Adelaide Getaway - Part 1 of 4 (Monday)

My wife and I are currently in Adelaide after driving the long trek from Melbourne last Sunday.

1) O'Connell's Bookshop, Adelaide

On our first day in Adelaide I walked up Rundle Mall, and then a little further, to O'Connell's Bookshop.  On entry, Ben (and Oscar the dog) greeted me, and after mentioning I was hunting for James Bond books he explained by strange coincidence he was just in the process of setting up a display of Bond paperbacks in his front cabinet.

A lone Pan Books “Casino Royale” movie tie-in from 1967 was already sitting on the glass shelf awaiting more books to accompany it.  Ben also said he’d just sold a Jonathan Cape “Dr. No” first edition, with others still on display in a standing glass cabinet close by.

As always, O’Connell’s Bookshop had a pile of James Bond books available.  There was also this Len Deighton “Action Cookbook” with a cover designed by Raymond Hawkey which I’d never seen in the wild before.

O’Connell’s Bookshop celebrates 70 years of business next year with Ben, a third generation of O’Connell, currently managing the store.  They have thousands of second hand titles for sale catering for many different tastes, and is a must visit if you're ever in Adelaide.

2) QBD Books

Next stop was QBD Books on Rundle Mall which only sells new titles.  They had lots of great books including “Quantum Of Menace” by Vaseem Khan.

3) Dymocks Bookstore, Glenelg

Later that morning we drove to Glenelg, a short drive from the City centre.  First we visited the Dymocks Bookstore which was full of potential customers.  Like QBD Books, they only sell new titles, and also had copies of Vaseem Khan’s novel. 

4) Mockingbird Lounge, Glenelg

A short drive from Glenelg is the Mockingbird Lounge.  I normally don’t like mixing food with books but this cafe is definitely an exception.  Every room has shelves of second hand books on the walls.  And one room is set up specifically for book club patrons who’s taste (sadly) appeared to not extend to Ian Fleming as I couldn’t see any Bond novels among the piles of same titles on the shelves.

5) Rotary Bookmart, Woodville West

On our return to Adelaide we passed this Rotary Bookmart in Woodville West.  So many second hand books for sale at bargain prices, and all really well organised by the volunteers.  No luck for me but my wife picked up a few bargains.

On our way back to the hotel we passed New Morning Books on Frome Street, however we’ll have to return as it was closed on the day we visited. 

Here's some additional photos.  Firstly a mural down a lane way near our hotel in central Adelaide

And some photos from Glenelg.

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Birthday Surprise

It's my birthday today and my lovely wife organised a special gift for me, a proof copy of Vaseem Khan's first "Q Mysteries series" novel "Quantum Of Menace".

I've been hunting for this "Uncorrected proof" from the U.K. for over six months, so I was stoked when I unwrapped it this morning.

The front cover of the trade size book features the subtle single alphabetic character "Q", the code name of the main protagonist of the novel. The rear cover reads "Pay Attention", a famous quote from the film "Goldfinger" during a meeting between James Bond (Sean Connery) and Q (Desmond Llewelyn).

The book was published in 2025 by Zaffre, an imprint of Bonnier Books.

Merry Christmas 2025

Merry Christmas everyone.  I hope you had a great day with friends and family.

Santa was very kind to me this year as I received a few James Bond related books.

The first two presents were from my wife, two Raymond Benson proofs.  "Never Dream Of Dying" is from 2001 while "The Man With The Red Tattoo" is from 2002.  They're lovely additions to my collection and not that common.  They've also been signed by the author.

My second gift was from my parents, a Goldsboro edition of Vaseem Khan's "Quantum Of Menace".  This limited blue edition, again signed by the author, is a fabulous hardback.

"Quantum Of Menace" Paperback Available

I recently discovered online that Australian book stores were listing the trade size paperback of Vaseem Khan's "Quantum Of Menace" as now available.  So Thursday after work I visited my local "Dymocks" and "Cook & Young".  Neither were physically stocking it yet.

Next I visited "QBD", which had already closed for the day, and though their security roller-door I could see copies on their shelves.  I managed to grab this photo.  The book in question is left of centre, featuring a red cover with a large white "Q".

It felt like I was getting closer...

Then I visited the books section in "Big W"...

... and couldn't believe how many copies were available for sale.  Two separate stacks existed in different locations on their shelves.  I counted 20 copies !

I can't recall the last time I saw so many copies of one James Bond related novel in a store.  I checked and as suspected this edition was printed in Australia.  Expect to see an update to the Australian Editions page soon.

Either the publisher has high hopes for this novel, or there was an ordering mistake, but regardless I hope "Quantum Of Menace" does well in Australia.

"Quantum Of Menace" Released Tomorrow

Tomorrow, October 23rd, is the official release date for Vaseem Khan's "Quantum Of Menace".  This is the latest official novel in what is becoming a very popular literary world... the James Bond universe.

I received this hardback edition just a few days ago and I think it looks great.  The dust-jacket is really catching and I especially like the graphics on the spine.

I feel the novel itself is an interesting concept with the main character being Major Boothroyd (aka "Q"), the man who provides the gadgets to Bond in the movies.  According to the blurb on the front of the dust-jacket "Q is out of MI6... and in over his head".

I haven't had a chance to start reading yet, however the reviews I've seen online have been very positive, with another fellow Australian who acquired an early copy even commenting that he "will probably read it again" !