From the Library’s Shelves to Mine

Two weeks ago, Joey and I walked in the rain down to the annual Friends of the Library book sale, an event going on at every library within the county. I am a big fan of getting books for cheap. I have found some of my favorite books at thrift stores for less than a dollar, so I was excited to see what awesome finds would be waiting for me at the library sale. At the top of my list were any old mysteries I might enjoy.

When we arrived, there were boxes of books stacked on tables and lining the floor, some were being loaded onto tiny carts by category. There were many book seekers like myself going through the boxes and shelves searching for something that might interest them. I was on a search for any spines that had a big “M” sticker.  What I walked away with were two mysteries, a historical fiction novel, and a book about raising chickens.

Joey helped me carry my four hardcovers home in the rain.

Living with Chickens

Living with Chickens by Jay Rossier was my first find. I was so surprised to open the book and find full-color images and glossy pages. It has been a dream of mine for about 10 years now to raise chickens, but I just haven’t lived anywhere that was zoned for chickens, plus I have no experience. I’m not looking to eat them, just their eggs. And also, I think they’re beautiful creatures. More than once I’ve picked up a coffee table book of chickens, only to put it back, thinking that it was something silly to have. Here was my chance to read all about taking care of chickens before I even move to Utah.

 

Daughter of Fortune

Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende caught my eye right away because I had mistakenly thought it was related to The Fortune Hunter. What made me purchase it was its promise of adventure during the Gold Rush days in California. I love historical fiction and documentaries, but my fondness is for local history, particularly the West. I am curious to read the author’s perception of a South American coming to California. What a change!

This book is translated from Spanish, the author herself is from Peru. I haven’t read too many books that have been translated, but I feel like it might be styled differently than how a natural-born American might write this tale. I locked eyes with the woman on the cover and pondered, if I lived at this time, would I look similar to her? I instantly felt this connection to the book and knew it had to come home with me.

 

Death of a Witch

I was hesitant on adding Death of a Witch by M.C. Beaton to my pile because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read a Scottish Highlands mystery. I am already reading Outlander and I like to change up the scenery from book to book. Did I want a return visit to that region? Is a Scottish mystery was even for me? I’m more of an American mystery reader, but the black cat’s face kept jumping out to me and I read the inside flap again to see if the story interested me. I decided that I could read a mystery about a witch and wondered what curse could she have possibly laid upon the inspector.

There were four of this series hanging out in the box of books. I felt bad picking out only one because if I liked it, there were three others I could have potentially bought. However, if i didn’t like it, then I was stuck with three more. Then I thought, if I only purchase one, then maybe the remaining books can go to other readers who will discover this series and possibly love it. When I opened the book, I realized there were probably 30 more books in the series. I did some research on the author, she had been writing this series for more 30 years – and two more are expected in 2016. When I finished picking out the titles I wanted to buy, I went back to the boxes for one last look and my heart raced when I saw this book was missing. “No!” I cried to Joey. “I missed out. I thought about it too long.” I was relieved when I saw it was still available and quickly snatched it up.

 

Fleece Navidad

Fleece Navidad by Maggie Sefton is exactly what I hoping to find when I started out that morning. I wanted a cozy, something cheery and mysterious, that I could enjoy on a quiet evening or right before bed. The inside flap promised a tale of a suspicious newcomer and knitting club gossip. Sold! I’m not a big fan of Christmas, but if i like it, maybe that could be a book I re-read during the holiday season.

This cozy boasts that it’s “A Knitting Mystery” with “delicious recipes and knitting patterns included.” I’ve tried, unsuccessfully, to teach myself to crochet, but I haven’t tried knitting. I did read a  mystery revolving around a quilting club called The Persian Pickle Club, and so I was interested in giving this one a try. It seems like a cute cozy and maybe I could learn a thing or two about knitting.

It looks like I’m starting my own library.

Now I have four fantastic reads planned out for this year, all completely different from each other in time and location and topic. What I also love about these books is that they feature their original plastic library covering and Dewey Decimal information. It feels very authentic and a little bit naughty, like I’m holding onto a library book past its due date – forever.

Drink of Choice: Brewed coffee

Cost: $4.00 – a dollar each hardback.

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