Book Shopping
Now that I’ve caught up on the books I’ve read/listened to for the last couple of weeks, I’ll tell you about my book shopping finds. One recent Friday, Ted worked a half day, and we went to Oakland for our Friday night dinner. We went early to do a little book shopping. We started at East Bay Booksellers, a favorite of ours that suffered a major fire last year, but they are thankfully in a temporary location just down the street while their store is repaired. Then we went to dinner at a local place we really enjoy, and then to Pegasus Books, another great Indy place in the neighborhood.
I can’t afford to buy every book that I want, so I will sometimes take note of books that look interesting to me, and then put them on hold at the library. I put these three on hold as audiobooks.
All Fours ~ Miranda July
From the publisher’s website: A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Thirty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, checks into a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in an entirely different journey.
33 Place Brugmann ~ Alice Austen
From the publisher’s website: On the eve of the Nazi occupation, in the heart of Brussels, life for the residents of 33 Place Brugmann is about to change forever.
Dream Count ~ Chimamamanda Ngozi Adichie
From the publisher’s website: Chiamaka is a Nigerian travel writer living in America. Alone in the midst of the pandemic, she recalls her past lovers and grapples with her choices and regrets. Zikora, her best friend, is a lawyer who has been successful at everything until – betrayed and brokenhearted – she must turn to the person she thought she needed least. Omelogor, Chiamaka’s bold, outspoken cousin, is a financial powerhouse in Nigeria who begins to question how well she knows herself. And Kadiatou, Chiamaka’s housekeeper, is proudly raising her daughter in America – but faces an unthinkable hardship that threatens all she has worked to achieve.
Then I bought some books for little cousin Sloan’s birthday. She recently turned 3, and I love buying her books.
Big Bear and Little Bear Go Fishing ~ Amy Hest and Erin Stead
I’ve never heard of this book before, but it’s adorable. A gentle lovely book. Spoiler alert – no fish were harmed in the writing of this book.
The Ultimate Book of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures ~ Sandra Laboucarie and Benjamin Becue.
This book was sealed tightly in cellophane, but Maya loves dinosaurs and asked if she could look through it before the party, so we unwrapped it. Turns out that it’s likely too old for Sloan, but she can grow into it. Lots of pop ups, flaps, and tabs, she seemed to really like it when she and Maya looked at it at their birthday party.
The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes ~ Du Base Hayward and Marjorie Hack
This is my favorite Easter book. I couldn’t find it at either bookstore, nor did they have it at our local Barnes and Noble, but B&N ordered it for me. Written in the late 1930s, this is the story of Cottontail, a bunny who dreams of becoming an Easter Bunny, but is laughed at by the big (male) bunnies who have the job. She is a lady. She is too small. She has no chance. She has 21 babies to look after, and has abandoned her dreams in the service of motherhood (or so everyone thinks). I love how she gives each of her baby bunnies an important task so they can contribute to the household. Some of them garden, some clean, some cook, some paint, etc. Truly charming.
The Dud Avocado ~ Elaine Dundy
The story of Sally Jay Gorce, a young American who moves to Paris in the late 1950s. I read this book several years ago, but I got it from the library, and when I saw it on the sale table at Pegasus Books, I knew I had to have it. If Engie decides to include this book for a future CBBC (and I sincerely hope she does, I’m ready.
That’s a wrap for my book buying recently. Do any of these books appeal to you? Have you read The Dud Avocado? I plan to campaign for it for CBBC if Engie includes it as an option. If not, I’ll just (re)read it on my own.
28 Comments
PocoBrat
I highly recommend _All Fours_ so we can talk about it!
And _Dream Count_ is on my list, because I have to read everything by Adichie. I always play her “Danger of a Single Story” TED talk to my World Lit students because she says it better than anyone else in about 15 mins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9Ihs241zeg
Sloan’s books look adorable, and I would have wanted to lift all the flaps, too.
And the spoiler alert is just perfect <3.
J
Oh, YAY, I’m glad to hear that _All Fours_ is good! I am going to listen to that Ted talk, thank you!
Jenny
Ooh! A post about book shopping- I love it. I do the same thing when I go to a bookstore- if I see a book I like, I pull out my phone and see if it’s available at my library. I do like to buy them every once in a while, because I want to keep the bookstore in business!
I’m intrigued by All Fours- I’m putting it on my TBR.
J
Jenny, exactly! I knew I wanted to buy SOMETHING, they need my money. But I can’t afford to buy them ALL.
nance
Erin Stead is one of my favourite illustrators. She captures so much emotion in her drawings. Children’s books are terrific.
I have to say that a title like The Dud Avocado would not make me want to read the book. All Fours sounds interesting.
J
I did love those illustrations! If you see this book, you might enjoy having it to read to Theo…
_The Dud Avocado_ is indeed a lame title for a book. I read it years ago and cannot remember if the title makes any sense whatsoever. It’s a charming book though.
Michelle G.
The Dud Avocado is a hilarious title, so I got the Kindle version. I love children’s books and the illustrations.
J
I hope you enjoy it!
Regarding the illustrations, you do such wonderful, whimsical illustrations and books. I love seeing them on your blog.
Birchie
I did not like All Fours BUT it was very readable and I am always here for a discussion about it.
You sold me on The Dud Avocado! I can’t get the title out of my head.
J
Such a funny title, right? I’m looking forward to discussing All Fours with you and Maya!
Ernie
I’ ve not heard of any of these books, but I feel like I’ve seen the cover of the Country Bunny. That book looks like one I’d love to read to my small people. I trust your opinion of The Dud Avocado and I hope that Engie will consider it on your behalf. Looking around a bookstore sounds like a great way to spend time. Oh, I laughed at No fish were hurt in the writing of the Big Bear Little Bear Fishing book. 😉
J
That Country Bunny book is O.L.D., but so, so charming.
Regarding the fish, I mean, they SAW a fish…but mostly they read and told stories and had lunch and it was a perfect fishing day.
Nicole MacPherson
Hooooooo boy, what is All Fours going to be like as an audiobook??? I will await your review. I liked it but wow, it’s a weird book. And that’s coming from ME. I do not consider myself prudish at all but there are two scenes that will never leave me a) one involving a tampon, b) one involving dog poop. WHAT WILL THIS BE LIKE TO LISTEN TO?
Not only have I never read the Avocado book, I’ve never even heard of it!
The second and third book sound great, I’m noting them down. The third particularly sounds like my jam.
J
Oh goodness…now I’m scared!
Margaret
I love buying kid books but am resisting buying any for myself. I already need to get rid of lots of things. Dealing with my mom’s estate has made me even more reluctant to accumulate anything more. I do love using my library although that doesn’t keep bookstores in business. (which I want!)
J
Yes, every time I have to go through someone’s house, I feel like I want to throw everything away. EVERYTHING IN MY HOUSE.
Karen Meg
I love a nice book store, unfortunately we only have the big box ones near me.
All Fours and Dud Avocado look very interesting. And boy do I miss buying children’s books – those are adorable.
J
We have some nice independent bookstores in our neighboring town. The bookstores here are big box. At this point I just want to keep all of them in business.
Kyria @ Travel Spot
All Fours was a strange book. I will be curious to hear what you think, but I would not say that I “enjoyed” it, although it was weird enough that I kept reading anyway. I have not read any of the others on your list but I like the look of 33 Place Brugman.
J
I’m hearing how weird it is! We’ll see if I enjoy it, deal with it, or DNF it.
Lisa's Yarns
I only buy books for my kids as I am not a re-reader so it feels like a waste of money! I exclusively use the library and read nearly everything on my Kindle. But I love buying books for my kids and as gifts for others’ kids.
I did read The Dud Avocado but I remember not caring for it. But I was in my 20s when I read it for a Books & Bars book club that I used to attend. I was told by Nicole that All Fours is “not safe for Lisa.” Ha.
J
LOL on NSFL. Something to remember.
Pat
I did not like (and DNF’d All Fours). Not prudish at all but I found the main character so unlikeable. I Just read that Dinosaur book to my almost 3 year old grandson this week. It’s pretty involved for his age but of course he loves all the pop ups & tabs.
J
Oh, I’m glad that you also have read the dinosaur book! Yeah, it was pretty involved for a little one, but I liked that it doesn’t talk down to them either. They will learn some big words I guess.
Meike
I am also curious to hear how you will like “All Fours”. I read it with my book club a while back and the discussion was interesting. I have not read The Dud Avocado.
Book shopping is so fun. Our Barnes & Noble just closed at the beginning of the year and then one of the stores in Berkeley I usually went to also closed. Now I end up in the same neighborhood as you for book shopping. I went to Mrs. Dalloway’s on College the other day. I hope the remaining ones stay around and the local libraries!
J
I love Mrs. Dalloways! I do enjoy that neighborhood for sure.
Tobia | craftaliciousme
i am still debating if All Fours is a book for me. I feel like it is in the corner of Tom Lake and Sandwich and I DNF the first one and the last one is on my libary list and i keep pushing it.
I will wait for your review here.
J
I feel like it COULD be in the same vein, but then I heard here in my comments that it’s kind of insane, and neither Tom Lake nor Sandwich were, so we’ll see. I will report back!