Maybe the music chapters are little reminders that the shell/facade of a man still feels?

I personally just took it as an extension of his obsession with the way he is perceived by others. Music is one thing he can invest in that adds to the facade he's cultivating. Not to mention the artists he talks about are all famous at the time so maybe it's just him mirroring the rest of the USA's infatuation with celebrities.

It could also be whether the store already has too many of a title or thinks a title won't sell...or the owner doesn't have any competition, knows he has you, and is being a greedy arse

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I think they’re similar, but Sarah Dessen is a much better writer. I can’t think of a single nice thing to say about Colleen Hoover’s writing.

I wasn’t expecting more than 50 purely because of the amount of hardbacks and the quality I keep my books but to have over 15 books total $14 was quite disappointing

EDIT: wrong story nevermind 😵😵😵

That sounds like a good plan. I’ll most likely try that out. Thank you so much

thats so sad. I wish places like this actually valued the books that were brought in. Ive spent hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on books it pains me to see that people dont value them

That actually sounds about right for a used book store, which are the only book stores I know of that buy used books, regardless if you read them or not still rated as used.

Try selling them yourself online. eBay, FB marketplace, Mercari. Ship via media mail.

You should expect about 25% of the market value as the store has to make a profit.

So if a somewhat new good condition hardcover has a retail price of $40, the store would likely sell it at $20 and offer you like $8 cash or 10$ credit

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There is no meaning beyond the surface level, it’s not that deep.

The Phantom Tollbooth.

This was hands-down my best purchase from a Scholastic book order. I loved the Stinky Cheese Man story in particular so much that I wrote several (now long lost) sequels which retconned the SCM's death and saw him in a successful career in some type of office. I wish I still had those stories lol

Support local libraries! It just makes more sense financially to borrow as well

What do i get from books?

If they are theory, knowledge, that one is easy.

If it's fiction then it's the same as some more artistic video games and movies. I get to immerse myself into a new world, a new experience created by someone more creative than me. They make me think, imagine and live trough these stories. Out of all of them, the best are the ones that i can connect to my life. Maybe i won't ever fight a norse god, but i can live through a feeling of connecting with my father. Of parting ways with a lifelong friend, maybe a soulmate. Those kinds of books are the one that stick to me the most.

I know people don’t care for it, and I can’t blame them, but Ready Player One actually did this pretty well.

Butcher is a master of the long game.

In Dead Beat (book 7), Dresden is being attacked by a former Denarian, and is in dire straits, and is lamenting "Where's Michael, where's the Knights of the Cross?" Who should show up to save his ass? >!Butters!< We don't think much of this at the time, as that's a character who was already involved in this situation.

But then, in Skin Game (book 15), >!Butters takes up one of the Swords and becomes a Knight of the Cross!<.

It's not as long of a gap as yours, but it's considerable foreshadowing of a major event, and not just a throwaway line into associated gag.

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Love that stinky bastard. I like to think people are still out there running as fast as they can trying to catch him to this day.

I typically just steel myself and go through the current book I've chosen. Unless the book is so bad I return it, I take it piece by piece.

A good mindset I get in is thinking about how while I may have a lot to do, if I do a bit of each all at once, nothing will get done.

So just take every book one at a time and think about how far you've read, rather than how much more you have left. It's a great way to positively reinforce your reading habit.

I just really disliked Verity and think she’s very overrated.

Since you read mainly for self-improvement and learning, then perhaps you could:

• Research and create a list or lists of books that fit your criteria.

For example, many classics give us better understanding of history, society, culture, etc. Yet, they are not all equal when it comes to influence, education, being topical or offering interesting insights and food for thought. And it is also true for the contemporary writing. So it is worth to check various lists and go for those that are on school/university obligatory read lists, suggested by various experts or recommended by newspapers and magazines.

Many authors have also written shorter novels, stories or essays. So if you struggle with reading longer books by influential authors, those may be a great option for you. It's like a tasting menu.

In your list, you can also add keywords or notes on why did you choose this topic.

This way you will have your own list(s) that will not only make decision making easier but also will motivate you to actually finish the book because you will know that it is beneficial.

• Choose reading challenge that fits you and stick to it.

I found that reading challenge is a great motivator to actually choose and finish a book. There are so many to choose from - generic, only fiction or non-fiction, genre specific, etc.

Finally, if you only enjoy reading historical fiction and non-fiction, then there's nothing wrong with that. There are plenty of people who read mostly 2-3 genres and that's okay.

Edit: specifications

Peter Hamiltons Nights Dawn trilogy. He introduces an alien religion in the first book around 450 pages in. It becomes very important (and not seen again) until about 3000 pages later in book three, and no that number is not hyperbole.

I read one book by her and thought she was the worst writer I had ever read