The giant book store that is closing has crept into my nighttime dreams. I stand at the entrance with a "30% off original retail price" coupon. But there is nothing to buy. Bankruptcy sellers have marked everything to 75% off. My coupon is worthless. Most of the shelves are empty. A forlorn copy of a James Shatner autobiography lays on the floor; footprints mark the cover. As I awake, this much I know is true: I hate those 30% off coupons. Before the giant book store inundated my inbox with discount coupons, I paid the asking price for books and I bought books when I wanted to read them. Then the coupons started. I got the crazy notion that it is wrong to pay full price for a brand new book. Purchasing books became a matter of waiting for a coupon. A lot of good books didn't get bought. Now, for lots of reasons, the giant is dying. Its passing marks the end of my misguided obsession with linking books to coupons. Tere are better places to buy books. St. Louis has a strong alliance of independent book sellers who sponsor book clubs, host book signings, support their neighborhoods and often offer books that large chains won't consider. Most important: They don't flood my inbox with an unending stream of impersonal discount coupons. I shop Rebounds for recycled books. But I'm done with buying new books only when I am given a discount. For those got-to-have, first-read treasures, I plan to shop the independent stores. I will pay a fair price to own and read a new book. I will dog-ear to my heart's content and then pass my book to Rebounds. I get store credit and my read becomes someone else's treasure at a sweeter price. Don't misunderstand: I love a good deal, but no longer will a coupon determine where and when I buy books I want to read.
What I'm reading now: Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger.
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