The Planned Parenthood Book Sale is held in September every year, and we have attended the sale for many years. The sale lasts ten days, and we go five times. This year, as usual, I bought far too many books. I noticed that the prices were generally higher this year, especially for more current books. That makes sense, but I was surprised. It did not impact how many books I bought; I consider the money I spend at the sale a donation to Planned Parenthood.
In this post, I am featuring six of the books I found at the sale this year.
Great Short Books: A Year of Reading Briefly (2022) by Kenneth C. Davis
This is a book my husband found for me. He always finds the best books in the Anthologies section, the ones I always miss.
In the introduction, Davis explains why he started reading short books during the pandemic, and how that inspired him to write a guide to recommended books in that category. The introduction is all I have read so far and I found it a good read.
The author has selected 58 short novels. They range from 50 pages to 200 pages. He selected a few books over 200 pages because he especially wanted to include the author; for example, Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie at 255 pages. For each book he included these sections: First Lines, Plot Summary (with no spoilers), About the Author, Why You Should Read It, and What to Read Next. Of the short books that are covered in this book, I have read Animal Farm, Charlotte's Web, Dept. of Speculation, Evil Under the Sun, The Great Gatsby, Lord of the Flies, Maus I, Mrs. Dalloway, Passing, The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.
The Man in the Wooden Hat (2009) by Jane Gardam
In January of this year, I read Old Filth by Jane Gardam. That book focused on Teddy Feathers. He acquired the nickname "Old Filth" when he was in Hong Kong. FILTH is an acronym for Failed in London Try Hong Kong. Old Filth covers some parts of Teddy's life from his childhood to the point he is evacuated to Singapore at eighteen, when World War II begins. The Man in the Wooden Hat is a companion piece to Old Filth, telling the story of his wife of fifty years, Betty.
Murder at Gulls Nest (2025) by Jess Kidd
This was on my list for the book sale, so I know I had a previous interest in the book, but at the sale I think it was this cover that grabbed my attention. I have always like to read about nuns or monks in fiction, and it is also interesting to read about a nun who has left the order. I have read good things about this book so I took a chance on it even though I haven't read any previous books by Jess Kidd.
What other books by Jess Kidd would you recommend?
Buckeye (2025) by Patrick Ryan
I was attracted to this book for several reasons. My husband was born and raised in Ohio and I liked the idea of reading a book with a focus on Ohio. It is a family saga over multiple generations; I haven't read a lot of that type of book and wanted to broaden my horizons. The setting is a small town and usually I like that environment, probably because I never spent much time in a small town. Plus the setting in time, starting around World War II and going through the Vietnam era. I just felt like I had to read this book, and I was glad I found a nice copy at the book sale.
The Scapegoat (1957) by Daphne du Maurier
After I read Rebecca, I began looking for more novels by Daphne du Maurier and this is the fourth one I have added to my collection. The cover describes this book as a "novel of impersonation." I have read at least two other impersonation novels, and I enjoyed them. This type of situation generally forces the reader to suspend disbelief but I usually don't have a problem with that. Here is a description from Goodreads.
By chance, two men -- one English, the other French -- meet in a provincial railway station. Their resemblance is uncanny, and they spend the evening talking and drinking. It is not until John wakes the next morning that he realizes his French companion has stolen his identity and disappeared. So John steps into the Frenchman's shoes, and faces a variety of perplexing roles -- as owner of a chateau, director of a failing business, head of a fractious family, and master of nothing.
The Doorman (2025) by Chris Pavone
Chris Pavone published five novels between 2012 and 2022. Most of those books were primarily espionage stories, although they don't fit the standard mold for a spy story. I enjoyed all of them. So when this novel came out, there was no way I was going to pass it up, no matter what it was about.
The Doorman is a mystery thriller, but I gather that there are no espionage elements. It seems to be a story about a lot of very rich people living in an apartment building. As usual, I have avoided reading about the story in advance so my description here could be off. From what I can glean from various sources, this book highlights the distance between the well-to-do inhabitants of the building and the staff that takes care of their needs and includes some social commentary. Chicky Diaz, the main character, is the doorman at the Bohemia, a super-luxurious apartment house in New York City. The story is also told from the point of view of various residents.
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