My Sunshine Away

After setting up a photo of my most recent read, I decided why not actually make a blog post. I know I usually post multiple things at once, but this is better than nothing, right?

I already posted about the brass deer here, but I thought they framed the book nicely!

This is another book I got from McKay's in Manassas, VA. I usually do a little research, but this one I bought on more of a whim. The plot summary was intriguing and (dare I say it) I liked the cover art.

Turns out, I enjoyed the story! Sort of a YA, mystery, coming of age combo. Glad I picked this one up!

Happy Thrifting!

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His Dark Materials

One thing I love about thrifting books is finding all of the books in a series. And what makes that even better is when they all match. This is the series His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. Cover illustrations are by Alfred A. Knopf.

I originally found the The Golden Compass at McKays a while back. There were a bunch of different versions of all three books, but I liked this cover. I didn't buy the second two because it would be my first time reading it, and I wasn't sure if I would want to continue the series.

Turns out I liked it, so another time we went back to McKays I bought the other two - but I got copies that didn't match (each other or the first book). I just wanted to read it and figured I would never find the matching components so it didn't matter.

Fast forward to when I was halfway through the second book. We were on a trip back to the same store, and The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass were both there, and both in the matching copies! The Golden Compass wasn't there, so it felt like they were there just for me. Since I was enjoying the series and loved these covers I ended up buying these. I later sold my other copies back for store credit.

1. I love the raised/gold title.

2. The background design is cool.

3. The sides!

4. They are trade paperback size, which is my favorite.

5. Because of that, the pages are smoother and the text is easier to read.

I'm so happy I have the matching set! They look great on the shelf, now that I finished reading them.

Happy Thrifting!

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Valentine Weekend

Over Valentine's Day weekend, Ed and I did what we do best - thrifty adventures.

Our day started at Salvation Army in Manassas, VA. This was our first visit to this particular location, and I'm glad we finally went. (I'm not sure what took us so long! Salvation Army is my favorite thrift store chain.)

This was my first purchase of the day. As we were perusing the knick-knacks I spotted this tree mug. I love nature and hiking, and I had never seen a mug like this one before! I'm very particular about the mugs I buy - I have to be - since I already have so many. But I didn't even have to question this one. It was mine as soon as I picked it up.

I have been on a hunt for short sleeved boy's button ups for a while. I check most times we stop at a thrift store, but usually I have better clothing luck at Salvation Army. And not surprisingly, that's where I finally found one! I was expecting to buy a plaid one (I would still like to) but this curious pattern caught my eye. I held it up and thought, "I could wear this". Of course I had to try it on first, but it fit and I already wore it out!

After Salvation Army, we went to our favorite used book store, McKay's, where I spent the $10 my grandmother sent me for Valentine's Day :)

This was easy to do since McKay's is packed with books! But look what $10 got me - 8 books! I can't tell you enough how great this used book store is. We spent a long time in there. Usually I take pictures of books I'm curious about and research them later. Then the next time we go there, I check to see if those are still on the shelves (and buy them if they are). That way I don't totally splurge every single time. 

So a quick rundown:

Two of these books I had previously researched.

Four of them I bought on the spot.

And two are part of a series I already started.*

I haven't read any of these yet, but I'm currently in the middle of The Book of Lost Things (which I thrifted from Goodwill).

Happy Thrifting!
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*If you are ever curious about the books I've read, you can find me on Goodreads!

Wildwood

My husband and I recently discovered our new favorite used book store: McKay Used Books in Manassas, Virginia. As we were getting acclimated to the area, he just searched for used book stores while looking up thrift stores near us. But when we pulled up to this place, we were floored! It's huge! And not only does it have rows upon rows of used books, it also has board games, video games, and music as well. Needless to say, we've already been back a second time and plan to make a habit of it.

I picked up Wildwood by Colin Meloy on our second time around. I didn't know anything about it, but the description on the back of the book sold me almost immediately.

"Prue McKeel's life is ordinary. That is, until her brother is abducted by a murder of crows and taken to the Impassable Wilderness, a dense, tangled forest on the edge of Portland. No one's ever gone in - or at least returned to tell of it.
   So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval - a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics, and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much greater as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood."

I just love fantastical adventures - the description sort of reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia - and the illustrations were beautiful!

And the uncut pages are a cute little detail.

I totally forgot to take photos of the inside of the book until I was just writing up this post, so excuse the major change in lighting! It works for me though, because I'm always reading by lamplight anyway ;)

The illustrations within the book were a lovely surprise! I was definitely a little obsessed with them. They're so cute! (And they're by Carson Ellis)

I recently finished the book, and while it wasn't my favorite I definitely enjoyed it! Absolutely worth the price I paid for it. Did I mention everything is priced very reasonably in this store?

Happy Thrifting!

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