There are two types of retail displays against which I am utterly powerless.
You’ve seen those “As Seen on T.V.” aisle end caps at your neighborhood conglomerate pharmacy, right? You know what I’m talking about: it’s the shelf with the giant cupcake mold, the self-tanning system, and the Bump It hairpiece. I’ve purchased two out of the three, and I’m not telling you which.
The second retail display before which I crumble is the bargain book section at the bookstore. HOW am I supposed to walk away from glossy, gorgeous, hardcover books on sale for $5.99? Especially when they have the ever-helpful “Great Bargain!” sticker slapped across their covers, needling me, taunting: you’ll regret it if you don’t buy me. Haven’t you always wanted a book about horse grooming? Horses, horses, horses…
And while I can rip myself away from this general interest section with a groan, reluctant like Velcro, there’s nothing I can do in front of the bargain cooking section. Nothing. It’s impossible to try, and the best I can do is not buy each and every cookbook they offer.
Which is how I happened to walk out of Borders the other day with two gorgeous new cookbooks (Nick Malgieri’s The Modern Baker & The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook by Bay Books), when I had only intended on swinging by to pick up a box of thank you cards. Three items instead of one…but aren’t they pretty?
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My weakness is used fiction. I could buy stacks with a $20 bill. In class last week someone brought in a stack of books that he always meant to read but never did. He was giving them away as good karma to other writers. It’s started a “thing” in class, with all of us promising to bring in our books we never read. I’m thinking this is a fab idea because a) you get rid of old books, b) you get new-to-you books, and most importantly c) you won’t feel as guilty the next time you want to stack up on bargain books from the bookshop because in some way or another they will bring lots and lots of joy to you and potentially others!
Oh, I LOVE that idea. It’s just like a clothing swap, but for literature. Brilliant!