Sunday, August 9, 2009

Oops.....Yep, I did it yet Again!






.:Hangs my head:. I know, I know, I swore that I would work harder, try to be better, and stay away from the temptation of the books...



But yesterday... *Deep Breath*..... yesterday, I broke. And in the most unusual place!



You see, I didn't go near a bookstore yesterday-- nope, I was good about that promise (at least so far!).



I didn't even go to my local grocery store, which I've told you has been known to break my word with the sweet temptation of new books.



Nor did I stop by Wal-Mart, though I may have done so the other day and not mentioned it... *Blinks* Oops.... You didn't hear anything!



So where did I cave, you may be asking? Well, try and guess-- I bet you won't be able to!



...... ;)



Do you give up? Okay, then here's the story. Sit tight, get comfortable, and be prepared to be amazed!



Like most Saturdays, I head up north (aka, to the city) for some family visiting and shopping, errands, etc. Another Saturday 'tradition' is stopping at the Dollar Store.



.:Pause:. Are you seeing where this is going?



This Dollar Store (from the Dollar Tree company, just in case you wanted to know) has always had some pretty good things in it. From food (name brands even, for only a buck!) to the little nick-nacks, I can almost always find something in there that I either need....or just want.



I've been to this store for years, even when I was younger I'd go with my grandmother a lot, and I've never once seen any books in this store. Oh sure, they sell some cheap children's picture books, and a small selection of older-and-not-very-popular non-fiction novels, but that's about it. I've only found a good book there once or twice, and those were on rare occasions when I ventured outside of my comfort zone of romance and fantasy novels.



But today, of all days, I went in like always and up and the down the isles I went. On the end of the school/office supply one, I saw a small group of hardback novels. Being the obsessed book lover that I am, I stop just to see if there may be anything good.



I never should have stopped...



I found a few novels there, both fiction, one that I've heard of and wanted to read and one that was an unknown to me but looked good. For a buck each, I put them in my basket-- what's the harm, right?



If only I had listened to this little voice that I swear I could hear in the back of my mind. Walk away now, it whispered, Don't look back, don't stop. You've got a TBR pile at home that's already threatening to topple over! Of course, I ignored this 'feeling'--- this was the Dollar Store, not B&N, how could I possible add to my TBR pile (besides the two books I grabbed)? I shrugged it off, and walked forward a bit more.....



...Only to find, not two feet from the shelf I had been stopped at, a huge box.



Any guesses as to what was in said box?



Yep--- Books! And not just any books, but brand new, never been read, romance (and horror) novels! Paperbacks, stacked six and seven deep in the box, all for a dollar a piece!



This is the point where if you were one of the unfortunate shoppers walking past or around me, you'd be convinced that I'm a crazed lunatic. I didn't just look into the box and nicely riffle through the options.



Oh no. Instead, I started to mechanically go through it, a bit crazed, I'll admit. I started on one corner of the box, with the first pile of books, and worked my way through them.



An actual scene from today:

Oh, I've wanted to read this one... Those two look good! .:Pause, Flip book over:. Nope, I've already got that one (Place in the corner I started on, which is, by now, empty except for the books I've turned down). Oh, Celeste Bradley! (Into the basket)..... This one's for my 999 challenge-- lucky me! (Piled into green basket as well)



I'll spare you the rest of the details from the above scene, but I will say that a few woman gave me dirty looks. Either they were upset that I took so many books from the box and they wanted them (possible) OR they thought I should be escorted from the store and taken to a pretty white room. I didn't even blink or smile, just continued my plundering for more goods.



My basket got heavier and heavier... And the only books I left behind in the once-full box were the ones I already owned (Four, I believe) and the horror books that I'm not fond of (Maybe 15 of these).



I calm down, straighten my hair and clothes, grasp my towering basket of goodies, and move on through the store. I'll control myself from now on, I tell myself...



...Until I find myself back at the book section, where another hardback grabs my attention. Without stopping to think, it too finds it's way into my stack.



In my defense, I have to say that even though I spent all of 5 minutes tearing through the store's stock of new books, I couldn't possibly pass up a bargain like that! These books were fairly new (a few were even published this past year), most of them were from popular authors or series, and none of them had been read once. AND THEY WERE SELLING THEM FOR $1.00 EACH!!!!



Really, who in their right mind would walk away from the books? At that price, I should have just grabbed the whole box and sorted through them later, gifting the ones I didn't want to friends, family, or as prizes for contests on my blog. If I'd bought those same books at B&N, I would have walked out of the store about $200 poorer, if not more! And some of them were published a few years before, so they may even be out of print for all I know!



So, as the grand finale of my 'story' for the week, here's the books I bought from the Dollar Store:





  1. Savage Hope by Cassie Edwards
  2. Unraveled by C.J. Barry
  3. The Tarnished Lady by Sandra Hill
  4. Divine Madness by Melanie Jackson
  5. Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands
  6. Intimate Betrayal by Adrienne Basso
  7. The Rose and the Shield by Elaine Barbieri
  8. To Tempt a Rogue by Connie Mason
  9. Cornered Tigress by Jade Lee
  10. Point in Time by Linda O. Johnston
  11. The Glass Slipper by Linda O. Johnston
  12. Starlight, Starbright by Saranne Dawson
  13. Traveler by Melanie Jackson
  14. Savage Beloved by Cassie Edwards
  15. Fallen by Celeste Bradley
  16. Embrace the Night by Amanda Ashley
  17. Prince of Ice by Stobie Piel
  18. Star Shadows by Colby Hodge
  19. The Crystal City by Janice Tarantino
  20. The Care and Feeding of Pirates by Jennifer Ashley
  21. Desperate Tigress by Jade Lee
  22. The Last Summer (Of You and Me) by Ann Brashares
  23. Wild Inferno by Sandi Ault
  24. The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Then, I had a hold for a book at the library down there. This book, Highland Magic, is for my Paranormal 999 Challenge, so I had to read it now. While there to pick it up, however, I strayed over to the discarded "For Sale" book shelves... Oops #2 for the day!



I came back to the check out desk with HM.... and 4 other books. And I only spent $2.00, or .50 cents a book. Again, a bargain that can't be passed up!







  1. Dangerous to Kiss by Elizabeth Thornton
  2. The Sorcerer's Lady by Debra Dier
  3. The Burn by Claudia Dain
  4. Fire Hawk by Justine Dare

~~~~~~~~~
So, my grand total for the day was..........
Books: 29
Money Spent: $26
Again, how could you walk away from that deal? I dare you to try if you were in my shoes!
Despite my best efforts, I did come home with one duplicate: The Care and Feeding of Pirates. I knew I had read two of Jennifer Ashley's books in this historical series, but I couldn't be sure which one I hadn't read. I thought it was this one, but wasn't sure, and figured 'For a buck, why not?'.

Well, I have read it (own it, in fact), so I'm going to have to figure out what to do with this one...I could either give it to one of my friends, though she's not huge on historical romances. Or I could trade it in at the local used bookstore (maybe). Or I could be sweet and send it on to some lucky commenter! :D
I haven't decided, but when I do, I'll let you guys know. Maybe I'll have it be part of a future contest on here, even though it's not a new release. ;)


Enjoy!



Until Next Time,
The Book Queen
I selected this post to be featured on http://www.bookreviewblogs.com/. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!

18 comments :

Heather D said...

OK I think I am going to head over to one of my Dollar stores and see if I can find this deal!! Not that I need anymore books! LOL

Book Dragon said...

I loved your post! I can see you standing there and I'm thinking of joining in!

The Obsessive Reader said...

The last three look really good. The Blood of Flowers, The Last Summer, and Wild Inferno. I went to the flea market with my dad this morning and I had to get these two books Luisa's Story and a Bend In the Road by Niholas Sparks for 4.00 dollars. I also had to go to booksamillion to get a picture of Rachel Vincent's new book and it killed me not getting anything. There was so many things I wanted but I didn't have any money so I know your suffering.

Anna said...

Wow I need to find a Dollar Store like that. All the ones I've been to only sell coloring books. :)

Michelle Greathouse said...

TBQ,

That was an awesome deal! I don't blame you one bit. I have to go to town tomorrow and where do you think I'm gonna stop? The Dollar Tree, of course. Here's hoping I can find some books.

Have a wonderful evening.

M

Unknown said...

Hi TBQ!

I'll be trying the Dollar Store now too. I only purchased 5 books, 8 books as review requests, 3 books in contest. 16 books total, you out did me by 10 books. I've tried to promise no more books, doesn't work.

Dottie :)

Alaine said...

LOL is there a 12 step program?

The_Book_Queen said...

Heather D,
Go for it-- I never would have imagined this store having those books, and I was surprised! You just never know, and maybe this could have been new full-time product for the stores. That would be nice... though not for my pile or pocketbook! LOL


Book Dragon,
You have no idea how realistically I just described the book encounter... Feel free to join in-- then I won't feel like they're all staring at me! :D LOL.


Rachel,
It was mainly the covers on those three that grabbed my attention, but the info on the back sealed the deal! :D Wild Inferno sounds really good, it's about this Southern Ute Indian Reservation and a mystery theme...
I've not read either one of those, but Spark's novel is on my wish list. ;)
You know, that's my worse nightmare. Going into a bookstore or any kind with no money and no way to get the books. Slow, deliberate torture, that's what it would be!


Anna,
That's all I've ever found in this one before, but I got lucky this time! LOL. All I can say is keep your eyes out next time you go into one... You never know where books could be hiding! :D


Michelle G,
I know-- and only a true book lover can understand and appreciate it! My aunt and cousin, who were with me at the time, are not book fans at all, and they think I'm crazy. I was telling my one friend about the deal, and she just looked at me like 'So?'. *SIGH*. But really, I got them practically for free, in comparison to what I would have paid at B&N or any other full price store!
Here's hoping your shopping expedition tomorrow turns out lucky like mine did! :D


Dottie,
Hey, I may have more bought books this week, but you had so many review requests-- I've almost forgotten what one of those are! LOL. It's been a while since I've had any for my blog, but that's okay. I've got more than enough books here to read for a year! Lol.
See, we can start a club together. 'How to Combat the Temptation of Books'. Think it would work? ;)


Alaine,
If there was, I'd be signed up! LOL. But even then, I'm pretty sure I'd fail the program. You know, drug addicts and alcoholics have their addiction of choice, and in a way, I have mine. Luckily, mine won't kill or harm my health or those around me... Unless, of course, someone tries to take a book from my hands in a store. Then it could get bloody....




Thank you all for stopping by! I'm glad you enjoyed my little... escapade from yesterday! And I enjoyed reading everyone's comments, so thank you for leaving them! :D

Have a great Sunday evening everyone, and be sure to stop by next time I have a book shopping meltdown. One never knows when it will happen again... :D

Until Next Time,
TBQ

JennJ said...

LOVE IT TBQ you got an AWESOME deal! Hon no true book lover in their right mind could have passed those up so don't hang your head in shame you made a great haul of some very good books for nothing less than dirt cheap! YOU GO GIRL!

Booklover1335 said...

OMG TBQ you are my book hero. I am going to go check out my Dollar Tree store to see what they have.

I also would love to have your duplicate Jennifer Ashley. I have been looking for her pirate books, and feared I was going to have to do an interlibrary loan to try and get it. So if you decide to pass it along I would love to read The Care and Feeding of Pirates!

Amy C said...

OMG! I am LMAO!! What a deal! You spent less than a dollar on average per book! That's amazing! How can one pass up temptation like that!

Book Soulmates said...

That is awesome!! This pretty much makes you a ROCKSTAR in my book :-) Seriously, $26 for 29 books...that's a gift from heaven and it was placed there for you!!

I'm totally jealous (haha) and you know what this means right, my local dollar stores better watch out!

Great job!
♥Isalys

VampFanGirl said...

TBQ! Girl, you crack me up!

I'm a HUGE sucker for bodice ripper covers. I'll just stand up and say it. Hello, my name is VampFanGirl and I'm a bodice ripper romance cover lover.

Seriously, I don't even read the backs. I buy purely on basis of my love of the cover. I have a huge stack of them. They're my in-the-car-reads.

Even better that you got them so feakin' cheap! Where's my nearest dollar store?? Off to investigate!

;) VFG

Heather D said...

OK TBQ, I blame this on you!!! My daughter needs dividers for her school notebooks. I have been all over town looking for them. I was told last night that Wal Mart's truck is suppose to be there sometime today, so I figured I would stop by on my way home from the Doctor. Of course the truck had not arrived and wont be there until later. The lady told me that they unload the truck between 4 and 1am. Yep, my daughter just might be getting a 0 for a homework assignment! Anyway I figured I hadn't tried the Dollar Tree and it's right next door.
I am going in strictly for those darn dividers, not even thinking about your post. Low and behold right there on the school supply isle is a box with books.

yep you got it books!! Fortunately for my wallet the box was already almost empty, but I did manage to snag three books. I couldn't believe I found a Pamela Clare book in there!

It's all your fault TBQ!!! LOL

The_Book_Queen said...

JennJ,
Your right-- I shouldn't have to 'defend' my reasons for caving like this! This was a deal that anyone in their right mind would stop and take advantage of! :D

booklover1335,
*Blushes* Aw, shucks, I don't know about book hero, but I'm proud to be an inspiration for book deals. ;)
And I think I'm going to do some sort of contest...I will be giving it away, so keep you eye out on my blog over the next month or so. If there's not a huge interest in the book, it's all yours! :)

Amy C,
Exactly! And temptation is the keyword there... Notice that on regular items, like clothes, etc, I'm not huge on sales. I mean, I appreciate them as much as the next person, but I hardly think about it. But with books... Well, we'll just say the scene gets a bit ugly! ;)


Isalys,
Wow-- first a hero, now a rockstar? Really guys, you're going to give me a big head! :D LOL.
Uh-oh; If you're anywhere near as bad as I am with books, then your store, and the customers, had better clear out now! LOL. But I do hope you can find something good-- I would hate if this was only something at my local dollar store, and here I am telling everyone to go out and look for this deal!

VFG,
*Instucts the group to speak all at once, like in the AA meetings* "Hello, VampFanGirl!".
I have to agree with you on that-- even though some of the older 'bodice ripper' romances are a bit comical now, I like reading them too. They provide a nice change after reading my usual genres, and some of them are actually really good! I laugh at the people I see in the bookstores stopping to read the summary on the back. Ha, I can't even remember the last time I did that! I usually know so many of the books on the shelves from reading the reviews about them on blogs or lusting over them on my various book sites, so that by the time I buy the book I have no doubt that it's my kind of read! :D
Enjoy your Dollar Store investigation-- you'll have to tell us if you find anything good! :D


Heater D,
ROFL! Ooh, I'll take the blame for this one, Heather! But see, look on the bright side (for your wallet, that is): At least your store didn't have the full box like mine did! But can you imagine if it had been? I'm pretty sure I'd see a post similar to mine on your own blog! :D I can see it now... after I've started this trend of 'Dollar Store Book Buys', suddenly everyone has their weekly post of what they found in the good old DS for 'dirt cheap'. :D

I'm happy you found a few books-- and I hope you came out with your daughter's dividers as well? See, if it were me, I would have came out with the books and completely forgot about what I went in for! LOL.

Let's just hope this is a one time thing.. because if it's not, I think I may have to have Dollar Store get a restraining order against me, just to help stop me from showing up to go through the box with every new shipment! :D


Enjoy!
TBQ

Heather D said...

Lol, I didn't forget the dividers. They were out too and didn't get any in the shipment that they were stocking. Oh well I guess I will try WalMart again tonight after football.

Vanessa Book ♥ Soulmates said...

Oh my! YOU ARE MY NEW BESTFRIEND! **Scoot over Isalys (My booksoulmate)... here comes TBQ!**
LMAO!

You sound like Isalys and I when we go to B&N. Everyone stops and stares at our Pile O'Books like we're INSANE! B&N is our personal library :)

Btw, Isa and I just agreed to check out our local Dollar Tree. Woot woot! Bargain Books here we come!!

Thanks for the info and for writing such a fun post!!

♥Vanessa♥

Book Soulmates said...

Oh snap, it's a book battle! First you're a hero, then a rockstar and now a BFF =P

Did you ever see the movie "Confessions of a Shopaholic?" There's a scene where all the women are running frantically through the store grabbing w/e designer items they can get their hands on. I imagine that's what it'd be like if someone let the 3 of us loose at your dollar store, LMAO!

♥Isalys