New Books:

We hit up the library book sale this weekend (Thursday night, Friday afternoon, and Saturday afternoon). About 3 or 4 times a year, the Central Arkansas Library system has a used book sale in the basement of the main library downtown. Paperbacks are $0.50 and hardcovers are $1. The library also has a used bookstore downtown, Rivermarket Books and Gifts, that sells books year round, with the proceeds going to the library. During the book sale, all books at the bookstore are 50% for Focal (Friends of the Central Arkansas Library) members. I always go and I always score massive amounts of books. This weekend was no exception:

31 books and 6 records for $40!

See the entire breakdown after the jump.

Books:

1. Anna Karenina (a gorgeous copy from 1944) by Leo Tolstoy
2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
3. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway
4. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain
5. The Prince and the Pauper & The Extraordinary Twins by Mark Twain
6. Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers
7. Mary Poppins and the House Next Door by P.L. Travers
8. The Fellowship of the Ring (very detailed copy for the 1960s) by Tolkien
9. The Two Towers (again, detailed) by Tolkien
10. The Return of the King (it really is a great set) by Tolkien
11. Tillie the Toiler (based on a comic strip and well, it's Tillie)
12. Watership Down by Richard Adams
13. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
14. The Best American Wit and Humor (from 1942 and it's awesome)
15. American Red Cross First Aid Textbook (someone copied a recipe for happiness on the inside cover in shaky old lady handwriting -- completely adorable.)
16. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning
17. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Reptile Room
18. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Wide Window
19. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Miserable Mill
20. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Hostile Hospital
21. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Penultimate Peril
22. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The End
23. An Italy guide book 
24. The Hobbit by Tolkien (this makes the third copy that we own)
25. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
26. The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
27. The World According to Garp by John Irving
28. The New Dressmaker (a guide to dressmaking from 1921 and so incredibly cool!)
29. Scarlett (the sequel to Gone with the Wind) by Alexandra Ripley
30. The Missing Piece Meets the Big O by Shel Silverstein
31. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

Records:

1. Beach Boys Super Hits
2. Grease soundtrack (best soundtrack ever)
3. Bye Bye Birdie soundtrack (the first musical I ever saw performed -- it holds a special place in my heart)
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's soundtrack (Moon River, anyone?)
5. Hit Songs from Oliver! (to relive my high school musical days as an orphan boy)
6. Sound of Music soundtrack (with Mary Martin! Love her!)

My life's goal is to build my home library, fill in the holes, and make it well rounded with reading material for everyone. I have a running list that I check off to help me keep track of what we've got and what I'm still hunting for. It's terribly exciting. At least for this literary nerd.