One of our own favorite places at Politics & Prose is the “remainder” room, a hidden treasure tucked away downstairs and slightly off the beaten path. Managed by veteran P&P bookseller and reader extraordinaire Laurie Greer, it’s the place to find first-rate books—including recent bestsellers, classic cookbooks, magnificent art books and more—at hugely discounted prices. As with P&P’s fiction, non-fiction, and children’s sections, the remainder room’s inventory of more than 4,000 books has been carefully curated and is constantly changing to match the availability of new bargain titles.
Some may wonder how and why we can sell so many great books at such low prices. The books in the remainder room are almost always hardcovers that have been discounted by publishers because they’re no longer going to be printed. Often the title has just appeared in paperback; other times the book has run its course, even if it was previously a hot title. And occasionally, the hardcover in the remainder room is simply an earlier printing of a book still being sold upstairs.
A quick scan of our bargain books this week proves the point. Among highly popular hardcovers now “remaindered” are Jonathan Safron Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close for $6.98; Ron Suskind’s wonderful political work, Confidence Men for $15.98; Louisa Thomas’s Conscience for $6.98; Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded for $7.98; and Tayari Jones’s Silver Sparrow for $5.98. You will also find books about religion, history, biography, politics, as well as a wide range of fiction.
One word of advice: If you see a book in the remainder room, don’t put off buying it. Given the limited quantities and availability of remaindered titles, and the heavily discounted prices at which they’re sold, these books often disappear quickly.
Be sure to head downstairs for a visit. We think you’ll enjoy browsing and discovering some great finds. You can also check P&P’s website (www.politics-prose.com) and the store’s weekly email for Laurie’s current recommendations of marked down books.
- Brad and Lissa
