I've added some weight to my bookshelf

Toronto used book hauls and more...

Hold on to your hats and take a seat. Drink some water and grab a loved one if you must.

I have collected more books.

Shocking, I know.

I went bookstore hopping almost six months ago with my friends. We scoured downtown Toronto looking for good deals on used and beat up books and I ended up with quite a few finds.

Here’s a picture of our last book haul.

I decided then that I would not buy any more books for a significant time. My mind said a year but my heart said a few months. My wallet has ceased to contribute its opinion for years and now has a drinking problem.

My local library has been having these overstock sales consistently for the past few months. I’ve been finding gems at really low prices. Three paperbacks for a dollar? Sign me up. I found some Rushdie novels and a few Penguin Classics this way.

But last week was a regression. I felt like Renton in Trainspotting, justifying and creating fiction in his head to convince himself that it was actually a good idea to pump junk into his veins.

Ok let’s back up, we are talking about books here.

A month ago, my algorithm (my algorithm is a cute pet that sleeps inside my phone. I feed it water 84 times a day) recommended some used book sales near my place. The first was a Toronto Reference Library rare treasure sale and the other was a used book sale happening at the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra.

I gathered my friends to join me on this pilgrimage downtown to see what it had to offer. I am their enabler and I make no apologies. We trudged out at 9 in the morning scouring through stacks of cardboard boxes looking for something that could adorn our bent bookshelves. Much of the collection featured art and history books alongside a ton of vinyls. People were rummaging around with containers on either side of their hips, like squalling babies on market day. The two guys standing behind me in line apparently drove three hours to get here.

I ended up checking out a 90 year old copy of The Three Musketeers. I read The Count of Monte Cristo earlier this year and this seemed like a good opportunity to read more Dumas. I’ll probably take a crack at it next year. The hardbound was beautiful and the pages were on the verge of falling off. It all added to the charm I prefer my bookshelf to have. I like rough and beat up books for two main reasons. I think the book itself has a story to tell. All the eyes that have perused through it. All the pockets that have contained it. All the smudges and cracks in the spine. I also prefer them because I no longer have to worry about damaging them. Have you ever heaved a sigh of relief when you notice the first crack on your smart watch? That’s the perpetual feeling I get when I know my tomes have seen the world.

A couple days later I attended the Mississauga Symphony Orchestra book sale. This is an annual event and all the volunteers are senior citizens who were very nice. I realized halfway through juggling paperbacks that this was a cash only sale. So I hid the $1 copy of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” behind an art book and ran to the nearest ATM. I came back five minutes later to find that the copy was still there. I guess no one wants art books.

I checked out with a couple classic sci-fi and fantasy paperbacks I’ve always liked the covers of. These days, the industry leans towards darker shades of black and purple and red. With flowers, swords and blood. The older fantasy paperbacks tend to have this pulp feel to them. Despite not having read a single Wheel of Time book, I think their covers are gorgeous. One day I will tackle that series, but not today. Not this year.

I finished off with the Word on the Street festival that happens annually in Toronto. This is my third year attending this festival and I'm sad to see its size diminishing as each year passes by. The number of exhibitors, space and attendants has gradually decreased and I wonder what’s going to happen next year. They even had a fundraising campaign prior to the festival. I donated and found it amusing to see my name on their banner.

Spooky season is coming up. By the time I am done procrastinating with this post, October has begun. I plan to actually read horror books this year and make use of the dozens of Stephen King paperbacks I hoarded at the beginning of this year. I have also resolved to not buy more books at least until the beginning of next year. I plan to go through a chunk of unread books on my shelves till then. I think Mr King should keep me occupied for a while.

Onwards.