I hit up the classics section hoping to fill in my missing pieces of literature. I found a slew of great stuff – War and Peace, Anna Karenina, Ulysses, some Edith Wharton and a whole slew of Charles Dickens. They’ve had a great set of old-looking hardbacks of what seemed to be the entire Dickens catalog. Even at the great price of two bucks a pop, my checkbook wouldn’t allow that package. I held out hope that I’d see it later that weekend when the prices go down.
Moving to the other sections I picked up another large handful of books from the not-so-classics, but fun-to-read category. Like the Pavlov’s dogs of old, I was in full-on salivation mode just looking at all those books.
Being that all the books have been donated to the Red Cross for this sale, they are all old, used, worn books, which makes it even better in my opinion. Walking into a Barnes & Noble these days feels sterile to me, like walking into a hospital reception room. It’s antiseptic no matter how cozy they try to make it with their coffee pots and big leather chairs. Not so at the book fair. Books lined every corner, people tore into them releasing years-old dust and the smells of a thousand shelves where they have sat for who knows how long. It was a glorious, wonderful thing.
The wife and I piled into line with our arms loaded, $28 in total and more books than I’ll be able to read all year. A rough estimate of what these books would total at a regular store ranges into the hundreds. There is nothing like a book fair.
Later that afternoon, we decided to go back. My wife had to work on Sunday and wasn’t able to make it for the five bucks a bag deal. Not being satisfied with the morning’s collection, we headed back for more. We decided on a $10 limit, making it five books a piece. Normally at this thing I go in, grab what I can get and think about the budget later. Setting a limit made it difficult as I had to contemplate each book's pros and cons before I put it in my bag.
![Ulysses Annotated: Notes for James Joyce's Ulysses [Revised and Expanded Edition]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NZ22J0AXL._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Great article, Mat. "The throngs were like a thousand chickens with a thousand missing heads" says it all. My favorite part is the Five bucks/bag or armful. I have the same overstuffed shelves and wall space, too, but I also have spillover in storage, including a lot in an unused barn at an old chicken ranch (speaking of chickens) in Northern California.
Then there were the ones that got away... cast-offs in Hawaii and Arizona where I lived and couldn't afford to transport or ship.
But will all of this keep me from going to more Book Fairs? I'm thinking not...
2 - Mat Brewster
Thanks Gordon. I too have stacks of books resting in other place, mainly my mother-in-laws attic. And I've had cast-offs from various moves. It always pains me to get rid of books.
One day I'll settle down in to a big fat house and will have books everywhere.
And I'll keep going to book fairs, for as long as they have them.
3 - Donnie Marler
Great article, Mat! Sadly, book fairs are almost non-existent here in my little slice of Hicksville. The closest thing we have to a book store is Wal-Mart. Not what I like, but it's all there is!
As I read your article, I thought back to when I was a boy, going into Mr. Hubbard's used book store with my Dad. Thanks for bringing that back to me.
4 - DJRadiohead
A wonderful and worthy read, Sir Brewster. TheWifeToWhomI'mMarried would put such the hurting on one of these type bookfairs.
5 - Mark Saleski
ah yea, sir brewster. i know all about this. we have that big fat house and it's a book or two away from tipping over.
i'm always amazed when i see footage on the tv of somebody's living space and there are no books to be seen. i just can't make sense of it.
6 - Mat Brewster
Thanks for the comments fellas.
Donnie, I don't think I'd make it if all I had for books was the crap they sell at Wal-Mart. I feel for you.
I currently own more books than I could probably ever read, but I'm sure I'll continue to buy more and more and go to the library at least once a week for more things I can't buy.
7 - Iloz Zoc
Reading this article, I remembered the old leather-bound set of Dickens' writings I picked up for fifteen dollars many years ago. Thanks for reminding me that there is nothing quite like the smell of a yellowed Dell paperback, and the thrill of discovery when walking through the aisles of a library, bookstore, or book fair.
8 - Mat Brewster
Thanks. I kind of knocked bookstores, but the main thing my wife and I do when we want to "get out of the house" is run to Borders or Barnes and Nobles.
We have a great little bookstore downtown that has books piled up everywhere - in the shelves, piled on top of the books in the shelves, lining the floors, stacked on desks, and overflowing the cash register. You can never find anything you're looking for, but there is always something interesting I've never heard of. And I swear the owner has read them all and can talk intelligently about them all.
9 - SFC SKI
I was stationed in West Texas for several years and I always volunteered to set up the annula book fair; first crack at the selection and NO entry fee. in three years there I had amasses plenty of great books, unfortunately, in the last three years I have been gone more than I have been home, so I have read very few of them.
I tell myself it was a good investment. I plan on being overseas for a few more years, and I can't just go to Barnes & Noble.
10 - Lisa McKay
Mat, it would seem from the comments here that you're in good company. My husband and I would hang out in book stores when we were first dating, and all these many years later, we can't take a trip anywhere without checking out the local book shops (and of course coming home with more books).
I'm also very relieved to know that our house isn't the only one that has books lying on every available horizontal surface (the shelves were filled to capacity long ago).
11 - Mat Brewster
It is a good investment. Besides the fact that you save tons of money, the books themselves are a treasure trove.
It is kind of comforting, Lisa, to see so many book lovers. My wife and I do the same, anytime we see a book store we've got to stop and usually buy something.
12 - Mayank Austen Soofi
Mat, I’m single and soon to turn 30 and I have thousands of books spilling out into all the rooms of my house. I’m happy that I’m not alone. Thanks for the great article.
ps: But sorry, I never buy Grishams. Giggles.
13 - Snarkattack
I think I was already 20 when I'd officially run out of space for books. Seven years later and only now does it become impossible to deny! Secondhand bookhunting around university campuses is an absolute treat! Or local school fundraising fairs when they're basically throwing books at you in the last few hours.
In fact, I recently had to stop buying them. I'll resume when I move out and have more space!
14 - Mat Brewster
I only buy Grishams when he comes five bucks a bag. I think I've only read one of his books, and I suspect those I got will continue to sit, gathering dust.
When my wife and I married there was this long gathering of the books and much heated discussion upon which of our many duplicates would we keep. Me being of the mind that we should donate the doubles to the library. But in the end neither of us could part with anything and the doubles wound up in storage.
15 - Mindy
Wait till you have kids! If your kids are readers (which they probably will be, if you and your wife are), then you will add a slew of children's books to the heaps you already have. When they are little they'll be picture books, which you will buy and will supplement from the library. Then when they're older, they'll begin buying their own from the book sales and you'll accumulate all kinds of stuff you'd never have bought for yourself, but which appeal to your child's latest obsession (military airplanes; animation; ancient Greek). It's both wonderful and terrifying to watch them pile up around you.
16 - Mat Brewster
The wife and I actually have a pretty fair collection of children's stories already. I'm a sucker for picture books and she adores Shel Silverstein, Raul Dahl and the like. But yes, I'm sure once we produce the little buggers we'll be overrun with kids books.