The Book Sale Formerly Known as Brandeis - 2010

This morning, I headed over to Old Orchard Shopping Mall in Skokie to hit the Little City Book Sale. This was the second full day of the sale, which was a change in strategy for me. The past couple of years, I have attended on the second Saturday, which is “half price” day. The second Sunday, when they are really trying to clear the place out, can be hazardous to life and limb. But the second-to-last day can be done.

This year, though, I really just wanted to avoid the crowds. Also, I wondered if attending on the second day might net any great finds. When I attend these big sales, I am generally looking for good history books and what I would call “modern classics” – Roth, Didion, and now Doctorow. The thing I have been totally unable to find, and refuse to pay retail is John Updike’s Rabbit Run. Primarily because my sense of what used books should cost is no longer reasonable, I didn’t expect to be buying too much today.

Ha.

Right when I walked in the door, I saw the two enormous children’s book tables. Unusual for this sale, but I had read the other day that Scholastic donated a whole bunch of new books to the cause. I grabbed a 4-pack of Junie B. Jones books for Alex - $2.00 - and scurried away. Must stay ahead of the crowd.

Fiction. It was at the Literature tables that I determined to write a list of Book Sale Laws – to be posted later. Preview: Leaving your cart in the middle of the aisle while you move on to the endcap yapping on your cell phone is not acceptable. Here, I picked up so many that I broke my “No more than you can carry with your own two hands” rule and put them in my reusable bag.

I was across from two twentysomethings talking about American Wife, the novel based on Laura Bush’s life. One asked the other to keep a lookout for it. The other said, “OK. It will have to be a hardcover, because it just came out.” I opened my mouth to say that I had seen at least two trade paperback copies on the table behind them, but thought it would sound snotty, rather than helpful. They’d find it.

As I was looking through the Presidents section of the history table, I was next to a lady taking so long that I swung over to the other side to get around. Her friend caught up with her from down the table and said, “Oh, check out all the Presidents books!” The response: “Oh, I’m not interested in the Presidents.” And she still didn’t move on.

In the Mystery section, I found the Nelson DeMille that my mother once had, donated to the library because she wasn’t going to read it, then asked for again. At least that was a paperback. Then in the history section I bought the official One I Have Already: Garry Wills book about Lincoln and Gettysburg.

I swear, it happens to me every year.

That was about when a lady near me picked up her cell phone and said, “Yeah, it’s getting crowded now.” I looked up and saw that it was. High-tailed it out.

For myself, I found two Roths, two Doctorows, a Bob Greene I had never seen before and Studs Turkel’s Chicago. The final take was 13 books (four in the kiddie box set) for $16.00.  I was very pleased.

Now, about those rules…