On Friday, I was in downtown Buffalo getting ready to have an interview. (In November, I became unemployed and have since gone back to the pet shop where I used to work. It’s good for now. But if I snag something in IT I will be significantly happier!) If you’ve never been in downtown Buffalo, I highly recommend it. There are all kinds of hidden museums and creepy landmarks. There is, however, not much parking.
I spent about 40 minutes circling around this particular block, looking for a parking space. There was literally nowhere to go! I then went a few blocks down and found myself trying navigate one-way streets, and then wound up parallel to my destination, but one street over. I was waiting at a light, extremely exasperated, when I glanced at the shop on my right. Lo and behold! I had found the hidden bookshop! Friends of friends had been whispering about a mom and pop bookshop “somewhere in Buffalo, possibly near Hertel Ave”. While this place was absolutely nowhere near Hertel, it still existed. I decided to visit after my interview…
…which wound up being exactly what I needed. I was thoroughly underwhelmed by the company. That aside, I went straightaway to the bookshop, as fast as my wobbly-interview-heeled-boots could carry me. Old Editions Bookshop is my Valhalla. It’s a bookshop and cafe (which means there is literally NO reason to leave once you’re there), and by “bookshop” I mean walls and walls of books. I spent about 45 minutes perusing and will be dragging my friend back this Thursday for a thorough search of all the shelves. I just barely breezed through the top floor – it’s filled with fine art prints and more walls and shelves of books. I walked out with several books – all of which are gems!
The picture below is all of the books I purchased at the bookshop. At the top of the picture, you might see two Macbooks. The one on the left belongs to my best friend and writing partner, Jason. The one on the right is mine. We drink tea while we write and joke that we’re pretentious.
Four Way Bargello – I collect old crafting books, and one day want to start making things using the Bargello technique. It’s super trippy, and since I like headache-inducing colors, this craft seems tailor-made for me. Four-way Bargello means that the design could be folded into four like sides.
Titus Crow – I hear good things about author Brian Lumley, and the idea of writing based on H. P. Lovecraft makes my heart swoon! The bookshop had three volumes, so I grabbed the second Titus Crow, and then the Necroscope: The Lost Years book that appears in the bottom row.
Sex Begins in the Kitchen – What a weird title! I stumbled on that one by accident while perusing the upper floor. I paged through it and couldn’t help but chuckle at the marital advice the author gives. Tomorrow is my first year wedding anniversary, and I was feeling festive, so I picked it up.
The Best Ghost Stories of H. Russell Wakefield – I’ve never heard of H. Russell Wakefield, but I’m always up for a ghost story. Especially if we’re talking ghost stories and in a hardcover book.
Cannibals and Evil Cult Killers – Again, what a crazy title! Perhaps the word “evil” is a little subjective (I in no way support cult killers, “evil” doesn’t feel too objective to me). Either way, I thought it would be an interesting read, and I was wondering what the author would have to say.
The Presence of Grace – I was intrigued by the cover, and so I decided to purchase it. I thumbed through random pages and read random passages in the book. They were all very strange, and I was immediately interested. (I’ll let you know how it goes!)
On Stranger Tides – Yes, it’s the book that the Pirates of the Caribbean was based on, however, it seems extremely exciting. Just reading the back cover, I could tell it was different enough to be worth reading.
Beyond the Shroud – Last year, the horror world lost Rick Hautala. I hadn’t read any of his books, but I read synopses during the outpouring of sadness at his passing and have vowed since to snap up every volume that I could. You can imagine my joy at seeing a hardcover volume. I grabbed it right up!
Have you read any of these books? Or anything by these authors? If so – drop me a line in the comments!
