Used Books

I like used books. I would rather buy a used book than a new book. Reasons? A used book has a history. Other hands have handled it, read it, dog-eared the pages, marked it, abandoned it. I like to imagine where a used book has been, who the previous owner was, and the path it has taken to get to my hands.

Among my many used books, I have found copies from many states. I've got books that were originally in libraries in California, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and many points north and south. I've got paperbacks and hardbacks. Many are inscribed.

I like used books. When I buy a new book, I feel that I'm buying a piece of the publisher (not a bad feeling in itself), but a used book offers a unique affinity with a reader and the author. There is an exchange of ideas and history.

This week I read that Louis L'Amour had a 17,000 volume personal library at the time of his death. I've got a library of some 3,000 books, and a long way to go to match Louis. I doubt my wife will allow me to collect many more without selling a few. I don't want to be absolutely buried in books.

But then . . . being buried in books wouldn't be a bad way to go. Cheap burial. And that way I wouldn't be at a loss for words.