The Haunted Bookshop
@bookshopghost.bsky.social
Iowa City's home for 47,000 used/rare books, puzzles, games, and two famous cats. 😷 Masks required - 12-6 Central, Mon-Sat - https://www.thehauntedbookshop.com
Pinned
Welcome! Make yourself at home!
A few things to know:
1. In this house, love wins.
2. There are no signs on our one-stall bathroom.
3. There are two trusting, loving cats here. Be worthy of their trust.
4. We wear masks here.
5. We will continue to treat our guests with kindness and respect 📚🫂❤️
A few things to know:
1. In this house, love wins.
2. There are no signs on our one-stall bathroom.
3. There are two trusting, loving cats here. Be worthy of their trust.
4. We wear masks here.
5. We will continue to treat our guests with kindness and respect 📚🫂❤️
NARRATOR: Wheat pennies were made before 1958.
(Also, hat tip for the phrase "fake shortage" in this post, which is exactly correct)
(Also, hat tip for the phrase "fake shortage" in this post, which is exactly correct)
I am currently working as a cashier, and can tell you that until the fake shortage this has created, I still saw wheat pennies on a weekly basis.
January 5, 2026 at 6:15 AM
NARRATOR: Wheat pennies were made before 1958.
(Also, hat tip for the phrase "fake shortage" in this post, which is exactly correct)
(Also, hat tip for the phrase "fake shortage" in this post, which is exactly correct)
How many times can a single 1 cent coin get spent?
That coin can signify THOUSANDS of cents over the course of THOUSANDS of transactions during its working life.
It's like suggesting that we should get rid of "Q" because that would save costs for keyboard manufacturers.
That coin can signify THOUSANDS of cents over the course of THOUSANDS of transactions during its working life.
It's like suggesting that we should get rid of "Q" because that would save costs for keyboard manufacturers.
The purpose of getting rid of the penny is:
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
January 5, 2026 at 3:13 AM
How many times can a single 1 cent coin get spent?
That coin can signify THOUSANDS of cents over the course of THOUSANDS of transactions during its working life.
It's like suggesting that we should get rid of "Q" because that would save costs for keyboard manufacturers.
That coin can signify THOUSANDS of cents over the course of THOUSANDS of transactions during its working life.
It's like suggesting that we should get rid of "Q" because that would save costs for keyboard manufacturers.
The purpose of getting rid of the penny is:
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
January 5, 2026 at 12:51 AM
The purpose of getting rid of the penny is:
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
a) To save the US Government money (they claim it costs more than 3 cents to produce a single 1 cent coin)
b) Credit card companies expect to make money because people will think it saves them money or is more convenient for them to use plastic
Reposted by The Haunted Bookshop
One last donation to make this tax year? Here's one that counts:
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Keep Us Rolling in 2026
Thank You for Strengthening our Community❤️📚🚌 Community gifts power our work and cover one third of our annual budget. Help us raise $3,575 by the end of the year so the bookmobile can continue to be...
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:15 AM
One last donation to make this tax year? Here's one that counts:
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Reposted by The Haunted Bookshop
We often forget that a library is not just a warehouse for books, but a community’s nervous system. By linking physical safety (carseats) with intellectual freedom (writing workshops), you aren't just lending items; you are building human dignity. This is the blueprint for modern community care.
December 31, 2025 at 6:42 AM
We often forget that a library is not just a warehouse for books, but a community’s nervous system. By linking physical safety (carseats) with intellectual freedom (writing workshops), you aren't just lending items; you are building human dignity. This is the blueprint for modern community care.
2008 was rough. In the midst of devastating flooding, during a time when I was unhoused, we found out that the bookshop's lease would not be renewed.
A convergence of perfect circumstances made it possible for the bookshop to move... as long as we did all the hauling.
A neighbor loaned us a van 😮
A convergence of perfect circumstances made it possible for the bookshop to move... as long as we did all the hauling.
A neighbor loaned us a van 😮
I would like to hear about a time someone, a stranger even, was very kind to you without any prompting, ulterior motive, or strings attached.
December 31, 2025 at 5:21 AM
2008 was rough. In the midst of devastating flooding, during a time when I was unhoused, we found out that the bookshop's lease would not be renewed.
A convergence of perfect circumstances made it possible for the bookshop to move... as long as we did all the hauling.
A neighbor loaned us a van 😮
A convergence of perfect circumstances made it possible for the bookshop to move... as long as we did all the hauling.
A neighbor loaned us a van 😮
One last donation to make this tax year? Here's one that counts:
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Keep Us Rolling in 2026
Thank You for Strengthening our Community❤️📚🚌 Community gifts power our work and cover one third of our annual budget. Help us raise $3,575 by the end of the year so the bookmobile can continue to be...
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com
December 31, 2025 at 4:15 AM
One last donation to make this tax year? Here's one that counts:
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Antelope Lending Library does outreach in underserved communities throughout Eastern Iowa, hosting events that directly aid us, from carseat installation to writing workshops!
antelopelendinglibrary.networkforgood.com/projects/264...
Not that we needed another reason to resist Amazon, but this is a big one. Nobody should ever have to accept Amazon interposing itself between artists and consumers.
bookshop.org/a/868/978164...
bookshop.org/a/868/978164...
December 30, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Not that we needed another reason to resist Amazon, but this is a big one. Nobody should ever have to accept Amazon interposing itself between artists and consumers.
bookshop.org/a/868/978164...
bookshop.org/a/868/978164...
Today I'm being that guy who listens while you explain the significance of the design and materials in an architecturally famous house and then asks where the historic owners... stabled their horses.
I'm serious. Horses were an incredibly important part of the economy just 120 years ago.
I'm serious. Horses were an incredibly important part of the economy just 120 years ago.
December 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Today I'm being that guy who listens while you explain the significance of the design and materials in an architecturally famous house and then asks where the historic owners... stabled their horses.
I'm serious. Horses were an incredibly important part of the economy just 120 years ago.
I'm serious. Horses were an incredibly important part of the economy just 120 years ago.
We agree, right, that well-written novels about people wanting, embracing, suffocating inside, or wasting love are literary evocations of lives we have not lived, but for which we can feel empathy.
I don't understand why replacing "love" with "fear" in that sentence somehow invalidates "literary".
I don't understand why replacing "love" with "fear" in that sentence somehow invalidates "literary".
December 30, 2025 at 4:00 AM
We agree, right, that well-written novels about people wanting, embracing, suffocating inside, or wasting love are literary evocations of lives we have not lived, but for which we can feel empathy.
I don't understand why replacing "love" with "fear" in that sentence somehow invalidates "literary".
I don't understand why replacing "love" with "fear" in that sentence somehow invalidates "literary".
The back door was frozen shut tonight, Iowa City 😮❄️🧊
Be safe out there. Ice plus high winds and blowing snow is a dangerous combination.
(And if you live on the east side like I do, you have to watch for deer as well. There was an absolute mob of them at Governor and Jefferson.)
Be safe out there. Ice plus high winds and blowing snow is a dangerous combination.
(And if you live on the east side like I do, you have to watch for deer as well. There was an absolute mob of them at Governor and Jefferson.)
December 29, 2025 at 4:48 AM
The back door was frozen shut tonight, Iowa City 😮❄️🧊
Be safe out there. Ice plus high winds and blowing snow is a dangerous combination.
(And if you live on the east side like I do, you have to watch for deer as well. There was an absolute mob of them at Governor and Jefferson.)
Be safe out there. Ice plus high winds and blowing snow is a dangerous combination.
(And if you live on the east side like I do, you have to watch for deer as well. There was an absolute mob of them at Governor and Jefferson.)
(big gravelly voice)
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!! Live at the Haunted Bookshop - Aeschylus and Sophocles face off against THE BUG!
Don't miss the game of the season! We're open until 6.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!! Live at the Haunted Bookshop - Aeschylus and Sophocles face off against THE BUG!
Don't miss the game of the season! We're open until 6.
December 28, 2025 at 7:46 PM
(big gravelly voice)
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!! Live at the Haunted Bookshop - Aeschylus and Sophocles face off against THE BUG!
Don't miss the game of the season! We're open until 6.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!!! Live at the Haunted Bookshop - Aeschylus and Sophocles face off against THE BUG!
Don't miss the game of the season! We're open until 6.
I was thinking about what gifts people used to give to readers (besides gift editions of famous poets' work and illustrated histories of wars and such), and while I was thinking about it, somebody brought a book to the counter....
(1/10)
(1/10)
December 27, 2025 at 10:23 PM
I was thinking about what gifts people used to give to readers (besides gift editions of famous poets' work and illustrated histories of wars and such), and while I was thinking about it, somebody brought a book to the counter....
(1/10)
(1/10)
Esky is supervising as we begin cataloguing the poetry. Browse here: www.thehauntedbookshop.com/new-arrivals...
Anyway, that's what's in NEW ARRIVALS!
Email infodesk@thehauntedbookshop.com or call 319-337-2996 to order. We ship! In-person shopping 12-6 Mon-Sat.
Anyway, that's what's in NEW ARRIVALS!
Email infodesk@thehauntedbookshop.com or call 319-337-2996 to order. We ship! In-person shopping 12-6 Mon-Sat.
December 27, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Esky is supervising as we begin cataloguing the poetry. Browse here: www.thehauntedbookshop.com/new-arrivals...
Anyway, that's what's in NEW ARRIVALS!
Email infodesk@thehauntedbookshop.com or call 319-337-2996 to order. We ship! In-person shopping 12-6 Mon-Sat.
Anyway, that's what's in NEW ARRIVALS!
Email infodesk@thehauntedbookshop.com or call 319-337-2996 to order. We ship! In-person shopping 12-6 Mon-Sat.
Seriously: teenagers feel ambivalent about being given books that are supposed to be "good" for them, right when they're trying to establish their own tastes.
It may never have occurred to them before that giving someone a book is *an invitation* to meet them in another time and place.
(1/2)
It may never have occurred to them before that giving someone a book is *an invitation* to meet them in another time and place.
(1/2)
I respect people who give books. Just let the young folk know that what you're doing isn't telling them what to like - it's asking them to share an experience with you.
Most kids don't realize that the second most important thing about reading is having books in common with other people 📚❤️
Most kids don't realize that the second most important thing about reading is having books in common with other people 📚❤️
December 27, 2025 at 6:08 AM
Seriously: teenagers feel ambivalent about being given books that are supposed to be "good" for them, right when they're trying to establish their own tastes.
It may never have occurred to them before that giving someone a book is *an invitation* to meet them in another time and place.
(1/2)
It may never have occurred to them before that giving someone a book is *an invitation* to meet them in another time and place.
(1/2)
America, there's something you should know.
The top three kinds of books that young people (under 25) offer to sell me on Dec. 26 are:
- "Chicken Soup for the _____"
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go"
- Books of New Yorker cartoons
I'm just saying. Keep it in mind for graduations and birthdays, too.
The top three kinds of books that young people (under 25) offer to sell me on Dec. 26 are:
- "Chicken Soup for the _____"
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go"
- Books of New Yorker cartoons
I'm just saying. Keep it in mind for graduations and birthdays, too.
December 27, 2025 at 12:31 AM
America, there's something you should know.
The top three kinds of books that young people (under 25) offer to sell me on Dec. 26 are:
- "Chicken Soup for the _____"
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go"
- Books of New Yorker cartoons
I'm just saying. Keep it in mind for graduations and birthdays, too.
The top three kinds of books that young people (under 25) offer to sell me on Dec. 26 are:
- "Chicken Soup for the _____"
- "Oh, the Places You'll Go"
- Books of New Yorker cartoons
I'm just saying. Keep it in mind for graduations and birthdays, too.
For those keeping up on the littlest bookseller (age 4):
He still hasn't seen the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, because he once again fell asleep during the Present.
But this year, he did understand why Mr Dickens called Rizzo an idiot after he went back *through* the gate to get the jellybeans.
He still hasn't seen the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, because he once again fell asleep during the Present.
But this year, he did understand why Mr Dickens called Rizzo an idiot after he went back *through* the gate to get the jellybeans.
two muppets are standing in front of a building with the words tis the season to be jolly and joyous .
Alt: Kermit the Frog carries Robin on his shoulder as they improvise some harmony on the way down the road to Bob Cratchit's house. The image contains the caption "Tis the season to be jolly and joyous", which is a line from the song these Muppets are singing
media.tenor.com
December 26, 2025 at 6:41 AM
For those keeping up on the littlest bookseller (age 4):
He still hasn't seen the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, because he once again fell asleep during the Present.
But this year, he did understand why Mr Dickens called Rizzo an idiot after he went back *through* the gate to get the jellybeans.
He still hasn't seen the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, because he once again fell asleep during the Present.
But this year, he did understand why Mr Dickens called Rizzo an idiot after he went back *through* the gate to get the jellybeans.
Retail work will convince you that you know nothing and mean nothing, but... many of the poets in this collection are people with whom I have spoken once or twice.
It's Iowa City.
You can't sit down in a bar without hearing a poet nearby, nor can you walk out of range of their observation.
It's Iowa City.
You can't sit down in a bar without hearing a poet nearby, nor can you walk out of range of their observation.
December 26, 2025 at 5:58 AM
Retail work will convince you that you know nothing and mean nothing, but... many of the poets in this collection are people with whom I have spoken once or twice.
It's Iowa City.
You can't sit down in a bar without hearing a poet nearby, nor can you walk out of range of their observation.
It's Iowa City.
You can't sit down in a bar without hearing a poet nearby, nor can you walk out of range of their observation.
If you're comfortable doing so and are out shopping today or tomorrow:
Look a retail worker in the eye and say "Thanks" if they do something extra for you.
I promise you, they will remember your kindness.
It might be what gets them through this week 🙏❤️
Look a retail worker in the eye and say "Thanks" if they do something extra for you.
I promise you, they will remember your kindness.
It might be what gets them through this week 🙏❤️
December 23, 2025 at 10:19 PM
If you're comfortable doing so and are out shopping today or tomorrow:
Look a retail worker in the eye and say "Thanks" if they do something extra for you.
I promise you, they will remember your kindness.
It might be what gets them through this week 🙏❤️
Look a retail worker in the eye and say "Thanks" if they do something extra for you.
I promise you, they will remember your kindness.
It might be what gets them through this week 🙏❤️
Remember... we are *extremely* good at Gifting Secrecy.
We have lots of experience hiding gifts from other family members, even if they've come inside with you 👀
And we have opaque shopping bags 🛍️
And also, we deliver, so you can specify a delivery time window in the "order notes" box online.
We have lots of experience hiding gifts from other family members, even if they've come inside with you 👀
And we have opaque shopping bags 🛍️
And also, we deliver, so you can specify a delivery time window in the "order notes" box online.
December 22, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Remember... we are *extremely* good at Gifting Secrecy.
We have lots of experience hiding gifts from other family members, even if they've come inside with you 👀
And we have opaque shopping bags 🛍️
And also, we deliver, so you can specify a delivery time window in the "order notes" box online.
We have lots of experience hiding gifts from other family members, even if they've come inside with you 👀
And we have opaque shopping bags 🛍️
And also, we deliver, so you can specify a delivery time window in the "order notes" box online.
HOLIDAY HOURS
Sun 21st through Tue 23 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 24th 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 25th ❄️ Closed
Fri 26th through Tue 30 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 31 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 1st ❄️ Closed
Fri 2nd and beyond 🕕 12-6pm
Sun 21st through Tue 23 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 24th 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 25th ❄️ Closed
Fri 26th through Tue 30 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 31 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 1st ❄️ Closed
Fri 2nd and beyond 🕕 12-6pm
December 21, 2025 at 6:24 PM
HOLIDAY HOURS
Sun 21st through Tue 23 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 24th 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 25th ❄️ Closed
Fri 26th through Tue 30 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 31 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 1st ❄️ Closed
Fri 2nd and beyond 🕕 12-6pm
Sun 21st through Tue 23 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 24th 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 25th ❄️ Closed
Fri 26th through Tue 30 🕕 12-6pm
Wed 31 🕒 12-3pm
Thu 1st ❄️ Closed
Fri 2nd and beyond 🕕 12-6pm
Reposted by The Haunted Bookshop
Study in Helsinki indicating benefits of portable air cleaners on lowering infection risk in daycare centers, less absences & parent absences from work in intervention vs. reference (no air cleaner) groups. Cleaning indoor air is not difficult and it works.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The effect of room air cleaners on infection control in day care centres
The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of air cleaning in reducing the risk of respiratory infection in two day care centres using a si…
www.sciencedirect.com
December 21, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Study in Helsinki indicating benefits of portable air cleaners on lowering infection risk in daycare centers, less absences & parent absences from work in intervention vs. reference (no air cleaner) groups. Cleaning indoor air is not difficult and it works.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by The Haunted Bookshop
That's how traditional Japanese homes regulated humidity, with the paper screens and tatami floor mats.
But having tons and tons of paper is another matter entirely.
Hundreds of pounds of water held in their pages?
A river runs through it?
Interesting.
But having tons and tons of paper is another matter entirely.
Hundreds of pounds of water held in their pages?
A river runs through it?
Interesting.
December 19, 2025 at 6:37 PM
That's how traditional Japanese homes regulated humidity, with the paper screens and tatami floor mats.
But having tons and tons of paper is another matter entirely.
Hundreds of pounds of water held in their pages?
A river runs through it?
Interesting.
But having tons and tons of paper is another matter entirely.
Hundreds of pounds of water held in their pages?
A river runs through it?
Interesting.
There was one thing that none of my mentors told me about life in a large bookshop....
The pages of 45000+ books slurp a lot of water out of the air 📚
The humidity in here is currently 25%. When the temperature drops, it can get down to 20%.
Nobody warned me I'd need gallons of moisturizer 🙄
The pages of 45000+ books slurp a lot of water out of the air 📚
The humidity in here is currently 25%. When the temperature drops, it can get down to 20%.
Nobody warned me I'd need gallons of moisturizer 🙄
December 19, 2025 at 4:07 AM
There was one thing that none of my mentors told me about life in a large bookshop....
The pages of 45000+ books slurp a lot of water out of the air 📚
The humidity in here is currently 25%. When the temperature drops, it can get down to 20%.
Nobody warned me I'd need gallons of moisturizer 🙄
The pages of 45000+ books slurp a lot of water out of the air 📚
The humidity in here is currently 25%. When the temperature drops, it can get down to 20%.
Nobody warned me I'd need gallons of moisturizer 🙄
Nearly had a "tradigy" tonight. I brought a hand puppet home for repairs, and our 4yo got emotionally attached to it. We have talked him down to drawing a picture of the puppet "and that way we can keep him forever."
All is solved, except for one mystery:
Why did the kid call this thing a "llama"?
All is solved, except for one mystery:
Why did the kid call this thing a "llama"?
December 18, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Nearly had a "tradigy" tonight. I brought a hand puppet home for repairs, and our 4yo got emotionally attached to it. We have talked him down to drawing a picture of the puppet "and that way we can keep him forever."
All is solved, except for one mystery:
Why did the kid call this thing a "llama"?
All is solved, except for one mystery:
Why did the kid call this thing a "llama"?