Baker: that’s a remarkably good idea, especially since scads of “they’ll always be in print” paperbacks are apparently now out of print (most of Jack Chalker…although you’d probably want to wait before giving Chalker to your nephew. Some of Niven’s stuff is gone…World of Ptaavs is apparently getting hard to find)
Fenris
Sheesh! That was one of my favorites. Incidentally, Protector is also out of print, and I never got a chance to read it. It’s weird, you know. Those old sci-fi novels are quite good, and IMHO aged very well, so why put them out of print?
-Ben
You’ve never read Protector??!!
Go thee, and get thee hence to a used bookstore or to http://www.bookfinder.com and get it! If I could only read one Larry Niven book ever again, I’d probably choose Protector. It’s unbelievably good. I envy that you’re going to get to read Protector for the first time.
Fenris
A lot. I never have enough books, even though right now I have a pile 20 books high that has not been read yet.
I hurt my back 3 weeks ago and have been unable to do more than download my email once a day since until this weekend. I am completely out of food and drink, except for water. I have one clean shirt, no clean jeans, and no clean socks left to wear because I haven’t been able to do my laundry. I am getting up early tomorrow so I can drive 40 miles and buy some books before a certificate at Waldenbooks expires.
I am glad to be able to talk to people that understand.
:::Kinsey walks to the front of the room, sees how many people are there, gets nervous but then realizes she is among friends:::
Hi, my name is Kinsey and I am a bookaholic.
I have books everywhere. Like many of you, I carry a book (or two) around with me so I will have something to read if I have to wait.
I have a pile of unread books on my nightstand that seems to grow bigger each week.
I can’t pass a bookstore without going in “just to look” (yeah, right!).
I love browsing for used books at yardsales and thrift stores and second-hand bookstores and the sale table at regular bookstores (I recently got a hardback copy of “The Plains of Passage” off the sale table at B&N for $2.99!!!)
Well, you all know what I am talking about.
I have books in boxes in the basement, waiting for built-in bookshelves to be built.
Like delphica, I also have snuck books out of the bag at red lights, called by some deep urge to just read the first paragraph. (why is everyone honking at me?)
I have tons of bookmarks, so I can chose one that will “go with” whatever book I am reading. My current favorite is a cheap giveaway from Amazon that says, “When you sell a man a book, you don’t sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue - you sell him a whole new life.” Christopher Morley
I read and watch TV at the same time (I read during commercials).
I have multiple copies of my favorite books. I have four copies of “A Tree Grows In Brooklyn,” three copies of “To Kill A Mockingbird” and three copies of “Gone With The Wind.” I have two copies each of “Pillars Of The Earth,” “Rebecca,” “The Secret Garden,” "The Little Princess, “Anne of Green Gables” and other childhood favorites.
I have first editions of “GWTW”, “Mockingbird,” “Rebecca,” “Mary Poppins,” “Mary Poppins Comes Back,” and “The Wizard Of Oz” that, in case of fire, I would possibly rescue before I rescue my kids and cats.
Don’t even get me started on books in a series. I have to have them all.
Geez, wring, were we married to the same guy?!? 
A house without books is not a home. It’s just a house. 
I have mentioned this before, but my MIL does not read. She doesn’t see the point in owning books or reading a book more than once. “You already know how it ends, why read it again?” is her comment. She is truly evil.
I went shopping this weekend down to the new outlet mall, Great Lakes Crossing, with my mom, aunt and grandmother: all powershoppers.
Which means…::ta-da!::…lots of time for reading. I got a book and a half read just waiting for them to finish up in stores. I go through the store and then wait out on a bench for them while they finished.
Without a book(s), I would’ve gone crazy!!
:: Bugs Bunny voice on:: eeeehhhhh, could be - he’s working on wife #4 presently. (though I hope for your sake you weren’t - I LIKE you.)
BunnyGirl wherefore art this new mall with bookstore that you mention (assuming it’s close to where we live).
Eek! My ex is on his fifth wife!
My love of reading was a minor factor in our breakup (well, that and the fact that he cheated on me).
He saw nothing wrong with spending $50 (or more) a week on damned lottery tickets, but God forbid I spend $20 on a new book once in while!
When I left him, I left behind a bunch of personal possessions…namely books…that I never saw again. 
another separated at birth poster! (cheating was a major factor, his third wife left all of her posessions behind, too - I got everything important to me - the kid, the cats, he got everything important to him, the iron and the blow dryer)
I have a tough time understanding how folks get into gauging other people’s spending of disposable income. I have my preferences, and won’t bug you about yours as long as you return the favor (although in the instance that you describe, I’d mentally do a :rolleyes: and think, “yea, the lottery is a tax on the mathmatically challenged”).
Sonnovabitch. Dammit. Crap.
Yesterday I got a call from the local pusher (my friendly neighborhood used bookstore) who said “Hey, Fenris! I just got a box of GREAT old SF paperbacks. I cherry-picked a couple of ones I wanted and thought you should have second crack at 'em. Vintage stuff man. You know you need these.”
I hemmed and hawed about “Gosh, what with taxes and all, I really don’t know if I have the funds…I don’t know if I can afford…”
He said, in a silky-slick voice (butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth) “It’s good stuff man: Charles Beaumont in Berkely editions, a bunch of old, late '50’s Ballantine SF with the abstract covers. Weren’t you looking for a copy of “Far Out” by Knight? I got one. Beat to shit, but here it is. And HEY! Lookit this! Old A. Merritts from (Avon?) with the sexpoitation covers. <shuffling sounds> Hey! There’re some pristine Robert Sheckleys in the original Bantam editions. Mint condition. And Berkley used that glue that lasted for about 10 minutes. These still have all the pages inside the cover. We’re talking this is the pure stuff man. It’s gold. And we can work out lay-away or something. I want these to go to a good home. You don’t want to see them going to some doofus who’d put 'em up on e-bay without even reading 'em would you?”
Me: "Nooooo…but…I’m running out of bookshelves. I’m trying to reorganize my books and new stuff would mean starting from scratch…I’m…I’m…I’m on my way. Hold 'em, wouldya?
Him: (Smugly) “Already set aside”
$88.00 later, I start my book reorganization project over from scratch and contemplate building new bookshelves.
Fenris. A bookfiend and a junkie.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care what people do with their disposable income…but at the time, we didn’t HAVE $50 a week to spend on lottery tickets. He was so darn sure he was going to win big, he’d forgo paying the rent, the electric, the car, etc. for lottery tickets. Sort of a “But-when-I-win-$20-million-I-can-buy-the-whole-damn-apartment-complex-and-fire-the-manager” kind of logic. Plus the thought that every dollar I spent on a book was one less dollar he had for tickets.
He was an idiot; 'nuff said.
Let’s get back to this wonderful thread!
I love books!!!
Oh, you people are just like me! How wonderful! My husband doesn’t read much. I have stopped reading around him, since he acts so jealous of my attentions. I sneak off to the bathroom! I read at stoplights. I sneak books into the bathroom at work. I read in line. I prefer to eat lunch by myself so I can read. Several years ago I was reprimanded for reading on the job. I have books everywhere. I HAVE to read. I can’t help it. I love books!
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