Literary Loot

Source: Karena Fagan

I recently had the chance to visit the Santa Cruz Public Library's Spring Sale at the Downtown branch. I picked up so many books that I'm going to have to divide up my posts. So without further ado, here is Part One!

I recently read and reviewed Kate Atkinson's latest novel, Life After Life so when I came across When Will There Be Good News?, I scooped it up. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it's third in her Jackson Brodie series, none of which I've read, but I probably will come across the first two eventually. 

This Side of Paradise was quite a find. I was excited to pick up Fitzgerald's first book loosely based on his experiences at Princeton (previously called The Romantic Egotist). I had a hard time getting into Tender is the Night, but I'm not ready to give up on this great writer yet.

David Sedaris was on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart promoting Let's Discuss Diabetes With Owls and I realized how hilarious he was so when I ran across When You Are Engulfed in Flames (along with Naked and Me Talk Pretty One Day, but those two are in a future post) I figured it was a sign. 

Pearl S. Buck's The Good Earth has been recommended to me for awhile now. Finding it at the library sale seemed like a sign I should listen. Hopefully I can push it up towards the top of the TBR pile.

Lastly, in this batch at least, I found a book-of-the-month edition combining three of Chinua Achebe's books. As I'd recently spoke to author Kevin Smokler on the CWAtC podcast about Things Fall Apart as it was on our August book poll, my interest was piqued. No Longer at Ease is second in the Africa Trilogy which Things Falls Apart begins, but instead of finishing it up with Arrow of God, the third in the series, the publisher inexplicably added Anthills of the Savannah. Still, these promise to be interesting reads!

What were some of the best finds you've come across at a library book sale?