The "3 for 2" curse

I like books, I buy a lot of books, unfortunately I very rarely read most of them and they end up at the local charity shop. I often wonder what sort of people buy the books that I can't be bothered to read, which made me think about why I buy books in the first place.

My love of the printed word goes back to my early working life in the 1960s, when I worked in the book printing business. My passion means that I can't resist walking into a bookshop and parting with my hard-earned cash.

As Oscar Wilde said "I can resist everything except temptation" and I can't resist the temptation of the "3 for 2" offer, available at most good bookshops - especially Waterstones. Invarably, the book that takes my fancy has a "3 for 2" sticker on the front. Having grabbed the book I want, I have a dilemma - I don't really want to buy any more books but now I've not got a choice, I have to take another two books to the till to claim my free one.

I then spend the next hour or so looking for books included in this marvelous offer that I'm too weak willed to resist. I don't really care what the book is about as long as it's included in the offer. Consequently I take home a lot of books that I never read and, albeit with the best intentions, inflict a headache on Oxfam who have to sell them without the benefit of the "3 for 2" ploy.

Sad but true: I always smell a book before I buy. I love the scent of the anti-set-off spray that is used to prevent the ink smudging when the wet sheets roll off the press.  Sometimes, when my sinuses are really clear, I can tell the name of the printer from just one sniff.