Well-read in Wisconsin

Besides my "new" pumpkin, I brought home a few souvenirs from the antique mall in Appleton, mostly in the form of books.

There were lots of great book vendors at this antique mall, that's partly why it took me about six hours getting through it.  A visit to a well-curated vintage book dealer at an antique mall is a lot like visiting the book store: it's easy to get lost for hours just browsing all the books.

Here are a couple of my interesting finds:

How could you NOT pick up a book with a title like this?

Ah, the story of a "tense city man" discovering "the inviolate reality of a budding leaf."

I have to read this!

Even better, apparently the story takes place in Wisconsin.

What a great souvenir!  Who needs another tshirt, anyway?

This great book shares Ed Sullivan's Christmas memories, along with those of other celebrities during his heyday.  Intermixed are Christmas stories by famous writers like Truman Capote and Pearl Buck.

I love reading recollections of Christmases from many decades ago;

I learn a lot of history and it's a great reminder of how blessed we really are.

On a totally different note, I found this, a copy of "Madame X" from 1910.

Having no idea what the origin of "Madame X" was (other than the name of the current Madonna album), I did a little internet research...

A story of "mother-love??"

Sounds very creepy...

And this picture (on the inside cover) confirms it.

Looks like a great book for Halloween season.

Anyway, back to my two-minute Google research:

So, "Madame X" is a famous painting, of a "brazen" woman known for her famous love affairs, by John Singer Sargent in the 1880s.  Apparently the painting was quite scandalous and not well-received in it's day.

"Madame X" was next a French play that was translated into this English novel.  It was also made into a movie in the 1960's, and has been a play on Broadway.  Now it's the name of Madonna's tour.

Other than knowing it's a tale of "mother-love" and connected to scandal, I have no idea what the storyline is.  As soon as I read it, I'll let you know!  But now I kind of really want to know, too.

But, back to Christmas:

I found this beautiful edition of "The Fir Tree" by Hans Christian Anderson.

I love to read Christmas stories in December.

And finally:

Three more Nancy Drews of varying vintage.

My collection is nearing complete; I've been buying them over the years when I come across one for $5 or less, and I read one every summer.

They're just as special to me now as when I read them as a child.

That's the end of my report, though not the end of the books I bought.  (I said I spent $172 at the antique mall, right?)  And this is why I have boxes of books throughout my house - I find great stuff to read much faster than I can read it.

But that's ok, it means I always have something to look forward to.  And that's what makes life fun!