Otter Creek Used Books

That’s what we are! We have been so busy with books that have recently come in - and some great titles, too! I’ve been walking around what has become a maze (and in a daze) of boxes of books maneuvering around the store. The good thing is I’m seeing a dent in the work we have been doing and trying to stay ahead of the holes on the shelves.  I’ll have a book in my hand say Kurt Vonnegut for example and put the book up and the next thing someone purchases it. Hard to stay ahead sometimes. But we feel the offerings are starting to improve.  And of course, I would much rather see the book go to a good home than sit on the shelf and (I shutter) collect dust! And it also reminds me of what authors we need to keep stock of as best we can.

Receiving boxes is so much fun! It is clearly an adventure opening the box to discover what’s inside.  Sometimes it is a let down because it is so full of books that didn’t sell at their yard sale! Pooh! But then there is someone’s collection that they need to part with - cleaning out shelves, moving, etc. - and that is when it is joyful and a tad exciting. You get to almost learn about that person’s life in a small way. Books that were important to them at one stage in their life, reference books to mysteries to fiction.

One night I went home to look at my shelves to see what my books said about me. That was interesting! Mostly first edition or out-of-print craft books, local authors such as John Elder, Bill McKibben and Ron Powers. And gardening books, also first or out-of-print. I’m more of a non-fiction person for some reason. Rusty’s shelves - well, let’s save that for another day! His are more interesting plus he has more shelves than I do.