Bookstore Excursion

Yesterday was the perfect day to hit the bookstore. The weather was gloomy and I was craving some new reads. I am in the middle of a book but know that it will soon be finished and I'll need to move on. So, I set out for the bookstore. Borders is my destination of choice. In New York, I was a loyal Barnes & Noble shopper (disclosure: CityCrab used to work there and the 30% discount didn't hurt) however, since moving to Charlotte and discovering Borders, I'm a convert. As a marketer, I think Borders has got it down: weekly coupons, a free loyalty program where you earn dollars, clear and concise email communications and, one of my favorite aspects: buy 2, get the third free. So, I scour the weekly email for 3 reads I want. Often, I end up compromising on a third read just to get the discount (I know, a marketer's dream!) My current book is the third from my last excursion so I needed to stock up on 3 more. When I got the Borders yesterday, I ran straight to the "Buy 2" only to find out that they have swithced the promotion to Buy 3, get the 4th free. Admittedly, smart. But as a consumer I was perplexed but only for a second. I am an avid reader and have always felt that any money spent on a book is a good investment. So, I indulged in 4. Here's my new reading list:

Suite Francaise , by Irene Nemirovsky- this is an amazing story of a novelist who died in the Holocaust but this novel had remained hidden for years until it was discovered by her family not too long ago. Also, I am headed to Paris in the Fall and always like to read topical books.

Swapping Lives by Jane Green - everyone needs a little chicklit in their life and Jane Green happens to excel in this area. This is about 2 women (one a Londoner, the other a Connecticut surburbanite) who trade lives. I am also headed to London in the Fall.

The Namesake by Jhumpha Lahiri - I've wanted to read this for ahwile and have decided to put off seeing the move until I do so. About an Indian-American boy who despises his name. I got this from a movie review - I am sure there's more to it and you can expect that I will blog about it.

Otherwise Known as Sheila The Great by Judy Blume - an odd choice, no? Firstly, this is one of my all time favorite books by one of my all time favorite writers. I'm pretty sure Judy Blume hooked me and reading and writing. I bought this for my 10 year old niece. It seems to me that children today are not exposed to the classics of my youth: Ramona Quimby, There's a Bat in Bunk Five (Paula Danziger), Judy Blume. So, I am doing my part to bring these back.


Right now I am in the middle of Intuition by Allegra Goodman. It is science focused which is really out of my realm but I am doing my best to tap into my inner science geek and am enjoying it. I'm inspired, though, by the list of books I've got waiting for me.

Also, if you've got a Borders in your area, sign up for their club, Border Rewards. Now, I've done my part as a marketer.