Borders Educator Appeciation Week - Recommend me some books!

PopeTiberii

Okay, so it's time again for Borders' Educator Appreciation Week! Being an educator, I get a nice discount on just about everything in their stores this week, and the wife and I love to take this time to load up on books. I'm looking for some suggestions on what I should pick up next.

Educator Appreciation Week 30% Off!

Edit: As an educator, I cannot believe I misspelled recommend in the thread title, ffs.

That aside, as I said, I'm looking for suggestions! I've included some of the specific books that I've read and loved so you can get an idea for my tastes.

Recent books I read and liked:
Guns, Germs and Steel by Diamond
Collapse by Diamond
The First Law series by Abercrombie
Old Man's War and Ghost Brigades by Scalzi
The Prince of Nothing series by Bakker

Book I'm currently reading:
Best Served Cold by Abercrombie

Other books I loved:
Ringworld by Niven
As She Climbed Across the Table by Lethem
Gun, with Occasional Music by Lethem
The Lord of the Rings, Hobbit by Tolkein
1984 by Orwell
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Adams
Wheel of Time series by Jordan
Various works by Michio Kaku
Various works by Brian Greene
The Red Queen by Ridley
The Stuff of Life by Schultz and Cannon
Revelation Space and Chasm City by Reynolds


Many thanks in advance. So, uh, have at it! :P

blakfeld

I said it in the last book thread, but still... Read The Mote in God's Eye by Niven. I can't say enough good things about it

Houndx

Rather than suggest a book, I'll suggest that you compare prices. I've found that, even with a 30% discount, Borders is usually significantly more expensive than places like Walmart, Target or Amazon.

PopeTiberii

Thanks much, blakfield. I've written that one down as an item to pick up. It certainly sounds like it'd be up my alley. What about other books by Niven? Anything else you'd highly recommend?

Houndx wrote: »

Rather than suggest a book, I'll suggest that you compare prices. I've found that, even with a 30% discount, Borders is usually significantly more expensive than places like Walmart, Target or Amazon.

Having just compared the prices of several books I've been looking at at Borders and Amazon, the pricing is identical (if not cheaper at Borders) with the 30% discount. It's really the only time I actually shop for books at a brick and mortar store anymore and with my Borders rewards dealy, I also have some $10 off deals that I can use with the discount to make the deal even better.

I've never really seen much in the way of books outside of random bestsellers, Oprah books and romance books in any Target or Walmart I've ever been to, either. Only in the Super Target-size stores, maybe?

Houndx

Walmart carries a much larger selection of books on their website than they do in the store. Not too sure about Target as I've only picked up a few books there for my wife.

To be fair, I haven't bothered shopping at Borders for quite awhile after three incidents of 30% off being cheaper than I could get it elsewhere.

PopeTiberii

Oh, okay, that makes a bit more sense now. I hadn't even thought to look for books on either of their websites, since they never carried much in their stores. I tend to stick to Amazon, but we've noticed that we tend to get a slightly cheaper price on books with the deals we get over the educator appreciation week.

That and it's harder for me to justify a large tab on Amazon than it is when I'm already at the registers at Borders. It's so easy on Amazon to just say "oh, well, I guess I don't really need that one, I'll just get it later" and uncheck the little box than it is for me to ask someone to restock a book because I felt a bit of sticker shock.

blakfeld

PopeTiberii wrote: »

Thanks much, blakfield. I've written that one down as an item to pick up. It certainly sounds like it'd be up my alley. What about other books by Niven? Anything else you'd highly recommend?

Houndx wrote: »

Rather than suggest a book, I'll suggest that you compare prices. I've found that, even with a 30% discount, Borders is usually significantly more expensive than places like Walmart, Target or Amazon.

Having just compared the prices of several books I've been looking at at Borders and Amazon, the pricing is identical (if not cheaper at Borders) with the 30% discount. It's really the only time I actually shop for books at a brick and mortar store anymore and with my Borders rewards dealy, I also have some $10 off deals that I can use with the discount to make the deal even better.

I've never really seen much in the way of books outside of random bestsellers, Oprah books and romance books in any Target or Walmart I've ever been to, either. Only in the Super Target-size stores, maybe?

Love me some Niven

Check out:
Legacy of Heorot
A World out of Time (kind of silly, but some neat ideas)
Building Harlequin Moon
Rainbow Mars

Wiley

I may actually go check out my local Borders tomorrow. I haven't bought a book from a brick and mortar store in more than a year because of how much cheaper books tend to be on Amazon.

RUNN1NGMAN

Disregard--I thought you were asking for recs from that list.

Imperial Cruise by James Bradley is pretty awesome if you're interested in history.

Crashtard

One of my friends recommended me The Reality Dysfunction by Peter Hamilton. My copy is on it's way.

As far as places to buy from, I buy 90% of my books from abebooks.com. I buy all used books, and the prices for used stuff are pretty stellar (like 2.00 plus 3 or so shipping). Obviously they are used, but you can sift through them to find stuff in good to new condition for cheap still.

th3thirdman

a canticle for leibowitz
and world war z I just read both of them.
and decmbers child a collection of chumash stories