Dear Half-Price Books

Dear Half-Price Books,

I was introduced to you at such a young age. The prospect of picking out books for myself was something I fell in love with instantly. You taught me that quality books don’t always have to come from the Best Sellers section at Barnes and Noble. And I learned from lingering in your aisle ways that I don’t ever have to spend more than ten dollars on a book. Looking back, my love for books was most likely born of my time in your shops with my family. I was young, and enthusiastic about reading and they fed into that excitement.

This weekend I revisited a Half-Price Bookstore in Upper Arlington, Ohio. Why I ever purchased books elsewhere puzzled me. There were so many great titles offered at unbeatable prices. If I hadn’t been on a double date I could easily have spent my entire Saturday in the shop browsing title after title. Sure, many of the books have a crease or two in the binding, but all of them are still in great condition. The folds of the pages give each book character. The smell of a slightly used book is also addicting. That may be weird, but a used book smells even sweeter than one straight off the press. Its words have been experienced. They have existed to someone else before me. It’s a pretty cool thought. As long as printing presses are in operation, I will never trade in the experience of cracking a book open for a digital experience.

Thank you for feeding my literary addiction, Half Price Books. I am forever indebted to you for all that you have taught me.