The Book Sale Happened Again!

This is seriously one of my favorite times of the year. I can’t say it is my hands-down favorite, because my husband might get pouty that my absolute favorite isn’t our anniversary. So I will say I have multiple favorite times of the year, and this is one of them.

The used book sale!

I love this. It is a haven for people like me who have limited income and a love of reading. I was trying to keep an eye on money this year, so I did something I haven’t before. I set a budget. And I stuck to it. Yay me. Even with my budget, I managed to walk away with a whopping 32 books for me, and one for my mom. The love of reading runs in the family, you see.

My newest babies!

Even with space at a premium in our apartment, I can’t resist the call of new books!
A full list of what I got under the jump!

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The Lure of the Re-Read

So, as I near the end of my being stuck with library books that I hated, when I have many bookcases of possibilities open to me… why is it now that I want to re-read books? And not even books that it has been a long time since I read them last. I am talking Twilight and Harry Potter (both of which get a yearly re-read from me) and the Tudor series by Philippa Gregory.

Life is too short to be stuck reading the same thing over and over, but I enjoy these books, and I don’t want to deny myself the chance to re-read them and visit some old friends.

How do you feel about re-reading books? Do you set limits for yourself? Do you read whatever you want? Or do you force yourself into the realm of the unknown?

My Collection – A Sneak Peak

A dear friend of mine (HI BECCA!) keeps mentioning how she wants to see my book collection, because she imagines it being heaped around my apartment.

Honestly, this would have been true about two months ago. I had books stacked beside my bed, on the end tables, on the coffee table, on the floor… pretty much everywhere. It was horrible when I had to take books back to the library, because I would have to spend a day (at the very least) finding them all. Because I am getting married in two months, we are cleaning our apartment from top to bottom, so my books are currently all in nice little boxes until they can be lovingly placed in their new home.

Up until now, we had two little bookcases. One was my fiance’s, and was filled with his books. Not even all of his books, I must mention. Then I brought in a bookcase with doors on it. It really sucked for storing books, but it was better than nothing. So I crammed that sucker FULL of my books (and the rest of fiance’s). And it worked. Kind of. For a while. And then it exploded onto the floor, the couch, the end tables, etc.

So now, we are getting two new bookcases, and abandoning the one with the doors. We are also finding a new home for fiance’s literature masterworks collection (think literary and philosophical encyclopedias). A new home in that they will be in a cupboard rather than on the bookshelf. So that frees up three bookcases for the use of BOOKS. I have many many books. And it is really no wonder.

(hit the jump for some pictures)

Book Sale (Day 2) – Much Better!

I convinced my fiance to take me back to the book sale today. I didn’t bring my reusable bag, because I figured that would just encourage me to pick up more books. And after all, all I was really going back for was to look for Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon and Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop. Well, I didn’t need encouraging. I came home with a whole box. In addition to the big bag I got on Saturday. I have officially broken my book sale “record” for how much I spent.

The good news: I found Heir to the Shadows by Anne Bishop, thus completing the series. I can sleep better at night, knowing I have the complete series when the time comes to read it. My mother has yoinked it for now.

The bad news: I didn’t find Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon, so no (almost) complete Outlander set for me… yet. This is minor, though, as I am still a few books behind.

The really good news (and some backstory): My mom found a book eons ago at a garage sale called The Book of Paradox by Louise Cooper. It sat on the bookshelf alone, unloved, and collecting dust for many years. One day I decided to read it. Just for fun.

I don’t play favorites with books, and when I am asked what my favorite book is, I tend to nervously change the subject. Or I stare off into space, pretending the question doesn’t exist. But, if someone were to hold a gun to my head and demand to know my favorite book (hey, it COULD happen), it would be The Book of Paradox by Louise Cooper. I am long overdue for a re-read of it, and when I do I promise to post a review here.

While searching for the second book in the Anne Bishop series, I stumbled across a book by Louise Cooper. It was the first one in her Indigo series. I let out a cry of exultation that I am sure startled the old men browsing the military section behind me. A quick survey found me all seven books in the series. Except one. OF COURSE. So I am missing book 5 of the Indigo series by Louise Cooper. It is called Troika. I searched. Everywhere. The killer thing? I KNOW it is there, I just couldn’t see it. The other killer thing? I have NEVER seen this author before at the book sale, or at book stores. Ever. And now I have an incomplete series and I will be forever looking for book 5 for a reasonable price. *headdesk*

So, those were my book sale adventures. Now I present you with…

THE LIST: (April 25 edition)