Episode #222: Let's Talk About Gently Used Books

His name could be George, and one could hold him and squeeze him and love him and pet him. Or...his name could be Anonymous as he was just strolling through a nearby front yard on a sunny afternoon before returning to the mountain.

I often go off on strange tangents about the gently used c.d.'s that I've purchase at my local library, who do year round fundraisers via the Friends Of The Library, but it's very seldom that I go off on a strange tangent about gently used books.

My local library will often put two types of books on sale {roughly 98% off the hardcover price}: donations and culled.

The first type are self explanatory, in that because they get donations throughout the year, they have created a lovely used bookstore within the library that carries all types of books, from fiction to non-fiction and all types of YA, MG and Elementary. The price range for those books are often between $2 and $3 per hardcover and softcover.

The other type, "culled", are books that have been removed from circulation, and instead of being recycled {yes, some libraries actually do this} or offered to third-party e-tailers/vendors, they will often add them to their small used bookstore to sell them to the general public with the aforementioned price range.

I have restarted buying books in general about a year ago, and I have been very selective on what I like to acquire new, which is strictly due to budgetary concerns. Obviously, these concerns are thrown out the window when it comes to used books, due to the massive price point differential. 

Because I have such eclectic tastes when it comes to reading material {always lean towards non-fiction}, I've been able to indulge those particular tastes with a few used book purchases. These four titles are equally split between gently used donations and culled from circulation. I have read three of the four, but I will offer a short opinion behind my reasoning in choosing them.

1} Come On Shore And We Will Kill You And Eat You All by Christina Thompson: I am a history buff. I love reading all of the various sub-genres under the History classification {900-999 in ye old Dewey Decimal System}. This book is part memoir and part history about the country of New Zealand. Highly fascinating and very nuanced read about the history/people of New Zealand.

2} Of All The Gin Joints by Mark Bailey and Edward Hemingway: This book gives a fascinating peek of Hollywood via the various well known saloons that the famous and infamous of the movie era visited from 1895 through 1979. Lots of salacious stories of the saloons, the people and a few drink recipes to boot.

3} The Oregon Trail-A New American Journey by Rinker Buck: This book is part history {The Oregon Trail} and part adventure, as the author and his brother traveled the entire Oregon Trail {Missouri to Oregon} via a covered wagon and a mule team during the summer of 2015. Highly enjoyable read about the history of the Oregon Trail and the history of westward expansion. I put this book on the same level as "The Blue Highways" travelogue.

4} American Mirror-The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell by Dorothy Solomon: I've always liked memoirs and biographies, and I must admit, I was always curious about Norman Rockwell. Just started reading this book, but this looks like it's going to be an interesting read, if only because of the participation/cooperation of the Norman Rockwell Family and Museum {I've read bios that did not have the participation of the subjects being written about, and I always felt it was wrong to write a bio w/o the subject's participation}.

The total cost of all four of these books was $8 {no tax}, and the monies spent went to a very good cause. Lately I have found that this has been the easiest way for me to support my library, if only because I haven't checked out any books since the very beginning of the pandemic. My reading habits have drastically changed, in that it now takes me longer to read a book than the length of time I'm allowed to have a library book {I believe the current loan period for our library is three weeks}. I really do not want to check a book out, only to return it half completed, as that feels off. So spending my limited discretionary funds judiciously seems to be the best way to get my reading fix in.

Tune in next week, when I'll do a short review of the books I had recently bought on Amazon, and those choices are just as eclectic as the used books mentioned above.

{c} 2024 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved

Episode #221: More Ye Olden E-Mail Humors

Another good sign that Spring has sprung...Flowers!

Having no real idea on what to blog about this week (well, actually I do have one, but I'm certainly not in the mood to inflict my whining on my readers), I thought I would trip down my work memory lane and dig out a 15 1/2 year old e-mail to share.

Now I'm going to tweak a key word here, because I don't quite remember if I had posted this in a previous blog of mine or not. Also, I just realized that tweaking that one word will probably give everyone conniption fits afterwards. Enjoy!

Because I'm A Woman!

1} Because I'm a woman: when I lock my keys in the car, I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after hypothermia has set it. Calling AAA is not an option. I will win.

2} Because I'm a woman: when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another woman shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know where to start." We will then drink a couple of White Claws and break wind as a form of holy communion.

3} Because I'm a woman: when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You're a man. You never get as sick as I do, so for you, this is no problem.

4} Because I'm a woman: I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like wine, milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic things like 'cumin' or 'tofu'. For all I know, these are the same thing.

5} Because I'm a woman: when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together.

6} Because I'm a woman: I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch t.v. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole show looking for it...though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator.

7} Because I'm a woman: there is no need to ask me what I'm thinking about. The true answer is always either sex, cars, sex, food. I have to make up something else when you ask, so don't ask.

8} Because I'm a woman: I do not want to visit your mother, or have your mother come visit us, or talk to her when she calls, or think about her any more than I have to. Whatever you got for Mother's Day is okay. I don't need to see it. And don't forget to pick something up for my mother too.

9} Because I'm a woman: you don't have to ask me if I liked the movie. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't....and if you are feeling amorous afterwards....then I will certainly at least remember the name and recommend it to others.

10} Because I'm a woman: I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it, looks fine. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now?

11} Because I'm a woman: and this is, after all, the year 2024, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the dishes, and I'll do the rest.....Like wandering around in the garden with a glass of Chablis wondering what to do.

This has been a public service message for men to better understand women.

Here's to a fantastic Monday and a fantabulous rest of your week.

{c} 2024 by G.B. Miller. All Rights Reserved