I always keep an eye for new additions to my library, especially, if I am at an antique shop or a similar place where books are not a merchandise priority. I found a few old books at a Habitat for Humanity Re-store. It is a place that mesmerizes me because it is never the same, and there is not telling what you might find. If you are into giving materials a second chance, especially construction and home materials, you might like this place. The proceeds help in the construction of affordable homes for people via volunteers.

I am at the point where I don’t add too many books, just one here and there that will get my attention and cannot be resisted by many reasons: price, subject matter, or just appeal. At the Habitat for Humanity Re-store, I found three books that I could not let go even when I said that I am trying to make a dent on what’s on my shelves already. Besides, at fifty cents each I could not resist.

A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker/Nancy Sommers. Instructor edition, 7th edition.

This one, I purchased for practical reasons. It is an instructor edition. It is divided by subject tabs: composing and revising, sentence style, word choice, and much more. It seems to be a free copy for instructors. As a writer, I will benefit from its content.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

The second book I found is a 1937 copy published by Random House, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It is a first printing by this publisher. This book was banned at some point, still banned today in some school districts due to many reasons such as misrepresentation of ethnic groups, language … It is in very good condition with yellowing of the pages, might be missing a dust jacket, but otherwise intact. How could I resist?

Better Than Gold, edited by Clinton T. Howell, third printing 1972

The third selection is unusual, and what attracted me to it was its cover and title – Better Than Gold, edited by Clinton T. Howell, third edition 1972. It is bound in leather with a golden ribbon, and gilded lettering; overall, just gorgeous. Its pages and overall presentation are just divine. It contains a collection of poems and writings on various topics such as advice, age, death, faith, friendship, happiness, and much more. It is an inspirational book. Its pages were made to look aged and can only get better with the passing of time. The typography and design of the pages, including images of old English woodcuts, is breathtaking for sure. I am truly going to enjoy reading this one and turning its pages. Perfect read for the coming autumn.

When I collect a book, I don’t focus so much on monetary or future resale value from a collector’s point of view. Instead, its subject or title has to ring a bell, and be visually attractive as well. In the case of A Writer’s Reference, it was purely practical for me because writing is what I do, and that is one reference area that keeps growing and expanding in my library. The rest is purely a passion and a delight.