I'm an English major, so it's obvious that I love books. My favorite place to be is in a library or a bookstore. I have a book shelf in my room overflowing with books, which means that it's probably time for me to get rid of some of them. Even the books I didn't really enjoy reading are hard to give away. Me giving them away to someone else is the equivalent of someone else giving away their animal or something. And yes, it is that serious. It's not that these books are actually special or anything, but they are special to me. Used books are my favorite, and trust me, these books are used.
Instead of buying brand new books, I instead prefer to buy used books. Why? Because they're just better. First of all, they are so much cheaper than new books. As someone that loves buying large amounts of books for no particular reason, cheaper is better. Cheap is also better when you're a college student. A lot of people ask me "why don't you just use the library?" Well, I often use the library, however, having your own books is just better. Plus you don't have to worry about due dates and such, which is always nice. I mean, of course, going to the library would be even cheaper than buying used books, but where is the fun in that?
Going inside a used books store is like an adventure. If you're in a rush, then I suggest that you should avoid entering a used bookstore because you can spend hours here, if you are anything like me. You seriously never know what you are going to find, and sometimes you find books that you wish you didn't find. Trust me, you can find some pretty weird books in there that makes you question why a book like that was ever published. You can also find some pretty mainstream books, as well. It's the weird books, however, that makes things fun. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I've spent in bookstores looking at super weird books. It's fantastic, and I suggest that everyone do it just once in their life.
Not only are the books cheaper, but they also have more character. I know a lot of people are probably thinking "why does a book need character?" I must admit that a book does not need character to be good, but it is a nice touch. Each used book is unique and has a story. It's always interesting to see the markings that previous owners put in the books. A used book is also more welcoming. The pages and spine are usually worn, which is just more comforting. A lot of book fanatics cringe at the idea of worn, somewhat damaged book, but I welcome it. It shows that the books has had an interesting life and I like that.
