I recently visited Jack London Beauty Ranch State Park and spent time in the House of Happy Walls (built by his wife Charmian after his death), which houses the Jack London Museum and is full of books and artifacts of their life together. A short hike brought me to the haunting ruins of Wolf House which was …
Continue reading Jack London: Writer, Revolutionary & Dystopian Author
I participated in a thread on BlueSky where you listed one book a day for twenty days (no explanation) that had influenced you. Some books came to mind immediately, others took more thoughts. You can see the full list here. Then I began to think of what in my early years ignited my love of …
Continue reading POW! SMACK! WHACK! – FOR THE LOVE OF COMICS
I volunteer once a week with my local Friends of the Library organization. I sort donations, look for rare and/or collectible items and research their value (which I then list on eBay). We sell most of the donations in our used bookstore which is located right inside the library and also at twice-a-year book sales. …
Continue reading Books Everywhere (Book Nerd Nirvana) *** Welcome to My Happy Place
I have books stacked everywhere…on my work table, in boxes under the table, in storage cases under my bed as well as several book cases. Yes, I read a lot, but that’s not what this is all about. I have OTHER PEOPLE’S books crowding my space. That’s correct, most of them aren't mine. No, I’m …
Continue reading Bookocalypse…Madness & Mayhem of the Most Spectacular Kind
Do you have stacks of old books, some by famous authors, or simply piles of your favorites? Have you ever wondered if some of them might be valuable? There are some basic things to look at to determine whether to keep or take to your closest thrift store. Photo by Suzy Hazelwood on Pexels.com Probably …
Continue reading Chipped, Foxed & Shaken: How to Evaluate Rare & Collectible Books (Beginners Guide)
A while back, I worked as a used/rare book buyer for a locally owned bookstore. I was fortunate to apprentice under one of their most experienced buyers. You can probably imagine what a rush it was to have a job that paid me to go through boxes brought in by customers and scour for treasures. …
Continue reading Treasure Hunting in Bookland – Tales from a Used/Rare Book Buyer
J.L. Henker, Author 