searching for presents

Where do book shops get off on charging so much for a clump printed paper? Having checked every charity shop for a book that I decided I'd like to read I ended up in Waterstones. They had the book, of course, but for £8.99. Almost a tenner? For a book? Nah, ta.

Let's put that into perspective. Last year, when I went to Tallinn, my flights were barely more than double the price of this book. £8.99 could have got me tipsy in the nearest pub had I so wished to do so. This book could have bought me a Megabus ticket down to Inverness or a Tesco finest Turkey Crown (in the reduced section, naturally). It could have bought me at least three paninis, eight coffees or a random assortment of items from Poundstretcher. Paying that much for some paper seems to go against common sense. Especially when you can't even eat or drink it.

Maybe I'll take a notepad in next time and copy it down word for word, a chapter a day.

(It's A Brief History of Time, by the way, in case anyone wants to send me an old copy to save me having to go without food for the week ).