EAGER KIWI READER FINDING HOME BETWEEN THE PAGES

Growing up with a suitcase of stories, this Christchurch woman is living her dream

- 

For as long as she can remember, Pattie Pegler has had her nose in a book, often one with a cracked spine and handwritten name inside the cover. As a child, she and her mum would spend hours rummaging through secondhand stores, uncovering forgotten stories and long-lost tales.

Then two years ago, the discovery of a "little yellow typewritten booklet" in an op shop opened a whole new chapter, inspiring her to start an online bookstore called Retro Reads.

"The booklet was called A Bit Over The Top - And Other Stories Of A Canterbury Boyhood 1925-1936," recalls Pattie, 56. "I bought it, read it and loved it! It got me thinking about all the other fascinating memoirs, discarded bestsellers, classics and out-of-print books out there, and how I might be able to get people interested in them again."

While anyone can walk into a shop and buy the latest Richard Osman title, Pattie realised it was far more difficult to find a Pulitzer Prize winner from 20 years ago. From there, she began to handpick her collection of hidden gems.

"I've spent months looking for some of the books on the site - they've been forgotten for no good reason other than they're not being marketed any more."