Show and Tell Time!

It's time for the Friends of the Library book sale again! I know, I know, you've probably already heard about this from our awesome web services librarian, Brodie Austin, on Plaintalk. But since this is an event I get absolutely giddy about, quite frankly, you shall hear about it again! This is just too good to keep to myself. Today I got sixteen books, and spent less than $10. Just to give you an example, here are the books I picked up.















J.R.R. Tolkien's Unfinished Tales
Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream
Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
Shakespeare's King Lear
Dostoyevsky's The Brothers Karamozov
C.S. Lewis's The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe
Eric Knight's Lassie Come Home
Henry James's The Turn of the Screw
Shakespeare's As You Like It
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass
Shakepeare's The Tempest
Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita
Jean Rhys's Sargasso Sea
Milan Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being
William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying
Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis

(In case you can't tell, I'm trying to bulk up my Shakespeare collection at home!)

Although this was most likely just my first trip around, considering this selection, I think I restrained myself admirably.

The Friends of the Library book sale will take place in Meeting Room B/C on the first floor of the library, Friday the 23rd (Today!) from 6pm-9pm, Saturday the 24th from 9:30am to 4pm, and Sunday the 25th from 1pm-5pm. You can find more information here.

and a partridge in a pear tree

Today I got a sneak peak at the Friends of the Library annual Holiday Book Sale, and it is the shopping event of the season. I saw pop-up books and chapter books for kids, LP records and VHS tapes for anyone into vintage, along with popular fiction, classics of literature, beautiful coffee table books, cookbooks and more, all in excellent condition, perfect for gift-giving.

I bought 12 great gifts for under $10. And I didn't have to crawl out of bed to stand in line at 4 AM or even set foot in a mall or a superstore to get them. None of these gift gyrates to dance music or requires batteries, unlike the $50 Fijit on my daughter's list, but I know that each and every one will be enjoyed by its recipient. Who doesn't love a book, lovingly selected just for them?

I'm so thrilled with the low impact on my budget, I feel the need to repeat myself: 12 great gifts for under $10, satisfying my thrifty nature and giving a little something back at the same time. Buy a gently-used book from the Friends Book Sale and you'll be a multitasking force for good - recycling while encouraging literacy and supporting library programs that benefit our community.

Tomorrow is your chance to find that perfect gift that won't break your budget. If you know any readers, this book sale is sure to have something they'll love. The Des Plaines History Center and Des Plaines Art Guild will be there with even more unique and affordable gift ideas, too.

Don't miss it! Saturday, December 10, 2011from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM in Friends Rooms B and C.