Thievery, Bankruptcy... and Borders. (Book Haul)

So, Borders is going/is (?) bankrupt. I suppose it was inevitable that the massive savings garnered via amazon purchases would greatly impact bookstores. I'm lucky enough to have survived this threat to book lovers everywhere because my town is home to a huge Barnes and Noble, but no Borders. However, the Borders in Santa Cruz, CA is the main bookstore for a few of my closest peeps, and I cannot help but vicariously feel their pain. I would be heartbroken if my B&N closed! HEARTBROKEN! (didja catch the nickelodeon reference? har, har.)

Which leads me to my bittersweet (but, regrettably, I must admit more sweet than bitter) story. As I was shopping for snow clothes downtown, my mum and I were affronted by a sea of those signs with huge red and yellow percentage signs (a la aqui -->) and sale listings. To my great, sick pleasure, Borders was in the midst of their "everything must go!" sale, and I was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. You see, with closing sales such as this, for optimal book-buying conditions, you must be neither too early nor too late. Too early, and sales are in the 10-20-30% off range (this is doubly ridiculous since these prices are 1. about what I get with my B&N membership and 2. still WAY more than the prices on amazon...just sayin'.) and too late, and we're looking at MAYBE: some Jane Austen, travel guide books, obscure religious 12-step programs, and children's books no one has ever heard of. It's slim pickings. But, as I was saying, my arrival on that fateful corner met up perfectly with the 40%-60% off sales, and my harvest was fruitful. There were PLENTY of books to choose from--more than I could actually handle when there were only 30 minutes left on the parking meter and we had to pick up my brother in less than an hour--and I was in a book-addict's paradise.

So, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to the new members of our Book family. We hope they will be very happy with us. (List follows order of excitement at purchase from least to greatest).

1. A Boy's Will and North of Boston Collection by Robert Frost
Suggested Retail Price: $4.95
Amazon's Price: $4.95 (+ Shipping)

Borders Sale Price: $2.47

Reason: When I first approached the Poetry section, I had wanted Yeats or Neruda or Donne. But when I saw a 50% off copy of Frost, I couldn't say no.

2. CliffsNotes (2): "On Salinger's The Catcher and the Rye" and "On Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy"
Suggested Retail Price: $5.99
Amazon's Price: $5.99 (+ Shipping)
Borders Sale Price: $3.59
Reason: I feel like I have to defend myself here. Yes, I admit it, I do read Cliffsnotes on occasion. I enjoy reading them; they are great for AP essay fodder. I like that if I read the text and the Cliffsnotes for it, it feels as though I've studied it as thoroughly as I would if we were reading it together in English class. That said, I bought Salinger CN because I am obsessed with Salinger, and I bought the Sophocles because I know I'll need it!

3. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
Suggested Retail Price: $8.99
Amazon's Price: $8.99 (+ Shipping)
Borders Sale Price: $5.39
Reason: Meg Cabot is hailed as the Columbus of Young Adult Fiction. I thought I ought to have this handy for Summer.

4. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Suggested Retail Price: $9.99

Amazon's Price: $9.99 (+ Shipping)

Borders Sale Price: $5.99

Reason: I loved this book when I was in 8th grade. I can't wait to read it again and see whether I like it more or less now.

5. Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

Suggested Retail Price: $8.99

Amazon's Price: $8.99 (+ Shipping)

Borders Sale Price: $5.39

Reason: I've liked Johnson's fluffy work in the past in the forms of both The Key to the Golden Firebird as well as The Bermudez Triangle. I've been promised that this book won't disappoint me, we shall see...

...and last, the best find of the day. I looked for this book frantically. I scanned each shelf more than once. Finally, I recovered it from its hiding place and cheered in triumph for myself. The lucky number 6 is...

6. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Suggested Retail Price: $16.99

Amazon's Price: $9.82 (+ Shipping)

Borders Sale Price: $10.19

Reason: The first time I read it, I had borrowed it from the library. Now it's all mine, and I can't wait to FORCE--uh, I mean lend it to people!

While I may have spent a little more than I had intended, my receipt claims I saved $25.28, and as soon as I figure out how the receipt managed to tell me things, I will begin the delightful agony of deciding which book to read first. All these savings make me feel as though I've stolen something >.< Here's to wishing you all great finds and low sale prices...

Long live the written word,
Cheers!