The dump swap-shop! Here on the Isle of Man we call the dump "the tip", and I get lots of books there. You can always tell when someone with good taste has had a clear-out...

That's true, I also struggle finding people who actually read. Helps that I've worked in a few bookshops since leaving home, and my family are all good readers who share my taste. All in all it's a small group though.

It was fun! A wonderful childhood and it definitely shaped who I am now. I must have pictures somewhere...you've given me an idea for a post! Maybe I'll write one up this week. Happily, it was successful. Even through the rise of the big chains, then the fall of the big chains and the rise of amazon...my parents sold it to retire not long ago, and it's thriving under new ownership. A medium-sized place in a suburb of the city where I grew up.

Mostly, I think reading (at length, on paper, to the end of a book, regularly) is a life skill, and one which too few people have. I love the internet (I'm here on Steemit, right?) but I learn as much from books as I do from the endless web!

Thanks for the great writing! Love your pipe-smoking posts as well. You've got yourself a fan.