Win $10 Gift Card to Mystery Lovers Bookshop: I'm Giving Away Three

For Valentine's month I'm offering three $10 gift certificates at Mystery Lovers Bookshop. With their free shipping* on $10 minimum orders this makes for an extra sweet deal. I'll choose a winner every Sunday starting February 13 and ending February 27.

When you leave a comment on this post you'll have one chance to win each week. Share this on Facebook or Twitter and get a second chance each time I draw a name (be sure to leave a comment that you've do so).

Week One Winner (February 13): Michelle at The True Book Addict
Week Two Winner (February 20): Ricki at Reading Challenged
Week Three Winner (February 27): TBA

"Lonely bookseller seeks transactional fulfillment with interested mystery reader. I cannot offer either Pina Coladas or walks on the beach but we do have a wonderful assortment of brand-new mysteries....with all this snowy weather, why not let us deliver your books to your door with free shipping and outstanding service." Mystery Lovers Bookshop Facebook Fan Page

After reporting one of their slowest months ever in January, I hope you'll help them out and order a book. They offer a wide range to choose from. Toss in superior customer service and you're in for a treat.

Mystery Lovers Bookshop, winner of the 2010 Raven Award from Mystery Writer's of America, is located in the Pittsburgh metro area. When I worked at PITT, I used to shop there often. Now that I'm in Hawaii their on-line store has continued our association.

If you have a mystery you'd like to order should your name be chosen, please leave the title in your comment. This is optional. I'm always interested in new books to try.

Join Mystery Lovers Bookshop on Facebook, shop on-line or in person at 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont, Pennsylvania.

*Free Shipping on $10 minimum purchase valid only to U.S. addresses.

Borders Reward Plus Doesn't Feel Fair

I feel ripped off today thanks to the new Borders Rewards Plus program. Last month I caved in and paid the $20 yearly fee. If I had waited until this month, however, they would have given me $10 back in Borders Bucks.

It all started on Monday when they sent an email announcing their gifts for me. Included was the offer below for those paying the $20 enrollment fee:

I contacted Borders "customer care" last night to ask if the offer applied to me. They wrote back this morning and had this to say (exact quote):

"Dear Valued Customer, We apologize for the inconvenience, unfortunately this promotion just started this month and those who upgraded starting this month are those who are qualified for the $10 Borders bucks and its redeemable on 12/26/10-1/1/11." 

I replied back and asked to be put in contact with management. I also pulled the books in my shopping cart today at Borders.

Do you think I woke up on the wrong side of the page today or am I right to feel ripped off?

I also have a question. Why send this offer to customers already enrolled? Do you mean to tell me that Borders has no way of segmenting offers?

Sharks at Library Book Sales

The book sharks were out in force at my library book sale this week. When I arrived I saw them standing first in line at the door. These sharks own a used bookstore and resell at half the cover price (which is why I seldom buy from them).

When the doors opened they rushed inside and began pulling books from the table. I saw that I was in for a fight and did my best to keep up with them. What I needed was a strategy and someone to back me up. Maybe I could have bribed them with candy corn to create a diversion.

On the way home I started thinking about what happened. Is it fair to allow booksellers to attend a pre-sale and buy so many books before the doors open to the public? Would it be more fair to set a limit on books that can be purchased?

If you have any thoughts on this topic, please let me know. While you're thinking I'll share a photo of the books I brought home. They currently sit on the floor while I assemble more shelves.

If you see any title that look interesting let me know. I found a huge cookbook with over 1300 pages of Italian recipes. Then there was a Cary Grant photo book that got me thinking, "Judy, Judy, Judy." An interesting title was Tales from A Traveling Couch. It's about a psychotherapist who revisits his most memorable patients.

So many books and so little time to read them all. I better get working on my next review.

A Week In Sydney: My Favorite Bookstores

Here's my bookshop review from my recent trip to Sydney. With new paperbacks priced at $20 dollars (Australian) I went in search of used bookstores with the goal of finding Australian authors.

Vinnies thrift shops throughout Sydney were a bonus find. My budget pick from one of them was, "Modern Men Don't Shift Fridges," by Australian author Meg Stewart. The title caught my attention and the $2.50 price. Look for a review in January.

I heard there were good bookstores in Glebe so I took the light rail from Darling Harbor and was not disappointed. Gleebooks Antiquarian had lots of great titles and I took home, "30 Days in Sydney," by Peter Carey for $10.00 (hardback). Across the street was another popular used seller called, The Cornstalk.

I also liked Berkelouw Books in Paddington. It's mostly new books but if you venture to the third floor you'll find a wonderful used selection. Across the street we stopped for coffee and book hunting at Ampersand.

My favorite which I'll save for last was Gertude and Alice Cafe Bookstore near Bondi Beach. The store also sells coffee and healthy food which can be enjoyed at many tables throughout the bookshop. It's a 5 minute walk from the beach and a nice place to relax.

My book find there was a signed copy of, "A Deadly Business," by Lenny Bartulin. When I saw that it was a mystery involving a used bookseller in Sydney, I had to take it home. The price was right at $8.00. My review will be coming out this week.

By the way, the Australian dollar is comparable to ours, so I'd go broke buying new books if I lived in Sydney.

If you have any tips on Sydney bookstores, be sure to leave a comment.

 
Thanks for reading Books Are Like Candy Corn. Look for more posts soon.