jmc_bks

Book vending machines:

I was tempted by the Novel Idea book vending machines at Gatwick yesterday. Probably I wouldn't have bothered, having enough to occupy my attention on the flight already, but there was a book by Jo Nesbo displayed. And Avid Reader LOVES Nesbo's books, reviewing and recommending them. So I figured out if I had enough change left in my pockets left after my spree at WHSmith (fruit gums! water! magazines to read!) to pay the 4GBP. Yes! So I went over to inspect the vending machine only to see that Every Single Book was sold out! All of them!

Clearly some people like the idea of book vending machines at departure gates :)

The use of floor space:

Waterstone's in Piccadilly seems to have a HUGE amount of open floor space. As I wandered from floor to floor, I mentally compared it to the Borders at Penn Plaza. Not an entirely apt comparison, I know. But both must be outrageously expensive in terms of rental cost per square foot. The Borders is wedged full of shelves and displays, admittedly only on two floors rather than the seven (?) or more that Waterstone's enjoys. Do they have better inventory and sales tracking, I wonder, that they can leave so much floor space...empty?

The display windows (on the Piccadilly Street side) were rather sparse, especially in comparison to the cram-packed windows of Hatchard's up the street, which I noticed at the time. Intentional mirroring, I suppose?

Cover art:

The cover art to the UK editions of Naomi Novik's Temeraire series is gorgeous. Was tempted to buy copies for the art alone. Was also intrigued to see that the back blurbs were different from the American editions.

Patricia Briggs' Alpha & Omega books were/are distributed by Ace and have the same cover art as the US editions, but the Mercedes Thompson books are distributed by Orbit and have very cool black and white art that I find much more appealing than the US editions, which I find to be...a little garish and heavy on the boob and belly emphasis.