Among the Gently Mad.
You might have a friend that reads a lot. Chances are out of your group there is one. That’s great and all but he is not a bibliophile. Hell, he isn’t even close to being a book collector let alone be considered a bibliomaniac.
I read a lot. Which really isn’t the sign of a bibliophile/maniac. I go beyond that. I like books. I want to own books. I want first editions, ARCs, UK Firsts, Limited editions. I have multiple copies of certain books. I want the entire publication run of a particualr book. I want the ARC, the First US Edition, the First UK Edition, and even the manuscript if I can afford it ( I have a few right now actually). I find myself always trying to find used book stores for that one of a kind find. I visit my local stores daily to see if there is something new I want. I want to complete a series if the series exists.
The Gently Mad Blog is a look into the mind of a crazy book person. That reminds me of a New Yorker Magazine cartoon. There is a couple with a real estate agent standing in the middle of an apartment which is empty. However, the room is filled with built in book cases and you can see in teh hallway more built in book cases. The couple says to the Agent, “So the previous owners they were freaks right?” Or something to that affect. Book collectors are crazy. There are stories of collectors that purchased houses just to store their books. Umberto Eco reportedly has 100K volumes and the weight makes his floors sag. Books are life.
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