Monday, April 12, 2010

Books, Glorious, Books


News of a used book sale pumps up the adrenalin in my blood.

Summer, fall, winter, or spring, attending used book sales is a "must do." In Western Massachusetts, many library budgets have gotten the ax so the used books sales, usually put on by library volunteers, are more important than ever.

One sun drenched weekend this spring, a library in Western Mass held such a sale for three days. As always, people came in droves and perused aisle after aisle of every kind of book imaginable.

The sale always includes cassette tapes, cds, dvds, and records, too! This past sale, I restrained myself and bought four books and four cds. (Like avid readers everywhere, my home library is crammed to the gills with books and it's almost impossible to weed them out. They are, after all, my dearest friends, my bosom buddies!)

Oprah Winfrey's magazine "O" is one of my faves. When I buy a copy in a thrift store, it's always at least a good two hour read of very good quality articles. So when I found a hardcover book that included more than 100 articles from "O" Magazine for $3, it was a must have. The title of it is "Live Your Best Life: A Treasury of Wisdom, Wit, Advice, Interviews, and Inspiration from O, the Oprah Magazine." Some of the sections are "Your Personal Best," "Relationships," and "Living in the World."



Also got a beautifully illustrated  "The Essential Mexican Cookbook" which has 50 classic recipes such as yummy guacamole, huevos rancheros, soups, beans, and even seviche, which is fresh fish "cooked" only in lime juice!  Also got  "Fresh Cut Flowers for a Friend" which is a small book on friendship, and a picture book, "New Mexico" by David Muench for a friend who's thinking of moving there.




Every single one of the cds  I purchased is a hit. "Romantic Evening Music," with the Budapest Strings,  has some exquisite pieces on it. One of them, Mendelssohn's "On Wings of a Song," can move me to tears even when the car is stopped for a red light!

 "Stream Reggae" by Mission of Love  has a unique beat and music from  Los Tucanes of Tijuana is very spirited. When I opened the case for the latter, I discovered two brand new cds inside, for a total of 30 songs! The fourth cd purchased  is of a singer from Lebanon which I  actually gave  to a friend who's Lebanese.

For the four books and four cds, I paid less than $17!

As I walked away from the library book sale, I felt like I had died and gone to heaven!

DOES YOUR LIBRARY HAVE USED BOOK SALES?

9 comments:

BECKY said...

Hi Susan! Yes, our libraries have used book sales, which include magazines, CD's LP's, cassettes...You name it! And yes, I must always go to them! ANY used book place calls to me, as well!! Enjoy!!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I will have to check out my local library and see if they have sales. Such a wonderful place to support. Books are everywhere in my home. Can't seem to get enough.

Chatty Crone said...

Yes! Yes they do. And about six months ago I went to it and on Sunday - the last day - it was $10 a box. You should have seen some of the big boxes people brought.

I got 100 books for $10 and I still have about 15 left to read. In fact I was reading one today.

They do it twice a year here.

Well, I back. Missed you.
Sandie

Adrienne said...

Book sales rock! Our library has them but as I've gotten older, I've gotten way pickier and don't buy as many books.

diane stetson said...

I only like brand new books....I frequent the library only in the summer months. I love reading best sellers...am reading a triolgy right now. I love book stores and I love to read. Don't ever listen to CD's though except if I'm driving a long distance in the car....I love all types of music.

Karen Lange said...

Yes, they do and they are great fun. Thanks for sharing this! :)

Susan said...

Dear Becky, Linda, Sandie, Adrienne, Diane, and Karen: Oh, I'm so glad you all love books as much as I do. "Great minds think alike." I really appreciated your comments.

And Sandie, WELCOME BACK from your vacation. I've missed you, too!

Hope everyone takes care and stop by for Tea Cup Tuesday! Sincerely, Susan

Andrea said...

Hi Susan,
Yes, our library has more than one book sale a year and they always have a few small shelves of books for sale every day. Of course, the ones that are there every day are not changed very often, so I do look forward to the big sales. They also give magazines away once a year and I really stock up then.
I went to two libraries over the weekend near Iowa and both had some excess books for sale. I bought 3 and got several magazines too. Love that!!

Susan said...

Hi Andrea! Oh, that sounds like fun! I love magazines, too, especially "Victoria," "Country Living," "Romantic Homes" and "O." How wonderful that you get to go to so many book sales! Thanks for your visit! Sincerely, Susan

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