Today I went to the annual Penguin-Putnam booksale in my area. The road was so jammed with fellow bibliophiles, it took me an hour to drive the final mile. Then I took my place at the end of a half-mile line and stood outside for 50 minutes before entering the warehouse. Then I spent an hour and a half covering about half of the aisles before I was weighed down with all I could carry. Then (winding down now) I stood in line for another half an hour to pay. And then, at last, I went home.

Anyone who complains that books are losing their appeal in our culture has not been to this sale! But it was worth every minute. I may go back later in the week, because I never made it past the children’s and young-adult books. It wore me out, but it was worth every minute. For under $40.00, I hauled home this stack:

Plus a few freebies. It feels like Christmas! Not only do my kids have all these pages to adorn their shelves, but gas dropped another 2 cents while I was inside the sale. ‘Twas a great day indeed.