I read an ad in the newspaper about a used bookstore that was going out of business. They were selling their books at $5 per bag. How could we resist such a temptation? Naturally, we went and we spent. Then we went back the next day. And I, along with my friend K—, went back again a third time.
At only $5 per bag, I could afford to get not just the obviously good books, but anything that looked even mildly interesting. And that’s what I did. The books were already somewhat picked-over and the place was a mess, but it was fun poking around. I still believe that there may be some overlooked gems in that store, so I may go back one final time later this week (alas for the GLP!).
Here is a list of the books (and tapes) that I bought…
- Paddington on Top by Michael Bond: My brother and I liked Paddington stories when we were young, so I thought this might be a good book for my son.
- The Curious Adventures of Jimmy McGee by Eleanor Estes: I have a book by this author on my “to read someday” list, so I thought I’d see if she’s any good.
- Alarms and Diversions by James Thurber: I don’t know why I keep buying James Thurber books. I just do.
- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell: I never read this when I was younger, but it seems like I ought to have, since it’s a Newbery winner.
- The Borrowers Afield by Mary Norton: I already have several books from this series, but I wasn’t sure if I had this one.
- Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau: I wanted a cheap copy that I could write in.
- The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher by Beatrix Potter (a Dover Coloring Book): A “free” coloring book for my son.
- The Moon Lady by Amy Tan: Though the dust jacket is in poor shape, this copy is signed by both author and illustrator. I read another book by Amy Tan and enjoyed it, so maybe this will be an enjoyable read for my son.
- Anne of the Island and Tales of Avonlea by Lucy Maud Montgomery: I don’t know what possessed me, especially since I have heard that the sequels aren’t as good as the original. You just never know, though.
- Illustrated Reverse Dictionary: Because I didn’t already have one.
- Crooked House by Agatha Christie: The original price was 35 cents! Sadly, it’s crumbling and may not survive my reading it.
- Murder with Mirrors by Agatha Christie: A Miss Marple mystery and a lucky find, just in time for the Marplethon!
- The Floating Admiral by Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton and Certain Other Members of the Detection Club: It was advertised on the front cover as “The most unusual mystery ever written!”
- BBC Radio Presents Thirteen at Dinner by Agatha Christie: This is a Poirot mystery done as a radio broadcast. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit back, close one’s eyes, and listen to a story.
- Death in Berlin by M.M. Kaye: I think Kaye is a wonderful author, but I’ve been disappointed by her “Death in…” series so far. Hope springs eternal, however, and when the books are practically free, how can you go wrong? So I bought this and the two following titles and if none of them are good, then I will not waste my time seeing if there are any more in the series.
- Death in Kenya by M.M. Kaye
- Death in Zanzibar by M.M. Kaye
- Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye: Because Kaye wrote so brilliantly about her childhood in India, there’s a chance that this novel, which also takes place in India, will be good. I am concerned, though, because the description on the back contains the phrases “whisperings of passion and intrigue,” “aching with need,” and “as long as the heart remembers.” Sounds sappy. Ah, well. I do like a good romance every now and again. Fingers crossed.
- Avaryan Rising by Judith Tarr: This is one of the silliest of my purchases, I think. It contains the first three Avaryan books. I already owned the first and fourth but was thinking of tossing them because I didn’t have the whole set. Now I have no excuse for not reading them.
- The Crossword Obsession by Coral Amende: This is “A book that all crossword fans should read to enhance their solving pleasure,” says Stanley Newman, editor of the Newsday crossword. So I have to read it, right?
- Agatha Christie: A Biography by Janet Morgan: This book represents one way in which I might stretch out the Marplethon should it become necessary.
- Agatha Christie: An Autobiography: I might as well get Dame Agatha’s life story in her own words. Another Marplethon stretcher, should it be needed.
- The New Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie edited by Dick Riley and Pam McAllister: A Christie reference book, because I obviously don’t have enough other Christie books. The previous owner must have been a serious fan, as there is a cutout of Hercule Poirot’s newspaper obituary tucked in the book. Extra free reading material!
- Gold and Silver Needlepoint by Maggie Lane: I have been interested in needlepoint since I inherited my grandmother’s sampler, so I thought this and the following title might be good to have on hand if I decide to do a sampler of my own.
- Sampler Stitchery by Jill Jarnow
- Victorian Crafts Revived by Caroline Green: I am on the lookout now for fun crafts to do with my son when he gets a little older.
- Granny’s Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne: Since reading the Blue Fairy Book, I have developed an interest in fairy tales. This is one of several books I bought because it is a collection of old stories.
- The Foolish Fox and Other Stories: Published in 1906, it’s in sorry shape, but it smells divine and it has some interesting old tales.
- Games for All Occasions by Mary E. Blain: Because I’m always looking for puzzle ideas.
- Pollyanna’s Jewels by Harriet Lummis Smith: I did not realize how many Pollyanna sequels there were until after I bought this, nor did I notice that this was written by a different author than the first book. I hope it’s not too awful.
- Stories from the Arabian Nights, Illustrated by Edmund Dulac: the tipped-in illustrations are simply gorgeous. I only wish it was one of the editions that contained more of the illustrations. Of course, those editions are worth a ton of money.
- The Merry Maker from the Young Folks’ Library: published in 1902, another book of old tales that smells just perfect.
- The Second St. Nicholas Anthology edited by Henry Steele Commager: yet another collection of old tales.
- Ghost Writer: A Puzzle Book by Christina Chiu: More puzzle ideas.
- Death’s a Beach by Beth Sherman: I was hoping to find some light mysteries. I am surprised that this is the only one I found. And that is why I will probably go back one more time, in hopes of finding a couple more.
- Hard Times by Charles Dickens: A classic.
- The Night My Mother Met Bruce Lee by Paisley Rekdal: Great title. It just sounded fun, and when I opened it up to a random page, I enjoyed what I read, so why not?
- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving: Another classic.
- A Child’s Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas: I am interested in finding Christmas stories to share with my son. According to the back cover, The Argus said, “It should become as much a tradition of Christmas as the wreath on the door and the tree in the window.”
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: A classic purchased with my son in mind.
- Folklore and the Sea by Horace Beck: I thought it might inspire me somehow. The sea usually does.
- The Sketch Book by Washington Iriving: An old book that just caught my eye.
- Fritz and the Beautiful Horses by Jan Brett: This book has beautiful pictures, perfect for a young child.
- Raoul Dufy by Claude Roger-Marx: It has attractive reproductions of Dufy’s work, and since it’s relatively worthless, I won’t feel bad about cutting it up and putting my favorite parts into a picture frame.
Total cost: $15
Pingback: Blue-Footed Musings » Blog Archive » Crafty Idea
Pingback: Blue-Footed Musings » Blog Archive » Adventures and Citations