For the past week I’ve been been paying more attention than I normally would to the small bulletin board next to one of my bookshelves. I have postcards, quotes and the odd assortment of pieces of paper with important dates and stuff but the one item that’s been drawing my attention lately is the Half Price Books coupon flier.

This week I finally get to use my coupons – yay. I went to Half Price Books tonight and found two books I’d had on my wish list for quite some time and another book that sounded good. My little stash of books includes the following:

• Pearl by Mary Gordon. Synopsis: On Christmas night, 1998, Maria Meyers – a New York single mother with a radical past – receives a call from the State Department: her daughter, Pearl, who is studying abroad at Trinity College, Dublin, has chained herself to the flagpole outside the American embassy and has not eaten in six weeks.
• The Odd Woman by Gail Godwin. Synopsis: Professor Jane Clifford is in her early thirties, smart, and attractive. A popular teacher at a midwestern college, she appears to be going somewhere. But Jane knows better. After a lifetime habit of looking to books for the answers to life’s mysteries, she seems to be finding only more questions.
• Symptoms of Death by Paula Paul. Synopsis: Edward Boswick, Fifth Earl of Dunsford, hosted a small gathering of friends at his country estate, including the village’s lady-doctor, Alexandra Gladstone. The noblest of the noble, each of his intimates was in possession of title, land — and a secret vendetta against his host. And so, when their “dear Eddie” is found murdered in his own bed, the lords and ladies point to a helpless servant — and flee…

So I didn’t go all out but I do have coupons for the rest of the week. I may have to just go over to a few other Half Price Books locations and see what treasures I can find.

I did it – I finished the R.I.P. II Challenge! This weekend I finished reading Season of the Witch (click on title for my book report). It took me a bit to get into the book but in the end I did like it. It’s not exactly what I expected but it was quite interesting.

I wanted to read Dracula as an extra credit for the challenge but don’t think I’ll have time for it. We’ll see what this week brings. Either way, thank you Carl V. for encouraging all of us to once again delve into some scary reads.

Another book I’ve been meaning to mention is The Spanish Bow (link takes you to my review). I don’t know why I didn’t write about this one sooner but I guess it’s just one of those stories you just want to sit with long after turning that last page. A really great read.

So what else have I been up to this weekend? I had brunch with a friend at one of my favorite places, my husband and I watched several episodes of Bones, and I went to a favorite used bookstore in search of an Agatha Christie novel but they didn’t have it. I did find it on BookMooch though so I mooched it.