BOOKS!!!

I went into town for boring errands and decided I would take time to wander through the bookstore.  This is something that I love but never seem to have the time to do, except for birthdays or Christmas or while in Vegas. (because that's what you do in Vegas, duh)

The biggest problem with spending leisure time in a book store is not emptying my bank account while browsing.  I usually set my limit at 2 books or about $20, whichever works out first.  The second biggest problem I have is remembering if I already have the book or not. 

For example, I wandered through the first part of the store with a book that I was uncertain whether or not I already had it.  I finally decided to leave it and suffer if I came home to discover that I didn't have it.  It would be worse if I went home and did have it.  Although, either way would result in a return to the bookstore.  It turns out that the book was on sale (shoulda risked it) and I didn't have it. Guess I have to go back. Sigh. 

I browsed all the sale tables and all the fiction aisles. I usually stick to the authors I know and am sadly a "Judge a book by it's cover" person but I'm trying to broaden my range. 

So, I spent the majority of time reading the covers and regretfully returning them to the shelves.  I think Swistle mentioned this not too long ago and now I'm aware of it as well.  Why must every plot include "Her life was going perfectly UNTIL".  I realize that this is usually the plot of chick-lit but that doesn't mean I don't get tired of it.  Can't people just have other issues and stay in their relationship? Does no one have brothers in the literary world or do they all have sisters? Can't we enjoy a relationship after they've found one another?

One of the other things that I've noticed is that most chick-lit and fiction is set on the seashore.  I think I've mentioned this before: do people not fall in love or have issues in Kansas?
I mean, I get it, the ocean is a dramatic background.  But so can other settings like rolling hills, mountains, farmlands, or lake shores; they can provide drama and beauty as well.  I didn't mention the desert because that, indeed, doesn't provide any sort of fantasy or drama for me.  I do enjoy Nevada but it's not somewhere I would willingly choose to live or use as a background in a novel.

(Mine is set in the lovely Pacific Northwest, of course.  Not on the coast but in the foothills)

I did wander down one of the romance novel aisles.  They are horrifying and I felt a little embarrassed to be spotted browsing there. There are, of course, exceptions but most of them indeed are the aptly named "bodice rippers".  I am one the folks that don't read heavy or true fiction because I just can't have that drama/dark in my head now.  So, I get it the escape part. I don't understand the fantasy, sexy-time stuff though.  It's just not my thing.

To booksellers dismay, I did find myself thinking "I can get that cheaper on the amazon."  But it's a sad fact for local booksellers.  What they do have going for them is immediate gratification.  There were three books that were new releases that I didn't know about and I bought one. (such restraint!) 

I do like being able to read the first two paragraphs of a book to make sure it is indeed something that I will be interested in and enjoy reading.  There are few things more disappointing than buying a book online then not being interested in it once it arrives.

Choosing new-to-me authors is usually done two ways: friends recommendations (Swistle! BFF C!) is the go-to way usually.  The other is a little more involved: if I read about a book on multiple sites/magazines like NY Times/People/local bookstore newsletter and it keeps snagging my attention then I'll usually risk it. This was the case when I started reading Karen White.

So, hmmm, what was my point in this post?  I guess nothing, really, beyond "I went to the bookstore today!!" which is always a cause for celebration.