I've been so swept up in rehearsals and shows lately, I haven't had much time for books. An hour here and there, but mostly when I was home I was just trying to catch some sleep.
I did, however, come across a really fun store in Irvine. A Home Base closed down a year or so ago leaving a big empty warehouse, and when I drove by the other day I saw a new sign - "Crown Book Liquidation Center." Oooooh! You bet I screeched the car to a halt in the parking lot, urgent errands forgotten.
It's not fancy, by any means; it looks rather like a big yard sale. Metal picnic tables piled with dusty books. But it's an enormous place and well laid-out, so it's kind of fun if you have a while to browse.
The books are new, but they're titles that didn't sell very well. No current bestsellers here. Also their Literature section is sad and tiny. But I like all kinds of books and the prices were very cheap, so I ended up with...hmm...maybe a dozen? They have a huge History section, so I satisfied that yen with two books about Henry VIII's wives, a fictional biography about Elizabeth I, the John Adams bio that I've been wanting to read, a few Stephen Ambrose titles (including "Band of Brothers"), and "Ragtime," which I've always wanted to read.
I can't wait to get started on those. I'm finishing up a fun little murder mystery that takes place in an opera house. I also have the new book by Jimmy Carter (yes, THAT Jimmy Carter) on the back burner. He's written a fictional tale about the Revolutionary War that's gotten fairly mixed reviews, but I thought I'd give it a try. As long as there are no sexy bits in it; that would be rather disconcerting, coming from Jimmy Carter!