I Made a Killing!

I stumbled upon a used book sale benefiting the local historical society, and I could only think one thing: Books! For a good cause! (also known as two things, but you catch my drift). So I headed to one of the cooler places in town, the Agriculture and Industrial Museum (I'm a history major; I'm supposed to think museums are cool!) and bought an ungodly number of books for $4.50...I'm serious, 10 books for $4.50. I probably could have gotten even more to shove into the $1.00 bag, but I was meeting the hubby for lunch and barely made it there on time as it was. They had a really nice set-up of about 7-8 tables containing $1.00 bag (a whole shopping bag...I'm serious!) and tables and tables inside of $0.50 paperbacks and $1.00 hardbacks. I tried to limit myself to stuff that I (a) couldn't get at the local library/was regularly on hold at the local library (b) cost more than $0.50 to buy for a Kindle (which I'm getting for my birthday/Christmas from my dad!) and (c) was highly recommended by someone/read on another's blog/actually on my book wish list/on one of my reading lists. And here's the fruits of my labor:

The books in all their glory (surrounded by way too many other books
--which I will share later)

Just in case some of the titles are unclear, here's the list and my justification for purchase:
1. I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb -- from the list of the Best Beach Books Ever, and was also highly recommended by several bloggers and friends. $0.50

2. Pigs In Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver -- I wrote a term paper on The Bean Trees junior year of high school and loved the book (at least, until I started researching it in our measly little high school library; total pain!) and this one is the follow-up to it. I'll probably have to re-read The Bean Trees before reading this one. $0.50

3. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields -- on the Pulitzer list and 1,001 Books list. $0.50

4. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque -- on the 1,001 Books list and something I've been wanting to read since high school but never got around to buying it/picking it up at the library. $0.50

5. King Jesus by Robert Craves -- I honestly thought this was another book on my wish list, but since I can't return it, I'm gonna read it. Plus, it says controversial in the reviews, and I tend to like those. $0.50

6. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells -- My grandma has been encouraging me to read this (she really liked both the book and the movie), and with the price, I willingly gave in. Also on the Best Beach Books Ever list. $1 bag

7. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan -- This one is on a few of my reading lists (can't remember which) and was recommended by my mother-in-law (along with The Kitchen-God's Wife). Also, not available on Kindle at all. $1 bag

8. The Magus by John Fowles -- One I haven't been able to find at my library/bookstore/Kindle. On 1,001 Books list. $1 bag

9. The Green Mile by Stephen King -- I've been wanting to read this since I saw the movie...a while ago. $0.50

10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown -- I've been promising my good little historian self that I'd never read this book...but it showed up on the Best Beach Books Ever list, and I rationalized that since it was used, I won't be adding too much to the franchise (indeed, I'm still bitter about Brown casting this book off as "good" history early on in its publishing...). Plus, I'll donate it back next year. $0.50

Now, I just have to finish His Dark Materials and figure out which one to read next (completely ignoring those super-full bookshelves with tons of unread books on them).