Things I Like: Used Books

Why I like them:
They're inexpensive.
You're reusing (one step better than recycling).
The thrill of the hunt.
Surprises (I bought the Rachel Papers just because it had my name in it-5 bucks? Why not?).

Rachel May

Halloween!

How was your Halloween? Mine was just dandy. Boyfriend and I went for a walk in the morning and found a lovely breakfast diner/cafe and enjoyed a delicious and inexpensive breakfast. After that, we ventured to a cigar shop (for the boy) and to a thrift store (for me). The thrift store was filled with goodies-and we walked out with two Halloween costumes, a book and a magazine for a whopping $3.97.

I can't wait to go back and look through the books again-I've been on a reading binge for awhile now. I just finished Jemima Jones by Jane Green and now I'm reading The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. My reading interests range widely, obviously.

Halloween was nice-we had a few trick-or-treaters before we left for our costume party, and I made some Tortilla soup for dinner beforehand that turned out delicious.

Unfortunately, we still have two uncarved pumpkins sitting in our living room, which I plan to plunder today for seeds-my favorite part. We were a little behind on the spirit of Halloween, but for good reason-lots of work to do (for me) and homework (for the boy). But I also just got back from a trip to Baltimore and DC! I will posts pics very soon, I promise.

As for today, Sunday is catch-up day, so I'm cooking, cleaning, and of course reading and watching movies (got to catch up on entertainment as well, of course!). After the delicious tortilla soup, I'm back in cooking mode, so I made some yummy delicata squash (pictured), and roasted the seeds. So delicious!

I hope you had a fantastic weekend! Is anyone else freaked out by how quickly Christmas is coming? I've got to get my gifts started!


Rachel May

Waiting to Start

The boy doesn't want me using a circular saw by myself (which I was going to use to build the shelves this morning at our new place). He says someone should be there if I cut my hand open and pass out. I say that might be interesting considering I'm the only one who knows where the hospital is near our new place, but I digress.

Since I'm just hanging out, but I'm motivated, I thought I would share what I've been up to lately. I have been reading like crazy lately, one book after another, thanks to swaptree. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this site before, but it is absolutely awesome. Here's what I've been reading-all of these books have been given to me, purchased second-hand (which I <3) or swapped.

Good In Bed (swaptree-free, just paid shipping) turns into a surprising story. This book is awesome-great summer reading. This book is about a woman who's ex-boyfriend writes an article-"Loving a Larger Woman." It's an empowering story, with great drama mixed in. Towards the end is when things really get interesting, and it becomes a major page-turner.

Prep(Swaptree-free, just paid shipping) is a great book when you want to reminisce. The author did a great job of capturing the emotions of an awkward teen thrown into a new situation. It's got the typical "My parents are SO embarrassing" thing, and a lot of what you think boarding school would be like, without being a boring book. I really liked it.

The Perfect Fit (found at Goodwill, 50 cents) is one of my favorites. This book is written by an author in the UK. I like the language difference between American writing and UK writing. It's a novel, but it makes a good point. Women always say "I'll buy that once I lose 10 pounds," or, "I would look so much better if I was a size smaller" and the main character in this story does what women say they are going to do-she loses weight, only-she loses around 100 pounds. However, this story is about how the weight doesn't change things the way you think it might. The main character's friends get jealous, people think she's a snob, and her whole life revolves around keeping low calories and working off all she eats with exercise. It's really interesting.

Now I'm reading Little Altars Everywhere, the first book in the Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood trio. It's really good too. I love the southern dialect used in the writing. Each chapter bounces from character to character and different time periods, so you have to pay attention when you are reading that. I'm only halfway through...


With reading, I go in spurts. Sometimes, like now, I read one book after another...although I have to say this is getting to be one of my longer reading binges. Usually after a while, I'm over reading and I'll get back to it another time.

Right now, I have a lot of books waiting to be read, so I feel I owe it to them to give them my time of day. Once I'm done reading Little Altars Everywhere, I have the other two books in the trio (Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Ya Yas in Bloom), then I have A Million Little Pieces, Memoires of a Geisha, Montana 1948, Pride and Prejudice...the list goes on. I will update you as I go:)

What have you been reading? Any good book suggestions (not that I'm out of books, I'm just asking)? I love a good book!

Happy Reading!
Rachel May

Love books? Check this out!

I was reading other blogs and somebody mentioned Swaptree. www.swaptree.com All you do is type in the ISBN number of the books that you have read already or no longer want, and it pops up with a bunch of options for trades. All you pay for is shipping and you can trade as much as you want. How cool is that? I'm totally there, because with the lack of abundant cashflow, it sure is nice to still get new-to-me stuff!
Rachel May