Tag: books

The Book Exchange

Why this writer loves used bookstores.

As a writer, I love used bookstores. Perhaps not for the reason you think (books, books, and more books), but because it is when I am inside a used bookstore, that I find out what people really read. Nielsen BookScan compiles sales figures and is a great publishing industry resource, but the numbers are dry. In a good used bookstore, I see it live. 

That is especially true for a writer like me, who leans less toward literary reads and more towards genres like sci-fi, mysteries, thrillers and humorous short stories.

I’m in Missoula, Montana this week and found a really great used bookstore: The Book Exchange. They have a wide range of books, from classics like Isaac Asimov’s robot novels through current books like Percival Everett’s James (high on my TBR list) and Rebecca Yarros’s romantasies (among my ‘guilty pleasures’).

Writers, of course, also go to libraries, frequent bookstores that sell new books, and read book reviewers. But that is like going to a museum: what you see is curated by experts. Unbelievably valuable but filtered by gatekeepers. Suggestions on what people should read, but not the skinny on what people do read. 

If you are ever in Missoula, check out The Book Exchange.


#thebookexchange #amwriting #amreading #bookstores

Text copyright 2024 by Ted Macaluso

New Van Gogh Exhibit

Some of the paintings I used in writing my children’s book, Vincent, Theo and the Fox, are from the artist’s final period. They are among my favorites.

This upcoming exhibit at London’s National Gallery includes 60 paintings and drawings, including The Yellow House, where the fox starts its journey of self-discovery. The exhibit also features Wheatfield With Crows, where the wily fox learns what it wants to be when it grows up.

If you’re fortunate enough to make it to London, the exhibit runs through January 29, 2025.

Vincent, Theo and the Fox is a children’s book about Vincent van Gogh and growing up. Step into the art of Vincent van Gogh. Follow young Vincent and his brother Theo as they chase a fox on an imaginary adventure through the artists greatest paintings, including The Starry Night, Vincent’s Bedroom, and Wheatfield with Crows. On their magical journey, the boys – and the fox – experience failure. From it, they discover how to become the best you can be when you grow up.

“A charming, unique way to introduce youngsters to great art while providing an important message.”—Kirkus Reviews.

The book combines storytelling with full-color reproductions of 30 van Gogh paintings. Young readers will appreciate his art in a deeper way, discover details of van Gogh’s life, and learn how siblings achieve a shared goal.