Book store family outings

I'll admit that I do much of my book buying online. I love book stores. I used to spend time browsing them, but having kids changed that. I blame the fact that book stores now carry a tempting selection of toys. Why in the world would a book store carry toys? Geesh! I understand why they're doing it from a marketing perspective, but if mothers have to drag wailing kids out the doors because they want toys instead of books, isn't the store losing a potential customer? For me, it made taking the kids to the library a much better (and cheaper) alternative when they were younger. It was kind of like choosing the 'No Candies' check-out aisle in the grocery store.

Well, this weekend I dared to give the book store family outing another chance. After all, my kids are a tiny bit older now. The results? Two out of three resisted the toys (on command) and picked out books. Not bad I guess. What did we leave with?

The Shifter by Janice Hardy. I've been dying to share this book with my kids ever since I learned about it at Pubrants, but getting to chat with Janice at the RWA Keynote luncheon in Orlando cinched the deal. She is such a sweet, gracious, and down-to-earth person.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. One of my kids is a fan of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He had to stifle a scream of joy when he came across this book.

We also walked out with several books on dragons...after paying of course.

And books that were added to my TBR pile this weekend include:

Not Quite A Husband by Sherry Thomas. I had the honor of meeting Sherry at the Literacy Autographing in Orlando while on volunteer duty in her aisle. She was incredibly friendly, warm, and full of energy. I can't wait to read her RITA win.

...and I can't resist buying the latest Harlequin Supers.

Once A Ranger by Carrie Weaver.
Fully Involved by Amy Knupp.
Tyler O'Neill's Redemption by Molly O'Keefe.

Note that these are only the latest 'Supers' added to my library. I have books from about 29 different 'Supers' authors. These ladies, along with the other authors over at the Harlequin Simply-Series Supers forum, are the best. If you haven't already, pop on over there and 'meet' them.

All in all, I survived my non-internet book shopping. I didn't realize how much I'd missed the smells, visuals, and atmosphere of a book store. I felt like a kid in a toy store.

My question for you is are you more likely to buy a book if you've met the author in person or you've gotten to know them online?