Be Still My Palpitating Heart

I am bursting at the seams with some really great news!

My company is having a used book sale for charity today, and I just scored 30 books for $16!

I'm in total heaven right now. This is my nirvana. My bliss.

I'm so sorry if you're not a big book fan. I just couldn't help myself from sharing it with someone. Anyone. Because my mom and sister, who would totally understand my freak out, are not answering their phones. If you're bored off your toosh, you can blame them.

And, of course, there's a story to go along with it.

My company is pretty big- about 600 people in our San Diego office. I've been revving up for this book sale all week, and knew I'd have to get down there right when the doors opened to ensure some good pickings.

To be honest, I wasn't sure how good the pickings would be since all the books were given by donation. I didn't think it would yield a lot of great finds. I, for one, can't bare to part with any of my books, let alone the good ones, and thought most people were the same way. But if there was going to be a good book or two, I wanted them.

I was WRONG.

I walked into the room right as the sale started, and couldn't believe all the great books that were there for the stealing! My heart started palpitating as a slight panic filled me. Hurry, Laural, to the fiction!

Book titles jumped out at me. Bel Canto! Water for Elephants! The Secret Lives of Bees, The Kite Runner, City of Falling Angels, and so many more. This was the motherload of used books! I even scored a brand new copy of The Pillars of the Earth. Luckily, the cashiers were letting people start holding piles, so that we could go back and fill our arms with more.

Things did start to get a bit tense as more people came down. Some came in and just sauntered around, but the book lovers knew exactly where to go. There was a bit of jostling for position, and I might've accidentally stepped on a few toes, but I never lost my spot.

If someone pulled a really great book out of a pile and then put it down, my arm snaked right over to it and snatched it away.

I think I even got a little elbow action in there.

Professionalism be damned. Times like these call for merciless measures.

I tried not to look at what other people had in their arms. When I did glimpse a title that I would've grabbed if I'd gotten to it first, I felt a pain in my chest. If only I'd been faster! I even considered trying to buy one of Jane Green's latest books off of a girl at the check out line, even though she hadn't paid for it yet.

Book envy is not a pretty thing.

When I was finally done, I walked out with 30 books in two bags. I felt elated!

Away from all the frenzy, I put all of my books out on my desk for a go-over. One surprise purchase- a copy of A Million Little Pieces. I don't know what I was thinking to put that in the pile. I haven't read it, but don't really intend to either (unless someone tells me that it really is a must read). My mind must have been muddled by excitement.

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UPDATED:

On my way to the cafe for lunch, I found myself detouring by way of the book sale. I figured, since I was there, what was wrong with one more peak? Maybe there were still a few more books to be had.

There were. Oh yes there were. AND I decided to go ahead and pick up a few books that I've already read. At 25 cents a pop, I can take them to The Paperback Exchange by my house and get a lot more in store credit than what I paid.

One more bag = 14 more books = $5.75

It's totally Christmas in July, but better.