No bells sound a call to worship, as I enter the front door of one of my most revered shrines. But, when I leave, a “cha ching” of the cash register is the “closing hymn.”

Now, I’m not being sacrilegious. This atrocious purple edifice is not an opera house, and it is not really a house of worship, unless you are a bibliophile like me. It’s Recycled Books; one of the highlights of Denton’s downtown square shopping experience.

Yes, here in Denton, Texas we have ourselves a Barnes & Noble bookstore down at the mall, just like you do. We aren’t exactly “backwoods.” We also have a Hastings Books in a strip mall near it. I don’t mind shopping at them, if I have something specific in mind. On days I just want to buy a book and get out, I go to those generic, “cookie cutter” stores. In fact, I can drive 20 miles down the highway and find more exactly like them.

When I want a unique book browsing experience, there is nothing like worshiping at the altar of Recycled Books. When I first encountered it, many years ago during my University Days, it was located near Texas Woman’s University. It was great fun then, but since they moved into the old Wright Opera House building on the square, it’s the most amazing collection of books I can imagine. Hours can be spent wandering through the labyrinth of books. Don’t expect brand new best sellers, and they don’t waste space on textbooks or Reader’s Digest condensed books. Every inch of that place is packed with interesting gems that you might want on your own bookshelf.

The building itself is a horrible color, I know…but it’s historic. Does that count? It was built by a man named W.C. Wright back in 1898, and served the community as an Opera House. You can see how it looked back in the early 1900s by visiting The Portal to Texas History. Wright had his workers recycle bricks from the courthouse (built in the 1870’s) that had been condemned. So, it seems rather fitting that it should hold one of the most fascinating collections of recycled books and records in this part of Texas.

I’m told that above it are some very upscale apartments, but I’ve never seen them. Maybe I need to see if there’s a way I can finagle myself into one of them. I wouldn’t mind living in “downtown” once the teenager graduates. Especially, if I could live near a bookstore. But, how would I ever be able to pay my rent? I’d spend it all on books!

Let me try to give you a tour of the store. Realize this pitiful photo tour is by no means complete. There are just too many tiny cubbyholes to photograph.

They have old vinyl records, a downfall of my husband, even though we have no working record player right now.

There is a sea of cds and audiotapes.

They have a large section of “collectible” books.

I like to hang out in the mystery section, which stretches over four aisles this size.

Books are everywhere!

It’s like a rabbit warren, and makes me dizzy just to see them all.

You can even go into the basement for the history section. It’s also where I find old folktales for the telling.

Wandering through those aisles, you would be smart to have a ball of thread that you unwind as you go, like Theseus when he went after the Minotaur. When my husband and I get separated, we fortunately have our cell phones so we can find each other! I don’t believe I’ve ever seen every tiny room in that place, and it is very easy to get lost.

In fact, I’m told that one fellow from up north came to visit and did indeed lose his way in the store. They found his dessicated body many years later sitting in a chair with a copy of War and Peace in his lap. I always knew that reading that book would just kill you.

Oh, you know darned well that I made that part up, but it could happen!, Did it make you scared silly? If not, write your own story and enter the writing contest I have going on right now.

It’s wonderful shops like Recycled Books and other small town treasures that make me want to live here in Denton. It’s “why I live where I live,” which is one of the prompts for Sunday Scribblings.

If you travel to Texas and want to make a pilgrimage to this book lover’s Mecca, here’s a Google Map that will get you here.

View Larger Map

And, if you are in my neck of the woods, holler and I’ll meet you for coffee on the square.