The Sunday Haul (on 30.06.2019)

Last Sunday the weather was such that I felt it was time to leave the cap at home while going out. It was a cloudy and windy day but it did not rain. I was glad that it did not rain or else I wouldn’t have been able to look around at the pavements at Abids for books to buy. However, I ended up buying three good titles in the couple of hours I spent at the Sunday book bazaar at Abids here in Hyderabad.

The first title was a book that I already have a copy of. I had bought a pretty old copy of The Seven Storey Mountain’ by Thomas Merton at the World Book Fair in New Delhi while I was there on work sometime in 2016. The copy I found at Abids was far better than the one I had bought in New Delhi. The cover was good and the binding was intact. One of the reasons why I hadn’t started to read it was its condition but now that I have a good enough copy I think one of these days I have to begin reading this much talked about book.

I’m always intrigued that there were so many Indian writers writing English fiction that I do not know. Whenever I see a book in English by an Indian writer I make it a point to buy it. Last Sunday at Abids I found another such title. I saw a copy of ‘First Light’ by Leena Dhingra that had an attractive cover and picked it up for a closer look. It wasn’t a hardcover though it looked like one. The book was bound in hardcover and the cover pasted on the front like they do in lending libraries. Inside I saw the stamp of ‘Ritana Books’ Defence Colony Flyover Market, New Delhi. On my previous visit to New Delhi I had visited a book store in Defence Colony that I read about online as one of the places for book lover to check out. It wasn’t ‘Ritana Books’ though. Anyway, the surprising thing about this book is that the seller asked for just ten rupees for it!

In the first week of the month I had found another copy of ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison and this Sunday again I found another title by the same author. I saw a copy of ‘Paradise’ by Toni Morrison on a make-shift bookshelf at Abids. I bought it without hesitating, for sixty rupees.

The Sunday Haul (on 23.06.2019)

It had rained heavily on Friday night here in Hyderabad and going by the clouds it looked like it would rain on Sunday too. Call me selfish or whatever but I did not want it to rain on Sunday at least until the afternoon because it would mess up my Abids book hunt. Luckily though it was cloudy it did not rain in the morning on Sunday, and I was also lucky enough to find some good titles in the haul.

I began to read books when I was not yet in high school and that was sometime in the mid-seventies. One of the first books I had read was ‘The Guide’ by RK Narayan that I found on the shelves of an uncle who was an English lecturer. Until last Sunday I did not have a good copy of the book with me. Last Sunday I came across a book that simply had ‘The Guide’ by RK Narayan on the faded hardcover. When I picked it up for a closer book the back cover detached itself and remained on the ground. When I looked at the inside pages I was excited to find that it was a 1958 edition published by Methuen… Seeing the condition of the cover I wouldn’t have bought it. But when I looked at the type face I couldn’t resist buying it.

The previous Sunday I had seen a nice hardcover copy of ‘In Other Words’ by Jhumpa Lahiri that I did not buy. The seller had asked for such a steep price I thought it was not worth buying it at that price. It was the English translation of the book that Jhumpa Lahri wrote in Italian. I love to read such books about how someone did something interesting and also difficult. However, later after I got home I regretted not buying it and hoped I would find it this Sunday. Luckily for me no one had bought it and I took it along with two other wonderful titles I found with the same seller.

One of the titles was ‘High Five: An Anthology of Fiction from Ten Years of High Five’ edited by Megan Sexton. This is a collection of nineteen short stories published in ‘High Five’ literary journal over a period of ten years. The stories are divided into three categories- Self, Family, and Other. I could recognize only a few names I had read before: Ha Jin, Peter Ho Davies, Leslie Epstein, Alice Hoffman, Robert Olen Butler, Madison Smartt Bell, and Ann Beattie.

The third title was a nice, small book that I nearly missed since it was partly hidden by another larger book. It was a copy of ‘Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual’ by Michael Pollan. There are sixty four rules of eating in all, divided into three parts: What should I Eat, What kind of Food Should I Eat?, and How Should I Eat? The rules are very interesting and one rule (Rule No. 11) that I found to be pertinent was ‘Avoid Foods advertised on Television.’ I got these three books for three hundred rupees.

The last find was a nice copy of ‘Indian Country’ by Peter Matthiessen. I haven’t come across any title by Matthiessen except ‘The Snow Leopard’ and finding this title was like finding a treasure. I got it for just sixty rupees.

The Sunday Haul (on 16-09-2019)

Normally I say a little prayer in my heart before setting out for Abids to look for books at the famed Sunday book market that I’d find some wonderful books but sometimes, very rarely, I say the opposite prayer. I pray that I don’t find any book worth buying though I could have skipped going to Abids when that mood takes over but I don’t because going to Abids on Sunday mornings has become such a habit that if I stay even a minute longer at home after eleven on Sunday that I get kicked out. Last Sunday turned out to be one such day when I wished and prayed that I wouldn’t find anything worth buying.

The prayer almost came true and I returned from Abids without buying a single book but on the way home I saw something that changed everything. At one of the sellers in Chikkadpally I spotted a beautiful, almost new copy of ‘The Gene’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee and I almost bought it. But I realized I already have it and had also read it so I came home without buying it. Later in the evening, mind clear after the afternoon tea, I remembered that I had read ‘The Gene’ in the library at the Institute and that I do not have the copy of the book at home since I hadn’t bought it. That was enough to make me jump on my two-wheeler and rush to Chikkadpally silently praying that no one had bought the book I now desperately wanted to own.

I almost collapsed with relief when I saw the copy of ‘The Gene’ by Siddhartha Mukherjee at the same place where I had seen it in the morning. It was a hardcover copy with the jacket intact and in almost new condition. I got it at one third of the cover price.

A Midweek Haul

The previous Saturday was a holiday for us because it was the second Saturday. I dropped in at the Unique book store in Lakdi-ka-pul to check out the stock. The store was downsized to just one small room from the two-room store it had been the last time I was there. The stock too seemed lesser than before but I could find two titles that I bought.

The first title I picked up was a nice copy of ‘The Way of Story: The Craft and Soul of Writing’ by Cathrine Ann Jones that a red cover with a Japanese painting. I bought it because I simply cannot resist any title on writing. I noticed that the author had signed it for someone called ‘Afeefa’. After going home I started reading the book out of curiosity after I read in the Author’s Note where she thanked her son, Christopher Rama Rao. I was surprised to learn that Cathrine Ann Jones had been married to Raja Rao, the English novelist, author of ‘Kanthapura’ and ‘The Serpent and the Rope’!

The other title I picked up was a copy of ‘Death of a Thin Skinned Animal’ by Patrick Alexander that promised to be a good read. I read it right away after I got home and was pleased to discover that Patrick Alexander was a wonderful writer. I was glad I picked it up on a hunch that it could be a good book. This midweek haul cost me quite a packet but I am glad I hauled in two good titles- one entertaining title and another educative title.

The Sunday Haul (on 09-06-2019)

Now that Ramzan was out of the way the second hand booksellers were back at their usual places at Abids. The morning was warm but nowhere as hot as it had been the previous Sunday. It had rained on Friday evening and things seemed to have cooled down a bit. The forecasts said there was another week or so to go before the monsoon hits the state and the rains come down. Everyone in the country seemed to be waiting for the monsoon and following the forecasts rather keenly. The monsoon is a phenomenon by itself and makes for a fascinating subject.

Coincidentally, I found a rather wonderful book on the monsoons that I have already read before quite a long time back. It was a nice copy of ‘Chasing the Monsoon/ by Alexander Frater that I wanted to buy and read since right now there is so much of hungama about the monsoons. I got it for sixty rupees.

Next find was a beautiful copy of ‘The Maltese Falcon’ by Dashiell Hammett, a copy with the same cover that I had picked up not so long ago. I have about four copies of this book but I wanted this copy too. I couldn’t talk myself out of not buying it and ended up feeling glad that I bought it anyhow. I bought this book also for sixty rupees from the same seller.

The previous Sunday I had seen a copy of ‘Bengali Cooking’ by Chitrita Bannerjee that was in a good condition with an attractive cover but somehow I did not buy it. I have a copy of ‘Eating India’ by the same author so this Sunday I decided I would buy it. It did not come cheap though and I had to pay a hundred rupees for this book.

Then after chai at the local Irani I spotted a beautiful copy of ‘Quick & Easy Indian Cooking’ by Madhur Jaffrey. It had some wonderful photographs on glossy paper and the production was high class so I thought the seller would charge me a bomb. But I got it for a jaw dropping price of only fifty rupees.

After these two cook books I started for home feeling thirsty. I had forgotten to bring the water bottle so I wanted to go home and have some water. On the way I stopped at one of the sellers at Chikkadpally. I spotted a nice copy of ‘The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux. I have about four copies of this title including a hardcover copy, and did not feel like adding a fifth one on the shelf. But it was too tempting to leave it behind for someone to pick it up so I took it. I got it for a hundred rupees

The Sunday Haul (on 02-06-2019)

On Saturday there was a respite from the hot weather with cloudy skies and a cool breeze. I believed the weather would continue on Sunday too but I was disappointed. It was quite hot last Sunday when I reached Abids about an hour earlier than my usual time. Sunday was Telangana Formation Day and I had been to the Institute for the flag hoisting event. Soon after it was over I set out for Abids. It was the last Sunday of the Ramzan month so all the regular stores were open which meant that the second hand book sellers had to disperse to various corners of Abids other than their usual places in front of the regular stores.

The first find was an unusual book. I spotted a nice copy of ‘An Unquiet Mind’ by Kay Redfield Jamison lovingly encased in plastic by the previous owner. It was a memoir of mental illness by the author who was also a psychiatrist by profession. In fact she was ….which made the book more interesting. Inside there was high praise for the book but even without it I would have bought the book because I love reading memoirs.

The previous Sunday I had seen a copy of ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison that I did not buy right away. I decided to buy it on the way back after checking out other sellers. However I forgot about it somehow and it was only after I reached home I realized I had forgotten the book. I hoped no one would buy it and so passed the week in anxious anticipation though I already have a copy. Luckily I spotted it at the same spot last Sunday and took it. I got it for just fifty rupees.

Double Post Friday: Post 2- The Sunday Haul (on 26-05-2019)

Before I stepped out of the house last Sunday I was aware there was a Heatwave forecast by the Met department and that the temperature would reach somewhere around 43 degrees C. It wasn’t even eleven in the morning when I started out for Abids but it felt like I was in an open oven with the sun beating down mercilessly. I almost turned back unwilling to bear the heat but since I had not been to Abids the previous Sunday I couldn’t resist my weekly fix of the Sunday Abids second hand book market. So on I went and the visit resulted in a haul of seven titles, all of them very interesting ones.

The first title I found was a beautiful copy of ‘A Kiss Before Dying’ by Ira Levine. I picked it up because it was a Penguin edition and also because I had not heard of this title before. Another reason was that the seller was someone who doesn’t usually ask for more than ten rupees for any book. So I got this title for ten rupees only along with another title that I found next to it. It was a copy of ‘The Girls from Overseas’ by Nergis Dalal. I have begun buying copies of titles of books in English by Indian writers that were published in the sixties and seventies. I have managed to collect quite a few of these wonderful titles. I got the copy of ‘The Girls from Overseas’ also for ten rupees.

Then after the chai at the Irani I realized that it was getting hotter by the hour so I wanted to finish as soon as possible and go back home. But as I kept finding one interesting title after another I stayed back hoping to find more. Another wonderful title I found was a beautiful copy of ‘Flavors of India’ by Madhur Jaffrey that had a stunning cover with the famous chef on it. I managed to get it for a hundred rupees. Moments after I bought it I spotted another wonderful title- ‘The Master of Petersburg’ by J.M. Coetzee on the same shelf. I paid only fifty rupees for ‘The Master of Petersburg.’

A few steps away I spotted a copy of ‘An Unfinished Woman’ by Lilian Hellman, her first memoir. I had only heard of Lilian Hellman but haven’t found anything by her so far so when I saw this title I decided to take it. I paid only thirty rupees for it.

Until recently I had seen a few copies of ‘The Singer’ by Mayah Balse, another English novel by an Indian writer published sometime in the sixties. But those copies I saw were not in a good condition with either the cover damaged or some pages missing. Last Sunday I found a copy of ‘The Singer’ by Mayah Balse in perfect condition and I grabbed it the moment I saw it.

A long time ago, more than fifteen years I guess, I picked up a book purely on a hunch. It did not have a cover but a cover made of white sheet on which was written ‘Paperweight’ by Stephen Fry. Later after I read the enjoyable book I became a fan of Stephen Fry’s humor. When I found a nice and proper copy of the same title with the cover intact recently I bought it. Though I haven’t read his other titles I did not want to miss buying a copy of his memoir ‘More Fool Me’ by Stephen Fry that I saw last Sunday at Abids. It did not matter to me how hot it was out there but I was glad about my seven book haul last Sunday.

Double Post Friday: Post 1: The Sunday Haul at Tiruvananthapuram

The Sunday before last I was in Tiruvananthapuram on a family vacation in Kerala. I had read about a few places where second hand books are available on a pavement in Tiruvananthapuram. However due to a tight schedule I was not able to look for them. But while returning to our hotel after lunch I spotted a familiar sight- books in tall piles on a pavement. I jumped out of the autorickshaw expecting, what with Kerala known for its high literacy and book crazy people, to find some wonderful title. Instead I found only the bestsellers I see everywhere. Just when I thought there would be nothing worth taking back home I spotted a copy of ‘Madame Sadayakko: The Geisha Who Bewitched the West’ by Lesley Downer that I immediately grabbed only for the sake of buying a book on Sunday rather than for the title.

The Delhi Haul

Two months after my earlier trip to New Delhi in February I was off to Delhi again on another trip my second of the year. This too was a six day trip so I made plans to check out the places where I usually drop in to check out the books.

The first visit on the second day in the evening was to Connaught Place. At Anil Book Corner somewhere in H Block of Connaught Place I checked out the titles arranged in tall stacks. On my last visit I had not found worth buying at this place but now on this visit there were a couple of titles that looked interesting. I spotted a nice copy of ‘The Dew Breaker’ by Edwidge Danticat whose ‘Brother, I’m Dying’ I had found at the Sunday book market at Darya Gunj on a previous visit to Delhi last June. It was a haunting tale about Haiti that was difficult to forget so I bought ‘The Dew Breaker’ without a second thought.

I found my first Nora Ephron title Crazy Salad’ in 2017, and ‘I Feel Bad About My Neck’ in January, 2018. I’ve read both and enjoyed Nora Ephron’s humour which is why when I saw ‘I Remember Nothing’ by Nora Ephron I picked it up though I had to shell out a substantial amount. These are the essays in ‘I Remember Nothing’ : I Remember Nothing; Who Are You?; Journalism: A Love Story; The Legend; My Aruba; My Life as an Heiress; Going to the Movies; Twenty-three Things People Have a Shocking Capacity to Be Surprised by Over and Over Again; I Just Want to Say: The Egg-White Omelette; I Just Want to Say: Teflon; I Just Want to Say: No, I Do Not Want Another Bottle of Pellegrino; I Just Want to Say: The World Is Not Flat; I Just Want to Say: Chicken Soup; Pentimento; My Life as a Meat Loaf; Addicted to L-U-V; The Six Stages of E-Mail; Flops; Christmas Dinner; The D Word; The O Word; What I Won’t Miss; and What I Will Miss.

On another day I decided to go to Pahargunj. I took an auto from Telangana Bhavan on Asoka Road to Jackson Books, Paharganj. There were books wrapped in plastic that the person in the store said were new books. I wasn’t interested in new books and there wasn’t anything interesting in the pitiably small pile of ‘old books’ in the front so I decided to look at the new books once again to see if there was anything I missed in my first casual glance. On a detailed, slower round of looking at the titles I found ‘The Grass is Singing’ by Doris Lessing for two hundred and fifty rupees.

The Sunday Haul

The Sunday before last I had to leave for Delhi on a week-long visit. My flight was in the afternoon so I had to pack and get stuff from outside so I did not go to Abids to look for books. Another reason was it was too hot and I did not want to risk it before leaving the town. Actually, Delhi was hotter than Hyderabad though I managed to go out in the evenings and check out two places where I pick up books whenever I am in Delhi. In the previous post I had written about the three books I found in Delhi. I had actually planned to stay back in Delhi to visit the Darya Ganj book market on Sunday but it was so hot I chose to come back and do the same at Abids.

Though I must own around two hundred titles related to the writing craft I do not seem to have made any significant progress in sharpening my writing skills. I cannot let go of any book related to writing whether it is a text book or otherwise so when I spotted a copy of ‘The St Martin’s Guide to Writing’ by Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper. I did not hesitate when the seller quoted a steep price for it and bought it. I believe there’s a lot I have to learn about writing and there’s no book I do not want to read to learn whatever it offers. Writing is tough but learning to write is expensive for the likes of me.

The second book I found was one that I decided to buy just for the sake of its striking cover alone the moment I spotted it. It was a beautiful and almost new copy of ‘God’s Own Land’ by Shaukat Siddiqi, a title and an author I had not heard or read about before. The sub title of ‘God’s Own Land’ was ‘A Novel of Pakistan’ that got me very interested in it. It turned to have been published by UNESCO in 1991 and and later in 1993 by Rupa & Co. I read on the back cover that the author Shaukat Siddiqi was considered as one of the most talented of Urdu writers. What was more interesting was that it was also written that the book had been serialized on Pakistan television. It was translated into English by David J Matthews. I got this wonderful book for just thirty rupees.

Sometime back in 2017 I had found a copy of ‘The Narrow Road to the Deep North’ by Richard Flanagan and the copy I found did not have a cover. Last Sunday at Chikkadpally I spotted a nice copy of the same title with cover page intact. I decided to buy it thinking I would give away the other copy without the cover to someone who would enjoy reading it. I got this copy with the cover for fifty rupees whereas I had paid seventy rupees for the copy without the cover.

Then with another seller at a corner of the RTC X Roads junction I found a copy of ‘Americanaah’ by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie in a heap of books selling for only thirty rupees.