Daily Bargain - Library book score!

When I was a kid, my parents would drop me off at the local library and I would read books until it was time to walk to my tap dance class.  It was a Saturday morning ritual that I enjoyed, being the avid reader that I was.  Currently, I'm a member of two local library networks and it's become somewhere to take Owen, who I've been reading to since he was born.  He seems to have inherited a healthy enjoyment of books and we share a nice, long story each evening before bed.

This week, the Burbank library annual book sale was happening and I took the opportunity to head over there on a lunch break.  All children's books were $0.25 - can't beat that for a bargain.  20 books and $5 later, I hauled 2 gigantic bags of books back out to the car, half expecting for somebody to stop and accuse me of theft!  Including the 5 books I bought at a different library branch the week before, Owen's bookcase is definitely a lot more packed this week. 

As it turns out, I'm attracted to beautiful illustrations, especially if they involve dragons.  One of the books was signed by the author, so a definite collectible, while another was signed by Mickey and Minnie Mouse back in 1998.  We're debating taking it back to Disneyland with us when we go in a few weeks and seeing if we can get it signed again!  Not only was this a vast assortment of books, they were also in excellent condition.  Owen has been carrying around the two Thomas The Tank board books since I got them, even insisting he take them to daycare, where I was informed he shared them with the group. 

So, if you have a library near you, I highly recommend looking to see if they have a book sale coming up.  It's a great way to expand your book collection without breaking the bank, plus you get to support your local library, which is never a bad thing.  I've included the full list of books we purchased below as they are highly rated and we've really enjoyed all the ones we've read so far!







That's All Folks: The Art Of Warner Bros. Animation by Steve Schneider
The Hunchback Of Notre Dame  Disney
Ignis by Gina Wilson
Hieronymus Betts And His Unusual Pets by M. P. Robertson
Lucia And The Light by Phyllis Root and Mary GrandPre
Magic & Mischief: Tales From Cornwall by Shirley Climo and Anthony Bacon Venti
Olivia by Ian Falconer
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and William Nicholson
Something Special by David M. McPhail
Garfield Stories by Jim Davis
Dancing Dinos At The Beach by Sally Lucas and Margeaux Lucas
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Suess
The Cat In The Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss 
Stop, Train, Stop! by Rev. W. Awdry
A Crack In The Track by Rev. W. Awdry
The Train Of States by Peter Sis
About Dinosaurs: Little People Big Book by Time-Life Books
Baby's First Library ABC by Yoyo Books
The Enchanted Forest by Ben Marcus
Uncle Lester's Hat by Howie Schneider
Twenty One Elephants And Still Standing by April Jones Prince
Once Upon A Cloud by Rob D. Walker and Matt Mahurin
Paddington's Loose End Book by Michael Bond
The Sea Serpent And Me by Dashka Slater and Catia Chien

Daily Deal - Where to get cheap books! (Part I)

I have been an avid reader my entire life.  My parents always wondered where I got that particular trait from seeing as neither of them have it.  I have an emotional attachment to books I really enjoy - it's one of those things where I always have to keep the book in anticipation that I will one day read it again.  Admittedly, there are very few that I have actually re-read, but I still remember them with fondness and love having them on my bookshelf.  The biggest problem that I've always had with reading so much is that it's not the cheapest hobby to have.  Especially after I'd just graduated college and was living on a marginal salary (which to this day I still question how on earth I survived), I decided that I had to find alternative methods of obtaining books at a highly discounted price.

Further reason to find bargain book discounts is because I now support a book habit for two.  My husband has become an avid reader since we started living together, especially while he had a 30 minute train commute every morning before he lost his job.  While I doubt I could get him to step into a book store himself, he tends to enjoy many of the same books that I do - crime dramas, thrillers, mysteries etc.  He's not likely to touch anything that has Jane Austen in the title, or that he deems to be "girly looking", but seems to have read his way through everything else I own in the last few years.  So, for as long as I'm providing the reading material, it'll be enjoyed by everybody in the house.  Even the kitty when he was a tiny little baby liked spending time in the bookshelf (before he grew too big to fit in there easily).

It may seem obvious but I don't feel like enough people take advantage of it - a wonderful place to get books is your local library!  The closest library to my office is small but has a very decent selection of books.  I've used it to borrow knit/crochet stitch dictionaries, photography, home improvement books etc.  Even better, it has a small bookstore where used books that are no longer in circulation, or were donated by local residents, are sold.  Paperback novels are as cheap as 25 cents.  Hardbacks are $1 and more specialty books anywhere from $3-$10 on average.  Most importantly though, any money that the library earns through the book sales goes back into the library fund to buy new books for regular circulation.  This is what I snagged today for the bargain price of $2.50!

Do you generally support your local library?  If so, what do you love about it?

There are other places that I go to get cheap books...but I'll be saving those tips for a later date.