3 little words that alway bring a smile to my face are… Half Price Books.
http://www.hpb.com/
In a world where books can be purchased instantly online and read on your computer or Kendel or listened to on your iPod, I must admit to being a bit of a snob when it comes to books. I love the feeling of holding a book in my hands, of feeling the pages between my fingers, and yes, even the smell of an old book. The last of these quirks developed many years ago when I was a child spending the summer with my grandparents. My sister and I would walk to the library where the kids books were kept in the lower level/basement. On our first visit to the library, I became instantly aware of the unique smell of the books. A mix of cool musty air, dust, & time. Yes, I believe you can smell time on a book. That smell is something I still look for when buying a book. And is also why the words Half Price Books make me so happy. You can find so many great/old books at Half Price Books stores. When it comes to deciding which copy of a book to buy I base my choice on 3 things.
1. The price of the book
2. The condition of the book
3. The smell of the book
If the books are all of similar price & condition then I make my final decision based on the smell. You can bet money that the oldest smelling book will win. This is a quirk that I can say I’m proud to share with my 10-year-old son. On any given trip to Half Price Books you can plan on seeing us sniff more than one book. I’m not sure what the other customers think of us when they see us doing this, but I don’t really care. It brings a smile to my face every time my son turns to me and says “Mom, you have to smell this one, It smells really good!” I hope my son will grow up to enjoy holding a book in his hands, feeling the pages between his fingers, and yes, even the smell of an old book.
So the next time you’re looking for a good book at a great price, be sure to check out your local Half Price Books. You never know, you just might like the feel of holding a book as much as I do! And they don’t even mind if you go around sniffing their books 🙂
Our latest batch of goodies from Half Price Books.
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