Decent selection, great value, a wonderful service!
Written: Feb 28 '05
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I found the Doubleday Book Club after running a Google search for book clubs online and their customer satisfaction ratings. I just finished a DVD club commitment with Columbiahouse, and since I'm much more of an avid reader than I am a movie watcher (plus a book collector), it seemed smart to jump on Doubleday's deal.
This review won't spout the golden prose of the Doubleday site, as another review on here does - if you want to read what they have to say about the program, you can read it yourself at http://www.doubledaybookclub.com . I'm writing this in my own words about my own experience ...
The Program:
The introductory package for joining the site is five books for $0.99, plus one additional book for free, plus shipping. In the end, my introductory package of six books cost me $13.95. Not bad for hardcover editions (even though they are smaller than the standard publisher editions and have a slightly smaller typeface). I just can't justify paying $29.95 for a new hardcover, and hate to spend $6 or $7 for a paperback which is going to wear out after one or two readings (or just won't look nice on my bookcases ... as I said, I am a collector).
The benefits were what really made me sign up - up to 90% or more off the cover price on certain titles (if you scrounge deep enough in the site, you can even find books marked down to $0.99 each, down from nearly $30!), as well as freebies with orders (like a free tote bag, for example ... kind of cheesie, but nice for me since I'm at the beach almost weekly during the summer).
By signing up, you're agreeing to buy four more books in the next two years. At their prices, though, that shouldn't be a problem - after just a few weeks, and seeing as how they've just made a special offer (for their 75th Anniversary, buy two books and get one free, with only $0.75 shipping on each book!) I think I've already bought enough to meet my requirement! Every book on the site counts as one (1) book towards your requirement, except "special buys" (usually the books that are priced at like $0.99) or non-book items (accessories, DVDs, et cetera).
Like other "clubs," this one will automatically send you books if you don't return their "Don't send me this!" response card, and you usually get 12-20 of these a year (along with catalogs). By using the site, you can turn down these "offers" online and save the stamp. I find this a much easier option, and a minor annoyance (if even that), since they email you and let you know you have an "offer" to respond to!
The Site:
Over all, the site is more or less simple to navigate. I don't like how you have to put an item into your cart, and then move it to your wish list, in order to get it into your wish list in the first place (you also have to go to your personal account settings to view your wish list, even after you're already logged in).
Browsing books takes a little patience. I've found navigating their menu on the left-hand side doesn't provide you with as many options as browsing by starting by the subjects at the top (for example, using the browsing links at the top is the *only* way to get to the Horror section, which is primarily all I read). The account payments are also rather slow to update on the site, which may delay shipping if you pay with credit card like I do.
Searching by Title or Author is usually a good way to find things (though it automatically performs a "fuzzy search," bringing up names that are similar to, but not identical to, what you typed). The Keyword search rarely works for me, so I've abandoned it. When I want to find something, I usually just browse Amazon.com first, then use the more detailed information they give me to find it on the Doubleday site. Which brings me to ...
Selection:
Maybe I've been spoiled by Amazon.com, but the selection is pretty lacking. The horror section is fairly well fleshed out (once you find it!), but there is no occult section. I couldn't find some of the current "best-selling trash" titles like Amber Frey's book about the Peterson Case (a book I refuse to pay full price for just on principle, but want to read it out of morbid curiosity), and there is no occult section. Of course, occult reading is much more of a niche market that Doubleday wouldn't make much money off of to begin with.
I will say that I found a hand full of Dean Koontz and Stephen King books I hadn't yet read (or had only owned in paperback before, which I will now replace with hardcovers). I even found a set of Stephen King's Dark Tower series, at nearly 1/2 off cover price. My wish list is already growing - good thing I can tear through two or three novels in a week (I don't have cable ... yeah, sad, I know ...)
Final Thoughts:
The Doubleday Book Club is a great choice for book-a-holics like me who can tear through books in no time, and don't like paying a lot for hardcover editions (or paying for cheap paperbacks printed on pulp that's so thin you can read the type of the next page through the one you're on). The books are good quality if you're like me and collect books as well as just reading them, but not of the same quality of a publisher.
The selection is limited but consists of plenty of the hot topic books and New York Times Best Sellers. If you're not looking for the rare, obscure titles, but just want a discount of the big sellers, it's a great place to look.
The website is more or less easy to navigate, but does take some getting used to. You'll have to learn some "tricks" to find your favorite sections (like I did), but once you do, just bookmark them and start building your wish list.
The value is great. I always used to just buy paperbacks if buying new books (a lot of my books come from thrift shops, since I tear through them so fast), but now having nice, collectable hardcovers is affordable.
I give the Doubleday Book Club two bookmarks up!
Recommended:
Yes
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