The Book Junkie Strikes Again

[ase]

About a week ago, I was discussing how to celebrate the First Paycheck with herewiss13. "Something totally frivolous," he suggested. "Socks," I mused. "It'd be nice if people stopped bugging me about the holes at the heels of my socks."

Somehow, this did not strike herewiss13 as sufficiently frivolous.

Fear not, Eric; "frivolous" spending occurred at no less than five used bookstores this afternoon. One of my non-college people wanted to hit "one or two" stores, but once we got started, the list... expanded a bit. Five hours and more than "one or two" stores later, I headed home, replete with book and fannish discussion.

Fiction
Baker, Kage: In the Garden of Iden
Baker, Kage: Sky Coyote
Baker, Kage: Mendoza in Hollywood
Barnes, John: Orbital Resonance
Blake, Katherine: The Interior Life
Cherryh, C. J.: Downbelow Station (Duplicate; lending copy)
Duane, Diane: The Door Into Fire (Corgi/UK edition) [Like I needed another copy. But this one has the less-than-awful American cover!]
King, Laurie R.: The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Le Guin, Ursula K.: A Wizard of Earthsea (Duplicate; lending copy)
L'Engle, Madeleine: A Swiftly Tilting Planet
Murphy, Pat: Nadya
Myers, John Myers: Silverlock
Nix, Garth: Sabriel
O'Brian, Patrick: Post Captain
Smith, Kristine: Code of Conduct (Duplicate; lending copy)
Tolkien, J. R. R.: The Hobbit (Ted Nasmith cover)
Knight, Damon (Ed.): Orbit 4

Nonfiction
Campbell, Joseph: The Hero with a Thousand Faces [Woo-hoo!]

I think I went a little crazy, but I've been keeping an eye out for some of those books for months. Eventually, I would have done something stupid like buy half of these full price, and whinge about how I couldn't afford the other half. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Edited to add: In retrospect, probably should have put off stocking up on books until after the move. Also, I still need to pick up packing tape and throw things (most of them books) in boxes.

Comments

[herewiss13.livejournal.com]

I approve whole-heartedly...especially since I've read 9 of the 18 titles. 50% ain't too shabby. ;-)

And yes, socks were definitely not frivolous enough. Socks are for the second paycheck, once you've gotten over the euphoria of regular infusions of funding. ;-)

I think I went a little crazy, but I've been keeping an eye out for some of those books for months. Eventually, I would have done something stupid like buy half of these full price, and whinge about how I couldn't afford the other half. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Used-book-stores are the greatest. I occasionally get a twinge of conscience since the authors don't recieve royalties, but then I just tell myself "Screw it, the stores exist. You might as well use them."

[ase.livejournal.com]

Socks are for the second paycheck, once you've gotten over the euphoria of regular infusions of funding. ;-)

I hope. At some point I need to send a check straight to the "Rent, Tuition and Emergencies" account, possibly with a bit siphoned for groceries. (Once classes start again and I have to cut back, housing is going to be something more than half my non-tuition expense. I want the biggest cushion I can force myself to put away for those dark months.) A bit's likely to slide in the direction of the comics shop - I want "1602" more than I think is healthy - but I want to refrain from spending like mad now so I'll have something to fall back on during exam week, if necessary.

Used-book-stores are the greatest. I occasionally get a twinge of conscience since the authors don't recieve royalties, but then I just tell myself "Screw it, the stores exist. You might as well use them."

I am a college student. I am a college student essentially supporting herself on sporadic employment, government handouts, and erratic parental charity. I have no guilt about maxing out any and all second-hand markets that come my way. Except when I get a little cash-happy at them, of course.

[leebenningfield.livejournal.com]

i celebrate like every other paycheck with something totally frivolous. mostly comic books and video games...

[ase.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a good idea. Budgeting for this stuff makes reserve-killing binges much less likely.

[cathydalek.livejournal.com]

So which used bookstores did you go to? I haven't done the used bookstore tour in about six months, since went out with Madeleine and ehr brother Vincent for dim sum and ended up going on a tour of Virginia used bookstores including 2 branches of Burke's, McKay's and Hole in the Wall.

[ase.livejournal.com]

Roughly in order... the Book Alcove on Shady Grove Road; the Second Story Books on Parklawn Drive - the store that's literally a warehouse - which happened to have a 1/3 off sale (it's continuting until either the 3rd or the 10th of August, if you want to take advantage of it); Bonifant Books in Wheaton; the Wheaton Library Book Sale; and Silver Spring Books.

The Book Alcove, as usual, cheerfully savaged my budget, which was utterly destroyed by the time I was done at Bonifant. I thought it was my first time at Bonifant - which had oodles of books I'd been looking for - but recognized the kid's section ("hey! I came here with mom, years ago!"). The library sale surprised me; I thought I wouldn't find anything, since the books that arrive usually are library weed-outs and donations that have already been through local library sales, but walked $2.10 poorer and four books richer, including the long out of print Interior Life. The Silver Spring store is a co-op, and splits by co-op member as well as subject/genre, which made things a bit confusing, but they did have three of Lois Bujold's novels, which tend to show up rather infrequently in used book stores.

I can't recall the last time I did the used book store tour in Virginia; once I've recovered from this spree, I may have to make a list of stores to look at in VA.

Rachmaninoff rules!

[rwl.livejournal.com]

Heh... I was wondering how long it would take you to play the Rachmaninoff disk...

Re: Rachmaninoff rules!

[ase.livejournal.com]

Yes he does. You made a good guess about how much I'd like the CD. Both the concerto and the "Rhapsody on a Theme..." are great, though the "Variation" tracks are so short I'm tempted to copy the music files to my hard drive, splice them together, and burn a second CD with longer tracks to avoid the occasional hiccup at track changes. The music's really good, and the hiccups are painfully evident.

I was wondering how long it would take you to play the Rachmaninoff disk...

Sometimes, anticipation makes something even more enjoyable when you actually get around to using or doing that thing. I suspect I wouldn't have half as much fun at conventions, for example, if I didn't have time beforehand to think about all the enjoyable stuff I'd be doing at them.

[weyrlady.livejournal.com]

Good to know I'm not the only one that buys extra copies based on the cover art. ^^; I have... three copies of McCaffrey's "Dragonsong" simply because the original coverart is so incredibly gorgeous.

[ase.livejournal.com]

Good to know I'm not the only one that buys extra copies based on the cover art.

Not at all. This is my third copy of some flavor of The Door Into Fire (the other two being a trade paperback with the American cover and the Meisha Merlin reprint/omnibus Tale of the Five: the Sword and the Dragon, with the nifty Don Maitz cover (http://www.paravia.com/DonMaitz/Dragons/SwordAndDragon.html)). I've got a "loan" copy of the novels in the Earthsea trilogy plus a set with the same cover art as the library copies I read in middle school. The Hyperion cover (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0553283685/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/103-5414791-6277445?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader#reader-link) sold a novel I had very neutral feelings about. (Cannot believe the same artist did the "exploding Cuisinart" Komarr cover (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0671578081/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/103-5414791-6277445?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader#reader-link). Baen really doesn't know how to use the artists it hires.) And I'm on an active hunt for the Ted Nasmith LotR covers, as previously mentioned (http://www.livejournal.com/users/ase/62538.html).

I am not just a book junkie, I am becoming art geek as well. I am so doomed to blow my money on not-so-cheap prints and used novels this year.

[weyrlady.livejournal.com]

Cell collector over here? Don't even mention blowing money on art. ^^; *sighs* I'd kill the guy that got me into the hobby id I didn't like him so much.

[(Anonymous)]

My friend Gus works at Second Story books in Rockville, playing summer stock boy. And through a twist of fate, me and my friend anne are going to be your neighbors this coming fall over in the apartment complex. *grins* This means that I get to hunt you guys down for all the dorky fangirl discussions that I've been missing this summer.

--Gillian (in need of a live journal code, if anyone can help me)

[ase.livejournal.com]

My friend Gus works at Second Story books in Rockville, playing summer stock boy.

That is... so dangerous to his budget, I bet. "Ohhh, I can't shelve this; it's too cool to go home with anyone but me!"

Don't forget to friend me or other otherwise let me know when you use the livejournal code I sent you.