Thursday night was my library's fall book sale. Things were much more pleasant this time around than at the last sale. There were still lots of people there, and the same lady with her trusty bar code reader was scanning the shelves, but it didn't feel quite as rushed this time around. Maybe it helped that we were allowed in fifteen minutes earlier. It is much nicer to be on the relaxed side even if it was crowded. I certainly can't complain as I filled my book bag to the brim. While most paperbacks were still only fifty cents, I noticed that many of the popular titles had special pricing, but even at $3 or $4 the books were still a bargain and I only spent a tad over $20. I even found two Viragos! If you're curious for details, here's what I came away with:
I Capture the Castle (Virago--a very lucky find!), Dodie Smith - I love this book!
A Lost Lady (a newer Virago), Willa Cather - She's a Nebraska author and I really should read much more of her work.
The Inn at the End of the World, Alice Thomas Ellis - I wasn't sure about this as it sounds a little on the heavy side, but I decided to give it a go.
Tropic Moon, Georges Simenon - This is a non-Maigret mystery published by NYRB Classics. I was happy to find it and it's in pristine condition. And only 50 cents!
The Sisters Mortland, Sally Beauman - I read this before, but it was a library copy and I wouldn't mind owning my own and reading it again.
The Woman of the House, Alice Taylor - She's an Irish author--has anyone read her work?
Gunnar's Daughter, Sigrid Undset
Jenny, Sigrid Undset - These were great finds as I have wanted to read more of Undset's work. Both of these novels sound good!
The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, Brian Moore - I wasn't sure about this one either, but the blurb said the character of Judith Hearne was part of "the gallery of literature's unforgettable women."
Fireworks: Nine Profane Pieces, Angela Carter - I'd never heard of this one. I like her work, but I find I have to be in the right frame of mind for it.
Clouds of Witness, Dorothy L. Sayers
Strong Poison, Dorothy L. Sayers - A Lord Wimsey and Harriet Vane mystery. She's on trial for murder in this one.
An American Childhood, Annie Dillard
Disturbances in the Field, Lynne Sharon Schwartz - "A quiet masterwork of 20-century American realism."
84, Charing Cross Road, Helene Hanff - This was a frivolous purchase as I already own it, but it has the coolest cover. The price was so cheap I figured why not. I need to reread her work soon!
A History of Reading, Alberto Manguel - I thought this would be a pricier book, but it was only 50 cents. Now, that's quite a find.
Acid Row, Minette Walters
Listen to the Shadows, Danuta Reah - "A psychological thriller in the style of Minette Walters." She's compared also to P.D. James, and Barbara Vine. Those are pretty hard acts to follow!
The Old Jest, Jennifer Johnston - Published in 1979, it won the Whitbread and Yorkshire Post Awards.
Northbridge Rectory, Angela Thirkell - A Barsetshire Chronicle novel. It's not one of the nice Moyer Bell editions, only an old paperback, but as they are hard to come by I guess I can't be too particular.
The Grave Tattoo, Val McDermid - I've been curious about this author. I know she has more than one series she writes, but this is a stand alone mystery.
Old Wounds: A Gillian Adams Mystery, Nora Kelly - This has an academic setting.
Crime Through Time II, edited by Miriam Grace Manfredo - I have the first collection. Perhaps I'll read one of these short stories this weekend.
Hamlet, Shakespeare
English Music, Peter Ackroyd
A Finer End, Deborah Crombie
The Tulip: The Story of a Flower That Has Made Men Mad, Anna Pavord - I love books like these--an interesting social history.
I say this every time there is a library sale, but if I wanted to be really economical, I could just go to my library's quarterly book sales, and then use the library for all the newly released books. If I didn't buy any other new books during the year, I might spend less than $100 on books a year and still have plenty to read! But I know I would feel restricted and want to read something I didn't find at the sale or in the library! Still, it's nice to know there are good, inexpensive books out there!