Blind Date with a Book

Some people ask, “Why bother with first dates? Why deal with the agonizing micro-decisions of just how much to reveal of yourself, scheduling the back-up emergency call in case the date goes poorly or the horrible awkward argument over who should pay for what?” Well, whether you’re a romantic who’s willing to put themselves out there or you’re hardcore not feeling it, books are always here for you to fall back on. Most times, you know what you’re getting with a book. We encourage you to enjoy some spontaneity in honor of the season of romance by taking a chance on these blind dates with great books!

ISO: Someone who’s looking for change!

Stuck in a rut? Looking for something to inspire you? Look no further! Find small changes that lead to big changes in this inspiring book that will revolutionize how you think about human behavior. No longer will you insist that change is hard, that change is all about willpower or that you have to stick to a plan. Looking for an uplifting way to change your life? Have a blind date with this charming fellow who will focus on your successes instead of your failures.

CLICK TO MEET YOUR BLIND DATE!

13 Book-Inspired Pumpkins

Fall has arrived, booklovers! As we bask in all things pumpkin spiced, let us not forget that the actual pumpkin still deserves our attention. That’s right, it’s pumpkin carving season and what better way to get your gourds in ghoulish order than to use themes based on iconic literary characters and books? No better way, we say. Need inspiration? Check out some of our favorite Instagram-worthy ideas below and break out the seed scooper. We’re willing to bet you’ll have the best pumpkin on the block.

1. Harry Potter

Dobby

View this post on Instagram

Happy (Godric) Holloween! I asked #TheSPEWCrew to pick a pumpkin design, so today involved socking it to self-doubt and setting the WitchCrafter FREE ♥️ In the end, I’m proud of the result and am also amazed my fingers lived to tell the tale… albeit two plasters later! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but all I cared about was The SPEW Crew seal of approval. As you can see in the second photo, my CEO Sir Bumble (Chief Elf Operator) can definitely see a likeness, so I’m calling it #magicmanaged 🌟 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Have you made any potterhead pumpkins? 🎃 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #daretocreate #harrypotter #bibliophile #autumn #daysofsmallthings #potterhead #houself #dobby #halloween2018 #bookpumpkin #dobbyisfree #pumpkindecorating #hogwartshalloween #wizardingworld #afreeelf #myeverydaymagic

A post shared by Mother of Crochet Beasties (@beeing_sophie) on Oct 31, 2018 at 2:36pm PDT

Have Books, Will Travel – College Tour!

Brace yourself. We’re going to say it.

The end of summer is upon us.

As the fall semester makes its swift approach, and college tours come to an end, it’s high time that you start thinking about books. Not that we ever stop thinking about books around here, but if you’ll be taking in the aroma of fresh-cut college grass soon, we want you to be prepared. Whether you’re attending a liberal arts university or law school, one thing is certain: you’re going to need books…and if you’re an honest college student, you have no problem admitting that you’re procrastinating and have yet to purchase any.

Half Price Books has your back. We’ve got the perfect reads to keep you awake on the road to college and the required reading to keep you at the head of the class once you get there!

#HPBUniversity: Customer College Stories

Let’s face it. College can be tough. Those four years—or more—teach us just as many lessons about survival as they do about our major, and whether it’s late nights at the library or being down to that last pack of ramen, we all come out a little stronger in the end. In the spirit of reminiscing about our days in the dorms, we’ve taken to Facebook to ask about some of your favorite college memories. Check out our favorite responses below!

• “Don’t sign up for that credit card just to get a free t-shirt.” — Eric B.
• “You’re going to want to quit a few times. Don’t!” — Anita C. 
• “Get involved in the clubs for your major/minor. Go to office hours, even if you don’t have a horrible problem. Build a relationship with your professors – you’re going to know them for four or more years and they are generally good people. Plus, they can be super helpful professionally.” — Ken O.
• “Go to tutor sessions.” — Christopher D. 
• “You need to do some cardio in the summer beforehand. I was dying walking across campus in the 15 mins I had.” — Myshell R.
• “Stop trying to make Mom happy. It wont happen.” — Michelle S.
• “Beware of the freshman 15! Those pounds are a real thing and hard to get rid of!” — Janet K.
• “Branch out and meet more people in the dorm.” — Shalei B.
• “You’re going to go through some hard time, but you’ll come through stronger and braver.” — Cassandra S.
• “Take an intramural sport that you wouldn’t have done otherwise. I had a lot of fun doing sports I wanted to try in high school but just never felt good enough to do.” — Alanna L.

Booklover’s Day: Get Some Ink

Booklover’s Day: Get Some Ink

I love the smell of fresh printer’s ink (so it’s a good thing I work in a bookstore), but this year I have noticed another sort of ink that’s soaking up a lot of literary flavor: tattoo ink. So, I got to wondering what sort of tattoos my favorite literary characters would get if they so desired.

Totally Random Lists 2019: Leading Ladies

Editor’s Note: This year our Half Price Books calendar once again features books, movies and music grouped together in weird, unexpected ways. You might even call them Totally Random Lists, which is what we did because, well, we had to put something on the front cover. We like the lists so much, we’ll be sharing them on this blog throughout the year.

---

We’re taking a page from herstory to discover the plucky girls and uncommon ladies at the center of our favorite stories and music. Heartfelt or heroic, each featured female embodies the complex nature of women in a way that’s both memorable and inspirational.

Charmed: DIY Crafts with Charms

So you just received your new charms courtesy of HPB.com, now what? Whether you bought them for yourself or as a gift for someone else, here are 8 charming (pun intended!), quick and easy crafty ways to put your new HPB charms to good use.

1. Dangling Earrings

Totally Random Lists 2019: How ‘Bout Them Apples?

Editor’s Note: This year our Half Price Books calendar once again features books, movies and music grouped together in weird, unexpected ways. You might even call them Totally Random Lists, which is what we did because, well, we had to put something on the front cover. We like the lists so much, we’ll be sharing them on this blog throughout the year.

---

Symbolizing knowledge, immortality and temptation, the apple is no ordinary fruit. More likely to star in media than a second banana, apples are a juicy subject for any author or auteur. Here’s a bushel of titles to keep the doctor away.

We Buy Everything Printed and Recorded—and More!

At HPB, one of our primary missions is to provide the biggest variety of printed and recorded merchandise you’ve ever seen. But we can’t do that without YOU! Of course we buy and sell a huge variety of books, but we offer so much more, based on what customers like you sell to us each and every day. As our co-founder Ken Gjemre used to say, “We buy everything printed and recorded, except yesterday’s newspaper.”

Whether Marie Kondo has convinced you to “tidy up” those closets and bookshelves or you’ve been bitten by the Spring Cleaning bug, we’re happy to help. Let’s take a closer look at the many kinds of things you can bring us for cold, hard cash!

Totally Random Lists 2019: Word on the Street

Editor’s Note: This year our Half Price Books calendar once again features books, movies and music grouped together in weird, unexpected ways. You might even call them Totally Random Lists, which is what we did because, well, we had to put something on the front cover. We like the lists so much, we’ll be sharing them on this blog throughout the year.

---

What do a road and a story have in common? They both take you on a trip with an uncertain (but intriguing) ending. Because we all know it’s the journey, not the destination, that matters, here are some street-smart picks you won’t need a GPS to explore.

BOOKS
Telegraph Avenue, Michael Chabon
If Beale Street Could Talk,  James Baldwin
The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros
84 Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff
The Street, Ann Petry

MOVIES
Road to Perdition
21 Jump Street
Miracle on 34th Street
The Road to Morocco
Mad Max: Fury Road
Sunset Boulevard
It Happened on 5th Avenue

MUSIC
Mermaid Avenue, Billy Bragg & Wilco
Stones in the Road, Mary Chapin Carpenter
Avenue Q, Original Broadway Cast
Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John
3614 Jackson Highway, Cher

See our longer list of road-tested titles at HPB.com/street.