So I have to cull my book collection, and we have a big box of books someone gave us that we just haven't even gone through. I decided that I wanted to do a "Free Book Sale" so my friends can come and take what they want, and then donate the rest to the used book stores or the local library (I need to call the library and figure out what they require for that).
Thing is, I want to make it fun, and I want to do it during the day. Here are my caveats: I live in the desert, so it's still quite warm. I will probably set the books up outside (my house is rather small), but I want people to feel free to come inside to flip through the books and get out of the heat. I also want to make it social.
Any recommendations for things I could do (besides provide food and drinks) that would make this cool?
A Slip 'n' Slide!
Preferably not near the books... haha.
Have each book/group of books/authors be required for some special refreshment reward. Anyone can get the punch and cookies, but the pie requires you bring a book in from outside. The book/genre/whatever determines what type of pie you get. Don't have to have a lot of variety if you don't want too, could just do two types for fiction and non-fiction.
If you pals who read a lot, which it seems you would to make this work, have a drop off barrel of books that you donate when the party is done. Maybe make it a 'book luck super'? You bring a covered dish or bound book to get in.
A door prize based on book they have agreed to take with them. If someone agrees to take suchandsuch they get put in the drawing, once for the first book they take. Don't want to do one for each or a lot of these will end up in the trash. Wouldn't have to be anything big, people are greedy so a $10.00 gift card to a book store would work.
Books and Booze, duh Renee. Daytime drinks of course, mimosas, sangria, daqueries, maybe some wine.
And finger foods, deserts. I would have the guests bring something, either a desert or starter.
If you have friends who like to read, the conversation will flow as you all talk about your favorite books.
Oooh just had an idea, you could have a game where one person gives clues about a book and the group tries to guess the book. They wouldn't even have to be books that are there but if they are there it would give the group an idea of what is in the book to peak curiosity.
Our library takes books once a month and they have a book sale once every three months. That sale is my downfall, for every box of books I donate I acquire two.
Dwayne--I like the book luck idea but I need to GET RID of a lot of books, haha. I mean, I have more than the used shops will take right now. Maybe I will amend it and just ask people to bring a dish, I'll provide dessert, drinks and books.
Also, I don't really want to buy a slip-n-slide, but I might throw the sprinkler on, haha.
I have no suggestion. I just want to tell you, speaking of food, that I have officially perfected my amazing wonton recipe.
That's all.
It could end up meaning a extra trip to get ride of stuff, but I was thinking if everyone thinks that everyone is bringing a book you might get a better turn out. They'll have the double motivation of getting rid of a book they don't like, snoop on everyone else, feel like they'll have a wider variety (doesn't matter how many books you have, it'll FEEL like they'll have a wider variety), and most importantly it gives you a gimmick. People love gimmicks.
Have you considered breaking the collection up? The popular ones sell to a/multiple used books stores, donate what's left? Also I'm not sure how they are set up in your area, but the Good Will here takes books and doesn't have a upper limit.
Tell them to bring a six pack each.
Dwayne--I just want to get rid of what I can in a way that feels fun, then go do the hard work of making arrangements with the used book stores and/or the local library.
Right, just a thought.
Slip n slides can be made out of big garbage bags and a water hose. Or, they can where I am from.
I just can't figure out how to make a slip n slide comfortable in a place without grass. I feel like there would be a lot of exfoliating going on if we had a slip n slide out here.
Oh, yeah. And it's sand too, right? Nevermind. Just get some buckets and they can make sand castles.
Yeah, fairly gritty sand. Not beachy sand.
Fine. Just...
fuck it.
I could pitch it like a spa treatment. "Come for the free books, stay for full body exfoliation on our state of the art Slip-n-Skin."
Put out a slip and slid and don't even wet it down, just lay strips of sand paper. Speaking of which I just forgot to buy sand paper on a trip to Lowes that was mainly for sand paper. Dang.
heh, "exfoliation."
As a side activity, how about burning a few of them? And any others that people want to bring along. Not to deprive the libraries, I just mean a small number of them, as a novelty. Each person briefly eulogizes the book that they cremate/sacrifice, whether out of love or hatred or disinterest.
Organize books by genre. Line up special themed shots next to the piles. When someone takes a book from the pile they have to do the accompanying shot that goes with it.
Shot suggestions with recipes:
Transgressive - Absinthe (go the soaked sugar cube set on fire route with this one to pack a bigger punch)
Romance - Tequila Rose
Adventure - Broken Down Golf Cart (1/2 oz amaretto + 1/2 oz melon liqueur + dash lime juice)
Sci-Fi - 1.21 Gigawatts (1/2 oz fruit cognac + 1/2 oz raspberry vodka + splash grenadine + 1 oz Red Bull)
Erotic - Piece of Ass (1/2 oz amaretto + 1/2 oz southern comfort peach liqueur + 1 oz sour puss)
If you have a lot of books you may want to have barf cans scattered around your yard!
Have a sloshing good time.
As a side activity, how about burning a few of them? And any others that people want to bring along. Not to deprive the libraries, I just mean a small number of them, as a novelty. Each person briefly eulogizes the book that they cremate/sacrifice, whether out of love or hatred or disinterest.
This just motivated me to wait to have this party until it's cooler, and to do it at night. Like...everyone can take as many books as they want, and each person gets to burn one...
hahaha
"I hereby recommit this tome to the earth from which it came. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, hackneyed prose to paper-thin characterizations."
*stolen.
damn double post. Here is more of Lloyd Dobler. It's that kind of day.
amazing wonton recipe
Really? You really have one? Care to share?
