Garage Sale Frenzy

It was the jackpot of garage sales yesterday, just 3 blocks from home!  Passed it on our way back from volunteering at ReStore. There were 100's of paperbacks for just a quarter each!  I zipped on home and got the print-out of the books I've read, over 1850 of them, and went back on my own. I hate to get half way through a book and know I have read it before and know how it ends.  My husband had finished shopping that sale and bought what he wanted so he stayed home. He’s a smart man.  I grabbed a $20, good for 80 books, and returned to the sale. There were hundreds and hundreds of books and the owner said she had tubs and tubs of her favorites that she had not put out for sale!  I warned them I would be there for hours. I started at one end of a table, consulted my list, asked for a bag and got down to business. Eventually I asked if I could sit on a chair.  Other customers thought I was running the sale so they asked me about items setting out. When I was about 1/2 through the stacks, another customer asked me, “Have you seen any Danielle Steel books? “NOPE, not a one,” I told her.  Maybe the owner kept Danielle’s books in her tubs of favorites!  It got cloudy, breezy, and chilly. I sat with my back to the wind and eventually put up my sweatshirt hood. My fingers were turning to ice. They invited me to warm up by the heater they had brought out to the garage!  I was nearly part of the family.  I needed another bag. They gave me two.  It got cloudier, breezier, and colder. I moved so large furniture could be taken out to buyers' vehicles, parked myself down again and kept going. Eventually I needed more bags and they gave me a bunch! It was Christmas, and all the holidays rolled into one. What a treat.  I checked the car for more money and found a $5 in my billfold...20 more possible books! As I filled bags the gals started counting the books and kept a tab going each time I brought up another bag.  Eventually I just brought up more books and added to the tab myself and they stayed in their chairs chatting.  I kept going.  I skimmed the synopsis on the back of each book, checked my list, and filled another bag.  I'd warned them I'd be there hours.  I was. They didn't mind a bit, just kept the bags coming.  I must have started before 2:30 pm and got home at 5 pm. It's a wonder my husband didn't come looking for me and tear me away!  I had enough money for 100 books....but only found 96 I wanted. How do I know there were 100's of books? When I was finished, taking three large bags and a box of books away, no one could tell any books were missing from the stacks and stacks still covering the table! Only a quarter each!  Oh happy day.

We All Like Heros; Always Her Hero by Adrienne DeWolfe

Always Her Hero by Adrienne deWolfe.  Run of the mill romance novel.  Doesn't contain sickeningly repetitive passages filled with angst as many books in this genre do.  Enjoyable setting; late 1800's.  Fits in with another novel about the hero's family.  Don't go by the picture on the cover.  Just enjoy it and don't get tied up with the self-conscious need for every book you read to have some earth shaking redeeming value. 7.5 out of 10.

Always Love a Civil War Love Story. Harrigan's Bride by Cheryl Reavis

 
Nice escape-it-all read.  It helps piques my interest when the two main characters are on opposite sides in the Civil War.  Typical romance novel.  A new author, for me.  I rarely read Harlequin novels and in fact, didn't realize this was one until I started writing this.  An 8 out of 10, which is the rating I give more often than any other.  Nothing to downgrade it for, and not earth shattering.  Just a good read.  I'd recommend it.