Thoughts & Things

GoodWill Book Haul

One of the best things that an avid reader can do if owning the books they read brings them pleasure is to raid secondhand shops for good finds. It can be a great way to find older editions that are no longer in print, books that are out of print altogether, or books that are classics. It can also be a more affordable option for those who don't want to put a lot of money into books that are currently trending, but want to see what all the fuss is about (Fifty Shades of Grey, anyone?). When it comes to lesser known books, it can be pretty important to give the money straight to the writer (I think we can all agree there), but it just ends up being more cost effective to buy secondhand when you know the author doesn't need your money (and this can range from deceased authors to extremely popular authors--for example Charles Dickens or Stephen King).

Anyway, I made a trip into the GoodWill near my house today, and ended up coming away with a pretty good haul. I wanted to share this publicly, because what book lover doesn't need to brag about their finds on occasion?

My sister is in the middle of her pregnancy right now, so I've been slowly stocking up on children's books to gift en masse at the baby shower. Today I found a hardcover copy of The Complete Tales and Poems of Winnie the Pooh. Not only is Pooh friendly for all children, but it's something my sister loved as a child. I grabbed The Rupert Annual, as it was something my grandmother often gifted to my sister and I when we were little. I also managed to find seven Beatrix Potter books, an absolute childhood essential, including: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, The Tailor of Gloucester, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, and The Tale of Mr Jeremy Fisher.

I also picked up a gift for my significant other, as he will be coming to visit soon. He is a big fan of Kevin Smith's films, and I actually managed to find a like-new copy of Kevin Smith's book Tough Sh*t: Life Advice From a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good. I feel pretty confident that he's going to appreciate it, and I think it might actually be the first book (other than a graphic novel) that I've gifted to him.

And of course, I bought up a bunch of picks for myself. I found a like-new copy of Lee Maracle's I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism, which I have been wanting to read for a little while. I was able to grab a couple 19th century classics, Poor Folk and Other Stories by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. I grabbed The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck, which I've known I should have read already for awhile, but really only recently decided to actually read. I've only read a couple from Neil Gaiman, but Stardust looks like a good one to go to next, and seems like it will be better than the movie. I grabbed Canadian Women: A History, which appears to be a textbook, but seems to be interesting regardless. I got Woody Holton's biography of Abigail Adams, who I've become incredibly fascinated with recently based upon a few of her quotes that I've really enjoyed, particularly in regards to women's rights in the late eighteenth century. And finally, I grabbed a copy of Haunted Inns of Britain and Ireland, as haunting books have always interested me because of how they relate to history.

That's all I got today. I know. Hardly anything! Of course, had I bought these new, I never would have been able to afford all of these, and this cataloging of my finds likely would not have extended past the children's books.

(I have committed to blogging daily with Give It 100. This is Day Twenty-One. One day of leave taken total.)