It just so happens that I bought a lot of books this month, most of them at second-hand places, like the thrift store or the used bookstore. So I thought it might be fun to do a thing I often see done, and show off my haul of the month.

First, early in the month I went to a thrift store near my house for unrelated purchases. They have a few shelves of books, and as I couldn’t resist browsing, I ended up with these two books.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I took advantage of a trip downtown to treat myself to a big chain bookstore visit, as I really wanted those specific books.

On Friday, as the weather was so nice, I took a chance to stop a the thrift store on my way home from work. I mostly wanted to see how practical of a walk it was, and figured I might grab a book or two if any caught my eye. 20 minutes later, I was in line at the cashier with my arms full.

Finally, I remembered a used bookstore that used to be near my parent’s house. Yesterday I decided to check if it was a) still open, and b) worth the detour. The answers are yes, and sure, if I’m visiting my parents.

Total haul: 19 books.

I wasn’t keen on the idea of second-hand books, for ages. I think part of it was that for a really long time, most of my books were second-hand; first from my parent’s collection, and then from scouring garage sales. I’ve changed my mind. I do like the experience of going to the bookstore and getting brand new books, but I am currently in the process of re-building my book collection, and brand-new books can be really expensive. Comparing the thrift store to the big chain store: I got 2.5 times the amount of books for approximately the same price. Part of the secret is to go with an open mind, because the one specific thing you want may very well not be there.