My Two Favorite Words: Book Sale
This weekend is the annual Denver Public Library Gigantic Used Book sale. I decided to brave the heat, the piles of books, and the ant hill of people to find some cheap reads. It is an understatement to say… I’m so glad that I did! Lillian and I stumbled away with as many as we could carry, and we only spent $19!
Right before leaving, I decided to check one last table of hard covers, to see if there was something that I just couldn’t live without. I rested my box on some books and scanned the titles. Nestled in the middle, with only the spine exposed, was a book that made me scream. Yes. I screamed! Everyone stopped browsing and turned to see the crazy-ass woman screaming in the corner.
This book has eluded me for SIX YEARS. It’s not that it’s a rare book or anything like that. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember the title or author. I tried Google searches, talked to librarians, and scoured shelves to no avail. I didn’t think I would ever find this book again. Here it was, amidst stacks of random titles. It was the first book I picked up.
I read this book when I was at a crossroads in my life. I immediately related to David, a reclusive poet facing the loss of his girlfriend and causing the loss of his parrot by throwing him out the window to face the wild. Feeling guilty, he learns all he can about conures and goes out into the world to find the feathered friend that he abandoned. If you ever read this book, don’t read too quickly. This book is one to be leisurely enjoyed. Ride along with David on a cargo ship to the mangrove swamps of South America. There you will fall in love with the Aratinga erythrogenys, best known as the cherry headed conure.
If you live in the Denver metropolitan area, go to the book sale and browse awhile. It’s on through Sunday at the Denver Central branch on Broadway. Find a book to savor in the shade with a cold glass of lemonade. Hell, at these prices you can store up for winter reading while you’re at it! I will be going back tomorrow. But this time I will park closer and bring a bigger vehicle!
