Work will be more hectic in the coming months, so after work last week I went to four second-hand shops to look for books. I am not sure why, because I am a binge reader. I cannot read ten pages here and there – I need to finish a book over a couple of days. But maybe at Christmas time I will have more time to read.
As I mentioned previously, thrift stores are the best way to find English-language books in Stockholm. The downside of this is you cannot choose what you want to read. Crime novels and biographies dominate. If you are looking for a romance or general non-fiction you’re be better off buying digital.
I found loads of Michael Connelly books today, and all at the same shop. Someone must have been on a Connelly marathon (as will I, soon!) I also found one Led Zeppelin and two Cobain books. The average price is $1 to $2, with many 2 for 1 and 4 for 3 offers.
I am interested in grunge band biographies but there is way more written about Nirvana/Cobain than any other grunge artists. I have seen so many school kids near where we live make Nirvana their entire identity, despite the fact that their heyday was more than thirty years ago. I wonder if teenagers identify more with his angsty lyrics than contemporary bands?
Most thrift stores have a dedicated shelf for English books, like the one below, which was not alphabetised.
Last week though, I found one charity shop that organised English books by colour and size (not helpful!), and another one that mixed English (and other languages) – alphabetically – with the Swedish books. I prefer a separate, alphabetic shelf, but I am just grateful they have them at all.
Other foreign languages seem sparsely represented, with Polish seemingly the frontrunner after English.
When I finish my books I put them in our apartment lending library. We don’t have any English speakers in our apartment block, so if the books are still there a couple of months later, I donate them to our local charity shop.