Wonders of Used Books and the Queen of Run On Sentences

So today was unusually productive. But I guess that's what happens when you get up at 6:30 on a Saturday. Among productive things were taking the SATs (ugh), getting sufficiently lost in a neighborhood that I should know my way around in by now (I passed this one pedestrian three times... I'm sure he thought I was crazy), went to the bank only to find that it was closed(at 2 p.m. on a Saturday RAWR), got some junk out of my room that's not mine and yet has been festering in a corner for longer than I'm comfortable admitting, looked frantically for my ATM card for the 5th time this week (to no avail), and rode my bike to the post office and the book exchange.

This is the part that I like.

I really love the book exchange. My first few summers in this town I would always ride my bicycle there with my sister and we'd bring them our old books and get new books for free (technically, store credit) and then go to Food Lion and buy a piece of chocolate cake or Arby's and get curly fries or little chocolates from the Chocolatier around the corner (we could only ever afford one each) and what have you. Fun times.

But it's actually quite neat because they really have lots and lots of books that are actually good books in good condition. And half price. Who knew?!

My main mission today was to find a book I know we're going to be reading in English in a few weeks, (I was tired of renewing library books for months and months because that's how long it takes for my class to get through a literary work... not that I mind that, but when you have a library book, keeping up with the constantly changing due dates is a pain) as well as get rid of a bunch of old books that I'm fairly certain are not something I'll be reading again. Or just something that I don't want sitting on my bookshelf because it makes me feel self conscious (http://static.wetpaint.me/pll/ROOT/photos/2.jpg) and yes, I do get self conscious about my books. But only sometimes.

Anyways, mission accomplished! I may have only gotten rid of less than half of the books I brought, and my dad may have had to cover the $4 and something cents that my store credit from the books I'd traded wouldn't cover, but I got all of the books I was hoping I would find... plus a few more :)

The Prince and the Pauper & Huckleberry Finn (can you see, I got a really cool, old-looking edition) because I'm a big Mark Twain fan but actually haven't read any of his books (there's a reasonable explanation, I promise. Some other time)

Their Eyes Were Watching God because I need to read it over Spring Break for English (I was actually supposed to read it last summer, but oh well)

The Great Gatsby because the story sounds interesting and I just kinda want to have it... and maybe read it in the future.

Pigs in Heaven because I really liked The Bean Trees.

You know what I realized? Books are the ideal things to buy. You don't have to try them on, worry about how they look on you, they're low maintenance, you usually get exactly what you paid for, they don't go bad, they're entertaining and decorative... I don't know, I guess I just get a particularly rewarding feeling whenever I buy some new books.

Cheers, and may you buy some books for yourself in the near future.