Sunday, February 20, 2011

Barking-Mad Book Sale

This is where, yet again, I confess my utter lack of self-control when it comes to books. Once a year the Dunedin Public Library hosts its Barking-Mad Book Sale, making space for new acquisitions, and a bit of cash to buy more. I vowed to myself that this year I would resist the temptation. We don't have enough books shelves now, so we certainly don't need more books in the house.

Come Friday I twitched and obsessed, but managed to resist - even the Friends of the Library pre-sale preview. I felt most noble and virtuous.

Then, ahem, Saturday came, and I happened to have an hour to spare in town, and, um, er...

Unsolved -Classic true Crime Cases
Crime in New Zealand by Greg Newbold
Convicted - Forensic science catching killers in new Zealand and Australia
Epitaph II
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
Rosetta by Barbara Ewing
Dream Fish Floating by Karlo Mila
The Faber Book of Science ed. John Carey
The Encyclopaedia of Coloured Pencil Techniques
The Encyclopaedia of Wood Working Techniques
History of Children's Costume by Marion Sichel
Costume Reference 2 - Tudors and Elizabethans by Marion Sichel
Dime Pentacube Puzzles - an approach to thinking in three dimensions
Land Issues in the Pacific
Rocks, Shells, Fossils, Minerals & Gems
The Spiders of New Zealand Part II by R.R. Forster & C.L.Wilton

There you go, an eclectic mix!

7 comments:

thegedle said...

I went down at 530 today to return some books, saw the sign gaily plastered above the carpark, tripped happily over to the entrance anticipating wonders...

and thru the locked doors I saw empty tables, abandoned subject headings and *tumbleweed...

At least somebody got some

*kidding about the tumbleweed

Bernadette said...

surely that's research for a writer like yourself

Anonymous said...

Ugh! Thats what I miss about being over here, I've really got to start timing my trips home far better!

Then again talking of running out of shelves - maybe its just as well I'm not there!! ;)

Happy reading Vanda,

Jason Payne
London

PS: If "Spiders of New Zealand" is for research, I hate to imagine what you've got in stall for Sam next

Anonymous said...

Vanda - That is an eclectic mix, but I like your choices :-).

Vanda Symon said...

Ha, Gedle - it may have been just as well you missed out as I seem to recall you saying space was an issue too...

Bernadette - I will go to extreme lengths in the name of reasearch (-:

Great to hear from you Jason! I assumed library book sales happened everywhere. If you think that sounded fun, you should see the regent 24 Hour Book Sale here! An entire theatre full of books!!!

Hi Margot - I ran out of time and only got to look at one table of fiction - just as well, I think.

Anonymous said...

Hi Vanda,

They do happen over here but the Kiwi ones are definitely bigger and more of a community thing!

A few scarfie friends have mentioned the Regent sale, not one I've been to ..... YET!!

Take care,

Jason Payne
London

karyn said...

You're going to have to buy another house if you keep buying up like that! Happy reading. :)
Karyn