The Lemon Fool

One consequence of the lockdown has been the closure of libraries. I have never really been a book purchaser but have always been a great supporter of libraries. So I am a bit stuck at the moment. However there are some libraries which remain open - phone box libraries. These are the marvellous invention of local communities making use of their red phone boxes which are no longer needed for phone calls.

Try them – you might discover a gem. And it will certainly be a bargain.

Cinelli

You might pick up something completely unexpected !

I confess that whenevr I see them (usually in more remote areas and villages etc) I do rather presume they're just full of chick-lit and boddice rippiung best seller and mills boon type stuff.

To be fair to them

1) I confess I've never checked and
2) that doesn't mean they do not provide a valid community service

didds

Public libraries have a e-book scheme, so you could still try your public library.

However, on the title subject...

We have a similar shelf at work. I confess that having read the back of one of them I got the audiobook of "Why mummy drinks" for my wife and me.
We both really enjoyed the book, but I wouldn't have thought to give it a chance if I hadn't seen that others liked it.

Library scheme
https://www.borrowbox.com/

Why mummy drinks review
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/350 ... mmy-drinks

As I said, I wouldn't have given it a chance if I had not seen it on that shelf.

Urbandreamer wrote:We have a similar shelf at work. I confess that having read the back of one of them I got the audiobook of "Why mummy drinks" for my wife and me.

Thanks for that recommendation. I will look out for it. Yes, certainly most of the books you see are best sellers, thrillers and crime stories for example. You also see series where people have had a clear out. I have seen several by Tom Sharpe, for instance. Also fantasy stories. I have picked up books by Ruth Rendell and Sebastian Faulks and have just finished The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. I doubt that I would have read this latter book if I hadn't come across it by chance.

Cinelli

We had a phonebox in the village. Most of it was indeed chicklit, plus recipe books and celebrity biogs, but the occasional surprise. Rather like a mini car boot. We started with Lee Child by a random find.

Then the phonebox was given up and the bring and take library now resides in the village hall. Again most of it is chicklit. We take some of our charity shop crime-genre acquisitions there once read, few of them seem to be taken out. But then, not that many people go to the village hall.

Whether these local book exchanges are worth a look I think rather depends on who is putting in. We buy a lot of books, always second hand. Some National Trust properties have good offerings. I suapect that we have more unread books than I shall have years to read them. Just as well we don't have a tele.

V8