A Nostalgic Book Haul: Revisiting Childhood Reads and Literary Classics

After writing about my favorite childhood book, I felt inspired to revisit one of those titles. That led me down a rabbit hole—specifically, to a seller on eBay offering a buy-3-get-1-free deal. Naturally, I took advantage of it and grabbed four books that sparked something in me, either from memory or curiosity.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

This was the spark for the whole haul. I don’t remember every detail of the plot, but I do remember my mom reading this to me when I was young. Now that my kids are getting older, I want to start sharing stories with them the same way. In fact, I read Chapter 1 aloud to my daughter recently—and she really seemed to enjoy it. A full-circle moment, for sure.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Technically, we already have a copy at home, but it belonged to one of my wife’s friends, and it’s filled with handwritten notes—like a teenage diary between the lines. It felt too personal to read. I decided to get my own clean copy, I can return the other to it’s rightful owner and maybe we’ll even read it together someday. I’ve never read it before, so I’m curious to see how it resonates with someone approaching 40.

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This one has been recommended to me more times than I can count. Fun fact: in my early twenties, I wrote the beginning of a novel I called The Stranger, inspired by the Billy Joel album. I’m really interested to see how Camus’s version compares to the themes I was exploring back then.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I picked this one with my son in mind. I remember reading it in 9th grade and thinking it was one of the few “assigned” books that actually grabbed me. After finishing The Hunger Games, I saw this title pop up on a lot of “similar books” lists, and it made me want to revisit it. Unfortunately, the copy that arrived was really beat up—but props to the eBay seller for refunding me without hassle.

Have You Bought Books on eBay?
I’ve had mostly good experiences so far. This was my first time grabbing a bundle, and it worked out great. Do you buy used books online? Have you found any reliable sellers or stores? Drop your favorites below—I’d love to check them out.

Also, which one of the books I mentioned would you read first?