This explosion of little book bins outside houses in Vancouver and especially in my Kitsilano neighbourhood makes me smile when I go for walks or cycle. I like to stop. I rarely take out a book as I have too many unread books or books I want to read again in my home library.

 Today I found the exception on a book bin on Point Grey Road that not only has books but also clothes and other stuff. I found the delightfully framed picture with the cats. My younger granddaughter with her two new cats is becoming a young cat lady. She might want this. The Julian Barnes book (1984) I have not read. It is a humorous biography of Flaubert.

Worth every penny that I did not shell out for the book in a section called Braithwaite’s Dictionary of Accepted Ideas where I found:

 Usa – Flaubert’s references to the Land of Liberty are sparing. Of the future he wrote: ‘It will be utilitarian, militaristic, American and Catholic – very Catholic.’ He probably preferred the Capitol to the Vatican.