Since we're mostly a used books bookstore, we are constantly buying books from people. If you're familiar with our store, you won't have any questions about what kind of books we buy. But some people do. And we get calls about this about 5 times a day, on average. Over the past 7 years, we've honed our abilities to decide whether we want their books before we even hear what books they have. If you are going to call, try to avoid these pitfalls:
1.
Do Not refer to your collection of books as a "lieberry." This is pretty good indication that the person speaking has not actually read any of the books they are selling. Or, worse, that they have. In either case, we most likely won't be interested. An easy tool to remember this rule is "Libraries contain a number of books. Lieberries grow of Fib Trees."
2. When asked to identify what kind of books you have,
Do Not classify them as "reading books."
3. When we ask for a more specific description,
Do Not categorize them as "Paperbacks and Hardcovers." We realize that they are most likely either when we answered the phone. As a side note, it does not help your case to act confused when we ask "Yes, but what kind of paperbacks and hardcovers?"
4.
Do Not say that you have "All kinds" of books. If you do say this and don't include Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, John Grisham, James Patterson, or Dean Koontz when you get more specific, we will be amazed.
5. When you list the previously mentioned authors and we tell you that we don't buy them,
Do Not become confused/irate by asking "Well, what do you buy?!?" This implies to the listener that you have no comprehension that authors other than the ones you read exist. When you do ask a question like this, it is more likely that you are a "book snob" than us.
6.
Do Not ask "Do you buy books?" and follow up with "How much would you give me for old National Geographics?"
7.
Do Not refer to your books as "really old" if they are from the 1980s. It's just insulting.
We just got in an amazing biography of Joseph Pujol, a performer at the Moulin Rouge who, during the late 19th century, amazed and amused audiences so much that he was paid over twice what Sarah Bernhardt made. How? Well, it was a breeze. Literally. Pujol was an artist of the fart, able to summon great sounds at the drop of a hat. What a story! And inspiration! Think of where Eddie Murphy would be today had Pujol not lit up the entertainment world with his musical talent.
Chop Suey is now touting a bright blue rain barrel made and sold by Stu Harnsberger in our front window as part of our Spring gardening selection. There are many great reasons for using rain barrels, such as saving money on your water bill, watering your garden with non-chlorinated water, easing the strain on a weak city sewer system, and so on. There are two great reasons why you should use Stu's barrels: they are cheap, and they are blue! If you have researched rain barrels, you will know that $50 per barrel comes in at well under half price of most brands. And, if you have any problems with your barrel, you will already have a direct working relationship the local manufacturer. I personally have three of Stu's barrels hooked up to my gutter system, and after this week's rain, have 165 gallons of crisp water to distribute throughout my yard. If you have any interest in utilizing such a fantastic and simple device, I fully recommend that you contact Stu!
Appearing now on the Staff Recommendations shelf at Chop Suey Books is John Wyndham's The Day of the Triffids, one of the classics of post-apocalyptic literature, now available in trade paperback as part of the Modern Library's "20th Century Rediscovered" series. This reissue is not new -- it was first released circa 2003 -- but our ability to get it at Chop Suey sure is! (Before 2003, the book was out of print; so, as our friend Joel Control points out, there's some dissonance now in seeing it as something besides a beat up pulp tome with screaming B-movie queen on the front. But oh well; it sure is a handsome paperback the Modern Library has put together!)
