Tuesday, January 19, 2010

My new precious...

As you know, earlier this month, I finally gave my list of anticipated new releases to the staff of Coles so that when they received the books, they put it aside for me automatically. My main purpose for doing this is due to the size of the bookstore. Being smaller, Coles always receives limited quantities of each title, so this gives me priority on the books :D

Of course, this does not mean there won't be any books adventures anymore. First, they won't be calling me every time they put a book aside for me (phew, cos that could be a lot of calls!)... so that means, I still have to stalk the online indicator to know when they receive the books :) and second, I'm not obliged to buy the books they've set aside for me. This was one of my concern - supposed the book arrived earlier in another bookstore, did I have to pass over that opportunity because I had it reserved already at this bookstore? But the staff told me I didn't have to buy those books... in which case, it's good with me :D

So this is what happened on Monday. When I checked the online indicator, I saw that Indigo and Chapters had received Blood Ties by Kay Hooper!! This is THE book I'm looking forward to this month. I simply love Ms Hooper FBI SCU series, although the Blood trilogy is my least favorite trilogy so far. So the good news was that two bookstores had the book! However, I didn't want to call in-store, because I know the clerks would have given me "the book is not on sale yet, it's only coming out on January 26, blablabla" speech if they haven't been able to find it. Better go myself... The whole day, I kept checking the online indicator in case Coles received their copies... Alas no. However, I did note that Indigo seemed to have sold one copy!! In the morning, when I checked, it said 24 copies... later in the afternoon, 23 copies! That surprised me because Indigo has been the worst of the three bookstores to put out their books on time in the past few months. (Of course, I don't know when they received the books... Could have been last week...)

Where did I go first? Chapters, because I thought I'd have more chances to find Blood Ties on the bookshelves... but after a quick tour, I was wrong. Didn't see it anywhere. Waited for my sister to join me, left her schoolbag in the trunk of my car, and then, quick trip to Indigo. I really LOVE the fact that Indigo and Chapters are only 3 blocks apart... and Coles is about 2 blocks away from Indigo. Three bookstores in such proximity, heaven :D

In Indigo, I looked at the new releases... Didn't see it... and then, it was there, on the shelves!! 2 copies!! After I found the book, my sister pointed at the side of the shelving unit and there were 6 more copies! Yay! I took my time to choose the best condition book :) Then, I headed to the fantasy section and looked for The Trouble with Demons by Lisa Shearin. It took me a few seconds to find it, because it was hidden behind a Sharon Shinn book (the Lisa Shearin books were shelved sideways, and in front of the spine, someone put a book, front cover facing... so it hid the other books)... And finally, I picked Night's Cold Kiss by Tracey O'Hara, because Kris enjoyed it :D

Best thing though was the $ I saved. Blood Ties was expensive because it's a hardcover... but I had a 15% off coupon (Out of stock item... You get those coupons when the online indicator says there is stock in-store, but nobody can find it), plus my 10% off I-reward member and I had a 5$ off on any purchase of 35$ and more :) So in the end, I paid about 0.50$ more for Blood Ties in store than if I'd have ordered it online :D I say, I got a good deal...

And so you have it, my new precious...