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.