Sunday, December 12, 2010

Sunday Salon-Full Swing with Christmas



This weekend was my husband's family's annual weekend getaway trip to Stockbridge, Mass., which they've done every year for the past 30 or so. We stay at the same inn and spend the weekend shopping, eating and getting into the holiday spirit. I'm home now, and we all had a great time.

There aren't a lot of bookstores out here; the Stockbridge Bookstore closed several years ago, but we managed to visit a few:
  • The Bookloft (322 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington) a nice indie specializing in new books,
  • Berkshire Book Company (510 South Main Street
    Sheffield) of Sheffield, an excellent used-and-rare bookstore, and
  • Yellow House Books (252 Main Street, Great Barrington) of Great Barrington, also a nice used-and-rare place.
We wanted to visit the very nice-looking North Star Books, a fancy-looking store where the used and rare books were stacked neatly on tidy shelves and everything looked precious and expensive, but I think they are an open-by-appointment kind of place. Oh well.

What did I buy? Not much. But I found a treasure- a first edition of Margaret Atwood's Lady Oracle, for a price so low it's shameful. I mean, a yard-sale price, not a rare-bookstore price. The shop was having a 90% off sale. I actually felt bad about paying so little for it, like I should leave a 20 in the tip jar something. I have to start keeping track of what Atwood firsts I've collected because the shelf is getting full, yet I know I'm still missing a bunch. Anyone got a first of The Blind Assassin they don't want? I mean a Canadian or British first! LOL, I'm willing to negotiate on price.

And reading? I brought along David Grossman's To the End of the Land to read and I'm enjoying it. I've heard more than one person say that they gave up on it before finishing chapter one and I'm sorry to hear that because it changes dramatically after that first chapter. It moves forward in time and picks up. So if you're considering it, or if you've got it and you've started and you're not crazy about it, do me a favor and don't give up until, say, page 100. Give it a chance to grow on you because it just might. That said, Grossman's not for everybody and I can't really blame you if you decide he's not for you.

That's it for me. I hope you're having a great Sunday.

More Sunday Salon here.

13 comments:

Mystica said...

Thanks for the note on Grossman. I have heard the same.
The outing also sounds a lot of fun!

gautami tripathy said...

As I am not able to read, I am thinking of getting some M&Bs and Harlequins to end the year! Maybe those books will help me back on track!

Here is my Sunday Salon post!

Booksnyc said...

what a great tradition - I like the idea of being away with family before the holiday! The Inn looks very charming.

have a great week!

Kim (Sophisticated Dorkiness) said...

Wow, jealous about the Atwood book! I don't do a lot of first edition collecting, but she's an author I would want to do that for :)

Laurel-Rain Snow said...

Oh, what a great treasure! I haven't actually read this one of Atwood's...I need to get going in order to catch up.

Yes, usually I give books at least 100 pages before giving up...and then if it's a review book, I hang in there, but sometimes that is torture.

I envy you all the wonderful bookstores....

Here's my salon:

http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/2010/12/12/the-sunday-salon-dec-12/

Anonymous said...

Glad you had a great holiday getaway. I could really use one of those right now!

Anonymous said...

I am glad to hear you are enjoying To the End of the Land. Yes, some give up too early. I didn't find the first couple of chapters boring, though, as some did.

Darlene said...

What a treasure you found in the Atwood book. I have many of her books but not first editions.

Glad you had a nice time on your getaway. That tree at the inn is absolutely beautiful.

Have a great week Marie!

(Diane) Bibliophile By the Sea said...

Love the Berkshires any time of year. Stay dry.

Pam said...

I visited the Berkshires (including Stockbridge) for the first time this past October. I absolutely fell in love with the place. I love the idea of a family getaway weekend there at Christmas time. What a wonderful family tradition.

Zibilee said...

What a nice trip you had, and getting that Atwood for such a bargain is very, very cool! I haven't heard much about the Grossman book, but your mention of it and how it kind of grows on you has my ears perked up. I hope you have a great week, and if I come across anyone who has that particular Atwood for sale, I will let you know for sure!

Vasilly said...

What a great trip to go on! The bookstore that was having a 90% off sale, were they going out of business? Have a great week.

Frances said...

What a find! Don't you just love when that happens? And it sounds like you had a very nice holiday trip too.