Almost all the books I own are pre-owned books. I have a sturdy shelf to arrange them in and I love it how they lined up so neatly and colorfully. I do not really buy new books, for one thing, they are very expensive for a college student who can hardly spare a peso or two. And for more reasons that I loved pre-owned books, only I and my fellow book lovers and Booksale goers will understand.
The Life they led.
When I see an old book, it always interests me and I try to imagine the life they led before resting into my lap. I imagine what kind of owners were they to this book. And what happened that made him sell this book. Didn't he like it? Or he liked it so much he wanted to share it to other people? What did he love about this book? I can only imagine.
The inscriptions.
One of the greatest plus factors I can find in a book are the inscriptions by the past owners that amaze me, makes me laugh or relates to my very own thoughts. I look for underlined passages and marginal notes. I wonder if they felt the same to what I feel about the book. They seem so personal and passionate that I can't believe they found their way to a used bookstore.
The Cover. The Copyright.
Moldering books with worn out covers fascinates me. They are so overused, so jaded. I wonder how many generations have they been through. I feel the jagged edges and another dimension just comes to life. And if you sneak into the copyright page, you'll be surprised how old the book is, "Oh my God, 110 years old!". And the lignin-infused fragrance that exudes at every flick - the main reason why I'm not an E-book-kindle-carrier.
Books. I surround myself with them. Book lovers will understand me, and they will know, too, that part of the pleasure of a book lies in its very existence. For books are more than books, they are life.
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