I think Iliana and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to book shopping. We seem to frequently manage a visit to Half Price Books on the same weekend. But luckily we live in two different cities and no one will ever see us fighting over a book we both reached for at the same time on the clearance shelves.
I brought home six “new” books yesterday, three of them from the clearance shelves:
- Habitations of the Word by William H. Gass. The very first essay is about Emerson. This book looks like it will be great fun. All for only $1!
- Principle Products of Portugal (say that ten times fast!) by Donald Hall. Several of these essays are on reading, some on art, one on trees. All for only $1
- The Group by Mary McCarthy. I bought it ($1!) because Litlove mentioned it not long ago. That’s the only reason I bought it.
The other three books did not come from the clearance shelves but were still pretty darn cheap:
- Double Fold: Libraries and the Assault on Paper by Nicholson Baker. I dithered over this one. Put it back. Picked it up. Was about to put it back again but instead opened the cover to discover that Baker had signed it.
- Given Sugar, Given Salt by Jane Hirshfield. Ever since Dorothy raved about this I’ve been on the look out. Finally my diligence has been rewarded.
- Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Söderberg. This was a huge find. I first heard about this book from an essay Margaret Atwood wrote for the book Lost Classics. Then I found out not long after that the book was re-published with an introduction by Margaret Atwood. I’ve never seen the book on a bookstore shelf. I had given up looking for it even at Half Price Books. Then yesterday, after browsing the clearance, I looked at my little list of books to browse for to see if there was anything I wanted to look for before I went and found my husband. I saw Rebecca Solnit’s book on the list and since I’d be passing by the s’s on my way upstairs I thought I’d just see if they had the book. As I was orienting myself to the s-o’s Dr. Glas practically leapt off the shelf at me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and I almost squealed. I forgot about Solnit and thought this had to be my lucky day and surely there must be another book I’ve been looking for there too but I had to look for it by not looking for it. So I pointed myself at a different shelf figuring wherever I ended up would be the right place. Of course it didn’t work. I told my husband about my ploy later and he suggested that next time I was feeling lucky instead of using my luck to try and imagine up another book I should use it to find the winning lotto ticket and then we could buy whatever books I wanted. I have to admit, he’s got a point with that one.
That was a fruitful outing. It made braving the 15 degrees and windy weather worthwhile.
Ha,ha… I have been known to get quite territorial of the Clearance Section. You found some very intriguing books! I’ll have to add some of these to my list for my next outing to Half Price 🙂
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Looks like you found some great reads. Thanks or writing about Lost Classics, I think I might look for this one at my local bookstore it sounds very interesting.
Amanda 🙂
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It’s frigid here too—ugh! At least you were rewarded for your courage to go outside by finding some great books! I am interested in the Baker book–I remember looking at it when my library got it, but I never did check it out. Looking forward to hearing what you think of it! Enjoy your new (and inexpensive!) books!!
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Great haul! Can’t wait to hear your opinion of Doctor Glas! And Double Fold, too.
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I just came across your website which I linked to from Kate’s Book Blog and I noticed that you were also in Minneapolis.
Your post on book shopping and your mention of Half Price Books caught my attention and made me wonder what your opinion is on the selection of bookstores in our fair city. I must say that I find our selection of quality used book shops to be lacking and the only one that I really like is Midway Books in St. Paul. I find Magers and Quinn to be just fine as well as Booksmart. Still, I can’t help but wonder where the bookshop is that I am supposed to fall in love with. You know, I want to have an “84 Charing Cross Road” kind of a thing going on, except starring me in the place of Anne Bancroft.
Anyway, I enjoy the site and will check back often. Happy reading.
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Great new books! I do hope you like the Hirschfield book. And the Baker book sounds very interesting — one of these days I’ll find I’ve read everything he’s written, I like him so much. Cool to have found a signed copy!
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I think I heard an interview with the author of Double Fold. It sounds like good fuel for bookish Luddism!
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“Given Sugar, Given Salt” is a beautiful collection. Hope you enjoy Hirshfield.
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Why oh why do I not have a cheap bookstore anywhere nearby? It’s just not fair. I do hope you enjoy the McCarthy. I really loved it, and it stays with me still.
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What fun! I’ll be looking forward to hearing your commments on the Baker. Meanwhile, your post has reminded me of the annual winter sales coming soon (in February) to our local Tokyo bookshops. Enjoy your nice “new” books!
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Heh, I can just imagine you Iliana glowering at anyone who comes too near the books you are browsing 🙂
Amanda, Lost Classics is good, listing a number of books that don’t generally appear on lists.
Danielle and Susan, are your libraries digitizing and microfiching everything? I wonder if Baker is just being alarmist? That’s why I almost didn’t get the book. But I guess I’ll have to read it to find out!
Tim, thanks for stopping by! I’ve given up on having a Charing Cross Road experience in town here. There are lots of nice people at the used shops and they are helpful, but I’ve not made any kind of connection with them. Have you ever been to the Midwest Bookfair at the fairgrounds? I’ve met some nice booksellers there and had good conversations. My husband is a lot better at the smoozing than I am and has a few contacts that will email him from time to time about a book they’ve got he might like. In general we go to the Half Price Books in St Paul. It’s big, they’ve get lots of books and the people there are nice and since we’ve been going there so long they know us and will sometimes find an “extra” coupon laying around for us.
I’m sure I will love the Hirshfield book Dorothy after all your wonderful posts about it!
“Bookish luddism,” Sylivia, you do have a way with words 🙂
Thanks Dark Orpheus!
Sorry Litlove. Maybe you need to make some sort of sacrifice to the book gods so they will put a cheap bookstore in your town. I’m counting on the McCarthy to be good 🙂
I like the sound of winter sales Del. Hope you find some good deals when February arrives!
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Doctor Glas sounds really interesting — I’ve never heard of it before. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it myself.
I love those lucky days, when you find something you’ve as good as given up on where you’d least expect it. But I think the luck is parcelled out so you get only one find at a time.
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Oh Stefanie….if only you knew. We have a new director and the new library motto/theme is “beyond books”! Digitizing is something we are doing, as well as getting as much online as possible (online journals and databases, ebooks, and even now we are going to start getting streaming video, though this is new…not a physical DVD, but you connect to the vendor to see the documentary or whatever it happens to be). We have gone from an in house cataloging department to shelf ready, and nearly everything I do is online, file transferring, etc…..I better stop here…let’s just say there have been many, many changes and I am sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. I am sure some of the changes are warranted, but I am not 100% convinced about all of them. I am curious about the Baker book, but like I said haven’t quite been able to read it. I’ll look forward to what you have to say about it.
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Oh, Lost Classics sounds great! And The Group was a bargain.
I am starting Margaret Atwood reading this week, and I can’t wait!
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I think you’re right about the luck being parcelled out Isabella.
Danielle that makes me sad to hear it especially since I’ve plans to become a librarian.
I hope you like Atwood LK!
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Doctor Glas is one of my favourite novels. Hope you like it. I think it is amazing.
I’ve also read a Canadian novel which was inspired by this one, Dr. Bloom’s Story by Don Coles. I met Don at last year’s Book Expo in Toronto and he is a wonderfully entertaining person, a poet really, who wrote this novel after reading Dr. Glas in Swedish when he lived over there some years ago. Anyhow, have fun reading!
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