“Lets go to this Charity shop,” Mr Cranmer beckoned,

“Very well, I replied,” and followed him in.

“I found something,” I hold up my book.

“It’s big,” he looks at my book, he’s holding a small Agatha Christie

“Don’t worry, I’ll carry it,” I ignore the fact that we have to cycle back, he’s already going to have to carry my bag of rocks and pebbles that I had brought back from the seaside at Eastbourne along with 2 pairs of my shoes and two mobiles made out of rock and sea shells.

10 bookshops or so later……

I have bought 4 books, 2 of them quite heavy.

“Don’t worry, I’m going to carry them,” Mr Cranmer looks at me sceptically knowing he has difficulty watching me struggle, but we pack them away and a back ache (mine) later they make it home. It served Mr Cranmer right, if he insisted on taking me to every single charity shop in Hailsham, Eastbourne and Lewes, this was bound to happen.

My acquisitions included The Book and the Brotherhood by Iris Murdoch, a nice addition to my ever growing Murdoch collection. Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam, Margaret Forster’s Hidden Lives an autobiography and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Muakami because I love a scary thrill.

In the meanwhile, my book buying continues as I return to Bolano’s 2666 and I’m editing my novel in time for an October deadline. It’s all go. I do plan to do a write up about our jaunts and escapades in Sussex, but I ought to leave that to one of these evenings.