Treasures From a Library Used Book Sale! Does It Get Much Better?

The other day I got to do one of my favorite things, go to a used book sale at the library. The visit was made even better because I The Things They Carriedgot to do it on the first day of the sale, when there were still a lot of books there! Typically, I’m there on the last day and sometimes during the last hour or so of the sale. When I went into the sale I decided that I was going to look, not for the typical mysteries that I usually go for, but for a few books that may be a more on the literature side.

Actually, the first books that I found were more on the mystery side, from the pen of Ken Follett I found some pretty nice copies of The Man from St Petersburg, The Key to Rebecca, and The Eye of the Needle. The only one of the three that I have read is the last which of course is great!!  So my first $1.50 was spent!

The next couple of books were of the literature mold. First Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried  I’ve seen this book on many list of the top 100 books or books that you should read. It was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Award. Next came The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. L A Times writes.. “A mystery, a thriller, a ghost story, and a literary tour de force“. Edward says and why haven’t I read this book!!

The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney followed. I’ve looked at this book many times, but have never picked it up.  Once again the blurb on the back of the book leaves me scratching my head…..”An original and readable MIXTURE IF MYSTERY AND HiSTORY, with a  goo dollop of old-fashioned adventure” – The Times (London)

Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories was the next purchase. I have always heard read how great Atkinson is and yet I still have not read one of her books!  The blurbs are to many and make me feel pretty bad for never reading this book!!

Finally, the last book is truly great literature… the best of the bunch  Island of the Sequined Love Nun from Christopher Moore. I’ve had trouble getting into Moore’s last few books, not so, with his early works like Practical Demonkeeping, Coyote Blue and The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. These books along with Lamb are just some of my favorite all time reads. Yeah, I know they’re not great literature but who cares!!

So there’s the next $5.00 that I spent for a grand total of  $6.50 for 8 books not bad, eh?? Now the hard par, finding time to read them all!

 

 

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