After the electricity went out on Saturday, Lana and headed out to the second hand store. I generally spend most of my time looking at the books, and I always find a few that call out to me to take them home. Interestingly, I tend to see different kinds of books at the second hand stores, books I don't normally stumble upon in regular bookstores or when I'm browsing online stores. Here's a few of the items I found.
1. A young adult King Kong published by Grosset and Dunlap. It's got a pretty cool cover of Kong climbing the final tower with the planes coming in toward him. There's even a "photo insert" with photos from the original movie. This is a 2005 reissue of a 1932 copyrighted work, it appears.
2. I generally do not like or read books featuring real historical figures such as Abe Lincoln, but I have a soft spot for Charles Darwin so I brought home The Darwin Conspiracy, by John Darnton. I'd never heard of this one before.
3. The Fire Thief, by Terry Deary, which I had actually heard of. This is another YA series, and I think this might be the first one in the series.
4. Blade Runner: Replicant Night, by K. W. Jeter. I loved the movie, Blade Runner, but had no idea there'd been a sequel written.
5. Empire of the Ants, by Bernard Werber, which is apparently a kind of Watership Down, with ants. Since I've always loved stories about micro folks and ants I had to get it.
6. An apparently very non-PC western by Chet Cunningham called Sioux Slaughter, which starts out with an Indian scalping a white man. The oddest thing, to me, is that it was published in 1998. I'm looking forward to reading it to see if it really is as non-PC as it seems.
7. Jack Ketchum's She Wakes. Ketchum can flat out write.
8. The Last Place God Made, by Jack Higgins. I've always enjoyed whatever I've read with the Higgins name on it and this looks like some grand old adventure.
Such a shame I don't have more time to read. Really, really a shame.
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Sounds like a in interesting haul. But I feel your pain about no time to read...
ReplyDeleteAlmost nothing is as relaxing and cathartic for me as wandering a big used book store and I agree, never enough time to read all I would like.
ReplyDeletewanted to write a sweeping maritime adventure featuring ants when I was little! Thanks for reminding me, C
ReplyDeleteAloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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btw: used bookstores MADE me: Leary's & Book Trader in Phila
ReplyDeleteI love looking for used books in my area's second-hand and antique stores. I can go in, spend $5, and walk out with a goodly stack of reading material. I've found tons of '50-'70s sci-fi, fantasy and hard boiled paperbacks this way. Actually, I probably buy as many books this way as I do for my Kindle, and includes all the freebie e-books.
ReplyDeleteJeter actually wrote three sequels to Bladerunner(the last wasn't released here in the States if I remember correctly). He tried to combine elements from both Dick's novel(DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?) with the best of the film. I have read 2 & 3, but it's been so long, I don't remember much about them.
ReplyDeleteThe one you have was his second, third in the series when you count the Dick. The fourth is BEYOND ORION and I've just discovered they have used copies of the English paperback available on Amazon.
Charles, sometimes i think you're a sort of psychic or somethinglike that. becaus eonly thre days ago a second hand store (that have used books, too) opened here where i live!
ReplyDeleteWow, some excellent finds. Curious, how much did you spend, if you don't mind sharing that info.
ReplyDeleteQuite a haul, Charles. I'm glad you mentioned Jack Higgins and THE LAST PLACE GOD MADE is a gripping story. Higgins, one of my favourite authors, makes writing fiction look so easy. I still read and re-read Higgins every year.
ReplyDeletenot heard of these titles, but sound promising...
ReplyDeleteis jack ketcham related to cartoonist, hank, creator of 'dennis the menace'?
Hm. I saw the movie, Blade Runner.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what it was about...But then it seemed the film makers had also botched Solaris, my favourite SF book, by Stanislaw Lem.
It dis seem to me, though my green eyes that Jeter seemed more like Peter in The Peter Principle...Seemed to have reached his level of incompetence compared to a giant like Lem.
Oh hat the hell. Who is all that competent?
You certainly had an interesting time amongst the used books - quite a variety.
ReplyDeleteTom, it's frustrating, man.
ReplyDeleteDavid J., I agree. Bookstores just calm me down.
Cloudia, that sounds very cool. I would buy that book.
Ty, I used to shop that way more often than I do now, but I do still like getting my hands dusty with old books.
Randy, if I ever knew about those books I've forgotten. It seems like a logical thing to have been done, given the detail of that world that was left unexplored in the movie.
Deka, I may be more powerful than I imagine. :)
Sean, you know I didn't even look but it was only a few bucks. Lana bought some clothes too and our total was less than 20 dollars.
Prashant, it's been too long since I've read a Higgins. I'm looking forward to this one.
Laughingwolf, I don't know about Ketchum being related to the cartoonist. He's a horror/suspense writer and I've always liked his stuff.
Ivan, I liked Blade Runner quite a bit but was very curious about the world it spoke of. I'll be interested in seeing how the books expand on that world.
Bernard, I am an eclectic reader for sure!
My wife doesn't understand how I can spend hours in a bookstore (new or used) and then have to be dragged kicking and screaming to the car when it's time to go. Used book stores are one of the main reasons I no longer have shelf space at home.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Psycho by Robert Bloch, first published in 1959, with a Tor edition in 1989? Try picturing Anthony Perkins in the book.
ReplyDeleteKeith, we are compadres, man!
ReplyDeleteJan, I have read Psycho, and a few other works by Bloch, mostly his short stories. Good stuff.
i'd, too would like to read your number six on this particular list, but basically i love the idea to buy old and good books.
ReplyDeleteSo many books, so little time.
ReplyDeleteAnd I didn't know there was a sequel to Blade Runner either.
Szelsofa, so many books, so little time!
ReplyDeleteAlex, lol. I just wrote that comment to the commenter before you. Apparently from what I'm hearing, there are 3 sequels by Jeter, or three novels that are post the Blade Runner movie.
Love bookstores. Want more time to read. Agreed on both counts.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you got some interesting books!
ReplyDeleteOne fine conception of a Heaven might be a vast comfortable library inside and a vast & peaceful natural space for perambulating outside.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, used book stores are fascinating places, as are their tomes and zines and workers and denizens, plus sometimes a cat or dog roaming around, or snoozing.
I'm with you Charles. It's so hard to find time to read anymore. I think I'll take a speed reading course. Wait- I don't have time to do that.
ReplyDeletePaul, I suspected you might.
ReplyDeleteGolden eagle, indeed so.
Erik, I could go for a heaven like that.
Read, I speed read when I have to but it takes a lot of the fun out of it!
a diverse collection there!
ReplyDeleteI found Bladrunner to be dark and a little creepy, as for the novel, I don't know what happened to British writing, but it was atrocious.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not really into SF. Maybe they all write that way now. What do I know.
If you don't know Jeter you don't know Dick? :)
I absolutely love getting lost in the used bookstores here in Portland. I live about 10 minutes away from a branch of Powell's, and while my wife and I joke about how "dangerous" that place is and how walking in there is always bad for our wallet's health, we were also just talking about Powell's upcoming 30% off sale. :)
ReplyDeleteI've wandered those shelves for hours, discovering new authors, find books I always meant to check out, learning, getting lost in new worlds, etc., etc., etc.
Can't go wrong with Ketchum. Empire of the Ants sounds cool, I'm gonna check that one out. I just recently read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, I didn't know there was a sequel either. Enjoy the books!
ReplyDeleteSage, I'm a pretty eclectic reader.
ReplyDeleteIvan, Dick's stuff was just full of interesting ideas, although he didn't always carry it off perfectly.
Derek, you make me jealous. We don't have a store like that here. AFter Hurricane Katrina, we lost our best used bookstore to TExas. That was very disappointing.
Greg, Empire of the ants does sound pretty cool. I"m looking forward to having a few minutes to start it.
You really made out on your purchase, Charles. Love to hit those thrift stores and their book shelves. D
ReplyDeleteIs there anything more fun than hitting a bookstore?
ReplyDeleteHey Charles you only have 27 more years to go before you retire...just think of all the reading and writing time you'll have then.
ReplyDeleteI really am sorry buddy but I couldn't help myself, chalk the above up to pain drugs...mainly because I feel yours.
donnetta, I absolutely cannot stop buying books. I'm addicted.
ReplyDeletePatti, I think there might be, but nothing to be done in public. :)
Mark, yeah, you're sweet, man. Jus sweet. :)
Used books have an unaccountable appeal for me, too. I enjoy shopping online at AbeBooks and waiting to see what comes in the mail.
ReplyDeleteNever knew there were any additional BLADE RUNNER stories, either. Makes me recall Alan Dean Foster's SPLINTER OF THE MIND'S EYE, which I, and my friends KNEW would be the next (2nd) Star Wars movie --and wasn't. I think I'm still sad about that.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about no time to read i like so much.
ReplyDeleteSecond Hand Vans