The Goodwill book club

Of all of the things I love about Goodwill, perhaps the thing I love the most at Goodwill is – the books!  Goodwill has a HUGE offering of books, and it’s always really diverse.  While you may not score if you go there in search of a specific title, if you’re just looking for something interesting or different, you’re sure to find it.

If you enjoy reading cookbooks, as I do, there is an entire bookcase just for cookbooks.  I’ve seen everything – Indian cooking, Italian, grilling cookbooks, diet – it’s all there.

Goodwill’s always got lots of classics, interesting textbooks and great foreign language-learning books.  And the children’s book section is incredible.

At Goodwill, all hardback books are $3 and softcovers are $1.  That’s cheaper than buying a magazine!

My friends and family know that I love to read.  It is the first thing and the last thing I do each day.  I like to spend the first hour (at least) of my day quietly, with a good book and coffee.  It’s my favorite hour of the day, and on the (very rare) days when I can’t, the rest of my day just usually feels off.

Here’s what I’ve been reading lately, all found at Goodwill:

Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller

Donald Miller writes essays about finding God in daily life, and he’s an interesting writer.  I heard him speak once on a book tour, and it was great, but I enjoyed his opening speaker even more.  She was a writer/comedienne named Susan Isaacs, who wrote this insightful and funny book called Angry Conversations with God.  If you grew up in church, it’s probably very relatable.

Great Painters and Great Paintings compiled by Reader’s Digest

You know when there’s a subject that interests you, and you want to learn more about it, but you don't necessarily want to invest in reading 500 pages of small print about it?  This book is perfect – just enough information about each of the artists to learn a bit about their lives and contributions – with a couple of photos of some of their greatest paintings.

This is my Saturday book – I just read it on the weekends, and it’s so fantastic and inspiring that I can’t figure out, WHY am I not painting??  (Oh, wait, I remember.  I’m raising foster kids and putting together a house.)

What Remains by Carole Radziwell

A beautiful book by a woman who married into the Kennedy family.  This biography follows her life, with a focus on the summer that John Kennedy Jr and his wife Carolyn died, three weeks before her husband died of cancer.  It’s a memoir about how feels to be in your mid-thirties and feel “like the most interesting part of your life has ended,” and having to start over after massive loss.

**Readers note** The Goodwill book club enjoys a very exclusive membership.  It currently consists of one woman and two dogs.  While the cost of joining at this time may be cost prohibitive, the books will be available for free (sort of) quite soon.  You will be able to find them on the shelves at The House of Goodwill, where you will be welcome to enjoy them by the lake with a good cup of coffee, or glass of wine.