Books!!!!!

Well, I knew that the Abilene Public Library was having its big used-book sale this week, and I knew that they were having it in the Abilene Convention Center. What I didn't realize is that they were going to fill up that convention center with books. I knew that I was in trouble as soon as I walked in the room.

But I was a pretty good boy still. I promised myself, once I saw the number of books in the room, that I would keep myself under $20. I spent $21.75, and I put several books back (that I may get on Sunday when you can buy bags of books for like $5 a piece). That's not too bad.

Here's what I got.

1. The Sparrow - Maria Doria Russell (I've read it, and it's great.)
2. The Monkey Wrench Gang - Edward Abbey (I've heard a lot about it, and the back cover promised that the book will make me "want to go out and blow up a dam." I'm intrigued.)
3. The Little Drummer Girl - John LeCarre (I'm on a LeCarre kick recently.)
4. A Perfect Spy - John LeCarre (Ditto.)
5. The Human Factor - Graham Greene (I've read his religious novels, but I haven't tried the thrillers yet.)
6. Unnatural Death - Dorothy Sayers (I've always heard good things about her.)
7. Ronia, The Robber's Daughter - Astrid Lindgren (By the writer of Pippi Longstocking. It has to be good.)
8. Living by Fiction - Annie Dillard (My favorite essayist.)
9. Writing Without Teachers - Peter Elbow (My favorite pedagogical philosopher.)
10. The Alexandria Quartet (Justine, Clea, Mountolive, Balthazar) - Lawrence Durrell (Modern Library List series. I'm stuck reading at least part of it.)
11. Writer's Market 2003 (Who knows. This may be useful someday. They're usually pretty expensive, and this one's not too old.)
12. Foucault's Pendulum - Umberto Eco (I loved The Name of the Rose. This one's supposed to be better.)
13. Jayber Crow - Wendell Berry (My second favorite essayist and one of my favorite poets. The one novel I've read of his, Hannah Coulter, was amazing.)
14. Atticus - Ron Hansen (Probably the premier literary Christian novelist out there. Mariette in Ecstasy was great.)
15. The Second Coming - Walker Percy (One of my favorite novels by my favorite novelist. I'm glad I finally own this.)
16. Markings - Dag Hammarskjold (This collection of religion meditations and poems by a Nobel Peace Prize Winner is a Christian spiritual classic. I nearly bought a pbk last week for $7. Now, I got a hb for $1.)