Sunday, June 13, 2010

TSS: 6.13.10

This has been a rather busy week for me.  I had so hoped to take part in Natasha's Bloggiesta, as it was so much fun and very productive the last time, but weekend plans prevented me from joining this go around.  I look forward to visiting all those blogs who did take part and see all the changes you have made.

On Tuesday night I was able to attend the preview for the Johnson County Friends of Library annual book sale. We had horrific storms that night which meant fewer crowds and a more leisurely environment in which to browse.  I arrived about 5:45, fifteen minutes before the official start, but discovered that some of the tables had already opened -- yippee!  The sale is held at a local shopping mall and takes up nearly ALL the interior floor space:  it is HUGE!  I shopped for three solid hours and could have stayed longer.  I left the sale having spent $26 for 26 books.....not bad!

I purchased a few DK art books - I just love the Eyewitness series and they are not always easy to find.  These books are just my speed - not too academic in their analysis of paintings, with plenty of pictures for me to actually "see" what they are trying to describe.  I will use these for my own personal pursuit of art appreciation, and I hope that future grandchildren will enjoy learning about the beauty of art through these books as well.

I found two books by Julia Cameron and I quickly snatched them up!  I only had the opportunity to read the first two chapters of the Artist's Way last fall, but really fell in love with her concept of "morning pages."  I hope to skim through both of these books this summer, and then perhaps really start to put her suggestions into practice.

I purchased three books that I have already read, but knew that I wanted copies for my own personal library:  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, and The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa.  Each of these books I enjoyed greatly and I hope to re-read them again sometime.

I also purchased several fictional books, most came highly recommended from your blog reviews, and a couple with which I was unfamiliar but the description on the back of the book made me willing to risk a dollar.  I also found several biographies and memoirs, most notably Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Island, The Private World of Daphne du Maurier, Tender to the Bone by Ruth Reichl, and The Tolkien Family Album.

I realize that this is a rather eclectic collection of books, but I am really very pleased with each purchase.

I spent Thursday evening visiting with my mom - and we had such a pleasant chat.  However, when I got up to leave, she began to feel dizzy and ultimately had a difficult time just putting herself to bed.  This resulted in a trip to the ER on Friday morning and admittance to the hospital in order to stabilize her blood pressure.  This is a recurring issue with her, but it never fails to catch both of us by surprise and always adds an extra layer of stress to our lives.  This is the primary reason why I am not able to participate in the Bloggiesta.

This coming week requires me to be at school for two days out of five - so I will not have time to do as much reading, writing, and playing that I would like.  BUT....this means only one more meeting at school at the end of June and then I will have the entire month of July off.  Now that is something that I can get excited about!


22 comments:

  1. Loved the Housekeeper and the Professor! Happy Sunday!Harvee
    My Sunday Salon

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  2. Wow- you were very successful at your library sale! I am about to take my stepdaughter to the one at our local library but it will not be anywhere near as big as yours!

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  3. That sale sounds great--I wish ours were that spread out. One of the central libraries here has a basement and they use the rooms to have the sale. Aisles are ridiculous crowded and the rooms are small. No way I could stand to be there for 3 hours! Looks like you got some great stuff. Of course, it's eclectic--you're an eclectic reader!

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  4. I hope your mom is back up to speed soon.

    Aren't you heading for England soon? I'm off to Yale in 8 days. Not that I'm so excited I'm counting or anything like that.

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  5. Great book stash! I'm interested in reading The Private World of Daphne du Maurier.

    Here's my salon:

    http://laurel-rainsnowsaccidentallife.blogspot.com/2010/06/sunday-salon-june-13.html

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  6. I love library sales, but lately I've been trying to stay away from them since I am running out of room for all these books I keep bringing home! You got some good ones.

    I am so sorry to hear about your mom's health...that can be scary for both of you. I had also hoped to participate in the Bloggiesta this weekend, but just found I did not have the energy. Maybe next time.

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  7. WOW..Molly great finds. I loved The House keeper and the professor and have her latest book Hotel Iris to read as well; enjoy them all.

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  8. Congratulations to you and to your library! I know that the funds from book sales are important to libraries. I agree with you about Julia Cameron's books. I have my own copies of them so that I can underline, star sections, and make notes. Hope your mother is doing okay now. Annie

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  9. The book sale sounds fantastic! I love big book sales like that. I hope you enjoy having an entire month off from work! Do you have anything special planned?

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  10. Wow, 26 for $26 is a very good deal. Must have been lots of fun. I love Ruth Reichl's books so I hope you like the one you bought. Hope your mom is doing better.

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  11. Aren't library sales the best? I missed mine last summer but am already counting down the days to the one this year!

    Hope you like Tender at the Bone. I picked that up at a library sale years ago and enjoyed it when I finally got around to it. I'd love to read more Reichl one day.

    Enjoy Molly!

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  12. Our library had their book sale too but I didn't get there until near the end and it had been pretty picked over. The good thing is that they ended up having a blowout" sale of "all the books you can fit in a bag for $3." I managed to do pretty well ... but not nearly as good as you did!

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  13. While the library fund probably could have done without the storms, it sounds like it was a blessing for those who attended the sale. Looks like you got a lot of great books!

    I hope everything is okay with your mom.

    Enjoy your week, Molly!

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  14. Bloggiesta was a bust for me, too - just never got to it. Your book haul is great! Our library has a preview evening for the Friends (complete with wine and cheese). It's not until next month, but I'm already looking forward to it.
    Hope your mom is feeling better soon.

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  15. No Bloggiesta for me either, my new goal is to make a reasonable list of blog cleaning/updating and knock them off over the month, or maybe the summer.

    Love your library sale, Notes from a Small Island is on my reading list this summer.

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  16. Wow! From your post and other's comments I am realizing how puny and paltry our library sale is! Pathetic is what I would call it. You got some great books though and $26 does not sound at all too much.

    I posted my reading list for Sam's summer reading--if you get a chance please feel free to look at it and feel free to suggest other titles. I am staying away from heavy classics--you know, Shakespeare and Dickens and such, because I want him to enjoy the reading and those authors would put him over the edge! ;)
    *smiles*

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  17. not that I need the books at the moment, but that library sale sounds like a lovely way to spend an evening.

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  18. Sorry to hear about your mom Molly. I hope all is well now.

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  19. Looks like you had a successful book acquisition weekend.

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  20. Sounds like you're geared up for summer reading, Molly! I also have The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry, and The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa on the shelf. Old School was a great read and funny at some points, especially the part in which Ayn Rand paid a visit to the school. :)

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  21. Just reading your description of the sale locale made me start salivating. Seriously, there's something fundamentally wrong with me when it comes to books, LOL.

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  22. Wow! Those books make my eyes pop out! You had so much fun that it was worth missing Bloggiesta! I missed it too, but at least it was for a trip to DC.

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