In Which a Book Snob Gives Book Warehouse Another Try
I don’t usually think of myself as a book snob, but I don’t think it’s any secret that I typically don’t gravitate toward the self published or discount shelves. I like things that are new or popular, which I don’t think is a crime. And if you’ve ever been to a Book Warehouse store, then you know this isn’t really their forte. Even their newer books tend to be about a year old. But for my birthday, my awesome boss got me six books from Book Warehouse, which is where she usually gets her reading material, as well as a huge gift card to spend there…so it was time for me to give Book Warehouse another shot.
I’ve been in a few of these stores before, but I think my biggest problem is that I’m almost always book shopping with a list. I don’t typically go browse unless I’m there for at least one specific thing, because I have about a billion books at home I *should* be reading. But Book Warehouse is not a place you go with a list.
On this particular adventure I was hunting for some paperbacks I would feel like taking on vacation, if any; I’ve come to find that I much prefer a paperback book, which would surprise young me! They’re just lighter and easier to fit in my bag, while still feeling like a real book. Book Warehouse separates their fiction hardcovers and paperbacks, so this made the endeavour far easier. I immediately spotted Waiting for Tom Hanks, which has truthfully been on my tbr since it came out in like, what, 2019? I even got the arc of her second book and, you guessed it: never read it.
I grabbed that one and instantly became hopeful that this may be a more successful trip than I’d thought. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any other contemporary romance…everything else on the shelves was smut or mass market paperbacks with shirtless dudes. Pass. I did however spot some other interesting reads.
Next I grabbed The House Next Door by Darcy Coates. By now I have already read this one and I actually quite liked it. It reads like a Blumhouse movie.
I had picked up the book The Residence by Andrew Pyper, which was a ghost story centering on the Lincoln family and their time in the White House, where they inevitably lost one of their young sons. I ended up putting it back because it was a hardcover, and I couldn’t find more hardcovers I wanted at the time…the deals at this place are kind of insane, but you need to buy a certain amount of each format to get them. I was nearly converted to a Book Warehouse junkie after seeing the price tags alone. I’ll keep you in suspense for my final total…
Next I spotted The Way Inn by Will Wiles. This book sounds like an absolute trip. It kind of reminds me of a more contemplative Horrorstor, so I’m down. It’s got about 3.5 stars on Goodreads, so we’ll see how it goes.
After I found all this I had already been there about an hour. The sea shanties that the cashier was playing on loop in the store were definitely starting to get to me. It’s certainly not your classical music of a Barnes & Noble, but it’s nearly as repetitive. At this point, I need one more paperback to round out my deal, so I can get 4 books for $20. Yes, you read that correctly. Four books for less than what I usually pay for one, willingly.
I ended up grabbing The Beguiled, which I had dropped off my tbr years ago because I didn’t think I’d ever be struck with the desire to read it, even if the story did sound good. And while that remains true thus far, I have a feeling I’m at more of a place in my life to read it now. I hope it’s a good one as it sounds super creepy and I love the premise.
So here’s the full haul!
I’ll probably grab The Residence when I go back next time, because I still have $80 left on that gift card omg. I can’t believe I got that many books for $20. It may not be my ideal book shopping experience, but it certainly gives you some bang for your buck.
What has been your experience with Book Warehouse? Curious if there are some die hard fans here!
Have a great weekend and a safe Independence Day to my US friends.
The Charmed Librarian 