WeedWoman needed to go to a bookstore today so, being the good and true friend that I am, I sacrificed myself to her needs and accompanied her to our favorite used bookseller’s. Oh, the things I do for my friends.
I came out of the place with ten new additions to my bookshelves. I got Close Range, Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx, On Writing by Stephen King, Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris, House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus, Mutant Message Down Under by Marlo Morgan, The Sun Also Rises and The Old Man of the Sea by Hemmingway, I Am Legend by Richard Matheson and The Seven Deadly Sins (a book of quotes about the vices), edited by Steven Schwartz.
I am wandering around on a geeky high right now. I love new books!!
I don’t know where you are, Mrs. Chili — but if you ever find yourself in Oakland, CA you have to visit the Bookmark Bookstore (operated by Friends of the Library). There’s a very eclectic selection of used books — all donated — and the prices are outrageously low! I’m affiliated, but not paid (full disclosure!)
I’m on the other side of the country, Floribunda, in chilly New England, but I will make a point of seeking out Bookmark when I finally DO visit California.
I’ve written about this bookstore before. It’s a disreputable-looking little place located in a nearly abandoned 1970s era strip mall. It has plastic signs in the windows and milk crates on the floors and I love it far more than Barnes and Noble. For one thing, the guy who runs it is a freaking savant - I can ask him ANYTHING - title, author, a quote, a snippet of plot - and he can tell me not only whether or not he has it, but where it is and, likely, how much he’s asking for it. I’ve never walked out of there with fewer than ten books, and most of them I pay less than two dollars for.
It’s a little spot of geeky heaven.
Okay, you had me interested… UNTIL you mentioned Hemingway. The only thing he’s good for, IMHO, is sleep medication.
Happy reading, nonetheless!
HAH! It’s funny you say that because (big confession coming here…) I’ve never actually READ Hemmingway. Ever. In the entire time I’ve been studying English.
I bought the books because a) they were cheap and in extremely good condition (perhaps because no one ELSE has read them, either. Hmmmm. I never considered that) and b) because I thought they’d make good additions to the library in the event that one of the girls was assigned Hemmingway in school.
My plan is to read as much as I can alongside my children as they make their way through their English classes, not only so I can stay apprised what young people are being asked to read, but so that I can go back and hit some of the stuff I missed (but I’ll add here that, if they’re asked to read Steinbeck, they’re TOTALLY on their own. BLECH!)
The great thing about THIS particular bookstore? They take in used books, too. I may find that I’m giving old Ernest right back after I take a crack at him….
No, no, no, if you are going to read Hemmingway, read A Farewell to Arms. I picked it up one day in high school because I was bored and didn’t leave my room until I was done. I’ve read The Sun Also Rises too, but I didn’t like it nearly as much. Disclaimer: I haven’t read him in a while, so I don’t actually remember his style, but I have a suspicion that it appeals to the mathematician in me. So it may not appeal to the english major in you.
And let me know what you think after you have read the story on which Brokeback Mountain was based. I wish I had read it before I saw the movie; afterwards it felt like the cliff notes.
And, I forgot to say how much I love new books too! Courtesy of a gift card from my mother-in-law, B&N.com just sent me the 4th Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants book, 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, What Color is Your Parachute for Teens (thought it might be fun to do a meta lesson on what I want to be when I grow up), and Why Do I Love These People?, a book about different kinds of families and familial dynamics written by a really cool guy I discovered when I was thinking about changing jobs. I love getting a bunch of new books at once and deciding in what order to read them. When I was in junior high, my parents used to get me a gift certificate at the book store for Christmas, and I’d come home with 4 or 5 books, rank them in order of how excited I was to read them, and start with the one I was LEAST excited about.
I was in the bookstore yesterday too. I just love the smell of books, the feel, well everything about them really!
Anyhow I was there to buy this book beacuse I had heard Diane Rehm do an interview with the two authors and it was very intriguing to me. The book is written all in letter form and are the very intimate letters between the two authors about raising their Fragile-X sons. It is called Dear Megan, Letter On Life, Love and Fragile-X (a gift for all parents of disabled children) by Mary Beth Busby and Megan Massey. I am loving it!
I do SO appreciate what you do for me! You are a true friend in need and deed! Let me know next time you need to use me as an excuse!