Book Shopping in New York

The Strand is very cool.  It's much like my favorite local used book store just all kinds of bigger.  Everything is beautifully labeled and organized.  Having never been there before, and considering its size, I was taken aback at how easy it was to shop unassisted.  I walked all over just for the sake of being able to say I did, but I really only paid attention to the fiction section.

I gave myself a budget of fifty dollars and was pleased to only go over by five.  I picked up The History of Love by Nicole Krauss and Eight White Nights by Andre Aciman; two of this year's favorite new-to-me authors.  I doubled up on Michael Chabon; The Final Solution was a good read on the plane back to Atlanta (review forthcoming) and A Model World and Other Stories will be my introduction to his short stories.  I got a copy of BADASS: The Birth of a Legend by Ben Thompson for Christmas and it made me think of Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks by Ethan Gilsdorf which I read last year.  I found a copy of the latter as a belated Christmas gift.  Paul Auster's New York Trilogy--of which I know nothing about except high praise from people smarter than me--rounded things out. 

The Strand and the mega-giant Barnes and Noble on Union Square both didn't have a single copy of Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan which I found odd for a book that was only shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won Giller Prize.  I'm curious about this book but I was also to be a gift, so I wasn't heartbroken at not being able to find it.  Oh well,  I'm telling myself that the book is selling extremely well and demand has exhausted supply.   

Good thing I don't live in the east village... because I can't afford to.  But if I could The Strand and the PDT bar would seriously challenge the integrity of my wallet.

Saturday Musings

I'm done.  I finished The Beast.  Jonathan Franzen's 568 page wonder, The Corrections and it only took me twenty-one days to get here.  I had decided to not leave commentary for this book before I started reading it.  Having made Oprah's book club and many best of the decade list, there isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said.  It comes close to my 'no speaking of dead authors of the classics' rule, but happily Franzen is alive and (I hope) in good health, and able to provide us with many more ridiculous awesome offerings.

That said, I'm in no hurry to get to Freedom.  In order for Franzen to 'get better,' at least by my definition, he is going to have to do something substantially different.  As in, write about African's and the war in Sudan type different to really make an impression on me.  Perhaps Freedom is such a book, but with knowing nothing about the book and only a little about the badass writer, I don't think it is.  The summation of my 'not a commentary' is this: go read The Corrections, if you've yet to do so.

A few words about my journey through this behemoth, because that is what it was: a journey.  I mentioned that I was reading it to the only co-worker I have at either job that I think is capable of reading and, naturally, she had year it years ago.  "How far in are you?" she asked.  "Just started it.  About a hundred pages or so."  The strongest part of the book, that which stuck with her for nearly ten years after reading was, "There was a part about a chaise lounge chair, and a scent and a stain..."  I had passed that part and all I could do was laugh.  More than anything else, that is what The Corrections is to her.

She is the only flesh and blood person I know (interweb people are something different, though not lesser) who reads more than me.  She knows what she likes and doesn't like.  She knows what's good and what's bad and she can explain why.  "That book was amazing, but the whole chair, stain, scent thing really bothered me."  That comment says more about her than Franzen.

At the other job, the one where it is okay if I read, a superior said, "I've read that!  This is the book with that crazy ass dysfunctional family."  I replied something to the affect that the family was normal as hell, only more honest than most, and that all families probably have similar problems and issues and that 'normal' probably doesn't exist.  She agreed with me.  Moments later a patron saw the book and my book mark and asked, "Are you really that far into that book?"  I told her yes.  She was in a state akin to awe.  She got about a third of the way through and then put it down due to the "mundaneness."  I was not in a spot where I could comment freely, but thought to myself, if the actions in this book are mundane to you than your family must all be histrionic or worse.

My 'boss,' only commented, "That book was fucked up."  I asked, "Have you read Freedom yet?" "No.  The other one was too fucked up for me to read Freedom."  I'm not sure what all he meant but I understood, implicitly.

I accidentally went to a bookstore today.  I didn't plan this trip; it really was an accident.  I was going to the East Atlanta Beer Festival and happened to park directly across from Bound to be Read Books.  I heard of it before, but never really get to this part of town.  Small, well lit, too many damned cats; those seem to be the traits of a used book store.  Worse than going to a book store, I bought books: sorry...

I've wanted Shogun in hard back since forever and now I have it in a two volume set marked 'Atheneum." I've no clue what that means... I also bought two novels by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Autumn of the Patriarch and Love in the Time of Cholera.  My gut tells me neither will be as good as his short fiction but what is?

As to the beer fest.  I officially don't like IPA's but Flying Dog Raging Bitch ain't bad, and neither is Dogfish Head, 90 or 120 minute.  As to the good stuff, more on that later.    

What's the value of a used book store?

I got to thinking about this the other day when a co-worker and I were talking about savings to be had at a Border's going out of business sale.  My co-worker had maid the comment that the prices were better than a used bookstore (at all books for $1 of course they were).  I think I must be looking at used books stores in the wrong way, because it's not potential savings that draw me to them.

I'm probably more cost conscious than most when it comes to buying books and if I'm patient I know I can usually find a new book at the same cost, or less than, a used one.  (By patient, I mean this process can sometimes take a few years from publication but it's not like I have nothing else to read.)  I have two categories of used book stores: the antiquities and the binge buying. 

There are certain places I'll go knowing that I'm only going to briefly scan the contents of the shelves looking for regular stuff to read.  I go to the antiquities stores when I feel like treating myself self to something nice--which I haven't done in a very long time.  If I want an Easton Press or Franklin Library book that is in 'as new' condition there are places I can go and lay hands on the books with a large selection to choose from.  Between deciding on what I want among a stores ever-changing inventory and browsing the rest of whatever other cool stuff is behind the glass case I can spend an hour in one of these stores.  I know that when I leave I'll only have spent thirty dollars.  Which is a value for the aforementioned books, but hardly a price one thinks of as a 'deal' when buying a single item at a used book store.

The binge buying book store is the place I tell myself I'll only go when my to-be-read pile becomes dangerously low.  That said, I end up at these types of stores far too frequently.  This is the kinda place where you have store credit, and the people know you by name, and expect you to help yourself to whatever you want, and they know you're not gonna be leaving for two-and-a-half hours... or perhaps I'm being too personal.  I go to these stores knowing I'm getting a heavy discount off the 'used' book price.  I know I'll thoroughly check eighty percent of the stores shelves.  Finally, I know I'll leave with fifteen to twenty books.  When I go on one of these shopping trips I'm never looking for the current best sellers--that's what I use libraries for (my recent purchase of Freedom was an exception).  I check for things on my 'wish-list.'  More often than not this list contains books that new books stores don't have on their shelves as the ninety day time limit has past.  The binge buying used books stores are a treasure for me: I don't know what I'll walk out with, but I'm always satisfied.  Sure I go for the savings, but as I don't know what I'm hoping to leave with when I walk in it's hard to say I go to binge buying book stores solely for monetary reasons.   

My co-worker likes to use used book stores for savings on the latest best sellers, which makes perfect sense to me.  But I know that even used book stores like to maintain some semblance of profit margin on inventory that they feel is certain to be in demand: e.g. used copies of current best sellers.  

I feel like my co-worker is operating as most people do with used book stores and I'm the weirdo.  That alone is par for the course in my life.  How does everyone else use their used book stores?  I'm curious if there are other awesome aspects of used book stores that I'm not fully appreciating.

The Mother-Lode

I've been waiting for this for about six weeks now, and patience is not one of my virtues.  "All books $1"  For me there are no stronger magic words.  Sadly, tomorrow will be the last day of business for the Borders in Buckhead, and just yesterday Borders announced they will close four other Atlanta area locations by April.  It felt weird getting a giant stack of books in a store that I've never shopped in before and was only doing so now as to take advantage of the sale.  It was weirder still to hear employees thank me for my patronage knowing they don't have a job as of Monday at eight o'clock.  Enough said of sad tithings… 

Last week, everything was 40% off and I wasn't inspired to buy, I'm not sure how long the $1 sale lasted--maximum six days--but there wasn't much to pick from.  Nonetheless, I'm glad I scanned the shelves twice.  

The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe fills me with dread.  I loved the end of this series and the thought of him stunting my imagination and out-right telling me what happens next has my anxiety meter high.  This book has near impossible to chore of following up Wolfe's Magnum Opus.  Since the potential for EPIC FAIL is so high, I'm setting my standards really low.  Having said that this is now one of the many books in my TBR pile that I can't wait to get to.  

Martin Millar has been on my list for years… Years…  Neil Gaiman raves about him every chances he has and while Curse of the Wolf Girl wasn't the initial book that brought Millar to my attention, he has a reputation for quality and this one seems a bit out of my regular realm of reading; which I always think is a good thing.

I'm embarrassed to say it but I've never read I am Legend by Richard Matheson.  To add to my embarrassment I refuse to buy books with movie covers; I think I got lucky to find this particular copy as it lacks Will Smith, and has other short stories by the author related to the novel.  Extraordinarily awesome for $1.

The Habitation of the Blessed will more than likely by my introduction to Catherynne M. Valente.  The novel also bears the honor of being the only paperback book I owe--or have ever seen--with deckled edges.  In fact, Night Shade Books felt the need to deckle the hell out of these edges.  I hate the physical book already.  It's impossible to flip a page with your thumb (yes, I've started reading it).  I do love the legend of Prester John and have it on good authority of the authors awesomeness.  I do hope I can suffer the books production because trust me, I could review this book's quality all on it's own… (it would not be good)  

Steampunk is all the rage these days and I've stayed away from it for years.  However, I said I'd breakdown and read some as a resolution in 2011.  I think Dreadnought is a subsequent entry in a series so the oft heralded awesome of Cherie Priest probably won't by at the top of my reading stack for some time.    

Swords and Dark Magic an original short story collection by Jonathan Strahan and Lou Anders was the one book that I considered to be a rare find in Borders last days of operation.  The author line up is staggered.  I hope the payoff is too.  

I won a ARC of Finch by Jeff Vandermeer a few years ago.  I bought one today.  I'll read the finished copy and hopefully 'soon.'  I've never heard about bad word said about this one.  

Reading The Hammer by K. J. Parker this year would satisfy my goals of reading more works by women (maybe) and books published in this calendar year.  I only know the author from Purple and Black but that one book was enough to put 'her' on my radar.  

It's amazing how prudish of a buyer I can be; even when things are a dollar.  The three Gormenghast Novels, in an omnibus, is the only thing I bought due to, "It's just a dollar."  I've only heard of it other than that, I know nothing about these books. 

Add in that yesterday I bought a used copy of Freedom by Jonathan Franzen that looks brand new for four dollars at a used book store (I feel like the only person who hasn't read it yet) and this was a good week for book buying.   

According to my receipt, by waiting to the second-to-last-day of business I saved $143.71  I also missed out on minor savings in weeks past on tittles that other shoppers picked up.  I'm okay with that.  Everything I bought was on my list.  I feel a bit like a shady lawyer chasing ambulances in an effort to get business, but now that I know the ropes of a Borders GOB sale, I think I'll wait a few weeks before preying on the other unfortunate store up the street.

Sunday Musings

I am becoming an up-tight book buyer.  For the third week in a row, a local Borders going out of business sale failed to make any impression on me.  They are up to all things 40% off which came out to be roughly a dollar less for a new book bought online.  Don't get me wrong, I love saving a dollar but considering that I buy most my books used for about $5-$6 total or from a publishers remainder or bargain bin for the same price; 40% didn't convince me to buy anything.  Factor in on top of that my limited cash flow, taxes I have to pay in a few months, and the fact that I own thirty or so books I've yet to read and it was surprisingly easy to put back Annabel by Kathleen Winter of which I've read so many good things, Great House by Nicole Krauss of which I don't think anyone has said anything negative, and Before the Flood by Margaret Atwood.  They are all still on the list; only not in the TBR pile.

It would have been a fun purchase I there was a small part of me that was caught up in the moment.  It's rare I have a book buying binge that consist of only women; in truth, it's probably never happened before.  Add in a list that is dominated by Canadians and even I'm a bit confused...  My taste in fiction has certainly changed in the past few years.  

Without getting into to much of the financial aspects of a GOB sale, Borders has some crazy-ass pricing structures.  I understand the need to maintain a certain profit margin but I don't think consumers are as dumb as Borders executives do, or at least; I'm not.  I'll spare you my business discourse and hypotheses of their sales strategies.  I could expand on this in probably no less than ten pages with examples and numbers for support, but trust me: Borders has some crazy-ass pricing structures.

I truly feel sorry for all who are losing their jobs, but the GOB sale only throws into relief why I never shopped at Borders in the first place.

A Rarity

I don't usually walk into a bookstore and leave having purchased nothing; let alone a bookstore that is having a going out of business sale.  There's a Borders that is going under in Buckhead--one of the most expensive retail areas in Atlanta.  The last day of business is still a ways off and today they were only offering 30% off everything which basically put them right in line with internet retailers.

I just couldn't bring myself to buy anything; isn't that terrible?  I want to feast on the lees on the last day of the stores existence when all books are one dollar.  With this in mind I was awfully tempted to 'misplace' some jewels in hopes that they would still be there when I go back.  Brick-and-mortar book selling is hard, and I guess I'm not helping, but 30% didn't make an impression on me for a new book, especially since I buy most of mine used at substantially less.    

I was encouraged (for selfish reasons) to see that next to no one was in the 'literature section' as the non-fiction trend seems to still be in control of sales.  Here to hoping there is something left for me when I go back in a few weeks.

Oh, Now I'm Happy.

I discovered a new-to-me bookstore today and having some time off took in my stack of hopeful trade ins. (The same stack that was too craptastic for Atlanta Vintage Books.) They took the whole load. Every one of them and gave me a huge helping of store credit in return. I love Books for Less, a father son operation with two north Atlanta outpost.

It was a funny place as they had used books, remainders (which are new) and regular old new books. What struck me the most was layout. Unlike some other used book stores this was clean and organized. Everything grouped by genre and alphabetized like you'd expect to find in a big chain store. This was the only book store I can ever recall being in where the fiction far out numbered the non-fiction. It was bliss.

After a few hours of hunting I tore myself away with The Flanders Panel, and The Fencing Master both by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I had a bit of a struggle with the latter as The Virgin Suicides did nothing for me. All three were in trade paperback and only Middlesex was in slightly less than, 'like new' condition. I also got The French Lieutenant's Wife by John Fowles (who I know to be awesome), The Epiphany of the Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe, and The Dragon Quintet edited by Marvin Kaye; a Tor 2004 publication with 'then' new novellas from Orson Scott Card, Mercedes Lackey, Tanith Lee, Elizabeth Moon and Michael Swanwick. Yeah, you should be jealous if you don't have that... The Kaye, Fowles, and Wolfe are all in hardback and as best I can tell, have never been opened--let alone read--and in perfect condition.

The Wolfe is an omnibus of Caldé of the Long Sun and Exodus from the Long Sun as published by Guild America Books. It features some chaotic yet spiffy art work that I prefer to the Orb Books omnibus. Now I gotta track down the first half of this tetralogy.

I've had dragons on the brain for the past few weeks with discovering Wings of Fire from Nightshade and currently reading The Dragon Book. I have a good feeling about The Dragon Quintet surpassing all previously dragon related collections as it features long, short stories from some truly heavy hitters who have proven themselves in working with that form.

Oh yeah, this treasure trove of goodness, after my store credit cost a whopping $18.04 I'm feeling really good about myself today.

No new acquisitions

So I went back to Atlanta Vintage Books yesterday hoping to trade in the last pile of craptastic books in my collection; it's a meager stack of eight. It's hard to describe what seventy-thousand books in one place that isn't a library look like. Apparently they had reached something close to maxium capacity and were not purchasing books at the present (or at least not my books).

I was disheartened for a moment and put my stack back in the car. Then I went back inside to browse. I skimmed the Easton Press bookcase looking for gems that arrived since my first visit or ones I had previously missed. I resisted the Proust and Flaubert and kept looking elsewhere until toward the back of the building I came across a stack of books about three feet tall that comprised of Easton Press, Heritage Edition, and Franklin Library books.

Yeah, there was an offering of books--on the floor--from the three best quality book manufactures in the world; on the floor. Once I was able to put that into context it was easy to understand why they didn't have need for my stash. Retail space in that part of town is too high for what I was offering. Even the literal space on the floor.

Atlanta Vintage Books

With used book stores I find it best to go inside without an agenda. If there is something specific you want, sure look for it but don't be surprised with what end up purchasing.

This is a store I had to tear myself away. A prior dinner engagement on the other side of town hastened me away and probably saved me a good bit of money as well. I need to dedicate a Saturday morning to going here in an effort to take it all in. I would also need a second job to shop here with regularity. (Actually, I need a full-time job, right now...)

I've already failed in my effort to not buy any books in the month of March so I didn't feel bad about the two I picked up today. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin and Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev as translated by Constance Garret. (I usually limit my Russian translations to Richard Peaver and Larissa Volokhonsky but I seem to recall an interview where they greatly endorsed Garrent's work and haven't seen the need to do their own translation.) I've been wanting to read LeGuin for a long time, and I have been without any nineteenth century Russian literature longer than I would like.

Now to make you jealous. These are Easton Press Editions I purchased. In mint condition as defined by book antiquarians. I had never seen, or heard of these wonders of print until today, and I'm still blown away. The amazingly thick and textured paper, binding, and type surpass even what I had previously thought to be the pentacle of modern printing, the Everyman's Library. The ornate leather binding, and gold gilt edges combined to make you think of a brand new, really old book.

If you have the cash, and really like the book you are considering, they are well worth the price. If you find them as I did--in a used, second hand store-- in mint condition for twenty bucks a piece, you have to buy them. I'm here to tell ya, you may find no nicer book ever assembled than the Easton Press Editions.

These purchases bring to mind and interesting quandary and one I'd never thought to entertain before. Being these books are collectors editions, and perfect, should I got to the library and check out copies I want to read? I know myself too well. I'll read these, and enjoy them for the literature they are and the appreciate the art of the physical book, themselves. The illustrations rock something fierce for the record. Talk about, 'bringing the awesome...' Happily they are both short, so I won't have to worry about taking them around with me while reading. They look to be manageable in a small amount of reading time.

Now that you know how awesome I am because of what I bought today, I'm going to tell you why you should stop by Atlanta Vintage Books should you be in the metro area: it is a giant treasure box of stuff you didn't know you wanted, but upon entering you realize you can't do without.

Non-fiction is their staple, as is true with any book store, and they do a good bit of business with old books, like William Shakespeare's complete works in twenty volumes as published by blah blah and blah. As much as I loathe (and yes there is a difference between loath and loathe) the idea of people buying sets of books solely for looks, I do have to admit: those old books, look really cool. As do the 'new old' books I bought.

I was able to hold back and not go all out on the first edition, signed copies of Gone with the Wind or Atlas Shrugged simply because I've never made as much money as those books sell for let alone had as much expendable cash.

It's not Borders, or Barnes and Nobles, and things aren't filed or shelved as neatly as Amazon… but they do have a kick-ass espresso machine and pastry--both at no charge--in addition to providing a wonderfully unique and altogether pleasant book buying experience.

Book Sellers and Liquor Stores: What one can learn from the other.

I'd been wanting to do a survey of book stores in my area and although I didn't plan it, today was the start of that journey. I was primarily going to mention independent books stores as they are businesses I like to support, but in defense of the big boys who are helping to put the little guys out-of-business: their bargain book selection rocks.

I could be wrong, and I'll definitely look and ask about it when I visit independent books stores soon, but I don't think the independent stores can manage this angle of the publishing industry. I wish I could support writers to the fullest and pay every cent they ask for a book, but the reality is I read a lot, I abuse my library, and there is only so much I can really commit to my personal collection. So if it is something I just have to have on day one, like Elizabeth Kostova's The Swan Thieves (I didn't even know she had a new book coming out until this past Thrusday) I don't mind going to a local book seller and getting it… because that is a very rare act for me. But concerning my backlog of books that comprises my "to be read list…"

Books-a-Million really shines. There selection of bargain books is huge. I mean, really Huge. Some title were a couple years old, others were five to eight years old, everything I saw was in great condition, and the highest price paid was $6.99. An hour of browsing (tangent alert: does 'hour' get an, 'a' or an 'an'?) and $28.49 later I escaped with six hardback books. No shipping fees; negligible milage and gas expense.

Feeling as self-satisfied as I was, I walked into Barnes and Noble on the way home. It's not favoritism, but the difference between the industry giants was black and white. I'm only focusing on bargain books: their selection was tiny in comparison and the display was prohibitive. Upon leaving Barnes and Noble, which didn't take long, I was still happy and went to buy some rum. Upon entering your average run-of-the-mill liquor store everything about my book buying experience was apparent to me.

It's all about presentation. This is what Books-a-Million had a grasp on that Barnes and Noble was in the dark about. The former had all their bargain books displayed face front. It was fast shopping through their mammoth selection and easy on my eyes--making me more inclined to stay there longer. Barnes and Noble had all their bargain books with only the spine showing, making consumers squint at the hundreds of titles on a shelf.

Your bottom shelf--well--hooch is occupying a floor display and a lot of space, like Stephanie Meyer's books: its a huge seller and expedites shopping by making what's in demand readily available and easy to find. The Pevear and Volokhonsky translation of The Brothers Karamazov is tucked away on a bookshelf, not in the most traffic heavy part of the store, much like Cruzan's single barrel estate rum: not because the product isn't any good, rather is it niche. Books-a-Million has managed to apply this same simple logic to display it's bargain books. The ease of shopping combined with the quantity of what they had certainly won me over.

As to what I bought: Innocents Aboard by Gene Wolfe (a collection of short stories I'd never heard of) The Sun over Breda and The Kings Gold which will usher me into Arturo Perez-Reverte's writing--whose praise I can no longer ignore, M is for Magic, by Neil Gaiman, who I have a true love/hate relationship with, The book of Lost Things by John Connolly, (which I've already read, this copy was a gift) and Pickles to Pittsburgh, a children's books that was actually the most expensive purchase of the day.

I am very happy with myself today, and excited to find a similar happy inducing trait at local independent books stores in the future. Now, my master plan is to convince all liquor stores to sell the top shelf booze at the bargain bin price.

Any suggestions?