In the free time that I do have, I love to read, both books and magazines. Books, when purchased brand new at Barnes & Noble or Borders can get pretty pricey, so I’ve learned to purchase all of my books through Amazon or eBay. The prices are 99.9% of the time significantly lower than what you’ll find in the store. Three books that I recently read that were absolutely fantastic are:
The Help by Katheryn Stockett which is an uplifting story set in 1960′s Jackson, MI and told from the point of view of “the help”, the local African-American nannies and housekeepers. With the help of a young, White, budding civil rights proponent, their story is told. I purchased The Help for $6.50 on eBay in nearly new condition and resold it after reading for $11!
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok, a true story about a young girl from Hong Kong who moves to New York with her mother, both barely speaking English, working 18 hour days at a garment factory for less than minimum wage. The young girl, Ah-Kim, realizes how critical it is for the success of her family for her to succeed and works unbelievably hard to make a new life for both her and her mother. I purchased Girl in Translation from Amazon for $12.00 and plan on keeping it, as I will continue to reread it.
Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin, shows how tragedy can strike anyone in the blink of an eye. The story revolves around a plastic surgeon, his wife, a young burn victim, and his single mother. Caring for the burn victim turns into a stepping stone for a possible relationship between the single mother and the plastic surgeon, affecting everyone in the picture. I actually paid full price for this book – damn, airport gift shop – $33 – and kicked myself when I got home and realized I could have purchased the book on Amazon for only $14.84
In the event you must purchase the book immediately, I suggest joining Borders Rewards (FREE!), and although I get a tad bit more emails from them than I’d like, I also get tons of 40% coupons for all the books in the store, a great option if you don’t like online shopping.