St. Stephen's Day Surprise!

So we had a wonderful Christmas. We went to a family's house that are some friends of mine from work and got to have a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS! For dinner we had Ham, Halibut and Caribou aka Reindeer. [I know a little twisted right?]

Today, my wife and I decided to visit a local 2nd hand store that some parishioners have told me about but we have yet to visit. We knew we needed some baby clothes as the due date is now within 3 weeks. So we went in and were pleasantly surprised. We got a good deal on some clothes and were meandering about when I came upon these beauties:

They were randomly with some other books. Now they aren't anything TOO glorious, at least in terms of rarity or value. [I looked them up and in their condition "Good-to Very Good" 3-4/5 - they run about $5-$20 a piece. Usually the set goes for around $20-25.] But, they are a gold-gem for me, especially in Alaska. I love old books & used books. Something about a book that means a great deal to you, that someone else once had and for some reason for another has let loose into the wild.

These books are actually quite nice. Since they aren't in "Excellent" condition I feel comfortable reading them and using them. They contain quite a bit of saints, and were published in 1954. So they contain a lot of the older information about some of the saints that you don't currently get in the newer books. They are also in leather hardbacks with nice gilding and each come with ribbon markers.

Another nice thing about these books is that they have a lot of nice color pictures.

I love marker ribbons. I seriously think that ALL hardcover books should have them. They are inexpensive and add an awesome element to a book. Not only do they remove the necessity for some silly bookmark, but they add an elegant touch to a book. For some reason the first volume only has one red ribbon, a little thicker and nicer than the second volume. It appears as if this was the original ribbon, but that sort of thing is difficult to tell. The second volume comes with a 5-ribbon set, making the marking of certain saints quite easy. The bindings on these books are a little loose and some pages are little loose, but not so horrible that I feel uncomfortable reading them and using them as I would any other book.

The hagiography in these volumes is quite interesting I have noticed several of the saints have different stories than I am used to reading. I know after Vatican II and in more recent years the lives have been reformed a bit, but these seem to be a little more "historically" based and less "story" based. It is difficult to tell though on some saints, because historical recordings of many of the early saints come from some type of verbal history. The written lives of the saints have always gone through an ebb and flow of written evolution.

Overall, I am quite pleased. The books were listed as $8 a piece, but I ended up getting them for $8 for the set. They have Imprimaturs and Nihil Obstats so I know that I am at least getting "approved" books. I love books. I am a bibliophile for sure. I am seriously the easiest person in the world to shop for. Books, pens, stationery, guns, and other "guy" things make me as giddy as a 12 year old boy receiving his first .22 rifle.

So if any of you are ever getting rid of any old Catholic books... please feel free to send them my way. I really want to have a nice library one day of old books and have people walk in and say, "Wow, that's really cool!" I know it is a small insignificant dream, but it is my dream. I would have a nice gun rack in there, and a writing desk with fine linen paper, a fountain pen, and a cool globe. I think that sounds way cooler than a "man cave" with a flat screen, an x-box, and surround sound :)