We've been hitting more booksales over the past several weeks. Last month we went to three right outside of Austin - 2 in San Antonio and 1 in San Marcos. All were dismal and hardly worth the trip. But this weekend we went to a sale in a small town called Wimberely. The Wimberely sale was wonderful. For one, the trip out there was so pleasant. We didn't travel on Interstate 35 so that right there is a plus. And once there, the volunteers could not have been nicer.

I found plenty of books (about 25). The pricing was very straightforward, they were well organized and it wasn't over run with booksellers. Although I'm sure there had to be a few, I couldn't detect any during my visit. The one and only drawback was the number of books that had a very heavy tobacco odor. I came home with 2 and have had to keep them separated from the rest of my books. One I bought for myself. It's called the Slang of Sin. I can't really take the smell though so I will donate it. The other isn't too bad. I've had it outside and opened to different pages so it can air out. But I bring this up because I had to pass over so many books. I don't want to send out books in this condition to customers. But after all is said and done, the Wimberely sale was very good. We'll be going back in October.

Even with all of the used book sales that I go to , I can still find books to buy at BookPeople here in town. Last week I came home with a book by Michael Dirda called Book By Book. It is very much a 'commonplace book' with lots of short thoughts on a variety of book related topics from different sources. In fact, if I am remebering correctly, Dirda says early on that much of this book was taken from his very own commonplace book. Here then, are a few excerpts:

"Remember that every life is a special problem, which is not yours but another's; and content yourself with the terrible algebra of your own." - Henry James

"What others criticize you for, cultivate: It is you" - Jean Cocteau

"Where is your Self to be found? Always in the deepest enchantment that you have experienced." - Hugo von Hofmannsthal.