Another great library sale

The library near the University had a book sale this weekend. I didn't go last night to the "Friend's sale" as I had to keep on budget for this sale (and it is much harder to do the first night when so many good books are available).

There was also a fencing tournament at the University today, which is very nice timing. I dropped my son off at the tournament and stopped by my favorite bagel place for a pumpkin bagel schmear (bagel with cream cheese) and coffee. Since it is located near the library, I found a parking place on a side street so I needn't be concerned about parking. Sigh...a great bagel, coffee and cheap books...almost heaven on earth.

There were quite a few people waiting for the doors to open when I arrived but nothing like the long line for the county library's sale, which I appreciated since it was very cold outside. I only spent $10.50 and I found some wonderful books, a few have been on my "wish list" for awhile. Two of those are The Heaven Tree Trilogy by Edith Pargeter (who writes the Cadfeal mystery novels as Ellis Peters). I had read that these books are wonderful and in America, they are only available in the Trilogy. I was so thrilled to find this book!

The other book I've been looking for a long time is The Soul of a New Machine by Tracy Kidder. It is the true story of a year in Data General Corporation's life when they were coming out with a new computer. In my past life, when I worked in Organization Development, this book was required reading for top management (Director level and above) on how not to run a company. My boss was quite upset when he started hearing reports of people using it as a "how to", hehehe. Anyway, I have been wanting my son to read this book for a long time. I loved it at the time. It is now twenty-five years old and the computer industry has come a long way since then but it is not really about computers...it is about leaders and how they treat people.

Two other books I found were The Adams Chronicles, a book about four generations starting with John Adams and a charming (albeit big) book called The Ladies' Home Journal Treasury which came out in the 1950s. It is full of old articles and pictures from that magazine, back when most women were ladies and their magazines articles were literature.

I found a few other fiction books including Girl With a Pearl Earring. I have seen it recommended a few times so I'm hoping it is good. I also purchased an old paperback copy of The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith. It's a British book that I've heard is quite entertaining (and nothing like the PBS show by the same name except she is a vicar in the show). I was also able to find paperback copies of two historical novels I wanted for a friend of mine, both of which I was hoping I'd find at this sale.

So by the time I left the sale, my son was just getting ready to start his second bout (he'd won his first bout). When he saw me enter the gym, he came over to tell me he may be awhile unless he gets "that guy" (pointing to an older fencer) to fence next. Yes...he did get "that guy". He did quite well, actually. I was not sorry at the loss, he needed to get to his regular Saturday job at the book store as quickly as possible and I needed to get home to look through my treasures!