Book Sale!

I am an avowed, card-carrying Book Nerd from waaaay back. I love to read, and my imagination can light up at the turn of a phrase in ways that I remember for years to come. When I was a little kid, my favorite author was Dianna Wynne Jones and I was obsessed with the super-awesome ideas and images in her book A Tale of Time City. The juxtaposition of a sad-faced lonely child from rough and tumble war-torn 1930s into the futuristic, crumbling academia of Time City was (and still is) so entertaining and engaging me. I can still picture most of the scenes in vivid detail - the weightless, endless trudge up the lopsided staircase to Vivian and Jonathan's classroom, the silver-body-stockings of the Mind Wars, and the tricks involved while trying to avoid Elio (a particularly astute android).

I would rotate all of the available Diana Wynne Jones novels in and out of the library every week so the librarian wouldn't fine me for keeping one checked out too long. I must have read each of her novels hundreds of times and when they came out with handy multi-volume sets like The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 1: Charmed Life / The Lives of Christopher Chant and The Chronicles of Chrestomanci, Volume 2: The Magicians of Caprona / Witch Week, I was in heaven. I read and reread these gems, along with my other favorites, in an effort to keep myself entertained through longs summers just like this one. Why do I mention this now? Because my local library, site of my first meeting with the minds of most of my favorite authors, is having a Book Sale this weekend and I'll be looking for some good deals tomorrow afternoon.

-Depressing Reflective Break-

I must admit, I am conflicted about the whole process of Used Book Sales. As a writer, I find it very strange that society sees nothing wrong with reselling works of literature over and over without compensating the author, but considers it a true crime to copy a song or album without paying for it again. Why is the music industry so entitled, while authors have no recourse against the resale and re-consumption of their works? Honestly, I think a part of it is because most authors are readers - they love to read and understand the value of a good, dog-eared secondhand book that can peek out of a jumbled box and capture someone's imagination all over again. Perhaps writers know that it takes a real investment of time to enjoy their work, whereas most songs only last three minutes and will therefore be 're-used' by the same user more often than a novel will. Still, this phenomenon has always perplexed me and, although I don't advocate authors becoming more litigious over this issue, I'd like to see literature valued more in our society. Thoughts?

- We Now Return to the Joy of Reading -

Anyway, I am excited to descend into the basement of the library and paw through hundreds of discarded gems. I can't wait to see what I'll come away with this time - my tastes are extremely varied and I grab anything that strikes my fancy, which leads to very interesting 'To-Read' piles. The best thing about the book sale is that it is totally random, unlike going into a big bookstore and specifically searching for authors or genres that interest you. Books are piled on tables, under tables, in boxes, against the walls, outside the door, and along the hallway. It's a fantastic, random free-for-all of knowledge and entertainment!

Past finds include a copy of the sci-fi classic Contact by Carl Sagan, the engaging and thought-provoking Bel Canto by Ann Prachett, and, of course, the beach read beauty of Nicole Richie's tome, The Truth About Diamonds: A Novel. Well, what's life without variety? :)