Library Sale Book Haul July 2016

Today I am doing my first book haul here on the blog. I've posted pictures of my found treasures on Instagram, with no real details so I decided to take it a step further and post those treasures here from now on. I haunt my local Goodwill stores and even some thrift stores and flea markets. Surprisingly, I am able to get quite a few bargains. I went to my first library book sale here in my area last Friday and it was a success! My daughter and I were able to pick up an interesting mix of books. I snagged three bags full of goodies and I will definitely be going to more of these sales in the future. At our local library all of the paperbacks were fifty cents and hardbacks were a dollar. Where can you beat prices like that? NOWHERE! 

This is the Central Arkansas Library where the book sale is held in the basement. 

The promo for the sale promised lots of books to browse and buy. I was a little worried because I wasn't able to get there until the afternoon on day one, but I had nothing to worry about, there were still lots of books to choose from!

This is the one and only picture that I took because with all of the book goodness surrounding me I immediately went into book beast mode! I could only focus on going through as many shelves as possible. I promise to try to do better next time!

Now here's the loot!

**All of the links are correct, some of the covers are different since I used the covers as I have them.**

Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 10) by Laurell K. Hamilton Hamilton's vampire-hunting Anita Blake faces a plethora of foes in her tenth outing. Just returned to St. Louis after six months away, Anita is still no closer to choosing between her lovers--Jean-Claude, a vampire, and Richard, a werewolf. But she has to rely on both for help after two of the wereleopards that she has been watching are abducted at a seedy club called Narcissus in Chains. Anita and her boyfriends rescue the wereleopards from the sinister people holding them, but Anita is wounded in the fight and put at risk of becoming a wereleopard herself. Richard angrily captures the wereleopard he believes is responsible and threatens to execute him. Anita must now rescue that wereleopard from Richard and the werewolves he leads, even as she mourns the apparent end of her relationship with him. Then she realizes that those who kidnapped the first two wereleopards are targeting other lycanthropes. Maybe she will be next. With plenty of steamy sex and graphic violence, this is engaging reading for vampire cultists.

  

Troy: Shield of Thunder (The Troy Trilogy Book 2) by David Gemmell The second novel in David Gemmell’s bestselling Troy trilogy. Interlacing myth and history, and high adventure, this is epic storytelling at its very best.War is looming, and all the kings of the Great Green are gathering, each with their own dark plans of conquest and plunder.Into this maelstrom of treachery come three travellers: Piria, a runaway priestess nursing a terrible secret; Kalliades, a warrior with high ideals and a legendary sword; and his close friend Banokles, who will carve his own legend in the battles to come.Together they journey to the fabled city of Troy, where a darkness is falling that will eclipse the triumphs and personal tragedies of ordinary mortals for centuries to come.

Troy: Fall of Kings (The Troy Trilogy Book 3) by David Gemmell Darkness falls on the Great Green, and the Ancient World is fiercely divided. On the killing fields outside the golden city of Troy, forces loyal to the Mykene King mass. Among them is Odysseus, fabled storyteller and reluctant ally to the Mykene, who knows that he must soon face his former friends in deadly combat. Within the city, the Trojan king waits. Ailing and bitter, his hope is pinned on two heroes: his favourite son Hektor, and the dread Helikaon who will wreak terrible vengeance for the death of his wife at Mykene hands. War has been declared — a war filled with bloodlust, and peopled by heroes who will live forever in a story that will echo down the centuries.

Kushiel's Scion (Imriel's Trilogy, #1) by Jacqueline Carey Imriel de la Courcel's birth parents are history's most reviled traitors, but his adoptive parents, the Comtesse Phedre and the warrior-priest Joscelin, are Terre d'Ange's greatest champions. Stolen, tortured and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood; third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies---and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his mother, Melisande, who nearly destroyed the entire realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother's irresistible allure---and her dangerous gifts. As he comes of age, plagued by unwanted desires, Imriel shares their fears. When a simple act of friendship traps Imriel in a besieged city where the infamous Melisande is worshiped as a goddess and where a dead man leads an army, the Prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self. 

Kushiel's Mercy (Imriel's Trilogy #3) by Jacqueline Carey From Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Scion and Kushiel's Justice, comes the final adventure in the Imriel Trilogy. Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua's edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love for each other---only to watch the news ignite turmoil throughout the land. Those who are old enough cannot forget the misdeeds of Imriel's mother, Melisande, whose self-serving lies plunged their country into war. In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. And if they decide to marry, Sidonie will be disinherited. That is, unless Imriel can find his mother and bring her back to Terre D'Ange to be executed for treason....

Kushiel's Avatar (Phèdre's Trilogy #3) by Jacqueline Carey The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It's inhabited by the race that rose from the seed of angels, and they live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Phèdre nó Delaunay was sold into indentured servitude as a child. Her bond was purchased by a nobleman who recognized that she was pricked by Kushiel's dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Phèdre's path has been strange and dangerous. She has lain with princes and pirate kings, battled a wicked temptress, and saved two nations. Through it all, the devoted swordsman Joscelin has been at her side, following the central precept of the angel Cassiel: Protect and serve. But Phèdre's plans will put his pledge to the test, for she has never forgotten her childhood friend Hyacinthe. She has spent ten long years searching for the key to free him from his eternal indenture to the Master of Straights, a bargain with the gods to save Phèdre and a nation. The search will take Phèdre and Joscelin across the world and down a fabled river to a forgotten land. . . and to a power so intense and mysterious, none dare speak its name.

Naamah's Kiss (Moirin's Trilogy #1) by Jacqueline Carey Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn, the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts—the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow. Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life—the bright lady and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, Moirin learns only when she comes of age how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. The great-granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D'Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire. After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance... on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d'Ange, where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch'in, Moirin's skills will be a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior-princess desperate to save her father's throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon. 

The Importance of Being Dangerous by David Dante Troutt In the 1990s, as the Internet boomed and investments soared to unthinkable heights, many people were left with their feet planted firmly on the ground, looking enviously up at the more fortunate winners in life's game of roulette. This is the era in which we meet Sidarra, Griff, and Yakoob—hardworking folks who can't seem to get a toehold while wealth explodes around them. Each has personal struggles, but when they join the Central Harlem Investment Club, a plan to restore a little justice to their lives takes shape. It seems Yakoob has found a way to siphon off funds from wealthy individuals—the kind of people who are well insured and will probably barely notice the missing money. But in order to justify personal gain at others' expense, the group decides to pick their victims based on people who have done harm to the black community in the past. A plan hatched in a dark pool hall could be a way to escape their drab lives and bring some equality back to the world. But when the group takes in Yakoob's shady neighbor Raul, their scheme takes a sinister twist. Now, with murder in the mix, and the possibility of serious consequences, their best-laid plans may spiral into much more dangerous territory. . . .

A Love Noire by Erica Simone Turnipseed When Noire, a hip, Afro-wearing Ph.D. student, walks into Brown Betty Books, her righteousness kicks in to overdrive amid the self-identified "talented tenth" who wear their double degrees and five-hundred-dollar shoes like badges of honor. And then Innocent, a well-heeled investment banker from Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, walks in and turns her on her head. Innocent seems interested in her -- but he's one of them. Before meeting him, Noire shunned the "bourgie" world of black-moneyed cosmopolitans like Innocent, opting instead for socially conscious (but economically challenged) artists and urban intellectuals. Their mutual attraction blossoms into lust -- and eventually love -- but it lives in the shifting sands of personal beliefs and professional ambitions that are often at odds. Set in New York City with jaunts to Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean, A Love Noire is the story of an unlikely couple that transcends all they've known to learn the redemptive power of love.

Buffalo Gordon on The Plains by J. P. Sinclair Lewis The tumultuous years after the Civil War are seen through the unique perspective of an escaped slave who became a sergeant major of the United States Cavalry in this ambitious, adventurous saga about one man's experiences as an African-American Buffalo Soldier.  Deep in the plains of Kansas, on the brink of a bitter winter, Nate Gordon must aid the United States in clearing the frontier of hostile Cheyenne warriors, the feared Dog Soldiers. When not clashing with these seasoned hunters, or the prejudices of his commanding officers, he seeks comfort in thinking of his headstrong, beautiful lover, Cara, a Comanche Mexican woman who is also an escaped slave. From his escape from slavery aboard a Louisiana steamboat, with a debonair octoroon as his only friend, to the horrors he witnessed at the hands of murderous Missouri bushwhackers, Nate has known adventures and hardships. Armed with the knowledge of his experiences, Nate must prepare himself to meet his enemies as he joins forces with some of the West's most legendary characters including: "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Kit Carson, and General George Custer. But Nate's battle becomes more personal when he discovers that Cara, pregnant with his child, has been kidnapped by her cruel former master. 

Angel of Harlem by Kuwana Haulsey Inspired by the extraordinary events of Dr. May Chinn’s life, Angel of Harlem is a deeply affecting story of love and transcendence. Weaving seamlessly scenes from the battlefields of the Civil War, during which her father escaped from slavery, to the Harlem living rooms and kitchen tables where May is sometimes forced to operate on her patients, this fascinating novel lays bare the heart of a woman who changed the face of medicine. A gifted, beautiful young woman in the 1920s, May Edward Chinn dreams only of music. For years she accompanies the famed singer Paul Robeson. However, a racist professor ends her hopes of becoming a concert pianist. But from one dashed dream blooms another: May would become a doctor instead–-the first black female physician in all of New York. Giddy with the wonder of the Harlem Renaissance and fueled by firebrand friends like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, May doggedly pursues her ambitions while striving to overcome the pains of her past: the death of a fiancé, a lost child, and a distant father ravished by the legacy of slavery. With every grief she encounters, a resilient piece of herself locks into place. At times risking her life–attending to men stabbed in their homes and women left to die in filthy alleys–May struggles to carve out a place for herself within a medical world that still teaches that a “Negro” brain is not anatomically wired for higher thinking. Yet against the odds, she achieves her goal, starts her own practice, and becomes one of the first cancer specialists in the city.

This Side Of The Sky by Elyse Singleton Their friendship began in Nadir, Mississippi. But the twentieth century would take Lilian Mayfield and Myraleen Chadham far beyond that rural town-to segregated Philadelphia, to an Army base in England during the Blitz; to the excitement of postwar Paris. Throughout their long journey, they would never stop searching for their rightful place in the world, even when everything they believed in was tested again and again.

Alphabet of Dreams by Susan Fletcher Mitra and her little brother, Babak, are beggars in the city of Rhagae, scratching out a living as best as they can with what they can beg for--or steal. But Mitra burns with hope and ambition, for she and Babak are not what they seem. They are of royal blood, but their father's ill-fated plot against the evil tyrant, King Phraates, has resulted in their father's death and their exile. Now disguised as a boy, Mitra has never given up believing they can rejoin what is left of their family and regain their rightful standing in the world. Then they discover that Babak has a strange gift: If he sleeps with an item belonging to someone, he can know that person's dreams. Mitra believes that they can use this gift to find passage back to the city of Palmyra and their remaining kinsmen. But soon Babak and his abilities come to the attention of a powerful Magus -- one who has read portents in the stars of the coming of a new king and the dawn of a new age. Soon Mitra and Babak find themselves on the road to Bethlehem...

Great Sky Woman (Great Sky Woman #1) by Steven Barnes Thirty thousand years ago, in the heart of the African continent and in the shadow of the largest freestanding mountain in the world, lived the Ibandi. For countless generations they nurtured their ancient tradition, and met survival’s daily struggle with quiet faith in their gods. But when brutal intruders arrived from the south, a few brave souls dared the ultimate quest–to climb the Great Mountain, seeking answers and a way into the future. In this breathtaking blend of imagination, anthropology, and sheer storytelling magic, Steven Barnes takes us to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and into the realm of our own ancestors, who lived, hunted, celebrated, and died side by side with roaming herds of wild animals and great golden clouds of migrating butterflies. A people whose skin was the color and smell of the earth itself, the Ibandi formed a hierarchy based on strength of limb and spirit. In this extraordinary novel, we follow the adventures of two of the Ibandi’s chosen ones: T’Cori, an abandoned girl raised by the powerful and mysterious medicine woman Stillshadow, and Frog Hopping, a boy possessing a gift that is also a curse. Though the live in different encampments, Frog and T’Cori are linked through the revered and powerful Stillshadow, who has sensed in them a destiny apart from others’. Through the years, and on their separate life paths, T’Cori’s and Frog’s fates entwine as an inevitable disaster approaches from the south–from the very god they worship. For as long as there have been mountain, sky, and savannah, there has been a home for the Ibandi. Now, in the face of an enemy beyond anything spoken of even in legend, they must ask their god face-to-face: Do we remain or do we depart?

Red on a Rose by Patricia Jones In a captivating voice that wafts around you like a rose's rich fragrance, Patricia ]ones peels back the petals of emotion that blanket a woman's soul and, in this poignant and wise novel, tells a powerful story of love and redemption. Lila Giles Calloway has come a long way since she stepped out from under her stepmother's controlling thumb. Happily married to cardiac surgeon Jack Calloway and living in her beloved hometown of Baltimore, Lila splits her time among visiting with Jack's elderly patients, directing her own on-line reading program for children, and contemplating the possibility of motherhood. But all this comes to a screeching halt when, one typical Saturday afternoon, Lila is confronted with a situation that challenges the very core of her moral fiber. In a split second, the idyllic life lack and Lila have built together is threatened, and suddenly she must reconcile the truth that there's a bit of evil in all of us with her love for her husband and her faith in her life's purpose. 

His Insignificant Other by Karen V. Siplin "His Insignificant Other" is one of the funniest and most endearing debut novels to hit the shelf since "Bridget Jones's Diary." With a freshness and wit that is at times laugh-out-loud funny, at others heartbreaking, Karen V. Siplin brings to life a truly memorable character. "They say there are few guarantees in life, but when you're a woman on the verge of turning thirty, there are several. Without fail, a gorgeous woman will always manage to introduce herself to your boyfriend at a party the very minute you stick a chicken wing in your mouth. The part of you that turned off the telephone ringer and lowered the volume on the answering machine just to have a couple of hours to yourself will disappear and you'll want to talk to the man in your life, whether he's special or not, every minute of the day. And the moment you and your boyfriend reach a significant milestone, like an anniversary, a woman from his past is sure to reappear." These are the words of Casey Beck, a twenty-nine-year-old African-American college professor from New York City who is sick of her job, her friends, her boyfriend, even the margaritas at her favorite Southern-style bar. Staring at the road to thirty, Casey is hoping for a little love, a little sex and a little bit more out of her world. And then -- boom. Her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend, whom she had hoped never to see again -- the ex-girlfriend who had slept with her man only a few months before; the ex-girlfriend who always acted prettier, sexier, smarter, cooler than her -- walks into her apartment one night and refuses to leave her life. A hilarious, heartrending look at twenty-something living, "His Insignificant Other" is the story of agroup of friends who are trying to decide whether it's time to settle down or move on. When Casey finds herself re-examining the contented couple life she thought she had created, she begins to realize that sometimes the pictures we paint for our own happiness are not always so accurate. Telling more than just the story of a bored professional searching for satisfaction, Karen V. Siplin brings to light the ennui that exists in all of our lives, both at the workplace and in the bedroom. Whether laughing or crying at the wild, risky world of relationships, "His Insignificant Other" is a candid look at life and love on the verge of thirty. 

The Wedding (Lairds' Fiancées #2) by Julie Garwood Lady Brenna MacAlister harbored no illusions that her husband, a quick-tempered highland laird, was in love with her. How could he be enamored of his bride when on their wedding day, he had assured her that she could return to her home in England as soon as she had given him a son? Marrying Connor MacAlister had been impulsive act for Brenna. But MacAlister and his warriors a savage-looking band who had captured her and her arranged marriage to another, offered precious few alternatives. Nor could Brenna deny that in fact she had proposed to MacAlister—even if that had been ten long years ago, when she was just a child, and Connor a visitor to her father's castle. Actually, Brenna scarcely remembered the secret missives she'd sent to MacAlister, abetted by her mischievous older sister... yet she had never forgotten the tall visitor's dazzling, unexpected smile. Now, after a hasty forest wedding, they were man and wife. Determined to be happy, Brenna soon endeared herself to most of the clan, despite—or perhaps because of—her uncanny knack for getting into trouble. And although she grew to adore her brave superstitious, gentle husband she had no clue that Connor lived for the moments she whispered "I love you"... words she never meant him to hear. But when a rival lair struck out at the MacAlisters, trapping Brenna in a web of dangerous intrigue, she knew that only her faith in her gallant mate could save her.... 

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood When Lady Johanna learned that she was a widow, she vowed she would never marry again. Only sixteen, already she possessed a strength of will that impressed all who looked past her golden-haired beauty. Yet when King John demanded that she remarry and selected a bridegroom for her—it seemed she must acquiesce, until her beloved foster brother suggested she wed his friend, the handsome Scottish warrior Gabriel MacBain. At first Johanna was shy, but as Gabriel tenderly revealed the splendid pleasures they would share, she came to suspect that she was falling in love with her gruff new husband. And it was soon apparent to the entire Highlands clan that their brusque, gallant laird had surrendered his heart completely. But now a desperate royal intrigue threatened to tear her from his side—and to destroy the man whose love meant more to her than she had ever dreamed!



Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) by Lian Hearn In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace. But unbeknownst to him, his father was a celebrated assassin and a member of the Tribe, an ancient network of families with extraordinary, preternatural skills. When Takeo's village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor—and to his own unimaginable destiny...

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell Although it is not entirely to her liking, grief-stricken Satha, a dark-skinned woman from a poor Theseni clan weds young Loic, the wealthy Doreni son of the king's First Captain. Loic, graced with ability to see into the hearts and minds of others, begins to help Satha overcome her sorrows. Despite coming from different tribes, they begin to forge a life together. But when Satha's own compassion is used against her and a treacherous enemy contrives to dishonor her in Loic's absence, Loic's love turns to anger and disgust. Embittered, Loic must still avenge his honor and Satha's and he sets out on a journey that brings despair as well as spiritual discovery. Battling him are the Arkhai, the spirits of the land who know his quest will lead him toward the God whom they have usurped. After his departure, Satha is kidnapped, sold into slavery and learns, first hand, how cruel the pioneering Angleni tribe can be. Both face great hardship, danger and anguish apart, but with the Creator's aid there remains hope they will be reunited and heal the love the world has torn asunder.

Written in Red Ink by Kieja Shapodee At age eight, Emily Bennett discovers that her mother hates her. Thirty years later, she still wonders what she did to cause such loathing and begins a search for the journals that could reveal the truth. Along the way, Emily learns: A lie told to her husband can severely strain her marriage. It takes more than talk to handle her rebellious fifteen year old daughter intent on having her first sexual experience. How to trust her lesbian psychologist enough to let herself be hypnotized to discover why her fanatical desire for a boy child is the key to decades of unremembered nightmares and the reason for her mother's hatred.

Among Others by Lois Griffith Ever since she can remember, Della has felt as if she's stood on the outside, watching her own life unfold. Della's first memories are of the West Indian island where she was born--its coconut palms, a yard with chickens and a goat. Most particularly, she remembers the image of her parents' light-cinnamon hands against her own small black ones, and later, when her parents moved to Brooklyn, New York, the way the men of the neighborhood tried to make her feel bad about her "dark self." Theses memories, mingled with the anger and confusion they stir up in her, form indelible strands running through her evolving sense of self. But when her father is killed by two white policemen, Della begins to see how her own alienation is a mirror of a larger social rift. Watching as her Brooklyn neighborhood erupts in riots, she finds solace in Gregory, the sweet, smart, and light-skinned boy who lives in her apartment building. Together they discover the joys of sex, love, and music and dream of a day when Gregory will be a professional musician, with Della at his side. When Gregory leaves Brooklyn to go to college at Columbia University, Della follows and is unwittingly pulled into the confusing world of radical black student activism at the end of the 1960s. There she finds herself drawn to the charming, charismatic student leader Sam. As she struggles to make sense of the difficult and confusing times, she delicately traces the fault lines running through America's conception of race as well as her own image of herself. Writing with a unique beauty and subtlety, Lois Griffith has created a profoundly compelling story of race, love, and protest. And in Della she presents a character of undeniable appeal, both tough and vulnerable, whose search for identity--while rich in detail--is also universal in scope.

Jacob (Nightwalkers #1) by Jacquelyn Frank Since time began, there have been Nightwalkers - the races of the night who live in the shadows of the moonlight. Love with humans is absolutely forbidden, and one man makes certain to uphold this ancient law: Jacob, the Enforcer... For 700 Years, He has resisted temptation. But not tonight... Jacob knows the excuses his people give when the madness overtakes them and they fall prey to their lust for humans. He's heard every one and still brought the trespassers to justice. Immune to forbidden desires, uncontrollable hungers, or the curse of the moon, his control is total...until the moment he sees Isabella on a shadowy New York City street. Saving her life wasn't in his plans. Nor were the overwhelming feelings she arouses in him. But the moment he holds her in his arms and feels the soft explosion of her body against his, everything changes. Their attraction is undeniable, volatile, and completely against the law. Suddenly everything Jacob has ever believed is inflamed by the heat of desire... Bring on the night.

Vampire of the Mists (Ravenloft #1) by Christie Golden Alone in a strange world and torn by grief, a vampire accepts the hospitality of the local lord. But can the vampire trust him once he discovers the land’s dark connection to his own quest for revenge?

The Magicians (The Magicians, #1) by Lev Grossman Like everyone else, precocious high school senior Quentin Coldwater assumes that magic isn't real, until he finds himself admitted to a very secretive and exclusive college of magic in upstate New York. There he indulges in joys of college-friendship, love, sex, and booze- and receives a rigorous education in modern sorcery. But magic doesn't bring the happiness and adventure Quentin thought it would. After graduation, he and his friends stumble upon a secret that sets them on a remarkable journey that may just fulfill Quentin's yearning. But their journey turns out to be darker and more dangerous than they'd imagined.