The Book Nook

Well, there are two main reasons.  First off, the software to do so is pretty expensive.  Secondly, it would require that all of our inventory be computerized (there's the money thing again) and that when something sells in the store we have the time (or the expensive software) to change the quantities listed online.

So until we find a system that reasonably priced enough (or I win the lottery), you'll just have to talk to a human here to see if we have what you're looking for. :)

The used books we have on hand we got by giving people store credit for them.  Not paying cash for books allows us the freedom to take in almost anything- we can "take a chance" on accepting a book that may never sell, because all it really costs us is shelf space and processing time.

Bargain books and new books are purchased with cash out of our pockets.  In order to ensure profitability for our store they therefore need to be sold for cash.  If we were to give someone used book credit for items that never sell and they use the credit to buy books we paid cash for, then we would lose money.

Used books are the ones people bring us in exchange for store credit, or are the books we buy at thrift stores and garage sales for 25 cents.  Most likely they have already been read, even if it doesn't always look like it.

Bargain Books (also called Remainders) are books that publishers are overstocked on.  They sell them for cheap to remainder dealers, who in turn sell them to us.  These are books that have never been read, and the only difference you may see between them and their regular-priced counterparts is a "remainder mark" designed to keep people from returning bargain books to bookstores like Barnes & Noble for a full-price refund.

A "remainder mark" is a dot or line marked on the page edges, usually with a black marker.  It may be small and subtly placed on the bottom of the book; others are huge and across the top.  We have no control over how and where (and if) the marks appear.

Not paying cash for used books allows us to be able to fill our shelves and offer a better selection of titles.  If we had to always pay cash for used books, we'd have to be extremely selective about what we purchased in order to afford to stay in business.

That being said, there are times that we actually buy used books- but we can only pay about 25-50 cents each, which is often to low for many people to think it worth their while.

You may have heard last year that someone illegally posted a rough draft of Midnight Sun to the internet.  You can read about that and the author's reaction here.  In a nutshell, the project is on hold indefinitely.

On that same page you will find where the author has generously provided a link to that rough draft for her fans to read (so they don't have to feel guilty about looking around on the internet for it).

March 29, 2011!!!  It will be called The Land of Painted Caves.