Book Acquisitions (not quite Mailbox Monday)

It has been a great Memorial Day weekend here!  On Saturday my husband and I went to the Half Price Bookstore in Westport, MO and then we ventured to a "new-to-us" but rather established local Dive (as Guy Fieri would call it) called the Westport Flea Market Bar and Grill.  Well, the flea market was nothing to sneeze at but the grill --- oh my word, one of the best hamburgers I have ever eaten!  I don't think I will have  problem coercing Geoff to go to Half Price Books any longer - if I promise him lunch in return.

On Sunday we went to a Hot Air Balloon festival in a small town about twenty minutes away.  When we left our house around 5:30 it was sunny; when we arrived at the park it was cloudy; thirty minutes before take-off they canceled the show.  There was a chance of two inch hail and sixty mile per hour winds!  (this would be typical Kansas threatening weather, so we really weren't too concerned...but totally understood the reason for the cancellation).  Fortunately we had enough time to taste a delicious pulled-pork sandwich and take a couple of pictures.  Hopefully we will have better luck next year.

Today I volunteered to help a friend scrapbook an album for her daughter's upcoming wedding.  It has been nearly two years since I scrapbooked (and I used to be a consultant!) and it felt really good to be in that creative mode again.  In fact, I was so inspired that I came home and printed off a couple of photographs from a previous European vacation that I hope to develop into some kind of Mixed Media art project (are you familiar with this term?  It was new to me until this weekend, but I am anxious to try it out).  Anyway, that will be my focus for this upcoming week.

In the meantime....I did not let the Half Price Bookstore 20% off Sale go to waste.  I managed to visit all four stores in my area and I found four great bargains.  I think I was rather selective because I know the annual library book sale is coming up on June 8-12 and I am saving my pennies for that one.  The books I managed to bring home from this week's sale include:

• unopened audiobook on CD of To Kill a Mockingbird with Sissy Spacek as narrator.  I have had several bloggers recommend this as a great audiobook,  and since I read this book every year in anticipation of teaching it to my 9th graders, I thought an audio experience might be a nice change.  The Half Price price was $14.98 and I was able to take another 20% off of that!
• A Christmas Memory, One Christmas, and The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote.  I have read this book before and really enjoyed it.  I knew I wanted to have it in my own personal Christmas collection, and the condition of the book is nearly new.  I simply could not resist.
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.  I read this book last year for Carl's RIP Challenge and I knew I wanted to have it in my own personal library.  I would like to re-read it each fall - it was just that good.  I have been on the lookout for this book for well over six months and with the added 20% off --- it was another "steal" as far as I am concerned.
• Looking at Pictures by Joy Richardson.  I mentioned my trip to the Nelson Atkins Museum last week and the hour I spent in their bookstore.  I hemmed and hawed whether to by this book for at least half an hour.  Instead I opted to come home and request it from the library.  Once I received the book a couple of days later, I instantly knew that this was a book that I had to have.  I can't tell you how ecstatic I was to find this at Half Price - and with an additional discount.  I felt as though I had brought home the mother load!!

I also managed to receive three books this week in the mail -- a rare occurrence for me.  One of the books I won - and the other two I received from Paperback Swap.  Yes, I have decided to try this book swapping site - mostly due to the accolades of Cathy and Kim - and I must say that it is a pretty amazing.  It has taken me a while to get acclimated.  I have managed to mail 8 of my own books, but have only received 2 from other participants.  Although I am learning that the key is to keep you wishlist filled (and Paperback Swap helps you with that task by sending you a wish list every weekday with approximately 2,000 books that are available for you to peruse - you can even set your own parameters - and "wish away")  and to check the "just listed" queue on a regular basis.  I can see where this site could become very addicting in the future!  The books received in my mailbox include:

• Real Murders by Charlaine Harris.  I am not really into the Sookie Stackhouse series, but this one focuses on Aurora Teagarden, a librarian who finds herself in the midst of a who-done-it.  Librarians are more my style.
• Farm Fresh Murder by Paige Shelton.  This was a win from Rob at Books are Like Candy Corn and it is an autographed copy no less!  I am very exited to read this first in the series!
• Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind by Ann B. Ross.  This was my second Paperback Swap receipt.  I can't remember where I heard of this author, but I was instantly intrigued by her story.  She did not write this series until well past her forties, and it is now a highly successful series.  She  gives this middle-aged teacher some hope in life!

So there you have it -- a list of seven new books brought into the household to stay.  This does not include the fifty plus library books I have strewn all over the place - but that would be the subject of another post.