Anne here, currently far from home, giving workshops and talking about writing. Yesterday, taking a break, I wandered into a second-hand bookstore (which is what we call them in Australia), and wandered out again a good hour later, carrying a large bag of books.
I don't often buy books second-hand, but this was an especially well organised bookstore, clean, arranged in genres and with all books shelved by author, in alphabetical order. It was irresistible. I prowled back and forth, trying to remember the names of authors I wanted to try, and just happily browsing.
Some people argue that used bookstores deprive authors of their rightful income — we make no money from sales of used books — and while that's true, I think we gain other advantages. People browsing through the shelves of cheap used books will often try a new-to-them author, and perhaps become a fan. And really, anything that encourages people to keep reading is to be encouraged. And I'm well aware that not everyone can regularly afford to buy new books.
Some people say they don't like second hand bookstores because they don't like the smell of old books. Personally I love it.
When I was a teenager, I haunted a number of stores that sold used books, and spent my very small (meagre!) weekly allowance on carefully chosen books. My collection of Georgette Heyers started that way, as did my collection of a number of other authors. My allowance would barely have covered the cost of one new book, but buying second hand books meant I could bring home a bag of books each week, and happily devour them. I still have some of those books.
I love browsing through stores full of old, well-thumbed, well-loved books. They can be a treasure-trove of unexpected finds — books long out of print, vintage books of all sorts. You never know what you're going to find in a used bookstore — sometimes the books are crammed in any old how — pilled up in teetering columns, or piled in between what were once quite wide aisles, that are now a maze hedged with walls of books — and of course inevitably the one you really want is right at the bottom.
Second-hand bookstores are the reason I have multiple copies of some of my childhood favourites — books that are like old friends, that I couldn't bear to see sitting out on a specials table — or worse, on a sidewalk table for a few cents — it seemed somehow disrespectful, and I've bought them to save their dignity. I've bought favourite books for friends and the children of friends, and when I first started teaching writing, I bought every used copy of Strunk and White (The Elements of Style) I came across to give to students. I also buy any copy of Dorothea Brande (Becoming a Writer) for the same purpose.
Used books can also inspire a writing career. On an author panel at a recent writers festival, one of my friends told the story of how she was living and working in a remote part of Malaysia, feeling quite culturally isolated and without much to read in English. Then she came across a stack of very old Mills and Boon (Harlequin) romances, which she devoured. Those books didn't just entertain and comfort her through a difficult time — they eventually inspired her to become a writer.
I most often shop at second-hand bookstores when I'm travelling, because it's easier to spend a few dollars on a "risky" read by an unknown author. But I've found some gems that way. Many years ago, on a used bookstore on the island of Corfu (Greece) I found, read and fell in love with EF Benson. I read my first Ellis Peters book in the UK, bought second-hand. Those books are still on my shelves.
There's a sense of adventure when you enter a second-hand bookstores. Each one is different — sometimes very different, and reflect the tastes of the owner— usually a person who truly loves books, and spends a lot of their time reading — and that can lead to fascinating conversations, as well as some wonderful discoveries.
When I mentioned to a friend that I was going to blog today about second-hand bookstores, she told me a story of how, when she was young and almost penniless and racking her brains to buy a very special birthday present for a very special person, she ended up going to a second-hand bookshop, buying twenty-five books — each one carefully selected and beautifully wrapped — and how utterly delighted the recipient was!
So what about you — do you like poking around in second-hand bookstores or not? Do you have a favourite one? What was your best used book find? Tell us about it.
I love used bookstores. Like you, I often go there to try new-to-me authors. I tend to buy new books from my favorite authors as soon as they are released. I keep very few to re-read (I would be buried in books otherwise). The rest I sell to the used bookstore, so more readers can discover the awesomeness of my favorite authors. Both our local Half Price Books (a chain) and independent Frugal Muse have wonderfully organized Romance sections, with more shelf space than Barnes & Noble gives the genre. We used to have a Frugal Muse within walking distance of my house, but that location sadly closed. Now I have to drive for my fix.
Posted by: Elinor Aspen | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 08:11 AM
I loved going to used bookstores and will still take a look when I come across one. However I do not go to them nearly as much now that I have my kindle. It is one of the sad things about new technology.
Posted by: Samantha | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 08:13 AM
My husband,s comment "Where are we going to put those?" when I walk in with numerous used/second hand oversized books. One of my favorite finds was an oversized hardback called Four Fabulous Faces (Garbo, Swanson, Crawford and Dietrich.) You just never know what your going to run into in one of those stores. While some authors are releasing their old books to ebook format, which by the way makes me happy, there are some who are no longer with us who can't.
Posted by: kay | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 08:15 AM
I love used book stores, and go into them whenever I can find one. I used to find not just new-to-me authors but also out-of-print books by authors I already loved. To say nothing of oddball journals and memoirs—always a treasure.
I can remember when the area around lower Broadway in Manhattan was used book heaven. They are all gone now, except the Strand, and who knows how long that will remain? And there used to be three within a reasonable distance of my home, but those too have vanished, along with the independent bookstores. It's very frustrating.
Posted by: Lillian Marek | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 09:22 AM
When I was a poor graduate student, I depended on a UBS near campus for most of my leisure reading. I was such a steady customer that the owner and I got to be book buddies who often recommended books to one another. One day she handed me a book and said, "I saved this one for you; I think you will like it." The book was All the Possibilities, my first Nora Roberts book. The author didn't get a penny of the $1.25 I paid for that book, but it was a good investment all the same since I have been reading Nora Roberts books for thirty years now and paying full price for most of them. And that book is still on one of my keeper bookshelves.
Posted by: Janga | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 09:52 AM
Ah, used bookstores. Treasure trove! I still mourn the closure of the one near me, where interesting new discoveries could be made. I loved visiting them on research trips in England. Now that I'm a writer myself, I try to buy new when I can to support other writers, but some books are only available used. A book addict does what she must to feed her habit. *G*
Posted by: Mary Jo Putney | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 01:04 PM
Thanks, Elinor. We don’t have chains of used bookstores here — they are invariably individually owned and run to whatever quirky style their owner wants, which makes them more of an adventure, I suspect.
And I do keep books I enjoy and am close to drowning in them. *g*
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:13 PM
Samantha I buy on kindle, too — for a start some of the specials and freebies there make it irresistible — and still in Australia even used books are expensive — the shop I was in the other day sold mass market paperbacks for $8.50 and $9. But if I have loved a book, I will want tit in paper form. Three of the books I bought the other day were CL Harris books that I have read on kindle, but want in paperback.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:16 PM
You just never know what your going to run into in one of those stores.”
Kay that’s so true, and one of the delights of the second-hand book shop. And there are times when I feel a strong desire to track down the heirs of a dead author and urge them to republish in e form, just so I can share wonderful out of print books with others.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:18 PM
Lillian that’s very sad that those wonderful used bookstores have disappeared. There are two flourishing ones in the main street near where I’m staying at the moment, and both seem to be doing well — possibly because people read more when they’re on holiday. I have found so many out of print gems by browsing casually through used books. But I have to admit, these days if I’m looking for a particular author or OOP title I do it on the web and purchase it from a web-connected used bookstore. That’s how I collected all my Eva Ibbotsons — they cost me a fortune, too in shipping — before the books were rereleased.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:23 PM
Lovely story, Janga — yes, many of my “firsts” were from used bookstores, and then I went on to buy everything else new as it was published. Actually that might make a subject for a good blog. *g* And now I come to think of it, I’ve never read All the Possibilities.” Might have to do an internet search. Thanks. *g*
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:25 PM
Mary Jo, a LOT of my research books have come from used bookstores — probably because — sadly — so many libraries have cleared out their research collections in favour of more current and popular things.
And oh, to browse secondhand book shops in London — or anywhere in England. I have found and bought some books from them on the web, but there’s nothing like picking up a book and flipping through it to discover that it’s exactly what you need or might need in the future or even have no need for at all but just love-and-want. The book version of beach coming, or hunter-gathering.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 02:31 PM
You are absolutely right, authors benefit in the long run from secondhand bookshops. I've lost count of the favourites whose books I auto-buy now, but who I first encountered in a secondhand bookshop or charity shop. And, like many, I depended on them to feed my need for books when I couldn't afford to buy new ones. I also used to carry a list of books which I wanted but which were out of print, and check for them in every secondhand bookshop I found. (These days I can usually find them online.)
Long may they prosper!
Posted by: HJ | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 03:34 PM
My favorite is Katy Budget Books in Katy, TX. They not only sell used books. They sell new releases. It gives everyone a chance to try new authors. Also, when you bring your gently read books in, you get in-store credit for other used books. If there is a book you want that they don't have, they will contact you when it comes in. The store also hosts many reading events, discussion groups, & signings. Awesome store & staff!
Posted by: Karen | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 03:43 PM
I love used book stores. In North Carolina, Ed McKays serves a terrific point of sale for university books, technology products as well as used books in lots of categories.
However, the best of used book stores point the customer to other authors they might be interested in. Example: Patrick Paperbacks, Indian Harbor Beach, Florida. The owner, Elva Rella, is particularly knowledgeable about many categories. I love the Romance Section best. She has customers who order the latest offerings from my favorite authors, and I get them after they have read them. Marvelous!
Posted by: Anne Hoile | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 03:44 PM
I've always thought of Secondhand books as one of the essential elements of a good holiday - books waiting in the holiday house/apartment, books in dedicated secondhand bookstores, and books in odd shops like milk bars and fish bait stores. Each book carries not just the story on the page, but also my imagined stories of all the hands the book has gone through to reach me - particularly in holiday destinations where there are a large number of international visitors (backpackers!) I've noticed over the last few years though that the number and breadth of selection of secondhand books available at our annual North Queensland get-away destination are dwindling, and that the titles seem dated not just in a 'Readers Digest Condensed Books' kind of way, but also in a 'no new blood is coming through' kind of way. It makes me a bit melancholy, losing that sense of reading-connection conveyed through a physical object. Also, there are still things that the technology of e-reading doesn't do that well - no 'device' cuts it like a secondhand book when it comes to spending a day at the beach.
Posted by: Shannon McEwan | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 04:36 PM
So far everyone is praising the used book store — and I'm another one. The one closest to my home moved across town and the other one in town that I knew of has closed it doors. But we go across town to find the books we want.
If it's a book store and I'm on foot, I go in, used books or new. But I do cherish the used book store. It's very hard for me to cull a book. Unless it is falling to pieces I cannot bear to throw it out (I even keep the unbound pages of text books I have copyedited!). Used books are a good way to remove a book from my house and into the hands of another reader.
And, like the other responders here, buying new-to-me authors at a used book store has put me onto the buy-the-next-book-when-it-comes-out category for many authors who I first met through a used book.
And like many of you, I also buy used books online if that is where I can find the book I want.
Posted by: Sue W. McCormick | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:01 PM
Karen this sounds like a wonderful bookstore, set up and run by some one who clearly loves books and wants to share their love of reading. May there be more like this!
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:45 PM
However, the best of used book stores point the customer to other authors they might be interested in.
This is so true, Anne — and it’s the difference between a store owned and run by someone who is passionate about books and reading — they’re like a good librarian. When I was a student I used to go to Nell’s in Kensington (Melbourne) and Nell and I quickly learned we had tastes in common, and she almost always had some book waiting for me with a “I thought you might enjoy this.” And nine times out of ten, I did.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:45 PM
Absolutely, Helena — yesterday at this same second hand book shop, a friend bought me a copy of Winter Solstice by Rosamund Pilcher, who I’ve never read. She’s one of my friend’s favourite authors, and I’ve started the book and am about 65 pages in, and already I know I’ll be reading a lot more of Rosamund Pilcher. I can see exactly why my friend loves her books now.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:45 PM
Shannon, I think this is why this particular bookstore is such a flourishing concern. It’s not the cheapest second hand book store I’ve been to but holidaymakers keep it in business.
What a shame your holiday bookshop supplies seem to be dwindling. I’m not sure I’d ever take a kindle to the beach — the danger of sand, salt and water — and as you said, nothing beats a secondhand book for holiday reading — plus you can return them, so your baggage isn’t overweight.
And I love your comment on the personal history each book carries — some of my favourite books carry inscriptions that evoke other times and places and people — I love them.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:45 PM
Sue, I can’t bear to throw a book out either. I donate mine to charity stores, as I always feel ripped off when a used bookstore owner offers me a pittance for a pile of books. *g* I’d rather give them away.. I know — it’s inconsistent, but I don’t mind paying money for books — the ones I bought the other day cost $8.50 and $9 for ordinary mass-market paperbacks, so they weren’t cheap.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 06:51 PM
Anne, I LOVE Winter Solstice! I ended up buying a second copy to take to reread on a holiday when I couldn't find the first copy. Her short stories are lovely, too.
Posted by: Mary Jo Putney | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 07:03 PM
Anne, it's one of her categories, part of her MacGregor series, the third one, I think. I love the hero--even though he is a politician.
Posted by: Janga | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 07:48 PM
I love Pilcher's books, especially the really big (in pages and scope) ones like The Shell Seekers, Coming Home, and September.
Posted by: Janga | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 07:54 PM
Lovely blog, thanks Anne. I adore second hand bookshops. There's magic dust on those shelves and the thrill of being transported back in time to when you discovered a particularly beloved book - maybe in childhood. I can recognise the spine of one of those books - like Charlotte's Web, perhaps or Pippi Longstocking - way before I'm close enough to read the title!
Posted by: Rosie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 09:32 PM
I love used book stores. There used to be one in my neighborhood and my dad and I would go there almost every weekend. In fact, I think that's where I found some of my first romance novels, including Mary Jo's Silk trilogy. I also love Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, Mass--I bought a used copy of an Elizabeth Chadwick book there and love it. And there's always The Strand here in NYC--I went there before my birthday in January and pretty much wanted to buy every book I came across. I narrowed myself down to 2.
Posted by: Michelle Athy | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 10:11 PM
Thanks, Mary Jo. I’ll keep a look out for them. I’m really enjoying Winter Solstice.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:26 PM
Thanks, Janga — I’ve made a note and will hunt it down.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:26 PM
Thanks for those recommendations, Janga. I’ve written them down in my notebook, and will keep an eye out for them.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:26 PM
Thanks for your input for this, too Rosie — yes, finding beloved old children’s favourites is lovely, I agree.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:27 PM
Thanks for these recommendations, Michelle. Lovely to have a choice of good bookstores. I discovered Mary Jo’s Silk trilogy in my local library — but soon bought them for myself. *g* Wonderful books.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:30 PM
Hi Anne! I can't walk past a second-hand book store. They've helped me, particularly pre-internet, to research every quirky topic I might be interested in.
As to fiction, I tend to buy long out of print novels by wonderful authors like Rumer Godden rather than newer authors. Their books are rarely held by libraries any more and often not in digital either, so it's a nice way to read and remember those authors who seem to have gone out of fashion.
I've shopped second-hand bookshops right across Melbourne: Grub Street in Fitzroy, Alice's in Nth Carlton, Sainsbury's and Camberwell Second hand books over in the leafy eastern suburbs.
Have you been to the Clunes Book Fair? It's on my bucket list :-)
Posted by: Louise Reynolds | Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 11:46 PM
Have you ever been to Hay on Wye, in Herefordshire, England? The whole town is a used book shop... Even the old cinema has been converted into selling books. It's wonderful, you'd love it.
Posted by: [email protected] | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 12:07 AM
I have spent many a damp English summer day browsing in book stores. The town of Hay-on-Wye, nestling under the Black Mountains in Wales, has many second hand book shops and is a book lover's paradise.
When we visit, my wife spends her time in the specialist children's book store, looking to complete her collections, while I tend to wander around the science and philosophy sections.
I think the odour of old books when mixed with the aroma of fresh made coffee is one of the greatest pleasures.
In fact I first discovered William Morris's fiction (Well at the World's End) while sipping coffee, surrounded by old books. That started my journey of discovery in romantic fiction which has been an endless source of pleasure ever since ... I'm still looking for the perfect romance novel!
Fascinating discussion and comments.
Posted by: Quantum | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 02:01 AM
It definitely is a valid point that authors are missing out on income when readers ONLY read library books or second-hand books. Over 95% of my books these days are review books, but I always buy a copy of those I enjoyed. (I bought The Autumn Bride at ARRC 2015!)
We have a bookshop here in Canberra that is a regular bookshop inside, but they have many shelves of used books outside. I've collected so many amazing vintage books from there.
Back when I was in high school, before the internet, I used to pick up all my Virginia Andrews (don't judge!) books from a second-hand bookshop. But back then it was next to impossible to find the books you wanted on the shelves.
Posted by: Sonya Heaney | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 03:06 AM
I look for books at thrift stores and the library. Our local library system sells used books in almost all of their buildings to raise money to buy new books. I have found some bargains on Regency history. I have also found a new to me author and then started buying her books new. My Amazon debt is quite high. I can't easily get to a used book store so use ebay and even Amazon for some that, frankly, cost too much new
One can't do that with ebooks so even the few remaining sources of used books will soon be gone.
Posted by: nancy | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 04:12 AM
I love second-hand book stores! I could never afford to buy all my books brand new, anyway. But I must admit I don't go to second-hand book stores quite as much as I used to and it's not because of an e-reader, though I do have one. It's because of the flea markets and second-hand book stores you can find in the internet and BookMooch, which is a book swapping site (http://bookmooch.com/inventory/minttu). I've been able to get lots of out of print books in English which are really hard to find here in Finland.
Posted by: Minna | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 04:34 AM
Wonderful blog. Anne! I've discovered so many treasures at used bookstores! Like you, I sometimes buy beloved books just to save their dignity, and then pass them on to friends. And I've discovered new authors that have led me to more delightful reads.
As authors, we do think about the fact that the authors don't get any monetary benefit from used bookstores, but I echo your feelings in that they lead readers to discover new favorites. I never mind seeing one of my books in a shop.
(And I love Winter Solstice too. A long time ago, a friend recommended Pilcher, and I read my way through her works. Lovely books. Which reminds me that it may be time for some re-reading!)
Posted by: Andrea Penrose | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 08:21 AM
Sarah, I’ve never been to Hay-on-Wye, though I have been to Herefordshire. What a wonderful-sounding town. I hope I can get to visit it one day. I’m sure I’d love it too. Thank you.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:46 PM
Thanks Louise — yes indeed these bookshops help preserve long out of print authors and you never know what little gem you might find. I love Rumer Godden and have most of her books, too — even her children’s books which are beautiful. I also am a huge fan of the Grub St Bookshop. And I’ve never been to the Clunes Book Fair — which is now on my bucket list, too. Thank you.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:46 PM
Sonya, I’m so sorry I didn’t get to meet you at AARC 15. I would have recognised your name as a regular wenchly commenter. Oh well, water under the bridge. And I would never judge anyone by what they read years ago — or even now. Isn’t all reading a wonderful journey? And we learn from almost every writer.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:46 PM
I think the odour of old books when mixed with the aroma of fresh made coffee is one of the greatest pleasures.”Lovely evocative sentence, Quantum — and so true. I still remember the first time I went into a bookshop that also served coffee — a heavenly combination. I never wanted to leave. Hay-on-Wye is now definitely on my bucket list. I don’t knowWilliam Morriss fiction— thank you for the recommendation — I’ll look out for his book. I don’t know whether you’ll ever find the perfect romance novel — for me the joy is in continuing the search, and I’m also sure my definition is continually evolving,as authors surprise and delight me,which adds to the pleasure. But good luck in your search.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:46 PM
Nancy I was devastated when my local library cleared out almost all of their reference books and sold them for a pittance. They took no notice of how frequently they were borrowed — I borrowed the best ones regularly, just to save them from being culled, but it made no difference. And I couldn’t attend the sales as they were on when I was committed elsewhere. I’ve retrieved some of the same titles through the internet, but it costs a fortune in postage to Australia. It seems to me that American and UK USBs are more organised about being on the web, so thats where I have to search if I’m looking for particular titles. And you’re right — once those books are gone, it’s unlikely they’ll ever become available again unless someone e-publishes them. Thank goodness for Gutenberg.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:47 PM
Minna, the internet has been a great source of finding hard-to-find books for me, too. I remember my first-ever experience of it. Long ago, when I was writing my second novel (Tallie’s Knight) I used a rare book for research that I’d requested from my state library (the big central one) on inter-library loan to my local library. I had to read that book in the library in a special section of the library — I wasn’t allowed to take it home. Shortly after the book was accepted for publication, I learned about rare bookfinder dot com (as it was then) and idly searched for this rare book. I found a copy in Ireland — it was a bit pricey, but still affordable, so I bought it, and I love it to bits that I now have it on my shelf.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 01:53 PM
Thanks Cara/Andrea — I am very much enjoying Pilcher. Another writer friend said “ugh — she’s so slow, I was bored to bits” and while I can see why my friend said that, I don’t feel the same at all. I just sink into Pilchers world and go along for the gentle, thoughtful, evocative ride. And the story slowly unrolls and there is definite tension. Lovely stuff — just not of the most modern kind. But clearly exactly what I’m in the mood for at the moment. And I will definitely glom the rest of her work.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 02:11 PM
Anne--wonderful blog and wonderful comments! My three favorite towns/cities for used books are Hay-on-Wye; Wigtown in Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland; and San Diego, California. In the 80s and 90s, I traveled for business a lot and always headed for the used book stores wherever I was. I am not sure why San Diego has so many great ones (and I have pondered it often), but for variety and sheer numbers, it wins hands down! During a long term consulting project stay, I became a regular at several stores, but one was very special for there I discovered Ngaio Marsh AND Rosamund Pilcher! By the time I finished that assignment, I had to ship boxes of books home!
So happy you have "found" Winter Solstice--I re-read it every Christmas. And the end of summer wouldn't be the same without dipping back into September. Pilcher creates memorable women characters and conveys such a clear sense of place.
Happy used book shopping!
Posted by: Constance | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 03:19 PM
I really enjoyed this blog, Anne. Thank you! Before I read all of them, I knew this would result in a lot of great comments. These were fun to read. I share almost all of the same experiences with my reading. I'm reading most of my books on my Kindle now, with the ability to change that font size, thank God!! But having experienced the small individual used bookstore with the personal service, someone you can connect with is something I wish never had to go away. Would always be there to help introduce and inspire new readers, and satisfy and challenge established ones.
By the way, Anne. Which Ibbotson would you recommend starting with?
Posted by: Michelle H | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 03:23 PM
If you ever get a chance to listen to Rosamund Pilcher's Winter Solstice read by Lisa Burget, The Shell Seekers read by Barbara Rosenblat or September read by Eve Karpf.... They are so so good. Yes they are a slow read and an even slower listen (September takes 21 hours) but they are wonderful.
Many of her books have been "read by" other audio book readers but because those are the readers I first heard, those are the only versions I will listen to.
I wish I was still driving long distances because I miss listening to those books once a year.
Oh and yes...used book stores.... I can't live without them. Definitely a good place to find new authors that I wouldn't have risked money on at full price.
Posted by: Vicki W. | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 06:22 PM
I can't believe you've never read Rosamund Pilcher! You are in for a treat, because Winter Solstice is not even her best. imo, the kudos go to The Shell Seekers and Coming Home which is an incredible WW II saga. And some of her short novels are great too.
Posted by: Karin | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 06:28 PM
I have a friend who recently moved to Katy, I'll have to tell her about that store, because she is quite a reader. Thanks!
Posted by: Karin | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 06:30 PM
I don't go to used bookstores as much as I used to, most of my needs are met by Amazon and Scribd and Paperbackswap.com and the library. My local used bookstore is in a beach town, so I guess that's what keeps them going. I've had some good finds in thrift shops and library used book sales. Another town near me, Ocean Grove, has a giant annual used book sale which is epic. People line up to be the first in when they open the gate. I think it's because of the variety of books left behind in old homes(Ocean Grove is a historic Victorian town) by either former owners or renters, that make this book sale so incredible for finding great out of print books. It lasts 3 days, and at the end of the last day there is a closeout sale and you can fill up a shopping bag for a few dollars. I collected most of my Patricia Wentworth books that way and lots of biographies and non-fiction.
There is a used bookstore that I read about recently, Argosy Books in New York. It's been there since 1925 and the 3rd generation of the same family still runs it. It's now on my bucket list!
Posted by: Karin | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 06:53 PM
When I was just out of college and living on my own for the first time, I discovered a used book store near my apartment. I paid regular visits (after each payday) and spent many hours (and a few dollars) searching for books that I might enjoy. When I wore out my very favorite (out of print) cookbook, off I went to the UBS to find a replacement (all they had was the paperback version, but that was fine with me). My Nephew and his wife als haunt the local used book stores where they live. My Christmas gift from them one year came from there (a volume of Jane Austen novels). Walking through the door of a UBS is always an adventure, and who can resist acquiring a "buried treasure" for pennies on the dollar.
Posted by: Claire | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 07:20 PM
Vicki I will recommend these to my friend Fi who drives kong hours in her job and listenes to e-books all the way.
Thanks so much.
Since I wrote this blog, I have bought three more Rosamunde Pilcher books — the ones Janga recommended.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 09:55 PM
Karin thanks so much. I have just bought the Shell Seekers and Coming Home and September. My friend, author Barbara Hannay was the person who bought me my first Rosamunde Pilcher and started me on this wonderful glom. And you and mary jo have recommended her short stories too, so I’ll be chasing them, too. Thanks.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 10:00 PM
Oooh, Ocean Grove — I know it well, used to swim there as a child and have relatives on the Bellarine Peninsula. Queenscliff has some good used bookshops, I know. I will definietly investigate the Ocean Grove shop and its annual booksale — thanks Karin. And if I go to New York this year I will try to find Argosy. Thanks.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 10:01 PM
Thanks, Claire, you have reminded me of another reason for going to used bookshops - replacing books that I’ve lent to others and never received back — or books that have “walked”. I know I chased down a few of my favourite cookbooks that had disappeared and replaced them that way. And you’ve provoked my curiosity — what was the favorite cookbook that you had to replace?
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 10:04 PM
Oh Michelle — which Ibbotson? — that’s a tough one.
My favorites are The Countess Below Stairs (aka Secret Countess) Magic Flutes (aka the Reluctant Heiress) and The Morning Gift. But I also love Song for Summer and A Company of Swans.
Just don’t read them all at once, though, because she revisits some plot devices in a couple f book — which doesn’t matter if you read them with other books in between, but not if you read them all in one hit, one after the other.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 10:14 PM
I can’t believe I missed the UBSs in San Diego when I was there last summer!! Mind you, I was at a romance conference and didn’t exactly come away from it short of books. But still! *g*
I now have four lovely fat Pilcher novels, and feel very happy about it.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 10:16 PM
Much like you, I had to stretch my allowance. In India, we used to be able to used books on sidewalks near colleges. I used to haunt each and every vendor browsing through his collection. It got a point where they they knew me well enough to hold aside a book I would be looking for. First it was just textbooks for school. Then romances. Victoria Holt, Georgette Heyer, Mills & Boons (Harlequin), etc,. Even after I was married and moved to the States, I couldn't really afford new books. So church sales, yard sales, house sales, you name it sales, second hand shop sales were still more "expensive " than all these sales. And thus started my Readers Digest Condensed Books collection. All beautifully hardcover bound in excellent condition. And the stories! My God! They are fascinating. Spellbinding. I still have them. This was almost forty years ago. They are no longer available.
Posted by: Kantu | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 01:20 AM
Hi Anne, one of my best childhood memories is going into a secondhand bookshop during a seaside holiday and agonising over the pile I could afford. Imagine my delight when I took them to the counter and the owner gave me a discount, my first ever! Needless to say, I was back there later in the week to buy a few more!
Have you been to a secondhand bookshop called Beyond Q in the Curtin centre in Canberra? It's wonderful and well worth hunting out. They have a delightful cafe where a musician performs live as well. The day my friend took me there, a pianist was playing and singing, but apparently the musician (and their instrument) changes from day to day.
Posted by: Laura Boon | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 03:53 AM
Anne, I think we might be talking about 2 different Ocean Groves. The one I meant is in New Jersey!
Posted by: Karin | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 07:48 AM
Thanks Anne!
Posted by: Michelle H | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 12:32 PM
Hi Laura — I think holiday locations are good places for second-hand bookshops to flourish — part of a blissful holiday IMO is being able to read as much as you want. I’ve never been to Beyond Q or heard of it. I was in Canberra a few weeks ago, and I’m sorry I missed it. A bookstore with coffee and live music sounds wonderful. Thanks for the recommendation.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 01:53 PM
Kantu, how wonderful that second-hand bookstores fed your hungry mind so well. I also have books from my younger days bought for a few cents and still treasured. And yes, they’re now rarities. Thanks for joining in the conversation.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 01:53 PM
LOL I think you’re right, Karin. They’re probably both named after an Ocean Grove in the UK.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Friday, March 27, 2015 at 02:13 PM
I love this post! I do really like second-hand bookstores, and I poke around them whenever I can. The problem is that there's no one here where I love -a little town. So whenever I go to a big city I visit their bookstores, second-hand or not.
The first time I read a Sandra Brown's novel was when I bought one very cheap in a bilingual second-hand bookstore in Barcelona near twenty years ago. She became inmediately one of my favourite authors.
As I usually read books that have been published some years ago, second-hand book stores have been very important to me. Now, with the e-book, it's different, but in the past it was the only way to read all the books in the backlists of your favourite writers.
My favourite one is not one bookstore but a place in Madrid which is called "la cuesta de Moyano" at the end of the same boulevard where the Thyssen or the Prado Museums are. It's a short stretch of the street just next to the Botanical Gardens. There are little booths, one per each bookstore, where you can find very good books for just a couple of bucks.
Posted by: Bona | Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 11:44 AM
Lovely, Bona. My very first experience of a second-hand bookstall was when I was 7 or 8 and we were travelling through France. Id run out of books to read and so my mother combed the bookstalls on the banks of the Seine to find a book in English suitable for a child. She found one and I read it and reread it and its still a treasured possession.
Posted by: Anne Gracie | Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 02:52 PM