tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10039598885632108152024-03-17T00:21:27.075+05:30Vinod EkboteBooks, Pens, Hyderabad and more...
'When I have a little money, I buy books. And if any is left, I buy food and clothing.'- Desiderius Erasmus.Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.comBlogger1309125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-81712266437102894212024-03-15T08:00:00.008+05:302024-03-15T08:00:00.129+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 10-03-2024)<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">The previous Sunday in fact I had not picked up a title that I already have two copies of but later after I got home I realized that I should have bought it if only to give it to someone. It was a copy of ‘The Art of Dramatic Writing’ by Lajos Egri which is one of the best books on writing that I’ve read, and I am not saying it lightly because I have read nearly two hundred books on writing. Last Sunday I was relieved to find the copy and picked it up and the seller told me to give him whatever I thought the book was worth. So I gave him a hundred rupees.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZtYusPqnbx-1_fB6HsyR6NLaj63oag_7kvuAFJjDMWVQZzKVfHU0MFfPNOpMdKfYJibRhYzpRPUbcJM-J41b-o1fgqtghG4T1RZVjAZ9j-S00c3zBp1d24Cnt6q2xh5hZJCpZIuMrwCMfWiFBiBc1OAZltdIgdyxs5-xKViB566R1XIlDkJcFOPXDo6p/s4032/IMG_9563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIZtYusPqnbx-1_fB6HsyR6NLaj63oag_7kvuAFJjDMWVQZzKVfHU0MFfPNOpMdKfYJibRhYzpRPUbcJM-J41b-o1fgqtghG4T1RZVjAZ9j-S00c3zBp1d24Cnt6q2xh5hZJCpZIuMrwCMfWiFBiBc1OAZltdIgdyxs5-xKViB566R1XIlDkJcFOPXDo6p/s320/IMG_9563.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The next find was also a title that I have numerous copies of and which I like to give to people who tell me they love books. It was a copy of ‘84 Charing Cross Road’ by Helene Hanff with an entirely different cover from the ones I have. I got this lovely book for eighty rupees only.</span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHBPv7TpzqJrRm4MA-2_4mpFTHWrlb-W_5Xy_VkbbS1vN5nsG4UVVebtUf8-UrcJKNvSMVvfm5UQ4fNqokLc7zYPiWmAUehTvpTegVVnAmzK-aPtPuqO89rFi3iCWh4Lt_KAvRYkyE6bqhGtfK6wnGgD8jNPcCDXTASGdhGVuY3TsnoRMpxzEsl6yj3ra/s3998/IMG_9573.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3998" data-original-width="2596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOHBPv7TpzqJrRm4MA-2_4mpFTHWrlb-W_5Xy_VkbbS1vN5nsG4UVVebtUf8-UrcJKNvSMVvfm5UQ4fNqokLc7zYPiWmAUehTvpTegVVnAmzK-aPtPuqO89rFi3iCWh4Lt_KAvRYkyE6bqhGtfK6wnGgD8jNPcCDXTASGdhGVuY3TsnoRMpxzEsl6yj3ra/s320/IMG_9573.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Ayn Rand is one writer I struggled to read. Somehow I couldn’t finish any of her books that I read. But this title by Ayn Rand that I found last Sunday at Abids I intend to read. It was a nice copy of ‘The Art of Nonfiction’ by Ayn Rand that I spotted with a seller. He also told me to pay him whatever I thought fit so I paid him hundred rupees for it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcZKB24AbU62c_8QtZgt1GvhaFVMbPAlA0qsU5wFGclhU7e5kivGIAuFtNhjhI-WC6D3nfFHX8QWdB4IBTh8SI16xkyaWOgD3u169ObN7UYoc9gZFJ_I_V6FUxIjLgd-FqHsH1nS7sNhJ0NL9aGdAWYgKpMyeQEknKtKA6hyiZlKU4cGHeNeWXd23mO3J/s4029/IMG_9574.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcZKB24AbU62c_8QtZgt1GvhaFVMbPAlA0qsU5wFGclhU7e5kivGIAuFtNhjhI-WC6D3nfFHX8QWdB4IBTh8SI16xkyaWOgD3u169ObN7UYoc9gZFJ_I_V6FUxIjLgd-FqHsH1nS7sNhJ0NL9aGdAWYgKpMyeQEknKtKA6hyiZlKU4cGHeNeWXd23mO3J/s320/IMG_9574.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This title too I had spotted last Sunday but this was at Chikkadpally, and since I had bought five books already I told the seller to keep it aside for me. It was a copy of ‘Jurgen Habermas: Critic in the Public Sphere’ by Robert C. Holub that I got for hundred rupees. I had read about Habermas only recently and finding this title was a pleasant coincidence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiiEAHt8wBrUnp5ed2SA_lgZ6ncqO8MNetMBaCw86evHgb02u2lGjVy-HH3wM88PF7Gc91AiWAOyz9XHYzhDWUlgkPTtU0CFnkylbMut3ggB2G1fKuxBk8GAn_FIUl9z0E6CB1a7fEE2eUKmndkupkg3Y1gLjIVXaUusgfMzWDMuILMmApZ1a7tT8GtLr/s3976/IMG_9576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="2538" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjiiEAHt8wBrUnp5ed2SA_lgZ6ncqO8MNetMBaCw86evHgb02u2lGjVy-HH3wM88PF7Gc91AiWAOyz9XHYzhDWUlgkPTtU0CFnkylbMut3ggB2G1fKuxBk8GAn_FIUl9z0E6CB1a7fEE2eUKmndkupkg3Y1gLjIVXaUusgfMzWDMuILMmApZ1a7tT8GtLr/s320/IMG_9576.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A little more than two years ago I found a copy of ‘The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East’ by Robert Fisk that I realized was a wonderful book by a great journalist. However, I haven’t yet read since I kept it aside to read along with a few other books on the Middle East. Last Sunday at a seller in Chikkadpally just before I picked up the Habermas book I spotted another Robert Fisk title. It was a nice copy of ‘The Age of the Warrior- Selected Writings’ by Robert Fisk that I immediately grabbed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-6221677415910029192024-03-08T09:58:00.002+05:302024-03-08T09:58:20.613+05:30 The Sunday Haul (on 03-03-2024)<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Missing three Sundays of browsing at the second hand book market of Abids made me so desperate to be back in Hyderabad that I couldn’t wait for it to be Sunday since the day I returned from Ooty last Tuesday. After four agonizing days it was finally Sunday and I rushed off after breakfast. Returning from a much cooler Ooty I felt it was uncomfortably hot on Sunday morning at Abids. However, it did not really bother me because I was fixed on the titles displayed on the pavements.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mQYPF3WZ54LswBlpguBbi53exw7ynPj7YG-nZPKgcexy3hNd_SlKt3w8Q-1Ny5ujfG6goR6lZVNvOHZlNcJyYENIlvsyLkzqAVtQEoAUIgvkoab14NDpjJSndWFn5CcuAXX2pxs8bTDf_szySCWt0k9cewjEx8eZ9Kfev6ncj3kzpGvgSwhU_knDj2ZY/s4028/IMG_9551.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2649" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1mQYPF3WZ54LswBlpguBbi53exw7ynPj7YG-nZPKgcexy3hNd_SlKt3w8Q-1Ny5ujfG6goR6lZVNvOHZlNcJyYENIlvsyLkzqAVtQEoAUIgvkoab14NDpjJSndWFn5CcuAXX2pxs8bTDf_szySCWt0k9cewjEx8eZ9Kfev6ncj3kzpGvgSwhU_knDj2ZY/s320/IMG_9551.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The first title that caught my eye was a hardcover copy of ‘A Saga of South Kamrup’ by Indira Goswami that had a tattered and torn cover that did not prevent me from buying it. It was a novel and I was glad I found this title by an acclaimed writer. A long time back I had found a collection of short stories by Indira Goswami that, I regret to say, I haven’t yet found the time to read.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir96CWl7xBo2htKwEEU81P6LhHIr1vgqyzKMu9cJXifoqgDtr2_o-xXxRatKuBr-EpTBy2J6gbooNGx-7ADMAKbcS3CpFztW9JPZhXo-e-UUBCa-px6HZpJh0soPC5rpn6AG0Vt5rQdQo_HeSqXCUmZGzETBv4mjrFpeXLyad-y3Wch8IqgVz5BOA8bLg1/s4029/IMG_9549.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2676" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir96CWl7xBo2htKwEEU81P6LhHIr1vgqyzKMu9cJXifoqgDtr2_o-xXxRatKuBr-EpTBy2J6gbooNGx-7ADMAKbcS3CpFztW9JPZhXo-e-UUBCa-px6HZpJh0soPC5rpn6AG0Vt5rQdQo_HeSqXCUmZGzETBv4mjrFpeXLyad-y3Wch8IqgVz5BOA8bLg1/s320/IMG_9549.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">In a heap of books selling for only fifty rupees I spotted a new title by an author I haven’t read about before and who I read on the back cover was an acclaimed South African writer with many other artistic talents. It was a copy of ‘The Textures of Silence’ by Gordon Vorster that I picked up. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvqXwwfUAnuG6AfOm_QcFtmB6unMC90ChZa2shkjn2EdMsXrp5HykKBPw0gScIFZG_1YzwUj3D689FSYkFs3_W0SDsicCl76UzlCLzJmkzfSu_tPbmo21F6yGM8Kt4tGG55HR1nWZ4tLA1nRtnRNxwvtV_Mp3DMLyVYqdL1DmP8z92RheQMPDvKt5d00k/s3976/IMG_9557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3976" data-original-width="2529" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvqXwwfUAnuG6AfOm_QcFtmB6unMC90ChZa2shkjn2EdMsXrp5HykKBPw0gScIFZG_1YzwUj3D689FSYkFs3_W0SDsicCl76UzlCLzJmkzfSu_tPbmo21F6yGM8Kt4tGG55HR1nWZ4tLA1nRtnRNxwvtV_Mp3DMLyVYqdL1DmP8z92RheQMPDvKt5d00k/s320/IMG_9557.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Next find was a title I read about in a book my son picked up a couple of weeks ago when he came along with me to Abids. I read about ‘Stumbling on Happiness’ by Daniel Gilbert in ‘Tools of Titans’ by Tim Ferris, and luckily I recollected having read about it when I actually spotted it at Abids last Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">When I found a copy of ‘Flights’ by Olga Tokarczuk at Abids a couple of months ago I felt ecstatic about finding a title everyone seemed to praise to the skies. Incidentally it was a Fitzcarraldo edition that I found. However, last Sunday at Chikkadpally where I stopped to take a look at the books with a seller, I spotted another copy of ‘Flights’ by Olga Tokarczuk with a different cover and published by Riverhead Books. Though I already had this title I picked up this copy too. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZt45M6T3rEVG3dzPkGKt38eTrQYdXz5DztbbjjvtAjtRVbSeHW_OtrKTCtHJxnPDP17VnVtirKowck6EoWDx6_F1fbrhEADOokPiskBmw5A-YdCHXlrvgZci9vPKOu83Cj4pVVnhgUmmYsqqgIAVscDv__oPm4Krf22XPSC7J6dDPuOyAWwlsoho9nSe/s4029/IMG_9555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZt45M6T3rEVG3dzPkGKt38eTrQYdXz5DztbbjjvtAjtRVbSeHW_OtrKTCtHJxnPDP17VnVtirKowck6EoWDx6_F1fbrhEADOokPiskBmw5A-YdCHXlrvgZci9vPKOu83Cj4pVVnhgUmmYsqqgIAVscDv__oPm4Krf22XPSC7J6dDPuOyAWwlsoho9nSe/s320/IMG_9555.jpg" width="202" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The last find was with the same seller. I managed to spot this title at the last minute just when I decided to leave. It was a copy of ‘Up & Down & Around; A Publisher Recollects the Time of His Life’ by Cass Canfield. I had never heard of the name Cass Canfield, and since my interest extend to reading memoirs of editors and publishers too I felt it would be an interesting read so I picked it up. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxm2ihsHy-CWuna1CUBCUFKDzJST_VkcILz93l69ypMlZOHs0w1kYWCSwYFC0p2rccT8Jag0PDc38QM9wIiMllZjBPNEeovwruZLVPkMXZX5_Z9XWXk0JIubV53Q4vaQmNJWe0u0WOV_uHF-Pqy_0cf8PfWhARBVpfYkp8h9mTyF-vqH53LKNN-wIycDB/s4029/IMG_9550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2689" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglxm2ihsHy-CWuna1CUBCUFKDzJST_VkcILz93l69ypMlZOHs0w1kYWCSwYFC0p2rccT8Jag0PDc38QM9wIiMllZjBPNEeovwruZLVPkMXZX5_Z9XWXk0JIubV53Q4vaQmNJWe0u0WOV_uHF-Pqy_0cf8PfWhARBVpfYkp8h9mTyF-vqH53LKNN-wIycDB/s320/IMG_9550.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-55426625467843781592024-03-01T08:00:00.001+05:302024-03-01T08:00:00.140+05:30The Ooty Haul<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The past two weeks I was at Ooty on work and therefore could not go to Abids. I missed Abids very badly and it was pure agony for the two Sundays I was at Ooty. This is my eleventh and last visit to Ooty about which I will write in another post. Since I would be at Ooty for two long weeks I took along three books to read one of which was ‘The Snow Leopard’ by Peter Matthiessen that I am reading for the fourth or fifth time since I last bought it almost two decades ago.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP2UsI0MaKEeDnb4xZrwpF9ZhfN_VTythg_GTPrF1gj1_Zfp5c2DqFmUQ0CKqvjrc-J0k0PJ2C6XZotPdLpYpdrq5iowC8qVwY2kOZa-j5-9RrmYF6jmNkse7-HV8Geh8oaE9i_biGeio1We6XUXwlTlnvYh-f3Qx9kY0ad0jSxCU1t0-ZHIZjwSC4ZLC/s4029/IMG_9524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicP2UsI0MaKEeDnb4xZrwpF9ZhfN_VTythg_GTPrF1gj1_Zfp5c2DqFmUQ0CKqvjrc-J0k0PJ2C6XZotPdLpYpdrq5iowC8qVwY2kOZa-j5-9RrmYF6jmNkse7-HV8Geh8oaE9i_biGeio1We6XUXwlTlnvYh-f3Qx9kY0ad0jSxCU1t0-ZHIZjwSC4ZLC/s320/IMG_9524.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Though I had three books to read I was longing for something else to read and it so happened that I came across a Tweet about ‘The Cooking of Books’ by Ramachandra Guha that I had earlier planned to buy sometime in the future. Somehow I felt a desperate need to read it and I was disappointed not to find it at the Higgin Bothams store in Ooty, and they told me that it would take a week for them to get it if I want it. Not wanting to wait so long I placed an order for it on Amazon and five days later I got it. However I did not read it right away since I planned to read it on the twenty hour long train journey from Coimbatore to Hyderabad.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">As planned I finished reading it by the time the train reached Hyderabad. I got to know more about Rukun Advani than Ramachandra Guha after I read it. I will read it once again after sometime and want to do a slow read. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-24789998494702848912024-02-09T08:00:00.001+05:302024-02-09T08:00:00.241+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 04-02-2024)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">It’s just beginning to get a bit warm during the day in Hyderabad which means summer is just around the corner. It wasn’t hot enough to need a cap but next Sunday I might need it when I am at Abids. Last Sunday though it was sunny it wasn’t hot and I got around and found these four books. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYOp3EiEGf6_-KC79ufavR8gtWHG5Z5GzWIgPT9A9eYz2qKDh5xdXobtUs-ocD_nGvl9-KJypn0hyiUojR-pY9eMPaEFgtuw_vEGSbGqxxrdgwMRVTo-GCWd0WuhwroJOfvh_7ZSNdQfuusdplOBJdSeCDWUReYi4V_jIjE7E5ZFrnqa3EMtaNtZ6if6P/s3989/IMG_9290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3989" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYOp3EiEGf6_-KC79ufavR8gtWHG5Z5GzWIgPT9A9eYz2qKDh5xdXobtUs-ocD_nGvl9-KJypn0hyiUojR-pY9eMPaEFgtuw_vEGSbGqxxrdgwMRVTo-GCWd0WuhwroJOfvh_7ZSNdQfuusdplOBJdSeCDWUReYi4V_jIjE7E5ZFrnqa3EMtaNtZ6if6P/s320/IMG_9290.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Of late I am tilting towards non-fiction titles especially journalistic accounts of places where there is conflict like the Middle East. One such title I came across at Abids last Sunday was one that I picked up immediately. It was a nice copy of ‘My House in Damascus; An Inside View of the Syrian Revolution’ by Diana Darke.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am travelling by later this month and thought I’d read some crime fiction during the long journey. I was unable to decide which title to take out of the many I had on my shelf and so when I spotted a copy of ‘The Quiller Memorandum’ by Adam Hall that was also made into a movie as mentioned on the cover I decided it would be this book I would take with me to read. I got this title for just twenty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The other Sunday I had found a wonderful title at Abids- ‘A Writer at War’ by Vassily Grosman that was about the fighting in Russia in the Second World War that I am yet to read. Last Sunday at Abids I found another title set in Russia- ‘Ten Days that Shook the World’ by John Reed that was about the Russian Revolution that I found at Chikkadpally. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJrQlFq-yie-SXqc41pSEUkZTJTwpylAvUnwdxu4KoJb0d69lZac5FXyVEdxT3F_RdSeTFE4DUo-2bhQtVTyylWYp5IiuxdoAUMYXI5I4421xaaGkS9hmnrGcYTupeS6QjtWTN7_UUtzPiCz7lH_qbxRz_pSbBN6MSjlgP8jrDkCR7VCZOtAzpSHJmiO4/s3993/IMG_9303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3993" data-original-width="2681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJrQlFq-yie-SXqc41pSEUkZTJTwpylAvUnwdxu4KoJb0d69lZac5FXyVEdxT3F_RdSeTFE4DUo-2bhQtVTyylWYp5IiuxdoAUMYXI5I4421xaaGkS9hmnrGcYTupeS6QjtWTN7_UUtzPiCz7lH_qbxRz_pSbBN6MSjlgP8jrDkCR7VCZOtAzpSHJmiO4/s320/IMG_9303.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">At Chikkadpally again with the same seller I found a copy of ‘Secrets’ by Nuruddin Farah about whom I had read about somewhere recently. It was a Penguin title so I picked it up without much hesitation. This was also the first title by a Somalian writer that I found. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-48301319312243742392024-02-02T09:27:00.002+05:302024-02-02T09:27:23.781+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 28-01-2024)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">After getting the news that the Hyderabad National Book Fair will be from February 9-19, 2024 I thought I would not buy books at Abids and instead pick up books at the Book fair that is just ten days away. However once I reached Abids last Sunday I couldn’t help picking up four titles, all good ones.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXS7wr4j1vdDXXYvGkW-lrjPtnj3Mc__zVo8GfMGynuI92Zd4YnO3nfi0I5VyiTnqz5X-bhUPVfIvdIGCAF2GfQokc8WxHwF5-_13S7-1U6S3UrOcsr6uc0dwe7mkgMIGUm-dV5xoShCgAAycfPTH3GLCcG9WawHqhdbW24c8l3ZCInnOoNFIm5OcWJjq/s4031/IMG_9274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2601" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXS7wr4j1vdDXXYvGkW-lrjPtnj3Mc__zVo8GfMGynuI92Zd4YnO3nfi0I5VyiTnqz5X-bhUPVfIvdIGCAF2GfQokc8WxHwF5-_13S7-1U6S3UrOcsr6uc0dwe7mkgMIGUm-dV5xoShCgAAycfPTH3GLCcG9WawHqhdbW24c8l3ZCInnOoNFIm5OcWJjq/s320/IMG_9274.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">The first title I picked up was an old copy of ‘Uncommon Wisdom: Conversations with Remarkable People’ by Fritjof Capra that I got for a hundred rupees. I don’t know if and when I will read it but I felt I had to buy it. I am going to Ooty again on a two-week trip and thinking of taking this book along to read. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9lRP9tGRLanQQEFCp8lwGfNVfkvVrrZRpXnOrSMWhXUCFfEarJ4ZLyfL0SJgZKXgAtqsykL_s1cyNlYKARgBvfk9EtLwOFG3NsCMSdRAyksxpxy_pKrO5a0myhOg2l7V-YbFe_gtUhIHKoZfWOe1VRarYdd4g90BoZQxrgTJHC_4qb7Wvl_j3BGcy-cy/s4029/IMG_9227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9lRP9tGRLanQQEFCp8lwGfNVfkvVrrZRpXnOrSMWhXUCFfEarJ4ZLyfL0SJgZKXgAtqsykL_s1cyNlYKARgBvfk9EtLwOFG3NsCMSdRAyksxpxy_pKrO5a0myhOg2l7V-YbFe_gtUhIHKoZfWOe1VRarYdd4g90BoZQxrgTJHC_4qb7Wvl_j3BGcy-cy/s320/IMG_9227.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">Another find was a hardcover copy of ‘An Unfinished Journey’ by Shiva Naipaul, a collection of six essays. Inside I saw the stamp of ‘Institute of Defence Management- MESS Library’ and wondered who decided to discard it. One of the six essays in it titled ‘My Brother and I’ is about his famous brother V.S. Naipaul. He writes of the absence of his brother in his life, and also about his own development as a writer. I remember buying a copy of his novel 'Fireflies' long back but I do not remember if I had read it!<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SeZMyoa5t25C4GfjcDJ9TBq2nlUBPaiJ5H9ePshm-QqNGxZPDy2qR9Oq508W1cKdqt-kXe4-5cMPVAeZzZktAzMrxhd0eDxvjCcb3wRHkq32hSKOd3ALhVRqd8NlG6jK8azw8XOPYJFD2t0t-pR3X_v9wCptYbqeycxmTBeMm7euaS4gA_Nsvi0XoB2U/s4029/IMG_9254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2559" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2SeZMyoa5t25C4GfjcDJ9TBq2nlUBPaiJ5H9ePshm-QqNGxZPDy2qR9Oq508W1cKdqt-kXe4-5cMPVAeZzZktAzMrxhd0eDxvjCcb3wRHkq32hSKOd3ALhVRqd8NlG6jK8azw8XOPYJFD2t0t-pR3X_v9wCptYbqeycxmTBeMm7euaS4gA_Nsvi0XoB2U/s320/IMG_9254.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">A year ago perhaps I had found a wonderful copy of ‘True Grit’ by Charles Portis that I had read about in several places. I thought I was lucky to find it, and had also read it and found it to be a wonderful book. Last Sunday I came across another copy of the same title but with a different cover that at first I did not want to pick up since I already had a copy. But I couldn’t leave it behind and so picked it up.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdIGLM4U2QfchZ0d2pCM1oUoQ_G65ey1_8gNxt6oRBZ9zkq9W2xdtmsMthtJi51GD44b8kKgwT3V-zkyIE2yR7JV69qNkHPg7pnwwx6N00IJHsK5_QMpwQJ9-mLt_F5ub5-ETqJlTQwPFWTbCGD4ZN7___PU7F3lyPz2XDMQ3MmrJN6Ed-lcqKyWiid4-/s4029/IMG_9273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2792" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdIGLM4U2QfchZ0d2pCM1oUoQ_G65ey1_8gNxt6oRBZ9zkq9W2xdtmsMthtJi51GD44b8kKgwT3V-zkyIE2yR7JV69qNkHPg7pnwwx6N00IJHsK5_QMpwQJ9-mLt_F5ub5-ETqJlTQwPFWTbCGD4ZN7___PU7F3lyPz2XDMQ3MmrJN6Ed-lcqKyWiid4-/s320/IMG_9273.jpg" width="222" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">When I want to know more about something current or something I am intrigued by I always try to learn the basic facts from sources that put it across in a simple way. Ever since the flare up of the conflict in Palestine I wanted to know the background facts. I found a copy of ‘The Arab-Israeli Issue’ by Paul Harper, a hardcover title not more than eighty pages in which I learnt about how it all began. It was a discarded copy from the Seattle Public Library that I got for fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-36770177681371882342024-01-26T08:00:00.001+05:302024-01-26T08:00:00.239+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 21-01-2024)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It wasn’t a normal Sunday as I sort of reversed my usual Sunday routine. Instead of going to Abids in the morning I went instead in the afternoon as I had to go somewhere in the morning. Going to Abids in the mornings felt a bit odd but apart from the time everything else was the same. Of course, the afternoon crowd is a bit different from the morning crowd at Abids which in my opinion, is made of the serious book types like yours truly. It is so because all week along we are impatient to come to Abids and grab as many good titles as one can find well before anyone else grabs them.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9entWxl0UuUqHmUx_hi7BrIpe7HEnSs-Yvz3JtKiO1Qe1FnG-eRWOl8qG6ddp_fYjzllDmrmo7nNG1uENruWdqimkKDd9cmWRFQPgeUlpZhYCRnN93P9F9yBwnAnLKetsOgvn7b-ufP0igHAatdAUxXQQGk3-8W9ePpPuIvCR8LalV3cHotgI9AOF-4m/s3957/IMG_9178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3957" data-original-width="2661" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9entWxl0UuUqHmUx_hi7BrIpe7HEnSs-Yvz3JtKiO1Qe1FnG-eRWOl8qG6ddp_fYjzllDmrmo7nNG1uENruWdqimkKDd9cmWRFQPgeUlpZhYCRnN93P9F9yBwnAnLKetsOgvn7b-ufP0igHAatdAUxXQQGk3-8W9ePpPuIvCR8LalV3cHotgI9AOF-4m/s320/IMG_9178.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Anyway, coming in the afternoon in no way changed my luck at finding good titles because I spotted a nice copy of ‘A Writer at War- with the Red Army 1941-45’ by Vasily Grossman. I Though I haven’t read much about Vasily Grossman the name stuck in mind and when I spotted this title I picked it up. I got it for a hundred and fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6t4wjxmp9E5HE32ZvqM9N8s2LKDhieDKow9Y7vIt02EBQnvvprZxfj-O0Dyf8iPgVYFAmTV6i6YvWdz8cW8wW3WafdGBF73HaUFhW8iAPe68LmkD3XA-U9yj_kbDS5ThU4OCxOCGZj2uLpvOwnS8OrwT34QpNzmj0PQcXH3o8fU6Ag1683zaZW11RKFE/s4024/IMG_9183.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4024" data-original-width="2613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6t4wjxmp9E5HE32ZvqM9N8s2LKDhieDKow9Y7vIt02EBQnvvprZxfj-O0Dyf8iPgVYFAmTV6i6YvWdz8cW8wW3WafdGBF73HaUFhW8iAPe68LmkD3XA-U9yj_kbDS5ThU4OCxOCGZj2uLpvOwnS8OrwT34QpNzmj0PQcXH3o8fU6Ag1683zaZW11RKFE/s320/IMG_9183.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Though I am not riding a two-wheeler after my accident in October which would have made it easier for me to stop at Chikkadpally after visiting Abids first, I am getting down at the Chikkadpally bus stop to check the titles that the three sellers there display on the pavement. At one of the sellers I spotted a copy of ‘Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain’ by Maryanne Wolf that I thought would be interesting to read. I got it for a hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-58481910313153099702024-01-19T08:00:00.001+05:302024-01-19T08:00:00.121+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 14-01-2023)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">It was festival time last week due to Sankranti, and due to which we (in the government) had a three-day holiday spell that included Sunday last. So it was in a rather relaxed mood that I went to Abids to dig out good titles from the pavements. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsWVkiQcb1K1XEvAcFSaGGkSB4HFhlMSfZ5u61GgW27P7zflngdrqq4UQiF_28hseGt7vzv49pURFdV6w3K0TotPzX12YAcITngd_eYIGbUsz2U3wmysmezdorIDuz8CbkXlm4ekV-MA_KojzqAKyhcyp4grBgVodrFeGUB1UmW0DB4Y6L0O-3yfZxrAn/s4029/IMG_9146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNsWVkiQcb1K1XEvAcFSaGGkSB4HFhlMSfZ5u61GgW27P7zflngdrqq4UQiF_28hseGt7vzv49pURFdV6w3K0TotPzX12YAcITngd_eYIGbUsz2U3wmysmezdorIDuz8CbkXlm4ekV-MA_KojzqAKyhcyp4grBgVodrFeGUB1UmW0DB4Y6L0O-3yfZxrAn/s320/IMG_9146.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">The first title I found was a new looking copy of ‘Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations’ by Ronen Bergman that was thicker than a brick. I only know that Israel has a policy of assassinating people who it considers as its enemies and the assassinations after the Munich Olympics were on my mind when I picked it up to know more about how it happens. I got this title for two hundred rupees though I could have bargained for a lesser figure but it being the festival I did not bargain and paid the money and took the book. <o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWkm9UMWIVcdJAp-AcYNR934Qc7yFh67j7q9ncnViZOcMmbu1F8I3DHregjNSEJ7-3Cc5RyoxBVJB_H_SHpTsJAGeRSsVzFkRT1uN8Y5nTEoWhHt1sEMe8qwqLLqP_HYQVvJo_vA7aknW07P191YBlpwa1Jm20DZzE2Pr1Gqj5uT4sMP9xmUxaM1Keiri/s4032/IMG_9140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWkm9UMWIVcdJAp-AcYNR934Qc7yFh67j7q9ncnViZOcMmbu1F8I3DHregjNSEJ7-3Cc5RyoxBVJB_H_SHpTsJAGeRSsVzFkRT1uN8Y5nTEoWhHt1sEMe8qwqLLqP_HYQVvJo_vA7aknW07P191YBlpwa1Jm20DZzE2Pr1Gqj5uT4sMP9xmUxaM1Keiri/s320/IMG_9140.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">Sometime last year I had managed to successfully claim a copy of ‘The Blue Nile’ by Alan Moorehead in a sale on WA by a second-hand bookseller. I bought it because I had a copy of ‘The White Nile’ and so I wanted to read ‘The Blue Nile’ also along with it. However, I couldn’t read them both and in the meanwhile I came across another copy of ‘The Blue Nile’ by Alan Moorehead at Abids. This was a different edition as it was illustrated as well as bigger in size than the copy that I had. It looked quite attractive though there was a tear in the front cover at the bottom. I got it for a hundred and fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-85175865643275651862024-01-12T08:00:00.001+05:302024-01-12T08:00:00.128+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 07 January, 2024)<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">On most Sundays I get lucky finding good titles in the Sunday book market at Abids. But on some Sundays I get very lucky and finding some wonderful titles there. Last Sunday was one such day when I found a wonderful title though it was at Chikkadpally and not at Abids. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQHFvl1s-Po5Tlj9lYuarMD85avPs2Q8Rk651e7hIg6Hu_DuJyeAsq3teMmaL79Js0ntC7l1NldEQ-EcxYrKp3q38SDyfmkgauTUzkrAdHB2Gz1XjbKlLCj0u3Md-D1TCfCsZQjbPAcWurp9u-NjB0V7pnK7U0jgdBszWAY0YZR0cpefYPRL-R5a66BRe/s4032/IMG_9108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2635" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNQHFvl1s-Po5Tlj9lYuarMD85avPs2Q8Rk651e7hIg6Hu_DuJyeAsq3teMmaL79Js0ntC7l1NldEQ-EcxYrKp3q38SDyfmkgauTUzkrAdHB2Gz1XjbKlLCj0u3Md-D1TCfCsZQjbPAcWurp9u-NjB0V7pnK7U0jgdBszWAY0YZR0cpefYPRL-R5a66BRe/s320/IMG_9108.jpg" width="209" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I spotted a copy of ‘Only Man is Vile’ by William McGowan and picked it up to take a closer look. It looked almost new and was a hardcover copy and I had a feeling that I had come across the title somewhere earlier. I couldn’t recollect where I had read about it and so decided to buy it and got it for two hundred rupees. It is about the situation in Sri Lanka written by a journalist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLf9Il74-mIN8ZexXDMRgg9uVIgC1zizuWyw9EsjGbEPsoEoLqNQlRhPh5eEslh9TbDytwBcfv5yIZ8mrRI6SU-HJXmdCTbrujBssONjNw4KMR4PTjGK3KPQ_AyI4mg4y8ZWWx-A8kJXq9lWcsG2M0IefdSYbp53kly71IIL-3vm2gyoswgUcVTp_b__y/s4010/IMG_9105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4010" data-original-width="2658" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLLf9Il74-mIN8ZexXDMRgg9uVIgC1zizuWyw9EsjGbEPsoEoLqNQlRhPh5eEslh9TbDytwBcfv5yIZ8mrRI6SU-HJXmdCTbrujBssONjNw4KMR4PTjGK3KPQ_AyI4mg4y8ZWWx-A8kJXq9lWcsG2M0IefdSYbp53kly71IIL-3vm2gyoswgUcVTp_b__y/s320/IMG_9105.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I left Abids soon after finding this title and got into a bus upto Koti and from there I got into another bus and got down at Chikkadpally after some hesitation since I wanted to go home and have lunch as I was feeling quite hungry. However, I decided to check out the two booksellers and got lucky since I spotted a brand-new looking copy of ‘The Border Trilogy’ by Cormac McCarthy. A couple of weeks ago I had found a copy of ‘Suttree’ with the same seller and coincidentally it was at the same place that I found ‘The Border Trilogy’ that I got for just a hundred and fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>Hyderabad Book Fair dates</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">At last someone tweeted the dates of the Hyderabad National Book Fair. It is from 9-19 February, 2024. I am not very glad because I would be travelling from 12<sup>th</sup> Feb and would be able to go to the Book Fair for only two days! <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-90977304820840251882024-01-05T08:00:00.001+05:302024-01-05T08:00:00.135+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 31-12-2023)<p> <span style="text-align: justify;">In a coincidence
last Sunday happened to be the last day of 2023 and also the last Sunday of the
year. Somehow this year I haven’t kept count of the number of books I’ve bought
at Abids as well as online but the figure could be somewhere around 200 which
is quite high. As I set out for Abids last Sunday I wondered how many titles I
would find that I really want to buy. I ended up buying three good titles.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8jzxLyr0XacVQ7j_qNMWWrKCNZdvRu8URR-zJ4HU9SjjKMO-GwnPImRIZiQyHGqYAJ0AaPUt8eHMfYH_2fv45L1WmmTvWYnuP-WjbljwIpWdhfC3uo9PkRZNtkfjzYv0cjvOy-jxNeY1uhcFu41yvUdLEEzUYSbIV1pwk87rHyI7WTMoM5ub8zq46-m4/s4031/IMG_9039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2629" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8jzxLyr0XacVQ7j_qNMWWrKCNZdvRu8URR-zJ4HU9SjjKMO-GwnPImRIZiQyHGqYAJ0AaPUt8eHMfYH_2fv45L1WmmTvWYnuP-WjbljwIpWdhfC3uo9PkRZNtkfjzYv0cjvOy-jxNeY1uhcFu41yvUdLEEzUYSbIV1pwk87rHyI7WTMoM5ub8zq46-m4/s320/IMG_9039.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">The first find
was ‘The Road to San Giovanni’ by Italo Calvino that I remember having bought
earlier. But since the copy I saw last Sunday appeared to be reasonably good I
bought it. It has five autobiographical essays that I am raring to read as soon
as I finish the books I am reading currently.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOGXTdkUpwgmia-VZlVvK9nj2SjRjUnkECzRheEw6f0oVN2Bu_14C89e01Ux6JZhhZg9qz_th44-ul2areT9PxNhJvB2DhydFVNoqIo_g0FG9_dUx09oc1ptjny-AHICU0knp1Xc39wp87cHeBp-NE6lqdq6M7Qs-lOJlWx5Buhu4B98f29hVnfDYtsQC/s3989/IMG_9042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3989" data-original-width="2602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggOGXTdkUpwgmia-VZlVvK9nj2SjRjUnkECzRheEw6f0oVN2Bu_14C89e01Ux6JZhhZg9qz_th44-ul2areT9PxNhJvB2DhydFVNoqIo_g0FG9_dUx09oc1ptjny-AHICU0knp1Xc39wp87cHeBp-NE6lqdq6M7Qs-lOJlWx5Buhu4B98f29hVnfDYtsQC/s320/IMG_9042.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">The next find
was a book I felt everyone in the country should read. It was a copy of ‘What
the Nation Really Needs to Know: The JNU Nationalism Lectures’ that has twenty
four essays in English and a few in Hindi by various JNU faculty about
nationalism and other issues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">It was the last
find that got me pretty excited after I picked it up and read the blurbs on the
cover. When I first spotted the book the title intrigued me and I had that
feeling that it could be a good book. I told myself even before I actually
picked it up that I should buy it. However I did not pick it up right away but
came back and read the blurbs. On the cover the blurb by Frances Wilson of
Sunday Times said ‘You have in your hands a masterpiece’</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw30tLLaim_T7T9ZlCieF0unN3uLzN3A_dTKF5YF1J1QEonKMy_d6OONj99XdefTwTPnWtt70NNOvWfexsXVsC21FVX8FDuOdV2E3ih1bl4zOxnbQ5Gcv12kdzD-W7pVrKmzTNh67p-lsPrt3Srbe2LjdfHEE7B4P3QR6aJB4S3CFGUEmW2br7qOTHv7jE/s4032/IMG_9041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw30tLLaim_T7T9ZlCieF0unN3uLzN3A_dTKF5YF1J1QEonKMy_d6OONj99XdefTwTPnWtt70NNOvWfexsXVsC21FVX8FDuOdV2E3ih1bl4zOxnbQ5Gcv12kdzD-W7pVrKmzTNh67p-lsPrt3Srbe2LjdfHEE7B4P3QR6aJB4S3CFGUEmW2br7qOTHv7jE/s320/IMG_9041.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-IN"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN">It was a copy of
‘The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance’ by Edmund de Waal that had me
quite excited as I flipped through the pages and read the blurbs on the back
cover. Apart from praise by others it was the praise by Diana Athill - ‘A
complex and beautiful book’ that convinced me that my hunch that it was a good
book was correct. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-77627821838673738242023-12-31T21:34:00.002+05:302023-12-31T21:34:12.409+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 24-12-2023)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ5rUStC8QmQUSDSkzChctUFxbAt8TAwTTON13tVT94iheYJU5O4PjkYWdV_p13Ktsoap7_nfYrSFkuIZtS7Nt71rqKrBaLWotusqQmp2tJRmb3xysGQ3AfUj5MGUHRmM4NipejHlwF0HmIMGtb80z5XQSvNXZHvilCqyJcz5FPbD7eNuJCZs3V_3D40m/s3926/IMG_8997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3926" data-original-width="2582" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKJ5rUStC8QmQUSDSkzChctUFxbAt8TAwTTON13tVT94iheYJU5O4PjkYWdV_p13Ktsoap7_nfYrSFkuIZtS7Nt71rqKrBaLWotusqQmp2tJRmb3xysGQ3AfUj5MGUHRmM4NipejHlwF0HmIMGtb80z5XQSvNXZHvilCqyJcz5FPbD7eNuJCZs3V_3D40m/s320/IMG_8997.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A bit late writing about last Sunday’s haul because I wanted to post it on the last day of the year 2023. I love humor and when I found a beautiful collection of humor writing I did not think twice before buying it. I saw a copy of ‘Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology of Humor Writing from The New Yorker’ edited by David Remnick and Henry Finder with a seller outside the GPO at Abids and bought it for just a hundred and fifty rupees only. It has more than a hundred and fifty pieces by writers like Woody Allen, James Thurber, E.B. White, Garrison Keillor, Steve Martin, Peter De Vries, and there’s even one by Susan Sontag!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I have copies of ‘The Blue Nile’ and ‘The White Nile’ both written by Alan Moorehead but I am yet to find the time to read them. When I saw a copy of ‘No Room in the Ark’ by Alan Moorehead, a slim volume I was curious to know what it was. I got it for only thirty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-43579228847348635672023-12-22T20:54:00.004+05:302023-12-22T20:54:45.812+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 17-12-2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">After the accident though there is a minor change in my manner of reaching Abids on Sunday mornings there is no change in what I am finding at Abids. I continue to find good books at Abids every Sunday, and last Sunday too I found four wonderful titles.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMpqPN76saZQl6RDDSSsZtnVLXkQEX2MhFfC3eNl528OyjShTKNFXfeJVTHxwCxVpeLh2XKdL8Ec-GTpCBQ6Opy-laYDF408hMw7f73HSTZxnLlh6KpkgJw0txOOKY_3hO6A0AUppabbhut1Rw76Es7KQhkixCWvKV0p-mXsTdCZaf6kYYOlDTSpQ-W1d/s3995/IMG_8920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3995" data-original-width="2649" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMpqPN76saZQl6RDDSSsZtnVLXkQEX2MhFfC3eNl528OyjShTKNFXfeJVTHxwCxVpeLh2XKdL8Ec-GTpCBQ6Opy-laYDF408hMw7f73HSTZxnLlh6KpkgJw0txOOKY_3hO6A0AUppabbhut1Rw76Es7KQhkixCWvKV0p-mXsTdCZaf6kYYOlDTSpQ-W1d/s320/IMG_8920.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">The first title I spotted was a copy of ‘The Writer and the World’ a collection of essays by the venerable V.S. Naipaul. I do not remember if I have this title or not but I couldn’t let go of such a fine copy and therefore I bought it. I got it for two hundred rupees which is a bit high. But what the heck, I’d pay anything for a good title.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Hp5NGQJaDTeWathZLYwTSJC2z4rf7W4NEj45DEm-UGEzhXWo18lZabho39e1poAIKtsUvQ3m5xsU3dDOic-wOIPdXoLe3ocVoo6jRYgD2YS6j2-qQYbRM7BNj-jUKyvoukc6yNjYQ_e3zpYoQYU4W0zEDWrGSwR92tPxs1K7850-zHYdmm2M7YHIL5k/s3984/IMG_8918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3984" data-original-width="2522" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4Hp5NGQJaDTeWathZLYwTSJC2z4rf7W4NEj45DEm-UGEzhXWo18lZabho39e1poAIKtsUvQ3m5xsU3dDOic-wOIPdXoLe3ocVoo6jRYgD2YS6j2-qQYbRM7BNj-jUKyvoukc6yNjYQ_e3zpYoQYU4W0zEDWrGSwR92tPxs1K7850-zHYdmm2M7YHIL5k/s320/IMG_8918.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">Another title that I remember having bought earlier was ‘The Granta Book of India’ the copy of which stared back at me from the pavement and before I could try to remember clearly I picked it up. This title I got for hundred rupees.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWz1QjYpwBdN_SdCnnaVqeqOj8uVW5PBRqrU3bUn2yG7vNKaOD-F_V-KP1dsGWuej_T-XlJK-OC98_7y_CrkvKfhcj-U0LbW7LZfODed5WT0FHcgmkw50yceMkE8LANN4ccg1TRsuVed1xNr8DaFy5DJgarnstOkU_9IER2orHpRtZJNwr2uYkPMW_2PC/s4015/IMG_8916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4015" data-original-width="2608" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWz1QjYpwBdN_SdCnnaVqeqOj8uVW5PBRqrU3bUn2yG7vNKaOD-F_V-KP1dsGWuej_T-XlJK-OC98_7y_CrkvKfhcj-U0LbW7LZfODed5WT0FHcgmkw50yceMkE8LANN4ccg1TRsuVed1xNr8DaFy5DJgarnstOkU_9IER2orHpRtZJNwr2uYkPMW_2PC/s320/IMG_8916.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-align: justify;">Another find was a beautiful hardcover title ’Signs and Images’ by Roland Barthes and I grabbed it at lightning speed though there was no one around who would have snatched it. This is my second Roland Barthes title having found the first title ages ago and which I am yet to read. This title I got for just eighty rupees.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXBo9dnZ-KSBlrvMbDzZRhIHQDCYdnFhOeDEueyR77W24CwNX54fZe8L1GIOWriMljDd-t6ga_xL-P_2BbYk6wamqM_Pj5VetFvL7hrbodARBKP3zxU2OH1QJqOqtedJU4MPIpHLuzLJQtkVUDeE3VOXzBfk-ujGlJUvWd2k-2tEIHzw2W6atZxwswxlp/s4032/IMG_8914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2452" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNXBo9dnZ-KSBlrvMbDzZRhIHQDCYdnFhOeDEueyR77W24CwNX54fZe8L1GIOWriMljDd-t6ga_xL-P_2BbYk6wamqM_Pj5VetFvL7hrbodARBKP3zxU2OH1QJqOqtedJU4MPIpHLuzLJQtkVUDeE3VOXzBfk-ujGlJUvWd2k-2tEIHzw2W6atZxwswxlp/s320/IMG_8914.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 16.866667px; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; text-align: justify;">The last title I found was one I clearly remember having several copies of and which I’d buy any number of copies that I came across. It was almost by accident that I spotted the distinctive red cover of ‘Ex-Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader’ by Anne Fadiman, and I felt a strange thrill at having found yet another copy of this wonderful book that every bibliophile ought to have on their bookshelf. I couldn’t believe it when the seller asked just thirty rupees for this slim book. <o:p></o:p></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-13195836694212390882023-12-08T08:00:00.001+05:302023-12-08T08:00:00.135+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 03.12.2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Going to Abids has become a bit complicated for me since the past three weeks. I had a road accident last month a day before Diwali and fractured my collarbone after falling down on the road from my two-wheeler that was hit by a rashly driven autorickshaw. I have been wearing a clavicle brace and have my right arm in a sling which means I cannot ride a two-wheeler. So I am going by cab to Abids which isn’t the same as going on my two-wheeler.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVnZH51d2q2YrHS2HiDPdI2Qlk4gd2IUqrAh3XV4Yq3me6_vLJT9XVU4ayUbk2mZEtPs4UclmOkOmLiGTr3FRbq_vX2bafKd7vtfBfm5smLNviUFt3iMzTURMN9nL1sS0cFvdpX_XxGxEh9WCBLZteW56CK1bY8V-KOUzrotEUIKWqLAbL7FUKXvfp_IT/s4031/IMG_8815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBVnZH51d2q2YrHS2HiDPdI2Qlk4gd2IUqrAh3XV4Yq3me6_vLJT9XVU4ayUbk2mZEtPs4UclmOkOmLiGTr3FRbq_vX2bafKd7vtfBfm5smLNviUFt3iMzTURMN9nL1sS0cFvdpX_XxGxEh9WCBLZteW56CK1bY8V-KOUzrotEUIKWqLAbL7FUKXvfp_IT/s320/IMG_8815.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Anyway, I got there as usual a little before noon and managed to find three titles. The first title I found was a copy of ‘With Chatwin’ by Susannah Clapp that was almost brand new and had Chatwin’s picture on the cover. It is a memoir/biography, and I plan to read it along with another biography of Chatwin by Nicholas Shakespeare that I had found a long time ago but haven’t yet managed to read it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBlKDEghgz-hV5jfOUaAkeJ8wG70V0AFyTf5uasgVD9DOuuGaX25e5MxdXUzHoOByOB4Q0yfJ1QtIgmPeZFBnUNMJO1IuNODb0LuUSViqiVLuUoDeBYmIOsovEG8_6hehpXiJ5KRXumbJjPdgwgSaXHvBDS1KLNXgOXNQqeCNca7ZnEUjbv65ERamdXfE/s4032/IMG_8812.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2672" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJBlKDEghgz-hV5jfOUaAkeJ8wG70V0AFyTf5uasgVD9DOuuGaX25e5MxdXUzHoOByOB4Q0yfJ1QtIgmPeZFBnUNMJO1IuNODb0LuUSViqiVLuUoDeBYmIOsovEG8_6hehpXiJ5KRXumbJjPdgwgSaXHvBDS1KLNXgOXNQqeCNca7ZnEUjbv65ERamdXfE/s320/IMG_8812.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The next find was a nice copy of ‘Delhi Metropolitan: The Making of an Unlikely City’ by Ranjana Sengupta that I got for eighty rupees. Coincidentally I had claimed ‘City of Gold: The Biography of Bombay’ by Gillian Tindall on an online sale and that is yet to be delivered. Someday I have to read both these titles. I’ve already read Geoffrey Moorehouse’s book on Calcutta sometime last year. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElQ0DJJGmzOf53u0bt-iKPzhsRDFCse9-zy7si9v7bsGmdsSryWXUa0a8duXsvrTNJfVv77yIKk07D-Ee7BVE4FK3uv3P3IaUhL7Dd7kb7_KGAw52kAakeXhzkk7HOjVT-lCoELynq3eIfKGRlVp1ETv1fhk3n7hF1AsD9Cu_apRVBvki4S3DEekfiwEO/s4028/IMG_8831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2527" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElQ0DJJGmzOf53u0bt-iKPzhsRDFCse9-zy7si9v7bsGmdsSryWXUa0a8duXsvrTNJfVv77yIKk07D-Ee7BVE4FK3uv3P3IaUhL7Dd7kb7_KGAw52kAakeXhzkk7HOjVT-lCoELynq3eIfKGRlVp1ETv1fhk3n7hF1AsD9Cu_apRVBvki4S3DEekfiwEO/s320/IMG_8831.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Though I felt that I have already read the copy of ‘Finding the Centre’ by V.S. Naipaul that I had found some time ago I couldn’t resist buying another copy though with a different cover and also an older edition that I saw at Abids last Sunday. One reason for buying it was that it was in a heap of Rs.50 books. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-64332380747755474622023-11-28T22:51:00.001+05:302023-11-28T22:51:35.164+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 26-11-2023)<p> I couldn't go to Abids as usual on Sunday in the morning because I had to attend an election related training. But I could go up to Chikkadpally where I found a title by an African author I hadn't heard about before. 'The God Who Begat a Jackal' by Nega Mezlekia that I got for a hundred rupees. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMuolDt-j-Gx5ZZl9qNmSavwtwOGF0XA1hQQojY39ov3Ss7UKtMPIIxKx1-vDYq2mWxEhS9-H_P8QGdTxjxl2TePv96D_AewJMu2EOID8gZsY98xbk_SWzF39m9_-UyGIyFTaOYbw5y4kmlfeESJNpsha2KA5CSFXiqzEJP6jBtwGHMB2wQol2tP1adnZ/s4032/IMG_8797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMuolDt-j-Gx5ZZl9qNmSavwtwOGF0XA1hQQojY39ov3Ss7UKtMPIIxKx1-vDYq2mWxEhS9-H_P8QGdTxjxl2TePv96D_AewJMu2EOID8gZsY98xbk_SWzF39m9_-UyGIyFTaOYbw5y4kmlfeESJNpsha2KA5CSFXiqzEJP6jBtwGHMB2wQol2tP1adnZ/s320/IMG_8797.jpg" width="203" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-30373633769320922602023-11-28T22:48:00.000+05:302023-11-28T22:48:06.749+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 19-11-2023)<p> After 'The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz' that I couldn't finish this is the second Mordecai Richler title that I found last Sunday at Abids. It is a collection of essays that I got for fifty rupees. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-u_WPmToPHEa2ipyj44rktdy34osSoXcyNvw7UrzkUmCqXXIv-Nzpm0g5xs_DpTtAnjT0zUSqprIQjmJqpGmZjOJ3MsfbAK0viRdsGvQhffiyNnP30-Xjf-mAiMYpUhtMwVQoZuNdGctxE_eej9PouSNvILEbndvox7WmQ67UwYjr4pBnikApoZ5gEG8b/s3937/IMG_8761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3937" data-original-width="2415" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-u_WPmToPHEa2ipyj44rktdy34osSoXcyNvw7UrzkUmCqXXIv-Nzpm0g5xs_DpTtAnjT0zUSqprIQjmJqpGmZjOJ3MsfbAK0viRdsGvQhffiyNnP30-Xjf-mAiMYpUhtMwVQoZuNdGctxE_eej9PouSNvILEbndvox7WmQ67UwYjr4pBnikApoZ5gEG8b/s320/IMG_8761.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-9156153766262785962023-11-10T09:15:00.002+05:302023-11-10T09:15:22.204+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 05.11.2023)<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">The Diwali shopping buzz has begun and so all the shops in Abids were open. Only a few of the second-hand booksellers had shifted from their regular spots so I did not feel much of a difference in my usual Sunday hunt for books at Abids. However, I did not feel like buying every book that I saw because at home the books are taking over every available spot spacious enough to keep a book. I ended up buying just two titles last Sunday at Abids. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_P_Gng5pTIZQSS232PS8lslNIPmSkYCEgaEdAsKQXv14Yd2eilRCNwjne62A9j5Ac0c6v9oBwR1IlJJoZNUdYVPiPy43DOj9gIIJcBvP5wqYY2FeaK9xtwqZDj5_CvvQE0_yDhoc6nzZg0ptWlDRqA3a1tofJ729IC6OZKNrEMz6N_qCQekC6rdmvQrL/s4028/IMG_8714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2666" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT_P_Gng5pTIZQSS232PS8lslNIPmSkYCEgaEdAsKQXv14Yd2eilRCNwjne62A9j5Ac0c6v9oBwR1IlJJoZNUdYVPiPy43DOj9gIIJcBvP5wqYY2FeaK9xtwqZDj5_CvvQE0_yDhoc6nzZg0ptWlDRqA3a1tofJ729IC6OZKNrEMz6N_qCQekC6rdmvQrL/s320/IMG_8714.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A long time back I had found a copy of ‘The Savage Detectives’ by Roberto Bolano that I did not find the time to read and somehow I gave it away to someone without realizing I was giving it away. Later when I read about the book somewhere and searched for my copy I couldn’t find it and belatedly realized that I had foolishly given it away. Luckily sometime later I found another copy that again I haven’t had the time to read. So while the copy of ‘The Savage Detectives’ by Roberto Bolano is still lying somewhere on my bookshelf unread I found a copy of ‘Distant Star’ by Roberto Bolano last Sunday at Abids. I got it for just fifty rupees and have begun reading it since it is quite slim and can be finished in a day. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I do not have to mention it again that I love travel titles especially those that are about the traveler living in another country and writing about the people, life and other things in that country that the writer has chosen to call it his home. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyanqZA5eTwyAtRW8KG3Bhh503zejZRXCzDTqvxfH2yvHCZxeV3W8o9nXkX84Ib3eFfFSqFhdC7kLjEZQs_WErv9aKbN2_8R-eKEU86KDuDWqZyT3lDhLNDTe-p28jtG80n3af_PRD42giSolW7OMOJ3rARDiBjLSKvd9Jhoz6J8JJHjuCD497NkI2ZSv-/s4032/IMG_8717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2609" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyanqZA5eTwyAtRW8KG3Bhh503zejZRXCzDTqvxfH2yvHCZxeV3W8o9nXkX84Ib3eFfFSqFhdC7kLjEZQs_WErv9aKbN2_8R-eKEU86KDuDWqZyT3lDhLNDTe-p28jtG80n3af_PRD42giSolW7OMOJ3rARDiBjLSKvd9Jhoz6J8JJHjuCD497NkI2ZSv-/s320/IMG_8717.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I did not buy the copy of ‘Italian Neighbours’ by Tim Parks that I saw at Abids last Sunday just like that. I had read ‘Teach Us to Sit Still’ by Tim Parks a couple of years ago and was very impressed by what he wrote about a delicate problem that he had and how he went through that using meditation and other ways. I found a nice copy of ‘Italian Neighbours’ that I got for a hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-46259446987793826592023-11-03T08:00:00.001+05:302023-11-03T08:00:00.156+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 29.10.2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">As someone who likes to read a lot I make it a point not to miss reading each and every piece in the ‘magazine’ of The Hindu on Sunday. Last Sunday while reading the articles in ‘the open page’ of the ‘magazine’ I came across a very interesting item titled ‘On a Literary Trail in the U.K.’ by one Sebastian Valiakala, a major Sebastian Faulks fan.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">I was amazed to read that he had made a 20-week ‘bibliotour’ across England, Scotland, and Ireland and wrote about coming across titles by Sebastian Faulks on his trip. I wondered how passionate a book lover Mr. Sebastian Valiakal was to have made a 20-week ‘bibliotour’ across the U.K. In a strange coincidence a few hours after reading this wonderful piece I found a copy of ‘A Week in December’ by Sebastian Faulks in a heap of Rs.100 books. I picked it up since I had not read anything by Sebastian Faulks so far.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeMs8fOxZH_HGPJ8hKvYl_7pQYz6G3mz_DRf8FqlPwQHq23o0KsJWoLsXNTEX8_SyY-kaRslq1OZqxf7cvtjjHemIpMfReNKVny-E2c2tAF-P_YZyEuYLuZAJtvK05ITUkLhQZMEqFJ-NBnrnOCk21YxmIS1hFrmCAdiSoqGX38jogEge38SCv72uKd3C/s4032/IMG-8702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeMs8fOxZH_HGPJ8hKvYl_7pQYz6G3mz_DRf8FqlPwQHq23o0KsJWoLsXNTEX8_SyY-kaRslq1OZqxf7cvtjjHemIpMfReNKVny-E2c2tAF-P_YZyEuYLuZAJtvK05ITUkLhQZMEqFJ-NBnrnOCk21YxmIS1hFrmCAdiSoqGX38jogEge38SCv72uKd3C/s320/IMG-8702.jpg" width="197" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The next find was a copy of ‘Sacred Virgin: Travels across the Narmada’ by Royina Grewal that I got for a hundred and fifty rupees. It was a title that I do not remember reading about anywhere so I was pretty thrilled to find another Indian travel title. Another reason for picking it up was that it was a Penguin title and they never disappoint me. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eBtk00ctjdieVwOf5sIWwk8NY9KDFEETwu86paoAU1goeickD4wCdMSlcevUKv7P5wbNPnY8cglYNqHlc6bV6C3YLfF2XYr6RR90WCTzLD7f0NH_3NblArbiyGuc1NV5l979uMQniQ2f6DPfG-fRKpyV3ZXrVjCDNEABLaiKJVSzSljnBDpCyyffeK0u/s3971/IMG-8677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3971" data-original-width="2496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3eBtk00ctjdieVwOf5sIWwk8NY9KDFEETwu86paoAU1goeickD4wCdMSlcevUKv7P5wbNPnY8cglYNqHlc6bV6C3YLfF2XYr6RR90WCTzLD7f0NH_3NblArbiyGuc1NV5l979uMQniQ2f6DPfG-fRKpyV3ZXrVjCDNEABLaiKJVSzSljnBDpCyyffeK0u/s320/IMG-8677.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Funnily enough the next find at Abids was another travel title- ‘The Golden Peak: Travels in Northern Pakistan’ by Kathleen Jamie, yet another Penguin title that I picked up for a hundred rupees. I haven’t read may accounts of journeys in Pakistan, and I hope this title fill the gap in my reading about Pakistan. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd8LNHvPHf7-hlKP7xEaDeMX2ahJBplXL-KMxaP168A42Tj9Oj8_iKg1wEPonsKmRrnrLQd8UsWxI9yJdKmC93PpFHAVm16ohk22KCU5sed4HudCMI2K0mYClGQoW_bbIzRcXq3lzVvi78xgSoM8-2hK3W0Z4wM4sPARg0dZUiNEmpa5TqHHbmE_Dq4pb/s4032/IMG-8679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2609" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdd8LNHvPHf7-hlKP7xEaDeMX2ahJBplXL-KMxaP168A42Tj9Oj8_iKg1wEPonsKmRrnrLQd8UsWxI9yJdKmC93PpFHAVm16ohk22KCU5sed4HudCMI2K0mYClGQoW_bbIzRcXq3lzVvi78xgSoM8-2hK3W0Z4wM4sPARg0dZUiNEmpa5TqHHbmE_Dq4pb/s320/IMG-8679.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Then I found a copy of ‘Bombay Time’ by Thrity Umrigar, a writer I had read about somewhere and had actually seen a book by her a long time back that I did not pick up. But when I read on the inside pages that it was her debut novel and a Picador title I decided to buy it. I got this book too for a hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HlMYr-ctabOw6P7JwajSC_Tt4qN8ZespUf10_vhSk-3-VxQ4TlaQ9qIxsZz_vmCEmiQxi6uFq-mAHehRzcq3WIRIienZwRb8qYshpl8J-CRllJEKcwaqyUwMiFcluyqaVBRRQzHv6PbiKG-YI-kHqQhbqmc6CWOoeHnoKt9QmPPODvGGJnpgWs7MnVul/s4032/IMG-8692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2672" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HlMYr-ctabOw6P7JwajSC_Tt4qN8ZespUf10_vhSk-3-VxQ4TlaQ9qIxsZz_vmCEmiQxi6uFq-mAHehRzcq3WIRIienZwRb8qYshpl8J-CRllJEKcwaqyUwMiFcluyqaVBRRQzHv6PbiKG-YI-kHqQhbqmc6CWOoeHnoKt9QmPPODvGGJnpgWs7MnVul/s320/IMG-8692.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Any book with the words ‘Books’ and ‘Bookstore’ instantly grabs my attention and I end up buying such books without a moment’s hesitation. When I saw a copy of ‘Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore’ by Robin Sloan that had a zany and attractive cover I bought it right away not bothering to find out whether it was fiction or non-fiction or even if it was any good. But after I noticed that it was an Atlantic Books title and a work of fiction I felt convinced that it would be a good read. I got this for only sixty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUf8LsCLpRVZsKZcHltk4QbHTrAiAyw6xUHIdlnZE1PNsMBvN3RbbTveT7wmjuLckha4_fUIuBrYftlz6CQFabEH-IIh79Kqxz5r2WXobdSDt3ofmLvVUjiIIqe7c0DWIvLqd2jv0OOv_JDjD0xq_z6QGUg8V4ynmnsZkrdSdNGo7OLyxk3nKSkjWSxLUD/s4032/IMG-8690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2513" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUf8LsCLpRVZsKZcHltk4QbHTrAiAyw6xUHIdlnZE1PNsMBvN3RbbTveT7wmjuLckha4_fUIuBrYftlz6CQFabEH-IIh79Kqxz5r2WXobdSDt3ofmLvVUjiIIqe7c0DWIvLqd2jv0OOv_JDjD0xq_z6QGUg8V4ynmnsZkrdSdNGo7OLyxk3nKSkjWSxLUD/s320/IMG-8690.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I also picked up two titles- ‘The Kingdom of Blue Skies’ by Mayakshi Chattopadhyaya and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">‘Like Fishes in the Ocean’ by Gita Iyengar about which I want to write sometime later in another post. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-48241564159829633802023-10-27T08:00:00.001+05:302023-10-27T08:00:00.142+05:30<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Sunday Haul (on 22.10.2023)</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The regular shops at Abids were just beginning to open when I reached there last Sunday. The festival bustle would begin in a few hours so I got around all the sellers looking for something good to pick up. Though I looked carefully all I could manage to find was a good copy of a book that I already have.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Australia is one country that fascinates me and I try to read as many travel titles on Australia as I can find. I have a few such titles on Australia that I have found a long time back. One of them is of course Bill Bryson’s ‘Down Under’ and also ‘West of Centre’ by Ray Ericksen that I loved. Not long ago I had found a copy of ‘The Ribbon and the Ragged Square: An Australian Journey’ by Linda Christmas that I had spotted at a store in Bengaluru sometime in May this year. Another title on Australia that I found sometime in August 2019 was a copy of ‘In the Land of Oz’ by Howard Jacobson that I read right away after finding it and then again recently. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4g2Gdoal-RZ9_5IVbiT0Ecx6pPGWbfPZT8Gk0jZAh74E_Ar4ENQvZ0WoJoi5k9ol-n3x4esBjpj74hmkmkzUCEciwTr8-s-djiSJujVuQZzHIJGuUI8JKzelAXSlLvPgp7aj0sVS5px8eM8bOGR8_KsDAf30PR3haxAz2J1EM7EKFAkDcZ6H62eBUaB2B/s4032/IMG-8651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2535" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4g2Gdoal-RZ9_5IVbiT0Ecx6pPGWbfPZT8Gk0jZAh74E_Ar4ENQvZ0WoJoi5k9ol-n3x4esBjpj74hmkmkzUCEciwTr8-s-djiSJujVuQZzHIJGuUI8JKzelAXSlLvPgp7aj0sVS5px8eM8bOGR8_KsDAf30PR3haxAz2J1EM7EKFAkDcZ6H62eBUaB2B/s320/IMG-8651.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p></p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was a copy of this same title- ‘In the Land of Oz’ by Howard Jacobson that I found last Sunday at Abids. It was a far better copy than the one I had so I couldn’t resist buying it and got it for just eighty rupees.</span>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-13056113756234210532023-10-20T08:00:00.001+05:302023-10-20T08:00:00.145+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 15.10.2023)<p> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The festival season is on in Hyderabad and many shops in Abids were open last Sunday so some of the sellers of second-hand books had to move their books to other spots. This would be the situation until Diwali in November. However, it did not matter much to me at all because I knew where the sellers were.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Sometime after I found ‘On Writing’ by Stephen King after reading which I felt confident enough to think of putting down on paper the idea for a novel I had in mind I found a copy of ‘The Writing of One Novel’ by Irving Wallace at Abids a long time back. It gave me an idea of how writers develop their novels after getting the idea for it, and what happens while the novel is written, and the numerous obstacles the writer has to face while writing. ‘The Writing of One Novel’ was one title I read and reread numerous times. I also found several copies of it all these years that I gave away to anyone who expressed the slightest interest in writing a novel. It is a different matter that not one who I gave a copy of ‘The Writing of One Novel’ has managed to bring out a novel so far.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4mQb05_YMcB7m7TLXN8kB4PgIK09E9dEM45gc_uU9g8XcPY_AipzCtOohAjazLMQX29Ab0q8rninaiMZhnI2HzKpNL_OB-3C2eORzBLiBoSlQFhJI9B1-cd40xVCnl6h367v50I8Mgde8An3Aj_-EhrUR01RrU-fAO51q3G4QBXZIRAqeBbb7_8FUju0/s4032/IMG-8636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4mQb05_YMcB7m7TLXN8kB4PgIK09E9dEM45gc_uU9g8XcPY_AipzCtOohAjazLMQX29Ab0q8rninaiMZhnI2HzKpNL_OB-3C2eORzBLiBoSlQFhJI9B1-cd40xVCnl6h367v50I8Mgde8An3Aj_-EhrUR01RrU-fAO51q3G4QBXZIRAqeBbb7_8FUju0/s320/IMG-8636.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Anyway, I found yet another copy of ‘The Writing of One Novel’ by Irving Wallace at Abids last Sunday and I was unable to move on without buying it. I got it for fifty rupees, a nice copy that I plan to retain and give away a different copy that is not in such a good condition that I had found some time back. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QUv7e7_W_n3KEVwG7IMHbXtVXkBNYRkLL4jjFZjZQcCsquUhs2jhmLjkIy_qio_1_lEg8e4q_wUxDldQALhEmTjv1UVAmmG9LHjX9dJew0ZacrVPGtOLt6NX3TwWiI7gm2MsUkwNxHs35H39tS3I8P9KGQ9S6YpyS0qwiDCtdLBvmnlP_qEdt2pVbjBZ/s4029/IMG-8634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6QUv7e7_W_n3KEVwG7IMHbXtVXkBNYRkLL4jjFZjZQcCsquUhs2jhmLjkIy_qio_1_lEg8e4q_wUxDldQALhEmTjv1UVAmmG9LHjX9dJew0ZacrVPGtOLt6NX3TwWiI7gm2MsUkwNxHs35H39tS3I8P9KGQ9S6YpyS0qwiDCtdLBvmnlP_qEdt2pVbjBZ/s320/IMG-8634.jpg" width="195" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I do not know where I read about ‘Harry’s Game’ that was described as a great read but I forgot who the author was however I remembered the title. Last Sunday at Abids I spotted a copy of ‘Harry’s Game’ by Gerald Seymour at a seller that I almost pounced on and grabbed it. I got it for just fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-28200695511783563782023-10-13T08:00:00.003+05:302023-10-13T08:00:00.138+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 08.10.2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It is unusually warm for this time of the year in Hyderabad when it would have begun to get a bit cold early in the morning. I read somewhere that it would begin to get cold sometime in mid-November which is almost a month away so until then we in Hyderabad have to put up with these warm days.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpa_d6fNHVITw3KJRCeVU0bK5oTqmCbVOme4UI-OkE6ezRqwElog8u0_GZj0MX5HxeeG3jle-xVdYtNDes01Z7iVJo7zJo5qO24x8fY_wzhVUUbeodIUbGgPOyw3RlbS824hnLJ12OIXeIdt7jvkA3gwY5Clr90ddRx9EeoC3cbafXsShUkd6HpdE7P3U/s4032/IMG-8616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2569" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpa_d6fNHVITw3KJRCeVU0bK5oTqmCbVOme4UI-OkE6ezRqwElog8u0_GZj0MX5HxeeG3jle-xVdYtNDes01Z7iVJo7zJo5qO24x8fY_wzhVUUbeodIUbGgPOyw3RlbS824hnLJ12OIXeIdt7jvkA3gwY5Clr90ddRx9EeoC3cbafXsShUkd6HpdE7P3U/s320/IMG-8616.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">As usual I was in Abids last Sunday eager to pick up interesting titles, and soon after reaching I spotted a copy of ‘Inspector Matadeen on the Moon’ by Harishankar Parsai. I had read a long back about Harishankar Parsai’s satirical pieces but hadn’t expected to find an entire book of them. I got this title for sixty rupees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbe8UgtmVQn1YrfE8dndEbua-izd_hNMFB7niwnCssUmG4HgbWLGhZLK0Zpvvv_aaTxd7sA-tBAo1NweNgIOM2kSQ-gjKOmIfNHxxEzE_REM1LoEBVRekdFYxVZyao7A-J9eFTRaGMxNM77sIL8yT94EMho6edzWive8BZjSoy1xB7Z8J52HQMa05FvqEv/s4032/IMG-8618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2613" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbe8UgtmVQn1YrfE8dndEbua-izd_hNMFB7niwnCssUmG4HgbWLGhZLK0Zpvvv_aaTxd7sA-tBAo1NweNgIOM2kSQ-gjKOmIfNHxxEzE_REM1LoEBVRekdFYxVZyao7A-J9eFTRaGMxNM77sIL8yT94EMho6edzWive8BZjSoy1xB7Z8J52HQMa05FvqEv/s320/IMG-8618.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The next find was a travel title- ‘Inka-Kola: A Traveller’s Tale of Peru’ by Matthew Parris that I found in a pile of Rs.100 books. I picked it up after reading a blurb by Dervla Murphy on the back cover. Of course, the attractive cover also played a role in my decision to buy it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvlRJ587SDJGBFf5OSboxiYDUCnZ13EX1u9xcpDk8J2mq1Oos2mEbY8YQ8mOHq3FX8t5x-T8H8pd4yGJfJd_V7C-m1p6HBD2fSfgdlxMJIKpseGa7cFthVqwNpb7ysxLPJkWyn2vpb3pCkOmbMwkDsnmlK2O2rUowhyphenhypheni5U0-L7G5pCuAAxYPE7FO_elz7/s4032/IMG-8617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2502" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvlRJ587SDJGBFf5OSboxiYDUCnZ13EX1u9xcpDk8J2mq1Oos2mEbY8YQ8mOHq3FX8t5x-T8H8pd4yGJfJd_V7C-m1p6HBD2fSfgdlxMJIKpseGa7cFthVqwNpb7ysxLPJkWyn2vpb3pCkOmbMwkDsnmlK2O2rUowhyphenhypheni5U0-L7G5pCuAAxYPE7FO_elz7/s320/IMG-8617.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Though Saddam Hussein of Iraq has been long dead I haven’t lost the desire to know what the newspapers haven’t written about this much reviled President. So when I saw a copy of <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">‘Saddam’s War’ by John Bulloch & Harvey Morris published by faber and faber I grabbed it. I got it for a hundred rupees at a seller in Chikkadpally <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This year it is going to be a too big haul of books that I've picked up at Abids and also got a lot of books online. I have to start counting from now on!</span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-36008402100269634832023-10-06T08:54:00.005+05:302023-10-06T08:54:57.006+05:30The Sunday Haul ( on 01-10-2023)<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Though the temperatures do not show it but for all appearances winter is just around the corner in Hyderabad. It was bright and sunny in the morning at Abids when I reached for my weekly dose of Sunday browsing for books on the pavements. Hari came with Anjali to look for some good titles and I picked out a nice copy of ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’ by Carson McCullers for Anjali.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYGwHfwUi4M0lZp1cI9U8yqsLSfOIRIcwkmZxMgVHKLQF40lFbbM8N_g-yOjj9RFssXVcn8ALUAQngWrWzESP-gLI-gUP0OdkNzgqnQQ_ZnB1lquqJmmfyet0iJ7d378INkTDXod2hEtWB_OjgF8NxbR9Pm2LI2Vu6loj_Hrh65IOO3r5dRCqLbO88vob/s1990/IMG-8610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1990" data-original-width="1226" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUYGwHfwUi4M0lZp1cI9U8yqsLSfOIRIcwkmZxMgVHKLQF40lFbbM8N_g-yOjj9RFssXVcn8ALUAQngWrWzESP-gLI-gUP0OdkNzgqnQQ_ZnB1lquqJmmfyet0iJ7d378INkTDXod2hEtWB_OjgF8NxbR9Pm2LI2Vu6loj_Hrh65IOO3r5dRCqLbO88vob/s320/IMG-8610.JPG" width="197" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The first title I found was a copy of ‘A Life of One’s Own’ by Joanna Field that somehow felt could be a good title so I picked up and read that it had been out of print for a long time. It was some kind of a memoir/self-help/psychology title that I felt I had to read. I got this title for fifty rupees only. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWjM-l1X5YfU4YVdcN4Zpya-vfwAoEJrrS-rRVMZg4SUxGb3k0lHGMH7LbwC2VUKKtLy0lwPcCNKWwyYRf8gtDksI9PRWSsdA9NHZsSoxK2MP-VrMT370X9rfMukTaTlYkVmspoo1Or39YUhnVMNlVEnl6XyN0rU4K4NlBnDafFbMtcui7xdeJ_npW9od/s4032/IMG-8603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2363" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWjM-l1X5YfU4YVdcN4Zpya-vfwAoEJrrS-rRVMZg4SUxGb3k0lHGMH7LbwC2VUKKtLy0lwPcCNKWwyYRf8gtDksI9PRWSsdA9NHZsSoxK2MP-VrMT370X9rfMukTaTlYkVmspoo1Or39YUhnVMNlVEnl6XyN0rU4K4NlBnDafFbMtcui7xdeJ_npW9od/s320/IMG-8603.jpg" width="188" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The next title I found was a copy of ‘Out’ by Pierre Ray, a voluminous crime fiction book that I somehow felt could be another good read. I got this for thirty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEzxTiVjEHqF0c7M4Id0oP6Ooz_Un4VqdvfAOQNaxopWyF_O_oLZ1-z1J21x33wk0_iQOXodL7st-VxLp4v1xBv9zv-fZUPSgK1wde2qIGGlMX958zt2h148KYeOBV2ahMu9B4DIN1vmWqgzZb9Za7yh1TQBo_vZBjfxQ-HZxlm2VkTJtdJRTtHxoRW6r/s4032/IMG-8609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2672" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxEzxTiVjEHqF0c7M4Id0oP6Ooz_Un4VqdvfAOQNaxopWyF_O_oLZ1-z1J21x33wk0_iQOXodL7st-VxLp4v1xBv9zv-fZUPSgK1wde2qIGGlMX958zt2h148KYeOBV2ahMu9B4DIN1vmWqgzZb9Za7yh1TQBo_vZBjfxQ-HZxlm2VkTJtdJRTtHxoRW6r/s320/IMG-8609.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">On the way back home I stopped at Chikkadpally and spotted a copy with a blue cover that was ‘Propaganda and the Public Mind: Conversations with Noam Chomsky: Interviews by David Barsamian. This was the second Noam Chomsky title I found in the recent weeks. After I read that John Pilger was influenced by Noam Chomsky I had decided to read his books. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A while ago the Literature Nobel was announced and it was awarded to Jon Fosse. I haven’t read any of his books though I have read about his books on Twitter. I hope I find a title by Jon Fosse soon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-56511368112554565172023-09-29T08:00:00.001+05:302023-09-29T08:00:00.133+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 24.09.2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">The Sunday before I was travelling and so wasn’t in Hyderabad therefore no Sunday Haul. But I was back from Ooty on Saturday evening and was raring to go to Abids to check out the books. Luckily for me it wasn’t raining and I was able to browse to my heart’s content during the two hours I was there.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhABTMH_DZA5Pvo1PEaBdhvvh9FvbeYy5eNGlwHffi0m3rJc6ZVdD8kezYPOPkUt1P4_IMA6qSs9g33ATeQZQhJisGiVq_Frk_7gmpZhrXEr7xlaWEOEzvfog2quovGqTlOy5zVRByBMWB3QcXgFkm9LRkJsADExdXiv6UfADsRpFqrY2NmkZ8spKHp4Co/s4032/IMG-8573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2646" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhABTMH_DZA5Pvo1PEaBdhvvh9FvbeYy5eNGlwHffi0m3rJc6ZVdD8kezYPOPkUt1P4_IMA6qSs9g33ATeQZQhJisGiVq_Frk_7gmpZhrXEr7xlaWEOEzvfog2quovGqTlOy5zVRByBMWB3QcXgFkm9LRkJsADExdXiv6UfADsRpFqrY2NmkZ8spKHp4Co/s320/IMG-8573.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EOMfHr70nxO2FUR4Dhz7dxK7CDuhT28GarTt8jJJ9cFiu4Tv9Z3O9FTtZLa8HNGO73k-rGQ8XPcqWulmwy-_PLTsO7ZN2WMosK9dhw_gIsFvqp5tYSUFqrHmi3HF_vlHVbj7y9BRPFczpsfsJhHvl0jVUVDYRhrQd_g4LWSxGczKbrbqGHm11tgn22Kd/s4032/IMG-8560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2646" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_EOMfHr70nxO2FUR4Dhz7dxK7CDuhT28GarTt8jJJ9cFiu4Tv9Z3O9FTtZLa8HNGO73k-rGQ8XPcqWulmwy-_PLTsO7ZN2WMosK9dhw_gIsFvqp5tYSUFqrHmi3HF_vlHVbj7y9BRPFczpsfsJhHvl0jVUVDYRhrQd_g4LWSxGczKbrbqGHm11tgn22Kd/s320/IMG-8560.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The first book I found was a copy of ‘Maai’ by Gitanjali Sree, a Hindi title that I had seen a couple of Sundays before but had hesitated to buy for some reason. But last Sunday I picked it up for just forty rupees. I don’t know when I will find the time to read it but I will read it because it is one of the few Hindi books I would be reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The next find was a copy of ‘Pubis Angelical’ by Manuel Puig. I read on the cover that Puig was a well-known Argentine writer and had also written a bestseller earlier. I did not hesitate to buy it and got it for a hundred rupees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlPb8108x9qDShwkuVbbPQvUhi7JNUTIiztV12uHdPF5491HIxsDn3wFxiPex3RUOBS-hujSxhosVSCAJNWOKrXZWpcwLrvabAJ6P-aHTy3nWYOpE46GwmnyofFnR1XUy0QfAHxBea3TT_3S6u2L8a1jnZAjA8viAS0t5BiBxbakcP-Uy7wrlXoxlxEVp/s4032/IMG-8571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlPb8108x9qDShwkuVbbPQvUhi7JNUTIiztV12uHdPF5491HIxsDn3wFxiPex3RUOBS-hujSxhosVSCAJNWOKrXZWpcwLrvabAJ6P-aHTy3nWYOpE46GwmnyofFnR1XUy0QfAHxBea3TT_3S6u2L8a1jnZAjA8viAS0t5BiBxbakcP-Uy7wrlXoxlxEVp/s320/IMG-8571.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">A couple of years ago a friend had gifted me a new copy of ‘Living to Tell the Tale’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez that I am yet to read. Last Sunday at Abids with one of the sellers I saw another copy that I did not have the heart to leave behind so bought it for hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-59326347925228368222023-09-15T10:16:00.000+05:302023-09-15T10:16:09.617+05:30 The Sunday Haul (on 10-09-2023)<p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Almost every Sunday I am convinced that when it comes to finding good titles I am very lucky. It was proved again last Sunday when I found a wonderful title by an author I was desperate to find. But it happened almost at the end of my browsing at Abids. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzSQBFYmqwwlK_UT_MowcuQvlN8zHBtIMmJjcKzFoOkn_k_Ea3DliMaxwhqr0QDzRmrokSCnbe0HjVVhC61s2ajoetxIGdoTseIuAHfjFpX2C0z5vv3Bzeo4RrgCEeZwvTz66wO-1g13L5o-n4OutMukuFevn3tcPgIenrEIzY1w-HLArh_NDxHRPMCeL/s4028/IMG-8140.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4028" data-original-width="2649" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzSQBFYmqwwlK_UT_MowcuQvlN8zHBtIMmJjcKzFoOkn_k_Ea3DliMaxwhqr0QDzRmrokSCnbe0HjVVhC61s2ajoetxIGdoTseIuAHfjFpX2C0z5vv3Bzeo4RrgCEeZwvTz66wO-1g13L5o-n4OutMukuFevn3tcPgIenrEIzY1w-HLArh_NDxHRPMCeL/s320/IMG-8140.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Sometime back I had found a book of articles and essays by TCA Srinivasa Raghavan in which there was a lengthy piece on second hand bookstores. Last Sunday at Abids I happened to find a novel by TCA which is about publishing which is a field I like to read about so I picked up a copy of ‘Goodbye to All That’ by TCA Srinivasa Raghavan that I saw with a seller. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6Vbj779R05qUnJuxR5dfKkJG1azhEPolV9YjU58z8im6jRy7uQtjlQautoqMbmLkDKfUSZ7PNxDuxuDGowoQnWRjjlCDTR91X-4OKWWRZP83Wsb9FqKVT8Ktfaqh7fZCULiUsiiiyTaGn9VFBCO-rS06s-JISzqM5PH20m_mEKIl0-Jf9fz6VtnyrmnE/s4030/IMG-8139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2467" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6Vbj779R05qUnJuxR5dfKkJG1azhEPolV9YjU58z8im6jRy7uQtjlQautoqMbmLkDKfUSZ7PNxDuxuDGowoQnWRjjlCDTR91X-4OKWWRZP83Wsb9FqKVT8Ktfaqh7fZCULiUsiiiyTaGn9VFBCO-rS06s-JISzqM5PH20m_mEKIl0-Jf9fz6VtnyrmnE/s320/IMG-8139.jpg" width="196" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">There are a few titles I have many copies of because I cannot resist leaving behind those titles whenever I come across them. ‘Narrow Road to the Deep North’ by Richard Flanagan is one title that I have picked up at least three copies so far and on Sunday at Abids I picked up my fourth copy not because I was getting it cheap but because I love it and want my friends also to read it. I got it for just fifty rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7PeBbQZpjj7FnCpBbpDvlAtSK4r08ANpAgajMAJY8G0JaxgivcxNZb5myKVewMUxfo7OcnDt1iAdcdw3wXc5KDhglCXVJvUgiFZGcQChPx6C-2_2mAlIUVR1I7zEUWDHHz3wRBZIkEqClETUJ6jJPJr9DHEkfd-sau4wjZiwf6cvpqSIAOzGKd6etKzI/s4030/IMG-8142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2345" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7PeBbQZpjj7FnCpBbpDvlAtSK4r08ANpAgajMAJY8G0JaxgivcxNZb5myKVewMUxfo7OcnDt1iAdcdw3wXc5KDhglCXVJvUgiFZGcQChPx6C-2_2mAlIUVR1I7zEUWDHHz3wRBZIkEqClETUJ6jJPJr9DHEkfd-sau4wjZiwf6cvpqSIAOzGKd6etKzI/s320/IMG-8142.jpg" width="186" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I had come across nothing but high praise for titles by Olga Tokarczuk on Twitter and elsewhere. I felt that it would be next to impossible to find copies of her books and had not even expected to find them in, of all places, Abids where one gets only second-hand copies. But last Sunday I was shocked to find a nice copy of ‘Flights’ by Olga Tokarczuk with a seller near the GPO. I tried to appear as calm as possible and not show any excitement while picking up the copy to take a good look at it. I was surprised to find that it was an edition for sale in India and the subcontinent only for Rs.499. I got it for Rs.120. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI_wJacoeNogVy6P04GIe8wPeg2Wsytyr-WB7eHeKhL4ZMvQIAz0oRNd3CnmyjG8ztVHjwmOsNGBM9e9Wlxm1HCw6xFic-Nqci6cZhONNc0owIkS3G-LRVnBkOHe-6bPa32wpovoZjPHHgRjqEg_vn4eX3lGL9JePLhCiolLsYZP4YdYwHZHIn-DU8Bh0/s4032/IMG-8144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2702" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihI_wJacoeNogVy6P04GIe8wPeg2Wsytyr-WB7eHeKhL4ZMvQIAz0oRNd3CnmyjG8ztVHjwmOsNGBM9e9Wlxm1HCw6xFic-Nqci6cZhONNc0owIkS3G-LRVnBkOHe-6bPa32wpovoZjPHHgRjqEg_vn4eX3lGL9JePLhCiolLsYZP4YdYwHZHIn-DU8Bh0/s320/IMG-8144.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Then in another heap of books selling for Rs.20/ only I saw a copy of a children’s title with a very attractive cover ‘Nagoba and Other Stories’ by Aruna Bhargava that I bought just for the cover alone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-28695873500469879462023-09-08T08:00:00.001+05:302023-09-08T08:00:00.140+05:30 The Sunday Haul (on 03-09-2023)<p><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfCSigwl7JFpcelNgNb2QkwtGj5TXJOrdl6QXOUQavn7npB3XuaBAd6YXdaOo_entzBEM_wqGvrXoq-Vqjr_tY92efjVnn94OE9Np4DhX3iTT3OKBvb8MaTmN6fnwOYiJ9nEvfBFkmaOuuruw0OLVB_L414bUnPC7SDesRblJXp974jjSAgjeMQ1CP8Gh/s3981/IMG-8114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3981" data-original-width="2668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxfCSigwl7JFpcelNgNb2QkwtGj5TXJOrdl6QXOUQavn7npB3XuaBAd6YXdaOo_entzBEM_wqGvrXoq-Vqjr_tY92efjVnn94OE9Np4DhX3iTT3OKBvb8MaTmN6fnwOYiJ9nEvfBFkmaOuuruw0OLVB_L414bUnPC7SDesRblJXp974jjSAgjeMQ1CP8Gh/s320/IMG-8114.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am a big fan of Len Deighton’s writing and have all his titles that I found over the years. Bernard Samson is one of my favorite characters and I have read and reread all titles that feature Bernard Samson. Last Sunday at Abids I spotted a beautiful hardcover copy of ‘Only When I Laugh’ by Len Deighton that I immediately picked up intrigued by the differently spelled ‘Laugh’ in the title. I have a copy of ‘Only When I Larf’ and when I checked this copy I realized that it was an American edition published by The Mysterious Press, New York. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS92-IpBIjdhhsUJ7PTtEzhv-zGp3BnhXjoAtj7EhGubP3OJ3x0PpufvDTJCrNAfU9nYf2MIqeZCwMpT_WoNhoSSHrFmNYhDo04QPHX0Tcgd1KCRfmFS8EswCZMue8hSVYHi7fKOBHbg68EfJQJPNPrxwBw6TFU3govq6cYSwTTRYLmbAV4HI3oNPH3_7/s4032/IMG-8123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2619" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilS92-IpBIjdhhsUJ7PTtEzhv-zGp3BnhXjoAtj7EhGubP3OJ3x0PpufvDTJCrNAfU9nYf2MIqeZCwMpT_WoNhoSSHrFmNYhDo04QPHX0Tcgd1KCRfmFS8EswCZMue8hSVYHi7fKOBHbg68EfJQJPNPrxwBw6TFU3govq6cYSwTTRYLmbAV4HI3oNPH3_7/s320/IMG-8123.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">On the way back home from Abids I stopped at Chikkadpally as usual and saw a nice copy of ‘Red Harvest’ by Dashiell Hammett. I thought I did not have this title and so picked it up. I got it for only hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-51455697046945625172023-09-02T17:35:00.002+05:302023-09-02T17:35:48.382+05:30The Sunday Haul (on 27.08.2023)<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="text-align: justify;">Before I write about the haul last Sunday at Abids I have to write about the haul the previous Sunday about which I could not post here due to a heavy workload.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb0LdRUd462y8lt-xwE2wDHI8r7ivyNOJRdTpsrPqPhrGx_-265oYgZL3BwKD_e-26VnwqJNk0VUp-xV4y2JW2tjEpPRznm7qnDtVU9_dvbJM2I-dTZf_bhl2GylPEoG6OXp_ZuQXA8t4EXUKerMEBAXVXKHmFOuPBtPsCzYsJq-vjq-bUbOT0flVKVsd/s4032/IMG-7927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2663" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb0LdRUd462y8lt-xwE2wDHI8r7ivyNOJRdTpsrPqPhrGx_-265oYgZL3BwKD_e-26VnwqJNk0VUp-xV4y2JW2tjEpPRznm7qnDtVU9_dvbJM2I-dTZf_bhl2GylPEoG6OXp_ZuQXA8t4EXUKerMEBAXVXKHmFOuPBtPsCzYsJq-vjq-bUbOT0flVKVsd/s320/IMG-7927.jpg" width="211" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The other Sunday (on 20<sup>th</sup> August) I had found a wonderful title at Chikkadpally on the way home from Abids where I could not find anything interesting. I spotted a copy of ‘A Mouthful of Air’ by Anthony Burgess that I got for less than a hundred rupees. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzRuQHYjJ7A6P8R6SwLpMQdDtQOcTd_KsNFsaolb_10dIJtZELvazgm9LJQAX6e-4uDhjyV9dYBNKCKNQsuUHnzV3HYApDvPa8RA9nKzGioKZLLLlL5rwIEtOqXiWs9kYLiM-m53ediSjzVPQzX0PmL89Nu2LvC4fqmvNEOhL2ihnbuVn1mTsSG32MPEl/s4002/IMG-7967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4002" data-original-width="2589" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinzRuQHYjJ7A6P8R6SwLpMQdDtQOcTd_KsNFsaolb_10dIJtZELvazgm9LJQAX6e-4uDhjyV9dYBNKCKNQsuUHnzV3HYApDvPa8RA9nKzGioKZLLLlL5rwIEtOqXiWs9kYLiM-m53ediSjzVPQzX0PmL89Nu2LvC4fqmvNEOhL2ihnbuVn1mTsSG32MPEl/s320/IMG-7967.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Last Sunday at Abids I netted another wonderful haul of two great titles. I was thrilled beyond measure to find these two books. The first find was a title I had seen the other Sunday but had not picked up assuming no one would buy such a book and indeed no one bought it since I saw it at the same spot last Sunday and picked it up. It was a nice copy of ‘The Great Game: On Secret Service in High Asia’ by Peter Hopkirk. I got it for a hundred and fifty rupees.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRkqWXp4zlvSLztLNAMpPVd15-Ze8In9UY-OIL3zkZY5nw_OJK40hHQBhxtffjoU7TFweDy7M0nc9ssk0OGxegeDOgl5TJVJwcqPX2MMJH-sUqngArs8F_VpCyVDUyTogWCL3tauVs17KmdSRQRWnnQnmXEyBLJScZgdfsiYFXQ7mESCi8vpBKrwCvY_u/s4029/IMG-7969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2550" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkRkqWXp4zlvSLztLNAMpPVd15-Ze8In9UY-OIL3zkZY5nw_OJK40hHQBhxtffjoU7TFweDy7M0nc9ssk0OGxegeDOgl5TJVJwcqPX2MMJH-sUqngArs8F_VpCyVDUyTogWCL3tauVs17KmdSRQRWnnQnmXEyBLJScZgdfsiYFXQ7mESCi8vpBKrwCvY_u/s320/IMG-7969.jpg" width="203" /></a></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Only the other day I had seen a tweet about ‘The Darker the Night the Brighter the Stars’ by Paul Broks that seemed to have been published very recently so I thought I would not be able to get it so soon at Abids, at least the original copy. However, last Sunday I got a pleasant surprise when I found an original copy of it and got it for hundred rupees only. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This was the haul on Sunday before I fly off to Ooty on Monday. </span></p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1003959888563210815.post-40890046913189567102023-08-18T22:13:00.003+05:302023-08-18T22:13:46.493+05:30The Sunday Haul (13.08.2023)<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4IaGNSbVrIalGWXC_pQTEWpeWrQlqu80PU4_16RqFrQ6FD4Cd_Xm-ogKE26FVpDGlfT64iCaF-46GhwW1vFhLODbVXddfApstvj4We0BCn1pOSJzTpn2CTvT55prlmV0yL6LzHdV4Prbwxg-jh62z0SJIHQ0fS2xoewQN00GPKBTIlGp-uv-6z9G6uEL/s4032/IMG-7909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="2602" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu4IaGNSbVrIalGWXC_pQTEWpeWrQlqu80PU4_16RqFrQ6FD4Cd_Xm-ogKE26FVpDGlfT64iCaF-46GhwW1vFhLODbVXddfApstvj4We0BCn1pOSJzTpn2CTvT55prlmV0yL6LzHdV4Prbwxg-jh62z0SJIHQ0fS2xoewQN00GPKBTIlGp-uv-6z9G6uEL/s320/IMG-7909.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">It was a bountiful haul last Sunday at Abids with four good titles finding home on my bookshelf. The first find was a copy of ‘Dispossession; The Struggle for Palestinian Self-Determination’ by Edward Said with a seller near the GPO at Abids. It was in good condition and I felt glad I had found a good title.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-LLoCWSYblP7q2W4IioKZ8yIUrb-d0YpvX6shsUA9iI6BpOSZWyCuKEeBPoMSaJKXUnzCWWZBs09JJmLClp5TgZ_V7LyWWO4h6AZQO2CfHvDTEbh5MEmMMHoJm_qGO4o-ABrWGRjoJDoxtWVQADcuJT5x9Y2jRiY-PtjInkDQtORGpPIoU6uLocL9bzm/s4031/IMG-7910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4031" data-original-width="2618" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4-LLoCWSYblP7q2W4IioKZ8yIUrb-d0YpvX6shsUA9iI6BpOSZWyCuKEeBPoMSaJKXUnzCWWZBs09JJmLClp5TgZ_V7LyWWO4h6AZQO2CfHvDTEbh5MEmMMHoJm_qGO4o-ABrWGRjoJDoxtWVQADcuJT5x9Y2jRiY-PtjInkDQtORGpPIoU6uLocL9bzm/s320/IMG-7910.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /> Along with this title I also found a copy of ‘Alone Across the Atlantic’ by Francis Chichester with the same seller who gave me both these titles for just hundred and fifty rupees. I have another title by Francis Chichester that I found a long time ago at Abids but haven’t got around to reading it as it is quite a tome running into several hundred pages. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi328CiE6MPDKoym6a2IKj7bVDtagjaGv1rnsEnk_92gUKwy7_L0mqZ8hf_WPr2I9v-bTYhKTk6Oc6CFQTQsg7ZP9_UR0BV96fRFClbz6j_olktBIHufKpdzjaU6lCiKDW6NBn4uqKXkxoNlO0wQ_ovB9Aq5MB-PbYXuENrTu_hppX5PRxv2LLJRNAWyzsb/s4030/IMG-7913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4030" data-original-width="2578" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi328CiE6MPDKoym6a2IKj7bVDtagjaGv1rnsEnk_92gUKwy7_L0mqZ8hf_WPr2I9v-bTYhKTk6Oc6CFQTQsg7ZP9_UR0BV96fRFClbz6j_olktBIHufKpdzjaU6lCiKDW6NBn4uqKXkxoNlO0wQ_ovB9Aq5MB-PbYXuENrTu_hppX5PRxv2LLJRNAWyzsb/s320/IMG-7913.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">A little further away with another seller I found a nice copy of ‘Heaven on Wheels’ by Firdaus Kanga, a title that I had been looking for sometime now. I had read about it and was interested in finding it as it was said to be a travel title. I got it for just seventy rupees. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_omrH_Q_rAMxTLlsgPOMl5CXnmw0SojF_QbdIAhiABByvaoxpknbq3KnnaJFGX0WTfCJr1ISePrF328ArhvbotOxe_MF_LL5YjP5uhUJBH2eA_W9Qi17PnsaUxU_4N4ENOA7UJpP5dE22ww8JAs_twMRthOoy856KiBLCgL7snnyW9zUpRWc_Lvw6SAn/s4029/IMG-7908.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4029" data-original-width="2567" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_omrH_Q_rAMxTLlsgPOMl5CXnmw0SojF_QbdIAhiABByvaoxpknbq3KnnaJFGX0WTfCJr1ISePrF328ArhvbotOxe_MF_LL5YjP5uhUJBH2eA_W9Qi17PnsaUxU_4N4ENOA7UJpP5dE22ww8JAs_twMRthOoy856KiBLCgL7snnyW9zUpRWc_Lvw6SAn/s320/IMG-7908.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0cm; text-align: justify;">But the best haul of the day was not at Abids but at Chikkadpally where I stopped before going home. I almost did not stop since I had already found three good titles and did not want to buy any more books. I am glad I stopped because I spotted a copy of ‘Suttree’ by Cormac McCarthy that made me get down from my bike hurriedly and pick it up. I got this title for just a hundred rupees and boy was I glad because the copy I found was in very good condition. </p>Vinod Ekbotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05155808882139010358noreply@blogger.com0