Bargain Book Shop: Best of Barnes and Noble's Bargains - September 2009

The kids are back in school, the weather is just about perfect, and many are anxiously awaiting fall's TV lineup to begin their new seasons. While you're at Barnes and Noble picking up books for school, check out these items in the bargain department. The bargain department can be overwhelming, but seek out these steals and see the newest and best books it's got to offer.

Best Book Bargain of the Month for Classics Lovers

New Barnes and Noble Leather-Bound Classic Editions!
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, H.G. Wells' Seven Novels, Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles, and The Chronicles of Narnia. $19.95 each

Barnes and Noble's leather-bound classic editions are well known for their beauty and great price. With gold-lined pages and gold or silver embossed covers, they make a great statement when put together on your bookshelf. The line already houses titles like The Complete Works of Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen's Seven Novels, The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe, and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, among others. This is the biggest addition that I've ever seen come to the line all at once, and I hope it signals even more additions to come!

Best Book Bargain for the Slayers of Evil

The Demon Hunter's Handbook
Abelard Van Helsing, Illustrated by Miles Teves, $14.98

The famed journal and guide left by evil hunter Van Helsing tells you all you need to know about hunting demons. Weaponry, exorcism techniques, and life-saving hints abound in this large guidebook. It would never fit in a small expedition pack, but it's really fun to look through!

Dan Brown Lover or Conspiracy Theorist's Book Bargain

Freemasonry: It's History and Myths Revealed
Giles Morgan, $10.98

With Dan Brown's new book The Lost Symbol breaking into stores, interest will be renewed in an already popular arena. Fans will certainly be looking to delve deeper into the real histories of the Freemasons. Get this colorful history today at a bargain book price and enjoy your research.

Humor Book Bargain Pick of the Month

Our Dumb World
The Onion, edited by Mike DiCenzo and Scott Dikkers, $6.98

Editors of spoof newspaper the Onion put together an atlas of the world. This atlas lists important information such as a country's tendency to allow drugs and prostitution, how high its opinion of itself is, and any other historical embarrassments it can trivialize into snarky one-liners. A version is also available on the Onion's Web site and it can be added as a layer onto Google Earth.

Best Book Bargain for Pet Lovers

A Cat's Life
Photographs by Jane Burton

A Dog's Life
Photographs by Araldo De Luca
$14.98 each

These huge coffee-table books show cats and dogs of all breeds and ages in the funniest and most natural poses you can imagine. Some of the pictures can look calendar-y but for the most part they are just hilarious and wonderfully stark images of those moments that are seemingly impossible to capture by regular means. The book is so big the pictures are often life-size. Any animal lover will get a kick out of it.

Book Bargain Pick for those Interested in NASA or Those Who Love to Collect Newspapers

New York Times Moon Landing Newspaper

One came out for Obama, Michael Jackson, Woodstock, the moon landing 40th anniversary, and I doubt the trend is going to stop there. These newspaper collections that Barnes and Noble produces are pretty neat and replicate either the front pages of the New York Times on an important day in history or put together a whole newspaper spread based on a theme. This is included on this list because I know my store still has some even though they are out of stock on the Web site, so if you hurry you might be able to get yours hands on one as well.

Click here for previous editions of the bargain book shop; the books are still cool and probably still available. August 2009