Thursday, November 14, 2013

Fall Book Sale 2013

At the end of September, I checked out a book from the library and the following conversation took place:


Librarian: Did you get one of these? *points to a bookmark advertising the fall book sale*

Holly: No, but I don't need one; I already have it marked on my calendar.

Librarian: *Look of surprise then a big smile and lots of laughter*

Obviously that librarian doesn't know my history with the book sales.  I don't mess around with this event; it's an event I consider almost as wonderful as Christmas!



So on the first Thursday of October, I spent my lunch break at the library's used book sale.  This was the first time I'd ever gone on the first day of the event and if I thought there were books on the last day, boy was I wrong.  I think my jaw hit the floor when I saw the cartons and cartons of books stacked upon one another and on the floor under the tables; I wish I would have had more than an hour to spend looking at everything but I needed to go back to work to make the money that supports my book collecting habit!

While I didn't get the "special deal" that occurs on the last day of the book sale, I can't complain about the dollar-per-pound I was charged; 11 books for $8.00 is nothing to scoff at.  So, without further ado, here is a list of the books I brought home with me, a list of books still waiting to find a home on my already overflowing bookshelf:

Before You Know Kindness by Chris Bohjalian
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb
While I was Gone by Sue Miller
Dewey by Vicki Myron
Blessings by Anna Quindlen
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
The Pilot's Wife by Anita Shreve
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Sophie's Choice by William Styron
Tuesday Night at the Blue Moon by Debbie Fuller Thomas


I finished The Help this past weekend and then watched the movie on Monday during my day off (yay for long weekends!).  While the movie was very good, it just didn't compare to the book in my opinion.  I can't form the same kind of connections I do with characters and/or situations in movies like I do in books.  I also have a hard time getting over the little details that are left out even though I understand that not every detail can be included in a movie (unless we want it to be several hours long).  I do have to say, however, that I was very impressed with how closely the producers stuck to the book's story line; that isn't always the case so kudos to them.  Anyhoo, I do believe The Help is one book I will not be donating back to the library for them to sell in the future; I want this one to stay on my shelf.

I am currently several chapters into Before You Know Kindness and enjoying it thus far.  I loved Bohjalian's Midwives (picked it up at the spring book sale and, like The Help, it is staying on my shelf instead of donating back to the library) so we'll see how this one compares.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Halloween Decorations 2013

Here are the 2013 additions to my Halloween decorations.  I'm very excited about them; I'm also quite excited about forgetting I bought them until I open up my orange and black tubs next season!

The book stack and little black cat are from Hobby Lobby (Bought the book stack at only 40% off because I didn't want to miss out on having it - one of the few things I've ever bought from Hobby Lobby at less than 50% off!  Kind of strange paying "so much" for a decoration there.); the Happy Halloween town and fake black candle from Kohl's (Free!!!  We used our $10 Kohl's cash and our total came to $9.65!!!); the skull from Target (can you believe I didn't have a skull of any sorts in my collection?!); the gravestone markers from a local thrift shop (So stoked when I found those - I don't think I've ever looked at thrift stores for decorations before.  You can believe I'll be doing it again in the future!).

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Book Quote: The Help

I'm currently reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett and thoroughly enjoying it.  It's one of those books I hate putting down; I want to keep learning more about the great characters, hear more of their interesting stories.  I'm almost finished with the novel and have plans to watch the movie as soon as I'm done.

My favorite line from the novel so far:


"All I'm saying is, kindness don't have no boundaries."