Do you ever search for books? I mean a specific book, maybe one that's out of print, or a specific cover that you want for your collection? I do, and I love to haunt used bookstores looking for this or that elusive prize. It's like a quest! I was thinking about this the other day and it brought back several memories that made me smile. I'll share one of them here.
So years ago as a kid we were on a trip to Florida and I saw a book called Urshurak in the Tampa airport gift shop. It was a big trade paperback type book, written and illustrated by the Hildebrandt brothers (famous for their Tolkien and Star Wars images). Urshurak was an ambitious project, intended to also be a film, but that never happened. and to be honest, it wasn't a very good book- in fact, saying it's awful might be kind? But that's not the point- the point is it was a big, lush fantasy and as a kid I was swimming in those! However, for whatever reason I lost the book- I'm not sure what happened to it.
Fast forward maybe ten years and I'm in college, and seeing a girl I would date for six years. We were in a used bookstore in Midland MI and I was, among other things, looking for Urshurak. As I did in every used bookstore I came across. For nostalgia value mainly- I already knew the book hadn't aged well, but I was a Hildebrandt fan and wanted a copy. I didn't expect to find it that day. Imagine my surprise when she said- is this it?
The copy of The Hobbit pictured above is another that I had to have for the cover. That's the version I read as a kid so again I had a nostalgic attachment to that cover. Luckily this one is easier to find! But I've found over the years that there's a part of me that loves the chase- the quest for that certain book or edition. Does anyone else ever feel the same?
Nowadays the internet makes it so much easier to search for and track down those old favorites, rare editions, or out of print books. But there's still nothing like searching in person at used book stores. Browsing the stacks with the possibility of finding the needle in the haystack. I've definitely done that with some old childhood favorites.
ReplyDeleteThe internet is amazing for that! It's so easy now to find something and order it, but I still love the challenge of haunting used bookstores and finding something- a treasure. :) It's fun!!!!!!!
DeleteI used to be an avid book collector, before I had kids. (Having kids puts the brakes on spending a lot of money on books!) And I always had certain bookstores I would haunt when I was looking for something specific. Now I subscribe to quite a few online booksellers and on the rare occasion I'm looking for an older book, that's what I turn to.
ReplyDeleteI did too! I don't do it nearly as much now, oddly since I'm a book blogger, but in college or even younger I used to hit used bookstores ALL the time. But the internet makes it easier now.
DeleteI’m not a book collector, so I’ve never searched for different editions of a specific book, but there are a lot of out-of-print books on my TBR list. I always get really excited when I find one for a reasonable price. I wish there were more used bookstores around here. Searching the shelves for something interesting is a lot of fun.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
It is. I love hanging out in used bookstores. And we have less than we used to also, I imagine with online a lot of them have gone out. One local used told me a lot of her business is online.
DeleteI absolutely do this! Sometimes it's to add to my collection, but it also is often just to see how many copies of a particular edition (that I am attached to) are floating around.
ReplyDeleteYay! I've been known to, um, get multiple copies- after all you gotta have a reading copy, and at least one display copy if it's a fave, right??
DeleteThank goodness it isn't just me...
DeleteI own three copies of Wuthering Heights, two of which I got from a library discard sale for $0.50 each that were beautiful and I knew would get thrown out otherwise.
Sadly I’m not into this but I do collect different editions of my favorite book Frankenstein.
ReplyDeleteOoh that'd be fun!
DeleteI so don't do this, but the hunt for these elusivr books does sound like a challenge! I do love just browsing used bookstores.
ReplyDeleteI do too- one of my fave things. :)
DeleteI will take whatever cover I can find! SO nope on that :)
ReplyDeleteI can't say I do this - I don't actually own a lot of books, and I have a terrible habit of dog-earing my books and breaking their spines, so I don't bother buying anything too fancy. :-D
ReplyDeleteI get that too :)
DeleteNo, I usually just look online and buy what looks good to me. I haven't searched for something specific in a while.
ReplyDeleteI haven't done it in a while either, I seem to get everything online now!
DeletePhysical books are a struggle for me to read, so I don't really buy them, but I can understand people, who want multiple editions and maybe even a first edition. They have a whole room at The Strand of books behind glass because they are rare/valuable.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been buying as many physical books either, thanks to my Kindle!
DeleteOh yes, definitely! There are some that I've hunted down old, out of print versions of just to say I have them! I love that cover of The Hobbit!
ReplyDeleteI haven't gone searching for one in a few years but I used to enjoy it too. It was like treasure hunting. That cover of The Hobbit was the one I had when I first read it too. Such nostalgia!
ReplyDeleteSo there are basically zero bookstores here- though I do sometimes go to the BAM just to look at covers of the finished books I have ARCs for- sometimes there are fun surprises under the cover! BUT I have looked obsessively for a few books! Namely Hunger Games editions, of course. And sometimes they're quite hard to find, depending. Sometimes I will search for an international cover of another favorite, but it's all mostly online? I'd LOVE to be able to just go and dig through tons of books, seeing what hidden gems emerge!
ReplyDeleteI'm not one to hunt down a book, not really. I have been searching for a book from my childhood for years now though, but have been unable to find it. However, it's possible that I found it but didn't realize. I've forgotten the title, author, and what it's about. All I have to go on is that it has illustrations, is probably middle-grade, was probably popular in the UK in the late 1980s to early/mid-1990s, probably had a pink cover, and made me feel great when I read it. I believe when I find it, all the good memories of reading it will immediately rush back to me.
ReplyDeleteI've looked for books to finish a series, which is becoming harder with so many authors going indie and physical books being harder to get. As far as older books, sometimes I will find a fantasy author that I like and will try and find some of their older works and even that can be hard.
ReplyDeleteI've never really looked for a specific copy of a book but I remember in college I was on a mission to track down every single Agatha Christie book and considering I had no money it was strictly a used book store kind of thing. There were notebooks and checklists and when I finally had them it was almost a let down! But I still have my ragtag collection of mysteries and every once in awhile I get tempted to replace them with ones that all look the same but then I remember how much fun it was getting them all collected and change my mind!
ReplyDeleteI definitely do this! Some books I like to collect multiple editions of and others I'll want a very particular cover/edition. The thrill of the chase is pretty fun, I'll admit, especially when you have a used bookstore nearby that you can visit every few days just to see what interesting new books they've shelved :)
ReplyDeleteI can't say I've ever searched for specific editions or out-of-print books like this, but honestly it sounds fun! And I can imagine how satisfying it'd be to finally find the one you're looking for! Glad you managed to find that one :-)
ReplyDeleteI haven't looked for specific covers until just recently, but I looked online. I do look in thrift shops for the Pern books though. I think that is the cover of The Hobbit paperback that I read, too. Do you still have the Urshurak?
ReplyDeleteI definitely do this! Especially if I actually have money to spend on books for once. Right now, I'm looking to get a copy of The Giver by Lois Lowry that has the movie cover (luckily, it isn't too hard to find because it's still in print) but I'm also looking to get the old editions of the Harry Potter books. Maybe it's wasteful to have multiple editions of the same book but what can I say? The covers are so pretty!
ReplyDeleteLaura @BlueEyeBooks
I always keep my eye out for my favorite books. Love to have my favorites with different covers.
ReplyDeleteI've always got a short wishlist with me for when I go charity shop browsing! Sometimes I hunt down a specific cover of a book online too. When I was at school I was forever taking the same book out of the school library as I loved it. I was 14 at the time and it was called The Race, a novel set around the Kentucky Derby. I searched for it for years and about three years ago, a bookcrossing friend found it and sent it to me!
ReplyDeleteI love this topic, and the personal stories you've shared within it.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally seek out specific books in the sense you're talking about, however I am known to wait to buy a book if I think the current cover isn't 'the one' for me - this is typically with older series and such. My Harry Potter's & some Enid Blyton's come to mind with regards to this.
I don't think I have the patience to wade through the used bookstores, but there is an old book that I loved as a kid that I'd love to find called The Ghost Next Door. AND there's a used bookstore nearby. I might have to start haunting it.
ReplyDeleteNicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction
You know, I haven't actually done this in ages when it comes to books I want to buy. Though I have done it when looking for books to borrow at the library. :)
ReplyDeleteLauren @ Always Me
Oh, it must have been a Christmas Moment for you! In an obscure way..I felt that when I found SHACKED UP. It was so unexpected. Of course, I vowed I would read it cover to cover. I'm almost finished with it. I have hung on to a YA series LITTLE BLACK BOOK. Although, it could have been better. I felt it never delivered. One long commercial to the next book. I don't think the author even finished the series.
ReplyDeleteI do like to have specific covers too! I hope you ended up buying that copy! There are a few Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson & Alpha & Omega) hardcovers that you can't hardly find. They're on ebay and expensive! Like $500 or more. So I look for those every time I go into thrift stores.
ReplyDeleteI was at a big used book sale the other day. Find some books by Fritz Leiber, Gene Wolf, and Leigh Bracket. Also a bind up copy of Tales from the Flat Earth by Tanith Lee.
ReplyDeleteFor all of those authors its hard to find any of their books.