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Monday, April 8, 2019

Top Ten Outrageous Things I've Done For Books

  
 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week a new Top Ten list will be posted. Everyone is welcome to join. Link back so everyone can check out other bloggers' lists. It's a fun way to get to know fellow bloggers.

This week is Top Ten outrageous things I've done for love of books. I'm tweaking this one a bit- I'm going to share some things I've done, but also share some bookish memories since otherwise I might not have ten? I mean, I'm not outrageous. 


1) Skipping class 

I've related this story before but I once skipped class to keep reading a book. The kicker is the professor walked by after class- I was in a concourse with windows, enjoying my little reading perch, and... Embarrassing. 

2) Is this it?

This is another story I've told before (you can see here) but basically I was looking an out of print book and couldn't find it anywhere. I was in a used bookstore in Midland MI with my girlfriend at the time and she was helping me look. Needless to say I was amazed when she said

"Is this it?" 

3) Comic store virgin

Seriously the first time I went into a comic store I was gobsmacked. It was this place below street level; you had to go down some leaf strewn steps, a total dump. Comics though. My dad took me and my friend there, and afterwards we'd go to Old Town Drive-in and have coney dogs and root beer, while reading our comics right there at the counter. 
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4) Vault of Midnight

I was thinking of doing a feature on Vault of Midnight, one of my favorite comic stores in Ann Arbor, and when I looked them up online I almost fell out of my chair when I saw they had just opened a store in my town! Needless to say I booked my ass down there, and when I went in the woman behind the counter was a vampire. I love that store. :) 

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5) Mystery bookstores

Who knew there were bookstores devoted solely to mysteries? Well I didn't until I found Aunt Agatha's in Ann Arbor a few years ago. Sadly, this store closed last year, but I'm glad I got a chance to go there at least once- and I found a ton of out of print books there when I did! 

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6) East Lansing book scene

I lived in East Lansing for a few years (home to Michigan State University) and I had a few go-to used bookstores and comic shops. The book scene is pretty vibrant in E. Lansing just like in Ann Arbor. 

Curious Book Shop is an independent bookstore located in East Lansing, Michigan.Curious Book Shop is an independent bookstore located in East Lansing, Michigan.

Images courtesy Pinterest

77 comments:

  1. Haha, I remember the skipping class story. I've never actually been to a comic store, only the comic section of B&N, and that's intimidating enough! These are some fun stories :-)

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    1. You've never been to a comic store? Oh Kristen you need Vault of Midnight in your life! But some can be hit or miss. I wish you had V of M by you...

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  2. I love this! I didn't know they had bookstores solely for the mystery genre either! How cool is that. I would love to have one of those here.

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  3. Bookworms unique with all of the crazy bookworm things we do. :)

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  4. I've waited overnight outside of a bookstore for a book signing, I think that's probably the worst of it!

    ~Mogsy @ BiblioSanctum

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  5. I am so jealous. We have NO books stores in my town, used or new. Nada. Nothing. Zippo. A few of my examples involve book stores, too. My Bookish behaviors

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    1. Awww... I'm sad at how few used bookstores seem to be around these days...

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  6. It's quite apparent that we need to move to Michigan.(lol) Hugs...RO

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  7. At least you can say you skipped class for a good reason. ;)

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  8. Vault of Midnight looks like a very inviting comic book store.

    I almost called in to work to finish Enchantée... but didn't. I did once skip class to play Civilization though...

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    1. Vault of Midnight is awesome! Civ??? I LOVE Civ...

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  9. Great stories! I often read books in class, just hid them behind whatever text book we were supposed to be reading.

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  10. Loved reading your list, Greg! Skipping a class... naughty but so funny!My TTT

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  11. Awesome list :D
    Ack, I can not think of one! But I like yours

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  12. Ooh nice list! Funny thing is all these "outrageous" things I did don't really seem all that outrageous to me! I feel like it's more the norm where books are concerned! Lol.

    Here's my Tuesday Post

    Have a GREAT day!

    Old Follower :)

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    1. Right? Different rules for bookies... :)

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  13. Even though I'm from Canada, I've been to Michigan many times over - I wish I had known about some of these places! The Agatha bookstore looks so cool!

    www.tbrandbeyond.com

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  14. Great list! I once had a kind of similar experience with a book which I came across in Borders (RIP Borders, I miss you) when I was a teenager and didn't have enough money for, so I made a note of the title and came back when I got my wages. I couldn't find the book, but when I asked one of the booksellers to check when there might be stock in there was no record of the book ever being there. Luckily I found it a few months later!

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    1. Cool story! I'm glad you found it, there's nothing worse than going back and not having it be there!

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  15. Oh no you got caught skipping! LOL! This is such a wonderful list, Greg -- I'm beginning to see that this week's TTT is going to be a whole lot of joy in regards to books!

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    1. I did! And this is one of the better topics I've seen in a while...

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  16. Wow, cool list! I skipped out on things as well because I wanted to read a book but luckily never got caught that way. Love the book stores you mentioned, the English ones over here are often not well stocked so looking for a particular book that isn't a classics is always tricky.

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    1. I imagine! The search for that particular book was long and fruitless, until I had the right person w/ me looking :)

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  17. That skipping class story is too funny. Did your professor ever mention it to you when s/he saw you next?

    Here is our Top Ten Tuesday.

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  18. I've skipped class to read before too-sadly also got caught, but at least not directly after the class!
    My TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2019/04/09/top-ten-tuesday-206/

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  19. I love discovering new bookstores, I guess if I traveled more I'd find more of them, but it's also finding stores in your own backyard that you weren't even aware of!

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    1. Exactly. I may have done a happy jig when I found V of M in my own backyard!!

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  20. Love this! There is a cool comic book store in my town and I love going there with my son. I would totally skip a class to keep reading a book!

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  21. The woman behind the counter was a vampire? I need to visit this comic book store.

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    1. Yes. She was all done up, fangs... granted this was around Halloween but still.

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  22. You should totally blog about Vault of Midnight sometime. I'd love to hear all about it.

    Toronto has some fabulous comic book stores, but I find that every comic book store is so unique that it's worth visiting every single one you can find!

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    1. I did a spotlight at one time, but I need to do a new feature w/ lots of pics...

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  23. I too have skipped class among other things just to finish a book. I can't help it sometimes if it's so good!
    Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian

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  24. I can't say I've ever done any of those things. lol

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  25. For me, it would be traveling - just because I HATE flying but I've done it several times for bookish events. And attending huge book events (like BEA) is a big thing for me too. So many people and lines! lol

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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  26. If you ever visit Portland, Oregon make sure you go to Powell’s bookstore. I could live there. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head that I have done that is a little crazy for books.

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  27. Haha I love your story of skipping class! Figures that would happen :D

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  28. Skipping classes???? ooooh naughty Greg! LOL

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  29. I was wondering what your post would be like for this topic. Not disappointed))

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  30. Your comic store memory sounds wonderful. Vault of Midnight sounds so cool! East Lansing sounds awesome, I wish there were more bookstores (or any sort of book scene in general) near me! What a great list, I enjoyed reading these. :)

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  31. I laughed at the first one, but I absolutely skipped class in college to catch up on reading. Unfortunately, I was not reading anything good.

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  32. Love your twist on the topic! So many fun memories and stories! I remember reading about you skipping class when you mentioned it before---oops!

    Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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  33. Aww, these are fun! I never skipped a class to read, but I've definitely read up until the very last minute before class started!

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  34. This is such a hard topic, I am impressed that you found 7! Skipping class for reading is almost always a good life choice. I SAY that I haven't done any bizarre stuff in the name of books, but maybe that is because a lot of stuff I do is bizarre in general? Who knows. I am SO jealous of the plethora of bookstores you seem to have, my goodness. My best bookstore story would be like... "went to Barnes & Noble and got a new flavor of coffee" or something equally lame 😂

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  35. Yay for finding those hard to find books!

    And, ha! Yeah, I don't think I've seen one person who did the regular prompt with much success. lol

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  36. Can't say I've ever skipped class, I was NOT a rule breaker at all. Shocking, I know. That is this it story is awesome!

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  37. Oh what a great list though I'm deeply saddened that Aunt Agatha's is closed. What a perfect name for a mystery book store. I don't really have any crazy things other than being short of sleep for 30+ years because I need to read just one more chapter!

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  38. You got to interview an author when you first started blogging? That's amazing.🙌🙌🙌

    We had four used book stores four or five years ago, but they are all gone now. Goodwill has a huge selection of books, though. I think the nearest used book store is about 40 minutes away, now. That's sad. 😢

    Finding out that comic store opened in your city is awesome! 👍✨

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  39. I'd love to check out those bookstores. :)

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  40. Those bookstores look so cool! The bookstores around here are pretty far away, so I can’t go to them whenever I want.

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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  41. This is such a good list! Also there are book stores just for mystery books???? I gotta go there!

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  42. Lol at the skipping class!! I have totally done that too. I once skipped an entire day in high school, playing sick, so that I could finish Prince of Tides. Totally worth it.

    I loved this list and need to go find that store in Ann Arbor!

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  43. Your comic book store sounds amazing. I used to visit this used bookstore where the guy had so many books the shelves were overflowing and there were stacks all over the floor and it was run by this grumpy old man that could find any book you wanted (because there was no way you could find it yourself in that mess) It was awesome!

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  44. We have one second hand bookstore in the town but it is mostly old horror, crime, fantasy, womens fiction and non fiction so I don't go in that often.

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  45. I have to admit I have skipped class because I am ill or to do the required reading because going to a class without having read what we will discuss :P I love all the bookshop stories. Yay for the coolest bookshops and comic shops.

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  46. Fun list! I like the look of Aunt Agatha's bookshop and lol about #1

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  47. Oh my word, I would've died if my professor caught me skipping class!! Do you remember what book you were reading? I'm super curious now. :-)

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  48. All we have in my town aside from out mall is one christian book store. I have to go out of town to find any books stores.

    Mary

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