After my marathon last week, I have no plans to go to book sales this weekend, since I have family and friend activities scheduled. Had I the time, I might have checked out sales in Windsor Locks (their sale actually started on Oct. 17 but runs through the week), Cheshire, and Somers, but maybe next year.
I am, however, doing something worthy of including here, as I deemed that the blog should include "other literary exploits"--going to readings/book signings. As a collector of signed books, my fondness for these events has rivaled my passion for used-book sales, although I confess that my attendance has dropped off within the past few years, mostly due to the need for child care and the general laziness which seems to come with my aging. However, I'm actually finding a free slate this week, so I hope to be at all three events--to wit:
Thursday, Oct. 22 - Multi-poet reading at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, in celebration of the release of the anthology Visiting Wallace: Poems Inspired by the Life and Work of Wallace Stevens. This event takes place at 7:30 p.m. in the Crystal Room in Mercy Hall, and it's spearheaded by the anthology's editors, Dennis Barone and Jim Finnegan. These guys used to be in charge of one of the best poetry open mikes in the area--an annual benefit for an anti-hunger organization. Sadly, that hasn't happened for several years now, but I'm glad to see what they've been up to in the meantime. Around ten Connecticut poets are scheduled to read, my favorites being Doug Anderson and Dick Allen.
Friday, Oct. 23 - Junot Diaz reading and discussion of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao at the Hartford Public Library, 6 p.m. Oscar Wao is this year's "One Book for Greater Hartford." I read it some months ago for my book club, and although no one else liked it quite as well as I did, I liked it enough to want to hear it read aloud, as it has a unique "English/Spanish/Nerdish" voice. (Diaz actually described it as such in an interview.)
Saturday, Oct. 24 - Reading by Wally Lamb from his novel, The Hour I First Believed, with a storytelling appearance by Raouf Mama. Wally Lamb is a sweetheart of a guy who once publicly announced my former fiance with a female pronoun (OK, he has an unusual name) but still deserves the good fortune that has fallen upon him via Oprah. Moreover, he's doing this reading as a charity event to help establish a endowed scholarship at Eastern Connecticut State University in honor of Sandy Taylor, another sweetheart of a guy who established Curbstone Press in Willimantic. The reading is at 7:30 p.m. at Shafer Hall at ECSU, $10 for adults and $5 for students.
I probably won't review these events but am happy to let folks know they're out there. I will probably return to book sales in November, and will post an update before I go. Until then, read well!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Oct. 17 - Otis Library
I'm blogging from my husband's new laptop, and I must say it's just dandy. It's so nice to sit in the comfort of the living room to do this, rather than be confined to the creaky old wheely chair in the den.
Today, as promised, was the sale at the Otis Library in Norwich. It started late, for a Saturday sale (10 a.m.) and I left later than I'd planned because a guy from the Geek Squad was at my house fixing our computers, and since I'd forgotten to print out directions at work yesterday, I waited until the Geek was done and I could use our home computer again. (Tried calling the library for directions several times, but only got the answering machine telling me to call during regular library hours--which I was. I know it's probably rare for people to call for directions in this day and age, but it still happens--man your phones, folks, or you may lose customers!) My husband had said earlier, "well, why don't you just drive into Norwich and drive around?" I balked at that, but I'll tell you, I might as well have done just that. Google Maps failed me completely; I still have no idea what the heck happened. I got massively lost, had to ask directions at a gas station and even then had to drive around in circles for a while. The signage in downtown Norwich is abysmal and I believe I stumbled upon the library out of sheer luck. Parked in a metered space next to the building; of course, it wasn't until afterwards that I discovered there was a huge lot behind the building (although I'm still not 100% sure that that lot belonged to the library, so if you don't want to risk getting towed, bring money for the meter).
The sale was in the basement of the library building, which was big and open and had plenty of space (it's a basement, though--do watch out if you're mold-prone). This sale was smart in that it knew how to advertise its supporters--the first sale I've ever seen that acknowledged the wonderful CT Book Sale Finder on a flyer on the wall, and it also gave credit to the group who donated the tables. Another nice touch--every now and then someone circled the room asking the browsers if they needed bags. I, of course, come with my own, as do most serious book-salers, but many folks don't, or they forget, so it's very courteous to offer.
The choices were pretty generous--lots of fiction, with a decent mix of old and new, paperback and hardcover. This library also did the courteous task of sorting very popular authors into their own little sections, so one wouldn't have to wade through huge piles of John Gresham or Stephen King. Large romance section, but one of the smallest sci-fi/fantasy sections I've ever seen at a sale, particularly of this size. Nice big biography section (mostly third-party bios of established figures, rather than personal memoirs). Decent selection of books on religion and history. Not a particularly good selection of books for younger children; much better for older children, again with a pretty good mix of new and recent fiction. Very skimpy CD selection; some DVDs; lots of videotapes--good quality films, and many of them still sealed. If you don't mind videotapes rather than DVDs, this would be a good sale to frequent.
I understand that it's a tedious and often thankless job, but the sorters at this sale might have been a little more careful. I usually only move books if the mistakes are really bad, and I moved a couple at this sale. J. M. Coetzee's The Lives of Animals really doesn't belong in the pets/nature section, and I caught a copy of a rather adult sci-fi novel that definitely didn't belong in the children's section. (Honestly, I would think the over-the-topness of a title like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse might clue one in that it isn't quite for children, but I suspect the sorter was thrown off by the nursery-rhyme theme of the novel. However, Mother Goose runs a brothel, and it didn't take long for me to discover jokes about prophylactics and sexual prowess. Check closer next time, folks.)
Prices are pretty good--$2 for hardbacks, which is higher than usual, but they make that up by charging only $.25 for most paperbacks). This sale wasn't too crowded, and the checkout process was pretty speedy. They do want you to write your driver's license number on your check, so make sure you have ID. (I realized about halfway through the sale that I felt unusually burdened, especially since I only gathered about a bag's worth of books, and then I realized that I'd brought my pocketbook in, which I don't usually do--much easier to carry just my checkbook and wallet in one of my tote bags. Didn't even used to bring the wallet until I encountered a sale which required a license to write a check.)
I couldn't help but notice one final nifty thing: this sale, like most, is run by a volunteer "Friends of the Library" group--but this particular group, "Friends of Otis Library,' has the best acronym (especially as their sale management proved it to be quite untrue).
The library itself looked nice--I saw a large teen room and genealogy resource room as I peeked through the upstairs door, but by then I just felt tired and wanted to go home, so I didn't manage to go inside and explore further. Had a bit of a challenge, again, finding the highway, but it was a nice day for a drive. This sale runs through Sunday, if anyone feels up to it and has a good map.
Best Finds: Lynda Barry's The Good Times Are Killing Me, Elizabeth Hess's Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human, and Anthony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits. I'm now rather regretting that I didn't buy Hollow Chocolate Bunnies. Oh, well.
Today, as promised, was the sale at the Otis Library in Norwich. It started late, for a Saturday sale (10 a.m.) and I left later than I'd planned because a guy from the Geek Squad was at my house fixing our computers, and since I'd forgotten to print out directions at work yesterday, I waited until the Geek was done and I could use our home computer again. (Tried calling the library for directions several times, but only got the answering machine telling me to call during regular library hours--which I was. I know it's probably rare for people to call for directions in this day and age, but it still happens--man your phones, folks, or you may lose customers!) My husband had said earlier, "well, why don't you just drive into Norwich and drive around?" I balked at that, but I'll tell you, I might as well have done just that. Google Maps failed me completely; I still have no idea what the heck happened. I got massively lost, had to ask directions at a gas station and even then had to drive around in circles for a while. The signage in downtown Norwich is abysmal and I believe I stumbled upon the library out of sheer luck. Parked in a metered space next to the building; of course, it wasn't until afterwards that I discovered there was a huge lot behind the building (although I'm still not 100% sure that that lot belonged to the library, so if you don't want to risk getting towed, bring money for the meter).
The sale was in the basement of the library building, which was big and open and had plenty of space (it's a basement, though--do watch out if you're mold-prone). This sale was smart in that it knew how to advertise its supporters--the first sale I've ever seen that acknowledged the wonderful CT Book Sale Finder on a flyer on the wall, and it also gave credit to the group who donated the tables. Another nice touch--every now and then someone circled the room asking the browsers if they needed bags. I, of course, come with my own, as do most serious book-salers, but many folks don't, or they forget, so it's very courteous to offer.
The choices were pretty generous--lots of fiction, with a decent mix of old and new, paperback and hardcover. This library also did the courteous task of sorting very popular authors into their own little sections, so one wouldn't have to wade through huge piles of John Gresham or Stephen King. Large romance section, but one of the smallest sci-fi/fantasy sections I've ever seen at a sale, particularly of this size. Nice big biography section (mostly third-party bios of established figures, rather than personal memoirs). Decent selection of books on religion and history. Not a particularly good selection of books for younger children; much better for older children, again with a pretty good mix of new and recent fiction. Very skimpy CD selection; some DVDs; lots of videotapes--good quality films, and many of them still sealed. If you don't mind videotapes rather than DVDs, this would be a good sale to frequent.
I understand that it's a tedious and often thankless job, but the sorters at this sale might have been a little more careful. I usually only move books if the mistakes are really bad, and I moved a couple at this sale. J. M. Coetzee's The Lives of Animals really doesn't belong in the pets/nature section, and I caught a copy of a rather adult sci-fi novel that definitely didn't belong in the children's section. (Honestly, I would think the over-the-topness of a title like The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse might clue one in that it isn't quite for children, but I suspect the sorter was thrown off by the nursery-rhyme theme of the novel. However, Mother Goose runs a brothel, and it didn't take long for me to discover jokes about prophylactics and sexual prowess. Check closer next time, folks.)
Prices are pretty good--$2 for hardbacks, which is higher than usual, but they make that up by charging only $.25 for most paperbacks). This sale wasn't too crowded, and the checkout process was pretty speedy. They do want you to write your driver's license number on your check, so make sure you have ID. (I realized about halfway through the sale that I felt unusually burdened, especially since I only gathered about a bag's worth of books, and then I realized that I'd brought my pocketbook in, which I don't usually do--much easier to carry just my checkbook and wallet in one of my tote bags. Didn't even used to bring the wallet until I encountered a sale which required a license to write a check.)
I couldn't help but notice one final nifty thing: this sale, like most, is run by a volunteer "Friends of the Library" group--but this particular group, "Friends of Otis Library,' has the best acronym (especially as their sale management proved it to be quite untrue).
The library itself looked nice--I saw a large teen room and genealogy resource room as I peeked through the upstairs door, but by then I just felt tired and wanted to go home, so I didn't manage to go inside and explore further. Had a bit of a challenge, again, finding the highway, but it was a nice day for a drive. This sale runs through Sunday, if anyone feels up to it and has a good map.
Best Finds: Lynda Barry's The Good Times Are Killing Me, Elizabeth Hess's Nim Chimpsky: The Chimp Who Would Be Human, and Anthony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits. I'm now rather regretting that I didn't buy Hollow Chocolate Bunnies. Oh, well.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Oct. 15 – Prosser Public Library Sale (Bloomfield)
It’s October. And it’s SNOWING. I am not happy about this at all. I hate snow. I hate driving in it, and I hate being afraid to venture out when there’s snow in the forecast. So, of course, when I heard that snow was in the forecast for early evening last night, my first thought was that I had better not try to make it to the library in Bloomfield for its sale. I decided, however, to give it a shot, because Bloomfield isn’t far from my workplace and I didn’t think the snow would be too much of an impediment. Turns out I was right—I saw a fair bit of snow, but only in the air; it didn’t stick on the road at all, since it was too warm to ice up. No worse than driving in the rain (which I don’t like either but wouldn’t allow to hinder me as readily).
That said, if I had been snowed out of the Bloomfield sale, I don’t think I’d have missed anything tremendous. Even so, I was glad that I made it, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on.
I’m fond of the Bloomfield library—Bloomfield is not a huge town, but its library seems well-cared-for and well-loved. I’ve been there a couple times to borrow books (and will probably always remember it fondly because I found a copy of Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction on its bookcart in the hall, and the newer Mole books, especially, are hard to come by in America!). Thus, the warmth and cleanliness of the community room impressed me as a nice place for a sale. This sale was tidy and organized—unfortunately, however, part of the reason for the tidiness and organization was that the selection wasn’t particularly broad. I got the sense, though, that somebody had really laid everything out carefully and attractively, and that was part of the sale’s overall appeal. (I do protest, however, at some sections that weren’t laid out horizontally but were displayed vertically, in annoying, flimsy bookends that slid when books were taken out and made the rest of the display fall over. Not attractive, and not useful either!)
For the most part, the sale consisted of donated books rather than library discards—with the notable exception of the children’s books, which I’ll get to in a moment. Most ordinary library categories were represented, but generally by only 20 to 30 books each. The cookbook section was nice—seemed like newer and higher-quality books. The fiction choices—which are almost always the heart of any used-book sale—were remarkably slim; mostly hardback, little paperback. (I did indulge in the same Janet Evanovich book I’d bypassed at the Allentown sale, since at Bloomfield it was only $1. I always get a little “Ha!” out of moments like that.) CD selection was OK; video selection was actually very good (high-quality tapes, great condition—if you’re an X-Files fan and don’t mind videotape, this sale had a broad range of episode tapes. (I seriously debated about the two tapes with Darin Morgan episodes, but eventually didn’t want to break up the set; I’ll probably end up getting the show on DVD eventually.)
The real highlight of this sale (or at least it was before I decimated it) was the education section—I snagged five books on lesson planning and classroom management for my teacher-to-be husband that were published within the last decade, in great condition, and probably very useful.
The children’s section was the only one that was almost completely library discards. Many of these books (for both older and younger kids) were classics, and the selection was bigger than most at this sale. At the beginning of my quest for the classroom library, however, I probably would have been less picky about taking library discards; now, I’ve just gotten a little more discriminating and I didn’t choose many. I did end up with some pretty nice donated paperbacks—although the one weird blip in the sale’s display relegated these to two large tubs in the corner of the room, and I couldn’t even be sure they were actually on sale. I asked the sweet elderly ladies who were running the sale, and they weren’t sure, but they found someone fairly quickly to give the right answer.
Prices were standard—exemplary for the children’s paperbacks, though, which were ten cents (lowest I’ve seen anywhere so far)! I left with one bag, quite full (under $10, although upon looking the haul over at home I suspect that the dear ladies undercharged me and I feel vaguely guilty about that). As I left the library, it was just getting dark and the snow was getting underway, and I drove through a lot of blow-snow to get home. I wouldn’t say that this was a sale to risk one’s personal safety—or one’s car—to get to, but it was certainly worth a little effort.
Best Finds: The aforementioned education books, particularly Weaving Through Words and Managing Diverse Classrooms. A copy of Sesyle Joslin’s What Do You Say, Dear? (about manners, but a hoot—I always liked it as a child) and two of Aliki’s books, Manners and Feelings. James Marshall's Merry Christmas, Space Case--a library discard, but one I couldn't pass up (talk to me if you ever want an adaptation for a school or church play, because I've done it!) Prince Paul’s album A Prince Among Thieves (as a De La Soul fan, I’m interested in their friend and mentor, and that’s the great thing about sales like this—you can investigate side interests without a huge investment).
That said, if I had been snowed out of the Bloomfield sale, I don’t think I’d have missed anything tremendous. Even so, I was glad that I made it, for reasons I can’t quite put my finger on.
I’m fond of the Bloomfield library—Bloomfield is not a huge town, but its library seems well-cared-for and well-loved. I’ve been there a couple times to borrow books (and will probably always remember it fondly because I found a copy of Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction on its bookcart in the hall, and the newer Mole books, especially, are hard to come by in America!). Thus, the warmth and cleanliness of the community room impressed me as a nice place for a sale. This sale was tidy and organized—unfortunately, however, part of the reason for the tidiness and organization was that the selection wasn’t particularly broad. I got the sense, though, that somebody had really laid everything out carefully and attractively, and that was part of the sale’s overall appeal. (I do protest, however, at some sections that weren’t laid out horizontally but were displayed vertically, in annoying, flimsy bookends that slid when books were taken out and made the rest of the display fall over. Not attractive, and not useful either!)
For the most part, the sale consisted of donated books rather than library discards—with the notable exception of the children’s books, which I’ll get to in a moment. Most ordinary library categories were represented, but generally by only 20 to 30 books each. The cookbook section was nice—seemed like newer and higher-quality books. The fiction choices—which are almost always the heart of any used-book sale—were remarkably slim; mostly hardback, little paperback. (I did indulge in the same Janet Evanovich book I’d bypassed at the Allentown sale, since at Bloomfield it was only $1. I always get a little “Ha!” out of moments like that.) CD selection was OK; video selection was actually very good (high-quality tapes, great condition—if you’re an X-Files fan and don’t mind videotape, this sale had a broad range of episode tapes. (I seriously debated about the two tapes with Darin Morgan episodes, but eventually didn’t want to break up the set; I’ll probably end up getting the show on DVD eventually.)
The real highlight of this sale (or at least it was before I decimated it) was the education section—I snagged five books on lesson planning and classroom management for my teacher-to-be husband that were published within the last decade, in great condition, and probably very useful.
The children’s section was the only one that was almost completely library discards. Many of these books (for both older and younger kids) were classics, and the selection was bigger than most at this sale. At the beginning of my quest for the classroom library, however, I probably would have been less picky about taking library discards; now, I’ve just gotten a little more discriminating and I didn’t choose many. I did end up with some pretty nice donated paperbacks—although the one weird blip in the sale’s display relegated these to two large tubs in the corner of the room, and I couldn’t even be sure they were actually on sale. I asked the sweet elderly ladies who were running the sale, and they weren’t sure, but they found someone fairly quickly to give the right answer.
Prices were standard—exemplary for the children’s paperbacks, though, which were ten cents (lowest I’ve seen anywhere so far)! I left with one bag, quite full (under $10, although upon looking the haul over at home I suspect that the dear ladies undercharged me and I feel vaguely guilty about that). As I left the library, it was just getting dark and the snow was getting underway, and I drove through a lot of blow-snow to get home. I wouldn’t say that this was a sale to risk one’s personal safety—or one’s car—to get to, but it was certainly worth a little effort.
Best Finds: The aforementioned education books, particularly Weaving Through Words and Managing Diverse Classrooms. A copy of Sesyle Joslin’s What Do You Say, Dear? (about manners, but a hoot—I always liked it as a child) and two of Aliki’s books, Manners and Feelings. James Marshall's Merry Christmas, Space Case--a library discard, but one I couldn't pass up (talk to me if you ever want an adaptation for a school or church play, because I've done it!) Prince Paul’s album A Prince Among Thieves (as a De La Soul fan, I’m interested in their friend and mentor, and that’s the great thing about sales like this—you can investigate side interests without a huge investment).
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Oct. 14 - New Britain Library Sale
I arrived at the New Britain Public Library at around 5:15 p.m. for their paid preview, and gave them my five bucks to get in. The lady at the desk seemed a little surprised by this, so I suspect I could have gotten away scot-free; however, I don't usually have problems with giving money to good causes like libraries, so I didn't quibble. This is a good thing, as I honestly don't think it was really worth the paid-preview price. The sale took up a decent-sized community room, but the selection seemed kind of limited, and nothing really stood out. I'd hate to have gotten there later in the week, though, as I suspect I would have been even more disappointed.
One unique feature: CT Book Sale Finder listed this as a "Red Hot Book Sale," and that was meant literally. The "specials" table (i.e., books that cost more than standard book-sale prices of a buck or fifty cents) at the front of the room consisted wholly of books with red covers! Again, nothing spectacular, selection-wise, but I give them points for cleverness. Truth be told, it's often difficult for me to tell exactly how book sale staff determines what counts as a "special" (rarity? condition?)--in fact, I've occasionally seen seemingly identical copies of "specials" on regular tables elsewhere in the same sale! (Mansfield Public Library, I love you dearly, but I'm looking at you here!) New Britain's specials were eye-catching, and reminded me of an art installation that I dearly love, There Is Nothing Wrong in this Whole Wide World. (What I wouldn't give to see an entire book sale like this! Anyone?)
On the older vs. newer-book spectrum that I mentioned in my last post (I have to come up with better names for these terms, since I suspect I'll be using them regularly)--the New Britain sale definitely fell on the older-book side. Some decent recent fiction (although quite a bit of Oprah) but far more older trade paperbacks. Popular authors (e.g., Grisham, Steele, Rita Mae Brown) were sorted out into boxes around the perimeter of the room, which was kind of nice--I'm not one to indulge in much of this stuff, but it makes it easy for folks who do, and clears off the tables as well. Other than fiction, most genres were small (one table, tops). This book sale, unlike any I've seen, had a selection of books in Polish (NB has probably the highest Polish population in the state, so that's no surprise--well, no more than seeing a table full of Polish books in America is, which it just IS!). There was also a surprisingly large and good selection of books by black authors; this section, however, was labeled "Black Americans," which it shouldn't have been, as books by and about African and Caribbean folk were also included (their hearts were in the right place, I suspect). The children's book selection was skimpy and badly displayed (on some occasions, stacked in boxes without the spines pointing upward). CD selection wasn't bad (clearly, someone who liked Prince contributed a good bit)--although it took me a while to be able to get to it, since this poor fellow whose eyes were clearly far worse than mine, even, was bent over the box for a LONG time. The videotape selection was quite broad; I saw a sign in the library that they were getting rid of tapes and going strictly to DVDs, so I suspect that many of the tapes were library discards.
Prices were standard--$1 hardbacks, $.50 paperbacks, DVDs $2 (I didn't buy any CDs so I'm not sure of their prices). I left with one bagful (around $11), and ran into a friend getting off the elevator. I'd mentioned that I was going to the sale in an email earlier in the day, and since she lives in NB, she decided to pop in. I felt a little guilty and warned her about the $5 not really being worth it, but like me she doesn't mind money going to the library--also like me, she doesn't even really mind library fines!
I got good and lost trying to get back to the highway--this has happened to me before in NB, and it was dark out, so I'm wholly to blame. This sale continues through Saturday, although I have to wonder how much they'll really have by then.
Best Finds: A copy of Stewart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster, a lovely little book by a Connecticut author. It was a library discard, which I generally like less than an unmarked, donated book--but since the story itself is about the closing down of a Red Lobster IN NEW BRITAIN, having a discarded copy from the New Britain Library felt like beautiful poetic justice. Also, a very nice hardback copy of Ian McEwen's Atonement. A DVD of Revolutionary Road. Some lovely children's picture books in very good condition--particularly Graeme Base's The Eleventh Hour and James Herriot's Moses the Kitten.
One unique feature: CT Book Sale Finder listed this as a "Red Hot Book Sale," and that was meant literally. The "specials" table (i.e., books that cost more than standard book-sale prices of a buck or fifty cents) at the front of the room consisted wholly of books with red covers! Again, nothing spectacular, selection-wise, but I give them points for cleverness. Truth be told, it's often difficult for me to tell exactly how book sale staff determines what counts as a "special" (rarity? condition?)--in fact, I've occasionally seen seemingly identical copies of "specials" on regular tables elsewhere in the same sale! (Mansfield Public Library, I love you dearly, but I'm looking at you here!) New Britain's specials were eye-catching, and reminded me of an art installation that I dearly love, There Is Nothing Wrong in this Whole Wide World. (What I wouldn't give to see an entire book sale like this! Anyone?)
On the older vs. newer-book spectrum that I mentioned in my last post (I have to come up with better names for these terms, since I suspect I'll be using them regularly)--the New Britain sale definitely fell on the older-book side. Some decent recent fiction (although quite a bit of Oprah) but far more older trade paperbacks. Popular authors (e.g., Grisham, Steele, Rita Mae Brown) were sorted out into boxes around the perimeter of the room, which was kind of nice--I'm not one to indulge in much of this stuff, but it makes it easy for folks who do, and clears off the tables as well. Other than fiction, most genres were small (one table, tops). This book sale, unlike any I've seen, had a selection of books in Polish (NB has probably the highest Polish population in the state, so that's no surprise--well, no more than seeing a table full of Polish books in America is, which it just IS!). There was also a surprisingly large and good selection of books by black authors; this section, however, was labeled "Black Americans," which it shouldn't have been, as books by and about African and Caribbean folk were also included (their hearts were in the right place, I suspect). The children's book selection was skimpy and badly displayed (on some occasions, stacked in boxes without the spines pointing upward). CD selection wasn't bad (clearly, someone who liked Prince contributed a good bit)--although it took me a while to be able to get to it, since this poor fellow whose eyes were clearly far worse than mine, even, was bent over the box for a LONG time. The videotape selection was quite broad; I saw a sign in the library that they were getting rid of tapes and going strictly to DVDs, so I suspect that many of the tapes were library discards.
Prices were standard--$1 hardbacks, $.50 paperbacks, DVDs $2 (I didn't buy any CDs so I'm not sure of their prices). I left with one bagful (around $11), and ran into a friend getting off the elevator. I'd mentioned that I was going to the sale in an email earlier in the day, and since she lives in NB, she decided to pop in. I felt a little guilty and warned her about the $5 not really being worth it, but like me she doesn't mind money going to the library--also like me, she doesn't even really mind library fines!
I got good and lost trying to get back to the highway--this has happened to me before in NB, and it was dark out, so I'm wholly to blame. This sale continues through Saturday, although I have to wonder how much they'll really have by then.
Best Finds: A copy of Stewart O'Nan's Last Night at the Lobster, a lovely little book by a Connecticut author. It was a library discard, which I generally like less than an unmarked, donated book--but since the story itself is about the closing down of a Red Lobster IN NEW BRITAIN, having a discarded copy from the New Britain Library felt like beautiful poetic justice. Also, a very nice hardback copy of Ian McEwen's Atonement. A DVD of Revolutionary Road. Some lovely children's picture books in very good condition--particularly Graeme Base's The Eleventh Hour and James Herriot's Moses the Kitten.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Booking Across . . . America?
Well, despite the fact that this blog is titled "Booking Across Connecticut," I'm including an out-of-state book sale, just because I can. As I mentioned in my last post, I was in Easton, Pennsylvania, visiting my sister-in-law and her family, during the Columbus Day Weekend, and the American Association of University Women held their 50th annual book sale in Allentown, PA. When Saturday morning rolled around, my sister-in-law went to a soccer game with her son, and my husband and stepkids were still recovering from our nearly five-hour drive from the night before, so I took our car and my Mapquest directions (that I'd conveniently printed out back in CT, hmmm) and set out on my own.
The ride proved fairly easy, although the sale location itself was a little hidden--I'd say it called for better signage. Turns out that Allentown is the (now former) world headquarters of the Mack Trucking Company, which I hadn't realized when "Mack Street," and the "Mack Pool House" were referenced in the sale ad. Yes, "Pool House." Apparently new this year, this had to be one of the most creative book sale sites I've ever been to: a concrete building that serves as locker room, snack bar, and other indoor space to an outdoor municipal pool.
(Years ago I wrote a poem about a Jacuzzi full of books, based on an offhand remark from a guy I went to grad school with. I just loved the concept, and as I think of it now, I regret slightly that the actual pool itself couldn't be filled with books for the sale--but it was an outdoor pool, and a rainy morning. Wouldn't have worked.)
Anyway, this was advertised as a BIG sale, and a pretty big sale it was. The Pool House consisted of at least seven rooms (or odd-shaped hallway spaces), and pretty much every one of them was in use. I don't know if there were more rooms than the ones I saw--I suspect not, because if they could have spread out more, they should have. The aforementioned odd-shaped hallways, in particular, were not the best browsing conditions--too-tight aisles, with not enough space for folks to wedge past each other comfortably. I gave the end of the fiction section a pass because of this--just couldn't get comfy. (Maybe in the future, save those odd shapes for less popular sections, and move the fiction into its own room?) An amusing factor: what I believe to be cement shower stalls in one of the locker rooms were used as library stalls for a few smaller sections. I was in the women's issues section for a while, which was actually kind of homey because no one besides me could fit in there to look, so I took my sweet time.
I don't know for sure if the damp day exacerbated this, but the combination of pool-house mold and old books did play some havoc on my allergies. I'm usually careful to take my pills before going to a sale, because mold and dust are triggers and they're quite often encountered in these situations, but this one seemed a bit stronger than most.
Something I've started to notice about book sales in general: they often fall into a pretty strong distinction between sales that have a lot of older books (and I'm not talking used-and-rare, but more like lots of trade paperbacks from the 60s and 70s, old hardback library discards, mom and grandma cookbooks, etc.) and sales that have a lot of newer books collected from an active community. Simsbury seemed more like the latter; Manchester, the former. I think I had expected the latter from the AAUW, for some reason--university women, stands to reason you'd get a lot of active readers and a really broad range of books. Didn't really seem that way, and I'm not sure why (the AAUW is aging, maybe? That end of the state is more blue-collar, despite the abundance of colleges?). Anyway, the largest room was definitely that dedicated to old paperbacks, which is seldom my first target to search; also lots of hardback mystery and horror, also not a high priority. Much of the nonfiction also seemed older (although I should give some props to the women's studies section--maybe THAT'S the AAUW influence!). CD and video choice was minimal (lots of classical/instrumental CDs, but not particularly good quality). I do give props to the sorting--most of the fiction sections were roughly alphabetical, which isn't common but is usually appreciated. The children's section was pretty good for school-age readers but a little skimpy for small children, although I did find a few good picks (mostly in the "special"--i.e., more than $1--section). I did like the little kids' book displays--in boxes, on low shelves (boards on bricks?) that were readily accessible to kids but not too hard on adults' creaky knees.
Prices were pretty good. I forewent the most recent Janet Evanovich (guilty pleasure) because it cost $5--I guess I'll just have to keep waiting for it at a library. I bought six books for myself and about ten for the teacher library, and spent under $20, which is satisfactory, especially as the proceeds go to a good cause: scholarships for women returning to college after a hiatus.
Thus endeth my first foray into the rest of the country for used-book sales--maybe more in the future, but for now, I'm ready to get back into Connecticut.
Best Finds: Several cute books of kids' poetry and songs (notably, by Jack Prelutsky, who's becoming my husband's favorite poet for children, possibly even surpassing Silverstein). A nice kids' astronomy book with accompanying CD-ROM (although this one not only lists Pluto as a planet but also lists a couple other tiny "new" planets named Krista and Smiley, which I can only assume got demoted along with Pluto; I suppose it's worth keeping just for curiosity's sake, as I'm kind of sorry that there isn't a planet named Smiley anymore). Good hardback copies of Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison and Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet--I guess autism-spectrum disorders are the theme of the day.
The ride proved fairly easy, although the sale location itself was a little hidden--I'd say it called for better signage. Turns out that Allentown is the (now former) world headquarters of the Mack Trucking Company, which I hadn't realized when "Mack Street," and the "Mack Pool House" were referenced in the sale ad. Yes, "Pool House." Apparently new this year, this had to be one of the most creative book sale sites I've ever been to: a concrete building that serves as locker room, snack bar, and other indoor space to an outdoor municipal pool.
(Years ago I wrote a poem about a Jacuzzi full of books, based on an offhand remark from a guy I went to grad school with. I just loved the concept, and as I think of it now, I regret slightly that the actual pool itself couldn't be filled with books for the sale--but it was an outdoor pool, and a rainy morning. Wouldn't have worked.)
Anyway, this was advertised as a BIG sale, and a pretty big sale it was. The Pool House consisted of at least seven rooms (or odd-shaped hallway spaces), and pretty much every one of them was in use. I don't know if there were more rooms than the ones I saw--I suspect not, because if they could have spread out more, they should have. The aforementioned odd-shaped hallways, in particular, were not the best browsing conditions--too-tight aisles, with not enough space for folks to wedge past each other comfortably. I gave the end of the fiction section a pass because of this--just couldn't get comfy. (Maybe in the future, save those odd shapes for less popular sections, and move the fiction into its own room?) An amusing factor: what I believe to be cement shower stalls in one of the locker rooms were used as library stalls for a few smaller sections. I was in the women's issues section for a while, which was actually kind of homey because no one besides me could fit in there to look, so I took my sweet time.
I don't know for sure if the damp day exacerbated this, but the combination of pool-house mold and old books did play some havoc on my allergies. I'm usually careful to take my pills before going to a sale, because mold and dust are triggers and they're quite often encountered in these situations, but this one seemed a bit stronger than most.
Something I've started to notice about book sales in general: they often fall into a pretty strong distinction between sales that have a lot of older books (and I'm not talking used-and-rare, but more like lots of trade paperbacks from the 60s and 70s, old hardback library discards, mom and grandma cookbooks, etc.) and sales that have a lot of newer books collected from an active community. Simsbury seemed more like the latter; Manchester, the former. I think I had expected the latter from the AAUW, for some reason--university women, stands to reason you'd get a lot of active readers and a really broad range of books. Didn't really seem that way, and I'm not sure why (the AAUW is aging, maybe? That end of the state is more blue-collar, despite the abundance of colleges?). Anyway, the largest room was definitely that dedicated to old paperbacks, which is seldom my first target to search; also lots of hardback mystery and horror, also not a high priority. Much of the nonfiction also seemed older (although I should give some props to the women's studies section--maybe THAT'S the AAUW influence!). CD and video choice was minimal (lots of classical/instrumental CDs, but not particularly good quality). I do give props to the sorting--most of the fiction sections were roughly alphabetical, which isn't common but is usually appreciated. The children's section was pretty good for school-age readers but a little skimpy for small children, although I did find a few good picks (mostly in the "special"--i.e., more than $1--section). I did like the little kids' book displays--in boxes, on low shelves (boards on bricks?) that were readily accessible to kids but not too hard on adults' creaky knees.
Prices were pretty good. I forewent the most recent Janet Evanovich (guilty pleasure) because it cost $5--I guess I'll just have to keep waiting for it at a library. I bought six books for myself and about ten for the teacher library, and spent under $20, which is satisfactory, especially as the proceeds go to a good cause: scholarships for women returning to college after a hiatus.
Thus endeth my first foray into the rest of the country for used-book sales--maybe more in the future, but for now, I'm ready to get back into Connecticut.
Best Finds: Several cute books of kids' poetry and songs (notably, by Jack Prelutsky, who's becoming my husband's favorite poet for children, possibly even surpassing Silverstein). A nice kids' astronomy book with accompanying CD-ROM (although this one not only lists Pluto as a planet but also lists a couple other tiny "new" planets named Krista and Smiley, which I can only assume got demoted along with Pluto; I suppose it's worth keeping just for curiosity's sake, as I'm kind of sorry that there isn't a planet named Smiley anymore). Good hardback copies of Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison and Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet--I guess autism-spectrum disorders are the theme of the day.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Upcoming Week - Oct. 11 - 19
Well, it's been a quiet couple of weeks, but mid-October should see me picking up momentum again. Next week I'm hoping to do something I haven't done before: go to a first-night paid preview of a book sale. (It's only $5, which I'd be happy to donate to a library in any case, and the chance to have first dibs at all those goodies is way too tempting!) This one is at the New Britain Public Library, and I'll be going on Wednesday, Oct. 14 (the sale runs through Saturday). I've been there once or twice before to take out books, but I've never been to one of their sales.
The next night it'll be the Prosser Public Library in Bloomfield--again, a library I've visited for borrowing but never for a sale. I'll be going on Thursday, Oct. 15 (this isn't a paid preview, to my knowledge); again, the sale runs through Saturday.
My Saturday, however, will be dedicated to the Otis Library in Norwich. This one is new to me in all ways--never been there before, so I'm looking forward to the journey. According to Book Sales in Connecticut, this sale includes 25,000 books, so it's a big 'un. The Norwich sale actually starts on Friday, Oct. 16, but I have to work, so I'm stuck with Saturday. It runs through Sunday.
I'm off to Pennsylvania for this weekend. And oh, Lord--just occurred to me that I might check out the Pennsylvania Book Sale Finder, and turns out there's a huge sale (American Association of University Women--50th anniversary, 75,000 books!) in a town about half an hour from my sister-in-law's house! Wonder if I can get myself out there . . .
Stay tuned!
The next night it'll be the Prosser Public Library in Bloomfield--again, a library I've visited for borrowing but never for a sale. I'll be going on Thursday, Oct. 15 (this isn't a paid preview, to my knowledge); again, the sale runs through Saturday.
My Saturday, however, will be dedicated to the Otis Library in Norwich. This one is new to me in all ways--never been there before, so I'm looking forward to the journey. According to Book Sales in Connecticut, this sale includes 25,000 books, so it's a big 'un. The Norwich sale actually starts on Friday, Oct. 16, but I have to work, so I'm stuck with Saturday. It runs through Sunday.
I'm off to Pennsylvania for this weekend. And oh, Lord--just occurred to me that I might check out the Pennsylvania Book Sale Finder, and turns out there's a huge sale (American Association of University Women--50th anniversary, 75,000 books!) in a town about half an hour from my sister-in-law's house! Wonder if I can get myself out there . . .
Stay tuned!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
