In general, I am not someone who you would call a winner. I’m not saying I’m a loser, it’s just that… Ok, I am kind of calling myself a loser, but not in the way that you think. I just have really terrible luck. Scientifically, I know that luck isn’t something that exists, but I somehow manage to defy statistical logic when it comes to winning things.
So, you can imagine how delighted I was when I won a Twitter contest last week. Not only that, but it was a contest to win books. And the books are collections of things left behind in used books. Bookception! Knowing how I feel about the magic of used books, you’ll understand why I felt like I hit the jackpot.
Forgotten Bookmarks and Handwritten Recipes are collections assembled by Michael Popek. He made a habit of collecting odds and ends he found tucked inside the volumes arriving at his family-run bookshop, which is basically my dream come true. I’m just a teensy bit jealous, actually, but I’m also really excited that he decided to give away a few copies. (If you’re reading this, hi and thanks!)
What makes the collection particularly special is that he shows you the item, as well as the book that he found it in. I love the mystery of trying to figure out why someone would leave a chicken and spaghetti casserole recipe inside a copy of Sphere. I’m fascinated by the photo marked “Terror Destruction and Death” left behind in Historical Background of the Panama Canal and wonder what sort of person would collect it (in a very FBI profiler sort of way).
I could go on and on about the little treasures he’s collected, but you really should discover the wonder yourselves. You can purchase them from the links on his website, which also features a blog that he regularly updates with his new finds.
Positively Natalie 