The Paperback Boox-X-Change

A couple of weeks ago I went on a little trip to buy used books with my friend Jen. We went to my favorite used book store, the Paperback Boox-X-Change. I took a crate full of books with me!

This is a very interesting little place. The owner, Mike, actually lives in the store, along with his adorable cat Janie:

Mike is an eccentric character by account of all of those who meet him (at least those whom I've spoken to) and you're bound to notice this the moment you meet him, too. But he's also very friendly and makes you feel right at home, that I wouldn't take my books anywhere else but to him. At least I haven't found any other place where one is treated with such friendliness and politeness, and that gives such good deals. You always do have to pay a little, but he is fair as can be when you give him your old books to exchange them for your new finds in the store, and I regularly leave the place feeling almost as though I robbed the guy!

My latest excursion yielded a haul of 22 books, with many gorgeous hardcovers among them, including “Gnomes” and “Secrets of the Gnomes”, both by Will Huygen. This brings my current book total to 735, not counting the 10 comic books I've got coming in the mail, gorgeous reprints of old comics the majority of them. I'm pretty set on holding a party the day I reach 1000 books. I might get crafty and make book related goodies for my friends, and have a pile of Bookcrossing books to give away, too. =)

Today I had the luck of spotting a HUGE Back to School sale at Things From Another World with many comics at 60% off, so I was able to get seven books for just $45.00 (plus free shipping to boot!) If you like comic books, I recommend you check it out while it lasts.

As usual, I'm reading more than one book at the same time. After finally reading Little Women (okay, okay: I listened to most of the audiobook and read the rest when I found the actual book at the Paperback Book-X-Change) I have a lot of Louisa M. Alcott to go through. At the moment I am reading Little Men, and then it'll be Under the Lilacs and Jo's Boys. Besides Little Men, I'm reading The Incredible Journey and my three-books-in-one volume of Guardians of Ga' Hoole. I want to finish that one before Sunday, when I'll be going to see the movie. That way I will be prepared to complain about everything that has been changed from the original version after I see it! ;P

Well, that does it for my long overdue book-related post. Expect another one after the Miami Book Fair International and the Miami-Dade Public Library 10th Annual Book Sale, when I'll be getting literally as many used books as I can carry home with me! :D

-Marina