Bookfairy

[skyring]

Lifeline Bookfair came to an end yesterday after three days of bookery. Canberra folk tend to be big supporters of this. Think of long rows of trestle tables standing end to end in a huge exhibition hall, books laid down, spines up, three or four or five rows along each table.

The bookfair isn't a good place for meeting of eyes, so it's not the social event it could be. People generally slide slowly along the edges of the tables, heads down, eyes scanning the titles, oblivious to everyone else in the hall, everyone doing the same thing.

And every now and then you can see, if you have time to look, two people moving inexorably together along the edge of the same table until they bump into each other's backsides and give a little jump of embarassment.

That's pretty much how I found AwayWithFairies, who had driven up from Sydney and dropped in on the bookfair on her way back home. We chatted a bit before getting back into the looking for book bargains process.

The organisers had decided that enough people had given up buying books at half price to go down to the $10 a bag stage. This usually happens around two o'clock, and as I'd arrived about ten, I'd assembled all the books I wanted. So I had lunch and coffee, and chatted with Judy who runs a bookshop. We've been helping each other out for several years now, and we look after each other's books and help with trolleys when it comes time to check them all out. She's got a bad shoulder and finds it hard to move lots of books all at once. Besides which, she's a delight to talk with.

I helped her load up her car, and then went back, just to see if there was anything I might have missed on the tables, which is when I bumped into AwayWithFairies.

I filled up several bags with books for me to read (a small category), books for me to keep (even smaller), and books for me to give away (a lot).

I think I've got a couple of John Grishams there that I haven't read, but I won't know until I'm well into the first chapter.

I got a lot of books with an eye to giving them away to passengers in my cab. When I finally get to drive one, that is. BookCrossing on Wheels!

Comments

[atenea-nike.livejournal.com]

BookCrossing on wheels - that makes you instantly the Best Cabbie Ever, and you haven't even driven a cab yet.

I know the feeling about the John Grishams. "The plot's familiar" means nothing when it's one of his books, since the plot always is familiar :)) I hope you're lucky and youhaven't read them yet.

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

You know, I've never read a Grisham book. Somehow I missed all the fuss. Are they good?

[drusillamac.livejournal.com]

I read 'Skipping Christmas' by Grisham which I didn't really enjoy. However, my cousin is a massive fan and advises me that 'Skipping Christmas' is not a great example of his work.

[drusillamac.livejournal.com]

You could steal caffcaff's title and become Mobile OBCZ Man!

[holmesfan.livejournal.com]

I am so looking forward to reading your reports of the pick-up of books in your cab.

Poor you. Even your placid easy-going temperament must be stretched almost to the llimit with this long wait.

{{{{{{{{not-yet-cabdriver}}}}}}}

[skyring.livejournal.com]

If Caffcaff isn't a woman, it's a fiendishly clever disguise he's wearing!

Not sure how I'll play it. Probably just have a couple of books with me in the glovebox or something, and if the topic of BookCrossing comes up (as well it might), then I can reach in and grab one or two...

After a while I'd be hoping to have people say that they have extra books to give me.

[skyring.livejournal.com]

I read my first one at the Dunedin convention. I like a good crime/legal/techno thriller.

Antof9 was good enough to send a dozen to Charleston for me to collect, and I dropped them off at varous locations around the world over the next couple of months as I read each one.

Some of them are better than others, but even the worst is a good read. Some of them have similar themes and characters, which is probably inescapable with legal stories.

Perhaps the one I liked the most was The Street lawyer, dealing with the problems of homeless people in Washington.

[bobbarama.livejournal.com]

Pete ... I almost don't recognize you with your clothes on. (smile)

Hey, listen, everyone keeps telling me I should friend you. Tag ... you're it. And, actually, I enjoyed the few entries of yours I browsed earlier today.

I think you'll probably like my journal, as well, especially my last entry ... on Things Men Don't Know About Women. Hope you're sitting down for that one. It's an eye-opener.

Anyway, hope you're OK with me friending you.

I'm here for another reason, as well. I have a quick question I'd like to ask, if you don't mind. It involves Ron at Bookcrossing. Can I talk you into PMing me through my Bookcrossing PM? Hope that's OK, too.

Take care. And, please, put some clothes on. (Your pose in Racks for Research was hysterical.)

Your friend, Bob

[thebiblioholic.livejournal.com]

I haven't read any Brad Meltzer either, but I was reading the latest issue of Pages Magazine which had a feature article on him and his stuff sounds interesting:

The Tenth Justice
Dead Even (set at Columbia Law School)
The First Counsel
The Millionaires
The Zero Game
Identity Crisis
The Book of Fate

[awaywithfairy1.livejournal.com]

Several bags of books? I thought I got a bit over-excited coming away with two very full bags. 90 odd books in total. I've been on the hunt for interesting books that are also small and light to take with me to the Adelaide BC conference. I've now got a few that fit the bill...