Odd books, good books
On Charing Cross Road, you have a handful of second hand bookshops. Any amount of books is known mostly for its large basement selection.
They tend to buy private collections, and, though not necessarily cheap, they do have the kind of literary little gems which will ensure you become a lifelong customer.
Dust aside, they tend to leave their just-bought-boxes, halfway opened in the basement. I never know if we are meant to look through them or not, but I always do, as do most of the people there. I remember finding a 1930s photographic Encyclopedia of Europe bound in red leather. I came very close to buying it, but could not afford the price. But it was that kind of material which made me return, and continue to return ever since.
And if the selection were not reason enough, they tend to keep late hours during the week, ensuring that more than one happy reader takes their respective nightbus book in hand.
tony4sure discovered this service :-)