A fun way to exchange books

My friend Patricia has Crohn's disease.  Every year she holds a fundraiser, for the annual Crohn's Charity Walk held here in Ottawa.  In the past few years she has come up with a fun way to raise money for this cause: a book exchange.  Bring a box of books, peruse all the books everyone else has brought, and after leaving a donation in the jar,  leave with the books you want.  This has grown until this year, they had two tables filled with books, with people bringing boxes in (we brought one too), and leaving with as many books as they brought.  We raised a lovely donation of money for Crohn's, and I personally found some awesome books to bring home:

Of Saints and Shadows - Christopher Golden
Ring of Bright Water - Gavin Maxwell
Russian Winter - Daphne Kalotay
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor - Stephanie Barron
The Darkness and the Deep - Aline Templeton
The Children of Hurin - JRR Tolkien
The Dragon Who Liked To Spit  Fire - Judy Varga
December - Phil Rickman
                                                    

I think I found some real treasures here, I've been wanting to read Major Pettigrew's Last Stand ever since Raidergirl3 raved about it in 2010,, and here at the end of 2010.  I want to try the Jane Austen mysteries for fun.  I read almost everything put out by Tolkien, but not Children of Hurin  yet.  Ring of Bright Water we owned as children, and I think my daughter will like it as she gets older.  Plus I need to reread it.

Mostly, I felt really good at supporting such a good cause for a dear friend.  Books to bring home - icing on the cake. Delicious icing!

And, bonus for second-hand stores:  I  found this in a new antique/second-hand store that has opened in my neighborhood. I have been searching for a copy of It, The Stand, Salem's Lot and The Shining by Stephen King - all of which I am certain I own, but are not on my shelves.  I am waiting for 11.22.63 to come out on July 5 in paperback (countdown is on!!), and have found myself craving a Stephen King to read - either Salem's Lot, or The Stand (because I'm missing the read-along online, I know!!!)  - or the only recent one I haven't read yet, The Cell.  Lo and behold, today in this vintage second hand store I found The Cell!  
A friend who reads horror  had just mentioned  to me that this was one of the recent ones she'd read that she really liked - vintage King, she said.  I was able to return the favour about Duma Key, which I really enjoyed three years ago.  So on this very warm late spring Saturday, I have a new to me Stephen King to read.  I don't know about you, but for me, Stephen King and lazy hot days made for reading go hand in hand.  Hurray for second hand stores!