One of the best things, in my opinion, about yard sales and thrift stores are the books. We love books at our house and we buy a LOT of them throughout the year. But, I don’t want to go broke; ergo, yard sales and thrift stores.
If you are worried that the authors are getting the shaft when you buy a used book, here is an excellent article about buying used versus new. And yes, we still buy new books too. Who doesn’t love stepping into a Barnes and Noble? The smell alone draws me in, just like a library.
Here’s what we picked up during the month of August!
A Perfect Spy by John Le Carre
This was a pick from Hayden and I think I’ll like it too. One of the reasons that Hayden was so pleased to find this book in particular, is because parts of this book are very autobiographical for John Le Carre. He was an intelligence officer for MI6, the British intelligence service in the 1950’s.
Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox
I am truly looking forward to this book. I love biographies.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Liv read this last year and she couldn’t believe that I have never read it. I can’t believe it either.
The Zookeeper’s Wife by Diane Ackerman
In case you live under a rock like I do most of the time, they made a movie about this book. You know how I feel about reading the book before I see the movie……
A few years ago I read Horns by Joe Hill, who in case you didn’t know is one of Stephen King’s son’s. He’s an excellent writer, like his Daddy.
Hayden chose this book also. I know absolutely nothing about it, other than what it says on the cover. We shall see!
I picked this book up for my Daddy. When we went to the beach this summer, I brought him Alaska and Hawaii. He, of course had already read them, many years ago. If you’ve never picked up a book by James Michener, you are in for a treat. They are amazing in their detail and the scope of each book.
Moon Shot by Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton with an introduction by Neil Armstong
I chose this book. I can’t wait to read it.
The Children of Hurin by J. R. R. Tolkien and Edited by Christopher Tolkien
Liv picked this one up. Tolkien wrote this book in the 1910’s, and revised it several times, but he never published it. His son edited the manuscripts and published it as a stand-alone book in 2007. We’ll see!
The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick
Liv also picked this book up. At first, I glanced over and said we don’t need another copy of The Fault in Our Stars, we already have two. It, in fact, doesn’t look like the fault in our stars, but it is by the same author who wrote The Silver Linings Playbook. Which I didn’t even know was a book, but I did see the movie which is excellent!
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb
Have you read this yet? I’ve seen it a hundred times and never brought it home. I am hesitant to read and don’t know why. Someone tell me if I should just dive in!
They Eat Puppies, Don’t They? by Christopher Buckley
I don’t even….. Hayden picked this up and immediately read the reviews about it and decided it needed to come home with us…… It’s a political satire, by the way.
Another pick from Hayden. It was ranked one of the best books of 2010 and has been described as a “Great American Novel“.
A Painted House by John Grisham
I chose this one. I’ve never read it and I love a great John Grisham book. This one isn’t a legal thriller, so I think I’m going to like it even more.
I can never pass up a great dictionary. I own at least fifteen. Yes, yes, I know there is this thing called the internet. But, nothing beats an excellent dictionary in my opinion. Disturbing side note: When we placed our books on the checkout counter, the woman hesitated before she rang this one up. I asked if there was a problem and she said “I just don’t understand how this got out on the shelf, we usually don’t put out the dictionary’s.” What?!? What’s the deal Goodwill!?
That’s most of what we picked up in the month of August. I know there are a few here and there that I’ve forgotten to include, but you get the idea. What books did you pick up in August?
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