It’s been a great weekend for my book obsession.

I started out Friday with the Friends of Multnomah County Library massive annual used book sale (Oregon’s largest–and Oregon is a readin’ state). To be allowed into the pre-sale, I had to pony up for the $30 yearly membership, which didn’t bother me at all. Good cause. I paid this while standing in line, which was a multi-block-face monster wrapping around the old location of Wild Oats on SE Division. I realized I had come vastly under-prepared. Everyone else was carrying multiple moving boxes or dragging empty rolling suitcases. I wasn’t sure what I was in for. But once in the door–O! The wonder! Bazillions of barely-thumbed books: new title hardbacks and those lovely $16 paperbacks. I started picking up books. When I was a teetering tower, a nice volunteer offered me a free box and I kept plunking tomes into it for some time amidst the crowd, which I can only describe as an enthusiastic one. There was a touch of tension in the air, but once it appeared that all of the books were not gone after ten minutes, I relaxed into my groove.

I left when my box was about half full of amazing books because I was sure it was going to cost about a billion dollars, and, for reasons you may or not be privy to, I’m necessitated to be financially uptight right now. Terrified of the cost, I went through the checkout area only to find that my total was $29.50. Had I not been obligated to meet friends for dinner, I would have bolted right back in there and stuffed five more boxes full. $29.50! As an experiment, I totaled up the face price for my new books later: over $220. Wow!

Also, we finally bought a bookcase for our living room on Saturday. This as usual involved a lot of frustration on my end. I’m convinced America Hates Bookcases because it’s nigh impossible to find a non-vomitous one made out of real wood. We scored a great one, however, at an unfinished furniture shop on NE Broadway. Mr. Pencil’s out in the garage right now putting some polyurethane on it.

Finally, I finished Molly Gloss’ most excellent novel Wild Life. Here is my review on LibraryThing:

I was all grinning and ready to give this book five glowing, thrilled stars. The first 150 pages were the stuff of genius (my definition of genius, of course): a strong female character, a glimmering tongue-in-cheek narrative, Pacific Northwest scenery and lore, and a historical setting that was as real as it was charming. This is really a lovely book.

The characters are sharp and lovable. I’d find it really hard to dislike our wickedly shrewd and fearless protagonist, a (shockingly) single mother in early-20th-century rural Washington, along the Columbia River. Of course, she’s kind a terrible mother (to five sons!), but that just somehow makes her even better.

The adventure begins when she–Charlotte–heads out into the wilderness and logging camps near present-day Battleground, Wash., to look for her housekeeper’s missing granddaughter. That still stays wonderful, as she dons men’s digs and gets all muddy and real.

Then things get crazy and fantastical. I can’t decide that this melting into fantasy is brilliance or a letdown after such a romping first half. I think I still liked it, but it didn’t have the resounding freshness of the reality segments of the novel. Charlotte’s frame of mind in the end of the story is hard for me to identify with.

Overall, highly recommended, especially if you are interested in the Pacific Northwest, homestead-era history, logging history or, well, giant ape things.