“Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind.” ~James Russell Lowell
The Friends organization of my local library had its annual book sale over the weekend. It’s a ritual for us to go. The sale lasts three days and on Sundays, you can fill an entire bag of books for $2. We used to always hit the sale on Sundays, but I’ll be honest – it’s total chaos on that day and generally speaking the best books are picked over. I don’t go to buy fiction but if I did, Sunday would be my day. I go to find nuggets of non-fiction books for our home resource library.
We went on Saturday, when books were $1.50 an inch. They stack your books up and measure them for your total. I spent a whopping $7.50 and found a treasure trove of knowledge that I can’t wait to explore further.
I’m starting to embrace e-books, but honestly there is something very special about holding a well-worn book between my hands. I can’t imagine, I’ll ever do away with physical books completely. The thrill of hunt is also at play here for me, digging through stacks of old books allows me to discover something I might never have to thought to look for. It’s a simple and frugal adventure to be sure, but one that also helps us further our homesteading goals by gleaning from the wisdom of others.
What good book are you reading at the moment?
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Putting Food By was a gift from my husband about 30 years ago when I first began exploring the idea of food self-sufficiency. Hundreds of quarts of stored gardening later, it’s still a favorite. Just make sure you check the updated Ball or local university canning time guidelines. Seems that in my lifetime, simple canned tomatoes have gone from requiring 25 minutes processing time to FIFTY!
I know it, thanks for the suggestion though. I’ve leafed through the books many times over the years but just never owned a copy and felt like being the canning teacher I am, I should have a copy in my library. Pressure can those tomatoes, it’s much faster
I just finished Urban Homestead which I loved. And now I’m hooked on a new to me mystery/thriller author Davis Bunn.
I have the New Laurel’s Kitchen; it’s been a fave for almost 20 years.
What a great haul! There are some classics in there. Books being priced by the inch is hilarious to me. I’ve never heard of that before. How clever.
I can tell we’re in a transition between seasons because I’m slowing going from gardening and preserving books to knitting books here. With produce still coming in though, Wild Fermentation, Nourishing Traditions, and Stocking Up III still have permanent residence on my table.
Are you on Goodreads, by any chance?