Seattle Public Library Spring Book Sale

Wed., Apr 15 2009 at 12:00AM

The economy has now plunged past the point where shabby chic stories and Recessionista headlines are funny. Thrift is serious. New books from Amazon and Barnes & Noble cost real money; people are making fewer trips to Blockbuster and Scarecrow. Thats why the Seattle Public Library Spring Book Sale arrives at just the right time. Its not just a book sale, of course. Some 250,000 CDs, DVDs, posters, and books are up for grabs today and Sunday. Most titles cost a buck; the premium stuff runs a little higher. But when you calculate in the price of the bus fare, and perhaps a walk in the park to the shore of Lake Washington, theres a full day of bargain entertainment to be had. Think of it as a family expedition, with fiction and non-fiction titles available for all ages. Of special note this year would be anything on the topics of financial planning, getting out of debt, job hunting, self-employment, canning fruit and preserves, cooking, and foraging for foodstuffs in our harsh economic climes. Because I hear that squirrels and pigeons can be cooked into delicious meals. BRIAN MILLER