Cars are sometimes "pre-owned." Books are "used".
I'd never thought of my book being used until I saw it on Amazon. If you count library books, I'd say I've read thousands of used books. Take away the library book count, and I've possibly still read thousands of used books. Once on vacation I stopped at a used bookstore and then returned the next day so I could peruse it again before I left town. Wonderful vacation moment for me. And if I go back that city, I'll plan for another stop there.
At first it surprised me to see my book "used" on Amazon. But then I realized I'm pleased someone else is giving another person a chance to read the story. Books should be used up, read again and again until the pages are too tattered to read and fall from the bindings. Or they should be put on a shelf and cherished just because it feels good to have them in the room.
Here's a story about a book lover from the Twilight Zone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAE1nXn3XFU
I admit, I feel a little bit like Burgess Meredith in the story. As a writer, books are now such a part of my life that the stack at my house seems to grow and grow. I don't have enough time to read them all, but as someone posted the other day—isn't it better to have too many books to read than too little?
Speaking of people who sell books, I'm pleased they can get a bit of a return on their financial investment. If I know readers, those few coins from the sale of a book are turned right around to the purchase of another novel.
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