Borders Last Stand

I mentioned last week in The Demise of Bookstores that Borders is closing, as you have all probably heard by now.  I went on a pilgrimage to our local store, a favorite of mine, this morning to use my very last $10 gift card and check out their clearance sale.  Of course, I spent more than just my $10!

It was very sad, but I did find some great books, two for me and two for my husband:

• I found a hardcover The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley for just $4.99 (plus all books are 10% off).  I have been meaning to read this popular best-seller for years!
• It wasn't on the Clearance racks, so a mere 10% discount, but I just couldn't resist the memoir The Lost Girls by the trio of Jennifer Baggett, Holly C. Corbett, and Amanda Pressner about three women who celebrate turning 30 by taking off for a year-long trip around the world.  Another book I've been dying to read!
• For my husband, I grabbed mystery master Ed McBain's Killer's Wedge for just $4.99.
• He loves suspense, so I also got him Another Thing to Fall by Laura Lippman, whose novels we have both enjoyed before, for $5.99.

I thought this was their last week, but the cashier explained that they are hoping to stay open until September - obviously, the more stock they can sell, the better, so I expect the discounts will grow larger as the weeks go by.  Right now, everything in the store is at least 10% off, many nonfiction genres are 20% off, and there are a few things at 30-40% off.  I got most of these on the Bargain shelves that they usually have in the store, but I imagine at some point, everything will be bargains.  I will probably go back with my kids in a week or two.

It's very sad, but a good chance to find some low-priced gems (not that I really need more books for my TBR list!)