Since I go through about three paperpack books each week, I tend to spend a lot of my time in used book stores. I don’t like to shop online because it takes the texture out of shopping for books, so I’ve found most of the used book stores in Houston, TX. Following are four of my favorites.
Murder by the Book
2432 Bissonet St.
Houston, TX 77005
713-524-8597
www.murderbooks.com
Murder by the Book is one of my absolute favorite used book stores because they specialize in crime and mystery novels, which happen to be my favorite. They are renowned for their excellent selection, superior service and top book signing events. They’ve hosted guests such as Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly and Sue Grafton. They’re really convenient if you’ve been shopping at the Galleria or if you live in midtown, and while they’re prices aren’t as cheap as some of the other used book stores, they have a great selection. In fact, I believe their last count was more than 25,000 titles.
This is one of the more famous used book stores, but it also has a great selection. I like to go to Half Price books when I’m just stocking up rather than looking for a specific title. Their shelves are often poorly organized and they tend to categorize titles rather oddly. However, their sales staff is helpful, so don’t be shy about asking where to find a particular book. They also have a vast “Clearance” section where most books are between $1 and $2 (even hardcovers — I once found a Dean Koontz first edition). Just don’t sell your used books to them because they offer pennies and you can get more for them elsewhere.
I have shopped at Katy Budget for years, and it is where I go to get credit for books I clear off my shelves. They don’t pay for used books, but they do offer credit, and I usually have around $100.00 saved up so I never have to actually buy books. They don’t offer the best selection unless you are looking for children’s books, but they do have extensive shelves for the big-name authors and you can usually find a fair selection of travel books. It’s a great place to take the kids because they have reader programs for the little ones.
If you’re looking for rare and collectible books, discount used books is the first place to start. They have entire sections of old and out-of-print books dating back several decades. I’ve found old copies of several of the classics as well as books that most people have never heard of. They also have an extensive collection of art history books, if that strikes your fancy. Just be careful when you’re driving because they are often doing construction in that area; it’s in the back of the shopping center, so you might miss it.
