Books for less than a beer

Without a doubt, the Strand in Union Square has to be one of my favorite places in the city. Granted, I never really set foot in the store and browse (unless I’m on a date to show the young gentleman that I’m practically a celebrity since my name and a picture of myself is in the back of the P.S. edition of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith). The outside $1 and 50 cent racks though are where you’ll be sure to find me at the Strand. Unlike most bookstores that have a clearance rack, the Strand actually has books that are currently on the best seller list. Remember the Eat Love Pray craze? I got it for a dollar at the Strand when it was still #1 on the nonfiction list. If you like your bookstore organized, the Strand is not for you - books are sorted only by hardcover and paperback, not by genre, title or author. However, if you take the time to look, often you’ll end up discovering a new author that you may enjoy. My other piece of advice is search the racks with titles and authors in mind - for example, I knew for months I wanted to read the Glass Castle, and the title jumped out at me when searching the racks. As the weather gets colder, the crowds around the racks thin out - so bundle up!