Use That Lunch Break to Feed Your Book Jones

We spent last weekend wandering around the Austin Ballet administration building. No, we weren’t in an ether haze, nor were we trying to tap into our inner-Billy Elliot. We were shopping for books. Cheap books!

We walked away with a few older Phillip Roth titles, a biography of Hunter S. Thompson, some Tom Robbins, even a few choice non-fiction titles (admittedly picked out for us by a friend, cause when it comes to non-fiction we’re all thumbs). And all for under $15. Of course, if you want a biography on Katherine Harris or Hitler, they got that too.

And we had the 17th Annual Literacy Austin Book Fest to thank. The book fair offers hundreds of title ranging from poetry to home improvement. And everything in between. Even better news: today and Saturday (the final days of the fest) are free. Almost all of the books cost only a buck or two, so you can gather some loose change from your desk and still be able to walk away with enough reading material to keep you busy through the dog-days of summer.

So if you’re downtown this afternoon, instead of heading over for yet another sandwich at Little City on your lunch break, take that well-deserved hour and walk on over to the Austin Ballet admin. building and get started on your summer reading list. For the price of that admittedly-delicious tuna sandwich you can buy an armful (or boxful, as we did) of books. You’ll thank us next weekend when you’re at that Kentucky Derby cocktail party you know you’re going to and people start talking about that rascally Seabiscuit.

And, of course, all of the proceeds go to benefit Literacy Austin’s mission of teaching adults to read. Duh!

Literacy Austin Book Fest
Austin Ballet Administration Building
501 W. 3rd St. (at San Antonio)
Today, 11am-2pm
Saturday, 8am-3pm
FREE