There is a certain charm in reading a second-hand book that makes it different from a spanking new title. The whole idea that someone else has flipped through the same pages you're reading, imbibed the same words you're engrossed in, and possibly felt the same emotions that are welling up inside you, builds a sense of attachment with a complete stranger that wouldn't be possible otherwise.

Such books also shatter class hierarchy. Not everyone has the financial wherewithal to purchase an expensive novel. But second-hand titles suit every budget, and given the wide range on offer at shops that sell them, these places are gradually fitting into the role of public libraries, which are finding it increasingly difficult to survive in the age of the Internet.