Before I get into my thrifty find of the weekend, let me just say that I haven't posted in over a week, and feel a little guilty. This weekend was another long-trip-during-a-short-period kind of ordeal, and I didn't have much time for reading or
blogging. I travelled to Iowa to visit J's sister and watch her play some college basketball. I had never been to Iowa so it was an experience. I'm one of those souls that looks forward to the most boring of destinations with utmost impatience. And I was certainly warned that Iowa wasn't much of anything. But I see beauty everywhere.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the downtown scene, watching K play ball and the 14-hour car ride with my sweetheart.
Plus, we had the opportunity to stop in Nashville, a city I had never visited, for the afternoon on our way back to Georgia on Sunday.
And that's precisely where my find comes in...
Upon arriving, J's stomach was rumbling (not surprising) but I had other plans. Instead of mapping restaurants in the area, I thought that if we found a used book store, we would surely find a neat little area to kick up our heels and take it all in.
Sure enough, we found a boutique-lined, urban section of Nashville, where
Bookman Bookwoman bookstore was located.
Let me start by saying that I was enamored initially. Books were so stuffed in each shelf that you literally had to pull back stacks in order to search for more. The shelves were stocked to the ceiling with old copies, signed copies, first edition prints. It was tight, and hard avoiding collision with almost every individual shopping in the store.
In a word: cozy. I loved it.
What I didn't love: the prices.
Used copies that look battered and beaten aren't generally sold for 9.95 and up. I found several ARC's, which also turned me off. It's a college town; lots of people buy books, and the prices reflected that fact, which left me less than impressed. The selection, while unmatched, harbored too many titles in poor condition at really high used prices.
However, I couldn't leave without getting something. So, I walked away with this:
I'll admit that I've never heard of this title; however, after reading the first few pages, I'm pretty sure it's going to be a pretty deep, depressing, eye-opening endeavor.
What I paid: $8.69
All-in-all it was a nice little stop and I got a new book out of the deal. Plus, I got to go on an awesome road trip with the beauty and watch the autumn leaves float past my passenger side window so frequently that it was a blur of firelight. Here are a few photos of the journey- here are a few ways to savor the dwindling days of brilliant warm hues against azure skies.
*There's J ;)
What are your thoughts on used book prices? How much are you willing to pay for used books? In what condition do you expect them to be in?
by Nora Okja Keller
