I hate book hauls on YouTube, and tend to only watch a very few made by BookTubers I respect. They tend to be transparent about where the books come from and how much they've spent (and are more excited about the book contents than the prettiness of the design.)
I've never done one because a) I'm not a Bookfluencer, b) no one is sending me review copies/gifts, and c) I buy books regularly but cheaply, mainly in a digital format.
But on Saturday I went to 66Books Ltd, a London book warehouse selling to trade only. Once a month it opens to the public and book lovers arrive from far and wide to get brand new books at a 70% discount. I was assured that if I walked away with less than ten books I'd be the most iron-willed person on earth...
(Spoiler: I bought more than ten books.)
So what was it like?
And, most importantly, what is in my haul?
The Experience
I am noted for my dislike of early mornings, crowds, and uncertainty, so waking up at seven on a Saturday and then queuing for hours on end is normally my idea of hell. But I was going with friends and I'd had a week of illness, so I was ready to be out in the fresh air and socialising.
It's a relatively easy forty-minute drive from home, and so I rocked up at 9am and found a queue already snaking through the industrial estate. It was also pissing it down.
The warehouse can only hold 150 people at a time and it's impossible to get around it in under an hour. (We were inside ninety minutes and that was with the added motivation of wanting to get to the pub.) The one-in-one-out system was slow going but there were good toilet facilities and, with an umbrella and a fortifying Waitrose mince pie, it wasn't unpleasant at all. If there'd been a burger van it would have honestly been a classic British queuing event. Someone even got Starbucks delivered.
We ended up queuing for around three-and-a-half hours and then were let inside.
The inside can only be described as mind-boggling.
There are two floors, each with around twenty aisles of books, each aisle looking much like you see below. The books aren't organised by category or author (though there are some very roughly organised areas devoted to cookbooks, kids books and non-fiction). Essentially it's a free-for-all and the only way to be sure of not missing anything is to go through everything, checking every title.
By the time we got to the second floor, my head was spinning at processing that many micro-decisions. Any hope of restraint or calculation flew out of the window. By the time we got to the checkout area our backs were twinging with the weight of our baskets.
My Haul
So what did I get? And how much did it cost?
In the end I bought twenty-one books, with a retail price of £256, reduced to £77. I had allowed myself a £100 budget, so although it was pricey it was a special treat for myself and one I'm lucky enough to be able to afford (on rare occasions!)
This would be an absolute ideal event to go to for Christmas-presents - especially if you have a lot of kids to buy for.
Here is my haul... broken down below:
Books I'd Wanted
The Cherry Robbers
Five sisters, all heiresses to a gun fortune, die in turn after their weddings. A book I'd vaguely heard of and then when I re-read the blurb, had to buy at once. Also, it's gorgeous.
The Disenchantment
A queer story during the French revolution. I'd literally only heard of this book the day before, and had just added it to my wishlist. Possibly the find of the day.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
One of the most famous at atmospheric true crime books written. I do actually have a digital copy but I knew at once that it's the sort of book that needs savouring in paperback. I'm looking forward to settling down to it.
The Furies
Feminist short stories. One of those books everyone is talking about...
The Green Man of Eshwood Hall
A gothic horror. I saw a Booktuber get this in a horror book-club box and was intrigued.
Ship Breakers
A sci-fi book I've ummed-and-ahhed over a few times before.
The Maidens
Dark academia. I've heard mixed things about this, but it seems to be my kind've book.
The Talented Mr Ripley
I adore Highsmith and have been wanting to read this for a years. Never found a cheap copy before.
How to Raise an Elephant
I read the new No 1. Ladies' Detective Agency books in the same way one approaches an annual letter from an old friend. The details don't matter, I just want to know that everyone is doing well. Lovely to get the latest in my hands.
Orange is the New Black
I've been meaning to read this for years and never found it for a reasonable price.
Code Name Villainelle (AKA Killing Eve)
Another TV-show inspired choice.
Books I Got on a Whim
The Ferryman
One of the people I was with recced it, as a lover of dystopia.
The Last One at the Party
They also recced this.
The Stranger in the Lifeboat
The Five People You Meet in Heaven ruined my life, so I obviously decided to ask for more of the same.
The Mammoth Book of Cthulhu
I enjoy modern Lovecraftian fiction, so why not grab this collection of new short stories?
Decline and Fail
I read The Guardian a lot, ok? So I bought one of their columnist's books.
Mortal Monarchs
Any book that makes me think of Horrible Histories is an insta-buy from me.
Little Vampire Women
I am an absolute sucker (pun intended) for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies style books. No shame.
Other
Goodnight Mister Tom
I've mentioned
my love of this children's book before, but my copy is a) stored at my mum's and b) disintegrating because it came free with a box of PG Tips twenty-seven years ago. I took the chance to grab a nice new copy.
Flour Babies
Another book I loved when growing up. I'd been talking about it a week or so before, and realised my own copy was lost years ago.
Monsters Are...
My goth best friend is having a baby and this book for infants seemed a cute addition to the gifts I'm sending.
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment