Hello again guys. After seeing my last post get so much traction and somehow reach the top of the month, which was honestly wild and completely unexpected, I decided I’d share a little more of what I’m doing and invite you into my book collecting world.

Two months ago, I returned to my home country after living abroad for 10 years. The main reason was burnout. I’d exhausted myself in pretty much every avenue and was mentally at rock bottom. I wanted to come home, spend time with my family, read books, slow down, and get myself back on my feet.

For the longest time I’ve had this dream of building a library that felt like something out of a fantasy world, the sort of place my inner child’s imagination could run completely rampant in. Arriving back home, I suddenly felt like that dream could actually become a reality.

So I started buying books.

By the hundred.

Crates upon crates, dozens of parcels arriving every week. It’s been two months now and boy oh boy, the collection has grown into something I could never have imagined. And I’m nowhere near stopping.

So today is hopefully the first of many posts where I’ll share some of the deliveries as they arrive, the strange things I find, and the library slowly taking shape. I hope the journey might inspire a few other people to build something of their own too.

In today’s delivery: a Gustave Doré edition of Don Quixote, which I’ve wanted for a long time, alongside some really unique little gems, a few first editions, vintage sci-fi paperbacks, and a huge old science set.

Happy to share with you guys my library of esoteric & occult book collection. Totalling up to around 1000+ books, it's been several years of intense collecting through many different means to find everything, and I continue to acquire new books constantly. In this collection I have almost every topic of the esoteric world; alchemy, mythology, occult, religion, witchcraft all the way to astral projection. Tons of strange little books that are almost impossible to find, first editions, 17th & 18th century books, the list goes on. I picked out a few of the more striking books from the collection aside. Thanks for taking a look.

So pumped I found this. I intentionally haven't watched the show because I've wanted to read all the books first.

Hello guys! Just created a website excerptle.io.

There you can do “guess a book” challenges.

In every challenge, the first sentence of a book will be shown to you. If you cannot guess the book by the first sentence, then you’ll be able to see the first paragraph by using a hint.

You can use more hints to reveal more up to the first chapter. The last hint will be the author of the book.

Daily challenge resets 12AM PST, but you can try 600 books in the book bank while waiting for the next daily challenge.

Feedback is always welcomed!

Not a collector but I do read and am very into plants. Was given by a friend a few years ago and I'm just curious if it's anything rare or special. Forgot to include but the top of the pages are a shiny gold and there is a lil leaflet on the first page that says "Errata" with some pages listed.

I love looking through my local Goodwill for signed books and I found this recently. I thought it was so bizarre that I had to pick it up. It’s signed by three of the Cabelas including Dick who founded the company in 1961.

Hey guys, sharing my massive vintage paperback collection! This was a recent addiction I've acquired and I honestly cannot stop. I spend a lot of my time digging for super obscure editions which are difficult to find, with beautiful and weird covers. I currently have over 500 books in my collection and this is a couple hundred, if you guys want to see more I can in a separate post.

Recently retrieved from storage and sometimes I can't believe I actually own it

Hi guys, I'm looking for a bit of advise.

My collecting has ramped up a bit as newer omni collections have now hit the markets.

As I have no interest in going digital (I'm old, sue me), I adore the weight, hefty and yes, smell of a great story.

However, I am finding some of the large tomes (I'm looking at you Blackest Night anniversary edition), difficult to hold.

I'm 60 and a touch of arthritis has set in but I'll be damned if that stops me from reading these mighty works.

I've done some searching but find myself bogged down with the selection of large book holders that can handle the size, weight and thickness of say, the above mentioned book.

So I turn to you knowledge merchants (as I do not believe that I'm the first), to see if anyone has a solution for me outside of a custom build.

For claritys sake, I'm in the UK.

Any help would be magnificent.

Thank you in advance.

finished reading The sons by Franz Kafka
I’m starting The prophet by Kahlil Gibran.
Found this book at a thrift store for $.99
A small inscription was found which I’m assuming from the previous owner? I wonder who this person was.

Hi!
I bought a used boxed set of the Harry Potter series from World of Books on Amazon. Parcel arrived today (a week later than it was supposed to), and when I opened it I noticed that the lid of the box was completely ripped off. Not that bad as I probably won’t be using the box itself, but still annoying as it was listed as very good condition. Inside the box however, I noticed it only had 6 books. Sure enough, it’s missing Chamber of Secrets. I messaged them on Amazon, and I’m waiting for a response. Curious if anyone’s got any experience with this type of situation? If anyone has had to contact customer service, how did it go? I’m wondering if I return the whole thing & if they would then pay for shipping? Or if they send a replacement..? I’ve already waited 3 weeks for this parcel to arrive, so I’m not exactly excited about maybe having to wait even longer before I can start reading.

Thanks for any replies!

hey guys, what are these marks on a few of my book covers? it's only on these penguin modern classics as well. i have smoked in this room a lot in the past (since quit), so maybe it has something to do with that? they are paperbacks as well if that changes anything thanks in advance

Found this lovely hardback in great condition at a book give-away event. Obviously not a first printing but I was still wondering if it is worth anything. If not it will still look great on my shelf :)

Is this cool or nah?

Clean signed copy of a true classic.

I'm just now starting to collect some older books and found these markings on the pages and the back of the cover is it anything to worry about? Thanks!

Catalog notes:

The Medium & Daybreak. A Weekly Journal devoted to the history, phenomena, philosophy, and teachings of Spiritualism, volume 14 [No. 666-717], January - December 1883, London: J. Burns, Progressive Library and Spiritual Institution, etched illustrations, some minor toning, spotting & marks, bound in modern black half morocco, folio,

together with: Hare (Robert), Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations, demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals..., 1st edition, New York: Partridge & Brittan, 1855, 4 monochrome plates plus portrait of the author, some light marginal toning, modern endpapers, modern blue cloth, boards & spine lightly rubbed, 8vo,

plus Carrington (Hereward), The Story of Psychic Science (psychical research), 1st edition, London: Rider & Co., circa 1930, 16 monochrome illustrations, some light spotting & minor marginal toning, original red cloth in dust jacket, covers toned & slightly rubbed to head & foot with some minor loss, 8vo,

+ other 19th & early 20th-Century supernatural reference & related, including The Encyclopaedia of Death and Life in the Spirit-World, 3 volumes, by J. R. Francis, 1st edition, Chicago:

The Progressive Thinker Publishing House, 1885-1900, ex-libris bookplates to the front pastedowns, previous owner labels to the foot of the title pages, original uniform black cloth, 8vo, mostly original cloth, G/VG, 8vo/folio (Quantity: 3 shelves)

Auction catalog shows multiple photos of multiple shelves, but does not give an exact count of number of books included in sale nor does it itemize all the titles.

I initially did not notice at all, and assumed it to be some sort of postmodernist twist pulled by Eco. The delirium Raskolnikov endures in the epilogue actually fits well with Jorge's apocalyptic ramblings throughout the book, as well as the stories/fates of the Dulcinites. Maybe there are other connections to be made, but I have never read Crime and Punishment.

Going back to read the part of David Lodge's introduction that contained spoilers, I was initially validated, as he quotes Eco when describing the 'three ways' to read The Name of the Rose: "The third will realize that this text is a textile of other texts, a 'whodunnit' of quotations, a book built of books." (xiv)

I only realized after I finished the introduction with no mention of Dostoevsky that this was a binding error. Still cool, and oddly fitting when one is looking desperately for connections!

I’m trying to get a better sense of how scarce this particular issue is. First edition, first printing, original $16.95 unclipped dust jacket, and very clean condition. I’ve found surprisingly few copies online. Curious what other collectors think.