Monday, June 2, 2008

Windfall

So, this weekend I started training for a half marathon. The running part didn't go so well, as my legs were already sore from all the running I'd done earlier in the week. But none of that mattered when I found a ton of free books at my running spot, which is around one of the public libraries here. Someone had left three boxes of books near the book drop off place with "Give away" written on the sides.

Now, I know they probably had intended to donate them to the library, but because the library is closed on Sundays and they didn't feel like coming back, well, they just left them there for anyone in the general public to browse through. I probably shouldn't have taken any, but I just couldn't resist. And anyway, I figured I can just donate them to the library myself once I've finished with them (I do this a lot anyway). Guilt problem: taken care of.

None of the books I took were actually on my TBR list, but once I saw them as "FREE" they suddenly became much more interesting. There were about fifty books in the three boxes; I only found five I felt like I'd read in any reasonable amount of time. So here they are:

First up: The Legacy of Luna by Julia Butterfly Hill. I've heard of Julia Butterfly Hill before, and even read a few excerpts by and about her, and have always been fascinated by her. Now I get to read the story. Apparently, and I could be wrong because this is one of those books that actually doesn't give any information on the cover other than what other people think of the book, this book is about Julia when she lived in a tree to keep it from being cut down. It's about the redwoods, their importance, and the struggle to protect them. I am SO looking forward to this one.

Next is Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. I've never been inclined to read this book, but like I said, it was free. I'm sure it's got to be good with all the acclaim it's gotten. Then again, there are plenty of top sellers that I've hated. Hm. Well, that's why I picked it up. I'll have to form my own opinion.

Then there's Isabel Allende's Paula. The only book I've ever read by Allende was The House of the Spirits back in middle school. I don't remember much about it, except that I loved it. For some reason though, I never picked up another of her books. Now is my chance. This one is the story of Allende's family, written when her daughter Paula fell into a coma. It's supposed to be reminiscent of The House of Spirits so I think I'll enjoy it.

I also found a cookbook: 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes by Sue Spitler. I don't have many cookbooks and I've been trying to cut back on my meat intake (which was already minimal) so this was a no-brainer. This is probably the only one that won't make it back to the library. I promise to donate something else in its place though! Wow, I didn't realize I'd have such a guilt complex about this.

And the last one is Charming Billy by Alice McDermott. I've never read anything by McDermott, but her name is thrown around a lot so I thought I'd pick this one up just to see what all the fuss is about. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't even look at the book description before deciding on this one. At least it will be a surprise, right?

9 comments:

Heather J. @ TLC Book Tours said...

Gotta love those free books! I've been meaning to read the one about the woman living in the tree, so I'll look forward to hearing what you have to say.

But I REALLY want to hear what you have to say about Charming Billy. We did that one for my book club. It was recommended by a member who loves McDermot's other works but had not read this one. I won't say what we thought of it (you can read for yourself here when you're ready) but I'll be watching for your review when you get around to it!

Laura said...

What a nice surprise! Maybe I should start running by my library!

Are you using any particular training schedule for your half marathon, or are you just making up your own?

Becca said...

Heather: Thanks for the link! I'll definitely check it out after I read it.

Laura: Heh. Running by the library does have its benefits ;-) I'm currently using a training schedule I found in The (Non)Runners Marathon Training Guide for Women (which I'll be reviewing and giving away a signed copy of next week). However, I'm considering joining a Team in Training and just going for a full marathon. Haven't decided yet. I'll probably post a link to my final training program in my new blog girlrunner.wordpress.com as soon as I have it all nailed down.

beastmomma said...

Tuesdays with Morrie is a great book. It goes by quickly. I have heard good things about the cookbook you picked up!

Alea said...

Man that would have just pepped my day right up! How fun!

Kim L said...

Is there anything better than free books? I always have to stop at the sale rack at the library, because they sell paperbacks for $.50, which in my opinion is the next best thing to free. I seem to always be picking something up. Looks like you got some great books!

Becca said...

Kim: If my library had $.50 books my TBR pile would be skyhigh! That's so awesome (and definitely the next best thing to free).

CJ said...

Looks like a great haul!

As for Tuesdays With Morrie... it's a simple book about a man who was dying and coming to grips with his death. Along the way he helped another man deal with life.

Morrie showed great diginity and wisdom and like all wisdom, it's pretty basic but still needs to be said. I hope you enjoy it.

cjh

Becca said...

Thanks CJ! I'm sure I'll like it. I just always get a little put off by the books that are huge hits. I always end up reading them eventually, and most time I even like them, though there are the few that I can't understand why anybody picked up other than that it was a best seller. I'm sure Tuesdays with Morrie will be in the former category.