room full of books.

My first find was a Collins 30 minute Watercolour book - with lots of tips and instructions on different watercolour techniques - hopefully I'll get a bit more arty with this!

I also picked up Polly by Freya North - I think all my Freya North books are second hand, and I've read the others in the series so I'm glad I've found this one.

Now for the interesting bit... beautiful old books!

The first is this stunning leather hard back edition of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. I love the gold filigree detailing on the cover. Inside are pen-and-ink drawings of scenes from the story. I already have a copy of Wuthering Heights, having studied it for AS Level English, but I couldn't really leave this one on the shelf.



I deliberately found this section to feature - this was scary before horror films were around! If you haven't read Wuthering Heights I thoroughly recommend it. Also, listen to Kate Bush's song of the same name - one of my favourite shower hits ;)

The second wee beauty I found was Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. It is the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and features the famous poem The Jabberwocky, and Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Like the Wuthering Heights book, this has beautiful illustrations. This edition was published in 1931.


 I love how worn the cover is - it looks well-loved.



What do you think? Where are your favourite places to browse books? If you love everything book-ish, check out the youtube channel of Ness from Wanderness. I recommend her library/bar tour video (you'll be so jealous that this isn't in your home!) and her cover buys video, if like me you like pretty covers!

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6 comments:

  1. I've got stacks of old books in my room - I actually think they make really sophisticated decorations! My favourite place to search is definitely my grandparent's house ;) Love the ones you got, they're really lovely!! x

    www.peppermintandpandaeyes.co.uk

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    1. That sounds like a good place to look! My Granny's got some great ones, hidden amongst thousands of my Grampy's railway books! :P xx

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  2. Thanks to the lovely Danielle, I have just found a new blog to read and I couldn't be happier. I just had a nosey through your archive and absolutely love your writing style, it is so up my street.

    We have an Oxfam Bookshop in Brighton and me and my sister will pop in there every time we are in town which is seriously dangerous...I really have no more room for any books but yet I still buy them! I love the children's books part out the back as well as I am training to be a teacher and have accumulated quite a collection from there for my classroom.

    Amazzable xo

    rawramazzable.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Oh thank you so much! Glad you like what I write! There are some brilliant children's books out there as well, I'm sure your pupils will love them! xx

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  3. Oh my gosh these are beautiful! I absolutely love old books and the cover of your Wuthering Heights currently has me swooning!

    Really love seeing finds like this :)

    Beth x

    themiscmusings.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks! I'm always on the look-out for old or interesting books, I was really chuffed to find these.

      Hannah xx

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