It’s that time of the year again… no, I don’t mean nesting habit of birds. I’m referring to The Crossroads Market Annual Book Sale. A diversion from my usual avian pics for Saturday Snapshot, here’s a photo of my very restrained purchase this year.
Readers familiar with my previous annual book loot will know how I’d hauled back home dozens of like-new or even unopened books at $2 each. All for the good cause of supporting Servants Anonymous Society.
Due to the boxes of still unread inventory from previous years, I’d decided to refrain from gratifying my hoarding instinct this time. The result is this minimal bagging of just four books, which I’d spent hours hand picking. Again, $2 each, all in mint condition:
The reasons for these selections? Three had sold film rights and two of them are already in development for a movie adaptation. The fourth one isn’t going to be a movie, but no less dramatic.
An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
Other than being known as the Father of the Bride, Steven Martin is also a talented banjo player. I’ve heard his banjo playing, but as for his books, quite a few of them actually, I still haven’t had the pleasure to enjoy. So here it is, a Steve Marin novel with 22 full-colour art reproductions inside. Story is set in the demanding art world of Manhattan, about Sotheby’s up-and-coming and very ambitious Lacey Yeager who has set her mind on climbing high on the career ladder. Amy Adams had bought the film rights, aiming at producing and starring in it. Who is writing the screenplay? Ned Benson, who wrote and directed The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Him and Her, which had me mesmerized at TIFF last year.
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The novel won the prestigious James Tait Black Memorial Prize in the UK and the Costa Awards in 2008, Irish Book Awards’ Novel of the Year, and short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. Roseanne McNulty has lived in a mental asylum for fifty plus years. Now at the ripe old age of one hundred, she decides to write her life story. Fascinating. So the book chapters transport the character and her readers between the present and the past. I look forward to the movie adaptation, just take a look at this perfect casting: the legendary Vanessa Redgrave as the older Roseanne McNulty and the talented Jessica Chastain as the younger. Producer is Noel Pearson, the Irish theatre and film producer who brought us the Oscar winning My Left Foot (1989, Daniel Day-Lewis). The Secret Scripture film adaptation has great potentials. Shooting is reported to be starting in June this year.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
Here in Canada, this is a multiple award winner: 2011 Governor General’s Literary Award, 2011 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, 2011 Scotiabank Giller Prize Finalist, 2011 Man Booker Prize Finalist, and selected as Amazon #1 Best Book of 2011. Film rights have been purchased by John C. Reilly’s production company… yes, the actor John C. Reilly, to turn this Western, yes, cowboy novel in the style of Elmore Leonard and True Grit into film. Should be an interesting read and movie. I don’t know about John C. Reilly, but, would he be willing to collaborate with the Coen brothers for the project?
The Film Club by David Gilmour
This is not the David Gilmour of Pink Floyd fame. Again, despite being an award-winning Canadian author, one time TV personality and CBC film critic, university lecturer, people outside of Canada upon hearing the name would likely think of someone more famous, at least Google does. Due to his recent incendiary remarks on his preferences re. writers and literature, this Canadian Gilmour just may have raised some awareness, adding notoriety to his name.
However, for me it’s not about him but about this audacious parenting experiment he conducted. At the time, his son was a 16 year-old who had an incurable avoidance of school. Watching him loiter at the edge of the cliff of boredom and aimlessness, what is a father to do? Well, Gilmour let his son drop out of school, but on two conditions: watch three movies with him every week, and, no drugs. Not a bad offer. A father and son film club instead of school… only in Canada, eh? Which titles were in his syllabus? As a film buff, I’m totally intrigued by his unorthodox parenting method, already half way through the book. Will definitely share with you eager parents when I’m done.
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You might want to see what others have posted for their Saturday Snapshot. CLICK HERE to Melinda of West Metro Mommy Reads.
Ripple Effects 
$2 is a great deal for each of those books. Our library is having their book sale right now and I’d like to go….but….I have so many books on my TBR list! I probably shouldn’t be adding to it!
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Melinda,
Yes, it’s definitely a marvellous deal. But as a picky buyer, I’ve to select the ones which are in top shape. This annual book sale is huge. Take a look at this page.
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“The Film Club” sounds absolutely fascinating. I’ll be eager to hear what you think when you’ve finished.
You know I don’t buy many books, but I’ve gotten two treasures of late. Both are older books – one quite old, with an onion skin dust jacket and uncut pages. But the most recent acquisition, privately printed in 1975, has quite a story attached, which I hope to have written and posted next week. I do have the title – “When the Book is the Story”. Let’s just say you never could do with a Kindle what I did with this book!
Enjoy your little stash. It sounds to me as though you have plenty of quality, despite this year’s reduced quantity.
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Linda,
Another reason for the restraint is that I’ve got an iPad Mini now, which serves as an excellent eReader. I’ve been reading eBooks downloaded from our local library. I look forward to your future book posts.
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Oh my. I LOVED The Secret Scripture and didn’t realise it has been made into a movie. You’re right, fabulous casting. I look forward to it. Plus, I must get The Sister’s Brothers read before the movie comes out!
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Cathy,
I’m excited to hear that you loved The Secret Scripture. Yes, I like that too… read the book before I see the movie. Thanks for stopping by the pond and throwing in your two pebbles. We love ripples here. Hope to hear from you again. 😉
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Wow, you were restrained–but good choices! I’m not sure I could walk out of one our local sales with just four books. (And my husband would probably want to take me to the doctor to be sure I wasn’t sick if I did manage it. 🙂 ).
Here is my Saturday Snapshot.
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Bev,
The fact is… I’m an ultra picky buyer, even at #2 each. I look for books that are in mint conditions. I picked up a copy of Mildred Pierce by James Cain, a TV movie tie-in ed. with Kate Winslet on the cover. I wanted to get it until I found the two creases on the spine. I had to put it down. What a disappointment. 😉
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I think 4 books is incredibly restrained- I don’t think I’ve ever left a sale with 4 books! I do understand the problem of the still unread inventory though- it’s an ever increasing problem actually.
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Louise,
As I explained to Bev above, I’m ultra picky. Also, there were nice ones, all clean and even looked unopened, but I already have a copy at home. Happy with these four, something I can handle. Mind you, people pull along carry-on luggages (with wheels) to the sale.
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What a deal! Book sales and bookstores are dangerous places for me … I tend to ‘buy up the place’ . There are always such temptations! And … LOL. I was one who looked and thought … ” Really? Pink Flloyd David G ??!!??”
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Susan,
I hauled back a couple dozens in previous years. Hard to resist. Indeed… this is a very different DG. 😉
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Incredibly restrained indeed and nice collection, i love how you found the movie tie ins, maybe the 4th one will have a chance yet, sometimes they need to gestate a while.
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Claire,
Book into films is my passion, don’t know why. Just intrigued by the process and love to see the end products. I’ll be posting updates.
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This list looks fascinating! I think I should like to read all of them, especially the Steve Martin and the Gilmour. But all, really! Good score!
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Jeanie,
I’ve finished the Gilmour now. Already I’m diverted by other books and movies. Catching up on some old classics now… esp. after reading Gilmour’s list of movies.
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Your book sprees seem so much better informed than my own (“Oooh, pretty cover…”). Hope you will be delighted with your austere little pile and maybe even get back to your stash. Though not a parent, I will look forward to your review of Mr. Gilmour’s unorthodox experiment 🙂
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nikkipolani,
Ha… looks like he’s got everyone’s attention. I look for pretty covers too, and very clean and unopened ones. So, that’s why I only found four. 😉
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Only four books at the big sale? How I do admire your restraint! I hope they are a very good group!
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Stefanie,
I’ve known about them since they are not new releases. And I’ve been following their movie adaptation process. Glad to have found them.
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I wish very much we had a book sale like yours where I live! Impressive restraint and I’m sure the books you bought will turn out most interesting. I’ll be most intrigued to hear your thoughts on the Sebastian Barry!
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litlove,
Ours is a huge annual event, all for a charitable cause. The trick is your book buyers often are your book donators. I do clean up my shelves by donating back to them those I don’t want to keep (after buying from the sale)… in disproportion though, as you can imagine.
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The one that sounds the most interesting to me, Arti, is The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. But I’m such a slow reader, so I might as well wait for the film. You scored an excellent deal with those $2 purchases.
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LA,
O I plan to get into that soon and looking forward to see Vanessa Redgrave and Jessica Chastain, albeit i know they’re bound to be in diff. scenes and not together since they play diff. ages of the same person. So, that’s a pity. The last time I saw them together was in Ralph Fiennes’ Coriolanus.
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