Live a little
I like to buy my books secondhand on AbeBooks. Not only because they're cheaper, although that is good, but because they often arrive having lived an interesting life.
Recently I bought The Best American Short Stories (1992 edition) and it came with a handwritten note on the first page. "Cate, I believe I remember you saying you like anthologies of short stories - hope you like this one. Merry Christmas, Liz. 1992". Straightforward and to the point. We'll never know if Liz remembered correctly, thoughh. Did Cate like anthologies of short stories? Maybe Cate actually said "Some people like anthologies of short stories, personally they make me feel sick to my stomach. They're the worst," or "I love anthologies of short stories but I haven't been able to read them since... the accident." I hope Cate liked it. I think she probably did. Although she got rid of it eventuallybut sometimes books are just transient pleasures.
I once bought a book only because someone had written on the first page, "Michael, I realise that nothing I do is ever appreciated but I couldn't help but make one last sordid effort..." and went on like that for a couple of paragraphs before ending "I hope you will appreciate this gift, if you can." I thought that was wonderful. Although I never read the book, because it looked boring. I feel Michael would have agreed with me on that. I can't even remember what it was now, which shows Michael and I were right. The note was better than the book.
The other thing I like about AbeBooks is you can search for an author and then have the results display from highest to lowest. This is how I discovered that Nora Ephron's book "I Know Nothing" can be bought for just $2.41 but if you'd like to own a first edition inscribed by the author with "For Bill Zwecks With best wishes and thanks Nora. Nora Ephron 9-16-11", well, that's going to cost you US $1,5000 plus shipping. I love an inscription but not $1500 worth of love. Mine is the cheaper kind.
It was because of Nora Ephron that I was on there in the first place. I watched a documentary about her by her son - which I thought was very good, especially the parts where everyone talked about how annoyed they were that she didn't tell them she was dying because she'd had no hesitation in telling everyone all their secrets - and went looking for my copy of Heartburn. I thought I'd lost it at first which is what sent me onto the internet in the first place. I hadn't lost it, though. It turned out to be hidden right at the bottom of a stack of Rumple of the Bailey's, which is no place for Nora Ephron to end up.
Since I was at AbeBooks anyway, though, I ended up ordering a Meghan Daum book. I just hope it turns up having really lived.
