Where to begin?

I wonder if most first time bloggers struggle with where to begin? Me… I have plans for this space, I really do. As you will learn, when I write, I can be inclined to ramble some (which I don’t see as a bad thing, I hope you don’t either - somewhere in the words I write will be wisdom and wit, facts and opinions… in essence, a bunch of words about books and book buying with the goal of entertaining you my fellow book lover).

OK, so here is how it begins... I know a thing or two about books and buying them and I want to share my adventures with whoever loves books and stumbles upon this space. I want to guide people to good book spots and I want to hear from others who love books about where and how they purchase them.

What makes me qualified to do this? Well, I love to read, but more than that, I love books. I love books and the hunt for them. I love getting lost in a bookstore. I love day trips driving from bookstore to bookstore, crossing state lines, eating cheap food to save my money for the next shop. I love walking into a bookstore I have never been to before, possibilities opening up on shelves before me. I love the shops I have been to a hundred times, stumbling upon that one book I missed or never before realized I needed. I love exploring for stores in places I have never been while on vacation. I love the local library book sale (book sales where I wonder from spot to spot loading up bags or a box of books that’ll end up costing me the same as one new hardcover). I love the hour or so waiting in line for a book sale to open, the anticipation of what I might get my hands on before anyone else because I am inevitably towards the beginning of the line. I love my closely packed bookshelves. I even love my neatly organized stacks of boxes in the basement (but oh do I loathe that there are not shelves for all these books - but someday…). I love the feel and look and smell of books. I love learning about books. I love books about books (not literary criticism or anything like that – although that stuff is fine - but books about “Books”, the physical objects you read and put on shelves). Yes, I love books.

I am aiming for the long run here. As I visit a bookstore, I will review it. If I go to a sale, I will review it (I will also be mentioning sales before I go, as it won’t do anyone any good to hear about a yearly sale after the fact). This will be a somewhat slow burn of a blog, hopefully gathering steam and inspiration as I go - please, I will need feedback, suggestions, comments, recommendations, anything at all… how nice would it be if this was the beginnings of a simple and straightforward place to share and exchange book stories with fellow book lovers? So please if you read this blog, tell me what you like and what you don’t. Do you have a favorite bookshop or sale? Please let me know about it.

I plan on adding posts as I can until book lovers of all shapes and sizes find something here to enjoy, but my main goal is to create something for the person who, like me, has a simple attitude towards book collecting - I love books, but do not have the money to buy indiscriminately. I read paperbacks to save money and seek out nicer editions of books I enjoy (or authors I enjoy, or think I may enjoy). I keep multiple copies of books I really like, some to give away (and some just because there are multiple editions worth owning), while always keeping an eye out for an upgrade. I am typically on the lookout for quality firsts in the $20 range, and rarely spend more than $50 a book… of course, these aren’t rules - I am willing to drop big money on a book (big money for me anyway). Although, you will not see anything purchased by me beyond the very low 3 figure range. Am I interested in higher value books? Hell yes, but while I love looking at books that well exceed my financial limits, I find more pleasure in, and have knowledge of, books I own and have the ability to own. This way of thinking and buying I relate to the “average” bookworm. The average bookworm may be intrigued by what a signed and inscribed Hemingway first edition is fetching these days, but really wants discussions on the excitement of loading up on quality $1 books at the nearest Friends of the Local Library book sale or finding places where they can spend $20 for those books they just absolutely “need”, whether it is to fill in a gap in their collection or just because it is a nice book need not matter.

Of course, as a book lover it would be amiss not to include some book reviews here. Therefore, I will, from time to time, be writing reviews on books I really enjoy. I will try to include points of interest about editions available, value, and collectability of the books and authors I review.

So, there you have it. Please stay tuned for lots more book stuff… I hope you enjoy.

….
When I get a little money, I buy books, and if any is left, I buy food and clothes. ~Desiderius Erasmus