Carolyn wrote: "but they are dangerous to me because they have such a huge variety of products, many of which aren't carried by the main grocery chains..."

I live in Manhattan, which supposedly has everything, but in order to get all the groceries I want I have to go to a whole bunch of different places. The value of large suburban grocery stores is not to be underrated!

Welcome, Claire and Jess! This group is growing so fast, I think it's taken us all by surprise. I promise your TBR pile will be bulging in no time!

Jennifer wrote: "Hi, I just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's here!!!"

Thanks for the wishes Jennifer!

Jean wrote: " Thanks Sara TX. $3.97 sounds like a great deal. Amazon is $4.99 per book plus $4.99 per order - so $9.98 just for postage if I order just one book. Amazon UK is even higher. I'll follow it up.

There's a HK based online store too - I've just ordered some YA stuff from them, spurred on by this group. Could take a month or more though.

I know what you mean. When my family and I lived in South Korea, we would buy books from Amazon, and to keep the shipping costs down, we would have them shipped surface-mail (i.e. by boat)... It took FOREVER to get them... 4 to 6 weeks sometimes!

Jennifer wrote: "As far as I know, Wegmans is a northeast store, they are great, but expensive..."

They've been branching out, the last couple of years. We have two here in Northern Virginia, and apparently there are more on the way.

They aren't as expensive as some of the other stores we have down here (Whole Foods, etc.), but they are dangerous to me because they have such a huge variety of products, many of which aren't carried by the main grocery chains. Especially the ethnic food aisles! Mmmmmm...and their produce is fabulous! They have a fabulous bakery and the one closest to us has a large food court of ready to eat food, a huge case of already cooked food to take home (steaks, chickens, etc, restaurant-quality), and they also have a huge case of prepared but not cooked food (restaurant-quality dishes). My DH likes that one especially - he picks up something fancy and we have it on our good china for special events, he gets to say he 'made' dinner because he is actually cooking it himself. = )

Welcome to all the new people. This is a fun group. I hope you like it.

Welcome to all those who've joined while I've been away!

Hi Jess,

Welcome to the group!!!

Yay, welcome jess - good to see you here!

Welcome to all of the new people. This is a really friendly group, and it's easy to jump right into discussions. :)

Hello everyone...I've been in the group for a while now but haven't really introduced myself.

My name is Jess and I'm from Pennsylvania. I'm a crazy busy college student (hence the delay on the intro!), but I'm a little kid at heart, which is why I was excited when Fiona invited me to this group! I love all kinds of books, but YA holds a special place for me :)

I can't wait to start chatting with you all!

Hi Jean, Ashley and Claire,

Welcome to the group!!!!

Thanks Sara TX. $3.97 sounds like a great deal. Amazon is $4.99 per book plus $4.99 per order - so $9.98 just for postage if I order just one book. Amazon UK is even higher. I'll follow it up.

There's a HK based online store too - I've just ordered some YA stuff from them, spurred on by this group. Could take a month or more though.

I'm training to be a teacher Ashley, what age do you teach?

Welcome Claire and Ashley to Wild Things. There's a lot of YA/children's books being passed around here.

Hello, I'm ashley and I'm a teacher in washington. I really enjoy reading young adult literature and look forward to being introduced to some new books :)

Hello, I'm Claire, 23, from Middlesbrough, UK. I love all childens/young adults books and have a few on my TBR, just heading to look @ challenge now xxx

Hi, I just wanted to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's here!!!

Tahleen wrote: "Alexis, thanks! And no, I will still be working at B&N, just the one in my hometown. I've been at that one longer anyway, and plus it's super huge. We're in the top ten stores in the country or som..."

Cool, I'm glad you're able to transfer. I think my store was in the top five before the building's decrepit old landlord jacked up the rent by 600% and we had to close it.

$3.97 shipping per book sounds pretty reasonable, since that's what Amazon charges for shipping on used books.

A big welcome to all the new faces! This group is awesome (and highly addictive)...you all will love it here :)

We have a reading challenge that just started on May 1st...make sure you check it out! It's a lot of fun and a great way to get through those "to be read" books on your list.

Jean wrote: "Hi all. I'm Jean and I've never stopped reading YA fiction despite the fact that I had my 50th birthday a couple of months ago. I'm based in Hong Kong, which can make getting the books I want a b..."

www.betterworldbooks.com will ship worldwide for a flat rate of $3.97 per book.... I don't know if that's any cheaper...

Alexis, thanks! And no, I will still be working at B&N, just the one in my hometown. I've been at that one longer anyway, and plus it's super huge. We're in the top ten stores in the country or something.

And Jennifer, it's awesome that you're from Ithaca! I actually went to the Friends of the Library book sale today haha... I introduced it to my friend, who had never been and I was shocked to hear it. She loved it and we're going back a week from Monday, the day after we graduate. And when everything is like 50 cents except for trade paperbacks and hardcovers, which will only be $1.50. And about Wegmans, I've actually found it to be cheaper than grocery stores where I'm originally from in Massachusetts. So yet another reason for me to miss it.

Welcome, Ashley, feel free to join in any of our discussions, or come up with something new. We're a friendly group here at Wild Things.

Hello, My name is Ashley and I live in Washington. I'm a reading specialist and I really enjoy reading children's and young adult literature. I'm looking forward to reading some good books and having good discussions :)

Hi Jean and welcome...I too live in an Asian country, but my problem is that they usually get things way later than America or the UK...especially with ya books...I'm excited to go back home to Southern California later this month to get some books (oh yeah and also to see my siblings, niece, and nephews)

That's right Laura!

Welcome Jean! It's a wild group here, and we're glad to have some more 40'ish & 50'ish souls....

:)

Jean wrote: "I always come back from overseas trips with a suitcase bulging with books. "

Welcome Jean! I worked at a bookstore for a long time and I heard that a lot from customers. They would spend hundreds of dollars on books to bring back, or ship it themselves. It's a shame the costs are so high through distributors. What about something like eBay? A lot of people are willing to ship worldwide, and the costs for mailing books are usually relatively low. Not to mention you can find some great deals.

Welcome Jean! It's great that you've never stopped reading YA books - why would you?

Shame it costs so much from Amazon - I suppose it is cheaper to buy in bulk whilst you can.

Hi all. I'm Jean and I've never stopped reading YA fiction despite the fact that I had my 50th birthday a couple of months ago. I'm based in Hong Kong, which can make getting the books I want a bit problematic. Local bookshops will carry the latest, most mainstream stuff, but relatively restricted range compared to the UK. I always come back from overseas trips with a suitcase bulging with books.

Yes, I could order through e.g. Amazon, but the postage more than doubles the cost of the books. Ouch.

Looking forward to getting to know the group.

Hi Carolyn,

Welcome to the group!!!

So, glad we don't have a Wegmans here...I'd be in BIG trouble...LOL

Yes! I'm from Ithaca as well! Sorry you'll be leaving it Tahleen but congrats on graduating, where to next?
As far as I know, Wegmans is a northeast store, they are great, but expensive.
Are you going to the Friends of the Library book sale before you go? Now *that's* my Ithaca addiction!

Tahleen wrote: "Yeah, I'm leaving... I went to Ithaca College, I'm graduating in a week (!) so I will no longer have the glory that is Wegmans unfortunately."

Well, congratulations on graduating, even though it means no more Wegmans. Does it also mean no more B&N? Are you going home?

Heather wrote: "What is this Wegmans you all are talking about? I've never heard of it..."

Wegmans is a SUPERDUPERmarket. It's amazing. The only one I've been to is in Ithaca, NY. Not sure where else it exists, but it should be everywhere.

I know I introduced myself on a separate thread, buy I just wanted to say Hi here, too. I think I'm glad we don't have a Wegman's here!

What is this Wegmans you all are talking about? I've never heard of it...

Thanks Beth!

Congratulations on your graduation!

Alexis wrote: "Tahleen wrote: "Um, I have a Wegmans ADDICTION. I went so far as to write a blog entry about how I might need to enter a 12-step program, Wegmans shoppers anonymous. It's pretty ridiculous actually..."

Yeah, I'm leaving... I went to Ithaca College, I'm graduating in a week (!) so I will no longer have the glory that is Wegmans unfortunately.

I really like the Prince of the Pond series - a witch turns a prince into a frog in the first couple of pages and the whole book is about his life as a frog, and how in some ways he is very un-froglike. It's told from the POV of another frog who meets him right after the transformation happens. Very cute! and quite entertaining to read aloud (frog prince has some difficulty speaking due to his new loooooong tongue. = )
Second book is about one of his frog offspring, Jimmy, who gets turned into a boy, and the third continues Jimmy's story with that of another frog, Gracie.

I haven't heard of that series, but I'm familiar with Bound. Always wanted to read her Beauty and the Beast retelling, from the Beast's POV.

Oh, Wegmans...I wish we had one here.

I love Wegmans, but it is really a drain on the wallet - I wander in there and there are just so many good things to get!

Let's see, for Napoli, I've read Bound, which is a Cinderella retelling set in ancient China. I've also read her Prince of the Pond Otherwise Known as de Fawn Pin series, which I enjoyed and I'm now reading them out loud to my daughter. We're on book 2 Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, right now.

Tahleen wrote: "Um, I have a Wegmans ADDICTION. I went so far as to write a blog entry about how I might need to enter a 12-step program, Wegmans shoppers anonymous. It's pretty ridiculous actually. I am going to miss it..."

I can't imagine that it's closing, so are you leaving Ithaca? Are you there for school? I would live at Wegmans if I could.

Welcome Carolyn! Which Donna Jo Napoli books have you read?

Thanks everyone!

Welcome Carolyn, and I hope you'll dive right in and start discussing your favorite books. Glad to see you here!

Hi Carolyn!

Welcome to WT Carolyn. My TBR I think is about 5 years long if I read 50 books a year.

Um, I have a Wegmans ADDICTION. I went so far as to write a blog entry about how I might need to enter a 12-step program, Wegmans shoppers anonymous. It's pretty ridiculous actually. I am going to miss it...

Hi! I joined this group late yesterday (and have already posted = ) but wanted to introduce myself.

I'm Carolyn (38), and I live in Fairfax, VA, right outside Washington DC. Unfortunately I don't have a job that works in any way with books or kids, but I'm a voracious reader and have two young girls (20 months & 5 years), the older of whom is already reading on a 1st/2nd grade reading level.

I read across the spectrum of books, and while I have always enjoyed YA books and read them for myself, I'm also noting those that would be good to introduce my DDs to, when they are old enough. Last year I picked up the Shannon Hale books and some of the Donna Jo Napoli books (although I still want to read the rest of her retold fairy tales when I have time.)

My current TBR list is over 10 years long, even reading at my best rate, but I'll get to them eventually! = ) I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy, which are often appropriate for YA readers, but not marketed that way, so if anyone is looking for good recommendations in those genres (other than the Lois Lowry books), I'm always happy to help!

Tahleen wrote: "I will look for it tomorrow and eat it for you."

Haha, yay! Thank you! And please tell me you go to Wegman's all the time.

I will look for it tomorrow and eat it for you.