As I ride around the country I keep coming across free book exchanges. The idea of a small free library of books supported by locals and travellers. Some are in old red phone boxes, in cafes, campsite receptions and a seemingly endless variation of places. The idea is so appealing, but I must confess I am usually quite particular about what I read. This I know is a mistake, and I try to read constantly. So I decided to use these exchanges to challenge my preconceptions about literature and add a random element to my reading habits. At each one found at random, I would try and pick a story that appeals, but not base it on the author, genre or my idea of what I think I should be reading. A random reading roulette if you will.
It all starts when I was exploring NCN Route 4, after a couple of days I came across this vision in red. Inside was a wide and diverse selection as you can see. Harlan Coben thrillers, Maeve Binchy’s Irish family tales and William Boyd’s Any Human Heart. So scanning the titles and authors I was fairly sure something here would provide me with entertainment on the road. My eye finally landed on The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. It turned out to be a glouriously funny, subversive and unexpected companion. I had always liked Mr. Bennett’s humour and turn of phrase, but had never read one of his books. A big mistake now rectified.
Once I had done with Mr. Bennett and his royal subject matter, I happened across another exchange in a wonderful cafe on the NCN 21 using a disused railway to get to the south coast. This time, for some reason I can’t explain, I was drawn to The Keeper Of Stories by Sally Page. I rode away and immersed myself in a very unexpected tale. Riding through small towns and seeing the locals going about their lives, I almost felt like I may have passed the unusual heroine of the book on her way to clean a house. She keeps an interesting collection of stories, but is also involved in one herself. Secrets are just stories that are as yet untold.
On my return I placed the book in my nearest Little Free Library and, knowing I was off on another trip only a couple of days later I swapped it for another. This time it was a book I had seen mentioned and for some reason it stuck in my mind, serendipity lead me to The History Of Bees by Maja Maude. A challenging and thought provoking book, made all the more poignant by my next journey along the south coast on NCN 2. It was bright summer weather and bees were everywhere along the path, and I spotted several hives amongst the Sussex countryside.
