Buy Books Second Hand

I swear to you, buying books in a thrift shop is the greatest thing I've begun to do. Not only is the selection surprisingly well-rounded, but also really cheap. I'm that person who is always buying books in large quantities (hey, I majored in the English) and I don't get to them immediately. As I've likely mentioned, I haven't been a book lover my entire life, and I do feel like I'm doing some catch up. During my Fall break my last semester, my mother and I took a trip to a thrift store, and she bought me three books for five bucks! Seriously. Today, I found seven books and spent less than $25.00. I remember spending roughly that when Anne Rice's The Wolf Gift was released in hardback. Even going to a retailer that sells books new, you can buy three paperbacks for more than that!

I have yet to have quality issues (only concern I had was if they'd have all of the pages or any flaws).  However, I reckon they inspect books before selling them. Everyone from Shakespeare to Austen to John Green to Nicholas Sparks is covered in second hand bookstores. Of course, like any thrift shop, it's a hit or miss, but this day was certainly a hit!  My titles include:

Emma by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (this one was $8.95, and the most expensive)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (I've oddly never read it, and it was ONE DOLLAR/great condition)
Pamela by Samuel Richardson

The bonus about buying classics is there's usually a variety of editions (and you can pick the one you want be it for the cheapest price or whatever). Also, they're in pretty good shape because I reckon most of these were probably books someone had to read for school, and they are ready to get rid of as soon as the class is over! So, if you're a bibliophile, and pinching pennies, I strongly suggest checking out places that sell used copies because you'll save a fortune. Sometimes you do need the new copy, or a specific edition because teachers/professors require them, and sadly some titles are obscure and hard to find. Lesson of the day, second hand books are the bees knees. And you really cannot lose. I found Jack Kerouac's On the Road (a book I've heard you love or hate)in a thrift store and it was like $1.50. If I hate it, I don't lose $14.00, but if I love it, then ooooh vintage.

True Life: I'm Afraid of a Book

I'm not talking about horror or gothic books here.  Have you ever bought a book and been intimidated by it? Be it because of size, content, author, etc.?  Yet, you want to read it because it seems interesting and maybe you'll feel smarter for knocking it out...Ladies and Gentleman, I give you Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne.

 

 I found this edition at the thrift shop for a dollar. I had heard of it before through the motions of British Literature study in university, so I figured I'd buy it and give it a whirl.  Don't ask me to explain what it's about. I don't know. Well, I can't explain it.  It seems intriguing, but complicated and intimidating. I know if I read it I will feel smart and proud, but it still freaks me out.

Read This

I majored in English, therefore I have read some books. I didn't used to love reading, but as I've gotten older, like oh my god, books are pretty nifty.  I don't consider myself well read, there are people who read circles around me who didn't major in English. However, I think the term is subjective. What does it really mean to be well read? Does it mean reading all the classics? It's good to know your classics, certainly. Do you love Victorian Literature so you read a lot of Victorians? Or if you enjoy vampires, do you read a lot about their folklore, and books about them?  It's a complicated phrase. Personally, I don't like the idea of being well read because books are always being written and there's always something you haven't read no matter where your interests lie.

Anywho, here's a book. Those who know me know I love Oscar Wilde, and I did a study on him my last semester in undergrad.  I think you simply MUST read The Picture of Dorian Gray.  It's complicated, dark, and it makes you ask questions about everything.  The fun and frustration with Wilde is that he often speaks in paradox, his paradoxes are paradox, and he'll say something and leave it to you to decide if he's serious (and what you think about it says more about you/society than him). He's brilliant. 

I think my strong understanding of the novel came from reading Wilde's theory. I know, you're thinking, "literary theory is so tedious." It isn't always. His are actually entertaining and his ideas are tangible. If you want to read something that will help you understand and think more, try The Critic As Artist at least. Also, The Decay of Lying will give you some nifty insights about Wilde's ideas about Art which will come in handy while trying to understand Dorian Gray.

My best advice about reading Wilde is to take your time and think about it. He's a tough nut to crack.  If it's easy to read his work, or write about it, you're doing it wrong.

Dashing, isn't he?