New books. And practically free for the asking. Actually I literally did ask for most of them, and only paid for one book (a mere $1--how is that for a bargain?). A friend was weeding out her books and passed along to me, Women Romantics 1785-1832: Writing in Prose by Jennifer Breen. This looks like a wonderful book, and what perfect timing (after just reading about Mary Shelley). It looks like this is an anthology of their writings with added biographical material. It covers: Mary Wollstonecraft, Anna Seward, Catherine Macaulay, Helen Maria Williams, Mary Hays, Anna Barbauld, Joanna Baillie, Hannah More, Mary Robinson, Fanny Burney, Jane Taylor, Dorothy Wordsworth, Mary Lamb (with an excerpt called "On Needlework"--right up my alley), Mary Russell Mitford, Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont (Mary's step sister), and Frances Trollope. While I am familiar with some of the authors, most I am not. This will be an excellent introduction to female writers of the period. What a great find...how could my friend bear to part with it?
I am still Bookmooching away. I try and save my points, but whenever someone mooches from me I can't resist going out and spending my new point! I also am always pleased when something becomes moochable from my wishlist (gotta snap those up!). My latest acquisitions are Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad (I am looking forward to this as I am planning on reading Homer next year), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (this is one of those books I am always looking at but never buying...mooching is the perfect solution, and it came recommended from another book blogger), and Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. Am I the only person who has never read him? I think I might have to read one essay a day to get in my daily laughs. I don't read enough humorous books! I don't even think I own many humorous books--this is a good place to start.
Finally, we have a "book sale" table at the library. We occasionally get book gift donations from patrons or faculty or the general public. If they are already in the collection and are saleable (and not all of them are...some are should we say...a little dated. And who wants a 1971 textbook for economics?) they go up on the sale table--hardcovers $1 and paperbacks 50 cents. How can you beat that? Generally there is not much of interest, but I did spot Vera Brittain: A Life by Paul Berry and Mark Bostridge. Although I have not yet read anything by her, what little I have read about her I have found quite intriguing. How could I pass up a practically new hardcover (originally published in the UK)? See, I can budget and still acquire books. I feel as though I have a rather notorious reputation for buying books...