welcome to my world

When I told my husband about my plans for today and next Saturday (four, count 'em, four used-book sales!), he said, "You should start a blog about that. You know, do some reviews of the different book sales and what's better or worse at each--kind of like that Connecticut Museum Quest guy."

Well. I can't deny I'm a huge fan of that Connecticut Museum Quest guy, and I admitted that the idea might be tempting. Besides, it's nice to keep a blog with a limited focus, because it doesn't take over your life (and I know from previous experience that keeping a journal can take over my life, let alone something nifty on the internet that other people might actually read!). So, apparently I have my own little Eric Powell, and now I have a blog.

I've lived in Connecticut for about thirteen years now, and I've never been shy about how much I love its library system. I came from a state in which my family--as residents of an unincorporated township--had to pay a yearly fee for the use of the library in the closest "big town." So when I got to Connecticut and found out that not only was my library card free, it was a ticket to every library in the state, I was blown away. Since then, I've floated happily from town to town, library to library--often to check out books, but also, increasingly often, for used-book sales. Over the years, my library has grown (exponentially), my tastes have changed, and my navigation has gotten better.

Which is where this blog comes in. A website already exists that tells people where and when the used book sales in Connecticut are--and believe me, I adore this thing--but it's really only bare-bones info. I'm more interested in in-depth reviewing of the Connecticut used-book circuit (and I'll most likely be counting used-book stores as well as library sales and other fundraisers)--what's good where, tips for visitors, etc. I live in eastern CT so eastern and central parts of the state are probably going to get the most bandwidth, although I did warn my husband that this means I might have to go farther afield than I previously have.

I realize, of course, that this may be a little bit like reviewing plays that have already closed, and readers are urged to take me with a grain of salt because not all sales are alike, even two sales from the same library. But, I believe that I can give a decent enough sample of the flavor so that the next time a sale rolls around, I can be a decent reference.

Happy booking!