Morning Meanderings… A Whole New Way To Book Sale

Friends of the Brainerd Public Library Book Sale Fall 2019

Happy Saturday!

If you have hung around here any amount of time, you have most likely heard me talk about out local Friends of The Library group as well as our Library. I have volunteered with this group over 10 years now and have watched us grow in so many ways.

One of our big wins has always been our book sales. We have worked hard to be ingrained in our community and it has paid off in so many ways. We take used book donations all year around and have an amazing hard working book sale team that sorts through the donations making our sale one of gorgeous, gently used books in all genres. Literally something for everyone.

Our Spring and Fall Sales were legendary. Truth. People would drive hours to attend this well organized sale waiting in crowds for the doors to open so they could peruse through the tables and pick their selections at 50 cents per book or a quarter for a children/YA book, or a newly released title for $5 or less.

The Friends book sales in the three days they were open would make around $7000 per sale. THAT is a lot of 50 cent books. This money in turn would go into supporting our local library programs, Author Events, Children’s Reading Initiatives, additional copies of best selling books, the “Book In The Bag” program for reading groups to check out, Community Book Clubs, and more.

Of course…

times have changed.

I am hopeful that the above picture did not make you cringe to see people so tightly packed into a space. I absolutely loved seeing the book lovers of all ages leaving the sales with bags and boxes of good reads. That picture is from our last sale in the Fall of 2019.

In the Fall of 2020 we set up our online sale options to put gently used books into our communities hands by ordering on line and picking up curbside. Now Spring of 2021, we have our first in person sale with a limit of 5 pre-registered shoppers per hour at the sale.

It’s working.

Below is my haul from yesterday evening after volunteering from 3 to 6 pm.

Yeah… I did a little damage, in a positive way. Some of these I have listened to on audio and did not have a book copy. Some are collection additions. Some, I have someone in mind who is going to love it.

The sale continues for its final day today. The book sale team has made incredible progress through this – continuously finding ways. The community continues to donate their gently used books – and I am so thrilled.

Have you read any of these? Any favorites? Books and/or Authors?

Below are the details of these books:

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenson: (Audio) – I read this book (LOVED IT!) and there is a chance that that I may be reading it again with a book discussion later this year. I would love to try it on audio.

A Girl’s Guide To Moving On by Debbie Macomber: I used to read Macomber way back in the day… I enjoyed her books and have a few reviewed here since 2010.

The Vampire Diaries: Shadow Soul by L J Smith: Ok… I don’t know why. It looked good. Impulse purchase?

Son Of A Witch by Gregory Maguire: Because I loved Wicked and thought it was brilliant. I have a few of these books by this author.

Calypso by David Sadaris: I have listened to almost everything this guy has written. I have never read him. Out of all the books I purchased yesterday, this is the only one I flipped through the beginning and laughed and said, “yeah”.

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams: This is an author I feel is so underrated. I don’t know if I am living under a rock and just missing it but I find her writing brilliant and engaging and wonder why movies are not popping up.

The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand: I am hopeful I have not read this book. I might have. In fact it may already be on my shelf which is ok as I have the perfect home for it if it is. LOVE this author.

The Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda: Book Rescue. That is when I find a book I have read and loved and rescue it to find it a new home with someone I know will love it too. Hey…. no judging. There are worse things I could do with my money. 😉

The Confessions Club by Elizabeth Berg: Had to. In fact (and I just looked to see when it was) in May 2011 I had a Berg Fest right here and was reading Elizabeth Berg like crazy. I mean like crazy. I read at least 8 in a row.

Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens: I read this in early 2019 with my book club. So so good.

The Boy From The Woods by Harlan Coben: I love Coben. At the book expo one year I waited for his book signing for a good two hours before he signed. I was among the first in that line. Picture proof.

The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews: MKA is one of those go to authors I love to read on a sunny day on the deck or at the beach. Fun characters, easy reading – and I love discussing her with my Aunt.

BECOMING by Michelle Obama: I listened to this on audio in January of 2019 while refinishing the walls in the front room of my home. Loved it. Excellent on audio and highly recommended.

The Young Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews: I didn’t know this book existed – I have a plan…

Fable is an X Box game.

Paper Towns by John Green: Ahhh….. I miss John Green. I have read and listened my way through I believe, all of his books. Adding to my collection. Listened to in 2012.

Glass Houses by Louise Penny: Would you believe I have never read her? I feel like that is unforgivable.

Gridley Girls by Meredith First: Fun cover. Looks like my kind of read.

The Thief taker by Janet Gleeson: Hmm… now that I look at this I am not sure how it got in my pile.

Looking For Alaska by John Green: Because… it’s John Green. Listened to in 2012.

Innocence by Dean Koontz: Did you know that back in the day Dean was one of my very favorite authors? In my early 20’s I read everything he wrote. I don’t love-love all of his books but I do most of them.

Under The Dome and The Stand by Stephen King: There are books that I have always wished I had read… and have not. These are two of them. They are HUGE books and I picture a solitude winter week at the cabin… snowed in and left to read… a girl can dream.

The Rule of 3 by Eric Walters: I don’t know why… cover love I think…

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers: This looks so interesting! I am genuinely excited to read this.

The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory: Nostalgia. I read this book for book club and it was in my early days of trying out Historical Fiction. Turns out – I love the genre and love this authors writing. This may have been the start of my fascination of all things in this time period and Henry VIII.

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams: I mentioned earlier I love this authors writing. I listened to this one on Audio in 2015, my first by her.

The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister: I am pretty exited about this one . Greer is one of our Wine and Words authors for this year.

Behind Closed Doors by BA Paris: Creepy good –listened to on audio for Book Club in 2017. Needed a hard copy.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn: This has been a “want to read” for years and just have not done so.

Dracula: The Undead by Dacre Stoker: First… I love classics. Second…. I had no idea that Dracula had a follow up book. Did you? This apparently is written based off Bram Stoker’s handwritten notes. I am kind of excited.

This is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp: A YA book about a school shooting. I’ve read Nineteen Minutes and We Need To Talk About Kevin as well as Columbine. Both incredibly hard yet powerful books surrounding the times we live in.

Every Note Played by Lisa Genova: I am a huge fan of Lisa’s writing. She takes real life situations and breaths them into pages. Definitely an author to read. Left Neglected, Inside the O’Brien’s, and her most popular, Still Alice.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: For my Classic Shelf. Another I have yet to read. My book club reads a classic every October.

That’s it. I am off to a FULL day of work.

Happy reading all.


~Sheila

14 thoughts on “Morning Meanderings… A Whole New Way To Book Sale

  1. The Stand was not an easy book, but worth it. It was hard to donate my copy I’d had since seminary ( there are too many of those from 3 years and 6 months ago, but they went to donations that made things better in OUR community).

    I do hope things go well for you and the library. I know this time of year is not easy and I hope y’all keep safe and be well

  2. if you are going to read the Three Pines/Gamache series hy Louise Penny, PLEASE start with number 1, STILL LIFE..You will appreciate and enjoy the series more if you read them in order. The same goes for the Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspeare.

  3. I miss library book sales so much. You got some great finds! Completely agree with you about Beatriz Williams. I also haven’t read any Louise Penny and I think I need to remedy that.

    1. Nice goal Mary! I should do something like that. I have a few in my personal library as I have had good intentions for longer than I care to admit lol. The same goes for Atwood. She is on my shelves but I have not read her yet. I know I know…

  4. I am so glad your book sale is successful even though it had to be online in the Fall. And, very smart to do only a few customers in time slots this time around. You got amazing books! A similar sale happens in my town, but it’s put on by Planned Parenthood and is the book sale of the year.

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