Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Too many vampires, too few books

I got a package yesterday from my good friend Krii. She got me the newest Georgia Nicholson book. Which, let's be honest, is the greatest gift you can give anyone. It's called Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me?, which is so classy.

When I saw the book I had two realizations, 1.) I couldn't remember what happened when last we saw Georgia, and 2.) I didn't have a copy of the last book to refresh my memory. It came out during my year long Book Buying Moratorium and I never got around to buying a copy once the moratorium was lifted.

The BBM taught me a lot, mostly that I don't need to buy books. I still love buying books - walking up and down the aisles, checking out the cover art and carrying around an arm full before deciding on a few - but I just don't do it that often. I am clearly a Woman of Restraint and Self-control. But I had gift cards and it's Autumn and there is no better time to buy books then Autumn - it just feels like the right thing to do at this time of year, like eating pumpkin pie. So I skipped off to Borders with the Blue Bird of Happiness in my heart.

And I came home depressed. Here's why:

1.) Borders has become more novelty shop then book store. There were more tchotchkes then books. The actual book selection has gone WAY down and has been replaced by rows and rows of Japanese comic books and pencil holders and wind up toys.

2.) The Young Adult section is filled with trashy vampire novels. Thanks a lot Twilight. I realize that books are prone to trends just like everything else, and the YA section especially so, but it's so disturbing when the cover of every book aimed at teenagers has a trashy looking girl with blood dripping down her lip. It made me miss the days when Harry Potter was king and every book had a wide-eyed wizard on the front.

3.) They didn't even have the book I came for. Well, they had it in paperback but all the rest of my books in that series are hardcover and I can't have mismatched books. I have standards to uphold. I don't know why this would make a difference since halfway through the series the publisher changed the entire style and size of the books so they're already mismatched (Don't get me started on this. Let's just say I'm up in arms about it and several angry letters have been written and I may take this bitterness to the grave.)

I ended up leaving with the latest David Sedaris book (you can't go wrong there) and an Elvis Costello cd and some cute note cards.

Speaking of which, who wants to be my pen pal? I was putting away said note cards and noticed that my drawer was getting too full and that maybe I should start using some of that cute stationary instead of just buying new stuff. I'm sensing a Stationary Buying Moratorium coming on.

11 comments:

Valerie said...

Me. I'll be your pen pal. Let's write. I've been dying for regular correspondence since I read Rebecca. The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society didn't help either.

p.s. I know what you mean about Borders. It's like how fabric stores have all become craft stores. Come to New York, and I'll take you to Strand, which advertises itself as 5 Miles of Books. It's four stories.

Andrea said...

I'll be your second pen pal!

Rach said...

I'll be your pen pal, too. I love writing letters, and I LOVE getting letters even more! I think Barnes and Noble is a little more bookstore than tchotchkes, but I would love a really good, book only BOOK STORE. So I'm with you. I'm also up in arms about the Georgia Nicholson books. But you can find the original cover art copies on half.com and some on amazon as well. I have bought the first 4 paperback ones, but have stopped buying them because by the time I moved away from the Deep South and near a bookstore, they had switched everything. Also, speaking of Twilight and its many copies, have you seen the TV show Vampire Diaries? Because Stefan on that show makes a better Edward than Edward. I'm just saying.

B said...

I'll be your pen pal, too! I never get any mail up here. =[

Mary P said...

I love this post. P.S. You are awesome.

Taylor Family said...

I agree wholeheartedly with Quixotic Healer!!

Stephanie said...

I love Georgia - I think you were the one to get me hooked on her. I also love a good sit-down with David Sedaris. Laugh out loud, funny stuff.

I will have to pass on the pen-pal thing, though. Unless it is a thank-you note or a birthday card, I am hopeless when it comes to un-typed communication.

I used to be good - I wrote to my husband every week for two years on his mission (pre e-mail!). I guess I got what I needed and I just don't need to do it anymore. Sorry.

I also think you are awesome.

Amanda said...

Rachel,
I would love to be your new pen pal, but more importantly, Nathan wants some cute cards from Aunt Rachel. So, in his behalf, I make a request to be the newest Rachel Q. Knecht penpal.

The Katzbox said...

Sedaris is so ridiculously funny, I recommend him to depressed people. His latest absolutely delivers!

I'm a B&N girl with discount card in hand. I just returned from there, in fact. I bought the new A.J. Jacobs book, a psych book on language (Steven Pinker), and two Phillipa Gregory books (because I enjoy historical fiction sometimes and I love reading about the royals).

I also loathe mismatched books and if I even THINK a series will be altered, I will buy all of the books to prevent my collection from being whacked. I am sick.

Also, I took Rac's and your recommendation and ordered the Neil Gaiman book she wrote about on her blog. I can't wait. I am also impatient in addition to being sick.

colleeeen said...

I will have to try Sedaris again. I read Me Talk Pretty and didn't really laugh at it at all. Of course I had a baby in the hospital at that time, so perhaps my sense of humour was impacted.

I just purged my stationery box. It was getting ridiculous.

Heather said...

I agree--I hate that my Phillipa Gregory books don't look the same. And I had "Troubling a Star" from years ago, but when I bought the "Meet the Austin" etc series, I had to get a new TaS so it matches. Any one want my old copy?

I'd be your penpal--I have been thinking about starting to write letters, since I did a whole batch of cards last month--but we live in the same town, and when it comes to writing letters, I really don't have much to write about (Proof: my lack of blog posts).