I got to pet a bearded dragon the other day

And it was awesome. I'm pretty sure he enjoyed it too, because every time I pet him he would close his eyes and smile. Like, actually smile.

Boris the bearded dragon.

Who knew reptiles could be uber cute?

G.

Second hand books

I've always enjoyed reading but never used to like buying books.  I don't know why, but in the last couple of years that's all changed.  I love buying books now.  There's something inexplicably thrilling about filling up my bookshelf spaces with new volumes waiting to be read, or great works I've already head the pleasure of reading and want to keep forever.

As a subset category of book-buying, I've really gotten into second hand books.  They're super cheap, for one.  And for another, it's a real rush exploring the chaos that is your typical second hand bookshop and finding a book (or two, or three, whatever) that you've been dying to get your hands on.  Also, it's quite neat to hold a pre-loved book in your hands and thumb through pages that have already been thumbed through by another person.  It's like the previous owner of the book is passing on the story to you and you're connected to that person through it.  One time I bought a book from my neighbourhood second hand bookstore (details below) and it turned out to have once belonged to a friend of mine - I know this because he has an extensive private library and he marks all his books with a personalised seal.

Decent book, too.

I have a couple of favourite second hand bookstores that I enjoy visiting.  One is the local second hand bookstore in Tirau, "I Spy Books", which I try to visit every time I'm down there staying with my family.  For a second hand bookstore that's located in a town comprising a main street that spans 500 metres, it's really decent.  I manage to find a book or two to purchase each time I pop in.  At the moment I'm reading "The English Patient" by Michael Ondaatje that I got from this store a couple of months ago (it's very good).

So many books.

The other is the gigantic second hand bookstore in Onehunga, "Hard To Find".  In fact, I think it's the biggest second hand bookstore in New Zealand.  There are multiple storeys with the walls and much of the floorspace lined with bookshelves that are jam packed - it's easy to lose track of time when as you walk through the labyrinth of volumes in the store.  My latest "Hard To Find" purchase was "Pure" by Andrew Miller (it was also very good).

Heaven.

More than just books.  Watch out for the weird
stuffed man dolls they have lying around everywhere.

It's been a while since I've been second hand book shopping - I should rectify this.  It's neither here nor there that my bookshelves are already full of books I still have to read.

G.