As you might imagine, I like to get to these events early, so yesterday Linda and I (along with a non-blogging friend of mine) lined up outside the doors at McGill for about 25 minutes before we were let in at 9 am. I managed to snag eight books, then Linda had to go to class. (I recommended two books to her, which she bought, so I hope she enjoys them: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield and Wild Mind: Living the Writer’s Life by Natalie Goldberg.) Almost as soon as Linda had left, Tina called me: she was ready to check out the book fair on her lunch break. I of course had to join her... and I bought another six books!
All these books only cost me $40 and many are in near-perfect condition (although I bent the cover of one book on the way home, which really annoyed me). Here’s all my loot:
The books are:
The only one I’ve already read is Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, which I remember loving.
I’m especially excited about The Heart Specialist by Claire Holden Rothman, which both Cindy and Linda recommended to me, and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which I’ve read good things about on many blogs. I’m also happy I found a copy of Specials by Scott Westerfeld, as he’s going to be in town next week, but I still need the first two books in that series!
Come back on the weekend for part 2, my report from Quebec City!
- A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson
- All the Fishes Come Home to Roost: An Indian Ashram Childhood by Rachel Manija Brown
- Being Generous: The Art of Right Living by Lucinda Vardey and John Dalla Costa
- Belonging: Home Away from Home by Isabel Huggan
- Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris
- Deafening by Frances Itani
- Hester’s Story by Adèle Geras
- Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
- Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Lasater
- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
- Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
- Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
- Specials by Scott Westerfeld
- The Giant’s House: A Romance by Elizabeth McCracken
- The Heart Specialist by Claire Holden Rothman
- The Shortest Way to Hades by Sarah Caudwell
The only one I’ve already read is Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson, which I remember loving.
I’m especially excited about The Heart Specialist by Claire Holden Rothman, which both Cindy and Linda recommended to me, and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout, which I’ve read good things about on many blogs. I’m also happy I found a copy of Specials by Scott Westerfeld, as he’s going to be in town next week, but I still need the first two books in that series!
Come back on the weekend for part 2, my report from Quebec City!
Looks like you did really well. I love Joanne Harris and Scott Westerfield.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting! Book fairs bring such joy to my little literary heart :) You had some great finds!
ReplyDeleteAvis you did really good at the book sale. I was surprised to see you got The Heart Specialist there wow.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to come next week with Donna and I too see Scott?
Great finds!! The only book I have read from your lot is Life As We Knew It...which was good. Our big library book sale is coming up on November 14th....I'm ready for it!
ReplyDeleteI see some books I'd like to have in there!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of books! So exciting! Looking forward to part two. :)
ReplyDeleteYou did manage to get some awesome titles there. And how ridiculously fantastic is that you can just go and visit a major book event like that on your lunch break?! I love book fairs!
ReplyDeleteWhat a stash! You did really well for just $40.
ReplyDeleteYour list is extraordinary!! I love book sales and can never resist such great deals!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great stash of books! I already own Deafening which I have yet to read. I have read The Heart Specialist, which we are discussing at the Book Club I lead tomorrow evening. Can't wait. Would have loved to be at the McGill Book sale.
ReplyDeleteOh I'm jealous. Great list of books you got! I have Life as We Knew It on my list of books to read soon.
ReplyDeletei'm frothing with envy! i must get to a book and/or library sale soon! i do have a towering shelf of books to read but can't resist more...more...more!
ReplyDeleteenjoy the goodies! can't wait to read some reviews.
Hurray! It was fun. =)
ReplyDeleteI found out on The Montreal Gazette's website that there's a library book fair somewhere in Pointe-Claire, I think . . . and it will be held in the month of November. I'll pull up the info again at a later date.
At first, I thought I was addicted to book blogging, but after having dissapeared for 2 1/2 weeks, I guess I can't say that anymore.
Then, book signings seemed like something I'd include on my list of hobbies, but this? Book fairs? Boy am I going to need to follow a 12-step program. Wait till I get to the point where I go broke because of book fairs. My honey will never forgive me. =P
You got some great books! Deafening was fabulous. I would have been completely and terribly unrestrained at that book sale. As it is, I am bad enough at kid book sales through school. I'd be shameless (and broke) if I found one for adults around here. LOL!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a success from every level! Cool books .. and I really enjoy Natalie Goldberg.
ReplyDeleteI love book fairs but missed the one they do here this year :(
ReplyDeleteLooks like you got some good books! I read Sister of My Heart quite a while ago but I do remember liking it!
I'm reading through Living Your Yoga right now, and I'm enjoying it a lot. What a great haul for not that much money!
ReplyDeleteThere was a book sale at a church in Pointe Claire on October 16 and 17th, I'm not sure what would be coming in November.
ReplyDeleteThe master list of Montreal area used book sales is at www.pubnix.net/~mblack/books.html
Most of the fall cluster is over by now, but there's one ending today, and three coming up (the Westmount Library sale is on November 7-8), and there is usually one at Westmount High School in mid-November even though I've yet to see information.
There are some minor ones that may not be on the list, a lot of the fall fairs incidentally list books but I don't bother, assuming the books will be minimal.
Then there's the winter pause before the spring cluster of used book sales, which is probably a smaller number. One of the West Island libraries, I think DDO, usually has a sale in January.
Michael