Something old, something new.

I was walking in town today and nearly got whiplash because some man was yelling ‘Fifty bob! FIFTY bob! Fifty BOB!’ Now,the average Kenyan girl will stop at anyone that says those magic words, which are usually enough to make her stop and at least look at what he was selling.

Dear friends, he was selling books. My heart leapt with joy (across vast fields of sunflowers, of course), as if it had just found The One. I burrowed into that pile like darkness was not already eminent upon the land. (I have a sneaking suspicion that I’ve always wanted to use that line. Hm. Sounds like the Thriller line by Vincent…um…Price?)

Why are men randomly nice to mamas? Ok that’s rhetorical. I’m always nicer to people I find attractive. It’s weird, yes. Actually, it really isn’t. You are naturally more inclined to be nicer to something that appeals to you…anyway, both guys I stopped at were being oh so helpful, mpaka I started wondering if I was selling crack when I bent over. Or is it that I was bending over, ha. Making conversation and stuff…I was like, ok. You sell books, and I’m nice, so whatever.

Plus, I found Books from My Childhood. There’s something extra special tasty (like Special Seasoning from Steers. MMMMM!!!) about BFMC. They hold an ancient yet still fresh magic…something old, something still new. I can’t wait to (completely interrupt my reading schedule and – sorry, Woozie) read them again. (In case you were wondering: Brian Jacques – Redwall, which is awesome coz I recently re-read Salamandastron – how now does my T9 not know how to spell Salamandastron? – and L. M. Montgomery – Rilla of Ingleside, only one of the books in some of the GREATEST series – ha – ever, Anne of Green Gables) Carried away by bookish, ha, excitement, I also got a book whose name I can’t remember, which is fine, because…yay, new books. :o) :o)

Who needs men/cats when there’s the magic of literature?

I only partially meant that.

tSN

Ps. Other Dude also had Lemony Snickets books 12 and 13, which I’ve always wanted to read/watch but couldn’t very well buy, because, now, book 1? As well as The Two Towers (again. Book 2.) and A Lion Among Men by Gregory MacGuire, which is the third installment in the Wicked books (a really cool re-telling of the Wizard of Oz…damn,maybe I should go back tomorrow) so obviously I couldn’t buy it. I was so very tempted to throw all bookish, ha, yes, again, etiquette to the wind, but…I’m no amateur. (HA! Looks at new books excitedly and feels a thrill.) NOTHING like a really good book to sink your teeth into.

18 thoughts on “Something old, something new.

  1. I bought The Big Friendly Giant last week!! I love my childhood books!!! and Redwall is fantastic! But Anne of G G, ahhhhh, totes my fave!!!

  2. Yup! L.M Montgomery was & still is one of my favourite writers. One of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud at her jokes time&again!

  3. I love Anne of Green Gables! Been buying those books on the street as well. I recently got a hard back three musketeers for a sok *joy* And Calvin and Hobbes for a sok too. So proud of myself.

  4. @lkp RIght? We need to start a book swap…

    @Miki EULALIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! Gosh Miki you're a bit awesome.

    @Armanimoth :o) Across the road from Odeon.

    @BWTB Haven't you always? :o) TLA?

    @Abba I didn't even know you read Brian Jacques! I'm so proud. :o) Ah, the BFG…GOOD TIMES…

    @Akoth Those series made me wanna be a teacher, marry a man named Gilbert and have seven babies, all the while writing about it and living in a cosy small town in 1900 USA…

    Malory Towers, anyone?

  5. Eh they you aaaaaall excited got me (the…”I read for exams…and photo-captions”) tempted!

    I admit I've done the 'ceremonial' John Grisham but after two novels each blubbering 'bout the same ol' rags to infinite riches story (not to forget the corrupt lawyer twist), I got put off

    So, I give you the 'honours' of sharing your excitement for books with an avatar-stalker (the word stalker was meant to frighten you….Boom!)

    Please recommend me some good novels for a guy….not the cheesy love-me-love-you/cats/cutepups/… Just some intriguing/suspense filled stuff……thank you Angel!!!

    PS: I love you (once again…..boom!)

    Af_Oak

  6. @Abba TI? :o)

    @Af_Oak John Grisham does write a lot of the same thing. Same as Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer, I find. Stalker! Lol. Ati boom. LOL. Books for a guy…I like Wole Soyinka The Lion and the Jewel. It's a play. Anything by Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi…a Nigerian chick calledd something Ngozi Adichie is also pretty good (I do not come to you by chance. Yes, this is the title of a book)…Gilber Adair, A Closed Book. Ask @woozie_m as well, in case my tastes are too girly. :o) The Call of the Wild by Jack London if you're into animaly books…ok maybe I should have started with what kinda books do you like. :o)

    @B_wtb why thank you. Lol. I was trying to be satirical. Of acronyms. Kinda. Not really. Lol.

  7. I can't recognize a single one of those books, with the exception of John Grisham …

    Anyhue …!

    The joy of used books! The best are the ones from childhood.

    There were two bookshops where I used to get really good used books when I was a kid. One was in Ngara (across from the post office) and the other is in Westlands (next to the post office). The one in Ngara closed in 2008 and the one in Westlands has really shabby used books in stock that I get snobbish about. I have almost stopped buying used books now. Which is a bloomin' shame.

    My favorite was Treasure Island.

    'Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!'

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