A little different from Shoe Shopping and Networking. But I’ve determined that a great solution to my stress shopping problem and dreary rainy weather is… book shopping! The thrill of buying a beautiful book that I’ve been meaning to read is almost as great if not greater than a fabulous pair of shoes. Definitely the nerdy English major in me coming out and making a splash (pun intended) =P

Today I spent some time perusing the local Barnes and Nobles to stay out of the rain. There’s something remarkably comforting about the quiet of a bookstore, the smell of fresh books and crisp pages, the orderliness of labels and bindings categorized and lined up in alphabetical order. A mini-vacation for the OCD intellectual in the middle of a hectic life if you will. Plus I enjoy the chance to take a look at guilty pleasures like “The Daring Book for Girls” and “Skinny Bitch.” Did you know that there is a Daily Candy lexicon book out?

And the best part is your vacation is only beginning when you leave the bookstore. I promptly took my new purchases with me to the nearest Au Bon Pain, plopped down with a steaming white chocolate latte, and started indulging in the exquisitely written stories.

So with that idealistic vision in mind, here are the fruits of my book shopping:

[Click on each book cover to read the Wikipedia entry about it]

Each book was approximately $13 and all are required reading for my English classes, so I didn’t break the bank and I can avoid the cognitive dissonance and guilt of shoe shopping because I’m doing necessary school shopping. And all while de-stressing. How good of a deal is that?

Question: What’s your favorite book?